"American Express has demonstrated its commitment to the hospitality industry, and we believe that as part of American Express, Tock will deliver enhanced value to our customers through access to a broad network of diners," said Matthew Tucker, Head of Tock. "We appreciate American Express' recognition of Tock's exceptional products, experienced team, and our first-rate customer base. We look forward to working together to broaden American Express' world class dining program and are excited by the tremendous opportunity to continue to innovate on behalf of our customers as part of American Express. We are also deeply appreciative of Squarespace's support of Tock's vision and its commitment to the business over the past three years."

"Since adding Tock as a Squarespace company in 2021, we have been honored to partner together to serve the hospitality industry," said Anthony Casalena, Founder and CEO of Squarespace.  "We are thankful for Matt's leadership and the team's emphasis on innovative products and world class customer care. Our shared commitment to help small businesses grow has been core to our partnership and we believe the Tock business will continue to thrive in its exciting next chapter with American Express."  

As part of the deal, Squarespace and American Express will also partner to deliver additional value for small businesses that use American Express Cards through the Amex Offers program (digital card-linked offers) and Card Member benefits.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval.

ABOUT SQUARESPACE

Squarespace (NYSE: SQSP) is a design-driven platform helping entrepreneurs build brands and businesses online. We empower millions in more than 200 countries and territories with all the tools they need to create an online presence, build an audience, monetize, and scale their business. Our suite of products range from websites, domains, ecommerce, and marketing tools, as well as tools for scheduling with Acuity, creating and managing social media presence with Bio Sites and Unfold, and hospitality business management via Tock. For more information, visit www.squarespace.com. 

ABOUT TOCK

Tock offers an all-in-one solution that enables hospitality businesses to adapt and thrive in an ever-changing landscape. With robust reservation, waitlist, and table management capabilities, Tock's platform offers hospitality businesses everything they need to drive revenue, increase covers, and keep guests coming back. Tock services over 7,000 customers today. To learn more, visit exploretock.com/join.

ABOUT AMERICAN EXPRESS

American Express is a globally integrated payments company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at americanexpress.com and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpress, instagram.com/americanexpress, linkedin.com/company/american-express, X.com/americanexpress, and youtube.com/americanexpress.

Key links to products, services and corporate sustainability information: personal cards, business cards and services, travel services, gift cards, prepaid cards, merchant services, Business Blueprint, Resy, corporate card, business travel, diversity and inclusion, corporate sustainability and Environmental, Social, and Governance reports.

Under the terms of the agreement, Squarespace stockholders will receive $44.00 per share in cash representing a transaction valued at over $6.6 billion on an equity value basis and approximately $6.9 billion on an enterprise value basis. The purchase price represents a premium of approximately 29% over Squarespace's 90-day volume weighted average trading price, and a premium of 15% over Squarespace's closing share price of $38.19 on the NYSE on May 10, 2024. Upon completion of the transaction, Squarespace will become a privately held company with the flexibility and resources to invest in enabling entrepreneurs to build better online brands and more easily transact with their customers.

Anthony Casalena will roll over a substantial majority of his existing equity and continue to be one of the largest shareholders following this transaction. He will continue to serve as Squarespace's Chief Executive Officer and Board Chairman, and lead the business in all aspects of its operations, along with Squarespace's current leadership team, who are expected to continue their roles following the close of the transaction.

"Squarespace has been at the forefront of providing services to businesses looking to establish themselves online for more than two decades. We are excited to continue building on that foundation, and expanding our offerings, for years to come," said Anthony Casalena, Founder and CEO of Squarespace. "We are thrilled to be partnering with Permira on this new leg of our journey, alongside our existing long-term investors General Atlantic and Accel, who strongly believe in the future of Squarespace."

David Erlong, Partner at Permira, said, "Squarespace has built a distinct and globally recognized creative brand and an incredible, design-driven platform of tools that empower entrepreneurs and small businesses to establish and scale their online presence. As a firm with a long history of backing leading internet platforms and technologies that enable SMBs to compete globally, we are excited to partner with Anthony and his team to support the company in unlocking its full potential."

Andrew Young, Partner at Permira, added, "The Squarespace ecosystem provides SMBs with a broad offering – from demand generation to powerful payment solutions, all seamlessly interwoven with intuitive GenAI. We share Anthony and the team's vision to further invest in these tools to help customers grow."

Anton Levy, Chairman of Global Technology, Co-President and Managing Director at General Atlantic, said, "We are proud to have supported Squarespace for more than a decade as Anthony and the team have built and scaled a very special and durable business. We look forward to being a part of the company's next phase of growth."

Due to the pending transaction, the Company will no longer hold its previously announced Investor Day scheduled for May 15, 2024.

Transaction Details

The transaction was unanimously approved and recommended by a Special Committee of the Squarespace Board of Directors, composed entirely of independent and disinterested directors, and unanimously approved by the Board of Directors.

The Special Committee retained Centerview Partners LLC as financial advisor and Richards, Layton & Finger as legal counsel. In arriving at its unanimous recommendation in favor of the transaction, the Special Committee considered several factors which will be outlined in public filings to be made by Squarespace.

Squarespace CEO Anthony Casalena and long-term investors General Atlantic and Accel, representing approximately 90% of the Company's voting shares, have agreed to vote in favor of the transaction. The transaction will be conditioned upon approval of a majority of the voting power of the outstanding capital of the Company held by holders who are unaffiliated with Anthony Casalena, General Atlantic and Accel, and will also be conditioned upon approval of a majority of the Company's Class A common stock and a majority of the Company's Class B common stock, each voting as separate classes. The transaction is subject to receipt of regulatory approvals. Upon satisfaction of these and other customary closing conditions, the transaction is expected to close by the fourth quarter of 2024. 

Upon completion of the transaction, Squarespace's common stock will no longer be publicly listed, and Squarespace will become a privately-held company.

Advisors

JP Morgan is acting as financial advisor to Squarespace, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is acting as legal counsel to Squarespace.

Centerview Partners LLC is acting as financial advisor, and Richards, Layton & Finger is acting as legal counsel, to the Special Committee of the Squarespace Board of Directors.

Goldman Sachs & Co LLC is acting as financial advisor to Permira, and Latham & Watkins LLP is acting as legal counsel to Permira Advisers. Blackstone Credit & Insurance ("BXCI"), Blue Owl Capital, and Ares Capital Corp are acting as Joint Lead Arrangers on the debt financing.

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati is acting as legal counsel to Anthony Casalena.

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison is acting as legal counsel to General Atlantic.

Cooley is acting as legal counsel to Accel.

Important Information and Where to Find It

In connection with the Transaction, the Company will file with the SEC a Proxy Statement, the definitive version of which will be sent or provided to Company stockholders.  The Company and affiliates of the Company intend to jointly file a transaction statement on Schedule 13E-3 (the "Schedule 13E-3").  The Company may also file other documents with the SEC regarding the Transaction.  This Current Report on Form 8-K is not a substitute for the Proxy Statement, the Schedule 13E-3 or any other document which the Company may file with the SEC. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT, THE SCHEDULE 13E-3 AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT ARE FILED OR WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THESE DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS.  Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of the Proxy Statement, Schedule 13E-3 (when it is available) and other documents that are filed or will be filed with the SEC by the Company through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov, the Company's website at https://investors.squarespace.com or by contacting the Company's Investor Relations Team at investors@squarespace.com.

The Transaction will be implemented solely pursuant to the Merger Agreement dated as of May 13, 2024, among the Company, Parent, and Merger Sub, which contains the full terms and conditions of the Transaction.

Participants in the Solicitation

The Company and certain of its directors, executive officers and other employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the Company's stockholders in connection with the Transaction. Additional information regarding the identity of the participants, including a description of their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be set forth in the Proxy Statement and other materials to be filed with the SEC in connection with the Transaction (if and when they become available). Information relating to the foregoing can also be found in the Company's proxy statement for its 2024 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 22, 2024 (the "Annual Meeting Proxy Statement"). To the extent holdings of securities by potential participants (or the identity of such participants) have changed since the information printed in the Annual Meeting Proxy Statement, such information has been or will be reflected on the Company's Statements of Change in Ownership on Forms 3 and 4 filed with the SEC. You may obtain free copies of these documents using the sources indicated above.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This communication includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of, and subject to the safe harbor created by, the federal securities laws, including statements related to the proposed merger of the Company with an affiliate of Permira Advisers (the "Transaction"), including financial estimates and statements as to the expected timing, completion and effects of the Transaction. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current expectations, estimates and projections regarding, among other things, the expected date of closing of the Transaction and the potential benefits thereof, its business and industry, management's beliefs and certain assumptions made by the Company, all of which are subject to change. Forward-looking statements often contain words such as "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "aims," "plan," "believe," "could," "seek," "see," "will," "may," "would," "might," "considered," "potential," "estimate," "continue," "likely," "expect," "target" or similar expressions or the negatives of these words or other comparable terminology that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes. By their nature, forward-looking statements address matters that involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend upon future circumstances that may or may not occur, such as the consummation of the Transaction and the anticipated benefits thereof. These and other forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Important risk factors that may cause such a difference include, but are not limited to: (i) the completion of the Transaction on anticipated terms and timing, including obtaining required stockholder and regulatory approvals, and the satisfaction of other conditions to the completion of the Transaction; (ii) the ability of affiliates of Permira to obtain the necessary financing arrangements set forth in the commitment letters received in connection with the Transaction; (iii) potential litigation relating to the Transaction that could be instituted against Permira, the Company or their respective directors, managers or officers, including the effects of any outcomes related thereto; (iv) the risk that disruptions from the Transaction will harm the Company's business, including current plans and operations; (v) the ability of the Company to retain and hire key personnel; (vi) potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships resulting from the announcement or completion of the Transaction; (vii) continued availability of capital and financing and rating agency actions; (viii) legislative, regulatory and economic developments affecting the Company's business; (ix) general economic and market developments and conditions; (x) potential business uncertainty, including changes to existing business relationships, during the pendency of the Transaction that could affect the Company's financial performance; (xi) certain restrictions during the pendency of the Transaction that may impact the Company's ability to pursue certain business opportunities or strategic transactions; (xii) unpredictability and severity of catastrophic events, including but not limited to acts of terrorism, pandemics, outbreaks of war or hostilities, as well as the Company's response to any of the aforementioned factors; (xiii) significant transaction costs associated with the Transaction; (xiv) the possibility that the Transaction may be more expensive to complete than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected factors or events; (xv) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the Transaction, including in circumstances requiring the Company to pay a termination fee or other expenses; (xvi) competitive responses to the Transaction; (xvii) the risks and uncertainties pertaining to the Company's business, including those set forth in Part I, Item 1A of the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Part II, Item 1A of the Company's subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as such risk factors may be amended, supplemented or superseded from time to time by other reports filed by the Company with the SEC; and (xviii) the risks and uncertainties that will be described in the Proxy Statement available from the sources indicated below. These risks, as well as other risks associated with the Transaction, will be more fully discussed in the Proxy Statement. While the list of factors presented here is, and the list of factors to be presented in the Proxy Statement will be, considered representative, no such list should be considered a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. Unlisted factors may present significant additional obstacles to the realization of forward-looking statements. Consequences of material differences in results as compared with those anticipated in the forward-looking statements could include, among other things, business disruption, operational problems, financial loss, legal liability to third parties and similar risks, any of which could have a material impact on the Company's financial condition, results of operations, credit rating or liquidity. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company does not undertake to and specifically disclaims any obligation to publicly release the results of any updates or revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect future events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.

About Squarespace

Squarespace (NYSE: SQSP) is a design-driven platform helping entrepreneurs build brands and businesses online. We empower millions in more than 200 countries and territories with all the tools they need to create an online presence, build an audience, monetize, and scale their business. Our suite of products range from websites, domains, ecommerce, and marketing tools, as well as tools for scheduling with Acuity, creating and managing social media presence with Bio Sites and Unfold, and hospitality business management via Tock. For more information, visit www.squarespace.com.

About Permira
Permira is a global investment firm that backs successful businesses with growth ambitions. Founded in 1985, the firm advises funds with total committed capital of approximately €80bn and makes long-term majority and minority investments across two core asset classes, private equity and credit.

The Permira funds have an extensive track record investing in internet, software and SMB-enablement solutions, having partnered with 50+ companies across SaaS, cybersecurity, digital commerce, fintech and online marketplaces. The Permira funds have previously supported and helped scale some of the largest and fastest-growing technology businesses globally, including LegalZoom, Klarna, Zendesk, Magento, Carta, Adevinta, The Knot Worldwide, Boats Group, Housecall Pro, and others.

The Permira private equity funds have made approximately 300 private equity investments in four key sectors: Technology, Consumer, Healthcare and Services. Permira employs over 500 people in 15 offices across Europe, the United States and Asia. For more information, visit www.permira.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

About General Atlantic

General Atlantic is a leading global growth investor with more than four decades of experience providing capital and strategic support for over 520 growth companies throughout its history. Established in 1980 to partner with visionary entrepreneurs and deliver lasting impact, the firm combines a collaborative global approach, sector specific expertise, a long-term investment horizon and a deep understanding of growth drivers to partner with great entrepreneurs and management teams to scale innovative businesses around the world. General Atlantic has approximately $84 billion in assets under management inclusive of all products as of March 31, 2024, and more than 300 investment professionals based in New York, Amsterdam, Beijing, Hong Kong, Jakarta, London, Mexico City, Miami, Mumbai, Munich, San Francisco, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, Stamford and Tel Aviv. For more information on General Atlantic, please visit: www.generalatlantic.com.

About Accel

Accel is a global venture capital firm that is the first partner to exceptional teams everywhere, from inception through all phases of private company growth. Atlassian, Bumble, CrowdStrike, Etsy, Facebook, Flipkart, Freshworks, Qualtrics, Slack, Spotify, Squarespace, Tenable, and UiPath are among the companies Accel has backed over the past 40 years. We help ambitious entrepreneurs build iconic global businesses. For more, visit www.accel.com or www.twitter.com/accel.

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Squarespace helps millions of entrepreneurs worldwide succeed and, for the first time ever, the platform has been tapped by extraterrestrials looking to capture the attention of the billions of earthlings below.

Directed by the legendary Martin Scorsese, 'Hello Down There' is a humorous take on capturing the essence of human life consumed by the digital world. As the spot opens, people around the world are so preoccupied by the normal barrage of digital content that they miss bold attempts by extraterrestrials to make contact. The intergalactic visitors become increasingly frustrated, until they decide to leverage Earth's best tool for standing out and getting noticed – a beautiful Squarespace website. 

Leveraging the Squarespace platform, the extraterrestrials secured a domain and built a beautiful and unique website using Fluid Engine™, the simplest way to express creativity online. Creating their website was the first step in making their dream of intergalactic connection a reality. A website made them discoverable; it made them real.

"At my age, it's a stretch finding a directorial debut. When Squarespace first approached me to create a spot, I thought this was my shot," said Martin Scorsese. "Let's go big, let's do something out of this world – space guys building a website. I'm a New Yorker. We're busy, always on the move. Would we even notice extraterrestrials living among us? It's going to launch on this show called Super Bowl? Supposed to be big!"

"At Squarespace, we have always said that an idea isn't real until you make a website for it," said David Lee, Chief Creative Officer at Squarespace. "It's been an honor to work alongside the cinematic legend Martin Scorsese to bring this insight to life through his lens for our 10th Super Bowl campaign. Our focus on design and creativity has always been at the heart of our business and the reason why people choose us – and nothing illustrates this more than our Super Bowl campaigns."

The Super Bowl advertisement is at the center of a broader marketing campaign that aims to highlight the legitimizing effect of having a professional web presence. In addition to the game day spot, the campaign includes a comprehensive global content marketing campaign leading up to, and following, the game that will be promoted across digital and social channels throughout the first half of 2024. Additional elements of the campaign include an extended version of the in-game spot, special edition movie posters, as well as additional video content, including a comedic short film featuring Martin Scorsese and his daughter Francesca Scorsese discussing the creation of a Squarespace website. Francesca also directed a behind-the-scenes look at the in-spot production process.

As part of the campaign, Squarespace launched a new special edition website template Hello Down There built on Fluid Engine™ that features a sci-fi inspired design system and offers dynamic commerce features, including an online store front, courses, and appointment-based bookings via Acuity Scheduling.

For anyone looking to turn their out of this world idea or business into reality, a website makes it real. Whether an entrepreneur or extraterrestrial, Squarespace has all the tools you need to stand out and succeed. From securing your domain, building a beautiful and integrated online presence, and running your business, Squarespace makes it easier than ever to get started.

To learn more about the campaign or build a website using the customized Hello Down There template, click here.

About Squarespace
Squarespace (NYSE: SQSP) is a design-driven platform helping entrepreneurs build brands and businesses online. We empower millions in more than 200 countries and territories with all the tools they need to create an online presence, build an audience, monetize, and scale their business. Our suite of products range from websites, domains, ecommerce, and marketing tools, as well as tools for scheduling with Acuity, creating and managing social media presence with Bio Sites and Unfold, and hospitality business management via Tock. For more information, visit www.squarespace.com.

Media Contact

press@squarespace.com

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Central to the 2023 product releases is the upcoming launch of Squarespace Payments, which will close the gap for millions of customers seeking an integrated, secure way to transact seamlessly on a single online platform. Currently in Beta, Squarespace Payments will roll out to customers in the U.S. in the coming months and launch in additional markets in 2024. This powerful payment solution will let customers accept payments directly through Squarespace instead of having to connect a third-party payment provider. Customers will have complete control over their finances and easily manage payments, payouts and view refunds, disputes, and charges, all within a centralized dashboard. The simple signup process, intuitive onboarding experience, and access to Squarespace's award-winning customer support team, will ensure customers can begin securely transacting on Squarespace Payments within minutes.

In addition, Squarespace continues to make enhancements to Squarespace AI, a custom combination of Generative AI solutions aimed at helping customers build an integrated online presence faster and easier than ever before. The initial focus of the new AI-powered technology is to help customers with a major pain point: content readiness, with new features that help customers draft polished and professional website content.

"Today's entrepreneurs want a frictionless experience, more ways to sell, superior design and better outcomes when it comes to building a presence and running a business online," said Anthony Casalena, Founder and CEO of Squarespace. "We continue to push the boundaries in what is possible, placing more powerful and dynamic tools in the hands of entrepreneurs worldwide. Our 2023 Refresh unveils incredible new ways to maximize success online, from the integration of Squarespace Payments, expansion of Domains, and the introduction of dozens of new tools and features that allow anyone to more easily monetize and sell online."

New products and features launching from Squarespace's portfolio of products include:

New ways to sell: Tools that allow entrepreneurs to easily earn income, create additional income streams for their businesses, and own their content.

• Squarespace Payments: A new, native payment solution that offers a fast and secure payment option for everyone selling on Squarespace. The new payments tool is easily accessible through a simple onboarding experience.

• Client Invoicing: With Client Invoicing, service sellers can manage their business all on Squarespace – from vetting leads to receiving payments via invoices in one streamlined, customizable workflow. New tools include:

  • Client intake forms & CRM: Capture important information from potential clients with intake forms and organize those details in Squarespace's updated Customer Relationship Management (CRM).

  • Invoices: Collect payments from clients with professional invoices that match service sellers' website brand identity.

  • Project tracking: Manage client information, invoices, and tasks in one place with Squarespace's project functionality.

• Courses: Powered by Fluid Engine™, Courses enables anyone to easily turn their expertise into income with a professional online course complete with beautiful course layouts, video lessons, progress tracking, and more.

• Commerce tools: Expanded commerce tools support entrepreneurs selling physical and digital products, including: fulfillment profiles, checkout improvements, shipping labels order tracking, UPS shipping labels, improvements to subscriptions, shop page and product listing enhancements, and a new add-to-cart feature.

• Acuity Scheduling: Advancements in platform technologies and the introduction of new branding that celebrates Acuity's core promise of never letting scheduling get in the way of success. Platform updates streamline the client booking experience, making it more intuitive for clients to book appointments. Additional features include a new centralized dashboard, enhanced mobile app tools like mobile payment links, and payment features such as automated email receipts, hassle-free invoice creation, and management.

• Email Marketing: Updated email marketing tools, including enhanced email automations, seasonal email templates, and an editable discount field that helps convert site visitors into repeat customers.

New ways to stand out online: Next-generation tools and technologies for customers to easily create a unique brand and integrated experience across online platforms for an improved customer and website visitor experience.

• Squarespace Domains: A domain is the crucial starting point in the journey to establish an online presence. Squarespace is continuing to invest in building out its domains platform by adding new domains like .nz or .fr, introducing domain and email forwarding, and setting up bulk domain management, as well as overhauling its domains dashboard to emphasize simplicity in domain management.

• Squarespace AI: Ongoing investment in Squarespace AI, starting with tools to make it easier than ever to generate custom content. Squarespace AI helps populate nearly-final content on customer's websites, bringing each customer much closer to a finished website product. Squarespace AI is available within the website text editor, Email Campaigns, Commerce stores, and Squarespace Blueprint to help customers more efficiently specialize their content to ensure it's reflective of their brand identity.

• Bio Sites Pro: Expansion of Bio Sites, beautiful one-page link-in-bio sites for social media, with the launch of Bio Sites Pro. The Pro tier offers premium features for deeper customization, engagement, and monetization. The Bio Sites web editor option is also now available, which offers an easier way to create and update Bio Sites from any web browser.

• Expanded Extensions: The addition of a dozen new Extensions to expand the functionality of the platform.

New Ways to Scale: Expanded tools to support businesses of all sizes and types as they mature and scale.

• Enterprise: Updates to help global brands scale their online presence efficiently and securely while maintaining brand integrity. New tools allow enterprise teams to easily collaborate on web page drafts and offer enhanced protection to keep internal sites secure through single sign on.

• Tock: New and improved solutions for superior hospitality management.

  • Enhanced User System: Search, discover, and book reservations easier than ever with Tock's new iOS app. In addition, the new integration of Reserve with Google helps Tock customers drive more visibility, revenue, and covers.

  • Platform updates: New features include multiple start times for events, table prioritization to customize which tables get booked first, variable ticket types, and pricing for events. Credit card holds, to help reduce no shows, will be launching soon. 

"We are excited to expand our platform with more tools for service sellers, a thriving and growing community of online entrepreneurs looking to turn their knowledge into ownable content and income," said Paul Gubbay, Chief Product Officer at Squarespace. "We have built one of the most comprehensive suites of tools for anyone looking to sell online whether it be their time, services, and expertise, or physical products."

In addition, Squarespace introduced the second edition of Squarespace Collection (formerly Squarespace Icons), an award-winning partnership series, with famed photography agency Magnum Photos. For this collaboration, Squarespace partnered with six of Magnum's world renowned photographers to capture original imagery from across the world. The results came together in a one-of-a-kind photography project, which includes six signature website designs built on Fluid Engine™. Each design is inspired by the photographer's creative vision and the design choices for their own Squarespace websites, and are available as a starting point for anyone looking to build a website with Squarespace. As part of the series, all six photographers will provide a limited number of one-on-one photography portfolio critiques, available by signing up via Acuity Scheduling*. Find more information on the latest Squarespace Collection, including access to the new website designs here.

To learn more about the latest innovations Squarespace has introduced in 2023, visit Squarespace Refresh here.

*Rules apply

With the acquisition now completed, Squarespace will, after a transition period, initiate the transfer of Google Domains accounts to its Squarespace Domains platform, leveraging Google's existing infrastructure during this period to ensure a seamless transition to its leading domains platform. Squarespace will be increasing its investment in Squarespace Domains, with the intent to make it a globally recognized, independent domain registrar. Whether or not a customer uses other Squarespace services, Squarespace Domains is an ideal platform to host or park domains before they are ready to be used.

"We are thrilled to welcome the millions of Google Domains customers to Squarespace," said Anthony Casalena, Founder & CEO of Squarespace. "As a Google Domains customer myself, we are committed to making sure this process is completed smoothly. Domains are a critical part of anyone's online journey, and we will continue investing in Squarespace Domains as we build out our suite of services for entrepreneurs."

Squarespace's industry leading platform is creating a future where everyone can be an entrepreneur. The expansion of the company's domains business, where millions of new domain customers will be able to easily establish and manage their domains, as well as explore new ways to build a beautiful brand and launch a business online, will further accelerate this vision. 

About Squarespace
Squarespace (NYSE: SQSP) is a design-driven platform helping entrepreneurs build brands and businesses online. Our products empower millions in more than 200 countries and territories with all the tools they need to create an online presence, build an audience, monetize, and scale their business. Our suite of products range from websites, domains, ecommerce, and marketing tools, as well as tools for scheduling with Acuity, creating and managing social media presence with Bio Sites and Unfold, and hospitality business management via Tock. For more information, visit www.squarespace.com.

"We are exceptionally proud to be chosen to serve the customers of the Google Domains business," said Anthony Casalena, Founder & CEO of Squarespace. "Domains are a critical part of web infrastructure and an essential piece of every business's online presence. We look forward to serving these new customers as we have served millions using our domain products and are committed to ensuring a seamless transition."

"In keeping with our efforts to sharpen our focus, we have entered into a definitive agreement with Squarespace for the acquisition of customer accounts of the Google Domains registrar business," said Matt Madrigal, Vice President and General Manager, Merchant Shopping of Google. "Supporting a smooth transition for customers over the coming months, with the help of the Google Domains team, is our top priority. Squarespace can provide an integrated experience of purchasing and managing domains along with offering other tools that these customers may need to build their online presence."

Under the terms of the agreement, Squarespace will honor all existing Google Domains customers' renewal prices for at least 12 months following the closing of the transaction, as well as provide additional incentives to encourage Google Domains customers to build a website with Squarespace and adopt other Squarespace offerings. Further, Squarespace will be leveraging Google's infrastructure powering the Google Domains product during the migration period in order to ensure the seamless transfer of domains.

Upon closing, Squarespace, a long- time reseller of Google Workspace, will become the exclusive domains provider for any customer purchasing a domain along with their Workspace subscription from Google directly for a minimum of three years. Squarespace will also provide billing and support services to Google Workspace customers that signed up for the service through Google Domains. Customers will continue to have the option to make changes to their domains account at any time.

The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2023, and is subject to certain regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. While the majority of the benefits of this deal will be realized in 2024 and beyond, Squarespace believes this deal will be meaningfully accretive to its business from both a revenue and free cash flow perspective over time.

Squarespace management will host a conference call today, June 15th, at 5:00pm ET. A live webcast of the event will be available in the Events & Presentations section of the Squarespace Investor Relations website. An archived replay of the webcast will be available following the conclusion of the call.

About Squarespace

Squarespace (NYSE: SQSP) is a design-driven platform helping entrepreneurs build brands and businesses online. Our products empower millions in more than 200 countries and territories with all the tools they need to create an online presence, build an audience, monetize, and scale their business. Our suite of products range from websites, domains, ecommerce, and marketing tools, as well as tools for scheduling with Acuity, creating and managing social media presence with Bio Sites and Unfold, and hospitality business management via Tock. For more information, visit www.squarespace.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the proposed transaction, including statements regarding the benefits and impact of the transaction and the anticipated timing of the transaction. The words "believe," "may," "will," "estimate," "continue," "expect," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations, assumptions, and projections based on information available at the time the statements were made. In light of these assumptions and the risks and uncertainties that could impact Squarespace's business or this transaction, Squarespace's actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. Further information on risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from forecasted results are included in Squarespace's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, Squarespace assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons if actual results differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements.

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The spot provides a moment of levity during the big game, and is true to form for Squarespace in its willingness to stand out with quirky humor and high quality cinematic execution.

"I couldn't be happier to do this commercial with Squarespace and for the Super Bowl," said Adam Driver. "The cast ALONE was reason to do this."

2023 marks the 20th anniversary of Squarespace, and this campaign reflects on the brand's roots by comedically exploring its earliest goal of creating a seamless platform where anyone can easily create a premium website. Today, Squarespace's all-in-one platform has evolved to provide entrepreneurs with everything they need to succeed online, including tools to start and grow a presence and business, connect with and monetize their audience, and manage and scale their business online.

"We are thrilled to be back at the big game for our ninth year," said Anthony Casalena, Founder & CEO of Squarespace. "Partnering with Adam Driver to satirize our origin is a fun way to honor where we've been as a company. While we started off as a website that builds websites, Squarespace has evolved into a powerful platform that provides all of the tools entrepreneurs need to turn an idea into reality and start a thriving business online."

Squarespace's latest platform innovation, Fluid Engine, a next generation website design system for truly customizable, fast and easy web design experience, ensures that anyone can create an online presence that stands out and is truly reflective of their brand or vision. As part of the campaign, Squarespace has launched a limited-edition Singularity template on Fluid Engine that is now available and can be accessed here.

The 30-second spot will air between the first and second quarters of Super Bowl LVII on Sunday, February 12th. The campaign includes a supporting behind-the-scenes teaser also starring Driver, directed by Squarespace's in-house creative team. To learn more about the campaign or get started with The Singularity template, visit thesingularity.squarespace.com.

About Squarespace
Squarespace is the all-in-one platform with everything to sell anything, providing customers in over 200 countries and territories with all the tools they need to sell physical products, digital content, classes, appointments, reservations and more. Powered by best-in-class design for a consistent brand experience across all touchpoints, our suite of fully integrated products enables anyone to manage their projects and businesses through websites, domains, ecommerce, marketing tools, and scheduling, along with tools for managing a social media presence with Unfold and hospitality business management via Tock. Squarespace is headquartered in downtown New York City, with offices in Dublin, Ireland, and Chicago, Illinois. For more information, visit www.squarespace.com.

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"Creating Squarespace Refresh represents a great way for us to showcase the incredible progress we have made over the past year," said Anthony Casalena, Founder & CEO of Squarespace. "From delivering Unbreakable Creativity in web design with the launch of Fluid Engine and our limited edition template with Björk, to introducing new dynamic monetization capabilities, we are excited to launch these powerful and creative tools to help anyone express their ideas and succeed online."

Highlights of what is available today and coming soon include:

Monetize an Audience: Tools to convert followers into paying customers by earning consistent revenue from videos, expertise, or merchandise.

• Video monetization: Natively host video content on Squarespace's beautifully designed video pages, giving anyone the ability to turn their expertise into income by selling membership access to gated video content. New updates include asset protection tools, in-player video paywalls, and the ability to manage subscriptions with a new digital product composer and inventory panel.

• Custom Merch: Easily create and sell high-quality, custom products on your Squarespace store with no overhead. Through a partnership with Printful, Squarespace has created a seamless experience to easily start selling products. Custom Merch powers production, shipping and fulfillment so you can focus on running your business.

• Sell anywhere: New ways to connect product inventory directly to other platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Google, and YouTube, so individuals can easily transact with customers where they already are.

• Commerce releases: New features including product reviews, display related items in customer carts, and pay-as-you-go checkout options help customers increase their sales. Merchants can streamline shipping with a new order status page for customers, USPS shipping label purchasing and printing through Squarespace, and local pickup options.

• Squarespace Scheduling: Seamlessly book and manage appointments and classes, and collect payments with custom invoicing that can be shared with clients to track and collect payments.

Build a Brand: Tools to build a beautiful and impactful online presence for every platform.

• Fluid Engine: A next generation drag-and-drop editor that gives entrepreneurs complete control over their content, including artist Björk who leveraged Fluid Engine's technology for her personal site and new album, Fossora, which inspired our limited edition template collaboration.

• Unfold: Video-first, all-in-one platform to create trend-setting content for social media in minutes. Updates include exclusive templates for TikTok and Instagram Reels, and the ability to create, sell, and promote your own digital collectibles.

• Bio Sites from Squarespace: Through the Unfold app or our new web editor, anyone can create a beautiful one-page link-in-bio website to feature content, merch, digital collectables, and more—in one place. Users can also accept tips from supporters and collect funds for projects with the Tips, Support Me and Crowdfunding options.

• Updated Website Design Tools: Breakthrough updates like new scrolling blocks, text highlights, text scaling, and button styles, enabling anyone to express their aesthetic and personality easily on the web.

Manage a Business: Tools to stay on top of your business from anywhere, all in one place.

• Run your business from your phone: Take your business with you wherever you go with the updated Squarespace App.

  • Instant Marketing Content: Instant marketing assets, including still images, gifs, and videos, which are created from your products and brand colors for social media, email marketing, and video ads.

  • Sell in person with new Point of Sale functionalities.

  • Manage bookings and invoices with the Squarespace Scheduling app.

• Asset library: A central hub for creators to share assets. Upload images and videos to your library from your phone or desktop and use them across Squarespace. Access and organize your content in one place with the new Asset Library.

"Today's entrepreneurs have done a great job of capturing an audience, but they are finding it increasingly challenging to convert their followings into a sustainable business," said Paul Gubbay, Chief Product Officer at Squarespace. "With our latest tools, Squarespace combines a clear path to monetization with our world class design, enabling entrepreneurs to experiment with new revenue streams and turn their craft, skills or expertise into their livelihood."

The scale of these updates and features combined with our leading design expertise has provided Squarespace an opportunity to work with iconoclastic creative Björk to fuse technology and creativity in memorable ways with the launch of Squarespace Icons. Björk's limited edition Fluid Engine website template will be available from now until January 13, 2023.

"Squarespace's mission is to help people with creative ideas stand out and succeed, and working with Björk provided us with an incredible opportunity to explore what we could create using our new Fluid Engine web editing system," said David Lee, Chief Creative Officer at Squarespace. "Björk is an icon who continues to inspire and experiment, redefining the boundaries of what it means to be a musician and a creator, and this made her an ideal partner."

Inspired by the organic, interconnected lines of fungal networks, Björk's template features full bleed visuals, layered content, and a bespoke mobile design that come together to create an immersive and flowing context experience. Also being revealed today is a film by Squarespace's award-winning in-house Creative team that explores Björk's inspirations, the visual world of the album and how it was all translated to her Squarespace site. Filmed in her native Iceland and driven by her narration, it's a portrait of an artist that has always been willing to engage with technology.

Beginning today, Squarespace customers will be able to access many of the new product features and updates, including Björk's exclusive template. More information on the 100+ new products and updates can be found at squarespace.com/refresh/2022. More information on Squarespace Icons and access to the limited edition template can be found at icons.squarespace.com.

About Squarespace
Squarespace is the all-in-one platform with everything to sell anything, providing customers in over 200 countries and territories with all the tools they need to sell physical products, digital content, classes, appointments, reservations and more. Powered by best-in-class design for a consistent brand experience across all touchpoints, our suite of fully integrated products enables anyone to manage their projects and businesses through websites, domains, ecommerce, marketing tools, and scheduling, along with tools for managing a social media presence with Unfold and hospitality business management via Tock. Squarespace is headquartered in downtown New York City, with offices in Dublin, Ireland, Portland, Oregon, and Chicago, Illinois. For more information, visit www.squarespace.com.

Nathan Gooden has been appointed as Squarespace's chief financial officer, effective October 18, 2022.

"I could not be more excited to announce Nathan joining as our CFO," said Anthony Casalena, Founder & CEO of Squarespace. "Nathan is a proven financial leader and brings extensive financial and strategic expertise, combined with a deep knowledge of the technology sector. He will be an invaluable addition to the Squarespace leadership team as we continue to execute against the enormous opportunity we have in front of us."

Gooden will report into Casalena and oversee Squarespace's global finance function.

Gooden joins Squarespace from Amazon, where he served as the CFO of Amazon Alexa WorldWide for the past five years, overseeing the global financial operation for the multi-billion-dollar business spanning numerous countries. In addition, he spent 20 years serving as CFO for multiple companies in the payments, social commerce, and consumer electronics space. Gooden began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he spent five years as a lead auditor and at Ernst & Young in the tax division.

"Squarespace has established itself as a visionary in digital presence and design, delivering an extraordinary track record of growth and success," said Gooden. "I'm delighted to work with Anthony and the management team to capitalize upon the growth opportunities ahead and deliver long-term value for shareholders."

About Squarespace

Squarespace is the all-in-one platform with everything to sell anything, providing customers in over 200 countries and territories with all the tools they need to sell physical products, digital content, classes, appointments, reservations and more. Powered by best-in-class design for a consistent brand experience across all touchpoints, our suite of fully integrated products enables anyone to manage their projects and businesses through websites, domains, ecommerce, marketing tools, and scheduling, along with tools for managing a social media presence with Unfold and hospitality business management via Tock. Squarespace is headquartered in downtown New York City, with offices in Dublin, Ireland, Portland, Oregon, and Chicago, Illinois. For more information, visit www.squarespace.com.

Contacts

Investors
investors@squarespace.com

Media
press@squarespace.com

"We are pleased to welcome Neela Montgomery to the Squarespace Board," said Anthony Casalena, Founder & CEO of Squarespace. "We believe her global leadership experience will be a tremendous benefit to our long-term growth strategy."

Neela Montgomery is currently a Board Partner at Greycroft Partners LLC, a venture capital firm and serves on the board of Logitech International S.A., where she has held positions on the Audit and Compensation Committees. Ms. Montgomery brings more than 20 years of global retail and consumer leadership experience, having served as Executive Vice President of CVS Health and President of CVS Pharmacy. Prior to CVS Health, Ms. Montgomery was CEO of Crate & Barrel Holdings, a global home furnishings retailer that includes Crate & Barrel, CB2, and Hudson Grace. In addition, she served on the executive board of Otto Group, a global retail and services group and one of the leading ecommerce retailers in the world and served as Executive Chairwoman across five of its operating companies, including Crate & Barrel. Earlier in her career, she spent 12 years in Tesco PLC, a British multinational retailer and a top 10 international retailer, in various leadership roles across strategy, international, ecommerce, and merchandising. Ms. Montgomery studied at Oxford University and holds an MBA from INSEAD in France and Singapore.

About Squarespace

Squarespace is the all-in-one platform with everything to sell anything, providing customers in over 200 countries and territories with all the tools they need to sell physical products, digital content, classes, appointments, reservations and more. Powered by best-in-class design for a consistent brand experience across all touchpoints, our suite of fully integrated products enables anyone to manage their projects and businesses through websites, domains, ecommerce, marketing tools, and scheduling, along with tools for managing a social media presence with Unfold and hospitality business management via Tock. Squarespace is headquartered in downtown New York City, with offices in Dublin, Ireland, Portland, Oregon, and Chicago, Illinois. For more information, visit www.squarespace.com.

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"We are very excited to officially launch Fluid Engine, an incredibly powerful and versatile evolution of our page editing system," said Anthony Casalena, CEO & Founder of Squarespace. "Fluid Engine improves both the usability and expressibility of our system, making it possible for more of our customers to access a wider variety of designs. Whether you are a professional designer building on Squarespace or just starting out, Fluid Engine helps our customers achieve a variety of fantastic design outcomes without having to resort to custom code."

With Fluid Engine, customers unlock what we call Unbreakable Creativity – the ability to push creative boundaries in web design with confidence. The reimagined design system provides users the maximum freedom to easily play, experiment, and stretch creative limits through an unrestricted canvas, but the canvas is also guided by an advanced smart grid to ensure quality results. The system provides just enough design guidance to make a website look great without limiting creativity. With a highly intuitive, fluid, and agile website editing experience, anyone—whether beginner or pro—can achieve the unique and professional design results that allow them to stand out and succeed online. It is powerful enough to be used by the most creative professionals in web design, while also easy-to-use for beginners.

Key Features:
Fluid Engine offers groundbreaking web design through an array of new functionalities and customization options, including:

• Easier Customization and Creative Expression. A modern design system that gives users creative freedom and flexibility with design guidance through an advanced drag-and-drop smart grid.

• Placement Precision. A new level of control when arranging content within page layouts. You can control all aspects of layering, alignment, full bleed positioning, and more.

• More Control Over Your Mobile Website. A smart grid specifically designed for mobile view that helps users create bespoke designs to optimize mobile experience.

• Design Efficiency. Intelligent, responsive functionality to help users get their envisioned design results faster and more easily.

With a growing share of global traffic on mobile, a better mobile website design and experience makes a significant impact on brand trust, credibility, and increased visitor engagement—translating to more sales and success online. Recognizing the need for customizable mobile experiences, Fluid Engine makes it possible to easily design bespoke mobile landing experiences independently from a website desktop experience.

"Fluid Engine is the most design-forward, yet simple and fast way to build a website," added Paul Gubbay, Chief Product Officer at Squarespace. "With millions of people creating business and personal brands online, we have created a simplified solution – it's as easy as building a presentation and the output is incredible."

While Squarespace's beautifully designed templates and staged layout options will remain available, users will have access to a whole new editing paradigm to explore through Fluid Engine. Paired with other newly released design tools—including a motion-based scrolling block, curated font packs and color palettes, custom button styles, and more—the range of online styling possibilities has grown significantly to reinforce anyone's creative vision. 

Fluid Engine is now available on Squarespace 7.1 in English, with plans to roll out in other supported languages beginning this fall.

To learn more about Fluid Engine and start designing today, click here.

About Squarespace

Squarespace is the all-in-one platform with everything to sell anything, providing customers in over 200 countries and territories with all the tools they need to sell physical products, digital content, classes, appointments, reservations and more. Powered by best-in-class design for a consistent brand experience across all touchpoints, our suite of fully integrated products enables anyone to manage their projects and businesses through websites, domains, ecommerce, marketing tools, and scheduling, along with tools for managing a social media presence with Unfold and hospitality business management via Tock. Squarespace is headquartered in downtown New York City, with offices in Dublin, Ireland, Portland, Oregon, and Chicago, Illinois. For more information, visit www.squarespace.com.

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Inspired by the classic tongue twister Sally Sells Seashells, the spot features Zendaya as Sally, an entrepreneur looking to grow her seashell selling business. The story unfolds with narration from master of verse André '3000' Benjamin, who chronicles Sally's business transformation, from selling seashells to selling everything from seashell serenity sessions, tours of the seaside and more with the help of Squarespace.

Squarespace's mission is to help people with creative ideas stand out and succeed. From established small businesses, to the new generation of creators and entrepreneurs, Squarespace's tools allow anyone to sell physical and digital products including content, classes, appointments, experiences, and more.  A playful riff on the company's "Everything to Sell Anything" campaign, "Everything to Shell Anything" celebrates this dynamic new era of commerce that is revolutionizing the world's economy.

"As a creator myself, and a Squarespace customer since 2018, I understand the importance of having an online presence that truly represents you and your business," said Zendaya. "I was incredibly excited to have the opportunity to work and create with Edgar Wright on a story narrated by André '3000' Benjamin."

"Squarespace provides today's creators and entrepreneurs, like Zendaya, with everything they need to thrive through our all-in-one platform," said Anthony Casalena, Founder and CEO of Squarespace. "Through this campaign, we hope to inspire the entrepreneurial spirit of a generation of creators that are building brands, and selling the things they're passionate about. We aim to give them all the tools they need to grow a thriving online business."

This marks the first Super Bowl campaign produced by Squarespace Los Angeles' in-house Creative team. The office was opened in 2021, as a space to harness the growing creative community and talent the city has to offer.

The spot will air live during the first quarter of the game on Sunday, February 13th and will run in the US, UK and Canada. To learn more visit Squarespace.com/Zendaya.

About Squarespace

Squarespace ( NYSE: SQSP) is the all-in-one platform with everything to sell anything, providing customers in approximately 200 countries and territories with all the tools they need to sell physical products, digital content, classes, appointments, reservations and more. Powered by best-in-class design for a consistent brand experience across all touchpoints, our suite of fully integrated products enables anyone to manage their projects and businesses through websites, domains, ecommerce, marketing tools, and scheduling, along with tools for managing a social media presence with Unfold and hospitality business management via Tock. Squarespace's team of more than 1,500 is headquartered in downtown New York City, with offices in Dublin, Ireland, Portland, Oregon, Los Angeles, California and Chicago, Illinois. For more information, visit www.squarespace.com.