Priced by project, paid on outcomes
A flat monthly retainer set by how many mandates we run at once, plus a standard Lehman Formula success fee on each deal you close. No per-seat pricing, no data licensing, no minimum term beyond a short initial ramp.
The monthly retainer
Every tier includes the same work and the same access — the only difference is how many mandates we source against in parallel.
The standard Lehman Formula
The long-established M&A success-fee scale, applied in tranches to the deal value. Each band is charged separately and the results summed — so the rate you actually pay falls as the deal gets larger. Owed only on a completed close.
The scale
- First $1M5%
- Second $1M4%
- Third $1M3%
- Fourth $1M2%
- Above $4M1%
The retainer covers the sourcing work itself. The success fee is owed only when a deal you found through the engagement actually closes — which is the point: we are paid to produce closes, not activity.
Worked example
A close at $3,000,000
- First $1M @ 5%$50,000
- Second $1M @ 4%$40,000
- Third $1M @ 3%$30,000
4.0% blended
Included at every tier
The work does not change with the retainer. Only the number of mandates does.
Unlimited searches
Full access to Acquisera Premium tools
Full proprietary database access
Dedicated engagement lead
Standard Lehman success fee for each deal closed
Pricing questions
- What is a project?
- One active mandate — a defined thesis, geography, and set of criteria we're actively sourcing against. Higher tiers run more mandates in parallel; the work on each is identical.
- What is the Lehman Formula success fee?
- We bill the standard (original) Lehman Formula — the long-established M&A success-fee scale — applied in tranches to the deal value: 5% of the first $1M, 4% of the second $1M, 3% of the third, 2% of the fourth, and 1% of everything above $4M. Each tranche is charged separately and summed, so a $3M close works out to $50k + $40k + $30k = $120k, a 4.0% blended rate. It's only owed on a completed close — the monthly retainer covers the sourcing work itself.
- What's the commitment?
- Engagements run month-to-month on a rolling retainer. We ask for a short initial ramp so a search has time to produce, but there's no multi-year lock-in.
- What if we want more than three projects?
- We scope it as a custom engagement. The work on each mandate is the same; the retainer reflects how many we run in parallel and how much team it takes.
Question about the offering rather than the price? The overview answers those.
Scope an engagement
Tell us the thesis and how many mandates you want running, and we'll come back with a scope and a retainer.
Acquisera Advisoryis our retained buyside service — we run the search for you.
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