Hardgreen

What we look for

Specific, and honest.

Our criteria, so you can judge the fit before you write.

We'd rather you rule us out in two minutes than spend weeks finding out we're not right for each other. Below is what we look for, what isn't a fit, and the deal structures we use.

The criteria

  • €200,000+

    EBITDA per year, up to €1,000,000

  • Healthy

    Margins with room to invest, pay people well and get through a bad year.

  • Any stake

    Full, majority or minority

  • None

    Exit date. We buy to hold.

Both financial criteria apply: a healthy profit, and margins that show customers value what the business does.

What makes a business interesting

  • Does it do something people genuinely rely on?
  • Will it still matter in ten years?
  • Can you explain how it makes money in two sentences?
  • Are customers loyal for good reasons, not because they're locked in?
  • Is there a team that can carry it, with or without the founder?
  • Is there integrity at the core, towards customers, staff and suppliers?

Where we're drawn

Mostly essential services, and businesses tied to resilience, risk and security. Think of inspection and testing, technical services and maintenance, security and continuity.

It isn't a hard rule; it's a centre of gravity. Gijs's background and our network are strongest here, and long-term ownership adds the most where reliability matters more than growth.

How we structure deals

  • Full acquisition

    We buy the whole company. Common when a founder wants to step back completely.

  • Majority stake

    We buy most of it. The founder or management keeps a stake and a say.

  • Minority stake

    We take a smaller stake and support a founder who stays in charge.

  • Founding

    We help start something new, when the idea, the market and the person justify it.

What isn't a fit

  • Businesses that need continuous outside funding to survive.
  • Turnarounds and businesses in distress.
  • Pre-revenue startups looking for venture-style returns.
  • Anything we can't explain to our parents.
  • Deals that depend on a quick resale.
  • Businesses where integrity is in question, however good the numbers.

One exception

Very occasionally we back a founder doing something we believe in. It's a personal bet, not a programme, and we don't take pitches for it.

Every conversation is confidential. We'll sign an NDA before you share anything sensitive, and a first conversation commits nobody to anything.

Start a conversation.

A first conversation commits nobody to anything. Gijs reads every email himself.

Contact

gijs@hardgreen.nl