* Many startup acquisitions are speculated or known to be about acquiring the team rather than acquiring the product.

* Consultancies are nominally the experts you call to compensate for gaps in your inside staff.

* You can run a contract with a consultancy first, and consider acquisition only if it goes well and if their people fit well with your people.

If you were aiming for that particular exit strategy, it sounds like it could be much more effective than building a random web / mobile product without a sustainable revenue model beyond "get funding, hope it lasts until someone buys you."