Glossary · Deal process
Buy-side
Definition
Buy-side means the buyer's side of a transaction: the acquirer or investor and the advisers who help them find a target, run due diligence, value it and negotiate. Buy-side teams are the ones reading the data room, asking questions in the Q&A and writing the red flag reports.
Where buy-side comes up
On this site, in our guides and in the conversations we've written up.
Use case Best virtual data room for M&A The same platforms support both, but the emphasis differs: sell-side prioritises controlled disclosure and Q&A; buy-side prioritises organising and analysing what you receive. 
Video · The Motley Fool Datasite's CEO on what deal data shows and where AI agents fit in M&A The Motley Fool's Asit Sharma interviews Datasite CEO Rusty Wiley about what the company sees in its deal data and how AI agents fit into buy-side and sell-side work.
Video · The Motley Fool Datasite's CEO on what deal data shows and where AI agents fit in M&A The Motley Fool's Asit Sharma interviews Datasite CEO Rusty Wiley about what the company sees in its deal data and how AI agents fit into buy-side and sell-side work. Related terms
Sell-side The seller's side of a deal: the company or owners selling, and the advisers who run the sale for them. Due diligence The investigation a buyer, investor or lender runs on a company before committing: its finances, contracts, legal position and operations. Indicative offer A first, non-binding price and set of terms from a buyer, used to pick who goes through to due diligence. Binding offer A buyer's final offer after due diligence, usually with a marked-up purchase agreement attached. Bolt-on acquisition A smaller company bought to add to an existing platform business, common in private equity. Carve-out The sale of a division or business unit that has to be separated from its parent company. Clean team A small, ring-fenced group allowed to see a competitor's sensitive data during a deal, under strict rules. Corporate development The in-house team that finds, runs and integrates a company's acquisitions and partnerships.