Hof, January 15th, 2025 – Our event focused on the key question of how artificial intelligence has already had a lasting impact on the telecommunications industry and what profound changes lie ahead in the coming years. Our founder Oliver Kolb joined Florian Hübner (‘Mr Tech’), Hans-Peter Friedrich (former Federal Minister of the Interior) and our Senior Advisor and organiser Achim Hager on the panel to discuss these exciting developments in front of 150 entrepreneurs, managing directors and industry representatives.

The evening provided valuable insights into the current challenges and trends in the industry. In addition to exploring how companies can adapt their strategies to keep pace with the rapid progress of AI, two key themes emerged: the impact of European regulation (EU AI Act) against the backdrop of the announced US investment initiative (“Stargate”).

From an M&A perspective, the valuation of AI companies is particularly interesting, as these companies often have a relatively short history. Beyond financial metrics such as revenue and profitability – which are often limited in the early stages – factors such as technological differentiation, market potential and team structure, as well as their development potential, play a central role.

As a mid-market M&A advisory firm specialising in supporting AI and software companies, the insights from this event were of particular relevance to us. The immense market potential, combined with an increasingly nuanced regulatory framework, presents huge opportunities for strategic partnerships and M&A transactions.

We help our clients highlight their unique technological capabilities and market potential, and optimise their “exit readiness”. This includes designing organisational structures that ensure a high level of transaction readiness. The changes driven by AI are creating a highly dynamic market for M&A activity in telecommunications and beyond. We look forward to continuing the dialogue with our clients and investors and working together to seize the opportunities in this forward-looking market.