Tampere, Finland, 1st February, 2010 - A state owned equity firm, Suomen Teollisuussijoitus Oy (Finnish Industry Investment Ltd.), Aura Capital Oy and previous owners have invested a total of 2.7 million euros into Confidex Oy, which develops contactless RFID technologies. An additional 2.3 million euro loan was granted by Finnvera and the Sampo Bank Plc.

The main business areas of Confidex include contactless ticketing for mass transportation applications and durable high-performance RFID tag solutions for logistics’ returnable transit item tracking as well as in asset management applications in industry and information technology.

Confidex has customers in retail, logistics, industry, aviation, defense and mass transportation, all areas that require monitoring and securing goods, transactions or people. Customers in Europe, North America and Asia benefit from increased efficiency in business processes, a decrease in manual labor and decreased technology prices. Demand has also grown due to new legislations and the increased need for business analysis.

“Our revenue tripled in 2009. The new funding will be put towards increasing our production capacity, enhancing our brand and developing new business areas. At the moment we are developing, for example, wireless sensor solutions based on DASH7 standard” says CEO, Timo Lindström. “We are opening a new, bigger production facility in Guangzhou, China on the 5th of February, as the old facilities are no longer big enough.
Confidex was the first western RFID tag producer to start operations in China in 2006. Our own production guarantees the delivery, speed and flexibility in the highest quality.”

“The entire RFID market, especially in China, is expected to grow.
Confidex’s progressive technologies, strong brand and large existing customer base gives them a competitive advantage”, says Ari Siponmaa, partner and CEO of Aura Capital.

“Confidex is in an interesting phase of growth, and we like to invest in Finnish companies that are capable of major international success” comments Jussi Hattula, Investment Director of Teollisuussijoitus (Finnish Industry Investment Ltd.).

Confidex products are designed at technology competence center in Tampere, Finland. Production and deliveries take place from the facilities in Guangzhou, China. Confidex, which was founded in 2005, has 90 employees and a turnover exceeding 10 million euros in 2009.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

CEO Timo Lindström, Confidex (Note: In China 2. -8.2.)
Tel: +358 40 525 3114, timo.lindstrom (at) confidex.fi

Partner/CEO Ari Siponmaa, Aura Capital (Note: In China 2. -8.2.)
Tel: +358 41 448 6461, ari.siponmaa (at) auratum.com

Investment Director Jussi Hattula, Suomen Teollisuussijoitus (Note: In China 2. -8.2.)
Tel: +358 400 669 955, jussi.hattula (at) teollisuussijoitus.fi

CONFIDEX is the world’s leading supplier of high-performing contactless ticketing and RFID tag solutions and services for making supply chains, transactions and authentication of goods and people more efficient and secure. With our global network of over 100 partners we serve customers representing a broad range of industries in Europe, North America and Asia.
www.confidex.net

AURA CAPITAL is a private equity company founded in 1997. They invest in start-up and early phase companies with exceptional know-how and growth potential. The company focuses especially on software businesses, IT-services and wireless, industrial bio- and nano-technologies as well as commercializing innovations.
http://auratum.com

FINNISH INDUSTRY INVESTMENT LTD is a government-owned investment company. It invests the proceeds accrued from the privatisation of state-owned companies in stimulating the growth and internationalisation of Finnish businesses. Finnish Industry Investment invests in venture capital funds and directly in growth companies, together with private co-investors. The investments of Finnish Industry Investment amount to MEUR 620.
www.industryinvestment.com