Who this is
Björn Jopen founded the trade-fair consultancy FairControl in 2000 right after university and sold it to the MCI Group in 2012. In parallel he built FaceAdNet, a social publisher with more than 50 million Facebook fans, sold the majority to Ströer in 2015 and then ran Ströer Social Publishing for three years. Since 2011 he has invested in startups through his Jale Holding, named after his children Jakob and Lena; today it holds 36 companies, including Fit Analytics, DemoUp Cliplister and traplinked. Over the past five years he has taken over and restructured five companies in special situations, among them ProSieben's car portals and Cornelsen's e-learning business. In 2026 he launched Pivotum Capital with EQT's Dominik Stein, which acquires technology companies in carve-outs and restructurings and runs them operationally.
Episodes
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FAQ
Who is Björn Jopen?
Björn Jopen is a serial founder, business angel and turnaround manager based in Munich. He sold the trade-fair consultancy FairControl (to the MCI Group in 2012) and the social publisher FaceAdNet (majority to Ströer in 2015), holds 36 companies through his Jale Holding and has been taking over companies in special situations for five years. In 2026 he co-founded Pivotum Capital. To the episode →
What does Pivotum Capital do?
Pivotum Capital buys technology companies in special situations, mainly carve-outs from corporations and restructuring cases, and takes over operational management itself after the purchase. Björn Jopen is founding partner, EQT's Dominik Stein is capital partner, plus two operating partners from restructuring consulting. The first deals: Kairion and esome from the ProSieben group, and billiger-mietwagen.de, signed at the notary on the day of the recording. To the episode →
What is the Jale Holding?
The Jale Holding is Björn Jopen's investment vehicle, founded in 2011 and named after his children Jakob and Lena. It currently holds 36 startup stakes with no thematic focus, from digital mousetraps (traplinked) to the website builder Onepage and tights. First tickets range from 50,000 to 100,000 euros; Björn follows on in later rounds when founders report reliably and transparently. To the episode →
How did Björn Jopen turn around Cornelsen's e-learning business?
The company made around 4.5 million euros in revenue with 5 million in losses and had 83 employees across three locations. Björn joined the management himself, parted with more than 50 employees within a week, closed sites, cut more than 80 software tools from 650,000 to 250,000 euros in costs, terminated offices against settlement payments and visited every customer in person. After six months the company was break-even, and the first year closed with a 600,000 euro profit at roughly 10 to 15 percent revenue churn. To the episode →
Why did Björn Jopen transfer his holding to his wife and children?
The trigger was a founder who fell ill after a large round and had to fire-sell his shares. Björn was the 100 percent owner and managing director of his holding; on death, inheritance tax on the paper value of all 36 holdings would have been due in cash. So he uses the Güterstandsschaukel with his wife and transfers shares to his children with a lifelong usufruct, which discounts the value over 30 years. The structure took almost a year, and every holding had to be valued individually. To the episode →
Quotes
„Bei mir ist ganz wichtig, dass in einem Management-Team immer einer da ist, der auch verkaufen kann.““For me it is essential that every management team has someone who can actually sell.”
„Da musst du die Firepower haben, um nochmal nachlegen zu können. In der zweiten oder sogar auch in der dritten Runde …““You need the firepower to follow on. In the second or even the third round.”
„Ich sage immer, wenn man im M&A-Prozess kein gutes Current Trading hat, brauchst du keinen Prozess machen.““I always say: if your current trading isn't good during an M&A process, don't bother running the process.”
„Ich frage am Anfang krass viel. Ich sage immer so ein bisschen am Anfang, ich möchte fast so ein bisschen wie der Praktikant sein. Ich möchte lernen.““At the start I ask a huge number of questions. I always say I want to be almost like the intern. I want to learn.”
„… ich würde mir wünschen, ehrlich gesagt, dass das in Deutschland viel mehr mitkriegen, weil es ein essentielles Thema ist und ganz viele Angels raffen das nicht.““Honestly, I wish far more people in Germany were aware of this, because it is an essential topic and a lot of angels just don't get it.”