A year after it withdrew plans for a $115m initial public offering, BASF-backed aerogel insulation developer Aspen Aerogels has filed for a new IPO that could raise up to $86.25m.
US-based Aspen received $165.5m in venture capital funding prior to the withdrawal of the IPO, at which point it raised a further $22.5m from a convertible debt offering.
BASF Venture Capital, the corporate venturing unit for chemicals producer BASF, co-led a $21.5m series B round for Aspen in 2010, but is not one of the company’s major shareholders. Its largest is Reservoir Capital Partners, which holds a 32.7% stake, while other leading investors are GKFF Ventures (27.1%), Arcapita Ventures (13.5%) and RockPort Capital Partners (7.7%).
Aspen makes industrial insulation products used by power generation companies. It made a $47.6m loss in 2013, despite increasing revenues 35% year on year to $86.1m.
The company will use $30m of the proceeds to design, develop and build a third production line at its facility in East Providence, Rhode Island, with additional capital to go to repaying outstanding credit lines and subordinated notes.
– Photo of Aspen Aerogels facility courtesy of Aspen Aerogels Inc.