Transfer Partners

What Transfer Partners does

Transfer Partners is an independent, partner-managed M&A advisory firm founded in 2006 and headquartered in Düsseldorf, with a secondary office in Munich. The firm specializes in company acquisitions, sales, carve-outs, succession planning, and distressed M&A transactions for the German Mittelstand, including family-owned businesses and established mid-market companies across sectors such as consumer goods, healthcare, industrials, mobility, sustainability, and TMT. Recent mandates include sell-side advisory for Meyer Gruppe (sale to TERRAS Holding GmbH), Franz Fischer Spedition (sale to Schenk Tanktransport), ROTEC (sale to Swedish TENURO Group), and Europress Umwelttechnik carve-out to Vidia GmbH, plus buy-side advisory for Eckelmann AG on the acquisition of 3tn Industriesoftware.

The firm's service portfolio combines full-lifecycle M&A advisory — strategy validation, transaction preparation, valuation, due diligence support, negotiation through signing and closing — with a recurring research product called SektorReport (quarterly sector analyses across eight verticals) and a podcast distributed on major streaming platforms. Transfer Partners differentiates through a proprietary transaction database built over 20 years, a partner-led engagement model, and an AI-supported Hybrid M&A Process for information collection and process management. Revenue is generated through bespoke professional services engagements priced per mandate, with no standard tiers publicly disclosed. The firm operates a cross-border capability through a partner-office network spanning 40 countries and has been recognized as a TOP CONSULTANT in Germany for three consecutive years (2024-2026), reaching #2 overall in 2026.

Name

Transfer Partners

Legal name

Transfer Partners Unternehmensentwicklungsgesellschaft mbH

Website

https://transfer-partners.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Transfer Partners is an independent, partner-managed M&A advisory firm serving the German Mittelstand. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Düsseldorf with a Munich office, it advises on mid-market company sales, acquisitions, carve-outs, and distressed situations across multiple sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

M&A Advisory

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Sell-Side M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAA), Transaction Services (Financial, Tax & Commercial Due Diligence) (BPAHAOAB)

Keywords

• Mergers and acquisitions advisory
• Mid-market M&A consulting
• Company succession planning
• Corporate finance services
• Distressed M&A transactions

Headquarters

HQ city

Düsseldorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. M&A Advisory Services: Professional services revenue from advising on company acquisitions and sales. Services include transaction preparation, valuation, due diligence support, investor coordination, and negotiation assistance through entire transaction lifecycle.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Transfer Partners provides independent, partner-managed M&A advisory services for German mid-sized companies, covering the full transaction lifecycle from strategy validation and valuation through investor sourcing, due diligence, negotiation, and closing. The firm also delivers dedicated business valuation services for SMEs and specialized advisory for distressed M&A situations, supported by AI-assisted information gathering, a digital process workflow, and quarterly sector research publications (SektorReport) covering Consumer Goods, Healthcare, Industrials, Mobility, Sustainability, and TMT.

Product overview

Transfer Partners is an independent, partner-managed M&A consultancy specializing in company acquisitions and sales for German mid-sized companies. The firm offers a unified consulting service portfolio centered on M&A advisory, supported by research products including SektorReport (quarterly sector reports for Consumer Goods, Retail, E-Commerce, Healthcare, Industrials, Mobility, Sustainability, and TMT sectors), a Podcast delivering M&A market analysis, and Business Valuation services. The company also provides specialized advisory for distressed M&A situations. The offering is structured as professional services rather than software products, with no modular product architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• M&A Advisory Independent, partner-managed M&A advisory covering the full transaction lifecycle for German mid-sized companies, including company sales, acquisitions, carve-outs, succession planning, valuation, due diligence support, investor coordination, and negotiation through signing and closing. Targeted at founders, shareholder families, and corporates in the German Mittelstand.
• Business Valuation Individual and discreet company valuation services for small and medium-sized enterprises, using market-based sector multiples and proprietary in-house research to produce indicative valuations that feed company sale processes.
• M&A in Special Situations Specialized M&A advisory for companies facing complex economic and strategic challenges (distressed or turnaround scenarios). Uses AI-supported information collection and a digital process-based approach to accelerate timelines while maintaining complete documentation. Targets mid-sized companies and shareholder groups with time-pressured transactions.
• SektorReport Quarterly sector research publications providing exclusive market insights, valuation trends, transaction analyses, performance analyses and peer group reviews for Consumer Goods, Retail, E-Commerce, Healthcare, Industrials, Mobility, Sustainability, and TMT sectors. Functions as a foundation for company valuations and thought-leadership content.
• Transfer Partners Podcast Audio podcast delivering analysis and forecasts for the German and international M&A market. Distributed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, and Deezer; serves as thought-leadership content supporting brand visibility and inbound interest.

Quantifiable outcome

• 400+ successfully completed transactions over 20 years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• International Partner Offices NetworkcoreOthers · 1 January 2026Global network of partner offices in 40 countries supporting international M&A transactions. Enables cross-border deal execution and access to global investors, private equity firms, and commercial banks.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• KPMG Corporate Finance: Big 4 corporate finance practice providing M&A advisory, deal advisory, and transaction services across Europe. A scaled incumbent with overlapping mid-market deal coverage in the DACH region.
• Lincoln International: Global mid-market investment bank with M&A advisory, restructuring, and valuation services across Europe and the Americas. Larger-scale incumbent competing for the same Mittelstand and mid-cap mandates Transfer Partners serves.
• Lazard: Global financial advisory and asset management firm with substantial mid-market M&A practice in Europe. Operates as a broader incumbent with overlapping mid-cap advisory capabilities versus Transfer Partners' Mittelstand focus.
• EY-Parthenon (Corporate Finance): Big 4 strategy and transactions arm with global M&A advisory and transaction diligence capabilities. Competes for the same Mittelstand sell-side and buy-side mandates while offering broader service portfolio and deeper resourcing.
• PwC Deals (Corporate Finance): Big 4 corporate finance practice offering M&A advisory, due diligence, and valuation globally. Competes with Transfer Partners in the Mittelstand segment while offering substantially larger scale and cross-border resourcing.

Direct peers

• Oaklins: International mid-market M&A advisory firm with sector-focused bankers across more than 40 countries. Closely mirrors Transfer Partners in mid-market positioning, cross-border deal capability, and sector-specialized coverage.
• Clairfield International: International mid-market M&A advisory with strong European presence and sector specializations. Comparable in serving Mittelstand-equivalent clients on cross-border sell-side and buy-side mandates.
• IMAP: Global partnership of mid-market M&A advisory firms operating across more than 40 countries. Directly comparable to Transfer Partners in target client (mid-market companies), advisory focus (M&A transactions including cross-border), and partnership-led delivery model.
• goetzpartners: Independent, partner-managed German M&A advisory firm headquartered in Munich, focused on mid-cap transactions. Closely comparable to Transfer Partners in geography (DACH), target client (Mittelstand), and independent partnership structure.
• Bryan, Garnier & Co: European-focused mid-market advisory firm with sector coverage in TMT, healthcare, consumer, and industrials—directly overlapping Transfer Partners' SektorReport verticals. Comparable in target client profile and European deal execution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubemusic.amazon.de/podcasts/c0a0e93c-1e4c-4790-8e7d-eac3d06562cb/transfer-partners-podcast
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/transfer-partners-unternehmensgruppe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Transfer Partners