(PRESS RELEASE) MONTREAL — Lightspeed, the one-stop commerce platform for merchants around the world to simplify, scale and create exceptional customer experiences, announced it has entered into definitive agreements to acquire two global leaders in digital commerce. Once closed, the acquisitions will provide Lightspeed customers new entry points to the digital economy, unprecedented supply chain management as well as increased opportunities to provide outstanding customer experiences online.
Over the past year, commerce has fundamentally transformed for the businesses that make up the backbone of the global economy. New businesses need fast and easy ways to sell online, while established merchants plan to invest even more in the tools and experiences that will unite their digital and physical operations. Lightspeed will acquire Ecwid, a US-based best-in-class global eCommerce platform, that allows customers to create standalone businesses in minutes. Once integrated, the combination of Lightspeed and Ecwid will help merchants to reach shoppers where they are, whether on social media or digital marketplaces, ushering in newfound selling flexibility and omnichannel experiences.
In addition, following the strong initial reception and success of the Lightspeed Supplier Network, Lightspeed has announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire NuORDER, a transformative digital platform connecting businesses and suppliers. Together, Lightspeed and NuORDER will create an industry-leading bridge between the merchant and supplier experience, simplifying product ordering for retailers and offering brands crucial insight into how their products move. The acquisition will capitalize on the early success of the Lightspeed Supplier Network and accelerate the growth of Lightspeed’s financial services offerings, including Lightspeed Payments and Lightspeed Capital, while establishing the company as a global distribution network for leading brands, such as Canada Goose, Converse and Arc’teryx.
“By joining forces with Ecwid and NuORDER, Lightspeed becomes the common thread uniting merchants, suppliers and consumers, a transformation we believe will enable innovative retailers to adapt to the new world of commerce,” said Dax Dasilva, founder and CEO of Lightspeed. “As economies reopen and business creation accelerates, we hope to embolden entrepreneurs with the tools they need to simplify their operations and scale their ambitions.”
“The distinction between online and brick-and-mortar retail has disappeared. Lightspeed and Ecwid, two best-in-class platforms, will unite to truly empower businesses. By eliminating the barriers merchants face when selling online, we will only more rapidly achieve our common vision of democratizing retail for independent businesses worldwide and enrich the communities they serve,” said Ecwid CEO, Ruslan Fazlyev.
“At NuORDER, we have been on a journey to revolutionize retail by building a global network for brands and retailers. The coming together of Lightspeed and NuORDER accelerates that vision exponentially. The power of connected commerce comes to life now,” said NuORDER cofounders and co-CEO’s Olivia Skuza and Heath Wells. “We are thrilled to join forces with Lightspeed to unlock transformative value for brands and retailers globally. This represents an inflection point in the history of retail.”
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Subsequent to the closing of the acquisitions of Ecwid and NuORDER, Lightspeed will serve as the technology partner of choice for hundreds of thousands of customer locations and thousands of suppliers worldwide.
Details of Transactions
Ecwid currently serves over 130,000 paying customers in over 100 countries around the world. In the period ended March 31, 2021, Ecwid generated revenue2 of over $20 million, growing at a rate of more than 50% year-over-year. Lightspeed will acquire Ecwid for total estimated consideration of approximately $500 million, satisfied by way of payment on closing of approximately $175 million in cash and issuance of subordinate voting shares in the capital of Lightspeed valued at approximately $325 million. The deal, which is subject to customary closing conditions and post-closing working capital adjustment, is expected to close during the quarter ended September 30, 2021 after the receipt of applicable regulatory approvals. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC served as exclusive financial advisor to Ecwid and RBC served as advisor to Lightspeed on the Ecwid transaction.
NuORDER currently serves over 3,000 brands and saw more than 100,000 retailers make more than $11.5 billion in orders through its platform in the trailing twelve month period ended March 31, 2021. It generated revenue2 of over $20 million and grew at a rate exceeding 30% year-overyear during the same period. Lightspeed will acquire NuORDER for total estimated consideration of approximately $425 million, satisfied by way of payment on closing of approximately $212.5 million in cash and the issuance of subordinate voting shares in the capital of Lightspeed valued at approximately $212.5 million. The deal, which is subject to customary closing conditions and post-closing working capital adjustment, is expected to close during the quarter ended September 30, 2021 after the receipt of applicable regulatory approvals. The closing of the two acquisitions are not contingent on each other.
