Prospectus • Jul 25, 2022
Prospectus
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ISIN: SE0018042277
This Prospectus was approved by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (Sw. Finansinspektionen) on 25 July 2022. The Prospectus is valid for a period of maximum 12 months after this date, provided that Media and Games Invest SE fulfils the obligation, in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation, if applicable, to provide supplements to the Prospectus in the event of significant new factors, material mistakes or material inaccuracies, which may affect the assessment of the Bonds in the Company. The obligation to prepare a supplement to the Prospectus is valid from the time of approval until the time of admission to trading of the Bonds, issued on June 2022, on Nasdaq Stockholm. The Company is under no obligation to prepare supplements to the Prospectus once the Bonds have been admitted to trading on Nasdaq Stockholm.
This prospectus (the "Prospectus") has been prepared by Media and Games Invest SE, a Societas Europaea (SE) company incorporated in Malta with reg. no. SE 15 and having its registered office at 168, St Christopher Street, Valletta VLT 1467 ("MGI", the "Company" or the "Issuer"), in relation to the application for admission to trading of EUR 175,000,000 Senior Secured Callable Floating Rate Bonds issued on 21 June 2022 with ISIN code SE0018042277 (the "Initial Bonds"), issued under the Company's bond framework of maximum 300,000,000 EUR (the "Bonds"), on the corporate bond list at Nasdaq Stockholm in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Bonds (the "Terms and Conditions"). The Company is a parent company in a group consisting of several subsidiaries (together referred to as the "Group"). References to the "Initial Guarantors" means Aeria Games GmbH, gamigo AG, gamigo Publishing GmbH, gamigo US Inc., gamigo Inc., Kings Holding Inc., Kingsisle Entertainment Inc., Verve Group Europe GmbH and Verve Group Inc. (and each a "Guarantor"). References made to the "Trustee" refers to Nordic Trustee & Agency AB (publ), reg. no. 556882-1879, Box 7329, 103 90 Stockholm, Sweden.
The Prospectus has been prepared by the Company in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2017 on the prospectus to be published when securities are offered to the public or admitted to trading on a regulated market, and repealing Directive 2003/71/EC, as amended (the "Prospectus Regulation"). The Prospectus has been approved by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (Sw. Finansinspektionen) in accordance with the article 20 of the Prospectus Regulation. The Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority only approves the Prospectus as meeting the standards of completeness, comprehensibility and consistency imposed by the Prospectus Regulation and such approval should not be considered as an endorsement of the Group or support of the securities offered. The Swedish Financial Supervisory does not guarantee the information in the Prospectus is correct or complete. Swedish law applies to the Prospectus. Disputes arising from the Prospectus and related legal matters shall be decided exclusively by the Swedish court, whereby Stockholm District Court shall constitute the first instance. The Prospectus has been prepared in English only and is available on the Company's web page (https://mgi-se.com/investor-relations/bonds), at the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority's web page (www.fi.se), the European Securities and Markets Authority's web page (esma.europa.eu).
The Prospectus is not an offer for sale or a solicitation of an offer to purchase the Bonds in any jurisdiction. It has been prepared solely for the purpose of listing the Bonds on Nasdaq Stockholm. The Prospectus may not be distributed in any country where such distribution or disposal requires additional prospectuses, registration or additional measures or is contrary to the rules and regulations in such country. Persons into whose possession the Prospectus comes or any person who acquire the Bonds are therefore required to inform themselves about, and to observe, such restrictions. The Bonds have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or any U.S. state securities laws and may not be subject to U.S. tax law requirements. The Bonds may not be offered, sold or delivered within the United States of America or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined in Rule 902 of Regulation S under the Securities Act). The Company has not undertaken to register the Bonds under the Securities Act or any U.S. state securities laws or to affect any exchange offer for the Bonds in the future. Furthermore, the Company has not registered the Bonds under any country's securities laws. It is the investor's obligation to ensure that the offers and sales of Bonds comply with all applicable securities laws.
The figures included in the Prospectus have, in certain cases, been rounded off and, consequently, the tables contained in the Prospectus do not necessarily add up. All financial amounts are in Euro ("EUR") or in Swedish Krona ("SEK"), unless indicated otherwise. Except as expressly stated herein, no financial information in the Prospectus has been audited or reviewed by the Company's auditor. Financial information relating to the Company in the Prospectus that is not part of the information audited or reviewed by the Company's auditor as outlined herein originates from the Company's internal accounting and reporting systems.
Amounts payable under the Bonds are calculated by reference to EURIBOR, which is provided by the European Money Markets Institute. As of the date of the Prospectus the administrator of EURIBOR is included in the ESMA register of administrators under Article 36 of the Regulation (EU) 2016/1011 (the "Benchmark Regulation").
The Prospectus contains certain forward-looking statements and opinions. Forward-looking statements are statements that do not relate to historical facts and events and such statements and opinions pertaining to the future that, by example, contain wording such as "believes", "estimates", "anticipates", "expects", "assumes", "forecasts", "intends", "could", "will", "should", "would", "according to estimates", "is of the opinion", "may", "plans", "potential", "predicts", "projects", "to the knowledge of" or similar expressions, which are intended to identify a statement as forward-looking. This applies, in particular, to statements and opinions in the Prospectus concerning the future financial returns, plans and expectations with respect to the business and management of the Company, future growth and profitability and general economic and regulatory environment and other matters affecting the Company.
Forward-looking statements are based on current estimates and assumptions made according to the best of the Company's knowledge. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause the actual results, including the Company's cash flow, financial condition and results of operations, to differ materially from the results, or fail to meet expectations expressly or implicitly assumed or described in those statements or to turn out to be less favourable than the results expressly or implicitly assumed or described in those statements. Accordingly, prospective investors should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements herein, and are strongly advised to read the Prospectus in its entirety including all documents that are incorporated by references under the section "Information regarding the Company's financial reporting". The Company cannot give any assurance regarding the future accuracy of the opinions set forth herein or as to the actual occurrence of any predicted developments.
In light of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions associated with forward-looking statements, it is possible that the future events mentioned in the Prospectus may not occur. Moreover, the forward-looking estimates and forecasts derived from third party studies referred to in the Prospectus may prove to be inaccurate. Actual results, performance or events may differ materially from those in such statements due to, without limitation: changes in general economic conditions, in particular economic conditions in the markets on which the Group operates, changes affecting interest rate levels, changes affecting currency exchange rates, changes in competition levels, changes in laws and regulations, and occurrence of accidents.
After the date of the Prospectus, the Company, is not under any obligation, except as required by law or Nasdaq Stockholm's Rule Book for Issuers, to update any forward-looking statements or to confirm these forward-looking statements to actual events or developments.
| 1. | RISK FACTORS 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2. | BACKGROUND AND STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY | 28 |
| 3. | THE BONDS IN BRIEF | 29 |
| 4. | BUSINESS OVERVIEW | 35 |
| 5. | THE INITIAL GUARANTORS | 42 |
| 6. | INFORMATION REGARDING THE GROUP'S FINANCIAL REPORTING | 46 |
| 7. | BOARD OF DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT AND AUDITORS OF THE COMPANY AND THE | |
| INITIAL GUARANTORS | 48 | |
| 8. | LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS AND SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION | 52 |
| 9. | DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE | 54 |
| 10. | TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE BONDS | 55 |
| 11. | ADDRESSES |
The purpose of this section is to enable a potential investor to assess the relevant risks related to their potential investment in the Bonds in order to make an informed investment decision. The risk factors set forth below are therefore limited to risks that are material and specific, to Media and Games Invest SE (the "Company" and together with its direct and indirect subsidiaries, the "Group") and the Bonds.
The manner in which the Company and the Bonds are affected by each risk factor is illustrated by way of an evaluation of the materiality of the relevant risk factor based on the probability of it occurring and the expected magnitude of its negative impact, for the purpose of which the probability is estimated as "low", "medium" or "high" and the magnitude of negative impact if it would occur as "low", "medium" or "high". The most material risk factor in a category is presented first under that category, whereas subsequent risk factors in the same category are not ranked in order of materiality.
Customers of the Group or third parties could attempt to prevent or negatively influence the use of the online, console and mobile games and Media/Online Advertising services offered by the Group by using fraud software, hacking and/or other unfair activities such as distributed denial of service attacks (DDOS) and/or to provide participants with advantages over other users within the scope of the games. Furthermore, user data might be stolen and used without permission as a result of a hacking attack. Furthermore, service lines might fail and the corresponding services may no longer be made available or may be interrupted up to a loss of control over the Group's infrastructure.
Customers or third parties may try to lure users to other websites with fake offers. If more virtual goods are offered in the context of such transactions, this could lead to users no longer or to a lesser extent acquiring their virtual goods via the Group's platforms. This would have a negative impact on business activity. Furthermore, the Group is only in a limited position able to monitor the trading of virtual goods outside its own platforms. Users could also be harmed in such transactions and such intrusions could happen at payment or distribution partners of the Group, which might also harm the Group.
As a provider of online, console and mobile games and platform services, the Group is also exposed to the risk that games distributed on their respective platforms may be illegally copied and offered on other platforms. If games are played on platforms other than those operated by the Group or are played in counterfeit games, there is a risk that this can be switched off or prevented with the result that income will be lost.
Substantial program bugs could negatively affect the game experience and therefore lead to a loss of (paying) users or to a loss of payments. Program bugs may also trigger negative game experiences by the users and lead to reputation damage. These risks apply to both external and internal game development and can have a negative influence on the net assets, financial position and results of operations of the Group.
The dissemination of counterfeit offers and the illegal copying of the Group's offerings may also result in the reputation of the Group's own platform as well as the games offered suffering and the interest of users in the Group's offers dwindling. As a result, the games offered could become less attractive to users and lose overall interest in the online, console and mobile games and platform services offered by the Group.
The Company assesses the risk to be high.
The markets for online, console and mobile games and the market for media and mobile advertising are rapidly changing business areas. They are characterised by rapidly changing technologies, new technologies (e.g. virtual reality, augmented reality, block chain and streaming), new hardware or network or software compatibility requirements, frequent introductions of improved or new online, console and mobile games and platform services as well as constantly changing and new customer requirements. The success of the Group therefore depends crucially on, in ample time, identifying new trends and developments, constantly improving existing mobile advertising services and online, console and mobile games as well as platform services, including new games and platform services in the product range, the ability to extend the lifetime of its existing games, adapting to rapidly changing customer requirements and, in particular, attracting and retaining large numbers of paying users, publishers and developers for the platform services. In particular, the Group must be in a position to recognise changing customer wishes and requirements in good time and adapt the games and platform services offered accordingly at short notice and constantly improve, expand and update them with new features in such a way that both paying and non-paying users as well as publishers and developers find it attractive. The Group also depends on the availability of development partners and software developers, their quality and their willingness to further optimise games and platform services in the long term. As the Group currently focuses on licensing new games to be launched and also a substantial part of the portfolio is licensed, the Group thus depends heavily on the availability and quality of external developer resources. As the Group also does the further development of games that already generate revenues in-house; it also depends on the availability of skilled developers.
If the Group is not able to successfully introduce new technologies and/or games and platform services to the market in time or to further optimise the technologies, games and/or platform services already offered and publish successful updates, the competitive position and growth opportunities of the Group would be adversely affected. Moreover, the Group might not sufficiently meet the demands and/or expectations of the Group's customers in the different markets in which the Group operates. The consideration of regional or target group specific characteristics including the different languages represents an additional challenge with regard to the identification and implementation of trends. This requires the use of technical, human and financial resources.
Any delay or prevention of the introduction of improved or new technologies, games and/or platform services into the product offering or their lack or delayed market acceptance as well as any incorrect introduction of technologies would have a negative impact on the Group's business, financial position and results of operations.
The Company assesses the risk to be medium.
The Group must be able to continue to increase the capacity of its technology platform in order to support substantial increases in the number of advertisers and device users, to support an increasing variety of advertising formats and to maintain a stable service infrastructure and reliable service
delivery for the Group's mobile advertising services. The Group also needs to grow significantly to develop the market reach and scale necessary to compete effectively with large competitors. Scalability of the Group's technology is of increasing importance, as advertisers will migrate to intermediaries with the largest inventory and inventory of the best quality and publishers will migrate to intermediaries with largest and best ad demand. Currently, the industry experiences important economies of scale effects as fixed cost in technology and organisation are spread over larger volumes of ad impressions. Larger users could utilise their cost advantage to drive down pricing (revenue share) and take share from smaller users, such as the Group. This may be the case for owned and operated users, but also for independent users that scale up quickly. Large owned and operated users could in general make use of their financial resource, relationships and capacities to outcompete smaller users, e.g. through pricing, bundled deals and a broader offering. The Group must gain scale quickly through organic growth and several acquisitions and to integrate acquired businesses successfully and reap synergies, and as such strengthen as well as maintain its competitive positions.
If the Group is unable to increase the scale of its mobile advertising platform to support and manage a substantial increase in the number of advertisers and mobile device users, while also maintaining a high level of performance, the quality of the Group's services may decline and its reputation and business could be seriously harmed. In addition, if the Group is not able to support emerging mobile advertising formats or services preferred by advertisers, it may be unable to obtain new advertising clients or may lose existing advertising clients, and in either case, the Group revenue could decline. The Group expects to continue to invest in its platform in order to meet increasing demand. Such investment may negatively affect the Group's profitability and results of operations.
The Company assesses the risk to be medium.
The Company is, as part of its business strategy, constantly evaluating potential acquisition targets to supplement the Company's current offering. During its history, the Group has acquired several companies and assets of various sizes. Following the acquisition of a company or part of a company, it may become apparent that the competence of the management of the acquired company has been misjudged or the integration into the Group is not successful and does not meet the expectations of the Group or that the Group has misjudged the market position, expected synergies, games quality, earnings potential, profitability, customer loyalty to the company, the growth opportunities of the company, time and costs for integration or other significant factors. Such misjudgements may also relate to the feasibility of the strategy underlying the respective acquisition. In such a case, not only would the achievement of the targets targeted by the Group with the acquisition be significantly jeopardised, but also the value of the investment as a whole. Furthermore, there is a risk that key persons of acquired companies will leave the acquired company as a result of the acquisition by the Group.
The Company assesses the risk to be low.
The Group markets its products online, console and mobile games via its own domains. The marketing of the games via the Internet requires that the domains function smoothly and that their use is neither legally nor in fact adversely affected. Any disruption, interruption or significant impairment of the availability of the Group's domains would have a direct adverse effect on business activities and have a negative effect on the Group's cash flows and results of operations.
The Company assesses the risk to be low.
The Group operates and markets online, console and mobile games in its game publishing division. The main source of income in this business area is the sale of virtual goods. With regard to the acquisition of these virtual goods, the Group depends on cost-effective and functioning billing partners (so-called payment providers). The costs and risks of settlement via these settlement partners are sometimes comparatively high. In addition, the Group offers payment services in the area of platform services in cooperation with payment providers. Payment providers are also at risk with regard to technical malfunctions, the temporary or structural failure of technical platforms, systems, data stocks and billing systems as well as the risk of the solvency of the billing partner. There are also risks with regard to liability due to e.g. system failures, fraud attempts and hacker attacks on the billing partner. Also on the media sector side, with SaaS, media, advertising partners that can be direct customers or intermediaries such as media agencies, could experience financial difficulties. Should the settlement partners the Group cooperates with not be able to offer its services as agreed or should such services be delayed or interrupted, it would adversely affect the processing of the services offered by the Group and thus the business activities until a new settlement partner is found or until such settlement partner is able to again offer its services as agreed, leading to that the Group cannot fulfil its services or could only fulfil them with considerable delays. Furthermore, the Group could be forced to accept less favourable conditions from another billing partner.
The Company assesses the risk to be low.
The Group's technology must scale to process all of the advertising impressions from the collection of all of the visitors of all of the websites and applications offered on the Group's platform combined. Within milliseconds of a user visiting a website or clicking on an application containing the Group's technology, this technology must effect a transaction for a publisher and conduct an auction, in which hundreds of advertisers and tens of thousands of advertiser brands can participate. The Group's technology must be able to send bid requests to all of the appropriate and available advertisers on its platform per ad impression shown. It must perform these transactions end-to-end at speeds often faster than the page or application loads for the user. The Group's technology must surmount the challenge of processing the combined volume of every website and application and all of the constantly evolving advertisers' bidding technologies, at speeds that are often faster than their capabilities. It is key for the Group's success that its platform achieves network effects. For this, its technology platform must be able to handle significant increases in the numbers of advertisers and publishers active on the platform as well as to support additional ad formats without jeopardising the stability of the IT infrastructure and reliability of its service delivery.
If the Group fails to (cost-) effectively increase the scale of its platform, to support and manage a substantial increase in the number of transactions, as well as a substantial increase in the amount of data the Group processes, whilst also maintaining a high level of performance, the quality of its services could decline and its reputation and business could be seriously harmed. In addition, if the Group is not able to continue processing these transactions at fast enough speeds or if the Group is unable to support emerging advertising formats or services preferred by publishers and advertisers, the Group may be unable to obtain new advertisers or publishers, the Group may lose existing advertisers or publishers or it could lose revenue from its failure to process transactions in a timely manner, any of which could cause the Group's revenue to decline.
The Company assesses the risk to be low.
The core of the Group's daily operations is partly its IT systems. The Group uses complex IT systems and data center services throughout its business operations and relies on functioning IT systems, hardware and networks to provide its services. The implementation of business activities via the internet and electronic data processing is essentially based on stable data availability, fast transmission of data and a technically stable Internet connection as well as well-functioning hardware and cloud infrastructure. The functionality of the servers used by the Group and the associated hardware, cloud and software infrastructure is of considerable importance for business activities and their attractiveness to customers. Errors and weaknesses of existing hardware, software and cloud infrastructure cannot be excluded. The business activities of the Group may also be significantly impaired by breakdowns or disruptions to IT systems and networks as a result of hardware destruction, system crashes, software problems, virus attacks, intrusion of unauthorised persons into the system, or comparable malfunctions. This can cause considerable costs. The Group may not be able to guarantee its services due to the lack of reliability, security and availability of its IT infrastructure. The materialisation of each of these risks would adversely affect the net assets, financial position and results of operations of the Group.
The Group depends on the services of internet carriers, data centres and cloud providers. The possible of any disruption of these services could lead to the services offered by the Group no longer being available to the Group's customers. Even if the Group is not responsible for these failures, the result could be damage to the Group. This could negatively affect the net assets, financial position and results of operations of the Group.
The third-party software used by the Group could become incompatible with regard to new and necessary updates due to their no longer being supported by the developer in question or due to potential architectural issues that prevent the expansion of the software, for example. In addition, the third-party software in use may violate the licence or intellectual property rights of other entities. The Group's failure to discover existing security or data vulnerabilities at an early stage could lead to a lack of security for the shared resources that are offered. This means that one customer might be able to access data for another customer. These potential risks, if realised, could negatively affect the net assets, financial position and results of operations of the Group.
The Company assesses the risk to be low.
The success of the Group depends among others on the success of the online, console and mobile games offered. New users are attracted in particular by online marketing measures, but also by means of TV campaigns and social media channels, whose success thus plays a key role. During 2021, the Group's marketing expenditures for its B2C portfolio amounted to EUR 3.6 million.
The Company believes the marketing environment is difficult. There is increasing competition for advertising space. There are also more and more forms of advertising/platforms, increasing regulations and technical requirements, fraud by marketing partners and the associated quality reductions and cost increases. Business Intelligence systems are very important for optimization but are always challenged by the changes in the portfolio as well as technical changes. With its own media specialists the Group has a big competitive advantage versus peers, but also these companies face the challenges of the market. If the online, TV or social media marketing measures do not have the desired success with the consequence that fewer users are won through such marketing channels or customer acquisition becomes more expensive or inefficient, this would have an adverse effect on the business activities and thus negatively affect the Group's net assets, financial position and results of operations.
The Company assesses the risk to be medium.
The publishing market online, console and mobile games in Europe and North America in which the Group operates, mainly via the gamigo Group (gamigo AG "gamigo" and, together with its subsidiaries, "gamigo Group"), is subject to intense competition and is characterised by constant change. The market is also highly fragmented. The Group's main market is North America, but also most other jurisdictions where the Group is active, includes a large number of small and medium-sized providers of online, console and mobile games. The Group competes with large companies but also with medium-sized and small companies that offer online, console and mobile games. In addition, internationally active providers of online, console and mobile games are increasingly trying to gain market shares in the Group's business segments.
Some existing competitors have had a comparatively longer period of business activity, and have a comparatively higher level of awareness, a broader customer base and/or significantly larger financial and technical resources. Competitors might be able to react faster to new or developing technologies or standards and to changes in customer requirements, or spend more resources on the development, marketing, acquisition of game licenses and distribution of online, console and mobile games, and/or offer competitive online, console and mobile games at a lower price or in other business models.
Other providers that have so far been active exclusively in other, possibly adjacent markets and in some cases have considerably higher technical and financial resources may decide to enter the market for online, console and mobile games. Furthermore, new competitors may enter the market or new alliances may form between competitors that could gain significant market share in a short period of time. Increased competition could lead to price pressure, reduced margins and a loss of market share. In addition, consolidation of the market has accelerated in recent years as a result of takeovers of game providers of various sizes. If this process continues, the existing price and competitive, for example in the fields of acquisition of companies, assets, intellectual property rights as well as launches and user acquisition, pressure is likely to intensify further. Should any of these risks materialise, it could have an adverse effect on net assets, financial position, market share, acquisition opportunities and results of operations of the Group.
The Company assesses the risk to be medium.
The Company's subsidiary gamigo offers more than 5,000 casual games and over 10 massively multiplayer online games ("MMOs"), belonging to a variety of different genres. All of gamigo's games are free-to-play. The game selection includes first-person shooters, fantasy role-playing games ("RPGs"), building-strategy games, mobile and casual games. The sales of the Group's products depend upon the buying power, purchase patterns and user behaviour of its end consumers. Changes in customers' preference or purchasing patterns may adversely affect the Group's net sales. The willingness of consumers to purchase the Group's products and use its services may decrease due to external factors, such as a general downturn in the economy resulting from inter alia the ongoing war and geopolitical turmoil in Eastern Europe, which affect the consumers buying power or purchase patterns. If the willingness of end consumers to buy the Group's products decreases, it will have an adverse effect on the Group's sales, earnings and financial position. The Group's ability to maintain existing, and attract new, customers depends upon the Group's ability to identify and anticipate future market changes, changes in customer behaviour and trends early on and to rapidly react on existing and future market needs. If the Group fails to identify, anticipate and react to market changes or trends, this could have an adverse effect on the Group's business, earnings or financial position.
The Company assesses the risk to be low.
The Group offers so-called casual games on specialised portals, which are generally and not exclusively licensed by game developers. The revenue model for casual games on specialised portals is based on the free-of-charge availability of such games for a limited period of time (usually for one hour), following which the users may continue using the full version of the game for a flat fee. As an alternative, also subscription models are being used.
These or comparable portals or games that are offered via the portals may be offered on the market free of charge by other publishers, for example based on application of a revenue model based on the use of advertisements instead of flat fees or subscriptions. If this risk was to materialise, it could force the members of the Group to change their revenue model for such portals or to stop offering these portals to the market due to decreasing revenues or margins. Casual games offered on specialised portals might also become less attractive to users. If any of these risks were to materialise, it could have an adverse effect on the net assets, financial position and/or results of operations of the Group.
The Company assesses the risk to be low.
The success of the Group in the game publishing division depends crucially on the success of the major revenue generating top 10 games being, as per May 2022, Wizard101, Trove, WildTangent Games, Desert Operations, Fiesta, Rift, Aura Kingdom, Grand Fantasia, Pirate101 and Shaiya. The success of the Group therefore depends on the success of these games, so that the failure or absence of success or the non-renewal of the licenses or technical problems could lead to a loss of sales even for one of the aforementioned games and thus have a negative impact on the Group's earnings, financial position and cash flows.
The Company assesses the risk to be low.
The online, console and mobile games offered by the Group are to a great extent free of charge. The Group only generates revenues from these games if the users purchase virtual goods that improve or embellish the playing possibilities for the users or the characters they play or accelerate the progress of the game using a previously purchased virtual currency. The Group's success therefore depends on a substantial proportion of users being prepared to purchase virtual currency and thus virtual goods with real money. Should it not be possible to attract a sufficient number of users who are prepared to purchase virtual currency and thus virtual goods or should a lack of attractiveness of the virtual goods offered result in fewer users being prepared to purchase virtual currency and thus virtual goods, this would have an adverse effect on the Group's earnings, financial position and cash flows.
The Company assesses the risk to be low.
The Group depends on the leading platforms in western markets, such as Steam, Sony PlayStation and Microsoft X-Box, as well as the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store for the sale of games. The cost, quality and availability of using these platforms are not under the Group's control. Also, the approval process for these platforms can be negative or more protracted than expected, meaning that the business activity of the Group may be delayed or even hindered. Any changes to and related to the platforms mentioned therefore have the potential of a negative effect on the net assets, financial position and results of operations.
The Company assesses the risk to be low.
The Group's diverse portfolio has been build-up through company acquisitions, purchasing of game licenses as well as worldwide publishing rights. The Group mainly licenses online, console and mobile games that were developed by third parties. The Group's availability to new games therefore depends on access to licenses to successful online, console and mobile games which are to a great extent produced by external development studios. If new licenses are not available on the market for the Group or these newly licensable games are not technically flawless or experience programming errors or similar malfunctions, this would have a negative effect on business activity. Furthermore, new games licensed by the Group could still be in development when licensed and game concepts might turn out to be not feasible or not marketable in early stages of the development or at all, which could lead to that new game projects are cancelled. The unavailability of licenses to successful online, console and mobile games, or delays in the start of a new game as well as increases of related cost can have a negative impact on business development.
The Company assesses the risk to be low.
Due to its M&A activities the Group has offices in several countries and its products and services are available in multiple languages. The Group expects that its future success is predicated on its ability to continue to expand its existing international operations and on opening or acquiring companies with offices in new jurisdictions and expanding the offerings in new languages. However, the Group has limited operating history and the ability to manage its business and conduct the operations internationally requires considerable management attention and resources and is subject to the particular challenges of supporting a rapidly growing business in an environment of multiple languages, cultures, customs, legal and regulatory systems, alternative dispute systems and commercial markets. Further expansion of the Group's products and services may prove to be unsuccessful due to regional differences in consumer behaviour, business model, competitive landscape and regulation. For instance, in some countries app developers have strongly developed their own ad monetisation
platforms, which may prevent the Group from successfully and profitably entering such markets. International expansion has required and will continue to require the Group to invest significant funds and other resources.
In addition, the user base may expand more rapidly in international regions where the Group is less successful in monetising its products and services. As the Group's user base continues to expand internationally, it will need to increase revenue from the activity generated by the international users in order to grow its business. The Group's further growth is predicated on a more international footprint. The Group may never achieve this. The Group's inability to successfully expand internationally could adversely affect the business, financial condition and operating results.
Finally, the Company's Media business in Asia is increasingly growing in importance. This growth in business activities in the Asian markets increases the likelihood to be subject to the ongoing regulatory activities in Asian markets and specifically in China
The Company assesses the risk to be medium.
The Group is of risk of being exposed to fraud, especially in the area of online advertising and affiliate marketing. Because of the high level of fraud in internet advertising, there is a substantial risk that the Company's operations are affected, especially as there is normally no possibility of access to customer data and systems in order to better detect fraud. Fraud can have a significant negative impact on the Groups customer acquisition as well as on adspree media's volume of business and therefore also negatively affect the business activities and the net assets, financial position and results of operations of the group.
The Company assesses the risk to be high.
The Group's business highly depends on the overall demand for advertising and on the economic success of the Group's current and potential publishers and advertisers. If advertisers reduce their spending on advertising, the Group's revenue and results of operations are affected. Many advertisers spend a higher amount of their advertising budgets in the fourth quarter of the calendar year due to increased holiday purchasing or for budget reasons. If advertisers reduce the amount of their advertising spending during the fourth quarter (or an earlier quarter), or if the amount of inventory available to advertisers during that period is reduced, this could have an adverse effect on the Group's revenue and operating results for that fiscal year. Economic downturns or instability in political or market conditions may cause advertisers to reduce their advertising budgets. Reductions in inventory would make the Group's solution less attractive to advertisers. Moreover, any changes in the treatment of advertising expenses and the deductibility of such expenses for tax purposes would likely cause a reduction in advertising demand. In addition, concerns over the sovereign debt situation in certain countries in the European Union, question marks over the speed of recovery of the US economy and concerns over China and Russia among others, as well as continued geopolitical turmoil in several parts of the world have and may continue to put pressure on global economic conditions, which could lead to reduced spending on advertising.
The Company assesses the risk to be medium.
In many cases, the parties that control the development of mobile connected devices and operating systems include the Group's most significant competitors in the mobile advertising industry. For example, Apple controls two of the most popular mobile devices, the iPhone and the iPad, as well as the iOS operating system that runs on them. Apple controls the app store for downloading apps that run on Apple's mobile devices and Google controls the Android operating system and Google Play. The Group depends on the interoperability of its products and services with popular devices, desktop and mobile operating systems and web browsers that it does not control, such as Android, iOS, Chrome, Internet Explorer and Firefox. Any changes in such systems, devices or web browsers that degrade the functionality of the Group's products and services or give preferential treatment to competitive products or services could adversely affect usage of the Group's products and services. If the Group's mobile advertising platform were unable to work on these devices or operating systems, either because of technological constraints or because the maker of these devices or publisher of these operating systems wish to impair their competitors' ability to compete with them or such competitors' ability to fulfil advertising space, or inventory from developers whose apps are distributed through their control channels, the Group's ability to generate revenue could be significantly affected. This might have an impact on the Group's ad formats and/or revenue model (e.g., rewarded formats), as for example Apple and Google could bar certain apps or clients from their apps store which are important to the Group and could give preference to their own products and services. Consequently, leading global technology companies such as Apple and Google have the power to undermine the revenue model of the Group.
Further, if the number of platforms for which the Group develops its product expands, this can result in an increase in the Group's operating expenses. In order to deliver high-quality products and services, it is important that the Group's products and services work well with a range of operating systems, networks, devices, web browsers and standards that it does not control. In addition, because a majority of its users access the products and services through mobile devices, the Group depends on the interoperability of its products and services with mobile devices and operating systems. The Group may not be successful in developing relationships with key participants in the mobile industry or in developing products or services that operate effectively with these operating systems, networks, devices, web browsers and standards. In the event that it is difficult for the Group's users to access and use the products and services, particularly on their mobile devices, the user growth and engagement could be harmed, and the business and operating results could be adversely affected.
The Company assesses the risk to be medium.
The Group's contracts with advertisers and publishers generally do not provide for any minimum volumes or may be terminated on relatively short or no notice and without penalty. Advertisers' and publishers' needs and plans can change quickly, and advertisers or publishers may reduce volumes or terminate their arrangements with the Group for a variety of reasons, including financial issues or other changes in circumstances, new offerings by or strategic relationships with the Group's competitors, change in control, or declining general economic conditions. Technical issues could also cause a decline in spending. As a result, the Group has limited visibility as to its future advertising revenue streams. There is a risk that the Group's advertiser and publisher clients will not continue to use its services or that the Group will not be able to replace, in a timely or effective manner, departing clients with new clients that generate comparable revenue. In addition, the Group's agreements typically do not restrict the publishers from entering into agreements with other companies, including the Group's competitors. There is a risk that the partners with which the Group entered into an agreement will not continue to obtain services of the Group on commercially acceptable terms, or at all, after the term of the current agreement expires, or that they will terminate the existing services on short notice, which could lead to a slow down or a drop in revenue and harm the Group's reputation.
The Company assesses the risk to be medium.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies are facing major challenges due to extensive political restrictions as well as changing consumer patterns. Due to the crisis, economists rate the recession risk higher. There is also an increased risk of disruptions in the supply chains and higher inflation rates which may have an adverse impact of the markets on which the Group operate. Particularly in the media business of the Group, such disruptions could lead to lower revenues, and the Group has noticed an actual decrease of demand from customers operating in the travel and retail sectors. However, the short- and medium-term risk from the crisis with respect to the Group's gaming business is considered low.
The Company assesses the risk to be medium.
The Group's results of operations and cash flows vary from quarter to quarter due to the seasonal nature of advertising spending. In contrast to the higher amount of advertising budgets spent during the fourth quarter, the first quarter of the calendar year is typically the slowest in terms of advertising spend. This affects the Group's results of operations, cash flows and cash requirements. Seasonal fluctuations could become more pronounced in the future. In addition, digital advertising spend is volatile and unpredictable. As a result, in times of lower advertising spend than expected the Group's revenues may be materially adversely affected. Similarly, in times of higher and instantaneously increasing advertising spend and traffic, the Group's platform must be able to support substantial increases in the number of publishers and advertisers generating traffic, and to support the variety of advertising formats whilst maintaining a stable and effectively functioning infrastructure and reliable service to customers. This flexibility and stability requires significant investments in both organisation and technology, which increases the Group's cost base.
The Company assesses the risk to be medium.
The Group's business depends on the continued proliferation of mobile connected devices, such as smartphones and tablets that can connect to the Internet over a cellular, wireless or other network as well as the increased consumption of content through those devices. Consumer usage of these mobile connected devices may be inhibited for a number of reasons such as changes in user behaviour, concerns regarding data protection and data usage or changes in cost of smartphones etc. For any of these reasons or similar, users of mobile connected devices may limit the amount of time they spend on these devices and the number of apps they download on these devices. If user adoption of mobile connected devices and consumer consumption of content on those devices do not continue to grow, the Group's total addressable market size may be significantly limited, which could compromise its ability to increase the Group's revenue and become profitable which may have an adverse effect on the same.
The Company assesses the risk to be low.
The substantial majority of the Group's revenue in the media business is derived from customers that purchase mobile advertising through the Group's platform either on a self-serve basis or via the Group executing campaigns for them. The Group expects that spend on mobile advertising will continue to be its main source of revenue for the foreseeable future in the media segment, and that the Group's revenue growth will depend on increasing mobile advertising spend through its platform. The market for mobile advertising is an emerging market and today advertisers generally devote a growing portion of their advertising budgets to digital advertising, while the spend for traditional advertising methods, such as TV, newspapers, radio and billboards is declining. The Group's current and potential customers may find mobile advertising to be less effective than other brand advertising methods, and they may reduce their spending on mobile advertising as a result. Emerging channels such as mobile and social media are still quite young and may not or not rapidly enough develop into viable channels.
The future growth of the Group's business could be constrained by both, the level of acceptance and expansion of digital and mobile advertising as a format and emerging digital and mobile advertising channels, as well as the continued use and growth of existing channels. Even if these new channels become widely adopted, advertisers may not increase their advertising spend through platforms such as the Group's. If the market for mobile advertising deteriorates, develops more slowly than the Group expects or the shift from traditional advertising methods to digital advertising does not continue, or there is a reduction in demand for digital and mobile advertising caused by weakening economic conditions, decreases in corporate spending, perception that mobile advertising is less effective, less safe than other media or otherwise, it could reduce demand for the Group's offerings, which could decrease revenue or otherwise adversely affect its business.
The Group's current and potential customers may also suffer from increasing penetration of adblocking programs. Ad-blocking software has been in use on the web and in mobile browsers for some years and, whilst technically more difficult, is also coming to mobile apps. For instance, technology has been developed that sits in an operator's network and filters out any ad other than those on a whitelist. This could significantly impact advertisers' campaigns and as such, the demand for mobile advertising and revenues as well as it could change the economics in the mobile ecosystem and decrease the share intermediaries can capture. If ad-blocking technology for mobile apps becomes more widespread, this could impact the Group's offerings and positioning, which could significantly decrease revenue and margin.
The Company assesses the risk to be low.
The Group markets computer games and other products and services from third parties, among other things, in close cooperation with its media unit. In this business, there are similar markets risks as in the game publishing sector, as well as risks concerning customer relationships. The size and therefore the importance of existing customers is growing. This business consists of campaign-based revenues as well as revenue streams from SaaS revenues and revenue shares that have longer reliable sustainability. As the Group's media companies are also working for direct competitors of the Group, the separation of the business divisions (known as Chinese walls) are deemed to be adequate by the customers. Any doubts in customers' minds as to this Chinese-walls principle could have a significant impact on Group's media business in regards to traffic volumes and therefore also negatively affect the business activities and the net assets, financial position and results of operations of the whole Group.
The Company assesses the risk to be low.
The Group's mobile platform and smartphone operating systems depend on the reliability of the network operators and carriers who maintain sophisticated and complex mobile networks, as well as the Group's ability to deliver ads on those networks at prices that enable the Group to realise a profit. Mobile networks have been subject to rapid growth and technological change, particularly in recent years. The Group does not control these networks.
Mobile networks could fail for a variety of reasons, including new technology incompatibility, degradation of network performance under the strain of too many mobile consumers using the network, general failure from natural disaster or political or regulatory shut-down. Individuals and groups who develop and deploy viruses, worms and other malicious software programmes could also attack mobile networks and the devices that run on those networks. Any actual or perceived security threat to mobile devices or any mobile network could lead existing and potential device users to reduce or refrain from mobile usage or reduce or refrain from responding to the services offered by the Group's advertising clients. If the network of a mobile operator should fail for any reason, the Group would not be able to effectively provide the Group's services to its clients through that mobile network. This in turn could hurt the Group's reputation and cause the Group to lose significant revenue.
Mobile carriers may also increase restrictions on the amounts or types of data that can be transmitted over their networks or change their pricing plans. The Group currently generates revenue from its advertiser clients based on the type of ads the Group delivers, such as display ads, rich media ads or video ads. In some cases, the Group is paid by advertisers on a cost-per-thousand, or CPM, basis depending on the number of ads shown. In other cases, the Group is paid on a cost-per-click, or CPC, cost per install, or CPI, or cost-per-action, or CPA, basis depending on the action taken by the mobile device user. Different types of ads consume differing amounts of bandwidth and network capacity. If a network carrier were to restrict amounts of data that can be delivered on that carrier's network or change pricing plans, block ads on their networks, or otherwise control the kind of content that may be downloaded to a device that operates on the network, it could negatively affect the Group's pricing practices and inhibit the Group's ability to deliver targeted advertising to that carrier's users, both of which could impair the Group's ability to generate revenue.
The Company assesses the risk to be low.
The Group's operating subsidiaries provide technical solutions for app publishers to monetise ad advertise their apps and generate revenue by matching the app publishers' ad inventory with demand from advertising companies targeting specific types of app users in particular geographies.
The Group receives a portion of the payment the advertisers are paying for placing ads into the apps of the publishers. The Group therefore focuses on maximising their revenues after inventory acquisition costs on an absolute basis. The Group believes this focus fortifies a number of its competitive strengths, including continuous improvement of the Group's scalable and adaptable technology platform. As part of this focus, the Group intends to continue to invest in building relationships directly with publishers, increasing access to leading advertising exchanges and enhancing the quality and liquidity of its advertising inventory supply. This includes purchasing advertising inventory that may have a lower margin on an individual impression basis and may be less effective in generating clicks. In addition, the Group experiences and expects to continue to experience, increased competition for advertising inventory purchased on a programmatic basis. Changes in the ad value chain, where programmatic buying results in intermediaries such as the Group might become less important or where other new models emerge, may result in increased margin pressure for the Group.
The Group's business will also suffer to the extent that the Group's publisher clients and advertiser clients purchase and sell mobile advertising directly from each other or through other companies that act as intermediaries between publishers and advertisers. For example large owned and operated companies such as Twitter, Facebook, Google and Yahoo, which have their own mobile advertising capabilities, may decide to sell third-party ad inventory which would have been sold by the Group's services otherwise. Therefore, margin pressure for the Group also results from the concentration of publishers, advertisers and/ or intermediaries along the value-chain as such shifting buying power across the industry. If publishers decide not to make advertising inventory available to the Group for any of these reasons, or decide to increase the price of inventory, then the Group's revenue could decline and the Group's cost of acquiring inventory could increase. If for any other reason there is a shift in the buying power among the app publishers, other intermediaries and the advertisers respectively, this may negatively impact the Group's margins or even significantly impact the Group's ability to generate revenue and increase its costs of sale.
Also the changes regarding identifiers such as IDFA (Identity for Advertisers) of Apple and cookies, lead to structural changes. While big players are closing their eco-systems changing into so called "walledgardens", tracking and targeting become more difficult and/or need to be based on other methods. Powers in this market will change as a result of these changes leading to more competition between the large players such as Apple, Google and Amazon, but also threatening the positions of smaller independent players, including the Group's media business, which will need to rely more heavily on first party data, contextual data and other privacy conformed technologies and solutions.
The Company assesses the risk to be medium.
Sales efforts with advertisers and publishers may prove unsuccessful in the Group's media business Attracting new advertiser and publisher clients requires substantial time and expense, and the Group may not be successful in establishing new relationships or in maintaining or advancing its current relationships as the Group operates in a fragmented landscape and it relies on intermediaries. For example, it may be difficult to identify, engage with and market to potential advertiser clients, directly or through intermediaries, who do not currently spend on mobile advertising or are unfamiliar with the Group's current services or platform.
The novelty of the Group's services and its business model often require the Group to spend substantial time and effort educating potential advertiser and publisher clients about the Group's offerings, including providing demonstrations and comparisons against other available services. This process can be costly and time-consuming. If the Group is not successful with advertisers and publishers, its ability to maintain and grow its effective sales, revenue and profits may be adversely affected.
The Company assesses the risk to be low.
Certain large advertisers and publishers have accounted for and will continue to account for a large share of the Group's business. Whilst no advertiser or publisher accounted for more than 20 percent of revenue and the top ten advertisers or publishers accounted for less than 70 percent of Group revenue in 2021, the retention of large advertisers and publishers is important to the Group's operating results as well as the robustness of its exchange. The number of large media advertisers in the market is finite, and it could be difficult for the Group to replace revenue loss from any advertisers or publishers whose relationships with the Group diminish or terminate. Just as growth in the Group's inventory strengthens advertisers' activity as a result of network effects, loss of inventory or advertisers could have the opposite effect. Loss of revenue from significant advertisers or failure to collect accounts receivable, whether as a result of advertiser payment default, contract termination, or other factors, or significant reductions in inventory, could have a significant negative impact on the Group's reputation, its results of operation and overall financial condition.
The Company assesses the risk to be low.
The Group partly already offers and further plans to roll out platform services, which are offered to game developers and game publishers as well as other companies and include media services such as lead generation and online-marketing. Should these "platform services" show defects or be of bad quality, game developers and game publishers or other customers using these services may be lost as customers of this platform, resulting in revenue losses. The Group enters into standardised agreements with game developers, game publishers and other companies for using the "platform services". Under these agreements, service terms are being agreed. Successfully asserted claims arising from breaches of the contractual relationship for the services of "platform services" could oblige the Group to pay substantial damages. Even the assertion by customers or third parties that the Group provides its platform services incorrectly could lead to economic damage. In addition, the reputation of the Group would suffer considerable damage if "platform services" were disrupted.
The Company assesses the risk to be low.
The Group is on a regular basis – mostly as a result of its continued M&A activities – involved in various legal disputes, proceedings and arbitration proceedings, in particular with partners, employees and former shareholders of acquired companies. The following are lawsuits that the Group deems substantial, all resulting from one M&A transaction with the same former ultimate beneficial owner:
Seller of looki publishing GmbH ("Looki") v. Samarion SE, Arbitration Proceeding In these arbitration proceedings, the seller of Looki (acquired by gamigo in 2015) challenged the duly agreed upon payment of a part of a call option executed by Samarion SE regarding
gamigo AG shares. While a claim versus the seller exists, the seller claims that the payment could only be made in cash and not via offsetting receivables versus the seller. Therefore, the seller is disputing full payment and in line with that the valid share transfer to Samarion. The value in dispute amounts to approximately EUR 1.0 million, which reflects also the maximal financial burden for this case (next to legal costs), for which a provision exists.
gamigo Publishing GmbH and gamigo AG v. Seller of Looki, District Court Münster In these proceedings, the plaintiffs have requested the declaration by the court that the defendant is not entitled to a remuneration for services as claimed by the seller. The preliminary amount in dispute is a cumulative amount of EUR 1.1 million. A conservative provision for payables as well as legal costs has been made.
The possible negative outcomes of current and future disputes could have a negative effect on the Group's business, earnings or financial position. Defending claims or lawsuits can be expensive and time consuming, divert management resources, damage the Group's reputation and also cause regulatory inquiries. Further, the Group might also be involved in other disputes or subject to other litigation in the future. Any of these developments can have a material adverse effect on the Group's business, results of operations or financial condition.
The Company assesses the risk to be medium.
The Group currently has subsidiaries in several countries. While most employees are in Germany as well as in the USA, there are also smaller entities and offices in, among others, the Netherlands, Brazil, Japan, China and Turkey and sells its games and services worldwide. Furthermore, a large proportion of the online, console and mobile games distributed by the Group are being developed in China, Korea, Russia, Taiwan and various other countries. As consequence hereof, risks arising at the branch, sales and production locations could also have a negative impact on the Group's operational development. The political, social, economic and/or legal framework conditions at the production sites and distribution countries could change to the detriment of the Group. For example, Russia's military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has led to unprecedented international sanctions and trade restrictions between major parts of the international community and Russia and it is currently uncertain whether the Group will be able to continue to purchase services from and cooperate with its Russian partners. Furthermore, trade restrictions, limited protection of intellectual property, currency control regulations or changes in customs regulations or increases in customs duties may have a negative impact on the Group's business activities. These location and country risks may also result in foreign subsidiaries or production and sales sites being temporarily unable to perform their services or only be able to perform such services to a limited extent. Furthermore, the integration of foreign accounting systems can also involve considerable time and cost.
Similarly, adverse changes with regard to the other conditions important for procurement, distribution and production, such as economic stability, exchange rates, infrastructure and the availability and in particular the costs of skilled workers in these countries, could worsen.
In this way, social and political developments in the production countries lead to an increase in production costs due to an increase in non-wage labour costs. Furthermore, a shift in the economic environment in these countries towards high quality technologies can lead to workers moving to other industries. This can lead to a shortage of skilled workers and thus to a supply bottleneck and/ or cost increases. Moreover, there is a risk that labour disputes would arise in the future at foreign production sites that could lead to delivery delays, delivery failures and/or cost increases.
The occurrence of one or more of these risks would have negative effects on the net assets, financial position and results of operations of the Group.
The Company assesses the risk to be low.
European regulators have been questioning whether video games featuring so-called "loot boxes" should be considered as gambling. Loot boxes are packages containing digital items for use "in-game" that can be earned by playing or by purchasing the loot boxes. The items inside each virtual box are randomised and the probability of encountering the items is set solely by the developer. Rare items are usually of particular interest for the purchaser, which, due to the rarity of the item, have a low probability to be included in a loot box. In some cases, the items inside a loot box can enhance the player's gameplay, creating an added incentive to spend real money to acquire a digital item faster. No loot box like functionalities are used in the B2B and casual segment. Only some MMO games are using this functionality to a limited extent. During 2021, income relatable to loot boxes and in-game purchases amounted to less than five percent of the Groups revenue.
There is a risk that the use of loot boxes or similar in-game earning or purchase methods creates or supports an addictive behaviour with the players, entailing negative press for the Company or its industry. Furthermore, if such behaviour increase, it could lead to legislative actions or interventions by the regulator in order to prevent addictive behaviour relating to in-game purchases. In addition, there is a risk that the use of in-game earning or purchase methods may violate existing gambling laws in the jurisdiction the Company operates. For example, Belgium and the Netherlands have already declared that loot boxes violate their national gambling laws and have banned the practice. There is a risk that similar regulations in other countries may come into force, which could have adverse effects on gamigo's revenues, financial position and results.
The Company assesses the risk to be medium.
In the respective markets, the Group is confronted with a multitude of frequently changing and constantly increasing legal conditions affecting the business activities of the Group. Numerous of such legal provisions concern the collection, processing and responsibility for the content and protection of data, in particular personal data. In view of the need for special protection of personal rights on the Internet, legal risks will arise, particularly in connection with the extensive possibilities of collecting and storing personal data and linking and evaluating it with other usage data to form comprehensive customer and user profiles. For the Group's operations on the European market, the handling of personal data is governed by the General Data Protection Regulation (the "GDPR"). The GDPR entered into force during 2018 and contains strict sanctions for breach of the regulation, where fines may amount to the higher of EUR 20 million and four percent of the global turnover of the Group. In February 2022, the Belgian data protection authority rendered a decision regarding the Transparency and Consent Framework ("TCF") – a widespread standard for collecting of user consent regarding personal data for personalised advertisement. According to the decision, the TCF standard contains several defects in relation to the GDPR. The TCF standard is an integral part of the European operations
in Group's media segment, and is currently difficult to assess the negative consequences from the decision rendered by the Belgian data protection authority. The decision may have long term negative effects on the European adtech industry as well as negative consequences on the revenues from the Group's European media segment operations.
For the Groups operations within the United States, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) applies. On 2 March 2021, the state of Virginia enacted a comprehensive state privacy law, the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA), which aligns with the GDPR in a few key respects including the adoption of data protection assessment requirements, and "controller" and "processor" terminology. The VCDPA will go into effect on 1 January 2023. Additional US states will enact comprehensive privacy legislation. Furthermore, more and more countries/legislations beyond the US and the European Union are adopting GDPR-comparable standards (e.g. Brazil with the LGPD) with widely overlapping but often also deviating rules with regard to data protection.
Since the Group is active in several different jurisdictions globally, the Group must also adapt its operations and keep itself informed of potentially different interpretations of the GDPR by (or other applicable personal data legislation outside the EU) by the relevant competent data protection authority. As of the date hereof, the Group handles personal data of approximately 900 million customers. Since the Company handles a large amount of personal data, wrongful handling of personal data in violation of applicable data protection laws and regulations in the jurisdiction in which the Company operates could led to severe fines and in turn have a material adverse impact on the Company's operation and financial position and adversely affect the Group's reputation.
The Company assesses the risk to be medium.
The Group operates in a market that is highly dependent on public perception. Violent crimes are regularly associated with the consumption of violent online, console and mobile games by the perpetrators of violent crimes by the press and in the context of social discussion. The more violent crimes associated with the use of online, console and mobile games, the greater the risk that the image of the games industry will change adversely. This can also be the result of public discourse on gambling addiction problems, for example with regard to sleep losses or the ingestion of performance-enhancing substances, in connection with online, console and mobile games. Also based on the recent development in China, where new rules restricting minors' online gaming were introduced in August 2021, a stronger self-regulation/regulation regarding youth could be expected or even enforced. A negatively developing image of the games industry would mean that fewer and fewer customers are prepared to use the online, console and mobile games offered by the Group and to purchase virtual goods in the process. Therefore, a negatively developing image of the gaming industry would have a negative effect on the Group's business activities, its reputation and net assets and might even lead to laws preventing from certain game types or services which would have a negative effect on the Group's business activities.
The Company assesses the risk to be low.
There is a risk that the Group will infringe the property rights of third parties, that third parties may assert claims against the Group based on the infringement of property rights or that a Group company could be sued in connection with legal disputes. This may result in the Group's products and/or services being unable or delayed to be commercialised. Even the assertion by third parties that the Group infringes the industrial property rights of third parties could lead to economic damage due to the decisive role that industrial property rights play in the industry in which the Group operates. IP proceedings can involve complex factual and legal issues and often have an uncertain outcome. Such legal disputes will also involve time, personnel and cost expenditure and may dissuade the Company from its actual business activities. Third parties could assert claims arising from the infringement of their patents or other intellectual property rights due to actions by the Company or its employees and file lawsuits against the companies of the Group. The occurrence of one or more of these risks would have a negative impact on the net assets, financial position and results of operations of the Group.
The Group is the owner of certain trademarks, patents and domains. There is a risk that a legal dispute may arise with competitors over the legality and use of the trademarks or that other third parties may take action against the Group's use of the trademarks, also as part of the domains, or may attempt to register a corresponding trademark themselves. If such an approach were successful, there is a risk that the Group would be prevented from continuing to use such trademark or other important brands for its business activities. Among other things, this could result in high costs for the Group in establishing an alternative brand in the market, which would have an adverse effect on the Company's net assets, financial position and results of operations.
The Company assesses the risk to be low.
The Group finances its business activities using both debt and equity capital. Debt capital funding is always associated with the risk that it may not be possible to borrow the volume required at economically acceptable conditions or that attempts at refinancing using debt capital may fail totally or partially. Internal factors (such as the credit rating assigned by the market on the basis of the group's earnings and financial situation or management's skill in dealing with existing and potential sources of debt funding) and external factors (such as the general interest rate levels on the market, the lending policies of banks and other sources of debt capital, or changes in the legal environment) both play a role. In addition, there is a risk that the refinancing interest level could move in an unfavourable direction and that the cost of financing could increase due to a rise in the interest rate. The Group is also subject to the general risk that extensions of existing liabilities, refinancing or acquisition financing may not be available to the desired extent or can only be obtained on economically unattractive terms, and that loan due dates may be brought forward, making it necessary to cash in securities under certain circumstances. The future unavailability of equity or debt on the scale required could weaken or render impossible the financing and growth of the Group.
The Company assesses the risk to be medium.
The Group has historically grown both organically and through acquisitions and has made over 35 acquisitions since 2013, including games, media and technology companies as well as individual game assets. The media companies are part of the platform strategy and also provide B2B services to third parties.
Recent acquisitions include, among others, the following:
According to its current business plan, the Group is evaluating further targeted acquisitions of companies or parts of companies for purposes of expanding its offerings and business activities. The acquisition of companies and shareholdings as well as the purchase of company assets involves certain risks. There is a risk that the risks associated with an acquisition or asset purchase will arise or materialise at a later date that were not identified or misjudged during the previous audit or that are not covered by guarantees given. In such a case, the corresponding warranty period may already have expired or recourse to the seller or may not be possible for other reasons. The Group is as such actively pursuing a buy and build strategy within the two fast growing synergetic segments media and games.
The Company assesses the risk to be medium.
On 9 February 2022, the Company announced that its board of directors had resolved to propose to the Company's shareholders, at the 2022 annual general meeting, to relocate the Company's registered office and headquarters from Malta to Sweden. The Company's stakeholders expect the relocation to occur in accordance with the disclosed plan. However, the relocation cannot be guaranteed since it is still subject to shareholder approval and should it, for any reason, not be completed the Company may suffer reputational damage. Furthermore, should the change of jurisdiction come into effect, the Company will be subject of Swedish laws and regulations, inter alia the Swedish Company Act (Sw. aktiebolagslagen) and the Swedish Corporate Governance Code (Sw. Svensk kod för bolagsstyrning). Furthermore, the Company may be subject of increased tax risks following a jurisdiction change (see above under "Tax related risks").
Failure to comply with Swedish law and/or regulations, as well as failure to foresee negative consequences of the jurisdiction change, could result in reputational damage or increased costs due to sanctions and/or penalties, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial position.
The Company assesses the risk to be medium.
The Group has on its balance sheet various assets, intangible assets and goodwill, which as of 31 December 2021 amounted to EUR 651 million. These assets, intangible assets and goodwill are generally subject to an impairment risk which must be tested as part of mandatory impairment tests. As of the date hereof, the value in use of the assets and goodwill concerned exceeds the carrying amounts. Should the value in use of the assets or goodwill fall below the book values, the amount of the book values would have to be adjusted accordingly in the balance sheet in accordance with the applicable accounting standard. Future assets and goodwill, e.g. due to acquisitions of companies or parts of companies, would also have to be corrected with an effect on expenses. Impairment of assets and goodwill due to adjustments to the value in use of the assets would have a negative impact on the Group's financial position.
The Company assesses the risk to be low.
The Group conducts its business in accordance with its own interpretation of applicable tax regulations and applicable requirements and decisions. The Group is currently undergoing an audit by the tax authorities relating to Verve Holding GmbH (former ME mobile GmbH), Verve Group Europe GmbH, gamigo AG, gamigo Publishing GmbH, Smaato Holding GmbH and Smaato Inc. with a potential exposure in the amount of EUR 1 million. There is a risk that the Group's or its advisers' interpretation and the Group's application of laws, provisions, judicial practice has not been, or will in the future not be, correct or that such laws, provisions and practice will be changed, potentially with retroactive effect. Such risk is increased, should the Company's announced relocation come into effect (see below under "Risks relating to the Company's change of jurisdiction"). If such an event should occur, the Group's tax liabilities can increase, which would have a negative effect on the Group's results and financial position. Revisions to tax regulations could for example comprise denied interest deductions, additional taxes on the direct or indirect sale of property and/or tax losses carried forward being forfeited. There is also the risk of tax increases and the introduction of additional taxes which would affect the Group's results and financial position in the future. In the event of a change in the tax legislations or the interpretation of existing tax laws, the business activities of the Group may be adversely affected.
The Company assesses the risk to be low.
The Company holds no significant assets other than the shares in the Group companies. Accordingly, the Company is dependent upon receipt of sufficient income related to the operation of and the ownership in such entities to enable it to make payments under the Bonds. The Company's subsidiaries are legally separate and distinct from the Company and have no obligation to pay amounts due with respect to the Company's obligations and commitments, including the Bonds, or to make funds available for such payments. The ability of the Company's subsidiaries to make such payments to the Company is subject to, among other things, the availability of funds and should the Company not receive sufficient funds, the investor's ability to receive payment in accordance with the Terms and Conditions could be adversely affected. This can also lead to a market pricing the Bonds with a higher risk premium, which would have a negative effect on the value of the Bonds on the secondary market.
Should the value of the business conducted in the subsidiaries decrease, and/or should the Company not receive sufficient income from its subsidiaries, the investor's ability to receive payment under the terms and conditions may be adversely affected.
In the event of insolvency, liquidation or a similar event relating to one of the Company's subsidiaries, all creditors of such company would be entitled to payment in full out of the assets of such subsidiary before the Company, as a shareholder, would be entitled to any payments. Thus, the Bonds are structurally subordinated to the liabilities of such subsidiaries. There is a risk that the Company and its assets would not be protected from actions by the creditors of a subsidiary, whether under bankruptcy law, by contract or otherwise. In addition, defaults by, or the insolvency of, certain subsidiaries of the Group may result in the obligation of the Group to make payments under financial or performance guarantees in respect of such companies' obligations or the occurrence of cross defaults on certain borrowings of the Group.
The Company assesses the risk to be medium.
The security and guarantees provided in relation to the Bonds are shared with the outstanding maximum EUR 350 million bond series 2020/2024 issued by the Company. Furthermore, under the terms and conditions of the Bonds, the Company will be permitted to incur certain additional debt, which share the security and guarantees with the Bonds and rank pari passu in right and priority of payment in case of an enforcement of the security or guarantees. Pursuant to the intercreditor agreement, any unpaid fees, costs, expenses and indemnities payable to the security agent, issuing agent, bond agent and certain other agents as well any outstanding amount under the hedging obligations rank in priority over the bondholders. Hence, certain secured creditors will have higher or equal ranking right to the proceeds of an enforcement of the security or the guarantees and the bondholders' recovery from an enforcement may therefore be substantially reduced.
The Company assesses the risk to be medium.
Certain transaction security and guarantees shall be executed, granted and perfected after the issue date for the Bonds. Until such measures have been taken, the bondholders' security position will be limited. The transaction security and guarantees may be subject to hardening periods during which times the bondholders do not fully, or at all, benefit from the security.
The granted transaction security and guarantees may be subject to certain limitations on enforcement and may be limited by applicable German, US or other relevant law or subject to certain defences that may limit their validity and enforceability. In particular, an Aktiengesellschaft (AG) may only under limited circumstances provide security in rem or guarantees in order to secure or guarantee the liabilities of a direct or indirect shareholder of the Aktiegesellschaft, meaning that the validity and enforceability of the security and guarantees provided by gamigo AG (but, for the avoidance doubt, not in respect of the shares in gamigo AG) will be materially limited by law.
In particular, the enforceability of security or guarantees provided by a German law Stock Corporation, an Aktiengesellschaft (AG), and its subsidiaries or by a European Company Societas Europaea (SE) under German law and its subsidiaries in order to secure or guarantee the liabilities of a direct or indirect shareholder of the Aktiengesellschaft or SE, will be materially limited by law as such enforcement is only permitted under very limited circumstances. Enforcement of the security over the shares in gamigo AG will, to the extent provided by a German limited liability company (GmbH), be limited based on applicable capital maintenance rules, to the free net assets of the respective pledgor.
Each security interest or guarantee granted will be limited in scope to comply with limitations on financial assistance, capital maintenance rules or similar restrictions under applicable law. The transaction security and the guarantees may thus not be enforceable, or only be enforceable in part, which may limit the recovery of the bondholders.
If a subsidiary which shares are pledged in favour of the bondholders is subject to any foreclosure, dissolution, winding-up, liquidation, recapitalisation, administrative or other bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, the shares that are subject to such share pledge may then have limited value because all of the subsidiary's obligations must first be satisfied, potentially leaving little or no remaining assets in the subsidiary for the bondholders. As a result, the bondholders may not recover full or any value in the case of an enforcement sale of such pledged shares. In addition, the value of the shares subject to the pledge may decline over time.
In addition, certain of the pledged assets may be illiquid and have no readily ascertainable market value. For example, the shares that are secured in favour of the Secured Parties may provide for only limited repayment, in part because these shares may not be liquid and their value to other parties may be less than their value to the Group. It is not certain that the secured assets will be saleable, or, even if saleable, that there will not be delays in the realisation of the value thereof. As a result, the bondholders may not recover full or any value in the case of an enforcement sale of such pledged shares.
Although the obligations under the Bonds and certain other obligations of the Group towards the bondholders will be secured by first priority security including guarantees, there is a risk that the proceeds of any enforcement sale of the security assets or enforcement of guarantees will not be sufficient to satisfy all amounts then owed to the bondholders or the amounts then due in respect of the Bonds. If the proceeds of an enforcement of the transaction security and/or the guarantees are not sufficient to repay all amounts due under or in respect of the Bonds, then the bondholders will only have an unsecured claim against the remaining assets (if any) of the Company for the amounts which remain outstanding under or in respect of the Bonds.
The Company assesses the risk to be medium.
Under the terms and conditions for the Bonds, the Company undertakes to ensure that the Bonds are listed on a regulated market within certain stipulated time periods and the failure to do so provides each bondholder with a right of prepayment (put option) of its Bonds. Furthermore, the Company undertakes to use its best efforts to procure admission to trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange Open Market.
There is a risk that the Bonds will not be admitted to trading and even if the Bonds are admitted to trading, there can be no assurance that active trading in the Bonds occur and there is a risk that there will not be a liquid market for trading in the Bonds or that the market will be maintained even if the Bonds are listed. This may result in that the bondholders cannot sell their Bonds when desired or at a price level which allows for a profit comparable to similar investments with an active and functioning secondary market. It should also be noted that during a given time period it may be difficult or impossible to sell the Bonds (at all or at reasonable terms) due to, for example, severe price fluctuations, close down of the relevant market or trade restrictions imposed on the market.
The Company assesses the risk to be low.
The First Issue Date of the Initial Bonds were on 21 June 2022 and the issue was made based on a decision by the Board of Directors of the Company on 24 May 2022. The Prospectus has been prepared in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation in connection with the Company's admission to trading of the Bonds on the corporate bond list on the regulated market Nasdaq Stockholm.
This Prospectus has been approved by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (Sw. Finansinspektionen) as the competent authority under the Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2017 on the prospectus to be published when securities are offered to the public or admitted to trading on a regulated market, and repealing Directive 2003/71/EC, as amended (the "Prospectus Regulation"). The Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority only approves this Prospectus as meeting the standards of completeness, comprehensibility and consistency imposed by the Prospectus Regulation. Such approval should not be considered as an endorsement of the Group that is the subject of this Prospectus. Further, such approval should not be considered as an endorsement of the quality of the securities that are the subject of this Prospectus and investors should make their own assessment as to the suitability of investing in the securities.
The Company is responsible for the information given in the Prospectus. The Company is the source of all company specific data in the Prospectus. The Company confirms that the information contained in the Prospectus is, to the best of the Company's knowledge, in accordance with the facts and contains no omissions likely to affect its import. The Board of Directors is responsible for the information given in the Prospectus only under the conditions and to the extent set forth in Maltese law. The Board of Directors of the Company confirms that the information contained in the Prospectus is, to the best of the Company's knowledge, in accordance with the facts and contains no omissions likely to affect its import.
Valletta, Malta, 25 July 2022
The Board of Directors
This section contains a general and broad description of the Bonds. It does not claim to be comprehensive or cover all details of the Bonds. Potential investors should therefore carefully consider the Prospectus as a whole, including documents incorporated by reference, before a decision is made to invest in the Bonds. The complete terms and conditions can be found in the under the section "Terms and conditions of the Bonds" in the Prospectus.
Concepts and terms defined in the section "Terms and Condition of the Bonds" are used with the same meaning in this description unless otherwise is explicitly understood from the context.
| The Issuer: | Media and Games Invest SE (formerly Media and Games Invest plc), a Societas Europaea company incorporated in Malta with reg. no SE 15. |
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|---|---|---|
| The Bonds: | Maximum EUR 300,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of Senior Secured Callable Floating Rate Bonds due 21 June 2026. |
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| No physical instruments have been issued. The Bonds are issued in dematerialised form and have been registered on behalf of each Bondholder with the Central Securities Depository. |
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| The Initial Bonds: | EUR 175,000,000 of the maximum EUR 300,000,000 framework of the Bonds. |
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| Status of the Bonds: | Subject to the Intercreditor Agreement, the Bonds constitute direct, general, unconditional, unsubordinated and secured obligations of the Issuer and shall at all times rank at least pari passu with all direct, general, unconditional, unsubordinated and unsecured obligations of the Issuer and without any preference among them, except for obligations mandatorily preferred by law applying to companies generally, and are guaranteed by the Initial Guarantors. |
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| Guarantees: | Pursuant to the terms and conditions, the Bonds benefit from guarantees from the Initial Guarantors from time to time under a guarantee and adherence agreement. As of the date of the Prospectus, the Initial Guarantors are, apart from the Issuer: |
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| Aeria Games GmbH gamigo AG |
gamigo Inc.
| gamigo US Inc. Kings Holding Inc. Kingsisle Entertainment Inc. Verve Group Europe GmbH; and Verve Group Inc. |
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|---|---|---|
| Transferability: | The Bonds are freely transferable. All Bond transfers are subject to these Terms and Conditions and these Terms and Conditions are automatically applicable in relation to all Bond transferees upon completed transfer. |
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| ISIN-code: | SE0018042277 | |
| Short name: | M8G 201 | |
| First Issue Date: | 21 June 2022 | |
| Nominal Amount: | The nominal amount of each Bond is EUR 100,000. | |
| Price of the Bonds: | 98 per cent of the Nominal Amount. | |
| Denomination: | The Bonds are denominated in EUR. | |
| Securities register (Sw. skuldbok): | The Bonds are connected to the account-based system of Euroclear Sweden AB, registration number 556112-8074, P.O. Box 191, SE 101 23 Stockholm, Sweden. Holdings of the Bonds are registered on behalf of the Holders on a securities account and no physical Bonds have, or will be, issued. The Bondholders' financial rights such as payments of the Nominal Amount and interest, as well as, if applicable, withholding of preliminary tax will be made by Euroclear Sweden. |
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| Use of proceeds: | The Net Proceeds from the Initial Bond Issue and any Subsequent Bond Issue shall be applied towards general corporate purposes (including investments, capital expenditures and acquisitions) of the Group. |
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| Interest rate: | Means a floating rate of EURIBOR (3 months) plus 6.25 per cent. per annum, provided that if EURIBOR is less than zero, it shall be deemed to be zero. |
gamigo Publishing GmbH
As of the date of the Prospectus, the administrator of EURIBOR, European Money Markets Institute, is
included in the ESMA register of administrators under Article 36 of the Regulation (EU) 2016/1011 (the "Benchmark Regulation").
Interest Payment Date: Means 21 March, 21 June, 21 September and 21 December each year (with the first Interest Payment Date on 21 September 2022 and the last Interest Payment Date being the Final Redemption Date (or any final Redemption Date prior thereto)) or, to the extent such day is not a Business Day, the Business Day following from an application of the Business Day Convention.
Interest Period: Means each period beginning on (but excluding) the First Issue Date or any Interest Payment Date and ending on (and including) the next succeeding Interest Payment Date (or a shorter period if relevant) and, in respect of Subsequent Bonds, each period beginning on (but excluding) the Interest Payment Date falling immediately prior to their issuance and ending on (and including) the next succeeding Interest Payment Date (or a shorter period if relevant).
Redemption at maturity: The Issuer shall redeem all, but not some only, of the Bonds in full on the Final Redemption Date with an amount per Bond equal to the Nominal Amount together with accrued but unpaid Interest. If the Final Redemption Date is not a Business Day, the redemption shall to the extent permitted under the CSD's applicable regulations occur on the Business Day following from an application of the Business Day Convention or, if not permitted under the CSD's applicable regulations, on the first following Business Day.
Early voluntary total redemption (call option): The Issuer may redeem early all, but not only some, of the Bonds in full on any Business Day up to (but excluding) the Final Redemption Date, at the applicable Call Option Amount together with accrued but unpaid Interest.
Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control, Delisting or Listing Failure, each Bondholder shall have the right to request that all, or only some, of its Bonds are repurchased (whereby the Issuer
Final Redemption Date: 21 June 2026.
Mandatory repurchase due to a Change of Control, De-listing or Listing Failure (put option):
| shall have the obligation to repurchase such Bonds) at a price per Bond equal to one hundred and one (101.00) per cent. of the Nominal Amount together with accrued but unpaid Interest during a period of sixty (60) calendar days following a notice from the Issuer of the Change of Control, De-listing or Listing Failure (as applicable) pursuant to paragraph (b) of Clause 14.4 (Information: miscellaneous). The sixty (60) calendar days' period may not start earlier than upon the occurrence of the Change of Control, De listing or Listing Failure. |
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| Time-bar for the right to receive payments under the Bonds: |
The right to receive repayment of the principal of the Bonds shall be time-barred and become void ten (10) years from the relevant Redemption Date. The right to receive payment of Interest (excluding any capitalised Interest) shall be time-barred and become void three (3) years from the relevant due date for payment. The Issuer is entitled to any funds set aside for payments in respect of which the Bondholders' right to receive payment has been time-barred and has become void. |
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| Change of Control: | Change of control means the occurrence of an event or series of events whereby one or more Persons, not being the Main Shareholder, acting in concert, acquire control over the Issuer and where "control" mean: |
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| acquiring or controlling, directly or (a) indirectly, more than fifty (50.00) percent. of the voting rights of the Issuer; or |
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| the right to, directly or indirectly, appoint (b) or remove the whole or a majority of the directors of the board of directors of the Issuer. |
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| Representation of the Bondholders': | By subscribing for Bonds, each initial Bondholder appoints the Trustee to act as its agent in all matters relating to the Bonds and the Finance Documents, and authorises the Trustee to act on its behalf (without first having to obtain its consent, unless such consent is specifically required by these Terms and Conditions) in any legal or arbitration proceedings relating to the |
| Bonds held by such Bondholder, including the winding-up, dissolution, liquidation, company reorganisation (Sw. företagsrekonstruktion) or bankruptcy (Sw. konkurs) (or its equivalent in any other jurisdiction) of the Issuer. By acquiring Bonds, each subsequent Bondholder confirms such appointment and authorisation for the Trustee to act on its behalf. |
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|---|---|
| The Terms and Conditions are available at the Trustee's office address, Norrlandsgatan 23, SE 111 43 Stockholm, Sweden, during normal business hours as well as on the Trustee's web page, www. nordictrustee.com. |
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| Trustee: | Nordic Trustee & Agency AB (publ), reg. no. 556882-1879, Box 7329, 103 90 Stockholm, Sweden. |
| Rating: | Neither the Issuer nor the Bonds have received a credit rating. |
| Listing of the Initial Bonds on the corporate bond list on Stockholm: |
The Company will submit an application for listing of the Initial Bonds, amounting to a total of 1,750, on the Corporate Bond List on the regulated market Nasdaq Stockholm in connection with the approval of the Prospectus by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (the "SFSA"). The preliminary first day of trading of the Bonds is on or about 27 July 2022. |
| Listing costs: | Cost and expenses incurred by the Company in connection with the listing of the Bonds such as expenses for admission to trading in relation to the SFSA and Nasdaq Stockholm (excluding Nasdaq Stockholm's annual fee) as well as fees to advisors is estimated to be approximately SEK 200,000. |
| Listing Failure: | Means the occurrence of an event whereby: |
| the Initial Bonds have not been admitted (a) to trading on a Regulated Market within sixty (60) days from the First Issue Date; or |
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| any Subsequent Bonds have not been (b) admitted to trading on the same |
Regulated Market as the Initial Bonds within sixty (60) days from the relevant Issue Date,
Withholding tax: Euroclear Sweden AB or the trustee (in the case of nominee-registered securities) applies deduction for preliminary tax, currently 30 percent, on paid interest for natural persons resident in Sweden.
The above description does not constitute tax advice. The description is not exhaustive but is intended as a general information about some applicable rules. Creditors themselves will assess the tax consequences that may arise and consult tax advisors.
Governing law: These Terms and Conditions, and any noncontractual obligations arising out of or in connection therewith, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Sweden. Any dispute or claim arising in relation to these Terms and Conditions shall, subject to Clause 28.3, be determined by Swedish courts and the District Court of Stockholm (Sw. Stockholms tingsrätt) shall be the court of first instance. The submission to the jurisdiction of the Swedish courts shall not limit the right of the Trustee (or the Bondholders, as applicable) to take proceedings against the Issuer in any court which may otherwise exercise jurisdiction over the Issuer or any of its assets.
Media and Games Invest SE is an Advertising-Software-Platform with first party data from own games content. MGI's main operational presence is in North America and Europe. The Company combines organic growth with value-generating synergetic acquisitions, which has demonstrated continuous strong profitable growth. Next to strong organic growth, the MGI Group has successfully acquired more than 35 companies and assets in the past six years. The acquired assets and companies have been integrated and amongst others cloud technology is actively used to achieve efficiency gains and competitive advantages.
In 2021, MGI generated the majority of its revenues from its programmatic Ad-Software-Platform. If the goal of advertising is to create and place ads as well as sell ad space (Ad Inventory), then programmatic advertisement aims to make the business and processes of creating and placing ads as well as selling ad space faster, easier, more transparent and more effective by leveraging artificial intelligence, powerful algorithms and billions of data points. Advertising companies are intermediaries between advertisers - who try to reach users on their smartphones, computers, connected TV devices or via digital public billboards (DOOH) to attract new customers - and publishers - who provide digital content that is consumed by users and monetized by selling ad space to advertisers. Whereas in traditional advertising an advertiser usually requested ad space directly from the publisher by phone or email - which is very time consuming and inefficient - with programmatic advertisement this process is fully automated and happens in real time, with revenue flowing from advertisers to publishers in an automated way - replacing the phone calls, faxes and paper Insertion Orders (IOs) used to manage and track deals in the past.
There are advertising companies that support advertisers (so-called Demand Side Platforms), for example in buying ad space or evaluating campaigns, and there are advertising companies that support publishers (so-called Supply-Side Platforms), for example in selling ad space and processing user data to create anonymized audience segments. While most companies can be assigned to one of these two sides and / or focus only on single devices (like mobile, desktop, Connected-TV, or DOOH) or single formats (Banner, Interstitial, Native, Rewarded or In / Out Stream) MGI with its full stack platform supports both sides across all devices and formats.
This offers advantages for both advertisers and publishers, as the flow of information between advertiser and publisher is more direct resulting in higher transparency in targeting, monitoring and evaluation of campaigns, while at the same time eliminating the gateways for fraud that arise due to the multiplicity of market participants. The resulting increase in efficiency and quality leads to a higher ROI (return on investment) for advertisers and higher ad income (measured by CPMs / cost per mille) for publishers. In addition, as a one-stop store, MGI reduces the number of external media partners needed to coordinate cross-device and cross-format campaigns, resulting in more streamlined campaign management where the individual components of the campaign are precisely orchestrated resulting in higher Return on Investment (ROI).
An important differentiator between advertising companies is whether they "own and operate" a part of the audience (users) or whether they do not have their own audience. Via its game's portfolio, MGI has its own audience consisting of more than 5,000 casual and mobile games as well as more than ten premium games. Additionally, MGI has integrated its SDK (software developer kid) directly into the
Apps with many App-developing companies, receiving direct opt-ins of the users of these Apps. The quality and breadth of the data stemming from those direct integrations are well comparable to the data inferred from MGI's own audiences. Due to its own audience as well as the first party App integrations, MGI has millions of owned impressions from players of its own games as well as access to proprietary first-party data that's being kept and leveraged inhouse to which third-party platforms do not have access to. Based on first-party data, it is possible to create much better audience segments while monitoring and controlling campaigns is also much more precise. This combined leads to a highly efficient campaign management. The importance of this cannot be overstated, considering that increasing restrictions on data sharing and stricter data protection regulations - imposed by lawmakers but also promoted by the industry to boost user trust - will make it increasingly difficult for advertising companies to provide efficient insights into audience segments and enable end-to-end monitoring and controlling of campaigns.
MGI is positioned outside the so called "walled gardens" of Facebook and Google. Walled gardens in large ad tech are organizations that keep their technology, information, and user data for themselves and currently generate approximately 50 percent of global digital advertising revenues within the worldwide +300 billion digital advertising market. The other 50 percent of revenues are generated outside the walled gardens in the so-called Open Internet. While players such as Facebook and Google cover the entire value chain in the digital media sector, most players in the Open Internet focus on specific parts of the value chain like delivering a solution for the Demand Side only, the Supply Side only or for Data Management only.
Within the Open Internet, MGI covers the entire value chain. The advantage of a full stack approach is that all sub-processes between the advertiser running an advertising campaign and the publisher owning the advertising space (i.e. the access to the end user) are in one hand. This means no information is lost among middlemen on the way from the advertiser to the publisher and vice versa. Thus, such full stack approach makes the process more transparent and efficient. The resulting improved measurability of campaign success and more targeted identification of appropriate user profiles leads to higher ROIs for advertisers, better monetization of advertising space for publishers, as well as more relevant ads for users. While there are a few competitors specializing in full stack with other companies trying to follow suit, MGI is a full stack provider in the Open Internet that serves all channels - mobile, desktop, digital out of home and connected TV.
In 2012, Remco Westermann acquired 100 percent of the shares in the online game publisher gamigo AG from Axel Springer and stopped the risky games development in favour of an M&A "Buy and Build" business model. After more than 25 acquisitions, Remco and his experienced management team turned gamigo AG into one of the fastest growing game publishers in Europe and North America with a compounded annual average revenue growth of 31 percent and an EBITDA growth of 61 percent since 2014.
One of the important milestones for gamigo was the acquisition of Aeria Games GmbH from ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE in 2016. In addition to a portfolio of games, the performance marketing agency adspree was also included in the assets acquired. This expanded gamigo's product portfolio by adding the online media advertising segment.
In May 2018, the Company acquired more than 53 percent of the voting rights in gamigo AG and Remco Westermann became a major shareholder in the Company. With the business combination, the team decided to further extend the successful "Buy, Integrate, Build and Improve" strategy used in the business to consumer ("B2C") gaming sector into the business to business ("B2B") media/online advertising sector.
Before the acquisition of the majority stake in the Company (formerly Solidare real estate holding plc, Malta, in short, "Solidare") by Remco Westermann (via the investment vehicle Bodhivas GmbH), the focus of Solidare was on investments in the real estate sector. After the takeover and the subsequent divestment of the real estate business and the acquisition of the gamigo shares, the Company was strategically realigned and due to the additional financial possibilities offered by the stock exchange listing, has taken over and integrated ten further companies and assets in the media and gaming sectors since May 2018 and further continued the development started with Mr. Westermann acquiring gamigo in 2012.
| Key events in the Group's history | ||
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| 2021 | Was the first year in which organic growth was almost as strong as MGI's inorganic growth. MGI executed more than 350 casual game launches which resulted in ad revenues from own games at a record level. In parallel, MGI grew the Ad-Software-Platform's customer base to 418 software clients with more than USD 100k revenues per year. This is based on adding 316 additional software clients with over USD 100k revenues per year, which altogether reflects a 410 percent growth rate in software clients. |
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| With the acquisition of the gaming company KingsIsle and the media company Smaato, two transformative transactions were successfully completed in 2021 that significantly increased the Company's revenue and profitability. |
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| With the acquisitions of the Beemray platform and Match2One, two further smaller but strategically important acquisitions were completed in the media sector. |
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| MGI completed a SEK 900 million capital increase from international and long-only investors. |
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| Completed repayment in October of unsecured EUR 25 million German bond ahead of due date. |
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| 2020 | Was a year with several M&A transactions, the launch of the Verve Group and an increased focus and invest in organic growth. With more regular and also larger updates in the games portfolio, more focus on user acquisition for the games -which was also strongly supported by the Covid lock-downs- as well as focus on onboarding new Software Clients as well as growing the existing Client base on the media side. |
| In January 2020 essentially all assets of the media platform provider Verve Wireless Inc. were acquired and in February 2020 the minority shareholders of gamigo have been bought out, increasing MGI's stake in gamigo to 99.9 percent. After the takeover of the Verve platform, it was decided that from then on, |
| all media activities would be combined under the umbrella of the Verve Group and all games activities under the umbrella of gamigo Group, which meant that the group structure would henceforth consist of the parent company Media and Games Invest and its two synergetic operating segments Verve Group (media) and gamigo Group (games). During the rest of the year, MGI completed further transactions. |
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| At the beginning of the fourth quarter the Company conducted a private placement of shares raising capital of SEK 300 million. The Company's shares were listed on Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market on October 06, 2020 in connection with the private placement. |
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| In the beginning of November, MGI issued the Initial Bonds and redeemed the outstanding gamigo Bond in full on 10 December. |
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| 2019 | Next to focus on organic growth via the launch of ArcheAge Unchained, MGI and its subsidiaries executed various acquisitions including the assets of WildTangent as well as the PubNative GmbH. |
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| gamigo issued a further EUR 18 million in Bonds with a premium. Also, MGI executed a Bond Issue of more than EUR 10 million and a capital increase of EUR 9.2 million. |
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| 2018 | Acquired a majority stake in gamigo AG. With the acquisition, MGI continued implementing gamigo's "BUY. INTEGRATE. BUILD & IMPROVE" strategy in the Media and Games segment and appointed Remco Westermann as Chairman of the Board. While the focus of gamigo has so far been exclusively on inorganic growth to achieve critical mass, MGI decided to increase the focus on organic growth projects with immediate effect which resulted in 5 percent Organic Revenue Growth in this year. |
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| gamigo issued EUR 32 million in bonds which were listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FSE). |
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| 2017 (gamigo) | gamigo AG repaid its 2013/2018 bond issued in 2013 via a term-loan from UniCredit Bank AG and acquired the video and social media specialist Mediakraft to strengthen user acquisition possibilities. |
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| 2016 (gamigo) | gamigo acquired aeria games and seven games media from ProSiebenSat1 Media SE, which becomes a shareholder of gamigo and starts the B2B Media business with the brand adspree. |
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| 2015 (gamigo) | gamigo executed various acquisitions, e.g. Looki Publishing GmbH, an independent publisher. |
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| 2013-2014 (gamigo) | Restructuring of gamigo AG - lowering costs, ceasing risky development activities. gamigo reaches 30 million registered users. |
| 2010-2012 (gamigo) | gamigo purchased a stake in the German developer Reakktor Media in 2010. In 2012 Axel Springer AG sells its entire stake in gamigo AG to the strategic investor Samarion SE – Remco Westermann announced CEO of gamigo AG. |
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| 2008-2009 (gamigo) | gamigo expands in Europe with own risk developed games and becomes a 100% subsidiary of Axel Springer in 2009. |
| 2000-2007(gamigo) | Foundation of gamigo as an online PC and gaming magazine and later development towards publishing online role-playing games. |
MGI is convinced that a stronger proprietary games portfolio (meaning a larger audience and more first party data) will lead to more advertisers using MGI for user acquisition as they can reach a broader audience in a more targeted way (thus increasing the ROI of their user acquisition campaigns). This in turn attracts more publishers who also want to monetize their ad inventory via MGI's Ad-Software-Platform, as there is higher demand and as they can therefore sell their ad inventory at a higher price (thus increasing their CPMs). This leads to better monetization of MGI's game ads, better user acquisition for MGI's own games, and a growth of MGI's owned audience and access to first-party data. M&A and innovation can additionally accelerate the flywheel. For example, in case of buying a mobile games company, MGI's audience reach and access to first-party data would increase significantly. Also, by developing new innovative products like ATOM, MGI can attract additional advertisers and publishers.
The MGI business model is based on a flywheel that is driven by the software platform synergies between its Ad-Software-Platform and its games. The business model is further differentiated through MGI's transparent and open-source approach and its focus on accretive M&A which is further accelerating the flywheel.
MGI has more than 5,000 casual games and more than ten premium games with a total of more than 800 million registered players. In addition, MGI's Software Development Kit (SDK) are integrated into the apps of more than 5,000 publishers, reaching up to 2 billion users. Combined, this makes MGI one of the largest proprietary first party data platforms in the ad market. First party data enables, amongst others, better targeting and greater transparency in reporting and monitoring of advertising campaigns and reduces vulnerability to fraud. In addition, it reduces the dependency on third-party data, which is becoming increasingly regulated and scarce. MGI continuously broadens its games portfolio and its launch pipeline at very modest investment volumes.
As recently announced, MGI established a new launch department to further increase the number of game launches. Launching games is risky and with well over 2,000 game launches per month, all fighting for new players, MGI's portfolio approach significantly reduces dependency on the success of individual games (own or third-party IP).
Having reached a substantial size and with its strong competitive edge regarding user acquisition by combining games and media, the launch pipeline will be further filled significantly in the coming quarters, including new licenses, new content for the existing portfolio, as well as internationalization and porting to new devices.
In order to reach synergies of MGI's Ad-Software-Platform and games activities even more efficiently, the management has decided to put more emphasize on mobile games content going forward via M&A and in-licensed mobile game launches.
The Data Enrichment Engine is the data part of the platform that enables advertisers to target better and upgrades publishers ad-spaces.
Without the seamless (and fast) collection, integration, management and activation of this data, its value cannot be fully realized. Accordingly, a technology-enabled solution – a central hub – is needed to take on this task. In the digital advertising sector, so-called data management platforms ("DMP") have developed for this purpose. They collect and process data not only from publishers, but also from advertisers and their advertising campaigns, which span various formats and channels.
The resulting data volumes are huge. Accordingly, the IAB. defines a DMP as a "big data solution for multi-channel advertising, marketing, media and audience activation". A DMP, therefore, is a technology-centric solution for aggregating, integrating, managing, and deploying disparate information sources to create new, usable customer insights that can be leveraged to improve performance across the enterprise. As such, the DMP is a hub for maximizing the value of key customer data assets – both proprietary and third-party – that would otherwise go unused.
MGI has started to buy and develop its own data management platforms as part of its full stack approach, such as the contextual data specialist Beemray, which has been further developed in recent months. The advantage of having your own DMP is that no information is shared outside of the ecosystem when transferring data between advertisers, DMPs, Demand Side Platforms ("DSP") 1 , Supply Side Platforms ("SSP")2 and publishers.
In the past years MGI has built a full stack platform under its Verve Group, that serves both advertisers – by helping them to efficiently acquire users – and publishers – by helping them to efficiently monetize advertising inventory and that is multi-channel, serving In-App, Mobile Web, Desktop, Connected TV and Digital Out of Home as well as multi-format, including e.g. banners, interstitials, and video ads.
With its, MGI simplifies programmatic ad buying, connecting advertisers to global audiences. Advertisers can use Verve to reach up to 2 billion unique users across more than 5,000 directly integrated publishers and apps, as well as MGI's own games, in all major content verticals. Verve Group's powerful programmatic DSP combines performance and scale with control and transparency based on its strong access to first-party-data. Thanks to a powerful data enrichment engine with
1 A Demand Side Platform (DSP) bundles the demand for new customers of advertisers and agencies and enriches it with specific data to be better able to match advertising content with advertising inventory most efficiently.
2 A Supply Side Platform (SSP) bundles integrations with first- and third-party publishers that aim at monetizing the advertising space in their content and adds data about the characteristics of the available advertising inventory.
proprietary machine learning algorithms, advertisers can target and engage the right users at the right time with optimal bids for each impression.
With Match2One, MGI has acquired a unique DSP in 2021 that is aimed primarily at small and mediumsized companies that want to make themselves independent of expensive agencies or complex DSPs or that have not yet become programmatically active at all for this reason. Their User Interface (UI) is designed to be so user-friendly that it can be used by in-house marketing teams that have no previous experience in the execution of programmatic campaigns. By integrating with MGI, Match2One users will have access to MGI's entire first-party audience, providing its customers with strong transparency and better Returns On Advertising Spend (ROAS).
With the MGI SSP, MGI helps publishers monetize their content through advertising and maximize ad revenues. Through the MGI SSP, publishers can sell their advertising inventory to over 5,000 advertisers connected to MGI and an additional well over 80 third-party DSPs also connected to Verve Exchange. Publishers connect to the MGI SSP by integrating one of the MGI SDKs into their app. They can then sell their ad inventory to advertisers using real-time bidding techniques. Through MGI's powerful data enrichment engine, users of the app are segmented in a privacy compliant manner. As a result, advertisers who consider the user most valuable based on the segmentation will bid the most for the ad space. In this way, the advertising space can be sold by publishers in the most efficient and profitable way. In addition to the open exchange, the MGI marketplace also offers private and guaranteed deals across display, video and CTV. The MGI SSP features full ad serving transparency, real-time insights and advanced debugging tools, and was ranked #1 in the Sellers Trust Index for mobile exchanges by Pixalate.
Pareto Securities, the arranger of the Bonds, may in the future provide the Company and/or any of the Initial Guarantors, with financial advice and participate in transactions with the Company, for which Pareto Securities may receive compensation. All services provided by Pareto Securities, and also those provided in connection with the issue, are provided by Pareto Securities as independent advisors. Accordingly, conflicts of interest may exist or may arise as a result.
Baker & McKenzie Advokatbyrå KB has acted as legal advisor to the Company in connection with the listing of the Bonds and has no conflicting interest with the Company.
The Initial Guarantors under the terms and conditions of the Bonds consist of:
All of the Initial Guarantors are, directly or indirectly, owned 99.9 to 100 percent by the Issuer. Any references to the websites of each Initial Guarantor does not form a part of the Prospectus unless explicitly incorporate by reference into the Prospectus.
Aeria Games GmbH is a limited liability company incorporated in Germany with reg. no. HRB 145568 and is regulated by German company law and registered with the commercial register and the district court of Hamburg, Germany. Aeria Games GmbH registered address is Schlesische Straße 27, Aufgang C, 10997 Berlin, Germany. Aeria Games GmbH has its corporate seat in Berlin, Germany. Aeria Games GmbH's website can be found at https://www.aeriagames.com/. Aeria Games has no LEI code.
The object of the company is the operation, digital distribution and marketing of online games, online offers and Internet solutions, the editing and publication of online magazines, the creation and sale of editorial and advertising content for publication on the Internet, web hosting, community management and user support, the operation of online and offline offers, including the sale of merchandising products and the related businesses as well as the provision of related consulting services.
gamigo AG is a public limited company incorporated in Germany with reg. no. HRB 105628 and is regulated by German Law and registered with the commercial register and the district court of Hamburg, Germany. gamigo AG's registered address is Behringstraße 16b, 227 65, Hamburg, Germany. gamigo AG has its corporate seat in Hamburg, Germany. gamigo AG's website can be found at https://en.gamigo.com/. gamigo AG's LEI code is 391200C246P1Y2ETA524.
gamigo AG's business purpose is (i) the operation of games portals on the internet and the associated marketing of advertising space, trading in computer games, console games and related accessories, and the development, operation and marketing of online games on the internet and games for mobile devices (including smartphones/tablets) and all other related business; (ii) the acquisition, holding, management and exploitation of its own and third-party assets, namely the acquisition, holding, management and exploitation of equity interests in domestic and foreign subsidiaries and companies; and (iii) the administration, financing, entrepreneurial management, assumption of management and representation of such subsidiaries and companies and the provision of management, consulting and other services to such subsidiaries and companies. gamigo AG may limit itself to one or more of the objects referred to in sentence 1. It may also limit itself to the activities of a management holding company and/or the other management of its own asset.
gamigo Inc. is a limited liability company incorporated in the United States with reg. no. 4842564 and is regulated under the laws of Delaware, United States and registered with the commercial register and the district court of Delaware, United States. gamigo Inc. registered address is 800 Bellevue Way NE Suite 500 Bellevue, WA 98004, USA. gamigo Inc. has its corporate seat in Bellevue, USA. gamigo Inc. has no LEI code and no corporate website.
The object of the company is the development, publishing and distribution of computer games with a focus on Casual Games. gamigo Inc., acquired substantially all assets of the US games publisher WildTangent Inc. ("WildTangent") on 3, April 2019. The assets include, among others, a portfolio of over 4,000 games, which are distributed via the company's own platform and in close cooperation with leading computer and laptop manufacturers. WildTangent operates a gaming platform with more than 4 million visitors per month, a network of more than 400 game developers and publishers, a substantial customer base, as well as contracts for the distribution of the games portfolio via leading computer manufacturers. Wildtangent's website can be found at https://www.wildtangent.com/.
gamigo Publishing GmbH is a limited liability company incorporated in Germany with reg. no. HRB 150346 and is regulated by German company law and registered with the commercial register and the district court of Hamburg, Germany. gamigo Publishing GmbH's registered address is Behringstraße 16b, 227 65, Hamburg, Germany. gamigo Publishing GmbH has its corporate seat in Hamburg, Germany. gamigo Publishing has no LEI code and uses the same website as gamigo AG, https://en.gamigo.com/.
The object of the gamigo Publishing GmbH is the development, creation, licensing and distribution of, as well as trade in, computer programs in the field of multimedia applications, the operation of games magazines on the Internet, the marketing of associated advertising space, the trade in (online) computer games, console games and accessories, the operation of online games and the licensing of online games and computer games, as well as all related activities.
gamigo US Inc. is a limited liability company incorporated in the United States with reg. no. 7097021 and is regulated under the laws of Delaware, United States, and registered with the commercial register and the district court of Delaware, United States. gamigo US Inc. registered address is 9430 Research Blvd., Austin, TX 78759, USA. gamigo US Inc. has its corporate seat in Texas, USA. gamigo US Inc. has no LEI code and uses the same website as gamigo AG,https://en.gamigo.com/and brief corporate information can be found on https://www.trionworlds.com/en/legal/legal-notice/.
The object of the company is the development, publishing and distribution of computer games. It focuses primarily on MMOs, particularly of the MMORPG and MMORTS genres. On October 22, 2018
gamigo US Inc has acquired major assets from Trion Worlds Inc., a leading US games publisher and developer of online and console MMO-games, with well-known games such as Rift, Defiance, Trove and ArcheAge in its portfolio.
Kings Holding Inc. is a limited liability company incorporated in the United States with reg. no. 4738727 and is regulated under the laws of Delaware, United States and registered with the commercial register and the district court of Delaware, United States. Kings Holding Inc.'s registered address is 9430 Research Blvd., Austin, TX 78759, USA. Kings Holding Inc. has its corporate seat in Texas, USA USA. Kings Holding Inc.'s uses the same website as KingsIsle Entertainment, Inc, https://www.kingsisle.com. Kings Holding Inc. has no LEI code.
Kings Holding's business purpose is the acquisition, holding, management and exploitation of its own and third-party assets, namely the acquisition, holding, management and exploitation of equity interests in domestic subsidiaries and companies. Kings Holding Inc holds among others equity interest in KingsIsle Entertainment Inc.
KingsIsle Entertainment Inc. is a limited liability company incorporated in the United States with reg. no. 800435481 and is regulated under the laws of Texas, United States and registered with the commercial register and the district court of Texas, United States. KingsIsle Entertainment Inc.'s registered address is 9430 Research Blvd., Austin, TX 78759, USA. KingsIsle Entertainment Inc. has its corporate seat in Texas, USA], USA. KingsIsle Entertainment Inc.'s website can be found at: https://www.kingsisle.com. KingsIsle Entertainment Inc. has no LEI code.
The object of the company is the development, publishing, and distribution of computer games. Kings Holding Inc. entered into an agreement with the shareholders of KingsIsle Entertainment Inc. to acquire 100 percent of the shares of KingsIsle. KingsIsle, based in Austin, Texas, is a leading game developer and publisher. The fully owned Massive-Multiplayer-Games Wizard101 and Pirate101 are having very loyal communities and as such also very sustainable revenues.
Verve Group Europe GmbH is a limited liability company incorporated in the Germany with reg. no. HRB 160880 and is registered with the commercial register and the district court of Charlottenburg (Berlin), Germany. Verve Group Europe GmbH's registered address is Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 32, D-10178 Berlin, Germany. Verve Group Europe GmbH has its corporate seat in Berlin, Germany. Verve Group Europe GmbH website can be found at: https://verve.com/. Verve Group Europe GmbH's LEI code is: 39120002J6RNL7CQSY36.
The object of the company is digital advertising with a strong focus on games companies. Verve Group's omnichannel ad platform connects advertisers, agencies, brands, and publishers to people in real time. With a privacy-first approach, Verve Group offers advertising innovation at scale with fullstack programmatic solutions in brand-safe environments.
Verve Group Inc. is a limited liability company incorporated in the United States with reg. no. 7804104 and is regulated under the laws of Delaware, United States and registered with the commercial register and the district court of Delaware, United States. Verve Group Inc. registered address is 5740 Fleet Street, Suite140, Carlsbad, CA 92008 USA. Verve Group Inc. has its corporate seat in Carlsbad, USA. Verve Group Inc.'s website can be found at: https://verve.com/. Verve Group Inc. has no LEI code.
The object of the company is digital advertising with a strong focus on games companies. Verve Group's omnichannel ad platform connects advertisers, agencies, brands, and publishers to people in real time. With a privacy-first approach, Verve Group offers advertising innovation at scale with fullstack programmatic solutions in brand-safe environments. The global company is a trusted partner of 5,000+ advertisers and brands with direct connections to 4,000+ publishers and apps globally.
The historical financial information in the Prospectus consists of the Group's consolidated financial information for the financial years ending 31 December 2021 and 2020 and the interim period 1 January - 31 March 2022. The Group's consolidated financial information for the financial year 2021 and 2020 has been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and in consideration of the Interpretation of the IFRS Interpretations Committee (IFRIC) as adopted by the EU ("IFRS"). The historical financial information has been derived from the Group's consolidated financial statements for the financial years 2021 and 2020 which have been audited by the Company's auditor.
Furthermore, the historical financial information regarding the interim period 1 January – 31 March 2022 has been derived from MGI's interim report for the same period which has been prepared in accordance with IAS 34 Interim Financial Reporting which has not been audited.
Unless otherwise explicitly stated, no information contained in this Prospectus has been audited or reviewed by the Company's auditors.
The Company's consolidated financial statements for the financial years ended 31 December 2021 and 2020, and the interim report for the period 1 January - 30 March 2022, are available at the Company's web page, https://mgi-se.com/investor-relations/financial-reports/.
On 8 June 2022, in connection with the announcement of the Bond Issue, the Company also announced an offer of a partial buy-back to the holders of the Company's outstanding senior secured floating rate bonds maturing on 27 November 2024. Investors that participated in the issue of the Bonds were offered priority in the Buy-Back allocation and the purchase price for the Buy-Back will be determined by way of a book building process. On 10 June 2022 the Company announced that EUR 115 million were repurchased by the Company in the buy-back.
Other than the above stated, there have been no recent events particular to the Group, which are to a material extent relevant to the evaluation of the Company's solvency.
As of the date of the Prospectus, there has been no material adverse changes in the prospects of the Group since the date of the publication of the last audited consolidated financial statement for the financial period ending 31 December 2021.
There has been no significant changes in the financial performance of the Group since the end of the last financial period ended 31 March 2022 for which financial information has been published.
On 28 April 2022, the Company announced the acquisition of AxesInMotion, a fast growing, profitable and leading free-to-play mobile games developer with a strong portfolio of visually stunning racing games and over 700 million downloads. The parties have agreed to a fixed purchase price of EUR 55 million (the "Fixed Consideration"), plus up to EUR 110 million that may be paid to the sellers as earnout payments (the "Earn-out Consideration"), depending on EBITDA performance compared to the Business Plan until the end of 2024 (together the "Total Consideration"). EUR 50 million of the fixed purchase price will be paid at closing and EUR 5 million 12 months post-closing. The Total Consideration shall be paid in cash. Closing of the Transaction occured in May 2022.
On 28 April 2022, the Company successfully completed a directed issue of 9,569,378 new shares raising gross proceeds of approximately SEK 300 million. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the directed share issue in order to maintain the Company's desired capital structure following the financing of the acquisition of AxesInMotion S.L. announced on April 28, 2022, and to further strengthen the Company's financial position in line with already announced company targets.
Other than the above stated, there has been no significant change in the financial position of the Group since the end of the last financial period ended 31 March 2022 for which financial information has been published.
Media and Games Invest SE is a Societas Europaea (SE) company incorporated in Malta. MGI's activities are governed by EU law, Maltese law, primarily by the Companies Act and MGI's Memorandum and Articles of Association (the "Articles of Association"). Following the listing of the Company's shares on Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market, the Company also applies Nasdaq First North Growth Market's Rule Book and the Swedish Corporate Governance Code.
In accordance with the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company, the board of directors of the Company shall at all times consist of not less than two (2) and not more than ten (10) directors. MGI's board of directors currently consists of four (4) members, which were elected at the extraordinary general meeting in May 2018, January 2020 and April 2021, including the chairman of the Board of Directors, all of whom, expect for Antonious Fromme, have been elected for an undefined period of time. Antonius Fromme has been elected until the end of the Company's Annual General Meeting 2022. A description of the current board members, their position and the year in which they were elected is presented in the table below. The Board of Directors and the senior executive management of Group, and for any of the Initial Guarantors, may be contacted through the contact information of Media and Games Invest SE, please see the section "Addresses".
On June 07, The MGI Nomination Committee - consisting of Hermann Dambach (Oaktree Capital Management), Eric Billings (Billings Capital Management), Dr. Gabriel Recnik (Bodhivas GmbH) and Tobias M. Weitzel (Board of Directors) – announced its proposals for the next AGM. The Nomination Committee proposed to expand the Board of Directors to a total of six members of which five of the members, including the proposed new Chairman of the Board, are independent in relation to the Company's management and major owners. The Nomination Committee proposes the election of Franca Ruhwedel (Germany), Johan Roslund (Sweden) and Mary Ann Halford (United States) to the Board as well as the re-election of Remco Westermann, Tobias M. Weitzel and Elizabeth Para. Tobias M. Weitzel is proposed as the new Chairman of the Board.
| Name | Position | Member since |
|---|---|---|
| Remco Westermann | Chief Executive Officer and Chairman | 2018 |
| Tobias Weitzel | Non-Executive Director | 2018 |
| Elizabeth Para | Non-Executive Director | 2020 |
| Antonius Fromme | Non-Executive Director | 2021 |
Other significant positions: Managing Director of Jarimovas GmbH, Bodhivas GmbH, Bodhisattva GmbH, Sarasvati GmbH, and Garusadana GmbH. In Sarasvati GmbH, Remco Westermann is a shareholder with the right to represent the company solely.
Born: 1973
Other significant positions: Member of the executive board of CREDION AG, CREDION Kapitalverwaltungsgesellschaft, CREDION Komplementärgesellschaft and AfricaConnect GmbH. CEO of BSK GmbH.
Born: 1972 Other significant positions: None.
Born: 1974
Other significant positions: Chief Customer Experience Officer (CCE) of freenet AG. Antonius Fromme is in charge of the development of the digital lifestyle strategy and the digital lifestyle portfolio within the freenet Group.
Remco Westermann (CEO and Chairman) See above under section "Board of Directors of the Group".
Paul Echt (CFO) Born: 1990 Other significant positions: Managing Director at Global PE Invest GmbH.
Jens Knauber (COO)
Born: 1980 Other significant positions: Managing Director at elbdiamond digital GmbH.
Sonja Lilienthal (CIO) Born: 1973 Other significant positions: None.
gamigo AG Jens Knauber - Chairman of the Executive Board See above under section "Senior executive manager".
gamigo Publishing GmbH, Aeria Games GmbH, gamigo US Inc. and gamigo Inc. Remco Westermann - Managing director See above under section "Board of Directors of the Group".
Jens Knauber - Managing director See above under section "Senior executive manager".
gamigo, Inc.
Remco Westermann – Sole Member of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary See above under section "Board of Directors of the Group".
gamigo US, Inc.
Remco Westermann - Member of the Board of Directors, President See above under section "Board of Directors of the Group".
See above under section "Senior executive management".
Kings Holding, Inc.
Remco Westermann - Member of the Board of Directors, President See above under section "Board of Directors of the Group".
See above under section "Senior executive management".
KingsIsle Entertainment Inc.
Remco Westermann – Member of the Board of Directors, President See above under section "Board of Directors of the Group".
See above under section "Senior executive management".
Sameer Sondhi - Managing director Born 1974
Other significant positions: None.
Verve Group, Inc. Remco Westermann - Sole Member of the Board of Directors, President See above under section "Board of Directors of the Group".
Sameer Sondhi - Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary
Born 1974 Other significant positions: None.
RSM Malta, Mdina Road, ZBG9015, Haz-Zebbug, Malta, is the Company's statutory auditor with Roberta West Falzon as the main responsible auditor in charge. Roberta West Falzon is an authorised auditor and a member of Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA) and of the Malta Institute of Accountants. RSM Malta and the responsible auditor has been in charged for the period covered by the historical financial information in the Prospectus.
There are no conflicts of interest or potential conflicts of interest between the undertakings of the board members and management in relation to MGI or the Initial Guarantors and their private interests and/or other undertakings (however, a number of board members and management have certain financial interests in MGI due to their direct or indirect shareholdings, warrants or phantom stock in the Company).
Media and Games Invest SE is a Societas Europaea (SE) company registered in Malta on 25 May 2021 and operates under Maltese law. The Company is registered with the Malta Business Registry in Malta, with company registration number SE 15 and with its registered office at 168 St. Christopher Street, Valletta, VLT1467, Malta. The Company's LEI is 391200UIIWMXRLGARB95. The Company's website is https://mgi-se.com/(the information provided at the Company's website does not form a part of the Prospectus unless explicitly incorporate by reference into the Prospectus).
The Company is the parent holding company of Media and Games Services AG (Switzerland), blockescence DLT solutions GmbH (Germany), Samarion GmbH (Germany), Verve Holding GmbH (Germany), Vajrapani Limited (Malta), Platform 161 BV (Netherlands), ME Digital GmbH (Germany) and ReachHero GmbH (Germany). The Company's shares are listed on Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market in Stockholm and in the scale segment of Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
The Board of Directors propose to the shareholders at the next AGM to relocate the Company's registered office and headquarters from Malta to Sweden, thus completing the transformation process of MGI, which started in 2020 with the listing of the shares on Nasdaq First North in Stockholm. With the listing in 2020 and the conversion into an SE (Societas Europaea, European Company) in 2021, key elements of the transformation have already been completed. Through the relocation to Sweden, as well as further strengthening of the governance structure, the Company expects to complete the transformation by the end of 2022 with an effective date of early-January 2023. The Board and management expect that the completed transformation will lay the foundation for the future operational performance and growth of the company. The move will also further enhance MGI's reputation, open the company to additional investor groups and further reduce the risk premium of MGI's stock.
MGI is the parent company of the Group consisting of approximately 50 directly and indirectly, wholly and partially, owned companies. The subsidiaries are registered and located globally such as Germany, Switzerland, Malta, United States, China and India with the majority being located in Germany. All of the Initial Guarantors are, directly or indirectly, owned by minimum 99.9 percent by the Issuer. The Company is dependent on these group companies for the generation of profits and cash flow to service its payment obligation under the Bonds. A significant part of the Group's assets and revenues relate to the Company's subsidiaries.
As of 30 June 2022, Remco Westermann (CEO and Chairman of the Group), through the legal entity Bodhivas GmbH, holds 27.8 percent of the shares in the Company and 36.9 percent of the voting rights in the Company which is the largest shareholding in the Company. Sarasvati GmbH is the sole shareholder of Bodhivas GmbH and Remco Westermann holds 90 percent of the shares in Sarasvati GmbH, the remaining ten percent of the shares are held by Jaap Westermann, Remco Westermann's brother. Furthermore, to the best of the Company's knowledge as of 31 May 2022, Oaktree Capital Management hold approximately 12.6 percent.
Other than the above stated, and to the best of the Board of Directors' knowledge, as of the date of this Prospectus, there are no other shareholders' agreement or similar agreements that could result in a change in the control of the Company. As far as the Company is aware, and other than the above stated, no other shareholder holds more than five percent of the shares and votes in the Company.
As of 1 July 2021, MGI has a revolving facility agreement with UniCredit Bank AG regarding a revolving facility in a maximum aggregate principal amount of EUR 30,000,000. The revolving facility agreement is governed by the laws of Germany.
gamigo AG has a revolving facility agreement with Commerzbank AG regarding a revolving facility in a maximum aggregate principal amount of EUR 2,000,000. The revolving facility agreement was entered into 9 April 2019. The revolving facility agreement is governed by the laws of Germany.
Smaato Inc. has a revolving facility agreement with EastWestBank regarding a revolving facility in a maximum aggregate principal amount of USD 10,000,000. The revolving facility agreement was entered into 15 April 2019, it has later been amended and restated and the latest amendment is dated 16 February 2022. The revolving facility agreement is governed by the laws of the State of California, United States.
Other than the above stated, neither MGI nor the companies within the Group have entered into any material agreements outside of the ordinary course of business which could materially affect MGI's ability to fulfil its obligation under the terms and conditions of the Bonds.
The Group, or any of the Initial Guarantors, has not been involved in any governmental, legal or arbitration proceedings in the last 12 months including any such proceedings which are pending or threatened of which the Company is aware, which may have, or have had in the recent past significant effects on the Group's financial position or profitability.
An up to date memorandum, the articles of association of the Issuer and each of the Initial Guarantors as well as the guarantee and adherence agreement in relation to the Initial Guarantors, can be obtained from the Company's web page https://mgi-se.com/investor-relations/.
The documents referred to and the page references provided below have been incorporated in the Prospectus by reference. The documents have been made public prior to the publication of the Prospectus and are available on the Company's web page, https://mgi-se.com/investorrelations/financial-reports/, during the validity period of the Prospectus.
| | Condensed consolidated statement of income | Page 14 |
|---|---|---|
| | Condensed consolidated statement of comprehensive income | Page 15 |
| | Condensed consolidated statement of financial position | Page 16 |
| | Condensed consolidated statement of changes in equity | Page 17 |
| | Condensed consolidated cash flow statement | Page 18 |
| | Selected explanatory notes | Page 19-23 |
| | Consolidated statement of financial position | Page 137-138 |
|---|---|---|
| | Consolidated statement of profit or loss | Page 139 |
| | Consolidated statement of comprehensive income | Page 140 |
| | Consolidated statement of changes in shareholders equity | Page 141 |
| | Consolidated statement of cash flows | Page 142 |
| | Notes | Page 143-215 |
| | Independent auditor's report | Page 216-223 |
Link: https://mgi-se.com/uploads/MGI%20FY2021\_ANNUAL%20REPORT.pdf?\_t=1651248095
| | Consolidated statement of financial position | Page 14-15 |
|---|---|---|
| | Consolidated statement of profit or loss | Page 16 |
| | Consolidated statement of comprehensive income | Page 17 |
| | Consolidated statement of changes in equity | Page 18 |
| | Consolidated statement of cash flows | Page 19 |
| | Notes | Page 23-95 |
| | Independent auditor's report | Page 96-102 |
Link: https://mgi.group/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/MGI-FY2020\_Financial-Statements.pdf
Investors should read the information which is incorporated by reference as part of the Prospectus. It should be noted that the non-incorporated parts of the annual reports for the financial years 2021 and 2020 and the interim report 1 January - 31 March 2022, are either deemed not relevant for investors or covered elsewhere in the Prospectus.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE BONDS

ISIN: SE0018042277
First Issue Date: 21 June 2022
In these terms and conditions (the "Terms and Conditions"):
"Account Operator" means a bank or other party duly authorised to operate as an account operator pursuant to the Financial Instruments Accounts Act and through which a Bondholder has opened a Securities Account in respect of its Bonds.
"Accounting Principles" means the international financial reporting standards (IFRS) within the meaning of Regulation 1606/2002/EC (or as otherwise adopted or amended from time to time).
"Adjusted Nominal Amount" means the total aggregate Nominal Amount of the Bonds outstanding at the relevant time less the aggregate Nominal Amount of all Bonds owned by the Issuer, a Group Company or an Affiliate of the Issuer or a Group Company, irrespective of whether such Person is directly registered as owner of such Bonds.
"Affiliate" means, in respect of any Person, any other Person directly or indirectly, controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For the purpose of this definition, "control" when used with respect to any Person means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms "controlling" and "controlled" have meanings correlative to the foregoing.
"Bond" means debt instruments (Sw. skuldförbindelser), each for the Nominal Amount and of the type set forth in Chapter 1 Section 3 of the Financial Instruments Accounts Act, issued by the Issuer under these Terms and Conditions, including the Initial Bonds and any Subsequent Bonds.
"Bondholder" means the Person who is registered on a Securities Account as direct registered owner (Sw. direktregistrerad ägare) or nominee (Sw. förvaltare) with respect to a Bond.
"Bondholders' Meeting" means a meeting among the Bondholders held in accordance with Clause 18.2 (Bondholders' Meeting).
"Business Day" means a day in Sweden other than a public holiday. For the purpose of this definition, Saturdays, Sundays, Midsummer Eve (Sw. midsommarafton), Christmas Eve (Sw. julafton) and New Year's Eve (Sw. nyårsafton) shall be deemed to be public holidays.
"Business Day Convention" means the first following day that is a Business Day unless that day falls in the next calendar month, in which case that date will be the first preceding day that is a Business Day.
"Cash and Cash Equivalents" means cash and cash equivalents of the Group calculated according to the latest Financial Statements and in accordance with the Accounting Principles.
"Change of Control" means the occurrence of an event or series of events whereby one or more Persons, not being the Main Shareholder, acting in concert, acquire control over the Issuer and where "control" means:
"Clean Down Period" has the meaning set forth in Clause 16.6 (Clean Down Period).
"Compliance Certificate" means a certificate substantially in the form set out in Error! Reference source not found. (Form of Compliance Certificate), unless otherwise agreed between the Trustee and the Issuer.
"Credit Facilities" means any bank or credit facilities in an aggregate amount of up to twelve point five (12.5) per cent. of the aggregate outstanding nominal amount of the Bonds and any Parity Debt (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the Existing Bonds).
"CSD" means the Issuer's central securities depository and registrar in respect of the Bonds from time to time; initially Euroclear Sweden AB (Swedish reg. no. 556112-8074, P.O. Box 191, SE-101 23 Stockholm, Sweden).
"CSD Regulations" means the CSD's rules and regulations applicable to the Issuer, the Trustee and the Bonds from time to time.
"Cure Amount" has the meaning set forth in Clause 15.4 (Equity Cure).
"De-listing" means:
"Debt Register" means the debt register (Sw. skuldbok) kept by the CSD in respect of the Bonds in which an owner of Bonds is directly registered or an owner's holding of Bonds is registered in the name of a nominee.
"EBITDA" means, in respect of the Reference Period, the consolidated profit of the Group from ordinary activities according to the latest Financial Statements (without double counting):
"Equity Cure" has the meaning set forth in Clause 15.4 (Equity Cure).
"Escrow Account" means a bank account:
"Escrow Account Agreement" means the escrow agreement entered into between the Issuer, NT Services AS and the Trustee prior the First Issue Date in respect of the Escrow Account and all funds standing to the credit of the Escrow Account.
"Event of Default" means an event or circumstance specified as such in Clause 17 (Termination of the Bonds).
"EUR" means the single currency of the participating member states in accordance with the legislation of the European Community relating to Economic and Monetary Union.
in each case as of or around 11.00 a.m. (Brussels time) on the Quotation Day; or
if no rate is available for the relevant Interest Period pursuant to paragraphs (a) or (b) above, the arithmetic mean of the rates (rounded upwards to four decimal places), as supplied to the Issuing Agent at its request quoted by leading banks in the Stockholm interbank market reasonably selected by the Issuing Agent, for deposits of EUR 10,000,000 for the relevant period; or
if no rate is available for the relevant Interest Period pursuant to paragraphs (a) or (b) above and no quotation is available pursuant to paragraph (c) above, the interest rate which according to the reasonable assessment of the Issuing Agent best reflects the interest rate for deposits in Euro offered in the relevant interbank market for the relevant period.
"Existing Bonds" means the up to EUR 350,000,000 secured bonds 2020/2024 issued by the Issuer with ISIN SE0015194527.
"Financial Instruments Accounts Act" means the Swedish Central Securities Depositories and Financial Instruments Accounts Act (Sw. lag (1998:1479) om värdepapperscentraler och kontoföring av finansiella instrument).
"Final Redemption Date" means 21 June 2026.
"Finance Charges" means, for the Reference Period, the aggregate amount of the accrued interest, commission, fees, discounts, payment fees, premiums or charges and other finance payments in respect of Financial Indebtedness whether paid, payable or capitalised by any Group Company according to the latest Financial Statements (calculated on a consolidated basis) other than Transaction Costs, interest on any loan owing to any Group Company or any Shareholder Loan and taking no account of any unrealised gains or losses on any derivative instruments other than any derivative instrument which are accounted for on a hedge accounting basis.
"Finance Documents" means the Terms and Conditions, the Intercreditor Agreement, the Transaction Security Documents, the Guarantee and Adherence Agreement, the Parallel Debt Agreement and any other document designated to be a Finance Document by the Issuer and the Trustee.
"Financial Indebtedness" means any indebtedness in respect of:
"Financial Statements" means the annual audited consolidated financial statements of the Group or the quarterly interim unaudited consolidated reports of the Group, which shall be prepared and made available according to paragraphs (a) and (b) of Clause 14.1 (Financial Statements), in each case prepared in accordance with the Accounting Principles.
"First Call Date" means the date falling twenty-four (24) months after the First Issue Date.
"First Issue Date" means 21 June 2022.
"Force Majeure Event" has the meaning set forth in Clause 26.1.
"gamigo AG" means gamigo AG (reg. no. HRB 105628).
"German Obligor" means each Initial Guarantor incorporated under the laws of Germany.
"Group" means the Issuer and each of its Subsidiaries from time to time.
"Group Company" means the Issuer or any of its Subsidiaries.
"Guarantee" means the guarantees provided by the Guarantors under the Guarantee and Adherence Agreement.
"Guarantee and Adherence Agreement" means the guarantee and adherence agreement entered into or to be entered into between the Issuer, each Guarantor and the Trustee pursuant to which the Secured Obligations will be guaranteed by the Guarantors.
"Guarantor" means:
"Guarantor Cover Threshold" means that the aggregate earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (calculated on the same basis as EBITDA) of the Guarantors in aggregate represent at least eighty (80.00) per cent. of the consolidated EBITDA of the Group.
"Hybrid Instrument" means any subordinated (according to its terms) debt instruments issued by the Issuer which are, entirely or partly permitted to be accounted for as equity in accordance with the Accounting Principles at the date of issuance of the relevant subordinated debt instrument(s).
"Incentive Programme" means the employee phantom stock incentive programme of the Issuer.
"Incurrence Test" has the meaning set forth in Clause 15.2 (Incurrence Test).
"Initial Bond" means any Bond issued on the First Issue Date.
"Initial Bond Issue" has the meaning set forth in Clause 3.3.
"Initial Guarantors" means Aeria Games GmbH (reg. no. HRB 145568 (AG Hamburg)), gamigo AG (a company incorporated under the laws of Germany), gamigo Inc. (a company incorporated under the laws of Delaware, U.S.), gamigo Publishing GmbH (reg. no. HRB 150346 (AG Hamburg)), Gamigo US Inc. (a company incorporated under the laws of Delaware, U.S.), Kings Holding, Inc (a company incorporated under the laws of Delaware, U.S.), Kingsisle Entertainment Inc. (a company incorporated under the laws of Texas, U.S.), and Verve Group Europe GmbH (reg. no. HRB 160880 B (AG Charlottenburg)) and Verve Group Inc. (a company incorporated under the laws of Delaware, U.S.).
"Intercreditor Agreement" means the intercreditor agreement dated 7 December 2020 entered into between, amongst others, the Issuer, Nordic Trustee & Agency AB (publ) and certain of the Initial Guarantors in connection with the issue of the Existing Bonds.
"Interest" means the interest on the Bonds calculated in accordance with Clauses 11.1 to 11.3.
"Interest Payment Date" means 21 March, 21 June, 21 September and 21 December each year (with the first Interest Payment Date on 21 September 2022 and the last Interest Payment Date being the Final Redemption Date (or any final Redemption Date prior thereto)) or, to the extent such day is not a Business Day, the Business Day following from an application of the Business Day Convention.
"Interest Period" means each period beginning on (but excluding) the First Issue Date or any Interest Payment Date and ending on (and including) the next succeeding Interest Payment Date (or a shorter period if relevant) and, in respect of Subsequent Bonds, each period beginning on (but excluding) the Interest Payment Date falling immediately prior to their issuance and ending on (and including) the next succeeding Interest Payment Date (or a shorter period if relevant).
"Interest Rate" means a floating rate of EURIBOR (3 months) plus 6.25 per cent. per annum, provided that if EURIBOR is less than zero, it shall be deemed to be zero.
"Issue Date" means the First Issue Date or any date when Subsequent Bonds are issued.
"Issuer" means Media and Games Invest SE, Maltese reg. no. SE 15, a Societas Europaea.
"Issuing Agent" means Pareto Securities AB (reg. no. 556206-8956) or another party replacing it, as Issuing Agent, in accordance with these Terms and Conditions.
"Listing Failure" means the occurrence of an event whereby:
the Initial Bonds have not been admitted to trading on a Regulated Market within sixty (60) days from the First Issue Date; or
any Subsequent Bonds have not been admitted to trading on the same Regulated Market as the Initial Bonds within sixty (60) days from the relevant Issue Date,
in each case with an intention to complete such admission to trading within thirty (30) days from the relevant Issue Date (or, in each case, any shorter period required by law or applicable stock exchange regulations).
"Main Shareholder" means Remco Westermann and/or any of his directly or indirectly controlled Affiliates.
"Maintenance Test" has the meaning set forth in Clause 15.1 (Maintenance Test).
"Market Loan" means any loan or other indebtedness where an entity issues commercial paper, certificates, convertibles, subordinated debentures, bonds or any other debt securities (including, for the avoidance of doubt, under medium term note programmes and other market funding programmes), provided in each case that such instruments and securities are or can be subject to trade on a Regulated Market or another market place.
"Material Adverse Effect" means a material adverse effect on:
in each case calculated on a consolidated basis according to the latest Financial Statements.
"Material Intercompany Loan" means any intercompany loans between Group Companies in an amount exceeding EUR 2,000,000.
"MTF" means any multilateral trading facility as defined in the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive 2014/65/EU (MiFID II), as amended.
"Nasdaq Stockholm" means the Regulated Market of Nasdaq Stockholm AB (reg. no. 556420- 8394, SE-105 78 Stockholm, Sweden).
"Net Finance Charges" means, for the Reference Period, the Finance Charges according to the latest Financial Statements:
"Net Interest Bearing Debt" means the consolidated interest bearing Financial Indebtedness of the Group:
"Net Proceeds" means the cash proceeds from the Initial Bond Issue (taking into account any Roll-over Bonds and any exchange offer cash component in relation thereto) or any Subsequent Bond Issue after deduction has been made for any fees payable to the Issuing Agent or the sole bookrunner or another issuing agent, arranger or bookrunner in connection with the relevant Subsequent Bond Issue.
"Nominal Amount" has the meaning set forth in Clause 3.3.
"NT Services AS" means NT Services AS, reg. no. 916 482 574, Kronprinsesse Märthas plass 1, N-0160, Oslo, Norway.
"Obligor" means the Issuer or a Guarantor.
"Parallel Debt Agreement" means the agreement pursuant to which claims of the Trustee are created for the purpose of certain Germany law governed Transaction Security Documents.
"Parity Debt" means the Existing Bonds and any Financial Indebtedness incurred in accordance with paragraph (l) of the definition of Permitted Debt, provided that the relevant Parity Debt Creditor (or Parity Debt Agent, if applicable) has entered into or acceded to the Intercreditor Agreement.
"Parity Debt Agent" means the Parity Debt Creditors' agent under the finance documents of any Parity Debt.
"Parity Debt Creditor" means any creditor in respect of Parity Debt.
"Permitted Debt" means any Financial Indebtedness:
is: (A) repaid in full within three (3) months of completion of such acquisition, or (B) refinanced in full within three (3) months of completion of such acquisition with the Issuer as the new borrower;
"Permitted Security" means any Security:
"Person" means any individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organisation, government, or any agency or political subdivision thereof, or any other entity, whether or not having a separate legal personality.
"Record Date" means the fifth (5th) Business Day prior to (i) an Interest Payment Date, (ii) Redemption Date, (iii) a date on which a payment to the Bondholders is to be made under Clause 17.12 (Distribution of proceeds), (iv) the date of a Bondholders' Meeting, or (v) another relevant date, or in each case such other Business Day falling prior to a relevant date if generally applicable on the Swedish bond market.
"Redemption Date" means the date on which the relevant Bonds are to be redeemed or repurchased in accordance with Clause 12 (Redemption and repurchase of the Bonds).
"Reference Date" means 31 March, 30 June, 30 September and 31 December each year.
"Reference Period" means each period of twelve (12) consecutive calendar months ending on a Reference Date.
"Regulated Market" means any regulated market (as defined in Directive 2014/65/EU on markets in financial instruments (MiFID II), as amended).
"Roll-over Bonds" means any Existing Bonds applied in payment in kind of the Initial Bonds.
"Secured Obligations" has the meaning ascribed to it in the Intercreditor Agreement.
"Secured Parties" has the meaning ascribed to it in the Intercreditor Agreement.
"Securities Account" means the account for dematerialised securities (Sw. avstämningsregister) maintained by the CSD pursuant to the Financial Instruments Accounts Act in which an owner of such securities is directly registered or an owner's holding of securities is registered in the name of a nominee.
"Security" means a mortgage, charge, pledge, lien, security assignment or other security interest securing any obligation of any Person, or any other agreement or arrangement having a similar effect.
"Shareholder Loans" means any loan made to the Issuer by a shareholder of the Issuer, if such loan:
"Subsequent Bond" means any Bonds issued after the First Issue Date on one or more occasions.
"Subsequent Bond Issue" means any issue of Subsequent Bonds.
"Subsidiary" means, in relation to any Person, any legal entity (whether incorporated or not), in respect of which such Person, directly or indirectly:
"Total Assets" means total assets of the Group calculated on a consolidated basis, in each case according to the latest consolidated Financial Statements of the Group and in accordance with the Accounting Principles.
"Transaction Costs" means all fees, costs and expenses, stamp, registration and other taxes incurred by the Issuer or any other member of the Group in connection with (i) the Initial Bond Issue or any Subsequent Bond Issue, (ii) the listing of the Initial Bonds or any Subsequent Bonds and (iii) acquisitions and divestments of companies by the Group.
"Transaction Security" means:
"Transaction Security Documents" means the security documents pursuant to which the Transaction Security is created.
"Trustee" means the Bondholders' agent under these Terms and Conditions from time to time; initially Nordic Trustee & Agency AB (publ), reg. no. 556882-1879, P.O. Box 7329, SE-103 90, Stockholm, Sweden.
"Trustee Agreement" means the agreement entered into on or prior to the First Issue Date between the Issuer and the Trustee, or any replacement agency agreement entered into after the First Issue Date between the Issuer and the Trustee.
"U.S. Obligor" means each Initial Guarantor incorporated in the state of Delaware.
"Written Procedure" means the written or electronic procedure for decision making among the Bondholders in accordance with Clause 18.3 (Written Procedure).
In case of any conflict of terms between the Intercreditor Agreement and any other Finance Document, the Intercreditor Agreement shall take precedent.
Subject to the Intercreditor Agreement, the Bonds constitute direct, general, unconditional, unsubordinated and secured obligations of the Issuer and shall at all times rank at least pari passu with all direct, general, unconditional, unsubordinated and unsecured obligations of the Issuer and without any preference among them, except for obligations mandatorily preferred by law applying to companies generally.
The Net Proceeds from the Initial Bond Issue and any Subsequent Bond Issue shall be applied towards general corporate purposes (including investments, capital expenditures and acquisitions) of the Group.
such confirmation to the Issuing Agent no later than 11.00 a.m. one (1) Business Day prior to the relevant Issue Date (or later, if the Issuing Agent so agrees) or (ii) if the Issuing Agent and the Issuer agree to postpone the relevant Issue Date.
Following receipt by the Issuing Agent of the confirmations in accordance with Clauses 6.2.2, the Issuing Agent shall settle the issuance of the Subsequent Bonds and pay the Net Proceeds of such Subsequent Bond Issue to the Issuer on the relevant Issue Date.
The Trustee may assume that the documentation and evidence delivered to it is accurate, legally valid, enforceable, correct, true and complete unless it has actual knowledge to the contrary, and the Trustee does not have to verify or assess the contents of any such documentation or evidence. Neither the conditions precedent nor the conditions subsequent are reviewed by the Trustee from a legal or commercial perspective of the Bondholders.
For the avoidance of doubt and notwithstanding the above, a Bondholder which allegedly has purchased Bonds in contradiction to mandatory restrictions applicable may nevertheless utilise its voting rights under these Terms and Conditions and shall be entitled to exercise its full rights as a Bondholder hereunder in each case until such allegations have been resolved.
If any Person other than a Bondholder wishes to exercise any rights under the Finance Documents, it must obtain a power of attorney or other authorisation from the Bondholder or, if applicable, a coherent chain of powers of attorney or authorisations, a certificate from the authorised nominee or other sufficient authorisation for such Person.
The Issuer shall redeem all, but not some only, of the Bonds in full on the Final Redemption Date with an amount per Bond equal to the Nominal Amount together with accrued but unpaid Interest. If the Final Redemption Date is not a Business Day, the redemption shall to the extent permitted under the CSD's applicable regulations occur on the Business Day following from an application of the Business Day Convention or, if not permitted under the CSD's applicable regulations, on the first following Business Day.
Each Group Company may, subject to applicable regulations, at any time and at any price purchase Bonds on the market or in any other way. Any Bonds held by a Group Company may at such Group Company's discretion be retained or sold, but not cancelled, except in connection with a redemption of the Bonds in full.
in effect on the date on which notice of redemption is sent to the Bondholders in accordance with Clause 12.3.3. The relevant Record Date shall be agreed upon between the Issuer, the CSD and the Trustee in connection with such redemption.
Redemption in accordance with Clause 12.3.1 shall be made by the Issuer giving not less than fifteen (15) Business Days' notice to the Bondholders and the Trustee. Any such notice shall state the Redemption Date and the relevant Record Date. Such notice is irrevocable but may, at the Issuer's discretion, contain one or more conditions precedent that shall be fulfilled prior to the Record Date. Upon expiry of such notice and the fulfilment of the conditions precedent (if any), the Issuer shall redeem the Bonds in full at the applicable amount on the specified Redemption Date.
date must fall no later than twenty (20) Business Days after the end of the period referred to in Clause 12.5.1.
instructing Bondholders in writing commit to holding the Trustee indemnified and, at the Trustee's own discretion, grant sufficient security for the obligation.
For the purpose of exercising the rights of the Bondholders and the Trustee under the Finance Documents and for the purpose of distributing any funds originating from the enforcement of any Transaction Security, the Issuer irrevocably authorises and empowers the Trustee to act in the name of the Issuer, and on behalf of the Issuer, to instruct the CSD to arrange for payment to the Bondholders in accordance with Clause 13.3.2 above. To the extent permissible by law, the powers set out in this Clause 13.3.3 are irrevocable and shall be valid for as long as any Bonds remain outstanding. The Issuer shall immediately upon request by the Trustee provide the Trustee with any such documents, including a written power of attorney, which the Trustee deems necessary for the purpose of carrying out its duties under Clause 17.12.2 below (including as required by the CSD in order for the CSD to accept such payment instructions). Especially, the Issuer shall, upon the Trustee's request, provide the Trustee with a written power of attorney empowering the Trustee to change the bank account registered with the CSD to a bank account in the name of the Trustee and to instruct the CSD to pay out funds originating from an enforcement in accordance with Clause 13.3.2 above to the Bondholders through the CSD.
For the purpose of exercising the rights of the Secured Parties, the Trustee may instruct the CSD in the name and on behalf of the Issuer to arrange for payments to the Secured Parties under the Finance Documents and change the bank account registered with the CSD and from which payments under the Bonds are made to another bank account. The Issuer shall immediately upon request by the Trustee provide it with any such documents, including a written power of attorney (in form and substance satisfactory to the Trustee and the CSD), that the Trustee deems necessary for the purpose of exercising its rights and/or carrying out its duties under this Clause 13.
The Issuer shall prepare and make available to the Trustee and on its website:
(a) as soon as they are available, but in any event within six (6) months after the expiry of each financial year the annual audited consolidated financial statements of the Group; and
(b) as soon as they are available, but in any event within two (2) months after the expiry of each quarter of each of its financial years, the quarterly interim unaudited consolidated financial statements or year-end report (as applicable) of the Group for that financial quarter.
(iii) confirm that the requirements pursuant to Clause 16.13 (Additional Security and Guarantees) are met.
The Issuer shall:
in each case calculated in accordance with Clause 15.3 (Calculation principles).
For the purpose of any Incurrence Test (without double counting):
the Issuer has received an equity injection in cash in the form of a share issue, an unconditional shareholder contribution or Shareholder Loan in an amount sufficient to ensure compliance with the Maintenance Test as at the relevant Reference Date (the "Cure Amount") (an "Equity Cure").
So long as any Bond remains outstanding, the Issuer undertakes to comply with the undertakings set forth in this Clause 16.
The Issuer shall not, and shall procure that none of its Subsidiaries will:
(the transactions set out in paragraphs (a) to (g) above are together and individually referred to as a "Restricted Payment"). Notwithstanding the above and provided that any such Restricted Payment is permitted by law:
Without prejudice to Clause 12.5 (Mandatory repurchase due to a Change of Control, Delisting or Listing Failure (put option)), the Issuer shall use its best efforts to procure that:
(i) the date falling twelve (12) months after the First Issue Date and (ii) the date falling sixty (60) calendar days after the issuance of the relevant Subsequent Bonds, in each case, if such admission to trading is not possible to obtain or maintain or the Issuer determines in its reasonable discretion that a different Regulated Market should be preferred, admitted to trading on another Regulated Market.
The Issuer shall procure that no substantial change is made to the general nature of the business carried on by the Group if such substantial change would have a Material Adverse Effect.
The Issuer shall not, and shall procure that none of its Subsidiaries will, incur, prolong, renew or extend any Financial Indebtedness, save for Permitted Debt.
provided in each case that it does not have a Material Adverse Effect.
Notwithstanding the aforementioned, the Issuer shall not, and shall procure that none if its Subsidiaries will, dispose of shares or assets pledged under the Transaction Security Documents, except as permitted under the Intercreditor Agreement.
less
(b) Cash and Cash Equivalents,
amounts to zero (0) or less (a "Clean Down Period").
Not less than six (6) months shall elapse between two Clean Down Periods. The clean down shall be confirmed in the next Compliance Certificate delivered pursuant to paragraph (a) of Clause 14.3.1 above.
The Issuer shall not, and shall procure that none of its Subsidiaries will, extend any loans in any form to any other party other than:
The Issuer shall (and the Issuer shall procure that each other Group Company will):
where failure to do so or such use, permission to use, omission or discontinuation (as applicable), is reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect.
The Issuer shall not, and shall procure that none of its Subsidiaries will, provide, prolong or renew any security over any of its/their assets (present or future) to secure Financial Indebtedness, provided however that the Issuer and the Group have a right to provide, retain, prolong or renew, any Permitted Security. Notwithstanding the aforementioned, the Issuer shall not, and shall procure that none of its Subsidiaries will, provide, prolong or renew any security over any of its intellectual property rights (including its domain names).
The Issuer shall, and shall procure that its Subsidiaries will, conduct all dealings (other than any Restricted Payments permitted under Clause 16.1 (Distributions) above) with their direct and indirect shareholders (excluding the Issuer and any of its Subsidiaries) and/or any Affiliates of such direct and indirect shareholders on arm's length terms.
The Issuer shall, and shall procure that each other Group Company will, comply with all laws and regulations applicable from time to time, including but not limited to the rules and regulations of Nasdaq First North Growth Market and the rules and regulations of Nasdaq Stockholm or any other MTF or Regulated Market (as applicable) on which the Issuer's securities from time to time are listed, in each case where the failure to do so would have a Material Adverse Effect.
The Issuer shall, and shall procure that each other Group Company will, obtain, maintain, and comply with, the terms and conditions of any authorisation, approval, licence or other permit required for the business carried out by a Group Company, in each case where the failure to do so would have a Material Adverse Effect.
The Issuer shall procure that within sixty (60) days following the delivery of each of the Group's annual audited consolidated Financial Statements:
Each of the events or circumstances set out in this Clause 17 is an Event of Default (save for Clause 17.11 (Termination) and Clause 17.12 (Distribution of proceeds)).
An Obligor fails to pay an amount on the date it is due in accordance with the Finance Documents unless its failure to pay is due to technical or administrative error and payment is made within five (5) Business Days of its due date.
Subject to the Equity Cure, the Issuer fails to comply with the Maintenance Test on any Reference Date.
An Obligor does not comply with its obligations under the Finance Documents in any other way than as set out under Clause 17.1 (Non-payment) and 17.2 (Maintenance Test) above, unless the non-compliance is:
provided however that the amount of Financial Indebtedness referred to under paragraph (a), (b) and/or (c) above, individually or in the aggregate exceeds an amount corresponding to EUR 1,000,000 (or its equivalent in any other currency or currencies) and provided that it does not apply to any Financial Indebtedness owed to a Group Company.
A decision is made that any Group Company shall be demerged or merged, but only if such merger or demerger is likely to have a Material Adverse Effect, provided that a merger subject to existing security between Group Companies only or between the Issuer and a Group Company, where the Issuer is the surviving entity, shall not be an Event of Default and a merger involving the Issuer, where the Issuer is not the surviving entity, shall always be considered an Event of Default and provided that the Issuer may not be demerged.
Any expropriation, attachment, sequestration, distress or execution or any analogous process in any jurisdiction affects any asset or assets of any Material Group Company having an aggregate value of an amount equal to or exceeding EUR 1,000,000 and is not discharged within sixty (60) days.
It is or becomes impossible or unlawful for the Issuer or any Material Group Company to fulfil or perform any of the provisions of the Finance Documents or if the obligations under the Finance Documents are not, or cease to be, legal, valid, binding and enforceable and such illegality, invalidity or ineffectiveness has a Material Adverse Effect.
The Issuer or any other Material Group Company ceases to carry on its business if such discontinuation is likely to have a Material Adverse Effect.
Any excess funds after the application of proceeds in accordance with paragraphs (a) to (d) above shall be paid to the Issuer. The application of proceeds in accordance with paragraphs (a) to (d) above shall, however, not restrict a Bondholders' Meeting or a Written Procedure from resolving that accrued Interest (whether overdue or not) shall be reduced without a corresponding reduction of principal.
necessary information from the Debt Register in order to convene and hold the Bondholders' Meeting or instigate and carry out the Written Procedure, as the case may be. If no Person has been appointed by the Trustee to open the Bondholders' Meeting, the meeting shall be opened by a Person appointed by the requesting Person.
Should the Issuer want to replace the Trustee, it may convene a Bondholders' Meeting in accordance with Clause 18.2.1 or instigate a Written Procedure by sending communication in accordance with Clause 18.3.1. After a request from the Bondholders pursuant to Clause 20.4.3, the Issuer shall no later than five (5) Business Days after receipt of such request (or such later date as may be necessary for technical or administrative reasons) convene a Bondholders' Meeting in accordance with Clause 18.2.1. The Issuer shall inform the Trustee before a notice for a Bondholders' Meeting or communication relating to a Written Procedure where the Trustee is proposed to be replaced is sent and supply to the Trustee a copy of the dispatched notice or communication.
Only matters that have been included in the notice may be resolved upon at the Bondholders' Meeting.
Without amending or varying these Terms and Conditions, the Trustee may prescribe such further regulations regarding the convening and holding of a Bondholders' Meeting as the Trustee may deem appropriate. Such regulations may include a possibility for Bondholders to vote without attending the meeting in Person.
may exercise voting rights as a Bondholder at such Bondholders' Meeting or in such Written Procedure, provided that the relevant Bonds are included in the definition of Adjusted Nominal Amount.
or the Issuer. Any advice or opinion from the Trustee does not bind the Bondholders or the Issuer.
Any compensation for damages or other recoveries received by the Trustee from external experts engaged by it for the purpose of carrying out its duties under the Finance Documents shall be distributed in accordance with Clause 17.12 (Distribution of proceeds).
Should the Trustee not receive such information, the Trustee is entitled to assume that no such event or circumstance exists or can be expected to occur, provided that the Trustee does not have actual knowledge of such event or circumstance.
The Issuer shall promptly upon request provide the Trustee with such information as the Trustee reasonably considers necessary for the purpose of being able to comply with this Clause 20.2.9.
the Issuer shall within thirty (30) days thereafter appoint a successor Trustee which shall be an independent financial institution or other reputable company with the necessary resources to act as agent in respect of Market Loans.
which it took or failed to take whilst acting as Trustee. Its successor, the Issuer and each of the Bondholders shall have the same rights and obligations amongst themselves under the Finance Documents as they would have had if such successor had been the original Trustee.
In the event that there is a change of the Trustee in accordance with this Clause 20.4, the Issuer shall execute such documents and take such actions as the new Trustee may reasonably require for the purpose of vesting in such new Trustee the rights, powers and obligation of the Trustee and releasing the retiring Trustee from its further obligations under the Finance Documents and the Trustee Agreement. Unless the Issuer and the new Trustee agree otherwise, the new Trustee shall be entitled to the same fees and the same indemnities as the retiring Trustee.
can lawfully send a notice containing such information to the Bondholders, the Trustee shall be entitled, but not obligated to issue such press release.
__________
Media and Games Invest SE
St. Christopher Street 168 Valetta VLT 1467 Malta Telephone: +356 2122 7553 [email protected]
Baker McKenzie Vasagatan 7 SE-101 23 Stockholm
RSM MALTA Mdina Road ZBG90,15, Haz-Zebbug Malta
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