Covestro AG materials
Israeli 3D printer manufacturer Stratasys has been the target of a takeover bid by American 3D printer technology firm 3D Systems, which was launched in May. Now comes word that Stratasys is ready to move forward with negotiations for the buyout after rejecting another takeover bid made by Nano Dimensions.
The deal offered by 3D Systems is a cash and stock merger that would convert each Stratasys share into $7.50 in cash and 1.2507 newly issued shares of 3D Systems common stock. 3D Systems declared that should the merger go forward it would create an “additive manufacturing industry leader,” with Stratasys shareholders owning 40% of the combined company and receiving approximately $540 million in cash. 3D Systems delivered this proposal to the Stratasys Board on May 30, 2023.
Stratasys was already the object another takeover bid. In March, Nano Dimension, another Israeli company in 3D printed electronics, made a $1.1 billion bid to but the firm. At the time, Nano Dimension, already the largest investor in the company owing roughly 14.5% of Stratasys’ outstanding shares, offered a 28% premium on Stratasys shares at a price of $18 per share.
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But Stratasys, in rejecting that deal, said that the firm cannot trust Nano Dimension’s leadership.
“Nano has destroyed significant value and trades at negative firm value,” the company wrote. “Yoav Stern, Nano’s CEO, cannot be trusted, has made misrepresentations about Stratasys and is not qualified to manage Stratasys. Since Yoav Stern’s appointment, Nano has spent more than $500 million in cash and increased its revenue by only $44 million.”
3D Systems boasts that it launched the 3D printing industry in 1986 and that the firm’s “broad portfolio of hardware, software, and material solutions spans from plastics to metals, and is backed by industry-specific engineering expertise housed in our Applications Innovation Group.”
Stratasys offers 3D printing solutions for industries such as aerospace, automotive, consumer products and healthcare. Through smart and connected 3D printers, polymer materials, a software ecosystem, and parts on demand, Stratasys boasts that its solutions deliver “competitive advantages at every stage in the product value chain.”
“We are pleased with the Stratasys Board’s determination. We anticipate prompt termination of the Desktop Metal merger agreement and countersignature of the agreement to combine 3D Systems and Stratasys so that we can deliver our collective stakeholders the unparalleled benefits of the envisioned combined company,” said 3D Systems CEO Jeffrey Graves. “Together, 3D Systems and Stratasys are well-positioned to capture the benefits of scale needed to lead in the additive manufacturing industry and deliver long-term profitable growth. We reiterate our confidence in the strength of the combined financial profile of 3D Systems and Stratasys, including our ability to realize $100 million of synergies jointly identified by our two management teams during due diligence exercises in September 2022.”
