I built OutSearched Because I Needed It.
I needed an omnichannel, direct-to-owner sourcing engine to buy my next business. It didn’t exist for buyers like me, so I built it. Today, OutSearched serves private equity firms, family offices, independent sponsors, and acquisition groups across the lower middle market.
- Nate Niehuus · Founder
Built by a buyer, for buyers
I’m a serial entrepreneur. My last company specialized in meristematic tissue culture and genetics. After stepping back from day-to-day operations, I went looking for the best way to buy another business.
I had been on the receiving end of a strong proprietary outbound campaign once, and it worked. So I went looking for a service that delivered the same thing on the buy side. Nothing fit. Brokered deals were too expensive and too competitive. Banked processes drove valuations up before I could build a relationship with the owner. The firms with serious origination infrastructure were running it in-house, with budgets the typical lower middle market buyer can’t justify.
In parallel, I was working with private equity and independent sponsor clients at SRS Real Estate, helping them structure sale-leasebacks. Those clients started asking me to find them deals. I structured outbound campaigns. The campaigns brought forward quality opportunities. The model worked. So I built a team around it.
- Nate Niehuus · Founder
The market shifted. Most buyers haven't
There are more buyers in the lower middle market than ever before. Brokered processes have become more crowded and more expensive. The buyers who win are the ones who reach owners before a process exists.
Reaching them requires more than a Grata or SourceScrub subscription and a templated cold email. Generic list blasts don’t get founder responses, and they don’t build the trust required to bring an owner to the table on a direct-to-owner basis.
What works is active origination. A dedicated team, a defined mandate, multichannel outreach, and the discipline to qualify every conversation against your buy-box. That’s what firms with institutional sourcing infrastructure have been doing for years. It’s what OutSearched delivers for buyers who don’t want to build it from scratch.
The Old Playbook
The Half Measure
Database subscription plus a junior BD hire blasting templated emails. Low response, no trust, no pipeline.
The Active Model
Dedicated team, multichannel direct-to-owner outreach, mandate-specific messaging. The model OutSearched runs.
A full origination team, staffed against your mandate
Qam
Data / Tech
Target universe construction, data enrichment, and the sourcing infrastructure behind every campaign. Built per mandate, not recycled.
Saad
Messaging
Multichannel outreach, response management, and appointment setting. Every channel staffed, every reply followed up, every meeting on the calendar.
Mariano
Qualification
Nate
Negotiation
Internal Business Development engagements operate under your firm’s brand. Fractional engagements operate under ours.
Four principles every engagement is built on
- 01
Aligned economics
- 02
Active origination, never list blasting
- 03
A dedicated seat per mandate
- 04
Support through the lifecycle
Across client mandates in 2025
At a Glance
OutSearched is a buy-side M&A origination and advisory firm in Austin, Texas, built for buyers in the lower middle market. We reach owners directly, often before a formal process exists, and stay engaged through qualification, LOI, and close. Our clients include private equity firms, family offices, independent sponsors, search funds, and corporate development teams, typically pursuing mandates involving $1MM–$10MM of EBITDA. In 2025, we sourced more than $500MM in proprietary deal flow and delivered 16 LOIs, with a first qualified owner conversation in approximately 60 days. Founded by Nate Niehuus, OutSearched was built by a buyer who created the origination firm he couldn't find.
In their own words
Our BD function was already performing well, but we hired OutSearched under the belief that no matter how well-oiled our machine is, we’re likely still missing great opportunities. Nate proved that quickly. Within three weeks, we were in active conversations with attractive acquisition targets. The speed, quality, and professionalism of the process stood out. Could not recommend Nate and his team more highly.
Nate and his team have done an incredible job in sourcing off-market acquisition targets for our firm. The OutSearched team worked with our team to build comprehensive target lists based on industry verticals, geography, size, and other pertinent metrics. Their team has provided strong communication throughout the engagement that has benefited us greatly in sourcing actionable acquisition targets. I would highly recommend Nate and his team to anyone that is looking to build their proprietary deal sourcing pipeline.
Great outbound capability. Submitted an LOI on an actionable target in the first 60 days
Nate Niehuus at Outsearched is the real deal. Nate has been helping me target small business owners in a very narrow geographic target area. I’m his toughest client (no joke), and yet, in spite of my tough assignment, Nate has done an amazing job working his sourcing magic and generating introductions that have led to quality conversations. This guy relishes a challenge, and he works incredibly hard to deliver. I don’t think he ever sleeps.
Nate and his team at OutSearched have played a critical role in helping us uncover and pursue off-market opportunities across several industries. They took the time to understand exactly what we were looking for and built customized prospect lists tailored to our specific parameters. Throughout the entire engagement, their responsiveness and transparency made collaboration seamless. The pipeline they helped us develop has directly translated into meaningful conversations with quality targets. I strongly recommend OutSearched to any firm serious about strengthening its proprietary deal flow.
Nate and team did a great job of laying the foundation for our sourcing efforts. We were able to issue 3 LOIs within a few months of getting up and running. Definitely would recommend to any searcher, independent sponsor, or platform looking to acquire at scale.
I’m the founder of The Edelweiss Company and I decided to use OutSearched to help bring deals forward. They were professional, fast, and I have a deal (nearing LOI) on my plate already with less than 60 days of outbound. We’re just getting started with them. Highly recommended.
Partners and Clients
