Most pitch decks don’t fail because the slides look bad. They fail because founders can’t answer a few uncomfortable questions. At ekwithree, we review opportunities across PE, VC, and M&A. And regardless of stage, the same questions determine whether a deal feels investable - or simply optimistic. Investors don’t invest in stories. They invest in businesses built for institutionalised growth. First: Is the money scaling something that already works, or is it just buying time

Thomas Dobmeyer  is stepping into a new role as investor and Group CEO, bringing together several healthcare-focused companies under one shared vision: end-to-end capabilities across the healthcare value chain, with the clear goal of improving access to effective therapies at a fair price. Thomas’ move is driven by what great leadership should always be driven by: purpose, alignment, and real value creation - especially in small and lower mid-cap environments where operationa

Next week  Thomas Dobmeyer  will be attending 𝐈𝐏𝐄𝐌 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 in Cannes on behalf of  ekwithree , our family office focused on private equity and long-term value creation. Looking forward to exchanging perspectives with investors, GPs, LPs and family offices on private markets, capital allocation and the evolving role of private capital.

Last year,  Thomas Dobmeyer  joined his first professional podcast - hosted by  Pedro Coelho  /  Biorce  during 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐍𝐃 Conference in Barcelona September 2025. Hard to believe, right? With so many years of experience, it was still his very first podcast. It’s never too late - whether it’s your first recording, a new job, or even building a company from scratch. I was lucky enough to listen in, and one sentence really stayed with me: “𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠𝑛’𝑡 𝑔𝑟�

A new year is a good moment to pause - and then move forward with intention. The environment will remain demanding. Markets will shift, assumptions will be tested, and not every path will be obvious from the start. Yet we look ahead to 2026, ready to embrace challenges and move forward with confidence. Wishing a strong start to the year ahead, shaped by focused action, resilient thinking, and purposeful decisions. Team ekwithree

In a recent podcast, Thomas shared his professional journey - honest, self-aware, and open. He spoke about what it really means to scale a business: not about selling sausages and buns separately, but about creating a hotdog - something combined, scalable, and actually valuable. He reflected on the role of company culture - not as a slogan, but as the glue that holds a company together when it grows. Thomas also talked openly about mistakes and about how debt can be a real ey

6131 km to the South Pole - a simple reminder that meaningful destinations aren’t reached overnight. Smart capital doesn’t rush; it moves with purpose, alignment, and patience. Last week, we shared insights on how private equity professionals view the year ahead, and one trend stood out: PE professionals across Europe continue to extend their investment horizons. Nearly half now expect holding periods of 5–7 years, and very few consider anything shorter than three. This shift

At ekwithree, we focus on opportunities where disciplined investing and active value creation can truly make a difference. Among the various deal sizes, small buyouts (up to ~€50m) stand out for their potential. Here’s why this part of the market offers a particularly attractive risk-reward profile: 🎲 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐝𝐞𝐝, 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 Smaller companies are often still founder-led and not sold through highly competitive auction pro

We’re a small team. That’s not a weakness - it’s a superpower 🦹  Every founder we meet speaks directly with the people who will stand beside them in the next chapter. No layers. No handoffs. No “committee behind the curtain.” Our decisions aren’t made in long boardrooms. They’re made in conversations rooted in trust, transparency, and shared ambition. That’s what partnership means to us. Here’s how our culture shapes every decision we make:

We tend to celebrate the first movers - the pioneers who enter new markets, launch new ideas, and take the biggest risks. And rightly so. Being first takes vision, courage, and conviction. But being first and being successful are not always the same. As Harvard Business Review once wrote: “𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑎 𝑛𝑒𝑤 𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑒𝑡, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑔𝑜𝑒𝑠, 𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑘𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑎𝑑𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑒

At this year’s SuperReturn Europe in Amsterdam, Thomas Dobmeyer shared his reflections on the evolving landscape of European private equity together with Alexander Steeb : It’s always good for  Alexander Steeb  and myself to connect with people who see private capital the same way, not just as money in motion, but as a driver of growth and innovation. Europe’s private markets have really come into their own. Private equity and growth funds have been outperforming public mark

At ekwithree, one of the most engaging parts of our work is the add-on and cross-services search - the moment when we identify how one great business can strengthen another through complementary offerings, like finding the right pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly together. Merged firms can leverage their combined product portfolios and customer bases to cross-sell products or services. Even though we, as investors, don’t create the companies themselves, we do create someth

Following up on his earlier post – Thomas Dobmeyer  is very much looking forward to this year’s CPHI Frankfurt , taking place right in his home city. To make it easier to connect during the event, please use the “Book an appointment”  button on his Li nkedIn pr ofile www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-dobmeyer-22103412 . Kindly include your phone number  when booking so coordination on the day is smooth and efficient. Whether you’d like to exchange insights, explore collaborations, o

Yesterday’s 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭#𝟑 in Munich once again delivered what makes this event so special. Great energy, inspiring people, and meaningful conversations.  A big thank you to  Franzi Majer ,  Florian Gottschaller  and  Alexander Brand  for bringing not only your own network but the broader ecosystem together in such a content-rich and inspiring way. Two moments I keep thinking about: 💡 𝐀𝐦𝐚𝐳𝐨𝐧’𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 Georg Hesse , who spen

What started as  Alexander Steeb ’s idea turned into a fantastic day of insights, conversations, and Bavarian fun - right here in our HQ city, Munich, the capital of Oktoberfest. Alongside guests from Munich and Berlin, we were joined by participants from Austria, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Portugal, and Spain - bringing together a wonderfully diverse group of perspectives and experiences. Thomas Dobmeyer , together with his “wing woman”  Ilze Lauberte , who joined remo

At ekwithree, a lot of our work lives in Excel and Google Sheets - from financial modeling to deep-dive due diligence. That’s where 𝐓𝐫𝐲𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐀𝐈 has started to make a difference. Instead of spending hours wrestling with formulas, formatting, or repetitive cleaning tasks, we now give ShortcutAI a plain-language instruction - and it does the rest, right inside our sheets. It’s become our AI agent for: 🤖 Automating complex formulas without manual trial-and-error �

Thomas is pleased to share that he will be attending CPHI Frankfurt from October 28–30, 2025.  CPHI Worldwide is the premier international event for the pharmaceutical industry, bringing together professionals across the entire supply chain.  For him, it’s not only a chance to explore the latest innovations and insights, but also to exchange ideas, reconnect with partners, and discover new opportunities in an industry he's deeply passionate about. If you’re also attending and

When you’re dealing with hundreds of pages of contracts, market studies, or financial reports, keeping the big picture in view is hard. 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐋𝐌 by Google helps us turn dense information into clear, connected insights. With it, we can: 📤 Upload and work with up to 300 documents (50 in the free version) 🌐 Create mind maps that show how information connects across files 📃 Get podcast-style summaries that make complex material easier to digest ✏️ Support contract

This event brings together 250+ decision-makers to explore how the future of R&D is being reshaped: ✨ Future-proof strategies - AI, digital endpoints & decentralized trials defining the next decade  🚀 Live demos - biotech & HealthTech innovators shortening timelines and boosting success rates  🤝 Networking - C-level execs, investors, and researchers driving the shift in clinical trials  🎯 Start-Up Pitch Live - bold new ideas on stage At ekwithree, we value innovation and l

We’ve always believed that productivity tools should adapt to how you work, not the other way around. That’s why we’ve added 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰 to our toolkit - a voice-to-text solution that keeps your ideas flowing. With WhisperFlow, we can: 🗣️ 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞 – Dictate emails, memos, or quick notes anywhere, anytime. 📤 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲-𝐭𝐨-𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 – AI turns raw speech into well-structured, readable text. 🔄 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐥