19 January 2009 • The ‘Société Fédérale de Participation et d’Investissement’ (SFPI-FPIM), the holding company of the Belgian Federal Government, invests 2 million euros in Navitell. This Belgian company develops mobile software, which brings multimedia content to life on mobile devices, based on the location and profile of the user. With the investment, SFPI-FPIM acquires a 25% stake in the capital of Navitell.
Navitell is a Belgium-based technology company that specialises in mobile storytelling. The company is especially known for the StoryTraveller, a product that allows the user to see and hear stories about the surroundings on a modern mobile phone or PDA. Thanks to the software bridge between satellites and the multimedia device, the StoryTraveller is an excellent virtual guide. History is brought to life by telling the stories in the right place at the right time. With the StoryTraveller, Navitell is a global trendsetter in the world of culture, heritage, and tourism. In recent months, StoryTravellers have been developed for, amongst others, the Flemish Art Cities and the 50th Anniversary of the Atomium (Expo 58) in cooperation with the public broadcasters VRT and RTBf. Navitell has also discovered the power of mobile storytelling in other areas and, in addition to the StoryTraveller, has also developed the StoryTrip, the StoryCoach, and the StoryCook.
The flagship of Navitell will be unveiled later this year. It is a central internet platform where one can create new mobile stories, offer them for sale, or purchase and download existing stories. In addition, there are a number of unique applications, which will allow personalised micro-entertainment and offer possibilities for mobile third-party micro-businesses. This year, Navitell plans the roll-out of a brand new StoryHighway (a series of StoryTrips) and a StoryHealthWay (a series of mobile health applications). Both the StoryHighway and StoryHealthWay will be launched in Belgium, and will soon go international. Thanks to the SFPI-FPIM’s investment, Navitell’s internationalisation will be strengthened and accelerated.
Koen Van Loo, Managing Director of SFPI-FPIM, stated, "The products of Navitell catch one’s eye immediately because of their innovative and creative nature. Navitell is not a common software company, but acts as a cross-fertiliser, able to market new mobile products and formulas rapidly via its own mobile software basics. To this end, Navitell is always teaming up with other organisations and partners, ranging from media companies to creative micro-entrepreneurs. At the same time, Navitell is well aware of the role that the company can play in different areas of social life such as tourism, heritage, the environment, sports, media, health, and cultures from food to fitness."
Isabelle Maenhout, CEO of Navitell, is particularly pleased with the arrival of SFPI-FPIM as an investor. "For us, it is important to be able to count on a stable partner who supports our long-term vision and who believes in the social added-value our products offer. The investment of SFPI-FPIM should enable us to access foreign markets in an efficient way and to maximise Belgian know-how in cooperation with other Belgian companies, entrepreneurs and experts in many different areas. In this way, we can export our expertise.”
Bart Becks, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Navitell, added, "The participation of the SFPI-FPIM is an important step in the further growth of Navitell. After the development of the mobile platform and the first formats, further international expansion can begin. At the same time, we will continue to expand the online platform, which brings experiences involving tourism, health, and discovery to the general public via a unique user-friendly link between our platform and the mobile content."
The Belgian Federal Participation and Investment Company (‘Société Fédérale de Participation et d’Investissement’ or ‘Federale Participatie- en Investeringsmaatschappij’ SFPI-FPIM) is the holding company of the Belgian federal state and was formed in November 2006 after a merger of the Belgian Federal Investment Company (SFI-FIM) and the Belgian Federal Participation Company (SFP-FPM). The SFPI-FPIM has investment capital available and focuses on six areas: sustainable development, innovation, international investment funds, aviation, real estate, and the aging population. The SFPI-FPIM manages a large number of government investments. The most important are Belgian Post (25.87%), the Belgian National Lottery (21.28%), Brussels Airport (25%), SOPIMA, the Congress Palace, and the China-Belgium Direct Equity Investment Fund. The SFPI-FPIM has also invested in Silver Avenue, a project of modern housing for the elderly.
www.navitell.com
www.sfpi-fpim.be
Navitell is a Belgium-based technology company that specialises in mobile storytelling. The company is especially known for the StoryTraveller, a product that allows the user to see and hear stories about the surroundings on a modern mobile phone or PDA. Thanks to the software bridge between satellites and the multimedia device, the StoryTraveller is an excellent virtual guide. History is brought to life by telling the stories in the right place at the right time. With the StoryTraveller, Navitell is a global trendsetter in the world of culture, heritage, and tourism. In recent months, StoryTravellers have been developed for, amongst others, the Flemish Art Cities and the 50th Anniversary of the Atomium (Expo 58) in cooperation with the public broadcasters VRT and RTBf. Navitell has also discovered the power of mobile storytelling in other areas and, in addition to the StoryTraveller, has also developed the StoryTrip, the StoryCoach, and the StoryCook.
The flagship of Navitell will be unveiled later this year. It is a central internet platform where one can create new mobile stories, offer them for sale, or purchase and download existing stories. In addition, there are a number of unique applications, which will allow personalised micro-entertainment and offer possibilities for mobile third-party micro-businesses. This year, Navitell plans the roll-out of a brand new StoryHighway (a series of StoryTrips) and a StoryHealthWay (a series of mobile health applications). Both the StoryHighway and StoryHealthWay will be launched in Belgium, and will soon go international. Thanks to the SFPI-FPIM’s investment, Navitell’s internationalisation will be strengthened and accelerated.
Koen Van Loo, Managing Director of SFPI-FPIM, stated, "The products of Navitell catch one’s eye immediately because of their innovative and creative nature. Navitell is not a common software company, but acts as a cross-fertiliser, able to market new mobile products and formulas rapidly via its own mobile software basics. To this end, Navitell is always teaming up with other organisations and partners, ranging from media companies to creative micro-entrepreneurs. At the same time, Navitell is well aware of the role that the company can play in different areas of social life such as tourism, heritage, the environment, sports, media, health, and cultures from food to fitness."
Isabelle Maenhout, CEO of Navitell, is particularly pleased with the arrival of SFPI-FPIM as an investor. "For us, it is important to be able to count on a stable partner who supports our long-term vision and who believes in the social added-value our products offer. The investment of SFPI-FPIM should enable us to access foreign markets in an efficient way and to maximise Belgian know-how in cooperation with other Belgian companies, entrepreneurs and experts in many different areas. In this way, we can export our expertise.”
Bart Becks, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Navitell, added, "The participation of the SFPI-FPIM is an important step in the further growth of Navitell. After the development of the mobile platform and the first formats, further international expansion can begin. At the same time, we will continue to expand the online platform, which brings experiences involving tourism, health, and discovery to the general public via a unique user-friendly link between our platform and the mobile content."
The Belgian Federal Participation and Investment Company (‘Société Fédérale de Participation et d’Investissement’ or ‘Federale Participatie- en Investeringsmaatschappij’ SFPI-FPIM) is the holding company of the Belgian federal state and was formed in November 2006 after a merger of the Belgian Federal Investment Company (SFI-FIM) and the Belgian Federal Participation Company (SFP-FPM). The SFPI-FPIM has investment capital available and focuses on six areas: sustainable development, innovation, international investment funds, aviation, real estate, and the aging population. The SFPI-FPIM manages a large number of government investments. The most important are Belgian Post (25.87%), the Belgian National Lottery (21.28%), Brussels Airport (25%), SOPIMA, the Congress Palace, and the China-Belgium Direct Equity Investment Fund. The SFPI-FPIM has also invested in Silver Avenue, a project of modern housing for the elderly.
www.navitell.com
www.sfpi-fpim.be
