Deal Screening & Workflow Automation on Axial

When it comes to evaluating a potential acquisition, speed matters. The faster a buyer can access and review a Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM), the sooner they can decide whether to pursue the deal. 

The path from receiving an opportunity to reviewing the CIM can differ significantly on Axial compared to traditional off-platform processes. Axial’s automation tools are designed to streamline each stage of this journey, reducing friction and eliminating unnecessary delays.

What Axial Buyers Are Saying

Here’s why they’re saying that:

The Funnel

Axial Workflow Automation Tools

The Axial Standard NDA

Traditional NDAs often slow buyers down — reviewing, marking up, signing, scanning, and returning can take days and add unnecessary cost. Yet they remain a requirement for accessing deal materials.

Axial’s Standard NDA solves this by replacing custom drafts and lengthy negotiations with one clear, pre-approved agreement. It’s easy to understand, protects all parties, and most importantly, saves buyers valuable time so they can begin evaluating opportunities without delay.

For situations that require unique protections, Axial also supports Custom NDAs, allowing tailored clauses and flexible eSignature options without slowing down the process.

Automatic CIM Share

Accessing CIMs is one of the biggest bottlenecks buyers face. Axial removes this friction with its autoCIM feature, which allows advisors to instantly deliver the CIM to buyers once the buyers sign their NDA. No more waiting on follow-ups or chasing documents. With the autoCIM feature, buyers can go from ‘this deal looks interesting’ to ‘reviewing the CIM’ within minutes.

Axial Data Tables

Axial’s data tables, designed with interactive features and rich metadata, give buyers a faster, more informed way to evaluate potential opportunities. 

For buyers who prioritize speed to CIM access, the filters enable them to focus on deals where Axial’s electronic workflow tools, the Standard NDA and Automatic CIM Share, are already in place. 

This means time isn’t lost chasing documents or clarifications, and the focus stays on evaluating opportunities that are ready for immediate review.

Buyer Customization

Every table can be customized to fit buyer preferences, with settings automatically saved for a personalized view every time they log in, placing the most relevant opportunities front and center.

Screening Datapoints at Buyers’ Fingertips:

The Deal

• Where the deal matched the buyer’s criteria
• Headline & Description
• Geography (Usually Region)
• Industries & End Markets served
• Revenue, EBITDA, and EBITDA Margin
• Financial Performance: 1-5 years historical performance
• Are financials audited? If so, by whom
• Is the management team expecting to stay or leave?
• Does the advisor have exclusivity on this mandate?

The Advisor

• Firm Type
• Firm Responsiveness
• Tenure on Axial
• Volume of Deals Marketed on Axial
• Volume of Deals Closed on Axial
• Volume of total firmwide closed deals
• Member Rating (from other members)

The Process

• Whether NDAs & CIMs are attached
• NDA Method (Standard vs. Custom)
• CIM Share Method (Automatic vs. Manual)

Buyers’ Favorites:

• Industries & Geography: Enables precise targeting of relevant opportunities.
• Financial Insights: Provides Revenue, EBITDA, Gross Margin, and EBITDA Margin.
• NDA & CIM Status:  Displays the availability of Axial’s electronic workflow tools.
• Seller Insights: Offers exclusive data on sell-side members, including deal history, market activity, and responsiveness.

Tying It All Together

Once a deal is received on Axial, the buyer can move forward with the deal process immediately. 

• On Axial: Axial’s recommendation engine delivers only opportunities that fit the mandate set in the buyside project, eliminating the need to sift through irrelevant deals or wait for the MA& advisor to respond. This built-in screening means buyers can advance directly from deal receipt to the next stage, skipping the manual vetting of industry, geography, and size. 
• Off Axial: The process is far more time-intensive. Buyers often review large volumes of irrelevant deals, which can lead to widespread, frustrating delays early on in processes.

From there, the difference in workflow speed becomes even more apparent:

• On Axial: The Standard NDA feature allows buyers to sign immediately upon pursuing a deal, and Automatic CIM Share ensures the CIM is available for download as soon as the NDA is executed, often putting the buyer in review mode within hours. 
• Off Axial: These stages can drag on for days or weeks. NDAs are sent manually, signatures require back-and-forth coordination, and CIMs are often withheld until multiple follow-ups are complete. Even after an NDA is signed, additional vetting, manual file transfers, and access issues can prolong the process. 

The result: on Axial, the timeline from deal receipt to CIM review is typically 0–2 days; off Axial, it can easily stretch to 1–2 weeks.