Combination Strengthens TPx Leadership
Position in the Large and
Fast-Growing Unified Communications and
Cloud-Focused Managed IT Services Markets
U.S TelePacific Holdings Corp. dba TPx Communications (“TPx”), a
leading provider of Unified Communications and cloud-focused
Managed IT Services, and Pensare Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: WRLS),
a special purpose acquisition company, today announced that they
have entered into a definitive agreement (the “Agreement”) pursuant
to which TPx will become a Nasdaq-listed public company.
The transaction implies a combined company’s enterprise
value of approximately $1.1 billion and an approximately 8.0x
multiple of expected 2019 adjusted EBITDA. Upon closing of
the transaction, Pensare intends to change its name to “TPx Corp.”
and expects to continue trading on Nasdaq under the new ticker
symbol “TPXC.” It is anticipated that TPx’s management team, led by
CEO Dick Jalkut and CFO Tim Medina, will continue to lead the
combined company and Pensare CEO, Darrell J. Mays, will serve as
Vice Chairman of the combined company’s board of directors.
In addition, TPx’s current controlling stockholders,
including its largest stockholder, Investcorp, will remain as
equity holders in the combined entity.
TPx Investment Highlights
- Founded in 1998, TPx is a provider of Unified Communications
and cloud-focused Managed IT Services, including Cloud
Connectivity, Software-Defined Wide Area Networks (SD-WAN), and
Managed Security, with approximately 30,000 customers nationwide in
over 53,000 locations.
- TPx is a leader in the global Unified
Communications-as-a-Service (“UCaaS”) industry and the U.S. Cloud
Services industry, which are projected to grow at a 19% CAGR (from
$5 billion in 2017 to $16 billion in 2024) and at a 41% CAGR (from
$31 billion in 2015 to $174 billion in 2020), respectively.
- TPx has achieved 16 years of consecutive organic growth, with
significant growth in its Managed Services segment.
- High visibility business model with 93%+ monthly recurring
revenue as a percent of total 2018 revenue.
- Proven acquisition competencies having integrated nine
companies since 2004, with additional opportunities available in a
highly fragmented market.
- Large, captive market of 20,000+ existing access and transport
customers with proven ability to convert existing customers to
higher margin Managed Services products.
- Projected revenues of $701 to 711 million and adjusted EBITDA
of $135 to 140 million in calendar year 2019.
- Managed Services revenue forecasted to grow 15%+ in 2019 driven
by 35%+ growth in UCaaS revenue. Managed Services forecast to
represent 65%+ of projected 2019 revenue.
- Successful transition to asset-light model reduces projected
capital expenditures to less than 8% of 2019 revenue estimate.
“Today’s transaction announcement marks a key milestone in TPx’s
exciting history, as we embark on becoming a publicly-traded
company,” stated Mr. Jalkut. “We are excited to partner with
Pensare to seek to accelerate our current growth and leverage their
collective domain expertise and experience in the TMT industry. In
addition, with access to new sources of capital and liquidity, we
believe that TPx will be able to accelerate our historical growth
and provide even greater value to our shareholders, employees and
customers.”
“Following Pensare’s comprehensive search process, we feel
confident that the combination with TPx is positioned to create
substantial value for stockholders over the long run. The TPx
executive team has grown revenues each of the past 16 years, and
has achieved a best-in-class Average Revenue Per User in managed
services,” commented Mr. Mays. “This transaction provides TPx with
an opportunity to strengthen its leadership position and capture
more share of the fast-growing Unified Communications and cloud
focused managed IT markets. We are thrilled to help facilitate
TPx’s listing on Nasdaq and excited to partner with Dick and the
entire TPx team.”
“TPx is a remarkable success story that is still unfolding,
thanks to strong management, prominent market positioning, and a
recurring revenue model underpinning the business,” said David
Tayeh, Head of North American Private Equity at Investcorp. “We’re
thrilled to find like-minded industry experts in Pensare to help
the TPx team continue its trajectory of growth and innovation in
the rapidly evolving Unified Communications market.”
In addition to Messrs. Mays, Jalkut, and Tayeh, Pensare Chairman
Larry Mock and former President of Vonage Business, Clark Peterson,
are expected to join the combined company’s board of directors. The
combined company will also appoint additional directors, a majority
of whom will be independent.
Summary of TransactionPursuant to the terms of
the Agreement, at the closing of the proposed transaction, Pensare
will pay $248 million in cash and $95 million in Pensare equity to
the equity holders of TPx, subject to certain adjustments contained
in the Agreement. Concurrently with the consummation of the
transaction, it is anticipated that certain institutional and other
investors will purchase equity securities of the combined entity in
a proposed private placement.
The net cash proceeds remaining from Pensare’s trust account and
the proposed private placement are expected to be used to reduce
TPx’s current net debt, fund its growth plan, and allow TPx to
pursue opportunistic acquisitions.
The Pensare and TPx boards of directors have approved the
proposed transaction. The parties expect to complete the proposed
transaction upon receipt of Pensare stockholder approval, proceeds
from the proposed private placement, and other customary closing
conditions, including regulatory approvals.
The description of the transaction contained herein is only a
summary and is qualified in its entirety by the reference to the
Agreement and other definitive agreements relating to the
transaction. See “Additional Information and Where to Find It,”
below.
EarlyBirdCapital is serving as financial and capital markets
advisor to Pensare. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. is Pensare’s lead
placement agent for the private placement. Greenberg Traurig, LLP
is acting as legal counsel to Pensare. Evercore is serving as lead
financial advisor to TPx. Q Advisors is also serving as a financial
and strategic advisor to TPx, with Credit Suisse acting as its
capital markets advisor. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is acting
as legal advisor to TPx.
Additional Information and Where to Find
ItPensare intends to file a proxy statement with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) to be used at its
special meeting of stockholders to approve the proposed transaction
with TPx. STOCKHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ, WHEN AVAILABLE, THE
PRELIMINARY PROXY STATEMENT, DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER
RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT PENSARE WILL FILE WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY
AND IN THEIR ENTIRETIES BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT
INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. The definitive
proxy statement will be mailed to stockholders as of a record date
to be established for voting on the proposed transaction.
Stockholders will be able to obtain copies of the proxy statement
and other documents filed by Pensare through the website maintained
by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Stockholders will also be
able to obtain a copy of the proxy statement, without charge, by
directing a request to: Pensare Acquisition Corp., 1720 Peachtree
Street, Suite 629, Atlanta, Georgia 30309 or by emailing
info@pensaregrp.com.
Participants in the SolicitationPensare, TPx,
and their respective directors and executive officers, under SEC
rules, may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of
proxies of Pensare’s stockholders in connection with the proposed
transaction. Investors and security holders may obtain more
detailed information regarding the names and interests in the
proposed transaction of Pensare’s directors and officers in
Pensare’s filings with the SEC. Information regarding these and
other persons who may, under SEC rules, be deemed participants in
the solicitation of proxies to Pensare’s shareholders in connection
with the proposed transaction, including their interests in the
proposed transaction, will be set forth in the definitive proxy
statement and other relevant documents that Pensare has filed or
will file with the SEC in connection with the proposed
transaction.
No Offer or SolicitationThis communication
shall neither constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an
offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of
securities in any jurisdiction in which the offer, solicitation or
sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification
under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
Conference Call ScheduledPensare and TPx will
host a joint conference call to discuss the proposed business
combination with the investment community on February 1, 2019 at
11:00 AM EST. Investors may listen to the conference call by
dialing (877) 407-9716 toll-free in the U.S. or (201) 493-6779
internationally and entering conference code 13687248. The
conference call webcast and presentation slides with more detailed
information regarding the proposed transaction will be available at
www.pensaregrp.com. To access the replay, the domestic
toll-free access number is (844) 512-2921 and participants should
provide the conference number of 13687248.
About TPxFounded in 1998, TPx is a leading
provider of Unified Communications, Managed IT services, and
Managed Connectivity services with approximately 30,000 customers
and 53,000 customer locations across the U.S. TPx has best-in-class
customer service embedded in its corporate DNA, offering guaranteed
performance to all customers wherever there’s a broadband
connection. TPx customers serve every business sector and
include many government and not-for-profit enterprises. Throughout
its history, the company has steadily executed strategically and
delivered more than 16 years of uninterrupted growth over a period
that has included two recessions. For more information, visit
www.tpx.com or follow @TPxComm on Twitter.
About Pensare Acquisition Corp.Pensare
Acquisition Corp. is a special purpose acquisition company that
went public on Nasdaq in July 2017 and was formed for the purpose
of effecting a merger, acquisition or similar business combination
in the telecommunications, media, and technology (TMT) industries.
Pensare is led by Chairman Larry Mock, Chief Executive Officer
Darrell J. Mays, President Robert Willis, and Chief Strategy
Officer David Panton. Pensare’s securities are quoted on the Nasdaq
stock exchange under the ticker symbols WRLS, WRLSW, WRLSR and
WRLSU. For more information, visit www.pensaregrp.com.
About InvestcorpInvestcorp is a leading global
manager of alternative investments. Led by a new vision, Investcorp
has embarked on an ambitious, albeit prudent, growth strategy. The
Firm continues to focus on generating value through a disciplined
investment approach in four lines of business: private equity, real
estate, absolute return investments and credit management.
As at June 30, 2018, the Investcorp Group had US$22.6 billion in
total AUM, including assets managed by third party managers and
assets subject to a non-discretionary advisory mandate where
Investcorp receives fees calculated on the basis of AUM.
Since its inception in 1982, Investcorp has made over 175
Private Equity deals in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East and North
Africa region and Asia, across a range of sectors including retail
and consumer products, technology, business services and
industrials, and more than 600 commercial and residential real
estate investments in the U.S. and Europe, for in excess of US $57
billion in transaction value.
Investcorp employs approximately 390 people across its offices
in Bahrain, New York, London, Abu
Dhabi, Riyadh, Doha, and Singapore. For further
information, including our most recent periodic financial
statements, which details our assets under management, please refer
to:
www.investcorp.com
www.twitter.com/Investcorp @investcorp
www.linkedin.com/company/Investcorp
Forward Looking StatementsThis press release
includes “forward looking statements” within the meaning of the
“safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the
words “estimates,” “projected,” “expects,” “anticipates,”
“forecasts,” “plans,” “intends,” “believes,” “seeks,” “may,”
“will,” “should,” “future,” “propose” and variations of these words
or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or
expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future
performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known
and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important
factors, many of which are outside Pensare’s or TPx’s management’s
control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ
materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements.
Important factors, among others, that may affect actual results or
outcomes include: the inability to complete the transactions
contemplated by the proposed business combination, including the
proposed private placement; the inability to recognize the
anticipated benefits of the proposed business combination, which
may be affected by, among other things, the amount of cash
available following any redemptions by Pensare stockholders; the
ability to meet NASDAQ’s listing standards following the
consummation of the transactions contemplated by the proposed
business combination; costs related to the proposed business
combination; TPx’s ability to execute on its plans to develop and
market new products and the timing of these development programs;
TPx’s estimates of the size of the markets for its solutions; the
rate and degree of market acceptance of TPx’s solutions; the
success of other competing technologies that may become available;
TPxs ability to identify and integrate acquisitions; the
performance and security of TPx’s services; actual and/or potential
litigation involving Pensare or TPx (including, without limitation,
certain class action lawsuits that have been filed against TPx
asserting claims of failure to pay overtime wages, failure to
provide all meal and rest periods, failure to provide accurate wage
statements, failure to pay wages upon termination and claims under
the California Unfair Competition Law); and general economic and
market conditions impacting demand for TPx’s services. Other
factors include the possibility that the proposed transaction does
not close, including due to the failure to receive required
stockholder or regulatory approvals, or the failure of other
closing conditions. Neither Pensare nor TPx undertake any
obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements,
whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise,
except as required by law.
Non-GAAP Financial Measure and Related
Information
This press release includes adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA
margins, which are financial measures that are not prepared in
accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles
(“GAAP”). These non-GAAP financial measures do not have a
standardized meaning, and the definition of adjusted EBITDA used by
TPx may be different from other, similarly named non-GAAP measures
used by TPx’s peers operating in TPx’s industry. A description of
TPx’s definition of adjusted EBITDA, as well as a reconciliation of
adjusted EBITDA to the closest GAAP financial measure, will be
included in the investor presentation to be filed by Pensare with
the SEC on or about the date hereof as an exhibit to a Current
Report on Form 8-K. TPx management believes that these non-GAAP
measures provide useful information to management and investors
regarding certain financial and business trends relating to TPx’s
financial condition and results of operations. In addition, certain
of the financial information of TPx contained herein is unaudited
and/or does not conform to SEC Regulation S-X and as a result such
information may be presented differently in future filings by
Pensare with the SEC.
Media Contact:Jack MurphyICR for TPx and Pensare (646)
677-1834jack.murphy@icrinc.com
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