Twilio sent out a PR about buying SendGrid on Tuesday, October 15th, and it seemed to fly past the radar of everyone in real estate. Maybe the lack of interest is because both companies supply backend services to products who need communication services. Building multi-channel communication features in an app just became easier.
Most MLSs, real estate technology companies, and Brokerages leverage SendGrid’s service for email marketing. Others may use Twilio’s communication cloud tools for in-application voice calls, texting from a CRM, online chat, video, and a host of other programmable tools.
Twilio buying SendGrid helps those technology companies who have built communication and email features into their products – web or native mobile app. Significance of this acquisition is having one vendor, with one set of standard API tools, services, and support. Its a new source which simplifies a tech company’s product feature set that uses different communication channels.
An example of a product in real estate is a CRM. CRMs allow users to stay in contact with their customers preferred style of communication such as voice, text, chat, and email. Instead of using several different services in a product, if all goes well, next year all a developer has to do is subscribe to Twilio. Nice job!
Press Release
Twilio To Acquire SendGrid, The Leading Email API Platform
October 15, 2018 – SAN FRANCISCO – (BUSINESS WIRE) – Twilio (NYSE:TWLO) and SendGrid today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for Twilio to acquire SendGrid in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $2 billion. At the exchange ratio of 0.485 shares of Twilio Class A common stock per share of SendGrid common stock, this price equates to approximately $36.92 per share based on today’s closing prices. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2019.
Adding the leading email API platform to the leading cloud communications platform can drive tremendous value to the combined customer bases. The resulting company would offer developers a single, best-in-class platform to manage all of their important communication channels — voice, messaging, video, and now email as well. Together, the companies currently drive more than half a trillion customer interactions annualized*, and growing rapidly.
“Increasingly, our customers are asking us to solve all of their strategic communications challenges – regardless of channel. Email is a vital communications channel for companies around the world, and so it was important to us to include this capability in our platform,” said Jeff Lawson, Twilio’s co-founder and chief executive officer. “The two companies share the same vision, the same model, and the same values. We believe this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring together the two leading developer-focused communications platforms to create the unquestioned platform of choice for all companies looking to transform their customer engagement.”
“This is a tremendous day for all SendGrid customers, employees and shareholders,” said Sameer Dholakia, SendGrid’s chief executive officer. “Our two companies have always shared a common goal – to create powerful communications experiences for businesses by enabling developers to easily embed communications into the software they are building. Our mission is to help our customers deliver communications that drive engagement and growth, and this combination will allow us to accelerate that mission for our customers.”
Details Regarding the Proposed SendGrid Acquisition
The boards of directors of Twilio and SendGrid have each approved the transaction.
Under the terms of the transaction, Twilio Merger Subsidiary, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Twilio, will be merged with and into SendGrid, with SendGrid surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Twilio. At closing, each outstanding share of SendGrid common stock will be converted into the right to receive 0.485 shares of Twilio Class A common stock, which represents a per share price for SendGrid common stock of $36.92 based on the closing price of Twilio Class A common stock on October 15, 2018. The exchange ratio represents a 14% premium over the average exchange ratio for the ten calendar days ending, October 15, 2018.
The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2019, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including shareholder approvals by each of SendGrid’s and Twilio’s respective stockholders and the expiration of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. Certain stockholders of SendGrid owning approximately 6% of the outstanding SendGrid shares have entered into voting agreements and certain stockholders of Twilio who control approximately 33% of total Twilio voting power have entered into voting agreements, or proxies, pursuant to which they have agreed, among other things, and subject to the terms and conditions of the agreements, to vote in favor of the SendGrid acquisition and the issuance of Twilio shares in connection with the SendGrid acquisition, respectively.
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is serving as exclusive financial advisor to Twilio and Goodwin Procter LLP is acting as legal counsel to Twilio. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. is serving as exclusive financial advisor to SendGrid and Cooley LLP and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP are acting as legal counsel to SendGrid.
Q3 2018 Results and Guidance
Both companies will report their respective financial results for the three months ended September 30, 2018 on November 6, 2018. However, both Twilio and SendGrid are announcing that they have exceeded the guidance provided on Aug. 6th and July 31st, respectively, for their third fiscal quarters.
Guidance for the combined company will be provided after the proposed transaction has closed.
Conference Call Information
Twilio will host a conference call today, October 15, 2018, to discuss the SendGrid acquisition, at 2:30 p.m. Pacific Time, 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time. A live webcast of the conference call, as well as a replay of the call, will be available at https://investors.Twilio.com. The conference call can also be accessed by dialing (844) 453-4207, or +1 (647) 253-8638 (outside the U.S. and Canada). The conference ID is 6976357. Following the completion of the call through 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Oct. 22, 2018, a replay will be available by dialing (800) 585-8367 or +1 (416) 621-4642 (outside the U.S. and Canada) and entering passcode 6976357. Twilio has used, and intends to continue to use, its investor relations website as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD.
About SendGrid
SendGrid is a leading digital communications platform enabling businesses to engage with their customers via email reliably, effectively and at scale. A leader in email deliverability, SendGrid has processed over 45 billion emails each month for internet and mobile-based customers as well as more traditional enterprises.
About Twilio
Millions of developers around the world have used Twilio to unlock the magic of communications to improve any human experience. Twilio has democratized communications channels like voice, text, chat, and video by virtualizing the world’s telecommunications infrastructure through APIs that are simple enough for any developer to use, yet robust enough to power the world’s most demanding applications. By making communications a part of every software developer’s toolkit, Twilio is enabling innovators across every industry — from emerging leaders to the world’s largest organizations — to reinvent how companies engage with their customers.
