Shift Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: SFT), a leading end-to-end
ecommerce platform for buying and selling used cars, and CarLotz,
Inc. (Nasdaq: LOTZ), a leading consignment-to-retail used vehicle
marketplace, announced today that they have entered into a
definitive agreement to combine in a stock-for-stock merger. The
combined company will continue to trade on Nasdaq under the ticker
SFT.
The combination will create the destination for the best online
and in-person used car purchasing experience, allowing the customer
to seamlessly shop the broadest assortment of used vehicle
inventory, and complete the transaction however they prefer.
The merger brings together the most profitable assets of both
companies. The two businesses have complementary geographies, with
Shift’s footprint concentrated on the West Coast, while CarLotz has
built a strong presence in the mid-Atlantic region. CarLotz will be
able to leverage Shift’s proprietary inventory acquisition engine
and at-home delivery offering to obtain differentiated inventory
and expand its geographic footprint, while Shift will be able to
leverage CarLotz’s presence to scale its dealer marketplace on the
East Coast.
“The Shift and CarLotz teams have admired each other and our
respective businesses for quite some time. We’ve always seen a
considerable amount of strategic and cost synergies with a combined
entity,” said George Arison, Shift’s Co-Founder and CEO. “We are
strongly convinced that the merger will put us in a position to
pursue a profitable future. As such, this is a transformative
moment in Shift’s history by enabling us to advance our vision to
be the end-to-end destination for car ownership that controls its
own destiny.”
“While this is an exciting day for both companies, the merging
of Shift and CarLotz will be most beneficial to consumers looking
to buy or sell a used car,” said Lev Peker, CEO of CarLotz.
“Shift’s technology and consumer sourcing abilities combined with
our consignment and retail remarketing expertise will provide one
extraordinary, omnichannel experience."
“We see immense opportunity in combining Shift’s proprietary
acquisition engine, which excels in buying cars from customers,
with CarLotz’s unique consignment relationships to create a truly
differentiated inventory strategy,” said Jeff Clementz, Shift’s
President and incoming CEO. “There’s also potential to leverage
Shift’s back-end technology and online checkout flow at CarLotz’s
retail locations, to drive significant process and cost
efficiencies.”
Under the terms of the merger agreement, CarLotz shareholders
are expected to receive approximately 0.692158 shares of Shift
common stock for each share of CarLotz common stock. The actual
exchange ratio will be adjusted at the closing based on Shift’s
issued and outstanding shares prior to the effective time of the
merger, relative to the fully diluted CarLotz shares prior to the
effective time of the merger. Based on the expected exchange ratio,
upon the closing of the merger Shift’s then-current equity holders
will own approximately 52.9% of the combined company, and CarLotz’s
then-current equity holders will own approximately 47.1% of the
combined company, calculated on a fully diluted basis. We expect
the transaction to close in Q4 2022 subject to CarLotz’s and
Shift’s shareholders' approvals and other customary and regulatory
approvals.
Shift is advised by Centerview Partners and Cohen & Company
Capital Markets, a division of J.V.B. Financial Group, LLC. as
financial advisor and Jenner & Block LLP as legal counsel.
CarLotz is advised by William Blair & Company as financial
advisor and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP as legal
counsel.
More information regarding the merger can be found in the
presentation on Shift’s investor relations website.
About ShiftShift is a leading end-to-end auto
ecommerce platform transforming the used car industry with a
technology-driven, hassle-free customer experience. Shift’s mission
is to make car purchase and ownership simple — to make buying or
selling a used car fun, fair, and accessible to everyone. Shift
provides comprehensive, digital solutions throughout the car
ownership lifecycle, enabling customers to purchase a vehicle
online with financing and vehicle protection products, and a vision
to provide high-value support services during car ownership. For
more information please visit www.shift.com.
About CarLotzCarLotz operates a
consignment-to-retail used vehicle marketplace that provides its
corporate vehicle sourcing partners and retail sellers of used
vehicles with the ability to easily access the retail sales
channel. CarLotz’s mission is to create the world's greatest
vehicle buying and selling experience. The Company operates a
technology-enabled buying, sourcing, and selling model that offers
an omni-channel experience and diverse selection of vehicles.
CarLotz’s technology provides its corporate vehicle sourcing
partners with real-time performance metrics and data analytics,
along with custom business intelligence reporting that enables
vehicle triage optimization between the wholesale and retail
channels. For more information please visit www.carlotz.com.
Important Additional Information In connection
with the proposed transaction, Shift Technologies, Inc. (“Shift”)
intends to file a registration statement on Form S-4 with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), that will include a
joint proxy statement of Shift and CarLotz, that also constitutes a
prospectus of Shift (the “joint proxy statement/prospectus”).
Security holders of Shift and CarLotz are urged to carefully read
the entire registration statement and joint proxy
statement/prospectus and other relevant documents filed with the
SEC when they become available, because they will contain important
information. A definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus will be
sent to Shift’s shareholders and to CarLotz’s shareholders.
Security holders will be able to obtain the registration statement
and the joint proxy statement/prospectus from the SEC’s website or
from Shift or CarLotz as described in the paragraph below.
The documents filed by Shift with the SEC may be obtained free
of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. These documents may
also be obtained free of charge from Shift by requesting them by
mail at 290 Division Street, Suite 400, San Francisco, California.
The documents filed by CarLotz with the SEC may be obtained free of
charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. These documents may
also be obtained free of charge from CarLotz by requesting them by
mail at 3301 W. Moore St., Richmond, Virginia 23230.
Participants in the SolicitationShift, CarLotz
and certain of their directors, executive officers and employees
may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies in
connection with the proposed transaction. Information regarding the
persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be deemed participants
in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed
transaction, including a description of their direct or indirect
interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be set forth in
the joint proxy statement/prospectus when it is filed with the SEC.
Information about the directors and executive officers of CarLotz
is set forth in the definitive proxy statement for CarLotz’s 2022
annual meeting of stockholders, as previously filed with the SEC on
April 29, 2022 and in CarLotz’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on March 15, 2022,
as supplemented by CarLotz subsequent filings with the SEC.
Information about the directors and executive officers of Shift and
their ownership of Shift shares is set forth in the definitive
proxy statement for Shift’s 2022 annual meeting of stockholders, as
previously filed with the SEC on June 26, 2022. Free copies of
these documents may be obtained as described in the paragraph
above.
No Offer or SolicitationThis communication
shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an
offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any
securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any
jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be
unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the
securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities
shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the
requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, and otherwise in accordance with applicable law.
Forward-Looking StatementsThis communication
includes “forward looking statements” within the meaning of the
“safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be
identified by the use of words such as “forecast,” “intend,”
“seek,” “target,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “estimate,”
“plan,” “outlook,” and “project” and other similar expressions that
predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not
statements of historical matters. Such forward-looking statements,
including those regarding the timing and consummation of the
transactions described herein, involve risks and uncertainties.
Shift’s and CarLotz’s experience and results may differ materially
from the experience and results anticipated in such statements. A
number of factors could cause actual results or outcomes to differ
materially from those indicated by such forward looking statements.
These factors include, but are not limited to: (1) the risk that
the conditions to the closing of the transaction are not satisfied,
including the risk that required approvals from the stockholders of
Shift or CarLotz for the transaction are not obtained; (2)
litigation relating to the transaction; (3) uncertainties as to the
timing of the consummation of the transaction and the ability of
each party to consummate the transaction; (4) risks that the
proposed transaction disrupts the current plans and operations of
Shift or CarLotz; (5) the ability of Shift and CarLotz to retain
and hire key personnel; (6) competitive responses to the proposed
transaction; (7) unexpected costs, charges or expenses resulting
from the transaction; (8) potential adverse reactions or changes to
business relationships resulting from the announcement or
completion of the transaction; (9) the combined companies’ ability
to achieve the synergies expected from the transaction, as well as
delays, challenges and expenses associated with integrating the
combined companies’ existing businesses; and (10) legislative,
regulatory and economic developments. Other factors that might
cause such a difference include those discussed in Shift’s and
CarLotz’s filings with the SEC, which include their Annual Reports
on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on
Form 8-K, and in the joint proxy statement/prospectus on Form S-4
to be filed in connection with the proposed transaction. For more
information, see the section entitled “Risk Factors” and the
forward looking statements disclosure contained in Shift’s and
CarLotz’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K and in other filings. The
forward-looking statements included in this communication are made
only as of the date hereof and, except as required by federal
securities laws and rules and regulations of the SEC, Shift and
CarLotz undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise.
Media Contactpress@shift.com
Leslie Grilesleslie.griles@CarLotz.com
CarLotz (NASDAQ:LOTZ)
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