Scout Acquisition Targets for a Private Equity Associate
The Three-Agent Setup
Agent 1: Maya (Market Research) — "Sector Scanner"
Focus area: "[Target vertical, e.g., B2B SaaS in healthcare] — map the landscape of companies with $5M-$50M revenue. Identify founder-led businesses, companies that recently lost a key executive, or those showing signs of strategic transition."
Schedule: Weekly
Output: Full Report
Agent 2: Marcus (Financial Analysis) — "Target Screener"
Focus area: "Financial indicators for potential acquisition targets in [vertical]. Look for: slowing growth that new ownership could reignite, strong gross margins with poor net margins (operational improvement opportunity), high customer retention with low marketing spend, and any companies with disclosed financials."
Schedule: Biweekly
Output: Data Table
Agent 3: Diana (M&A & Deals) — "Deal Flow Monitor"
Focus area: "M&A activity, minority investments, and strategic partnerships in [vertical]. Track: who's buying, at what multiples, which advisors are involved, and what companies just received growth equity (potential future exits)."
Schedule: Weekly
Output: Executive Briefing
The Workflow
1. Maya maps the landscape — you know who's out there
2. Marcus screens for financial fit — you know who's attractive
3. Diana tracks deal activity — you know what's moving
Cross-reference all three: a company that appears in Maya's landscape, fits Marcus's financial criteria, AND shows strategic transition signals from Diana's deal flow is your highest-priority target.
What This Replaces
- $50K+/year industry databases
- 10+ hours/week of manual research
- Missed opportunities because you were looking at the wrong sources
Organization Setup
Create an org for your deal team. Share all three agents. The Associate runs them, the VP reviews results, and the Partner sees the curated shortlist.