Ad-hoc-Notification

EQS Group AG expands strategic focus and becomes ESG technology provider
Sustainability pioneer DFGE to become part of EQS Group AG - letter of intent to purchase signed today

Munich - 17.02.2022

EQS Group AG (ISIN: DE0005494165) expands its strategic focus to include solutions in the area of sustainability and become an ESG technology provider. Its immediate market entry succeeds with the planned acquisition of 100 percent of the shares in DFGE, a pioneer and leading provider in the field of life cycle assessment, sustainability calculation and corporate social responsibility with over 20 years of expertise. With the expansion of its business activities, EQS Group AG is positioning itself in the multi-billion ESG future market.

EQS Group AG today signed an exclusive letter of intent to acquire 100 percent of the shares in DFGE Institute for Energy, Ecology and Economy GmbH. DFGE was founded in 1999 by Dr.-Ing. Thomas Fleissner and Dr.-Ing. Thomas Dreier as a spin-off of the Technical University of Munich and supports companies in developing their climate strategy and fulfilling their responsibility for sustainable business. Its more than 180 customers include numerous DAX-listed companies. DFGE employs over 25 people at two locations.

The European Union is establishing a new legal framework for a sustainable economy, in particular with a view to climate change, in order to achieve the goal of climate neutrality in 2050. Environmental, social and governance criteria and standards are the focus here. These must be disclosed in future. The European Union is therefore introducing an obligation to report non-financial sustainability indicators with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). The EU directive is slated to apply as early as January 2024 for the 2023 financial year. About 50,000 companies with at least 250 employees are affected. Under the new reporting obligation, these companies will for the first time be engaged in collecting data on, for example, their carbon footprint, diversity and business ethics in line with the EU taxonomy for sustainable business activities, which will serve as the basis for preparing the sustainability report.

EQS Group AG will initially develop a software solution that enables companies to fulfill their reporting obligations according to the CSRD in a simple and secure way. This is to be based on scientific models and on the many years of experience with over 700 successfully completed DFGE sustainability consultancy projects. The cloud application, which is expected to be available by the middle of the year, will also become the core of the ESG COCKPIT.

Prospects

The initial software solution is being developed with our own resources. EQS Group AG therefore confirms its outlook for the 2022 financial year and the medium-term target for 2025.

Person making the notification: André Marques, Executive Board member (CFO)

Contact:

André Marques

CFO

Tel.: +49 89-444430-033

Mobile: +49 175-5250009

Email.: andre.marques@eqs.com