SANTA CLARA, CA – April 30, 2015 – OmniVision Technologies, Inc. (OVTI), a leading developer of advanced digital imaging solutions, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by a consortium composed of Hua Capital Management Co., Ltd. (“Hua Capital Management”), CITIC Capital Holdings Limited (“CITIC Capital”), and GoldStone Investment Co., Ltd. (“GoldStone Investment”) (collectively, the “Consortium”). Under the terms of the agreement, OmniVision stockholders will receive $29.75 per share in cash, or a total of approximately $1.9 billion. The agreement was unanimously approved by OmniVision’s Board of Directors.
“We are pleased to have reached this agreement, which we believe realizes significant value for our stockholders and offers new opportunities for our employees to develop more innovative solutions for customers.” said Shaw Hong, chairman and CEO of OmniVision. “Our Board unanimously concluded that partnering with Hua Capital Management, CITIC Capital and GoldStone Investment was the best choice for OmniVision, as this transaction will provide our stockholders with significant and immediate cash value. Further, Hua Capital Management, CITIC Capital and GoldStone Investment are highly regarded China-based private equity firms with deep experience in the semiconductor industry. With our new partners’ knowledge and insight and the added flexibility that we will have as a private company, OmniVision will be able to focus on reaching the next level of growth, which will benefit our employees, customers and business partners.”
“We are excited to partner with OmniVision as they embark on this next phase of growth,” said Yue Liu, a managing director at Hua Capital Management. “The world-class management team and employees of OmniVision have built a global leader in digital imaging that is well-positioned to capitalize on fast growing market opportunities in automotive, security, entertainment, and the Internet-of-Things while continuing to expand their market leadership in mobile phones. We believe our unique industry knowledge and operational expertise can help accelerate OmniVision’s presence both in China and globally.”
“We are very pleased to be making this investment and are excited about the opportunity to work with OmniVision’s outstanding management team. With the strong backing of the consortium and the leadership of the company’s management, we believe OmniVision will continue to be well-positioned to achieve significant growth through its innovative and superior digital imaging technologies and its commitment to building long-term success,” said Yichen Zhang, Chairman and CEO of CITIC Capital.
OmniVision CEO Shaw Hong is expected to remain with OmniVision in the same capacity. The transaction, which is expected to close in the third or fourth fiscal quarter of fiscal year 2016, is subject to approval by OmniVision stockholders, regulatory approvals, including antitrust review in the U.S. and the People’s Republic of China, review and clearance by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., clearance or approval under applicable Taiwan law, and other customary closing conditions. In order to obtain clearance or approval under applicable Taiwan law, OmniVision will divest certain of its investments in Taiwan, including certain of its interests in a joint venture.
About OmniVision
OmniVision Technologies, Inc. is a leading developer of advanced digital imaging solutions. Its CameraChip™ and CameraCubeChip™ products are highly integrated, single-chip CMOS image sensors for consumer and commercial applications, including mobile phones, tablets and entertainment devices, notebooks and webcams, security and surveillance systems, digital still and video cameras, automotive and medical imaging systems. Additional information is available at www.ovt.com.
About Hua Capital Management
Hua Capital Management Co., Ltd., based in Beijing, China, was founded by an experienced investment team focused on the semiconductor industry and related areas. The firm’s principals consist of semiconductor industry entrepreneurs, each with more than 20 years’ experience in semiconductor industry entrepreneurship, management and investing. Hua Capital’s valued-added approach leverages operational and financial expertise to help portfolio companies realize their full potential and become leaders in the semiconductor industry.
About CITIC Capital Holdings Limited
Founded in 2002, CITIC Capital Holdings Limited is an alternative investment management and advisory company. The firm manages over $4.6 billion of capital from a diverse group of international institutional investors. Core businesses include private equity, real estate, structured investment & finance, asset management and venture. CITIC Capital currently employs over 200 staff members throughout its offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo and New York. It is owned by CITIC Group, the largest Chinese conglomerate, Tencent Holdings Limited, China Investment Corporation, China’s sovereign wealth fund, and Qatar Holding LLC. For more information, please visit www.citiccapital.com.
About GoldStone Investment
Incorporated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of CITIC Securities in Oct 2007, GoldStone Investment is solely engaged in direct equity investment. It was among the first batch of companies approved to carry out direct equity investment.
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