- AVANTGARDE Group, the pioneer within the global Experience Economy and majority owned by EMH Partners, sells 100% of its shares in AVANTGARDE Experts, a leading German recruitment specialist in the mobility & tech sector, to YER Group.
- Inflexion-backed YER Group is an international recruitment company specializing in temporary and permanent positions for white-collar professionals.
- EMH Partners remains the majority shareholder of AVANTGARDE Group, alongside management and its founder Martin Schnaack.
Munich | Amsterdam, 14th May 2024 – YER Group, an international recruiting company operating out of the Netherlands, is acquiring Munich-based recruitment specialist AVANTGARDE Experts. AVANTGARDE Experts and YER Group will be moving forward together to strengthen their position in the German market for filling personnel vacancies in sustainable industries such as tech, mobility and energy. YER Group is acquiring the shares in AVANTGARDE Experts from its parent, AVANTGARDE Group, which is majority owned by EMH Partners, a leading growth investment firm that partners with technology businesses and entrepreneurs.
Founded in 2007, AVANTGARDE Experts has developed into one of the German market leaders in filling academic roles in the mobility & tech sector, thanks to its clear and compelling vision for the future. Around 1.200 employees currently provide support for automotive manufacturers and suppliers, OEMs as well as industrial and digital groups across Germany in modern staffing solutions. The company generated a revenue of about €100 million in 2023.
Since the initial investment in the AVANTGARDE Group in 2019, EMH Partners has supported AVANTGARDE Experts’ continuous growth while increasing profitability significantly.
The YER Group, which reported a record revenue of almost €400 million in 2023 and currently has a workforce of over 3.200 employees in the Netherlands, Belgium and the USA, will gain large-scale access to the German market through the acquisition. The company has already invested in a Bochum-based personnel service provider Staffxperts this year, with a focus on the energy sector. The new strategic partnerships enable further growth areas to be developed while reinforcing the company’s market position regarding the forward-looking MINT sector.
“Becoming part of the YER Group marks a huge milestone in our company’s history. The partnership will accelerate our journey to becoming the category leader in filling contemporary jobs in the mobility & tech sector. The merger in particular benefits both our customers and our candidates. We provide customers access to international talent and create transnational offers for our candidates,” says Philipp Riedel, CEO at AVANTGARDE Experts. “Personally, I am especially pleased to have a new venture partner for AVANTGARDE Experts who is a perfect cultural and economic fit for us. We would like to thank EMH Partners for their continued trust and support over the past years,” he concludes.
Johan Overgaauw, CEO at YER Group: “With its extensive expertise, its ambitions and its sustainable market position, AVANTGARDE Experts opens up a broad market entry for us in Germany. Acquiring AVANTGARDE Experts constitutes another important step in our international growth strategy. I am greatly looking forward to continuously improving our offering for both customers and candidates through this joint collaboration.”
“At EMH Partners, we invest in companies that shape high-growth markets as pioneers and market leaders. Over the past years, AVANTGARDE Experts has continuously become a category leader in high scarcity talent in undersupplied fields such as tech and mobility,” says Simon Joha, Principal at EMH Partners. “As part of YER Group, AVANTGARDE Experts will embark on a new and exciting journey, where the collective expertise of both companies will deliver exceptional value to clients and talent.”
EMH Partners remains the majority shareholder of AVANTGARDE Group, alongside management and its founder Martin Schnaack.
The terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. The transaction is expected to close subject to customary regulatory approvals. Lincoln International and GÖRG acted as advisors to the sellers.