Canoo's CEO is buying the bankrupt EV startup's assets

Core Insights - Canoo's CEO, Anthony Aquila, is purchasing nearly all of the company's assets out of bankruptcy for $4 million, which will also eliminate over $11 million in debt owed to his financial firm [1][3] - The bankruptcy filing occurred just six weeks prior, with Canoo reporting approximately $145 million in assets and $175 million in liabilities as of February 24 [2][3] - The bankruptcy trustee supports the sale to Aquila, citing a lack of financing for EV manufacturing and a surplus of EV-related assets available at low prices [4][5] Financial Overview - Canoo's assets include manufacturing equipment, completed vehicles, intellectual property, contracts, and other inventory [5] - The company had around $12 million in cash and equivalents at the time of the bankruptcy filing [3] - Other creditors, such as automotive supplier Magna and financial advisors Yorkville, are owed significant amounts but are behind Aquila's claims in the repayment hierarchy [9] Market Context - The EV startup landscape has seen failures, leading to a surplus of assets available at discounted prices [5] - The trend of founders or CEOs purchasing their bankrupt companies' assets is not uncommon in the EV sector, with similar cases observed in 2023 [7] Future Considerations - Aquila's motivation for the acquisition includes a commitment to continue supporting government programs, which may be jeopardized without assurance of service continuity [6] - The plans for Canoo's assets post-acquisition remain unclear, as Aquila has not provided comments on the matter [8]