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$200M+
SME transactions advised
2 weeks
negotiation to signed HoA
3x
repeat engagements from same client
20 years
accross investing and M&A
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.
STRONGER TOGETHER
Good M&A Creates More Than a Transaction
The best acquisitions bring organisations together in ways that allow good businesses, capabilities, people and ideas to go further than they could independently.
ORGANISATION CONSIDERING M&A
M&A can accelerate growth, add new capabilities and open markets that would otherwise take years to build organically.
BUSINESS CONSIDERING JOINING FORCES
The right combination can extend what has already been built, create new opportunities for people and customers, and provide a stronger platform for the future.
THE PROBLEM
M&A needs a dedicated team
Pursuing acquisitions requires consistent market coverage, relationship-building, analysis and execution. For most organisations, that leaves two options. Neither is straightforward.
RUNNING THE BUSINESS
M&A cannot sit alongside the day job
Management teams already have a business to run. Finding and progressing acquisitions means continually researching the market, approaching owners, following up conversations, assessing opportunities and managing transactions.
Without dedicated resources, the work starts and stops. Acquisition activity becomes reactive, good opportunities are missed and promising conversations lose momentum.
BUILDING THE TEAM
Building an internal M&A team is not simple
M&A requires a combination of market research, relationship-building, commercial judgement, financial analysis, valuation, negotiation and transaction management.
Finding people with the right mix of skills is difficult. Building the team takes time, and the organisation must carry the cost and responsibility of managing the function before an acquisition is completed.
How We Work
We build the evidence needed to make a sound acquisition decision, then lead the process through to completion. Our four-stage approach takes an opportunity from initial interest to a fully assessed investment case and a transaction ready to execute.
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
Origination & Target Selection
WHICH BUSINESSES FIT OUR OBJECTIVES AND WARRANT AN APPROACH?
We translate your acquisition objectives into a focused search, assessing the market and prioritising businesses with a credible strategic and investment rationale.
2
Engagement & Preliminary Assessment
DOES THIS OPPORTUNITY WARRANT A DETAILED INVESTMENT ASSESSMENT?
We engage owners, meet management and assess the business’s financial performance, competitive position and operating model. We identify the attractions, risks and critical questions that will determine whether to proceed.
3
Investment Case & Deal Structuring
SHOULD WE ACQUIRE THIS BUSINESS - AND AT WHAT PRICE AND ON WHAT TERMS?
We build the financial model, assess valuation and test returns against downside scenarios. We develop the acquisition structure, funding plan and commercial terms, turning a promising opportunity into an investment proposition you can evaluate and negotiate.
4
Confirmatory Due Diligence & Completion
DOES THE EVIDENCE SUPPORT OUR INVESTMENT CASE, AND ARE WE READY TO COMPLETE?
We coordinate financial, legal, tax and other specialist reviews, translating findings into changes to valuation, terms and contractual protections where needed. We bring together financing, transaction documentation and transition planning to complete the acquisition once the agreed conditions are satisfied.
Selected Clients
About Zenify
Zenify Investments is an independent buy-side M&A advisory firm helping corporate acquirers identify, assess and execute acquisitions in Australia’s $1m-$50m SME market.
We advise boards and management teams on acquisitions that can shape the direction and potential of their organisations. From origination through completion, we bring independent judgement, investment discipline and the ability to move complex opportunities forward.
Founded by Celine Nguyen, CFA, Zenify was built to bring an investor’s perspective to buy-side M&A. Our team looks beyond whether a transaction can be completed to whether it should be pursued, what it is worth and how it can create lasting value for both organisations.
Celine Nguyen
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CFA Charterholder
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Master of Applied Finance - Dean’s Medal, Western Sydney University
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Bachelor of Commerce - Accounting and Finance, Sydney University
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AusAid Scholar
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20+ Years in Investing and M&A
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$200M+ in SME Transactions Advised
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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 engagement with Zenify on our acquisition program. The team’s independent analysis challenged our thinking and ultimately changed which business we acquired. We would work with Zenify again.”
CEO, strategic acquirer in the care sector
Why Choose Zenify
We build conviction through evidence.
An attractive business is the starting point. We examine what sustains its earnings, what cash it can generate, what investment it will require and what could undermine its performance. Our analysis connects the business’s prospects to the price you pay and the returns you can reasonably expect.
We give you a clear view, including when to walk away.
Our role is to help you make a sound acquisition decision. We make assumptions explicit, bring difficult issues forward and explain what the findings mean for your investment. When the evidence no longer supports proceeding, we say so.
We bring commercial judgement to the structure.
Price is only one part of an acquisition. Funding, seller participation, management incentives and payment terms can materially change its risks and potential returns. We work through these decisions together, shaping a transaction that supports your objectives and the business’s future.
We get the people behind the transaction.
An acquisition brings together people with different motivations, expectations and concerns. Our experience in family and small businesses helps us understand what matters beyond price. We listen carefully, build trust and use that understanding to navigate sensitive conversations and find common ground.
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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.