In brief
Add-on sourcing in four sentences.
- 01
Every candidate is tested against the concrete profile of your platform, not against an abstract thesis.
- 02
You receive pre-qualified add-ons by sector, region and size class.
- 03
We guide the prioritised candidates through to first contact with the owner.
- 04
Built for an ongoing pipeline, not the single hit.
When it fits
When add-on sourcing is the right lever.
Platform in place, add-ons missing
You have a platform and need the next matching add-ons to build it out.
Accelerate buy-and-build
You want to drive the build-up systematically instead of waiting for chance hits.
Exact fit required
The add-on has to fit the platform precisely, not just be any target in the sector.
Owners not yet approachable
The right candidates are known, but the discreet first contact is still missing.
Pipeline, not a single deal
You want to keep adding add-ons continuously, not stop after one hit.
What you receive
The deliverable, five components.
Add-on candidate list, cut to the platform
You receive a pre-qualified list of acquisition candidates that fit the profile of your existing platform, filtered by sector, region and size class. Not a generic market map, but the companies that form the missing piece of your buy-and-build logic.
Candidate profiles with a basis for decisions
For each candidate you receive a condensed profile with key figures, ownership situation and fit rationale to the platform. Enough for you to decide, without further research, which candidates you want to pursue.
Discreet owner approach
We approach the owners of the prioritised candidates personally and confidentially, in your name or under ours. The platform and your name remain protected for as long as you wish.
Handover on willingness to talk
As soon as an owner signals interest in a conversation, we hand the discussion over to you or the management of your platform. You step in exactly where a real transaction opportunity begins.
Ongoing pipeline instead of a single hit
Add-on sourcing is built for repetition. We keep the pipeline open for your platform and deliver in waves, instead of stopping after one hit.
Modular
Every add-on has to fit the whole.
A platform does not grow through just any acquisition, but through the one that forms the missing piece. We test every candidate against the concrete profile of your platform and only approach those that genuinely dock on. That is how a whole emerges from individual parts.
Suitability check
Is add-on sourcing right for your platform?
A fit, if
- You have an existing platform that is meant to grow.
- Fit to the portfolio is your benchmark, not just the sector.
- You want to keep adding add-ons continuously.
- You want the owners reached discreetly.
Less so, if
- You are looking for the first platform, not the add-on. Then the Search Mandate is the right fit.
- You only want the market overview. Then Longlist and Market Mapping is the right fit.
Process
From platform profile to pipeline.
- 01
Sharpen the platform profile
We capture the profile of your existing platform and define with you which add-on delivers the greatest leverage, by sector, region and size class.
- 02
Narrow the candidate universe
You receive the field of companies that are a fundamental fit, systematically captured and reduced to the add-on logic of your platform.
- 03
Prioritised candidate list
From the universe we condense the candidates with the clearest fit into a prioritised list with profiles and fit rationale.
- 04
First contact with the owner
We approach the prioritised owners discreetly and lead the conversations through to a willingness to talk.
- 05
Handover and resupply
On interest we hand over to you; after that the pipeline keeps running and delivers the next candidates.
At the core
What matters.
100+
Transactions supported
Both sides, DACH middle market
Ongoing
Pipeline
Delivered in waves, not a single hit
DACH
Reach
Germany, Austria, Switzerland
Fees
The compensation combines a predictable base component with a success-based share that is tied to the add-ons actually completed. We align the concrete structure transparently in the intro call to your platform and the expected volume.
Frequently asked questions about add-on sourcing
How do you source add-on acquisitions for an existing platform?
We start from the profile of your current platform and derive from it which add-on closes the biggest gap. From that we build a pre-qualified candidate list, filtered by sector, region and size class, which we take through to first contact with the owner. So you do not get generic deal flow, but the specific companies that fit your platform.
What distinguishes add-on sourcing from a regular Search Mandate?
A Search Mandate looks for a new platform or a single target. With add-on sourcing the platform already exists, and every candidate is tested against its concrete profile, not against an abstract investment thesis. The benchmark is the fit to the existing portfolio company. The work is also built for an ongoing pipeline, not for a one-off hit.
Do you approach the owners yourselves or only deliver the list?
Both are possible; the standard is full support through to first contact. We approach the prioritised owners personally and confidentially and only hand the conversation over once genuine interest exists. Your platform and your name remain anonymous for as long as you wish.
What distinguishes add-on sourcing from Longlist and Market Mapping?
Longlist and Market Mapping maps a sector once and in full. Add-on sourcing is narrower and ongoing: it tests companies against the concrete profile of your platform, prioritises them by fit and takes them through to first contact, again and again. Where Market Mapping delivers the map, add-on sourcing delivers the matching next building block.
Can you source several add-ons in parallel for one platform?
Yes. Add-on sourcing is built as an ongoing pipeline, not as a single search. We keep several candidates in progress at the same time and resupply in waves, so that after a completed add-on the next matching candidate moves up immediately, aligned to the pace of your platform.
Who holds the pipeline
Nick Herbig, personally accountable.
More than 100 M&A processes supported on both sides of the transaction, from skilled-trade businesses to the upper middle market. The add-on pipeline does not run as an anonymous list mailing, but is cut to your platform and personally accountable.
More about Nick HerbigTell me about your platform.
Tell us which platform you are building out and which add-on is missing. In the confidential intro call we clarify whether and how we set up the add-on pipeline for you.