M&A · Diligence · Deal PMO
From First Look to Day 1: Deal Support That Doesn't Drop the Ball
Most transactions fail at execution, not at valuation. We run the analytical and operational workstreams that determine whether a deal closes on time, on terms, and without surprises on either side of the table.
Transaction work is where analytical rigor and operational speed collide. Buyers need to understand what they're actually buying, not just the story in the CIM, but the underlying data quality, the revenue concentration risks, the operational dependencies that never make it into the model. Sellers need to present a clean, defensible story and manage a process that can run for four to six months without the business losing momentum.
We serve both sides. On the buy side, we function as an embedded diligence and analytics partner, building the data infrastructure to run real diligence, stress-testing management's numbers, and flagging the issues that would create leverage in SPA negotiations or, more importantly, that would create problems on Day 1 post-close. On the sell side, we help management teams build data rooms that hold up to scrutiny, prepare for management presentations, and structure the narrative around metrics that sophisticated buyers will want to verify.
Success in a transaction engagement looks like this: no surprises at closing, a purchase price that reflects reality, and a post-close integration that starts executing on Week 1 rather than spending three months figuring out where the data lives. We've seen too many deals where the acquirer spent the first 100 days firefighting information gaps that should have been resolved in diligence. We exist to close that gap.
The Process
The M&A Lifecycle
What we do at every stage: from first look through post-close integration.
Confidentiality & NDA Execution
NDAs before anything moves. We advise on scope, carve-outs, and what information is appropriate at each stage, protecting the seller while keeping the process from stalling over avoidable disclosure concerns.
First Look & Data Validation
We stress-test the CIM, identify the 5–7 questions that matter before exclusivity, and on the sell side, distinguish between the two-page teaser and the full Confidential Information Presentation (CIP).
Structuring the Diligence Workplan
With the LOI signed and the exclusivity clock running, we build the master workplan: workstream owners, information requests, data room structure, and milestones tied to the exclusivity expiration.
Quality of Earnings & Financial Diligence
We build the EBITDA bridge, verify addbacks against source data, analyze revenue cohorts, and translate QoE findings into deal-room language: what's adjustable, what's a pricing lever, what's a walk-away risk.
Operational Diligence
We assess data infrastructure, systems, and processes, mapping single points of failure and producing the operational assessment that informs Day 1 and integration planning.
SPA Negotiation Support
We support the working capital peg negotiation, manage the data room, and track open issues across workstreams so closing conditions get satisfied before the deadline.
Management Presentations
Sell-side: we prep management with backup materials and mock Q&A. Buy-side: we draft the questions that actually stress-test what management is claiming.
Pre-Close & Day 1 Readiness
We build the Day 1 playbook: communications, system access, and first reporting package. We start long-lead integration workstreams before close so there are no surprises when keys change hands.
100-Day Integration Execution
We connect data systems, build unified reporting, establish the KPI framework for the combined entity, and track the 100-day plan. We stay through stabilization, not just through close.
What We Deliver
Specific capabilities we bring to every transaction engagement.
Data Room Design and Management
A well-organized data room signals seriousness and accelerates diligence. We build data rooms with logical structure, appropriate access controls, and version management that makes it easy for buyers to find what they need and hard for sellers to make mistakes.
QoE and Financial Diligence Support
We build the analytical backbone for quality of earnings work: revenue cohort analysis, customer concentration, EBITDA bridge construction, and working capital modeling. We do the data work that makes QoE faster and more accurate.
Operational Diligence and Risk Assessment
We assess the operational and data infrastructure of acquisition targets: systems, processes, reporting reliability, and integration complexity. The output is a written risk register and integration roadmap, not just a list of observations.
Deal PMO and Workstream Coordination
Transactions involve legal, financial, operational, and technical workstreams running in parallel under time pressure. We run the deal PMO: tracking open items, driving resolution, coordinating across advisors.
Management Presentation Preparation
We prepare management teams for the scrutiny of a competitive sale process: building the financial and operational backup decks, running Q&A prep sessions, and making sure every assertion can be supported from the data room.
Post-Close Integration and 100-Day Plan Execution
We build and execute 100-day integration plans: unifying reporting, establishing KPI frameworks, connecting data systems, and tracking integration milestones against the value creation thesis that justified the deal price.
Teaser and CIP Development
We build the marketing materials that drive a sell-side process: the two-page teaser that goes to a broad buyer universe and the Confidential Information Presentation (CIP) that tells the full story of the business to buyers who have executed an NDA. A well-built CIP does more than describe the business. It frames the narrative, anticipates buyer questions, and builds confidence in the quality of management's information. We build both documents from scratch, working closely with management to make sure the story is accurate, compelling, and supported by the data.
Who We Serve
PE Firms and Portfolio Operating Teams
Private equity firms and their portfolio operating teams executing add-on acquisitions. These buyers need speed and analytical depth simultaneously. They're often running multiple processes at once and don't have the bandwidth to manage every workstream internally.
Strategic Acquirers
Strategic acquirers, often multi-site healthcare operators, services businesses, or PE-backed platforms, buying their first or second acquisition and building the diligence and integration muscle for the first time.
Founder-Owned Businesses Preparing for a Sale
These sellers often have strong businesses but have never run a formal M&A process. They need help building a data room that holds up to scrutiny, preparing for management presentations, and ensuring the story they're telling is supported by the data behind it.
In practice
Recent Work
Anonymized engagements where we delivered this service. Client details kept confidential.
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