029 Group SE

M&A Activity • Nov 6, 2001

News Details

Ad-hoc | 6 November 2001 22:10

MatchNet PLC english

MatchNet plc acquires leading German online dating service FlirtMaschine.de Ad-hoc-announcement processed and transmitted by DGAP. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. ——————————————————————————– MatchNet plc acquires leading German online dating service FlirtMaschine.de Revenues in Germany expected in Q1 2002 Frankfurt am Main – 6 November 2001. MatchNet plc (Neuer Markt: MHJG), a leading global dating service provider, and Agentscape AG, a Berlin based leading provider of intelligent Agent-Technology and Personalization-Software, announced today that they have entered into an agreement under which MatchNet will acquire FlirtMaschine.de. FlirtMaschine is one of Germany’s largest online dating services with over 220,000 registered members from the German speaking countries. Under the terms of the agreement, MatchNet is acquiring FlirtMaschine for initial cash payments, plus a revenue sharing plan based upon future performance of the FlirtMaschine service. The revenue sharing provisions encourage Agentscape to continue its successful marketing of FlirtMaschine. The acquisition gives MatchNet the critical mass of members to begin charging for subscriptions in Germany similar to our US model. MatchNet will begin with subscription charges in Germany in the 1st quarter of 2002. Most of this revenue in Germany will contribute directly to bottom line profits. end of ad-hoc-announcement (c)DGAP 06.11.2001 Issuer’s information/explanatory remarks concerning this ad-hoc-announcement: “FlirtMachine’s membership will supplement our existing customer base in MatchNet.de and, once consolidated, will solidify our position as one of Germany’s largest online dating services” said MatchNet’s CEO Joe Shapira. “During the next month, in full compliance with German data protection laws, MatchNet will integrate the FlirtMaschine service into its German and Global services. But the real excitement of this acquisition is that it gives us the critical mass of members to begin charging for subscriptions in Germany similar to our US model. We expect to complete the integration of the FlirtMaschine service in the 4th quarter of this year, with subscription charges in Germany beginning in the 1st quarter of 2002. Considering our high margins and scalability, most of our revenue in Germany will contribute directly to bottom line profits.” “It’s a 1+1=3 deal. The synergetic effect of FlirtMaschine’s sheer size and high quality single community and MatchNet’s scalable business model is the guarantee for our strong joint revenue.” said Agentscape’s CEO and founder Dr. Stefan Covaci. “Based on our unique social-intelligent matching technology CyMON we have built a German speaking single community that from now on will be able to join MatchNet’s global dating services.” Incorporated in England in 1998, MatchNet plc (MHJG: Frankfurt Exchange – Neuer Markt) is a publicly traded Internet company that owns and operates several world-leading, global Internet dating service Web sites for singles. Currently, the company has more than 4 million registered members, and its Web sites include AmericanSingles.com, MatchNet.co.uk, MatchNet.de and MatchNetAustralia.com. Additionally, MatchNet owns and operates JDate.com – the dominant Jewish dating service on the Internet and JDate.co.il. MatchNet’s business model is based on registered and paid memberships, advertising, and offline singles parties. MatchNet also offers co-branded and private-label singles Web site services to some of the top portals and content publishers on the Internet. For more information, please visit http://www.matchnet.com. CONTACT: Elmar Bob (elmar@matchnet.com) Tel.: +49 69 7409 3788 MatchNet plc Arndtstrasse 51 D-60325 Frankfurt am Main Germany Agentscape AG, Berlin (Germany) is a ‘one-to-one-business-enabler’, develops and markets basic technology for Personalization and social-oriented intelligent business Agents and systems, applications and services based on this technology. Agentscape’s builds multi-agent systems where personal agents Cybs and provider agents CyMON communicate, negotiate and execute transactions in an autonomous manner, on behalf of and in the interests of their owners. The company developed and operates the FlirtMachine – a leading interactive dating and life-style service in the German speaking single communities (mainly Germany, Switzerland and Austria) with more than 220,000 registered users. For more information, please visit http://www.agentscape.de. CONTACT: Agentscape AG Reuchlinstraße 10-11 D-10553 Berlin Germany Fon:+49-30-59 00 478-0 Fax:+49-30-59 00 478-99 info@agentscape.de http://www.agentscape.de ——————————————————————————– WKN: 930129; Index: Listed: Neuer Markt in Frankfurt; Freiverkehr in Berlin, Bremen, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Hannover, München und Stuttgart 062210 Nov 01