La Hulpe, Belgium – 18 December 2024, 7:00 am. CET – INSIDE INFORMATION - Unifiedpost Group SA (Euronext Brussels: UPG) (Unifiedpost), a leading provider of integrated business communications solutions, announces the closing of its earlier announced divestment of the Wholesale Identity Access business to Your.World B.V. (Your.World) and repays a significant part of its senior facility loan entered with Francisco Partners.
Unifiedpost is pleased to announce the successful completion of the divestment of its Wholesale Identity Access business in the Netherlands, as initially disclosed in its press release dated August 26, 2024. This transaction was executed through the sale of all shares in Unifiedpost B.V. to Your.World, following the carve-out of Unifiedpost’s non-Wholesale Identity Access business and fulfilment of all necessary conditions.
The sale includes a potential earn-out payment of up to €7,7 million, contingent upon achieving a defined financial milestone, with 70% settlement by the end of March and the balance by, at the latest, the end of August. The aggregate equity purchase price is projected to range between €108,4 million and €116,1 million, subject to the realisation of the earn-out condition.
This transaction is part of a wider, new strategic partnership which will be set up between Unifiedpost and Your.World whereby, amongst others, Unifiedpost’s Banqup platform can be offered to over one million Your.World customers across Europe.
The Wholesale Identity Access business in the Netherlands generated an EBITDA of € 8,3 million in 2023. As part of the agreement, 46 employees will join Your.World. The carve-out of the non-Wholesale Identity Access business has been transferred to a newly incorporated subsidiary of Unifiedpost Group, named Unifiedpost Solutions B.V.
As previously announced on October 14, 2024, Unifiedpost has utilised part of the proceeds from the sale of the Wholesale Identity Access business to reduce its debt obligations to Francisco Partners Credit. Upon completion of the transaction, Unifiedpost repaid a principal amount of €75 million, along with accrued and due interest, bringing the total repayment to €94,8 million The remaining balance, consisting of a principal amount of €25 million and accrued and due interest, is estimated to be settled no later than March 31, 2025. Upon settlement, all remaining encumbrances will be released, and no additional early repayment penalties will apply.
The proceeds from this transaction significantly enhance Unifiedpost’s financial position, enabling the group to reduce its net financial debt by an amount aligned with the transaction’s purchase price.
Commenting on the announcement, Nicolas de Beco, CEO of Unifiedpost, stated, "The closing of the transaction and repayment of the majority of the loan with Francisco Partners represents a pivotal moment for Unifiedpost. We have completed a significant step in our strategic realignment, announced in April 2024, of de-risking our balance sheet and reducing our net-debt position. The partnership with Your.World opens up growth opportunities for our Banqup platform across Europe with a strategic focus on the Netherlands. This positions us strongly for future growth in our core digital services business."