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You Know What You Want to Acquire. Getting There Isn't As Easy As It Seemed
You have a good picture of the kind of business you want - the sector, the size, the EBITDA margins, and the strategic rationale. What you do not have is a reliable way to find the right targets, approach them systematically without feeling like you have taken on another job - a salesperson’s job - and move opportunities forward without the process stalling or dragging on for months.
"So acquisitions remain on your agenda"
You follow up on the occasional opportunity you've got the time for. Many conversations start and go nowhere. The pipeline is not really a pipeline. It is a list of names you keep meaning to revisit.
Meanwhile, you are already running a business. Acquisitions are not your full-time job. Yet building the process to do this properly - mapping the market, qualifying targets, approaching owners cold, negotiating and managing the transaction through to a signed agreement - is itself a substantial undertaking that sits on top of everything else you are already managing.
That is the gap Zenify fills.
THE REAL PROBLEM
You Don't Have a Deal Flow Problem.
You have a "which one?" problem
and a "should we?" problem.
An acquirer’s scarcest resources are time and capital. More deal flow does not give you more of these. It simply gives you more opportunities competing for the same limited resources.
So the challenge isn’t finding more businesses. It is making two decisions well:
“Which One?” Problem
Where should you focus your limited time and resources?
You cannot investigate every business in the market. The universe of possibilities is simply too large, and your resources are finite.
Your challenge, then, is to narrow the field quickly without overlooking the right opportunities. Without an efficient process, you and your management team might spend months investigating a single target. If it turns out to be the wrong one, it takes only a few more false starts like that before one to three years have passed and significant time and resources have been spent, and you are still at ground zero. Your acquisition plan remains unfulfilled.
Worse still, because you did not filter the market effectively, the right targets may have been overlooked and acquired by a competitor.
“Should We?” Problem
Should we put our scarce capital behind this deal?
A good business does not necessarily make a good deal. You may be well equipped to assess whether a target is the a good fit, but deciding whether it is a good deal requires an entirely different discipline - the investment discipline.
The price you pay, the risks you assume, the terms you agree to and the returns you can achieve matter just as much as the quality of the underlying business. Without a well-tested investment case, enthusiasm can turn into overconfidence, leading you to overpay, underestimate the risks or accept terms that erode all the value in the acquisition.
You need enough evidence to justify putting your capital at risk. Where approval is required, you must also give your board or investors the same level of conviction to give you the green light to proceed.
Zenify's Targeted
Acquisition Program
A disciplined way to move from a market of possibilities to one acquisition worth acquiring.
Zenify's Targeted Acquisition Program
An end-to-end buy-side process for corporate acquirers in the lower mid-market. The program moves through four sequential workstreams
We map the relevant market against your acquisition criteria and identify targets that are strategically aligned, commercially plausible, and worth further attention.
The output is not a generic list. It is a curated field of businesses screened against what matters: strategic fit, ownership profile, likely approachability, and initial commercial attractiveness.
Market Scan
1
We apply deeper analysis to priority targets to understand what they do, how they compare, where the economics may be attractive, and where the key commercial questions sit.
This is where Zenify forms an independent view on which targets are worth pursuing, which require caution, and which are unlikely to justify further time, attention, or capital.
Analytics
2
For approved targets, Zenify develops tailored approach strategies and supports outreach, meeting coordination, and early engagement with owners.
Where appropriate, we help prepare materials and messaging so that the approach is credible, commercially grounded, and aligned with your strategic rationale.
Approach
3
Once both parties are meaningfully engaged, Zenify supports commercial negotiation, Heads of Agreement, and coordination through the early due diligence phase.
Our role is to help clients maintain momentum, preserve pricing and structural discipline, and move toward a well-structured outcome without losing control of decision quality.
Heads of Agreement to Due Diligence
4
1
Market Scan
OUTCOME
Longlist of qualified acquisition targets aligned with the buyer's strategy.
Includes: *Market mapping and sector research *Identification of acquisition targets. *Longlist development. *Initial screening and qualification Initial owner outreach and engagement. *Information gathering and market insights. *Assessment of strategic fit.
2
Preliminary Due Diligence
OUTCOME
Shortlist of high-potential targets supported by preliminary commercial, operational, and financial assessment.
Includes: *Commercial and operational assessment *Preliminary financial review *Identification of key risks and issues *Preliminary valuation assessment *Follow-up discussions with owners *Development of investment rationale *Shortlist refinement and prioritisation
3
Heads of Agreement
OUTCOME
Negotiated commercial terms and signed Heads of Agreement.
Includes: *Transaction and negotiation strategy *Buyer positioning *Deal structure discussions *Financial modelling and transaction analysis *Valuation and return assessment *Negotiation of key commercial terms *Stakeholder coordination *Heads of Agreement preparation and execution
4
Formal Due Diligence
OUTCOME
Validated transaction and completed acquisition.
Includes: *Formal due diligence coordination *Validation and refinement of financial assumptions *Working capital review *Legal and adviser coordination *Refinement of transaction terms *Management of outstanding risks and issues *Completion and close management
Selected Clients
About Zenify
Zenify Investments is an independent buy-side advisory firm helping corporate acquirers identify, assess and execute acquisitions in Australia’s $1m-$50m SME market.
We combine market research, financial modelling, valuation, negotiation and deal execution to help clients select the right opportunities and pursue them with conviction.
Founded by Celine Nguyen, CFA, Zenify draws on more than 20 years of experience across investment management, corporate advisory and M&A. Celine works alongside management teams, boards and investors from acquisition strategy through to completion.
Celine Nguyen
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CFA Charterholder
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Master of Applied Finance (Dean’s Medal)
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20+ Years in Investing & M&A
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Former Head of Healthcare Advisory, Greenwich Capital Partners
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Former Portfolio Manager, Duxton Asset Management
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Former Business Development, Google
What Our Partners Say
This was our second time hiring Celine for our acquisition program. Her independent analysis challenged our thinking and ultimately changed which business we acquired. Would hire her again!
CEO, strategic acquirer in the care sector
Why Buyers Hire Zenify
Selection judgement
We help clients focus their time and capital on the businesses most likely to advance their strategy and create value.
Conviction in value
Our modelling, valuation and risk analysis establish what a business is worth, what could go wrong and the price the buyer can defend.
Seller engagement and influence
We approach owners directly, build trust and navigate the commercial and personal considerations that shape privately owned business transactions.
Execution capacity
We work alongside management from acquisition strategy through negotiation, due diligence and closing, adding the specialist capacity required to keep the transaction moving.
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Source & Screen
We leverage our network and proprietary screening methodologies to identify high-quality acquisition opportunities that match your strategic criteria and investment thesis.
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Traditional Brokers
• Seller-focused mandate
• Limited due diligence
• Transaction-driven approach
• Minimal post-sale support
Zenify Difference
• Buyer-exclusive advisory
• Comprehensive analysis
• Value creation focus
• Integration planning
Investment Banks
• Large deal focus
• Junior team execution
• Template approaches
• High fee structures
OUR STATS
30K
Deals Screened
We’ve analyzed over 30,000 SME opportunities, helping clients focus only on targets that fit their strategy and risk profile.
+95%
Success Rate
95% of opportunities we recommend advance to formal diligence or LOI, saving clients time and reducing acquisition risk.
$15M
Average Deal Size
We specialize in small to mid-market acquisitions between $1M–$50M, with an average closed deal value of $15M.
Ready to Buy Smarter?
Schedule a confidential consultation to discuss your acquisition strategy. No obligations, just insights from Australia's buyer-focused M&A experts.
$200M+
SME transactions advised
2 weeks
negotiation to signed HoA
3x
repeat engagements from same client
20 years
accross investing and M&A