News

The initial investment provided to Slovakia’s Noili by the CB Growth ONE fund to build a premium local cosmetics brand will now be complemented by funds raised in a campaign on Crowdberry’s investment platform. Currently, the first tranche of the investment has been secured out of the target amount of €267,000. The brand will use the capital to further expand and co-fund new product development, with the ultimate intention of Noili becoming an attractive acquisition target.

Whereas a few years ago DNA testing was an expensive affair only available to institutions and scientific institutions, today pretty much anyone can get their own DNA analysed. But it's not just a whim. You can get information about your predisposition to various health risks, information about metabolism, nutrition and sporting predispositions that can affect the quality and length of your life. The analysis takes place from a saliva sample taken in the comfort of your own home, which is then processed in a certified laboratory in the presence of professional staff. Testing is not limited by age and the earlier you recognise your predispositions, the better. Companies specialising in genetic testing are responding to this, including the Slovak DNA ERA. How do we compare to the West?

Refresher, the lifestyle portal for young people, is successfully realizing its growth ambitions. The year 2022 kicked off with record sales, which in the comparative quarter rose by 104% year-on-year. After the launch of the English version and the gradual consolidation of its position on the Czech market, it intends to expand to other countries within the V4 region. In order to realize this plan, it will use the private investors' capital raised in the investment campaign on Crowdberry, supplemented by the entry of a strategic investor from the media environment - the Hungarian Central Media Group.

Instability in financial markets and the global economy, rising inflation and geopolitical developments are causing changes in investor behaviour. Support for popular Czech and Slovak companies and innovations has emerged as one of the main factors in their motivation to invest. This corresponds to recent developments on our investment platform. Especially in terms of the increase in the number of registrations and the total volume of investments in companies and real estate, which currently exceeds €40 million.

The Slovak biotechnology startup DNA ERA has built an established position in the field of genetic analysis and DNA testing within the Czech and Slovak market. The company plans to expand into new markets and innovate its portfolio of products and services, for which it plans to use the capital from Crowdberry investors. The first investment tranche, with a target amount of EUR 1 million, was signed at the beginning of June. The investment fund managed by CB Investment Management also participated.

Investments in development projects tend to be the prerogative of large investment funds. At Crowdberry, we are trying to change that and, in an initial step, we are bringing private investors the chance to share in the returns from the development of a residential project in Prague-East. For this opportunity, we are being particularly careful to minimize the risks usually associated with such developments.

There isn’t much good news about these days, but as the old saying goes, in every crisis is opportunity. And if you just go by what the data from our platform is showing, this saying would be 100% true. Since the beginning of the year, Crowdberry has opened the largest number of investment opportunities in its history. The sum of the capital that these companies is seeking is greater than the volume of investments we facilitated in the whole of last year (€16 million). As investors, you have the unique opportunity to choose from a wide range of sectors, to overcome the pitfalls of inflation, and to create long-term value not only for your investments, but also for the Czech and Slovak economies.

A joint venture between CB ESPRI and Slovak Investment Holding is set to launch the CB ESPRI Impact One Investment Fund, which will be the first Slovak investment fund with the goal of supporting the creation and development of NGOs and SMEs whose activities are of public benefit. CB ESPRI will act as the fund manager, while Slovak Investment Holding will provide the resources from the European Social Fund's Operational Programme Human Resources. The fund intends to invest up to €10.5 million in activities with a positive social impact outside of the Bratislava region by the end of 2023.

25 April is a significant milestone date in the understanding of the DNA molecule. On this day in 1953, scientists published a study describing DNA as a double helix. It was a very important discovery that led to the development of modern molecular biology, and International DNA Day is celebrated in its honour every year on 25 April. To mark the occasion, we spoke to geneticist Michaela Šišková, founder of the biotechnology company DNA ERA. In what aspects of life do we use DNA? And how can knowledge of our own DNA help us take better care of our health?

Czech and Slovak investors have invested CZK 46 million in the Apartments Lipno development project in the first tranche, which we are now successfully closing. This money will be used by the developer - Top Building Group - for the acquisition of the plot and works related to the preparation of the project. The total investment that the company plans to raise through our investment platform will amount to over CZK 90 million.

At the beginning, Dr. Zuzana Gyárfášová started to produce its organic cosmetics only for her own use. Her oil-based products soon became very popular. In 2018, she introduced her first 5 facial oils to the world under the brand Noili. Thanks to the initial investment from CB Investment Management, the company managed to expand into the Czech market and broaden its product portfolio. One of Noili's loyal customers is top model Daniela Peštová, who was attracted by the brand's minimalism and decided to work closely with the brand. The brand is planning to grow further, which should be boosted by the investment raised in an investment campaign on the Crowdberry platform.

We are delighted to see companies raise capital through our investment platform to fulfil their potential and continue to grow. This includes a premium cycling apparel brand, a company that provides comprehensive logistics solutions for e-commerce, and a company that captures reality almost perfectly and translates it into unique digital experiences. But there are also companies that have the same ambition to change the world and are just one step away from closing their investment. Find out which ones below.

Isadore Apparel, founded by former professional cyclists Peter and Martin Velits, is a step closer to its goal of becoming a major global player after a second investment round closed in record time on the Crowdberry investment platform. Investors responded not only to the potential of the market in which the cycling apparel brand operates, but especially to the results achieved so far. Isadore ended 2021 with revenues of almost €4 million (up 36% year-on-year), increased the number of new registrations by a third, and won a prestigious Euro Effie Award for its advertising during the Tour de France.

Following initial growth capital from a fund managed by CB Investment Management, two young Slovak companies, DNA ERA and Noili, now have the opportunity to raise additional investment from private investors on Crowdberry's platform. The total value of the new capital, which will enable these startups to continue expanding into new markets and broaden their product portfolios, will reach almost €1.3 million. 

2021 was a year full of opportunities. Czechs and Slovaks showed that despite all the challenges, they still want to keep developing their businesses and the world around them. To see how, look at the numbers from our platform. Last year, private investors stumped up the most investment in our history for successful Czech and Slovak companies and real estate – over €16 million (CZK 400 million). In total, Crowdberry had €60 million of capital under management and 42 companies in its portfolio by the end of 2021. In addition, Crowdberry partner Peter Bečár oversaw the creation of a qualified investor fund focused on real estate. There was even a record increase in registrations on the Crowdberry platform and in our team members.

On the back of the rising interest in investment opportunities in residential, logistics, industrial and retail real estate as well as senior housing, we have decided to expand the Crowdberry team with the addition of three experienced managers. In addition, we will continue to develop our portfolio of investment opportunities in 2022 and we have more transactions in the pipeline.

More than 50,000 companies in the EU will soon be required to report non-financial information on the sustainability of their business. So far, reporting requirements have affected only 11,600 organizations. But from 1 January 2023, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) will affect all large companies, while small and medium-sized enterprises will be given three more years to implement it. The besmarthead.com platform is designed to help companies of all sizes comply with this directive. Besmarthead.com’s creators are now using the Crowdberry platform to seek out new investment for further development. What kind of potential does this new tool have?

Crowdfunding is about more than capital – it also has the advantage that investors are people with specific knowledge who can offer the companies in which they invest more than just financial help. Company founders and investors summed up their experiences at the Crowdberry Forum during the panel discussion “Capital is more than just money”, which included executives from waste management company Sensoneo, boat rental and yacht charter booking platform Boataround, and Creative Pro, one of the largest digital and event agencies in Europe. 

In December 2021, we strengthened our real estate investment team with the addition of another experienced manager, Jan Rovný. Jan has eight years of experience in the area of corporate finance with a focus on consulting on the sale and purchase of companies, properties and project investments. At Crowdberry, he will be involved in transactions, fundraising and project financing in the property segment, focusing primarily on the company’s real estate fund, CB Property Investors.

The prices of recreational properties have risen significantly since 2018. The coronavirus pandemic has certainly played a role in this, though in some locations the predominant reason is the interest of residents of neighbouring countries. For example, Lipno Reservoir is historically a very popular area among Austrian citizens.

SEC Technologies, having gained the trust of the Venture to Future Fund (VFF) and our platform investors in February 2021, launched a new research and development center in early November. It was opened in Liptovský Mikuláš by the Minister of Defense of the Slovak Republic, Jaroslav Naď. The Slovak technology company will manufacture state-of-the-art Falcon 4G laser equipment to protect against chemical and biological threats.

Crowdberry investors joined developer KLM Real Estate, tenant Slovak Parcel Service, general contractor HSF System SK and financing bank Tatra banka to help celebrate the opening of the Trnava Logistics Center – one of the first industrial developments to involve smaller individual investors.

Crowdberry is in the process of organizing its first Crowdberry Forum – a virtual conference under the theme, “Capital is more than just money”, to be held on 23 November. The influence of growth capital on the value of companies will be discussed by company founders, entrepreneurs and investors. The conference will be available for viewing online.

Crowdberry, which manages two growth capital funds in addition to its online investment platform, received an investment of nearly €1.5 million to develop and open the market further. The objective is to further expand the possibilities of financing for Czech and Slovak companies as well as real estate, while at the same time provide investors with a wide range of opportunities to increase their capital.

Refresher.sk was created as a graduation project of classmates Gábor Boros and Filip Vajda. Their project didn’t make much sense to people at the beginning, but today their media portal is read by more than 3 million people every month in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. It provides young people with information on social issues and topics not normally covered by the mainstream press, and excels at putting difficult subjects into context. It also guides the creation of online content for creators and advertisers. Simply put, Refresher is the place where Generations Y and Z go for information. Now the company is looking for partners and financing for expansion – and you can be part of that as a co-owner.

In September, 40 Crowdberry investors, alongside the CB Growth ONE investment fund, invested in Slovak biotechnological company Glycanostics, providing capital worth €1 million. Glycanostics will now receive an additional €2 million from the European Council, becoming only the third Slovak company, after MultiplexDX and Sensoneo, to have received such a European Innovation Council grant.

The main objective of investing has always been the appreciation of capital. Still, more and more people are focusing on philanthropy as well. What if you could combine these two ideas? What if you could invest in biotechnology companies, sustainable housing or a smart city product? This is exactly what Crowdberry enables its investors to do. Take a look at seven examples of companies that have used our investment platform to obtain financing and, as a result, are changing their field, their market and sometimes even the world.

The last two years have taught us many things, among them the popularity of retail parks. Why are they so popular with customers and, therefore, with retailers and investors? Let’s take a closer look.

An alternative real estate segment, already well known in the West, is only now just emerging in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Dúbravská Oáza, a facility for senior citizens and patients with Alzheimer’s disease, represents the flagship of this new type of real estate investment. Crowdberry investors now have the opportunity to be among the first in this market and to help this particular property in its expansion plans, while also showing the way forward for society as a whole.

Logistics developments like that for Slovak Parcel Service are opening up to individual investors. Trnava’s largest business zone is expanding to include a distribution hall for fast package processing. Slovak developer KLM real estate is building it for its client Slovak Parcel Service, the largest courier company in Slovakia.