Benzinga | Sep 29, 2021 02:21PM EDT

Leafly Cannabis Info Platform Names New CFO Ahead Of Going Public On Nasdaq

The cannabis information platform Leafly Holdings, Inc. has tapped Suresh Krishnaswamy to oversee its financial department.

The move comes ahead of Leafly's move to go public via a business combination with a special purpose acquisition company Merida Merger Corp. (NASDAQ:MCMJ).

Based in Seattle, the company revealed in August that it had inked a definitive agreement for the business combination through which Merida will take Leafly's name and that its common stock will list on NASDAQ under the ticker 'LFLY,' creating a combined company that is projected to have a fully diluted business value of around $385 million and an equity value of around $532 million.

With over 25 years of experience in leading finance and technology roles for global organizations, Krishnaswamy will lead Leafly's financial strategy and expansion as a three-sided marketplace in his role as CFO.

Prior to this, Suresh served as a key advisor for NextLevel Business Consulting and as a strategic advisor to a number of companies. He held various roles, including CFO of Drift, a renewable energy marketplace and worked with major investment banks including Credit Suisse Group (NYSE:CS), Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC), Credit Agricole (OTC:CRARF) and Barclays.

"We are focused on one promise: to be the marketplace of choice for the cannabis community, Leafly CEO Yoko Miyashita, disclosed Tuesday. "Suresh's extensive experience with online marketplaces and digital payments will provide Leafly the financial leadership and strategy needed to keep this promise to our customers."

Suresh said he is thrilled to join Leafly, calling it "a cannabis discovery destination for more than 125 million people every year and a business platform for more than 12,400 cannabis brands and retailers combined."

Leafly's iOS app update, as of last month, enables adults in legal markets to place pickup orders for cannabis products via the app. Currently, iPhone and iPad users can download Leafly's iOS app via the Apple App Store.

Photo: Courtesy of Leafly Holdings Inc.