Buy companies before they're for sale.
Keyturn finds owners who are ready to sell, writes to each one personally, and books the meeting on your calendar. You run the deal.
For private equity add-on programs, roll-ups, independent sponsors and search funds.
A listed company already has eight bidders. You want the one that isn't listed.
When an owner hires a broker, every buyer in the country gets the same teaser and the price goes up. Reach the owner first and you are the only one at the table.
Everyone gets the same teaser.
One owner, one buyer, one conversation.
Agents do the searching and the writing. You approve, and you meet.
Four steps, repeated every week for as long as the program runs. The two that matter most stay with you.
Scan
Every company in your industry and region, read from public records. Not a purchased list.
AgentsScore
Which owners look ready: age, tenure, no successor, reduced hours, a general manager search.
AgentsWrite
A personal letter to each owner, on your letterhead. Printed and mailed only after your approval.
You approveMeet
Replies are handled, the call is booked, and a one-page brief is on your desk beforehand.
You meetFive public sources, read together, tell you who is ready.
No single record says "for sale". Five of them, in one place, come close. Every signal keeps its source so your team can check it.
READY
- Owner over 65county
- 34 years in business, sole officerregistry
- Reduced opening hoursGoogle
- No successor namedwebsite
- Hiring a GM to run operationsjob board
Not a list. A brief on every owner, and a meeting.
This is the one page your team receives before each meeting. It is the same research the letter was written from.
Why now
- Owner over 65, sole officer since incorporationcounty, SoS
- Reduced posted hours in March; Saturdays droppedGoogle
- Posted a general manager role in June, still openIndeed
- No family member or manager named on the websitewebsite
Summary
Harold started the company in 1992 and still signs every quote. Service agreements appear to be a large share of revenue, which fits Ridgeline's add-on thesis. Two sons work outside the trade. A letter was mailed Sep 12; he replied by email Sep 18 and suggested Tuesday morning.
Talking points
- Ask about the GM search: is it succession planning or relief?
- He mentioned his wife has been asking "the same question for two years."
- Ridgeline kept the name and team at its last two add-ons; lead with that.
Owner briefs Before every meeting
One page per owner: facts, signals with sources, a summary and talking points.
Letters, printed and mailed Weekly batches
Written for one person. You approve each one in the dashboard before it goes out.
Reply handling Same day
Questions answered, your introduction sent, the call booked. A person steps in for anything sensitive.
Pipeline report Every Monday
Letters out, replies, meetings, and every owner's stage, in one email.
What the owner receives, and what comes back.
A printed letter, written for one person, mailed to the office, followed by one email. Owners of small companies open letters and ignore cold email.
MAILED
SEP 12
Dear Harold,
I'm writing because Brazos Valley Comfort has done something rare: 34 years of work that people in Bryan still talk about.
I lead acquisitions at Ridgeline Partners. We partner with owner-led HVAC companies in Texas who are starting to think about what comes next. We keep the name, keep the team, and let the owner choose how involved they stay.
There's nothing to decide. If you'd ever like a no-pressure conversation, I'd be glad to buy you a coffee in Bryan.
Jordan, didn't expect a letter like that. My wife has been asking me the same question for two years. I'm not in a hurry, but I'd hear you out. Tuesday morning is quiet here.
— Harold
From a whole state to nine owners on your calendar.
Example program: HVAC, Texas, $2 to 10M revenue, owner 60 or older. Numbers are illustrative and built on the reply rates on the previous slide.
A monthly fee, and a share only when a deal closes.
Priced for private equity add-on programs, roll-ups, independent sponsors and search funds. One industry and one region is a program.
- Typically 2 to 3 owner meetings a week once letters land
- A one-page brief before every meeting
- Month to month after the 60-day pilot
- Nothing if nothing closes
- Paid at closing, from deal proceeds
- Structured under the federal M&A broker exemption (targets under $25M EBITDA)
One year, one program, one company that was never on the market.
Compared with the two things buyers use today: a buy-side advisor on retainer, or an appointment setter paid per meeting.
| Buy-side advisor | Appointment setter | Keyturn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Researches every owner | |||
| Personal printed letters | |||
| Books the meeting | |||
| Brief before each meeting | |||
| Cost | $25–75k retainer + 3–6% | $300–600 per meeting | $10k / mo + 1.5% |
A brokered process would typically cost more in purchase price alone.
Respectful to owners. Clean for your compliance team.
Four commitments that hold for every client and every program.
No automated calls or texts
Letters and email only. Phone conversations are always a person.
Public records only
Registries, licences, property records and public listings. No purchased contact data.
Opt-out honored for good
An owner who declines is never contacted again, for any client.
Your mandate stays yours
Owners found for you are not shown to another client in the same industry and region. Exclusive for the life of the program.
What buyers ask before they start.
How is this different from Grata, SourceScrub or a data vendor?
They sell a database. You still have to decide who to contact, write to them, follow up and book the call. Keyturn delivers the outcome: a researched owner, a letter you approved, a booked meeting and a brief.
Do the letters go out in my name or yours?
Yours. Letters are written as your deal lead, on your letterhead, and you approve every one. Owners reply to you. Keyturn handles the logistics behind the scenes.
What if the owner isn't ready to sell yet?
Most aren't, and that is the point. A relationship that starts a year before the sale is how proprietary deals happen. Keyturn keeps the owner in your pipeline, sends a short note every few months, and tells you when signals change.
Is a success fee legal without a broker licence?
Under the federal M&A broker exemption in force since March 2023, success fees on the sale of privately held companies with under $25M EBITDA or $250M revenue do not require SEC broker-dealer registration, provided the buyer takes control and runs the business. State rules vary; our agreement is reviewed by counsel.
Can you run more than one industry or region?
Yes. Each combination is a program at $10,000 a month. Teams usually start with one and add a second once the first is producing meetings.
Will another buyer get the same owners?
No. An industry and region is exclusive to one client for the life of the program.
The best company you'll buy this year isn't for sale. We'll find its owner.
hello@keyturn.com
Fee benchmarks: DealRoom, M&A Community, CAPTARGET, Axia Growth. Reply rates: Postmarkr, Searchfunder. Exemption: Jones Day. Ridgeline Partners, Harold Ruiz, Jordan Avery and every company shown are fictional examples. © 2026 Keyturn, Inc.