NPEX exchange refinanced by fintech and family office

The Dutch NPEX exchange for SMEs, which also lists Icecat, got a financial injection of around 4 million euro from two new shareholders: Dusk Network (DN) and Blikkenburg. DN, an Amsterdam-based fintech scale-up, specializes in blockchain for financial applications. Whereas Blikkenburg is the family office of Dirk Lindenbergh with investments in small-caps such as TIE Kinetix. The two new shareholders obtain a share of around 10% each in the NPEX exchange. The main existing NPEX shareholders are Dutch pension fund ABP, the Dutch state, and Jan Kluft.

NPEX CEO Mark van der Plas “foresees the further expansion of the SME stock exchange”. DN hopes to connect its blockchain platform to the Multilateral Trading Facility licensed exchange to expand its own service offerings. Furthermore, blockchain-based tokenization of financial assets is useful for the creation of digital stocks and bonds to support fractional trading. At the same time, Esther Lindenbergh, Blikkenburg director, notices “that NPEX offers opportunities that can’t be found on mainstream exchanges” (source FD).

NPEX helped over the years to finance 57 medium-sized SMEs, issuing shares and bonds. These listings generated around €120 million in growth capital for SMEs such as Icecat, Hygear, Wagamama, and De Vegetarische Slager. Last year NPEX realized 17 issuances via the NPEX stock exchange, despite COVID-19.