Afileon launches in the German market

With its innovative integrated alliance model, Afileon Audit GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft from Oberhaching near Munich is revolutionizing the assurance industry in Germany. Its platform combines the advantages of a strong network with the personal support offered by locally-based, independently operated providers. Afileon's goal is to be the leading premium consultancy in the fields of taxation, law and assurance – offering the best possible service for SMEs in German-speaking countries.

To this end, Afileon is uniting small and medium-sized firms into a single, powerful corporate alliance. The affiliates engage in reciprocal relationships, with partners directly invested in Afileon and Afileon receiving shares in the partners in return. In contrast to previous initiatives  – which revolve around individual providers, industry-wide systems or major corporations – the mid-sized firms in the Afileon alliance enjoy the entrepreneurial freedom to assist their clients regionally. They are backed in this endeavour by a centralized, high-performance service company.

The Afileon Group offers affiliates the opportunity to position themselves strategically for the future. The segment is facing considerable challenges, including the need to digitalize, skills shortages, and increasing complexity in their work. Afileon offers them the solutions, providing the organizational structures for HR, marketing, IT, and administrative tasks for their affiliates across the board. This allows the firms to concentrate fully on providing advice, while also benefitting from the pooled expertise of their fellow affiliates.

Afileon's executive is comprised of:

• Uwe Richter, CEO & Director

• Michael Wilhelm, Director

• Carsten Tschöpe, CFO & Director

• Frank W. Jacob, CCO

• Christof Kurz, CTO & Director

• Alexander Libor, CHRO

• Chris Kreis, CSO

At the launch of Afileon, the alliance counts 19 affiliates with a total sales volume of some 100 million euros.

Benefits at a glance: centralization of tasks and joint investments

The business model is as simple as it is compelling: Afileon takes over the firms, but their owners stay at the helm as chief executives. As such, they continue to manage their businesses and remain the first point of contact for their clients. The firms joining the alliance benefit in multiple ways:

1. Investments in digitalization and AI: Afileon provides cutting-edge technologies and tools to optimize processes and enhance service quality.

2. Centralized services: A central service company assists the affiliates in the areas of marketing, HR and training – leaving more time for valuable advice to clients.

3. Career and training opportunities: Attractive career paths and specialized training within the Afileon Group entice the best talents and offer them long-term prospects.

4. Marketing and market development: Modern marketing increases the market visibility of both the alliance and its individual firms. Professional market cultivation ensures that the additional business potential is tapped.

5. Centralized knowledge: An internal training academy supercharges Afileon's expertise, efficiency and service quality.

Strengthening the commercial performance and personnel base

Currently, the tax consulting market in Germany is highly fragmented, with over 50,000 independent firms.

The "Big 4" and "Next 10" configure their advisory services chiefly for DAX corporations and relatively large companies. To date, SMEs have been mainly served by individual, small and medium-sized tax consultants. As a major provider, Afileon enables SMEs to benefit from the professionalism and technical infrastructure of a large alliance while also receiving the individualized support of a small service partner. In addition to advice on taxation, SMEs will also have access to legal and assurance advice in the future. As such, they will benefit from a single-source, comprehensive range of services.