(Bloomberg Opinion) — Simply if you assume you’ve seen all of it in SPAC-land, alongside comes a money-losing firm that solely not too long ago went public by way of a blank-check agency asserting a merger with a second special-purpose acquisition firm to avoid wasting its pores and skin. SPAC-squared, for those who like.
Wejo Group Ltd., a British connected-vehicle information firm, turned a public firm in November 2021 after combining with Virtuoso Acquisition Corp., a SPAC. On Tuesday, Wejo stated it plans to merge with one other blank-check agency, TKB Vital Applied sciences I, to safe as much as $100 million in money.
Whereas this isn’t the primary time a SPAC has introduced a cope with an already public firm, such transactions are uncommon. Usually, these listed money shells are used to convey non-public corporations onto the inventory trade, circumventing the common preliminary public providing course of.
It’s additionally the primary time I’ve seen an organization that’s already accomplished one SPAC merger promptly flip round and do one other. Former SPACs are referred to as De-SPACs, so I suppose we may additionally dub this a Re-SPAC. Angela Blatteis, TKB’s co-chief govt officer, acknowledged in a press launch that the events had been “breaking new floor with a singular deSPAC transaction.” TKB is suggested by Jefferies Monetary Group Inc.
Wejo’s monetary contortions underscore the financial pressures not too long ago listed tech corporations face, as rising rates of interest deter traders from investing in cash-burning enterprises and their slumping share costs and low buying and selling volumes make it more durable for them to boost capital. A number of have not too long ago been acquired by rivals with additional cash than they’ve.
It additionally comes as SPAC sponsors wrestle to search out engaging offers throughout the allowed deadlines and threat having to liquidate, thereby inflicting their monetary backers to lose their preliminary funding. On this case, the TKB sponsors put in round $11 million in return for shares and warrants to accumulate further shares, in response to my evaluation of its monetary filings.
So why the Re-SPAC? Wejo warned in November that its $15 million money steadiness was ample just for a “very quick interval” and that, if it failed to search out new funding, it could need to file for chapter. Final month it raised $10 million in convertible debt from Normal Motors Co., however that received’t final lengthy: Wejo is burning round $6 million a month.
Wejo is without doubt one of the corporations Palantir Applied sciences Inc. invested in by way of a flawed funding for software program gross sales technique. Wejo nonetheless owes Palantir tens of tens of millions of {dollars} for utilizing its software program, which is one purpose it’s going through a money crunch.
The primary downside, although, is that Wejo has but to generate a lot income. Complete gross sales final yr had been round $10 million, and it doesn’t anticipate to achieve money move breakeven till mid-2025. So why on earth would TKB shareholders wish to make investments?
Properly, for starters Wejo’s shares have plunged greater than 90% since November 2021 and its market capitalization has shrunk to about $65 million so it’s less expensive than when it first went public. Certainly, Wejo’s market worth is barely 1 / 4 of the $235 million the SPAC holds in its belief account.
Moreover, TKB shareholders are being provided a sweetener in order that they don’t ask for his or her a refund (aka train their redemption proper). Those that conform to financially again the transaction will obtain $11.25 of worth, moderately than the $10 they initially put in. The variety of Wejo shares they obtain can be determined primarily based on the value later this yr and are topic to a collar. Relying on the extent of redemptions and Wejo’s then prevailing share value, the SPAC traders and its monetary backers may find yourself proudly owning nearly three quarters of the corporate, as you possibly can see on this slide.
TKB was speculated to conclude a enterprise mixture by the tip of this month, or return cash to shareholders. Nonetheless, it’s in search of an extension which might give it till the tip of June to finish a deal. When TKB shareholders vote on the extension in a few weeks they’ll additionally ask for his or her a refund, so we’ll have a greater concept then what they consider the deal then.
As is all the time the case, Wejo’s newest SPAC transaction will take a number of months to shut, therefore it might want to proceed in search of different types of short-term funding to tide it over. But when it closes as deliberate, Wejo will retain its present ticker and proceed to commerce on the Nasdaq trade.
Will we see extra RE-SPACs? Maybe. There are lots of of listed cash-shells on the lookout for targets, and loads of De-SPACs that badly want the money. It does appear an extremely convoluted method to increase cash, however determined occasions name for determined measures. For higher or worse, the Re-SPAC race is on.
Extra From Bloomberg Opinion:
To contact the writer of this story:
Chris Bryant at [email protected]