Munich, April 24, 2018 – Ecommerce Alliance AG (ECA, ISIN DE000A12UK08) published their annual report 2017 today and confirmed the previously published preliminary numbers for the past business year.
Following the start of a strategic alliance with Mountain Partners AG, ECA began its shaping into a leading digital assets provider in the reporting year. In addition to a diversification of their equity portfolio with high-growth shareholdings via the acquisition of Mountain Internet AG, ECA Group focused their efforts in 2017 specifically on the improvement of the group result, which includes the investment income and the valuations of minority shareholdings. The earnings before tax (EBT) increased to TEUR 670 in the reporting year (up from TEUR 349 during the previous year). With a consolidated net income of TEUR 434, the group achieved its objective of a positive annual result and exceeded the previous year’s figure of TEUR 213 by 104 percent. Earnings per share rose to EUR 0.09 in 2017 (EUR 0.04 in the previous year). The group sales of six fully consolidated subsidiaries, however, decreased to around EUR 16.7 million due to a weaker performance of the Service business unit (EUR 18.4 in the previous year).
ECA’s strategic options have expanded significantly due to the multi-level partnership with Mountain Partner AG, which ECA initiated during the reporting year. Their joint efforts have substantially strengthened the ECA portfolio in 2017 with the addition of eight promising digital investments. The newly acquired shareholdings include AlphaPet, the operator of the premium pet platforms www.petspremium.de and www.hundeland.de, the contract management specialist Volders, the online language school Lingoda and Crealytics, a provider for automated search engine marketing. ECA also executed three successful exits with the sale of their equity in MYBESTBRANDS, The Native Media Inc. and InterNations GmbH in the 2017 business year.
“In partnership with Mountain Partners, we created the structures needed to develop into a leading Manager of digital assets in Germany in 2017 and have initiated important changes. As a slimline, transparent and experienced investor, we are focusing on a promising industry, in which we can rely on many years of know-how and an excellent network of contacts: the digital sector”, explains Daniel Wild, CEO of Ecommerce Alliance AG.
ECA’s investment focus is on established digital companies in the German-speaking region, in which the group seeks majority, as well as minority shareholdings. In addition to the financial commitment, ECA also actively participates in the management of these portfolio companies, depending on the equity stake. ECA can therefore elevate synergies between individual portfolio companies as well.
ECA’s management board expects a growth in turnover up to a range between EUR 17 million and EUR 20 million in the fully consolidated companies and a continously positive group result for 2018. In line with the sought goal of ECA to become a leading manager of digital assets, the group will focus on the net asset value (NAV) of the portfolio in future.
The annual report 2017 is available for download at www.mountain-alliance.de.
About Ecommerce Alliance AG:
Ecommerce Alliance AG (ECA) (ISIN: DE000A12UK08) is an operative investment company with shares traded in the mid-size segment m:access of the Munich stock exchange and on the basic board of the Frankfurt securities exchange. As a slimline, transparent and experienced investor, the company focuses on a promising industry, in which the group can rely on its many years of know-how and an excellent network of contacts: the digital sector. Ecommerce Alliance AG currently holds shares in more than thirty companies across three segments: Meta Platforms, SaaS, Digital Media and Value-Added eCommerce and Digital Business Services. ECA can therefore offer their shareholders easy access to a diverse digital asset portfolio via the stock exchange.
Contact:
Ecommerce Alliance AG
Justine Wonneberger
Board Member
Bavariaring 17
80336 Munich, Germany
phone: +49 89 2314141 00
fax: +49 89 2314141 11
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www.mountain-alliance.de
CROSSALLIANCE communication GmbH
Susan Hoffmeister
Investor Relations
Freihamer Strasse 2
82166 Gräfelfing/Munich, Germany
phone: +49 89 898 27 227
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