New York-Based Family Office Purchases Restricted Common Stock and Warrants at Premium to Market

MIAMI, FL , Jan. 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Net Element, Inc. (NASDAQ: NETE) (“Net Element” or the “Company”), a global financial technology and value-added solutions group that supports electronic payments acceptance in an omni-channel environment spanning across point-of-sale (POS), e-commerce, and mobile devices, today announced that it has completed a $7.55 million private placement of restricted common stock and warrants with a New York-based family office that has made several investments in companies with blockchain technology platforms. 

The investor purchased shares of the Company’s restricted common stock, and five-year warrants at a price of $11.245 per unit, each unit consisting of one share of common stock and 60% of a warrant at an exercise price of the stock’s consolidated closing bid price of $11.12 on December 29, 2017. The new investment will fuel the continued development of the Company's blockchain-focused unit, support growth initiatives and allow for potential acquisitions. Net Element’s blockchain-focused business will be a decentralized crypto-based ecosystem that will act as a framework for value-added services ("VAS") that can connect merchants and consumers directly utilizing blockchain technology while increasing the speed and efficiency of transactions made through the Company's processing, settlement and services ecosystem.

“We are delighted to receive a significant investment that will help ensure full scalability of our platform and accommodate the Company’s anticipated future growth as well as the development of our value-added services blockchain platform,” commented Oleg Firer, CEO of Net Element. “The Company's balance sheet is now the strongest in its history, allowing Net Element to support future growth opportunities.”

Additional information regarding this private placement and the terms and conditions of the agreement entered between the parties may be found in Net Element’s current report on Form 8-K, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on January 2, 2018, and may be obtained from the SEC’s Internet website at http://www.sec.gov. 

The securities sold in the private placement have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. Net Element has agreed to file a registration statement with the SEC registering the resale of the shares of common stock and the shares underlying the warrants.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. 

About Net Element

Net Element, Inc. (NASDAQ: NETE) operates a payments-as-a-service transactional and value-added services platform for small to medium enterprise ("SME") in the U.S. and selected emerging markets. In the U.S. it aims to grow transactional revenue by innovating SME productivity services such as its cloud based, restaurant and retail point-of-sale solution Aptito. Internationally, Net Element's strategy is to leverage its omni-channel platform to deliver flexible offerings to emerging markets with diverse banking, regulatory and demographic conditions. Net Element was ranked as one of the fastest growing companies in North America on Deloitte’s 2017 Technology Fast 500™ and South Florida Business Journal’s 2016 fastest growing technology companies. Further information is available at www.netelement.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed forward-looking statements. Words such as "continue," "will," "may," "could," "should," "expect," "expected," "plans," "intend," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, many of which are generally outside the control of Net Element and are difficult to predict. Examples of such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, whether the capital raised will result in the contemplated scalability of the Company’s  platform or in fact result in future growth; whether  development of Net Element’s blockchain technology will be adopted by the Company’s merchants and consumers, whether the new business unit will be successful in it endeavors to identify and invest into relevant projects and whether investment into blockchain ecosystem will positively impact the Company.  Additional examples of such risks and uncertainties are: (i) Net Element's ability (or inability) to obtain additional financing in sufficient amounts or on acceptable terms when needed; (ii) Net Element's ability to maintain existing, and secure additional, contracts with users of its payment processing services; (iii) Net Element's ability to successfully expand in existing markets and enter new markets; (iv) Net Element's ability to successfully manage and integrate any acquisitions of businesses, solutions or technologies; (v) unanticipated operating costs, transaction costs and actual or contingent liabilities; (vi) the ability to attract and retain qualified employees and key personnel; (vii) adverse effects of increased competition on Net Element's business; (viii) changes in government licensing and regulation that may adversely affect Net Element's business; (ix) the risk that changes in consumer behavior could adversely affect Net Element's business; (x) Net Element's ability to protect its intellectual property; (xi) local, industry and general business and economic conditions; (xii) adverse effects of potentially deteriorating U.S.-Russia relations, including, without limitation, over a conflict related to Ukraine, including a risk of further U.S. government sanctions or other legal restrictions on U.S. businesses doing business in Russia. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements can be found in the most recent annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K filed by Net Element with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Net Element anticipates that subsequent events and developments may cause its plans, intentions and expectations to change. Net Element assumes no obligation, and it specifically disclaims any intention or obligation, to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by law.

Contact: 

Net Element, Inc. 
media@netelement.com
+1 (786) 923-0502