Swedish electric carmaker Polestar is to be publicly listed via a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) backed by billionaire Alec Gores and investment bank Guggenheim.
Upon closing of the proposed business combination, the combined company will be held by a new public company that will be named Polestar Automotive Holding UK Limited, which is expected to be listed on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “PSNY”.
The transaction implies an enterprise value of approximately USD 20 billion.
Polestar delivered approximately 10,000 vehicles in 2020 and expects to sell approximately 290,000 vehicles per year by 2025. Existing investors include Volvo Car Group and affiliates of Geely Chairman Eric Li, and actor and activist Leonardo DiCaprio, among others.
Polestar said it expects to enter a period of rapid growth starting with the launch of its first premium electric SUV, the Polestar 3, in 2022, plans to launch two additional new models by 2024, and expand its global distribution footprint to 30 markets by 2023.
Thomas Ingenlath, Chief Executive Officer of Polestar, said: “This is a really exciting time for Polestar. With two award-winning cars on the road today in 14 active markets across three continents, we seek to expand to 30 markets by 2023. We are thrilled about the targeted addition of three new premium electric cars to our line-up by 2024, starting with our first SUV expected in 2022. In Alec and the Gores Guggenheim team, we have found a partner with an impressive track record of bringing leading companies to the public markets. The proposed business combination and listing position Polestar as a financially strong, future proof, global electric car company. It will enable us to accelerate our growth, strategy and most importantly, our mission towards sustainable mobility.”
Alec Gores, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Gores Group and Chairman of Gores Guggenheim, said: “Polestar is a stand-out company in the EV space – a design-led, sports-performance oriented electric OEM focused on industry-leading sustainability solutions. The company is truly differentiated from others given its premier vehicles, attractive financial profile, strong track record of performance, and the fact that it already has cars on the road across the globe. I had the privilege of seeing the line-up of upcoming models, and the cars represent best-in-class innovation and industry-leading design that set the brand apart. Driven by an incredible leadership team with Thomas at the helm, Polestar is well-positioned to capitalize on this exciting and dynamic time for car manufacturers.”