TAIFUN, M-Soft, PinnCalc, bauOffice and Engel Dataconcept join forces as part of a comprehensive buy-and-build strategy to significantly increase customer benefits and accelerate growth

Karlsruhe, October 12, 2021 – German technology investor LEA Partners is driving the development of the leading software platform for craft businesses. The newly built group will greatly accelerate the digital transformation of the craft sector and drastically simplify the life of craftsmen by integrating and automating their processes end-to-end. With more than 15,000 customer businesses, 100,000 craftsmen and well over EUR 10 billion in sales volume per year generated via the group’s software solutions, LEA’s newly created platform covers all trades in the German-speaking craft sector and is the undisputed market leader for commercial industry software.

The group offers the most comprehensive product portfolio on the market including ERP, HR and DMS, financial accounting and payroll solutions as well as corresponding mobile applications. The group’s customers are focused on trades such as plumbing/heating, electrical, roofing, wood construction and refrigeration/air conditioning.

The capital injection will be geared towards the acceleration of the group’s cloud transformation, investments into customer service offering and further strategic investments. All in all, this will systematically strengthen the platform with additional trade-specific product solutions and innovations.

Dominik Hartmann has been appointed as the new CEO of the group – a seasoned ERP and SME expert with extensive experience in cloud transformation of German software manufacturers as well as digital transformation of small to medium sized German companies, stemming from his experience at Microsoft and Lexware, respectively.

Dominik Hartmann, Group CEO:

“We are delighted that the companies in our group, in their entirety, are already the clear market leader across all trades. Based on the strength and size of our newly created group, we can guarantee our customers sustainable stability and reliability. The companies and products in our group each have more than 30 years of experience in the craftsmen’s software market. We will utilize this unique know-how to build the leading software platform for the craftsmen in terms of content and technology to further automate and improve processes and workflows within craft businesses.”

Christian Roth, Managing Partner of LEA Partners:

“Today, the software market for the craft sector is still highly fragmented, with many vendors offering similar products that differ in important details, which in turn are commonly incompatible. We are pursuing the vision of creating an unprecedented product portfolio that integrates and automates entire operational and economic processes, thus, creating an important leverage for a craftsman’s day-to-day business. Bringing together the best teams and products is an excellent starting point for this and a prime example of the important role that an industry-focused private equity investor can play in transforming industries. We all share the same vision as part of this initiative and are observing a level of euphoria from all stakeholders involved that was unimaginable beforehand.“

Heiko Mundt, Founder and CEO of TAIFUN

“The commitment of software investor LEA Partners tremendously benefits our companies and employees, but most importantly our customers – the craft sector. The formation of this group ensures a high degree of stability and supports the rapid development of innovative products that are perfectly tailored to the requirements of individual craft businesses. We are thus decisively driving the digitization of the German crafts sector forward and unleashing new revenue potentials.”