BNR Podcast: The Deal of a Lifetime

Episode 1. Maarten van Montfoort | Walked away, came back… and sold after all 

Maarten van Montfoort built Agile Software into a successful company. But when major players came knocking for an acquisition, he found himself on an emotional rollercoaster filled with tension and tough decisions...

Episode 2. Fred Al | From tracking hours to a million-euro deal

What do you do when a billion-euro company suddenly sends an email saying they want to buy your business? For Fred Al, it marked the start of a rollercoaster that would last for years...

Episode 3. Kees de Jong | The deal that went through at the very last moment

In the late nineties, Kees de Jong and his business partner run a successful market research firm. A dream deal seems within reach. But then the phone rings: “Kees, we have a problem.”

The story of founder Yvette Huitema: from garage index cards to market leadership and a complex sale to a Norwegian PE-backed buyer. Nine months of due diligence, tough negotiations and essential lessons for any entrepreneur preparing for an exit.

 A spontaneous conversation in Cannes, a Danish CEO who prefers to settle accounts on a beer mat, and ten months of negotiations about control and governance. This is the story behind the sale of Tonny Media to Podimo. 

What do you do when your business is growing faster every month, but your bank balance can't keep up? This is how Patrick Kerssemakers' search for an investor for his company begins.

What do you do when your business is growing faster every month, but your bank balance can't keep up? That's how Patrick Kerssemakers' search for an investor for his company began. FonQ grew rapidly, demand exploded, but in order to realise that ....

With the sale of his company, Dave Aaldering will become financially independent in one fell swoop in 2024. But that deal does not start with a tight exit plan or an investment bank at the table.
 

Within a few years, the company had hundreds of employees. The market was favorable. Confidence grew. In 1998, Marcel even turned down a multi-million dollar offer. Not out of greed, but out of conviction: this could be bigger.

What starts as a funding conversation turns into a full acquisition. Millions at stake, a fast-growing company, and a founder negotiating while pregnant. Janneke Niessen’s story reveals what leadership looks like under maximum pressure.