NEW YORK, April 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE)
-- Nasdaq (Nasdaq:NDAQ), one of the world's leading
providers of technology and services to the capital markets,
announced today the launch of a venture investment program, Nasdaq
Ventures, dedicated to discovering, investing in and
partnering with unique fintech companies worldwide. The program's
main objective is to identify and collaborate on new technologies
and groundbreaking services and solutions which align with Nasdaq's
clients' needs and the company's long-term objectives in the global
capital markets.
"With the launch of our new venture investment
program, we are reinforcing our focus on driving growth and
innovation by evaluating, distributing, licensing and integrating
disruptive technologies for the long-term benefit of our global
clients," said Adena Friedman, President and CEO, Nasdaq.
"Investing in pioneering fintech firms, who are developing unique
technologies, continues our history of being a platform and partner
of choice for the most innovative companies in the world. In
addition, through this program we plan to accelerate the pace
of innovation to ensure our clients continue to benefit from the
technologies that are reshaping the capital markets."
As part of Nasdaq's Corporate Strategy function,
Nasdaq Ventures will be led by Gary Offner who will report to
Jean-Jacques Louis, Head of Corporate Strategy. Offner has more
than 20 years of continuous private equity, venture capital and
strategic direct investment experience with an emphasis on minority
growth capital investments in technology companies, and is a
long-time veteran of Morgan Stanley.
The minority stake investments made by Nasdaq
Ventures are expected to range from less than $1M to
approximately $10M and will include seed to late-stage venture
rounds. Every potential investment will receive a rigorous review
with an established internal committee to ensure that each
partnership is aligned with Nasdaq's overall financial and
strategic goals, as well as an existing business line or business
strategy in order to guarantee that every investment furthers the
company's competitive and strategic position in the chosen
businesses. Areas of initial focus will include: digital
transfer/blockchain; machine learning and artificial intelligence;
emerging and frontier marketplaces; and next generation data,
analytics and content aggregation. The venture investing program
will not have any material implications on Nasdaq's capital
allocation strategy.
Nasdaq's investment program began unofficially in
late-2015 and has since been partnered strategically with
blockchain infrastructure provider Chain.com, machine
intelligence company Digital Reasoning and real-time risk
analytics firm Hanweck.
For potential collaboration and investment
opportunities please contact Ventures@nasdaq.com.
About Nasdaq
Nasdaq (Nasdaq:NDAQ) is a leading provider of
trading, clearing, exchange technology, listing, information and
public company services across six continents. Through its diverse
portfolio of solutions, Nasdaq enables clients to plan, optimize
and execute their business vision with confidence, using proven
technologies that provide transparency and insight for navigating
today's global capital markets. As the creator of the world's
first electronic stock market, its technology powers more than 85
marketplaces in 50 countries, and 1 in 10 of the world's securities
transactions. Nasdaq is home to approximately 3,800 listed
companies with a market value of $10.1 trillion and nearly 18,000
corporate clients. To learn more,
visit: business.nasdaq.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking
Statements
The matters described herein
contain forward-looking statements that are made under the Safe
Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to,
statements about Nasdaq and its products and offerings. We caution
that these statements are not guarantees of future performance.
Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or
implied in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking
statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties or other
factors beyond Nasdaq's control. These factors include, but are not
limited to factors detailed in Nasdaq's annual report on Form 10-K,
and periodic reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission. We undertake no obligation to
release revisions to any
forward-looking statements.
NDAQG