The company's purpose is to develop, strategically manage, finance, hold and manage participations in companies spun off by itself. The company can acquire, hold, manage, use, encumber, sell, dispose of, sublicense, evaluate or have evaluated intellectual property rights, industrial property rights or license rights. Furthermore, the acquisition, holding, transfer and management of participations in other companies of any kind in Switzerland or abroad. The company can establish branches and subsidiaries in Switzerland and abroad, take over representations and conduct any business activities and conclude contracts of any kind that may promote the company's purpose or are directly or indirectly related to the company's purpose. It can acquire, hold, encumber and sell real estate in Switzerland and abroad. In particular, the company can grant loans and other direct or indirect financing to its direct and indirect subsidiaries as well as to third parties, including its direct and indirect shareholders and their direct and indirect subsidiaries, and provide security of any kind for their liabilities, including by way of pledges on or fiduciary transfers of the company's assets or guarantees of any kind, whether remunerated or not.