Enlarge / An expanded settlement on Mars in the late 2020s, as envisioned by Mars One. (credit: Mars One)
The Mars One project launched in 2011 with the grand ambition of establishing a permanent human settlement on Mars. Since that time, it has winnowed a large field of would-be astronauts to 100 and garnered considerable public attention. What the initiative has not done is raise significant funding to enable its vision—of the $6 billion Mars One estimates it needs to create a settlement, it has collected only about $1 million from merchandise sales, donations, and astronaut applications.
But now Mars One says it has a plan to address that fundraising difficulty. On Monday the Netherlands-based Mars One and Switzerland based InFin Innovative Finance AG announced a reverse merger in which InFin will acquire Mars One, and the combined entity will change its name to Mars One Ventures AG. This will effectively make the Mars One venture eligible for trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
“This step provides the opportunity to raise capital through the listing on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange,” explained Bas Lansdorp, CEO and cofounder of Mars One, in a news release. “Our global followers will have the opportunity to be part of this adventure and to literally own a piece of this historic venture. We have a solid business based on our historical performance that might be of interest to anyone looking for diversification of their investment portfolio.”
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Source: Ars Technica – Mars One merges with failed mobile payment company so it can sell stock