Vista Equity Partners said Wednesday that it completed its acquisition of Seattle-based tax software giant Avalara.
The $8.4 billion deal, announced in August, was approved by Avalara shareholders last week. The deal officially takes Avalara off the New York Stock Exchange.
Avalara faced some pushback from shareholders that aimed to block the deal. One of the company’s early and largest investors, Altair, questioned the timing of the deal and said Avalara engaged in a “flawed and limited” sale process. There were also several lawsuits filed against Avalara in connection with the deal.
The company said last week that 84% of voting shareholders voted in favor of the acquisition.
Founded in 2004, Avalara raised more than $300 million in private investment before going public in 2018, pricing shares at $24 each. Vista, a global investment firm based in Austin that manages $96 billion in assets, acquired all outstanding shares of Avalara common stock for $93.50 per share.
The purchase price represented a 27% premium over Avalara’s share price on July 6, before media reports emerged about a potential transaction.
Avalara’s market capitalization soared above $16 billion during the pandemic, along with other software companies that saw tailwinds from the rapid adoption of digital services. But its stock was down 26% this year amid the broader economic downturn.
The deal is the latest example of private equity firms hungry for public company acquisitions at bargain prices.
Avalara has more than 30,000 customers that use its compliance automation software to manage their sales and other types of taxes. Customers include Zillow Group, Pinterest, and others.
Avalara reported second quarter revenue revenue of $208.6 million, up 23% from the year-ago period, and up 2% from the first quarter. GAAP net loss came in at $55.8 million, up from $31 million last year.
The company has been on an acquisition spree of its own lately, swooping up a group of smaller tax-related software providers.
Avalara CEO Scott McFarlane co-founded Avalara 14 years ago with Rory Rawlings and Jared Vogt on Bainbridge Island, Wash.
Avalara employs 700 people in the Seattle area, and more than 4,400 worldwide.
Vista paid $1.9 billion in 2019 to acquire Bellevue, Wash.-based Apptio, another public enterprise software company. It also bought Citrix earlier this year in a deal with Elliott Investment Management.
