I work for a boutique M&A transaction advisor called The Enginuity Group. While we offer sell-side advising services, a large portion of our work is buy-side transaction advising. We have typically worked for PE groups or large individual investors, where the searcher and investor are the same people. I am wondering if there is a model where our buy-side advising service could add value and help those in the search fund space. Our buy-side service has traditionally included the following:
1. We help the searcher identify and narrow criteria for a potential target (size, industry, geographic location etc.), identify and initiate contact with multiple targets that meet the criteria (most of which are not currently for sale), help negotiate the deal, and work with the searcher through closing and transition as needed. This process usually takes us 5-8 months and rarely goes over 12 months.
2. We charge a reverse Lehman success fee for a full buy-side advising service engagement. We reduce the fee if only part of our full service engagement is needed.
3. We charge a mobilization and monthly retainer during the search, which are credited toward the success fee at closing. These fees are fully refundable if we have not identified and had client engagement with a viable target within six months.
I would love to get the group's thoughts on whether this service could be helpful in the search fund space and, if so, what sort of arrangement might work best.
Thanks!
Greg
Is There a Need for Buy-Side Advising in Search Fund Space?
by an intermediary from University of Colorado at Boulder
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Searchfunder is an online community and toolkit for searchfunds. Over 80% of those involved in searchfunds maintain a Searchfunder.com account to help them network, problem solve challenges, and keep up with the industry.
We maintain partnerships with database providers that make searching more effective, efficient and affordable along with features that help searchers find deals and investors and vice versa.
We maintain partnerships with database providers that make searching more effective, efficient and affordable along with features that help searchers find deals and investors and vice versa.
Furthermore, if I engage a broker who is normally on the sell-side in a buy-side arrangement, then they are benefitting on both ends. Meaning, if they reach out to 100 potential targets and I go live on one of those targets, there is still a handful of other businesses that may become sellers for that broker.
I would definitely recommend sell-side advisors IF that is all they do but it is a tough sell to a self-funded searcher wanting to use most of their money for their acquisition.