Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Business Combinations

v3.22.1
Business Combinations
12 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2022
Business Combinations  
Business Combinations

(5) Business Combinations

(a) Software Luxembourg Holdings S.A. (“Predecessor (SLH)” or “Skillsoft Legacy”)

On June 11, 2021, Software Luxembourg Holding S.A. merged with and into Churchill Capital Corp II (Churchill) which subsequently changed its name to Skillsoft Corp.

The Skillsoft Merger was considered a business combination under ASC  805, Business Combinations and will be accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting, whereby Churchill was determined to be the accounting acquirer based on their rights to nominate six members of the initial Board of Directors, the size of their voting interest and their rights to appoint the Chief Executive Officer of Skillsoft Corp. and other members of management of the combined company prior to closing.

Under the acquisition method, the acquisition date fair value of the consideration paid by the Company was allocated to the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values.

The following summarizes the purchase consideration (in thousands):

Description

    

Amount

Class A common stock issued

$

258,000

Class B common stock issued *

 

48,375

Cash payments

505,000

Second Out Term Loan

20,000

Cash settlement of seller transaction costs

 

1,308

Total Purchase Price

$

832,683

* Shares of Class B common stock was converted into Successor Class A common stock at the time of the Merger.

The Company preliminarily recorded the fair value of the purchase price to tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed as follows (in thousands):

Updated

Preliminary Purchase

Preliminary Purchase

Description

Price Allocation

Adjustments (1)(2)

    

Price Allocation

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

$

120,273

$

$

120,273

Current assets

118,847

706

119,553

Property and equipment

 

10,825

 

1,632

 

12,457

Intangible assets

769,799

(4,701)

765,098

Long term assets

 

18,629

 

 

18,629

Total assets acquired

1,038,373

(2,363)

1,036,010

Current liabilities

 

(49,056)

 

(350)

 

(49,406)

Debt, including accounts receivable facility

 

(552,977)

 

 

(552,977)

Deferred revenue

 

(123,300)

 

(114,047)

 

(237,347)

Deferred and other tax liabilities

 

(99,699)

 

15,920

 

(83,779)

Long term liabilities

 

(18,325)

 

1

 

(18,324)

Total liabilities assumed

(843,357)

(98,476)

(941,833)

Net assets acquired

195,016

(100,839)

94,177

Goodwill

637,667

100,839

738,506

Total purchase price

$

832,683

$

$

832,683

(1) The increase in deferred revenue (and the corresponding increase to Goodwill by the same amount) is the result of the adoption of ASU 2021-08 in the quarter ended October 31, 2021.
(2) All other changes represent measurement period adjustments attributable to the Company’s review of inputs and assumptions utilized in valuation models and additional information being obtained on preacquisition liabilities. The measurement period adjustments did not have a significant impact on the Company’s results of operations in prior periods.

The preliminary values allocated to identifiable intangible assets and their estimated useful lives are as follows: (in thousands):

Description

    

Amount

    

Life

Trademark/tradename – Skillsoft

$

84,700

 

indefinite

Trademark/tradename – SumTotal

 

5,800

 

9.6

years

Courseware

186,600

 

5

years

Proprietary delivery and development software

114,598

2.5-7.6

years

Publishing Rights

 

41,100

 

5

years

Customer relationships

 

271,400

 

12.6

years

Backlog

 

60,900

 

4.6

years

Total

$

765,098

 

  

Values and useful lives assigned to intangible assets were based on estimated value and use of these assets by a market participant. The customer relationships and backlog were valued using the income approach. The trade names were valued using the relief from royalty method. The content and software were valued using the replacement cost approach.

Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the net identifiable tangible and intangible assets acquired. The Company determined that the acquisition of the Predecessor (SLH) resulted in the recognition of goodwill primarily because the acquisition is expected to help the Company to meet its long-term operating profitability objectives through achievement of synergies. The majority of goodwill is not deductible for tax purposes.

The acquired intangible assets and goodwill are subject to review for impairment if indicators of impairment develop and, in the case of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets, at least annually.

The Company incurred $9.8 million in acquisition-related expenses, which primarily consisted of transaction fees and legal, accounting and other professional services that are included in “Recapitalization and transaction-related costs” in the accompanying consolidated statement of operations. Approximately $4.3 million was reported in the period from February 1, 2021 to June 11, 2021 (Predecessor (SLH)) and $5.5 million was reported in the period from June 12, 2021 to January 31, 2022 (Successor).

(b) Albert DE Holdings, Inc. (“GK”)

On June 11, 2021, GK and its subsidiaries were acquired by Skillsoft, in conjunction with, and just subsequent to, its merger with Churchill Capital Corp II (then becoming merged Company).

The acquisition was accounted for as a business combination under ASC805, Business Combinations, utilizing the acquisition method. Under the acquisition method, the acquisition date fair value of the consideration paid by the Company was allocated to the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values.

The following summarized the purchase consideration (in thousands):

Description

    

Amount

Cash consideration

$

170,199

Warrants Issued

 

14,000

Joinder Term Loans

70,000

Cash settlement of seller transaction costs

4,251

Total Purchase Price

$

258,450

The Company preliminarily recorded the fair value of the purchase price to tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed as follows (in thousands):

Updated

Preliminary Purchase

Preliminary Purchase

Description

Price Allocation

Adjustments (1)(2)

    

Price Allocation

Cash, cash equivalents

$

17,524

$

(100)

$

17,424

Current assets

 

47,849

 

(2,442)

 

45,407

Property and equipment

5,531

1,625

7,156

Intangible assets

185,800

185,800

Long term assets

 

12,401

 

(3,325)

 

9,076

Total assets acquired

269,105

(4,242)

264,863

Current liabilities

 

(74,463)

 

10,910

 

(63,553)

Deferred revenue

 

(23,018)

 

(8,191)

 

(31,209)

Deferred and other tax liabilities

(16,934)

(8,571)

(25,505)

Long term liabilities

(4,248)

2,168

(2,080)

Total liabilities assumed

(118,663)

(3,684)

(122,347)

Net assets acquired

150,442

(7,926)

142,516

Goodwill

108,008

7,926

115,934

Total Purchase Price

$

258,450

$

$

258,450

(1) The increase in deferred revenue (and the corresponding increase to Goodwill by the same amount) is the result of the adoption of ASU 2021-08 in the quarter ended October 31, 2021.
(2) All other changes represent measurement period adjustments attributable to the Company’s review of inputs and assumptions utilized in valuation models and additional information being obtained on preacquisition liabilities. The measurement period adjustments did not have a significant impact on the Company’s results of operations in prior periods.

The preliminary values allocated to identifiable intangible assets and their estimated useful lives are as follows: (in thousands):

Description

    

Amount

    

Life

Trademark/tradename

$

25,400

 

indefinite

Courseware

 

1,500

 

3

years

Proprietary delivery and development software

2,500

 

0.6

years

Vendor relationships

43,900

2.6

years

Customer relationships

 

112,500

 

10.6

years

Total

$

185,800

 

  

Values and useful lives assigned to intangible assets were based on estimated value and use of these assets by a market participant. The customer relationships and vendor relationships were valued using the income approach. The trade name was valued using the relief from royalty method. The courseware and proprietary delivery software were valued using the replacement cost approach.

Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the net identifiable tangible and intangible assets acquired. The Company determined that the acquisition of GK resulted in the recognition of goodwill primarily because the acquisition is expected to help the Company to meet its long-term operating profitability objectives through achievement of synergies. The majority of goodwill is not deductible for tax purposes.

The acquired intangible assets and goodwill are subject to review for impairment if indicators of impairment develop and otherwise at least annually.

The Company incurred $1.0 million in acquisition-related expenses, which primarily consisted of transaction fees and legal, accounting and other professional services that are included in “Acquisition related expenses” in the accompanying consolidated statement of operations. Approximately $1.0 million was reported in the period from June 12, 2021 to January 31, 2021 (Successor).

Unaudited Pro Forma Financial Information

The following unaudited pro forma financial information summarizes the results of operations for the Company as though the acquisition of Skillsoft and Global Knowledge had occurred on February 1, 2020 (in thousands):

Unaudited Pro Forma Statement of Operations

Twelve months

Twelve months

ended January 31,

ended January 31,

    

2022

    

2021

Revenue

$

665,131

$

661,944

Net loss

 

(57,946)

 

(105,086)

The unaudited pro forma financial information does not assume any impacts from revenue, cost or other operating synergies that could be generated as a result of the acquisition. The unaudited pro forma financial information is for informational purposes only and is not necessarily indicative of the results of operations that would have been achieved had the acquisition been consummated on February 1, 2020.

The Successor and Predecessor periods have been combined in the pro forma for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2021 and include adjustments to reflect intangible asset amortization based on the economic values derived from definite-lived intangible assets and interest expense on the new debt financing.

Other pro forma adjustments include the following:

The adoption of ASU 2021-08 is reflected for all Successor and Predecessor periods presented for comparability.
Gains on reorganization of $3.3 billion are excluded from results presented for the twelve months ended January 31, 2022.
Impairment of goodwill and intangible assets recorded in April 2020 of $332.4 million has been excluded from the twelve months ended January 31, 2021.
The pro forma results of operations exclude recapitalization and acquisition-related costs consist of professional fees for legal, investment banking and other advisor costs incurred in connection with the Predecessor’s recapitalization efforts, including the evaluation of strategic alternatives, preparation for the Chapter 11 filing and subsequent emergence in August 2020. Transaction costs related to the business combinations occurring in June 2021 are presented as if they occurred in February 2020.

Other Acquisitions

On June 30, 2021, the Company acquired Pluma, Inc. The acquisition enhances the Company’s leadership development offerings, adds a new modality to its blended learning model, and allows the Company to now offer a premium individualized coaching experience. Cash paid for Pluma in the Successor period was lower than the agreed upon purchase price of Pluma for $22 million due to a contractual holdback and working capital adjustment. The fair value of the net assets acquired included $17.8 million of goodwill and $8.7 million of identified intangible assets, which had a weighted average life of 7.4 years. The goodwill is not deductible for tax purposes. The business is reported as part of the Company’s Skillsoft reportable segment. Pro forma information and acquisition expenses have not been presented because such information is not material to the financial statements.

Measurement Period

The preliminary purchase price allocations for the acquisitions described above are based on initial estimates and provisional amounts. In accordance with ASC 805-10-25-13, if the initial accounting for a business combination is incomplete by the end of the reporting period in which the combination occurs, the acquirer shall report in its financial statements provisional amounts for the items for which the accounting is incomplete. During the measurement period, acquirer shall adjust the provisional amounts recognized at the acquisition date to reflect new information obtained about facts and circumstances that existed as of the acquisition date that, if known, would have affected the measurement of the amounts recognized as of that date. With three acquisitions during the period ended January 31, 2022, the Company continues to refine its inputs and estimates inherent in (i)  deferred income taxes, and (ii) the accuracy and completeness of contingent and other liabilities.