Press

Between 40,000 and 50,000 companies are founded in Switzerland every year. The companies required for this, which are usually still done in paper-based format, make founding a company time-consuming and tedious. In cooperation with DeepCloud and Yapeal, the start-up platform Hoop has succeeded in making incorporation process completely digital and thus in setting up companies quickly and easily. Company founders throughout Switzerland therefore benefit from this.

On 6 April 2023 at 9.30 a.m., Pascal Huber, Managing Director of the eastern Swiss trust company Breitenmoser-Edelmann Treuhand AG, started the digital meeting to found the start-up SpeedGo AG. He prepared the relevant documents on the digital foundation platform Hoop. All the founding documents were signed digitally by the founders of SpeedGo at their different workplaces. At 10.00 a.m., the money was deposited in the capital deposits account of the fintech Yapeal. By 10.15 a.m., all documents had been digitally signed by all parties and digitally transmitted to the notary for the incorporation.  Three hours later, the notary started checking the documents and then signed them digitally himself. At 2 p.m., all documents required for the foundation of SpeedGo were again digitally transmitted to the commercial registry office.
The entire incorporation process, which usually takes several weeks or even months in Switzerland, was completed in a record time of around six hours.

Six working days after the first meeting, the company SpeedGo was registered in the Zurich Registry of commerce. After opening a business account with Yapeal, the company is now fully operational and can receive and send invoices.

"I was surprised myself at how conveniently, easily and quickly the whole thing went through," comments Pascal Huber, visibly pleased with the premiere. Silvio Enzler, COO of Hoop, adds: "We have launched a new era in company foundation, which is characterised by digitalisation, speed and simplicity". Claudio Hintermann, CEO of DeepCloud, is pleased to say: "We are proud to make an important contribution to the simplification of start-ups. Without DeepID and DeepSign technologies, such a fast and end-to-end process would not have been possible." Yapeal is also proud to be part of Switzerland's first end-to-end digital company formation. "Our real-time services enabled the immediate opening of the capital deposit account," says Thomas Hilgendorff, CEO of Yapeal.

The Registry of commerce of the Canton of Zurich refers to the foundation and registration of SpeedGo SA, which was carried out digitally from A to Z in cooperation with Schmidhäusler Rechtsanwälte SA, as "a milestone on the way to fully digitalised document submission for the incorporation of a company".

The Hoop platform is currently available as a beta version to 20 fiduciaries. In June of this year, it will be available to all interested entrepreneurs.

About Hoop

Hoop is a Swiss platform that fully digitalises the entire process of company incorporation and the mutations in the Registry of commerce.
Hoop Corporate Services SA, based in Lugano, was launched in 2022.

EF Switzerland, the world's largest private language travel provider, and FINTECH company YAPEAL are entering into a strategic partnership. EF language students have the ideal digital wallet for their stay abroad with YAPEAL.

• EF language students benefit from the best exchange rates without fees

• EF students have YAPEAL, the ideal way to pay for their language study abroad.

• EF language students and parents can manage finances together

Zurich, January 12, 2022 - In the coming weeks, countless students will be planning their language study trips in a foreign country. EF (Education First), the largest private provider, and YAPEAL are partnering to offer EF customers the ideal financial solution for their stay abroad.

What are the financial challenges? Exchanging money and withdrawing cash abroad usually costs a tremendous amount. Depending on the bank card and provider, high fees may apply. With YAPEAL, language students have the perfect deal. It knows no hidden fees, costs for cash withdrawals, bad exchange rates and other surcharges. Maximum transparency and simplicity are at the heart of the Swiss FINTECH.

Because YAPEAL's service is ideally suited to the needs of language students, EF and YAPEAL have decided to enter into a close collaboration. Daniel Bänziger, Market Development Lead, says: "During a stay abroad, it is important to keep an eye on your finances. We offer a unique proposition for language students because it's secure, transparent and affordable."

Especially for younger language students (under 18), YAPEAL is excellent because they are usually supported by their parents. With YAPINI, they have the ideal bag money account to manage their finances together with their parents. With YAPINI, young students have these benefits:

• their own VISA debit card

• Parents can see the account balance in the app

• Parents can transfer money in real-time at any time

• Standing orders can be set up

• The account cannot be overdrawn Spending limits can be set

• If the card is lost, it can be blocked via smartphone

Karin Ellike, EF's Marketing Manager, says: "Optimal preparation for a language study trip also includes organizing the finances during the trip. With our partner Yapeal, we can offer our customers an ideal solution in the area of finances."

As part of the partnership, YAPEAL will be present on EF's communication channels, accompanying them on and offline.

Brief portrait of YAPEAL AG

With just under 50 employees and several thousand customers, Zurich-based YAPEAL AG is one of Switzerland's leading startups in the financial sector. It is majority-owned by its 14 founders from 2018 and has a broad shareholder base of dedicated ambassadors in addition to strategic anchor investors (Bank Vontobel AG and Abacus Research AG). The fintech company, which is supervised by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority and obtained the first fintech license in Switzerland in March 2020, successfully launched its offering on the market on Jan. 1, 2021. It holds all licenses for the provision of account and card services and can therefore operate independently. In addition to a digital wallet (eWallet) with innovative functions, it offers pension solutions in cooperation with Bank Vontobel's Pension Foundation. Based on its customer-centric business model, the young company is continuously developing its services with ecosystem partners and in 2021 launched offerings in the area of cross-border business, young people and families, international payments and offerings for SME customers. For 2022, the product pipeline includes savings and investment solutions, financing offerings, and offerings for partners (joint accounts). As part of its market expansion in the B2B business, it will offer the software solutions it has developed itself to potential customers, primarily from the finance and services sector (embedded finance). The company underlines its growth ambitions with a series A financing for strategic investments and further developments in the near future.

YAPEAL is the first financial services provider in Switzerland to offer a 100% digital solution of a client/account relationship for corporate clients. Opening an account usually takes only a few minutes. Complicated forms and going to the bank are history.

YAPEAL also offers a 100% digitalized expense process for corporate clients in collaboration with Abacus. Digital submission of expenses in real time (eliminating the hassle of preparing expense reports at the end of the month), digital and paperless processing of expenses in the company, and automated payment of expenses also in real time becomes possible. Expense process digitalized end-to-end, unique in Switzerland and real added value for companies.

Together with Abacus, YAPEAL offers corporate customers an account integrated into the Swiss payment system and enables cheaper, faster and more transparent transfers - in the YAPscheme (YAPEAL Payment Scheme) around the clock and in real time.

Zurich, October 7, 2021, YAPEAL offers fully digitized services for corporate customers in Switzerland as of yesterday.

In many areas, the Swiss corporate banking industry is far from taking advantage of the digital capabilities that would add value to companies and offer them to customers. Much still conforms to the manual and laborious processes that have existed for decades.

With yesterday's launch, YAPEAL together with Abacus offers in a first phase with the 100% digital onboarding process for companies, a 100% digitized expense process as well as the cheap, fast and transparent payment transactions a basic functionality, which will be supplemented in further expansion steps in the near future.

In front of a good 100 Abacus trustees, the customer/account opening of a corporation including a first payment took place live yesterday. The fully digitalized process took less than 15 minutes.

Thomas Hilgendorff, CEO at YAPEAL: "We are very pleased to be able to offer the first solutions with fully digitalized and integrated end-to-end processes for corporate clients, based on our digital platform for 'embedded finance' developed in Switzerland. This is just the beginning, more to come."

Copyright © YAPEAL AG (www.YAPEAL.ch) Max-Högger-Strasse 6, CH-8048 Zurich
VAT: CHE-485.125.244

About YAPEAL

YAPEAL is a Swiss fintech company founded in June 2018 with the first fintech license in Switzerland.

YAPEAL offers digital financial services embedded in the daily lifestyle and working environment of private and corporate customers. YAPEAL's unique 'digital first' platform enables consumer ecosystems with embedded financial services that provide end-to-end customer experiences in real-time.

YAPEAL's digital platform is the answer to the challenges of integrated digital payments and financial solutions (embedded finance) into non-bank mobile apps, websites or business processes. It creates an entirely new way of distributing financial services and new opportunities to improve the financial lives of businesses and consumers.

YAPEAL supports the digitalization of value chains in commerce, mobility, urbanization, industrial IoT and supply chain. In this way, we help companies expand their value creation agenda - whether to grow their core business, develop new products and services, build an end-to-end solution for a new segment, or improve operational efficiency.

YAPEAL is 'digital to the core'. This means that all information and data is processed in real time. YAPEAL corporate and private customers have all information available in real time, anywhere, anytime.

YAPEAL is independent of third party banks and, thanks to owning all the licenses necessary for business operations, is agile and fast in decision-making and implementation. YAPEAL has developed both the YAPEAL app and the back-end functions itself in Switzerland. The operation also takes place entirely in Switzerland.

YAPEAL's strategic investors are the investment house Vontobel and the ERP manufacturer Abacus. YAPEAL employs around 50 people and is headquartered in Zurich.

A milestone in the history of the Erste Liga: With the Swiss fintech YAPEAL, the division gets a title sponsor for the first time.

After the presentation of the official ball partner Uhlsport, the First League comes up with a next success story: YAPEAL takes over the title sponsorship of the Erste Liga. The official language: "First League of the Swiss Football Association presented by YAPEAL". The sponsorship was agreed for the next three seasons.

The Swiss company operates a finance app, based on a Swiss bank account, which enables its customers to pay, transfer and withdraw money on- and offline anywhere in the world. All at transparent and fair prices. CEO Thomas Hilgendorff explains why YAPEAL decided to join the First League: "Our mission is to create an end-to-end experience for our customers in their everyday financial lives. To achieve this, we put all our passion into making finance fun. The future cooperation with the association, the clubs and players of the First League is a very comprehensive commitment for us, on the one hand to make our sustainable values, but also our services known to a broader population in Switzerland and to bring digital banking closer to the people."

Patrick Schöni, Head of Corporate Development, adds, "The Local Heroes of the First League are a perfect fit for our clientele, the Yapster community. Together we want to achieve something big and reach the ambitious goals, we can only do that as a team, where we encourage and support each other. We're thrilled to be working together to support ambitious Swiss grassroots sports."

The cooperation with YAPEAL was initiated by STARC Marketing & Sports GmbH and was a premiere with the conclusion of the contract. The fact that the partnership came about at all cannot be taken for granted in economically complicated times. For the first time in its history, the First League now has a presenting partner - undoubtedly a milestone.

For Samuel Scheidegger, President of the division, this fits perfectly into its strategy for the future: "The Premier League wants to position itself even more professionally and innovatively. Our external image will be further strengthened with a deal like this. The fintech YAPEAL stands for the future in banking and so we also want to present ourselves as a modern department in Swiss football with the First League." Urs Reinhard, member of the committee, added: "We are convinced that the partnership with YAPEAL will provide further impetus for the marketing of the entire league and support our clubs in their mission for top-level football in the region."

YAPEAL supports the league as well as its clubs both financially and through crowd-funding activities. The company intends to raise awareness of clubs and players through various online and offline measures.

The First Division, consisting of the Promotion League and three groups of the 1st Division with a total of 58 clubs, is the pinnacle of breadth in Swiss soccer. It thus combines top-level sport with amateur football and reaches all of Switzerland's language regions. The players, coaches and officials of the teams are tangible and close to the regions. For YAPEAL, this is an ideal platform to achieve nationwide awareness in the country.

The First League of the Swiss Football Association

As a separate department, the Premier League organizes the competitions of the third-highest (Promotion League) and fourth-highest (1st League) divisions in Swiss football. It is the link between professional and amateur football. The First Division plays a decisive role in the promotion of young talent in Swiss football. In recent years, the division has positioned itself attractively with its "Local Heroes - One of Us" campaign and built up both an online portal and various content and video services, expanding its media reach to more than 80 million impressions.

FACTS & FIGURES
58 teams
840 season games
> 200,000 spectators on site in the stadiums
> 84,000,000 media reach

YAPEAL is a Swiss fintech company founded in mid-2018 with the first fintech license in Switzerland. YAPEAL offers digital financial services embedded in the daily lifestyle and working environment of private and corporate customers. The services are primarily offered via the YAPEAL app on smartphones, with a browser version under development. All services such as payment transactions, the YAPEAL debit card (VISA), pillar 3a powered by Vontobel, foreign payment transactions powered by WISE and much more is integrated in a user-friendly app. YAPEAL is 'digital to the core' which means that all information and data is processed in real time. YAPEAL customers (YAPSTER) have all information available anywhere, anytime in real time. YAPEAL is independent from third party banks and is agile and fast in decision making and implementation thanks to owning all the necessary licenses for business operations. YAPEAL has developed both the YAPEAL app and the back-end functions itself in Switzerland. The operation also takes place entirely in Switzerland. YAPEAL's strategic investors are the investment house Vontobel and the ERP manufacturer Abacus. YAPEAL employs around 50 people and is headquartered in Zurich.

Swiss Football Association
Worbstrasse 48
3074 Muri

www.el-pl.ch

Jérémy Manière
Head of the office
maniere.jeremy@football.ch

+41 31 950 82 00
+41 78 747 55 98

YAPEAL AG
Max-Högger-Strasse 6
CH-8048 Zurich
www.yapeal.ch

Patrick Schöni
Head of Corporate Development
patrick@yapeal.ch
Press contact:
pr-media@yapeal.ch

STARC Marketing & Sports GmbH
Obere Zollgasse 10
3072 Ostermundigen
www.starcmarketing.com

Reto Wenger
Owner/CEO
rw@starcmarketing.com

YAPEAL partners with Wise to provide customers with cheaper and faster international money transfers

• YAPEAL customers can now access Wise's lightning-fast, low-cost international money transfers directly from their YAPEAL account without leaving the YAPEAL app

• The collaboration enables YAPEAL customers to make international money transfers to over 80 countries at significantly lower rates than traditional banks in Switzerland

Zurich/London June 22, 2021, YAPEAL is partnering with Wise, the global technology company that develops leading global money transfer solutions, to provide its customers with cheaper, faster and more transparent international money transfers.

YAPEAL customers can now access Wise's lightning-fast, low-cost international money transfers directly from their YAPEAL account without leaving the YAPEAL app. The costs are often lower than with traditional banks in Switzerland. At launch, YAPEAL customers can send money to over 80 countries worldwide, including the U.S., U.K., Germany and France.

The cooperation with Wise enables YAPEAL to be one of the first in Switzerland to offer its customers international money transfers without exchange rate surcharges. Transfers abroad via Wise are always carried out at the average exchange rate, which can also be found on Google or Reuters.

Daniel Capraro, Chief Product Owner YAPEAL: "We are pleased to work with our partner Wise to now make international money transfers available to our customers in the YAPEAL app in an easy, convenient and cost-effective way. From now on, YAPEAL customers can make global transfers, ideally, in real time."

Abid Mumtaz, Global Head of Wise for Banks said, "We are excited to partner with Yapeal to create an even better banking experience and make fast and transparent money transfers available to even more people in Switzerland. For us at Wise, what matters is how much money our customers save when they use Wise. Today, it's already a billion pounds a year. With the new partnership in Switzerland, we will further increase this number."

About YAPEAL

Yapeal is a Swiss fintech company founded in mid-2018 with the first fintech license in Switzerland. YAPEAL offers digital financial services embedded in the daily lifestyle and working environment of private and corporate customers. The services are primarily offered via the YAPEAL app on smartphones, with a browser version under development. All services such as payment transactions, the YAPEAL debit card (VISA), pillar 3a powered by Vontobel, foreign payment transactions powered by WISE and much more is integrated in a user-friendly app. YAPEAL is 'digital to the core' which means that all information and data is processed in real time. YAPEAL customers (YAPSTER) have all information available anywhere, anytime in real time. YAPEAL is independent from third party banks and is agile and fast in decision making and implementation thanks to owning all the necessary licenses for business operations. YAPEAL has developed both the YAPEAL app and the back-end functions itself in Switzerland. The operation also takes place entirely in Switzerland. YAPEAL's strategic investors are the investment house Vontobel and the ERP manufacturer Abacus. YAPEAL employs around 50 people and is headquartered in Zurich.

Press contact pr-media@yapeal.ch

About Wise

Wise is a global technology company that develops the best solution to move money around the world. With Wise's account, individuals and businesses can hold money in over 50 currencies, make international transfers and spend. Banks and corporations are also using the technology, which is based on a new type of international payments network that will one day enable borderless payments - for everyone, worldwide. Wise's mission is to make people's lives easier and help them save money. Founded by Taavet Hinrikus and Kristo Käärmann, Wise launched in 2011 under the name TransferWise. Today, Wise is one of the fastest growing tech companies in the world and has raised more than $1 billion in both primary and secondary funding rounds from leading global investors.

Tens of millions of people and businesses use Wise, sending more than five billion across borders every month. More than one billion euros are saved annually in this way.

Press contact Thomas Adamski | thomas.adamski@transferwise.com

• Enrico Bauer resigned as COO and member of the Executive Board of YAPEAL AG as of April 30. resigned

• On June 7, 2021, Thomas Wechsler will take over as COO in charge of Operations and will be appointed to the Executive Board of YAPEAL AG

• Thomas Wechsler joins YAPEAL AG from Neue Aargauer Bank AG (NAB), where he was a member of the Executive Board and COO until the bank's integration into Credit Suisse.

Zurich June 7, 2021. Thomas Wechsler (49), will take over as Head of Operations at YAPEAL as of June 7, 2021. He succeeds Enrico Bauer, who has decided for personal reasons to step down and leave YAPEAL as of April 30, 2021.

Thomas Wechsler has held various management positions at NAB since 2009, including the last few years on the Executive Board as Head of Department Central Customer Advisory / COO and previously as Head of Department Online and Retail Customers. Before joining NAB, Thomas Wechsler was responsible for Business Development Private Clients Switzerland and Head of Strategic Planning & Communication at Credit Suisse. Prior to that, he was a business consultant at an international management consultancy.

Thomas Hilgendorff, CEO YAPEAL: "On behalf of the management, I would like to thank Enrico Bauer for his very successful commitment to YAPEAL, which, among other things, enabled the first fintech license in Switzerland. We regret his decision and wish him all the best for his professional and personal future. We are pleased that with Thomas Wechsler we could win a proven expert with great experience for this position. Through his previous work, he is familiar with the challenges of digitizing processes in banking for better customer experiences and more effective services, as well as dealing with an agile organization. Thomas Wechsler not only has the technical and strategic know-how, but also the leadership and personal profile to significantly develop YAPEAL's customer-focused services."

Information: pr-media@yapal.ch

YAPEAL: is a Swiss fintech company founded in mid-2018 with the first fintech license in Switzerland. YAPEAL offers digital financial services embedded in the daily lifestyle and working environment of private and corporate customers. The services are primarily offered via the YAPEAL app on smartphones, with an HTML version under development. All services such as payment transactions, the YAPEAL debit card (VISA), pillar 3a powered by Bank Vontobel and much more is integrated in a user-friendly app. YAPEAL is 'digital to the core' which means that all information and data is processed in real time. YAPEAL clients (YAPSTER) have all information available in real time anywhere and anytime. YAPEAL is independent from third party banks and is agile and fast in decision making and implementation thanks to owning all the necessary licenses for business operations. YAPEAL has developed both the YAPEAL app and the back-end functions itself in Switzerland. The operation also takes place entirely in Switzerland.

YAPEAL's strategic investors are the investment house Vontobel and the ERP manufacturer Abacus. YAPEAL employs around 50 people and is headquartered in Zurich.

Unsubscribe from media release: Please write to pr-media@yapal.ch if you no longer wish to receive our communications.