Grab strikes $40bn deal in record SPAC merger

Southeast Asia’s biggest ride-hailing and food delivery firm, Grab Holdings Inc, agreed a merger yesterday with special-purpose acquisition company Altimeter Growth Corp, securing a valuation of nearly $40 billion and paving the way for a coveted US listing.

The merger, the biggest blankcheque company deal ever, underscores the frenzy on Wall Street as shell firms have raised $99 billion in the United States so far this year after a record $83 billion in 2020.

Singapore-based Grab’s agreement with the SPAC backed by Altimeter Capital includes a more than $4 billion private investment in public equity by investors including BlackRock Inc, Temasek Holdings Ltd, Fidelity International and Janus Henderson Investors.

Grab said its decision to become a public company was driven by a strong financial performance last year.

“Southeast Asia is one of the fastest growing digital economies in the world, with a population approximately twice the size of the United States. Yet online penetration for food delivery, on-demand mobility and electronic transactions are a fraction of the US and China,” Brad Gerstner, founder and CEO of Altimeter, said in a statement.

The equity offering is led by $750 million from funds managed by Altimeter Capital.

The deals for Grab, which was valued at just over $16 billion last year, will be a big win for its early backers such as SoftBank Group Corp and China’s Didi Chuxing.

After the deals, Altimeter Growth and Grab will become fully-owned subsidiaries of a new holding company, which is expected to be valued at about $39.6 billion on an initial proforma equity basis.

The transactions will provide Grab with about $4.5 billion in cash proceeds.

The deals, which have been approved by the boards of both Grab and Altimeter Growth, are expected to close over the next few months, subject to shareholder approvals.

Reuters reported in January that Grab, which has so far raised about $12 billion, was exploring a US listing.

Grab’s agreed transaction will surpass electric vehicle maker Lucid Motors’ $24 billion deal struck with a SPAC in February.