Hypothesis development
Preliminary views on the market and the target’s competitive position, to identify the few things worth testing properly in the time available.
Line 02 / Transaction services
Diligence that holds to deal timeframes.
We work to the sponsor’s clock, test the growth case against evidence rather than management ambition, and stay on past close so the value in the model arrives.
The register
Six offers under this line.
Proprietary methods at each stage, a sector specialist alongside, and teams small enough to turn work around inside the timetable.
01Commercial due diligenceBuy-side and sponsor-ready. Hypothesis development, then a bespoke program of modules (market sizing, primary research, customer analysis, financial modelling) synthesised into a report that carries into lender conversations.02Technical due diligenceA rigorous tech readiness assessment. Architecture, code quality, security and the engineering team’s delivery record tested against the growth case, with the remediation and platform spend the plan assumes costed rather than noted as a risk.03Vendor due diligenceExit narrative and defensibility. Market context, positioning and growth outlook set out plainly, and where the growth story is thin, the drivers that could support a higher multiple.04100 day planningValue capture from close. Built on Zenith PMO Studio: initiatives prioritised, responsibilities allocated between acquirer and management, and a metric-driven cadence that surfaces problems while they are small.05M&A advisoryTarget screening through to completion. The M&A strategy first, then long-list refinement, short-list screening against a defined framework, and initial approaches made alongside your bankers.06M&A integration supportSynergy delivery and operating model. The plan held together through the months when the two businesses are still learning each other’s habits.
Commercial due diligence
Three stages, aligned to your thesis.
A rigorous approach designed to yield rapid insight against the thesis you need validated, not a standard scope applied to every deal.
Research, analysis, modelling
A bespoke program of modules built with the fund: market research primary and secondary, market sizing, customer analysis, assessment of the business, financial modelling.
Synthesis and refinement
A report that states the findings and what they mean for the thesis, and holds up in discussions with lenders on structure and financing.
After close
We stay on it until the value arrives.
Clients typically see a 40–100x return on our fees on execution and performance improvement work.
Proprietary methods
Strategy tools, templates and a PMO methodology that have been through enough deals to be worth reusing.
Real alignment
The approach is collaborative, which is what produces agreement between acquirer and management rather than a plan handed down.
Tracked to run-rate
Benefits prioritised and tracked through to the point they show in the accounts, not the point they are approved.
Pragmatic by habit
Years of implementation work behind the recommendations, so they can be executed inside a short window rather than admired.
Starting a conversation
Schedule a call.
Most engagements begin with a short conversation with a principal about the thesis you are testing and the evidence that would settle it.