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: acquisitions.

At this year’s ScaleupFest 2025, we had the opportunity to discuss exactly this. Our Managing Partner Jan Pörschmann was part of the panel “Buy First, Build Faster: How to Hack Hyper-Growth with Acquisitions” – alongside Zsolt Mihaly (Oktogon Ventures) and Miroslav Michalko (Nextech Capital), moderated by Gábor Burchner (Absolvo Consulting).

What was the consensus?
Not always. But when it fits – then Buy First, Build Faster isn’t a shortcut, but a genuine growth multiplier 1.

And why can M&A be a smart path for scaleups too?
While many founders search for their next funding round and internally optimize their roadmap, they forget:
The next scaling breakthrough might lie on someone else’s balance sheet.

US tech giants have been demonstrating this for years:
They grow through strategic acquisitions, gaining not just markets, but also technologies, talent, brands, customer access, and regulatory footprints.

What does it take?
• A clear expansion thesis
• Discipline in integration
• Customer-centricity as guiding principle
• And: courage for the strategic gap

Particularly relevant for the DACH region
Especially in Germany, we’re currently seeing many succession situations in the tech industry.
For scaling startups, these present a unique opportunity:

To acquire proven companies and use them as platforms for international expansion.

When properly conceived and executed, such succession deals aren’t risks, but starting points for sustainable, cross-border growth.

Curious?
We’d be happy to show how atares and the international network of GlobalTechMergers can support the implementation of M&A growth strategies – from target sourcing to post-merger integration.

Let’s talk growth – merging visions.