For owners who received our email
Got an email from Acquiry? Here is exactly what it means.
Six short steps: why we wrote, who we act for, how to check it is really us, when you learn who the buyer is, what a first call involves and how to say no. No cost, no obligation, nothing to sign.
A genuine Acquiry email
What to look for, line by line
- From
- A named person@acquiry.com
- Buyer
- Described by type and sectornot named yet
- Asks for
- A reply, nothing elseno payment, no data
- Links to
- This pageacquiry.com
The short version
Who we are
Acquiry is an M&A introduction firm for digital, software and technology businesses. We connect owners with buyers and run the conversation between them.
Why you heard from us
A buyer we work with is looking for a business like yours, or your company matches criteria we are researching. We found you through public information only.
What we are asking
Nothing more than a reply. There is no cost, no obligation and nothing to sign. "Not interested" is a complete answer and we will respect it.
Step 1 of 6
Why we wrote to you
We only write when there is a specific reason your business could interest a buyer. These are the signals we look at, all from public information.
Your sector and model
Your business sits in a sector, product category or customer base that a buyer has asked us to cover.
Your likely size
Public signals such as headcount, product footprint or market presence suggest you fall inside the size range the buyer is looking for.
Your market
You operate in, or sell into, a country or region the buyer wants to grow in.
Public information only
We use your website, company registries, press coverage and professional networks. We do not buy leaked data and we have no access to your accounts.
Step 2 of 6
Who we act for, and who pays
It matters who an intermediary works for. Here it is in plain terms, so you can weigh everything we say with that in mind.
We act for the buyer who briefed us
When an email mentions a specific buyer, that buyer has asked us to find businesses that match their criteria. We are working on their brief, and we say so plainly.
We are not your adviser
We introduce and coordinate. We do not give you legal, tax, financial or valuation advice, and we do not act as your representative in a negotiation. You are free to bring your own advisers at any point.
You never pay us
When we approach you on behalf of a buyer, Acquiry charges you nothing: no retainers, no upfront fees, no fee for a call. Our fee is agreed with the buyer who engaged us and is paid only if a transaction completes.
If you want representation
If you decide you want to sell and would like a firm to run a process on your behalf, we can tell you how that would work and who would pay. Nothing changes unless you agree to it in writing.
Step 3 of 6
How to check it is really us
Fraudsters sometimes copy the names of real firms. Take two minutes to check before you share anything. We would rather you did.
- a
Check the sender address
Our emails come from a named person at an @acquiry.com address. Look at the full address, not just the display name. Anything from a free email service or a look-alike domain is not us.
- b
Contact us separately
Do not use links or numbers in an email you are unsure about. Type www.acquiry.com into your browser, or email info@acquiry.com, and ask us to confirm the sender works for Acquiry and that the approach is real.
- c
Ask the sender to identify themselves
Reply and ask for their full name and role and the type of buyer they act for. A genuine Acquiry approach will answer all three without asking you for anything first.
- d
Use the form on this page
Choose "Check an email is genuine" below, add the sender address, and our team will confirm or deny it directly to you.
Acquiry will never ask you for
- Payment of any kind, including "registration", "valuation" or "listing" fees
- Bank details, passwords, or access to any of your systems
- Financial statements, customer lists or contracts before an NDA is signed
- Urgent decisions or deadlines in a first email
- Moving the conversation to a personal messaging app before you have verified us
If anyone using our name asks for any of these, it is not us. Forward the message to info@acquiry.com.
Step 4 of 6
When you learn who the buyer is
Information moves in stages, and in both directions at the same pace. You always know more about the buyer than the buyer knows about you, until you choose otherwise.
1First email
You learn
What kind of buyer it is: strategic acquirer, private equity or a funded platform, plus their sector and why they are interested.
The buyer learns
Nothing about you beyond public information. The buyer is not told who you are.
2Introductory call
You learn
More detail on the buyer: their size, their acquisition history, what they plan to do with a business like yours and the deal shapes they consider.
The buyer learns
Still nothing, unless you ask us to pass on that you are open to talking.
3Mutual NDA signed
You learn
The buyer’s name, once they have agreed to be named to you. Some buyers ask for the NDA first; we tell you upfront if that applies.
The buyer learns
Your name and the information you choose to share, under the same NDA.
4Direct meeting
You learn
The buyer’s team, in a meeting you have agreed to, on a date that suits you.
The buyer learns
Only what you decide to share. You can stop at any stage.
Step 5 of 6
What a first conversation involves
If you are curious, the next step is a short, informal call. You do not need to prepare anything or have decided to sell.
About 30 minutes
By video or phone, at a time you choose. You can bring a co-founder, director or adviser.
We explain the buyer
Who they are by type, what they are looking for, and why your business came up.
You tell us what you want to
Your plans, timing and what a good outcome would look like. Broad strokes are fine.
We agree the next step together
That could be an NDA and a buyer introduction, a check-in in six or twelve months, or nothing at all.
What we will not do
- We will not ask for financial statements or customer names on the first call
- We will not ask you to sign anything on the call
- We will not pressure you into a timeline
- We will not share that you took the call without your permission
Step 6 of 6
How to say no
Saying no takes one line, and we will not try to change your mind. Pick whichever fits.
Not interested
Reply "not interested" or "no" to the email. That is all we need. We close the approach for that brief and do not chase.
Not now, maybe later
Tell us a month or a year that suits you. We will not contact you before then, and when we do it will be one short note.
Never contact me again
Ask us to stop entirely and we add your email to a suppression list, so no Acquiry approach reaches you again, for any buyer.
You can also use the form below, which works even if you no longer have our email.
Questions owners ask
Anything else on your mind
How did you get my email address?
From public sources such as your company website, company registries or professional networks. If you want to know the exact source for your address, email info@acquiry.com and we will tell you.
Does contacting me mean my business is being discussed with buyers?
No. The buyer is not told who you are unless you agree to it. A first approach is one-way: we tell you about the buyer, and nothing about you goes back to them.
Is the buyer real?
When an email mentions a specific buyer, it is a buyer who has briefed us. You can ask for the buyer type, sector and the reason for interest before deciding anything, and the buyer is named once a mutual NDA is in place.
Can I talk to you without being committed to selling?
Yes. Most first calls are with owners who are not planning to sell. Knowing what buyers would pay, and why, is useful whatever you decide.
Will you tell anyone I replied?
No. Your reply, and the fact that you replied, stays with the Acquiry team.
What if I already have an adviser or broker?
Tell us and we will work through them, or step back if they prefer. We never try to go around an adviser you have appointed.
What happens to my details if I say no?
We close the approach. If you ask us never to contact you again, we keep your email only on a suppression list so we can honour that. You can ask us to access or delete your data at any time; see our Privacy Policy.
I think an email using your name is a scam. What should I do?
Do not reply to it or click its links. Forward it to info@acquiry.com, or use the form on this page with the sender address. We will confirm whether it came from us.
Your answer
Tell us what you would like to happen.
Replying to our email works just as well. This form is here if you no longer have it, want to check it was really us, or prefer not to reply to the sender.