BELLEVUE, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Smartsheet (NYSE:SMAR), the enterprise platform for modern work management, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by funds managed by Blackstone and Vista Equity Partners in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $8.4 billion.
Under the terms of the agreement, the Buyers would acquire all the outstanding shares held by Smartsheet shareholders for $56.50 per share in cash upon the closing of the proposed transaction. This price represents a premium of approximately 41% to the volume weighted average closing price of Smartsheet stock for the 90 trading days ending on July 17, 2024, the last full trading day prior to media reports regarding a possible sale transaction involving the Company, and a 16% premium to the highest closing stock price over the last 12 months ending July 17, 2024.
“For more than a decade, we have built a thriving community of employees, partners, and customers, each focused on building and benefiting from Smartsheet’s industry-leading work management platform. Our next phase of growth and customer success is underway, and we look forward to partnering with Blackstone and Vista Equity Partners to accelerate our vision of modernizing work management for enterprises, globally,” said Mark Mader, CEO of Smartsheet. “This transaction is a testament to our employees’ outstanding work in serving customers and partners, and building an enterprise-grade, market-leading platform. As we look to the future, we are confident that Blackstone and Vista’s expertise and resources will help us ensure Smartsheet remains a great place to work where our employees thrive, while driving innovation and delivering even greater value for customers and stakeholders.”
Martin Brand, Head of North America Private Equity and Global Co-Head of Technology Investing at Blackstone, and Sachin Bavishi, a Senior Managing Director at Blackstone, said, “Across increasingly distributed, cross-functional and global workforces, Smartsheet’s innovative and market-leading solutions are mission-critical in helping teams collaborate at scale to achieve superior results. We are excited to partner with Smartsheet’s management team to drive long-term growth by leveraging our and our partner Vista’s combined scale and resources to accelerate investments in the next generation of work management solutions.” Blackstone will invest in Smartsheet through its flagship private equity vehicle and its private equity strategy for individual investors.
“Modern enterprises rely on Smartsheet’s simple and scalable solutions to manage a diverse range of business-critical processes every single day because they enable seamless collaboration, enhanced productivity and faster and more informed decision-making,” said Monti Saroya, Co-Head of Vista’s Flagship Fund and Senior Managing Director, and John Stalder, Managing Director at Vista. “We look forward to partnering closely with Blackstone and Smartsheet to support its ambitious goal of making its platform accessible for every organization, team and worker relying on collaborative work to achieve successful outcomes.” Vista is a leading global investment firm focused exclusively on enterprise software, data and technology-enabled businesses.
Additional Transaction Terms
The merger agreement for the transaction includes a 45-day “go-shop” period that expires on November 8, 2024. During this period, Smartsheet and its advisors will be permitted to actively solicit alternative acquisition proposals from certain third parties, and potentially enter into negotiations with other parties that make alternative acquisition proposals. The Smartsheet Board of Directors will have the right to terminate the merger agreement to accept a superior proposal, subject to the terms and conditions of the merger agreement. There can be no assurance that this “go-shop” process will or will not result in a superior proposal, and Smartsheet does not intend to disclose related developments unless and until it determines that such disclosure is appropriate or otherwise required.
The transaction is currently expected to close in the fourth quarter of Smartsheet’s fiscal year ending January 31, 2025, subject to the approval of Smartsheet’s shareholders, the satisfaction of required regulatory clearances and other customary closing conditions. The Smartsheet Board of Directors unanimously approved the merger agreement and recommends Smartsheet shareholders vote their shares in support of the transaction at a special meeting of shareholders to vote on the transaction.
Upon completion of the transaction, Smartsheet’s Class A common stock will no longer be listed on any public market and Smartsheet will become a privately held company. The Company will continue to operate under the Smartsheet name and brand.
Advisors
Qatalyst Partners is acting as exclusive financial advisor to Smartsheet. Fenwick & West LLP is acting as legal counsel to Smartsheet.
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC are acting as financial advisors and Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP are acting as legal counsel to Blackstone and Vista Equity Partners.
About Smartsheet
Smartsheet is the modern enterprise work management platform trusted by millions of people at companies across the globe, including approximately 85% of the 2024 Fortune 500 companies. As a pioneer and market leader in this category, Smartsheet delivers powerful solutions fueling performance and driving the next wave of innovation. Visit www.smartsheet.com to learn more.
About Blackstone
Blackstone is the world’s largest alternative asset manager. We seek to deliver compelling returns for institutional and individual investors by strengthening the companies in which we invest. Our more than US$1 trillion in assets under management include global investment strategies focused on real estate, private equity, infrastructure, life sciences, growth equity, credit, real assets, secondaries and hedge funds. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow @blackstone on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and Instagram.
About Vista Equity Partners
Vista is a leading global investment firm with more than $100 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2024. The firm exclusively invests in enterprise software, data and technology-enabled organizations across private equity, permanent capital, credit and public equity strategies, bringing an approach that prioritizes creating enduring market value for the benefit of its global ecosystem of investors, companies, customers and employees. Vista’s investments are anchored by a sizable long-term capital base, experience in structuring technology-oriented transactions and proven, flexible management techniques that drive sustainable growth. Vista believes the transformative power of technology is the key to an even better future – a healthier planet, a smarter economy, a diverse and inclusive community and a broader path to prosperity. Further information is available at vistaequitypartners.com. Follow Vista on LinkedIn, @Vista Equity Partners, and on X, @Vista_Equity.
