# How Do I Source Add-On Acquisitions for a Private Equity Platform?

> A GTM play for Revnu, for private equity firms, search funds and independent sponsors. Describe your platform company once and Revnu finds owner-run companies that would bolt onto it, checks each one on its filed accounts and ownership, and writes to each owner by email and LinkedIn in your firm's voice.

Canonical: https://revnu.com/docs/play-add-on-acquisitions
Last updated: 2026-11-08

Once you own a platform, the next deals are the companies that look like it: same services, nearby regions, a customer list that fits. Revnu takes your platform as the brief, finds every owner-run company that would bolt on, checks each one on its own filed accounts, and writes to the owner about their company, not about your fund.

## Why it works

An add-on owner already knows the platform. They compete with it, refer work to it or hire from it. A letter that says "we own the business down the road and want to grow it with you" is a concrete offer, not a cold pitch. Firms that send that letter before a broker runs an auction get the first conversation.

## How to run it

1. **Describe the platform.** Name the company you own, what it does, where it works and the size of deal you want, such as "£2m to £15m turnover within 60 miles of Leeds".
2. **Find the lookalikes.** Revnu finds companies in the same services and regions from 200 million+ company records and the public registries.
3. **Check the filed numbers.** Where accounts are published, as at Companies House in the UK, Revnu reads turnover, profit, net assets and debt, and keeps only the companies that pass your filters. In the US, where private companies file no accounts, it screens on size, ownership and hiring.
4. **Check who owns it.** Revnu leaves out companies already owned by a group or another fund, and notes the owner's age and tenure from the officers register.
5. **Find the owner.** The founder or majority shareholder, with a verified email and a phone number where one is available.
6. **Write by email and LinkedIn.** The first email names the owner's company and why it fits your platform. A LinkedIn connection request follows a few days later, then a short follow-up. Your first sequence waits for your approval.

## The prompt

> We own [platform company], a [what it does] business in [region]. Find owner-run companies doing the same work within [distance] of [city] with [turnover band] turnover and no group or fund owner. Note the owner's age and how long they've been a director. Find each owner's email. Write a short personal email about their company and how it fits [platform company], then connect on LinkedIn three days later.

[Try this in Revnu](https://revnu.com/sign-up?prompt=We%20own%20%5Bplatform%20company%5D%2C%20a%20%5Bwhat%20it%20does%5D%20business%20in%20%5Bregion%5D.%20Find%20owner-run%20companies%20doing%20the%20same%20work%20within%20%5Bdistance%5D%20of%20%5Bcity%5D%20with%20%5Bturnover%20band%5D%20turnover%20and%20no%20group%20or%20fund%20owner.%20Note%20the%20owner%27s%20age%20and%20how%20long%20they%27ve%20been%20a%20director.%20Find%20each%20owner%27s%20email.%20Write%20a%20short%20personal%20email%20about%20their%20company%20and%20how%20it%20fits%20%5Bplatform%20company%5D%2C%20then%20connect%20on%20LinkedIn%20three%20days%20later.)

Each lead keeps its filed figures and ownership on its **Signals** tab, so you can check why it fits. Replies come back to your inbox, and Revnu drafts each answer for you to approve.

## Run it every month

> On the first of every month, check newly filed accounts for companies that now fit the [platform company] add-on filters and add them to the Add-ons campaign.

Owners rarely sell on the first letter. Revnu follows up every few months, so the conversation is already open when the owner is ready. Set it up once as a [workflow](https://revnu.com/docs/recurring-work.md).

## Related

[Source deals for PE or M&A](https://revnu.com/docs/uc-deal-sourcing.md), [find companies](https://revnu.com/docs/uc-find-companies.md), [connect on LinkedIn](https://revnu.com/docs/linkedin.md), [Revnu for private equity](https://revnu.com/for/private-equity) and [all GTM plays](https://revnu.com/docs/play-overview.md).

## Frequently asked questions

### Can Revnu find add-ons that aren't in any deal database?

Yes. It starts from the public registries and the web, not from a list of companies that are for sale, so it reaches owners who have never spoken to a broker.

### How does Revnu know a company is owner-run?

From the ownership records. In the UK it reads the people with significant control and the confirmation statement. Companies with a corporate or fund owner are left out unless you ask for them.

### Should the first message come from the platform's CEO or from our firm?

Either works, and Revnu writes in whichever voice you pick. Owners often reply more readily to the platform's CEO, who they may already know, with the firm named as the backer.

### Does it send LinkedIn messages too?

Yes, once your LinkedIn is connected. Revnu sends the connection request and a short note, inside LinkedIn's limits, and pauses the sequence for anyone who replies on either channel.