VANCOUVER, BC, March 2,
2023 /PRNewswire/ - Gravitas II Capital Corp.
("Gravitas II") (TSXV: GII.P) and Parvis Invest Inc.
("Parvis") are pleased to announce that, in connection with
their previously announced proposed business combination (the
"Transaction") as described in Gravitas II's news releases
dated November 3, 2022 and
August 29, 2022, the TSX Venture
Exchange Inc. (the "Exchange") has conditionally approved
the Transaction and the listing of the common shares of Gravitas
II, following closing of the Transaction (the "Resulting
Issuer"). The Transaction is expected to close on March 3, 2023, following which the common shares
of the Resulting Issuer are expected to begin trading under the
symbol "PVIS" on or about March 10,
2023.
Pursuant to Exchange Policy 2.4 – Capital Pool Companies
("Policy 2.4"), Gravitas II and Parvis filed the filing
statement dated February 28, 2023
(the "Filing Statement") with the Exchange. The Filing
Statement, which contains details and requisite financial
information regarding the Transaction and the Resulting Issuer, is
available under Gravitas II's profile on SEDAR at
www.sedar.com.
The Exchange has also granted a waiver of the sponsorship
requirements under Exchange Policy 2.2 – Sponsorship and
Sponsorship Requirements.
The Transaction
Subject to approval by the Exchange, Parvis will amalgamate with
14492528 Canada Inc. ("Subco"), a wholly owned subsidiary of
Gravitas II, to facilitate the completion of the Transaction. It is
the intention of the parties that the Resulting Issuer will be
listed on the Exchange as a Tier 2 Technology issuer, and that the
business of the Resulting Issuer will be the business of
Parvis.
Immediately prior to the completion of the Transaction, Gravitas
II will effect: (i) a share consolidation on the basis of 1
post-consolidation common share of Gravitas II (each a "Gravitas
II Share" and, upon closing of the Transaction, a "Resulting
Issuer Share") for 2.49 pre-consolidation Gravitas II
Shares (the "Consolidation"), resulting in an aggregate of
approximately 9,513,253 post-Consolidation Gravitas II Shares being
issued and outstanding; and (ii) a name change pursuant to which
Gravitas II will change its name to "Parvis Invest Inc." or such
similar name as may be approved by Parvis and acceptable to the
Exchange.
Immediately prior to the completion of the Transaction, it is
anticipated that the issued and outstanding securities of Parvis
will consist of 17,258,482 common shares of Parvis (the "Parvis
Shares"), common share purchase warrants exercisable to acquire
up to 2,810,000 Parvis Shares, stock options exercisable to acquire
up to 1,562,000 Parvis Shares, and broker warrants exercisable to
acquire up to 308,800 Parvis Shares and 154,400 common share
purchase warrants.
The Transaction is not a "Non-Arm's Length Transaction" (as
defined under the policies of the Exchange) and therefore will not
require approval by the shareholders of Gravitas II under Policy
2.4. The Transaction is subject to, among other things, the
approval of the Exchange.
Upon completion of the Transaction, the shareholders of Gravitas
II will hold approximately 9,513,253 Resulting Issuer Shares and
the shareholders of Parvis will hold approximately
17,258,482 Resulting Issuer Shares.
The Amalgamation
Agreement
Under the terms of the amalgamation agreement dated November 1, 2022 (the "Amalgamation
Agreement") among Gravitas II, Parvis, and Subco, the
Transaction is expected to be completed by way of a three-cornered
amalgamation pursuant to the provisions of the Canada Business
Corporations Act. Pursuant to the terms of the Amalgamation
Agreement, it is expected that, among other things, Subco and
Parvis will amalgamate and all of the issued and outstanding
securities of Parvis, immediately following completion of the
Consolidation, will be exchanged for equivalent securities of
Gravitas II on a one-for-one basis.
The Amalgamation Agreement includes a number of conditions
precedent to the closing of the Transaction, including, but not
limited to, approvals of all regulatory bodies having jurisdiction
in connection with the Transaction, approval of the Exchange, and
the satisfaction of other closing conditions customary to
transactions of this nature. There can be no assurance that the
Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. Following
completion of the Transaction, Parvis will become a wholly-owned
subsidiary of the Resulting Issuer. The foregoing is a summary of
the Amalgamation Agreement and is qualified in its entirety by the
Amalgamation Agreement, a copy of which will be available under
Gravitas II's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
Shareholders Meetings
The shareholders of Gravitas II at the shareholders meeting held
on January 18, 2023 approved among
other things, a new omnibus equity incentive plan and the
anticipated board of directors of the Resulting Issuer subject to
completion of the Transaction. The Transaction received approval
from the shareholders of Parvis at the shareholders meeting held on
February 24, 2023.
Interests of Insiders
Immediately prior to closing of the Transaction, insiders of
Gravitas II will hold the following Parvis Shares: 150,000 Parvis
Shares held by Nima Besharat;
100,000 Parvis Shares held by Raphael
Yeung; 2,886,000 Parvis Shares held by Kia Besharat; and 3,671,726 Parvis Shares held
by Drew Green. Kia Besharat and Drew
Green are directors of Parvis.
Directors and Officers of the
Resulting Issuer
Upon completion of the Transaction, it is anticipated that
certain directors and officers of Gravitas II will resign and that
the management team of the Resulting Issuer will be comprised of
David Michaud (Chief Executive
Officer), Jas Bagry (Chief Financial
Officer and Corporate Secretary) and Conan
Graham (Chief Operating Officer). It is anticipated that
following the completion of the Transaction, the Resulting Issuer's
board of directors will consist of seven directors, being
David Michaud, Jas Bagry, Conan
Graham, Drew Green,
Kia Besharat, Tirta Liu and
Blair McCreadie. The relevant
experience of the proposed officers and directors of the Resulting
Issuer is set out below.
David Michaud – Chief
Executive Officer and Director
Mr. Michaud has over 15 years of experience in finance and
corporate law representing businesses and financial institutions on
a wide range of investment activities and operations including
mergers and acquisitions, secured transactions, trusts and private
wealth matters. Having honed his expertise working with various
financial regulators in Canada, US
and abroad, Mr. Michaud has completed various domestic and
cross-border corporate acquisitions while structuring financial
transactions and investments up to $20
billion in value. Prior to founding Parvis, David served as
the Legal Director of Fiera Capital Corporation (TSX: FSZ) since
2016, where he provided strategic counsel on legal and business
development opportunities. From 2011 to 2015, David served as
Senior Legal Counsel for the National Bank of Canada (TSX: NA), where he provided legal
services to senior management on mergers and acquisitions and
corporate legal matters, and from 2008 to 2011, he served as Legal
Counsel for Central 1 Credit Union, where he provided legal
services on mergers and acquisitions, structuring of credit
facilities, finance and derivatives transactions, and other banking
transactions. Mr. Michaud also founded Henry Investments, a real
estate development company along with his two brothers. Mr. Michaud
holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Politics from the
University of Moncton, a Juris
Doctor from the University of Ottawa,
and a Master of Law degree from the University of London.
Jas Bagry – Chief Financial
Officer, Corporate Secretary and Director
Mr. Bagry is a seasoned finance professional, entrepreneur, and
CFA Charterholder with over 15 years of experience in fund
management, real estate investments, and financial advisory
services. Prior to founding Parvis, Mr. Bagry founded InnoVenture
Financial Inc. in 2013, a firm that provides CFO advisory services
to seed and Series A stage businesses. Mr. Bagry has invested in
and sits on the boards of several businesses including a real
estate asset manager with over $15
million of net assets and several properties in development
planning. Previously, Mr. Bagry was Vice President of New Market
Funds, a multi-fund manager with $65
million in assets under management. Mr. Bagry was also a
venture capitalist in New York
City and an early-stage advisor to technology companies. Mr.
Bagry holds a Master of Business Administration degree from
Columbia Business School and a Bachelor
of Commerce degree from the University of
British Columbia.
Conan Graham – Chief Operating
Officer and Director
Mr. Graham is a versatile executive recognized for his success
across varying business sectors. Whether it is in private or public
industry, start-up or mergers and acquisitions environments,
working with capital partners or advising on and creating
efficiencies within multi-billion-dollar enterprises, Mr. Graham
has a history in scaling businesses, optimizing organizations, and
producing sustainable results. Starting in 2016 as VP-Corporate
Development and then Chief Operating Officer from 2017 to 2019
at Element Lifestyle Retirement Inc. (TSXV: ELM), he was
previously responsible for leading his senior management team
through various stages of development with a portfolio of client
assets valued in excess of $600
million, while meeting with capital partners, strategic
investors, and stakeholders required to drive company growth. Mr.
Graham has over a decade of experience leading teams in
distributing and supporting innovative technology (hardware,
software, and networking) throughout Canada. He is a Project Management
Professional and holds a Master of Business Administration degree
from Queen's University as well as a Bachelor of Arts in
Administrative Studies from the University of
Winnipeg.
Drew Green – Chairman and
Director
Mr. Green is the Chief Executive Officer, President, and
director of INDOCHINO, a global leader in custom apparel, where
between 2015 and 2022 he has grown the business by approximately
600% as Chief Executive Officer and President, reaching nine
figures in revenue in 2018. Between 2015 and 2022, Mr. Green and
his team have established strategic capital commitments for
INDOCHINO from Madrona Venture Partners, Highland Consumer, Dayang
Group, Mitsui & Co. (TSE: 8031), and Postmedia Network (TSX:
PNC.B), and has secured partnerships with the New York Yankees,
Boston Red Sox, Nordstrom, and hundreds of National Basketball
Association, Major League Baseball, National Football League, and
National Hockey League athletes, celebrities and teams. Prior to
INDOCHINO, Mr. Green founded and was chief executive officer of one
of Canada's first multi-merchant
marketplaces (acquired by EMERGE Commerce Ltd. (TSXV: ECOM)), and
prior to that played key leadership roles at DoubleClick (acquired
by Google LLC (NASDAQ: GOOGL)), SHOP.COM (acquired by Market
America) and Flonetwork (acquired by DoubleClick). Mr. Green is the
Founder, Chairman and a Director of EMERGE Commerce Ltd. (TSXV:
ECOM), a disciplined, diversified, rapidly growing acquirer and
operator of direct-to-consumer e-commerce brands across
North America, along with being
chairman and/or founder of other public and private companies. Mr.
Green holds a Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology and Exercise Science
from York University.
Kia Besharat –
Director
Mr. Besharat has over 15 years of extensive private equity,
investment banking, and directorship experience including as former
Managing Director at Ubequity Capital Partners, a leading global
merchant and investment bank. Mr. Besharat currently acts
exclusively as a consultant to Gravitas Securities Inc., where he
helps with the advisory, restructuring, corporate finance, and
mergers and acquisitions mandates across the firm's platform, with
a recent focus on the following industry groups: consumer/retail,
natural resources, internet/new media, technology, and healthcare.
Mr. Besharat has served as Senior Managing Director of Investment
Banking at Gravitas Securities Inc. from 2015 to 2022. While at
Gravitas Securities Inc. as a Senior Managing Director of
Investment Banking, Mr. Besharat played a pivotal role in
establishing Gravitas Securities Inc. as one of the top boutique
investment banks in Canada. His
transactions have totaled in excess of $1
billion at Gravitas Securities Inc. and more than
$4 billion over the span of his
career. Mr. Besharat serves as a director of Brüush Oral Care Inc.
(NASDAQ: BRSH), Mednow Inc. (TSXV: MNOW), Gravitas II Capital Corp.
(TSXV: GII.P), and EMERGE Commerce Ltd. (TSXV: ECOM). Mr. Besharat
holds a Bachelor of Arts (Economics with a minor in Management)
from McGill University as well as a
Master of Science (Finance & Investment) from the University of Edinburgh. He was also one of
Canada's top tennis players,
having competed as a professional in tournaments around the world
and at the NCAA Division 1 level. In 2018, Mr. Besharat was
recognized by the Investment Industry Association of Canada as a Top 40 Under 40 Award Nominee.
Tirta Liu – Director
Mr. Liu has over two decades of real estate developer/operator
expertise with a portfolio of assets exceeding a half billion
dollars throughout Canada and
the United States. Along with
capital investments in ventures from biopharmaceutical and
education sectors, his diversified business holdings span several
other companies including owner and director of Bank Communications
Inc., a management firm focused on leasing and financial services,
Director at VCBC Leasing, where the company focuses on diversified
leasing and mortgage lending in real estate and equipment, and
strategic investor and director of CheckSammy Technologies, where
more than 5000 operators provide multi-sector sustainability
services in recycling and waste management throughout North America. Mr. Liu was also formerly with
China Trust Bank of Taiwan, where
he focused on mortgage lending. Mr. Liu holds a Bachelor of Arts
from the University of British
Columbia.
Blair McCreadie –
Director
Mr. McCreadie is a founding partner of the newly formed
Beausoleil Real Estate Investments Ltd. Beausoleil has been
launched for the sole purpose of continuing Mr. McCreadie's focus
on delivering strong investment results and transparency to the
investor community. Prior to 2023, Mr. McCreadie was a key member
of the Fiera Real Estate ("FRE") (TSX: FSZ) executive team and as
Head of the Canadian Real Estate business, was responsible for a
$6.5 billion platform in Canada comprised of a full spectrum of real
estate investment solutions from core to value-add and development
through to real estate debt strategies. Specifically, Mr.
McCreadie's oversight included the flagship Fiera Real Estate Core
Fund LP and the Fiera Real Estate Industrial Fund. Both open-ended
funds have continually been top quartile performers in the
MSCI/RealPac Canada Property Fund Index ("PFI"). Mr. McCreadie has
over 30 years of experience in all facets of real estate including
fund management, investments, asset management, financing and
valuations. Prior to joining FRE, with Standard Life Investments
("SLI"), Mr. McCreadie spent more than 15 years involved with one
of the largest and oldest open-ended pooled real estate funds in
Canada. There, he served as asset
and fund manager and ultimately became Head of the Canadian Real
Estate business for SLI. Mr. McCreadie holds an Accredited
Appraiser Canadian Institute (AACI) designation.
Financial Information of
Parvis
The table below sets out certain financial data for the Parvis
in respect of the period for which financial information was
included in the Filing Statement:
|
Year Ended October
31, 2022 (Audited)
|
Total
revenues
|
$17,225
|
Operating
income
|
($1,391,991)
|
Net income (or
loss)
|
($1,391,991)
|
Total assets
|
$1,208,595
|
Total
liabilities
|
$232,062
|
Shareholders'
equity
|
$976,533
|
Consolidated
Capitalization
The following table sets forth the pro forma share capital of
the Resulting Issuer, on a consolidated basis, after giving effect
to the Transaction:
Designation of
Security
|
Amount
outstanding
after giving effect to the Consolidation and the
Transaction
|
Resulting Issuer Shares
held by former shareholders of
Gravitas II
|
9,513,253
|
Resulting Issuer Shares
held by former shareholders of
Parvis
|
17,258,482
|
Total non-diluted
share capital of the Resulting Issuer
|
26,771,735
|
Resulting Issuer Shares
reserved for issuance pursuant to
stock options issued in replacement of Parvis options
|
1,562,000
|
|
|
Resulting Issuer Shares
reserved for issuance pursuant to Gravitas II options
|
951,316
|
|
|
Resulting Issuer Shares
reserved for issuance pursuant to Gravitas II broker
warrants
|
439,775
|
|
|
Resulting Issuer Shares
reserved for issuance pursuant to warrants issued in replacement of
Parvis warrants
|
2,810,000
|
|
|
Resulting Issuer Shares
reserved for issuance pursuant to broker warrants issued in
replacement of Parvis broker warrants
|
308,800
|
|
|
Resulting Issuer Shares
reserved for issuance pursuant to warrants underlying the broker
warrants issued in replacement of Parvis broker warrants
|
154,400
|
About Parvis
Parvis is a technology-driven real estate investing platform.
Focused on broadening access to institutional quality real estate
investment opportunities, Parvis promotes greater access in this
historically inaccessible and illiquid asset class. Enabled by
blockchain technology, Parvis makes finding, tracking, and
maximizing investments an experience that is both frictionless and
empowering. Parvis, headquartered in Vancouver, employs experts in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. Additional information about Parvis
is available at www.parvisinvest.com and on SEDAR at
www.sedar.com under Gravitas II's profile.
About Gravitas II
Gravitas II was incorporated under the Business Corporations
Act (British Columbia) on
January 18, 2021, and is a capital
pool company listed on the Exchange. Gravitas II has no commercial
operations and has no assets other than cash. Gravitas II's only
business is to identify and evaluate assets or businesses with a
view to completing a qualifying transaction.
Additional Information
Trading in the common shares of Gravitas II is presently halted.
It is uncertain whether the common shares of Gravitas II will
resume trading until the Transaction is completed and approved by
the Exchange. There are no interests in the Transaction held by
non-arm's length parties to Exchange.
For more information, please contact Nima Besharat, the Chief Executive Officer,
Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Secretary and Director of
Gravitas II, or David Michaud, the
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Parvis:
Nima Besharat
Gravitas II Capital Corp.
nbesharat@gravitassecurities.com
416-479-4342
David Michaud
Parvis Invest Inc.
david@parvisinvest.com
604-818-8131
For media inquiries,
please contact:
|
Follow us on social
media:
|
Michael
O'Shaughnessy
|
Instagram:
@ParvisInvest
|
Fintona Strategy
|
Facebook:
ParvisInvest
|
Email:
michael@fintonastrategy.ca
|
LinkedIn:
Parvis
|
Cautionary Statement Regarding
Forward-Looking Information
This news release contains "forward-looking information" and
"forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable
securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements")
within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation.
Forward-looking information generally refers to information about
an issuer's business, capital, or operations that is prospective in
nature, and includes future-oriented financial information about
the issuer's prospective financial performance or financial
position. Forward-looking statements are often identified by the
words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "intend", "plan",
"anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" or similar
expressions and includes information regarding: Exchange approval
of the Transaction, completion and the anticipated closing date of
the Transaction, the anticipated listing date of the Resulting
Issuer Shares, completion of the Consolidation and Gravitas II's
name change, the anticipated capitalization of the Resulting
Issuer, and the appointment of the anticipated officers and board
of directors of the Resulting Issuer. To develop the
forward-looking information in this news release, Parvis and
Gravitas II made certain material assumptions, including but not
limited to: prevailing market conditions; general business,
economic, competitive, political and social conditions; the ability
of Gravitas II and Parvis to receive board and regulatory
approvals; and the ability of the Resulting Issuer to execute and
achieve its business objectives. There can be no assurance that
such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and
future events could differ materially from those anticipated in
such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue
reliance on forward-looking statements. Actual results may vary
from the forward-looking information in this news release due to
certain material risk factors. These risk factors include, but are
not limited to: adverse market conditions; the inability of Parvis
or Gravitas II to complete the Transaction; inability to obtain
Exchange approval for the Transaction; refusal of the proposed
directors or officers of the Resulting Issuer to act for any
reason, including conflicts of interest; reliance on key and
qualified personnel; regulatory and other risks associated with the
real estate and technology industries in general; and the risk
factors disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the
Filing Statement. The foregoing list of material risk factors and
assumptions is not exhaustive. The Resulting Issuer assumes no
obligation to update or revise the forward-looking information in
this news release, unless it is required to do so under Canadian
securities legislation.
The Exchange has in no way passed upon the merits of the
proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the
contents of this press release. Investors are cautioned that,
except as disclosed in the Filing Statement prepared in connection
with the Transaction, any information released or received with
respect to the transaction may not be accurate or complete and
should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of a capital
pool company and the Resulting Issuer should be considered highly
speculative.
This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the
solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any
jurisdiction.
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SOURCE Parvis Invest Inc.