SANTA CLARA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Telenav, Inc. (NASDAQ: TNAV), a leading provider of connected-car and location-based services, today announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement to be acquired by V99, Inc., a Delaware corporation led by HP Jin, Co-Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Telenav, for $4.80 per share in an all cash transaction that values Telenav at approximately $241 million. HP Jin, Samuel T. Chen, a director of Telenav, and a certain entity affiliated with Mr. Chen, are expected to provide debt financing in connection with the proposed transaction.
The per share purchase price represents a premium of approximately 33.3 percent over Telenav’s closing stock price on October 1, 2020, the last full trading day prior to announcing that the Special Committee had received a non-binding “go-private” proposal from V99. Upon completion of the transaction, Telenav will become a private company with the flexibility to continue investing in its connected-car strategy.
“We are pleased to have reached this agreement with V99, which we believe will deliver immediate value to stockholders and positions Telenav to accelerate its journey towards a connected-car future with smarter, easier and safer innovation,” said Douglas Miller, Lead Independent Director and a member of the Telenav Special Committee. “The transaction is the result of a thoughtful and comprehensive review of value creation opportunities available to Telenav. We are confident that this transaction is in the best interest of Telenav and all of its stakeholders, and we look forward to working with HP and V99 to complete the transaction.”
“Today’s announcement represents an exciting new chapter for Telenav,” said HP Jin, Co-Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer. “As a private company, we will have the resources and flexibility to continue our growth and execute on our OEM-centric, connected-car strategy as the market for connected-car capabilities continues to expand. I would like to thank the Special Committee for taking the time to thoroughly evaluate and review V99’s offer and Telenav’s employees for their continued focus throughout this process. I am honored to continue leading Telenav through its next phase of growth and success, and I am confident Telenav will thrive as a privately held company.”
Transaction Details
Acting upon unanimous recommendation by the Special Committee, the Telenav Board of Directors unanimously approved the merger agreement and the merger, with Messrs. Jin and Chen recusing themselves from all related discussions and abstaining from the vote. The Special Committee negotiated the terms of the merger agreement with assistance from its independent financial and legal advisors.
The agreement includes a 30-day “go-shop” period expiring on December 2, 2020, which permits the Special Committee and its advisors to solicit alternative acquisition proposals from third parties. The Special Committee will have the right to terminate the merger agreement to enter into a superior proposal subject to the terms and conditions of the merger agreement. There can be no assurance that this “go-shop” will result in a superior proposal, and Telenav does not intend to disclose developments with respect to the solicitation process unless and until it determines such disclosure is appropriate or otherwise required.
Additionally, Messrs. Jin and Chen, Changbin Wang, and each of their affiliates and related parties, have executed a voting and support agreement with the Company, pursuant to which, among other things, such parties have agreed to vote their shares of Telenav stock in accordance with the recommendation of the Special Committee or the Telenav Board of Directors with respect to the merger agreement and the merger and to otherwise support any proposal that the Special Committee or the Telenav Board of Directors receives prior to the expiration of the “go-shop” period, and determines is a superior proposal and provides an appropriate notice to V99 on or prior to December 16, 2020, including by voting or tendering their shares of Telenav stock in accordance with the recommendation of the Special Committee or the Telenav Board of Directors, as applicable, with respect to such superior proposal.
The transaction is expected to close during the first calendar quarter of 2021, subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by Telenav stockholders, approval by Telenav stockholders holding a majority of the outstanding shares owned by stockholders other than Mr. Jin, Mr. Chen, Changbin Wang, and each of their affiliates and related parties, and receipt of regulatory approvals. Upon closing of the transaction, Telenav common stock will no longer be listed on any public market. Telenav will continue to be headquartered in Santa Clara, California.
First Quarter 2021 Earnings Conference Call Update
Separately, Telenav today announced financial results for the first quarter of 2021, which are available on the “Investor Relations” section of the Telenav website. In light of the announced transaction with V99, Telenav has cancelled the earnings conference call previously scheduled for November 5, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time. During the pendency of the transaction, Telenav will issue earnings releases consistent with its current schedule, but will suspend earnings conference calls and webcasts.
Advisors
B. Riley Securities, Inc. and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C. are serving as financial advisor and legal advisor, respectively, to the Telenav Special Committee. Norton Rose Fulbright LLP is serving as legal advisor to V99, Inc.
About Telenav, Inc.
Telenav is a leading provider of connected car and location-based services, focused on transforming life on the go for people – before, during, and after every drive. Leveraging our location platform, we enable our customers to deliver custom connected car and mobile experiences. To learn more about how Telenav’s location platform powers personalized navigation, mapping, big data intelligence, social driving, and location-based advertising, visit www.telenav.com.