Atle Ventures - a new high-tech venture capitalist

Atle Ventures- a new high-tech venture capitalist Atle Företagskapital is restructuring wholly owned company TUAB (Teknologiparkernas Utveckling AB) into Atle Ventures in order to intensify its early-stage investments in IT/Other Technology. Atle Ventures will invest in companies' start-up phases and where the initial investment in a specific venture is below SEK 5 m. Atle Ventures currently has six investments in early-stage ventures. Atle AB, which will own 100% of the investments, intends to invest a further SEK 200 m in around 20 growth enterprises through Atle Ventures over a 3-4 year period. Christer Nilsson, previously an Investment Manager with Atle Företagskapital, has been appointed the new Chief Executive of Atle Ventures. The investment management side is being consolidated with the recent appointment of Magnus Ramström, experienced in the TIME (Telecom, IT, Media and Entertainment) sector and corporate finance with Nordbanken and ArosMaizels. Hans Dirtoft, Chief Executive of Atle Företagskapital commented that: "We currently have a substantial flow of prospective investments in ventures in their start-up phase. Atle Ventures will allow us to better exploit the business potential that arises from altered market conditions driven by IT and new technology." He continued: "Atle Ventures will adopt a broad- based focus in terms of its investments in IT and other technology; we harbour specific expertise within the TIME sector and medical technology. Early-stage investments are associated with a particular set of issues, and it is here that we can offer considerable experience." Christer Nilsson, Chief Executive of Atle Ventures, added: "Professional private equity and venture capital are a necessity in the development of new, successful enterprises. Entrepreneurs face a number of complex problems, and Atle Företagskapital has close to 30 years' experience of developing growth companies- Atle Ventures is building on this platform. We provide capital and professional advice and intend to act as partners that share the burden of responsibility, facilitate the decision-making process and assist entrepreneurs in reaching vital decisions. We want ambitious entrepreneurs to be able to realise their visions and become successful". ATLE AB (Publ) P.O. BOX 7308 S-103 90 STOCKHOLM SWEDEN VISITING ADDRESS: REGERINGSGATAN 48 TELEPHONE +46 (0)8 506 10100 TELEFAX +46 (0)8 506 10110 CORPORATE IDENTITY NO.: 556454-8799 Stockholm, 26 September 2000 Atle AB (publ) For more information, please contact: Hans Dirtoft, Chief Executive, Atle Företagskapital, tel. +46 (0)8 441 9142 Christer Nilsson, Chief Executive, Atle Ventures, + 46 (0)8 545 12103 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 just over 17,000 shareholders. Atle Företagskapital AB Atle Företagskapital, with its long and successful track record within traditional venture capital, has its foundations in Företagskapital AB, established in 1973 and Sweden's oldest venture capital corporation. Now, Atle Företagskapital is a wholly owned investment corporation within Atle AB, and focused on minority investments in growth-phase enterprises. Atle Företagskapital invests between SEK 5 and 50 m the each individual venture, and has some SEK 800 m under management. Atle Ventures is a wholly owned Atle Företagskapital company. Atle ventures will take over the development and management of TUAB's investments in Accra Teknik AB of Piteå, SuperForm AB of Stockholm, COX Analytical Systems AB and Biosurface Pharma AB (both Gothenburg), Flexprop Production AB and C-Power AB (both Halmstad). ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by BIT http://www.bit.se The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/09/26/20000926BIT00200/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/09/26/20000926BIT00200/bit0002.pdf