buyer-list

name	buyer-list
description	Use this skill when preparing for a sell-side mandate, building a buyer universe, or evaluating potential partners
executor	LLM_BEHAVIOR
skill_id	finance.investment_banking.buyer_list_3
status	ADOPTED
security	{"level":"high","pii":false,"approval_required":true}
anchors	["finance","design"]
input_schema	[{"name":"code_or_task","type":"string","description":"Code snippet, script, or task description to process","required":true}]
output_schema	[{"name":"plan","type":"string","description":"Strategic plan or design document"},{"name":"next_steps","type":"array","description":"List of recommended next steps"}]

Buyer List

description: Build and organize a universe of potential acquirers for sell-side M&A processes. Identifies strategic and financial buyers, assesses fit, and prioritizes outreach. Use when preparing for a sell-side mandate, building a buyer universe, or evaluating potential partners. Triggers on "buyer list", "buyer universe", "potential acquirers", "who would buy this", "strategic buyers", or "financial sponsors".

Workflow

Step 1: Understand the Target

• Company description, sector, and business model
• Revenue, EBITDA, and growth profile
• Key assets and capabilities (IP, customer relationships, geographic footprint, team)
• Expected valuation range
• Seller preferences (strategic vs. financial, management continuity, timeline)

Step 2: Strategic Buyers

Identify strategic acquirers across categories:

Direct Competitors

• Companies in the same space that would gain market share
• Rationale: Revenue synergies, eliminate competitor, scale

Adjacent Players

• Companies in adjacent markets that could expand into the target's space
• Rationale: Product extension, cross-sell, new market entry

Vertical Integrators

• Customers or suppliers that could integrate vertically
• Rationale: Supply chain control, margin capture, strategic lock-in

Platform Builders

• Large companies building a platform in the space through M&A
• Rationale: Tuck-in acquisition, fill capability gap

For each strategic buyer, assess:

Buyer	Sector	Revenue	Strategic Fit	Financial Capacity	M&A Track Record	Likelihood	Priority
			High/Med/Low		Active/Moderate/None		A/B/C

Step 3: Financial Sponsors

Identify PE/financial buyers:

Platform Investors

• Sponsors looking for a new platform in this sector
• Criteria: Fund size, sector focus, deal size range

Add-on Buyers

• Sponsors with existing portfolio companies that could acquire the target as a bolt-on
• Identify the specific portfolio company and synergy rationale