The company's purpose is to acquire, hold, manage and dispose of participations in other companies in Switzerland and abroad, as well as to provide related services. The company may participate in other companies, acquire, exploit, manage and dispose of real estate and intellectual property rights, establish subsidiaries and branches in Switzerland and abroad, and carry out all legal transactions that may be necessary or useful for the purpose of the company or for the development of the company or its group companies. The company may grant direct or indirect financing to third parties, including companies in which it has a direct or indirect interest, its direct or indirect shareholders, and companies in which such parties have a direct or indirect interest, whether through loans or other forms of financing, and may provide security for their obligations of any kind, including by way of pledges on or fiduciary transfers of the company's assets or by way of guarantees of any kind, whether against payment or not.