ZASH Global Media and Entertainment Corporation (“ZASH“), the entertainment industry disrupter led by co-founders Ted Farnsworth, financier and former MoviePass Chairman, early Musical.ly investor Jaeson Ma, and early Triller visionary and board member, Vincent Butta, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a majority controlling interest in Lomotif Private Limited (“Lomotif“), the Singapore-based top video-sharing social networking platform and budding rival to TikTok, and Kuaishou (1024.HK on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange).
The closing of the Lomotif acquisition by ZASH is scheduled to occur concurrently with the closing of ZASH’s merger and business combination with Vinco Ventures, Inc. (“Vinco“), which was previously announced in a joint press release in January 2021. The closing of the Lomotif acquisition is subject to certain customary conditions to closing as described in the definitive acquisition agreement.
Upon completion of the merger between ZASH and Vinco, ZASH will become a public company and controlling shareholder of Vinco, making Lomotif one of the top global, pure play video-sharing social networking platforms to be owned by a US publicly traded company, competing with TikTok and Kuaishou in the space.
ZASH believes that Lomotif is one of the fastest growing video-sharing social networking platforms in its category over the last three years and in Latin America, Asia, Europe and West Africa, Lomotif has increased its average monthly community by over 400 percent in this time span. Historically, over 10 billion times atomic clips (User Generated Content (UGC)) have been used to create more than 740+ million videos on the platform since launch.
The following additional data further shows the Lomotif platform’s dominant, global user traction and reach that ZASH believes demonstrates massive untapped value and Lomotif’s potential growth:
- 10+ billion video atomic clips usage
- 740+ million super-clip videos (Lomotifs) created to date
- 225+ million installations globally (in 200+ countries in 300+ languages)
- 210+ million lifetime community
- 160+ million total lifetime viewers (iOS/Android)
- 120+ million total lifetime creators
- 300+ million video views on the platform per month
Lomotif Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Paul Yang, will continue to lead Lomotif upon completion of the acquisition. “With the partnerships ZASH has in place and has planned,” said Yang, “we’re a natural fit. As an emerging player in user generated video creation, we are excited to be part of ZASH’s overall content and distribution plans and strategies and are looking forward to accelerating growth and adoption of Lomotif worldwide.”
“Lomotif is the key piece of the ZASH strategy to merge the best-in-class media, entertainment and content-focused technology companies globally,” said Ted Farnsworth. “The platform is fun and engaging and its features are unique and innovative. We look forward to expanding the platform in the US market and around the rest of the world.”
“Having had experience building another video-sharing social networking platform, it became quickly apparent that Lomotif’s patented technology for mixing and video editing is second to none.” said Vince Butta. “ZASH will focus Lomotif on an advertising model going forward, as well as other means of monetization over the next several months.”
“Lomotif is a global platform with tremendous following in Latin America and Asia and together with ZASH it will replicate that success in the US and other markets,” said Jaeson Ma. “In today’s world of mass consumption of short-form content, we see Lomotif’s addition to the ZASH family as an incredible opportunity to leverage our content in all formats and broaden our distribution platform worldwide.”
Investment bank BTIG represented ZASH on the buy side of the transaction. Palladium Capital served as advisor on the capital raise to fund the transaction. The media and entertainment team led by Tom K. Ara and including Patrick Anding at law firm DLA Piper LLP negotiated and advised ZASH on the Lomotif deal and are also advising ZASH in its merger with Vinco. Cooley LLP represented Lomotif in the transaction.
For more information about ZASH’s proposed merger with Vinco, please see the press release (https://investors.vincoventures.com/press-releases/detail/78/musical-ly-tiktok-triller-and-moviepass-innovators-unite) and Vinco’s 8-K filed on January 19, 2021 (https://sec.report/Document/0001493152-21-001470/).
