Verdane already has extensive experience in the field of e-commerce
through portfolio companies; LensOn, EasyArt, TradeDoubler, BytHjul and Dibs.
The deal with Aggregate Media allows Verdane Capital to strengthen its x position
in the Nordic "second-hand market" for investments in portfolios of unlisted
companies, which simultaneously increases the liquidity of the private equity
and venture capital markets. Since 2003 Verdane has made 13 portfolio
transactions and this is their second acquisition from Aggregate Media.
The companies involved in the deal with
Aggregate Media provide e-commerce services in the areas of food, outdoor and
travel products, office supplies, web-based project management, audio books and
children's clothing. After this acquisition Verdane Capital holds shares in
approximately 100 companies operating in various industries and becomes the
private equity company holding the most e-commerce companies in Sweden.
”The companies we
have acquired are rapidly growing and have positive cash flow, so, along with
each company's management, we plan to further develop them to become leaders in
their respective market segments,” says Staffan Mörndal, Investment Manager at
Verdane Capital.
Verdane intends to make follow-on investments in several
companies in the coming months to further enhance the companies’ operations and
strengthen their market positions.
”We are very happy to have Verdane backing
us as an investor, they really understand e-partnerships and will help MatHem
to become the obvious choice for consumers wanting to buy groceries online,”
says Tomas Kull, CEO, MatHem.
Company information:
www.Mathem.se - has quickly made its way to the very top of the list
of operators selling foodstuffs online evidenced by the company's award as
”Site of the month” by Internetworld, one of Sweden's top Internet
publications. The customer has access to a large grocery store on the web in
combination with a large number of recipes, and all of this is delivered
directly to their home at their specified time.
www.Outnet.se - Outnet is an
online store for products in the area of outdoor activities and travel. The
company is based on the Scandinavian brands that stand for functionality,
quality and good design.
www.SwedOffice.se - sells office
supplies online in Sweden. The company's mission is to offer companies and
organizations a wide range of high quality office products at reasonable
prices.
www.WebForum.se - offers
a web based service that facilitates project work and collaborations. The
service is offered as rental service on the Internet, known as Software as a
Service (SaaS). WebForum has
around 700 customers and over 50 000 users in 20 countries.
www.StoryTel.se - is a new way to
listen to audio books directly from your computer, home stereo or mobile phone.
The company offers 1000's of titles written by major authors.
www.BabyShop.se. - Sells baby and
children's clothing online and features brands such as Molo, Skip Hop and Nova Star.
The company also operates babyshop.com with customers in over 20 countries.
For further
information, contact:
Staffan Mörndal, Investment Manager
Verdane Capital Advisors.
Tel +46 709 31 52 35, e-mail: staffan.morndal@verdanecapital.com
Tomas Kull, CEO, MatHem.
Tel: + 46 8 622 62 50, e-mail: tomas@mathem.se
About Verdane
Capital
Verdane Capital has 25 years experience in venture
capital market. The company’s primary focus is on acquisition of portfolios of
unlisted companies, but Verdane Capital also selectively invests directly in
individual companies. Verdane Capital's latest fund, Verdane Capital VII, is
based in Denmark, was started in 2009. The company's active funds stand at
approximately SEK 5 billion and currently there are a total of approximately
100 holdings in five different funds. The Fund's consultant is Verdane Capital
Advisors, with offices in Oslo and Stockholm, and has a total of 17 investment
managers. Example investments include: C3, BytHjul, Åkerströms and Wireless
Maingate. Examples of earlier investments in mutual funds are Agresso, Coding
Technologies, Chipcon, DIBS, Infostream, Nacre, Opera Software, and Provida.
Since 2005, the investment team in Stockholm has served as advisors in
connection with eight portfolio transactions, and currently manages
approximately 50 companies in Sweden. www.verdanecapital.com
About Aggregate
Media
