Deal flow is the pipeline (and pace) of potential transactions an investor or acquirer is seeing and evaluating—i.e., the stream of startups or deals that could turn into an investment, acquisition, or other financing event.
In VC, deal flow usually means the volume and quality of startup opportunities a fund sources (inbound pitches, warm intros, accelerators, portfolio referrals).
In M&A/corporate development, Deal Flow means the set of potential acquisition/partnership targets being originated, screened, and advanced through a funnel.
