Making the Right Connections

Small & Medium Enterprises – in short: SMEs – are the backbone of many economies, also in Switzerland. By increasing their know-how, improving their services, fostering innovation and creating jobs, they are crucial to economic growth and prosperity. To fuel this growth, SMEs are in need of funding – and regulated exchanges are a prime destination to raise capital, as Thomas Zeeb, Head Exchanges at SIX, pointed out in the “CEO Talk”.

Supporting SMEs and the Economy

In the TV show moderated by Martin Spieler, Thomas Zeeb explained how SIX Swiss Exchange has supported SMEs in the past and recently completed its offering with the dedicated new Sparks segment and associated services like the IPO Academy.

Thomas Zeeb also emphasized how new offerings in the listing space like Sparks and SPACs increase the attractiveness of the Swiss marketplace, as they not only provide growth opportunities for companies, but also additional choices for investors – whose protection is paramount for the Swiss stock exchange.

^{The show was first aired on Tuesday, 8 February 2022 on Switzerland’s TeleZüri TV channel  (available in German)}

New Technology and Greater Flexibility

Discussing the rise and recent volatility of cryptocurrencies, Thomas Zeeb expressed his view that although he doubts they’ll be adopted as a means of payment, cryptocurrencies have established themselves as a speculative asset class, based on the fact that in 2021, trading volumes in this space were mostly driven by institutional investors.

In this context, Thomas Zeeb pointed out that although it’s based on blockchain technology, SIX Digital Exchange (SDX) isn’t a crypto-exchange, but geared towards improvements in post-trading and greater flexibility with regards to what can be listed and traded.

Ultimately, the role of exchanges is to support the creation of value by enabling capital raising and price formation – and with platforms in both in the traditional and digital space, SIX offers companies of all sizes and origins a unique portfolio of exchanges.

• SIX Swiss Exchange: Swiss-made. World-class.
• Sparks: the SME Stock Exchange
• Welcome to SIX Digital Exchange