For owners
Business succession with an active co-shareholder
You have built a business. Sooner or later, the question arises: what does the next phase require of the company, the management, and you?
Companio Capital becomes a co-shareholder in profitable SMEs and works with the existing management to build a company that is better organized for the next phase.
We are not a buyer who walks away after the transaction. We step in as a shareholder within the company’s structure.
For whom
For those who are interested
Companio is ideal for entrepreneurs and management teams who want to take their business to the next level and understand that this requires more than just capital.
We are best suited for situations where:
- The company is profitable and typically generates between €2 million and €10 million in revenue;
- Bank financing alone is not the best or most desirable option;
- There is clear potential for professionalization and scaling up;
- There is, or can be formed, a management team capable of taking on responsibility;
- The primary motivation for the transfer lies in ensuring the continuity of the business, its people, and its culture.
We are definitely not the right fit for entrepreneurs who are primarily looking for a partner who won’t interfere, or who are willing to transfer ownership but want to retain decision-making authority.
Your Expectations
What you can expect from us
Following the transaction, we will not take over the day-to-day operations. Management will continue to lead the company. What will change, however, is that a new co-shareholder will join the company, actively contributing ideas and participating in decisions regarding strategy, structure, and direction.
This means, among other things:
- Shared decision-making at the strategic level;
- Improved financial reporting and clearer decision-making structures;
- Investment decisions evaluated based on long-term value;
- Explicit agreements regarding roles, mandates, and approval rights;
- Less reliance on a single person.
The key question is always: Will this strengthen the company in the long term?
What remains
What remains the same
A business transfer does not necessarily mean that the company loses its identity.
What remains essentially the same:
- Management runs the company;
- Day-to-day management will remain with the existing team;
- Customer relationships, culture, and working methods are not automatically called into question;
- The company remains recognizable as a business, not as a financial vehicle.
The goal is to strengthen the company's organizational structure without fundamentally altering its character.
What we're working on
What we are working on as co-shareholders
Our commitment always focuses on five key areas:
01
Clarify and refine market selection, value proposition, and growth strategy.
02
Strengthen the management structure and reduce the company's reliance on any one individual.
03
Improve reporting, predictability, and the quality of funding.
04
Prioritize investments aimed at structural strengthening rather than ad hoc needs.
05
Establish decision-making structures that will continue to function in the next phase of ownership.
Together, these factors determine whether a company is ready for further growth or the next stage of ownership.
The process
From the initial consultation to an active partnership
A project with Companio proceeds in four phases. Each phase has a clear objective and a clear decision point—for both parties.
Phase 1 · Introduction
Explore whether there is a foundation
We’ll start with an open conversation about your situation, your motivation, and your expectations. No sales pitch on our part—just an honest assessment of whether there’s a solid enough foundation for both of us to continue the conversation.
Your motivation for selling, the role you see yourself playing, and whether the management team intends to continue building the business.
How our model works, what we are and aren’t, and whether your company fits our profile.
Phase 2 · Analysis of the Company
Explore whether there is a foundation
In collaboration with the operational team: formulate a growth strategy, identify consolidation opportunities, and substantiate the investment thesis. The strategic direction must be explainable to a future owner
The logic of growth,
How our model works, what we are and aren’t, and whether your company fits our profile.
Phase 3 · Review of the facts
Check whether the facts support the story
If both parties wish to proceed, a thorough analysis of the company will follow—covering financial, operational, and legal aspects. This is the point at which we honestly assess what makes the company strong—and where the risks lie.
Financial structure, market position, management capabilities, reliance on key personnel, potential for scale.
A shared understanding of the starting point. No surprises after the transaction.
Phase 4 · Transaction and Structuring
Documenting ownership, agreements, and mandates
During this phase, ownership structures, shareholder rights, approval rights, debt policy, dividend agreements, and the division of roles are explicitly defined.
Shareholding structure, decision-making authority, approval rights, dividend and debt policies, division of roles.
Clear agreements that work for everyone involved—including a future shareholder.
Phase 5 · Active Partnership
Working together to build scalability and portability
Once the transaction is complete, the real work begins. We then work together with management and other shareholders to further develop the company.
Participating in shareholder meetings, helping to develop strategy, testing assumptions, and structuring investment decisions.
Will the company become demonstrably more scalable and easier to transfer?
Your role
Your role after the transaction
Companio operates on the basis of partnership, not replacement. That is why there is no standard scenario for the selling entrepreneur.
Possible situations include:
You are transferring full ownership
You sell your stake and step down. Companio continues to work with the management team, which remains on as co-owners.
You are phasing out your involvement
You will transfer responsibilities step by step, at a pace that suits the company and its management.
You remain involved as a co-owner
You retain an ownership stake and remain strategically involved, while day-to-day management is handled by the management team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Honest answers to the questions that matter
Will I lose control of my business?
Following the transaction, the ownership structure changes, and with it, the decision-making process. Strategic decisions are made within agreed-upon shareholder structures. This means less autonomy, but more shared responsibility.
Can I stay involved?
Yes. Whether and how this is done is determined on a case-by-case basis. Remaining actively involved, phasing out gradually, or remaining a strategic co-owner are all possible scenarios.
What if we disagree?
That is part of active shareholding. Differences of opinion are not avoided, but are managed within clear agreements and decision-making structures.
How does Companio prevent value from being drained from the company?
Through formal safeguards, such as agreements on debt levels, dividend policy, and transparency regarding compensation. These are set forth in the shareholders’ agreement.
How long will Companio remain involved?
Companio is not the end of the line. The goal is to prepare the company for the next phase. The timeline depends on the company’s development.
Transparency
Clear about what we do and do not share publicly
We operate in accordance with applicable regulatory and disclosure requirements. This means that we do not publicly disclose certain information, such as performance figures, fund-specific data, and forward-looking statements.
What we do share
How we work: the people, the roles, the ownership structure, our approach, and the decisions that go along with it.
What we do not share publicly
Return figures · Fund-specific data · Forward-looking statements
Does this apply to your situation?
Are you looking for a business succession or transfer that involves not only capital, but also a shareholder who will work alongside management to ensure continuity and structural strengthening?
We’d love to meet you.
Is the company objectively more scalable, less dependent, and more professionally transferable than when it was first established?
This is the standard against which we measure every intervention, investment, and decision.