What UPIC does

UPIC (Union des Professionnels Intermédiaires en Cession et transmission d'entreprises) is a Belgian non-profit professional association (asbl) founded in 2017, headquartered in Suarlée (Namur) with an official correspondence address in Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve. It functions as the trade body for M&A intermediaries specializing in business transfer, acquisition, and succession advisory for Belgian small and medium-sized enterprises. UPIC's members are 16 independent M&A advisory boutiques operating across Wallonia, Brussels, and Flanders, with cross-border reach into the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, and Great Britain. Member firm representatives — including Copilot, Yolo Consulting, Top Management Support (TMS), Closing, BestValue, Ekkofin, Dealco, and FB-Transmission — also staff the 9-person board that governs the association.

UPIC's core offerings are non-software services: a public-facing member directory, online inquiry forms for prospective vendors and acquirers that generate referral leads for members, a library of 22+ professional articles on valuation, fiscal reform, earn-outs, and family business transmission, plus recurring training and networking activities (four annual "Midis de l'UPIC," year-end dinners, and external conferences). It does not develop proprietary technology, APIs, or platforms; the core technology block explicitly states it is not a technology company. Its go-to-market relies on content marketing, events, social media, and public-institution engagement to build category awareness for the M&A intermediary profession and channel SMEs to its vetted members.

The revenue model is subscription-based membership fees: prospective members pay an entry fee (droit d'entrée) and an annual membership fee (cotisation annuelle). Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and UPIC has no funding rounds, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. End clients — Belgian SME owners and acquirers — are served by member firms under their own brands, not by UPIC directly, and may access public "Chèques-Entreprises" subsidies in Wallonia and Brussels through accredited member firms. UPIC is governed by an elected board and operates with approximately 12 staff.

Name

UPIC

Legal name

UPIC - Union des Professionnels Intermédiaires en Cession et transmission d'entreprises

Website

https://upic.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UPIC is a Belgian non-profit trade association founded in 2017 that represents 16 independent M&A advisory boutiques serving SME business transfer, acquisition, and succession transactions. It generates revenue from membership fees and runs member services including a directory, lead-matching forms, training events, and policy advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Suarlée (Namur)

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: UPIC generates revenue through membership fees. Companies seeking to become effective members must pay an entry fee (droit d'entrée) and an annual membership fee (cotisation annuelle). Each member is individually responsible for their own business operations, fees, and compliance.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

UPIC is a Belgian non-profit professional association (asbl) founded in 2017 that promotes and defends the profession of M&A intermediary and expert in business acquisitions and transfers. It curates a directory of 16 member advisory boutiques, matches Belgian SME buyers and sellers with those members via online inquiry forms, and runs training, networking events, and editorial content for the profession.

Product overview

UPIC is a professional association (asbl) founded in 2017, not a software product company. Its offerings consist of professional intermediary services for business transfer and acquisition, delivered through a network of 16 member firms across Belgium. The association provides a member firm directory, acquisition search matching services via online forms, and professional news/advisory content on M&A topics. Services are accessible through the upic.be website and do not constitute a unified software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UPIC Member Firm Directory Online directory of UPIC's 16 member M&A advisory boutiques serving Belgian SMEs in business transfer, M&A, and acquisition advisory. Each member firm operates independently under its own brand across Wallonia, Brussels, and Flanders.
• UPIC Acquisition Search Matching Service Online inquiry form on upic.be that collects prospective acquirer criteria (sector, budget, transaction value, revenue range, personnel size) and matches them with UPIC member firms for acquisition advisory engagements.
• UPIC Cession Advisory Matching Service Referral service on upic.be directing business owners who wish to sell their company to UPIC member intermediary firms, providing confidential guidance through the transfer process.
• UPIC Membership for M&A Advisory Firms Recurring membership offering for Belgian M&A advisory boutique firms, requiring payment of an entry fee and annual dues and committing the firm to UPIC's ethical charter (objectivity, expertise, confidentiality, independence, adequate resources, honorability, and responsibility).

Quantifiable outcome

• The EBITDA-based valuation method commonly used in Belgian SME M&A typically references 3–4 year weighted averages of EBITDA, with corrections for non-recurring charges and non-arm's-length director remuneration.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Sowaccess (SOWACCESS)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTop Management Support (a UPIC member firm) is accredited by Sowaccess, which enables clients to benefit from 'Chèques-Entreprises' subsidies in Wallonia for M&A advisory engagements.
• Transeo InternationalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTop Management Support (a UPIC member firm) holds accreditation from Transeo International, a European network of M&A professionals, expanding cross-border deal flow and expertise.
• SowalfinminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTop Management Support (a UPIC member firm) is accredited by Sowalfin Transmission, a Walloon public financing body, and is also accredited by Unizo, a Flemish employers' organization.
• UnizominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTop Management Support (a UPIC member firm) is accredited by Unizo, a major Flemish employers' organization, enabling service delivery to Flemish SME clients.
• Moore StephensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDealmakers, a UPIC member firm based in Wemmel, is part of Moore Stephens, a global network of accounting and advisory firms. For complex or internationally-oriented mandates, Dealmakers leverages the Moore Stephens network.
• 1819 BruxellesminorOthersUPIC maintains working relationships with public institutions including 1819 Bruxelles, an entrepreneurship support organization, distinguishing UPIC's role from institutional players also involved in M&A processes.
• Wallonie Entreprendre (with UCM)minorOthersUPIC engages with regional public bodies such as Wallonie Entreprendre and UCM, which are also involved in business transmission and acquisition processes, to clarify UPIC members' distinct role.
• CCI (Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie)minorOthersUPIC maintains relations with Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CCI) as part of its public institutional outreach, positioning its members distinctly from CCI advisory services in M&A.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IMAP: Global partnership of M&A advisory firms focused on mid-market transactions. Comparable to UPIC's member-firm network model in curating independent M&A intermediaries under a shared affiliation, though globally scaled and with more formalized cross-border deal sharing.
• Translink Corporate Finance: International network of independent M&A and corporate finance advisors operating across Europe and beyond. Comparable to UPIC's network-of-firms model for SME business transfers.
• Transeo International: European association of SME M&A intermediaries and corporate finance advisors with cross-border member networking. Comparable to UPIC as a membership-based organization representing independent business transmission intermediaries, though operating at pan-European rather than Belgian level.
• M&A Worldwide: International association of independent M&A advisory firms serving mid-market clients. Closely comparable to UPIC's role as a directory/affiliation body for independent SME M&A intermediaries, though with global geographic coverage.
• Globalscope Partners: Worldwide network of independent M&A advisory firms. Comparable to UPIC as a curated affiliation of independent intermediaries serving SME and mid-market sellers, though globally distributed.

Regional players

• 1819 Bruxelles: Brussels-based public organization supporting entrepreneurship and SME development, including business transfer. Comparable as a Belgian ecosystem player in SME transmission referenced by UPIC itself as a distinct interlocutor.
• Sowalfin (Wallonia): Walloon public financing body supporting SME business transmission in Belgium. Comparable as a Belgian stakeholder in the SME transfer ecosystem, though operating as a public financing entity rather than an association of independent intermediaries.

Broad incumbents

• International Business Brokers Association (IBBA): Largest North American trade association for business brokers and M&A intermediaries. Comparable in mission (professionalization, ethics, education for intermediaries) though more developed, larger, and operating in a more mature regulatory environment.
• M&A Source: US-based association of M&A advisors serving the lower-middle market. Comparable to UPIC's role in setting professional standards and providing education for SME-focused intermediaries, though US-focused.
• BDO M&A Advisory: Global accounting/advisory network with active M&A practice serving Belgian SMEs through branded local firms. Comparable to UPIC's member firms in service offering, though operating as a multidisciplinary incumbent rather than an independent intermediary.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/upic-up

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 UPIC