Seven European M&A advisory firms unite to launch 7oceans
A group of seven independent M&A advisory firms have joined forces to launch 7oceans, a new M&A alliance with offices across Europe.
The founding members are Provantage (United Kingdom), Taurus Advisory (Germany), Adviso Partners (France), Stepstone Corporate Finance+ (Netherlands), Nash Advisory (Italy), Ramus & Company (Switzerland) and CKS Finance (Ireland).
Each member firm will remain independent and continue to operate under its own name, while collaborating closely under the 7oceans banner on cross-border transactions in the mid-market landscape.
The collaboration comes at a time of increasing internationalisation in the M&A market, with a growing share of transactions involving cross-border buyers, sellers or investors – not only in the large-cap segment, but also among mid-cap and family-owned businesses. Recent research shows that in the major M&A markets, more than a quarter of transactions now involve an international party on at least one side of the deal table.
For the founding members of 7oceans, access to an international network was a key driver in their decision to join.
Ruud van Hoek, partner at Stepstone Corporate Finance+, commented: “A significant part of our sale transactions are now closed with buyers from other European countries. It is far more effective to involve our international colleagues to approach these parties. Given the existing differences in language and culture, it is much more efficient when this is done through a local representative.”
The same applies on the buy side, adds partner Stepstone Corporate Finance+ partner Jurgen van Dijk: “On the buy side, we often act for companies that, sometimes backed by private equity, pursue a European buy-and-build strategy. Thanks to our 7oceans colleagues, we can now identify attractive acquisition targets in multiple countries simultaneously and approach them in the most effective way.”
An international collective
To streamline their collaboration, member firms will host weekly deal calls, maintain shared databases, deliver joint pitches and organise bi-annual global conferences.
“It’s refreshing to help shape a new alliance built on close-knit, trusted relationships,” said Sally Saunders, partner at Provantage Corporate Finance. “As founding members, we’re already seeing the impact – faster, smarter, and more seamless cross-border transactions.”
Conor Sheahan, Founder of CKS Finance, said: “We’re delighted that CKS Finance is a founding member of 7oceans and proud to be part of something stronger, smarter and more connected. The collective unites trusted advisors with one mission: to deliver smarter, faster, and seamless cross-border deals.”
Bertrand Thimonier, President of Adviso Partners, stated: “With 7oceans, we are laying the foundations for a new way of doing M&A: more qualitative, more collaborative, and more internationally focused. It is an alliance built on trust and complementarity, offering our clients both local support and the strength of an international collective.”
In the coming years, 7oceans aims to expand beyond Europe and build a presence across North America, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa.
