TOMORROW FOCUS AG / Acquisition 12.02.2009 Release of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EquityStory AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- TOMORROW FOCUS AG increases stake in HolidayCheck AG by a further 14 percent company founders remain on board with 6 percent Munich, Germany, 12 February 2009 - TOMORROW FOCUS AG today boosted its stake in the travel and holiday portal HolidayCheck Ltd., which is based in Bottighofen, Switzerland, by acquiring a further 14 percent of the shares through its subsidiary TF-Beteiligungs GmbH. The purchase price of EUR 21.6 million will be paid in three instalments - 60 percent immediately, 30 percent on 12 February 2010 and the remaining 10 percent on 12 February 2011. The purchase price includes an accumulated pro rata entitlement to draw profits and cash. TOMORROW FOCUS AG now holds 94 percent of the shares in HolidayCheck Ltd. with the rest still in the hands of the companys former shareholders. The existing call/put agreement covering these remaining shares has been amended so that it can be exercised by either side during the course of the year 2014. The founding shareholders will maintain their links to the company on the management team and in an advisory role. Commenting on the development, Stefan Winners, CEO of TOMORROW FOCUS AG, observed: 'HolidayCheck has performed extremely well in recent years and months. Operating results for 2008 were also well above last years figures and higher than we originally anticipated. HolidayCheck appears to be emerging as one of the winners in this economic crisis, so it makes good sense to boost our stake to 94 percent. At the same time, I am delighted that the successful shareholder and management team is holding on to its own stake in the company. That is a clear signal that the founders are positive about further expansion. Our specific aim is to establish ourselves as one of the top three players in the European online travel market.' About HolidayCheck AG: HolidayCheck Ltd. operates the leading free, independent German-language opinion portal for travel and holidays on the internet. With 4.1 million visits and 108.6 million page views per month according to figures for December 2008 from independent circulation reviewer IVW, HolidayCheck is one of the leading German-language travel websites. HolidayChecks core business activities are its large and fast-growing hotel rating database, a comprehensive photograph and video archive containing private holiday snaps and clips and a unique collection of travel tips. HolidayCheck also operates another important information channel in the form of the biggest German-language travel forum, used daily by several thousands of visitors to discuss a wide range of travel and holiday subjects. In addition, HolidayCheck Ltd. runs its own online travel agency certified by the German Association for Technical Inspection (TÜV), providing a booking service with low-price guarantee. The programme of internationalisation initiated in 2006 is already well advanced. Alongside the German-language portal, there is now a total of eight international rating portals. At present, the main focus of the companys internationalisation strategy lies on the expansion of its Polish-language website at www.holidaycheck.pl, which is the first of its international platforms to include a holiday booking service. As part of its drive to increase the level of diversification, HolidayCheck launched its own car hire portal in summer 2008 at www.mietwagencheck.de. The CEOs of HolidayCheck Ltd. are Hakan Öktem and Friedrich von Scanzoni. TOMORROW FOCUS AG is the majority shareholder in HolidayCheck Ltd., with a 94 percent interest in the company. About TOMORROW FOCUS AG: TOMORROW FOCUS AG, Munich, Germany, is an independent and diversified internet group. The company, whose principal shareholder is Hubert Burda Media, is listed on the stock exchange under ISIN DE0005495329. The organisations activities are divided into three business divisions: E-Commerce, Digital Marketing and Technologies: The E-Commerce division comprises the hotel rating and holiday booking portal HOLIDAYCHECK, the premium dating agency ELITEPARTNER and Germanys leading mens lifestyle magazine, PLAYBOY. The Digital Marketing division, including TOMORROW FOCUS SALES, is one of Germanys leading online marketers, covering in-house portals such as FOCUS Online, AMICA Online, CINEMA Online, FITFORFUN Online, MAX Online, TV SPIELFILM Online and JAMEDA as well as partner sites such as BUNTE Online, CHIP Online and FAZ.NET. In the Technologies division, TOMORROW FOCUS TECHNOLOGIES GmbH and CELLULAR GmbH offer comprehensive IT services for fixed-line and mobile internet connections. Media & investor relations contacts: TOMORROW FOCUS AG Armin Blohmann Steinhauser Strasse 1+3 D-81677 München Germany phone: +49 (0)89 9250-1256 fax: +49 (0)89 9250-2403 email: a.blohmann@tomorrow-focus.de DGAP 12.02.2009 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Language: English Issuer: TOMORROW FOCUS AG Steinhauserstr. 1-3 81677 München Deutschland Phone: +49 (0)89 9250-1256 Fax: +49 (0)89 9250-2403 E-mail: a.blohmann@tomorrow-focus.de Internet: www.tomorrow-focus.de ISIN: DE0005495329 WKN: 549532 Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr in Berlin, Hannover, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, München, Stuttgart End of News DGAP News-Service ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DGAP-News: TOMORROW FOCUS AG increases stake in HolidayCheck AG by a further 14 percent company founders remain on board with 6 percent
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