We invest in the future of the SME sector by empowering skilled and passionate entrepreneurs to become the next generation of CEOs – partnering them with SME owners looking for the right successor to take their business forward. A management buy-in can be the right acquisition strategy for ambitious entrepreneurial operators to step up, and business owners looking for a timely exit.
We help business owners solve their succession issues by finding the perfect candidate to continue their business legacy and drive future success.
We make the dream of business ownership a reality. We empower entrepreneurial, talented operators to step up and become the next generation of CEOs.
Our founders are entrepreneurs-turned-investors, focused on diversifying and scaling their investments in the SME sector – a crucial part of the economy.
The AIA management buy-in program was created by successful entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs. We have built a platform to empower entrepreneurship through acquisition. The passion to help ambitious entrepreneurs to succeed is deeply rooted in our DNA.
Our vast experience across a spectrum of industry sectors allows us to understand the challenges facing today’s business owners, as well as those starting their acquisition journey.
Our Founder
Ralf Grass is a business owner and serial entrepreneur. He founded his first company in Germany 30 years ago but is best known for establishing EnergieTEAM in France in 2002, a leading name in the wind and renewable energy sector. Ralf has invested in more than 20 owner-operated SMEs across diverse sectors and markets, in recent years.
AIA now provides a platform for entrepreneurial investors like Ralf to scale and accelerate investments in profitable, well-managed SMEs.
We partner with experienced operators to carry out management buy-ins on owner-operated SMEs across Europe, transforming them into institutional-grade assets.
By focusing on owner-operated SMEs, we help address the growing succession crisis facing many business owners. Our management buy-ins provide the stability, continuity, and resources needed to ensure these vital companies thrive in the future.
By investing directly into the SME sector we diversify our investors' portfolios into the "other half" of the economy, insulating them from the valuation risks of mid- and large-caps.
We create value by bringing in new leadership that embraces sellers' legacies and amplifies already established growth trajectories.
Our Operating Partners have taken part in a rigorous selection procedure lasting more than two months, and invested many hours of their time to get this far. They are actively searching for profitable businesses to acquire and lead – they are investing in their future and safeguarding the future of SMEs in Europe.
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