Frankfurt (DE)/Vienna (AT)/Ruggell (FL), 16.12.2021. The Venture Capital (VC) holding company Cestria has become a new shareholder of the fintech 21finance. Cestria acquired 33 percent of the shares in 21finance from Bank Frick, replacing the latter as the most significant shareholder. Cestria will provide advisory support to 21finance’s management team and provide access to an extensive network. The business model of the SaaS provider, which specializes in finance solutions, is at the heart of the new partnership. Together, they will drive expansion and internationalization to build a global distribution network for traditional and electronic securities as well as cryptocurrencies.
Marketplace as a Service (MaaS) – the software solution developed by 21finance – offers banks, financial intermediaries as well as companies outside the financial sector such as project companies, with an entry into the digital distribution of financial products. In addition to digital onboarding and the presentation of financial products, users can also use MaaS to provide issuance-specific subscription lines for tokenized and traditional financial products or enable crypto trading, to name just a few of the functionalities. Given the significant market opportunity, MaaS is set to play a central role in the portfolio of Cestria in the future. In addition to Cestria, the Liechtenstein investor Maxmore Ventures AG and Bank Frick, also based in Liechtenstein, hold significant ownership stakes in the fintech as further qualified owners.
“In addition to the expertise and the broad, international network, it was particularly the partnership-based approach that Cestria cultivates with its portfolio companies that ultimately convinced me to bring the investment company on board”, says Max J. Heinzle, founder and CEO of 21finance, adding: “Our partners at Cestria have a successful track record in supporting fintech startups. With this experience and a long-term strategy, we can drive the development of 21finance much faster.”
Cestria’s representative director on the 21finance board, Herman Kotzé, has extensive experience as an executive of public companies and is a well-known finance and fintech expert in the industry. “Our ambition is to partner with disruptive and promising fintech companies that fit our investment criteria. We aim to connect our current and future portfolio companies in a meaningful way and we are delighted to have 21finance at the core of this vison,” he concluded.
About 21.finance AG
Founded in 2017, 21.finance AG’s “Marketplace as a Service” (MaaS) software solution enables banks, financial intermediaries and non-financials to create their own marketplace and distribute their products through it. With their own digital and legally compliant online shop for financial products, the fintech’s customers can optimize their sales channels to increase assets under management, reduce operating costs, acquire new customers and ultimately open up new revenue channels. The whitelabel solution gives them access to software and support services to provide a fully digital and regulated investment experience for their investors. Learn more about 21finance at www.21.finance.
About Cestria
Cestria Holdings Limited (“Cestria”) is a venture capital investment firm that partners with promising startups and early-stage companies. Cestria aims to develop an investment portfolio comprising of meaningful strategic stakes in companies focused on industry-leading solutions and services in the blockchain, digital assets and decentralized finance industries. Cestria is backed by seasoned investment professionals and follows an active partnership approach with its investee companies by providing ongoing guidance, support and networking to management teams.
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