EXO PROGETTI

BUY-SIDE RESEARCH & LOCAL ACQUISITION SUPPORT

Looking to acquire
a business in Italy?

We help international investors, corporate buyers and M&A advisers identify suitable Italian SMEs, carry out preliminary financial assessments and approach their owners.

Who we work with

One local point of contact for your acquisition search in Italy.

Private Equity & Independent Sponsors

Build a focused pipeline of Italian SMEs for acquisitions and add-ons. We support your deal sourcing with target research, preliminary financial assessment and a structured approach to owners.

M&A & Investment Banking Boutiques

Extend your buy-side M&A mandates in Italy with local target research, financial screening and owner outreach. Deliverables can be prepared under your firm’s brand and integrated into your process.

Corporate & Strategic Acquirers

Identify businesses that can add capabilities, strengthen your group or establish a presence in Italy. We translate your strategic priorities into target criteria and open discussions with owners.

Target Search & Preliminary Assessment

€ XXX

Fixed fee · Excl. applicable VATDelivered within two weeks
of confirming the brief

A focused shortlist, ready to assess.
We initially screen approximately 20–30 companies, then select around 10 priority targets for more detailed profiles. These figures are indicative and depend on the agreed acquisition criteria and the availability of suitable businesses.Defined criteria — activities, size, geography and strategic priorities.
Target tracker — the researched universe and prioritised shortlist.
Priority target profiles — preliminary financial review based on available information, key questions and reasons for selection.
Review call — discuss the findings and decide which targets to pursue.

Target Search, Assessment & Owner Outreach

€ XXX

Fixed fee · Excl. applicable VATSix weeks in total
including the initial research

From shortlist to owner conversations.
Includes the complete Target Search & Preliminary Assessment package and a structured approach to the owners of the shortlisted businesses.Direct owner approach — identify owners or decision-makers, make the initial approach and complete up to two follow-ups per target.
Initial conversations — discuss opportunities where owners are available.
Response record — capture interest, timing and points to clarify.
Closing review — recommendations on the opportunities to pursue, discussed together.

Further acquisition support

When an opportunity warrants closer investigation, we agree the next assignment around the decision you need to make. Deeper financial analysis, valuation work, owner meetings and local acquisition support are scoped and quoted case by case.

How we work

1. Define the acquisition brief

In a 30-minute introductory call, we discuss your strategy, target activities, preferred size, geography and timing. We then agree the criteria, scope and deliverables.

2. Research, select and assess

We screen potential targets and develop profiles of the most relevant businesses. The number of companies depends on your criteria and the availability of suitable targets. Within two weeks of confirming the brief, you receive the target tracker, profiles, preliminary financial assessment and a review call.

3. Approach the owners

With the outreach package, we identify the relevant owners or decision-makers, make the initial approach and follow up. We record interest, timing and the questions that will shape further discussions.

4. Decide the next step

At the end of the six-week programme, we review the responses and agree which opportunities deserve further attention. Additional analysis and acquisition support are scoped and quoted separately.

Giorgio Priori, imprenditore e investitore, fondatore di Exo Progetti

Giorgio Priori

Entrepreneur, investor & founder of Exo ProgettiI bring over 25 years of business experience and have acquired and restructured an Italian SME with my own capital. I manage operating businesses and deal directly with customers, people, operations and cash flow.

Over the past ten years, I have assessed dozens of businesses as a potential buyer, from precision manufacturing to apparel. This practical perspective shapes how I select targets and identify the questions that matter.I lead each assignment, working with specialist professionals who bring years of experience in financial analysis and business advisory. The expertise involved is selected around the needs of the mandate.Author of Investire: guida per imprenditori (Investing: A Guide for Entrepreneurs).

International qualifications

Formazione di Giorgio Priori: Columbia Business School, HEC Paris, NYU Stern e LUISS

  • Columbia Business School
    International Certificate in Corporate Finance

  • HEC Paris
    Corporate Strategy

  • NYU Stern
    Certificate in Advanced Valuation

  • LUISS Business School
    Executive Programme in Real Estate Finance

  • Sapienza University of Rome
    Engineering degree

Each assignment starts with an agreed brief, deliverables and fee. Giorgio Priori coordinates the work and remains your point of contact throughout. Client and target information is treated confidentially and used for the agreed assignment.

Before you start

How do you find acquisition targets in Italy?

We start with your acquisition criteria and actively research Italian SMEs using company data and business research. We screen for strategic fit and available financial information, then prepare profiles of the most relevant targets for your review.

How many companies will you research?

As a guide, we initially screen approximately 20–30 companies, then select around 10 priority targets for more detailed profiles. Both figures are indicative and depend on your agreed acquisition criteria and the availability of suitable businesses.

Can you support buyers based outside Italy?

Yes. We work in English with international investors, M&A boutiques and corporate buyers. Exo Progetti coordinates the research and local owner outreach, with Giorgio Priori as your main point of contact.

Do companies need to be advertised for sale?

We research Italian businesses that match your criteria, including companies that are not publicly advertised for sale. Owner outreach explores interest in a potential transaction, timing and the owner’s priorities.

What does the preliminary financial assessment cover?

We review available company information to understand revenue, profitability, debt and cash indicators. Each priority profile identifies initial findings, information gaps and questions for deeper analysis.

How do the two packages fit together?

The Target Search & Preliminary Assessment package covers the initial screening, priority target profiles and preliminary financial assessment, delivered within two weeks of confirming the brief. The Target Search, Assessment & Owner Outreach programme includes that work plus owner outreach over six weeks in total. Further support is scoped and quoted separately.

What are you looking to acquire in Italy?

Tell Giorgio Priori about your acquisition criteria, preferred company size and timing. We will use a confidential introductory call to define the right scope for your search.

30-minute introductory call · Online · Complimentary and confidential

Start your Italian acquisition search

Use a confidential 30-minute introductory call to discuss your criteria, the businesses you want to find and the next practical step.

Exo Progetti Srl · Via Salvatore Barzilai 216 · 00173 Rome, Italy · VAT no. IT18116001001