Exhibit 99.1
Berkshire Grey Enters into Definitive Merger Agreement with SoftBank Group for Go-Private Transaction
BEDFORD, Mass., March 24, 2023 — Berkshire Grey, Inc. (Nasdaq: BGRY), (“Berkshire Grey” or the “Company”) today announced that the Company has entered into a definitive merger agreement with SoftBank Group Corp. and its affiliate (together, “SoftBank”). Under the agreement, SoftBank will acquire all of the outstanding capital stock of the Company not currently owned by SoftBank for $1.40 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $375 million. SoftBank, a strategic investment holding company with stakes in AI, smart robotics, IoT, telecommunications, internet services, and clean energy technology providers, has been an investor in Berkshire Grey since 2019.
“After a thoughtful review of value creation opportunities available to Berkshire Grey, we are pleased to have reached this agreement with SoftBank, which we believe offers significant value to our stockholders,” said Tom Wagner, CEO of Berkshire Grey. “SoftBank is a great partner and this merger will strengthen our ability to serve customers with our disruptive AI robotics technology as they seek to become more efficient in their operations and maintain a competitive edge.”
“As a long-time partner and investor in Berkshire Grey, we have a shared vision for robotics and automation,” said Vikas J. Parekh, Managing Partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers. “Berkshire Grey is a pioneer in transformative, AI-enabled robotic technologies that address use cases in retail, eCommerce, grocery, 3PL, and package handling companies. We look forward to partnering with Berkshire Grey to accelerate their growth and deliver ongoing excellence for customers.”
The agreement, which has been unanimously approved by Berkshire Grey’s board of directors and represents a premium of approximately 24% to the closing stock price as of March 24, 2023, the last trading day prior to the date of this announcement. The transaction is not subject to a financing condition and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2023, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including the approval of Berkshire Grey’s stockholders and regulatory approvals.
About Berkshire Grey
Berkshire Grey, Inc. (Nasdaq: BGRY) helps customers radically change the essential way they do business by delivering game-changing technology that combines AI and robotics to automate fulfillment, supply chain, and logistics operations. Berkshire Grey solutions are a fundamental engine of change that transform pick, pack, move, store, organize, and sort operations to deliver competitive advantage for enterprises serving today’s connected consumers. Berkshire Grey customers include Global 100 retailers and logistics service providers. More information is available at www.berkshiregrey.com.
Berkshire Grey and the Berkshire Grey logo are registered trademarks of Berkshire Grey. Other trademarks referenced are the property of their respective owners.
To learn more about Berkshire Grey, please visit BerkshireGrey.com and follow Berkshire Grey on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.
About SoftBank Group
The SoftBank Group invests in breakthrough technology to improve the quality of life for people around the world. The SoftBank Group is comprised of SoftBank Group Corp. (TOKYO: 9984), an investment holding company that includes stakes in AI, smart robotics, IoT, telecommunications, internet services, and clean energy technology providers; the SoftBank Vision Funds and SoftBank Latin America Funds, which are investing more than US$160 billion to help extraordinary entrepreneurs transform industries and shape new ones. To learn more, please visit https://group.softbank/en.