US Investor Group Acquires Large Minority Stake and Invests in BTS Biogas, A Leading Pioneer In Clean Energy.

NEW YORK, NY--(Jan 20, 2017) - BTS Biogas, a global technology leader in the biological transformation of organic waste into energy and organic fertilizer, today announced that it has raised a significant round of funding with a new US based investor group. The acquisition and recapitalization investments were lead by Virtual Equity Partners, LLC and members Shawn Kreloff and Steve Lefkowitz, with participation from additional experienced investors. Shawn Kreloff is Managing Partner of Virtual Equity Partners, and has more than 25 years experience in technology investing overseeing $100+ million in capital raised, representing $2.5 billion in enterprise value. Mr. Lefkowitz is Managing Partner of SML Capital, a private equity firm he founded in 2015. Prior to founding SML Capital, he was co-founder, President and COO of CI Capital Partners, a New York based private equity firm specializing in private equity investments, with approximately $2 billion in assets under management. Steve co-founded the firm in 1993 and until his departure from CI in 2014, as part of the executive team, oversaw 150 acquisitions representing $7 billion in enterprise value.

The new funding will fuel the acceleration of BTS Biogass leadership in research and development, and enable strategic expansion of the BTS Biogas European and international sales and marketing footprint.

BTS Biogas, a leader and pioneer in sustainable, clean and recyclable energy has built over 200 operational biogas plants in the last 10 years and is headquartered in South Tyrol, Italy, having the number one market share in its home country. BTS Biogas is currently branching out to other countries in the EU and has built and operated plants in The United Kingdom, France, The Czech Republic, Poland, and Switzerland. Recently the company signed plant construction deals in France, Japan and Thailand. The company has over 80 employees and has customers in Food Processing, Municipalities, Agritech and Agricultural cooperatives.

BTS Biogas customers include some of the top Agritech firms in the world, and BTS Biogas plants are deployed by major firms who are demonstrating their commitment to the environment, clean energy and organic fertilizer.

Foresight Group, an independent infrastructure and private equity investment manager headquartered in London, is amongst the firms that BTS are working with in their expansion activity. "We worked with BTS earlier in 2016 on our Mapledurham project. We found BTS to be professional and experienced. The team is working hard and we are very pleased with the progress that has been made on the project so far" said Beth Watkins, Senior Investment Manager of Foresight Group.

"Virtual Equity Partners is excited about its investment in BTS Biogas due to the enormous market opportunity represented by the biological transformation of organic waste to energy, and the innovative technical work BTS Biogas has completed from a research and development perspective," said Shawn Kreloff, Managing Partner at Virtual Equity Partners. "BTS Biogas offers a unique approach to plant automation and optimization. We believe they have the best plant technology, highest safety standards and the most sophisticated support operation in the world. How often can you improve a companys top and bottom line while simultaneously generating clean energy, remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and return valuable organic nutrients to the soil?"

About BTS Biogas
Since its founding in 2008 BTS Biogas has been a major catalyst in the global growth and acceptance of biodigester technology and research. "As a group of scientists, the BTS Biogas team has found a way to not just help our customers with the most efficient plant technology, but to simultaneously make a real impact on reducing pollution and providing organic soil amendments," said Michael Niederbacher, CEO and founder at BTS Biogas. "As a clean energy and organic fertilizer company, BTS Biogas is uniquely positioned to empower our customers and partners to generate extraordinary revenue while simultaneously improving the air, water and soil quality."