EIGER

A long-term holding company forging European champions.

About Us

Eiger is a true alternative to private equity funds. We set up investment vehicles for one specific market. Our capital stems from family offices, entrepreneurs, and endowments. They think long-term, just like us. We acquire businesses with a long-term history of growth and success. Before we buy a company, we typically spend significant time and resources understanding the market inside out. Once we have built a deep understanding of the market and a strong conviction, we act quickly and decisively.

We look for entrepreneurs who stay active at the steering wheel after the transaction. For us it is of high importance that the entrepreneur reinvests a substantial equity stake. After closing, we proactively work on realizing inorganic growth via attractive acquisitions. We place high trust into the entrepreneurs we partner with and aim to not intervene in the operating side of the business.

Our DNA

High reinvestments

Our resources are focused on allocating capital well. We are a small team and can’t supply great managers ourselves. Hence, we place our trust in the entrepreneurs (who have already successfully run their businesses for years). We don’t tell the entrepreneurs how to run their businesses since we don’t know the business better than they do. We value entrepreneurs who reinvest a significant part of their proceeds alongside us, typically 30-50%, sometimes even 80%.

Deep market knowledge

We do not spread ourselves thin. We spend our time in only a select number of markets to understand them well. We value markets with high fragmentation and attractive cash generation ability. Over time, we aim to build a strong conviction of long-term growth potential. This specialization allows us to move faster than others and make the right decisions.

Proactive deal sourcing

Great companies are rarely for sale. We proactively establish relationships with entrepreneurs. Over time (often years) we learn about their businesses and the true market drivers. Once the moment is right, we are able to move quickly based on trust. Having hundreds of conversations within a certain market helps with being a thoughtful conversation partner with a perspective. Also, we are able to realize significant inorganic growth (more than 10x of the initial size) in a short-period of time.

Before investing

Our Strategy

Once a market is chosen, we source proactively rather than waiting for opportunities to come to us. We reach out to entrepreneurs directly and build a network over time. The right company (for us) has a long history of growth and an EBIT of EUR 3-25m. The right entrepreneur stays invested meaningfully and remains at the steering wheel after the transaction.

During a transaction

We invest in building a strong relationship with the entrepreneur. During the due diligence, we focus on understanding the commercial aspects well (how the market has developed over the last 20 years, what has made the business successful, what really drives profitability and what the competitors are doing). We do most of this work ourselves rather than relying on external advisors. They will not be around after closing, but we will. The decision has to be ours.

After closing

After acquiring a business, we invest time in understanding it properly before acting. We believe in preserving entrepreneurial spirit, rather than disrupting it, particularly in the early stages of ownership. Over time, we support the growth of the group through acquisitions. We focus only on the things where we can add real value and stay out of everything else. Over the long-term, our goal is to scale our investments into European champions.

Our Values

Integrity

Our word is our bond. We act with accountability, transparency, and the highest ethical standards. We say what we mean, do what we say, and own our mistakes.

Long-term

We take a long-term perspective and prioritize sustainable growth over short-term gains. We are not chasing quick exits or optimizing for the next quarter. We are patient where others are not.

Passion

Our passion for entrepreneurship pushes us to spot opportunities and make bold decisions. We get excited about businesses, the people behind them, and the potential they carry.

Excellence

Commitment, rigor, and a constant drive to improve are non-negotiable in everything we do. “Good enough” is never good enough. We always ask whether we can do better.