Autonomous truck startup Plus to go public through $3.3b SPAC merger
May 11, 2021
Plus, a US autonomous truck startup backed by Sequoia Capital China, plans to go public by merging with special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Hennessy Capital Investment Corp V in a deal that values it at about $3.3 billion.
According to a statement on Monday, Plus will generate about $500 million in gross proceeds through the SPAC merger to accelerate commercialisation and expand global operations.
The amount includes $150 million from a private investment in public equity (PIPE) deal, which refers to the practice of private investors buying publicly traded stock at a price below the current price available to the public. The PIPE deal roped in investors, including global asset manager BlackRock, New York-based hedge fund D.E. Shaw Group, and other institutional investors.