Filed by Stratasys Ltd.
(Commission File No. 001-35751)
Pursuant to Rule 425 of the Securities Act of 1933
and deemed filed Pursuant to Rule 14a-12
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Subject Company: Desktop Metal, Inc. (Commission File No. 001-38835)
The following letter was sent to employees of Stratasys Ltd. by Yoav Zeif, Chief Executive Officer of Stratasys Ltd., on May 25, 2023.
Internal communication. Not for redistribution.
Team Stratasys,
Today is an exciting day for Stratasys and our industry. We continue on our North Star journey, extending our mission to be the first choice 3D Printing provider, as we announce that we have entered into a definitive agreement to combine with Desktop Metal in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $1.8 Billion. Together, Stratasys and Desktop Metal will create a premier global provider of industrial additive manufacturing solutions. A copy of the press release we issued can be found here.
About Desktop Metal
As you may know, Desktop Metal, headquartered in Boston is a leader in additive manufacturing for mass production. We believe their best-in-class portfolio is complementary to our polymer platform of solutions. Desktop Metal has differentiated technologies that enable them to deliver production metal, sand, ceramic and dental 3D printing solutions to help customers solve their manufacturing problems. Their offerings are underpinned by a deep customer engagement model and their team, just like ours, is focused on putting the customer first. They also share our commitment to innovation and have an experienced and passionate team of over 300 scientists and engineers, which together with Stratasys, will create one of the largest R&D and engineering teams in the industry.
Stratasys & Desktop Metal - The Joint Value Proposition
By combining the two organizations, we will be taking another step forward in fulfilling our North Star strategy, and our mission to better serve the additive manufacturing market with comprehensive, best-in-class technologies and solutions. Importantly, this combination will increase our financial strength with significant upside potential in a total addressable market of more than $100 billion by 2032. I am confident that by bringing these two great companies together, we will be able to accelerate the momentum underway and deliver significant value for our shareholders, partners, customers and employees.
What’s Next?
While this announcement is exciting for Stratasys, it’s important to remember that this is only the first step of the process. We expect the transaction to close in the fourth quarter of 2023, subject to customary closing conditions and approval by shareholders of both Stratasys and Desktop Metal. Until that time, Stratasys and Desktop Metal will continue to operate as separate companies, and it remains business as usual.
We understand that you may have questions about this news and what it means for our company and you. I look forward to sharing more on this news at our companywide Town Hall next week, and your CLT leaders will share information and updates with you, as well. We are committed to keeping you up to date and informed.
We expect today’s announcement will lead to increased interest in Stratasys from the media and our investors. It is important that our company speaks with one voice. If you receive questions, please forward them to Yonah Lloyd, our Chief Communication Officer and VP of Investor Relations, at Yonah.Lloyd@stratasys.com.
This transaction is a testament to the dedication and achievements of the entire Stratasys team, and it would not have been possible without your hard work and expertise in building our strong portfolio. I am proud of you and our achievements.
But it doesn’t stop here. We have lots of work in the coming months to ensure a smooth transition, and we look forward to officially combining forces with Desktop Metal later this year.
Yours,
Yoav
Forward-Looking Statements
This communication contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Such forward-looking statements include statements relating to the proposed transaction between Stratasys Ltd. (“Stratasys”) and Desktop Metal, Inc. (“Desktop Metal”), including statements regarding the benefits of the transaction and the anticipated timing of the transaction, and information regarding the businesses of Stratasys and Desktop Metal, including expectations regarding outlook and all underlying assumptions, Stratasys’ and Desktop Metal’s objectives, plans and strategies, information relating to operating trends in markets where Stratasys and Desktop Metal operate, statements that contain projections of results of operations or of financial condition and all other statements other than statements of historical fact that address activities, events or developments that Stratasys or Desktop Metal intends, expects, projects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Such statements are based on management’s beliefs and assumptions made based on information currently available to management. All statements in this communication, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements that may be identified by the use of the words “outlook,” “guidance,” “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “should,” “estimates,” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause Stratasys’ or Desktop Metal’s actual results and performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Factors and risks that may impact future results and performance include, but are not limited to those factors and risks described in Item 3.D “Key Information - Risk Factors”, Item 4 “Information on the Company”, and Item 5 “Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” in Stratasys’ Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2022 and Part 1, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in Desktop Metal’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, each filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and in other filings by Stratasys and Desktop Metal with the SEC. These include, but are not limited to: the ultimate outcome of the proposed transaction between Stratasys and Desktop Metal, including the possibility that Stratasys or Desktop Metal shareholders will reject the proposed transaction; the effect of the announcement of the proposed transaction on the ability of Stratasys and Desktop Metal to operate their respective businesses and retain and hire key personnel and to maintain favorable business relationships; the timing of the proposed transaction; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the proposed transaction; the ability to satisfy closing conditions to the completion of the proposed transaction (including any necessary shareholder approvals); other risks related to the completion of the proposed transaction and actions related thereto; changes in demand for Stratasys’ or Desktop Metal’s products and services; global market, political and economic conditions, and in the countries in which Stratasys and Desktop Metal operate in particular; government regulations and approvals; the extent of growth of the 3D printing market generally; the global macro-economic environment, including headwinds caused by inflation, rising interest rates, unfavorable currency exchange rates and potential recessionary conditions; the impact of shifts in prices or margins of the products that Stratasys or Desktop Metal sells or services Stratasys or Desktop Metal provides, including due to a shift towards lower margin products or services; the potential adverse impact that recent global interruptions and delays involving freight carriers and other third parties may have on Stratasys’ or Desktop Metal’s supply chain and distribution network and consequently, Stratasys’ or Desktop Metal’s ability to successfully sell both existing and newly-launched 3D printing products; litigation and regulatory proceedings, including any proceedings that may be instituted against Stratasys or Desktop Metal related to the proposed transaction; impacts of rapid technological change in the additive manufacturing industry, which requires Stratasys and Desktop Metal to continue to develop new products and innovations to meet constantly evolving customer demands and which could adversely affect market adoption of Stratasys’ or Desktop Metal’s products; and disruptions of Stratasys’ or Desktop Metal’s information technology systems.
These risks, as well as other risks related to the proposed transaction, will be included in the registration statement on Form F-4 and joint proxy statement/prospectus that will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in connection with the proposed transaction. While the list of factors presented here is, and the list of factors to be presented in the registration statement on Form F-4 are, considered representative, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. For additional information about other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, please refer to Stratasys’ and Desktop Metal’s respective periodic reports and other filings with the SEC, including the risk factors identified in Stratasys’ and Desktop Metal’s Annual Reports on Form 20-F and Form 10-K, respectively, and Desktop Metal’s most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements included in this communication are made only as of the date hereof. Neither Stratasys nor Desktop Metal undertakes any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by law.
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No Offer or Solicitation
This communication is not intended to and shall not constitute an offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made, except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Additional Information about the Transaction and Where to Find It
In connection with the proposed transaction, Stratasys intends to file with the SEC a registration statement on Form F-4 that will include a joint proxy statement of Stratasys and Desktop Metal and that also constitutes a prospectus of Stratasys. Each of Stratasys and Desktop Metal may also file other relevant documents with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction. This document is not a substitute for the joint proxy statement/prospectus or registration statement or any other document that Stratasys or Desktop Metal may file with the SEC. The definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus (if and when available) will be mailed to shareholders of Stratasys and Desktop Metal. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, THE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT MAY BE FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THESE DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the registration statement and joint proxy statement/prospectus (if and when available) and other documents containing important information about Stratasys, Desktop Metal and the proposed transaction, once such documents are filed with the SEC through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Stratasys will be available free of charge on Stratasys’ website at https://investors.stratasys.com/sec-filings. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Desktop Metal will be available free of charge on Desktop Metal’s website at https://ir.desktopmetal.com/sec-filings/all-sec-filings.
Participants in the Solicitation
Stratasys, Desktop Metal and certain of their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction. Information about the directors and executive officers of Stratasys, including a description of their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is set forth in Stratasys’ proxy statement for its 2022 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, which was filed with the SEC on August 8, 2022, and Stratasys’ Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, which was filed with the SEC on March 3, 2023. Information about the directors and executive officers of Desktop Metal, including a description of their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is set forth in Desktop Metal’s proxy statement for its 2023 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 25, 2023 and Desktop Metal’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, which was filed with the SEC on March 1, 2023. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the joint proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction when such materials become available. Investors should read the joint proxy statement/prospectus carefully when it becomes available before making any voting or investment decisions. You may obtain free copies of these documents from Stratasys or Desktop Metal using the sources indicated above.
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