Note: The AI-generated outputs described in this case study, including longlists, financial model drafts, CIM sections, and sector briefings, serve as a starting point for advisor review.
Nothing leaves the team without human sign-off. TextCortex accelerates the first draft; the advisor owns the final work product.
About atares
atares is a specialized M&A advisory firm focusing on technology-driven midcap companies in Germany , with offices in Munich. With over 20 years of experience in M&A consulting and more than 200 transactions completed , the team of experienced M&A advisors brings decades of expertise, a global network, and exceptional negotiating skills to every deal.
As pioneers in the digitalization of the M&A industry, atares supports clients with company acquisitions, sales, and growth financing across various technology verticals including supply chain, PropTech, HR services, energy, marketing, and media.
The Challenge
In the competitive world of M&A advisory, success depends on speed, accuracy, and depth of market intelligence. The atares team faced several critical challenges:
1. Time-Intensive Market Research
M&A transactions require extensive research on target companies, market trends, competitive landscapes, and industry dynamics. Manual research processes were consuming valuable time that could be better spent on client relationships and deal execution.
2. Target Discovery and Comp Analysis
When there is a need for a buy-side search, the team can ask TextCortex to identify candidate targets matching specific criteria.
The agent pulls from internal knowledge bases, live web data, and prior deal files to generate a structured preliminary longlist with company summaries and indicative fit notes, ready for the team to validate and narrow down.
3. Preliminary Analysis
At the start of a new engagement, the team uses TextCortex to run preliminary scenario analysis and build out an indicative valuation range using standard sector multiples and benchmarks.
4. Knowledge Management Across Tools
With critical information scattered across Microsoft 365 (OneDrive Business, SharePoint, Outlook, Teams) and Confluence, the team struggled to efficiently access and leverage their institutional knowledge.
4. Outreach Content
Beyond deal documents, the team also uses TextCortex for the content work that surrounds a mandate: writing teaser copy, drafting outreach messages to potential buyers or targets, and preparing short-form content for LinkedIn and other channels to build visibility around sectors they are active in. This keeps the firm present and recognizable in the market without pulling advisors away from live deal work.
5. Need for Enterprise-Grade AI Infrastructure
Standard consumer-oriented AI models lacked the enterprise features needed for professional M&A work: centralized workspace management, data governance controls, team adoption analytics, and flexible configurations tailored to their specific operational requirements.
The Solution: TextCortex Enterprise AI Infrastructure
atares implemented TextCortex as their enterprise AI platform, integrating it deeply into their daily workflow. The solution includes:
Enterprise Workspace Management
- Centralized workspace for the entire M&A team with granular access controls
- Analytics dashboard tracking organization-wide adoption and usage patterns
- Enterprise data governance ensuring compliance and security standards
- Flexible configurations tailored to atares' specific M&A workflow requirements
Knowledge Management Infrastructure
- 4 active knowledge bases connected to Microsoft 365 (OneDrive Business, SharePoint, Outlook, Teams) and Confluence
- Centralized access to institutional knowledge, deal history, and market intelligence
- Seamless integration with existing collaboration tools
- Governed data access ensuring sensitive M&A information remains secure
AI Agents for Automation
- 7 active AI agents designed for specific M&A research tasks
- Autonomous agents that conduct market research, company analysis, and competitive intelligence
- Web-searching capabilities for real-time market data and industry insights
- Configurable agent permissions and capabilities aligned with team roles
Usage Pattern
- Used several times per day, fully integrated into daily workflow
- Primary use cases: Market research, company research, longlist building, and automating repetitive tasks
- Embedded in daily operations with enterprise-grade reliability
Key Results and Impact
Time Savings: Up to 20 Hours Per Week/user
The most significant impact has been dramatic time savings. By automating research and leveraging AI agents, the atares team saves approximately 20 hours per week, equivalent to half a full-time employee's workload.
Superior Research Quality
According to the atares team: "The new automation chat is outstanding good in research and using the knowledge bases." The AI agents do not just save time but deliver higher-quality research by:
- Searching multiple sources simultaneously
- Cross-referencing internal knowledge bases with live web data
- Identifying patterns and insights that might be missed in manual research
Enhanced Longlist Building
AI-powered company research and longlist building enables the team to:
- Analyze more potential targets in less time
- Apply sophisticated filtering criteria automatically
- Generate comprehensive competitive landscapes faster
Automation of Repetitive Tasks
By delegating repetitive research and documentation tasks to AI agents, M&A advisors can focus on high-value activities like:
- Client relationship management
- Deal negotiation and structuring
- Strategic advisory services
Enterprise Control and Visibility
The centralized workspace provides leadership with:
- Real-time adoption analytics across the team
- Usage insights to optimize AI investment
- Granular control over data access and AI capabilities
- Compliance monitoring and audit trails
Why TextCortex Outperforms Consumer AI Solutions
Having used standard consumer-oriented AI models, the atares team chose TextCortex for several key differentiators:
1. Workspace Architecture
TextCortex provides a true enterprise workspace with centralized management, analytics dashboards, and granular configurations. Consumer AI products lack the organizational controls, governance features, and team collaboration infrastructure required for professional firms.
2. Enterprise Knowledge Integration
Unlike consumer AI tools, TextCortex connects directly to enterprise data sources (Microsoft 365, Confluence), enabling AI agents to leverage both internal knowledge and external web research while maintaining data governance and security.
3. Autonomous AI Agents
TextCortex's agent infrastructure goes beyond simple chatbots, providing autonomous agents that can execute complex research workflows independently with configurable permissions and capabilities.
4. Web Research Capabilities
Built-in web search functionality allows agents to conduct real-time market research, combining the freshness of search engines with the context of internal knowledge bases.
5. Analytics and Adoption Insights
Organization-wide analytics dashboards provide visibility into team adoption, usage patterns, and ROI metrics, enabling data-driven decisions about AI implementation and optimization.
6. Flexible Configuration
Granular configuration options allow atares to tailor the platform to their specific M&A workflows, data governance requirements, and team structure, something consumer products cannot provide.
Conclusion
For atares, TextCortex has transformed from a productivity tool into a core infrastructure component of their M&A practice. By combining enterprise workspace management, knowledge integration, autonomous AI agents, and web research capabilities, TextCortex enables a lean team of advisors to compete much more efficiently.
The bottom line: 20 hours saved per week translates to more deals closed, better client service, and competitive advantage in the fast-paced world of technology M&A.
As pioneers in both tech M&A and digital transformation of the advisory industry, atares demonstrates how enterprise AI infrastructure is becoming essential for professional services firms that want to lead rather than follow.
About TextCortex
TextCortex provides enterprise AI infrastructure for knowledge management and autonomous AI agents. With centralized workspace management, analytics dashboards, enterprise data governance, and seamless integration into Microsoft 365, Confluence, and other business tools, TextCortex enables organizations to build AI-powered workflows that save time, improve research quality, and automate repetitive tasks, all while maintaining enterprise-grade security, compliance, and organizational control.
