When a startup is taken over by a larger company, this is called an exit. It is usually a sign of a successful business model, as was the case with Chanel Pilot Solutions, Etvas and Locoia, which all exited in 2023.
Chanel Pilot Solutions
In November 2023, funds advised by the investment company Bregal Unternehmerkapital (BU) acquired a majority stake in Hamburg-based Channel Pilot Solutions GmbH. It thus became part of the e-commerce software group in BU's portfolio and complements it with a leading tool for product data optimisation and marketplace connections. Channel Pilot Solutions, founded in Hamburg in 2012, provides companies with a cloud platform to optimise their product presence and availability on various online sales channels and to dynamically adjust prices with its Channel Pilot Pro tool. Around 3,500 online shops in the DACH region, France and Spain use this software solution.
Etvas
In June 2023, Mehrwerk GmbH from Bielefeld, which specialises in value-added solutions for banks, energy suppliers and insurers, announced the acquisition of its competitor Etvas from Hamburg. Etvas GmbH has established itself as a cashback provider and digital B2B2C marketplace for value-added services in recent years. Its target group is primarily banks. The fintech was founded in December 2019 by Ilie Ghiciuc and Sören Timm, who continues to act as Managing Director. Prior to its exit, Etvas had already completed two financing rounds totalling millions and had received funding from IFB Innovationsstarter GmbH and the Next Commerce Accelerator.
Locoia
Aareon, a Mainz-based provider of software solutions for the property industry, announced the acquisition of Locoia in January 2023. Locoia GmbH, foundet in 2019, offers a low-code automation and data platform for the digital transformation of companies. The startup is headquartered in Hamburg and has customers across Europe, primarily from the property sector at the time of the acquisition. The customer portfolio has since expanded considerably.
