Sample M&A Outreach Emails

Keep your outbound emails simple and actionable. Make sure each email has only one recipient - too many recipients will dilute the urgency and ownership of your reachout.

Template 1: When You Have Actionable Offers

Use this when your board has received an actionable M&A offer and you want to run a competitive process.

Subject: [Your Company] M&A Update

Hi [Executive of Potential Acquiring Company],

I wanted to be the first to tell you that we are starting an M&A process. Recently, our board received an actionable M&A offer, and wanted to run a process and invite you to be part of it as we value our relationship and feel that the potential of teaming up with [Acquiring Company] could create the biggest impact.

Let me know if this might be an actionable opportunity for you.

Thanks,

[Your Signature]
[Your Phone Number]

Template 2: Starting a Discovery Process (No Offers Yet)

Use this when you're exploring M&A but don't have offers in hand. Always lead with a business update before mentioning M&A.

Subject: [Your Company] M&A Update

Hi [Executive of Potential Acquiring Company],

I wanted to give you two updates on [Your Company].

First is our latest [key business/product update that is relevant to the acquiring company - something short, sweet, and noteworthy. If the acquiring company cares about a particular market, tell them your ARR or growth rate crossing a key threshold. If they care about a particular technology, mention a breakthrough in your R&D or a big product launch].

Second is that we have decided to fully explore M&A starting this quarter. This isn't driven by operational constraints (we have a strong balance sheet), but rather our desire to find a larger platform to make a bigger market impact.

In advance of that effort, I wanted to reach out and see if this might be an actionable opportunity for you, and we wanted to give you an early look at the opportunity.

Attached is a short deck.

Thanks,

[Your Signature]
[Your Phone Number]

Key Principles

One recipient per email. Mass emails dilute urgency and ownership.

Cold email won't work. Make sure whoever you are emailing has a strong personal relationship with you, otherwise reachout to your network for an intro.

Lead with value. Give them something to chew on, either sense of FOMO from another offer (do not disclose who you are talking to), or a strategic milestone they care about.

Don't sound desperate. Emphasize this is about impact, not operational constraints.

Include your phone number. Make it easy for them to reach you directly.