Panostaja Invests in Oscar Software Group Oy, a Company Providing Smes with Erp Systems and Financial Management Services

Panostaja Oyj                       Stock Exchange Bulletin, Inside information     May 8, 2018                                            1:30 pm.

Panostaja Invests in Oscar Software Group Oy, a Company Providing Smes with Erp Systems and Financial Management Services

Today, Panostaja Oyj has signed an agreement on acquiring the share capital of Oscar Software Group Oy. The sale price of the company’s entire share capital (100%) is approx. MEUR 9.1. After the acquisition Panostaja owns 55% of the new group while the company’s management and other key persons remain as significant minority shareholders. Oscar Software Group Oy forms a new segment for Panostaja.

Oscar’s net sales have grown strong in recent years. During the financial period ended on June 30, 2017, the net sales was at approx. €7.5 million. The company employs around 100 people.

Oscar Software Group Oy, established in 2005, is a software service company specialized in the development of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and various business services. In addition to the diverse ERP systems, Oscar provides financial management and HR services as well as software for e-commerce and services for online business. Oscar has a wide customer base which includes SMEs from various sectors (such as industry, wholesales, maintenance service business, services). The company has around 800 customers and its HQ is located in Tampere.

Panostaja’s objectives are to promote Oscar’s growth and help it develop the most comprehensive and leading Finnish business platform for SMEs, with the highest rated usability among customers. Additionally, the goal is to accelerate the development of an ERP system as a service.

"The prospects for ERP systems are good and our foundations for growth are strong. The revolution brought on by digitalization, growing popularity of e-commerce and the companies’ continuous need to make internal business processes more efficient all provide positive opportunities. The challenges set by the modern business environment create a demand for quick, up-to-date reporting and real-time business data management. We are satisfied with Oscar’s abilities to continue its strong growth and renew and expand its software offering. The company is at a very interesting stage of its development and it has a strong brand on the growing market of SMEs’ enterprise resource planning systems. We wish to help the Finnish small and medium-sized enterprise sector to succeed in the midst of digitalization,” says Panostaja’s CEO Juha Sarsama.

Oscar’s current majority shareholder Jukka Hakosalo and CEO Simo Salminen will continue as the company’s significant minority shareholders in addition to other key persons.

"For a long while, we have reviewed suitable partners that could enable the continued success of Oscar’s growth story. We are happy to have found a renowned and reliable partner that values the entrepreneurial spirit and with whom we can continue in the active development of the company to the next stage. The know-how as well as the support and development tools provided by Panostaja are a good fit for our company’s life span and needs. This creates a particularly good starting point as we grow toward the next size category and make our company the most significant digitalization partner of our customers,” Oscar’s CEO Simo Salminen says.

During the financial periods of July 1, 2016–June 30, 2017 and July 1, 2015–June 30, 2016, Oscar Software Group Oy’s net sales and EBIT were as follows (FAS):

(in thousands of euros)

The balance sheets in the financial statements on June 30, 2017 and June 30, 2016 were as follows (FAS):

(in thousands of euros)

Panostaja Oyj

Juha Sarsama
CEO

Further information:

Investment Director Miikka Laine +358 50 595 55 44

Oscar Software Group Oy’s CEO Simo Salminen +358 50 308 1050

Panostaja is an investment company developing Finnish SMEs in the role of an active majority shareholder. The company aims to be the most sought-after partner for business owners selling their companies as well as for the best managers and investors. Together with its partners, Panostaja increases the Group's shareholder value and creates Finnish success stories. After the Oscar business acquisition, Panostaja has a majority holding in nine investment targets. Panostaja’s shares (PNA1V) are quoted on the Nasdaq Helsinki Stock Exchange. In the 2017 financial year, the Group’s net sales totaled MEUR 193.2.

www.panostaja.fi