Below is a daily summary of links to the latest SPAC news and rumors gathered across the web.
Latest SPAC News: Brad Pitt’s Plan B in talks to sell stake to Mediawan, BuzzFeed allowed to block worker arbitration claims over IPO snafu, and Bright Machines raises $100M after pulling SPAC deal
Brad Pitt’s Plan B Is Said in Deal Talks With France’s Mediawan
Actor Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment, the production company behind films like Moonlight and The Big Short, is in talks to sell a significant stake to French media conglomerate Mediawan, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
The company has received bids from a few potential investors, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private negotiations. Mediawan, which has been backed by KKR & Co., is the front-runner. Plan B is expected to make a final decision in the next couple of weeks.
Mediawan’s businesses range from TV to cinema production and content distribution. It was founded in 2015 as a SPAC by French TV producer Pierre-Antoine Capton, telecom billionaire Xavier Niel and Centerview Partners banker Matthieu Pigasse.
READBuzzFeed Can Block Worker Arbitration Claims Over IPO Snafu
A judge said BuzzFeed Inc. (NASDAQ:BZFD) can block arbitration demands from employees who claim the company bungled its initial-public offering and wrongfully denied workers the chance to sell their shares before the stock crashed in value.
New York-based BuzzFeed, which went public last year, has the legal right to bar workers from having their allegations reviewed by American Arbitration Association officials, Delaware Chancery Court Judge Morgan Zurn ruled Friday.
The media company, founded in 2006, had a turbulent IPO. The shares plummeted by more than 20% after it merged with 890 Fifth Avenue Partners Inc., a special purpose acquisition company. The company had once been valued at more than $1 billion.
After Pulling Its SPAC Deal, Startup Bright Machines Raises $100 Million On Factory-Reshoring Trend
Lior Susan figures snarled supply chains, Covid lockdowns in China and geopolitical pressures give U.S. manufacturers a new push to set up factories closer to home. “It suddenly became extremely attractive because we can move fast, and we can help customers build something in Cincinnati and Salt Lake,” says Susan, founder of Eclipse Ventures and CEO of microfactory firm Bright Machines. “It sounds crazy—who builds electronics in Cincinnati in the last 40 years?”
Ten months ago, San Francisco-based Bright Machines pulled its $1.6 billion deal to go public via SPAC with SCVX Corp. (NYSE: SCVX) as the market turned. The firm told Forbes Monday that it had raised $100 million in venture funding led by Eclipse Ventures (plus an additional $32 million in debt financing) to fund its next stage of growth. The new investment values Bright Machines, whose microfactories automate electronics production lines with robotics, powered by intelligent software, at $938 million.
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Remember the metaverse? Many do not. Meta’s (NASDAQ:META) attempted transition to virtually living and working seemed to mark a trend that went up and down quickly, but one SPAC deal has both survived that roller coaster and may rise with a second. Back in December 2022, Newbury Street (NASDAQ:NBST) announced a $1.85 billion combination with...
At the SPAC of Dawn Tucked into the bill that provides $95 billion in funding to American allies passed by the House this weekend is another measure that is likely to have far more impact on at least one pending deal in SPAC world. It would appear that the timing was fortuitous for TikTok rival...
With the passage this weekend of $95 billion in funding for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan by the House of Representatives, some focus has gone back towards the defense sector, which has generally had a good year as a whole. But, SPACs have not been as active in defense, despite the fact that companies in the...
At the SPAC of Dawn As April’s sleepy month for SPAC news continues, there is only one special meeting on the docket to consider a SPAC deal approval, that being today’s vote on Pegasus Digital Mobility‘s (NYSE:PGSS) combination with equipment manufacturer Schmid. Three more SPACs are facing extension votes this week, including Pyrophyte (NYSE:PHYT), whose...
Terms Tracker for the Week Ending April 19, 2024 Welcome to our weekly column where we discuss the findings from our IPO terms tracker based on the previous week’s pricings. Passover and school spring break starts next week, which most likely means a slowdown in SPAC filing activity. Although Churchill IX is now rumored to...