At the beginning of March 2017, Deutsche Börse in Frankfurt introduced a new segment called Scale for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). With its tailored conditions for SMEs, Scale is intended to facilitate capital procurement and open the door to national and international investors.
According to Deutsche Börse, the target group for the new segment are companies with proven business models that have already proven successful with investors. To be included in Scale, startups must demonstrate a minimum size based on predefined key performance indicators and collaborate with one of Deutsche Börse's current 34 Capital Market Partners. The latter assess the company's suitability for the segment and continue to support the companies after their IPO.
Also mandatory are the research reports commissioned and paid for by Deutsche Börse, prepared by Edison Investment Research and Morningstar. Scale thus replaces the Entry Standard for equities and corporate bonds.
Giving growth companies capital to grow
The stock market segment is also intended to provide young companies with better access to investors and growth capital.
"This means that, in addition to over-the-counter venture capital, they can now also benefit from attractive access to the capital market through Deutsche Börse for their good business ideas. With this support, young German companies may be able to achieve the breakthrough to global market leadership,"
so Federal Minister of Economics Zypries to launch Scale.
One assessment of the new segment is Börse Online. Further information as well as a List of 34 Deutsche Börse Capital Market Partners can be found at Deutsche Börse Group.
