Auto data startup Wejo, backed by General Motors Co (GM.N),will go public through a reverse merger with blank-check company Virtuoso Acquisition Corp (VOSO.O) in a deal that values the British company at $800 million including debt, the companies said on Friday.
The deal will raise $330 million in proceeds for Wejo, the companies said. That includes $230 million from Special-Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) Virtuoso and another $100 million referred to as Private Investment in Public Equity (PIPE).
Wejo Chief Executive and founder Richard Barlow said institutional investors make up most of the PIPE, but declined to identify the firms involved. An additional $25 million could be raised within the next month as talks continue with other potential investors, he said.
Investors in the PIPE include No. 1 U.S. automaker GM, which previously invested in Wejo, as well as data management company Palantir Technologies Inc (PLTR.N), which billionaire Peter Thiel co-founded, Wejo and Virtuoso said. The sizes of their investments or stakes were not disclosed.
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