NEW YORK — Barkbox Inc. is now a public company.
The brand completed its previously announced merger with Northern Star Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: STIC), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company. The transaction resulted in the combined company being renamed “The Original BARK Company.” The common stock and warrants began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on June 2 under the ticker symbols “BARK” and “BARK WS,” respectively.
BARK received about $427 million in cash in connection with the merger and related private placement. The funds are expected to be used to expand BARK’s food, home and health product lines, fuel the growth of its toy and treat subscription services, enhance cross-selling opportunities and reach new customers domestically and abroad, according to a press release.
Manish Joneja, CEO of BARK, said, “It is a special day for BARK and our passionate employees as we enter the public markets and continue to deliver on our mission of making all dogs happy through the best products, services and content. The closing of our merger with Northern Star provides us with the platform to bring our renowned BarkBox and Super Chewer toy and treat subscription lines to even more customers, while scaling our newer, high-potential BARK Eats, BARK Bright, and BARK Home initiatives. By building deep, personalized relationships with dogs and their parents, we believe BARK will continue to gain meaningful market share and grow to be synonymous with all things dogs worldwide.”
Joneja will serve as CEO and lead the combined company alongside BARK founders Matt Meeker, Henrik Werdelin and Carly Strife. Meeker will serve as executive chairman. Northern Star Chairperson and CEO Joanna Coles and President and Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Ledecky will serve on the combined company’s board of directors.
Coles said, “The global pet care industry presents a massive, rapidly expanding market opportunity, but remains in the early stages of innovation and disruption. BARK, through its unmatched customer engagement, vertically integrated and data-driven product development, and omni-channel sales approach including subscription services and retail partnerships, is uniquely positioned to capitalize on this opportunity. We are tremendously proud of the Company’s talented, execution-oriented team and are confident in BARK’s ability to create long-term shareholder value while making the world a happier, healthier place for dogs.”
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