GERMAN FINTECH LAUNCHES FAKE REAL ESTATE COMPANY TO DRAW ATTENTION TO RISING SEA LEVELS

• The real estate startup that wants to profit from rising sea levels caused outrage

• Dissolving the alleged sales launch: digital asset manager growney as the originator of the initiative

• A previously underestimated climate protection measure: sustainable financial investment

"The campaign has shown that people looking for an attractive investment often ignore environmental and nature conservation. With sustainable investment strategies, we show that environmental protection and returns can work very well together." - Thimm Blickensdorf, growney

In recent weeks, the real estate startup "THE RISE" sparked controversy: In the typical style of investment videos, its charming CEO advertised the ingeniously unscrupulous idea of selling parcels of land far from the coast, which might be by the sea soon – due to rising sea levels. YouTube ads, provocative social media posts, and billboards in Germany ensured that the idea quickly became a heated topic.

In the last few weeks, the real estate start-up “THE RISE REAL ESTATE” has caused a lot of discussion in the media and social networks. In videos and advertising clips on YouTube , Twitter , Instagram and Co. plots of land are offered far from the coast that in a few years might be by the sea soon - because climate change is causing the seas to rise. "Let your returns rise with the sea level," advertised the company's CEO, Jens Zastrow, in the videos.

The media and climate activists were appalled: Are investors so unscrupulous as to make a profit on climate change? On the other hand, numerous enquiries poured in, expressing interest in the properties.

Disaster as a business model

With posters in German cities , on a website and with social media videos, inhospitable plots of land in the hinterland were advertised as a future dream location with sea views.

The media and climate activists were appalled: Are investors so unscrupulous as to make a profit on climate change? On the other hand, numerous enquiries poured in, expressing interest in the properties.

What is now clear is that the company does not exist. The digital asset manager, growney, is behind the initiative.

"In times of crisis, people try to invest their money safely - real estate is a top-rated one. In the process, sustainability is often ignored as a factor", says Thimm Blickensdorf from the growney executive board. In times of increasingly extreme climate protests the campaign creatively draws attention to the possibility of sustainable investment.

"The campaign has shown that people looking for an attractive investment often ignore environmental and nature conservation. With sustainable investment strategies, we show that environmental protection and returns can work very well together," says Thimm Blickensdorf.

"THE RISE" is now called "STOP THE RISE". The message: Everyone can contribute to climate protection – be it through donations, their own actions or sustainable investments. Hamburg-based creative agencies Philipp und Keuntje and fischerAppelt conceived and implemented the campaign.

Sustainable investment: The greatest leverage for private individuals

As digital asset management for everyone, growney shows how climate change can be combated with the right investments and returns . With sustainable investments, savings are not part of the problem, but part of the solution. Because many people in Germany still leave their money lying around in their checking account or call money account. In 2022, the financial assets of private households in Germany reached a new high - at almost 8 trillion euros.

"Many savers are not even aware that their money can be used in a targeted manner - in favor of companies that pay attention to the ecological, social and ethical impact of their actions and contribute to climate protection through new technologies or innovations," says Blickensdorf.

About "STOP THE RISE"

What was previously "THE RISE REAL ESTATE" is now called "STOP THE RISE". The website for the campaign stop-the-rise.com shows not only the offers for sustainable investments but also the effects of the climate catastrophe and other ways of fighting it.

About growney

growney is one of the largest digital asset managers in Germany . Founded in Berlin in 2014, the FinTech company manages money for private and corporate customers. growney also cooperates with large insurance companies, broker pools as well as with EDEKA and Netto Marken-Discount . Since 2022, growney's largest shareholder has been LAIQON AG, based in Hamburg (WKN DE000A12UP29), which, as an innovative and bank-independent financial institution, manages a total of around 5.8 billion euros.

growney uses low-cost ETFs in its global investment strategies for savings plans, one-off payments or as a particularly flexible pension scheme. There are also sustainable strategies that focus primarily on the effect of climate protection . growney developed the technology for its robo-advisor platform itself and also makes it available to partner companies for automated financial investments.

growney has already received several awards for its investment strategies, low costs and service, including the grade “very good” by Stiftung Warentest (Finanztest 07/21, €100,000 investment). growney has also received top ratings in tests by Handelsblatt, FocusMoney, Finanztip, Capital, ntv, Wirtschaftswoche, Stern, manager magazin and Euro am Sonntag.

For more information, visit: growney.de

*Risk warning: The capital market investment is associated with risks .

**The value of your capital market investment can fall or rise.

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