Circulos AI

Finance AI Skill

Corporate Development

Manage M&A activities, strategic investments, partnerships, and divestitures including target identification, due diligence, valuation, deal execution, post-merger integration, and divestiture planning. Use when evaluating M&A opportunities, conducting due diligence, managing deal execution, planning post-merger integration, or executing divestitures. Triggers on phrases like "M&A", "merger", "acquisition", "due diligence", "valuation", "deal execution", "post-merger integration", "PMI", "divestiture", "strategic investment", "corporate development".

Corporate Development & M&A

Execute mergers, acquisitions, strategic investments, and divestitures to drive organizational growth and value creation.

Workflow

1. Strategic Target Identification

  1. Strategic framework development:
  1. Target identification and sourcing:
  1. Initial screening and prioritization:

2. Due Diligence

  1. Financial due diligence:
  1. Commercial due diligence:
  1. Operational and technical due diligence:
  1. Legal, HR, and compliance due diligence:

3. Valuation & Deal Structuring

  1. Valuation analysis:
  1. Deal structure optimization:
  1. Negotiation and term sheet:

4. Deal Execution

  1. Definitive agreement and closing:
  1. Communication and announcement:
  1. Transaction accounting and integration prep:

5. Post-Merger Integration

  1. 100-day integration plan:
  1. Functional integration:
  1. Synergy realization and value tracking:

Templates & Frameworks

Due Diligence Checklist

ACQUISITION DUE DILIGENCE CHECKLIST
====================================

FINANCIAL DUE DILIGENCE:
  [ ] Historical financial statements (3-5 years)
  [ ] Quality of earnings report
  [ ] Working capital analysis and normalized level
  [ ] Revenue recognition policy review
  [ ] Customer concentration analysis
  [ ] Debt schedule and covenant compliance
  [ ] Capex and maintenance capex analysis
  [ ] Tax position and exposure assessment
  [ ] Financial projection validation
  [ ] Off-balance sheet liability identification

COMMERCIAL DUE DILIGENCE:
  [ ] Market size and growth analysis
  [ ] Competitive positioning assessment
  [ ] Customer interview and satisfaction review
  [ ] Product/service portfolio evaluation
  [ ] Pricing and margin analysis
  [ ] Sales pipeline and backlog review
  [ ] Channel and partner assessment
  [ ] Brand and market reputation review
  [ ] Regulatory and compliance risk
  [ ] Growth opportunity identification

OPERATIONAL DUE DILIGENCE:
  [ ] Technology stack and IP assessment
  [ ] Product roadmap and R&D review
  [ ] Organizational structure and key personnel
  [ ] HR policy and compensation review
  [ ] Real estate and facility assessment
  [ ] Supply chain and vendor review
  [ ] IT systems and cybersecurity assessment
  [ ] Data privacy and compliance review
  [ ] Environmental, social, governance (ESG) review
  [ ] Operational risk identification

LEGAL DUE DILIGENCE:
  [ ] Corporate structure and governance
  [ ] Material contracts review
  [ ] Litigation and claim assessment
  [ ] Intellectual property portfolio
  [ ] Regulatory compliance status
  [ ] Employment agreements and benefits
  [ ] Real estate and lease review
  [ ] Insurance coverage assessment
  [ ] Antitrust and regulatory approval risk
  [ ] Representations and warranties

DUE DILIGENCE SCORECARD:
  Financial: [Score 1-5] [Key findings]
  Commercial: [Score 1-5] [Key findings]
  Operational: [Score 1-5] [Key findings]
  Legal: [Score 1-5] [Key findings]
  Overall risk level: [Low/Medium/High]
  Deal recommendation: [Proceed/Modify/Walk Away]

100-Day Integration Plan

POST-MERGER 100-DAY INTEGRATION PLAN
======================================

PHASE 1: DAY 1 — DAY 14 (CRITICAL STABILIZATION)
  Communication:
    ✓ Joint announcement to employees
    ✓ Customer notification and outreach
    ✓ Partner and vendor communication
    ✓ Media and regulatory notification
  Operations:
    ✓ Day 1 systems access and connectivity
    ✓ Payment and payroll continuity
    ✓ Customer service continuity
    ✓ Critical contract transition
  Team:
    ✓ Integration management office (IMO) launch
    ✓ Functional integration lead assignment
    ✓ Key retention action for critical talent

PHASE 2: DAY 15 — DAY 60 (INITIAL INTEGRATION)
  Finance:
    → Financial systems integration plan
    → Chart of accounts alignment
    → Combined reporting cadence
    → Budget and forecast consolidation
  HR:
    → Benefits comparison and decision
    → Organization structure alignment
    → Key role decision and communication
    → Cultural assessment and integration plan
  Technology:
    → IT systems integration roadmap
    → Data migration plan
    → Security and access alignment
    → Communication platform consolidation
  Sales & Marketing:
    → Combined go-to-market strategy
    → Customer overlap analysis and approach
    ✓ Cross-sell opportunity identification
    → Brand and messaging alignment plan

PHASE 3: DAY 61 — DAY 100 (ACCELERATED INTEGRATION)
  Synergy:
    → Cost synergy initiative execution
    → Revenue synergy program launch
    → Procurement consolidation
    → Facility and overhead optimization
  Systems:
    → ERP/CRM migration execution
    → Technology stack consolidation
    → Data integration completion
    → Testing and validation
  Organization:
    → Final organization structure implementation
    → Performance management alignment
    → Culture integration activities
    → Change management program
  Governance:
    → Integration milestone review
    ✓ Risk and issue resolution
    → Synergy realization tracking
    → Lessons learned and adjustment

MILESTONES:
  Day 14: Employee communication complete, systems connected
  Day 30: Integration plan finalized, quick wins delivered
  Day 60: Financial systems integrated, org structure finalized
  Day 100: Core integration complete, synergy tracking active

Integration Points

Edge Cases

Output

M&A Deal Dashboard

CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT PIPELINE — April 2025
=============================================

ACTIVE DEALS:
  Deal A: [Company] — $45M revenue, SaaS, strategic fit
    Status: Due diligence (Week 4 of 6)
    Expected close: Q3 2025
    Valuation range: $180M-$220M (4.0-4.9x revenue)
    Risk level: Medium
    Key diligence finding: Strong customer retention, moderate tech debt

  Deal B: [Company] — $12M revenue, AI startup, capability add
    Status: Term sheet negotiation
    Expected close: Q2 2025
    Valuation range: $60M-$80M (5.0-6.7x revenue)
    Risk level: Low
    Key diligence finding: Strong IP portfolio, key talent retention needed

  Deal C: [Company] — $89M revenue, market expansion
    Status: Initial screening
    Expected close: Q4 2025 (if proceeds)
    Valuation estimate: $400M-$500M
    Risk level: High (regulatory review expected)

POST-MERGER INTEGRATION (ACTIVE):
  [Acquired Company — Closed Q1 2025]:
    Day of integration: Day 42
    Integration milestone status: On track ✓
    Employee retention: 94% of key talent retained
    Customer retention: 97% ✓
    Synergy realization: $2.1M (18% of $11.7M target)
    Quick wins delivered: 6 of 8 planned

HISTORICAL DEALS:
  Deals closed (last 3 years): 7
  Total investment: $480M
  Deals successfully integrated: 7 (100%)
  Avg synergy realization: 87% of target
  Combined revenue growth: 23% CAGR

PIPELINE METRICS:
  Active targets under review: 5
  Initial outreach stage: 12
  Screened/rejected: 34
  Avg deal cycle (screen to close): 8.2 months
  Deal success rate: 38% (screen to close)

Disclaimer: All rights reserved by Circulos AI. These skills are specifically designed for Claude Code, Claude Cowork, Codex, and OpenClaw. When using or referencing any skill, please provide proper attribution to Circulos AI.