> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.valyu.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Consumer-brand acquisition screening

> Build a cited acquisition screening brief on a company: ownership, products, customers, distribution and financial disclosures, plus open diligence questions.

## Example

What would an analyst need to check before considering an acquisition of Patagonia?

**You get:** A public-information screening brief covering ownership, products, customers and distribution, with cited financial disclosures and unanswered diligence questions. A CSV keeps each claim with its source and review status.

## Gather the evidence

Start with the official website and ownership announcements. Check independent reporting before treating a company statement as corroborated. Keep control, economic ownership and operating subsidiaries separate. This example does not assume the company is for sale.

Use [Search](/api-reference/endpoint/search) and [Contents](/guides/content-extraction) if your application already handles the analysis. To generate the brief and CSV together, run the DeepResearch request below.

## Try it

Set `VALYU_API_KEY` in your environment. This is an illustrative request, not a saved result. Replace the company, periods or sources for your own task.

<Accordion title="Run the research request">
  ```bash cURL theme={null}
  curl --fail-with-body https://api.valyu.ai/v1/deepresearch/tasks \
    -H "x-api-key: $VALYU_API_KEY" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    --data-binary @- <<'JSON'
  {
    "query": "Prepare a preliminary acquisition-screening brief on Patagonia using public information. Establish the current ownership structure and distinguish control, economic ownership and any publicly stated restrictions or mission commitments. Do not assume the business is for sale or an acquisition is feasible. Cover product categories, customer segments, distribution channels and publicly announced ownership structure. Identify which findings need legal, commercial or management verification before considering a transaction. Attribute company claims and distinguish them from independent reporting. Include financial figures only when explicitly disclosed with a period and currency. List missing evidence and follow-up questions.",
    "mode": "standard",
    "urls": [
      "https://www.patagonia.com"
    ],
    "research_strategy": "Resolve the company identity first. Start with official company pages and announcements, then seek independent corroboration. Keep publication dates and event dates separate. Do not estimate undisclosed financials.",
    "report_format": "A concise brief with sections for business model, distribution, ownership, public financial information and unanswered questions. Cite material claims inline.",
    "deliverables": [
      {
        "type": "csv",
        "description": "Source-linked screening evidence. Keep missing disclosure explicit.",
        "columns": [
          "company",
          "topic",
          "claim",
          "value",
          "unit",
          "reporting_period",
          "source_url",
          "evidence_status",
          "follow_up"
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
  JSON
  ```
</Accordion>

Save the returned `deepresearch_id` and [poll task status](/api-reference/endpoint/deepresearch-status). When `status` is `completed`, read `output` and download the CSV from `deliverables`; handle failed tasks separately.

## Check before using

* Correct company and ownership perimeter.
* Financial figures retain their period, currency and source; undisclosed values stay unknown.
* Follow-up questions distinguish missing evidence from an adverse finding.

Keep the accepted output and its evidence together in your analyst workspace. See [Research in your application](/guides/research-in-your-application) for integration details.


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.