Transaction readiness
is not built on the day of the decision.
Structural, financial and regulatory preparation for company sale, succession or acquisition. For mid-market companies wanting to control their transaction timing.
Problem
Many mid-market transactions fail not because of missing buyers, but due to unstructured processes, incomplete documentation and key-person-dependent value creation.
Outcome
Transaction-ready company with reliable documentation, reduced key-person risks and clear valuation basis.
AME Standard = Asset-grade. Measurable. Executable.
For M&A readiness, AME Standard means: financials auditable, structures person-independent, documentation -proof.
Typically missing: separation of private/business assets, documented processes, EBITDA adjustment, ESG baseline data.
This service is designed for:
Typical situation
„We've been thinking about a sale for two years. But our tax advisor says the numbers aren't presentable, and our managing director says nothing works without him. We need structure before we talk to buyers."
Concrete deliverables
Illustrative timeline: The timings on this page show a possible plan. Binding deadlines depend on the project, data availability and the agreed scope.
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💡 Confidentiality is our top priority - NDA before first document exchange is standard.
The path to AME Standard
Readiness Check
← You are hereAssess structural, financial and regulatory transaction readiness. Prioritize action areas.
Readiness Build
Adjust EBITDA, reduce key-person risks, build documentation.
Transaction Preparation
Build data room, prepare vendor DD, define transaction structure.
Evidence-based methodology
Governance: All readiness analyses are strictly confidential. NDA before data review is standard. No conflicts of interest from third-party M&A mandates.
5 sectors. 5 services.
Find the right support.
Sectors describe the markets you work in. Services describe how we support you. Start with your market or your task, then explore the relevant specialist topics. We advise family offices, institutional investors and mid-market companies.
5 sectors: your market
- Sector 1Real EstateReal estate decisions combine asset quality, use, capital needs and ongoing income. The sector leads from the portfolio question through investment, development and holding to exit, linking valuation, energy, financing and transactions without mixing these services.Go to hub
- Sector 2EnergyThe Energy sector covers companies, infrastructure and transformation projects of the energy industry: generation, procurement and marketing, grids, metering, storage and flexibility. The focus is on contract models, price and volume risks, economic viability and capital commitment, prepared as a basis for decisions by management, supervisory bodies and capital providers. ESG (environmental, social and governance) and funding are subject areas of this sector, procurement is a service within it.Go to hub
- Sector 3Tech & GrowthTech & Growth brings together growth companies and technology-driven markets. The sector looks at business model, product, recurring revenue, customer retention, sales, unit economics, scaling and financing, as well as building platforms, software, data and automation. The aim is a basis for decisions by founders, management, advisory boards and investors: which growth step is viable, what it costs in capital and time, and which dependencies it creates.Go to hub
- Sector 4HealthcareThe Healthcare sector covers healthcare companies, their structures and their economic development: operators and providers, practices and medical care centres (MVZ), outpatient and residential care, hospitals and the service providers that work for care provision. The focus is on staffing, utilisation, processes, investment, succession and site development. Company, property and care-related questions are presented separately and brought together where the engagement requires it.Go to hub
- Sector 5EducationThe Education sector addresses education companies and institutional education structures: private and non-profit education providers, providers of continuing education and vocational training, independent schools and universities, and companies that develop digital learning products. The focus is on utilisation, participant acquisition, quality, revenue models, digitalisation and succession, the questions that decide whether an educational mandate is economically viable. The sector is clearly separate from the AME Academy's own learning formats and from career offers.Go to hub
5 services: your task
- Service 1Strategy & TransformationStrategy & Transformation combines choosing a viable target picture with corporate development, implementation planning and verifiable decisions. The service ranges from reviewing the business model and assessing strategic options, through the operating model and governance, to the transformation programme with a value creation plan and implementation steering that makes responsibilities and effects visible.Go to hub
- Service 2M&A & SuccessionM&A & Succession brings together company acquisitions and sales, succession solutions, due diligence and transaction support. The service combines the buyer's and the seller's perspective: from checking whether a company or an acquirer is ready for a transaction, through valuation assumptions and purchase price mechanics, to managing due diligence, negotiation preparation, closing and integration. Roles, process boundaries and the specialists needed from legal and tax advice are disclosed from the outset. Market-related risks are added case by case.Go to hub
- Service 3Asset ManagementAsset Management combines portfolio optimisation, asset steering and risk analysis. Real estate and other real assets are considered according to the specific mandate. The service translates the owners' objectives into a business plan per property or plant, prioritises investment, steers property managers and operators, and keeps income, costs, risk and value development continuously traceable, differentiated by asset class rather than following a one-size-fits-all model.Go to hub
- Service 4Wealth & RiskWealth & Risk is aimed at families, family offices and investors. The service makes wealth structure, concentrations and dependencies visible and frames the options for action. It looks at wealth as a whole, from operating holdings and real estate to liquidity, tests its resilience in agreed scenarios and prepares decisions on structure and governance that remain with the owners. From the outset it names the questions that legal, tax, insurance or investment specialists holding the required licence need to answer. Individual investment advice and the brokerage of financial or insurance products are not part of this service.Go to hub
- Service 5AI & DigitalizationAI & Digitalization combines digital transformation, AI solutions, process automation and data-driven workflows. The starting point is a specific task, not introducing as many tools as possible. We clarify which process should measurably improve, whether the data is fit for it and may be used, what the project returns once all costs are counted, where human oversight remains and when a solution without AI is the better choice.Go to hub
13 modules to explore
Explore advisory areas, specialist topics and supporting offers for knowledge, collaboration and learning. These modules connect sectors and services; they are not additional markets.
Strategy
- Strategy
- Execution
- Audit
Develop strategy · Connect sectors · Guide transformation
Asset Management
- Strategy
- Execution
- Audit
Manage assets · Stabilize leases · Integrate ESG
M&A - Succession
- Target Scouting & Screening
- Commercial Due Diligence
- Post-Merger Integration
Prepare transactions · Review risks · Assess enterprise value
AI & Tech
- GDPR-Extreme AI Deployment
- Knowledge Graph Extraction
- Process Automation Engines
AI-assisted due diligence · Local AI · Reliable data
Real Estate
- Stranded Asset Risk Mitigation
- CAPEX Optimization
- Portfolio ESG Transformation
Review devaluation risks · Prepare properties · Valuation reports
Energy
- PPA Structuring & Execution
- Decarbonization Pathways
- DIN 16247 Energy Audits
Assess decarbonization · Power purchase agreements · Tenant electricity
Wealth & Risk
- Family Office Structuring
- Tax Compliance (GoBD)
- Asset Allocation Strategy
Assess risks · Shape governance · Preserve wealth
ESG & Regulation
- Strategy
- Execution
- Audit
Sustainability reporting · EU Taxonomy · Assess impact
Funding
- Strategy
- Execution
- Audit
BAFA and KfW · Combine funding programs · Structure financing
Knowledge
- Strategy
- Execution
- Audit
Access knowledge · Find connections · Trace evidence
Partner Network
- Strategy
- Execution
- Audit
Connect experts · Deliver together · Assess qualifications
Education
- Strategy
- Execution
- Audit
AME Academy · Continuing education · Build capabilities
Healthcare
- Strategy
- Execution
- Audit
Value medical care centres · Sustainable care · Resilience
Understand the task.
Define the collaboration.
These illustrative use cases show potential review tasks. They are not published client references or evidence of achieved results. Scope, responsibilities and prerequisites are established for each project.
From entry to recurring model
Readiness Check
Structured initial assessment of transaction readiness.
EBITDA Adjustment
Financial preparation for realistic valuation basis.
Readiness Programme
Systematic build of transaction readiness over 6-12 months.
Vendor DD Support
Preparation and management of .
Next step:
Informed Decisions for
Complex Projects
These six review areas describe possible work tasks, not published engagement results. Scope, feasibility and success criteria are established for each project.
Compare the costs, benefits and assumptions of the specific project transparently. This does not establish a promised return.
Review manual verification and classification steps to identify suitable automation opportunities. Actual benefits depend on the data and processes.
Structure responsibilities, decisions and required evidence for traceability. This does not assert certification or complete legal compliance.
Bring together available data, open questions and necessary approvals. Timelines remain specific to each project.
Organise valuation assumptions, options and transaction steps for the specific engagement. No cumulative advisory volume is presented here as a reference without published evidence.
Make validation rules, sources and exceptions visible, with specialist review where needed. Automation does not remove the need for checks or establish a zero-error promise.
What does missing transaction preparation cost?
Valuation discount: unstructured companies typically achieve lower multiples - buyers price in integration risk.
Time loss: due diligence processes drag when documents need to be submitted retroactively - good buyers walk away.
Key-person risk: when value creation depends on the owner, company value drops - earn-out clauses become the norm.
Regulatory remediation: building ESG data, compliance documentation and contract hygiene retroactively costs time and money.
Negotiation disadvantage: without vendor due diligence, the buyer controls the information flow - the seller reacts instead of acting.
What systematic M&A preparation changes.
EBITDA adjustment: clean out private expenses, one-off effects and owner compensation - create realistic valuation basis.
Structural independence: identify and systematically reduce key-person risks - build management capacity.
Documentation readiness: prepare all relevant documents due-diligence-proof - no retroactive submissions during the process.
Regulatory cleanliness: review and clean up contracts, licenses, compliance and ESG baseline data.
Timing control: determine transaction timing yourself instead of being forced to sell under pressure.
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