CoStar Group, a leading provider of online real estate marketplaces, information and analytics in the property markets, announced it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire all outstanding shares of Matterport in a cash and stock transaction valued at $5.50 per share reflecting an estimated $1.6 billion of enterprise value.
Under the terms and subject to the conditions of the agreement, Matterport stockholders will receive $2.75 in cash and $2.75 in shares of CoStar Group common stock for each share of Matterport common stock.
Founded in 2011, Matterport pioneered the development of the first 3D capture solution to deliver dimensionally accurate, photorealistic virtual tours or “digital twins” for any type of property. Matterport’s proprietary and patented technology enables anyone to digitize a property using a variety of camera technologies including cameras found on most smartphones.
Matterport also produces a line of 3D capture devices, including the company’s flagship LiDAR-based Pro3 camera that's capable of high-precision indoor and outdoor capture. At the center of the solution is Cortex, a powerful artificial intelligence software engine that automatically generates the 3D digital twin and virtual tour while providing property insights like detailed property dimensions, room layouts, and more.
Matterport's 3D technology is utilized in nearly every sector of real estate, spanning residential, commercial, hospitality, retail, and industrial spaces, among others. Over the years, Matterport has curated what is considered to be one of the largest and most precise collections of spatial property data worldwide, with over 12 million spaces captured in 177 countries, and representing more than 38 billion square feet of digital property under management.
Contributing to this growth, Matterport has established a global network of several thousand photographers, capture services technicians, and service partners producing hundreds of thousands of new 3D digital twins for properties each month.
CoStar Group operates some of the most effective and widely recognized real estate information solutions and online property marketplaces in the world, including Apartments.com, LoopNet, CoStar and Homes.com, all of which feature Matterport’s 3D virtual tours. CoStar Group was one of the first adopters of Matterport’s technology and currently has almost 300,000 Matterport digital twins available in the CoStar information product and online property marketplaces.
Advertisers on CoStar Group marketplaces clearly recognize the value of Matterport virtual tours. In March 2024, there were over 7.4 million views of Matterport 3D Tours on Apartments.com, with consumers spending 20% more time viewing an apartment listing when Matterport 3D Tours were available. CoStar Group intends to utilize Matterport's technology in a similar fashion on Homes.com to further enhance the most comprehensive agent, seller and buyer-friendly residential portal on the market.
"CoStar Group and Matterport have nearly identical mission statements of digitizing the world’s real estate. I look forward to welcoming Matterport to the CoStar Group family and believe that we will be stronger together, in pursuit of our common mission," said Andy Florance, founder and CEO of CoStar Group, in a statement announcing the agreement.
He added that “the world has changed and today a Matterport is the new open house or property tour. People now select their next home, apartment, office, store, hotel or warehouse on their mobile devices, often without ever visiting the property. There is no better way to remotely experience space than via Matterport. CoStar Group intends to support and invest in research and development opportunities to further develop Matterport’s spatial technology, including the application of AI and machine learning to extract information from the 3D spatial data library as well as using generative artificial intelligence to imagine and reimagine physical spaces.”
RJ Pittman, Matterport chair and CEO, said "we are thrilled to join forces with CoStar Group, a long-standing customer and partner with a shared vision for transforming global real estate through technology and digitization. This transaction is another significant milestone that acknowledges the groundbreaking work Matterport has accomplished in 3D digital twin technology and AI-driven property intelligence. With CoStar Group's expansive reach and scale in property research and analytics and our joint commitment to innovation, we believe that this powerful combination will transform how properties are marketed, sold, and managed worldwide. Importantly, it offers Matterport's stockholders the opportunity to participate in the value creation and future growth prospects of our combined efforts.”
The transaction, expected to be completed during the year, is subject to the approval of Matterport stockholders and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including applicable regulatory approvals. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the Matterport Board of Directors. Directors, officers and certain other stockholders of Matterport, representing approximately 15% of Matterport’s fully diluted shares, have entered into voting agreements to support the transaction. The transaction is subject to a 10% symmetrical collar based on a CoStar Group share price of $86.02 as the midpoint.
Matterport is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, and has approximately 440 employees. Revenue for the year ended Dec. 31, 2023, was $158 million, representing growth of 16% on a year-over-year basis compared to 2022.
CoStar Group plans to provide additional information about the Matterport acquisition during the company's earnings conference call at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 23.