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SAF starts roadshow for IPO
- Offer comprises up to 2.7 million shares
- Free-Float after IPO up to 50 percent
- Co-founder and CEO Dr. Andreas von Beringe remains largest individual shareholder
- alongside with co-founder Prof. Dr. Arminger
Tägerwilen/Switzerland, March 27, 2006
The Switzerland-based software company SAF AG starts the marketing activities of its shares for the planned IPO in Frankfurt on March 27 of 2006. “SAF is a growth-orientated company. We invite investors to participate in this growth. Our aim is to enforce and to continue the positive development of the company with the IPO”, said CEO and co-founder Dr. Andreas von Beringe.
SAF develops software related to logistic processes within the supply chain. The software assists the retail sector in almost completely automating its logistic procedures. Thereby, retail companies can reduce their costs significantly. This effect is being reached by lowering stock volumes and reducing personnel expenses. In addition, the availability of goods is being improved and customer satisfaction increases.
The announcement of the price range in which investors can place their offers is expected to be published on March 30 of 2006. It is anticipated that potential shareholders can place their offers for SAF shares between March 31 and April 5 of 2006. The company will presumably be trading from April 6 at the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol S4X and under the ISIN CH0024848738.
The offering includes up to approximately 2.7 million shares of SAF (of in total up to approximately 5.5 million shares after the IPO). Thereof, up to 1.3 million shares emerge from a capital increase, while 1.4 million shares are a part of the stocks from existing shareholders and from the company itself. The second figure includes a greenshoe of about 302,000 shares, which the consortium banks have been granted by the four investment companies Ventizz Capital Fund II LP (“Ventizz”), Techinvest Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG (“Techinvest”), PAARL Ventures GmbH, and New Value AG. The shares of SAF will be offered publicly for subscription in Germany. An international private placement with institutional investors outside of the United States is on the agenda.
“SAF fulfils all requirements for a continuingly positive development. We aim to exploit the enormous market potential that is available to us. A part of this potential is especially the penetration of new geographic markets and of additional market sectors with strong growth”, said von Beringe. With the proceeds from the IPO, SAF is intending to drive the expansion forward into new as well as in already existing markets, e.g. in the United States. The technological advantage of the SAF software shall be enhanced by the development of new products. Moreover, SAF aims to establish itself in further segments, as in the consumer goods, the automotive, and other manufacturing sectors or as in the pharmaceutical, banking, transport, or services industry.
The co-founders Dr. Andreas von Beringe and Prof. Dr. Gerhard Arminger both currently own close to 30 percent of the capital subscribed, and will remain largest individual shareholders also after the IPO with close to 18 percent respectively (at full drawdown of the greenshoe). Four investment companies currently hold approximately 40 percent of SAF, and will own about 14 percent of the shares after the IPO. The Free-Float will amount to nearly 50 percent at complete placement of all shares offered (under consideration of the greenshoe).
The consortium of banks consists in BNP Paribas as the lead manager and Commerzbank and Sal. Oppenheim as the co-lead managers.
The prospectus for the public offering can be obtained on the webpage of the company www.saf-ag.com since Friday, March 24, 2006. It will additionally be available from the company and from the consortium banks for free in a printed version during the usual business hours.
Note:
The management of SAF will today, on March 27, hold a press conference together with BNP Paribas in Frankfurt/Main (Hotel ArabellaSheraton).
About SAF AG:
SAF Simulation, Analysis, and Forecasting AG, specializes in the development of ordering and prognosis software for retail and industry sectors. SAF follows the concept of Demand Chain Management. Here the planning of goods supply is being driven by the customer’s demand. By applying SAF products, significant cost reductions can be realized. Also the basic logistic conditions as well as the accurateness of sales and stock forecasts can be optimized with the SAF software. Remarkable competitive advantages along the value chain can be reached with SAF: lower volume of goods in stock, an improved availability of goods, and a higher customer satisfaction.
On March 9 of 2006, SAF AG and the German Woolworth GmbH & Co. KG have been awarded by the “Bundesvereinigung Logistik” (BVL – German logistics federation) with a prize called “Logistics Service Award 2006”. Both companies have received this award for the implementation of customer demand orientated logistic services based on innovative forecast technology.
SAF AG was founded in 1996 by Dr. Andreas von Beringe and Prof. Dr. Gerhard Arminger and employs more than 50 people. In 2005, the company generated revenues of over € 7.4 million and a consolidated profit of € 2 million. Up to now, the company has customers in many European countries and in the United States. The headquarter is located in Tägerwilen in Switzerland. Furthermore, SAF owns a subsidiary in the United States named “SAF USA, Inc., Grapevine, Texas”.
Contact:
Astrid Strömer
Vice President Investor Relations
High-Tech-Center 2, Bahnstrasse 1
CH-8274 Tägerwilen
E-Mail: astrid.stroemer@saf-ag.com
Phone: +41 71 666 79 48
“This publishing is neither an offer for the purchase or the subscription, nor an invitation to place an offer for the purchase or the subscription of securities. It is neither a share issue prospectus in the sense of Art. 652a of the Swiss Obligations Law. The shares of SAF AG (“the shares”) must not be offered or sold within the United States unless they are registered or exempt from the registration obligation under the terms of the American securities act of 1933 in the respective version in effect (“Securities Act”). The shares are not and will not be registered or offered publicly outside of Germany. A public offering can only be effected through and based on the published prospectus. The prospectus is available on the webpage of the company www.saf-ag.com since Friday, March 24, 2006, and from the company and the consortium banks for free in a printed version after March 27, 2006.”
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