Los Angeles, CA – April, 2014-August, 2014 – Backbone Capital worked closely with Stewart Kim of PGP Capital to assist with developing a finance plan for $30M debt structure for Mandalay Digital’s acquisition of Appia. This transaction was approved in the end by shareholders under an all equity structure, and is scheduled to close in Q1 of 2015.
A summary of the key points on the Mandalay transaction can be found below. The complete announcement can be found at http://ir.mandalaydigital.com/press-releases/detail/354/mandalay-digital-to-acquire-appia-the-leading-independent-app-install-platform-name-to-change-to-digital-turbine
LOS ANGELES, CA Nov. 13, 2014 -Mandalay Digital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: MNDL), the company empowering operators and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) around the globe with end-to-end mobile solutions, today announced it has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire Appia, the leading independent mobile user acquisition network.
Under the terms of the agreement, Mandalay Digital will issue at closing a number of shares and stock options to purchase its common stock equivalent to $100 million less Appia’s net debt and transaction expenses (subject to working capital adjustments), at an agreed-upon value for Mandalay Digital common stock of $4.50 per common share. Based on an estimate of Appia’s net debt at closing, including transaction fees and expenses, Appia stockholders would receive in the aggregate approximately 19 million shares, representing pro forma ownership of the combined company of approximately 33%. Mandalay Digital is acquiring Appia’s equity for $65 million based on its closing stock price as of November 12 of $3.40. Mandalay Digital will assume approximately $10 million of Appia indebtedness, which Mandalay expects to refinance. The transaction, which has been approved by the boards of directors of Mandalay Digital and Appia, is subject to Mandalay Digital stockholder and other customary approvals, and is expected to close in the first quarter of calendar 2015. Mandalay Digital, which operates through its Digital Turbine subsidiary, intends to change its name to Digital Turbine during the month of January 2015 or at the transaction’s close if earlier.
Digital Turbine is a champion of the carrier ecosystem in the wireless community, specializing in monetizing mobile content, games, payment, commerce, music, streaming and eBook applications for wireless carriers and OEMs alike. Appia provides the technology, infrastructure, and scale to provide higher lifetime value users for advertisers, while driving positive return on ad spend. Together with Appia, Digital Turbine will offer a complete end-to-end solution for carriers and OEMS enabling them to get the right apps to the right user at the right time.
About Mandalay Digital Group & Digital Turbine
Mandalay Digital Group, Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiary, Digital Turbine, provides mobile solutions for wireless carriers globally to enable them to better monetize mobile content. The Company’s products include mobile application management through DT Ignite, user experience and discovery through DT IQ, application stores and content through DT Marketplace, and content management and mobile payments through DT Pay. With global headquarters in Los Angeles, and offices in the U.S., Asia Pacific and EMEA, Mandalay Digital’s solutions are used by more than 31 million consumers each month across more than 20 global operators. For additional information, visit www.mandalaydigital.com.
About Appia
Appia is the leading independent mobile user acquisition network. Appia has delivered more than 85 million app installs for hundreds of advertisers, including 60 of the top 100 grossing apps on the App Store and Google Play. Appia provides the technology, infrastructure, and scale to provide higher lifetime value users for advertisers while driving positive return on ad spend. In addition, Appia partners with a diverse set of publishers including app developers, mobile websites, and carriers to maximize their advertising revenue. Appia has been recognized for its leadership in the mobile ad tech space by Inc 500|5000, AlwaysOn’s OnMobile Top 100 Private Companies, The Wall Street Journal’s Top 50 Venture Backed Companies, and The Stevie Award for Most Innovative Tech Company. Appia is backed by leading venture capital firms including Venrock, Trident Capital, DCM, and Eric Schmidt’s TomorrowVentures. Currently Appia operates in multiple offices worldwide including San Francisco, Singapore, Durham, Cork, and Mexico City. More information is available at www.appia.com, @Appia, and Appia’s Blog.