The programme

Your path to handover day.

The Nachfounder programme: your compact and individual path to acquisition in three phases. Get ready, find a match, close the deal.

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At a glance
Pace
Compact and individual
Format
Hybrid with in-person meetings
Group
Small cohorts
Application
Possible at any time

The process

Two tracks, one goal.

The top track is for founders, the bottom one for owners. How long each phase takes depends on you and the company. The blue dots are the dates when everyone meets in person.

  1. Application

    Before

    Owners

    • First talk and succession check

  2. Get fit

    Playbook and investment thesis

    Phase 1

    Kick-off

    Owners

    • Filming day for the business portrait
    • Profile in the Deal-Room

  3. Matching

    Deal flow and first meetings

    Phase 2

    Matching Days

    Owners

    • Matching Days
    • Trial week

  4. Deal

    Due diligence, financing, signing

    Phase 3

    Handover day

    Owners

    • Negotiation and review
    • Handover

  5. Support

    until it runs

    After

The three phases

What happens in the three phases.

01Phase 1

Getting ready

  • Kick-off with the cohort, right inside a company
  • Remote sessions on the playbook, flexible enough for your job or project
  • First meeting with a bank
Outcome

Investment thesis and an approved financing framework

02Phase 2

Matching

  • Access to the Deal-Room with Business portraits
  • Matching Days: several companies back to back
  • Trial week at your preferred company
Outcome

One or two preferred companies, ideally an LOI

03Phase 3

Deal

  • Due Diligence with tax advisors, lawyers and M&A professionals
  • Deal structure with bank, funding and a vendor loan
  • Handover and 100-day plan
Outcome

Your deal on handover day, presented to owners, banks and investors

In-person meetings

Everyone meets in person three times.

In between, the programme runs remotely and at your own pace, so it remains manageable alongside a job or project.

At the start

Kick-off

The cohort gets to know each other, right inside a company and at the table with the owner.

In the middle

Matching Days

On the road to several companies. Founders and owners get to know each other on site.

At the end

Handover day

Our demo day, but with a signature. The cohort presents their deals to owners, banks and investors.

In the end

What you will have in your hands at the end.

  • Your investment thesis
  • An approved financing framework
  • At least three companies from the deal flow
  • Ideally, a signed LOI
  • Your 100-day plan

Application

How to get into the programme.

  1. 01

    Apply online

    Your CV, LinkedIn profile and a few sentences about why you want to take over a business.

  2. 02

    Interview

    We get to know you and see if the programme is a good fit for you.

  3. 03

    Case study

    An anonymised company, your assessment. It's not a test, but a way to get a feel for the task.

Requirements

  • You have founded a company, led a team or been responsible for results before
  • You are serious about taking over a business, not just looking
  • An acquisition is fundamentally financeable for you
  • You are willing to relocate or commute for the right opportunity

After the programme

The handover does not end on handover day.

Phased handover

We support you until you are firmly in the saddle.

Mentoring

From entrepreneurs who have been through a succession themselves and know the pitfalls.

Alumni

Your cohort stays with you. And one day, you will be a mentor for the next one.

Next cohort

Ready for your handover day?

Apply for the next cohort. We will get back to you personally.

Apply now