ACS partners
ACS Partners is a global network of independent senior M&A advisory firms operating across 50+ countries, providing sell-side and buy-side M&A, capital raising, cross-border transaction, and real estate advisory services primarily to mid-market companies, family-owned businesses, corporate boards, and private equity clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What ACS partners does
ACS Partners is a global network of senior M&A and corporate finance advisory firms, founded in London in 2000 by Ian Wright with roots traceable to the 1989 founding of ACS Vienna (ACS Moschner & Co.) by Manfred Moschner. The network comprises ~15 independent member firms operating across 50+ countries in Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia — including named partners such as GKA Capital (Southern Africa), AMA International (USA/Benelux/CEE), teamOn (Spain/Netherlands/South America), Quartz Partners (France), Wolfcorner (Nordics/Baltics), Lamontis (Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria), Paxinosa (Greece/Cyprus), CapAdvise (Portugal), VCF (Italy), OCD Capital (Romania), ECOVIS (Czech Republic), AGM (Bulgaria), and ARDS Capital (West Africa/Central Asia).
The firm offers five core advisory service lines: Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory (buy-side and sell-side), Sell-Side & Divestitures, Growth Capital & Debt Advisory, Cross-Border Transactions, and Real Estate & REITs Advisory. It maintains a proprietary deal pricing database for business valuations but operates no other proprietary technology platform — execution is partner-led and relationship-driven, with a managing or senior partner directly involved in every mandate.
The business model is fee-based advisory: transaction fees (typically retainer plus success fee as a percentage of deal value) for M&A mandates, plus professional services fees for capital raising, debt advisory, real estate, and corporate finance mandates. Pricing is bespoke and not publicly disclosed, structured mandate-by-mandate. The customer base spans mid-market companies (€5-50M valuations, per Quartz Partners' specialty), family-owned and owner-managed businesses, corporate boards, private equity funds, banks, and growth-stage companies — with documented transactions across aerospace, packaging, defense, food processing, industrial ceramics, IT services, retail, agribusiness, and financial services. The network collectively claims 1,000+ completed transactions and €15B+ in cumulative deal value, with the UK HQ entity (ACS Partners LLP) reporting 11-50 employees.
ACS partners firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ACS partners
- Legal name
- ACS Partners
- Website
- https://theacspartners.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ACS Partners is a global network of independent senior M&A advisory firms operating across 50+ countries, providing sell-side and buy-side M&A, capital raising, cross-border transaction, and real estate advisory services primarily to mid-market companies, family-owned businesses, corporate boards, and private equity clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ACS partners industry classification
Industry- Product category
- M&A and Corporate Finance Advisory
- NAICS
- Investment Banking and Securities Intermediation (523150)
- SIC
- Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Strategic Partnerships, Alliances & JVs Advisory (BPAHADAI)
Keywords
Where ACS partners is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices16 records
Markets served
ACS partners business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- M&A Advisory (Sell-Side & Buy-Side): ACS Partners generates revenue through success fees and retainers charged by its network of independent partner firms for executing M&A transactions, divestitures, and cross-border deals on behalf of corporate clients, private shareholders, banks, and private equity. Fees are typically structured as a percentage of transaction value, with a success-fee component upon deal close.
- Capital Raising & Debt Advisory: Revenue is earned through advisory mandates for growth capital, debt financing, and refinancing transactions. Partners structure financing solutions and earn fees based on the size and complexity of the capital raise.
- Real Estate & REITs Advisory: Separate advisory stream covering property transactions, portfolio strategies, and REIT structuring, billed as professional services or as a component of broader corporate finance mandates.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
ACS partners product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ACS Partners is a global network of independent senior M&A and corporate finance advisory firms that delivers cross-border mergers and acquisitions, sell-side and buy-side advisory, divestitures, growth capital and debt advisory, and real estate and REITs advisory services to mid-market companies, corporates, private equity, and banks. Every mandate is led by a managing partner or senior principal from the relevant regional partner firm, with execution supported by a proprietary deal pricing database.
Product overview
ACS Partners is a global network of senior M&A and corporate finance advisors offering five core service lines: Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory (buy-side and sell-side transaction support), Sell-Side & Divestitures (structured exit processes), Growth Capital & Debt Advisory (equity and debt financing solutions), Cross-border Transactions (market expansion and international deal support), and Real Estate & REITs Advisory. The firm operates as a services-based advisory network rather than a software platform, combining deep local intelligence with international execution capability across Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory
- Sell-Side & Divestitures
- Growth Capital & Debt Advisory
- Cross-border Transactions (Market Expansion & Strategic Development)
- Real Estate & REITs Advisory
Quantifiable outcome
- 30%+ increase in sale value for clients
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use ACS partners
Customer profileNamed customers28 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
ACS partners technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
ACS partners partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.
- ECOVIScoreECOVIS is a leading global consulting firm operating in 90+ countries with approximately 16,000 people. ACS Partners works with the ECOVIS Prague office led by Jan Slabý for Czech Republic M&A mandates. ECOVIS brings tax, accounting, auditing, and legal advisory capabilities that complement ACS Partners' M&A execution.
- teamOn Corporate FinancecoreteamOn is an exclusive ACS Partners member covering Spain, the Netherlands, and South America (Argentina and Uruguay). Led by Marco Hulsewe, teamOn focuses on sell-side M&A advisory, corporate finance, and real estate transactions. The firm has hands-on partner involvement on every assignment.
- GKA CapitalcoreGKA Capital is a Cape Town-based corporate finance advisory boutique and the exclusive ACS Partners member for Southern Africa, covering Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and select Sub-Saharan countries. Founded by Gert Kruger, the firm has a 92% deal completion record and has delivered 30%+ above-market sale values for clients.
- AMA InternationalcoreAMA International is an ACS Partners member providing mid-market cross-border M&A advisory for Benelux, Central and Eastern Europe, and the United States. Led by Paul Walentynowicz and Gordon Appel, AMA has specific expertise in arranging middle-market, cross-border strategic transactions between the UK, Benelux, Western and Eastern Europe, and the USA.
- CapAdvise – Portugal Capital AdvisorscoreCapAdvise is the exclusive ACS Partners member for Portugal, specializing in M&A sell-side advisory. Led by Miguel Moura, the firm builds long-term relationships with business owners beginning years before a potential sale, helping prepare companies for eventual transactions.
- Lamontis PartnerscoreLamontis Partners is an independent corporate finance advisory firm based in Budapest, Hungary, with representatives in Romania and Bulgaria. The ACS Partners member for Hungary, it has over 100 years of cumulative M&A experience across more than 200 transactions in Emerging Europe and global emerging markets.
- Paxinosa PartnerscorePaxinosa Partners, led by Themis Magginas, is the ACS Partners member for Greece, Cyprus, and broader South East Europe. It operates as a pure M&A advisory firm maximizing value for clients as partners, with expertise in financial services, ship-building, renewable energy, real estate, tourism, IT&T, and food & agriculture.
- Quartz PartnerscoreQuartz Partners, founded in 2007 by Hervé Grosjean, is the ACS Partners member for France. Specializing in small/mid-cap M&A (€5–50M valuations), the firm brings together companies in the small/mid-cap segment drawing on the consolidated experience of its founders in both industrial groups and SMEs.
- WolfcornercoreWolfcorner, founded in 2013 by Jarmo Kuusivuori, is the ACS Partners member covering Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. The firm provides M&A advisory services based on customer needs with the aim of adding strategic value, and also conducts market research for acquisition or carve-out opportunities.
- OCD Capital & London BrokerssecondaryOCD Capital, led by Ovidiu Demetrescu, is the ACS Partners member for Romania. Demetrescu is also CEO of London Brokers, a risk management and insurance consultancy and exclusive Romanian representative for WBN, EOS Risq (over €6 billion in placed business), and Lockton Global Partners (exceeding $1 billion in business volume).
- VCF Venturi Corporate FinancesecondaryVCF, led by Nicolò Venturi, is the ACS Partners member for Italy. The firm helps entrepreneurs manage generational transitions, supports businesses in growing through strategic acquisitions, and assists companies in securing financing and restructuring debt.
- ARDS CapitalsecondaryARDS Capital, co-founded by Ian Wright in 2023, is the ACS Partners member for Emerging Growth Markets (West Africa and Central Asia). The firm assists local businesses seeking new equity or growth capital and maintains direct relationships with senior decision-makers in both private and public sectors.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ACS partners competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Corporate Finance Associates (CFA Worldwide): Global network of independent M&A advisory firms specializing in lower middle-market and middle-market cross-border transactions, with a similar partner-led, member-firm model to ACS Partners.
- Livingstone Partners: Independent global M&A advisory firm specializing in mid-market transactions across Europe and North America, with comparable cross-border execution and senior-led engagement model.
- Oaklins: Global advisory network of M&A specialists with member firms across more than 40 countries, targeting mid-market sell-side and buy-side mandates that overlap directly with ACS Partners' core offering.
- Clairfield International: Global mid-market M&A advisory partnership network with member firms across Europe, the Americas, and Asia, serving cross-border sell-side and buy-side mandates of comparable size to ACS Partners.
- M&A Worldwide: International network of independent corporate finance advisory firms focused on cross-border SME and mid-market M&A mandates across multiple continents, mirroring ACS Partners' member-firm structure.
- Clearwater International: European-focused mid-market M&A advisory firm with strong cross-border execution capabilities, particularly in France, the Nordics, the UK, and Germany, competing for similar mid-cap sell-side and capital-raising mandates.
Others
- Duff & Phelps (Kroll): Global financial advisory firm with valuation, M&A, and restructuring services; while broader in scope than ACS Partners, it overlaps on cross-border mid-market corporate finance mandates and is a comparable reference point on deal-pricing benchmarks.
Broad incumbents
- Lincoln International: Global mid-market investment bank with deep European cross-border M&A coverage, competing head-to-head with ACS Partners in the €50M-€500M valuation segment while also operating proprietary platforms and industry verticals.
- Houlihan Lokey: Global investment bank with a sizable M&A and corporate finance franchise overlapping ACS Partners' cross-border mid-market advisory offering, but with substantially larger balance sheet, sector teams, and public capital markets capabilities.
- William Blair: Diversified global investment bank with a significant investment banking advisory business focused on mid-cap M&A, often competing for cross-border middle-market mandates in the same valuation range as ACS Partners.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
ACS partners social profiles
Digital presenceACS partners financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ACS partners leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
ACS partners funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ACS partners M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ACS partners
What does ACS partners do?
ACS Partners is a global network of independent senior M&A and corporate finance advisory firms that delivers cross-border mergers and acquisitions, sell-side and buy-side advisory, divestitures, growth capital and debt advisory, and real estate and REITs advisory services to mid-market companies, corporates, private equity, and banks. Every mandate is led by a managing partner or senior principal from the relevant regional partner firm, with execution supported by a proprietary deal pricing database.
Is ACS partners a public or private company?
ACS partners is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ACS partners founded?
ACS partners was founded in 2000. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ACS partners based?
ACS partners is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does ACS partners make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. M&A Advisory (Sell-Side & Buy-Side) is the primary driver. The others are capital Raising & Debt Advisory and real Estate & REITs Advisory.
Who are ACS partners's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Corporate Finance Associates (CFA Worldwide), Livingstone Partners, Oaklins, Clairfield International, M&A Worldwide and Clearwater International. Duff & Phelps (Kroll) is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Lincoln International, Houlihan Lokey and William Blair.
Does ACS partners have an API?
No public API is recorded for ACS partners.
What industry is ACS partners in?
ACS partners's product category is M&A and Corporate Finance Advisory. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHADAI, Strategic Partnerships, Alliances & JVs Advisory. Its NAICS code is 523150 and its SIC code is 6211.