Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Acquisitions

v3.22.4
Acquisitions
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022
Business Combination and Asset Acquisition [Abstract]  
Acquisitions Acquisitions
Acquisition in 2022

Acquisition of Blade Europe

On September 1, 2022, Blade acquired, through Blade Europe SAS, a wholly-owned French société par actions simplifiée subsidiary (“Blade Europe”), 100% of the share capital and voting rights (the “Shares”) of Héli Tickets France SAS (“Héli Tickets France”), a French société par actions simplifiée, which was then renamed “Blade France SAS” (“Blade France”) and of Helicopter Monaco SARL (“Helicopter Monaco”), a Monegasque société à responsabilité limitée, which was then renamed “Blade Monaco SARL” (“Blade Monaco”). These acquisitions are part of Blade’s growth strategy of leveraging its asset-light model, technology and recognized brand to aggregate the use cases for urban air mobility. The routes in Southern France, Monaco, Italy and Switzerland, meet the criteria given the geography, short distances and large addressable markets. In addition these markets have connectivity to our existing service areas where the Blade brand enjoys recognition, creating the opportunity for cross pollination between our North American and European customer base.

We hereafter refer to the three European legal entities (Blade Europe, Blade France and Blade Monaco) collectively as “Blade Europe”.

Prior to the completion of the acquisition, the sellers completed a series of reorganization transactions in which all assets and liabilities relating to the distribution and commercial passenger transportation activities of Héli Sécurité SAS, a French société par actions simplifiée (“Héli Sécurité”) and Azur Hélicoptère SAS, a French société par action simplifiée (“Azur”) were transferred to Héli Tickets France and all assets and liabilities relating to the distribution and commercial passenger transportation activities of Monacair S.A.M., a Monegasque société anonyme (“Monacair” and collectively with Héli Sécurité and Azur, the “Operators”) were transferred to Helicopter Monaco.

Simultaneously with the acquisition, on September 1, 2022 Blade Europe entered into an Aircraft Operator Agreement (the “Europe AOA”) with the sellers and the Operators. The Europe AOA governs the terms of the operating relationship between the parties thereto, including among other things, the right of Blade to act as exclusive air charter broker and/or reseller of the air transportation services to be operated and provided by the Operators thereto for specific routes at pre-negotiated fixed hourly rates and with a minimum number of annual flight hours guaranteed to the Operators by Blade. The agreement’s initial term ends on December 31, 2032 and it will thereafter automatically renew for successive three year periods.

The Company determined that the Europe AOA is an embedded lease and accounted for the lease component of the minimum guarantee as an operating right-of-use (“ROU”) asset with a corresponding balance included in the lease liability reported in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets (see Note 7).

Blade paid an aggregate cash purchase price for the Shares of Héli Tickets France and Helicopter Monaco of €47,800 ($48,101). Acquisition costs of $3,032 were expensed as incurred and are included in general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022.

The results of Blade Europe for the period from the September 1, 2022 (“acquisition date”) to December 31, 2022 are included in the Short Distance product line which is part of the Passenger segment.

Net Assets Acquired

The assets acquired and liabilities assumed have been included in the consolidated financial statements as of the acquisition date. Total assets acquired included identifiable intangible assets of $25,862. At the time of acquisition, the Company recognized an asset for goodwill, determined as the excess of the purchase price over the net fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed that amounted to $24,558. The value of the components within goodwill included expected revenue, cost synergies, new customers and key personnel.

The purchase price allocation is preliminary. To the extent there are measurement period adjustments during the measurement period, which will not exceed 12 months from the acquisition date, measurement period adjustments will be recognized in the reporting period in which the adjustment amounts are determined. The purchase price was allocated on a preliminary basis as follows:
Prepaid expenses and other current assets $ 25 
Property and equipment, net 162 
Identifiable intangible assets 25,862 
Operating right-of-use asset 11,913 
Other non-current assets 69 
Total identifiable assets acquired 38,031 
Accounts payable and accrued expenses 221 
Operating lease liability 11,913 
Deferred tax liability 2,354 
Total liabilities assumed 14,488 
Net assets acquired 23,543 
Goodwill 24,558 
Total consideration $ 48,101 

An assessment of the fair value of identified intangible assets and their respective lives as of the acquisition date are as follows:
Estimated Useful Life Fair Value
Exclusive rights to air transportation services 12 $ 25,359 
Customer list 3 503 
Total identifiable intangible assets $ 25,862 
Identified intangible assets in the table above are amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives. The Company believes that the straight-line method of amortization is the most appropriate methodology as it is supported by the pattern in which the economic benefits of the intangible assets are consumed.

The fair value of the exclusive rights to air transportation services was determined using the income approach. In the income approach, the fair value of an asset is based on the expected receipt of future economic benefits such as earnings and cash inflows from current sales projections and estimated costs over the estimated contractual relationship period. Indications of value were developed by discounting these benefits to their present value.

The fair value of the customer list was determined using the replacement cost approach. In the replacement cost approach, the fair value of an asset is based on the cost of a market participant to reconstruct a substitute asset of comparable utility, adjusted for any obsolescence. The fair value of the asset would include the seller’s expected profit margin in the market and any opportunity costs lost over the period to reconstruct the substitute asset.

Unaudited Pro Forma Information

The following unaudited pro forma financial information presents what our results would have been had Blade Europe been acquired on October 1, 2020 (beginning of the year ended September 30, 2021). The unaudited pro forma information presented below is for informational purposes only and is not necessarily indicative of our consolidated results of operations of the consolidated business had the acquisition actually occurred at the beginning of the periods presented or of the results of our future operations of the consolidated business.
For the Years Ended
December 31,
2022
September 30,
2021
October 1, 2021 - December 31, 2021 (Transition Period)
Reported Revenue $ 146,120  $ 50,526  $ 24,618 
Impact of Blade Europe 23,369  18,610  2,906 
Pro forma Revenue $ 169,489  $ 69,136  $ 27,524 

The Company did not include net profit (loss) pro forma information as it is deemed impractical. Historical information was not available as the acquired companies have never operated as stand-alone businesses with the distribution and commercial transportation activities being operated by a different party than the operational activities. The pro forma profit (loss) of the acquired companies is based primarily on the hourly flying rates set annually with the Operators through the Europe AOA.  As this agreement did not exist prior to the acquisition, it is not possible to compute the pro forma profit (loss) for these entities.
Acquisition in 2021

Acquisition of Trinity Air Medical, Inc. ("Trinity")

On September 15, 2021, the Company acquired 100% of the equity interests in Trinity, a nationwide, multi-modal organ logistics and transportation company. Trinity is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company and the results of Trinity for the period from September 16, 2021 (“acquisition date”) to September 30, 2021 are included in the MediMobility Organ Transport and Jet line of business.

The total purchase consideration included $23,065 in cash paid at closing. Acquisition costs of $272 were expensed as incurred and are included in general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statement of operations for the year ended September 30, 2021. In addition, potential earn-out payments may be made contingent upon Trinity’s achievement of certain EBITDA targets over a three-year period. The earn-out is calculated and paid annually in arrears and is the product of a multiple (12, 6 and 3 for the years 2021, 2022 and 2023, respectively) and the difference between the calculated year actual EBITDA and the contractual target EBITDA. The sellers are eligible for the earn-out only while employed with the Company, therefore, the earn-out is considered a compensation and will be recognized as an expense when incurred. At least 70% of the payment have to be made in cash. For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company included an estimate of $6,289 in connection with Trinity’s contingent consideration (earn-out) with a corresponding amount within accounts payable and accrued expenses, expected to be paid in 2023 in respect of 2022 results.

Trinity Net Assets Acquired

The assets acquired and liabilities assumed have been included in the consolidated financial statements as of the acquisition date. Total assets acquired included identified intangible assets of $11,850. The Company recognized an asset for goodwill, determined as the excess of the purchase price over the net fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, that amounted to $13,328, which is not deductible for tax purposes. The value of the components within goodwill included expected revenue and cost synergies, the business model, technology capabilities, new customers, and key personnel.
The purchase price of the Trinity acquisition was allocated as follows:

Accounts receivable $ 2,259 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 510 
Property and equipment 256 
Identifiable Intangible assets
11,850 
Operating lease right-of-use assets
348 
Total identifiable assets acquired
15,223 
Accounts payable 1,230 
Operating lease liability
361 
Deferred tax liability 3,895 
Total liabilities assumed
5,486 
Net assets acquired
9,737 
Goodwill 13,328 
Total consideration
$ 23,065 

An assessment of the fair value of identified intangible assets and their respective lives as of the acquisition date are as follows:
Estimated Useful Life
Fair Value
Customer list
10 years $ 10,600 
Trademark
6 years 1,000 
Developed technology 3 years 250 
Total intangible assets
$ 11,850 

Identified intangible assets in the table above are amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives. The Company believes that the straight-line method of amortization is the most appropriate methodology as it is supported by the pattern in which the economic benefits of the intangible assets are consumed.

The fair value of the customer list and trademark was determined using the income approach. In the income approach, the fair value of an asset is based on the expected receipt of future economic benefits such as earnings and cash inflows from current sales projections and estimated costs over the estimated contractual relationship period. Indications of value were developed by discounting these benefits to their present value.

The fair value of the developed technology was determined using the replacement cost approach. In the replacement cost approach, the fair value of an asset is based on the cost of a market participant to reconstruct a substitute asset of comparable utility, adjusted for any obsolescence. The fair value of the asset would include the seller’s expected profit margin in the market and any opportunity costs lost over the period to reconstruct the substitute asset.
Unaudited Pro Forma Information

The following unaudited pro forma financial information presents what our results would have been had Trinity been acquired on October 1, 2020. The unaudited pro forma information presented below is for informational purposes only and is not necessarily indicative of our consolidated results of operations of the consolidated business had the Trinity
acquisition actually occurred at the beginning of fiscal year 2021 or of the results of our future operations of the consolidated business.
For the Year Ended
September 30,
2021
(Unaudited)
Revenue
$ 69,485 
Net loss (excluding Trinity's nonrecurring items)
(44,344)

The pro forma financial information includes adjustments to net loss to reflect the additional amortization that would have been recorded assuming the fair value adjustments to intangible assets had been applied from October 1, 2020.