SOLTEQ AND DESCOM GROUP TO CREATE A PROVIDER FOR INTEGRATED

New Post Public Reply Private Reply Replies (0) Message Board
News Desk 2018
SOLTEQ AND DESCOM GROUP TO CREATE A PROVIDER FOR INTEGRATED DIGITAL COMMERCE SERVICES

Solteq Plc Stock Exchange Bulletin 17.6.2015 at 1 pm Solteq Plc (Solteq) has signed an agreement today to purchase the share capital and purchase the capital loans of Descom Group Oy (Descom Group). Descom Group’s Data Center Solutions business will not be included in the purchase. The prerequisite for the deal is that financing is secured for the cash payment portion of the purchase and for the repayment of the companies’ current bank loans. The sellers in the deal are Funds managed by Sentica Partners Oy (after the conversion of the convertible bond of the target company agreed to be performed in connection with the purchase, total 61.04%), Aidacom Partners Oy (after the above conversion, 6.32%) Corpinghouse Oy (after the above conversion, 12.35%) and Descom’s private investors (after the above conversion, total 20.29%). The enterprise value (EV) of the deal will be EUR 26,0 million and the estimated purchase price of the Descom Group shares EUR 11,1 million. The final purchase price of the shares will be determined on the basis of Descom Group’s Balance Sheet at 30 June 2015. Based on the authorization granted to the Board of Directors by the Annual General Meeting on 16 March 2015, about 4,6 million euro of the purchase price of the shares will be paid with Solteq’s new shares, and the remainder will be paid in cash. The subscription price of the shares will be EUR 1.65, determined on the basis of the volume-weighted average price of the shares during the period 4 May 2015 – 3 June 2015. A total of 2,8 million new shares will be issued to pay the purchase price. The number of shares in the issue represents about 16 % of the number of shares after the share issue. In addition, the amount of capital loans to be purchased as part of the transaction arrangements will amount to about 11.9 million euro at the estimated time of the deal. The share deal will be subject to the following conditions: (i) The divestment of the Descom Data Center Solutions business has been implemented, (ii) Descom Group’s convertible bond has been fully converted into shares and (iii) Solteq has sufficient funding to finance the share deal and to repay Descom Group’s bank loans, purchase Descom Group’s capital loans and pay off its own bank loans. To finance the cash portion of the purchase price and the purchase of the capital loans and to restructure Solteq’s and Descom Group’s current loans from financial institutions, Solteq plans, subject to market conditions, to issue a bond aimed at Finnish and Nordic institutional investors and other professional investors. The prerequisite for issuing the bond will be that the company acquisition will materialize. The aim is to implement the company acquisition by 31 August 2015. Descom Group with its subsidiaries is a Finnish company that provides IT and digital marketing services. Descom Group is a trendsetter in its line of business in the Nordic countries and the most valued IBM partner among its clients. Together with its clients, Descom builds sales, marketing and customer service solutions, creating excellent customer experiences. In 2014, Descom Group’s revenue (FAS) was EUR 35.2 million, EBITDA EUR 2.6 million, operating profit before goodwill amortization EUR 2.3 million, and operating profit EUR -0.1 million. Without the Data Center Solutions business, which is not included in the transaction, the revenue of the Descom Group for 2014 has preliminarily been estimated at EUR 27.4 million and imputed EBITDA at EUR 3.3 million. In 2014, Solteq’s revenue was EUR 40.9 million and operating profit EUR 2.5 million. In the first quarter (1 January 2015 – 31 March 2015), Solteq’s revenue was EUR 9.1 million and operating profit EUR 0.5 million. Solteq’s reported figures are IFRS compliant. Through the transaction, Solteq and Descom actively implement their strategy. For the companies, which aim at being a leading provider of digital commerce services in Finland and the Nordic countries, the transaction will provide a good starting point for speeding up the implementation of their strategy. The solution and service offerings of the two companies complement each other in an excellent manner, and no overlapping has been detected in their offerings. Consequently, the company resulting from the transaction will be able to offer an excellent overall offering to their current and new clients. Until now, the companies have served the same clients in various projects that have complemented each other. As the companies have also had several client groups with which one of them has not actively conducted business, the transaction will offer an opportunity to deliver integrated solutions to a wider clientele than before. For the clients, the transaction will bring benefits in the form of a clearer and wider overall offering. On the other hand, the company will be able to offer the customers of its clients better services and thereby contribute to their success. By combining their operations, Solteq and Descom will be able to make significant improvements to their international operations. The materialization of the transaction means that the offices in Finland and in Sweden, Poland and Denmark will be able to expand the solution offering to the Nordic market and at the same time utilize the efficiency of the Polish subsidiary’s nearshore operations in software production. The benefits of the transaction include a significant synergy potential for developing new digital commerce solutions. In addition, the back office functions of the companies have overlapping structures and operations. By eliminating duplicate structures, the merged company will be able to operate in a better and more efficient and faster manner. For the personnel, the transaction will open important new opportunities to develop into top experts in their competence areas, acting as digital commerce experts in Finland and in the other Nordic countries. After the completion of transaction, the company will create a new overall strategy and specify it in further detail in autumn 2015. The strategic cornerstones will be profitability, growth and the creation of the best provider of digital commerce services in the Nordic market for the benefit of its clients, owners and personnel. Due to the deal, Solteq will not make changes to the profit guidance and will specify, if needed, the guidance in more detail during autumn 2015. Descom Group Descom Group, which was established in Jyväskylä, Finland in 1997, is a modern marketing and technology company that builds sales, marketing and customer service solutions for companies in trade, industry and the service sector. Descom Group has about 240 employees in Finland, Sweden and Poland. Of the employees, a total of 19 work for the Data Center Solutions business unit. Descom has been an IBM partner for almost 20 years and an IMB Premier Business Partner since 2003. Descom has grown at a fast pace through company acquisitions and organic growth. In 2008, the Group’s revenue was slightly under five million euro, and in 2014 it was more than 35 million euro. Apart from the parent company, Descom Group Oy, the Descom Group includes Descom Oy, which includes the Group’s business operations in Finland and the subsidiaries in Sweden, Poland and Denmark. Descom’s main business comprises multi-channel sales solutions and the development of its clients’ electronic marketing. In the area of multi-channel sales, the company delivers multi-channel e-commerce and store systems as well as order and product data management solutions. In electronic marketing, the company’s core solutions consist of search engine optimization and advertising, conversion optimization, and analytics and customer experience solutions. In addition, Descom offers its clients application development, integration and maintenance services. The below table shows Descom Group’s audited financial statement information (FAS) for financial periods 1 January – 31 December 2013 and 1 January – 31 December 2014 (thousand euro): Income Statement (FAS): 1.1.-31.12.2014 1.1.-31.12.2013 Revenue 35 248 39 024 Other income 306 296 Materials and services -13 278 -17 101 Employee benefit expences -14 511 -13 505 Depreciation and impairments -2 720 -2 520 Other expenses -5 176 -4 681 Operating profit -131 1 513 Financial income and expenses -1 795 -1 585 Profit before extraordinary items -1 926 -71 Extraordinary items -510 0 Profit before appropriations and taxes -2 436 -71 Appropriations 43 -45 Profit before taxes -2 393 -116 Income tax expenses -180 -289 Profit for the financial period -2 573 -405 Balance Sheet (FAS): 31.12.2014 31.12.2013 Assets Non-current assets Goodwill 14 641 16 924 Other intangible assets 390 254 Machinery and equipment 992 847 Investments 6 6 Total non-current assets 16 028 18 031 Current assets Inventories 644 279 Trade receivables 7 428 8 980 Other receivables 752 643 Cash and cash equivalents 1 626 2 751 Total current assets 10 450 12 654 Total assets 26 477 30 685 Equity and liabilities Total equity -2 040 454 Appropriations 0 47 Interest-bearing liabilities Capital loans 11 277 10 094 Convertible bonds 1 930 2 009 Loans from financial institutions 5 167 6 996 Total interest bearing liabilities 18 374 19 099 Other liabilities Trade payables 5 845 6 219 Other non-interest bearing liabilities 4 299 4 866 Total other liabilities 10 144 11 085 Total equity and liabilities 26 477 30 685 Changes in Descom Group’s operations after 31 December 2014 In connection with the company acquisition, Descom Group’s Data Center Solutions business has been agreed to be sold at the same time as the company acquisition was agreed on. New shares In order to complete the transaction, the shareholders' subscription rights will be excluded in the issue of new shares, and the share issue will be directed to the current shareholders of Descom Group. The subscribers will be entitled to exercise shareholder rights in the company after the shares have been registered in the Trade Register. The shares will be added to the book-entry system maintained by Euroclear Finland Ltd. After the shares have been registered in the Trade Register and their listing prospectus has been published, Solteq will apply for the shares subscribed for in the share issue to be admitted to public trading on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Stock Exchange in the same share classes as the company’s other shares. The aim is to submit the application by 30 September 2015. Half of the shares to be given as consideration will be subject to lock-up until 1 January 2016. Further, in compliance with the terms of the share purchase agreement, Descom Group’s current shareholders will pledge approximately one quarter of the shares they will receive, i.e. appr. total of 700.000 shares, as security in favour of the company for their obligations based on the share purchase agreement. After the completion of the transaction, the Board of Directors of the company will, based on the authorization granted by the Annual General Meeting on 16 March 2015, make a decision on the pledge. SOLTEQ PLC Board of Directors Additional information: CEO Repe Harmanen Tel. + 358 400 467 717 Email repe.harmanen@solteq.com CFO Antti Kärkkäinen Tel. + 358 40 8444 393 Email antti.karkkainen@solteq.com Distribution: NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Key media www.solteq.com

Scroll down for more posts ▼

Top 10 Most Recent News Articles

Regeneron Faces Class Action Over Tumultuous Trial Results

Updated Category News Views 3

Regeneron's Meltdown: A Bitter Pill for Investors Let’s dive headlong into the mess Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:REGN) finds itself in—a classic nightmare scenario for investors. News broke like an old valve bursting, and suddenly, the market's love for Regeneron ran ice-cold. Who's to blame this time? Well, you might want to point a finger at the failed Phase 3...

Continue Reading
Dentsply Sirona Faces Insider Troubles: An Investor Call

Updated Category News Views 3

Are Dentsply Sirona Insiders on Thin Ice? The stock market's a tumultuous sea, and right now, it seems like some of those at the helm of Dentsply Sirona Inc. might be rocking the boat a bit too much. Let me tell you, navigating these corporate storms isn't for the faint-hearted. The latest noise coming from Halper Sadeh LLC suggests that some directors and officers over...

Continue Reading
PBC 2026 Forum: Philanthropic Titans Collide in HK

Updated Category News Views 2

A Decade of Philanthropic Discourse The winds of change blew through Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District today, marking the tenth anniversary of the PBC 2026 forum—an event that’s got everyone from government bigwigs to sports icons chatting. Convened by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust alongside the Institute of Philanthropy, this two-day journey is...

Continue Reading
Sony Expands Versatile Wireless Headphone Lineup: 2026

Updated Category News Views 4

Renewed Focus on Sound: Sony's Latest Headphones Sony's dipping into the headphone market this time with a splash of style and sound signature updates. We've got the WH-1000XM4C, a next-gen version of the top-dog noise-cancelling cans, that are gonna catch the eye of every audiophile and traveler out there. WH-1000XM4C: The Flagship gets a Lift What they're offering is...

Continue Reading
Hims & Hers Health Hit by FTC Claims and Class Action

Updated Category News Views 5

Hims Faces Harsh Lessons With FTC Lawsuit There's trouble brewing in the world of telehealth, and Hims & Hers Health (NYSE: HIMS) is right at the eye of the storm. They've gone from a darling of digital health to a pariah faster than you can say 'data breach.' On July 29, 2026, they took a hit so hard you’d think the company stepped into the ring with a heavyweight...

Continue Reading
Indiana Fire Safety: The Importance of Regular Inspections

Updated Category News Views 4

Everybody thinks of fire extinguishers as those red cans hanging quietly on walls, but there's more to them than meets the eye. In Central Indiana, these devices are a literal lifeline, and neglecting their upkeep is playing with fire—literally. What Makes Monthly Checks a Big Deal? Fire extinguishers aren't just there for decoration. They're critical safety gear. This...

Continue Reading
Universal Music Wraps €250M Share Buyback Plan

Updated Category News Views 1

Universal's Encore Performance in the Markets Universal Music Group (EURONEXT: UMG), the behemoth in music-based entertainment, just wrapped up its €250 million share buyback program. Talk about a grand finale! In a week’s worth of maneuvering from August 31 to September 4, they snagged 294,340 of their own shares, all for the pretty price of €14.65 a pop. Grand...

Continue Reading
Coastal Property Realities: A Deep Dive into Ownership

Updated Category News Views 4

Buying Coastal Property: A Balancing Act Ah, the dream of owning a piece of the beach in sunny South Florida. It sounds glamorous—something to brag about at the next family gathering. But let me tell you, diving into coastal property ownership isn't just about sipping cocktails by the ocean. It's about handling a fair share of headaches most folks don't anticipate....

Continue Reading
Supernova SPAC Lawsuit: Settlement Proposed, $3M on Table

Updated Category News Views 3

Legal Clouds Over Supernova's SPAC Adventure Alright, folks, buckle up, because whenever you mix SPACs and lawsuits, you're in for a roller coaster. Supernova Partners Acquisition Company, Inc. stands right at the heart of a class action lawsuit, and it's been cooking ever since the court in Delaware gave it a nudge forward. Settlement Talk: What's on the Table? So here's...

Continue Reading
Lyon Biennale 2026: Art, Dreams, and Lyon's Magic

Updated Category News Views 3

Unveiling the Art Spectacle in Lyon Alright, buckle up folks, because the 18th Lyon Biennale – Contemporary Art is about to take the stage in grand fashion. Starting on the 19th of September, this art fiesta is not just any exhibit; it's an eleven-venue citywide takeover that runs until the 13th of December, and it is poised to shake up the art scene like a good splash...

Continue Reading

Top 5 Most Recently Viewed Articles

Dividend 15 Split Corp. Elevates Preferred Share Dividends

Updated Category News Views 88

Dividend 15 Split Corp. Announces an Increase in Dividend Rate Dividend 15 Split Corp. is pleased to share exciting news with its investors: the dividend rate for its Preferred Shares is set to rise to 7.00%, up from the previous rate of 5.50%. This change will take effect on December 1, 2024, and will result in monthly dividend payments of about $0.05833 per share, which...

Continue Reading
Rasmussen University's Innovative Radiologic Tech Initiative

Updated Category News Views 143

Rasmussen University Introduces a New Radiologic Technology Program Rasmussen University is excited to announce the launch of its Radiologic Technology program at the Central Pasco Campus. This initiative aims to meet the growing demand for skilled professionals in the healthcare sector, especially in medical imaging. As healthcare evolves, the need for qualified...

Continue Reading
Discover Cannabis Stocks Making Waves in the Market Today

Updated Category News Views 34

Insights on Cannabis Stock Performance The cannabis sector continues to show an intriguing blend of growth and volatility, captivating investors and analysts alike. On a recent trading day, several cannabis stocks exhibited significant fluctuations in their share prices, highlighting the dynamic nature of this market. For stock enthusiasts, understanding which companies...

Continue Reading
Innovative Telehealth Approach to Support Postpartum Women

Updated Category News Views 247

Enhancing Mental Health Care for New Mothers Postpartum depression (PPD) is a significant concern affecting many new mothers, with about one in eight experiencing symptoms that can include deep feelings of sadness, anxiety, and hopelessness. Regrettably, these women often encounter barriers to receiving timely and effective treatment. To address these issues, Talkiatry is...

Continue Reading
Exploring the Growing Hydrogen Generation Market and Trends

Updated Category News Views 237

Hydrogen Generation Market Overview The global Hydrogen Generation Market is poised for substantial growth, with projections indicating a market size of USD 186.58 billion by 2024 and an expected increase to USD 317.39 billion by 2030. This remarkable growth rate, reflected in a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.3%, is bolstered by the rising global demand for...

Continue Reading