M&A deal sourcing across Europe
We help private equity firms, strategic buyers, family offices and search funds find companies to acquire throughout the European Union and the UK. Start with a market map, or let us take the search through to owner conversations and booked meetings.We research the market exhaustively against your criteria. You approve the targets and outreach strategy, with full visibility as the work progresses.First qualified meetings within 3 weeks of signing, for engagements that include outreach and meeting booking.
Illustrative workflow
Matched
Qualified
Selected
Example meetings
Owner conversationTomorrow, 10:00
Follow-up meetingTomorrow, 14:30
Across Europe and the UK
Qualified targets
Personalised outreach
Full visibility and control
Proprietary deal sourcing, with you in control
Tell us what you want to buy: the sector, countries, company size and ownership profile. We find and qualify the companies that fit. For a full sourcing engagement, we approach their owners using messaging you have approved.
Company fit
Company fit
We check business activity, ownership and available financial evidence against your brief.
Owner interest
Owner interest
A good fit does not mean an owner wants to sell. We speak to owners to understand their interest.
A clear next step
A clear next step
See the research behind each target, the owner's response and which conversations are ready to take forward.
From market mapping to owner meetings
You approve the brief, targets, outreach strategy and messaging. The dashboard shows what we have found, whom we have approached and what happened next. You decide which conversations to take forward.
1. Set the search criteria
We agree what a suitable acquisition looks like, including your requirements and preferences. You approve the scope before we start.
2. Map the market
We research the market exhaustively within that scope, using the sources suited to the sector. You receive a market map of companies that could fit your search.
3. Verify and qualify targets
We check business activity, ownership and available financial evidence. Your target list explains why each company fits and where information is missing.
4. Approach owners
We work through every contact method in your agreed outreach strategy, including personalised calls and follow-up, until a clear yes or no. You approve the messaging. Interested owners are qualified before meetings are booked.
5. Follow the progress
Your dashboard shows target research and qualification, plus outreach activity, owner responses and meeting outcomes when included. You can see what is happening throughout the search.
Market mapping or a full sourcing engagement
Market mapping is a fixed fee. Deal sourcing is an upfront fee to start, then a success fee when a deal completes, and the search is exclusive to you: the targets and dashboard are yours alone. We agree the scope, deliverables and fee terms with you before starting.
Market mapping
Research only
Market map and qualified targets
An exhaustive market map based on your acquisition criteria.
A qualified target list with supporting evidence and a dashboard to review the findings.
Your team decides which companies to approach and handles owner contact.
Deal sourcing
Research + outreach
From target map to meetings
The market map and qualified target list, followed by personalised owner outreach and booked meetings.
You approve the targets, strategy and messaging. We exhaust the agreed outreach methods until a clear yes or no.
Full visibility of research, outreach activity, owner responses and meetings in your dashboard.
Tell us what you want to acquire
Share the type of business you want to buy and the countries you are considering. We will work through the brief together and discuss whether you need research alone or research with owner outreach.
Who we help with deal origination
We work with private equity firms, strategic buyers, family offices and search funds. The search follows your acquisition criteria, whether you are adding to an existing business or looking for a company to acquire.
Private equity deal sourcing
Find and qualify companies against your investment thesis. Commission a market map for your team, or include owner outreach and meetings.
Strategic buyers
Find businesses that fit your plans for growth. Set the sector, company profile and countries, then review the evidence behind each target.
Family offices and search funds
Find companies that fit your investment criteria or search mandate. We handle the research and, when included, personalised owner outreach, with full oversight through your dashboard.
Insights
Research behind the shortlist
UK and Ireland · Sector research
UK and Ireland perimeter security acquisitions
A review of UK and Irish company websites reveals an independent market, long-serving owners and questions for buyers considering consolidation.
Read the research
Germany · Sector research
Insurance broker M&A in Germany: how much of the market is still independent?
Insurance broker M&A in Germany: 375 independent firms, three financial screens and an owner-age profile. See what our September 2026 research found.
Read the research
Common questions about deal sourcing
How quickly do the first owner meetings happen?
For engagements that include outreach and meeting booking, the first qualified meetings come within 3 weeks of signing. A market mapping engagement ends with the market map and a qualified target list; your team handles owner contact.
What size of company do you search for?
We search for companies with EBITDA from €100K to €20M.
Which countries and languages do you cover?
The European Union and the UK. We approach owners in their own language.
Will you approach the same companies for other buyers?
Not while your search runs: it is exclusive to you, and the targets and dashboard are yours alone. We agree the exact terms of the exclusivity with you when we first meet.
Whose name is used when you contact owners?
You decide, per search: we approach owners as Acquilerate, in your own name, or under your firm's brand. You approve the messaging in every case.
Which sectors do you work in?
We can run a search in any sector; it follows your brief. A few examples from many past searches: accountancy, dental, landscaping, perimeter security, and vitamins, minerals and supplements, across several European countries. Our published sector research is under Insights.