.png)
$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.
Zenify's Targeted
Acquisition Program
Zenify gives you a dedicated M&A team without having to build one in-house. We work alongside management to find, assess and complete the right acquisitions through four sequential workstreams.
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
Market Scan
FIND THE OPPORTUNITY
A prioritised list of acquisition targets aligned with your strategy.
Includes: * Acquisition strategy and criteria * Market mapping and sector research * Identification of acquisition targets * Initial screening and qualification * Assessment of strategic fit * Pipeline development and prioritisation
2
Approach & Initial Assessment
IDENTIFY THE STRATEGIC AND COMMERCIAL APPEAL
Engaged opportunities with enough information to decide which should progress to deeper analysis.
Includes: * Tailored owner approach strategy * Direct owner outreach and engagement * Initial meetings and information gathering * High-level commercial, operational and financial assessment * Identification of key risks and issues * Initial view on value and commercial attractiveness * Prioritisation of opportunities for further work
3
Investment Case & Heads of Agreement
BUILD THE INVESTMENT CASE
A verified, funded and documented transaction ready for completion.
Includes: * Validation of the financial model and key assumptions * Coordination of financial, commercial, operational, legal and tax due diligence * Quality of earnings and working capital review * Review of debt, debt-like items and other transaction adjustments * Refinement of price, structure and transaction terms * Finalisation of debt and equity funding * Coordination of advisers and definitive transaction documents * Management of conditions precedent, completion and close
4
Confirmatory Due Diligence & Completion
VERIFY AND CLOSE
Validated transaction and completed acquisition.
Includes: *Formal due diligence coordination *Validation and refinement of financial assumptions *Working capital review *Legal and adviser coordination *Refinement of transaction terms *Management of outstanding risks and issues *Completion and close management
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
-
CFA Charterholder
-
Master of Applied Finance - Dean’s Medal, Western Sydney University
-
Bachelor of Commerce - Accounting and Finance, Sydney University
-
AusAid Scholar
-
20+ Years in Investing and M&A
-
$200M+ in SME Transactions Advised
-
Former Head of Healthcare Advisory - Greenwich Capital Partners
-
Former Portfolio Manager - Duxton Asset Management
-
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 Clients Choose Zenify
Strategic judgement
Successful M&A begins with choosing the right business. We help clients distinguish between an attractive company and an attractive acquisition, challenge assumptions and focus time and capital on the opportunities that can genuinely advance their strategy.
Access and Owner Engagement
Many of the best businesses are not formally for sale. We maintain active market coverage, approach owners directly and build the trust required to explore opportunities that may not otherwise become available.
Investment Discipline
We examine each opportunity through an investor’s lens - testing value, returns, downside risk and transaction structure before capital is committed. Our work gives boards and management teams the evidence and conviction to make consequential decisions.
Dedicated M&A Capability
We give clients immediate access to a dedicated buy-side M&A team without the time, cost and difficulty of building the capability internally. Working alongside management, we maintain market coverage, progress multiple opportunities and keep the acquisition strategy moving while the client continues running the business.
02
Add a Title
This is the space to introduce the Services section. Briefly describe the types of services offered and highlight any special benefits or features. Encourage site visitors to learn more by exploring the full list of services offered.
01
Source & Screen
We leverage our network and proprietary screening methodologies to identify high-quality acquisition opportunities that match your strategic criteria and investment thesis.
03
Add a Title
This is the space to introduce the Services section. Briefly describe the types of services offered and highlight any special benefits or features. Encourage site visitors to learn more by exploring the full list of services offered.
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.