The Luxembourg venture capital company is selling its shares in the British real estate operator – Arthur Online, to inject 1.7 million euros into the Singaporean digital credit platform Lendela.
Photo: Alexander Tkachenko, Founder & CEO of VNX Exchange / Credits © Olivier Minaire / Silicon Luxembourg
2be.lu, the Luxembourg-based venture capital firm, announced the recent sale of its holding company – Arthur Online – to the German real-estate consulting and service provider, Proptech Aaeron Gruppe.
Launched in 2015 and based in London, Arthur Online provides a SaaS property management solution to property managers, owners, tenants, and contractors. In 2017, 2be.lu was its main investor. The company has more than 1,000 customers and manages approximately 90,000 units.
“It is a privilege to support such founders. The successful exit of a Luxembourg venture capital firm shows that despite the current pandemic, there are M&A opportunities and that the venture capital ecosystem in Luxembourg is growing”, said Alexander Tkachenko, founder and managing partner of 2be.lu.
Tkachenko is also the founder and CEO of VNX Exchange, the Luxembourg-based startup company providing asset structuring and tokenization services.
Last September, the fintech raised EUR 1.1 million in ERC-20 tokens via its platform on behalf of Streami, a South Korean blockbuster group.
“The support and backing of 2be.lu has been invaluable to Arthur. They have helped us grow by over 300% in just three years. 2be.lu has the expertise and capabilities to build a scalable business and they have been instrumental in our success,” said Marc Trup, CEO of Arthur Online.
In February, 2be.lu also responded to a pre-series A fundraising round, through the Singaporean digital lending platform Lendela. Amount of the investment: 1.7 million euros.
Market Opportunities in South Asia
Launched in 2018, the digital credit solution has a network of 40 strategic partners, including Standard Chartered Bank and HSBC. The pre-series A phase will enable Lendela to accelerate its growth in Singapore and Hong Kong.
“With a global increase in the use of smartphones and Internet access, digital lending is an attractive business that provides simplicity and transparency throughout the loan application process,” notes Alexander Tkachenko. “We were very impressed with the team and their vision of the market opportunities in Southeast Asia when we first met.
Nima Karimi, serial entrepreneur, founder, and CEO of Lendela said Covid-19 has accelerated the transition to digitalization in Southeast Asia, adding that “the constant and stimulating support of 2be.lu has been essential for me as founder and developer of Lendela. I also appreciate the way they were able to follow through on each phase, strengthening our partnership over time”.
Created in 2014, 2be.lu Investments is a Luxembourg-based venture capital fund specialising in seed investments in platform companies, e-commerce, and services using process automation, artificial intelligence, and blockchain technology. The entity currently manages a portfolio of seventeen technology startups.
Alexander Tkachenko, founder and managing partner of 2be.lu Investments SCS, has twenty years of professional experience in marketing, sales, and business development. He holds a MBA from London Business School and Columbia University.
