SPCXPACXNoah Kerner, CEO of Acorns.Adam Jeffery | CNBC
Savings and investing app Acorns plans to go public by merging with a blank-check company.
The fintech start-up announced a deal Thursday to combine with Pioneer Merger Corp., a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC. The merger values Acorns at roughly $2.2 billion and is expected to close in the back half of this year.
When it is finalized, Acorns will trade on the Nasdaq under the symbols OAKS — a nod to the company’s motto and analogy of growing acorns into “mighty oaks.”
“Now was the time to go public to accelerate our growth, and get the tools of responsible wealth-making in everyone’s hands as fast as possible, when they need it most,” said Acorns CEO Noah Kerner. “We just saw this as an accelerant on that journey.”
Institutional investors Wellington Management, Greycroft, TPG’s global impact investing platform, and funds managed by BlackRock also committed to a private placement as part of the announcement. Kerner and Pioneer’s sponsor each plan to contribute 10% of their personal ownership in Acorns as a gift to eligible Acorns customers.
The company was last valued at less than $1 billion, and has attracted venture investments from the
