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MUSIC streaming company Guvera has confirmed year-long rumours that it plans to list on the Australian Securities Exchange after today launching a $588 million float.
Guvera, which joins a growing list of new public companies based on the Gold Coast, has lodged a prospectus with the ASX offering between 40 million and 80 million shares at an issue price of $1 each. The company has the ability to accept oversubscriptions for a further 20 million shares.
The proceeds of the offer will be used to repay creditors and fund the sales expansion activities in a number of its markets.
Upon a successful listing, Guvera is expected to have a market capitalisation of around $588 million.
Guvera is a music streaming service offering legal access to millions of songs and content from local and international artists through its patented, brand-funded entertainment platform.
Guvera holds registered patents in its major markets and has music rights with more than 80 music labels, aggregators and rights bodies around the world.
Most recently the company was scrutinised for boasting to investors about millions of people registering to its service, despite internal concerns the numbers were misrepresented.
In a shareholder update earlier this year, the company reported that user numbers had risen to 15 million. However, it is not clear how many people are listening or just registering for the service. In its prospectus, Guvera says it has 14 million users.
In another embroilment, Guvera purchased Blinkbox from Tesco in 2015, but the business went into administration within six months and Guvera wrote off a reported $2.3 million. Legal proceedings are in motion around the purchase of that business.
However, the setbacks have not stopped the business that hopes to rival Spotify from listing on the ASX.
AMMA Private Equity, which is chaired by Guvera's CEO Darren Herft, has agreed to underwrite $10 million of the funds raised under the offer, conditional on Guvera raising $30 million. Herft is the sole director of AMMA Private Equity and owns 50 per cent of the underwriter.
Guvera chair Phil Quartararo, who has more than 30 years' experience in the music industry as president of Warners Brothers Records and CEO of Virgin Records America, says the time for a new opportunity in the music industry has never been better.
"Primarily focused on mobile digital advertising, Guvera's revenue model replicates that of a major social media platform," says Quartararo.
"The provision of music is a mass-market service, and I believe Guvera is the best positioned music company to take advantage of this mobile advertising explosion."
Melbourne-based D H Flinders Corporate Advisory is acting as the lead manager to Guvera for the IPO.
Guvera was founded by Claes Loberg, Darren Herft and Brad Christiansen.
Read more about Guvera:
- GOLD COAST TOP COMPANIES 2016
- GUVERA: YOU HAVE TO SPEND TO MAKE MONEY
- TEN MILLION PEOPLE IN TUNE WITH GUVERA
- THE TRAILBLAZER: CLAES LOBERG
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