Deutsche Boerse : Börse Venture Network opens up for Polish start-ups

- Platform connects start-ups and international investors

- Start-ups Aventus Group and DESK.WORKS already members

- Joint Polish Investment Fund and INOVO current investors

Deutsche Börse Venture Network is extending its network to Poland. The platform brings together international investors and European start-ups, enabling them to effectively fund their growth. The currently more than 140 member companies in the Venture Network have already concluded financing rounds totalling USD 1.4 billion since the platform was launched. With more than 250 international investors having already joined the network, Poland's promising start-up scene is now also expected to profit from these as well.

'There are numerous start-ups on the Polish market, which are growing quickly and thus have high funding needs. The Venture Network connects them with international investors particularly focused on their criteria,' commented Eric Leupold, Head of Pre-IPO & Capital Markets at Deutsche Börse. 'We link investors together with high growth companies in Germany and Europe, based on investors' individual preferences. This gives a better market overview and results in less expenditure in the search for the right start-ups.'

Two Polish start-ups already in the Deutsche Börse Venture Network are the Aventus Group, a new provider of private credit based in Białystok, and DESK.WORKS, which offers co-working space and is located in Poznan with offices in Berlin and Silicon Valley. On the investor side, INOVO SP Z O. O. and the Joint Polish Investment Fund, both based in Warsaw, have already joined the network.

Kreske Nickelsen, General Partner and CEO of the Joint Polish Investment Fund, said about Deutsche Börse Venture Network: 'Cross-border networks are gaining increasing importance in the international investor scene, particularly in our focus areas digital health and life science. Our experience thus far has shown that companies which are members of the Venture Network have the potential to generate significant value for their investors. It is therefore especially important to us that members only obtain access to the network if they meet the ambitious inclusion criteria.'

Deutsche Börse Venture Network start-up members have access to a financing rounds matching service, specifically developed training programmes for company founders and an online platform on which they can present themselves and exchange information with investors. Start-ups recently met select investors at exclusive investor events in Monaco, Silicon Valley, New York and Frankfurt.

About Deutsche Börse Venture Network

Deutsche Börse Venture Network was created in 2015 by Deutsche Börse AG to better supply start-ups with growth capital. The start-ups come from sectors such as e-commerce, fintech, software, and Internet and mobile. Investors comprise venture capitalists, private equity investors, family offices, corporate ventures and venture debt investors, located in places such as the USA, England, Germany and Asia. Deutsche Börse Venture Network focuses on early stage start-ups that have already closed their first financing round, as well as on later stage companies. Companies must meet special criteria for each financing stage in order to join the network. Further information is available at www.venture-network.com