The company's purpose is to acquire, manage and dispose of participations in domestic and foreign companies of all kinds. The company may also participate in other companies of any kind in Switzerland and abroad, establish, acquire and merge with them. It may acquire, encumber and dispose of real estate and intellectual property rights in Switzerland and abroad, and establish branches and agencies in Switzerland or abroad by decision of the board of directors. The company may grant direct or indirect financing to third parties or companies in which it is directly or indirectly involved, as well as to direct or indirect shareholders or companies in which such parties are directly or indirectly involved, whether by means of loans and/or other financing, including within the framework of cash pooling agreements, whether against payment or not. The company may provide security of any kind for its own liabilities or the liabilities of the aforementioned companies or persons, including by means of pledges, assignments, fiduciary transfers, guarantees of any kind or by means of offset obligations, whether against payment or not, even if such financing, security or guarantees are in the exclusive interest of third parties or companies in which it is directly or indirectly involved, or of direct or indirect shareholders or companies in which such parties are directly or indirectly involved.