In short
Add-on sourcing in four sentences.
- 01
Every candidate is checked against the concrete profile of your platform, not against an abstract thesis.
- 02
You get pre-qualified add-ons by sector, region and size class.
- 03
I take the prioritised candidates through to first contact with the owner.
- 04
Set up as an ongoing pipeline, not a one-off 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.
Speed up buy-and-build
You want to push the build-up forward systematically instead of waiting for chance finds.
Exact fit needed
The add-on has to fit the platform precisely, not just be any target in the sector.
Owners not yet reachable
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, not stop after one hit.
What you get
The deliverable, in five parts.
Add-on candidate list, cut to the platform
You get 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 you can decide on
For each candidate you get a condensed profile with key data, the ownership situation and the case for its fit with the platform. Enough for you to decide, without further research, which candidates you want to pursue.
Discreet owner approach
I approach the owners of the prioritised candidates personally and in confidence, in your name or in mine. The platform and your name stay protected for as long as you want.
Handover once the owner is ready to talk
As soon as an owner signals interest in a conversation, I hand it over to you or to your platform's management. You come in exactly where a real transaction opportunity begins.
Ongoing pipeline, not a one-off hit
Add-on sourcing is built for repetition. I keep the pipeline for your platform open 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 any add-on, but through the one that forms the missing piece. I check every candidate against the concrete profile of your platform and only approach those that really connect. That is how individual parts become a whole.
Fit check
Is add-on sourcing right for your platform?
A good fit if
- You have an existing platform that needs to grow.
- Fit with the portfolio is your yardstick, not just the sector.
- You want to keep adding add-ons.
- You want the owners approached discreetly.
Less so if
- You are looking for the first platform, not the add-on. Then the search mandate fits.
- You only want the market overview. Then longlist and market mapping fits.
Process
From platform profile to pipeline.
- 01
Sharpen the platform profile
I take in the profile of your existing platform and work out with you which add-on brings the biggest lever, by sector, region and size class.
- 02
Narrow the candidate universe
You get the field of companies that fit in principle, captured systematically and reduced to the add-on logic of your platform.
- 03
Prioritised candidate list
From that universe I condense the candidates with the clearest fit into a prioritised list with profiles and the case for each fit.
- 04
First contact with the owner
I approach the prioritised owners discreetly and keep the conversations going until they are ready to talk.
- 05
Handover and next candidates
If there is interest, I 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 Mittelstand
Ongoing
Pipeline
Delivered in waves, not a one-off hit
DACH
Reach
Germany, Austria, Switzerland
Fees
The fee combines a predictable base component with a success-based share tied to the add-ons actually completed. I agree the exact structure openly with you in the first call, matched 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?
I start from the profile of your current platform and work out which add-on closes the biggest gap. The result is a pre-qualified candidate list, filtered by sector, region and size class, which I take through to first contact with the owner. So you do not get generic deal flow, but the specific companies that fit your platform.
How is add-on sourcing different 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 checked against its concrete profile, not against an abstract investment thesis. The yardstick is the fit with the existing portfolio company. The work is also set up as an ongoing pipeline, not a one-off hit.
Do you approach the owners yourself or only deliver the list?
Both are possible. The standard is full support through to first contact. I approach the prioritised owners personally and in confidence and only hand over the conversation once there is real interest. Your platform and your name stay anonymous for as long as you want.
How is add-on sourcing different from longlist and market mapping?
Longlist and market mapping charts a sector once and completely. Add-on sourcing is narrower and ongoing: it checks 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 next building block that fits.
Can you source several add-ons for one platform in parallel?
Yes. Add-on sourcing is set up as an ongoing pipeline, not a single search. I keep several candidates in progress at the same time and deliver in waves, so after a completed add-on the next suitable candidate moves straight up, in step with the pace of your platform.
Who runs the pipeline
Nick Herbig, personally responsible.
More than 100 M&A processes supported on both sides of the transaction, from trade businesses to the upper Mittelstand. The add-on pipeline does not run as an anonymous list mailing. It is cut to your platform and I am personally responsible for it.
More about Nick HerbigFurther reading
Tell me about your platform.
Tell me which platform you are building and which add-on is missing. In a confidential first call we clarify whether and how I set up the add-on pipeline for you.