Prag, Tschechische Republik/Amsterdam, Niederlande, 30. September 2016 – Avast Software, der führende Hersteller von digitalen Sicherheitsprodukten für Endnutzer und Unternehmen, hat nach dem Abschluss der Erstemissionsfrist zur Übernahme von AVG Technologies N.V. (NYSE: AVG), einen Mehrheitsanteil an AVG Technologies erworben. Der Abschluss erfolgt zum bereits angekündigten Übernahmeangebot für alle ausgegebenen AVG-Aktien. Ab Montag, 3. Oktober 2016 werden die Unternehmen unter einem Namen agieren.
Vince Steckler wurde zum Chief Executive Officer des neuen Avast ernannt und betreut damit in dem neu entstandenen Unternehmen einen Umsatz von mehr als 700 Millionen U.S. Dollar für 2016. Avast hat sich zu einem Full-Service-Sicherheitsunternehmen gewandelt, mit der branchenweit größten Basis an Privatnutzern sowie mit einem signifikanten Mobile-, KMU- und Mobile-Enterprise-Geschäft. Zum Zeitpunkt des Übernahmeabschlusses verlässt Gary Kovacs, CEO von AVG, das Unternehmen, wird aber während der Übernahmephase weiter beratend zur Seite stehen.
„Das zusammengeführte Unternehmen hat jetzt mehr als 400 Millionen Nutzer und damit mehr als 40 Prozent der PC-Nutzer weltweit, ausgenommen China, und die weltweit meist installierte Sicherheitslösung für Endnutzer. „Wären unsere Nutzer die Bevölkerung eines Landes, hätten wir die drittgrößte Population der Welt“, sagt Vince Steckler, Chief Executive Officer von Avast. „Die USA ist jetzt mit 58 Millionen Nutzern unser stärkster Markt. Wir sind nun wahrhaft global aufgestellt und stolz darauf, die beliebteste Sicherheitslösung der Welt zu haben.“
„Wir haben nun technologische Breite gewonnen, um unseren Kunden einen noch stärkeren Schutz zu liefern. Unsere kombinierten Threat Labs sind jetzt breiter aufgestellt, um sich stärker auf spezifische Bedrohungen zu konzentrieren, wie zum Beispiel Social-Engineering-Gefahren, die Cyberkriminelle üblicherweise einsetzen, um Geräte im Internet der Dinge anzugreifen. Ein anderes Team konzentriert sich auf Ransomware, die wir mit Machine-Learning-Technologie bekämpfen. Wir glauben, dass wir jetzt besser aufgestellt sind denn je, um diejenigen zu überlisten, die anderen online schaden wollen.“
Durch die Übernahme von AVG bietet das neue Avast einen besseren Schutz für seine Kunden:
Mit der Übernahme erweitert Avast sein Angebot für kleine- und mittelständische Unternehmen und gewinnt die starke Reseller-Gemeinschaft von AVG hinzu, die es Avast ermöglicht, mehr und größere Unternehmen zu unterstützen. Avast gewinnt auch AVGs Location-Labs-Division sowie deren Carrier-Geschäft, was Avast weiter ausbauen und in die Märkte in Übersee expandieren wird. Da mobile Betriebssysteme eine geschlossene Infrastruktur haben, sind mobile Sicherheits- und Privatsphäreschutzlösungen sicher, wenn diese in die Infrastruktur des Mobilfunknetzbetreibers integriert sind. Die Location Labs-Technologie bietet Kunden eine Cloud-basierte Lösung, die Innefizienzen und Unsicherheiten von laufenden mobilen Betriebssystemen umgeht.
Avast möchte künftig mehr und bessere Produkte bereitstellen, die der wachsenden Anzahl von Gefahren entgegentreten. Das Unternehmen wird auch weiterhin sowohl die Produkte der Marke AVG als auch Avast anbieten und unterstützt alle Kunden und Partner beider Produktlinien.
„Wir versichern unseren Kunden weiterhin unseren Support, egal ob sie Produkte von AVG oder Avast nutzen. Unsere Kunden und Partner sind uns sehr wichtig. Sie haben uns zu dem gemacht, was wir heute sind“, sagt Vince Steckler.
The Transaction
On July 29, 2016, Avast Software B.V. and its parent company, Avast Holding B.V., commenced a tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding ordinary shares of AVG Technologies N.V. at a purchase price of $25.00 per share in cash, without interest and less applicable withholding taxes or other taxes. The initial offering period for the tender offer and withdrawal rights expired at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on September 29, 2016. Based on information provided by the depositary for the offer, a total of 44,543,555 shares, representing approximately 87.3% of the aggregate number of shares outstanding, had been validly tendered and had not been properly withdrawn as of the initial expiration of the offer (excluding 2,809,498 shares, representing approximately 5.5% of the aggregate number of shares outstanding, tendered pursuant to guaranteed delivery procedures that have not yet been delivered in settlement or satisfaction of such guarantee). Avast Software B.V. and Avast Holding B.V. have accepted for payment all shares that were validly tendered and were not properly withdrawn from the offer, and payment for such shares will be made promptly in accordance with the terms of the offer.
Avast Software B.V. and Avast Holding B.V. also announced today the commencement of a subsequent offering period scheduled to expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on October 14, 2016. Avast may extend the subsequent offering period to provide for a minority exit offering period of up to 10 business days to provide AVG shareholders who have not yet tendered their shares the opportunity to do so. All shares validly tendered during the subsequent offering period will be immediately accepted for payment, and tendering holders will thereafter promptly be paid the same form and amount of offer consideration as in the initial offering period. The procedures for tendering shares during the subsequent offering period are the same as those applicable to the initial offering period, except that no withdrawal rights will apply to shares tendered during the subsequent offering period.
As more fully described in the offer to purchase, if the number of shares purchased during the subsequent offering period (including, if applicable, the minority exit offering period), together with the shares purchased during the initial offering period, is equal to at least 95% of the outstanding ordinary shares of AVG, Avast expects to acquire the ordinary shares of AVG that were not tendered into the tender offer through the compulsory share acquisition process under Section 2:92a/2:201a of the Dutch Civil Code. If the number of shares purchased during the subsequent offering period (including, if applicable, the minority exit offering period), together with the shares purchased during the initial offering period, is less than 95% of the outstanding ordinary shares of AVG, Avast plans to effect an asset sale pursuant to which Avast will acquire substantially all of the assets, and assume substantially all of the liabilities, of AVG promptly following the tender offer. Following the completion of the asset sale, AVG will be liquidated and the remaining minority shareholders of AVG will receive cash distributions with respect to each ordinary share owned by them equal to the per share cash consideration paid in the tender offer less any applicable dividend withholding tax or any other taxes.
As soon as practicable following the completion of the subsequent offering period (including, if applicable, the minority exit offering period), AVG intends to voluntarily delist its shares from the New York Stock Exchange. AVG also intends to deregister its shares under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (as amended, the “Exchange Act”) and to suspend its reporting obligations under the Exchange Act, but will only be eligible to do so upon satisfaction of the applicable requirements for deregistration.
AVG has submitted written notice to the New York Stock Exchange of its intent to voluntarily delist its shares from the New York Stock Exchange in connection with the tender offer. AVG intends to file a Form 25, Notification of Removal from Listing and/or Registration under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to delist its shares promptly following the subsequent offering period. Delisting from the NYSE is expected to become effective 10 days after the filing date of the Form 25.
The AVG shares will not be listed or registered on another national securities exchange. Delisting is likely to reduce significantly the liquidity and marketability of any AVG shares that have not been tendered pursuant to the tender offer.
Advisors
Jefferies International Limited is acting as exclusive financial advisor, and White & Case LLP and De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek N.V. are acting as legal advisors to Avast. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is acting as financial advisor to AVG, Bridge Street Securities, LLC is acting as financial advisor to the supervisory board of AVG, and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP and Allen & Overy LLP are acting as legal advisors to AVG.
Über Avast
Avast Software (www.avast.com),
der weltweit führende Hersteller von digitalen Sicherheitsprodukten für
Endnutzer und Unternehmen schützt über 400 Millionen Menschen online. Avast
bietet Produkte unter den Marken Avast und AVG an, die Nutzer vor den Gefahren
im Internet, mit einem der fortschrittlichsten Netzwerke zur
Bedrohungserkennung weltweit schützen. Die digitalen Sicherheitslösungen von
Avast für mobile Geräte, PCs oder Macs sind ausgezeichnet und zertifiziert von
VB100, AV- Comparatives, AV-Test, OPSWAT, ICSA Labs, West Coast Labs und vielen
mehr. Avast wird unterstütz von der führenden Private-Equity-Gesellschaft CVC
Capital Partners und Summit Partnern.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking information that involves substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “should,” “will,” “expect,” “are confident that,” “objective,” “projection,” “forecast,” “goal,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “effort,” “target,” “would” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terms. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those suggested or indicated by such forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. These factors include risks and uncertainties related to, among other things: general economic conditions and conditions affecting the industries in which Avast and AVG operate; the uncertainty of regulatory approvals; the parties’ ability to satisfy the conditions to the contemplated tender offer, AVG’s delisting from the New York Stock Exchange and suspension of AVG‘s reporting obligations under the Exchange Act and to consummate the transactions and their plans described in this press release; and AVG’s performance and maintenance of important business relationships. Additional information regarding the factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements is available in AVG’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including AVG’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2015. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release and neither Avast nor AVG assumes any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events and developments or otherwise, except as required by law.
Additional Information and Where to Find It