New York, Munich | September 17th, 2025 – The M&A Advisor announced the winners of the 16th Annual International M&A Awards and Drake Star was honored in the category Financials Deal of the Year (under $100MM) for advising on the sale of SCHUFA shares in finAPI GmbH to open finance operating company Fabrick.
Founded in Munich in 2008, finAPI is one of the leading German operators of open finance solutions, and a pioneering force across the Open Banking, Data Intelligence, KYC, and Payments services. It serves over 350 clients, including banks, financial service providers, fintech companies, insurance companies, and software providers, not only in Germany, but also in Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary.
The acquisition was carried out through an agreement signed with SCHUFA Holding AG, from which Fabrick acquired 75% of finAPI. The other 25% of the shares will remain with the two founders of finAPI, Dr. Florian Haagen and Dr. Martin Lacher, who will both continue to play a role in the unified entity.
Julian Ostertag, Managing Partner, Member of the Executive Committee, Co-Founder of Drake Star and deal team lead said: "I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the teams at SCHUFA, finAPI, and Fabrick for their trust and collaborative spirit throughout this important transaction. I am also grateful to the M&A Advisor for recognizing this significant deal in the open banking and fintech space. Congratulations to our Fintech team at Drake Star, including Pablo Lundershausen and Jan Sergio Ceko, whose outstanding dedication and expertise were instrumental in making this transaction a success. This recognition underscores our strong track record and commitment to delivering exceptional outcomes for our clients in the fintech and digital finance sectors."
The 16th Annual International M&A Award winners were recognized at an exclusive Awards Gala, one of the key events of the 2025 Leadership in Dealmaking Summit, which took place on September 15 & 16 in New York City. The summit brought together leading dealmakers, investors, and advisors from across the globe. Our award-winning deal team – led by Ralf Philipp Hofmann and Julian Ostertag (Managing Partners & Co-Founders of Drake Star), our CEO Gregory Bedrosian, alongside Julian Riedlbauer (Partner), and our Global Head of Marketing Jan Deahl – attended the gala to accept and celebrate the awards on behalf of the firm.
About The M&A Advisor
Founded in 1998, The M&A Advisor provides data, insight, and events for professionals working in mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, and corporate finance. Now in its 27th year, it remains the leading global network for dealmakers, helping firms stay informed, build relationships, and get recognized for their work.
For more information, visit: www.maadvisor.com.
About Drake Star
Drake Star is an award-winning global tech investment bank that has completed over 500 transactions since 2003. The Drake Star global team of experienced professionals and senior advisors across offices in New York, Munich, London, Paris, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berlin, and Dubai* focuses on mergers & acquisitions and corporate finance services worldwide in Software/SaaS, HR Tech, Digital Services, FinTech, Digital Media, Industrial Tech, Consumer & Retail Tech and Mobility & Sustainability.
Drake Star is the marketing name for the global investment bank Drake Star Partners Limited and its subsidiaries and affiliates. In the USA, all securities are transacted through Drake Star Securities LLC. In the USA, Drake Star Securities LLC is regulated by FINRA and is a member of SIPC. Drake Star UK Limited (FRN 942020) is an appointed representative of Razlin Ltd (FRN 730805), which is authorized and regulated by the FCA. © 2025 Drake Star Partners Limited.
*Partner Office
