Zendesk Receives $10.2 Billion Buyout Offer
Behind the proposal is a group of investors led by Permira and Hellman & Friedman.
Zendesk will change ownership. Its board of directors has unanimously approved the acquisition offer from a group of investors led by Permira and Hellman & Friedman.
That group also includes a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) and GIC.
If Zendesk shareholders say yes, they will receive $77.50 for each share held. This is a 34% premium over the price at which the shares closed on the last market day before the deal was made public.
In total, it values Zendesk at $10.2 billion. If all goes according to plan, the deal will be completed in the fourth quarter.
And, according to Mikkel Svane, founder, chairman and CEO of Zendesk, it will enable the company to maintain its “growth trajectory.”
“With the support of Hellman & Friedman and Permira,” he says, “we will continue to execute our long-term strategy with our customers as our top priority, taking full advantage of the opportunity we see to help companies explore the ever-changing expectations and demands of their customers.”
“Zendesk has reinvented customer service software and is enabling businesses to transform the way they communicate with their customers in an increasingly digital world,” assesses Ryan Lanpher, partner at Permira.
“We believe Zendesk is uniquely positioned to enable meaningful interactions and deliver compelling business results across any channel,” highlights one of the parties involved in the deal.
