This investment from Verlinvest, Nativus, Blackstone and others helps position Oatly for profitable growth and further market expansion
MALMÖ, Sweden, March 15, 2023 – Oatly Group AB (Nasdaq: OTLY) (“Oatly” or the “Company”), the world’s original and largest oat drink company, today announced a $425 million capital raise to support its next phase of growth. Verlinvest, the international consumer-focused growth investor and long-standing partner to Oatly, will lead a strategic investment into the company as part of the capital raise.
This new funding from Verlinvest, Nativus, Blackstone and others will provide the liquidity to fully fund Oatly’s growth investments as it moves towards reaching financial self-sufficiency. Today, the Company also announced financial results in relation to its fiscal fourth quarter and full year through 2022.
“We’re pleased with the confidence demonstrated by our anchor shareholders and new investors in advancing Oatly’s mission and fueling the tremendous global opportunity ahead for our organization.” said Toni Petersson, CEO of Oatly. “With our operations better stabilized and business plan now fully funded, we are well-positioned to capitalize on the strong underlying global demand for our products and create significant, long-term value for our shareholders.”
“Verlinvest has long been a proud supporter of Oatly’s mission to make it easier for people to eat better, live healthier lives and handle our planet’s scarce resources more responsibly. With a strengthened management team, really exciting prospects, and the capital base to pursue them, we are very confident in the future of this business,” commented Roberto Italia, CEO of Verlinvest.
Verlinvest has committed to anchoring a $300m private convertible investment (PIPE). Oatly also announced that it entered into a commitment letter to amend its Sustainable Revolving Credit Facility Agreement and a commitment letter documenting a $125 million term loan B credit facility commitment.
About Oatly
Oatly is the world’s original and largest oat drink company. For over 25 years, it has exclusively focused on developing expertise around oats: a global power crop with inherent properties suited for sustainability and human health. Oatly’s commitment to oats has resulted in core technical advancements that enabled the company to unlock the breadth of the dairy portfolio, including alternatives to milks, ice cream, yogurt, cooking creams, spreads and on-the-go drinks. Headquartered in Malmö, Sweden, the Oatly brand is available in more than 20 countries globally.
For more information and relevant press releases, please visit www.oatly.com
Oatly’s Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any express or implied statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements, including statements regarding our expectation to enter into definitive agreements reflecting the commitments described herein and our expectation regarding the timing of the closing of the transactions, as well as statements that include the words “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “project,” “forecast,” “estimate,” “may,” “should,” “anticipate,” “will,” “aim,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to” and similar statements of a future or forward-looking nature. Forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, including, without limitation: our ability to satisfy the conditions set forth in the commitment letters and other transaction documents, as well as general economic conditions including high inflationary cost pressures, interest rates and supply chain constraints; our history of losses and inability to achieve or sustain profitability; our ability to manage our growth effectively; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the spread of variants of the virus, on our business and the international economy; reduced or limited availability of oats or other raw materials and ingredients that meet our quality standards; failure to obtain additional financing to achieve our goals or failure to obtain necessary capital when needed on acceptable terms, or at all; damage or disruption to our production facilities; harm to our brand and reputation as a result of real or perceived quality or food safety issues with our products; food safety and food-borne illness incidents or other safety concerns which may lead to lawsuits, product recalls or regulatory enforcement actions; our ability to successfully compete in our highly competitive markets; our ability to effectively manage our growth, realize the anticipated benefits of the reduction in force and retain our existing employees; changing consumer preferences due to disposable income, credit availability, debt levels and inflation, and our ability to adapt to new or changing preferences; foreign exchange rate fluctuations; the consolidation of customers or the loss of a significant customer; reduction in the sales of our oatmilk varieties; failure to meet our existing or new environmental metrics and other risks related to sustainability and corporate social responsibility; litigation, regulatory actions or other legal proceedings including environmental and securities class action lawsuits; changes to international trade policies, treaties and tariffs; global conflict and the ongoing war in Ukraine; changes in our tax rates or exposure to additional tax liabilities or assessments; failure to expand our manufacturing and production capacity as we grow our business; supply chain delays, including delays in the receipt of product at factories and ports, and an increase in transportation costs; the impact of rising commodity prices, transportation and labor costs on our cost of goods sold; failure by our logistics providers to deliver our products on time, or at all; our ability to successfully ramp up operations at any of our new facilities and operate them in accordance with our expectations; failure to develop and maintain our brand; our ability to introduce new products or successfully improve existing products; failure to retain our senior management or to attract, train and retain employees; cybersecurity incidents or other technology disruptions; failure to protect our intellectual property and other proprietary rights adequately; our ability to successfully remediate previously disclosed material weaknesses (which remained unremediated as of our most recent fiscal year end) or other future control deficiencies, in our internal control over financial reporting; our status as a foreign private issuer; our status as a foreign private issuer; risks related to the significant influence of our largest shareholder, Nativus Company Limited, entities affiliated with China Resources Verlinvest Health Investment Ltd. has over us, including significant influence over decisions that require the approval of shareholders; and the other important factors discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2021 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on April 6, 2022, in our Current Report on Form 6-K for the period ended September 30, 2022 filed with the SEC on November 14, 2022, and our other filings with the SEC as such factors may be updated from time to time. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof and accordingly undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Oatly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than to the extent required by applicable law.
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