18. May 2026
When is the right time to sell a company?
The ideal scenario: Together to become the dominant market leader
You have proven that your business model works. But once you reach a certain size, purely organic growth reaches its natural limits. There is no time or sufficient expertise for acquisitions. If you are hungry for the next milestone and want to actively lead the consolidation of your industry, now is the perfect time.
- The buy-and-build catalyst: together we use your company as a platform. Through targeted acquisitions (add-on acquisitions), we buy market shares, expand the product portfolio and open up new regions. Your company’s identity remains intact and our aim is never to simply merge companies together.
- Focus on strengths: You hand over administrative burdens, HR worries or financing issues. You concentrate again on what you do best: the market, the customers and the vision.
- The “second exit”: you immediately realize significant liquidity and secure your private assets. At the same time, you remain on board as a co-shareholder through a reverse participation. If we later resell the platform together as market leaders, this second lever is often even more lucrative than the first step.
The alternative: classic company succession
- Smooth transition: A sale does not mean that you hand over the keys overnight. We will shape the transition together over a period of months or years. Here, too, the identity of your company should be preserved.
- Fresh management: We support you in building up a capable second management level or integrating external top managers who will successfully continue your legacy in a strong group.
Conclusion: Act instead of react – Let’s talk about company succession in good time
About Auctus
With over 470 investments over the past 25 years, AUCTUS is the most active private equity firm focused on European SMEs. Our investments focus on majority shareholdings in companies with annual sales of between EUR 10 million and EUR 150 million.
AUCTUS stands for sustainable organic growth, but also inorganic growth through acquisitions. We achieve this in a trusting partnership together with the management of our companies. We specialize in building successful medium-sized groups of companies – we make market leaders. The more than 35 experienced AUCTUS investment experts currently manage around 50 platform investments from various sectors of the economy. The total of platform investments with a total of over 200 individual companies generates annual sales of over € 4 billion. Sales and earnings have been growing at >10% per year for years.
Our successful work is regularly rewarded with prestigious awards and top international rankings.