Borqs to Establish with the U.S. Government a Plan to Divest its Ownership of Holu Hou Energy Due to Deemed Critical Technology
Borqs Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: BRQS) announced it must fully divest its ownership in Holu Hou Energy LLC (HHE) due to national security concerns outlined by CFIUS. HHE, a top solar energy storage supplier in Hawaii, poses potential risks because of Borqs' ties to China. Borqs is committed to a mitigation plan that includes reducing its stake from majority to minority ownership. HHE has secured around $50 million in contracts and has a pipeline approaching half a billion dollars. The divestment is expected to be a profitable transaction for Borqs’ shareholders.
- HHE's contracts total approximately $50 million with a pipeline nearing half a billion.
- HHE's commercial success opens new market opportunities worth billions in renewable energy.
- CFIUS's intervention poses risks to Borqs' strategic investment.
- The requirement for divestment may disrupt Borqs' growth plans.
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Dec. 19, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Borqs Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: BRQS, “Borqs”, or the “Company”), a global provider of 5G wireless, Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, and innovative clean energy, today announced the Company has received a letter dated December 13, 2022 (the “Letter”) from the Department of the Treasury on behalf of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”) stating that the Company is required to negotiate with CFIUS to fully divest its ownership interests and rights in Holu Hou Energy LLC (“HHE”) due to HHE solar energy storage system and EnergyShare technology for Multi-Dwelling Residential Units (“MDU’s”) being deemed a critical technology and therefore a potential national security risk.
As stated in the Letter, HHE is considered a top ten solar energy storage supplier in Hawaii, has only been increasing its dominant market share, expects to grow at an exponential rate, and focuses on multi-family dwelling units which are common in military housing. Due to Borqs’ IoT software development and hardware sourcing capabilities in China, CFIUS is concerned that through Borqs, the PRC could gain significant visibility and exert influence over HHE’s business operations and get access to HHE critical technology. CFIUS is requiring the Company to design a plan to mitigate all identified national security risks to the satisfaction of CFIUS.
Borqs intends to comply to the requirements from CFIUS and enter into a National Security Agreement with various departments of the U.S. Government with a plan that is effective, monitorable and verifiable to voluntarily divest Borqs’ investment interests and rights in HHE (the “Plan”). HHE’s commercialization of its solar energy storage system and novel EnergyShare technology for MDU’s has enabled the company to open up a new market segment for renewable energy in the USA - likely worth several billions of dollars. In the last year the Company’s MDU development pipeline has reached thousands of individual units in Hawaii alone, with California MDU potential being at least one to two orders of magnitude higher in the coming years. One segment of this new market is for communities of military and other government personnel. The overall MDU opportunity is significant for the company and significant for the USA. Since Borqs’ financial support in HHE starting from October 2021, HHE has signed approximately
The Plan to mitigate will include engaging a nationally recognized investment bank with experience in administering competitive sales and auction processes, assigning and hiring of security and monitoring personnel to directly communicate with CFIUS, immediate and complete removal of all Borqs administrative and technical influence over HHE, immediate voluntary reduction of Borqs ownership of HHE from a majority to a minority position and with the target of divesting all. The Company believes such points will enable the Company to accomplish the divestment in an orderly manner.
About Borqs Technologies, Inc.
Borqs Technologies is a global leader in software and products for the IoT, providing customizable, differentiated and scalable Android-based smart connected devices and cloud service solutions. Borqs has achieved leadership and customer recognition as an innovative end-to-end IoT solutions provider leveraging its strategic chipset partner relationships as well as its broad software and IP portfolio. Borqs’ unique strengths include its Android and Android Wear Licenses which enabled the Company to develop a software IP library covering chipset software, Android enhancements, domain specific usage and system performance optimization, suitable for large and low volume customized products, and is also currently in development of 5G products for phones and hotspots. The Company acquired controlling shares of the solar energy storage system entity, Holu Hou Energy LLC, in October 2021.
About Holu Hou Energy, LLC
Holu Hou Energy, LLC, a Delaware Corporation, brings state-of-the-art renewable energy and energy storage systems to the Single-Family Residential, Multi-Dwelling Unit Residential and Commercial building markets. With operations in California, Hawaii, Wisconsin and Shanghai, HHE engineers proprietary storage system and control platform solutions, including a breakthrough “HHE Energy Share” technology that is key to development of the Multi-Dwelling Unit Residential housing market. HHE is a vital partner for investors and asset owners that are seeking ESG solutions. For more information, visit www.holuhou.com.
To view a video clip of a recently completed HHE Multi-Unit Residential project go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kakbynGM-fQ
Forward-Looking Statements and Additional Information
This press release includes “forward-looking statements” that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from what is expected. Words such as “forecasts”, “expects”, “believes”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “estimates”, “predicts”, “seeks”, “may”, “might”, “plan”, “possible”, “should”, “estimates” and variations and similar words and expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Such forward-looking statements relate to future events or future results, based on currently available information and reflect our management’s current beliefs. Many factors could cause actual events or results to differ materially from the events and results discussed in the forward-looking statements, including the possibility that the positive financial results from business activities as described herein may not be reached or at all, and the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s supply chain, revenues and overall results of operations, so the reader is advised to refer to the Risk Factors sections of the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for additional information identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Except as expressly required by applicable securities law, the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Investor Contact:
Investors Relations Department
Borqs Technologies, Inc.
IR@borqs.com
www.borqs.com
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