UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

Form 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE 

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

DATE OF REPORT (DATE OF EARLIEST EVENT REPORTED): October 19, 2023

AVID TECHNOLOGY, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

75 Blue Sky Drive, Burlington, Massachusetts 01803

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

(978) 640-6789

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

N/A

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 8.01. Other Events.

As previously disclosed, on August 9, 2023, Avid Technology, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with Artisan Bidco, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Parent”), and Artisan Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (“Merger Sub”). The Merger Agreement provides that, on the terms and subject to the conditions of the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company (the “Merger”), with the Company continuing as the surviving corporation in the Merger and becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent. Parent and Merger Sub are affiliates of STG Partners, LLC.

As of October 19, 2023, the Company and Parent have received all required regulatory approvals and clearances set forth in the Merger Agreement to complete the Merger. In accordance with the Merger Agreement, unless otherwise agreed by the Company and Parent, the Merger will close on the third business day after the date on which the remaining conditions to closing set forth in the Merger Agreement are satisfied or waived.

Additional Information Regarding the Merger and Where to Find It

This Current Report on Form 8-K relates to the proposed transaction involving the Company, Parent and Merger Sub, whereby the Company would become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent. This Current Report on Form 8-K does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or the solicitation of any vote or approval. The proposed transaction will be submitted to the stockholders of the Company for their consideration at a special meeting of the stockholders. In connection therewith, the Company has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A (the “Special Meeting Proxy Statement”), which was mailed beginning on September 15, 2023 to the stockholders of the Company as of the record date established for voting on the proposed transaction. The Company may also file other relevant documents with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION WITH RESPECT TO THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION, INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF THE COMPANY ARE URGED TO READ THE SPECIAL MEETING PROXY STATEMENT REGARDING THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION (INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR TO BE FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of the Special Meeting Proxy Statement, any amendments or supplements thereto and other documents containing important information about the Company, once such documents are filed with the SEC, through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. In addition, stockholders of the Company may obtain free copies of the documents filed with the SEC by directing a request through the Investor Relations portion of the Company’s website at www.avid.com or by mail to Avid Technology, Inc., 75 Blue Sky Drive, Burlington, MA 01803, Attention: Whit Rappole, Investor Relations.

Participants in the Solicitation

The Company and its directors, its executive officers and certain other members of Company management and Company employees may, under the rules of the SEC, be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed transaction. Information about the directors and executive officers of the Company is set forth in the Company’s definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A for the 2023 annual meeting of the stockholders of the Company, filed with the SEC on April 28, 2023, the Special Meeting Proxy Statement and in subsequent documents filed with the SEC, each of which is (or, when filed will be) available free of charge from the sources indicated above. Other information regarding the participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of the Company and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is contained in the Special Meeting Proxy Statement and other relevant materials filed or to be filed with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction, when they become available.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This Current Report on Form 8-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These include statements regarding anticipated timing of the closing of the Merger. These statements are based on the Company’s current expectations of future events and may include words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “confidence,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “feel,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “should,” “seek,” “will” and “would,” or other comparable terms, but the absence of these words does not mean a statement is not forward-looking. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations of the Company. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: (i) the risk that the proposed transaction may not be completed in a timely manner, or at all; (ii) the failure to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the proposed transaction, including, without limitation, the receipt of stockholder approval; (iii) unanticipated difficulties or expenditures relating to the proposed transaction; (iv) the effect of the announcement or pendency of the proposed transaction on the Company’s plans, business relationships, operating results and operations; (v) potential difficulties retaining employees as a result of the announcement and pendency of the proposed transaction; (vi) the response of customers, channel partners and suppliers to the announcement of the proposed transaction; (vii) risks related to diverting management’s attention from the Company’s ongoing business operations; (viii) legal proceedings, including those that may be instituted against the Company, its board of directors, its executive officers or others following the announcement of the proposed transaction; and (ix) risks regarding the failure to obtain the necessary financing to complete the proposed transaction. The foregoing list is not exhaustive, and readers are advised to carefully consider the foregoing risk factors and the other risks and uncertainties that affect the businesses of the Company described in the “Risk Factors” sections of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on March 1, 2023, the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2023 filed with the SEC on August 9, 2023 and other reports and documents filed by the Company from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov and ir.avid.com. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this Current Report on Form 8-K. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and the Company assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. 

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.