Corporate | 4 January 2006 14:17
OHB Technology AG: ORBCOMM ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF EQUITY FINANCINGS
Corporate-news transmitted by DGAP.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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ORBCOMM ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF EQUITY FINANCINGS
$110 Million In Committed Capital From New and Existing Investors Will Support
ORBCOMM’s Global Growth Strategy
Bremen, January 4, 2006 – OHB Technology affiliated company ORBCOMM, Dulles,
Va., United States, a global satellite telecommunications company, today
announced that it has completed equity financings totaling over $110 million
led by Pacific Corporate Group (PCG), which committed $60 million. New
investors, in addition to PCG, include investment firms MH Equity Investors
and Torch Hill Capital. Several existing investors also contributed to these
financings including Ridgewood Capital, OHB Technology AG, Northwood Ventures
and senior management. In this round, OHB Technology AG invested a further $4
million and thus took a larger share of the equity issue than its pro rata
share of the existing investors. Following the completion of the equity issue,
OHB will hold a 11% stake in ORBCOMM.
“This latest investment, with significant contributions from Pacific Corporate
Group, a top-tier firm, further validates the uniqueness of our technology
and our ability to bring cost-effective, high-quality infrastructure and asset
tracking satellite services to businesses that have assets located anywhere
in the world,” said Jerry Eisenberg, CEO of ORBCOMM. “This new funding allows
us to accelerate our satellite replenishment program in order to support our
rapidly growing customer base and offer new products and services. Attracting
such high-quality investors reflects their belief in our ability to deliver
significant value to our customers, our resellers and our hardware partners.”
“Pacific Corporate Group’s investment in ORBCOMM reflects our strategy of
investing in well-managed, established companies that have significant growth
potential,” said Tim Kelleher, a Managing Director of Pacific Corporate Group.
“We were attracted to this sector by growing recognition of the productivity
and security benefits of telemetric and telematic solutions. We expect these
technologies to become a commercial imperative in coming years. ORBCOMM is a
leading player and has positioned itself to rapidly grow its customer base by
offering satellite-based global coverage, service reliability and competitive
pricing.”
Proceeds from the financings will be used primarily to fund ORBCOMM’s next
generation satellite program, which will replenish the existing 30 satellites
in ORBCOMM’s low-earth orbit constellation and upgrade the network’s
infrastructure over the next few years. These next generation satellites will
have unique features and additional capabilities, which will allow ORBCOMM and
its partners to offer new products and services. Following the final stages
of a competitive bidding process, ORBCOMM anticipates signing contracts early
in 2006 with vendors who will partner on the first deployment of this
satellite replenishment program.
At the beginning of 2005, Orbcomm signed a contract with OHB Technology
subsidiary OHB-System AG for the development and delivery of a satellite bus,
integration with the communications payload and the launch of the first of the
second-generation ORBCOMM satellites known as ORBCOMM CDS. Due to be launched
in the first half of 2006, this satellite design forms the basis for OHB’s
offer for further satellites to ORBCOMM.
UBS Investment Bank acted as placement agent and sole financial advisor to
ORBCOMM in connection with the placement to institutional investors.
Chadbourne & Parke LLP acted as legal advisor to ORBCOMM.
For more information, please contact:
OHB Technology AG
Michael Vér, Investor Relations
Tel.: +49 (0)421 2020-8
Internet: http://www.ohb-technology.de
E-mail: ir@ohb-technology.de
End of announcement (c)DGAP 04.01.2006
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WKN: 593612; ISIN: DE0005936124; Index:
Listed: Geregelter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr in Berlin-
Bremen, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Hannover und Stuttgart