Die Zukunftsmacher

What Die Zukunftsmacher does

Die Zukunftsmacher GmbH is a Neu-Ulm, Germany-based boutique consulting firm founded in 2016 that specializes exclusively in business succession and transfer advisory for the German hairdressing (Friseur) industry. The firm serves SME salon owners seeking to sell or hand over their businesses and connects them with prospective buyers or successors, operating in a micro-vertical where generic M&A advisors typically lack domain depth. Its core offerings are Salon-Nachfolge (salon succession) consulting and Company Sale & Transfer services, supported by a stated ~100% success-rate claim on closed placements.

The firm's underlying operating model is relationship-driven professional services rather than a software platform: it runs on direct outreach, website lead capture, and referral channels anchored by partnerships with Volksbank Ulm-Biberach and Sparkasse Ulm, plus industry access through Managing Director Harald Gloning's concurrent role as CEO of Deutsche Friseurakademie. The core delivery team is small (Harald Gloning, Tobias Klumpp, Udo Brand, Thomas Langer), supplemented by an extended expert network of financial experts, auditors, lawyers, and business economists engaged on a deal-by-deal basis.

Revenue mechanics are success-fee based, with compensation tied to closed succession transactions rather than subscription or retainer pricing. The firm is privately held, founder/management-owned, with no external funding and a stable 5-person headcount. Public positioning frames geographic scope as DACH-wide, though operational roots remain in the Ulm/Biberach banking ecosystem. The addressable market is anchored by the KfW-cited population of ~215,000 German SMEs with near-term succession intent, of which hairdressing is a small but recurring sub-segment.

Name

Die Zukunftsmacher

Legal name

Die Zukunftsmacher GmbH

Website

https://die-zukunftsmacher.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Die Zukunftsmacher is a Neu-Ulm-based boutique consultancy specializing in business succession advisory for the German hairdressing industry, connecting SME salon owners with buyers through a relationship-driven, success-fee model backed by regional banking partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Succession Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSAEAIAF

Succession & Exit Planning (Owner Exit Readiness)

Financial & Insurance/Financial Advisory, Brokerage & Intermediation/Business Brokerage (Buying/Selling Private Businesses)

SECONDARYFSAEAIAC

Sell-Side Business Brokerage

Financial & Insurance/Financial Advisory, Brokerage & Intermediation/Business Brokerage (Buying/Selling Private Businesses)

SECONDARYFSAEAIAB

Lower Middle-Market Business Brokerage

Financial & Insurance/Financial Advisory, Brokerage & Intermediation/Business Brokerage (Buying/Selling Private Businesses)

Keywords

• Business succession consulting
• Salon succession services
• Company sale advisory
• Hairdressing industry consulting
• Small business brokerage

Headquarters

HQ city

Neu-Ulm

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Business Succession Consulting Services: The company generates revenue through consulting fees for their business succession services. They accompany entrepreneurs through the entire process of selling their businesses, from successor search to transaction financing and retirement planning. Revenue appears to be earned upon successful completion of business sales/transactions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Die Zukunftsmacher is a consulting firm that accompanies entrepreneurs through the sale and succession of their businesses, with a vertical specialization in the hairdressing/salon industry. Core services cover successor search, transaction financing coordination, asset planning, and retirement planning, delivered through a structured four-step process and supported by a team of financial experts, auditors, specialized lawyers, and business economists. The firm claims a near 100% success rate in completed business sales and positions itself as an active seller rather than a passive advisor.

Product overview

Die Zukunftsmacher offers a unified consulting service focused on business succession and company sales, with specialized expertise in the hairdressing salon industry. Their core offering combines Salon-Nachfolge (Salon Succession) Consulting with general Company Sale & Transfer services, supported by a team of financial experts, auditors, specialized lawyers, and business economists. The company operates as a single integrated service rather than a modular platform, providing end-to-end support from successor identification through transaction completion and retirement planning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Salon-Nachfolge (Salon Succession) Consulting Professional consulting service for hairdressing salon owners to find successors and successfully sell their businesses, with a near 100% claimed success rate. Covers the entire succession process from successor search to transaction financing and retirement planning.
• Company Sale & Transfer (Unternehmensverkauf) Sale and transfer services for small to medium-sized businesses, handled discretely, professionally, and with a clear focus on success, accompanied by financial experts, auditors, specialized lawyers, and business economists.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 100% success rate in business sales

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Deutsche FriseurakademiecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Deutsche Friseurakademie (German Hairdressing Academy) is connected through Managing Director Harald Gloning, who serves as CEO of both organizations. This association provides industry credibility and network access within the hairdressing sector.
• Capability GmbHminorOthersThomas Langer, CEO of Capability GmbH, is listed as part of the expert team. This appears to be a professional association rather than a formal business partnership.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Deloitte Germany: Big 4 firm with M&A and succession advisory capabilities for German SMBs. Represents the incumbent side of the same Firmenverkauf / Nachfolge market.
• EY-Parthenon Germany: Strategy and transaction consulting arm of EY in Germany with significant mid-market M&A and succession deal flow. Indirect competitor for SMB transition mandates.
• KPMG Germany: Big 4 firm with a large Deal Advisory practice serving German Mittelstand succession cases. Competes indirectly for the same owner-led SMB transaction engagements.
• RSM Germany: German arm of a global audit and advisory network with a midsize M&A and transaction services practice. Serves overlapping SMB succession clients but as part of a broader advisory portfolio.

Direct peers

• goetzpartners: Independent German corporate finance advisory with M&A and succession mandate experience. Operates in the same corporate-finance / SMB succession space as Die Zukunftsmacher, often with cross-border deals.
• Helbling Business Advisors: Swiss-headquartered consulting and M&A advisory with a dedicated German SME succession practice. Comparable in serving owner-led SMBs through ownership transitions.
• IMAP: Global mid-market M&A advisory with a strong German presence. Directly competes in sell-side business brokerage and succession advisory for lower-middle-market companies, serving a similar SMB owner base.
• FALK GmbH: German M&A boutique specializing in the succession and sale of small and medium-sized businesses. Operates in the same owner-exit / Firmenverkauf niche as Die Zukunftsmacher.
• Conpair: Germany-based M&A and corporate finance advisory focused on lower mid-market transactions. Comparable in deal size, owner-led clientele, and advisory scope to Die Zukunftsmacher.

Regional players

• BIEG Hessen: Hessen-based public initiative supporting business succession in Germany. Operates in the same succession-readiness and Firmenübergabe space but with a regional mandate and non-profit positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/die-zukunftsmacher

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Die Zukunftsmacher