Nordic payments processor Nets has applied for an Initial Public Offering in a partial share sale that is expected to generate proceeds of about Dkr5.5 billion ($824 million) for equity owners Advent International Corporation and Bain Capital Private Equity, as well as Danish pension fund ATP.
Nets was acquired by the current consortium of shareholders in July 2014 from 186 primarily Danish and Norwegian banks for Dkr17 billion.
The company, which has invested over DKr3.9 billion over the past two and a half years in streamlining its IT platforms and on acquisitions, posted first-half revenues of Dkr3.6 billion, and an adjusted net profit of Dkr603 million.
Bo Nilsson, CEO of Nets, says: “The IPO of Nets is the next step in the development of the Nets group following a period of rapid growth and considerable investment, during which the business has been transformed. Nets is now a highly commercial, customer-centric, innovative leader in the fast-growing digital payments space. We believe these changes, combined with our unique business model and the exceptional efforts from our employees, make us a company well placed for long-term future growth and a compelling story for potential investors.”
Nets, which employs approximately 2,400 employees in six countries across the Nordic region, last year processed approximately 7.3 billion card transactions through its business relationships with more than 300,000 merchants and 240 banks. Nets also has contracts with more than 240,000 corporate customers for payment services and manages over 8 million digital identities.
The company expects to list on the Nasdaq Copenhagen market as early as October.