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Christian Gieger, with over 10 years of M&A experience in the middle market, and Benedikt von Hatzfeldt, a successful founder of an executive search agency with many years of experience as a strategy consultant, have teamed up to launch Tembo Search Partners. This unique platform caters to searchers, investors, and business owners in Germany. “Tembo” means “elephant” in Swahili, symbolizing patience, strength, diligence, intelligence, positive forces, a firm foundation, longevity, good cooperation, and success, which reflects the company’s investment philosophy. Tembo focuses on succession situations in German-speaking SMEs, assisting searchers throughout the entire process, from creating the SF and its financing to identifying potential targets, acquisition, and subsequent growth management until the exit process.
As Benedikt explains, “the German SF market should be one of the most active in the world due to the large number and robust economy of SMEs and the demographic change. However, many searchers, who have tried, have failed in their search process due to difficulties in accessing potential targets and convincing business owners to sell their companies due to the unfamiliarity of the SF concept. “The market and culture are now starting to shift, with owners in their 50s and 60s beginning to consider retirement and wanting to ensure their legacy is in good hands.” The professional acquisition process led by TSP guarantees security and transparency for all parties involved, both searchers and sellers. Additionally, their strategic partner, Münchmeyer Petersen & Co., a major family-run investment company, provides access to seasoned operative experts, and vouches for their professionalism and credibility.
“Successful succession requires not only entrepreneurial skills but also empathy, respect, and understanding of the small and medium-sized business culture. Therefore, these qualities are carefully considered when selecting searchers”, Benedikt explains. Their goal is to support up to 5 searchers per year, with the first one already in the onboarding process, and they are particularly interested in operational searchers with more than 10 years of experience. Christian adds that “besides providing access to capital and networks, Tembo offers a structured search approach, infrastructure, M&A expertise, and operational know-how, allowing SF entrepreneurs to focus on finding the right company. Tembo has secured financing from numerous small and medium-sized family offices, ensuring a steady deal flow of SF deals, enabling them to invest in low-ticket, deal-by-deal agreements”. While they have their network of investors, they are open to attracting new international investors to co-invest in their future deals as part of their portfolio approach.
