BIC: Acquisition of Rocketbook, the leading smart reusable notebook brand in the U.S.

BIC brings together analog and digital writing
 with its acquisition of Rocketbook, the leading smart reusable notebook brand in the United States

Clichy, France - November 9, 2020 ‐ BIC announces today that is has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of Rocketbook, the leading smart and reusable notebook brand in the U.S., based in Boston, Massachusetts. This agreement is contingent upon the fulfilment of certain conditions as customary in this type of transactions.

The acquisition will further BIC’s mission to bring high quality, safe, affordable, essential products to consumers worldwide. The digital writing segment is a fast-growing market and Rocketbook’s innovative products, coupled with BIC’s industry expertise, retail reach, and global footprint offers substantial growth opportunities.

The transaction is structured with an upfront payment of 34 million euros (40 million USD¹), to be paid at closing and a deferred consideration based on Rocketbook’s future performance. The acquisition is expected to close before the end of this year.

Founded in 2014 by Joe Lemay and Jake Epstein, Rocketbook is a fast growing and profitable company with $32 million Net Sales in 2020² (approximately 27 million euros) up 35% year-on-year. Rocketbook’s flagship products include the Core and Fusion notebooks, reusable notebook used with erasable pens and powered by the Rocketbook cloud connected application. Sold online on Amazon, www.getrocketbook.com, and other retailers, for less than 40 US Dollars, Rocketbook Core Notebooks rank number one in reusable notebooks for Amazon’s consumers.

“At BIC, we are focused on reimagining everyday essentials and introducing new products that enhance peoples’ lives. This acquisition will solve a major challenge for many stationery consumers, providing a way to write that can be easily stored and shared in a quick, efficient, and environmentally conscious manner. It allows us to broaden our consumer offering and accelerate our progress toward more innovative and sustainable solutions,” said Gonzalve Bich, BIC’s Chief Executive Officer. “BIC was founded on the idea of simplicity and making writing accessible to all, and this is the next evolution of that process – creating a gateway for handwriting to move into the digital age. We look forward to continuing our work with the Rocketbook team and welcoming them to the global BIC community.”

Rocketbook co‐founders Joe Lemay and Jake Epstein said, “There is great synergy between BIC and Rocketbook. BIC’s entrepreneurial spirit, values and vision for the future of the category are aligned with how we work and where we want to go. We are over the moon about all of the possibilities for the future as we work together to continue to innovate and grow the brand globally.”

This acquisition will enhance BIC’s positions in the Stationery category by entering a new growth segment. Digital writing is comprised of four main segments:  smart notebooks, smart pens, slate tablets, and stylus pens. It is a mid‐to‐high single‐digit growth market, expected to reach 4 billion euros in value by 2025³. The addition of Rocketbook’s affordable and innovative range of products to BIC’s existing writing instrument portfolio will offer consumers a comprehensive and sustainable ecosystem to write and create. BIC’s extensive retail reach and international footprint will be a strong driver for future growth, and will allow to expand Rocketbook’s distribution, which currently draws 70% of its Net Sales from the U.S.

ABOUT BIC

BIC is a world leader in stationery, lighters, and shavers. For more than 75 years, the Company has honored the tradition of providing high-quality, affordable products to consumers everywhere. Through this unwavering dedication, BIC has become one of the most recognized brands and is a trademark registered worldwide. Today, BIC products are sold in more than 160 countries around the world and feature iconic brands such as Cello^®, Conté^®, BIC Flex^TM, Lucky Stationery, Made For YOU^TM, Soleil^®, Tipp-Ex^®, Wite-Out^® and more. In 2019, BIC Net Sales were 1,949.4 million euros. The Company is listed on "Euronext Paris," is part of the SBF120 and CAC Mid 60 indexes and is recognized for its commitment to sustainable development and education. It received an A- Leadership score from CDP. For more, visit www.bicworld.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube.

BIC was advised by Nfluence Partners LLC and Finn Dixon & Herling LLP; Rocket Innovations, Inc. was advised by Tully & Holland, Inc. and Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky, and Popeo P.C

This document contains forward-looking statements. Although BIC believes its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, these statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties. A description of the risks borne by BIC appears in the section, “Risks” in BIC’s 2019 Universal Registration Document filed with the French financial markets authority (AMF) on March 31, 2020.

 

CONTACTS

 

Sophie Palliez-Capian – V.P., Corporate Stakeholder Engagement
Investor Relations Contact:	Press Contacts
Sophie Palliez-Capian + 33 6 87 89 33 51 [e-mail]   Michele Ventura [phone] [e-mail]	Albane de La Tour d’Artaise + 33 7 85 88 19 48 [e-mail]   Isabelle de Segonzac : + 33 6 89 87 61 39 [e-mail]

 

AGENDA – ALL DATES TO BE CONFIRMED

 

Capital Markets Day	November 10, 2020	Virtual event
Full Year 2020 Results	17 February 2021	Conference call and webcast
First Quarter 2021 results	28 April 2021	Conference call and webcast

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¹ (06 November 2020) ECB USD/Euro rate: 1.187

² 31 March 2020 fiscal year

³ NFluence 2020

 

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• BIC_Acquisition of Rocketbook_09NOV20

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