Solvium Holding AG Acquires Stake in Rail Leasing Company

Hamburg, Germany, October 17, 2023 - Solvium Holding AG, an international asset manager for transport logistics, has acquired a 35.71% stake in European Wagon Lease Asset GmbH & Co. KGaA (EWL), a European rail leasing company for freight cars and locomotives.

Solvium has been working with EWL for some time, particularly on the acquisition of freight cars for investment products. The acquisition grants Solvium access to EWL's expertise in the rail equipment leasing market, including its extensive portfolio of freight cars and locomotives, its strong relationships with customers, and its track record of growth.

EWL is a leading rail leasing company in Europe with a fleet of over 2,500 freight cars and locomotives. The company is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, and has offices in Paris, Stettin, Warsaw, Prague, Debrecen, Budapest, and Bucharest.

Solvium CEO Olaf Will commented on the acquisition: "We are very pleased to have completed this transaction. With the acquisition of EWL, we now also hold a stake in an established company that brings comprehensive access and expertise from the rail wagon and locomotive rental market into the group. With this acquisition, we are continuing our path of forward integration in the global growth market of transport logistics and infrastructure."

EWL Managing Director Jan Schröder also welcomed the transaction: "We are very pleased to have convinced Solvium, a highly specialized and competent logistics investor, of our market and our company. We are confident that this will lay the foundation for further strong growth for the EWL Group in Europe."

About Solvium

Solvium is an international asset manager for transport logistics and a provider and manager of investments in logistics equipment. Solvium invests in income-generating equipment assets, including standard containers, swap bodies, and freight cars. These are employed in the global movement of cargoes by rail, road, and sea. Solvium's investments are aimed at both private investors and semi-professional as well as professional investors.

Solvium's asset management places special emphasis on broad diversification and purposeful risk management. With an attractive risk-return profile, Solvium enables investors to benefit from the continuous growth in the logistics and transport sector.

Since its inception in 2011, Solvium has a flawless track record. With around 20,000 contracts with investors completed and over 500 million Euros of capital invested, the group has always demonstrated its reliability. All rental, interest, and repayments, which have now exceeded 300 million Euros, have been paid on time and as planned. Solvium currently manages assets of over 300 million Euros.

Solvium Group includes several renowned companies, including Noble Container Leasing Ltd., one of the leading container lessors in the Asian market with offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, and Seoul, and Axis Intermodal Deutschland GmbH from Cologne, Germany, the largest swap body leasing company in Europe. In addition, the Solvium Group has been significantly involved in the European rail leasing specialist European Wagon Lease Asset GmbH & Co. KGaA from Hamburg since 2023.

Sustainability and good corporate governance are important to Solvium. This is evident not only from its annual sustainability report, but also from the statement according to the German Sustainability Code (DNK) 2023, which was created in accordance with the CSR Directive Implementation Act. The group published this statement as the first medium-sized issuing house in the real estate sector.

About European Wagon Lease Asset GmbH & Co. KGaA (EWL)

European Wagon Lease Asset GmbH & Co. KGaA and its subsidiaries currently lease over 2,500 freight cars of all types as well as diesel and electric locomotives throughout Europe. The EWL customer base includes private, municipal, and state railway companies, rail freight forwarders, workshops, and other companies. The company was started in 2011 by Jan Schröder. He is the only indirect shareholder besides the Solvium Group. With locations in Hamburg, Paris, Szczecin, Warsaw, Prague, Debrecen, Budapest, and Bucharest, the group has developed into a rapidly growing rail car and locomotive leasing company in recent years. More than 50 people in the EWL network exclusively handle the procurement, leasing, management, technical maintenance, and sale of the wagons. www.ewl-a.de