Press release

Acquisition

empirica-systeme GmbH becomes part of the Hypoport Group
 

- Expansion of expertise in relation to property databases and valuation algorithms

- Existing portfolio to be retained and enlarged

- Integration into Hypoport subsidiary Value AG planned for the short term

- Additional synergies in the business models of several Hypoport companies

 

Berlin, 12 December 2019: Today, Hypoport AG acquired all of the shares in empirica-systeme GmbH from its existing owners. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. empirica-systeme, based in Berlin, is a major data partner for the German property industry. Founded in 2011 when it was spun off from empirica ag, it specialises in the processing, analysis and provision of property market data and related information systems.

"The addition of empirica-systeme GmbH to our network of companies enables us to expand our expertise in relation to property databases and valuation algorithms much more quickly," says Ronald Slabke, Chief Executive Officer of Hypoport AG. "This will benefit many of our subsidiaries, particularly Value AG, which provides a full range of property valuation services for the financial sector. We will therefore be integrating empirica-systeme GmbH into Value AG in the near future."

"The market knowledge, analytical skills and technical expertise of the employees of empirica-systeme GmbH are brought together in the company's products: empirica-systeme Market Database, empirica-systeme Analyst and empirica-systeme REST-API," explains Christoph Monnet, Chief Technology Officer of Value AG. "Our new colleagues supply their 80 or so customers with detailed and accurate property data that they collect, analyse and make available using innovative and flexible technologies. We want to significantly expand this business for the benefit of the existing customers of empirica-systeme GmbH and the customers of Value AG alike. Even in the short term, their algorithms will help us to make our property valuation processes even more efficient. The next step will be to join forces in the field of artificial intelligence."

"We are delighted to have become part of Value AG and the wider Hypoport network," says Andreas Vater, Chief Executive Officer of empirica-systeme GmbH and one of its existing shareholders. "One of our priorities was to create the capacity that would enable us to unleash all of our innovative strength without relinquishing our independence or compromising on our level of service. The sale of the company to the Hypoport Group makes this possible. There are many synergies with various Hypoport companies and we will bring benefits for each other. As part of the rapidly growing Value AG with its broad-ranging IT teams, we now have access to the personnel resources needed to forge ahead with our projects even more quickly and professionally. Together, we will be able to take market analysis and property valuation in Germany to a whole new level."

 

About Value AG

Value AG is the only company in Germany providing a full range of property valuation services for the financial sector. The company, which has around 300 employees, is a one-stop shop offering a complete portfolio of products for all asset classes, from property inspections (including documentation) and market value/loan value appraisals below and above the small-volume loan limit to portfolio valuations and even the handling of the entire valuation process where valuation has been outsourced by clients. Since May 2015, Value AG has been regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). In October 2015, the company received the 'Approved by HypZert' quality certificate for the first time. It is currently one of only seven valuation companies in Germany to hold this accolade.

Value AG is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hypoport AG, which is listed on the SDAX.

About Hypoport AG

Hypoport AG is headquartered in Lübeck (Germany) and is the parent company of the Hypoport Group. The Group is a network of technology companies for the credit, real-estate and insurance industries with a workforce of approx. 1,800 employees. It is grouped into four segments: Credit Platform, Private Clients, Real Estate Platform and Insurance Platform.

The Credit Platform segment operates EUROPACE, which is an online B2B financial marketplace and the largest German platform offering mortgages, building finance products and personal loans. A fully integrated system links approx. 700 partners - banks, insurers and financial product distributors. Several thousand loan brokerage advisors execute more than 30,000 transactions per month on EUROPACE, generating a volume of more than €6 billion. Besides EUROPACE, the FINMAS and GENOPACE sub-marketplaces and the B2B distribution companies Qualitypool and Starpool support the growth of the credit platform.

The Private Clients segment, made up of the web-based, non-captive financial product distributor Dr. Klein Privatkunden and the consumer comparison portal Vergleich.de, brings together all business models aimed at directly advising consumers on mortgages, insurance or pension products.

All real estate-related activities of the Hypoport Group, with the exception of mortgage finance, are grouped together in the Real Estate Platform segment (previously Institutional Clients) with the aim of digitalising the financing, management, sale and valuation of properties.

The Insurance Platform segment operates SMART INSUR, a web-based B2B platform for advice, comparison of tariffs and the administration of insurance policies. The segment also incorporates the insurance unit of Qualitypool, a B2B distribution company.

The shares of Hypoport AG are listed in the Prime Standard segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Deutsche Börse) and have been included in the SDAX since 2015.

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Press
Sven Westmattelmann
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Jan H. Pahl
Investor Relations Manager
Phone: +49 (0)30 / 42086 - 1942
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Key data on Hypoport's shares
ISIN DE 0005493365
WKN 549336
Stock exchanges symbol HYQ