Atares news

Cautious optimism sets the tone for the new year. At BayBG’s annual kick‑off, Dr. Jürgen Michels, Chief Economist at BayernLB, outlined a view that blends resilience with recovery—the ideal mix for strategic M&A to regain speed. At the same time, the founder generation of the 1990s/2000s is entering the succession phase. For owner‑managed IT and software companies, this creates a rare alignment: market window and generational change coincide. In that sense, 2026 is more than a new year—it’s a momentum year. Our theme: Buy‑then‑Grow.

“In 2001, we founded Proventis as an industry-agnostic M&A advisory,” recall atares’ current Managing Partners, Jan Pörschmann and Rainer Wieser. “From the outset, our approach was: we understand business models, not just industries.” Over two decades, this became one of the largest independent M&A boutiques in the DACH region, supporting clients across a wide range of sectors. Rainer Wieser and Jan Pörschmann primarily focused on transactions in the tech space, notably in the context of the Pro7-Sat1 Media Group—a foundation that would later become part of atares’ DNA.

In November 2025, there were 57 tech M&A deals in the DACH region, with a total published volume of €3.8 billion. This total came from 8 individual deals, while the amounts of the other deals weren't publicly announced. One of the most significant deals was the sale of Northern Data Group for €661 million.

For years, data sovereignty lived in the back office of our boardrooms—a compliance checkbox, a chief risk officer's burden, driven by fear of GDPR penalties. That era is ending. Look at the major transactions and political initiatives of the past twelve months. A new pattern emerges: sovereignty isn't a cost center anymore. It's an asset. We're witnessing German enterprises break free from their role as mere consumers of U.S. technology and step into a new identity—owners of their own digital infrastructure. This shift isn't ideological. It's strategic. And it's profitable.

In October 2025, there were 87 tech M&A transactions in the DACH region, with a published total volume of €9,141 million. This total amount resulted from seven individual transactions, while the amounts of the remaining transactions were not publicly disclosed. One of the most significant transactions was the sale of ABB's robotics division for €4.5 billion.

With the Bavarian VC Resolution 2025, the framework for venture capital in Germany has fundamentally shifted. Charitable foundations are now allowed to invest up to five percent of their assets into VC funds — a regulatory change that could channel hundreds of millions of euros of additional capital into Germany’s ecosystem. For atares, the advisory firm specializing in technology driven M&A transactions, this development was not a surprise but a confirmation of a strategic thesis: Munich and Bavaria are a centre of German tech companies.

In September 2025, 80 tech M&A transactions took place in the DACH region, with a total published volume of EUR 1,632 million. This total resulted from 10 individual transactions, while the amounts of the other transactions were not publicly disclosed. One of the most significant transactions was the sale of Cognigy for EUR 818 million.

Internal scaling is important – but not always sufficient. Companies looking to grow internationally as tech enterprises today should examine a growth strategy that's still vastly underestimated in Europe ...

In August 2025, 61 tech M&A transactions took place in the DACH region, with a total published volume of EUR 2,499 million. This total resulted from 8 individual transactions, while the amounts of the other transactions were not publicly disclosed. One of the most significant transactions was the sale of the Northern Data Group for EUR 1 billion.

atares, the digital M&A boutique for technology-driven companies, advised the shareholders of FLEXiCODE GmbH and FLEXiCODE Schweiz AG as exclusive M&A advisor on the sale to EOS Partners. The transaction marks the next step in the growth of the IFS specialist active in Germany and Switzerland and strengthens its leading position within the rapidly growing IFS ecosystem.