BrightSource Energy, a US-based solar power tower developer, plans to sell 6.9 million shares at between $21 and $23 each in its Nasdaq stock exchange flotation with its largest corporate backer to increase its holding.
The company would raise $151.8m pre-fees – below earlier expectations – and have an initial market capitalisation of nearly $1bn, were it to price in the middle of its range.
In its latest filing, BrightSource said Alstom and Caithness Development had agreed to purchase in private placements $65m and $10m, respectively, at a price per share equal to the initial public offering price. French power equipment maker Alstom became BrightSource’s second-largest shareholder, with 17.8%, after investing $130m in the company’s D and E rounds over the past year.
Venture capital firms VantagePoint Venture Partners and Draper Fisher Jurvetson own 24.9% and 6.7% respectively.
The other members of the E round consortium with less than 5% shareholders include oil majors BP and Chevron’s corporate venturing units and California state pension fund Calstrs.
BrightSource’s stock options granted in 2010 and 2011 with the last two rounds have exercise prices at between $4.26 and $6.79 per share.
BrightSource has also revealed its latest figures and posted a $110m net loss on about $159m in revenue last year.
BrightSource had picked three rival investment banks for its planned flotation rather than their peer Morgan Stanley, which owns 10.5% of its portfolio company.
Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and Deutsche Bank are serving as co-lead underwriters, according to the company’s regulatory filing.