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STAAR Surgical Sets the Record Straight Regarding its Robust Go-Shop Process
Activist Investors Have Twisted Facts Regarding STAAR’s Engagement with a Potentially Interested Party During Go-Shop Process The Potentially Interested
About this update from Staar Surgical Company
[{"type":"text","content":"\nActivist Investors Have Twisted Facts Regarding STAAR’s Engagement with a Potentially Interested Party During Go-Shop Process\n\nThe Potentially Interested Party Reached Out on Day 21 of 30-Day Go-Shop Process and Refused to Sign an NDA Even without a Standstill\n\nBroadwood Partners and Yunqi Capital Continue to Distort the Truth for Their Own Benefit\n\n LAKE FOREST, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nSTAAR Surgical Company (NASDAQ: STAA), the global leader in phakic IOLs with the EVO family of Implantable Collamer® Lenses (EVO ICL™) for vision correction, today issued the following statement to correct misinformation regarding its robust go-shop process to evaluate available alternatives to the pending merger with Alcon (SIX/NYSE: ALC).\n\nBroadwood Partners, L.P. (“Broadwood”) falsely alleges there was a credible buyer who had a strong interest in acquiring STAAR and that STAAR management attempted to “run the clock” on a go-shop period in order to “ward off this well-established private equity firm.” That is patently false. Broadwood is again twisting facts related to STAAR’s engagement with parties during the go-shop process, and this is just their latest attempt to derail STAAR’s efforts to maximize value for all stockholders. Yunqi Capital (“Yunqi”) has also re-iterated the Broadwood fallacy that there was another “credible buyer,” and suggested that STAAR should address these accusations. STAAR agrees with Yunqi that it is important to set the record straight. The facts are:\n\n\nFountainVest, which STAAR believes is the party referenced by Broadwood and Yunqi as the “credible buyer” in their recent public statements, waited until day 21 of the 30-day go-shop period (on November 27, 2025) before reaching out to STAAR. Notably, FountainVest did not previously indicate any interest in acquiring STAAR prior to the signing of the Alcon merger agreement nor during the post-signing “window-shop” period.\n\n\n\nNevertheless, STAAR’s CEO responded to FountainVest the very next day, day 22 of the go-shop process, and connected them with STAAR’s advisors at Citi.\n\n\n\nOn day 23 of the go-shop process, Citi engaged in a discussion with FountainVest and provided it with STAAR’s standard draft nondisclosure agreement (“NDA”). As is customary in a sell-side auction, the draft included a standstill provision.\n\n\n\nThe draft NDA that STA...