On December 10, 2025, UNIQA – through its predecessor company Bundesländer Versicherung – celebrated 35 years on the Vienna Stock Exchange. Back in May, CEO Andreas Brandstetter and CFRO Kurt Svoboda had received a tombstone to mark the anniversary, and in November, the capital market update in Vienna was held under the anniversary motto. A series of short films featuring management and partners highlights UNIQA's history on the capital market, from its early steps toward growth to the boom in Eastern Europe and its strategic realignment.
“For over 200 years, people have insured what matters most to them with UNIQA,” said Andreas Brandstetter, placing the anniversary in historical context: “About 25 years ago, we began our expansion into Eastern Europe, a region with 150 million inhabitants. Today, more than 17 million customers place their trust in us: over 13 million in CEE and just under 4 million in Austria, where we are the best-known insurance brand.” Kurt Svoboda added: “With our IPO 35 years ago, we laid the foundation for a new phase of growth. The aim was to strengthen our equity base and position the company for the future on the capital market. Expansion into Eastern Europe came years later, but the move to the stock market was crucial in making this development possible. Today, it is clear that the combination of tradition and the capital market has given UNIQA stability and paved the way for long-term growth.”
1990: Germany was reunified, the World Wide Web was invented, and in Austria, Erste Allgemeine Verunsicherung topped the Ö3 charts. At the end of October, Bundesländer Versicherung issued non-voting preferred shares with a nominal value of 72.5 million schillings. This marked an opening toward the capital market on one hand and toward Eastern Europe on the other. Even with a relatively small free float, compliance with capital market requirements and regulations was already necessary. From November 8, 1999, the company traded as UNIQA Versicherungen AG.
With our IPO 35 years ago, we laid the foundation for a new phase of growth. The aim was to strengthen our equity base and position the company for the future on the capital market.
UNIQA shares attracted greater attention in the mid-2000s: with the euphoria surrounding Eastern Europe and spurred on by competition, analysts took a keen interest in the stock for the first time. The consistent opening to the capital market came in 2013 with the re-initial public offering (re-IPO), deliberately referred to as a second IPO. In preparation, the name of the listed holding company was changed to UNIQA Insurance Group AG. The capital increase of €757 million raised the free float from around seven percent to more than 35 percent, and UNIQA established itself as a reliable dividend stock in the ATX.
Around the time of the re-IPO, UNIQA launched its UNIQA 2.0 strategy, stabilizing its capital base and expanding its international portfolio and customer base. In 2021, UNIQA 3.0 Seeding the Future was introduced, including IT investments and the AXA takeover. Under UNIQA 3.0 Growing Impact, the focus is being placed on increasing operational excellence, driving growth, and improving profitability across the entire company. UNIQA offers shareholders a unique combination of stability in its core Austrian market and accelerated growth opportunities internationally.
Following the raising of targets, shareholders expect premium growth of around six percent and consolidated profit of at least seven percent annually until 2028. Confidence is high: at around €15, the UNIQA share price reached levels not seen for a long time.
In five short films, former management, partners such as Special Olympics, and investors such as Rupert-Heinrich Staller not only look back but also ahead: “In 35 years, UNIQA will be the largest European service provider for financial, mental, and physical health,” said Andreas Brandstetter. “UNIQA will be digital and personal, European yet regional, sustainable and ethically sound, promoting innovation and growth,” affirmed Kurt Svoboda. Waltraud Rathgeb, former regional director in Salzburg, expects products “that I cannot even imagine today.”
Read and watch more about the history of UNIQA and its 35 years anniversary here.
In 35 years, UNIQA will be the largest European service provider for financial, mental, and physical health
