Acquisitions
Replaces: M&A Analyst + Deal Research
Roll-up strategies are straightforward in theory. You buy smaller companies at reasonable multiples, integrate their operations, and create a combined entity worth more than the sum of its parts. The math works. The execution is where it falls apart — because the execution requires an enormous amount of research-intensive, detail-oriented work, and most companies running an acquisition strategy don't have the analyst bench to do it properly.
Here's what actually happens. You engage an investment bank or an M&A advisory firm. They charge a retainer, usually $10K to $25K a month, plus a success fee of 1 to 3 percent of the deal value. For that, you get a team of analysts who screen targets, build financial models, and run due diligence — but only on the deals they're incentivized to close. The screening is often narrow because their capacity is limited. You're seeing a curated pipeline, not the full universe of potential targets. And between engagements, the deal flow research just stops.
The agents do the analyst work that makes acquisitions possible at scale. The agents screen targets continuously based on your criteria, build preliminary financial models from available data, track due diligence to completion, and draft LOIs from your templates — all managed in a single pipeline view. It doesn't replace the strategic judgment of the person making acquisition decisions. It replaces the hundred hours of analyst work behind each decision, and it does it continuously instead of when you happen to have a banking relationship active.
What the agents handle
Acquisition target screening
Continuous monitoring of potential targets based on your acquisition criteria — industry, geography, revenue range, service type, customer concentration, owner demographics. Broker listings, industry databases, public records, and network intelligence all feed into the screening process.
Financial modeling and valuation
Preliminary valuation models built from available financial data. Revenue multiples, EBITDA multiples, discounted cash flow, and asset-based valuations — each with clearly stated assumptions so you can pressure-test the numbers before you spend time on a target.
Due diligence checklists and tracking
A structured diligence process that tracks every item across financial, legal, operational, and commercial workstreams. Nothing falls through the cracks because the agents maintain the checklist and flag items that are overdue or missing.
Letter of intent drafting
LOIs drafted from your standard terms, populated with deal-specific details — purchase price, structure, earnout provisions, key conditions. You review and edit instead of starting from a blank page every time.
Deal pipeline management
Every potential acquisition tracked from initial identification through screening, outreach, LOI, diligence, and close. You can see your entire deal funnel at a glance — how many targets are in screening, how many are in active conversations, where each deal stands.
Counter-valuation analysis
When a seller or their advisor pushes back on your valuation, the agents build a counter-analysis. Comparable transactions, market conditions, identified risks, and integration costs — all assembled into a clear argument for your position.
Integration planning
Before you close, the agents build a preliminary integration plan — systems consolidation, organizational structure, customer communication, timeline, and expected costs. You go into closing with a plan instead of figuring it out after the check clears.
Comparable transaction research
A continuously updated database of relevant transactions in your industry and adjacent markets. What similar companies sold for, deal structures, buyer profiles, and market trends. The context you need to know whether a deal is priced fairly.
How it works
Week 1–2
We learn your acquisition thesis. What kinds of companies you're looking for, what multiples you're willing to pay, what geographies matter, what deal structures you prefer, and what your integration capabilities look like. We review any past deals to understand your process and preferences.
Week 2–4
Agents are configured with your screening criteria and connected to broker databases, industry listings, and public data sources. They start building your target pipeline and producing preliminary analyses on the most promising opportunities. You review, give feedback, and the screening gets sharper.
Ongoing
Continuous deal flow screening and analysis, managed by 1404. New targets surface as they appear on the market. Models get built as new data comes in. Diligence runs in parallel across multiple opportunities. You focus on the strategic decisions — which targets to pursue, when to walk away, how to structure the deal. The agents handle the research and assembly behind each one.
Let's talk about what your operations could look like
A 30-minute call to walk through what this could look like for your business.
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