Blacktrace

What Blacktrace does

Blacktrace is an independent merger and acquisition advisory firm headquartered in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands (Statenlaan 18, 5223 LA). The firm provides professional advisory services — divestment, acquisition, management buy-out, corporate valuation, corporate financing, and corporate exit — to medium-sized and large businesses. Its clients comprise private equity firms, family businesses, corporations, and management teams pursuing transaction-based advice across six sector verticals: Business Services, Consumer Products, Industry, Financial Services, Medical Care, and TMT (Technology, Media and Telecommunications).

The firm's delivery model is structured around named senior dealmakers led by Managing Partner Jaap Smits, with sector-organized coverage executed by partners including Wim van Acht, Esther Bos, Ronald Ramusch, Koen Straatman, Gijs van de Wetering, and Wies Cornelius. A new M&A Analyst, Yente Wittmer (Erasmus University, 2025), was hired specifically for Consumer Products and TMT coverage. Blacktrace does not operate any documented technology platform, API, or proprietary software — its output is bespoke advisory work delivered by individuals.

Blacktrace generates revenue through bespoke, transaction-based engagements (retainers and success fees tied to closed M&A mandates); no pricing is publicly disclosed. Its core distribution channel is direct enterprise advisory engagement, augmented by cross-border deal flow via its membership in the World M&A Alliance — an international network of independent M&A specialists with partner offices in Brazil, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Spain, Turkey, the UK, and the US. The firm is privately held (legal entity Blacktrace B.V.) with 11-50 employees and has held the Gamechangers Global Awards "Netherlands Independent M&A Advisory Firm of the Year" title for eleven consecutive years (2013-2023).

Name

Blacktrace

Legal name

Blacktrace B.V.

Website

https://blacktrace.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Blacktrace B.V. is an independent merger and acquisition advisory boutique headquartered in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, providing divestment, acquisition, management buy-out, valuation, and capital-raising services to private equity firms, family businesses, corporations, and management teams across six sector verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

M&A Advisory Services

akta.pro primary industry

M&A Advisory (Buy-Side & Sell-Side) (BPAHAOAA)

Keywords

• M&A advisory services
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Corporate divestment advisory
• Buy-side advisory
• Capital raising services

Headquarters

HQ city

's-hertogenbosch

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices19 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Blacktrace is an independent merger and acquisition (M&A) advisory firm providing sell-side and buy-side advisory, divestments, management buy-outs, corporate valuations, capital raising, and corporate exit services to medium-sized and larger businesses. The firm is headquartered in 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, and operates as a member of the World M&A Alliance, enabling cross-border deal execution.

Product overview

Blacktrace operates as a unified M&A advisory platform offering professional services for international merger and acquisition transactions. The firm provides a comprehensive suite of advisory services organized as distinct service modules: Divestment, Acquisition, Management Buy-out, Corporate Valuation, Capital Raising, and Corporate Exit. These services are delivered to medium-sized and large businesses, private equity firms, family businesses, corporations, and management teams seeking to execute M&A transactions and arrange funding. The firm is organized by sector focus including Business Services, Consumer Products, Industry, Financial Services, Medical Care, and TMT (Technology, Media and Telecommunications).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sell-side / Divestment Advisory

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• World M&A AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlacktrace is a leading player in the mid-market segment and part of an extensive international organization of comparable independent merger and acquisition specialists, World M&A Alliance. This alliance provides Blacktrace and their clients access to international financial and strategic investment parties, enabling cross-border transactions and access to specific foreign buyers or sellers in the sectors of their clients.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IMAP: International M&A advisory organization with a network model comparable to World M&A Alliance, focused on mid-market deals across multiple sectors and geographies; directly competes for similar sell-side and buy-side mandates to Blacktrace.
• Clairfield International: Global partnership of independent M&A advisory firms serving mid-market transactions; uses a similar alliance-based international model to World M&A Alliance and competes for the same cross-border mid-market mandates.
• Oaklins: International M&A advisor network of member firms operating across sectors and geographies; matches Blacktrace's mid-market international alliance model and competes head-to-head for cross-border mandates.
• Lincoln International: Global mid-market M&A advisory specialist with significant European presence; competes for the same mid-market sell-side and buy-side mandates as Blacktrace, particularly for larger cross-border mid-market deals.
• Livingstone Partners: Mid-market M&A advisory firm with European operation and sector breadth similar to Blacktrace; competes directly for mid-market sell-side and buy-side mandates across consumer, industrial, and services sectors.
• Corporate Finance Associates: International mid-market M&A advisory firm with a member-firm network; serves similar-sized corporate sellers, family-owned businesses, and PE-backed companies to Blacktrace.

Broad incumbents

• Houlihan Lokey: Larger, broader financial advisory firm with a substantial M&A practice serving mid- and large-cap clients; overlaps with Blacktrace on larger Dutch and European mid-market mandates as an incumbent with deeper bench.
• Rothschild & Co: Global advisory firm with M&A and corporate finance practices across Europe; competes with Blacktrace for mid- and upper-mid-market Dutch mandates as a broader, longer-established incumbent.
• KPMG Deal Advisory (Netherlands): Big-4 firm with a corporate finance / deal advisory practice in the Netherlands; competes with Blacktrace on mid-market M&A mandates as part of a broader professional-services suite.

Regional players

• England & Company: US-headquartered independent M&A advisory firm and fellow World M&A Alliance member with offices in New York, Houston, and Washington; operates in Blacktrace's network but in the US rather than the Dutch market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/yente-wittmer-155b261b2

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Blacktrace