Branson’s Virgin Orbit to list in SPAC deal

Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit agreed to go public through a reverse merger with Nextgen Acquisition Corp. II that will value the satellite-launch company at US$3.2 billion.

Investors including Boeing Co. and AE Industrial Partners committed US$100 million to Virgin Orbit through a private investment in public equity, according to a statement Monday. The merger is expected to provide the new company with US$483 million in cash proceeds, bolstering its capital until regular launch operations — and more stable revenue streams — are expected in 2023.

The agreement with Nextgen extends a wave of mergers with special-purpose acquisition companies. Socalled blank-check companies like Nextgen have raised US$129 billion globally this year, more than last year’s record US$84 billion haul, and the deals are playing an increasingly important role in funding new space ventures. A SPAC transaction involving another launch company, Rocket Lab USA, is set to close this week.

The Virgin Orbit merger is expected to close around year-end. The company will trade on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the ticker symbol VORB and keep the Virgin Orbit name.

Boeing rose 3.1 per cent to $219.40 at close in New York. The stock was little changed this year through Aug. 20, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 15 per cent.

Companies including Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corp. are remaking the satellite-launch sector by lowering the cost of missions, in part by reusing rockets. That’s creating opportunities for new businesses in space. Virgin Orbit, which uses a customized Boeing 747 jumbo jet to launch its reusable rockets at about 35,000 feet above sea level, is part of that effort. The company was founded in 2017.

On June 30, Virgin Orbit delivered satellites for commercial and national-security customers. The company has US$300 million in contracts, chief executive Dan Hart said on CNBC. He projected that it would conduct 18 launches in 2023, with the figure growing after that.

“We believe in the importance of the satellite launch market and the capabilities Virgin Orbit brings to the industry,” a Boeing spokesperson said by email.

SPAC transactions have become increasingly difficult to complete, as investors have grown more selective about the private investments in public equity that are typically part of the deals. Lacklustre performance by companies that have gone public through SPACS and scrutiny from short sellers, activists and regulators also have created hurdles to getting deals done.

Another Branson-backed space company, Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc., went public through a SPAC deal in late 2019.