Buy-and-Build with Ambitious Entrepreneurs = Attractive Returns | Frederik Brandis Interview

Frederik Brandis was one of the key minds behind Arsipa, a buy-and-build platform focused on acquiring occupational medicine and workplace safety consultancies. As one of the earliest investors and strategic partners, he helped scale the business through dozens of acquisitions before it achieved an exit to Warburg Pincus just three years after its founding.Today, he is the Founder & General Partner of Aven Capital Partners, where he backs exceptional entrepreneurs before they even own a business—helping them acquire, integrate, and scale small companies into market-leading platforms.In this conversation, we discuss what separates AAA entrepreneurs from everyone else, why emotional intelligence matters more than pedigree, how Frederik evaluates founders before they've built anything, why buy-and-build remains one of the most attractive opportunities in investing, and the biggest lessons from building one of Europe's most successful acquisition platforms.We also explore:• What makes an exceptional buy-and-build entrepreneur• How to evaluate people before they've built a track record• Why relationships outperform spreadsheets in acquisitions• The biggest misconceptions about roll-ups and ETA• When to sell—and why leaving value for the next owner matters• The future of buy-and-build investingWhether you're interested in private equity, entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA), search funds, capital allocation, or building businesses through acquisitions, I believe this episode is packed with practical insights.TIMESTAMPS00:00 The gap in private equity that led to Aven Capital Partners06:04 What makes a true "AAA Entrepreneur"09:00 How Frederik evaluates founders before they've built anything13:34 Is now still the best time for buy-and-build?16:43 The Arsipa story: from first investment to major exit20:20 Why Frederik chose investing over becoming a searcher27:00 Holding periods, exits & leaving upside for the next owner32:50 Designing businesses that private equity actually wants to buy37:16 How young entrepreneurs earn credibility without pedigree43:25 Why many searchers and roll-up founders fail46:06 Frederik vision for building Europe's operating system for buy-and-buildThis podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.