Retained Deal Origination
Deal flow, run as a function.
Origination is the first thing dropped when a live deal starts, and pipeline six months later reflects it. We run it as a retained function — the sector built from the record, the owners approached directly, the conversation qualified before it reaches you.
Retained Deal Origination
Deal flow, run as a function.
Origination is the first thing dropped when a live deal starts, and pipeline six months later reflects it. We run it as a retained function — the sector built from the record, the owners approached directly, the conversation qualified before it reaches you.
Retained Deal Origination
Deal flow, run as a function.
Origination is the first thing dropped when a live deal starts, and pipeline six months later reflects it. We run it as a retained function — the sector built from the record, the owners approached directly, the conversation qualified before it reaches you.
Valderbrook Partners
Operators providing origination, built like research.
Valderbrook is a retained origination firm. We build the owner universe from primary sources, approach owners directly, and deliver qualified conversations against your criteria. We work with:
– Private equity firms and independent sponsors who need proprietary targets, not a banked process where the price is already set.
– PE-backed platforms running a buy-and-build, where add-on sourcing has landed on an operator with a company to run.
– Family offices buying directly, without a deal team.
– Corporate development teams covering an entire acquisition program with one or two people.
– Sell-side M&A boutiques whose partners are executing live deals instead of originating the next ones.
– Exit planners with a book of owners approaching a transition.
A limited number of engagements, and one firm per segment.
THE MODEL
Built, Not Bought
The owner universe assembled from registries, filings, and primary research — before any contact data is attached.
Owner-Direct
Founders and owner-operators approached under a defined mandate, by someone who knows the business and why it fits.
Conversations, Not Lists
Every response screened against your criteria. What reaches you is someone who matches and has agreed to talk.
BUILT AROUND
Valderbrook Partners
Origination run by operators, built like research.
Valderbrook is a retained origination firm. We build the owner universe from primary sources, approach owners directly, and deliver qualified conversations against your criteria. We work with:
– Private equity firms and independent sponsors who need proprietary targets, not a banked process where the price is already set.
– PE-backed platforms running a buy-and-build, where add-on sourcing has landed on an operator with a company to run.
– Family offices buying directly, without a deal team.
– Corporate development teams covering an entire acquisition program with one or two people.
– Sell-side M&A boutiques whose partners are executing live deals instead of originating the next ones.
– Exit planners with a book of owners approaching a transition.
A limited number of engagements, and one firm per segment.
THE MODEL
Built, Not Bought
The owner universe assembled from registries, filings, and primary research — before any contact data is attached.
Owner-Direct
Founders and owner-operators approached under a defined mandate, by someone who knows the business and why it fits.
Conversations, Not Lists
Every response screened against your criteria. What reaches you is someone who matches and has agreed to talk.
BUILT AROUND
MARKET REALITY
The best shops never come to market.
Commercial data providers resell the same underlying sources. Revenue figures are estimates, ownership is stale, and the contact is a general inbox. Which means every firm working a sector runs the same export, sorted the same way, and the owner worth reaching has already been contacted four times this quarter by people who didn't know what his business does.
The strongest owner-operators are the least visible in that data. They never raised capital, never hired a banker, never appeared at a conference. Nothing in thirty years of running the business ever forced them into a database — but they hold a license, they pull permits, they file with an agency, they win bids. They're in the record. They're just not in the product.
The second failure is the sender. An approach that shows no evidence of knowing what the business does gets ignored on any channel, and most of what reaches these owners is exactly that, written for someone else's buyer and sent at volume. The same approach works when it names his customers, his capabilities, and a specific reason to spend ten minutes. That doesn't scale, which is why it still does.
The bottleneck isn't capital or conviction. It's access — and access is hours nobody has.
MARKET REALITY
The best shops never
come to market.
Commercial data providers resell the same underlying sources. Revenue figures are estimates, ownership is stale, and the contact is a general inbox. Which means every firm working a sector runs the same export, sorted the same way, and the owner worth reaching has already been contacted four times this quarter by people who didn't know what his business does.
The strongest owner-operators are the least visible in that data. They never raised capital, never hired a banker, never appeared at a conference. Nothing in thirty years of running the business ever forced them into a database — but they hold a license, they pull permits, they file with an agency, they win bids. They're in the record. They're just not in the product.
The second failure is the sender. An approach that shows no evidence of knowing what the business does gets ignored on any channel, and most of what reaches these owners is exactly that, written for someone else's buyer and sent at volume. The same approach works when it names his customers, his capabilities, and a specific reason to spend ten minutes. That doesn't scale, which is why it still does.
The bottleneck isn't capital or conviction. It's access — and access is hours nobody has.
INSIDE OUR MANDATE
Owner conversations, not lists.
We build the owner universe from primary sources, reach those owners directly, and deliver conversations qualified against your criteria. Retained engagements. One firm per segment.
01
Criteria Definition
Your thesis written down as something searchable: sector, size, geography, ownership profile, and the disqualifiers. Agreed before any work starts, tightened as the market answers back.
02
Universe Construction
The sector enumerated from the record — licensing registries, regulatory filings, permits, certifications, bid awards. Mapped around lien filings, succession posture, facility maturities, ownership age.
03
Owner-Direct Outreach
Contact initiated on your behalf through dedicated channels we operate under our own name. We open the conversation; your firm is introduced once there's something worth discussing.
04
Qualified Handoff
Every conversation screened against your criteria before it reaches you. You get the ones worth having, and you take it from there.
Valderbrook Partners
Origination run by operators, built like research.
Valderbrook is a retained origination firm. We build the owner universe from primary sources, approach owners directly, and deliver qualified conversations against your criteria. We work with:
– Private equity firms and independent sponsors who need proprietary targets, not a banked process where the price is already set.
– PE-backed platforms running a buy-and-build, where add-on sourcing has landed on an operator with a company to run.
– Family offices buying directly, without a deal team.
– Corporate development teams covering an entire acquisition program with one or two people.
– Sell-side M&A boutiques whose partners are executing live deals instead of originating the next ones.
– Exit planners with a book of owners approaching a transition.
A limited number of engagements, and one firm per segment.
THE MODEL
Built, Not Bought
The owner universe assembled from registries, filings, and primary research — before any contact data is attached.
Owner-Direct
Founders and owner-operators approached under a defined mandate, by someone who knows the business and why it fits.
Conversations, Not Lists
Every response screened against your criteria. What reaches you is someone who matches and has agreed to talk.
BUILT AROUND
MARKET REALITY
The best shops never come to market.
Commercial data providers resell the same underlying sources. Revenue figures are estimates, ownership is stale, and the contact is a general inbox. Which means every firm working a sector runs the same export, sorted the same way, and the owner worth reaching has already been contacted four times this quarter by people who didn't know what his business does.
The strongest owner-operators are the least visible in that data. They never raised capital, never hired a banker, never appeared at a conference. Nothing in thirty years of running the business ever forced them into a database — but they hold a license, they pull permits, they file with an agency, they win bids. They're in the record. They're just not in the product.
The second failure is the sender. An approach that shows no evidence of knowing what the business does gets ignored on any channel, and most of what reaches these owners is exactly that, written for someone else's buyer and sent at volume. The same approach works when it names his customers, his capabilities, and a specific reason to spend ten minutes. That doesn't scale, which is why it still does.
The bottleneck isn't capital or conviction. It's access — and access is hours nobody has.
INSIDE OUR MANDATE
Owner conversations, not lists.
We build the owner universe from primary sources, reach those owners directly, and deliver conversations qualified against your criteria. Retained engagements. One firm per segment.
01
Criteria Definition
Your thesis written down as something searchable: sector, size, geography, ownership profile, and the disqualifiers. Agreed before any work starts, tightened as the market answers back.
02
Universe Construction
The sector enumerated from the record — licensing registries, regulatory filings, permits, certifications, bid awards. Mapped around lien filings, succession posture, facility maturities, ownership age.
03
Direct Engagement
Contact initiated on your behalf through dedicated channels we operate under our own name. We open the conversation; your firm is introduced once there's something worth discussing.
04
Qualified Handoff
Every conversation screened against your criteria before it reaches you. You get the ones worth having, and you take it from there.
INSIDE OUR MANDATE
Owner conversations, not lists.
We run retained origination mandates for acquirers and advisory firms across sectors— the criteria change, the method doesn't. Every mandate runs the same four steps:
01
Criteria Definition
Your thesis written down as something searchable: sector, size, geography, ownership profile, and the disqualifiers. Agreed before any work starts, tightened as the market answers back.
02
Universe Construction
The sector enumerated from the record — licensing registries, regulatory filings, permits, certifications, bid awards. Mapped around lien filings, succession posture, facility maturities, ownership age.
03
Direct Engagement
Contact initiated on your behalf through dedicated channels we operate under our own name. We open the conversation; your firm is introduced once there's something worth discussing.
04
Qualified Handoff
Every conversation screened against your criteria before it reaches you. You get the ones worth having, and you take it from there.
COVERAGE
Fragmented, owner-operated, and on the record.
Fragmented, on the record, and owner–operated.
We work where businesses are small enough to be founder-owned and regulated enough to be enumerable. Six sectors we're active in — the method travels to others.
We work where businesses are small enough to be founder-owned and regulated enough to be enumerable. Six sectors we're active in — the method travels to others.
Industrials & Manufacturing
Machine shops, fabricators, foundries, forge houses. Certification rosters and supplier qualification records identify them where no database does.
Industrials & Manufacturing
Machine shops, fabricators, foundries, forge houses. Certification rosters and supplier qualification records identify them where no database does.
Energy & Infrastructure
Utility contractors, pipeline and transmission services, drilling and wellsite support, civil and site work. Contractor licences, DOT and pipeline safety filings.
Energy & Infrastructure
Utility contractors, pipeline and transmission services, drilling and wellsite support, civil and site work. Contractor licences, DOT and pipeline safety filings.
Healthcare Services
Dental, veterinary, behavioural health, home care, outpatient clinics. State licensing boards and CMS enrolment data list ownership directly.
Healthcare Services
Dental, veterinary, behavioural health, home care, outpatient clinics. State licensing boards and CMS enrolment data list ownership directly.
Specialty Trades & Building Services
HVAC, electrical, plumbing, roofing, fire and life safety. State contractor boards and fire marshal registries list the licence holder by name.
Specialty Trades & Building Services
HVAC, electrical, plumbing, roofing, fire and life safety. State contractor boards and fire marshal registries list the licence holder by name.
Transportation & Logistics
Carriers, freight brokers, last-mile and specialised haulers. FMCSA files fleet size, authority, and the officer of record.
Transportation & Logistics
Carriers, freight brokers, last-mile and specialised haulers. FMCSA files fleet size, authority, and the officer of record.
Business & Professional Services
IT services, staffing, insurance brokerage, engineering. Thinner registries — built from association rosters, filings, and primary enumeration.
Business & Professional Services
IT services, staffing, insurance brokerage, engineering. Thinner registries — built from association rosters, filings, and primary enumeration.
COVERAGE
Fragmented, owner-operated, and on the record.
We work where businesses are small enough to be founder-owned and regulated enough to be enumerable. Six sectors we're active in — the method travels to others.
Industrials & Manufacturing
Machine shops, fabricators, foundries, forge houses. Certification rosters and supplier qualification records identify them where no database does.
Energy & Infrastructure
Utility contractors, pipeline and transmission services, drilling and wellsite support, civil and site work. Contractor licences, DOT and pipeline safety filings, and public bid awards name the operator.
Healthcare Services
Dental, veterinary, behavioural health, home care, outpatient clinics. State licensing boards and CMS enrolment data list ownership directly.
Specialty Trades & Building Services
HVAC, electrical, plumbing, roofing, fire and life safety. State contractor boards and fire marshal registries list the licence holder by name.
Transportation & Logistics
Carriers, freight brokers, last-mile and specialised haulers. FMCSA files fleet size, authority, and the officer of record.
Business & Professional Services
IT services, staffing, insurance brokerage, engineering. Thinner registries — built from association rosters, filings, and primary enumeration.
01
A limited number at a time
The work is manual and it doesn't scale. We take a small number of mandates and say no to the rest.
02
We hand off and stop
Owners are approached under our identity, not yours. We open the conversation and introduce you. We don't quote fees, negotiate, or sit between you and the owner.
03
Retained, not contingent
Fixed fee, defined term, scoped to segment and volume. We're paid to run the function, not to push a transaction.
04
One firm per segment
We won't run two clients against the same targets in the same sector. Whoever engaged first keeps it.
ETHOS
A shrinking base.
A widening premium.
Four rules that shape every engagement, and disqualify some of them.
ABOUT
Valderbrook exists because of a gap Achraf kept finding: the firms most active in the lower middle market — sponsors, platforms, advisors.
They had capital and thesis, and no systematic way to reach the owners who never appear in a process.
The reason isn't difficulty. It's hours. Origination is the first thing dropped when a live deal starts and the last thing picked back up, so pipeline gets built from the same purchased lists everyone else is working.
Achraf built Valderbrook to run that function properly: the sector enumerated from primary sources, the owners called directly, the conversation qualified before it reaches a client. He runs every mandate personally.
Founder
Achraf Nassih
ETHOS
How we take work.
How we take work.
Four rules that shape every engagement, and disqualify some of them.
01
A limited number at a time
The work is manual and it doesn't scale. We take a small number of mandates and say no to the rest.
02
We hand off and stop
Owners are approached under our identity, not yours. We open the conversation and introduce you. We don't quote fees, negotiate, or sit between you and the owner.
03
Retained, not contingent
Fixed fee, defined term, scoped to segment and volume. We're paid to run the function, not to push a transaction.
04
One firm per segment
We won't run two clients against the same targets in the same sector. Whoever engaged first keeps it.
ABOUT
Valderbrook exists because of a gap Achraf kept finding: the firms most active in the lower middle market — sponsors, platforms, advisors. They had capital and thesis, and no systematic way to reach the owners who never appear in a process.
The reason isn't difficulty. It's hours. Origination is the first thing dropped when a live deal starts and the last thing picked back up, so pipeline gets built from the same purchased lists everyone else is working.
Achraf built Valderbrook to run that function properly: the sector enumerated from primary sources, the owners approached directly, the conversation qualified before it reaches a client. He runs every mandate personally.
Achraf Nassih
Founder
CONTACT
Tell us what you're looking for. We'll tell you what's reachable.
A short call on your criteria, the sector, and whether we can reach what your current channels are missing. You'll leave with:
Whether your sector leaves a usable record, and which one
What a mandate looks like — scope, volume, term, and where we stop
An honest read on fit, including if there isn't one
CONTACT US
Tell us what you're looking for. We'll tell you what's reachable.
A short call on your criteria, the sector, and whether we can reach what your current channels are missing. You'll leave with:
Whether your sector leaves a usable record, and which one
How a mandate runs — scope, timeline, and where we stop
A practical roadmap for next steps