Microsoft’s co-founder Paul Allen invests $40 million in Catalan e-voting company Scytl
07.04.2014
Source: CNA
Barcelona (ACN).- Paul Allen, who founded Microsoft together with Bill Gates, has invested $40 million (equivalent to some €30 million) in the Barcelona-based Scytl, which is present in 35 countries and is one of the world leaders in e-voting. Through his investment fund Vulcan Capital – part of Vulcan Inc. – Allen will join Scytl’s shareholders, who also include Balderton Capital, Nauta Capital and Spinnaker Invest. Vulcan Capital’s Manager Abhishek Agrawal will join the Catalan company’s Board, which is led by Pere Vallès as Scytl’s CEO. Agrawal praised the Barcelona-based company’s “key role” in upgrading electoral processes in cooperation with governments throughout the world. In fact, in the last 10 years, the Catalan company has carried out e-voting commissions in the US, Canada, Mexico, Ecuador, France, Norway, Switzerland, Bosnia, India, Iceland and Australia. Since 2006 Scytl has made profits and its turnover has grown by 70% each year. The company is particularly strong in creating cryptology solutions and electoral management software which guarantee secure electronic voting processes. Scytl is attracting capital before its mid-term objective: being listed on the stock exchange.


The Catalan company is based in Barcelona, where about half its employees work. The rest of its almost 400 staff are based in offices in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Peru, United Kingdom, Greece, Ukraine, Malaysia and Australia. In the last 10 years, the Catalan company has carried out e-voting commissions in the US, Canada, Mexico, Ecuador, France, Norway, Switzerland, Bosnia, India, Iceland and Australia, among others.