We buy owner-managed inspection firms with statutory inspection cycles: structural inspection under DIN 1076, electrical testing under DGUV V3, certified building services inspectors, hazardous substance and contaminated site surveys, drinking water and playground inspection. Directly or through your advisor.
Anyone who wants to buy your company has to understand what your people are talking about. This is our vocabulary.
A buyer has to know the market. These are the facts we work with.
Most bridges belong to municipalities, and about half of these are not in good condition. Each one is inspected every three years, even when nothing is being built.
Our assessment for each segment of this sector, side by side. The bar shows what share of today's working time can be automated with available technology.
| Segment | AI impact | Automatable working time | Strongest lever |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical testing | 5 | 35% to 50% | Reports without retyping |
| Additional testing services | 4 | 30% to 45% | Routes and scheduling |
| Hazardous substance surveys | 4 | 25% to 40% | Building age and material research |
| Structural inspection | 4 | 25% to 35% | Findings from drone images |
| Certified inspection experts | 3 | 20% to 30% | Checking documents against standards |
GTP assessment as of September 2026. Not a market study. Sources and limits are on each segment page.
Bridges, tunnels, retaining walls or noise barriers for the federal government, states, municipalities or Deutsche Bahn.
Testing services for portable equipment, fixed installations and machines.
Fire protection, ventilation, smoke extraction, safety power supply or fire extinguishing systems.
Building pollutants, asbestos surveys, contaminated sites and soil protection with recurring clients.
Drinking water and legionella testing, playground and sports facility inspection.
A bridge is inspected every three years, a special building every three years, an item of equipment every six months to four years. These cycles continue when construction stalls. 37% of engineering firms reported falling orders in 2025 (VBI economic survey 2026). Inspection firms with framework contracts were hardly affected.
About half of the 67,000 municipal bridges are not in good condition (Difu 2013). At the same time, engineering offices were short of about 7,700 engineers in 2021 (VBI 2023). Inspection capacity is scarce.
An inspection report under RI-EBW-PRÜF or a DGUV V3 report consists of findings, photo, rating and text. The engineer collects the findings. A system can generate the text from speech and images. We estimate the desk share at 60% to 80% of working time (GTP assumption). The system drafts the report, the engineer checks and signs it.
The first call takes 30 minutes, is confidential and is held with a Managing Partner. We work out your value with your numbers and name the three factors that move it most, including possible discounts. Afterwards you get our assessment in writing, even if we decline.
Enterprise value is not the payout. What reaches your account depends on four items:
If one of these points applies, the value drops:
We calculate your value in the first call using your numbers. We go through the four items openly with you, even if the result is below your expectations.
We build a group from several owner-managed businesses. Each business stays independent and shares back office and purchasing with the others.
What applies to your company, we put in the purchase agreement.
Succession is settled, and your business stays independent under its own name. In the group it buys more cheaply and finds staff more easily. You decide whether you keep leading or leave after the handover.
If the highest price matters most, look at both types of buyer. The table shows what each route means for your team and your role.
| Generation Tech Partners | Large consolidators (TÜV, Dekra, Kiwa) | |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase price | Calculated openly with your numbers | Often higher |
| Response | Usually within 72 hours, with reasons | Weeks, often in an auction |
| Name and location | Stay | Often rebranding and a head office |
| Your role afterwards | Interim managing director, advisory board, rollover of up to 25% | Usually exit after handover |
| Team | Stays, gets back-office relief | Integration into group processes |
| Sector knowledge | Market data, regulation, sub-segments on this page | Yes, often deeper |
Both routes work directly or through an M&A advisor. We are just as happy to work with an advisor.
Your clients trust inspectors with a name and recognition. That is why we only buy if the team stays and the next generation already works in the business.
We first look at who will sign in five years. If that is only the owner, we tell you before any price discussion.
Here are our minimum sizes per segment and the metrics we need in the teaser.
| Segment | Minimum size |
|---|---|
| Structural inspection under DIN 1076 | Certified structural inspectors on the team |
| Electrical testing under DGUV Regulation 3 | 10 or more field inspectors |
| Certified building services inspectors | At least two recognized people |
| Hazardous substance and contaminated site surveys | Framework clients from the housing sector, industry and the public sector |
| Additional testing services | As an add-on or on its own from €0.5m EBITDA |
All 24 segments and minimum sizes: Acquisition profile for advisors
No. Recognitions as a certified inspection expert, structural inspector or expert are personal. They are tied to you and are not affected by a change of shareholders. In a share deal, the company remains in place and you remain recognized. That is why in step 4 we check which employees will requalify before you leave.
No. Structural design, building services design, electrical design and architecture live on individual projects. Revenue depends on the construction cycle and on a few individuals. We turned down a structural engineering office for exactly this reason. Inspection firms have statutory cycles and recurring clients.
The value is the adjusted EBITDA of the last three years times a multiple. The multiple rises with recurring revenue, contract terms and team depth. It falls with the project share and dependence on the owner. We work out your value in the first call using your numbers and show the calculation openly.
The process has five steps. 1. Confidential enquiry. We usually reply within 72 hours. 2. First call. 30 minutes with a Managing Partner. 3. Indicative offer. Within 2 to 4 weeks, under NDA if you wish. 4. Due diligence and contract. Closing usually 6 to 9 months after the first call. 5. Handover. You stay on as managing director for 6 to 24 months.
Yes. Many owners stay 6 to 24 months as interim managing director and then move to the advisory board. Others hand over right away to a managing director from our network. We set this out together in the purchase agreement.
In a share deal, your company remains the contracting party. Framework contracts with Autobahn GmbH, state road agencies or municipalities continue. An asset deal would trigger a new tender. That is why we always structure inspection firms as share deals.
Your inspectors still collect the findings on site themselves. What is new is the documentation: dictation and photos become a draft report. The inspector checks, corrects and signs. That saves hours at the desk per report. Nobody loses their job.
That is your decision. Many owners work with an advisor, and we are happy to work with them. A good advisor prepares documents and saves both sides time. If you come directly, the partners run the process themselves. In any case, you should bring in your own lawyer and tax advisor.
A 30-minute call is enough to know whether we fit. Afterwards you get a written assessment with reasons.
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