19.06.2018
German Startups Group GmbH & Co. KGaA DE000A1MMEV4
DGAP-News: German Startups Group GmbH & Co. KGaA: G|S Market enables broad investor groups to make direct investments in leading German startups and venture capital funds
DGAP-News: German Startups Group GmbH & Co. KGaA / Key word(s): Product
Launch
German Startups Group GmbH & Co. KGaA: G|S Market enables broad investor
groups to make direct investments in leading German startups and venture
capital funds
19.06.2018 / 09:57
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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Today the first secondary market platform for tech assets in Germany is
launched
G|S MarketTM enables broad investor groups to make direct investments in
leading German startups and venture capital funds
* New online matchmaking platform brings together providers and interested
buyers of start-up and VC fund shares
* Contribution to furthering the start-up culture in Germany
* Growing importance of tech investments for investment portfolios
* High quality and transparency standards
* Platform is immediately available online with 10 tech assets amounting
to EUR 15m; further assets amounting to EUR 10m expected in the next
days
Berlin, June 19, 2018 - The German Startups Market GmbH, a wholly owned
subsidiary of the listed German Startup Group GmbH & Co. KGaA, headquartered
in Berlin, announces the launch of a unique online platform for startup
shares and other tech investments in a festive event. For the first time,
the platform named G|S MarketTM gives a wider group of investors the
opportunity to participate in disruptive, young growth companies - so-called
tech assets - with investment amounts of more than EUR 200k. Guest speakers
include Thomas Jarzombek (MdB), spokesman of the CDU / CSU parliamentary
group for the Digital Agenda, Florian Noell, chairman of the German Startups
Association, and Nikita Fahrenholz, Berlin startup entrepreneur and
co-founder of Book-a-Tiger and Delivery Hero. All three emphasize in their
lectures the important contribution of such a platform for a functioning
German startup ecosystem. Among the guests is expected Brigitte Zypries, the
former Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, who served in
office until March 2018.
"From a founding perspective, the platform is an excellent idea. G|S MarketTM
actually solves one of the main problems for startups, the illiquidity of
the shares." Nikita Fahrenholz comments on the launch of G|S MarketTM
G|S MarketTM is an online matchmaking platform for providers and buyers of
so-called secondary shares in German startups. In the future, it will enable
potential buyers of secondary shares, i.e. start-up shares owned by
founders, business angels, employees or venture capitalists, to contact
potential investors on an online platform and thus create liquidity for what
were previously largely illiquid shares. In addition to startup shares, the
platform is open for example to VC funds, convertible loans, venture loans
and profit participation rights.
In the run-up, the company interviewed numerous opinion leaders from the
German startup and VC scene and received positive feedback without
exception, such as:
"I think the idea is great. It solves a key problem for this asset class",
said Erik Podzuweit, founder and CEO of Scalable Capital, a German start-up
with EUR 1 billion in assets under management
"The new platform closes a gap in the market and is important for the
startup ecosystem," says Alexander von Frankenberg, CEO of Germany's most
active VC investor, the High-Tech Gruenderfonds in Bonn
Wide range of investment opportunities
After registering via the platform, investors can view and compare
investment opportunities and get in touch with the relevant providers. The
new online platform is intended to provide qualified investors with access
to the entire range of investment opportunities in the "German Tech" asset
class, with investment amounts starting at EUR 200k, while direct investment
and VC funds are often only available from seven-digit minimum amounts. In
addition, it enables investors to make direct investments into VC funds and
putting together tailor-made tech portfolios. The German Startups Group will
also provide special purpose vehicles ("SPVs") which allow acquiring
multiple investors in the form of pooled investments, as well as acquiring
larger investment opportunities.
Growing Importance of Tech Investments for Investment Portfolios
An increasing share of the value creation for shareholders of young
companies takes place during the phase in which growth companies are not yet
listed and thus not yet accessible via the capital markets - because IPOs
require more and more size.
With increasingly shorter innovation and disruption cycles, the importance
of tech assets in investment portfolios is increasing. The ability of
investors to participate in disruptive German growth companies, German VC
funds and other tech investments has so far been reserved for a limited
circle of VC investors and very wealthy families.
Contribution to the startup culture in Germany
With G|S MarketTM we will make an important contribution to the startup
culture in Germany." says Christoph Gerlinger, founder and CEO of G|S
MarketTM
and the German Startups Group. "A functioning secondary market makes
illiquid startup shares more accessible, thus reducing the risk for founders
and angel investments - especially given the country's often slightly longer
time to exit. Thus, such a market should strengthen the start-up activity
and innovative capability in Germany. A secondary market helps to further
close the huge VC gap in Germany."
Highest quality and transparency
G|S MarketTM will only allow offers from Shares and from Participants who
are, in their eyes, reputable, have good appreciation prospects, and have a
fair valuation - thus filtering the quality of offerings and reputations of
participants. By offering a whole range of investment opportunities, the
platform provides a high level of transparency while protecting the trade
secrets of startups.
Platform is immediately available online with 10 tech assets amounting to
EUR 15m in volume
From now on, founders, business angels, VC funds, and other equity growth
company and VC fund owners can upload asset quotations ("invitatio ad
offerendum") to the marketplace at www.german-startups.market. Investors
interested in Tech Investments can register there and look for suitable
investment opportunities.
Already from the start, 10 stakes of established offerers of the asset class
German Tech are available on the platform; further assets amounting to EUR
10m are expected in the next days. By the end of the year, over 50 holdings
of established providers of the German Tech asset class are to be available
on the platform. Also other forms of investment - e.g. shares of newly
launched or existing VC funds, convertible loans, venture loans, etc. - will
be represented on the platform in the future. Since the investment forms
mentioned are generally not transferable without the notarial deed and / or
consent of third parties, the transactions, i.e. the binding purchase
offers, their acceptance and the entire contractual documentation take place
outside the platform.
Connection of the demand side
The German Startups Market GmbH talks to well-known asset managers and
private bankers with often tens of billions in assets ("assets under
management") in order to connect the demand side to the platform.
For more information about G|S MarketTM, visit the company's website:
www.german-startups.market
Contact
G|S MarketTM
German Startups Market GmbH
Marcel Doeppes
Tel. +49 162-4825697
mail: [email protected]
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19.06.2018 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a
service of EQS Group AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements,
Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.
Archive at www.dgap.de
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Language: English
Company: German Startups Group GmbH & Co. KGaA
Platz der Luftbrücke 4-6
12101 Berlin
Germany
Phone: +49.30.6098890.80
Fax: +49.30.6098890.89
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.german-startups.com
ISIN: DE000A1MMEV4
WKN: A1MMEV
Indices: Scale 30
Listed: Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf,
Frankfurt (Scale), Tradegate Exchange
End of News DGAP News Service
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696467 19.06.2018
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