Vonovia Issues First Fully Digital Note via Online Marketplace firstwire

* Security tokens used for transfer of ownership
* M.M. Warburg bank first investor
* Further digital issues possible

Bochum, Germany, January 13, 2021 - Vonovia is further expanding the digitalization of its finance division. The residential real estate company issued a fully digital registered bond of € 20 million for the first time. It has a term of three years. Security tokens following the strictest security standards were used for the transfer of ownership of the bond. The transfer of ownership rights of real assets take place on the established Stellar blockchain, which is used for transactions around the globe.

The transaction is a novelty on the capital market - Vonovia created the tokens independently using the online marketplace firstwire. Vonovia had already used the platform, which brings issuers and investors together directly and in real time, to place a promissory note of € 50 million in September 2019.

In mid-December, the German cabinet approved a bill introducing electronic securities, in order to drive the digitalization of the German financial marketplace and fulfill a key requirement of the German government's blockchain strategy for greater transparency, market integrity and investor protection.

"Digitalization provides us with the opportunity to finance ourselves faster, more easily and more cost efficiently," says Helene von Roeder, Chief Financial Officer of Vonovia. The company has successfully financed itself via the capital market for many years and uses a broad range of financial instruments. "We want to test out the new technology to gain experience with it. It's easy to imagine that it will play a significant role in the capital market in the future. Issuances are transparent and traceable in real time, which guarantees a professional transaction standard. Additionally, we can use it to approach new investors around the globe."

On the investor side, the tokens offer new perspectives for the banks and their customers. "Tokenization will significantly expand and structurally change the range of financial products and services," says Joachim Olearius, spokesperson for the partners of the owner-operated M.M. Warburg bank. "We are pleased to have successfully conducted this transaction with an experienced issuer. This underlines the innovative power of our bank."

Michael Dreiner, CEO and founder of the online marketplace firstwire, values the transaction as a milestone because, it introduces the use of tokens to the institutional capital market and has the potential to change bond markets considerably. "In light of the planned legislation of electronic securities, this transaction demonstrates how bond issuances can be conducted in the future. On firstwire, companies can now conclude their transactions digitally and in real time, meaning instant settlement and no multi-day settlement risk anymore." firstwire carried out the technological implementation with its partner Bitbond.


About firstwire

firstwire is the web-based marketplace for debt financing. The Cologne-based FinTech company provides the international private-placement market with an independent platform that brings large mid-sized companies and corporations together with banks and institutional investors of all kinds under the slogan "Your market. Your community." Find out more at https://firstwire.market/de/.
Press contact: [email protected]
 

About Vonovia

Vonovia SE is Europe's leading private residential real estate company. Vonovia currently owns around 415,000 residential units in all attractive cities and regions in Germany, Sweden and Austria. It also manages around 73,000 apartments. Its portfolio is worth approximately € 55.7 billion. As a modern service provider, Vonovia focuses on customer orientation and tenant satisfaction. Offering tenants affordable, attractive and livable homes is a prerequisite for the company's successful development. Accordingly, Vonovia makes long-term investments in the maintenance, modernization and senior-friendly conversion of its properties. The company is also creating more and more new apartments by realizing infill developments and adding to existing buildings.

The company, which is based in Bochum, has been listed on the stock exchange since 2013 and on the DAX 30 since September 2015. Vonovia SE is also listed on the international indices STOXX Europe 600, MSCI Germany, MSCI Germany, GPR 250 and EPRA/NAREIT Europe. Vonovia has a workforce of over 10,000 employees.
 

Additional Information:
Approval: Regulated Market/Prime Standard, Frankfurt Stock Exchange
ISIN: DE000A1ML7J1
WKN: A1ML7J
Common code: 094567408
Registered headquarters of Vonovia SE: Bochum, Germany, Bochum Local Court, HRB 16879
Business address of Vonovia SE: Universitätsstrasse 133, 44803 Bochum, Germany

This press release has been issued by Vonovia SE and/or its subsidiaries solely for information purposes. This press release may contain statements, assumptions, opinions and predictions about the anticipated future development of Vonovia ("forward-looking statements") that reproduce various assumptions regarding, e.g., results derived from Vonovia's current business or from publicly available sources that have not been subject to an independent audit or in-depth evaluation by Vonovia and that may turn out to be incorrect at a later stage. All forward-looking statements express current expectations based on the current business plan and various other assumptions and therefore come with risks and uncertainties that are not insignificant. All forward-looking statements should not therefore be taken as a guarantee for future performance or results and, furthermore, do not necessarily constitute exact indicators that the forecast results will be achieved. All forward-looking statements relate solely to the day on which this press release was issued to its recipients. It is the responsibility of the recipients of this press release to conduct a more detailed analysis of the validity of forward-looking statements and the underlying assumptions. Vonovia accepts no responsibility for any direct or indirect damages or losses or subsequent damages or losses, as well as penalties that the recipients may incur by using the press release, its contents and, in particular, all forward-looking statements or in any other way, as far as this is legally permissible. Vonovia does not provide any guarantees or assurances (either explicitly or implicitly) in respect of the information contained in this press release. Vonovia is not obliged to update or correct the information, forward-looking statements or conclusions drawn in this press release or to include subsequent events or circumstances or to report inaccuracies that become known after the date of this press release.