Axel Springer Digital Ventures, a subsidiary of Axel Springer SE, acquires a minority stake of 20 percent in the French search startup Qwant.com. Qwant.com provides users with a 360 degree overview about their search terms – including webpages, social media, news, products, pictures and videos. The results are arranged in different streams, allowing users to refine their search and explore each category.

“There is a lot of innovation on the search market. In order to participate and to learn we are engaging in a young company that is dedicated to add diversity and new impulses”, explains Ulrich Schmitz, CTO at Axel Springer SE and Managing Director of Axel Springer Digital Ventures.

Qwant.com launched its first version in France in 2013 and in Germany in March 2014. In 2013 it processed more than half a billion search requests. The product will be continuously developed and further expanded. The company has 25 employees and is headquartered in Paris. Qwant.com puts an emphasis on respecting user-privacy and has adopted an extensive “privacy by design” approach from the start.