Bridgetown Holdings Ltd., the blank-check company backed by billionaires Richard Li and Peter Thiel, is considering a potential merger with Indonesia’s e-commerce giant PT Tokopedia, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
he special purpose acquisition company is exploring the structure and feasibility of a deal with Tokopedia, one of the most valuable startups in the southeast Asian nation, the people said. The SoftBank Group Corp.-backed firm could be valued at $8 billion to $10 billion in a transaction, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the discussions are private. Deliberations are at a prelim
Bridgetown raised $550 million in a U.S. initial public offering in October, following other so-called blank-check companies such as those associated with billionaire investor Bill Ackman and former U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan.
Merging with a SPAC has become an increasingly popular method for closely held businesses to raise capital for growth. A potential merger with Tokopedia would also be in-
Merging with a SPAC has become an increasingly popular method for closely held businesses to raise capital for growth. A potential merger with Tokopedia would also be in-line with the strategy that Bridgetown set out in its prospectus: to focus on a target in the technology, financial services or media sectors in Southeast Asia.
Tokopedia became Indonesia’s second most valuable startup, just behind ride-hailing and delivery giant Gojek, by scoring early backing from SoftBank and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Temasek Holdings Pte invested about $350 million in Tokopedia, people familiar with the matter have said. E-commerce platforms including Tokopedia, Alibaba’s Lazada Group and Shopee -- a unit of Singapore-based Sea Ltd. -- have been some of the beneficiaries of coronavirus-driven lockdowns this year as they moved quickly to serve the millions of people forced to make their first online purchases while staying home.
www.bloombergquint.c...llion-tokopedia-deal
he special purpose acquisition company is exploring the structure and feasibility of a deal with Tokopedia, one of the most valuable startups in the southeast Asian nation, the people said. The SoftBank Group Corp.-backed firm could be valued at $8 billion to $10 billion in a transaction, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the discussions are private. Deliberations are at a prelim
Bridgetown raised $550 million in a U.S. initial public offering in October, following other so-called blank-check companies such as those associated with billionaire investor Bill Ackman and former U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan.
Merging with a SPAC has become an increasingly popular method for closely held businesses to raise capital for growth. A potential merger with Tokopedia would also be in-
Merging with a SPAC has become an increasingly popular method for closely held businesses to raise capital for growth. A potential merger with Tokopedia would also be in-line with the strategy that Bridgetown set out in its prospectus: to focus on a target in the technology, financial services or media sectors in Southeast Asia.
Tokopedia became Indonesia’s second most valuable startup, just behind ride-hailing and delivery giant Gojek, by scoring early backing from SoftBank and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Temasek Holdings Pte invested about $350 million in Tokopedia, people familiar with the matter have said. E-commerce platforms including Tokopedia, Alibaba’s Lazada Group and Shopee -- a unit of Singapore-based Sea Ltd. -- have been some of the beneficiaries of coronavirus-driven lockdowns this year as they moved quickly to serve the millions of people forced to make their first online purchases while staying home.
www.bloombergquint.c...llion-tokopedia-deal