Free tool
Build My Acquisition Thesis
Answer a short set of questions about your business, your objectives and your criteria. Evans will turn them into a structured, written acquisition thesis — a strategic objective, target profile and search mandate you can use straight away, or hand to advisers.
Already know what you're looking for? Explore the Acquisition Opportunity Engine.
Thinking about buying a business?
Answer 13 short question groups. Get a structured, written acquisition thesis.
About 5–8 minutes. Free. No email needed to see your result. Answers stay in this browser tab, and we only ask for broad size bands — never detailed financials.
What an acquisition thesis is
A short, written statement of what you're looking for — and why.
A good acquisition thesis sets out your strategic objective, the profile of business you are targeting, the sectors and geographies that matter, the customer base and capabilities you find attractive, and what is explicitly out of scope.
It turns a vague ambition — "we'd like to buy something" — into a brief that can actually be searched against: must-have criteria, preferred characteristics, exclusions, and the questions that still need validating before any approach is made.
It does not replace the financial, legal and tax work a real acquisition needs. It gives that work a clear, consistent starting point.
Common questions
Yes. The tool is free to use and shows your full result on the page — no email address is needed to see it.
An acquisition thesis is a short, structured statement of why you want to acquire a business, what kind of business you are looking for, and what it must and must not look like. It gives a search clear direction instead of a vague brief.
No. The output is a draft thesis built directly and deterministically from your own answers, to sharpen your thinking. It is not professional M&A, investment, legal or tax advice, and does not replace qualified advisers.
A short description of your business, broad revenue and employee bands, your objectives, and your preferences on sector, geography, customer base, capability and business model. The tool never asks for detailed financials — only broad size bands.
You can copy or print the result for your own use. If you want to turn it into live targets, Evans' Acquisition Opportunity Engine can use the thesis to identify and approach real businesses on your behalf.