Portus Corporate Finance

What Portus Corporate Finance does

Portus Corporate Finance GmbH is a Berlin-headquartered, privately held German corporate finance boutique founded around 2002, organized as a GmbH under Managing Directors Thomas Fink and Lars Frohn. The firm delivers three integrated service lines: M&A advisory (company acquisition, sale, and succession mandates), CFO Services (interim commercial leadership, liquidity and financial planning, controlling/reporting, and corporate financing support), and Consulting (financing advisory, business and financial plans, company valuations, and distressed/turnaround management). All mandates are handled personally by a senior partner team, supported by a 'Musketiere' culture described as flat-hierarchy and family-like.

The firm's underlying technology stack is essentially none — it is a pure relationship-driven professional services firm without proprietary software products. Its primary operating assets are its partner bench (senior advisors with sector depth in Life Sciences, Healthcare, Automotive, Energy, Real Estate, and PropTech), a network of partner firms across legal (Herfurth & Partner, LUTHER, FPS, FGS), banking (Hauck Aufhäuser Lampe, ODDO BHF, Deutsche Bank), accounting (Baker Tilly), and public-sector institutions (BVMW, IBB, Sächsische Aufbaubank), and a proprietary event brand — the ZEPTER.WECHSEL! entrepreneur forum — that doubles as a deal-sourcing and thought-leadership engine.

Commercially, Portus operates a sales-led, relationship-driven go-to-market targeting the German Mittelstand, technology/VC-backed companies, and listed companies. Revenue is generated through professional services fees on a project and mandate basis across three streams (M&A Advisory, CFO Services, Consulting), with pricing bespoke and undisclosed. The firm runs four offices (Berlin, Leipzig, Hannover, Stuttgart) plus a UK Senior Advisor in Edinburgh, has completed over 400 projects with cumulative transaction volume exceeding EUR 500 million, and reports 20+ ongoing mandates. Customer acquisition is via personal networks, professional referrals, and the firm's recurring event series (Unternehmerabend, Feierabend.Getränk, BVMW breakfasts, Stärken.Lab women's network). The firm is founder/partner-owned with no external institutional capital or parent company disclosed.

Name

Portus Corporate Finance

Legal name

Portus Corporate Finance GmbH

Website

https://portusco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Portus Corporate Finance GmbH is a Berlin-based German corporate finance boutique founded c.2002 that delivers M&A advisory, CFO Services, and consulting mandates to Mittelstand companies, tech firms, and listed corporates through four regional offices and a partner-led, relationship-driven model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Finance Advisory

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Finance Services (6199), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHADAB

Corporate Finance & Capital Advisory

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Strategy & Corporate Finance Advisory

SECONDARYFSAEAGAE

Corporate Finance Advisory (Strategic Finance, Capital Structure & Recaps)

Financial & Insurance/Financial Advisory, Brokerage & Intermediation/M&A Advisory & Corporate Finance

SECONDARYBPAHABAE

Outsourced Finance & CFO Services

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Accounting, Audit & Tax Services

Keywords

• Corporate finance advisory
• M&A advisory services
• Business succession planning
• CFO services
• Company valuation

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. M&A Advisory: Company acquisition, sale, and succession advisory services. Includes buy-side and sell-side mandates, transaction structuring, and due diligence support.
2. CFO Services: Interim CFO support, liquidity and financial planning, controlling, reporting, and corporate financing support delivered as ongoing mandates or project-based engagements.
3. Consulting: Financing advisory, business and financial plan preparation, company valuations, and distressed/turnaround management services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Portus Corporate Finance is a German corporate finance boutique that advises mid-sized companies, technology firms, and listed companies on company acquisitions, company sales, and business succession, supported by interim CFO services (financial planning, controlling, reporting, corporate financing). The firm additionally delivers standalone consultancy mandates covering financing advisory, business and financial plans, company valuations, and distressed/turnaround management. Engagements are run personally by senior partners and structured project by project from preparation through closing.

Product overview

Portus Corporate Finance is a consulting firm offering a unified portfolio of corporate finance services for German mid-sized companies. The core offerings consist of three interconnected service areas: M&A Services (company acquisition, sale, and succession with the ZEPTER.WECHSEL! forum program), CFO Services (financial management, controlling, and reporting), and Consultancy (financing, business plans, and valuations). These services are designed to support entrepreneurs through the full lifecycle of M&A transactions, succession planning, and day-to-day financial operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• M&A Services (Nachfolge und M&A) Comprehensive M&A advisory including Unternehmenskauf (company acquisition), Unternehmensverkauf (company sale), and Unternehmensnachfolge (company succession) for German Mittelstand companies, technology firms, and listed companies. Includes buy-side and sell-side mandates, transaction structuring, due diligence support, and deal closing management from preparation through closing.
• CFO Services CFO-level advisory covering kaufmännische Leitung (commercial leadership), liquiditäts- und Finanzplanung (liquidity and financial planning), Controlling, CaaS (Controlling as a Service), reporting, and corporate financing support. Delivered to clients needing interim CFO leadership, financial infrastructure, or growth-stage investor readiness without a full-time hire.
• Consultancy (Beratung) Standalone consulting mandates covering Finanzierung (financing advisory), Business- und Finanzpläne (business and financial plan preparation), Unternehmensbewertungen (company valuations), and Distressed & Turnaround Management (restructuring and reorganization). Delivered to Mittelstand companies in financial or operational distress and to those requiring independent valuation opinions or financing strategy work.

Quantifiable outcome

• 400+ successful project completions over 20+ years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Herfurth & Partner Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegal partnership for ZEPTER.WECHSEL entrepreneur forum events. Herfurth & Partner provides legal expertise on succession planning topics including contracts, tax structures, and transaction documentation. Co-organize and speak at exclusive events.
• Pateo Investments GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvestment management partner collaborating on ZEPTER.WECHSEL events. Provides wealth management and investment perspective to succession planning discussions. Regular co-host of entrepreneur forums.
• BVMW Wirtschaftsregion LeipzigminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Bundesverband mittelständische Wirtschaft (SME Association) for networking events and info breakfasts on succession topics. Multiplier for reaching Mittelstand entrepreneurs.
• Investitionsbank Berlin (IBB)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborated with IBB Business Team for startup client support. IBB provides founding bonuses and subsidies for startup financing that PORTUS helps clients access.
• Sächsische Aufbaubank (SAB)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-partner for events with Sächsische Aufbaubank, the development bank of Saxony. PORTUS participates in SAB events to reach SME clients in the Saxony region.
• Deutsche BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-organizer of Stärken.Lab women's entrepreneur network, bringing together female business owners for networking and succession planning discussions.
• LUTHER Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbHminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborates with PORTUS on Unternehmerabend dinner events, providing legal expertise and client access for joint networking.
• Baker TillyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAccounting and advisory firm partnering on networking events in Leipzig, combining audit and tax expertise with PORTUS corporate finance services.
• Hauck Aufhäuser Lampe PrivatbankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPrivate bank collaborating on Unternehmerabend Stuttgart and Hannover events, providing wealth management and financing perspectives.
• FGS Flick Gocke SchaumburgminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTax and legal advisory firm co-organizing Stuttgart entrepreneur events with PORTUS.
• ODDO BHF SEminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInvestment bank partnering on Hannover entrepreneur evening events.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• goetzpartners: German corporate finance and M&A advisory boutique with similar Mittelstand and mid-market focus. Provides strategy, transactions, and restructuring services across DACH, making it one of the closest direct comparables to PORTUS in scope and positioning.
• Oaklins: Global mid-market M&A advisory with deep German coverage. Directly comparable in targeting SME and family-owned business transactions across sectors similar to PORTUS's focus verticals.
• Clairfield International: Global mid-market M&A advisory firm with strong DACH presence. Directly comparable to PORTUS in targeting mid-sized company sales, acquisitions, and succession mandates with sector-specialized coverage.
• IMAP: International M&A advisory firm focused on mid-market transactions globally, including Germany. Competes head-to-head with PORTUS for Mittelstand sell-side, buy-side, and succession mandates.

Broad incumbents

• Warth & Klein Grant Thornton: German member of Grant Thornton's advisory network providing M&A, transaction advisory, and CFO services to mid-market companies. Comparable to PORTUS on Mittelstand M&A and transaction support mandates.
• Rödl & Partner: Large multi-disciplinary German advisory firm offering legal, tax, audit, and M&A advisory. Overlaps with PORTUS on M&A and CFO-adjacent services but serves a broader client base including larger mid-market companies.
• Ebner Stolz: Major German mid-market advisory and audit firm with M&A, valuation, and corporate finance services. Competes for the same Mittelstand client base as PORTUS but with broader service portfolio and national scale.
• RSM Ebner Stolz: Global mid-market audit and advisory network with significant German presence. Competes with PORTUS for CFO services, valuations, and M&A mandates among German SMEs and family businesses.
• BDO Germany: Large international advisory firm with strong German Mittelstand practice. Offers M&A, corporate finance, and CFO-adjacent services at greater scale than PORTUS, competing for the same client segment.
• Mazars Germany: International audit and advisory firm with German mid-market focus. Provides transaction advisory, valuation, and consulting services competing with PORTUS's Mittelstand-focused advisory offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/portus-corporate-finance-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Portus Corporate Finance