On September 8, 2020, Progress, the leading provider of application development and digital experience technologies, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Chef, a global leader in DevOps and DevSecOps, providing complete infrastructure automation to build, deploy, manage and secure applications in modern multi-cloud and hybrid environments, as well as on-premises. Progress will acquire Chef for $220 million in cash, subject to customary adjustments. Progress will fund the transaction with existing cash on hand and funds secured under its existing credit facility. The transaction is expected to be accretive beginning in Q1 FY2021 to both non-GAAP earnings per share and cash flow. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati represented Chef in the transaction.

Founded in 2008, and with over $70 million in annual recurring revenue, Chef is a leader in continuous automation, an innovator in application automation and a pioneer of the DevSecOps movement. Its mission is to help the most enduring and transformative companies use technology to become fast, efficient and innovative software-driven organizations. Chef products include: Chef Enterprise Automation Stack, Chef Infra, Chef InSpec, Chef Habitat, Chef Compliance, and Chef Desktop.

Progress is a trusted provider of some of the best products to develop, deploy and manage high-impact business applications and Chef will enhance that position by providing industry-leading compliance and application automation products for multi-cloud and on-prem infrastructure. The acquisition will bolster Progress' core offerings, enabling customers to respond faster to business demands and improve efficiency. The acquisition also aligns with Progress' growth strategy through accretive acquisitions and will add both scale and cash flow.

The Wilson Sonsini team that represented Chef in the transaction includes:

Corporate/M&A
Craig Sherman, Partner
Brian Keyes, Partner

Employee Benefits and Compensation
Mark Cornillez-Ty, Associate

IP-Technology Transactions
Manja Sachet, Partner

Privacy and Cybersecurity
Matt Staples, Partner
Daniel Chen, Associate

Tax
Gregory Broome, Partner

Regulatory
Seth Cowell, Associate

For more information, please see Progress’ press release.