APAX Apax Global Alpha Limited

TIDMAPAX

RNS Number : 6790P

Apax Global Alpha Limited

11 October 2023

Apax Global Alpha Limited

Funds advised by Apax acquire Bazooka Candy Brands

Apax Global Alpha, the closed-ended investment company providing access to the Apax Private Equity Funds, today announced that it has invested approximately EUR16.6m in Bazooka Candy Brands ("Bazooka") on a look-through basis(1) .

On 10(th) October 2023, the Apax XI Fund ("Apax XI"), in which AGA is a limited partner, announced that it had acquired Bazooka, a portfolio of leading non-chocolate confectionary ("NCC") brands, from Michael D. Eisner's Tornante Company and funds affiliated with Madison Dearborn Partners ("MDP").

Bazooka produces, markets, and distributes a range of iconic confectionary brands, including Ring Pop(R), Push Pop(R), Baby Bottle Pop(R), Juicy Drop(R), and Bazooka Bubble Gum(R). The Company's portfolio spans lollipops, gummies, chewy candy, and gum, packed in highly unique formats to deliver Edible Entertainment(R) experiences to generations of customers since 1947. Within the US, Bazooka is a top-10 manufacturer in the NCC category and holds a leading share position in 'front of store sales', a coveted, high margin segment for retailers(2) . Products are distributed worldwide with c.80% of sales in the US across a broad network of channels, with the remaining c.20% of sales occurring internationally in over 40 countries. Over the past several years, Bazooka's U.S. retail sales growth has significantly outpaced the overall confectionary category, and in the year-to-date period through August 2023, retail sales have grown approximately 29% year-over-year(2) .

Apax's Internet/Consumer sector team, working in partnership with Bazooka's management team, will look to stand the company up as an independent business and build on the success of Bazooka's global portfolio of beloved confectionery brands. In support of its growth efforts, the team will focus on distribution growth, product innovation, geographic expansion, and the strategic acquisition of brands in complementary categories.

Note that AGA's investment in Bazooka is calculated based on the look-through position of Apax XI's overall investment in Bazooka and is translated based on the exchange rates at close3.

AGA, whose shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange, provides investors with access to a diversified portfolio of private equity funds advised by Apax as well as a focused portfolio of mostly debt investments. In June 2022, AGA made a commitment of c. $700m to Apax XI.(4)

For more information about the transaction, please visit: https://www.apax.com/news/press-releases/

Contact details

Investor Relations - AGA

Katarina Sallerfors

T: +44 7436908492

E: katarina.sallerfors@apax.com

Footnotes

 
 1.     Apax XI is yet to hold a final close. Figures are based 
         on assumed final commitments and are subject to change. 
 2.     According to Information Resources Incorporated (IRI). 
  3.      Based on Bloomberg closing EUR/USD FX rate on 6 October 
          of 1.0586. 
   4.    AGA's commitment in Apax XI of c.$700m represents a commitment 
          of $490m in the USD tranche and EUR198.4.m in the euro 
          tranche. 
 
 
 

Notes

 
 1.   Note that references in this announcement to Apax Global Alpha 
       Limited have been abbreviated to "AGA" or "the Company". References 
       to Apax Partners LLP have been abbreviated to "Apax Partners" 
       or "the Investment Adviser" 
 2.   Please be advised that this announcement may contain inside 
       information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations 
       (EU) NO. 596/2014 ("MAR") 
 3.   This announcement is not for release, publication or distribution, 
       directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, into or within 
       the United States or to "US persons" (as defined in Regulation 
       S under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended 
       (the "Securities Act")) or into or within Australia, Canada, 
       South Africa or Japan. Recipients of this announcement in jurisdictions 
       outside the UK should inform themselves about and observe any 
       applicable legal requirements in their jurisdictions. In particular, 
       the distribution of the announcement may be restricted by law 
       in certain jurisdictions 
 4.   The information presented herein is not an offer for sale within 
       the United States of any equity shares or other securities 
       of Apax Global Alpha Limited ("AGA"). AGA has not been and 
       will not be registered under the US Investment Company Act 
       of 1940, as amended (the "Investment Company Act"). In addition, 
       AGA's shares (the "Shares") have not been and will not be registered 
       under the Securities Act or any other applicable law of the 
       United States. Consequently, the Shares may not be offered 
       or sold or otherwise transferred within the United States, 
       or to, or for the account or benefit of, US Persons, except 
       pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements 
       of the Securities Act and under circumstances which will not 
       require AGA to register under the Investment Company Act. No 
       public offering of the Shares is being made in the United States 
 5.   This announcement may include forward-looking statements. The 
       words "expect", "anticipate", "intends", "plan", "estimate", 
       "aim", "forecast", "project" and similar expressions (or their 
       negative) identify certain of these forward-looking statements. 
       These forward-looking statements are statements regarding AGA's 
       intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning, among 
       other things, AGA's results of operations, financial condition, 
       liquidity, prospects, growth and strategies. The forward-looking 
       statements in this presentation are based on numerous assumptions 
       regarding AGA's present and future business strategies and 
       the environment in which AGA will operate in the future. Forward-looking 
       statements involve inherent known and unknown risks, uncertainties 
       and contingencies because they relate to events and depend 
       on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future and 
       may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of 
       AGA to be materially different from those expressed or implied 
       by such forward looking statements. Many of these risks and 
       uncertainties relate to factors that are beyond AGA's ability 
       to control or estimate precisely, such as future market conditions, 
       currency fluctuations, the behaviour of other market participants, 
       the actions of regulators and other factors such as AGA's ability 
       to continue to obtain financing to meet its liquidity needs, 
       changes in the political, social and regulatory framework in 
       which AGA operates or in economic or technological trends or 
       conditions. Past performance should not be taken as an indication 
       or guarantee of future results, and no representation or warranty, 
       express or implied, is made regarding future performance. AGA 
       expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release 
       any updates or revisions to these forward-looking statements 
       to reflect any change in AGA's expectations with regard thereto 
       or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which 
       any statement is based after the date of this announcement, 
       or to update or to keep current any other information contained 
       in this announcement. Accordingly, undue reliance should not 
       be placed on the forward-looking statements, which speak only 
       as of the date of this announcement. 
 

About Apax Global Alpha Limited

AGA is a Guernsey registered closed-ended collective investment scheme incorporated as a non-cellular company that listed on the London Stock Exchange on 15 June 2015. It is regulated by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission.

AGA's objective is to provide shareholders with capital appreciation from its investment portfolio and regular dividends. The Company is targeting an annualised Total Return, across economic cycles, of 12-15% (net of fees and expenses) including a dividend yield of 5% of Net Asset Value.

The investment policy of the Company is to make Private Equity investments in Apax Funds, and Derived Investments which are investments in equities and debt derived from the insights gained via Apax Partners' Private Equity activities.

Further information regarding the Company and its publications are available on the Company's website at www.apaxglobalalpha.com.

About Apax

Apax Partners LLP ("Apax") is a leading global private equity advisory firm. For 50 years, Apax has worked to inspire growth and ideas that transform businesses. The firm has raised and advised funds with aggregate commitments of more than $65 billion. The Apax Funds invest in companies across four global sectors of Tech, Services, Healthcare and Internet/Consumer. These funds provide long-term equity financing to build and strengthen world-class companies. For further information about Apax, please visit www.apax.com .

Apax is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK.

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October 11, 2023 02:00 ET (06:00 GMT)