How we originate for sponsors
Start with a brief a founder would recognise
A good brief is specific enough to screen against and honest about what you will pay for. We work with you to tighten it into criteria we can test, then map the market: companies that fit on paper, who owns them, and what signals suggest the owner might engage, such as succession, stalled growth capital, concentration or founder fatigue.
Confidential approaches, on your behalf
We approach owners directly, without naming your fund until there is mutual interest and an NDA in place. Founders who ignore unsolicited emails from investors will often take a call from an adviser with a specific, credible reason to talk. We screen every conversation for fit and readiness before it reaches you, so your deal team spends time on businesses that can transact.
From first meeting to exclusivity
Once you are in conversation, we help shape the indicative offer, the structure and the path to exclusivity. For founder-owned businesses, structure often decides the deal as much as price. Our deal structure comparison tool and capital stack builder are useful for framing rollover, earn-out and financing options early.
Frequently asked questions
- What is proprietary deal flow in private equity?
- Proprietary deal flow is an acquisition opportunity sourced directly from the owner rather than through an auction run by a sell-side adviser. It usually means less competition on price, more time for diligence and a relationship with the founder before a process starts.
- How does buy-side origination work with Acquiry?
- You give us an investment brief: sector, geography, size, financial profile, ownership and deal type. We build a target universe against it, approach owners confidentially on your behalf, screen for fit and readiness, and introduce you only to businesses that match. We then support the process through to signed exclusivity and completion.
- What size of company does Acquiry source?
- Typically $1M to $500M enterprise value, across technology and digital businesses, and in any sector or market beyond that where the brief calls for it.
- How is buy-side origination paid for?
- Buy-side engagements are typically structured as a monthly retainer credited against a success fee paid on completion, so the cost of the search is aligned with a deal actually closing.