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Create a target company list

Kaiya can build a target company list and explain each choice. Tell Kaiya which role you need to fill. Add the client's requirements and off-limits firms. Kaiya can research the companies and check the evidence.

Start with the business need​

Tell Kaiya what the list will support:

Build a target company list for a CFO search at a UK PE-backed B2B software
company. The client plans to expand across Europe and complete add-on
acquisitions. Find companies likely to employ finance leaders with the required
scale, international growth and buy-and-build experience.

Kaiya can work out:

  • Definitions for the sector and company type.
  • Company groups and adjacent talent pools.
  • Sources for ownership, size, location and business model.
  • Gaps or weak assumptions in the first market definition.

Kaiya can research the market and refine the searches with new evidence.

Add the client's requirements​

Set the boundaries that decide which companies qualify:

Prioritise businesses with £50 million to £200 million revenue. Current or
recent PE ownership is acceptable, but label which applies. Exclude companies
on the attached off-limits list. The client will consider vertical SaaS and
software-enabled services, but pure consulting firms are out of scope.

Tell Kaiya the revenue range, acceptable adjacent sectors, off-limits firms and how far the client will widen the market.

You can start with the information you have. Kaiya can suggest a working definition for you to check.

Search professional networking sites, Invenias or both​

Kaiya can search leading professional networking sites or your firm's Invenias records. Search networking sites for companies beyond your firm's existing records. Use Invenias to include companies your firm already knows. Search both when you want one combined result.

Search professional networking sites for UK and European PE-backed B2B software
companies. Include current or recent ownership, headquarters and a source for
each ownership claim.
Search our Invenias data for B2B software companies linked to past CFO
assignments or candidates. Group them by sector and location, and show the
Invenias evidence for each company.
Search professional networking sites and Invenias for companies that could
produce candidates for this CFO search. Combine the results and mark the source
of each company. Use online sources to verify ownership and scale.

To search your firm's records, connect Kaiya to Invenias. Without that connection, use professional networking sites, other online sources and attached files.

Ask for the evidence you need​

Name the fields that will help your team make a decision:

For each company, include headquarters, revenue range, employee range,
ownership and sponsor, the ownership dates, business model and a short reason
for inclusion. Link each material fact to a source and mark any estimate.

Kaiya can research missing data and compare conflicting sources. Some private-company facts may remain estimates. Ask Kaiya to label each estimate. If an estimate could change the search, ask for more sources or confirm it with the client.

Build from a market map​

A market map groups the market before you choose target companies.

Map the UK and European PE-backed B2B software market for this CFO search.
Search professional networking sites and Invenias. Check ownership against
online sources. Group companies by product type, scale and ownership stage.
Show where the strongest finance talent pools may sit, then recommend a target list.

Review the segments and exclusions. Tell Kaiya which parts of the map match the client's view. Explain where Kaiya should widen or narrow the scope.

See Research companies and markets for more on market maps.

Review and refine the result​

Kaiya shows a preview in the conversation. Open Results to search, filter, sort, change columns and export. Results loads the first 1,000 rows and shows the total count. To export all records, clear the search, filters and selected rows before you select Export.

On mobile, Open results in chat shows a preview. Open the app menu. Select Results for the full controls.

Tell Kaiya what to change and why:

The vertical SaaS companies are the best fit. Remove the consulting-led
businesses. Check for missing sponsor-backed companies in healthcare and
financial-services software. Keep the agreed size range and off-limits list.
Verify the ownership period for each company.

Ask Kaiya to explain a surprising inclusion, verify a weak fact or show coverage by segment. See Work with results.

Find candidates from the company list​

Once the company list fits the brief, ask Kaiya to find the people:

Use this company list to find current and recent Divisional CFOs, Regional
CFOs, Finance Directors and VP Finance candidates. Prioritise people who led
finance during a buy-and-build programme. Keep the agreed requirements and
off-limits list. Include people from other companies if they meet the brief.

See Create a candidate longlist.

Check before you use the list​

Review the market definition, exclusions and evidence for each important field. Check time-sensitive facts such as ownership, revenue, leadership and location. Ask Kaiya to separate verified facts, estimates and inference.

For difficult market comparisons, turn on Deep Thinking with the brain icon. See Use Deep Thinking.