Net Element Appoints International Business Development Professional to Its Board of Directors

MIAMI, FL--(Marketwired - Jun 17, 2016) - Net Element, Inc. (NASDAQ: NETE) ("Net Element" or the "Company"), a provider of global mobile payment technology solutions and value-added transactional services, announced today that Howard Ash has been appointed to the Net Element's Board of Directors effective June 13, 2016, and will serve as the Chairman of the Audit Committee and member of the Compensation, Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees.

Mr. Ash is an accomplished executive who served as C-level executive for a variety of high profile, international companies, including Israel Export Development Corporation, CITA Americas, BioCard Corp., IEDC Marketing and Abrams, Ash & Associates. In addition, Mr. Ash started an interest-free micro-loan society in 1987 that has provided more than $15 million in micro-loans throughout the United States and Israel.

Mr. Ash currently serves as the Chairman of Claridge Management, a private finance company, as well as a member of multiple boards of directors domestically and internationally. In addition, Mr. Ash is the only non-UK citizen serving on the Advisory Board of the E2Exchange, the Institute of Entrepreneurs. Mr. Ash is active with multiple non-for-profit and charitable organizations including One Laptop Per Child and Circle of Life Resource Center, Inc., a food bank in Miami, Florida that feeds several hundred families per week.

Mr. Ash earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree, with Honors in Accounting and Law from the University of Witwatersrand (South Africa) and a Bachelor of Accounting Honors degree from the University of Witwatersrand (South Africa).

"I am pleased to have Howard join our Board of Directors," commented Oleg Firer, CEO of Net Element. "Mr. Ash's extensive international experience as a business and finance executive and member of multiple boards of directors, provides him with the necessary skills to be qualified to serve as a director of the Company."

"I am excited to join the board of Net Element," commented Howard Ash. "Net Element is a rapidly growing international company and I look forward to adding value to its growth as well as assisting in forging relationships in the emerging markets."

About Net Element

Net Element, Inc. (NASDAQ: NETE) operates a payments-as-a-service transactional and value-added services platform for small to medium enterprise ("SME") in the US and selected emerging markets. In the US it aims to grow transactional revenue by innovating SME productivity services such as its cloud based, restaurant point-of-sale solution Aptito. Internationally, Net Element's strategy is to leverage its omni-channel platform to deliver flexible offerings to emerging markets with diverse banking, regulatory and demographic conditions such as UAE, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan where initiatives have been recently launched. Further information is available at www.netelement.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed forward-looking statements. Words such as "continue," "will," "may," "could," "should," "expect," "expected," "plans," "intend," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, whether Mr. Ash's prior experience will be beneficial to his role as a director of the Company, whether Net Element can secure any additional financing and if such additional financing will be adequate to meet the Company's objectives. All forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, many of which are generally outside the control of Net Element and are difficult to predict. Examples of such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: (i) Net Element's ability (or inability) to obtain additional financing in sufficient amounts or on acceptable terms when needed; (ii) Net Element's ability to maintain existing, and secure additional, contracts with users of its payment processing services; (iii) Net Element's ability to successfully expand in existing markets and enter new markets; (iv) Net Element's ability to successfully manage and integrate any acquisitions of businesses, solutions or technologies; (v) unanticipated operating costs, transaction costs and actual or contingent liabilities; (vi) the ability to attract and retain qualified employees and key personnel; (vii) adverse effects of increased competition on Net Element's business; (viii) changes in government licensing and regulation that may adversely affect Net Element's business; (ix) the risk that changes in consumer behavior could adversely affect Net Element's business; (x) Net Element's ability to protect its intellectual property; (xi) local, industry and general business and economic conditions; (xii) adverse effects of potentially deteriorating U.S.-Russia relations, including, without limitation, over a conflict related to Ukraine, including a risk of further U.S. government sanctions or other legal restrictions on U.S. businesses doing business in Russia. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements can be found in the most recent annual report on Form 10-K and the subsequently filed quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K filed by Net Element with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Net Element anticipates that subsequent events and developments may cause its plans, intentions and expectations to change. Net Element assumes no obligation, and it specifically disclaims any intention or obligation, to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by law.