Investor Relations
Smartemis is Europe’s fastest-growing network of independent veterinary clinics. Empowering clinician entrepreneurship across France and Germany.
Borrowing a page from private equity, Smartemis partners with entrepreneurial veterinarians and then gives them the resources they need to fulfill their potential. The result? A partnership-driven, win-win approach that preserves veterinary independence while driving superior financial returns — for clinic owners, their successors, and investors.
“Not every day you get to meet someone who has built a novel way of doing what we do. Really, really fascinating.”
“We have looked at many, many assets in the clinic space. Nothing compared to what you have built — exceptional, in just four years.”
“With Smartemis I can stay independent — a classic private-equity chain would not be an option for me.”
“There are plenty of vets who don’t feel they have a home in one of the big groups, but need support and some liquidity. This is a very smart way to deliver that.”
“We’ve always struggled with clinician retention after earn-out periods. What you’ve put together is incredibly compelling.”
“The Smartemis model aligns best with our vision for the profession: we will remain independent, realize the value of 40 years of hard work, and drive our business forward.”
“Your model is very unique and very, very impressive. Quite ingenious how you’ve set it up.”
“We had stopped looking at buy-and-build opportunities. But we heard you’re different — and you are. We’re excited.”
“My joining Smartemis has given me real motivation again — to go through my last years in practice with joy.”
“What you have built is super, super interesting. Very impressive. And you’ve done it remarkably fast.”
“I was so impressed by the business model you developed and the clear benefits it has for vets versus traditional models.”
“Smartemis is a community united by a shared ethic and a vision of professional camaraderie that preserves the integrity of our profession.”
“Veterinary consolidation is at a structural tipping point. The Smartemis partnership model is a catalyst for the next era of modern animal health.”
“Not every day you get to meet someone who has built a novel way of doing what we do. Really, really fascinating.”
“We have looked at many, many assets in the clinic space. Nothing compared to what you have built — exceptional, in just four years.”
“With Smartemis I can stay independent — a classic private-equity chain would not be an option for me.”
“There are plenty of vets who don’t feel they have a home in one of the big groups, but need support and some liquidity. This is a very smart way to deliver that.”
“We’ve always struggled with clinician retention after earn-out periods. What you’ve put together is incredibly compelling.”
“The Smartemis model aligns best with our vision for the profession: we will remain independent, realize the value of 40 years of hard work, and drive our business forward.”
“Your model is very unique and very, very impressive. Quite ingenious how you’ve set it up.”
“We had stopped looking at buy-and-build opportunities. But we heard you’re different — and you are. We’re excited.”
“My joining Smartemis has given me real motivation again — to go through my last years in practice with joy.”
“What you have built is super, super interesting. Very impressive. And you’ve done it remarkably fast.”
“I was so impressed by the business model you developed and the clear benefits it has for vets versus traditional models.”
“Smartemis is a community united by a shared ethic and a vision of professional camaraderie that preserves the integrity of our profession.”
“Veterinary consolidation is at a structural tipping point. The Smartemis partnership model is a catalyst for the next era of modern animal health.”
The Model
As market consolidation progresses and add-on multiples climb, reliably achieving desired MoM targets has become more and more challenging for investors. Loss of control and pressure to drive financial performance improvement — often without a direct interest in the result — leads to a loss of productivity as often as improvement.
Veterinarians are clearly enthusiastic about having an alternative to the traditional options of going it alone or selling out — making Smartemis the fastest-growing independent veterinary community in Europe.
Our Network
Smartemis exists to give veterinarians a way to realize the financial value of their clinics without giving up control or sacrificing their pride of ownership. We believe veterinary clinics are best run by veterinarians working in their own clinics — not by big corporations which cannot possibly know or manage all of the day-to-day opportunities.
Bill Hughson Founder & CEO, Smartemis
Our Vets
A Smartemis vet
A buy-and-build vet
Clinic outcome — Revenue growth
A clinic that grew revenue by 18% through billing optimization — without raising prices or adding patients.
— Network average, Year 1 · Read the clinic story →
Clinic outcome — Resilience
When a co-owner departed, shared HR and operational support meant the clinic grew rather than contracted.
— Year following ownership transition · Read the clinic story →
Clinic outcome — Scale efficiency
Network expertise on a software migration saved one clinic €50,000. Multiplied across the network, this is what shared infrastructure means.
— One-time cost avoidance · Read the clinic story →
Veterinarian Perspective
The voices of the clinic owners the network was built for — in their own words.
In our five-partner practice, achieving three key goals — maintaining independence, ensuring business succession and longevity, and maximizing the practice’s value — seemed like a tall order. The traditional networks that approached us didn’t meet all our criteria. The Smartemis model aligns best with our vision for the profession: we will remain independent, realize the value of 40 years of hard work, and — thanks to the services Smartemis offers — drive our business forward. The planned succession strategies will ensure the clinic’s long-term viability, as the model facilitates the integration of young veterinarians.
Smartemis’s proposal was unmatched in our situation: it offered a way to ensure the clinic’s continuity ahead of my partner’s planned departure in two years and maintain full independence in day-to-day management, all while benefiting from the support of Smartemis teams and networking with other members. Constructive discussions with the Smartemis team ultimately convinced us to join the network.
Increasingly disillusioned by the profit-driven drift of corporate veterinary groups, we found Smartemis offered a compelling concept: balancing fair valuation of our client base with the preservation of our independence, while gaining access to the support that is becoming essential for the clinic’s daily management. Smartemis represents a highly acceptable compromise between bringing in outside investors and preserving our independence — a balance that I am convinced will be our greatest strength in the future. Ultimately, Smartemis is a community united by a shared ethic and a vision of professional camaraderie that preserves the integrity of our profession.
Investor Perspective
Reactions from institutional investment professionals across private equity and investment banking.
We have looked at many, many assets in the clinic space. Nothing compared to what you have built, which is exceptional. Congratulations for what you have achieved in just four years.
There are plenty of vets who don’t feel they have a home in one of the big groups, but need support and some liquidity from their business. This is a very smart way to deliver that.
We’ve always struggled with clinician retention and what happens after earn-out periods. What you’ve put together is incredibly compelling.
Quite ingenious how you’ve set it up. Your model is very unique and very, very impressive.
We had stopped looking at buy-and-build opportunities. But we heard that you’re different — and you are. We’re excited.
Veterinary consolidation is at a structural tipping point. The Smartemis partnership model is a catalyst for the next era of modern animal health.
How it Works
Each service is the mechanism behind a clinic outcome. This answers: what does the fee revenue actually buy — and does it work?
01
PMS optimization, billing efficiency, operational process improvement.
02
Talent acquisition, team building, ownership transition support.
03
Valuation, financial structure, tax optimization, exit planning.
04
Ownership transitions, expansion support, restructuring guidance.
05
Local visibility, patient communication, digital presence.
06
Collective purchasing — medications, consumables, equipment across the network.
Governance
Clinical excellence, animal welfare, and the interests of practicing vets sit at the heart of every strategic decision. This is not symbolic governance — it is structural.
“The governance structure is what convinced me. Vets have a genuine seat at the table here — not a symbolic one. When we vote, it counts.”
Dr Marcus Stieger — Veterinarian & Clinic Owner
Get in Touch
For investors, institutional partners, prospective country partners, and media inquiries.
