immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: finanzen

  • Baloise increases capital for real estate funds

    Baloise increases capital for real estate funds

    Baloise Asset Management AG will carry out a capital increase for its Baloise Swiss Property Fund from August 10th to 19th, announced the asset management company of the Baloise Group in a message . A maximum of 1.24 million new shares with a total value of around 135 million are to be issued on a commission basis.

    The issue price including issuing commission is stated in the notification at 110.70 francs per unit. According to her, every 19 subscription rights entitle the holder to purchase five new shares. Any shares that have not been subscribed will not be issued, Baloise informs.

    The funds raised are to be used for the acquisition of a real estate portfolio consisting of 15 residential properties, one commercial property and one mixed-use property. Baloise announced the planned purchase of this property, which is spread across ten cantons, last month.

    The property portfolio with a market value of around 185.2 million francs is currently held by Basler Versicherung AG and Basler Leben AG, which are part of the Baloise Group. The Swiss financial supervisory authority has already granted the fund management company the necessary exemption from the ban on takeovers by related parties, explains Baloise. To finance the purchase, Baloise intends to raise around 50 million francs in outside capital in addition to the capital increase.

  • PriceHubble raises $ 34 million

    PriceHubble raises $ 34 million

    Zurich-based PriceHubble AG has successfully completed a Series B financing round. The proptech was able to raise $ 34 million from new and existing investors, according to a media release . It focuses on real estate valuations and property insights on the basis of big data analytics and artificial intelligence. This round was led by Digital + Partners . The internationally growing company received "significant investments" from Latitude Ventures , TX Ventures and Business Angels. It also met with great demand from existing investors, including Swiss Life and btov / Helvetia Venture Fund .

    This is one of the largest B rounds in the European proptech scene, said Dr. Stefan Heitmann, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of PriceHubble. CEO Julien Schillewaert considers it an "important milestone on the way to realizing our vision of becoming the undisputed market leader for data-driven digital solutions for the real estate and financial industries in Europe and Asia".

    For this, PriceHubble “with the combination of an excellent team, a mature technology-driven organization and a best-in-class UX, PriceHubbel is ideally equipped to continue to drive growth, to attract additional top talent and the go-to-market organization to scale internationally ”, says Patrick Beitel, co-founder and managing director at Digital + Partners.

    The company, which was founded in Zurich in 2016, is now active in nine markets: Switzerland, France, Germany, Austria, Japan, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The B2B customer base has tripled in the past twelve months. It now consists of 800 companies.

  • Homeownership achieves record prices

    Homeownership achieves record prices

    Those who want to live in their own four walls have to dig deeper into their pockets. The prices for owner-occupied residential property rose to new record levels in the second quarter, informs Raiffeisen Switzerland in a statement on the current transaction index of the cooperative banking group. "Despite the rampant pandemic and historical economic upheavals, the desire for home ownership remains strong," Martin Neff is quoted as saying. For the chief economist at Raiffeisen Switzerland, the “unchecked price increases” are signs of a “very tight supply” demand for residential property.

    The prices for single-family homes in the second quarter of 2021 were 2.1 percent above those of the previous quarter, the announcement further explains. In a year-on-year comparison, prices rose by 6.1 percent. An increase of 2.4 percent compared to the previous quarter was observed for condominiums. In a year-on-year comparison, prices were 4.9 percent higher.

    In terms of regions, the analysts at Raiffeisen Switzerland recorded the highest year-on-year increase in single-family homes with 11.3 percent in the Lake Geneva region. In Eastern Switzerland and Central Switzerland, too, prices were more than 9 percent higher than in the same quarter of the previous year. The prices for condominiums rose within the year by 7.9 and 7.0 percent respectively in the regions of southern Switzerland and Bern. Far higher prices than in the previous year were achieved for condominiums, especially in tourist communities.

  • Implenia and partners receive funding from Norway

    Implenia and partners receive funding from Norway

    The Oslo-based cleantech company TECO 2030 and the Norwegian subsidiary of the construction company Implenia will receive the equivalent of 16.77 million Swiss francs from the state enterprise Enova of the Norwegian Environment and Climate Ministry for the development of hydrogen-powered solutions for construction sites. The funds will be granted from September over a period of two and a half years. Part of Norway's climate strategy is that from 2025 onwards, no more fossil fuels will be used on construction sites. According to a press release from Implenia, these “generous subsidies” will enable both companies to achieve the goal set by the Norwegian government.

    Implenia and TECO 2030 had already signed a contract to develop and test such building solutions in April. "Our fuel cells can be used for large ships and other heavy-duty applications, then why not for driving devices on construction sites," Teco had 2030 CEO gates Enger then explained . "By using hydrogen-based fuel cells instead of diesel generators, emissions on construction sites can be completely prevented, making them more climate-friendly," said Enger in the current press release.

    As Implenia emphasizes, this initiative is in line with its own twelve sustainability goals, which are to be achieved by 2025. "We are of the opinion that hydrogen will play an important role as an energy source on the construction sites of the future," says the CEO of Implenia Norway, Audun Aaland. "And we are proud that we can advance this sustainable innovation together with TECO 2030."

  • Immo56 increases investment returns

    Immo56 increases investment returns

    According to a statement from Procimmo SA , the Immo56 fund managed by the asset manager of collective real estate investments achieved a good result in the financial year ended March 31. Specifically, the return on investment has risen from 5.78 to 7.54 percent year-on-year, it says there. The net asset value per unit rose from CHF 148.30 to CHF 154.00 over the same period.

    In the year under review, the fund generated total income of CHF 22.91 million. This was offset by expenses totaling 9.98 million francs. The overall success has increased by 51 percent year-on-year to 23.59 million francs, writes Procimmo.

    The fund's rental income in the year under review was CHF 20.20 million, up 5.3 percent on the previous year. At the same time, the rent default rate was reduced from 3.49 to 3.15 percent. The fund's EBIT margin improved from 65.82 to 68.81 percent year-on-year, explains Procimmo. The total net fund assets are stated in the notification at CHF 358.8 million as of the end of March 2021.

  • Swiss Life Asset Managers real estate fund increases capital

    Swiss Life Asset Managers real estate fund increases capital

    Swiss Life Asset Managers has successfully completed a capital increase for the real estate fund Swiss Life REF (LUX) German Core Real Estate SCS, SICAV-SIF, informs the asset manager belonging to the Swiss Life Group in a message . A total of 108.7 million euros were raised, it continues. The funds are to be used to acquire sustainability-oriented properties in Germany.

    Among other things, Swiss Life Asset Managers will acquire contractually secured residential properties that are characterized by energy efficiency and earnings potential, the company explains in the press release. In general, at least 50 percent of residential real estate should continue to be held in the fund. However, part of the newly brought in funds will be used to acquire commercially used properties in good to very good locations in German cities.

    Swiss Life Asset Managers signed the UN Principles for Responsible Investment as early as 2018, the announcement further explains. According to her, the company applies appropriate environmental, social and corporate management criteria to both the purchase and management of real estate.

  • Swiss Nuclides secures fresh capital

    Swiss Nuclides secures fresh capital

    With the Series A financing round, Swiss Nuclides AG was able to raise CHF 2.6 million. Zurich-based Turos Capital AG and private investors were involved. This capital will be used to continue the preclinical and clinical development of the lead molecules.

    The Aargau start-up develops solutions for personalized cancer diagnostics, prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumors. This improves the use of positron emission tomography (PET). This reduces cancer diagnosis and radiation exposure for patients to a minimum. With this method, sugar metabolism processes are examined to identify changed tissue structures. The patients take glucose which is linked to a weakly radioactive tracer molecule.

  • Novavest completes capital increase

    Novavest completes capital increase

    Novavest has completed a further capital increase from existing authorized capital, the real estate company informs in a message . Specifically, 642,619 new registered shares were subscribed at the subscription price of 42.05 francs each during the subscription rights trading between June 14 and 23. Novavest intends to use the approximately 27.0 million francs it has brought in to expand its portfolio of residential properties.

    During the capital increase, existing shareholders of Novavest Real Estate AG were granted the right to purchase one new share for every eleven registered shares already held. The offer was also met with "great interest from both institutional and private investors," writes the company. As a result, Novavest was able to expand its shareholder base.

    After the capital increase, Novavest's share capital will amount to 207.4 million francs, the announcement further explains. Just last December, Novavest raised around CHF 28.6 million in a capital increase. These funds were also used to expand the company's own real estate portfolio. At the end of May, the company then lowered the nominal value of its shares by 1.65 francs to 26.90 francs.

  • UBS joins forces with Invesco

    UBS joins forces with Invesco

    UBS and the American Invesco Real Estate have agreed on a cooperation. Together, they offer UBS clients access to Invesco's global real estate mandates. This will make it more efficient for UBS Global Wealth Management's private customers to include this asset class in their portfolios, according to a media release from the major Zurich bank.

    The new offer will primarily invest in Invesco's direct real estate strategies, but also in listed real estate stocks, co-investments and direct real estate. With assets under management of 63.3 billion dollars in direct real estate investments and 19.9 billion dollars in listed real estate values, as well as more than 580 real estate professionals worldwide, Invesco is "the only manager with comparable strategies in the USA, Europe and Asia", so UBS.

    "This offer was specially structured for UBS and its clients in order to offer them stable and attractive regular income over the long term," said Marty Flanagan, President and CEO of Invesco, quoted in the press release. According to Bruno Marxer, Head of Global Investment Management at UBS, this partnership underscores the bank's commitment to providing its clients with exclusive access to solutions from leading partners.

  • Peach Property completes capital increase

    Peach Property completes capital increase

    Peach Property Group AG has successfully completed the placement of unsecured, subordinated mandatory convertible bonds, the real estate company, which specializes in properties in Germany, informs in a message . Due to the strong interest, the nominal amount of the bond has been increased to 180 million francs, it says there. The funds raised are to be used to finance recently acquired residential properties in North Rhine-Westphalia and Bremen as well as for further company growth.

    The bonds are to be converted into newly issued registered shares of the group by the due date on December 23 at the latest. The initial conversion price is set at CHF 55.00 and the nominal value of the share at CHF 1.00. The conversion will increase the company's share capital by around 3.2 million shares or 25.7 percent. The shares should be able to be traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange in a few days.

  • Nova Property increases capital for real estate funds

    Nova Property increases capital for real estate funds

    Nova Property has successfully completed a capital increase for its Swiss Central City Real Estate Fund, the company acting as fund management company informs in a release . During the capital increase carried out from May 25 to June 4, a total of 760,414 new shares were issued to existing shareholders and new investors at a subscription price of 108.80 francs each. A new share could be acquired for every three subscription rights.

    The capital increase was "significantly oversubscribed", explains Nova Property in the announcement. In total, it brought in new funds totaling 82.7 million francs for the Swiss Central City Real Estate Fund. Nova Property intends to use the funds to further expand the property portfolio. The fund, which is traded over the counter by Bank J. Safra Sarasin, holds real estate in central locations throughout Switzerland.

  • Novavest plans another capital increase

    Novavest plans another capital increase

    Novavest Real Estate AG would like to expand its portfolio of properties, the Zurich real estate company informs in a message . The necessary funds are to be brought in via a capital increase. Specifically, Novavest is planning to issue up to 642,619 new registered shares with a nominal value of CHF 26.90 each. The reference value was set at CHF 42.05 per share.

    In the case of the capital increase planned for the period from June 14 to 23, existing shareholders of Novavest Real Estate AG will be granted a right to purchase one new share for every eleven registered shares already held. If all subscription rights are exercised in full and the capital increase is fully exhausted, the transaction volume will be around CHF 27 million, Novavest explains in the announcement.

    Novavest had already successfully completed a capital increase last December. Investors subscribed to a total of 631,145 new registered shares at a subscription price of CHF 41.70 each with a nominal value of CHF 28.55. Novavest also used the funds raised in this capital increase of around CHF 26.3 million to expand its own real estate portfolio. At the end of May, the company then lowered the nominal value of its shares by 1.65 francs to 26.90 francs. The difference is to be paid out on June 8th.

  • Procimmo realizes capital increase

    Procimmo realizes capital increase

    Procimmo SA has raised around 70 million francs on the capital market for its real estate fund Procimmo Swiss Commercial Fund 56, the asset manager of collective real estate investments informs in a message . According to her, the capital increase was significantly oversubscribed. The company sees this as "a clear vote of confidence on the part of investors in the fund," says the press release.

    The 64 million francs that have been brought in are intended, on the one hand, to reduce the fund's debt financing ratio. On the other hand, Procimmo wants to use the new capital for the continuation of existing construction projects, is explained in the communication. The company is also planning further property acquisitions.

    The funds brought in correspond to 594,128 new fund shares, explains Procimmo. A total of 2,970,643 shares are currently held by 56 investors. As of the end of 2020, the fund consisted of a total of 33 properties in the cantons of Vaud, Geneva, Friborg, Jura, Neuchâtel and Valais. The announcement puts his total assets at CHF 487.8 million.

  • Helvetica increases capital of Helvetica Swiss Living Fund

    Helvetica increases capital of Helvetica Swiss Living Fund

    Zurich-based Helvetica Capital AG is issuing new shares in the Helvetica Swiss Living Fund at CHF 109.68 each between May 10 and 26. With this, the company wants to generate additional equity. This is what she needs to buy 300 apartments worth a total of 130 million francs in the Zurich area and the Lake Geneva region, according to a media release .

    This means that the fund will grow to more than 800 apartments, which is intended to improve the diversification and distribution potential of the real estate investment. The purchase is planned for immediately after payment of the capital increase on May 31st.

    In total, a maximum of 342,789 new shares will be issued. This increases the number of shares in circulation from 1,371,155 to a maximum of 1,713,944. There is no trading in subscription rights for shareholders.

  • PSP Swiss Property has a good start to the year

    PSP Swiss Property has a good start to the year

    According to a statement from PSP Swiss Property , the Zug-based real estate company generated real estate income totaling CHF 77.4 million in the first quarter of 2021. Compared to the same period in the previous year, this corresponds to growth of 4.6 percent. Operating expenses remained at the previous year's level at 13.2 percent.

    The operating result (EBITDA) excluding real estate successes and valuation differences amounted to 78.5 million francs in the quarter under review, 23.9 percent more than in the first quarter of 2020. The profit without real estate successes rose by 28.5 percent year-on-year to 61.8 million Francs too.

    At 88.8 million, net profit was 85.3 percent higher than in the previous year. The real estate company attributes the sharp rise to higher rental income, profits from the sale of development projects and condominiums, and a portfolio revaluation of CHF 33.2 million.

    The balance sheet value of the portfolio on the reporting date at the end of the quarter was CHF 8.641 billion, compared to CHF 8.577 billion at the end of 2020. In the quarter under review, PSP Swiss Property sold the Seestrasse development project in Kilchberg ZH and 13 floor units in the Residenza Parco Lago project in Paradiso near Lugano. The vacancy rate rose from 3.0 to 3.1 percent due to renovation work, among other things.

  • Sika raises the bar

    Sika raises the bar

    Sika closed the first quarter of 2021 with record sales of just under 2.0 billion francs, the Zug-based building materials group announced in a press release . In a year-on-year comparison, this corresponds to growth of 10.2 percent. Sika writes that growth of 12.6 percent was achieved in local currencies. The announcement puts organic growth at 11.1 percent.

    All market regions of the globally active group contributed to the positive development. In the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, Africa), a year-on-year increase in sales of 13.2 percent in local currencies to 914.7 million Swiss francs was achieved. The Americas region grew by 6.2 percent in local currencies. In the Asia / Pacific region, sales in local currencies rose by 25.8 percent to 422.8 million Swiss francs. In business with the automotive industry (Global Business), growth of 2.7 percent in local currencies was achieved after a minus in the previous year.

    "In the new year we were able to seamlessly build on our strong performance from the fourth quarter of the previous year", Paul Schuler, chairman of the group management, is quoted in the announcement. As a consequence of the development, Sika is adjusting its growth targets for the year as a whole upwards. Instead of the 6 to 8 percent originally communicated, the aim is now to achieve double-digit sales growth in local currencies. The margin on the operating result (EBIT) is also to be increased to 15 percent for the first time this year. In the previous year, an EBIT margin of 14.4 percent was achieved.

  • Homeownership prices are rising sharply

    Homeownership prices are rising sharply

    In 2020, home ownership prices rose by 5 percent across Switzerland and by 4 percent in the canton of Zurich. Ursina Kubli, Head of Real Estate Research at Zürcher Kantonalbank ( ZKB ), sees one reason for this in the low mortgage interest rates. They are an important financial incentive to buy your own home, she is quoted in a ZKB press release , which summarizes the current issue of the ZKB specialist magazine " Immobilien aktuell ". On the other hand, the supply is scarce, "because the construction industry is still concentrating on rental apartments, while many older people willing to sell are hesitant to sell them." And thirdly, the personal living situation has become increasingly important in the pandemic.

    Despite the precarious economic situation and the corresponding uncertain prospects for the labor market, there are still many willing to buy when there is a shortage of supply. This allows the conclusion that the wage segments relevant for the home sector have so far been little affected by the economic slowdown.

    Because people over the age of 60 currently own more than half of all single-family houses and condominiums and even more than 80 percent of multi-family houses in the canton of Zurich, the ZKB expects an additional supply on the real estate market in the coming years and decades. Gaining more living space by reallocating vacant office space is attractive, but often proves to be a "resinous niche strategy" due to regulatory hurdles.

    As a result of the pandemic, the micro-location of a property is becoming increasingly important. Sunlight is one of the most important factors. Thanks to extensive computing power at 100 million geographical points, the ZKB real estate research team succeeded for the first time in evaluating the actual duration of sunshine at a wide variety of places. One result: the city of Zurich is clearly surpassed by other Swiss cities in the winter months.

  • Sika invests in Qatar

    Sika invests in Qatar

    Sika has increased the production capacities for concrete admixtures at its location in Qatar's capital Doha, informs the Zug-based building materials group in a press release . In addition, the production of epoxy resins has now also started there, it says there. They are needed for the production of floor coverings and adhesives.

    The expansion investments are intended to put Sika in a better position in the competition for major government contracts in Qatar. Here, the national procurement policy stipulates that primarily domestically manufactured products are procured, explains the group. According to the announcement, high investments in the supply infrastructure for energy and water are pending in Qatar.

    "Our latest investment in Qatar positions us for further growth and strengthens our competitiveness in the country", Sika Regional Manager EMEA Ivo Schädler is quoted in the press release. "As a result of the expanded production, we are assuming a significant increase in demand and volume for our high-quality adhesive and flooring solutions for our business."

  • Procimmo realizes capital increase

    Procimmo realizes capital increase

    Procimmo SA has raised around 64 million francs on the capital market for its real estate fund Procimmo Swiss Commercial Fund II, the asset manager of collective real estate investments informs in a message . According to her, the capital increase was significantly oversubscribed. The company sees this as "a clear vote of confidence on the part of investors in the fund," says the press release.

    On the one hand, the 64 million francs brought in are intended to reduce the fund's debt financing ratio. On the other hand, Procimmo wants to use the new capital for the continuation of existing construction projects, is explained in the communication. The company is also planning further property acquisitions.

    The Procimmo Swiss Commercial Fund II is scheduled to be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange on March 24th. A total of 33 properties are currently held in the fund in the cantons of Aargau, Basel-Landschaft, Bern, Freiburg, Graubünden, Lucerne, Solothurn and Zurich. The report puts the fund's assets at around 557 million francs.

  • Fundamenta Real Estate posts record profit

    Fundamenta Real Estate posts record profit

    According to a release from Fundamenta Real Estate AG , the Zug-based real estate company generated net rental income of CHF 33.47 million in the 2020 financial year. In a year-on-year comparison, this corresponds to growth of 13.4 percent. The announcement mentions the purchase of two new properties and the completion of three of its own projects as growth drivers. In addition, the company was able to reduce its vacancy rate year-on-year by 0.2 percentage points to 3.5 percent.

    A new record of CHF 26.69 million was reported as net profit in the 2020 reporting year. In the previous year, a net profit of CHF 22.51 million was realized. In the year under review, a slightly lower revaluation effect than in the previous year was more than offset by “an excellent operating result” and the sale of three properties, explains the real estate company.

    "The stability of our real estate portfolio, which is dominated by residential space, has also been shown in this special year," Andreas Spahni, President and Delegate of the Board of Directors, is quoted in the press release. "The corona crisis only had a marginal effect on the result."

    The balance sheet value of Fundamenta Real Estate's real estate portfolio rose from CHF 908.91 million to CHF 991.94 million in the course of the year under review. In February of this year, the company acquired another residential property. In addition, the “further repositioning of two existing properties in Zurich and one property in Bern” has started, according to the announcement. Fundamenta Real Estate plans to carry out a capital increase this year to finance ongoing projects. Details are to be communicated after the General Assembly on April 8th.

  • The reference mortgage rate remains at 1.25 percent

    The reference mortgage rate remains at 1.25 percent

    The Federal Housing Office (BWO) has left the mortgage reference rate for tenancies unchanged at 1.25 percent. In a press release by the BWO, it is pointed out that this rate, which applies to rent structuring throughout Switzerland, has not been changed since March 3, 2020.

    The reference interest rate is determined on the basis of the quarterly average interest rate for domestic mortgage claims. This was determined on December 31, 2020. According to the BWO, the rate fell from 1.30 percent to 1.28 percent in the previous quarter. The reference interest rate applicable under rental law remains at 1.25 percent and remains at this level until the average interest rate falls below 1.13 percent or rises above 1.37 percent, explains the BWO. The rate is always given with a quarter percent accuracy.

    Since the rate remains unchanged, according to the BWO, there is no new lower or higher claim. If a rent in the individual contractual relationship is not based on the current reference interest rate of 1.25 percent, there is a right to a reduction. Changes in costs, for example in the case of maintenance costs, could also lead to an adjustment claim.

  • LafargeHolcim is on course for recovery

    LafargeHolcim is on course for recovery

    According to a release from LafargeHolcim , the Zug-based building materials group generated total sales of CHF 23.14 billion in the 2020 financial year. In a year-on-year comparison, this corresponds to a decrease of 13.4 percent. The recurring operating profit at EBIT level was 3.68 billion Swiss francs, 10.4 percent below the previous year's figure. Consolidated profit fell by 7.5 percent compared to 2019 to 1.90 billion Swiss francs.

    "2020 was an extraordinary year for everyone, which we have not yet experienced in this form", Jan Jenisch is quoted in the communication. According to the CEO, LafargeHolcim has proven its resilience during the crisis. In the fourth quarter of 2020 the company "returned to the growth path". Specifically, sales and recurring operating profit increased by 1.5 and 14.1 percent on a comparable basis compared to the previous year.

    For the current year, LafargeHolcim is aiming for a growth in recurring operating income of at least 7 percent on a comparable basis. The takeover of the American manufacturer of roof systems and building envelopes, Firestone Building Products , which was announced in January, should contribute to this. As part of the acquisition, LafargeHolcim is creating a new position for global management of the Solutions & Products segment. She will be taken over by the current CEO of US Cement, Jamie Gentoso.

    In order to streamline the group organization, LafargeHolcim is also merging the regions Europe and the Middle East and Africa into one region EMEA, is further explained in the press release. The current head of Middle East and Africa, Miljan Gutovic, will take over the management of EMEA. The previous head of Europe, Marcel Cobuz, has decided to leave the group, writes LafargeHolcim.

  • Pension funds are putting banks under pressure

    Pension funds are putting banks under pressure

    In the past year, mortgage holders reached new records for possible savings, writes MoneyPark in a press release . With this statement, the Zurich-based fintech relies on the analysis of fixed-rate mortgages concluded via its own platform. According to her, when taking out a ten-year mortgage, mortgage borrowers were able to save an average of 22 percent, or 26 basis points, compared to the benchmark rate of 1.17 percent. With a borrowing of 750,000 francs, this would save a total of 19,500 francs over the entire term, explains MoneyPark.

    According to the fintech company, the high savings are related to the competition that alternative capital providers are making for traditional banks. Pension funds in particular are increasingly entering the mortgage business, writes MoneyPark. They offered an average of 46 basis points discount on ten-year mortgages last year. Insurance companies and banks were well behind with an average discount of 29 and 20 basis points, respectively, from the target rate.

    Towards the end of the year, the competition has eased somewhat, is further explained in the announcement. "On the one hand, this can be explained by the fact that the providers no longer fought for every deal at the end of the year and, on the other hand, capital market rates rose, making alternative investments significantly better returns than they were at the beginning of 2020," said Stefan Heitmann, founder and CEO of MoneyPark, quoted there. "But we see clear signs that the competition among the providers will intensify again."

  • Swiss Finance & Property can act as a securities house

    Swiss Finance & Property can act as a securities house

    The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) has issued Swiss Finance & Property AG with a license to operate as a securities firm. This enables the company to support, for example, Swiss real estate funds, real estate stock corporations and selected stock corporations with issues and capital increases. Swiss Finance & Property can act as a bank-independent lead or co-lead manager.

    "The securities house license is also a further step towards professionalization and makes us even more competitive overall," said Adrian Murer, CEO of the Swiss Finance & Property Group, in a press release .

    Swiss Finance & Property will also add market making to its range of services. "With market making, Swiss Finance & Property AG can provide the necessary liquidity even in volatile markets," explains Florian Lemberger, Head of Corporate Finance & Banking at Swiss Finance & Property AG. The company wants to set up an in-house trading team that will provide the off-exchange block capacities.

    The approval will lead to changes in the organizational structure, it is said. For example, the management of direct and indirect real estate investments is clearly separated.

  • Tilbago simplifies handling of credit reports

    Tilbago simplifies handling of credit reports

    The Lucerne start-up Tilbago specializes in digital debt collection solutions. Now, according to a media release, it has launched a new product called Tilbago CredRep. This is a holistic, digital solution for obtaining credit information. According to Oliver Wolf, Chief Operating Officer at Tilbago, it is a "service that customers wanted and that we have implemented with modern technical possibilities".

    Tilbago CredRep is aimed at operators of real estate portals, loan portals or providers of software solutions. Tilbago CredRep can implement these in their existing platforms and make them available to their customers. Customers can then order extracts from the debt enforcement register completely digitally.

    Another advantage of Tilbago CredRep is that the so-called CreditTrust certificate is also integrated into the solution. In contrast to the excerpt from the debt enforcement register, the CreditTrust certificate is not limited to the register of a single office, but rather contains "all information available throughout Switzerland", it says.

    Tilbago developed the new solution together with the PFLab, PostFinance's innovation laboratory. PostFinance is also one of Tilbago's investors. "As an innovation participation of PostFinance, the PFLab supports tilbago in the market development of existing products and services and in the development of new offers," explains Sergio Consonni from the PFLab.

    Thanks to the connection to PostFinance, Tilbago has already won its first customer. Private individuals can now order their digital debt collection register excerpts on the Swiss Post website.

  • MoneyPark wins Zug pension fund

    MoneyPark wins Zug pension fund

    MoneyPark can add another mortgage partner to its portfolio: it will sell and manage mortgages for the Zug pension fund in the future. "In particular, we promote energy-efficient buildings and offer special conditions for sustainably built or energy-efficient properties," said the head of asset management at Zuger Pensionskasse, Fabian Steiner, in a press release from MoneyPark.

    MoneyPark is thus expanding its range of over 150 providers to include "another important player", it says there. "With access to over 150 financing providers, including a range of pension funds that is unrivaled in Switzerland, we offer our customers the broadest range of mortgages in Switzerland," says Stefan Heitmann, CEO and founder of MoneyPark.

    Investing in the mortgage asset class will not only benefit mortgage borrowers, but also insured persons, emphasizes MoneyPark. The Zuger Pensionskasse can safely and sustainably diversify its investment portfolio and, unlike bonds, expect a positive return.

  • Innosuisse promotes Blackstone Resources

    Innosuisse promotes Blackstone Resources

    The Swiss innovation agency Innosuisse will subsidize the development project of Blackstone Resources AG , which is estimated at 1.3 million francs. She has promised a grant of 50 percent. According to a media release from Blackstone Resources, this commitment will help finance the development of solid-state electrolytes and a “sophisticated” production simulation of 3D-printed solid-state batteries.

    The Baar-based company relies on lithium-ion batteries with solid-state electrolytes. Their industrial production is based on Blackstone's own 3D printing process, the press release said. A research consortium consisting of Blackstone Resources, the Eidgenössische Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt ( Empa ) and the Bern University of Applied Sciences will upscale the synthesis of solid-state electrolytes developed by Empa.

    Because the electrolyte, i.e. the conductive part of the battery, is solid, solid-state batteries have several advantages: They are non-flammable and cannot leak. They manage without cooling, which increases their energy density and thus their storage capacity. And theoretically they can be loaded faster. Car manufacturers in particular are hoping for them because they could solve the range problem of electric cars.

    Against this background, Blackstone Resources AG sees “solid electrolytes as a key component for the next generation of battery technology” and will produce this technology “independently” in the future.

  • UBS real estate platform integrates FinanceScout24

    UBS real estate platform integrates FinanceScout24

    The key4 open real estate platform is intended to provide customers with all the services they need to purchase and manage their own home, explains UBS in a press release . Key4 offers, among other things, a management of the mortgages, where you can choose from the offers of different lenders for each tranche. This is "unique in Switzerland", writes UBS.

    The big bank wants to expand its platform through strategic partnerships. The digital one-stop shop for finance and insurance topics , FinanceScout24, was the first financing broker to be won, UBS informs in the press release. "The partnership with FinanceScout24 is the next logical step in expanding our ecosystem and part of our long-term strategy to become the market leader in the platform business", Martha Böckenfeld, Head of Digital Platforms & Marketplaces, is quoted there.

    In return, FinanceScout24 customers can use the full range of key4 products. "Through the cooperation with key4, we are expanding our portfolio with a strong partner and are now offering our users an even larger range of suitable financing solutions for their personal dream home", Jan Hinrichs, Managing Director of FinanceScout24, is quoted in the press release. The company is part of Scout24 Schweiz AG . Ringier AG and Mobiliar each hold half of the network of online marketplaces.

  • Epic Suisse wants to join SIX

    Epic Suisse wants to join SIX

    Epic Suisse AG wants to go public in the coming months. By issuing new shares, the company aims to generate gross proceeds of around CHF 200 million, according to a press release .

    Epic Suisse intends to use the net proceeds from the IPO primarily to finance future acquisitions, for ongoing development projects and for general corporate purposes. In addition, debts should be paid off with the fresh money. Last but not least, the IPO is intended to increase public awareness of the company.

    Epic Suisse's portfolio includes 24 properties with a market value of CHF 1.3 billion. The company specializes primarily in office and logistics buildings as well as shopping centers. Most of the properties in his portfolio are located in the Lake Geneva region and in the Greater Zurich Area.

    Since it was founded in 2004, Epic Suisse has been owned by the Israeli Alrov Group and the Greenbaum family. You will not sell any shares as part of the IPO and you want to continue to be involved in the long-term development of the company.

  • PriceHubble is taking in fresh money

    PriceHubble is taking in fresh money

    PriceHubble has completed a successful financing round and raised several million Swiss francs, according to a message from startupticker.ch. The round was led by the Helvetia Venture Fund and Swiss Life. The investors also include the Austrian real estate company Soravia and Frank Strauss, former CEO of Deutsche Postbank.

    PriceHubble makes it possible to gain useful knowledge for the valuation of real estate from large amounts of data. With the company's solution, for example, data on the location, the neighborhood or noise pollution can be evaluated and clearly presented with the help of big data analytics and artificial intelligence. PriceHubble is aimed at all parties in the real estate value chain, such as real estate portals, banks, asset managers, insurance companies, real estate investors and private individuals.

    According to the announcement, the company is already successful in German-speaking countries, France and Japan. In the past twelve months, PriceHubble has quintupled the number of its customers to several hundred and doubled the number of employees to 72.

    With the fresh money, the international growth is to be further promoted. "With the newly acquired financial resources, we are ideally equipped for further expansion and can further expand our top European position as proptech for data-driven real estate valuations and location analyzes", PriceHubble founder Stefan Heitmann was quoted as saying.