Publications
Publications
- January 1999 (Revised November 1999)
- HBS Case Collection
Metapath Software: September 1997
By: G. Felda Hardymon and Bill Wasik
Abstract
In September 1997, John Hansen called together his board to debate an interesting choice that his company had to make. Hansen--the CEO of Metapath Software, a provider of software and services to wireless carriers--had two offers to describe. The first was an offer to be acquired by CellTech Communications, a wireless products company which had only recently gone public. Under the terms of the deal, Metapath's shareholders would at closing receive common stock in CellTech valued at $115 million. CellTech at that time had a market capitalization of approximately $260 million. The second offer was from a consortium of investors led by Robertson & Stephens Omega Fund and Technology Crossover Ventures to buy $11.75 million of stock at a $76 million pre-money valuation. The terms of the preferred stock the funds were proposing to buy were much stricter than the terms of the stock owned by existing shareholders.
Keywords
Private Ownership; Mergers and Acquisitions; Private Equity; Decision Choices and Conditions; Governing and Advisory Boards; Management Teams; Stocks; Public Ownership; Negotiation Deal; Telecommunications Industry; Information Technology Industry
Citation
Hardymon, G. Felda, and Bill Wasik. "Metapath Software: September 1997." Harvard Business School Case 899-160, January 1999. (Revised November 1999.)