Method of identifying potential targets for a capital transaction
First Claim
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1. A method of identifying potential targets for a capital transaction, said method comprising the steps of:
- enabling a user to specify at least one investment criterion;
enabling said user to specify a type of said capital transaction, wherein the type of capital transaction is a (1) merger and acquisition, (2) venture capital growth, (3) private equity growth, or (4) turnaround;
selecting, using a computer, a scoring algorithm based on said user'"'"'s selection of said type of capital transaction for assigning scores for said potential targets;
organizing, using said computer, at least one of said investment criteria in a hierarchical structure wherein said organizing step comprises the step of arranging said hierarchical structure such that increasing depth of said hierarchical structure corresponds to increased specificity of said investment criteria;
selecting, using said computer, said investment criteria from the group consisting of industry classification, firm characteristics, and geographies; and
normalizing, by said computer, maximum scores of said investment criteria to a score for said industry classification criterion.
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Abstract
A method of identifying potential targets (i.e., buyers, investors, sellers, or acquisition targets) for a financial transaction. The method enables a user to specify at least one investment criteria based on which to run a search to identify the prospective targets, and to select a universe within which to search for the prospective targets. The method also enables the user to specify a type of financial transaction. A scoring algorithm that is used to score the results of the search is selected based on the user'"'"'s specification of the type of financial transaction.
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16 Claims
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1. A method of identifying potential targets for a capital transaction, said method comprising the steps of:
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enabling a user to specify at least one investment criterion;
enabling said user to specify a type of said capital transaction, wherein the type of capital transaction is a (1) merger and acquisition, (2) venture capital growth, (3) private equity growth, or (4) turnaround;selecting, using a computer, a scoring algorithm based on said user'"'"'s selection of said type of capital transaction for assigning scores for said potential targets; organizing, using said computer, at least one of said investment criteria in a hierarchical structure wherein said organizing step comprises the step of arranging said hierarchical structure such that increasing depth of said hierarchical structure corresponds to increased specificity of said investment criteria; selecting, using said computer, said investment criteria from the group consisting of industry classification, firm characteristics, and geographies; and normalizing, by said computer, maximum scores of said investment criteria to a score for said industry classification criterion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification