GREENPEAK Partners and AC CHRISTES & PARTNER launch atania platform together with THE MAKERY

 

• GREENPEAK Partners and AC CHRISTES & PARTNER enter a strategic partnership
• New platform atania positioned as a one-stop shop for holistic mid-market advisory
• Additional founding partner THE MAKERY contributes specialist disciplines and deep industry expertise
• Goal: building an independent, technology-driven group of leading tax advisory and audit firms to offer clients best-in-class services from a single source and to drive transformation in the sector

Munich/Hamburg, 03 December 2025. GREENPEAK Partners has founded atania to build an independent, technology-driven group of tax advisory and audit firms serving mid-market clients in Germany and beyond. AC CHRISTES & PARTNER (ACP) and THE MAKERY join as founding partners. atania provides a direct response to the profound transformation of the tax advisory and audit market: clients and firms gain access to a platform that combines regional strength, specialist expertise and technological capabilities in digitalisation, automation and AI. The joint ambition is to become the long-term quality leader in tax advisory, audit, transaction advisory and related services for mid-sized companies across all sectors. Through THE MAKERY, atania additionally addresses upper mid-market and publicly listed companies.

Mid-market under transformation pressure – need for new partners

Many small and mid-sized companies face a dual form of transformation: expectations around transparency, reporting and steering are rising, while at the same time the pressure to digitalise business models continues to grow. Traditional tax advisory services alone are no longer sufficient. What is needed are fast, relevant, digitally supported advisory services that accompany companies over the long term.

A similar picture emerges in the audit and tax advisory market: the sector is highly fragmented, succession issues remain unresolved in many cases, and investment in technology and data quality is difficult for many owner-managed firms to shoulder alone. atania provides a structured framework here to secure succession and growth in the long term. Without sufficient capital, scalable platforms and critical mass, many market participants risk losing relevance.

atania aims to provide clients and partners with a long-term framework that combines regional proximity with specialist expertise and consistent digitalisation. Regional hubs and local units ensure closeness to clients and a deep understanding of regional economies. Specialised teams in larger hubs consolidate expertise, for example in transactions, international tax law or reporting.

atania: One-stop shop for tax advisory, audit, transactions and transformation projects

The platform follows a clear ambition: it offers clients a one-stop shop supporting them through all phases of their growth – from classic tax and audit services to complex matters that smaller firms often cannot cover on their own. Step by step, specialists from various disciplines will join the group, including international tax, transaction and structuring advisory, transformation, reporting and governance. As an independent group, atania focuses on non-capital-market-related audits under strict compliance with all professional (independence) requirements and can provide coordinated, mandate-specific support from a single source.

atania is deliberately not designed as a classic roll-up, but as a long-term partnership model. The focus lies on onboarding the right partners step by step: entrepreneurial firms with strong technical expertise and cultural fit. Consistent quality standards, shared values and integrable structures are key.

A central element of the model is significant investment in technology, digitalisation, automation and AI. atania will establish a unified platform enabling clients to experience tangibly better services: digitised client workflows, integrated processes, robust data foundations and modern reporting solutions. The decisive factor is client value: faster, more transparent and better-founded decision-making, improved preparation for financing rounds and transactions, and long-term support for growth and internationalisation.

Client benefits

Clients benefit from an integrated network that:

• consolidates expertise across all tax and audit-relevant mid-market topics, including specialist knowledge in transactions, internationalisation and complex structuring
• supports companies in their growth and international expansion with regional proximity and personal contact points
• offers digitised workflows and a one-stop shop for tax advisory, audit, transaction advisory, business transformation and related services

Benefits for partner firms

For current and future partners, atania provides:

• a strategic partner with growth capital and support for regional expansion and portfolio development
• joint investments in technology, digitalisation and AI
• structured solutions for succession and a strong shared employer brand
• access to specialised advisory services enabling a comprehensive one-stop shop

Partners retain their identity and local roots, and their independence remains intact. At the same time, they benefit from the strength of a larger group and a shared, forward-looking agenda.

Founding Partners: AC CHRISTES & PARTNER and THE MAKERY

AC CHRISTES & PARTNER (ACP) has been a trusted partner for mid-market transaction, audit and tax advisory services for more than 30 years. Founded in 1993, ACP has accompanied over 2,000 transactions and employs around 120 people across Hamburg, Munich and Düsseldorf. With investments and cooperations in reporting and cloud services, ACP has long focused on data-driven management and digital solutions and brings this experience to the platform.

THE MAKERY, founded by Franz Prinz zu Hohenlohe together with nine additional experienced founding partners, adds deep expertise in specialised areas such as international tax advisory, corporate tax law, business valuation and advisory services for large mid-market and listed companies.

Both firms stand for technical depth, entrepreneurial ambition and the willingness to rethink advisory services. Together, they lay the foundation for atania’s expansion across the DACH+ region.

Already integrated into the platform are automated management reporting by loyos bi (an ACP investment), valuation automation software (THE MAKERY) and a cooperation with AXAITRA, a cloud and AI service provider for the Microsoft Cloud in Europe (GREENPEAK portfolio).

Statements on the partnership

Daniel Beringer, Managing Partner, GREENPEAK Partners:
“The audit and tax advisory market is facing a technological leap and consolidation. Digitalisation, especially AI, is both an opportunity and a challenge. Now is the right time to scale. The market needs capital and speed to build sustainable structures for the mid-market. We support atania hands-on with pipeline, integration and growth, contributing our network and expertise.”

Robert Latz, Partner, GREENPEAK Partners:
“With AC CHRISTES & PARTNER and THE MAKERY, we have secured two excellent initial partners for building an independent, nationwide group of leading tax advisory and audit firms under the atania brand. They stand for high professional competence and entrepreneurial foresight. Together, we are laying the foundation for a strong, independent network that will actively shape the future of the industry.”

Carsten Kniephoff, Managing Partner ACP and spokesperson of the atania partnership:
“Our profession is undergoing an unprecedented transformation. The Big Four are increasingly withdrawing from advising mid-market clients, while smaller firms often lack the structures to invest in digitalisation and AI. This is precisely where we come in: we want to future-proof the mid-market with expertise, tools and innovative services and actively shape the transformation. Now is exactly the right moment. To do this, we need critical mass — and the right partners to join us on this journey. With GREENPEAK, we accelerate integration, technology roll-out and geographic expansion for ACP — and with THE MAKERY, recently initiated by Franz Prinz zu Hohenlohe, we expand our portfolio under atania to include international tax law, listed-company mandates and complex structuring.”

Arne Christes, Founder and Managing Partner, ACP:
“AI is fundamentally changing our business. Without sufficient financial resources, robust platforms and scale, transformation remains fragmented. Our DNA has always been to be a technological pioneer, empowering clients to make faster, safer and better decisions. This is why we invested in loyos bi a few weeks ago. With its scalable reporting-as-a-service platform, we have expanded our capabilities in management reporting and controlling. Our goal is clear: become the provider of choice for the mid-market. For our geographic expansion, we are currently in discussions with several firms — the first acquisitions are close to completion.”

Franz Prinz zu Hohenlohe, Managing Partner, THE MAKERY:
“THE MAKERY brings specialists and experience in advising large corporations to the group. This expertise is crucial, as mid-sized corporate groups often face highly complex issues that require seasoned specialists.”

About GREENPEAK Partners

GREENPEAK Partners, headquartered in Munich, is an investment firm specialising in building and scaling mid-market business groups with a strong track record. The company has extensive experience in founding, developing and expanding market leaders. As part of its buy-and-build strategies, GREENPEAK aims to establish market-leading platforms as integrated partnerships for all stakeholders – with aligned, sustainable interests and ambitious ESG principles. To date, the GREENPEAK team has built more than 12 platforms generating over €1 billion in annual revenue. More information at www.greenpeak-partners.com.

About atania

atania is an independent platform for tax advisory, audit, transactions, transformation and related services initiated by GREENPEAK Partners. The group focuses primarily on mid-sized companies in Germany and beyond. As a one-stop shop, atania bundles the expertise of its partners while building a joint technology platform designed to deliver noticeably better, faster and more transparent client services. Partners remain entrepreneurially independent while benefiting from capital, technology, a shared brand and a structured framework for growth and succession. More information at www.atania.com.

About AC CHRISTES & PARTNER

AC CHRISTES & PARTNER GmbH is one of Germany’s established M&A advisory firms. The company focuses on financial and tax due diligence, transaction advisory and contract support for business acquisitions, investments and succession solutions. Founded in 1993 by Arne Christes, the firm has supported more than 2,000 transactions and employs around 120 people across three locations: Hamburg, Munich and Düsseldorf. In July, ACP invested in reporting-as-a-service company loyos bi GmbH. More information at www.christes.de.

About THE MAKERY

THE MAKERY is an interdisciplinary advisory firm based in Munich and Luxembourg. Its nine founding partners rank among the most renowned experts in their fields and combine expertise in tax, legal, valuation and transformation. The company blends hands-on partner responsibility, agility, technology and innovative methodologies to provide clients with tailored, efficient and high-quality solutions. More information at www.makery-group.com.