Investor, Ericsson & Hutchison Whampoa form venture capital company

Investor, Ericsson and Hutchison Whampoa Joining Forces to Form Venture Capital Company Focusing on the Mobile Internet Industry Hong Kong (Monday, March 27, 2000) - Investor, Sweden's largest holding company, Ericsson, a global leader in telecommunications, and Hutchison Whampoa, a leading Hong Kong based multinational, today announced the acquisition of a controlling interest in Guoco Land Limited (the Company) which will expand its business to include a venture capital operation to focus on the mobile Internet industry in Asia. The three partners will contribute a total of USD 177 million to the Company. Leveraging the expertise of its shareholders, the Company plans to develop a significant business in the wireless Internet industry. The Company will focus on capturing growth opportunities in mobile technologies, applications, and content. This strategic alliance will position the Company to be a driving force behind the global convergence movement in the telecommunications sector. "In this partnership among Investor, Ericsson and Hutchison, we will be able to contribute not only capital but also advanced knowledge and a broad network in the Asian region," said Marcus Wallenberg, President of Investor AB. "Knowledge and network are the key factors today in the success of ventures of this nature." "The mobile Internet is sweeping the globe, and Asia will be a key development center," said Kurt Hellström, President of Ericsson. "As a global leader in mobile technology, Ericsson is already working with a number of Asian operators in pioneering the mobile Internet. We are very pleased to be part of this venture, fostering innovation and development at all levels of this exciting new industry." Commenting on the joint venture, Group Managing Director of Hutchison Whampoa Limited Mr. Canning Fok said, "We are pleased to be partnering with Investor, a leading company in Sweden, and Ericsson, the world leader in mobile communications. Hutchison can contribute its wealth of knowledge in Asia and extensive Internet and telecommunications infrastructure and services to the success of the Company and we look forward to greater co- operation opportunities with Investor and Ericsson in the future." Mr. Claes Dahlbäck will be appointed Chairman of the Company and Ms. Winnie Fok will be appointed interim CEO of the Company. Mr. Dahlbäck is the Executive Vice Chairman of Investor AB. Ms. Fok is the Managing Director of Investor Asia Limited. The other directors of the Company will include Mr. Börje Ekholm, Mr. Galeazzo Scarampi, and Mr. Kjell Sörme. Mr. Ekholm is the Global Head of the New Investments arm at Investor AB. Mr. Scarampi is the CEO of Investor Asia Limited. Mr. Sörme is the Head of Asia Pacific and an Executive Vice President of Ericsson. Subject to final approvals of the authorities and existing independent shareholders of the Company, Investor, Ericsson, and Hutchison will jointly subscribe for a controlling stake in the Company, a company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Upon completion of the transaction, the Company will be renamed and Investor will become the lead shareholder with 33.7 percent of the enlarged share capital. Ericsson will hold 16.4 percent of the enlarged share capital. Hutchison will hold 9.9 percent of the enlarged share capital. Guoco Group, a member of the Hong Leong Group Malaysia, will hold 24.2 percent of the enlarged share capital. A substantial portion of Investor's participation in this transaction is earmarked for the soon-to-be established Investor Capital Partners - Asia Fund, L.P. Investor AB Investor AB, Sweden's largest holding company with total net asset value close to USD 20 billion, is a leading shareholder in a number of global companies, including ABB, AstraZeneca, Ericsson, Gambro, OM Gruppen, Saab, Scania, SEB and StoraEnso. In addition, through its New Investments arm, Investor has made a number of promising investments in early stage and growth companies in the United States, Asia and throughout Europe. Investor is focused on identifying emerging leaders in high growth sectors such as technology and health care. Investor Capital Partners - Asia Fund, L.P. will be the investment vehicle of Investor AB in Asia and will focus on buy-outs and providing growth capital. Investor's largest shareholders are the Wallenberg family foundations and a number of mutual and pension funds. Headquartered in Stockholm, Investor also has offices in New York, London, Hong Kong, Amsterdam and Palo Alto, California. Website: www.investor.se Ericsson Mobile Internet is a focus area for Ericsson. About 70 percent of its turnover is related to mobile communications, and as the number one provider of mobile infrastructure, Ericsson is in a lead position for the take-off in the new market of mobile Internet. Ericsson is the leading provider in the new telecoms world, with communications solutions that combine telecom and datacom technologies with freedom of mobility for the user. With more than 100,000 employees in 140 countries, Ericsson simplifies communications for its customers - network operators, service providers, enterprises and consumers - the world over. Website: www.ericsson.se Hutchison Whampoa Hutchison Whampoa is a Hong Kong-based multinational conglomerate with a market capitalization of over USD 72 billion. In 1999, consolidated turnover was over USD 7.1 billion, and earnings after tax and exceptional items were approximately USD 15.1 billion. With over 80,000 employees worldwide, Hutchison operates five core businesses in 24 countries: ports and related services; telecommunications and e-commerce; property and hotel; retail and manufacturing; and energy, infrastructure and investments. Worldwide, the Group is one of the leading owners and operators of Internet and telecommunications facilities and services. These include mobile telephony (voice and data), fixed-line services, ISP and ICP services, Web hosting services, fiber optics broadband networks, paging, trunked mobile radio, VSAT and radio broadcasting services. Website: www.hutchison-whampoa.com Press Contacts Asia Investor Asia Limited Ericsson Ms. Winnie Fok Mr. James Luo Tel: +852-2801-6823 Tel: +852-2590-5905 Fax: +852-2810-4909 Mobile: +852-9862-0087 Email: asia@investor.se Fax: +852-2590-5950 E-mail: james.luo@eap.ericsson.se Hutchison Whampoa Edelman Public Relations Ms. Laura Cheung Miss Catherine Lo Tel: +852-2128-1235 Tel: +852-2804-1338 Pager: +852-7318 4778 Mobile: +852-9408-9683 Fax: +852-2128-1766 Fax: +852-2804-1303 E-mail: laurac@hwl.com.hk E-mail: catherine_lo@edelman.com.hk Europe Investor Ericsson Mr. Nils Ingvar Lundin Ms. Pia Gideon Tel: +46-8-614-2049 Tel: +46-8-719-2864 Mobile: +46-70-514-2049 Mobile: +46-70-519-2864 Fax: +46-8-614-2844 Fax: +46-8-719-6643 E-mail: ludde@investor.se E-mail: pia.gideon@lme.ericsson.se ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/03/27/20000327BIT01040/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/03/27/20000327BIT01040/bit0002.pdf