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Tuesday, September 30, 2025

==Draganfly (DPRO) lands drone contract

 

Canada-based Draganfly (DPRO) on Tuesday announced that it was selected by the U.S. Army to provide Flex First Person View (FPV) drones

Under the initial order, Draganfly will deliver Flex FPV drones that are designed for high-performance operations and help establish on-site manufacturing within overseas U.S. Forces facilities to accelerate deployment and reduce the supply-chain timelines.

Draganfly will also provide flight and manufacturing training that will enable the Army to sustain operations, and will manage logistics to ensure secure supply chain practices.

==Firefly Aerospace (FLY) : a company rocket exploded during testing

 

Texas-based Firefly Aerospace (FLY) on Monday was conducting tests ahead of its seventh flight for its Alpha rocket when a booster exploded.

"During testing at Firefly's facility in Briggs, Texas, the first stage of Firefly's Alpha Flight 7 rocket experienced an event that resulted in a loss of the stage," the company wrote on its website. "Proper safety protocols were followed, and all personnel are safe. The company is assessing the impact to its stage test stand, and no other facilities were impacted."

The seventh Alpha flight was intended to be a dedicated commercial launch. Firefly expected to launch in Q4 from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. However, the flight has most likely been delayed.

Prior Missions
It's another setback for Firefly, which suffered a failure during its Alpha launch in April, according to Space.com. During that mission, the first-stage booster broke apart shortly after separation from the upper stage. That issue damaged the upper stage's engine nozzle, which compromised thrust and led to the loss of Lockheed Martin's (LMT) satellite payload.

Firefly in March successfully landed its Blue Ghost lander on the Moon, which marked the first commercial moon landing, according to the company. The lander launched in January and completed 100% of its missions during the two-week surface operations.

Firefly has a backlog worth $1.1 billion and is part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, according to Barron's. In July, Firefly received a $176.7 million NASA contract to deliver five NASA-sponsored payloads to the Moon in 2029.

Alliance Laundry Systems (ALH) IPO Overview

Alliance Laundry Systems, a leading manufacturer of commercial laundry equipment (including washers, dryers, and ironers under brands like Speed Queen, UniMac, Huebsch, Primus, and IPSO), is preparing for its initial public offering (IPO). The company, founded in 1908 and headquartered in Ripon, Wisconsin, operates in over 100 countries with more than 4,000 employees. It was most recently majority-owned by BDT Capital Partners (an affiliate of BDT & MSD Partners) following a series of private equity acquisitions. Headquarters: Ripon, Wisconsin, United StatesFounded: 1908https://alliancelaundry.com/ 
  Japan's self-service laundromat sector is rapidly expanding, with over 20,000 locations and 1,000 new stores expected annually from 2025 to 2030. 
ALS's success in Thailand, with a 62% market share and over 3,000 laundromats, highlights its ability to drive industry growth.


 Key IPO Details
  • Filing and Timeline: Alliance Laundry filed a registration statement (Form S-1) with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in mid-September 2025, marking the first step in the regulatory process. Pricing is expected in the coming weeks, with the offering subject to market conditions—no firm completion date has been announced.
  • Shares and Pricing: The company plans to offer 34.1 million shares at a price range of $19 to $22 per share.
  • Expected Raise and Valuation: The IPO aims to raise up to $751.2 million, targeting a valuation of up to $4.34 billion.
  • Breakdown of Shares:
    • Alliance Laundry will sell 24.4 million shares.
    • Selling stockholders (primarily BDT Capital Partners and affiliates) will offer 9.8 million shares.
  • Post-IPO Ownership: BDT Capital Partners will retain approximately 76% ownership.
  • Exchange and Ticker: Shares will list on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol "ALH".
  • Underwriters: Led by BofA Securities and J.P. Morgan.
  • Cornerstone Investors: Capital International and Kayne Anderson Rudnick have expressed interest in purchasing up to $100 million in shares, signaling strong institutional demand.
Financial SnapshotFor the six months ended June 30, 2025:
  • Revenue: $836.8 million (up ~15% from $729 million in the prior-year period).
  • The company is using IPO proceeds partly to reduce debt, which has been described as significant in filings.
Metric
Value (H1 2025)
YoY Change
Revenue
$836.8 million
+15%
EBITDA (TTM est.)
~$350 million
N/A
Target Valuation
Up to $4.34 billion
N/A
Background and ContextAlliance Laundry has a long history in the industry but has changed hands multiple times through private equity:
  • Acquired by Bain Capital from Raytheon in 1998 for $358 million.
  • Majority stake bought by Teachers' Private Capital in 2005 for $450 million.
  • Current ownership by BDT & MSD since around 2015; earlier in 2024, they explored a private sale valuing the company at 13x EBITDA (~$4.5–$7 billion range), but shifted to an IPO amid favorable market conditions for private equity exits.
The IPO comes amid a resurgence in U.S. IPO activity, particularly for PE-backed firms, driven by improving market sentiment. For more details, including the full prospectus, visit the SEC's EDGAR database at www.sec.gov.

Monday, September 29, 2025

==DAVIDsTEA : 10-year performance

DAVIDsTEA’s stock (TSE:DTEA, OTCMKTS:DTEAF) is currently trading on the TSX Venture Exchange and OTC markets.

  • It went public on the Nasdaq in June 2015 at US$19 per share but saw a significant decline in stock price over the years, trading at a fraction of its IPO value. 
  • DAVIDsTEA has experienced significant challenges and fluctuations in its stock performance over the years, primarily due to financial struggles, restructuring efforts, and strategic shifts. 



Monday, September 22, 2025

==MBX Biosciences (MBX) : Promising New Thyroid Disease Treatment

 


MBX Biosciences (MBX) is testing a weekly shot called canvuparatide in patients with chronic hypoparathyroidism, a condition in which the body doesn't produce enough parathyroid hormone. Parathyroid hormone is necessary for regulating the levels of calcium in the body.

In the study, 63% of canvuparatide recipients made it 12 weeks without needing parathyroid hormone, or PRN, rescue therapy. This means their calcium levels remained at normal levels. In the open-label extension study — in which all patients knowingly receive the drug — 79% of patients were responders at six months.

Based on the results, MBX Biosciences is now planning a Phase 3 study for 2026.

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

StubHub to price IPO at $23.50, valuing company at $8.6 billion

StubHub is pricing its IPO at $23.50 after last week providing a range of $22 to $25.
  • The online ticket platform delayed its debut twice, most recently due to market volatility following President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs announced in April.
  • The IPO market has been picking up steam of late after a multiyear drought.
  • StubHub plans to sell 34 million shares, priced at $23.50 a share, valuing the company at $8.6 billion.
  • Despite robust IPO demand, StubHub faces challenges, including competition and slowing sales growth, with an 88% CEO voting stake.
  • The ticket business is highly competitive, with StubHub going up against Ticketmaster owner Live Nation (LYV) and other resellers such as Vivid Seats (SEAT) and privately held SeatGeek. Vivid Seats has plunged more than 80% this year. The company cited “pressure on consumer spending coupled with continued competitive intensity” in its most recent earnings report.

The pricing comes at the midpoint of the expected range that the company gave last week. At $23.50, the pricing gives StubHub a valuation of $8.6 billion.

StubHub confirmed the IPO pricing in a release late Tuesday. The company said its shares are expected to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday under the symbol “STUB.”

The San Francisco-based company was co-founded by Eric Baker in 2000, and was acquired by eBay for $310 million seven years later. Baker reacquired StubHub in 2020 for roughly $4 billion through his new company Viagogo, which operates a ticket marketplace in Europe.

At the top of the pricing range StubHub offered last week, the company would have been valued at $9.2 billion. StubHub had sought a $16.5 billion valuation before it began the IPO process. 

StubHub said in its updated prospectus that first-quarter revenue increased 10% from a year earlier to $397.6 million. Operating income came in at $26.8 million for the period.

The company’s net loss widened to $35.9 million from $29.7 million a year ago.

Friday, September 12, 2025

Lendbuzz (LBZZ) has filed a registration statement for proposed IPO

Lendbuzz, a Boston-based fintech company founded in 2015, specializes in AI-powered auto loans for consumers with thin or no credit history. The firm uses alternative data and machine learning to underwrite loans, which are funded through asset-backed securitizations, warehouse loans from banks, and portfolio sales to institutional investors like insurance companies.

     
  • Lendbuzz intends to list its common stock on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol "LBZZ."
  • Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, J.P. Morgan, RBC Capital Markets and Mizuho will act as lead book-running managers for the proposed offering. TD Securities, Citizens Capital Markets, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, a Stifel Company, and Needham & Company will act as passive bookrunners for the proposed offering.
 

Black Rock Coffee Bar (BRCB) began trading on the Nasdaq on Fri 12 Sept 25

Black Rock Coffee Bar, Inc. engages in the provision of caffeinated beverages. It offers roasted coffees, teas, smoothies, and flavorful energy drinks. 
  • Founded by Daniel Brand, Jeff Hernandez, Jake Spellmeyer, and Bryan Pereboom in 2008 
  • Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona
  • https://www.br.coffee/
Opened at $26.50 after pricing 14,705,882 share IPO at $20.00 per share, above the $16-18 expected range



Troutdale, Oregon drive-thru-only

Black Rock Coffee Bar's refreshing Summer drinks.