EXO PROGETTI

BUY-SIDE ADVISORY · DIRECT & WHITE-LABEL

Acquire the right business in Italy
with direct access to owners.

We find, contact and qualify owner-managed Italian companies for international buyers.Core focus: €1–20M EV · Selected mandates up to €50M

We find the company.We contact the owner.We qualify the opportunity.

We approach selected companies directly, speak with owners and decision-makers in Italian, and establish whether there is a real basis for an acquisition discussion.

Founder-led · Italian owner outreach · Reporting in English · On-site assessment

In Italy, the real opportunity
is rarely visible in the data alone.

The first barrier is cultural, not financial.

For many owners of Italian SMEs, the company is not simply an asset that may one day be sold. It is the visible result of a lifetime’s work, a source of personal identity, family pride and standing in the local community. The founder’s history, reputation and sense of personal achievement are often inseparable from the business.

Many owners have therefore never prepared for a sale — or even seriously considered one. An approach from an unknown buyer may be rejected or ignored before valuation and price are ever discussed.

Access begins with trust, language and discretion. The owner must feel that the buyer understands not only what the company is worth, but what it represents.

Owner access

We approach owners directly in Italian, with the context, discretion and sensitivity required to open a serious dialogue. We take the time to understand what the company represents to them, whether a transaction could genuinely become possible and which conditions would allow the conversation to progress. You receive the findings in clear English.

Local context and decision clarity

We relate the figures and the owner’s account to the operating reality: founder dependence, management needs, premises, local relationships and what may change under new ownership. The result is a clearer view of which opportunities deserve further time and capital.

AI accelerates the work. People create access and judgement.

We use AI to accelerate research, organise information and support analysis. Owner conversations, company visits and acquisition judgement remain led by experienced professionals.

Buy-side services

Choose the work you need now

For M&A advisers: before outreach, we agree whose name is used, confidentiality, relationship ownership and non-circumvention. Exo acts only under the agreed mandate.

We find the company. We contact the owner. We qualify the opportunity.

FindMap relevant owner-managed Italian SMEs.
ContactApproach owners and decision-makers directly in Italian.
QualifyClarify willingness, conditions, economics and the next step.
Optional first step

Acquisition Target Mapping

Starting with an acquisition thesis?

Build a focused shortlist of Italian companies that match your strategic and financial criteria.

  • Indicative longlist of 30–50 companies
  • Prioritised shortlist of 20–25 targets
  • Preliminary International Site Accessibility Score

Final deliveryTarget Mapping Pack in English: PDF report and editable Excel tracker with the mapped universe, priority ranking, available financial indicators, ownership, source notes, information gaps and recommended outreach sequence.

Review call60-minute Prioritisation Call with Giorgio Priori to review the ranking and agree which companies move into owner engagement.

Within two weeksFrom confirmation of the brief.

€3,900Fixed fee

Excl. applicable VAT

See detailed scope

Define the search. We agree activities, size, geography and priorities.

Map and prioritise. We map 30–50 companies and rank 20–25 priority targets, subject to market data.

Score accessibility. Each priority target receives a preliminary 1–5 score based on airports, direct European links, door-to-door time, road/rail access and same-day feasibility.

Prepare outreach. We identify gaps and select companies for owner engagement.

Core service

Local Qualification & Owner Engagement

Already have a shortlist?

We contact up to 25 agreed companies directly and speak in Italian with owners and decision-makers to clarify willingness, expectations, conditions and whether the interest is concrete enough to justify the next step.

  • Up to 25 selected companies
  • Direct owner conversations in Italian
  • Assessment-readiness gate for interested owners

Final deliveryOwner Engagement Report in English and editable outreach tracker. For each target: decision-makers, contact attempts, response, owner position, expectations, conditions, timing, information access, accessibility findings, issues and recommended next step. For interested owners, the report also records questionnaire completion, initial information received and acceptance of an in-person visit.

Review call60-minute Findings & Next-Steps Call to rank live opportunities and decide which companies merit an Investor Assessment.

Typically 6–8 weeksUntil the agreed outreach cycle is completed for all selected companies, including up to two follow-ups per target.

€9,900Fixed fee

Excl. applicable VAT

See detailed scope

Reach the right people. We identify and approach owners and decision-makers in Italian, with up to two follow-ups per target.

Validate accessibility. We confirm the operating site and refine its accessibility score.

Clarify intentions. We test willingness, expectations, timing, conditions, information access and the owner’s future role.

Test genuine commitment. Interested owners receive the Owner Readiness Questionnaire and an initial information request. We recommend an Investor Assessment only after they respond and accept an in-person visit.

Completion. The engagement concludes after the outreach cycle for every target, delivery of the Owner Engagement Report and the review call. Owner responses and qualified opportunities cannot be guaranteed.

Assess the opportunity

Investor Assessment

Assessing one selected company?

Begin with a qualified, responsive owner who has completed the questionnaire, provided the agreed initial information and accepted an in-person visit. We then assess the business, value, risks and decision case.

  • Completed questionnaire and confirmed owner visit
  • Verified International Site Accessibility Score
  • Valuation and a clear investment view

Final deliveryInvestor Assessment Report in English covering the questionnaire responses, business, owner dependence, normalised earnings, cash generation, material risks, indicative valuation range, enterprise-to-equity value bridge, verified accessibility score and decision view.

Review call90-minute Investment Decision Call to challenge assumptions and agree: proceed, proceed under specific conditions, or do not proceed.

Typically 3–4 weeksFrom complete initial information and confirmation of the in-person visit.

€12,900Fixed fee

Travel expenses for the in-person owner visit included. Excl. applicable VAT.

See detailed scope

Start with a responsive owner. The assessment begins only after the questionnaire, initial information and visit acceptance.

Review the evidence. We analyse responses, identify gaps and prepare visit questions.

Meet the owner in person. Giorgio Priori meets the owner on site to test the responses, motivations, expectations, future role and transaction conditions.

Verify accessibility. We validate the 1–5 score and its implications for buyer oversight and recurring travel.

Assess performance and risks. We review fit, owner dependence, normalised earnings, cash generation and material risks.

Review value and price. You receive a valuation range and enterprise-to-equity bridge.

Your investment view. The report recommends proceed, proceed under conditions, or do not proceed.

Support beyond the assessment

Optional support through our professional network.Through our network of Italian lawyers, tax advisers and risk specialists, we can help coordinate support through agreement and completion. We can also introduce managers and fractional executives in Italy for transition and post-acquisition priorities.Specialist work is carried out by the professionals involved, with scope, responsibilities and fees agreed separately.

Giorgio Priori, imprenditore e investitore, fondatore di Exo Progetti

Giorgio Priori

Entrepreneur, investor & founder of Exo ProgettiGiorgio Priori leads every assignment personally. He brings more than 25 years of operating experience and has acquired and restructured an Italian SME with his own capital.

He has assessed dozens of acquisition opportunities across industrial and consumer sectors. This buyer-side experience shapes how he tests owner dependence, economics, operating risk and the conditions needed for an opportunity to merit progressing.Author of Investire: guida per imprenditori (Investing: A Guide for Entrepreneurs).Follow EXO Progetti on LinkedIn

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

Where can I start with Exo Progetti?

If you need a target list, start with Acquisition Target Mapping. If you have a shortlist, we can qualify the local context and approach the owners. If you have one company in mind, we first establish contact and explore willingness to engage before moving to an Investor Assessment.

Can you work with owners who do not speak English?

Yes. We conduct conversations with owners and their advisers in Italian and explain the findings to you in English. We help clarify intentions, conditions and next steps, giving the buyer and the Italian company a consistent point of contact.

How do you use AI?

We use AI to accelerate research, organise information and support analysis. Our professionals review the work and combine it with direct conversations, local knowledge and company visits. AI alone is not sufficient to establish an owner’s intentions, develop the relationship or obtain all the information needed to understand an acquisition opportunity.

What does local qualification establish?

We examine the local operating context, approach owners and decision-makers directly in Italian, and clarify willingness, timing, sale scope, conditions and information access. For owners who express genuine interest, we issue an Owner Readiness Questionnaire and request the agreed initial information. We recommend an Investor Assessment only after the owner has responded and accepted an in-person visit.

Is the questionnaire sent to every company contacted?

No. It is sent only to the owner of a selected company after genuine interest in exploring a potential transaction has been confirmed. The owner must complete the questionnaire, provide the agreed initial information and accept an in-person visit before we recommend an Investor Assessment. The responses are then analysed, tested during the company visit and incorporated into the written assessment.

How are Italian incentives and business practices considered?

We consider relevant grants, tax credits and incentives, their history and their effects on the company’s financial picture. Discussions with the owner and advisers help identify the documents, obligations and questions that matter. Any additional specialist investigation is defined around the issues identified.

How many targets does Acquisition Target Mapping cover?

The Target Mapping Pack normally contains an indicative longlist of 30–50 companies and a prioritised shortlist of 20–25 targets. Final numbers depend on the agreed criteria, market depth and the availability of reliable information.

What will I receive at the end of each service?

Acquisition Target Mapping concludes with a Target Mapping Pack in English, an editable Excel tracker and a 60-minute Prioritisation Call. Local Qualification & Owner Engagement concludes with an Owner Engagement Report in English, an editable outreach tracker and a 60-minute Findings & Next-Steps Call, including questionnaire completion and assessment-readiness status for genuinely interested owners. Investor Assessment concludes with an Investor Assessment Report in English, including analysis of the questionnaire responses, and a 90-minute Investment Decision Call.

What is the International Site Accessibility Score?

A transparent 1–5 assessment of how easily the operating site can be reached from abroad, based on international airports, direct connections from major European hubs, realistic door-to-door travel time, road and rail access, and same-day visit feasibility. It is preliminary during mapping, refined during owner engagement and verified during the company visit.

Does the valuation refer to business value or share value?

We distinguish enterprise value, the value of the operating business, from equity value, the value of the shares. We explain the effect of financial debt, surplus cash and other relevant adjustments. Where an asking price is available, we review it on the same basis and make the assumptions and open questions clear.

Can you support the acquisition and the period after completion?

Yes, where required. Through our network of Italian lawyers, tax advisers, risk specialists, managers and fractional executives, we can help coordinate support through the acquisition and the transition to new ownership. The professionals involved carry out their own agreed mandates, with scope and fees defined separately.

Are the initial services offered at a fixed fee?

Yes. Acquisition Target Mapping, Local Qualification & Owner Engagement and Investor Assessment each have an agreed scope and fixed fee. Your proposal defines the work, timing and deliverables. Further acquisition support and additional specialist work are scoped and quoted separately.

Discuss your acquisition in confidence.

Tell Giorgio Priori about your acquisition criteria, shortlist or selected company. He will reply personally to arrange a confidential 30-minute introductory call.

Confidential 30-minute call · Online · Giorgio replies personally within one business day

Ready to discuss your Italian acquisition?

Share your criteria, shortlist or selected company. We will agree the owner engagement and assessment needed for your next step in Italy.

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