NBank Capital – Supporting Lower Saxony Companies with Equity Capital
Lower Saxony is located in the centre of Europe and is the second-largest German federal state. With its outstanding location and infrastructure, proximity to the North Sea coast, and the fastest connections by road, rail, air, and water to national and international markets, Niedersachsen is an attractive location for many companies.
The logistical heart of Europe beats here. “The business location of Lower Saxony has a lot to offer and is characterised by numerous ‘global players’ and ‘hidden champions’, as well as a strong, internationally active middle class,” says Martin Ranic, Investment Manager at NBank Capital, a 100% subsidiary of NBank.
What Problems Does NBank Capital Solve
NBank Capital offers a wide range of opportunities to companies looking for financing capital at an early stage, for example, or to mid-cap companies.
A good thing is that NBank, as a development bank, can supplement this with its programmes – in the area of promoting innovation and digitalisation.
There are several significant values offered by NBank Capital's smart money investment approach, including:
- the strengthening of networks;
- synergy improvements;
- management support.
“We help our portfolio companies to enrich their client base, optimise efficiency by connecting within our portfolio, and assist in challenging projects, involving both organic and inorganic growth,” shares Mr. Ranic.
NBank Capital supports entrepreneurial foresight with their know-how – but without interfering in the operative business. They bring the substance, stamina, and creativity to successfully master even difficult situations together with start-ups or mid-stage companies.
Goals of NBank Capital and Biggest Achievements
Sustainable growth. That’s the goal of NBank Capital as a 100% subsidiary of NBank, the investment and development bank of the state of Lower Saxony.
“We accompany and advise our portfolio companies closely and personally throughout the entire term. Smart money is anything but just a word for us. It is NBank Capital’s philosophy in action,” proudly says Martin Ranic.
The company has numerous success stories in its portfolio. One of them is FlexBio Technologie GmbH. It began as an academic science spin-off by the University of Applied Sciences and Art Göttingen. FlexBio offers an innovative, sustainable, and economically beneficial technology for their industrial B2B customers by providing the world’s only anaerobic sewage treatment in container construction method, which is modular-extendable.
“With investments such as in this innovative green-tech company, NBank Capital is investing in the consistent further development of Lower Saxony as an ecological location and enables companies to improve their environmental footprint while they benefit from cost-effective improvements,” says Mr. Ranic.
Relation with InvestHorizon
The European Union provides direct funding for the promotion of research and innovation. To make these opportunities and the exchange of information on them better known in Lower Saxony, NBank Capital launched the "European Innovators" initiative.
Within this framework, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Lower Saxony have the opportunity to receive direct funding from Brussels for individual companies via the EU research and innovation programme HORIZON 2020. The door is opened by the so-called SME instrument ("Dedicated SME Instrument"). With it, the EU supports innovative SMEs with high market potential in consecutive phases of market access for innovative products with up to 2.5 million euros in individual cases.
Former EU Commissioner Günther H. Oettinger said: "NBank is the perfect advisor to help take part and benefit from HORIZON 2020."