NEW YORK, Dec. 17, 2020

• BARK serves over 1 million dogs monthly through BarkBox and Super Chewer subscriptions and broad retail distribution of its comprehensive suite of best-in-class, proprietary products
• Digitally-led organization leverages vast customer data to develop and distribute curated assortments of dog products ranging from toys to food
• Well positioned to be category leader across the four primary channels for dogs: Fun, Food, Home and Health
• Industry leading momentum: projected revenues of approximately $365 million and gross margins of approximately 60% for fiscal year ending March 31, 2021, 179% YoY increase in revenue from new product lines in first half of FY2021, and net revenue CAGR FY2020-FY2023 of over 40%
• Transaction values BARK at an enterprise value of approximately $1.6 billion and is expected to provide up to $454 million of gross cash proceeds to invest in the acceleration of new and existing product lines as well as international expansion
• Top-tier institutional investors, including Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC, Senator Investment Group, the Federated Hermes Kaufmann Funds, and affiliates of the Santo Domingo Group, among others, are supporting the transaction with an upsized $200 million fully-committed PIPE
• Existing BARK shareholders and management will retain 100% of their equity in the combined company
• Northern Star's units will be able to be separated voluntarily by holders commencing on or about December 18, 2020

Barkbox, Inc. ("BARK" or the "Company"), a leading global omni-channel brand for dogs, and Northern Star Acquisition Corp. ("Northern Star") (NYSE: STIC.U), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, today announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement. As a result of the transaction, which values the Company at an enterprise value of approximately $1.6 billion, BARK will become a publicly listed company on the New York Stock Exchange under the new ticker symbol, "BARK".

개를 위한 선도적 글로벌 옴니채널 브랜드 Barkbox, Inc.("BARK"또는 "Company") 및 공개적으로 거래되는 특수 목적 Northern Star Acquisition Corp.("Northern Star") (NYSE : STIC.U) 인수 회사는 오늘 최종 합병 계약을 체결했다고 발표했다. 약 16억 달러의 기업 가치로 회사를 평가하는 거래의 결과로 BARK는 새로운 시세 기호 "BARK"로 뉴욕증권거래소에 상장된 회사가 될 것이다.

Founded in 2012 by Matt Meeker, Henrik Werdelin and Carly Strife, BARK is the world's most dog-centric company devoted to making dogs and their owners happy with the best products, services and content. The Company's current offerings, available through www.barkbox.com, include BarkBox, its renowned, customized, internally designed and sourced, and cleverly themed monthly box of toys and treats, Super Chewer (highly durable rubber toys), BARK Home (everyday products), BARK Bright (dental, health and wellness), and BARK Eats (personalized food blend service).

2012년 Matt Meeker, Henrik Werdelin 및 Carly Strife가 설립한 BARK는 최고의 제품, 서비스 및 콘텐츠로 개와 보호자를 행복하게 만드는 데 전념하는 세계에서 가장 개 중심적인 회사이다. www.barkbox.com을 통해 이용할 수 있는 회사의 현재 제품에는 BarkBox, 그 유명한 맞춤형, 내부 설계 및 소싱, 그리고 영리한 테마의 월별 장난감 및 간식 상자, Super Chewer(고 내구성 고무 장난감), BARK Home (일상 제품), BARK Bright(치과, 건강 및 웰빙) 및 BARK Eats(맞춤식 혼합 서비스) 등이 포함된다. 

BARK's innovative, high-quality products are distributed directly to consumers via its BarkBox, Super Chewer and BARK Bright Dental subscriptions and are available through Amazon.com as well as 23,000 retail locations including Target, Petco, PetSmart and Costco, among many others. The Company's omni-channel sales approach, data-driven platform and consistent customer engagement through direct contact and social media enable it to reach over 1 million active subscribers every month.

BARK의 혁신적인 고품질 제품은 BarkBox, Super Chewer 및 BARK Bright Dental 구독을 통해 소비자에게 직접 배포되며 Amazon.com과 Target, Petco, PetSmart 및 Costco를 비롯한 23,000개의 소매점을 통해 제공된다. 회사의 옴니채널 판매 접근 방식, 데이터 기반 플랫폼 및 직접 연락 및 소셜 미디어를 통한 일관된 고객 참여를 통해 매달 1백만 명 이상의 활성 구독자에게 도달할 수 있다.

Pet industry sales reached $96 billion in 2019 and are expected to grow significantly over the coming years.  BARK is well positioned to capitalize on these strong industry trends through growth in new subscribers, development of new proprietary products and expansion of distribution channels.

반려동물 산업 매출은 2019년에 960억 달러에 이르렀으며 향후 몇 년 동안 크게 성장할 것으로 예상된다. BARK는 신규 가입자 증가, 새로운 독점 제품 개발 및 유통채널 확장을 통해 이러한 강력한 산업 동향을 활용할 수 있는 좋은 위치에 있다. 

About BARK

BARK is the world's most dog-centric company, devoted to making dogs happy with the best products, services and content. BARK's dog-obsessed team applies its unique, data-driven understanding of what makes each dog special to design playstyle-specific toys, wildly satisfying treats and wellness supplements, and dog-first experiences that foster the health and happiness of dogs everywhere. Founded in 2012, BARK loyally serves dogs nationwide with monthly subscription services, BarkBox and Super Chewer; a curated e-commerce experience on BarkShop.com; custom collections via its retail partner network, including Target and Amazon; wellness products that meet your dogs' needs with BARK Bright; and a personalized meal delivery service for dogs BARK Eats. At BARK, we want to be the people our dogs think we are and promise to be their voice until every dog reaches its full tail-wagging potential. Sniff around at bark.co for more information.

BARK는 최고의 제품, 서비스 및 콘텐츠로 반려견을 행복하게 만드는 데 전념하는 세계에서 가장 반려견 중심의 회사이다. BARK의 개에 집착하는 팀은 각 개를 특별하게 만드는 요소에 대한 고유한 데이터 기반 이해를 적용하여 플레이 스타일별 장난감, 매우 만족스러운 간식 및 웰빙 보충제, 개가 어디에서나 건강하고 행복하게 만드는 개 우선 경험을 디자인한다. 2012년에 설립된 BARK는 월간 구독 서비스, BarkBox 및 Super Chewer를 통해 전국의 개에게 충성스럽게 서비스를 제공한다.

About Northern Star Acquisition Corp.

Northern Star Acquisition Corp. is a special purpose acquisition company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities in the beauty, wellness, self-care, fashion, e-commerce, subscription and digital-media sectors.

Northern Star Acquisition Corp.는 합병, 자본 증권 거래소, 자산 취득, 주식 매입, 개편 또는 미용, 웰빙, 자기관리 분야에서 하나 이상의 기업 또는 법인과 유사한 사업 결합을 수행하기 위해 형성된 케어, 패션, 전자 상거래, 구독 및 디지털 미디어 부문 특수 목적 인수 회사이다. 

The management team and Board of Directors are composed of veteran consumer, media, technology, retail and finance industry executives and founders, including Joanna Coles, Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer, and Jonathan Ledecky, President and Chief Operating Officer.

Ms. Coles is a creative media and technology executive who in her previous roles as editor of two leading magazines and Chief Content Officer of Hearst Magazines developed an extensive network of relationships at the intersection of technology, fashion and beauty. Ms. Coles currently serves as a special advisor to Cornell Capital, a $3.5 billion private investment firm, and is on the board at Snap Inc., Sonos, Density Software, and Women Entrepreneurs of New York City. Mr. Ledecky is a seasoned businessman with over 35 years of investment and operational experience.

He has executed hundreds of acquisitions across multiple industries and raised over $20 billion in debt and equity. He is also co-owner of the National Hockey League's New York Islanders franchise since 2014 and a prior owner of the Washington Wizards and the Washington Capitals. For additional information, please visit https://northernstaric.com.

COVID-19 impacts on the U.S. pet industry were not what seemed inevitable during the initial months of the pandemic. Instead, 2020 turned out to be a banner year for the market, with sales growth of 9% pushing overall pet industry sales to $107 billion, as reported by Packaged Facts' just released U.S. Pet Market Outlook, 2021-2022.

패키지드 팩트 (Packaged Facts)가 최근 발표한 2021-2022년 미국 반려동물 시장 전망 (US Pet Market Outlook)에 따르면, 9%의 매출 성장으로 전체 반려동물 산업 매출이 1,070억 달러로 증가했다.

Along with the re-confirmed recession resistance of the pet industry, several factors support an extremely positive near- and long-term outlook for the pet market. A surge in pet acquisition and adoption continued through Christmas/Winter Holidays 2020.  New pet acquisition—especially strong among those who already had pets and those with children in the home—brought the number of pet dogs to 96 million (up over 10 million from 2019) and the number of pet cats to 32 million (up over 2 million).

In contrast to pet population patterns in the wake of the Great Recession of 2007-2009, which triggered a "Decade of the Dog" for the industry, pet adoption and acquisition not only spanned pet types but disproportionately included pets other than dogs and cats, especially reptiles or small mammals such as rabbits, hamsters, and gerbils. As indicated in the Packaged Facts report, more households now are "multiple-pet" in having more than one of a single type of pet, and in having more than one type of pet. It's a dog-and-cat world.

Once pets are homed, most pet care spending is non-discretionary, such that pet food and non-food supply sales, as well as veterinary sector revenues, gained strength despite COVID-19 challenges and dislocations. Moreover, as noted by Packaged Facts research director David Sprinkle, "not just pets but pet stores and pet care businesses are now culturally and politically inscribed as essential."

At the same time, brick-and-mortar-based retailers are more Internet-focused than ever, tapping in to the continued acceleration of online shopping and featuring expanded brick-and-click options including curbside pickup and same-day delivery. From an omnimarket vantage, digital pet care opportunities extend beyond e-commerce to emerging areas such as veterinary telemedicine and teletriage, in sync with rapid gains in pet medications sales online through websites such as Chewy Pharmacy and WalmartPetRx.com

오프라인 기반 소매 업체는 그 어느 때보다 인터넷에 집중하고 있으며 온라인 쇼핑의 지속적인 가속화를 활용하고 도로변 픽업 및 당일 배송을 포함한 확장된 오프라인 클릭 옵션을 제공한다. 옴니 마켓의 관점에서 디지털 반려동물 관리 기회는 전자 상거래를 넘어 수의학 원격 진료와 같은 신흥 영역으로 확장되어 Chewy Pharmacy 및 WalmartPetRx.com과 같은 웹사이트를 통해 온라인으로 반려동물 의약품 판매가 빠르게 증가한다.

While the pet industry has long been an investor favorite, the blockbuster performance of the U.S. pet industry despite COVID-19 has spurred a new flurry of M&A and investment activity.  Major developments include Petco's initial public offering, BarkBox's $1.6 billion valuation as a public company, and the acquisition of market retailers or brands including Pet Supplies Plus, Natural Balance, WellPet, Breeder's Choice, and Solid Gold.  As with puppy dog eyes, investors are finding the pet market very hard to say no to.

반려동물 산업은 오랫동안 투자자들의 사랑을 받아 왔지만 COVID-19에도 불구하고 미국 반려동물 산업의 블록버스터 성과는 새로운 M&A와 투자 활동을 촉발시켰다. 주요 개발에는 Petco의 초기 공모, BarkBox의 상장 기업으로서의 16억 달러 가치평가, Pet Supplies Plus, Natural Balance, WellPet, Breeder's Choice 및 Solid Gold를 포함한 시장 소매업체 또는 브랜드 인수가 포함된다. 강아지 눈과 마찬가지로 투자자들은 반려동물 시장을 거부하기가 매우 어렵다는 사실을 알고 있다.

For more information see the U.S. Pet Market Outlook, 2021-2022 study page. The study, with 108 figures and 60 tables, analyzes current and projects future retail sales and trends across the U.S. pet industry, considering in the known and longer-term impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. The report examines collectively and separately four sectors of pet products and services:

• pet food
• non-food pet supplies
• veterinary services
• non-medical pet services

Particular attention is dedicated to the market impact of e-commerce and technology-driven and other emerging products and services.

• 웹사이트 : www.packagedfacts.com/

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