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Founded in 1819 as the first Austrian savings bank, Erste Group went public in 1997 with the strategy of expanding its retail business into Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Since then, Erste Group's customer base has grown through numerous acquisitions and organically from 600,000 to over 16 million. Some 97% of Erste Group’s clients are located in member states of the European Union, which provides the countries with a stable regulatory framework for their continued economic development. Today, Erste Group is one of the largest financial services providers in the Eastern part of EU in terms of market share and total assets. In addition to its traditional strength in serving private individuals, Erste Group also regards advisory services and support for corporate clients in financing, investment and access to international capital markets, public sector funding and interbank market operations as belonging to its core activities.