About Acquisitiv

Acquisition advice for founders who want to build something more valuable.

Acquisitiv is a buy-side acquisition advisory firm for UK founder-led businesses. We help owners understand where acquisition could create value, build a clear acquisition thesis, and move into the market with discipline rather than reacting to whatever happens to appear.

Why Acquisitiv exists

Most acquisition advice starts too late.

Too many founders only get serious advice once a target has appeared, a broker has sent a teaser, or a competitor has already moved. By then, the buyer is reacting.

The wrong target gets too much attention. The numbers are accepted too quickly. Integration is treated as tomorrow's problem. Momentum starts to replace judgement. And the founder ends up in a process shaped by the opportunity rather than one they designed.

Acquisitiv exists to give founders a more disciplined route. One that starts with the thesis, not the target. One that builds the acquisition capability before the process begins. And one where the adviser's job is to challenge as much as to support.

Founders who create the opportunity should be the ones who capture it.
How we think

The thesis comes before the target.

Acquisitiv does not start by asking what is for sale. We start by understanding what kind of acquisition would make the buyer stronger.

A target only makes sense if it supports the thesis: stronger market position, better capability, wider geography, deeper customer access, improved margin, recurring revenue, or greater eventual exit value.

Strategy before search
The acquisition thesis is defined and agreed before a single target is approached. What to buy, why it matters, what to avoid, and what you will walk away from.
Buy-side only
No sell-side relationships to protect. No conflict of interest. One client in every engagement: the buyer.
No pressure to do the wrong deal
Our model is not built around pushing every conversation towards completion. The adviser's role is to help the buyer make the right decision, including walking away when the deal does not stand up.
Integration considered before completion
The first 90 days are planned before the deal closes, not left for the morning after. Poor integration planning is one of the most preventable causes of acquisition value loss.
Senior judgement throughout
The person who leads the initial conversation leads every subsequent stage of the engagement. No handoffs to juniors once the mandate is signed.
Practical work, not adviser theatre
Clear written scope before paid work begins. Milestones defined upfront. Output that the founder can use, not documentation created to justify a fee.
The founder

17 years across finance, M&A, turnaround, and operating roles.

Mike Ferguson, Founder of Acquisitiv
Mike Ferguson
Founder, Acquisitiv · ACCA

Mike Ferguson founded Acquisitiv after 17 years across audit, capital markets, operational finance, turnaround, and M&A advisory — spanning large institutions, founder-led businesses, and boutique advisory work.

That mix matters. Acquisition is not just a transaction. It is a strategic, financial, operational, and human decision. The numbers have to work. The business has to be ready. The founder has to stay in control. And the deal has to make the company stronger after completion, not just larger on paper.

"When you work with Acquisitiv, you work with me. Every call. Every meeting. Every line of analysis. If the deal is wrong, you will hear it from me, not in a footnote."

Qualification
ACCA qualified
Commercial judgement formed in real businesses. We stress-test numbers, not just review them.
Capital markets
Capital markets and institutional finance
Exposure to how institutional capital thinks, what financial discipline looks like at scale, and what stronger businesses need to demonstrate when seeking funding or acquisition support.
Operating experience
Senior finance and turnaround
Senior finance and turnaround roles inside large and mid-sized businesses across financial services, drinks, and services sectors. Understanding what deals look like from the other side of the table.
M&A advisory
Full-cycle deal experience
Strategy, origination, valuation, negotiation, diligence, completion, and integration across construction, financial services, food and drink, and professional services.
How Acquisitiv works

Five stages. Senior-led throughout.

Every engagement is different, but the structure is consistent. We move through these five stages, stopping at any point if the logic stops making sense.

01
Define the acquisition thesis
What kind of acquisition would make the business stronger, and why? What to buy, what to avoid, and what the walk-away criteria are.
02
Assess readiness
What needs to be true financially, operationally, commercially, and personally before the business moves into a process?
03
Originate with discipline
Find and qualify targets that fit the thesis. Off-market, systematic, and managed so the founder can stay focused on the business already running.
04
Challenge the deal logic
Stress-test valuation, funding, seller claims, assumptions, and integration risk. The adviser's job is to challenge as much as to support.
05
Keep the buyer in control
Support the founder through completion without letting momentum replace judgement. Integration considered before the deal closes, not after.
Built for

Founder-led businesses at a specific strategic moment.

Acquisitiv is best suited to UK founder-led and owner-managed businesses, typically between £5m and £50m turnover, where acquisition could accelerate growth, strengthen market position, or improve eventual exit value.

Not for every founder. Not for every deal. For the founder who wants to move deliberately and wants an adviser whose job is to make sure the decision is the right one.

See Who We Work With
What Acquisitiv is not
  • A large corporate finance team with junior staff running the work
  • A business broker with a list of businesses for sale
  • An adviser whose fee depends entirely on a deal completing
  • A firm that starts with what's for sale rather than what should be bought
Book your Expansion Briefing

The first step is one 30-minute conversation.

One 30-minute conversation. A company-specific briefing prepared afterwards. A clear view of whether acquisition deserves serious attention and what the next move could look like.

Complimentary for selected founder-led businesses. No obligation to continue. You keep the briefing regardless of what you decide next.

Book Your Briefing