Custodian Apex Clearing has agreed to go public through a merger with the blank-check company Northern Star Investment Corp. II, according to people familiar with the matter.
The transaction, which could be announced as early as Monday, will be valued at $4.7 billion, the people said, asking not to be identified because the matter is private.
The special purpose acquisition company was started by Jonathan Ledecky, co-owner of the National Hockey League’s New York Islanders.
To support the transaction, the special purpose acquisition company will raise about $450 million from investors including Fidelity Management & Research and Coatue Management, they added.
Officials from Apex, Northern Star and Fidelity declined to comment. Coatue didn’t immediately comment.
The deal will provide about $850 million in gross cash proceeds to Apex, the people added.
Former Cosmopolitan magazine editor-in-chief Joanna Coles will join Apex’s board after the deal closes, they added.
Apex Clearing, owned by financial technology firm Peak6, was the clearing firm for Robinhood Markets before it launched its in-house platform in 2018.
Behind every trade lies risk. Advisors should consider their partners carefully.
Dallas-based Apex has more than 200 clients, the people said. They include Stash, Firstrade Securities and Social Finance, according to its website. Goldman Sachs Group’s digital consumer bank Marcus uses Apex, its website showed.
More than 1 million crypto accounts were opened through Apex so far this year, the people said. The firm generated more than $230 million in revenue and pretax earnings of about $85 million in 2020.
Northern Star Investment Corp. II raised $400 million in an IPO in January. It has sinced filed for two more SPACs.
