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AVALARA SALE: PRO AND CON Featured

Proxies for and against the sale of Avalara to Vista Equity Partners  this month spell out competing claims about the condition of the sales tax software company.

Two investor groups are opposing the sale, but with management backing the deal, it would be unusual if they can attract enough votes to block titl. A conversation with one observer provided descriptiony that doesn’t pretty up the picture. Avalara, he said, “couldn’t make money and someone had to pick them up.” Altair US, which is leading the fight against the sale, claims that Avalara had painted a bright picture about its prospects in a presentation only three months ago. On September 28, Altair  and claimed Avalara is manipulating data  ”by using new and inappropriate  peer groups and using varying dates and prices without explanation, to manufacture an argument that the Company is being sold at a ‘premium’ valuation.” It has previously claimed Avalara’s advisor, Goldman Sachs, may have steered the deal to Vista and it continued to pound that theme. On its side, Avalara cited a less-rosy economic picture that has developed.  It said international weakness would require a multi-year rebuild; that a  go-to-market transformation is needed to reaccelerate demand generation, and that  “as high sales and marketing attrition” is contributing to 2022 sharp sales decline.” The sales increase for the second quarter ended June 30 showed a 23-percent increase in revenue. It had 33-percent growth in the first quarter.  It also said of eight potential buyers it contacted, only Vista showed interest in a deal.

 

 

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