Current calendar year´s third quarter has proven positive for most of Novestra´s major investments

CURRENT CALENDAR YEAR'S THIRD QUARTER HAS PROVEN POSITIVE FOR MOST OF NOVESTRA'S MAJOR INVESTMENTS Despite record weak financial and IT markets, most of AB Novestra's major investments have shown positive developments in the last quarter. Qbranch AB, Strax, Inc. and Netsurvey AB are some of the companies which have shown strong developments in turnover and result. Furthermore, successful equity issues have been made in, inter alia, B2 Bredband AB, in which the transaction was made at a valuation slightly exceeding that of Novestra's book value, and in Iquity Systems, Inc., in which the American Sensormatic participated as a strategic investor. "During the last quarter, a number of our portfolio companies have performed better than what we had expected in the present market and we believe that there are good possibilities that this will continue for the remainder of the year. Our liquidity is good which makes it possible for us to increase our investments in the most interesting companies in the near future. Our relatively low costs of administration provides us with more capital available than what is needed for the administration for the next five years. All in all, this means that Novestra stands firmly even if the turbulence in the market continues," Mr Thomas Åkerman, Novestra's President, says. Further information regarding the development in the individual companies will be given at AB Novestra's Annual General Meeting held today at 4.00 p.m. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT THOMAS ÅKERMAN, PRESIDENT, AB NOVESTRA, phone No. +46 8 545 017 50. About AB Novestra AB Novestra is one of the leading independent venture capital investment companies in the Nordic region with focus on companies providing enabling network technologies and services for the communications industry. Novestra's portfolio of companies includes B2 Bredband AB, Comintell Holding AB, Continuum Group Ltd, Iquity Systems, Inc, Multilet AB, Netsurvey AB, Qbranch AB, Recollections, Inc. and Strax Holdings, Inc. Novestra's shares are listed on the O-List of Stockholmsbörsen. For information regarding AB Novestra, please see www.novestra.com ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2001/10/04/20011004BIT00590/bit0002.doc http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2001/10/04/20011004BIT00590/bit0002.pdf