We partner with ten exceptional searchers per year.
Long-term investors in Europe’s next generation of search fund entrepreneurs.
Search Fund Pioneers was founded by two entrepreneurs who each built and still run one of Europe’s most successful search funds. Drawing on this experience, they joined forces to invest in and mentor the next generation of exceptional searchers.
At 14, Alexander founded an internet service provider, later handing it to a successor to study at the University of St. Gallen. Becoming the first intern at Summit Partners in London, the pioneer of growth investing and proactive sourcing, opened up a new perspective: you can own an exceptional business and shape its future without starting one.
Till studied industrial engineering at KIT and HKUST. A lecture by DM founder Götz Werner left its mark: entrepreneurship as a way to build something that genuinely matters. After graduating, he joined Oliver Wyman, working on operational improvement and M&A across international projects. The experience sharpened a conviction: making a real difference means owning what you build.
While at Harvard Business School, Alexander skipped every job interview, focusing instead on whether to start or buy a business. He launched Germany’s first search fund right after graduation in 2009: no playbook, no community. Almost no one in Europe had heard of the model, let alone believed in it. Two and a half years and two near-acquisitions later, he found the right match.
In 2013, Till co-founded Kronos Kapital, the first search fund focused on Switzerland and southern Germany. Instead of generic outreach, they tried something else: handwritten envelopes, private addresses, a highlighted newspaper clipping, and a Swiss biscuit — boosting reply rates to over 20%. After 2,000 letters, they found the right company.
In 2012, he acquired two companies: INVERS, today’s worldwide market leader in vehicle sharing technology, and LapID, Germany’s leading fleet compliance platform. Scaling both as CEO proved that lasting value creation demands persistence, patience, and courage.
In 2015, he acquired Herchenbach Industrial Buildings, at the time a small regional player. Under Till’s leadership, it became Europe’s leading temporary warehouse provider, with the recurring revenue profile of an infrastructure business.
Till and Alexander co-founded Search Fund Pioneers in 2021 to invest in and support the next generation of European searchers. Their approach is simple: full focus on the operator, first-hand knowledge, and genuine enthusiasm for the craft of building a great company. The journey from search to acquisition to long-term ownership is one they know from every angle — and passing that on is what drives them, on stage at IESE, INSEAD, and Stanford, and in every conversation along the way.
We partner with a select group of searchers who share a simple belief: Entrepreneurship through acquisition is not a transaction. It’s a long-term commitment.
We invest as active operators. We still lead the businesses we acquired more than a decade ago. That keeps our perspective current: boardroom dynamics, people decisions, capital allocation calls. We bring that experience directly into the search fund journey.
We invest our own money. There’s no fund mandate, no LP timeline, no pressure to exit on schedule. That independence lets us back the right opportunity for the right reasons.
Our network is intentionally small. We don’t aim to be on every call. We aim to be useful at the moments that shape the searcher’s trajectory: a difficult negotiation, a critical hire, a strategic crossroads.
We believe that compounding value in companies, in people and in trust is the essence of long-term investing. We measure success not by returns alone, but by the quality and endurance of the entrepreneurs we work with.
Our portfolio spans multiple industries and countries across Europe. Each partnership reflects the same foundation — long-term thinking, operational depth, and mutual trust.
“From helping us build trust with the sellers to joining our board and being on our side accelerating the growth of the business: Alex’s extensive operating experience in a tech environment is unique in the European search fund ecosystem.”
“Every CEO eventually faces decisions that can’t be delegated. Those are the conversations where Till has been invaluable. His direct experience in business operations is hard to match.”
“What makes partnering with Alex invaluable is his triple perspective — as searcher, operator and investor.”
“Till has an instinct for the questions that actually matter. His greatest contribution is clarity.”
Part of the search.
We connect exclusively through trusted references within the search fund ecosystem.