GVG

What GVG does

GVG Corporate Finance Advisors is a privately held German M&A and corporate finance advisory boutique founded in 2003 in Wiesbaden and structured as a Kommanditgesellschaft (Gerner & Coll. GmbH & Co. KG). It advises owners of mid-sized German companies — the so-called Mittelstand — on company sales, acquisitions, succession planning, distressed M&A, and transaction financing. Core services (Unternehmensverkauf, Unternehmenskauf, Nachfolgeregelung, Distressed M&A, Finanzierungsberatung) are delivered on a partner-led basis, with no proprietary technology stack: the firm's offering is human advisory, not software. Beyond DACH, GVG operates representative offices in London (Berkeley Square) and Beijing (Chaoyang Park South Road) and maintains a long-standing partner-firm network across the USA, France, Scandinavia, Italy, and Asia-Pacific to source international buyers and co-advisors.

Revenue is generated through professional advisory fees, principally success-based fees on closed M&A mandates supplemented by retainers and ancillary income. The only publicly disclosed price point is a €490 + VAT per-participant fee for a day-long seminar on company transactions; transaction fees are negotiated case by case. The go-to-market is sales-led and partner-led: business is sourced through direct partner relationships, referrals from former clients (the firm offers to connect prospects with prior clients as references), and an educational seminar programme scheduled across five German cities in Autumn 2026. Visible 2025–2026 mandates include the sales of AFI Solutions (April 2025), AWIA Umwelt (April 2025), NESS Wärmetechnik (December 2025), Aristech (May 2026), and PL Architekten (June 2026), covering sectors from document management and environmental services to industrial heat, AI/semantic platforms, and architecture.

The firm's competitive position rests on the senior-banking pedigree of its founding partners — drawn from Morgan Stanley, Rothschild, CSFB, and Lehman Brothers — who collectively bring advisory experience on transactions exceeding €70 billion in volume. Independence from product, lender, and buyer conflicts is explicitly marketed. The leadership team comprises Managing Director Rolf Michael Gerner, Partner Volker Werner, Director Diana M. Summ, Senior Advisor China Hailong Wu, and Senior Advisor Restructuring Paul Jähn. With 11–50 employees, no parent company, no external funding, and no subsidiaries disclosed, GVG operates as a focused, partner-owned boutique with a clear Mittelstand succession thesis and an internationally distributed execution capability.

Name

GVG

Legal name

Gerner & Coll. GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://gvg-advisors.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GVG Corporate Finance Advisors is a privately held German M&A advisory boutique founded in 2003, providing partner-led company-sale, acquisition, succession, distressed M&A, and financing advice to mid-sized companies, with offices in Wiesbaden, London, and Beijing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

M&A and Corporate Finance Advisory

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHADAC

M&A Advisory (Buy-side/Sell-side)

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

SECONDARYBPAHAOAG

Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Advisory (JVs, Alliances, Carve-outs)

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/M&A, Transaction & Restructuring Advisory

SECONDARYBPAHADAI

Strategic Partnerships, Alliances & JVs Advisory

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

SECONDARYFSAEAGAB

Buy-Side M&A Advisory

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

SECONDARYFSAEAGAJ

Industry-Specialist / Sector-Focused M&A Advisory

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

Keywords

• Mergers and acquisitions advisory
• Corporate finance advisory
• Succession planning services
• Distressed M&A advisory
• Transaction financing advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Wiesbaden

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. M&A Advisory Fees: GVG generates revenue through professional advisory fees for M&A transaction support, including company sales, acquisitions, and succession planning. Fees are likely structured as success fees tied to transaction completion and/or retainer arrangements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

GVG Corporate Finance Advisors is a partner-led M&A and corporate finance advisory boutique serving German mid-sized companies (Mittelstand). The firm advises on company sales (Unternehmensverkauf), company purchases (Unternehmenskauf), succession planning (Nachfolgeregelung), distressed M&A, and financing of transactions. Services are delivered on a partner-led basis from offices in Wiesbaden, London, and Beijing.

Product overview

GVG Corporate Finance Advisors is a consulting firm offering a unified service portfolio centered on M&A and corporate finance advisory for mid-sized companies. The core offering consists of company sales (Unternehmensverkauf), company purchases (Unternehmenskauf), succession planning (Nachfolgeregelung), distressed M&A, and financing advisory. Additionally, the firm offers educational seminars on company transactions as a complementary service module. The services are delivered on a partner-level basis with individualized attention to each transaction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• M&A Advisory for Company Sales and Purchases (Unternehmensverkauf / Unternehmenskauf)
• Succession Planning Advisory (Nachfolgeregelung)
• Distressed M&A
• Financing Advisory (Finanzierungsberatung)
• Company Transaction Seminars (Unternehmenstransaktions-Seminare)

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• M&A Partner Firms NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGVG works with M&A partner firms with whom they have long-term relationships at the shareholder level. Particularly strong connections with partners in USA, France, Sweden, Norway, Italy, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Australia, and India for cross-border transaction support.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DC Advisory: Mid-market M&A advisory with European roots and global execution capability. Competes head-to-head for Mittelstand sell-side, buy-side, and succession mandates across Germany and beyond.
• Alantra: Independent financial advisory firm with a strong European mid-market M&A practice. Comparable on boutique positioning, cross-border mid-cap mandates, and target Mittelstand-style clients.
• Livingstone Partners: International mid-market M&A advisor with European hubs and dedicated sector teams. Directly comparable in deal size band, client profile, and partner-led advisory style.
• goetzpartners: German-headquartered independent advisory firm providing corporate finance, M&A, and restructuring advice. Highly comparable as a domestic German boutique serving mid-cap and Mittelstand clients.
• IMAP: Global mid-market M&A advisory with strong presence across Europe and dedicated mid-cap deal teams. Highly comparable as a boutique-style advisor competing for the same Mittelstand-style sellers and buyers GVG serves.
• Lincoln International: Global mid-market M&A advisory with deep European and German coverage. Closely comparable on transaction size, sector breadth, and international cross-border execution.
• Oaklins: International M&A advisory boutique with member firms across Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Closely comparable mid-market model with cross-border execution capabilities and a similar partner-led delivery style.
• Clairfield International: Global mid-market M&A advisory with strong European footprint and sector-specialist teams. Directly comparable in target client size, cross-border deal profile, and partner-led execution.

Broad incumbents

• Rothschild & Co: Global independent advisory house with a dedicated mid-cap European practice and strong German coverage. Competes with GVG on premium Mittelstand mandates where bulge-bracket pedigree is valued.
• Houlihan Lokey: Large global advisory firm with substantial European mid-market and restructuring practices. Competes with GVG for larger Mittelstand sell-side and distressed mandates with deeper resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gvg-corporate-finance-advisors

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 GVG