GS Group launches GS Invests at IBC2014
Online, September 30, 2014 (Newswire.com) - On September 15, 2014 GS Group introduced GS Invests, a new investment arm of the international holding company, at IBC2014. The new business unit will focus on helping young innovative technology companies, startups and also mature operators and services companies within the Pay-TV and technology industry to raise funds.
Gregory Wieczorek, Head of Strategic Mergers and Acquisitions, GS Group presented GS Invests, its activities, core focus, and the full range of opportunities offered by the corporate venture fund, which include investment support for new developments, logistics, assisting the new product entering the market, its advertising and promotion. Gregory Wieczorek also explained the GS Invests area of responsibility of managing mergers & acquisitions activity on behalf of GS Group holding across various industries, with primary focus on innovative technology, Pay-TV and broadcasting opportunities.
"GS Invests is a new M&A arm of GS Group, focusing on strategic investments and joint ventures across broadcast, Pay-TV and media technologies as well as semiconductors and manufacturing, – said Gregory Wieczorek, Head of Strategic Mergers and Acquisitions, GS Group. – We look for innovative ideas, startups and early stage right through to mature stage investments. Whether it is a startup technology or services company or existing platform operator and whether it requires financing, existing shareholders wishing to exit, diversification or the business needing to be taken to the next level, we can provide financial assistance and business support to help the growth. We typically focus on micro, small and medium- sized enterprises and can also consider larger investment and acquisition opportunities such as Pay-TV operators across the globe".
Part of presentation was devoted to international high-tech projects in the field of broadcasting and international platform operations already implemented by GS Group holding company. Various examples of current GS Group investments were presented, including the Finnish startup company Tellyo. The company and its Share the Moment service received an early stage financial investment from GS Venture, GS Group corporate venture fund, in the spring of 2014. Tellyo’s Share the Moment service allows just-seen TV moments to be shared by viewers through a single click on Facebook and Twitter through second screen devices (smartphones or tablets). In terms of benefit for broadcasters, shared TV moments amplify audience engagement and provide an additional revenue stream.
"Thanks to the expertise and support of GS Group we are implementing our service faster and in a more efficient manner, – commented Kimmo Koivisto, CEO and Co-Founder of Tellyo. – And this, in turn, helps to stimulate social activity of TV viewers and to monetize content". Support of Tellyo’s service was the first investment provided to a foreign project by GS Invests and amounted to 200 thousand euros.
Around 50 industry professionals attended the GS Invests presentation, arranged by GS Group, including representatives of innovation centers, technological parks, business incubators and Technology Transfer Centers, along with global mature operators and startups, looking to establish partnerships or joint ventures in technology. On completion of the presentation, GS Group representatives answered the participants' questions, dwelling upon the details of GS Invests activities, ways to search for startups, selection and investment criteria, top-priority areas of development, etc.
The key industry annual event for multimedia and telecommunications professionals took place on September 11-16 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. IBC2014 attracted 55,092 experts from over 170 countries and exhibited around 1,400 leading suppliers of state-of-the-art electronic media technology.