Snow & Alps on a growth course

Successful funding for young tourism company: Snow & Alps, operator of the largest reservation system for ski extras & outdoor activities in the Alps, today announced funding of nearly one million euros from the Bonn-based High-Tech Gründerfonds as well as from the traditional venture capital investor EXTOREL Falk F. Strascheg. The investment will be used to further intensify the rapid growth of the company and to develop new markets.

In just one year, Snow & Alps has already attracted some 600 providers in over 200 destinations across the Alpine area as partners for its booking portal. Additionally, the company has set up a strong distribution network of more than 100 partnerships with European online portals, online travel agencies and tour operators. Apart from the distribution network, Snow & Alps succeeded in setting up Snowbon.com as the largest online booking portal for ski extras.

Stefan Wendel, Investment Manager at High-Tech Gründerfonds commented: “Snow and Alps convinced us with its B2B booking system and what is a hitherto unique offering of providers and sales partners. In this way, travel agencies / portals are able for the first time to offer more than just arrivals / departures and overnights.”

“Snowbon is the ideal system to use as a contemporary way of booking ski lift tickets, skiing equipment and other services conveniently from your home,” adds Falk Strascheg.

“We are very pleased that we were again able to win Falk Strascheg (EXTOREL) who – together with HTGF – is an investor with whose help and capital we can pursue our structures and further growth. The investment has brought new impetus and additional opportunities that we will be realizing in the coming period”, commented founder and CEO Tim Huonker, speaking of the investors’ participation.

About Snow & Alps
With a selection of around 600 providers in more than 200 destinations in the Alpine area, Snow & Alps acts as a consolidator for activities in the Alps and – as a multi-channel distribution solutions provider – brings travel industry and customers together. With a main focus on ski passes, ski hire and ski schools, the company was able to establish itself on the market with a central booking system. The interface to the travel industry and directly to the end customer provides suppliers and associations with targeted yield management for their utilization, as well as the development of new distribution channels. The travel industry does not just benefit from additional spin-off products but also from complementing its range by offering its customers individually- tailored travel modules. End users can access the ski extras directly via the company’s own website www.snowbon.com, thus enjoying a worry-free start to their well-deserved winter holiday.

For more information:
Snow & Alps Tourism GmbH
Tim Huonker (CEO)
Bruderhofstr. 20
81371 Munich, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)89 189 65 80 31
Fax.: +49 (0)89 189 65 80 32
E-mail: info@snow-alps.com
Web: www.snowbon.com

About Falk Strascheg Holding GmbH
Falk Strascheg Holding (EXTOREL) specializes in the equity financing of companies from the industrial sectors ICT, software, laser technology, electrical engineering, automation, measurement and control technology and medical technology. Since 1987, EXTOREL handled over 100 direct investments and over 30 venture capital and private equity funds. EXTOREL is managed by Mathias Lindermeir and Falk F. Strascheg who – as an erstwhile President of the European Venture Capital Association (EVCA) – is probably one of the best-known venture capitalists in Germany. EXTOREL includes financing the various stages – from seed stage through to expansion – and is involved in investments of a magnitude of 500,000 euros and more. In addition to intensive supervision and coaching by the Investment Managers stakeholder companies can also benefit from integration into an international network.

Contact:
EXTOREL GmbH
Kai Linde
Nußbaumstr. 12
80336 Munich, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)89 2 07 03-0
Fax.: +49 (0)89 2 07 03-398
E-mail: info@extorel.de

About High-Tech Gründerfonds
The High-Tech Gründerfonds invests venture capital in young, high-potential technology companies that entrepreneurially implement promising research results. With the aid of seed financing, the start-ups see their R & D projects through to the preparation of a prototype or “proof of concept” or on to market launch. The fund initially participates with 500,000 euros, and up to two million euros are available per company. Investors in this public-private partnership are the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology and the KfW Bankengruppe, as well as the 17 business enterprises ALTANA, BASF, B. Braun, Robert Bosch, CEWE, Daimler, Deutsche Post DHL, Deutsche Telekom, Evonik, Lanxess, media + more venture Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG, METRO, Qiagen, RWE Innogy, SAP, Tengelmann and Carl Zeiss. The High-Tech Gründerfonds has a total fund volume of around EUR 573.5 million (EUR 272 million Fund I and EUR 301.5 million Fund II).

Contact:
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Stefan Wendel
Schlegelstraße 2
53113 Bonn, Germany
Tel.: + 49 228 / 82 30 01-00
Fax: + 49 228 / 82 30 00-5
E-mail: info@htgf.de
Web: www.high-tech-gruenderfonds.de