Disclaimer

The information displayed on the Earth Resource Investment Group (ERIG) website specifically aims at fund managers/initiators in Germany, Austria and Switzerland whom ERIG advises.

ERIG is solely a fund advisor. The purchasing of funds has to be transacted and executed by an accredited bank/financial service provider. The information provided on this webpage is thus NOT an offer, but provides non-binding information concerning the business partners of ERIG for whom ERIG acts as an advisor. The provider of the information disclaims liability.

All mutual funds and collective capital investments mentioned on this website are here neither offered nor distributed, in particular not to Swiss or US residents or citizens*.

The information and services provided on this site are intended solely for the private user of the ERIG webpage. Nothing in this site should be construed as an offer or the solicitation of an offer to purchase or sell any investment, or to engage in any other transaction, gratuitous or nongratuitous. Furthermore, by offering information via this site, no solicitation is made to any person to use such information, or buy or sell securities in jurisdictions where the provision of such information, products or services is prohibited by law or regulation. The same applies to sovereign territories where this would be contrary to local law or regulation. You further acknowledge that none of the information is intended as legal, tax or other advice.

The data, including but not limited to financial market data, quotes, news, research or information accessible through this site (the "information") has been obtained from sources, including ERIG, who are believed to be reliable. No guarantee, representation or warranty is given by ERIG and its partners, and no responsibility or liability, contingent or otherwise, as to its a) quality, accuracy, timeliness, availability and completeness of the data and information provided by this internet site, b) punctual notification and correct in content to the user that defined limits or benchmarks have been reached c) the security suitability for the investor d) accounting and tax consequences of investing in securities and e) the future value developments of the stocks. Regarding the aforementioned, the investor should seek professional advice.

The information provided is based on historical data. The past is not necessarily a guide to the future values and prices resulting from ERIG’s consultancy recommendations. The purchasing of funds has to be transacted and executed by an accredited bank/financial service provider. The information provided on this webpage is thus NOT an offer, but provides non-binding information, for which the provider disclaims liability.

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All data provided is intended for informational purposes only. No warranties for accuracy or realisation are made. Information on the valuation method or currency conversion is available upon request.

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Herewith I/we confirm to have read the disclaimer and to not be a citizen or resident of/in the United States of America (USA).

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History

history

The unique concept to the Earth Resource Investment Group was conceived during discussions in the active geological and investment communities within Johannesburg and Europe during 2006 and led by Dr. Joachim Berlenbach. Most investors direct their interests toward large cap resources stocks: these are struggling to replace reserves and resources and further suffer from high operational and capital costs. As a consequence, many of these large cap companies are overvalued. Few sophisticated investment products are available for the more attractively valued small- to mid-cap stocks. Moreover, investing in these market segments, particularly within the junior exploration sector requires both industry and investment expertise. Potential gains have often been achieved before such companies are brought to the attention of mainstream investors.

In order to provide a sophisticated investment product for this sector, Universal-Investment and the initial analyst team launched the Earth Exploration Fund UI in October 2006. This fund grew to approximately €220m and gained 40% in its first year of operation. Universal adopted the ERIG investment approach of applying technical skills at an early stage to projects, which has been validated by the market.

A further gap was recognized in the energy sector during the first half of 2007. Amid rising energy prices and the expanding industry, the demand for sophisticated investment products which are based on solid industry knowledge, increased. The Earth Energy Fund UI was launched in mid-2007. This fund focuses on mid- and large-cap companies with solid growth potential in the energy sector and service providers to the oil and gas sectors. At the same time the ERIG analyst team was expanded by two more mining and energy experts, again with financial expertise and proven management track records.

The third ERIG fund managed by Universal-Investment, the Earth Gold Fund UI, was launched in July 2008. This fund focuses on solid bottom-up analysis of gold and precious metals companies in all market caps and provides leverage to a rising gold price. At the same time it offers a hedge against rising inflation. The fund benefits from the solid gold mining and financial expertise of the analyst team. In September 2008 an experienced mining engineer joined the ERIG team as a precious and base metal analyst.

In 2008 ERIG entered into a joint venture with MRI Resources AG, a member of the MRI Group (Zug, Switzerland) and developed a Luxembourg based SICAV SIV* fund structure, jointly with Universal-Investment to invest directly in companies in the resources sector, using the technical expertise and industry contacts of the JV partners.

A well established partnership with Universal-Investment GmbH as fund administrator and UBS as custodian bank (both Frankfurt, Germany) provides for solid administrative support and management.

*A SICAV is an open-ended collective investment scheme common in Western Europe. SICAV is an acronym for Société d'investissement à capital variable which can be translated as investment company with variable capital. SIV is a “Special Investment Vehicle”.