Sec Form 13D Filing - Bpifrance Participations SA filing for SEQUANS COMMUNICATIONSSEQUANS COMMUNICATIONS - 2021-02-12

 

 

  UNITED STATES

  SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

  Washington, D.C. 20549

     

SCHEDULE 13D

 

Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. 5)*

 

Sequans Communications S.A.

(Name of Issuer)

 

Ordinary Shares, nominal value €0.02 per share

(Title of Class of Securities)

 

817323108 (American Depositary Shares, each representing four Ordinary Shares)

(CUSIP Number)

 

Sophie Paquin

Bpifrance Participations S.A.

6-8, boulevard Haussmann

75009 Paris

France

+33 1 53 89 55 73

 

With copy to:

 John C. Partigan

Nixon Peabody LLP

799 9th Street NW, Suite 500

Washington, DC 20001

(202) 585-8000

((Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person
Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications)

 

February 12, 2021

(Date of Event Which Requires Filing of this Statement)

 

If the filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report the acquisition that is the subject of this Schedule 13D, and is filing this schedule because of §§ 240.13d-1(e), 240.13d-1(f) or 240.13d-1(g), check the following box x.

 

Note: Schedules filed in paper format shall include a signed original and five copies of the schedule, including all exhibits. See Rule 13d-7 for other parties to whom copies are to be sent.

 

*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person’s initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

 

The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed to be “filed” for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Act”) or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act.

 

 

 

CUSIP No. 817323108
	1	Name of Reporting Person Caisse des Dépôts
	2	Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group (See Instructions)
		(a)	¨
		(b)	¨
	3	SEC Use Only
	4	Source of Funds WC
	5	Check Box if Disclosure of Legal Proceedings Is Required Pursuant to Items 2(d) or 2(e) ¨
	6	Citizenship or Place of Organization France

Number of Shares Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person With	7	Sole Voting Power 0
	8	Shared Voting Power 13,515,852 Ordinary Shares
	9	Sole Dispositive Power 0
	10	Shared Dispositive Power 13,515,852 Ordinary Shares

	11	Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person 13,515,852 Ordinary Shares
	12	Check Box if the Aggregate Amount in Row (11) Excludes Certain Shares (See Instructions)  ¨
	13	Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row (11) 10.1% of the Ordinary Shares1
	14	Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions) OO

 

1

Percentage of class is calculated based on 133,934,090 Ordinary Shares outstanding as of December 31, 2020, as reported in the Form 6-K filed by Sequans Communications S.A. with the SEC on February 9, 2021.

 

 

CUSIP No. 817323108
	1	Name of Reporting Person Bpifrance Participations S.A.
	2	Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group (See Instructions)
		(a)	¨
		(b)	¨
	3	SEC Use Only
	4	Source of Funds WC
	5	Check Box if Disclosure of Legal Proceedings Is Required Pursuant to Items 2(d) or 2(e) ¨
	6	Citizenship or Place of Organization France

Number of Shares Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person With	7	Sole Voting Power 0
	8	Shared Voting Power 13,515,852 Ordinary Shares
	9	Sole Dispositive Power 0
	10	Shared Dispositive Power 13,515,852 Ordinary Shares

	11	Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person 13,515,852 Ordinary Shares
	12	Check Box if the Aggregate Amount in Row (11) Excludes Certain Shares (See Instructions)  ¨
	13	Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row (11) 10.1% of the Ordinary Shares2
	14	Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions) OO

 

2

Percentage of class is calculated based on 133,934,090 Ordinary Shares outstanding as of December 31, 2020, as reported in the Form 6-K filed by Sequans Communications S.A. with the SEC on February 9, 2021.

 

 

CUSIP No. 817323108
	1	Name of Reporting Person Bpifrance S.A.
	2	Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group (See Instructions)
		(a)	¨
		(b)	¨
	3	SEC Use Only
	4	Source of Funds WC
	5	Check Box if Disclosure of Legal Proceedings Is Required Pursuant to Items 2(d) or 2(e) ¨
	6	Citizenship or Place of Organization France

Number of Shares Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person With	7	Sole Voting Power 0
	8	Shared Voting Power 13,515,852 Ordinary Shares
	9	Sole Dispositive Power 0
	10	Shared Dispositive Power 13,515,852 Ordinary Shares

	11	Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person 13,515,852 Ordinary Shares
	12	Check Box if the Aggregate Amount in Row (11) Excludes Certain Shares (See Instructions)  ¨
	13	Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row (11) 10.1% of the Ordinary Shares3
	14	Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions) OO

 

3

Percentage of class is calculated based on 133,934,090 Ordinary Shares outstanding as of December 31, 2020, as reported in the Form 6-K filed by Sequans Communications S.A. with the SEC on February 9, 2021.

 

 

CUSIP No. 817323108
	1	Name of Reporting Person EPIC Bpifrance
	2	Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group (See Instructions)
		(a)	¨
		(b)	¨
	3	SEC Use Only
	4	Source of Funds WC
	5	Check Box if Disclosure of Legal Proceedings Is Required Pursuant to Items 2(d) or 2(e) ¨
	6	Citizenship or Place of Organization France

Number of Shares Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person With	7	Sole Voting Power 0
	8	Shared Voting Power 13,515,852 Ordinary Shares
	9	Sole Dispositive Power 0
	10	Shared Dispositive Power 13,515,852 Ordinary Shares

	11	Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person 13,515,852 Ordinary Shares
	12	Check Box if the Aggregate Amount in Row (11) Excludes Certain Shares (See Instructions)  ¨
	13	Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row (11) 10.1% of the Ordinary Shares4
	14	Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions) OO

 

4

Percentage of class is calculated based on 133,934,090 Ordinary Shares outstanding as of December 31, 2020, as reported in the Form 6-K filed by Sequans Communications S.A. with the SEC on February 9, 2021.

 

 

Amendment No. 5 to Schedule 13D

 

This Amendment No. 5 (“Amendment No. 5”) amends and supplements the Schedule 13D filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) by Caisse des Dépôts (“CDC”), Bpifrance Participations S.A. (“Bpifrance Participations”), Bpifrance S.A. (“Bpifrance”), and EPIC Bpifrance (“EPIC” ) (collectively, the “Reporting Persons”) on November 21, 2013, as amended by Amendment No. 1 to Schedule 13D filed with the SEC on December 24, 2015, as further amended by Amendment No. 2 to Schedule 13D filed with the SEC on September 20, 2016, as further amended by Amendment No. 3 to Schedule 13D filed with the SEC on January 18, 2018, and as further amended by Amendment No. 4 to Schedule 13D filed with the SEC on April 3, 2020 (collectively, the “Schedule 13D”). Except as specifically provided herein, this Amendment No. 5 does not modify any of the information previously reported in the Schedule 13D, as amended. Capitalized terms used herein shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Schedule 13D.

 

Item 2.

Identity and Background.

 

Item 2 of the Schedule 13D is hereby amended and restated as follows:

 

This Schedule 13D is filed jointly by (i) the Caisse des Dépôts, a French special public entity (établissement spécial) (“CDC”), (ii) Bpifrance Participations S.A., a société anonyme incorporated under the laws of the Republic of France (“Bpifrance Participations”), (iii) Bpifrance S.A., a société anonyme incorporated under the laws of the Republic of France and (iv) EPIC Bpifrance, a French public institution of industrial and commercial nature (“EPIC”). CDC, Bpifrance Participations, Bpifrance S.A. and EPIC are referred to herein collectively as the “Reporting Persons.” The principal address for CDC is 56, rue de Lille, 75007 Paris, France. The principal address for Bpifrance Participations, Bpifrance S.A. and EPIC is 27-31, avenue du Général Leclerc, 94710 Maisons-Alfort Cedex, France.

 

Bpifrance Participations is a French public investment entity specializing in the business of equity financing via direct investments or fund of funds. Bpifrance Participations is a subsidiary owned at 99.99% by Bpifrance S.A., a French credit institution. CDC and EPIC each hold 49.2% of the share capital of Bpifrance S.A. and jointly control Bpifrance S.A. CDC is principally engaged in the business of long-term investments. EPIC, a French public institution of industrial and commercial nature, is principally engaged in the business of banking finance.

 

Bpifrance S.A. may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of shares held by Bpifrance Participations, indirectly through its 99.99% ownership of Bpifrance Participations. CDC and EPIC may be deemed to be the beneficial owners of shares held by Bpifrance Participations, indirectly through their joint ownership and control of Bpifrance S.A.

 

Attached as Appendices A, B, C and D to Item 2 is information concerning the executive officers and directors of Bpifrance Participations, Bpifrance S.A., CDC and EPIC, respectively, required to be disclosed in response to Item 2 and General Instruction C to Schedule 13D.

 

None of the Reporting Persons, nor, to the best of their knowledge, any of the persons referred to in Appendices A, B, C and D to Item 2 has, during the last five years, been convicted in a criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations and similar misdemeanors) or been a party to a civil proceeding of a judicial or administrative body of competent jurisdiction and as a result of such proceeding was or is subject to a judgment, decree, or final order enjoining future violations of, or prohibiting or mandating activities subject to, Federal or state securities laws or finding any violation with respect to such laws.

 

Item 5.

Interest in Securities of the Issuer.

 

Item 5(c) of the Schedule 13D is hereby amended and supplemented as follows:

 

(c)

Bpifrance Participations sold ADSs of Sequans Communications S.A. on the following dates at the daily average prices indicated below:

 

Date		Shares (ADSs)				Per Share (ADSs) Average Price				How Effected
August 13, 2020			9,324			$	6.7756			Open Market
August 14, 2020			7,815			$	6.7836			Open Market
August 17, 2020			23,773			$	6.8343			Open Market
August 18, 2020			5,785			$	6.7599			Open Market
August 19, 2020			15,520			$	6.7941			Open Market
August 20, 2020			5,339			$	6.7426			Open Market
August 21, 2020			1,500			$	6.5587			Open Market
September 2, 2020			740			$	6.4500			Open Market
September 3, 2020			1,500			$	6.4500			Open Market
Total:			71,296

 

 

Item 6.

Contracts, Arrangements, Understandings or Relationships with Respect to Securities of the Issuer.

 

Item 6 of the Schedule 13D is hereby amended and supplemented as follows:

 

On May 12, 2020, Bpifrance Participations acquired 428,869 American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”), each ADS representing four Ordinary Shares. Pursuant to the terms of the Shareholder Loan Agreement, dated as of April 2, 2020 (the “Shareholder Loan Agreement”), by and between the Issuer and Bpifrance Participations, Bpifrance Participations provided an unsecured loan in the aggregate principal amount of $2.2 million (the “Loan”). The outstanding Loan was converted into ADSs under the terms under the Shareholder Loan Agree ment. The Loan and the Shareholder Loan Agreement have been terminated.

 

Item 7.

Material to Be Filed as Exhibits.

 

Exhibit		Description
99.1		Joint Filing Agreement, dated as of February 12, 2021, by and among the Reporting Persons.

 

 

SIGNATURE

 

After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.

 

Dated: February 12, 2021
	Caisse des Dépôts
	By:	/s/ Laurence Giraudon
	Name:	Laurence Giraudon
	Title:	Chief Operating Officer, Finance and Operations Department, Asset Management Division
	EPIC Bpifrance
	By:	/s/ Sophie Paquin
	Name:	Sophie Paquin
	Title:	Director of Legal Affairs
	Bpifrance S.A.
	By:	/s/ Boubakar Dione
	Name:	Boubakar Dione
	Title:	Group Director of Legal Affairs
	Bpifrance Participations S.A.
	By:	/s/ Sophie Paquin
	Name:	Sophie Paquin
	Title:	Director of Legal Affairs

 

 

APPENDIX A

 

Name, business address, present principal occupation or employment and place of citizenship of the directors and executive officers of

 

BPIFRANCE PARTICIPATIONS S.A.

 

The name, business address and present principal occupation or employment of each of the directors and executive officers of Bpifrance Participations S.A. are set forth below. The business address of each director and executive officer is Bpifrance Participations S.A., 27-31, avenue du Général Leclerc, 94710 Maisons-Alfort Cedex, France. Unless otherwise indicated, each director and executive officer is a citizen of France.

 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

Name		Present Principal Occupation or Employment
NICOLAS DUFOURCQ		Director, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer of Bpifrance Participations, and Chief Executive Officer of Bpifrance
CAROLE ABBEY DUVAL		Director, Head of the Steering Department at Caisse des Dépôts
ANTOINE SAINTOYANT		Director, Director of strategic holdings at Caisse des Dépôts
FREDERIC SAINT-GEOURS		Director, Director of Société nationale SNCF
FRENCH STATE, represented by CHARLES SARRAZIN		Director, in charge of shareholding interests in the Service & Finance sectors, Agence des Participations de l’Etat (French State Shareholding Agency)
CONSTANCE VALIGNY		Director, Assistant Director for macroeconomic policies, Direction Générale du Trésor (French Treasury)
CHLOE MAYENOBE		Director, deputy CEO Natixis Payment
VICTOIRE AUBRY		Director, Chief Financial Officer of Icade
SOPHIE STABILE		Director, Founder and CEO of Révérence
ROMAIN BONENFANT		Director, Chief, Service of Industry, General Directorate for Companies of the Ministry of Economy and Finance

 

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

 

Name		Present Principal Occupation or Employment
NICOLAS DUFOURCQ		Chief Executive Officer
JOSÉ GONZALO		Executive Director
PIERRE BENEDETTI		Chief Financial Officer

 

 

APPENDIX B

 

Name, business address, present principal occupation or employment and place of citizenship of the directors and executive officers of

 

CAISSE DES DÉPÔTS

 

The name, business address and present principal occupation or employment of each of the members of the Management Committee of Caisse des Dépôts are set forth below. The business address of each director and executive officer is Caisse des Dépôts, c/o 56, rue de Lille, 75007 Paris, France. Unless otherwise indicated, each such person is a citizen of France.

 

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

 

Name		Present Principal Occupation or Employment
ERIC LOMBARD		Chief Executive Officer of Caisse des Dépôts
OLIVIER SICHEL		Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Caisse des Dépôts
NICOLAS DUFOURCQ		Chief Executive Officer of Bpifrance
VIRGINIE CHAPRON-DU JEU		Director of Finance for the Caisse des Dépôts Group
PIERRE CHEVALIER		Head of Legal and Tax Department
NATHALIE TUBIANA		Risk Director of the Caisse des Dépôts Group
OLIVIER MAREUSE		Chief Investment officer - Director of Savings Funds at Caisse des Dépôts
CATHERINE MAYENOBE		Secretary General of Caisse des Dépôts Group
PAUL PENY		Caisse des Dépôts Group Human Resources Director
SOPHIE QUATREHOMME		Group Corporate Communications Director
MICHEL YAHIEL		Pensions and Solidarity Director
ANTOINE SAINTOYANT		Director of strategic holdings at Caisse des Dépôts

 

 

APPENDIX C

 

Name, business address, present principal occupation or employment and place of citizenship of the directors and executive officers of

 

EPIC BPIFRANCE

 

The name, business address and present principal occupation or employment of each of the directors and executive officers of EPIC Bpifrance are set forth below. The business address of each director and executive officer is EPIC Bpifrance, 27-31, avenue du Général Leclerc, 94710 Maisons-Alfort Cedex, France. Unless otherwise indicated, each director and executive officer is a citizen of France.

 

DIRECTORS

 

Name		Present Principal Occupation or Employment
CHRISTIAN BODIN		Director, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer of EPIC Bpifrance
PIERRE-LOUIS AUTIN		Director, Head of department SITTAR at the Higher Education, Research and Innovation Ministry
YANN POUËZAT		Director, Deputy Director at the Directorate of Financing, Industry and Market of the Ministry of Economy and Finance
ALBAN HAUTIER		Director, Deputy Director at the General Directorate for Budget of the Ministry of Economy and Finance
VINCENT TEJEDOR		Director, Assistant Director in charge of the development of enterprises, General Directorate for Companies of the Ministry of Economy and Finance
NAOMI PERES		Director, Deputy General Secretary for Public Investment

 

 

APPENDIX D

 

Name, business address, present principal occupation or employment and place of citizenship of the directors and executive officers of

 

BPIFRANCE S.A.

 

The name, business address and present principal occupation or employment of each of the directors and executive officers of Bpifrance S.A. are set forth below. The business address of each director and executive officer is Bpifrance S.A., 27-31, avenue du Général Leclerc, 94710 Maisons-Alfort Cedex, France. Unless otherwise indicated, each director and executive officer is a citizen of France.

 

DIRECTORS

 

Name		Present Principal Occupation or Employment
ERIC LOMBARD		Director, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer of the Caisse des Dépôts
NICOLAS DUFOURCQ		Director, Chief Executive Officer of Bpifrance and Director, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Bpifrance Participations
MARTIN VIAL		Director, Chairman of the Agence des Participations de l’Etat (French State Shareholding Agency)
MARIE DELEAGE		Director representing the employees of Bpifrance
PHILIPPE BAYEUX		Director representing the employees of Bpifrance
VIRGINIE CHAPRON-DU JEU		Director, Director of Finance for the Caisse des Dépôts Group
CLAIRE DUMAS		Director, Finance Director at Société Générale

 

CATHERINE LAGNEAU		Director, Deputy Director of the General council of economy
ANTOINE SAINTOYANT		Director, Director of strategic holdings at Caisse des Dépôts
BERNARD DELPIT		Director, Chief Financial Officer of Safran
ANNABEL ANDRE		Director, Vice-president of the Regional Council of Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, delegate for the economy and companies
HAROLD HUWART		Director, Vice-president of the Regional Council of Centre-Val-de-Loire, in charge of the economy, farming and associations
CAROLE ABBEY DUVAL		Director, Head of the Steering Department at Caisse des Dépôts
DIANE SIMIU		Director, deputy of the general commissioner for sustainable development at the Ministry for economic and solidarity transition