Business Wire

FINALTO-S.P.V.-LTD

9.7.2021 15:28:07 CEST | Business Wire | Press release

Share
The Consortium Welcomes Playtech’s Postponement of General Meeting Enabling Shareholders to Scrutinise Validity of Gopher’s Interest in Finalto

Finalto S.P.V. Ltd, the consortium led by Barinboim Group and backed by Leumi Partners Limited and Menora Mivtachim Group, together with key members of the Finalto Business' management team (together the "Consortium"), welcomes the announcement issued today by Playtech plc (“Playtech”) confirming that the General Meeting due to be held on 15th July 2021 will be subject to a two-week adjournment. Playtech will hold an adjourned general meeting to vote on the binding agreement (the "SPA") between Playtech and the Consortium regarding the disposal of Finalto Group (“Finalto”) on 29 July 2021.

The Consortium recognises Playtech’s fiduciary duty to its shareholders and is pleased that Playtech and its shareholders will now have the opportunity to scrutinise the recent indicative non-binding interest for Finalto from Gopher Investments (“Gopher”).

Since Gopher announced its indicative non-binding interest on 2nd July 2021, it has revealed very little information on itself, the source of its funds and its ultimate controlling parties, all of which will be heavily scrutinised by regulators. To the best of the Consortium’s knowledge, Gopher has failed to properly answer even basic questions on these matters, which should be of great concern.

As announced previously, both Playtech and the Consortium are bound by the restrictions agreed as part of the SPA, which includes not engaging in negotiations with any third party regarding a potential transaction involving the sale of Finalto, as is customary for transactions of this nature. For the avoidance of doubt, the adjournment of the General Meeting does not change these restrictions, but the Consortium confirms that it has given Playtech a limited release to ascertain the crucial KYC and related information it requires.

The Consortium hopes that Gopher will use the extension period to now be more forthcoming and provide sufficient information so Playtech and its shareholders can properly assess the ability of Gopher to pass the intense regulatory scrutiny it will be subject to, removing considerable uncertainty for shareholders. Since Gopher's announcement from 2nd July 2021, Playtech’s share price has underperformed.

Should it be revealed by Gopher that any of its ultimate controlling parties are indeed linked to China, any acquisition is likely to raise material regulatory concerns and will be subject to even closer scrutiny.

The sale process of Finalto was initiated in 2019 and, in Playtech’s words, it has been an “elongated and thorough process ”, and the Consortium was selected taking into account not just the price, but also its “ability to complete the transaction (particularly in light of the Finalto Business’ regulated status in multiple global jurisdictions).”

The Consortium’s previous announcement dated 7th July 2021 is available here .

-ENDS-

About the Consortium

The Consortium is a company incorporated in Israel, established for the purpose of acquiring the Finalto Business. The Consortium is being funded by a group consisting of Barinboim Group, Leumi Partners Limited and Menora Mivtachim Group and by senior secured debt financing from The Phoenix Insurance Company Limited and certain of its affiliates. The Consortium will be supported by key members of the Finalto Business' management team that will transfer with the Finalto Business, including Ron Hoffman (Chief Executive Officer of the Finalto Business) and Liron Greenbaum (Chief Operations Officer of the Finalto Business).

Barinboim Group is a private equity and venture capital firm based in Tel Aviv. Barinboim Group invests in companies operating in the media sectors.

Leumi Partners Limited is the merchant and investment banking arm of Bank Leumi (TASE: LUMI), one of the two largest banking groups in Israel. Leumi Partners Limited is based in Tel Aviv and offers direct equity investment in sectors such as technology media and telecom, consumer & retail, and healthcare. Leumi Partners Limited's line of business includes conducting investments and providing services such as underwriting, financial analysis and research, strategic advice, mergers & acquisitions, and raising equity and debt.

Menora Mivtachim Group is one of Israel's five largest insurance & finance groups. The group specializes in asset management, manages the largest pension fund in Israel - and is the largest General Insurer in Israel and the market leader in Motor Insurance sector. The group operates through its subsidiaries, in all sectors of Life Insurance, Long/Mid/Short -Term Savings, General Insurance and Health Insurance. In addition, the group is active in the capital markets and finance sectors, including, Financial Portfolio Management, Underwriting and worldwide real estate investments.

About Business Wire

Business Wire
Business Wire
101 California Street, 20th Floor
CA 94111 San Francisco

http://businesswire.com

Subscribe to releases from Business Wire

Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from Business Wire

HistoSonics Opens Expanded Histotripsy Training Center in Hong Kong20.7.2026 14:00:00 CEST | Press release

HistoSonics today announced the opening of its expanded Histotripsy Training Center in Hong Kong, reinforcing the city's position as a leading hub for physician education, clinical collaboration, and innovation in Asia. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260720812810/en/ Pictured at the expanded Histotripsy Training Center in Hong Kong. Front row (left to right): Dr. Angus Yuen, Chief Medical Officer, Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong; Prof. Albert Chan, Director of Liver Cancer Surgery Centre, Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong; Dr. Kenneth Tsang, Regional Chief Executive Officer, IHH Healthcare North Asia, and Chief Executive Officer, Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong; Dr. Vince Lau, Director of Interventional Radiology Centre, Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong; Dr. Joe Herman, Vice President, Medical Affairs, HistoSonics. Back row (left to right): Jay Lee, APAC Regional Manager, HistoSonics; Eric Kwong, Hong Kong Sales Manager

Shaping a Generation Through Dialogue: Inside the Doha Debates Ambassador Program20.7.2026 13:29:00 CEST | Press release

Applications are open for young people from around the world to learn to engage and lead through truth-seeking conversations about complex global issues In a world shaped by change and competing narratives, the ability to listen, question and engage in constructive dialogue has never been more critical. Through the Doha Debates Ambassador Program, a production of Qatar Foundation, young people from around the world are not only learning these skills, but actively applying them in their communities, careers and areas of study. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260720452437/en/ Shaping a Generation Through Dialogue: Inside the Doha Debates Ambassador Program. Applications are open for young people from around the world to learn to engage and lead through truth-seeking conversations about complex global issues. (Photo: AETOSWire) This online educational program teaches young people from across the globe to debate d

Kinaxis Appoints Herb Yeh as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer20.7.2026 13:01:00 CEST | Press release

Seasoned corporate finance veteran brings more than 25 years of experience working with enterprise software companies through growth, M&A, and strategic transformation Kinaxis® Inc. (TSX:KXS), a global leader in supply chain planning and orchestration, today announced the appointment of Herb Yeh as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer, effective July 27, 2026. In this role, Yeh will oversee the global finance organization and corporate strategy operations at Kinaxis, leading all Finance, Accounting, Investor Relations, Corporate Strategy, and Corporate Development. He will work closely with the executive leadership team and Board of Directors to support disciplined execution, long-term growth, and shareholder value creation. "Herb has spent his career working with boards and management teams at their most critical inflection points in enterprise software, and we are thrilled to have him join Kinaxis," said Razat Gaurav, Chief Executive Officer of Kinaxis. "He has followed

IFF Announces Agreement to Sell Its Portfolio of Botanical Extracts, Vitamins & Minerals and Food Enhancement Activities to SuanNutra, a Portfolio Company of Carbyne Equity Partners.20.7.2026 12:45:00 CEST | Press release

IFF (NYSE: IFF) — a global leader in flavors, fragrances, and health and biosciences — today announced that it has entered into an agreement with SuanNutra, a Carbyne Equity Partners portfolio company and global provider of science-backed branded and functional ingredients, to sell its portfolio of botanical extracts, vitamins and minerals, and food enhancement activities, including its range of natural colors and antioxidants and certain localized flavor activities in Peru. The portfolio serves a broad range of food, beverage and nutritional end markets through a comprehensive selection of customized solutions. “These businesses are highly respected, and we are confident they will continue to thrive under the ownership of SuanNutra and Carbyne,” said Erik Fyrwald, CEO IFF. “This transaction is another step in optimizing our portfolio and reinforces our focus on our core innovation-led businesses — Taste, Scent and Health & Biosciences — where we see the greatest opportunities to drive

NIQ Appoints Irina Stoian as Chief AI Commercial Officer20.7.2026 12:45:00 CEST | Press release

New executive role strengthens NIQ’s AI strategy and advances the company’s position as a trusted intelligence infrastructure powering AI-driven commerce NIQ today announced that Irina Stoian has joined the company as Chief AI Commercial Officer, a newly created role designed to accelerate NIQ’s enterprise AI commercial strategy and help clients turn the company’s AI capabilities into business impact and growth. Stoian will help align Product, Technology, Commercial, Partnerships, and Marketing around a unified AI growth strategy. Her remit includes shaping commercial AI offerings, strategic partnerships, pricing and business models, and deeper integration of NIQ capabilities into client workflows. The appointment builds on NIQ’s broader AI strategy, which positions the company as a trusted intelligence infrastructure powering AI-driven commerce. Across its AI portfolio, including ConnectAI, NIQ Optiq™, and NIQ Cadence™, NIQ is expanding how clients access trusted data, intelligence, a

In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.

Visit our pressroom
World GlobeA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye