deal-screening

Quickly screen inbound deal flow — CIMs, teasers, and broker materials — against the fund's investment criteria. Extracts key deal metrics, runs a pass/fail framework, and outputs a one-page screening memo. Use when reviewing new deal flow, triaging inbound materials, or deciding whether to take a first call. Triggers on "screen this deal", "review this CIM", "should we look at this", "triage this teaser", or "deal screening".

Deal Screening

Workflow

Step 1: Extract Deal Facts

From the provided CIM, teaser, or description, extract:

Company: Name, location, sector/subsector
Description: What they do (1-2 sentences)
Financials: Revenue, EBITDA, margins, growth rate
Deal type: Platform, add-on, recap, minority, carve-out
Asking price / valuation: Multiple, enterprise value if stated
Seller motivation: Why selling now
Management: Rolling or exiting
Key customers: Concentration risk
Key risks: Obvious red flags

Step 2: Screen Against Criteria

Apply the fund's investment criteria (ask user if not known):

Criterion	Target	Actual	Pass/Fail
Revenue range
EBITDA range
EBITDA margin
Growth profile
Sector fit
Geography
Deal size / EV
Valuation (x EBITDA)
Customer concentration
Management continuity

Step 3: Quick Assessment

Provide a 3-part assessment:

Verdict: Pass / Further Diligence / Hard Pass
Bull case (2-3 bullets): Why this could be a good deal
Bear case (2-3 bullets): Key risks and concerns
Key questions: What you'd need to answer on a first call

Step 4: Output

One-page screening memo suitable for sharing with partners or an IC quick screen.

Important Notes

Speed matters — screening should take minutes, not hours
Be direct about red flags. Don't bury concerns
If financials seem inconsistent or incomplete, flag it explicitly
Ask for the fund's criteria upfront if this is the first screening
Save screening criteria in memory for future deals once confirmed