(PRESS RELEASE) -- Foley Trasimene Acquisition Corp. II, a special purpose acquisition company, and Paysafe Group Holdings Limited, a leading integrated payments platform, today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement and plan of merger. Upon closing of the transaction, the newly combined company will operate as Paysafe and plans to list on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol PSFE. The transaction reflects an implied pro-forma enterprise value for Paysafe of approximately $9 billion.
Paysafe is a leading integrated payments platform, with a two-sided consumer and merchant network, whose core purpose is to enable businesses and consumers around the world to connect and transact seamlessly through payment processing, digital wallet, and online cash solutions.
William P. Foley, II, Founder and Chairman of Foley Trasimene, stated, “Upon the formation and initial listing of Foley Trasimene, our team initiated a diligent and thorough search process to source an appropriate partner, with the goal to announce a partnership prior to year end. Thanks to the hard work of our team, we have reached this milestone with Paysafe as our ideal partner. Philip and the entire management team have positioned Paysafe to be a leading global payments platform. We believe we can further enhance Paysafe’s growth trajectory through accelerated operational transformation and M&A, enabled by our de-levered balance sheet. Paysafe delivers a unique value proposition in large and high-growth markets, such as gaming and e-commerce, enabling the company to generate strong organic revenue growth and margin expansion. With a proven strategy and an experienced management team and our newly formed partnership, we believe Paysafe has significant long-term growth potential.”
Philip McHugh, CEO of Paysafe, stated, “Today’s announcement begins an exciting new chapter in our company’s history and we’re excited about the partnership with Foley Trasimene, Blackstone and CVC. Today, more than ever, businesses and consumers need to connect and seamlessly transact via digital commerce. This is what Paysafe does best through our industry-leading payment processing, digital wallet, and online cash solutions. This transaction will allow us to accelerate our growth opportunities across the business, particularly in fast growth sectors such as iGaming where we are the payments partner of choice.”
Martin Brand, a Senior Managing Director at Blackstone, said, “Paysafe has built a leading global e-commerce payment platform under Philip’s leadership. This investment, the largest ever common stock PIPE raised by a special-purpose acquisition company, de-levers the company and positions Paysafe for organic and inorganic future growth. Bill Foley has an exceptional track record of value creation in financial technology and will drive outstanding shareholder returns.”
Peter Rutland, a Managing Partner at CVC, said, “Under Blackstone’s and CVC’s ownership the management team have transformed Paysafe into a leading global payments provider by investing in its technology, products and customer proposition. We are looking forward to remaining significant shareholders alongside Foley Trasimene for the next stage of Paysafe’s growth.”
Stuart C. Harvey, Jr, Chairman of the Paysafe Board of Directors, stated, “Paysafe’s blend of scale, vertical expertise, and broad suite of payment capabilities makes it incredibly well-positioned to continue its strong growth trajectory. In addition, this transaction provides Paysafe with even greater opportunity to strategically expand its innovative payment solutions, execute accretive M&A, and accelerate its growth initiatives. We look forward to seeing Paysafe’s continued success and growth as a public company. “