One of Vancouver’s most successful female tech entrepreneurs, Shahrzad Rafati, is attempting to take BroadbandTV public on the TSX in order to buy out German media giant Bertelsmann.
Founded in 2005, BroadbandTV (BBTV) provides end-to-end content management and technology solutions for independent content creators and media companies to grow their presence online. According to comScore, BBTV is the second largest video property by unique viewers across the top 12 countries in the world.
Bertelsmann’s RTL Group acquired 51% and controlling interest of BBTV from Rafati in 2013 for $36 million along with an option to acquire the remaining 49%.
In 2017 RTL Group announced that it would not be exercising that option and that it had decided to explore “all strategic alternatives for the company.”
Rafati’s BBTV Holdings has filed its preliminary prospectus with the TSX to raise $172.4 million through an initial public offering. BBTV Holdings intends to use the net proceeds of $158.8 million from the offering to acquire all of the issued and outstanding securities of BBTV from Bertelsmann and carry on the business of BroadbandTV.
Rafati’s long-time mentor, and CEO of WELL Health Technologies, Hamed Shahbazi is also listed as a director of BBTV Holdings.