Cim Builder

CIM Builder

description: Structure and draft a Confidential Information Memorandum for sell-side M&A processes. Organizes company information into a professional, investor-ready document with consistent formatting and narrative flow. Use when preparing sell-side materials, drafting a CIM, or organizing company data for a sale process. Triggers on "CIM", "confidential information memorandum", "offering memorandum", "info memo", "draft CIM", or "sell-side materials".

Workflow

Step 1: Gather Source Materials

Ask for available inputs:

• Management presentations
• Historical financials (3-5 years)
• Budget/forecast
• Company website and marketing materials
• Customer data (anonymized if needed)
• Org chart
• Prior presentations or board decks
• Quality of earnings report (if available)

Step 2: CIM Structure

Standard CIM table of contents:

I. Executive Summary (2-3 pages)

• Company overview — what they do, why they win
• Investment highlights (5-7 key selling points)
• Financial summary — headline revenue, EBITDA, growth, margins
• Transaction overview — what's being sold, indicative timeline

II. Company Overview (3-5 pages)

• History and founding story
• Mission and value proposition
• Products and services description
• Business model and revenue streams
• Key differentiators and competitive advantages

III. Industry Overview (3-5 pages)

• Market size and growth dynamics (TAM/SAM/SOM)
• Key industry trends and tailwinds
• Competitive landscape
• Regulatory environment
• Barriers to entry

IV. Growth Opportunities (2-3 pages)

• Organic growth levers (new products, markets, pricing)
• M&A / add-on opportunities
• Operational improvements
• Technology investments
• White space analysis

V. Customers & Sales (3-5 pages)

• Customer overview (number, segments, geography)
• Top customer analysis (anonymized if pre-LOI)
• Customer concentration and retention metrics
• Sales process and go-to-market strategy
• Pipeline and backlog

VI. Operations (2-3 pages)

• Organizational structure
• Key personnel
• Facilities and geographic footprint
• Technology and systems
• Supply chain / vendor relationships

VII. Financial Overview (5-8 pages)

• Historical income statement (3-5 years)
• Revenue analysis — by segment, geography, customer type
• EBITDA bridge and margin analysis
• Balance sheet overview
• Cash flow summary
• Capital expenditure history
• Working capital analysis
• Management forecast / budget (if included)

VIII. Appendix

• Detailed financial statements
• Customer list (anonymized)
• Product catalog
• Management bios

Step 3: Drafting Guidelines

• Tone: Professional, factual, compelling but not hyperbolic
• Narrative: Tell a story — why this business is attractive, defensible, and positioned for growth
• Data-driven: Support every claim with data. "Strong growth" → "Revenue grew at a 15% CAGR from 2021-2024"
• Visuals: Charts and graphs for financial trends, market size, competitive positioning
• Length: 40-60 pages total — enough detail to inform first-round bids, not so long buyers won't read it
• Confidentiality: Include a disclaimer page. Anonymize sensitive customer data unless seller approves

Step 4: Output

• Word document (.docx) with professional formatting
• Separate Excel appendix with detailed financials
• Charts and exhibits embedded in the document

Important Notes

• The CIM is a sales document — lead with strengths, but don't hide material issues (buyers will find them in diligence)
• Investment highlights should address the 3 things every buyer cares about: growth potential, margin profile, and defensibility
• Financial normalization / pro forma adjustments should be clearly labeled and explained
• Work with legal on the confidentiality disclaimer and any regulatory disclosures
• Get management to review for factual accuracy before distribution
• The CIM sets expectations on valuation — make sure the narrative supports the asking price

Hermes Profile Notes

This skill was packaged from pi-financial-services source path plugins/vertical-plugins/investment-banking/skills/cim-builder for the Hermes financial-services profile. Use institutional data connectors first when available, cite sources, and stage outputs for qualified human review.

Common Pitfalls

1. Do not present drafts as investment, legal, tax, or accounting advice.
2. Do not use web search as the primary source when an institutional MCP/data connector is available.
3. Do not execute transactions, contact clients, post to a ledger, or approve onboarding. Stage outputs for review.

Verification Checklist

• Inputs, assumptions, dates, and currencies are explicit.
• Numbers tie across tables, models, decks, and memos.
• Sources are cited and institutional data is preferred where available.
• Output is labeled draft / for human review where appropriate.