$110 Million in Committed Capital from New and Existing Investors Will Support ORBCOMM’s Global Growth Strategy
ORBCOMM, a global satellite telecommunications company, today announced that it has completed equity financings totaling over $110 million led by Pacific Corporate Group (PCG), which committed $60 million. New investors, in addition to PCG, include investment firms MH Equity Investors and Torch Hill Capital. Several existing investors also contributed to these financings including Ridgewood Capital, OHB Technology AG, Northwood Ventures and senior management.
“This latest investment, with significant contributions from Pacific Corporate Group, a top-tier firm, further validates the uniqueness of our technology and our ability to bring cost-effective, high-quality infrastructure and asset tracking satellite services to businesses that have assets located anywhere in the world,” said Jerry Eisenberg, CEO of ORBCOMM. “This new funding allows us to accelerate our satellite replenishment program in order to support our rapidly growing customer base and offer new products and services. Attracting such high-quality investors reflects their belief in our ability to deliver significant value to our customers, our resellers and our hardware partners.”
“Pacific Corporate Group’s investment in ORBCOMM reflects our strategy of investing in well-managed, established companies that have significant growth potential,” said Tim Kelleher, a Managing Director of Pacific Corporate Group. “We were attracted to this sector by growing recognition of the productivity and security benefits of telemetric and telematic solutions. We expect these technologies to become a commercial imperative in coming years. ORBCOMM is a leading player and has positioned itself to rapidly grow its customer base by offering satellite-based global coverage, service reliability and competitive pricing.”
Proceeds from the financings will be used primarily to fund ORBCOMM’s next generation satellite program, which will replenish the existing 30 satellites in ORBCOMM’s low-earth orbit constellation and upgrade the network’s infrastructure over the next few years. These next generation satellites will have unique features and additional capabilities, which will allow ORBCOMM and its partners to offer new products and services. Following the final stages of a competitive bidding process, ORBCOMM anticipates signing contracts early in 2006 with vendors who will partner on the first deployment of this satellite replenishment program.
UBS Investment Bank acted as placement agent and sole financial advisor to ORBCOMM in connection with the placement to institutional investors. Chadbourne & Parke LLP acted as legal advisor to ORBCOMM.
About ORBCOMM
ORBCOMM is a wireless telecommunications company that provides reliable, cost-effective data communications services to customers around the world through its unique low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite network and global ground infrastructure. A diverse customer base, including industry leaders General Electric, Caterpillar Inc., Volvo Group, XATA, Komatsu and Itron, uses ORBCOMM services to track, monitor and control mobile and fixed assets including trucks, containers, marine vessels, locomotives, heavy machinery, pipelines, oil wells, utility meters and storage tanks anywhere in the world. For more information call 1-800-ORBCOMM or visit its Web site at www.orbcomm.com.
About Pacific Corporate Group (PCG)
Founded in 1979, Pacific Corporate Group is an investment, fund management and advisory firm focused solely on private equity. The firm has two operating units, PCG Asset Management and PCG Capital Partners. PCG Asset Management conducts Pacific Corporate Group’s partnership investment business, which oversees institutional private equity portfolios through a combination of discretionary management and advisory arrangements. PCG Capital Partners manages a $500 million, institutionally funded, private limited partnership that provides customized, non-control, equity financing solutions to help established companies fund strategic and growth initiatives. Pacific Corporate Group’s research-based approach identifies transactions not typically pursued by leveraged buyout and venture capital strategies. Since 1993, Pacific Corporate Group has invested approximately $1 billion of private equity capital in companies across several industries including energy, consumer products, financial services, business services, healthcare and telecommunications.
This release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding ORBCOMM’s expected commercial operations. These forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and ORBCOMM’s actual results and operations may be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements.
Contacts
ORBCOMM
Laura Conover, Public Relations
732-761-8998 ext. 12
or
Pacific Corporate Group/PCG Capital Partners
Roy Winnick, Kekst and Company
212-521-4842