Deal Screening
description: Quickly screen inbound deal flow — CIMs, teasers, and broker materials — against the fund's investment criteria. Extracts key deal metrics, runs a pass/fail framework, and outputs a one-page screening memo. Use when reviewing new deal flow, triaging inbound materials, or deciding whether to take a first call. Triggers on "screen this deal", "review this CIM", "should we look at this", "triage this teaser", or "deal screening".
Workflow
Step 1: Extract Deal Facts
From the provided CIM, teaser, or description, extract:
- Company: Name, location, sector/subsector
- Description: What they do (1-2 sentences)
- Financials: Revenue, EBITDA, margins, growth rate
- Deal type: Platform, add-on, recap, minority, carve-out
- Asking price / valuation: Multiple, enterprise value if stated
- Seller motivation: Why selling now
- Management: Rolling or exiting
- Key customers: Concentration risk
- Key risks: Obvious red flags
Step 2: Screen Against Criteria
Apply the fund's investment criteria (ask user if not known):
| Criterion |
Target |
Actual |
Pass/Fail |
| Revenue range |
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| EBITDA range |
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| EBITDA margin |
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| Growth profile |
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| Sector fit |
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| Geography |
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| Deal size / EV |
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| Valuation (x EBITDA) |
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| Customer concentration |
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| Management continuity |
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Step 3: Quick Assessment
Provide a 3-part assessment:
- Verdict: Pass / Further Diligence / Hard Pass
- Bull case (2-3 bullets): Why this could be a good deal
- Bear case (2-3 bullets): Key risks and concerns
- Key questions: What you'd need to answer on a first call
Step 4: Output
One-page screening memo suitable for sharing with partners or an IC quick screen.
Important Notes
- Speed matters — screening should take minutes, not hours
- Be direct about red flags. Don't bury concerns
- If financials seem inconsistent or incomplete, flag it explicitly
- Ask for the fund's criteria upfront if this is the first screening
- Save screening criteria in memory for future deals once confirmed
Hermes Profile Notes
This skill was packaged from pi-financial-services source path plugins/vertical-plugins/private-equity/skills/deal-screening for the Hermes financial-services profile. Use institutional data connectors first when available, cite sources, and stage outputs for qualified human review.
Common Pitfalls
- Do not present drafts as investment, legal, tax, or accounting advice.
- Do not use web search as the primary source when an institutional MCP/data connector is available.
- Do not execute transactions, contact clients, post to a ledger, or approve onboarding. Stage outputs for review.
Verification Checklist
1---2name: deal-screening3description: Use when financial-services work requires deal Screening.4license: MIT5---67# Deal Screening89description: Quickly screen inbound deal flow — CIMs, teasers, and broker materials — against the fund's investment criteria. Extracts key deal metrics, runs a pass/fail framework, and outputs a one-page screening memo. Use when reviewing new deal flow, triaging inbound materials, or deciding whether to take a first call. Triggers on "screen this deal", "review this CIM", "should we look at this", "triage this teaser", or "deal screening".1011## Workflow1213### Step 1: Extract Deal Facts1415From the provided CIM, teaser, or description, extract:1617- **Company**: Name, location, sector/subsector18- **Description**: What they do (1-2 sentences)19- **Financials**: Revenue, EBITDA, margins, growth rate20- **Deal type**: Platform, add-on, recap, minority, carve-out21- **Asking price / valuation**: Multiple, enterprise value if stated22- **Seller motivation**: Why selling now23- **Management**: Rolling or exiting24- **Key customers**: Concentration risk25- **Key risks**: Obvious red flags2627### Step 2: Screen Against Criteria2829Apply the fund's investment criteria (ask user if not known):3031| Criterion | Target | Actual | Pass/Fail |32|-----------|--------|--------|-----------|33| Revenue range | | | |34| EBITDA range | | | |35| EBITDA margin | | | |36| Growth profile | | | |37| Sector fit | | | |38| Geography | | | |39| Deal size / EV | | | |40| Valuation (x EBITDA) | | | |41| Customer concentration | | | |42| Management continuity | | | |4344### Step 3: Quick Assessment4546Provide a 3-part assessment:47481. **Verdict**: Pass / Further Diligence / Hard Pass492. **Bull case** (2-3 bullets): Why this could be a good deal503. **Bear case** (2-3 bullets): Key risks and concerns514. **Key questions**: What you'd need to answer on a first call5253### Step 4: Output5455One-page screening memo suitable for sharing with partners or an IC quick screen.5657## Important Notes5859- Speed matters — screening should take minutes, not hours60- Be direct about red flags. Don't bury concerns61- If financials seem inconsistent or incomplete, flag it explicitly62- Ask for the fund's criteria upfront if this is the first screening63- Save screening criteria in memory for future deals once confirmed6465## Hermes Profile Notes66This skill was packaged from `pi-financial-services` source path `plugins/vertical-plugins/private-equity/skills/deal-screening` for the Hermes financial-services profile. Use institutional data connectors first when available, cite sources, and stage outputs for qualified human review.676869## Common Pitfalls701. Do not present drafts as investment, legal, tax, or accounting advice.712. Do not use web search as the primary source when an institutional MCP/data connector is available.723. Do not execute transactions, contact clients, post to a ledger, or approve onboarding. Stage outputs for review.737475## Verification Checklist76- [ ] Inputs, assumptions, dates, and currencies are explicit.77- [ ] Numbers tie across tables, models, decks, and memos.78- [ ] Sources are cited and institutional data is preferred where available.79- [ ] Output is labeled draft / for human review where appropriate.
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