Apax Funds acquire Bazooka Candy Brands

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 €16.6m in Bazooka Candy Brands ("Bazooka") on a look-through basis¹.

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®, Push Pop®, Baby Bottle Pop®, Juicy Drop®, and Bazooka Bubble Gum®. The Company's portfolio spans lollipops, gummies, chewy candy, and gum, packed in highly unique formats to deliver Edible Entertainment® 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 retailers². 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-year².

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/ 

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Contact details

Investor Relations - AGA

Katarina Sallerfors

T: [phone]

E: [e-mail]

Footnotes

1.	Apax XI is yet to hold a final close. Figures are based on assumed final commitments and are subject to change.
2. 3. 4.	According to Information Resources Incorporated (IRI). Based on Bloomberg closing EUR/USD FX rate on 6 October of 1.0586. AGA's commitment in Apax XI of c.$700m represents a commitment of $490m in the USD tranche and €198.4.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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