24-Mar-2022

Tailwind for the digitalization of the private debt markets

  • Bayern LB, Helaba and Raiffeisen Bank International to join leading digital corporate finance platform vc trade as shareholders
  • Capital increase underpins strategic partnership for accelerated internationalization of the digital marketplace
  • Joint vision: standardization and digitalization of the private debt markets

Frankfurt - New momentum for the digitalization of the capital market: BayernLB (Bayerische Landesbank), Helaba (Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen) and the Austrian Raiffeisen Bank International AG (RBI) have taken equal stakes in the digital platform vc trade. The multi-bank marketplace with more than 850 customers has established itself in recent years as the market standard for the digitalization of Schuldschein transactions. vc trade is continuing this successful path. In addition to BayernLB, Helaba and RBI, the Frankfurt-based FinTech is working with other international banking partners on the digitalization of the syndicated loan markets. The goal is to rapidly expand the marketplace for a variety of private debt products.

The joint vision of the founders and the banking consortium is the creation of a multi-product marketplace with a central infrastructure that covers private debt transactions front-to-back. The capital increase boosts the timely expansion of the fully digital offering for issuers, investors and banks in further private debt products, especially in the area of syndicated finance.

Stefan Fromme, Co-Founder and Managing Partner vc trade:
"This transaction is a milestone for us and the private debt markets. We are delighted to have won these three important strategic partners who share and support our vision. Our future partners strengthen vc trade in several dimensions:

  • Continuous sparring in product development from a user´s perspective
  • Broadening of market access for existing and future asset classes
  • Strengthened capital base fosters further corporate growth

The jointly agreed corporate governance of vc trade guarantees issuers, banks and investors the strict protection of their respective data, preserves the neutrality and market openness of the vc trade platform and at the same time safeguards the entrepreneurial freedom of the vc trade management going forward."

Johannes Anschott, Member of the Board BayernLB:
"Originating from a Schuldschein product, vc trade has developed the leading private debt platform in Germany and is consistently driving internationalization. We are pleased to be able to accompany the further development of the platform even more intensively."

Thomas Groß, CEO Helaba:
"We have already been working closely with vc trade since 2018. Early on, we recognized the potential and together we successfully digitalized the market for Schuldschein transactions. Especially in the capital market, we see numerous other products that can be offered and transacted in a simplified way via the digital marketplace. Our participation is strategic in nature and in line with our digitalization strategy, which also envisages the further involvement of the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe. At the same time, we are convinced of the success of vc trade's business model."

Harald Kröger, Group Head of Investment Banking, Raiffeisen Bank International AG:
"vc trade is the ideal way to provide our clients and investors with a new market standard in the Schuldschein as well as the loan business in terms of usability and front-to-back process handling."