AvePoint和Apex宣佈首次公開併購上市

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By TJ
發布日期: 11/23/2020
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我們宣佈AvePoint將通過20億美元首次公開發行股票並上市,首次公開募股(IPO)會通過採取特殊目的收購公司(SPAC)的方式進行。 我很榮幸將繼續帶領AvePoint邁向3.0時代開啟新征程。

這不論是對AvePoint本身或是對我們的客戶而言都無疑是個好消息。 資金的注入將有助於我們進一步擴大創新規模,圍繞Microsoft 365和其他數位協作平台創造更多更具價值的解決方案。 同時,我們也絕不會停下全球版圖擴張的腳步,除了增強通路行銷力道,也進一步支援我們提供代管服務的合作夥伴。

上一次我們宣布獲得重要投資是在今年一月,我介紹了那筆資金對客戶而言意味著什麼以及說明了走到今日我們所倚賴的立足之本。

How It Started
How Its Going

著眼於我們現在取得的成績,與其回顧過去,我更想帶大家了解我向投資者們做公司介紹時的幕後故事。 只是寥寥幾張簡單的投影片卻也涵蓋了關於我們是誰、推動我們前進的理念以及未來走向的大藍圖。

Agility and Invention

如果我只能挑選一張投影片講述AvePoint的故事,那麼非”它”莫屬。 回顧整段歷程,我不禁自問AvePoint作為一家公司的本質,我的答案是:不論現在或是未來,我們都將是開拓Microsoft 365和數位協作疆界的核心創新者。

從這張圖片,您一定能發現AvePoint所取得的成功並不是靠一招走天下,也絕非曇花一現。 我們始終走在前面:從還在光碟安裝DocAve的時代成為SharePoint資料遷移的第一家供應商開始,然後率先將解決方案推向為Microsoft Cloud上的IaaS/PaaS平台,最終並成功實現SaaS的轉型;再到最新研發的Policies & Insights,市場上第一款能夠自動識別、處理並防止Microsoft 365敏感資訊洩露的SaaS產品。

靈活應變說的輕鬆,做卻很難。 如今,除了那些家喻戶曉的產業霸主,很少有科技公司能夠撐過20歲的”高齡”,特別是保持蓬勃發展且不斷創新的公司。靈活是我們最為崇尚的公司理念,它使我們應時而變、順勢而為且乘勢而上。也正是這種價值觀使我們挺過了2013到2016年這段比較困難的時期,也正是在那段時間裡,我們全面轉型成為今日SaaS模式的企業。

迎合產業需求,增強組織協作信心

說到乘勢而上,這張投影片解答了為什麼此刻是上市的最好時機。 資料爆炸式增長、規範法規紛至沓來、上雲腳步如火如荼、Microsoft Teams使用大幅攀升等等,這些都是在大流行之前推動我們成長的趨勢,而疫情影響又大大加速了上述情況的發展。

數位轉型的過程是有副作用的,我們的解決方案能幫助企業透過高效轉換、自動化治理以及合規性管制提升數位協作的生產力。 換句話說,現在就是我們的時刻,我們需要擴大營運規模以滿足當前和未來客戶的需求,而上市將幫我們實現這一目標。

微軟專業領域和合作夥伴關係

沒有微軟,AvePoint無以至今日。 這不僅僅是我們支援的SharePoint和Microsoft 365平台的發展壯大,同樣也有我們之間日益密切的合作關係。 AvePoint證明了跟隨微軟的腳步,公司也可以蓬勃發展,而不是被碾壓。

對AvePoint而言,作為微軟數十萬合作夥伴中的一員顯然是不夠的,我們要成為的是微軟關鍵的合作夥伴。 因此,我們進一步發展創新技術、合作關係及數位平台,這使我們能夠提供更具價值的服務。

超越當下科技的專業技能拓

如果AvePoint僅是安逸地當個SharePoint專家,我們也不會有今天。 沒錯,我們不僅深入研究微軟系列產品中的專業技術,也著力於培養圍繞在如何支援和擴展企業資料保護、合規和協作的自主研發實力。

我們並不是Microsoft Teams記錄和治理的專家,我們是企業檔案管理和技術治理的專家。 這一區別讓我們能夠跨平台地為各式各樣的企業創造更多價值。

這張投影片所展示的另一個關鍵是——我們產品發展的重心已不像許多競爭對手提供的那種僅僅是監控和提醒的系統。 我們對自己的挑戰是:我們如何能更進一步,開發一套自動化系統以減少或消除繁瑣任務的人力需求?

快速穩步增長

這是我最喜歡的投影片之一,因為它顯示了像AvePoint這樣的企業級SaaS公司在保持獲利的同時,呈現強勁的增長態勢是多麼困難。 在美國212家上市軟體公司中, AvePoint是僅有的5家收入增長速度超過25%且保持高於10%的息稅前(EBIT)利潤率的公司之一。

這也反應了公司的穩步發展以及市場對AvePoint解決方案的強勁需求。

關注客戶價值

貫穿整個過程,當您也在準備、查驗和探討公司的增長數值時,往往很容易忽略這其實歸根於您向客戶提供的產品與服務的價值。

有一些公司在沒有明確價值定位的情況下達到了高估值,這的確讓人印象深刻,但公司價值和客戶價值終究會趨同一致。

在AvePoint,我們一直以自己的解決方案不僅僅是一個監控提醒系統為傲。 我們標榜自動化,為您的團隊節省時間,最終實現資料合規與安全。

未來可期

“AvePoint”這個名字來源於公司的共同創始人Kai Gong。 那天他像往常一樣穿梭於紐約街頭,無意間透過一個新的視角看到了時代廣場。 他意識到時代廣場正是大道(avenue)的匯集處,將人才、創意和能量通通匯集在一起。 AvePoint源自於他的夢想,他期待AvePoint最終也能像時代廣場這一”點”(point)一樣海納八方之路,實現自信無虞的合作。

AvePoint的標識不止代表著日出東山的景象,同樣也淺淺幾筆勾勒出一個低頭鞠躬的人物形象。 這代表著每一位AvePoint人的特質,那就是:懷揣鴻鵠之志、努力與眾不同、時刻保持謙遜。

本著這種精神,我想感謝為AvePoint的成長做出過貢獻和曾陪伴我們走過20年旅程的每一位。 我們的名字、標誌和存在的意義皆是圍繞我們的願景,那就是為您創造價值。

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No Offer or Solicitation
This communication shall not constitute a solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the business combination discussed herein. This communication also shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any states or jurisdictions in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act, or an exemption therefrom.

Important Information for Investors and Stockholders
This press release relates to a proposed transaction between AvePoint and Apex. In connection with the proposed transaction, Apex intends to file a registration statement on Form S-4 with the SEC, which will also include a document that serves as a prospectus and proxy statement of Apex, referred to as a proxy statement/prospectus. A proxy statement/prospectus will be sent to all Apex shareholders. Apex will file other documents regarding the proposed transaction with the SEC. Before making any voting decision, investors and security holders of Apex are urged to read the registration statement, the proxy statement/prospectus and all other relevant documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction as they become available because they will contain important information about the proposed transaction.

Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the registration statement, the proxy statement/prospectus and all other relevant documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC by Apex through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, the websites referenced in this press release is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part of, this press release.

Participants in the Solicitation
Apex and its directors and officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies of Apex’s stockholders in connection with the proposed transaction. Apex’s stockholders and other interested persons may obtain, without charge, more detailed information regarding the directors and officers of Apex in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, which has been filed with the SEC. Additional information will be available in the definitive proxy statement/prospectus when it becomes available.

author
By TJ

Dr. Tianyi Jiang (TJ) co-founded AvePoint in 2001 and has served as the organization's Chief Executive Officer since 2005. TJ is responsible for overall strategy and direction of AvePoint, which includes product innovation, investor relations, and business development. He is focused on delivering value to customers, partners, shareholders, and the AvePoint team, every day. A recipient of Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award in New Jersey in 2010, TJ received both B.S. and master’s in electrical and computer engineering from Cornell University, and a Master of Philosophy and PhD in Data Mining from Department of Information Systems, Operations Management, and Statistics, Stern School of Business, New York University.

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