• Expansion of the management team to include CFO with comprehensive capital market experience as part of the growth strategy
• Bert Althaus shaped and managed finance departments of fast-growing technology companies such as Autodoc SE, Spark Networks SE and Home24 SE

ROSTOCK/LAAGE, GERMANY/GREVENMACHER, LUXEMBURG / September 18, 2023 – APEX Group (“APEX“), a leading developer and operator of ‘green’ hydrogen electrolysis plants for the decarbonization of industry, infrastructure and mobility and a 100% subsidiary of exceet Group SCA (ISIN LU0472835155), is expanding its management team as part of its growth strategy and has appointed Bert Althaus (45) as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) effective October 1, 2023. In his role, he will be responsible for the finances of the group and support the capital markets strategy as the basis for implementing the company's growth strategy. Since its acquisition by exceet Group SCA in January 2023, APEX Group has significantly expanded both its portfolio of milestone projects in the German hydrogen market and its project pipeline. In addition, the strategy of becoming one of the leading decentralized suppliers of green hydrogen in Europe has been driven forward successfully, as highlighted by the planned construction of an electrolysis plant with a capacity of up to 600MW in Lubmin.

In his previous position as CFO at Autodoc SE, Bert Althaus was responsible for Finance, Supply Chain Management and Process & Project Management since 2021. With more than 5,000 employees, Autodoc SE has a turnover of around EUR 1 billion and operates online shops for car, truck and motorcycle spare parts in 27 European countries. From 2019 to 2021, he was CFO at the publicly listed company Spark Networks SE, where he was responsible for post-merger integration, SAP implementation, risk management and refinancing. Prior to that, from 2013 to 2019, he held the position of Senior Vice President Finance at Home24 SE, which is also listed on the stock exchange, where he was responsible for the IPO and organizational transformation as well as building up the Investor Relations department. After graduating with a degree in business management from the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Bert Althaus began his career at the auditing and consulting firm EY, where he most recently worked as a Manager in the Assurance & Advisory Business Services division.

Peter Rößner, CEO of APEX, said: ”Bert Althaus is the ideal addition to our management team. He brings extensive international experience in scaling and managing technology companies as well as excellent knowledge of capital markets. In addition, I am particularly pleased that he comes from the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, because APEX also has strong ties to its founding location in Rostock-Laage that are reflected in all of its expansion plans. Together, we want to kick-start a new industrial revolution for Germany and Europe from our home base.”

Bert Althaus: ”APEX is an ambitious, fast-growing technology company with a proven ability to finance and design major international projects and plants in the field of hydrogen. Hydrogen is an essential energy carrier in the global decarbonization of the industrial sector. APEX is one of the few companies in the world to offer plants with a proven track record for the production of green hydrogen on an industrial scale and is therefore in demand for hydrogen projects throughout Europe. I am therefore looking forward to bringing my previous experience with large investment projects and investors to APEX, a young company in a fast-growing and particularly exciting environment that is expanding very quickly.”
 

About APEX Group

APEX Group was founded in Rostock/Laage, Germany, in 2000 and has focused entirely on hydrogen electrolysis plants since 2012. The company is thus one of the pioneers in this field. APEX's goal is to become an internationally established developer and operator of hydrogen plants. In its core business, APEX develops, builds and sells or operates green hydrogen electrolysis plants with an electrolysis capacity below 1 GW. These are used to decarbonize industrial value chains and to produce green hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives such as LOHC (liquid organic hydrogen carriers) and e-fuels. They are used, for example, in the steel, chemical and cement industries as well as other energy intensive industries. In addition, the company offers hydrogen plants for infrastructure and logistics, especially for industrial use in warehouses, ports and production facilities.
 

About exceet

exceet is a holding listed on the Prime Standard segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ISIN LU0472835155, WKN A0YF5P).  Since the merger with the APEX Group, its investment focus has been on the development of projects for a decentralized supply of green hydrogen.

Investor contact exceet:
Phone: +352 28 38 47 20
E-Mail: [email protected]

Press contact:
Charles Barker Corporate Communications
Tobias Eberle / Jan Sefrin
Phone: +49 69 794090 -24 / -26
E-Mail: [email protected]