Inside Secure Enters Into An Exclusive Agreement To Acquire Verimatrix

Inside Secure announced it has entered into an exclusivity agreement to acquire Verimatri a privately-held company headquartered in San Diego, California, USA.

Verimatrix which employs more than 300 people in 20 countries, with most significant operations in California and in Germany, is a global independent leading software security provider for video services, trusted by all major content owners in Entertainment. Their security solutions are recognized for comprehensive multi-network support and maintaining end-to-end service integrity. Verimatrix helps to reduce the cost and complexity in the current content delivery processes. The company extends its technical innovation for video providers by offering a comprehensive data collection and analysis platform for automated real-time quality of experience (QoE) optimization that drives security performance monitoring, user engagement and content monetization.

The transaction leads to the creation of a trusted global powerhouse in software-based security with significant penetration of the Entertainment market, positioned to capture a well-established, but still fast-growing, demand for security solutions in the context of:

A major shift towards software and cloud-based security solutions;

Growth of demand for big data analytics solutions in a landscape of multi-device and multi-format video consumption; and

Content owners’ and service operators’ increasing anxiety to protect their digital revenue and profit margins (a total of USD 37billion revenue is estimated to be lost to piracy in 2018.

The combination offers Inside Secure a unique value proposition within the Entertainment security market, enabling content providers and service operators to manage the most complex video security challenges leveraging:

A robust platform addressing the entire ecosystem’s multi-network requirements;

A proven software-centric position in the fastest growing segments within the digital content protection market;

A broad-based solution architecture that stretches from silicon IP through rights arbitration and tracking;

A strong and highly diversified client portfolio with Verimatrix solutions deeply entrenched and trusted by Hollywood studios and other content owners globally; and

A unique opportunity to expand value in customers deploying integrated multi-device video solutions.

Internet of Things (“IoT”) and Connected Cars markets: reinforcing a strong position in software security

Beyond the Entertainment market, the combination provides firm foundations to accelerate penetration of other growth verticals that face a critical security challenge, notably IoT and Connected Cars, by leveraging a high-integrity device credential management platform and enabling comprehensive, end-to-end security technology and services offerings in such application verticals.

Big data and analytics business application: tackling new growth opportunities

Additionally, the transaction will enable Inside Secure to tackle opportunities in advanced cloud-based analytics beyond the Entertainment market. The company will maximize the value of data analytics technologies across all its markets to provide its customers with real-time visibility over security performance (e.g. Threat and attack detection and analysis) and user behavior.

Increased scale with compelling value creation potential

The contemplated transaction affords Inside Secure the ability to take advantage of significantly greater reach and scale.

The combined entities would have generated $119 million in adjusted revenue and $21.5 million in EBITDA in 2017 on an IFRS pro forma basis. The new group will benefit from its new scale and leverage the Verimatrix resilient revenue base and from the mix of both recurring and repeat revenue from both companies.

Leveraging a strong technology and product portfolio as well as a complementary customer base, the combination of both companies will generate multiple up-selling and cross-selling opportunities while benefiting from economies of scale.

In addition, Inside Secure anticipates $10 million cost synergies per year on a run rate basis, once fully implemented, representing 10 percent of combined operating expenses base due to:

Economies of scale with development teams, suppliers, ecosystem partners and device-provisioning costs; and

General & Administrative optimization that takes full advantage of the combined scale, rationalization and streamlining of the organization.

The transaction is expected to be accretive3 to Inside Secure’s earnings from 2019, primarily due to the incremental earnings brought by Verimatrix and the generation of $4 million synergies in 2019 prior to full implementation of anticipated synergies.

2021 Objectives

Moving forward, Inside Secure expects to reach revenues of $150 million while generating an EBITDA margin of 25 percent in 2021 for the combined entities and at constant perimeter.

Fully funded transaction, strengthened shareholder base and sound financial structure at closing

Under the terms of the acquisition agreement, the transaction consideration consists of an up-front consideration for the enterprise value estimated at $125 million, plus an agreed-upon payment for transferred net cash estimated at $18 million, plus as the case may be a working-capita adjustment a closing, and, finally, an earn-out of up to $15 million subject to Verimatrix achieving a certain EBITDA target for calendar year 2018.

Based on current information, Inside Secure estimates that it will have to pay an aggregate consideration of approximately $143 million at closing plus an estimated $9 million earn-out in the second quarter of 2019.

A three-step fully funded financing package

The transaction consideration will be financed through a combination of:

Inside Secure’s cash-on-hand for approximately $38 million [6];

Fully committed private debt of $54 million, based on the estimated earn-out, provided by Apera Capital, an independent European private debt manager providing private capital solutions to mid-market companies in Western Europe.

Commitment to make available a bond financing through the subscription of notes for $45 million, plus an additional amount of up to $10 million to contribute to the financing of the earn-out. The commitment of Apera Capital is conditional upon the preparation, execution and delivery of the subscription agreement in respect of the notes and other relevant finance documents and the satisfaction of customary conditions of issuance;

Term 7 years, full-bullet;

Interest: LIBOR (subject to a 2 percent floor) plus a margin of initially 7 percent, that could potentially be reduced, after twelve months, subject to a net leverage-based determination. Certain upfront and commitment fees will also be payable in respect of the financing;

Customary financial covenants (net leverage ratio and interest cover test);

Security package in line with market practices;

Early redemption at par possible after expiry of 24 months, whereas for the first year customary non-call/make-whole provisions and for the second year customary soft-call provisions will apply (subject to certain exceptions). Mandatory early redemption events, positive and negative undertakings as well as events of default (including a cross-default) and acceleration rights for the benefit of the note holders, in each case as customary for this type of financing.

Two fully-underwritten equity transactions with a combined amount of EUR 52 million ($60 million), to be recommended for approval by Inside Secure’s shareholders in a general meeting to be held on January 21, 2019:

– A EUR 30 million mandatory redeemable bond issuance reserved for OEP, fully redeemable into newly issued shares of Inside Secure (obligations reimbursable en actions) valued at the lower of:

EUR 1.66 (i.e., 90 percent of the arithmetic average of the daily volume-weighted average trading price of Inside Secure’s shares on Euronext Paris during a 7-trading day period from 26 November to 4 December 2018 (both inclusive)), and

the higher of (x) 7-day arithmetic average of daily volume-weighted-average prices of Inside Secure’s shares on Euronext Paris, starting on the seventh trading day preceding the day the redemption is being requested (or the date for redemption at maturity (5.5 years after the bonds issue date)) and (y) EUR  (i.e., 75 percent of the arithmetic average of daily volume-weighted average trading prices of Inside Secure’s shares on Euronext Paris during a 7-trading day period from November to December 2018 (both inclusive)).

These redeemable bonds will bear annual interest of 2.5 percent payable semi-annually and will be treated as equity for the company.

The mandatory redeemable bond would result in an estimated dilution of 29 percent[7] based of the current share capital of Inside Secure.

An approximate EUR 22 million rights issue with preferential subscription rights to existing shareholders.

A sound financial structure at closing

Consolidated pro forma net debt[8] would have been $39.1 million as of June 30, 2018, representing 1.6x pro forma EBITDA for the twelve months ended June 2018, prior to implementation of anticipated synergies, or 1.1x including the full implementation of expected synergies estimated at $10 million.

A new cornerstone investor supporting future development and strategy

OEP will become a new cornerstone investor of Inside Secure.

OEP is a middle-market private equity firm focused on the industrial, healthcare, and technology sectors in North America and Europe. The firm builds market-leading companies by identifying and executing transformative business combinations. OEP is a trusted partner with a differentiated investment process, a broad and senior team, and an established track record of generating long-term value for its partners. Since 2001, the firm has completed more than 170 transactions worldwide. OEP, founded in 2001, spun out of JP Morgan in 2015. The firm has offices in New York, Chicago, and Frankfurt.

Inside Secure business outlook for 2018

The Company confirms its business outlook for 2018 based on performance in the first nine months and current business activity: top line growth in 2018 is expected to more than offsetting the anticipated decline of a U.S. customer which generated an exceptionally high level of revenue from royalties in the second half of 2017. Adjusted operating expenses in 2018 are expected to be in the lower end of the previously communicated $36 million to $37 million range. The Company confirms it will generate positive EBITDA in 2018 before getting back to a normative EBITDA margin greater than 20 percent (on a stand-alone basis).

Governance

As from the completion of the EUR 30 million bond issue reserved for OEP, OEP will have the right to designate one director (administrator) to the board of directors of Inside Secure and one board observer (censer) for so long as it shall hold, together with its affiliates, a minimum fully-diluted (i.e. assuming the redemption of the redeemable bonds) shareholding in the Company equal to 15 percent, provided that, upon redemption of the redeemable bonds, OEP will have the right to request that its board observer be appointed as director.

The general shareholders’ meeting that will be convened to vote on the above-mentioned equity transactions will be asked to vote on such appointments.

Issuance of performance shares and stock options

In order to align interests of key employees and executives of the future combined group with those of the shareholders over the long term, the board also decided to request that shareholders authorize the grant of additional stock options and performance shares in an aggregate maximum of 1.3 million shares.

Upon recommendation of the nomination, compensation and governance committee and using the authorization given by the general shareholders’ meeting of May 16, 2018, the board of directors of the Company granted 220,000 performance shares (actions gratuities) to Amedeo D’Angelo, the Chairman and CEO of Inside Secure. The acquisition of 100,000 of these performance shares is subject to a service condition with Inside Secure as corporate officer or employee in the coming two years, and the vesting of the remaining 120,000 performance shares is subject to the completion of the contemplated acquisition of Verimatrix, it being specified that the board of directors may relieve  Amedeo D’Angelo of one or more of the aforementioned conditions for all or some of the performance shares if it considers it in the interest of the company.

Next steps

Prior to the signing of the acquisition agreements, Inside Secure’s works council in France will be consulted with respect to the debt financing and the equity transactions contemplated in the context of the acquisition of Verimatrix.

The transaction is intended to be signed in January 2019 subject primarily to (i) completion of an “information and consultation” process with Inside Secure’s works council in France and, (ii) vote of Inside Secure’s shareholders on the equity transactions. It is expected to close in the first quarter of 2019, subject to customary closing conditions.

In the context of the above-mentioned equity transactions, Inside Secure will issue two prospectuses to be cleared (visés) by the French financial market authority (the Autorité des marchés financiers – the “AMF”) in respect of the redeemable bond issue and the rights issue.

Verimatrix generated mid-single digit growth to $78.7 million revenue [4] and $14.5 million EBITDA4 in the twelve-month period ended September 30, 2018.

Commenting on the proposed transaction, Amedeo D’Angelo, Chairman and CEO of inside Secure, said: “Over the years, we have built a unique position to bring security at the heart of connected devices and apps with a leading position in the OTT video services market.

Verimatrix has become a key player in software-based security for Entertainment content management through its scalable and comprehensive platform with a deep expertise in cloud-based data analytics and intelligence on security performance and video users’ behaviours.

In this context, I’m very pleased to move ahead with the project to acquire Verimatrix which is the perfect fit to strengthen scale and reach of our value proposition in end markets that are fast shifting towards software and cloud-based security solutions while video content consumption is becoming multi-device and multi-format.

We are looking forward to combining both businesses to offer our clients the best value proposition in security, starting with entertainment and moving towards Internet of Things and Connected Cars, and to continue to create value for our shareholders.”

Tom Munro, CEO of Verimatrix, Inc., declared: “This transaction allows a great combination of technologies and expertise, bringing two well-respected market players together. It’s exciting to create a company with such a clear focus, a global presence, and a depth of expertise in the applications of security and analytics across critical market segments.”— Verimatrix