Five numbers that show why a company's story decides on capital, succession and customers

In shortIn 2026, capital, buyers, customers and employees decide more selectively and earlier than a few years ago. Companies that cannot tell their value clearly lose time and money in each of these markets.

1. 32,000 portfolio companies are waiting for an exit

According to Bain's Private Equity Outlook 2026, private equity funds hold around 32,000 unsold companies worth about 3.8 trillion US dollars worldwide. The average holding period for buyout funds is around seven years. Sellers compete for buyers' attention.

2. 716 funding rounds in Germany

EY's Startup-Barometer counts 716 funding rounds in Germany in 2025, the fourth decline in a row. According to EY, startups that can show early results are better placed. The equity story has to prove those results.

3. 532,000 successions in the Mittelstand

According to KfW Research, 532,000 German SMEs plan to hand over to a successor by the end of 2028. Each year there are fewer than half as many takeover start-ups as companies seeking a successor. Buyers and successors can choose.

4. 32 percent of leaders

Gartner reports that only 32 percent of leaders worldwide get employees to adopt change in a healthy way. A strategy nobody can explain stays on paper.

5. 61 percent of the buying process

The 6sense 2025 study shows that B2B buyers first contact a vendor about 61 percent of the way through their buying process. 77 percent buy from the vendor they had already ranked first. According to Forrester, 94 percent of business buyers use AI in their buying process.

What this means for leadership teams

1. The story has to convince before anyone talks to you: in the deck, on the website, in AI assistants.
2. Every core claim needs evidence an investor, buyer or customer can check.
3. The same story has to work for investors, customers and employees.

About ProjectlancerProjectlancer develops the story that convinces investors, buyers, customers and employees for mid-sized companies, family businesses and PE/VC portfolios, and executes it through a specialist network. Learn more