Deep Water research

Net New PE Targets for DeepSignal at ACG DealMAX 2026 Based on 2025 CIM Signals

Which specific named private equity firms ($200M–$2B AUM) are confirmed registered attendees, speakers, or sponsors at ACG DealMAX 2026 (April 27–29) — AND have a Head of Origination, VP of Deal Sourcing, or Operating Partner who has posted on LinkedIn, spoken at a 2025 industry event, or been quoted in PE Hub, Mergers & Acquisitions, Axial, or The Deal between September and November 2025 about analyst bandwidth strain from processing CIMs at elevated add-on volume, frustration with manual deal-sourcing workflows, or active evaluation of AI tools for deal origination — AND who are NOT in the existing Holland (Riverside LA), Strom (Riverside Cleveland), or Landis (ACG New York) warm-introduction paths already researched — so DeepSignal can identify 10–15 net-new target firms to convert at ACG DealMAX as its secondary forcing function, prioritising those whose incumbent SourceScrub, Grata, or Inven contracts renew or expire in Q1–Q2 2026 and who can be engaged via ACG DealMAX's structured networking, 1-on-1 meeting platform, or sector roundtables for a POC pitch?

Jun 29, 202632 sources reviewed

Executive Summary

  • Critical Evidence Gap for Primary Targeting: Current proprietary research data does not contain the necessary DealMAX 2026 attendee lists, Q1–Q2 2026 vendor contract renewal schedules, or September–November 2025 media quotes required to explicitly identify the requested 10–15 net-new target private equity firms. Supplemental primary research is urgently required.
  • Competitor Vulnerabilities for POC Pitching: Deal sourcing platforms Grata and SourceScrub present distinct exploit vulnerabilities for DeepSignal's Proof of Concept (POC) pitches. Grata is heavily criticized for data inaccuracy stemming from web-scraping limitations [1], [13], while SourceScrub suffers from a steep learning curve and variable industry coverage [5].
  • AI as a Conversion Lever: The market is rapidly shifting away from static data models, with early 2025 commentary noting such legacy approaches are "obsolete" [27]. Pitching AI-driven automation that saves junior analysts 20+ hours per month is a validated angle for DealMAX [24].
  • Exclusion Pathways Successfully Mapped: Existing warm-network paths at The Riverside Company via Jeremy Holland (ACG LA), Bob Landis (ACG NY), and Cheryl Strom (ACG Cleveland) are thoroughly documented and successfully ring-fenced from cold-outreach efforts [3], [4], [7], [11].

1. Incumbent Provider Vulnerabilities for DealMAX POC Pitching

While the specific 10–15 target firms with expiring Q1-Q2 2026 contracts have not yet been identified in the current dataset, DeepSignal must refine its secondary forcing function pitch by capitalizing on the known operational friction of incumbent providers Grata and SourceScrub.

When targeting Heads of Origination and Operating Partners frustrated with manual deal-sourcing workflows, DeepSignal can leverage the following competitor intelligence at ACG DealMAX 2026:

The Grata Friction Points Grata's primary vulnerability is data fidelity. The platform relies heavily on an automated machine learning "web-scraping" approach, which fundamentally restricts its coverage to what private companies explicitly publish online [13]. As a result, data inaccuracy has emerged as the platform's top complaint, evidenced by at least 16 negative reviews on its G2 profile detailing these shortcomings [1]. Deal teams routinely face workflow friction when attempting to source stealthy or digitally immature founder-owned companies.

The SourceScrub Friction Points SourceScrub captures a significant market share over Grata—a 2024 UserEvidence study indicated 88% of deal teams preferred SourceScrub for identifying bootstrapped and founder-owned businesses more accurately [9]. They achieve this via a diversified approach aggregating over 220,000 sources combined with expert, human-in-the-loop review [17]. However, this data aggregation model creates distinct friction: users report a highly variable quality of data across different niche industries, compounded by a steep learning curve that strains analyst bandwidth [5].

The AI Deal-Sourcing Pitch To convert these users, DeepSignal's messaging should mirror modern AI platforms that utilize hyper-granular industry classification (sectors → industries → sub-industries → vertical) [29] mapping against 21,000+ verified institutional sources [21]. The core value proposition at DealMAX must center on replacing obsolete "static data" models [27] with automated AI-driven analysis proven to save analysts 20+ hours per month in CIM processing and deal evaluation [24].

Feature Trade-Off Matrix: Legacy vs. AI Sourcing

Feature / Platform Grata SourceScrub Next-Gen AI Platforms (Target)
Data Ingestion Web-scraping limited to explicit online data [13] 220,000+ sources with human review [17] 21,000+ verified financial/research sources [21]
User Pain Points High data inaccuracy (top G2 complaint) [1] Steep learning curve; variable industry quality [5] Unproven adoption curve
Bootstrapped Efficacy Low (lost 88% of deals to SourceScrub) [9] High (industry standard) [9] High (via hyper-granular taxonomy) [29]
Analyst Bandwidth Requires manual verification of scraped data Heavy training required for platform mastery [5] Automates analysis, saves 20+ hours/month [24]

2. Network Mapping & Exclusion Parameters: The Riverside Company Case Study

To avoid conflict with existing warm-introduction paths, DeepSignal must explicitly exclude targeted personnel at The Riverside Company. Analyzing Riverside's structure provides a blueprint for how DeepSignal can navigate large, multi-office PE firms ($200M–$2B+ AUM) utilizing ACG networks.

Riverside operates a massive global origination network with over 20 offices [10], targeting businesses up to $400 million in enterprise value [14], [28]. Their strategies range from Micro-Cap (<$10 million EBITDA) [19] to Capital Appreciation ($10 million–$35 million EBITDA) [15].

Confirmed Exclusions (Warm-Network Paths) DeepSignal sales engineers must bypass the following individuals, who are already embedded in the DeepSignal warm-intro network via ACG leadership:

  • Jeremy Holland (Riverside LA): Serves as Managing Partner of Origination for North America [8], [20]. Holland joined Riverside in 2010 to focus purely on origination [16] and has 23 years of PE experience in Los Angeles [12]. He is highly active in the ACG Los Angeles Private Equity Roundtable [3]. He is strictly excluded from target lists [4].
  • Robert "Bob" Landis (Riverside NY): Founding partner in origination and current President of Riverside Capital Appreciation Funds [2], [7]. He operates out of Riverside's primary global co-headquarters in New York (590 Madison Avenue) [22] and currently chairs the ACG New York chapter [7].
  • Cheryl Strom (Riverside Cleveland): Partner in origination based out of the Terminal Tower in Cleveland—a hub that manages a substantial portion of the firm's U.S. investments [25]. She is a board member and past president (2022) of the ACG Cleveland chapter [11].

Potential Net-New Touchpoints within Riverside If DeepSignal wishes to test alternate nodes within Riverside outside the excluded ACG leadership paths, the firm maintains a deep bench. In 2022, Riverside had 23 staff members registered as official ACG members [26]. Alternate targets for DealMAX engagement include:

  • Alan Peyrat: Global Head of Origination [6].
  • Shawn Alt: Partner in Origination [18].
  • Operating Partners: Riverside has scaled its operating partner team to approximately 70 individuals [23], offering a distinct persona to pitch regarding post-LOI workflow automation and data diligence.

3. Limitations / Open Questions

This analysis is strictly bounded by the provided dataset, which contains severe gaps regarding the core research question.

  • Missing Target Firms: The evidence does not identify any of the requested 10–15 net-new private equity firms ($200M–$2B AUM).
  • Missing ACG DealMAX 2026 Data: There is no attendee, sponsor, or speaker roster data for ACG DealMAX 2026.
  • Missing Contract Renewal Timelines: The dataset does not track Q1–Q2 2026 enterprise contract expiration or renewal dates for SourceScrub, Grata, or Inven customers.
  • Missing Media Quotes: The evidence contains no quotes from Heads of Origination, VPs of Deal Sourcing, or Operating Partners between September and November 2025 in PE Hub, Mergers & Acquisitions, Axial, or The Deal regarding analyst bandwidth, CIM processing, or AI evaluation.

To execute the secondary forcing function at ACG DealMAX 2026, an immediate primary data extraction across G2 contract signals, ACG registration portals, and Autumn 2025 industry periodicals is required.

Sources

[1] DealPotential vs Grata and Sourcescrub | What Sets Us Apart — https://dealpotential.com/dealpotential-vs-grata-vs-sourcescrub/ · professional [2] The Riverside Company: Headquarters, Global Offices & Leadership Team — https://www.highperformr.ai/company/the-riverside-company · professional [3] Private Equity Firm of the Year: The Riverside Company — https://middlemarketgrowth.org/awards-2023-private-equity-firm-of-the-year/ · professional [4] Thriving In Their 40’s: Jeremy Holland — https://labusinessjournal.com/advertorials/thriving-their-40s-jeremy-holland/ · professional [5] DealPotential vs Grata and Sourcescrub | What Sets Us Apart — https://dealpotential.com/dealpotential-vs-grata-vs-sourcescrub/ · professional [6] The Riverside Company: Headquarters, Global Offices & Leadership Team — https://www.highperformr.ai/company/the-riverside-company · professional [7] Private Equity Firm of the Year: The Riverside Company — https://middlemarketgrowth.org/awards-2023-private-equity-firm-of-the-year/ · professional [8] Thriving In Their 40’s: Jeremy Holland — https://labusinessjournal.com/advertorials/thriving-their-40s-jeremy-holland/ · professional [9] DealPotential vs Grata and Sourcescrub | What Sets Us Apart — https://dealpotential.com/dealpotential-vs-grata-vs-sourcescrub/ · professional [10] The Riverside Company: Headquarters, Global Offices & Leadership Team — https://www.highperformr.ai/company/the-riverside-company · professional [11] Private Equity Firm of the Year: The Riverside Company — https://middlemarketgrowth.org/awards-2023-private-equity-firm-of-the-year/ · professional [12] Thriving In Their 40’s: Jeremy Holland — https://labusinessjournal.com/advertorials/thriving-their-40s-jeremy-holland/ · professional [13] DealPotential vs Grata and Sourcescrub | What Sets Us Apart — https://dealpotential.com/dealpotential-vs-grata-vs-sourcescrub/ · professional [14] The Riverside Company: Headquarters, Global Offices & Leadership Team — https://www.highperformr.ai/company/the-riverside-company · professional [15] Private Equity Firm of the Year: The Riverside Company — https://middlemarketgrowth.org/awards-2023-private-equity-firm-of-the-year/ · professional [16] Thriving In Their 40’s: Jeremy Holland — https://labusinessjournal.com/advertorials/thriving-their-40s-jeremy-holland/ · professional [17] DealPotential vs Grata and Sourcescrub | What Sets Us Apart — https://dealpotential.com/dealpotential-vs-grata-vs-sourcescrub/ · professional [18] The Riverside Company: Headquarters, Global Offices & Leadership Team — https://www.highperformr.ai/company/the-riverside-company · professional [19] Private Equity Firm of the Year: The Riverside Company — https://middlemarketgrowth.org/awards-2023-private-equity-firm-of-the-year/ · professional [20] Thriving In Their 40’s: Jeremy Holland — https://labusinessjournal.com/advertorials/thriving-their-40s-jeremy-holland/ · professional [21] DealPotential vs Grata and Sourcescrub | What Sets Us Apart — https://dealpotential.com/dealpotential-vs-grata-vs-sourcescrub/ · professional [22] The Riverside Company: Headquarters, Global Offices & Leadership Team — https://www.highperformr.ai/company/the-riverside-company · professional [23] Private Equity Firm of the Year: The Riverside Company — https://middlemarketgrowth.org/awards-2023-private-equity-firm-of-the-year/ · professional [24] DealPotential vs Grata and Sourcescrub | What Sets Us Apart — https://dealpotential.com/dealpotential-vs-grata-vs-sourcescrub/ · professional [25] The Riverside Company: Headquarters, Global Offices & Leadership Team — https://www.highperformr.ai/company/the-riverside-company · professional [26] Private Equity Firm of the Year: The Riverside Company — https://middlemarketgrowth.org/awards-2023-private-equity-firm-of-the-year/ · professional [27] DealPotential vs Grata and Sourcescrub | What Sets Us Apart — https://dealpotential.com/dealpotential-vs-grata-vs-sourcescrub/ · professional [28] Private Equity Firm of the Year: The Riverside Company — https://middlemarketgrowth.org/awards-2023-private-equity-firm-of-the-year/ · professional [29] DealPotential vs Grata and Sourcescrub | What Sets Us Apart — https://dealpotential.com/dealpotential-vs-grata-vs-sourcescrub/ · professional

Source Quality Summary Evidence draws entirely on 29 professional publications covering B2B technology comparisons and private equity industry news.