PrivateShares to Offer Online Trading of "Unlisted" South African Equities

OptiMark to Provide Transaction Capability to PrivateShares

Johannesburg, South Africa, 24 July 2000 - PrivateShares announced it will offer an on-line service that gives global investors the opportunity to invest in the shares of "unlisted" South African companies. A large and active market exists today in which over 200 registered companies that are not listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange actively offer shares to the public. PrivateShares will automate and enhance the currently manual process of trading unlisted South African equities making it convenient for individuals and institutions to invest and easier for participating companies to market and increase liquidity in their shares.

PrivateShares will provide Internet trading with automated debit/credit through a complementary online share registry. PrivateShares will also provide relevant investment information such as corporate backgrounds, audited financials and news to help participants make investment decisions. The service is scheduled to be launched in the fourth quarter of 2000.

"PrivateShares is an important advancement in capital creation in South Africa's new economy," PrivateShares CEO, Noah Greenhill, stated, "PrivateShares will provide enormous benefits to the participating companies who wish to raise capital or increase visibility and to the individuals and institutions who will gain broader access to investment opportunities. Brokers also gain access to new business opportunities which complement their value-added services."

PrivateShares has contracted with OptiMark, Inc. to customise its patented exchange technology that optimises trading between buyers and sellers in an anonymous and confidential environment.

PrivateShares (Pty) Ltd is a joint venture between OptiMark, Inc. and a prominent IT service provider in South Africa. PrivateShares provides an online service that enables companies to match buyers and sellers of their stock and facilitates trading amongst individual investors, institutional investors, and brokers in a secure, automated environment. PrivateShares is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa. Additional information is available at www.privateshares.co.za.

OptiMark, Inc., a privately held company, is a leading provider of exchange solutions to electronic marketplaces and communities globally. OptiMark's broad range of solutions include the simplest browse or auction markets to the most sophisticated exchanges where multiple buyers and sellers trade and negotiate for goods and services, and value is determined by more than price and quantity alone. OptiMark has proven solutions operating in some of the most demanding markets in the world today including the Nasdaq Stock Market for US OTC equities and the Pacific Exchange for US listed equities. OptiMark's investors include General Atlantic Partners, SOFTBANK, Aon Group, Dow Jones & Company, Goldman Sachs, and Merrill Lynch. OptiMark is headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA. Additional information on the company is available at www.optimark.com.

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