Record business handovers in Austria — and why this is only the beginning

A few weeks ago, we looked at the coming succession wave in Austria. New figures from the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber now show: the wave is not only ahead of us. It is already moving. To us, this is above all a signal of the substance of the Mittelstand.

In July, we discussed a study on business succession in Austria: around 50,000 companies, roughly 700,000 jobs, and external succession as an increasingly normal path. That was the forward-looking view.

The new figures from the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber add an important current data point. In 2025, 8,202 businesses in Austria were handed over — 5.3% more than in the previous year and the highest number since records began in 1998. Since 2021, more than 37,000 companies have been passed on to new owners. The figures were covered by, among others, ORF, NEW BUSINESS and Salzburger Nachrichten.

The point is not only that there are many handovers. That is now well understood. What is more interesting is what these handovers say about the location.

Even in a subdued economic environment, more businesses than ever are changing hands. That does not speak against the Mittelstand. It speaks for it. Beneath the surface, there are many healthy, specialized, well-run companies — often without much visibility, but with customer trust, technical expertise, regional roots and experienced teams.

These are exactly the companies we believe in: businesses that deliver, train, repair, develop, produce and take responsibility every day. A large part of the strength of the location lies in them — often quietly, but very real.

Succession is therefore not an administrative event. It is a chance to preserve what works and keep building where new owners can add strength. According to KMU Forschung Austria, 61% of successors increase revenue after taking over, 60% invest more than their predecessors, and 36% create additional jobs. Good handovers do not just keep companies alive, they give them new options.

One lever is still used too little: concrete digitalization and AI inside the business. Not as a buzzword along the lines of “we now pay for Copilot”, but through rethought processes that integrate continuously reconfigurable AI tools into areas that matter for success — quoting, planning, sales, purchasing, reporting, knowledge retention, customer service or process quality. Many SMEs have a strong starting point for this: clear workflows, deep expertise, short decision paths. If modern digital tools are applied with care, they create additional room for successful development.

For us at Cornus, this is the core. We combine long-term ownership with digital and operational development. The point is not to replace established strengths, but to strengthen them with contemporary digital know-how — pragmatically, close to the business and measurable in day-to-day operations. The companies we acquire remain in the portfolio. Local management remains the linchpin. And we structure without the risk of over-indebtedness. Especially where no family-internal solution can be found, businesses need owners who preserve a life’s work — and enable a real next phase.

The Austrian Federal Economic Chamber links these figures in its succession factsheet to political proposals. That is its role. Our role is different: to find good companies, take responsibility and keep building together with them.

If you are thinking about the long-term future of your company, please talk to us.