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Hesse

Strategic Investment in a Growing Executive Search Platform in the DACH Market

A fast-growing executive search boutique based in Frankfurt am Main is opening up to 40% of the company to one or, preferably, two strategic investors as part of a restructuring of its ownership structure. The founder and managing director will remain actively involved in operations for the long term and retain a majority stake of at least 60%. Therefore, the firm is expressly not seeking a successor, but rather an entrepreneurial partner for the next phase of growth. Company Founded in 2024, the company fills demanding specialist and leadership positions up to the C-level in the DACH region and has quickly established a strong market position. Its client portfolio includes well-known companies from professional services, financial services, industry, technology, and other sectors. Framework agreements or recurring engagement relationships are in place with a significant portion of its clients. Since its founding, the company has successfully filled approximately 60 positions for about 35 clients. The company operates with a deliberately lean cost structure and a heavily technology-driven infrastructure. AI and automation already support key processes such as research, sourcing, matching, analysis, and candidate outreach. Selection, consultation, negotiation, and closing remain intentionally human-driven. In this way, the company combines the consulting quality of a specialized executive search boutique with the scalability of a technology-oriented platform. Investment Case Operational market validation has been achieved: clients, framework agreements, references, processes, technology, and an established brand are in place. At the same time, the company is still at an early enough stage in its development to benefit from significant further scaling. The next phase of growth is expected to be driven in particular by the expansion of existing key accounts, additional framework agreements, new industries and regions, and the further expansion of the technological infrastructure. The business model is asset-light, scalable, and requires comparatively little tied-up capital for additional revenue growth. An investment may be of particular interest to entrepreneurs, family offices, and investment firms with their own corporate portfolios. There is a recurring need for specialists and executives as the company grows. In this regard, the company can potentially serve as a preferred executive search partner within the investor’s respective network or portfolio. This creates an additional strategic benefit for the investor beyond their stake in the company’s future value. Desired Investor Profile Capital is not the only decisive factor. We are seeking long-term-oriented partners who, ideally, bring at least one additional growth lever to the table: • Access to companies and relevant decision-makers • Own investment portfolio or strong entrepreneurial network • Experience with scaling, buy-and-build, or internationalization • Access to professional services, industry, or financial services • Technology and AI expertise • Entrepreneurial experience in building growing organizations A combination of two complementary investors would be particularly attractive—for example, an investor with portfolio and customer access and a partner with strong scaling, technology, or networking expertise. Transaction A total of up to 40% of the company is available for sale. A structure involving two strategic partners is preferred. An investment by a single investor is also possible if there is a suitable strategic fit. The founder will remain the majority shareholder, CEO, and key operational leader of the company. This is expressly not a founder exit. Rather, the goal is to lead the existing platform into its next phase of development together with selected partners and to build, over the long term, a leading technology-driven executive search provider in the DACH region. Further information on financial metrics, customer structure, references, technology, growth prospects, and transaction structure will be made available to qualified interested parties following an initial confidential discussion and the signing of a confidentiality agreement.

Revenue
850,000 €
Earnings
200,000 €
Employees
3
View listing
Hesse

An established brand for high school graduation exam study guides with significant potential for growth

The company up for sale offers learning materials designed to provide targeted support during high school and for preparation for the Abitur. At the core of its offerings are concise study guides that clearly summarize all exam-relevant Abitur material in approximately 80 pages. The company was founded in 2016 by two medical students and an economist while they were still in school. It began with a biology study guide for about 60 students. Since then, the offering has been continuously expanded to include 12 subjects and serve approximately 5,000 students annually. The materials were developed in collaboration with teachers. In addition, a network of partner schools in Hesse has been established; these schools purchase the study guides annually and, in some cases, use them in class. Over the years, a regionally recognized brand has been built up that reaches a large number of students with very little marketing effort. In addition to the partner schools, distribution takes place through bookstores—particularly Thalia—as well as through the company’s own online store. The company achieved steady growth through 2023. Thanks to automation and efficient processes, revenue remained stable despite the founders’ limited time availability. Currently, two part-time employees handle day-to-day operations. The founders’ time commitment is less than five hours per week. The business model is fundamentally transferable to all German states and offers significant potential for scaling.

Revenue
110,000 €
Earnings
47,000 €
Employees
2
View listing

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Buying a company vs. buying a firm

Buying a company means acquiring an independent organizational unit that regularly carries out an economic activity. A company can consist of one or several business operations. An individual can also found such an independent unit if they regularly carry out an economic activity — in that case it is called a sole proprietorship. As a rule, sole proprietors don't have to register in the commercial register; without that registration, they don't legally count as a "firm." A trade name, colloquially a "firm," is the name under which a company or sole proprietor appears publicly and conducts its business. Buying "a firm" therefore technically means acquiring the company's name or trading name. In everyday use, though, it's used interchangeably with buying a company — i.e. acquiring the entire business.