Your private equity partner.

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Your private equity partner.

Your path to sustainable business growth.

Our approach.

At evolutiq, we support young, ambitious talents on their path to entrepreneurship. With capital, expertise, and a strong network of European investors, we stand as an active and entrepreneurially-minded sparring partner at every stage of the lifecycle of a Search Fund.

Capital & Investor Network

With capital, experience, and a European network, we lay the foundation for the sustainable success of your project.

Entrepreneurial support

With experience from medium-sized businesses and entrepreneurial spirit, we accompany your project in every phase – in a partnership and on an equal footing.

Search Fund Expertise

Since 2021, we have been successfully implementing the search fund model in the European market and sharing our experiences from numerous projects.

Partnership at every stage

From searching for the right company to further development after the acquisition – we stand by your side at every stage.

Search funds as an asset class

Search funds offer an attractive risk-return profile, more security than venture capital, and above-average returns. They allow investors to invest in established business models and build a diversified portfolio in the growing European successor market.

Significant market attractiveness

According to the KfW SME Monitor, around 560,000 medium-sized companies in Germany plan their succession by the end of 2026.

Significant market attractiveness

According to the KfW SME Monitor, around 560,000 medium-sized companies in Germany plan their succession by the end of 2026.

Risk profile

Due to the acquisition of established business models, Search Funds offer a more attractive risk-return profile than Venture Capital. The zero-to-one risk that entrepreneurs often take does not exist in the Search Fund model.

Risk profile

Attractive returns

The Center for Entrepreneurship at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Search Fund Center at IESE Barcelona have calculated historical returns (IRR) of 35.1% for North American and 18.1% for international Search Funds.

Attractive returns

Corporate Governance

The establishment of an active advisory board from day one allows the searcher and newly appointed CEO to benefit from sparring opportunities. This leads to better and faster decision-making processes, supplemented by entrepreneurial experience.

Corporate Governance

Two-stage investment decision

After a successful search by the Searcher, we as investors have the option to decline the investment if we are not convinced by the business model or the transaction.

Two-stage investment decision

After a successful search by the Searcher, we as investors have the option to decline the investment if we are not convinced by the business model or the transaction.

Diversification

The Search Fund model offers the opportunity to create a diversified SME portfolio across various sectors throughout Europe, while still providing enough flexibility for a liquidity event after 5–7 years.

Diversification

Business succession with search funds

Search funds offer an innovative solution for the succession of established SMEs: personal, value-oriented, and with long-term responsibility – for sustainable success across generations.

Why is business succession particularly relevant today?

The middle class – the backbone of stability, growth, and prosperity – is facing a pivotal challenge: the generational change. An increasing number of entrepreneurs are reaching retirement age without having established a clear succession plan. According to the KfW SMEs Monitor, around 5% of all owners of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Germany plan to transfer their business in the short term. The biggest obstacle to a successful succession, according to 79% of the affected SMEs, is the lack of suitable successors. This is precisely where Search Funds come into play. They offer an innovative solution for the transfer of a stable business model. According to the KfW SMEs Monitor, around 560,000 medium-sized companies in Germany will face the challenge of organizing their succession by the end of 2026.

Successor through Search Funds: An individual solution approach

A Search Fund is an entrepreneur-led vehicle that aims to identify, acquire, and successfully operate a single SME in the long term. This model offers an attractive solution for entrepreneurs who do not have a clear succession plan and still want their business to be continued in trustworthy hands. In contrast to traditional financial investors, Search Funds focus on personal, values-oriented succession instead of anonymous equity participation. They combine entrepreneurial commitment with long-term operational responsibility and stand for sustainable corporate governance.

A brief history of Search Funds

The origins of the search fund model date back to 1984, when H. Irving Grousbeck, a professor at Harvard Business School, developed the concept of entrepreneurship through acquisition. The first search fund, Nova Capital – founded by Jim Southern – acquired Uniform Printing, a company with over 700 employees and $40 million in revenue, demonstrating the potential of the model. Today, there are over 700 search funds worldwide. The model has evolved from an innovative idea to an established and scalable solution that has proven itself in numerous industries.

The search profile

A Search Fund is designed to ensure long-term success. The focus is on SMEs with annual revenues of 5 to 20 million EUR and an operating result (EBIT) of 1 to 5 million EUR. These companies typically operate in growing, fragmented markets with low cyclicality and low regulatory requirements. This clearly defined search profile allows for targeted resource allocation during the search phase and significantly increases the chances of a successful acquisition.

Discover the potential of the search fund model

Why are more and more entrepreneurs and investors relying on Search Funds? Our white paper shows you the opportunities, structures, and success factors of one of the most exciting models in the middle market.