Our Founding Story

The creation of Anura Partners was the culmination of a considered plan, formulated by Maximilian Matschke over more than a decade. From the time he joined a student-led consulting firm in Munich back in 2008, serving as CFO then CEO, Max knew that this was his future, and the first spark of his ambition was born.

Over the course of the next decade, Max honed his skills, gathered experience, and analysed the strengths and weaknesses of the firms he worked for, and the projects he worked on, to perfect a model for his own firm.

Max recognised the power of a student-run firm to create a foundation for young consultants to learn while increasing employability. He wanted to take the concept to an emerging economy where he knew it would have the most impact. As the biggest contributor to Africa’s economy and a gateway for investors into the rest of the continent, South Africa was the ideal choice.

So, Max headed to Johannesburg, the country’s vibrant City of Gold. There, he helped set up student-led firm The Consulting Academy, which was handed over to the first generation of student leaders after just four months. Today, the firm has grown into a global network, creating an invaluable platform from which future leaders can grow.

Knowing he needed to expand his experience, Max gained an internship at international consultancy giant McKinsey, where he thrived. It was here that he began to cement his vision for his own firm, one that would combine his learnings in creating young leaders with the formal structures of an established system.

His firm would be more than a consultancy. It would echo his values of wanting to make a difference. He could increase value for the business by stretching into investing in small businesses as a vital avenue for creating jobs. His team would have opportunities for growth, no matter their level of experience, offering clients fresh, innovative thinking backed up by the solidity of experienced leaders.

Determined to see his vision through, Max joined the Munich office of McKinsey, where he gained global experience in complex projects across Europe and the US. While he relished the new challenges, Africa soon came calling once more. Max was invited to manage several projects back in South Africa, a huge opportunity so early in his career.

Now back in the country he learnt to love, Max made the decision to join a smaller firm, more in line with his model, combining consultancy with investment. Here, he studied what did and didn’t work, using his learnings to adjust and refine his own model.

Through his now extensive South African network, Max met Andreas and Ghaleb. With their combined experience of over 60 years across the industry, Max knew they would make a formidable team. Aligning their visions, they decided the time was right to realise the idea that Max had been formulating for so long.

On a trip to the beautiful Stellenbosch winelands, they settled on the name Anura Partners, a nod to one of the country’s most revered wine estates, and its Sanskrit meaning of ‘knowledge’.

Today, the founders’ values are strongly upheld in the firm through an innovative business model that opens opportunities for its people while offering long-term, committed value to its clients. Perhaps more importantly, it is impacting industries, building the foundation for emerging economies to grow.