Hi all,
A year ago I left my previous company to build a better monday, we buy great SMEs from retiring owners and transfer the equity to the employees. Owners get a dignified exit. Companies and communities stay strong. Workers build real wealth.
Our 20-year goal: create 10 000 employee-owners and transfer €6 bn of equity to the people who actually power these businesses.
In our first 12 months we’ve made real progress and now we’re raising a small friends-and-family round to push over the line on our first acquisition.
Why now
Silver tsunami: Millions of European SME owners are retiring; many can’t find buyers for otherwise healthy businesses. Wealth gap: Ownership of productive assets is drifting further from the people who create value. Employee ownership fixes that, without sacrificing returns. Model that works: Decades of data from the US/UK show employee-owned firms grow and profit more, while workers and regions thrive. What we’ve accomplished
Strategic partner: Sitra (Finland’s future fund; ~€900 m endowment) backs our mission. They’ve commissioned a report from us and will host events with government and institutional stakeholders to seed a larger-scale pilot with a better monday. Deal in hand: We’re finalising a pilot acquisition — a resilient Finnish SME — at €665 000 (~4.5× trailing 3-yr avg EBITDA). We have ~90 % of the capital lined up. Financing secured: ~€250 000 equity committed and ~€282 000 debt approved (50 % Finnvera guarantee; 50 % personal guarantee). Post-acquisition plan and leadership succession identified; ownership structure agreed with local authorities. Credibility building: Our podcast has 30+ episodes and thousands of downloads; it’s opened doors across the industry. The ask
We’re raising the final €90 000 to close the pilot acquisition. I’m investing alongside you.
Separately, we are raising €100 000 to build on Sitra momentum, grow brand and content, refine our Owner OS platform, and extend runway for future acquisitions & raises.
You can participate in either or both of the following, depending on your preference for underlying exposure and timeline:
1) Pilot Deal — equity in the acquired company ()
Target raise: €90 000 (approx A$160 k) Security: 18% of the pilot company (“Project Murdoch”) Business: Nordic media monitoring & intelligence firm, 18 years old, ~€1.4 m revenue, ~10–15 % EBITDA, ~8.9 % CAGR, defensible vs AI, loyal workforce, clear manager setup to lead. Expected returns: 4-5x over 14 years, annual distributions beginning in ~year 7. Equivalent to 35% IRR Return driver: moderate growth + strong cash generation used to buy back investor equity over 8–15 years, creating share scarcity & increasing the price per share. (more detail below) Urgency: we’re ready to sign and aim to close subscriptions by the end of August (or earlier once filled) Use of proceeds & structure (pilot deal)
Equity: ~€100 000 vendor finance; ~€75 000 local industry veterans; ~€120 000 a better monday; €90 000 friends & family Debt: ~€282 000 (≈1.9× EBITDA), 50 % Finnvera guarantee / 50 % personal guarantee Plan: keep what works, support new leadership, tailor for employee ownership, and begin progressive equity transfer to staff through profits over time. How do we deliver these returns with modest growth?
First, investors in this round get a great deal. €90k normally equals 14% of equity in the target company for you, it’s 18%.
Second, we’ve built a model that ties investor liquidity directly to our social impact.
That means outsized returns and periodic cash distributions without relying on hyper-growth.
Future free cash flow is used to buy back investor equity. Fewer outstanding shares = higher value per share. Shares we purchase and hold keep increasing in value over time.
2) Management Company — capped participation (“coupon”) ()
Target raise: €100 000 (approx A$177 k) Instrument: A participation note in a better monday that shares in future distributions on equal terms with founders, capped at 4× your investment. Not a loan. Not equity. You back us early; if we win, you win — up to 4×. Use of proceeds
Expanding our search and acquisition activity Capitalise on existing momentum with Sitra Build on brand development and marketing content, leveraging the pilot acquisition to develop content relevant for investors, owners and employees Refine our ‘Owner OS’ Employee Ownership implementation platform Extend runway for subsequent investment rounds If investing isn’t an option, introductions to values-aligned operators, sellers, or small-cap lenders are just as valuable. Seriously.
Thank you for considering this. Let’s create a better monday for a lot of people.
— Andy