How fractional executives at search fund companies can run a records screen

Why fractional executives see the records first

A fractional CFO, COO or CTO at a search fund or independent sponsor company can run a short records screen and, where the company fits, introduce it to SourceX, provided the sponsor and the engagement terms allow it. You sit inside the finance close, the operating cadence or the systems stack, so you know which records exist, how far back they go and who can export them.

Searchers and independent sponsors often run lean, without the operating groups larger firms have. There is no portfolio operations team to map systems, so the part-time executive often becomes the person who knows where the ledger, the ticketing history and the CRM actually live. McKinsey's 2026 private markets report says operational value creation is now likely the primary source of private equity returns and that firms have more than doubled their operating groups since 2021. A sponsor without such a group may lean on fractional leaders for the same work.

SourceX licenses operational records from established US companies to AI developers. You introduce; SourceX qualifies the company, runs the data inventory, agrees price and terms, and manages delivery. You never export, upload or describe confidential records.

Which companies in your book fit

Screen the companies where you hold a seat first, then the ones you know through the sponsor's network. Use the table as a quick read.

The who qualifies page lists the full baseline. A fractional CTO has a particular edge on the system-depth row because the software vendor list, repository history and ticket archives are part of the job.

The seat test: three questions before you raise it

Run these before you say a word to anyone.

• Seat: does your engagement letter let you introduce third parties to the company, or do you need the CEO or board to say yes first?
• Sponsor: can the CEO, owner or sponsor decide on a license, and is the searcher or independent sponsor informed?
• Separation: can you make the introduction without touching a single record, and without any conflict with the capital providers?

If the first answer is unclear, ask in writing. Some searchers and independent sponsors treat anything touching company assets as a board matter, so ask. Treat the conflict and disclosure check as step zero, not as a courtesy.

When in the engagement to raise it

A systems migration deserves special attention. If an old platform is about to be shut down, ask that a full export be preserved before the cutover. A company without that export may fail the records test later even if it passes today.

How the introduction works without moving data

1. You confirm the seat test above and get the sponsor's go-ahead.
2. You register as a partner and share your referral link with the CEO or submit the company through the referral form.
3. SourceX checks size, history, data breadth and rights with the company's authorized sponsor.
4. The company completes a data inventory: each system, its years of history and what can be exported.
5. Price and terms are agreed with the company; nothing is binding until it signs.
6. Buyers review; once a company is deal-ready, buyers typically respond within about two weeks.
7. If a deal closes, the data is delivered under redaction rules agreed in advance, the company is paid, and your reward follows once SourceX receives payment.

The data inventory builder helps the company list systems and records before that conversation.

What to say to a CEO or searcher

Keep the first message short, name the sponsor, and promise nothing about money. The introduction email builder drafts a version you can edit.

Where this fits among the sponsor's other levers

A licensing screen is one agenda item among many. Searchers who are setting up an advisory board will find the structure in setting up an advisory board after closing, and the question of where one-time cash lands in the equity stack is covered in the search fund waterfall. Independent sponsors who raise capital deal by deal can read about pledge funds to understand who sits on the other side of the table. Buyers of companies also ask what AI roll-ups look for in acquisitions, which tells you which record sets matter. For introductions beyond the companies you serve, the network opportunity finder helps you think through who you know.

How rewards work for a fractional executive

Partners earn 25% of the eligible platform fees SourceX actually collects from the referred company's licensing deals, capped at $100,000 per referred company. The reward is paid only after the buyer pays and SourceX receives its fee; an introduction, meeting or signed agreement alone does not trigger payment, and no reward is guaranteed. The reward is a share of SourceX's fee and is never deducted from what the company receives.

Your engagement letter, the sponsor and any professional body you belong to may limit or require disclosure of referral compensation. Check them before you register, and read the program terms and rewards page.

When to leave it alone

• The company has fewer than 50 full-time employees at peak, or is mostly contractors.
• Records mostly belong to clients, such as at an agency or outsourcer, and those clients have not consented.
• The data is mainly consumer personal information or medical records without authorization.
• Archives were deleted or nobody can run an export.
• The owner will not consider an exclusive license for an agreed term.
• The sponsor says no, or your conflict check is unresolved.

Next step

Run one company through the seat test and the company fit checker. If both pass and the sponsor agrees, register as a partner and make the introduction, or have the CEO apply directly at sourcex.si/apply using your referral link.