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M&A Activity • May 2, 2013

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Media | 2 May 2013 12:24

German Startups Group Berlin AG: Further four investments in four months

(DGAP-Media / 02.05.2013 / 12:24)

German Startups Group extends its portfolio

Berlin, 2.05.2013: The German Startups Group Berlin AG, a new provider of seed venture capital for Germany’s booming startup scene, has made ten seed VC investments in the first ten months since its official launch – hence acquiring some promising holdings. All ten companies are Berlin-based and together generate a diversified portfolio of complementary business models and startup entrepreneurs with a large upside potential.

‘Our recent investments in TVSmiles and Zapitano mean that we now also have a stake in the field of the ‘Second Screen TV’ and with Fab we also have a foot in the door of the fastest-growing Online Shop world-wide’ says Christoph Gerlinger, CEO of German Startups Group, about the activities since the last press statement published last December. ‘And with our investment in Rheingau Founders we give our shareholders access to systematically and professionally planned startups at a very early stage’. The coming months will see further targeted investments carried out by German Startups Group not limited to the Berlin startup scene.

A brief overview of German Startups Group’s new portfolio companies:

– Fab ( www.fab.com )

Fab is an e-commerce company focused on everyday design across all price points and all verticals. In November 2011, five months after re-launching, Fab reached one million members. The company reached this number faster than Facebook, Twitter and Groupon, with social media representing a key driver of its rapid growth. It is the world’s fastest growing e-commerce site, having grown from 175,000 members at launch in June 2011, to over ten million as of December 2012. Fab by then sold more than 4.3 million products since its launch, averaging 5.4 products sold per minute. The company also employs a mobile first strategy with its digital products, with an emphasis on iPad and iPhone, and released a custom mobile app in October 2012. Its fast growing European business is headquartered in Berlin.

– Rheingau Founders ( www.rheingau-founders.com )

Rheingau Founders is a young incubator with a focus on the areas of ‘internet’ and ‘mobile’. Through its partners’ experience from various successful start-ups, Rheingau Founders can actively support the founding team in the very early stages of their start-up project. Aside from providing the first round of capital for its portfolio companies, Rheingau Founders play a very active role in the start-up’s crucial operations for the first 12 months after foundation. Rheingau Founders have co-founded Lieferando, Madvertise and Customer Alliance. Throughout their involvement in the past years, their portfolio companies have created more than 400 jobs and obtained venture financing in excess of EUR 50m.

– TVSmiles ( www.tvsmiles.de )

TV SMILES is the first rewards program for TV advertising set to launch in May 2013. The new mobile app connects television, online and point of sale and offers marketers brand new forms of consumer direct marketing.

– Zapitano ( www.zapitano.de )

Zapitano, the Social TV-Platform, expands watching television into a public viewing event. Viewers continue watching a program on television, but at the same time use Zapitano on a second screen. With Zapitano, viewers have their personal TV-Buddy. The viewer becomes an active Zapitano instead of a passive Zapper. The television couch is getting full again in an excitingly different way.

By doing this, Zapitano indirectly creates a return path to TV, which opens very lucrative revenue streams. Zapitano’s iPad-App ranks within the top ten apps in the App Store – together with Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other famous apps.

Pressekontakt

German Startups Group Berlin AG

Christoph Gerlinger

Tel +49 (0)30-610 900 730-0

Mail info@german-startups.com

Web www.german-startups.com

German Startups Group – We love startups!

German Startups Group Berlin AG is a venture capital provider in Berlin. Under the slogan, ‘smart, fast and friendly money’, the German Startups Group gives new companies the chance to quickly secure financing, and to provide more mature startups with additional funding and established companies in special situations with additional funds to finance certain measures. Our main investment criteria are disruptive innovation in product or business model, high scalability and entrepreneurial talent. In addition to the capital, the German Startups Group offers its portfolio companies practical advice and active support from seasoned entrepreneurs, upon request.

Internet: www.german-startups.com

End of Media Release

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Issuer: German Startups Group Berlin AG

Key word(s): Finance

02.05.2013 Dissemination of a Press Release, transmitted by DGAP – a company of EquityStory AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

DGAP’s Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de

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209431  02.05.2013