For searchers & buyers
Buy the right business, at the right price, on terms that work
Entrepreneurship through acquisition is a finance decision before it is anything else. Mercova gives searchers, acquirers and investors the independent analysis to find a sound target, finance it sensibly and run it well once the deal closes.
The buyer journey
From thesis to ownership, the work is financial
Most searches stall in the same places: too few credible targets, numbers that do not hold up, financing that does not close, and the first hundred days after the deal. We work alongside you across all five.
1. Define the thesis
Decide what you are actually buying: sector, size, owner cash flow and the kind of business you can run. A sharp thesis filters out the noise and tells brokers you are serious.
2. Source and screen
Build a pipeline and triage it fast. We give you a quick read on each live target so you stop spending weeks on deals that were never going to stack up.
3. Assess the target
Separate real cash flow from the seller’s story: normalized EBITDA, quality of earnings, working capital and the red flags that should move your price or your decision.
4. Finance and structure
Work out how much debt the cash flow can safely carry, the structure that protects your downside, and a lender ready pack that gets the deal funded.
5. Close and run
Get the first hundred days right with a clear plan: reporting, cash, the integration priorities, and an on call CFO so you are not flying blind as a new owner.
How Mercova helps
Independent finance support, end to end
We work for you, the buyer. No success fee on closing, so our only job is to tell you the truth about each deal, including when to walk away.
Finding and assessing a target
A fast, institutional grade read on each live target: normalized earnings, quality of earnings, customer concentration and the issues that should change your price or kill the deal.
Financing and debt capacity
How much acquisition debt the cash flow can realistically service, with senior debt, vendor loan and earn out structured so a bad year does not sink you.
Return modeling
A working model with base, upside and downside cases: IRR, cash on cash and the price at which the deal stops working, so you negotiate from evidence.
On call CFO after close
The first months as an owner are the riskiest. Get fractional CFO support for reporting, cash, the bank relationship and the 100 day plan, without a full time hire.
Deal flow
We sit close to owners, brokers and accountants. Join our buyer list with your criteria and we will flag relevant targets when they fit your thesis, sometimes before they hit the market.
A second pair of eyes
Whether it is your first acquisition or your tenth, an independent senior view on valuation, structure and downside before you commit your own capital and reputation.
Go deeper
The service and the tools behind it
Start with the free calculators to size up a deal, then bring us the one you are serious about.
Acquisition analysis
Our full buy side service: normalized EBITDA, quality of earnings, debt capacity, valuation and return scenarios, and a red flag report. Fixed fees from EUR 2k to 8k per deal.
See acquisition analysisAcquisition return calculator
Model IRR and cash on cash returns across price, leverage and exit assumptions before you write an offer.
Open the calculatorDebt capacity calculator
See how much acquisition debt the target cash flow can realistically support, in a couple of minutes.
Open the calculatorWhy buyers work with us
Senior, independent and on your side of the table
The analysis a lender and a co investor will trust, delivered at the pace a live deal demands.
- We work for the buyer, never the seller, and take no success fee on closing.
- Institutional grade analysis: the same rigor a fund applies, scaled to an SME or startup deal.
- Fast turnaround, usually 5 to 10 working days from receiving the financials.
- Lender ready outputs your bank and co investors can rely on.
- We tell you when to walk away, not just when to buy.
- Support that continues after close, so you are not alone in the first hundred days.
FAQ
Questions searchers ask us
Looking for a business to buy? Let us pressure test the numbers.
Tell us about your search or a target you have in mind. We will tell you what we would look at, what it would cost and how fast we can turn it around.