Talkspace Said Near Deal to List Via Doug Braunstein’s SPAC (1)

Talkspace, an online therapy app promoted by celebrities including swimmer Michael Phelps and singer Demi Lovato, is nearing a deal to go public through a merger with Hudson Executive Investment Corp., a blank-check firm, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The special purpose acquisition company is discussing raising more than $200 million in new equity to support a merger with New York-based Talkspace that would give the combined entity an equity value of more than $1.5 billion, said one of the people. While a deal could be announced as soon as this week, as with any transaction ...