Applied Digital Secures Private Debt Facility of up to $200 million to Accelerate HPC Data Center Project in Ellendale, North Dakota

Rhea-AI Summary

Applied Digital (Nasdaq: APLD) has secured $125 million in private financing with an option to expand up to $200 million, aimed at funding the construction of its High-Performance Computing (HPC) data center in Ellendale, ND. The deal, backed by CIM Group, includes a promissory note with a 12% annual interest rate and a three-year term. The agreement also issues warrants for 6,300,449 shares at a strike price of $4.8005, with an additional 2,964,917 shares potentially available. The funds will help Applied Digital finalize its data center buildout, positioning it as a leader in digital infrastructure for AI.

Positive

• Secured $125 million initial financing with potential up to $200 million.
• Funding focused on constructing a new HPC data center.
• Backed by CIM Group, known for extensive datacenter finance expertise.
• Promissory note with a manageable 12% annual interest rate.
• Financing aligns with company's growth strategy in AI and HPC sectors.
• Issuance of 6,300,449 warrants at a 10% premium to 10-day VWAP.

Negative

• Promissory note includes prepayment penalties, increasing after six months.
• High interest rate of 12% per annum.
• Potential dilution from the issuance of up to 9,265,366 shares.
• Funds are dedicated to a single project, limiting flexibility.

Insights

Financial Analyst

Applied Digital's recent financing arrangement with CIM Group is a noteworthy milestone. The initial $125 million, with the potential to extend to $200 million, ensures the company can sustain its construction efforts for the HPC Campus in Ellendale, ND. The structure of this debt facility, featuring a 12% interest rate and a three-year term, highlights the lender's confidence in the project. However, the interest rate is relatively high, reflecting higher risk possibly associated with the project or the company's current financial standing.

The provision of additional warrants, contingent on further borrowing, also suggests confidence in the company's future performance. This added equity component indicates a significant upside potential if Applied Digital meets its borrowing requirements and project milestones.

Investors should note the non-recourse nature of this facility, meaning the company's broader assets aren't collateralized against this debt. This could be seen as a positive sign of asset management strategy. In the short term, securing this financing can be seen as a stabilizing factor, but long-term success hinges on the company's ability to execute its buildout and secure project-level financing on favorable terms.

Tech Expert

The financing will bolster Applied Digital's aim to establish itself as a leader in the high-performance computing (HPC) datacenter space. By focusing on creating purpose-built datacenters optimized for AI and machine learning (ML) workloads, the company is positioning itself to meet a rapidly growing demand. The strategic choice to build in Ellendale, ND, also suggests logistical advantages, likely including lower energy costs and cooler climate benefits, which are critical for large-scale datacenters.

The company's emphasis on offering high-performance yet cost-effective GPU computing solutions is timely, given the current AI boom. This positions Applied Digital to attract significant clientele in the AI and ML sectors. However, competition is fierce and the company will need to continually innovate to maintain a technological edge over incumbents and new entrants alike.

Market Research Analyst

From a market perspective, this financing deal is vital in supporting Applied Digital's growth amid the ongoing AI revolution. By securing funds to continue their HPC Campus buildout, Applied Digital is ensuring they remain on schedule to meet the needs of hyperscale clients. This is important for their competitive positioning.

The statement by CIM Group's Co-Founder underscores the industry's recognition of Applied Digital's potential in cloud and hosting services. However, the market should also consider the risks of high-interest debts and the equity dilution due to warrants issuance. While these measures ensure immediate capital, they may affect shareholder value in the long term.

Overall, this funding enhances Applied Digital's ability to compete in a burgeoning market, but investors should remain cautious about the financial commitments and their potential impacts.

• Applied Digital secures a $125 million initial commitment to fund ongoing construction costs associated with its HPC Campus in Ellendale, ND, which can be upsized upon mutual agreement by both parties up to $200 million
• This financing completes the Company's near-term capital needs and positions it to secure project-level financing to fund the remaining costs to complete the first HPC building
• Financing provides the Company with a clear path to solidifying its position as a leading HPC datacenter owner and operator
  

DALLAS, June 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Applied Digital Corporation (Nasdaq: APLD) ("Applied Digital" or the "Company"), a designer, builder, and operator of next-generation digital infrastructure designed for High-Performance Computing (“HPC”) applications, announced today that the Company has secured private financing from CIM Group, a leading investment firm and alternative asset manager with extensive experience in top-tier datacenter finance and development. APLD Holdings 2, LLC, a subsidiary of the Company (the “Borrower”), has issued a Promissory Note (the “Note”) for commitments that total $125 million at close (“Initial Commitments”). Of the Initial Commitments, $15 million will be drawn on the date hereof, and the remaining will be drawn subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions outlined in the Note. In addition to the Initial Commitments, the Note includes an accordion feature that allows for up to an additional $75 million of borrowings, subject to the mutual agreement of the Borrower and lender. Principal amounts repaid under the Note will not be available for reborrowing. In total, this financing provides the Company with up to $200 million to be used solely towards the buildout of its HPC Campus in Ellendale, ND.

“We believe this financing with CIM Group represents a transformative step in the Company’s journey to secure both project financing and a long-term lease with a hyperscaler at our HPC Campus in Ellendale, ND. With this financing, we believe we are able to keep our buildout plan on track and hope to finalize optimal terms for project financing concurrently with or shortly after the signing of a long-term lease,” said Wes Cummins, Applied Digital’s CEO. “We now believe we have line of sight to finalize the build-out of our Ellendale Campus, positioning Applied Digital as a leader in the datacenter infrastructure sector. We distinguish ourselves not merely by owning clusters of GPUs, but also by designing and operating large-scale, top-tier datacenters for world-class customers driving the AI revolution. We believe our Ellendale Campus will be a leading HPC datacenter, representing a significant advancement in the industry.”

“CIM Group is excited to support Applied Digital’s growth in cloud and hosting services for some of the world’s top companies,” said Avi Shemesh, Co-Founder and Principal, CIM Group. “CIM will continue to invest in digital infrastructure, providing solutions to companies building the AI ecosystem.”

The Note will have a three-year term and bear interest at an initial rate of 12.0% per annum, payable quarterly in arrears. The Company may prepay the Note in full at any time, subject to certain defined prepayment penalties, which increase if the Note remains outstanding for longer than six months. In connection with the financing, the lender will receive warrants for 6,300,449 shares of common stock of the Company with a strike price of $4.8005 per share (a premium of 10% to the 10 day VWAP). The lender will receive a warrant to purchase up to an additional 2,964,917 shares of common stock of the Company at the same strike price, subject to the Company meeting certain conditions. This second tranche of warrants will be issued only after the borrowing of the full $125 million is made available and will be issued in a private placement.

Amidst the surging AI revolution, management believes Applied Digital is uniquely positioned, offering cutting-edge solutions in Datacenters and Cloud as a Service. Our purpose-built datacenters are strategically designed to maximize efficiency for HPC needs. Applied Digital Cloud delivers cost-effective GPU computer solutions tailored for AI, ML, rendering, and other HPC workloads. We believe Applied Digital’s state-of-the-art infrastructure offers high performance at a low cost, empowering clients to thrive in this era of exponential technological advancement. With a commitment to innovation and exceptional customer support, we aim to facilitate businesses in harnessing the transformative power of AI.

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP acted as legal counsel to lender. Milbank LLP and Lowenstein Sandler LLP acted as legal counsel to the Company.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor may there be any sale of any securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About Applied Digital
Applied Digital (Nasdaq: APLD) designs, develops, and operates next-generation data centers across North America to provide digital infrastructure solutions to the rapidly growing high-performance computing (HPC) industry. Find more information at www.applieddigital.com. Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at @APLDdigital. 

Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding, among other things, future operating and financial performance, product development, market position, business strategy and objectives and the closing of the transaction described herein. These statements use words, and variations of words, such as "continue," "build," "future," "increase," "drive," "believe," "look," "ahead," "confident," "deliver," "outlook," "expect," “intend,” “hope,” “project” and "predict." Other examples of forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, (i) statements of Company plans and objectives, including advancement in our construction phase of the HPC data center in Ellendale, North Dakota, our evolving business model and a shift in our business strategy towards our HPC data centers, or estimates or predictions of actions by suppliers, (ii) statements of future economic performance, and (iii) statements of assumptions underlying other statements and statements about the Company or its business. You are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events and thus are inherently subject to uncertainty. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the Company's expectations and projections. These risks, uncertainties, and other factors include: decline in demand for our products and services; the volatility of the crypto asset industry; the inability to comply with developments and changes in regulation; cash flow and access to capital; and maintenance of third-party relationships. Information in this release is as of the dates and time periods indicated herein, and the Company does not undertake to update any of the information contained in these materials, except as required by law.

Investor Relations Contacts
Matt Glover or Alex Kovtun
Gateway Group, Inc.
(949) 574-3860
APLD@gateway-grp.com

Media Contact
Brenlyn Motlagh or Diana Jarrah
Gateway Group, Inc.
(949) 899-3135
APLD@gateway-grp.com

About CIM Group
CIM is a leading investment firm and alternative asset manager. Since 1994, CIM has sought to create value in projects and positively impact the lives of people in communities across the Americas by delivering more than $60 billion of essential real estate and infrastructure projects. CIM’s diverse team of experts applies its broad knowledge and disciplined approach through hands-on management of real assets to deliver excellence to our clients, stakeholders, and the communities we serve. For more information, visit www.cimgroup.com.

FAQ

What is the purpose of the $200 million financing secured by Applied Digital (APLD)?

The financing will fund the construction of Applied Digital's High-Performance Computing (HPC) data center in Ellendale, ND.

Who backed the $125 million financing deal for Applied Digital (APLD)?

The financing is backed by CIM Group, an investment firm with extensive datacenter finance experience.

What is the interest rate on the promissory note issued by Applied Digital (APLD)?

The promissory note carries an annual interest rate of 12%.

How many shares will the lender receive warrants for under Applied Digital's (APLD) new financing?

The lender will receive warrants for 6,300,449 shares initially, with an option for an additional 2,964,917 shares.

What is the term length for the promissory note in Applied Digital's (APLD) financing?

The promissory note has a three-year term.

What is the strike price for the warrants issued in Applied Digital's (APLD) financing deal?

The strike price for the warrants is $4.8005 per share, a 10% premium to the 10-day VWAP.

What sector does Applied Digital (APLD) aim to lead with its new financing?

Applied Digital aims to lead the digital infrastructure sector for High-Performance Computing (HPC) and AI.