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Clear2Pay closes a third round of financing
of € 6,1 million
Quest for Growth joins current investors
and invests € 2 million
Brussels, 27 October 2004 - On October 26, 2004 QUEST FOR
GROWTH announced the investment of € 2,000,000 in Clear2Pay
NV/SA, a software vendor specialising in next generation payment
solutions for financial institutions. Other investors in this round,
which closed at € 6,1 million are current investors Technology
Venture Partners (Australia); Koceram (Belgium) and Clear2Pay's
management.
Jürgen Ingels, co-founder and CFO comments: "We are very
pleased that a significant investment partner like Quest for Growth
has chosen to invest in a private company like Clear2Pay. The closing
of this third investment round will enable us to effectuate our
growth strategy. Our previous acquisitions have not only allowed
us to increase our international presence, but the subsequent integration
also enabled us to accelerate the roll-out of our product strategy.
At the annual SWIFT conference Sibos, we recently launched two examples
of this: PayPark Bank Payment Hub and the upgraded Corporate2Bank
solution in reply to current customer demand for more flexible and
transparent payment solutions."
René Avonts, Managing Director of Quest Management: "After
yesterday's announcement of our investment in ProStrakan, this is
Quest for Growth's second investment in an unquoted company since
the start of this fiscal year. It brings our investment level in
unquoted companies and venture funds to 25% of Quest for Growth's
assets. We are very happy that our first investment in a private
technology company since 2001 is with a high quality Belgian player."
By joining in this capital increase, Technology Venture Partners
confirms its initial statement at the time of the Sienna acquisition,
that it saw Clear2Pay as 'an investment rather than an exit strategy.'
To this end Dr Phillip Wing, General Partner, Technology Venture
Partners states: "We have clear evidence in the Asia Pacific
region that the Clear2Pay integration of Sienna Technologies has
created significant value for customers, shareholders and staff.
Therefore we are delighted to continue to back the outstanding management
team at Clear2Pay."
About Clear2Pay
Clear2Pay is an innovative e-finance company focused on delivering
globally applicable solutions for secure, timely electronic payments.
Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, the company's focus is to facilitate
banks and financial organizations in their provision of electronic
payments services. Clear2Pay's technology helps to reduce transactions
processing costs, and to deliver new, compelling e-payment services
in a competitive way. Clear2Pay's payment solutions offer organisations
easy, branded ways for their customers to pay online: from complex
trade-supporting business-to-business environments, through e-commerce
applications, to retail payments and micro payments. Functions embrace
payments origination, reporting, linkage with back-office processing
systems, clearing, netting and settlement. Clients include global
and major regional financial institutions such as ING, SEB Kort,
LuottoKunta, VISA Europe, MasterCard, ANZ, National Australia Bank,
ABN AMRO, Commonwealth Bank and Reserve Bank of Australia. Clear2Pay
operates out of Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom,
Australia and Singapore and currently employs over 120 staff.
More information is available on www.clear2pay.com.
About QUEST FOR GROWTH
The Privak "QUEST FOR GROWTH" is a Pan-European investment
company that invests in European technology-based growth companies
in a broad range of industrial sectors such as information technology,
semiconductors, telecommunications, software, electronics, biotechnology,
medical devices, health-care and new materials. QUEST FOR GROWTH
invests in quoted and unquoted companies. QUEST FOR GROWTH is Belgium's
first Privak and is an investment company traded on the continuous
market of Euronext Brussels. The Belgian Government created the
legal and fiscal framework for the Privak as a tax transparent investment
vehicle specially tailored to the needs of private equity. The Privak
"QUEST FOR GROWTH" is managed by Quest Management NV.
More information is available on www.questforgrowth.com.
About Technology Venture Partners (TVP)
TVP is the largest specialist technology venture capital firm in
Australia. Its team has collectively over 100 years experience in
the IT&C sector and has been investing in Australian IT&C
companies since 1993. The TVP team has a unique mix of investment,
business management and entrepreneurial skills gained from global
experience in the US, Europe, Asia and Australia. TVP manages over
A$200 million in funds, including TVP#3; the largest IT&C fund
raised in Australia ($144 million). www.tvp.com.au
***
Contacts for More Information:
Clear2Pay NV/SA
Conny Dorrestijn - VP Marketing and Communications
E:
M: +31 651 067201
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