ACQUISITIONS AGI
Fix the thesis before you fund the search — sharper criteria, clear disqualifiers, and a sourcing brief that works.
Thesis Stress-Test
Evaluate whether a buyer thesis is too broad, too narrow, weakly evidenced, or misaligned with current target availability and acquisition economics.
- Thesis review before sourcing spend — makes go/watch/pass triage more reliable
- thesis failure modes tested
- 3thesis failure modes testedtoo broad, too narrow, too vague
- thesis dimensions evaluated
- 7thesis dimensions evaluatedrationale, must-haves, disqualifiers, adjacency, availability, integration burden, evidence
- deliverables per stress-test
- 3deliverables per stress-testrefined thesis box, sourcing brief, evidence gap list
How it works — and what you walk away with
A poor acquisition thesis creates a poor target list. Too broad and every company looks interesting. Too narrow and sourcing stalls. Too vague and the team cannot distinguish strategic fit from deal excitement.
The Thesis Stress-Test evaluates the thesis before more sourcing effort is spent. We look at the buyer rationale, must-haves, disqualifiers, strategic adjacency, likely target availability, integration burden, and evidence needed to prove the thesis.
The result is a sharper thesis box and a sourcing brief that makes go/watch/pass triage more reliable.
The process
Thesis Intake
Share your current buyer rationale, must-haves, disqualifiers, and strategic adjacency assumptions.
Sharpness and Disqualifier Audit
Test whether criteria are specific enough to guide real target selection, with walk-away conditions defined before deal enthusiasm takes over.
Market Reality Check
Flag where target availability, competition, or integration burden may break the thesis.
Refined Box and Sourcing Brief
An improved thesis box, practical target-search instructions, and the evidence gaps to close before underwriting.
What you get
Refined Thesis Box
Improved buyer criteria, must-haves, disqualifiers, and watch triggers
Sourcing Brief
Practical target-search instructions for databases, outreach, and advisor networks
Evidence Gap List
Questions that must be answered before escalating targets to underwriting
What's included
Thesis Sharpness Review
Tests whether criteria are specific enough to guide actual target selection
Disqualifier Audit
Defines clear walk-away conditions before deal enthusiasm takes over
Market Reality Check
Flags where target availability, competition, or integration burden may break the thesis
Who this is for
First-Time Acquirers
Teams moving from opportunistic interest to disciplined acquisition search
PE Portfolio Companies
Platform businesses starting add-on sourcing under sponsor oversight
Corporate Development Teams
Teams needing alignment before screening hundreds of targets
Scoped diagnostic
Scoped to your situation
- Format
- Thesis review before sourcing spend — makes go/watch/pass triage more reliable
Related topics
Related services
Target Triage Service
Submit your buyer thesis and target data to receive go/watch/pass classifications, scored rationale, and next-step recommendations.
Target Sourcing
Comprehensive target identification and profiling for strategic acquirers and PE firms. Find 50-200 targets that match your criteria.
Fix the thesis before you fund the search — sharper criteria, clear disqualifiers, and a sourcing brief that works.
Share your situation and Acquisitions AGI will scope it with you — takes about two minutes.