Smokestack is one of the first Search Funds in Central Europe and unlike traditional approach combining long-standing, transactional and operational experience of its founder.
We will manage your company hands-on, on daily basis, wherever it operates.
Seasoned investors from all over the world with a clear source of their wealth.
Smokestack © 2024
With a group of private and institutional, predominantly international, investors, we bring to Czech and Slovak market a strong integrity within the proven concept solving a legacy issue of one company and its founder.
Smokestack searches for only one successful Czech or Slovak company to operate it in person and be 120% focused on its future growth and development.
Let us continue in realizing your (owner's ) vision and provide the company a space for long-term sustainable growth without any ethical compromise.
We do not have an investment horizon. We can buy and operate your company for 5 years, however also for 10 or 15 years. Or we will never sell it anymore.
Search for companies
1
Funds for deployment (M EUR)
25
Partners
21
Continuity
100%
The founder and seasoned investors bring countless years of experience with operations and development of companies across various industries all over the world.
We search for a stable, growing and profitable company with operating income (EBITDA) over 1 million EUR.
Size
- Revenue > 5M EUR
- EBITDA > 1M EUR
- EBITDA > 10%
Industry
- Non-cyclical
- Stable customer base
- Unique product or service
Solution
- Keeping founder's legacy
- Flexible, fast and simple transaction
- Tailored for you and your company
| Private Equity | Competition | ||
| Buyer's goals | Adding another company to the portfolio and continue buying more companies | 100% of our attention to management and development of your company | Acquisition target fulfilling the goals of the larger corporation |
| Founder's vision | Do not take into account | Preserved | Changed to be aligned with the conglomerate |
| Future of the seller | Obligation to stay and work for many years based on the buyer decision | Flexible, adjusted to the seller's needs | Obligation to stay or go based on the conglomerate needs |
| Value creation | Maximize profit via decreasing costs, financial leverage, exit | Long-term sustainable growth of the company through operational excellence and expansion | Realizing synergies through cost-cutting and making employees redundant |
| Source of financing | Pension funds, institutional investors, banks, insurance companies | Successful entrepreneurs and private investors from all over the world | Conglomarate's internal funds and external debt |
| Terms & Conditions | Standard terms & conditions | Tailored to the seller and the company | Low flexibility |
| Investment horizon | 3 - 5 years | Long-term, indefinite | Un-known |
Martin spent more than last 10 years in Executive Management, Restructuring and M&A, working for private, professional investors.
He has experience from a wide range of industries, including Energy, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing, IT, Biotechnology or Pharmaceutics within Central European region as well as overseas.
Martin led or was part of management team of restructuring of Schnell Motoren AG, Technistone, eD System and Penize.cz. Since 2016 he served as a Member of the Board of Directors at Energy and Engineering company Tedom Group and was responsible for Finance, M&A and Strategy. He significantly contributed to more than doubling the company's size and its successful sale in 2020. Martin graduated from Faculty of Finance & Accounting from University of Economics in Prague.
Ask Us About Anything
How many companies do you plan to acquire?
Only one company.
Does it mean you will be fully focused on that one deal and will care more than standard Private Equity funds/financial investors?
Yes, the founder will move to the area where a company is based and will be there managing the company on daily basis.
What does happen to my company after I will sell it to you?
We will continue in your great work and do our best to put the company on a sustainable growth track and preserve your legacy.
Do I have to stay at he company for another two or three years after the sale as another interested parties require?
Not at all, due to our operational approach we are able to structure whole acquisition and future step based on your preferences and needs.
Do you plan to sell the company after 5 years as it's quite standard way how standard funds and other financial investors realize profits?
We do not plan it. We would like to utilize whole potential of your company and we know and count it can take 5, 10 or even 15 years. There is also a probable scenario that even after 15 years we will still see the potential and we will operate the company for decades, very the same as you did.
Who will finance an acquisition?, who is behind Smokestack?
Smokestack is a group consisted by its founder and another 20, predominantly international, investors. We are all having different and complementary skills, knowledge and experience from various industries and many markets all over the world. We are entrepreneurs, who built, operated and in some cases already sold our companies and now would like to be part of another great, successful story; private investors, seasoned executives or family offices and institutional investors.