USU Software AG has confirmed its annual forecast and generated sales of EUR 132 million and adjusted EBITDA of EUR 13.3 million in 2023. This upturn was driven primarily by software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions, which picked up by 20% to EUR 17.0 million (2021: EUR 14.2 million). To accelerate this good performance and better harness market opportunities, the company’s plans are as follows:
The Management Board of USU Software, with the approval of the Supervisory Board, plans to delist the shares of USU Software AG. In the opinion of the Executive Board, the admission or inclusion of USU shares on a stock exchange offered just few advantages in the past from a strategic and financial perspective, so that the considerable costs associated with increasing regulation no longer appear to justify a stock exchange listing. Considering the overall circumstances, delisting is in the interests of the company.
In accordance with section 39 of the Börsengesetz (BörsG, German Stock Exchange Act), delisting requires an offer to acquire all USU Shares. The Company’s Management Board has asked its majority shareholder AUSUM GmbH (AUSUM) whether it would be prepared to make this delisting offer. AUSUM informed the Management Board today, that an AUSUM subsidiary is currently seeking an agreement to finance such a delisting offer and is at an advanced stage of negotiations. Furthermore, AUSUM has informed the Management Board that the consideration payable per USU share is expected to be approximately equivalent to the statutory minimum price under applicable regulations.
USU Software AG has enjoyed extremely strong product business growth in recent years, especially in recurring sales, thanks primarily to innovative artificial intelligence and FinOps solutions. Significant additional investment is now envisaged to further expand this growth.
USU Software AG is thus planning considerable further expansion of the Company’s product business and that of its subsidiaries. To finance the substantial investment required for this expansion of product business, strategic options are to be examined and an external partner found and involved in the implementation. To this end, the product business is to be consolidated and legally and operationally separated from the other divisions. USU Software AG has begun the process of assessing the strategic options, separating the product business, and looking for a partner. The delisting, according to the board's assessment, supports the selection of strategic options.