By Joshua Franklin, Paul Lienert
(Reuters) – Ouster Inc, a U.S. startup that makes lidar sensors for self-driving cars and smart cities, is nearing a deal to go public at a roughly $1.9 billion valuation through a merger with a blank-check acquisition firm, according to people familiar with the matter.
San Francisco-based Ouster plans to merge with Colonnade Acquisition Corp and the deal could be announced as early as Tuesday, the sources said, requesting anonymity ahead of an official announcement.
Colonnade is a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) led by investors Remy Trafelet and Joseph Sambuco. It raised $200 million in an initial public offering (IPO) in August with the aim of merging with a privately held company. The acquired company then becomes public as result of the merger, an alternative to the traditional IPO process.