ABOUT THE COMPANY:
The Company developed and manufactured a revolutionary countertop molecular beverage printer. Customers use Cana’s touchscreen display to explore, discover, and create their perfect drink. The signature product, Cana One, “prints” thousands of beverages—ranging from juice to soft drinks to coffee to wine—from a single cartridge without the need for plastic, aluminum, glass or other wasteful containers.
SITUATION:
The Company successfully developed several prototypes proving the technology works. Scaling up the manufacture and distribution of the novel product and its supply chain, however, would require a level of investment that proved difficult to bring in. Facing a difficult fundraising environment for growth capital in 2023, with current investors having reached capacity, the Company needed to weigh difficult options.
ENGAGEMENT:
G2 helped Cana and its primary VC sponsor evaluate various paths forward, and the parties agreed to mutually execute an assignment for the benefit of creditors (“ABC”). G2 created a special-purpose entity to serve as assignee, with responsibility to pursue a sale of the assets and wind down the corporate entity.
OUTCOME:
As assignee, G2’s special purpose entity immediately launched a vigorous IP sale process with an ambitious timeline. In parallel the Assignee wound down corporate operations and oversaw the efforts of an outside equipment liquidator. Leveraging G2’s robust investment banking capabilities and contacts, the team brought multiple parties through advanced due diligence, ultimately negotiating a sale of the IP to a strategic. The Assignee then distributed proceeds to creditors.
ABOUT THE COMPANY:
Prismo Systems raised nearly $30 million to redesign cybersecurity. Backed by some of the most storied names in venture capital, the Company developed a product providing enhanced security to the software that powers modern enterprises across the software development lifecycle.
SITUATION:
Rapidly shifting market conditions posed significant challenges to the Company, thwarting its launch of the product it had spent years developing. Further iteration could address these issues but would be costly, and stakeholders had differing levels of support for a go-forward plan. Board members needed a way to satisfy liabilities and otherwise proceed in a responsible manner.
ENGAGEMENT:
The Company engaged G2 to serve as assignee in an assignment for the benefit of creditors (“ABC”) process. As assignee G2 would have the primary responsibility of maximizing creditor recovery by selling the Company’s assets. In addition the assignee was tasked with winding down Prismo’s operations in both the US and India, communicating with interested parties, and overseeing the distribution of funds.
OUTCOME:
Upon launching the ABC, G2 as assignee leveraged its investment banking expertise in a broad sale process. The team identified several interested parties, who engaged in due diligence around the intellectual property as they considered placing a bid. G2 brought these parties together for an auction and closed with the highest bidder at more than double the amount management had expected at ABC outset. The Assignee then distributed funds to unsecured creditors.
ABOUT THE COMPANY:
Triplet Therapeutics, a Boston-based biotechnology startup company, was formed to reimagine and develop treatment options for repeat expansion disorders such as Huntington’s disease. Founded in 2018, Triplet raised over $80 million from life sciences-focused venture capital investors and a premier venture debt provider.
SITUATION:
Some of Triplet’s test results were promising while others revealed a concerning level of toxicity. Facing limited appetite among its investors to continue funding the company, management initiated strategic conversations with a few large pharmaceutical players. But runway was short and bandwidth limited, compromising the opportunity to run a full process. Meanwhile the Company’s venture lender favored the involvement of a professional firm with a track record of managing challenging situations and maximizing creditor recovery. Without that steward in place to guide the process and negotiate with the potential buyers, a deal was unlikely to be achieved.
ENGAGEMENT:
The Company engaged G2 to serve as assignee in an assignment for the benefit of creditors (“ABC”). This out-of-court insolvency proceeding, which is governed by state statute, is a faster and cheaper alternative to bankruptcy. Upon launching the ABC, the Company’s board and management resigned, with select staff assisting in the ABC effort on a contract basis. As Assignee, G2 launched a process to sell substantially all of the assets including test results, technical documents, patents and other intellectual property.
OUTCOME:
As assignee G2 managed the wind down of corporate operations and put on its investment banker hat during a vigorous marketing effort to find an acquirer of substantially all of the assets. A global biopharmaceutical company emerged as the leading contender in the competitive bidding process. After the Assignee negotiated a significant increase from the initial bid the parties executed an asset purchase agreement. The proceeds provided a meaningful recovery to the secured creditor.