YPOG advises on the establishment of the cybersecurity-focused buy-and-build group Aretea

YPOG has advised Aretea on building its cybersecurity-focused business group. The collaboration covered the corporate and tax structuring of the group, a financing round in summer 2025 involving Cherry Ventures and Tengelmann Ventures, and the acquisition of five portfolio companies. YPOG also advised on acquisition financing, setting up a MEP KG as well as regulatory and ongoing tax matters.

As a cybersecurity platform, Aretea brings together five specialised companies under one roof: RedTeam Pentesting, iTentity, ujima, ERNW Netzwerke, and ERNW Research. Their services range from risk analyses, security audits, and security concepts to penetration testing and identity and access management (IAM), as well as managed security services and a 24/7 Security Operations Center (SOC). The portfolio also includes incident response, digital forensics, malware analysis, cloud security, and compliance services. This also encompasses advice on regulatory requirements such as NIS2 and DORA, as well as standards such as ISO 27001.

The two founders, Max Brückner and Max Blome, previously worked as investors at Cherry Ventures. The group follows an entrepreneurial buy-and-build approach and aims to bring together further specialised cybersecurity companies.

“Building Aretea was about laying the structural foundations for a growing group of companies while establishing standardised processes for acquisitions. The combination of a VC setup and an entrepreneurial buy-and-build strategy gives Aretea particular agility. We are delighted to provide Aretea with comprehensive advice throughout this process and thank them for their trust,” says Dr. Frederik Gärtner, Partner at YPOG.

“The importance of cybersecurity can hardly be overstated in times of geopolitical tensions and increasingly powerful AI models. Aretea brings together previously fragmented services under one roof, thereby enabling digital security from a single source – a testament to the potential of buy-and-build strategies in the German market,” says Sjard Seeger, Senior Associate at YPOG.

Team

Corporate

Dr. Frederik Gärtner (Co-Lead, Transactions) Partner, Berlin
Sjard Seeger (Co-Lead, Transactions), Senior Associate, Berlin
Dr. Ferdinand Cadmus (Transactions), Associated Partner, Berlin/Hamburg  
Dr. Sarah Sostak (Transactions), Associate, Berlin
Ciro D’Amelio (Transactions), Senior Associate, Berlin
Alexandra Tafel (Transactions), Senior Associate, Berlin/Hamburg

Tax

Jörg Schrade (Tax), Partner, München
Dr. Sebastian Schwarz (Tax), Partner, Berlin
Dr. Jacob Schreiber (Tax), Senior Associate, München
Dr. Antonia Scheinbacher (Tax), Associated Partner, München
Ninetta Kleindienst (Tax), Associate, München

Debt

Matthias Kresser (Transactions, Debt Financing), Partner, Berlin
Jan Stammler (Transactions, Debt Financing), Associate, Berlin
Helena Dierckx (Transactions, Debt Financing), Associate, Berlin

IP/Data Protection:

Dr. Benedikt Flöter (IP/IT/Data Protection), Partner, Berlin
Charlotte Petrasch (IP/IT/Data Protection), Associate, Berlin
Konstantina Nathanail (IP/IT/Data Protection), Associate, Berlin
Anna Eickmeier (IP/IT/Data Protection), Associated Partner, Berlin

Regulatory

Jens Kretzschmann (Funds), Partner, Berlin
Dr. Niklas Ulrich (Funds), Associated Partner, Hamburg