Project Title: Whitestone Analytics: The future of M&A Advisory Services

Whitestone Associates

Details
Project Title Whitestone Analytics: The future of M&A Advisory Services
Project Topics Data Management Mergers & Acquisitions Research & Development
Skills & Expertise Business Analysis & Strategy Data Analytics
Project Synopsis: Challenge/Opportunity
Our Capstone Project will focus on identifying structured and unstructured databases and scraping relevant data that will provide the M&A practitioner some insight as to whether a closely held enterprise would be predisposed to entertain an offer to acquire their company. Many other potential insights could be realized. However, we will start with identifying sellers in a narrow industrial market niche: the fluid power, motion control, and automation markets.

Overview:

Whitestone Associates is a boutique investment banking firm specializing in the buying and selling of industrial companies in the fluid power, motion control, and automation markets. Frank Gallucci, this project’s advocate, is its founder.

The ability to analyze data is critical to Whitestone’s success. However, much of the analysis is currently done in an unsystematic way. To the best of our knowledge, there are few firms that use algorithms to determine if a company has a predisposition to sell to a qualified buyer.

Whitestone has made a focused effort over the last two years to assemble a definitive database of enterprises that participate within Whitestone’s Market Sector.

Utilizing and supplementing Whitestone’s database, it is Whitestone’s strategic intent to develop predictive algorithms that will provide leading indicators of a company’s predisposition to entertain an acquisition offer. Our Capstone project will complement and supplement Whitestone’s interest in this project.


This Capstone project would:

  • Develop a database procurement strategy within Whitestone’s targeted markets.
  • Help Whitestone secure that data (a make, buy decision).
  • Clean the obtained data (scraped or purchased) to be useful for further analysis.
  • Create an algorithm to automate the prior procedures 
    Time and structure:
  • It is likely this project would take several Capstone classes to complete
  • It is unclear at this point if this initiative will be embedded in a standalone company or will be an extension of Whitestone associates.

Preferred qualifications of student team members:

  • Entrepreneurial mind-set
  • Data procurement and analytical skills
  • Project management skills
  • Insight into behavioral economic and macroeconomic drivers
  • Programming 
For more information about this corporate partner, please visit:

https://whitestone.net/
Project Synopsis: Activities/Actions Required
TBD
Project Synopsis: Expected Results
TBD

Project Timeline

Touchpoints & Assignments Date Type

Application & Registration Information

Dec 05 2022 Event

Application Deadline

Jan 06 2023 Reminder

Academic Calendar for 2022-23

Jan 18 2023 Reminder

Looking to update your resume?

Jan 31 2023 Submission Required

Temperature Check #1

Feb 24 2023 Submission Required

Midterm Presentations

Mar 24 2023 Event

Midterm Presentation Submission

Mar 31 2023 Submission Required

Final Presentation Submission

May 17 2023, 12:00 PM Submission Required

Temperature Check #3

Submission Required

Temperature Check #2

Submission Required

Post Engagement Survey

Submission Required

Program Managers

Name Organization
Christina Alwell Herbal Vineyards