Atle acquires 28% of Freshman Flimmer

Atle acquires 28% of Freshman Flimmer * Atle is acquiring 28% of Freshman Flimmer AB for SEK 20 m * The transaction will be effected through a private placement targeted at Atle AB * Freshman Flimmer, established in 1994, has doubled sales every year in the last three years- its forecast sales for 2000 are SEK 20 m The Flimmer filter differs from traditional techniques by filtering air along a statically charged fibre. Flimmer technology confers low, constant air resistance, along with a filter area 25 - 30 times greater than traditional equivalents. Static charging, which increases during the filter's lifetime, allows particles as small as 0,01 @m (one one-hundred thousandth of a millimetre) to be captured and retained on the filter's fibres. Changing Flimmer filters is simple, while they can be combusted environmentally. The technology enjoys effective protection from a global patent. Until the present, Freshman Flimmer has accumulated its own market for circulation purification of various sites, from offices to large industrial and warehousing premises. Many of Sweden's successful corporations in sectors including paper, foods and engineering already utilise Freshman Flimmer's circulation purification successfully. Roland Bengtsson, Chief Executive of Atle Teknik commented that: "Freshman Flimmer has a promising, patented product at the beginning of its life-cycle. The air filtration and purification market is enormous, with the problems caused by poor air quality and increasing allergies widely known. The Flimmer filter has very substantial international potential, which Atle can help exploit through its contact network and resources. We regard Freshman Flimmer as a good example of Atle assisting enterprises with unique products to become profitable, internationalised growth companies." Hans Bergvall, Freshman Flimmer AB's Chief Executive responded: "We're moving towards our international launch, and gearing up our marketing and production resources necessitates extensive resources. Our ambition is high growth internationally, and to bring our technology to new applications. With Atle as our partner, and the capital injected into the corporation, we view ourselves as well equipped for this expansion. Atle has an international contact network, which we'll benefit from to expand our sales rapidly. The world's air problems are sizeable- and the market for solving many of them with the aid of Flimmer technology is enormous." Stockholm, 11 September 2000 Atle AB (publ) For more information, please contact: Roland Bengtsson, Chief Executive of Atle Teknik, tel. +46 (0)31 771 2680, +46 (0)70 558 9255 Hans Bergvall, Chief Executive of Freshman Flimmer AB, tel. +46 (0)8 630 0370, +46 (0)708 695 862 Atle- key facts Atle is a growth company that intends to be 2-3 times its current size in 5 years' time. Atle is a private equity player, investing in unlisted companies, participating actively in their development, and after a few years, finding them a suitable new home- through an exit- thereby realising value growth. Since 1993, the Atle group's earnings have risen progressively, from SEK 373 m to SEK 1,025 m in 1999. Atle maintains a high transaction tempo, acquiring over 20 enterprises across all sectors each year. Since inception in 1992, Atle has invested in approximately 200 businesses and exited from over 100. Its annual return from these exits has exceeded 50%. 43 of its holdings, 26% of invested capital, are in IT and other technology enterprises. Atle is quoted on the Stockholm Stock Exchange's A List and has over 17,000 shareholders. ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by BIT http://www.bit.se The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/09/11/20000911BIT00490/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/09/11/20000911BIT00490/bit0002.pdf