The company's purpose is to acquire, hold and sell participations in companies, in particular start-up companies in the field of innovative technologies and new business models. The company may acquire, hold, manage, use, encumber, sell, dispose of, sublicense, evaluate or have evaluated intellectual property rights, industrial property rights or license rights. The company may conduct financing transactions, grant loans to third parties as well as to the company's shareholders and group companies, and provide security of all kinds for their liabilities to third parties, including pledges, security assignments and guarantees, even if these loans or securities are in the exclusive interest of its shareholders or other group companies and are granted free of charge. The company may establish branches and subsidiaries in Switzerland and abroad, participate in or merge with other companies in Switzerland and abroad, and conduct all business that is directly or indirectly related to its purpose or is suitable to promote it.