9. Best High-Stake Valuation Advisors 2026 Value Drive’s internal culture is a significant driver behind the firm’s success. Boasting what they refer to as a “club culture”, dedicated to working hard - and playing hard too. Each member of the Value Drive team is quite competitive and shares a passion for the valuation profession, improving themselves professionally on a continual basis to provide the best possible services to their clients. At the same time, the team members love competing in sports, varying from cycling, kickboxing, swimming, running, and tennis, and celebrating after the hard work is done. “We can achieve this work-sports-play balance because we have been working with each other in different settings over a long period of time,” said Jeroen. “We have engaged in many different projects together, and all have our own different specialties, such as industry sector knowledge, modelling skills, and valuation experience. At the same time, we know how important it is to have a different, more physical mindset every now and then and reap the mental benefits thereof” Value Drive pairs this vast expertise with the selective utilisation of artificial intelligence. Though some have feared that the introduction of AI threatens the valuation profession, Jeroen believes that it presents opportunities as long as the valuation is focused and specialised. Through its practice, the team at Value Drive has learned that AI is extremely useful and efficient for certain applications, such as finding comparable companies and transactions for peer groups or analysing source documents, especially legal documents for dispute resolutions. On the other hand, the firm has also found that AI is not suitable for other areas of operation. This includes bankruptcy prediction, feasibility, the assessment of financial forecasts, and the detailed techniques to validate WACC calculations for public versus private companies. “In short,” he concluded, “AI is useful because it is generative in nature; it is not necessarily within the context of creation. For the creation of new ideas, the assessment of future scenarios, and the craftsmanship required for the resolution of specialised valuation issues, the human valuator still rules.” The Benelux’s valuation landscape in 2026 is being bifurcated across sectors by AI. Businesses that have integrated AI are being rewarded, and legacy models are being compressed. In the short term, the scale of AI investment – such as infrastructure, data centres, and talent – is competing directly with M&A budgets. Some companies are prioritising organic AI build-over-buy strategies. In private equity, sponsors are increasingly using continuation fund structures to extend holding periods for portfolio companies needing AI-driven product transformation before marketable exit, rather than accepting depressed multiples for non-AI-ready assets. Jeroen commented, “I believe that AI is acting as both a short-term headwind and a medium-term tailwind for valuation and M&A activity in the Benelux.” Looking to the future, Value Drive intends to continue on its growth trajectory whilst staying true to the boutique nature of its operations. In relation to M&A and tax-related valuations, 2026 showed an ever-increasing demand for dispute resolution, on which Value Drive will continue to deliver as the Best High-Stake Valuation Advisors 2026. Contact: Jeroen Weimer Company: Value Drive B.V. Web Address: www.valuedrive.nl
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