Rewriting the M&A playbook: Inside Visma’s acquisition strategy
Visma is transforming M&A by acquiring early-stage startups and granting them operational independence, fostering a community of founders.Summary
European software company Visma is redefining the traditional M&A playbook by acquiring promising early-stage companies and granting them a high degree of operational freedom. Rather than full integration, Visma allows acquired founders to make decisions close to the customer and market, acting as a "club of other founders" that provides shared resources, expertise, and a broader ecosystem. This approach targets "future winners" with strong teams and products, offering a safer alternative to VC funding that preserves ownership and upsides through earnouts. By curating boards with portfolio founders and leveraging aggregated data for healthy competition, Visma enables its portfolio companies to grow independently while mitigating the isolation of leadership.
(Source：Sifted Eu)