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The process

How the work actually gets done.

Six stages from initial readiness assessment to completion. Senior-led throughout, with off-market buyer sourcing and confidential process management.

The six-stage AI-enabled M&A process, with specific human and AI tasks called out at each stageHUMANAI01READINESSTeam strengthFounder motivationSector benchmarksFinancial gaps02VALUATIONDefensible frameBuyer-specific value1000s of comparablesAddback detection03INVESTORMEMORANDUMNarrativeFounder voiceFirst draftMarket sizing04BUYERSWarm introsPriority relationshipsSystematic mappingOutreach at scale05DILIGENCECompetitive tensionAdvance / hold callsData-roomQ&A tracking06COMPLETIONNegotiation leadPushback judgementTerm benchmarksScenario modelsHUMANjudgement & relationshipsAIstructured work at speed

HUMAN LANE

Positioning, relationships, negotiation - everything that still genuinely requires judgement.

AI LANE

Our own M&A agents - analysis, drafting, tracking, benchmarking. Built specifically for the lower mid-market, not bolted on.

The split is explicit. You always know which lane a piece of work is in, and why.

STAGE 01

Exit Readiness Assessment

We establish where the business actually stands against acquirer expectations - months before due diligence would force the question.

HUMAN INPUT

Strategic interpretation of findings. Founder coaching on what to prioritise. Judgment on what genuinely matters to acquirers versus what merely looks important on paper.

AI CAPABILITY

Automated analysis of financials, customer contracts, customer concentration, and operational structure. Pattern recognition against thousands of successful exits in similar sectors identifies the readiness gaps that cost founders the most at deal time.

6–12

BENEFIT

Issues surface 6-12 months before market

Exit readiness assessment: AI analyzes six pillars of the business and feeds into a human interpretation node72READINESSFINOPSLEGALCUSTOMERTEAMIPADVISORAIpattern recognition · 1000+ exitsHUMANstrategic interpretation

STAGE 02

Financial Analysis & Valuation

A defensible valuation built on broader evidence than traditional methods allow, delivered in days rather than weeks.

HUMAN INPUT

Judgment on which addbacks are defensible to acquirers. Strategic positioning of the financial story. Understanding of buyer-specific value drivers that a methodology alone cannot see.

AI CAPABILITY

Rapid normalisation of financial statements. Identification of one-off items and addbacks. Multiple valuation methodologies run in parallel. Comparable transaction analysis across thousands of historical deals, not a handful of hand-picked comps.

days

BENEFIT

Valuation analysis completed in days, not weeks

Valuation: three parallel methodologies run against thousands of comparable deals converge on a defensible valueDCFCOMPSPRECEDENTNORMALISE · ADJUST£XXmDEFENSIBLE RANGEADDBACKSAIthousands of comparables, minutesHUMANdefensibility & positioning

STAGE 03

Investor Memorandum

The document that frames the business for the market. Sharper first drafts, more iterations, higher production quality.

HUMAN INPUT

Strategic positioning. Narrative judgement. Sense-checking against buyer perspectives. Founder collaboration on the story being told.

AI CAPABILITY

First-draft IM generation from structured data and founder interviews. Market sizing and competitive landscape analysis. Investment thesis and growth narrative drafting.

2–3 wks

BENEFIT

IM timeline compressed from 6–8 weeks to 2–3

Information memorandum production: AI drafts from structured data, humans shape the investment narrativeAI FIRST DRAFTHUMAN NARRATIVEWEEK 1WEEK 2WEEK 2-3 · SHIPAIHUMAN

STAGE 04

Buyer Identification & Outreach

A broader, better-qualified buyer pool, with personalisation at scale and warm introductions where they matter most.

HUMAN INPUT

Relationship-led approach to priority buyers. Judgment on outreach timing and messaging. Leveraging personal networks for warm introductions to the buyers that matter most.

AI CAPABILITY

Systematic identification of potential acquirers across strategic and financial categories. Analysis of buyer behaviour, recent acquisition activity, capital availability, and strategic fit. Outreach campaign management.

3–5×

BENEFIT

Buyer pool typically 3–5× broader than traditional coverage

Buyer identification and outreach: central hub connects to priority buyers through warm introductions and a broader systematic poolSYSTEMATICOUTREACH◆ PRIORITY · WARM INTRO◇ SYSTEMATIC POOL · 3-5X SCALEAIidentification & personalisationHUMANrelationships & judgement

STAGE 05

Process Management & Diligence

A well-run process protects value. Administrative burden off founders, cleaner competitive tension across bidders.

HUMAN INPUT

Strategic management of competitive tension. Negotiation of process terms. Judgment on which buyers to advance and when.

AI CAPABILITY

Data room organisation. Diligence question tracking and response coordination. Document version management. Automated status reporting to all parties.

↓ time

BENEFIT

Fewer failure points, faster diligence cycles

Diligence coordination: a structured data room with automated status tracking, human judgement layered on process orchestrationDATA ROOM · AUTO-ORGANISED70% RESPONSES AUTO-ROUTEDCOMPETITIVE TENSIONBUYER ABUYER BBUYER CADVANCE / HOLD · ADVISOR CALLAItracking · routing · reportingHUMANtension & buyer advancement

STAGE 06

Negotiation & Completion

Founders enter negotiations with comprehensive market context. Better outcomes on terms beyond the headline number.

HUMAN INPUT

Negotiation leadership. Relationship management with buyers and lawyers. Judgment calls on what to push back on and what to concede.

AI CAPABILITY

Term sheet analysis and benchmarking against market norms. Identification of unusual or unfavourable terms. Scenario modelling across different deal structures.

100%

BENEFIT

Every term benchmarked against market, outliers flagged

Negotiation support: term sheet benchmarked against market norms, outliers flagged for human judgementFOUNDER-FRIENDLYBUYER-FRIENDLYHEADLINE PRICEEARN-OUT!ESCROW!WARRANTIESRESTRICTIVE COV.MANAGEMENT ROLLMARKET RANGEOUTLIER · PUSH BACKIN-RANGE · ACCEPTAIHUMAN

Next step

A short confidential conversation is the best way to see whether we're the right fit.

Forty-five minutes. No obligation. You leave with a clearer view of what an exit process would look like for your specific business and where the leverage points are.

Book a confidential conversation