S-1 1 swbku-s1.htm S-1 swbku-s1.htm

 

As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on December 18, 2020.

Registration No. 333-    

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

Switchback II Corporation

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

 

 

Cayman Islands

 

6770

 

98-1564143

(State or other Jurisdiction of
Incorporation or Organization)

 

(Primary Standard Industrial
Classification Code Number)

 

(IRS Employer
Identification Number)

 

5949 Sherry Lane, Suite 1010
Dallas, TX 75225

(972) 514-9535

(Address, including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

Jim Mutrie

Co-Chief Executive Officer and Director

5949 Sherry Lane, Suite 1010

Dallas, TX 75225

(972) 514-9535

(Name, Address, including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, including Area Code, of Agent for Service)

Copies to:

 

Douglas E. McWilliams

E. Ramey Layne
Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.
1001 Fannin Street, Suite 2500

Houston, Texas 77002

(713) 758-2222

 

Thomas G. Brandt
Ryan J. Maierson

Latham & Watkins LLP
811 Main Street, Suite 3700

Houston, Texas 77002

(713) 546-5400

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box. 

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large

 

 


 

accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer

 

 

Accelerated filer

 

Non-accelerated filer

 

 

Smaller reporting company

 

 

 

 

 

Emerging growth company

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

Title of Each Class of Securities Being Registered

 

Amount Being Registered

 

Proposed
Maximum
Offering
Price per
Security(1)

 

Proposed
Maximum
Aggregate
Offering
Price(1)

 

Amount of
Registration
Fee

Units, each consisting of one Class A ordinary share, $0.0001 par value, and one-fifth of one warrant(2)

 

28,750,000 Units

 

$

10.00

 

$

287,500,000

 

$

31,367

 

Class A ordinary shares included as part of the units(3)

 

28,750,000 Shares

 

 

 

 

 

 

(4)

Warrants included as part of the units(3)

 

5,750,000 Warrants

 

 

 

 

 

 

(4)

Total

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

287,500,000

 

$

31,367

 

 

(1)      Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee.

(2)      Includes 3,750,000 units, consisting of 3,750,000 Class A ordinary shares and 750,000 warrants, which may be issued upon exercise of a 45-day option granted to the underwriters to cover over-allotments, if any.

(3)      Pursuant to Rule 416(a), there are also being registered an indeterminable number of additional securities as may be issued to prevent dilution resulting from stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions.

(4)      No fee pursuant to Rule 457(g).

 

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 


 

 

The information contained in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. No securities may be sold until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities, and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities, in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

Subject to Completion, dated December 18, 2020

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

 

$250,000,000

25,000,000 Units

 

Switchback II Corporation is a blank check company newly incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities, which we refer to as our initial business combination. We have not selected any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. We intend to focus our search for a target business in the broad energy transition or sustainability arena targeting industries that require innovative solutions to decarbonize in order to meet critical emission reduction objectives.

This is an initial public offering of our securities. Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one Class A ordinary share and one-fifth of one redeemable warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus, and only whole warrants are exercisable. The warrants will become exercisable on the later of 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination and 12 months from the closing of this offering, and will expire five years after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation, as described in this prospectus. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. We have also granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 3,750,000 units.

We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account described below as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided by the number of then-outstanding Class A ordinary shares that were sold as part of the units in this offering, which we refer to collectively as our public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will redeem 100% of the public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes (net of any taxes payable by us and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law and as further described herein.

Our sponsor, NGP Switchback II, LLC, has committed to purchase an aggregate of 4,666,666 warrants (or 5,166,666 warrants if the option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) at a price of $1.50 per warrant ($7,000,000 in the aggregate, or $7,750,000 if the option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), each exercisable to purchase one whole Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering.

Our initial shareholders own an aggregate of 7,187,500 Class B ordinary shares (up to 937,500 of which are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised). The Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment and forfeiture as provided herein.

Currently, there is no public market for our units, Class A ordinary shares or warrants. We intend to apply to have our units listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) under the symbol “SWBK.U” on or promptly after

 


 

the date of this prospectus. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on the NYSE. The Class A ordinary shares and warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our filing a Current Report on Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, containing an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds of this offering and issuing a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, we expect that the Class A ordinary shares and warrants will be listed on the NYSE under the symbols “SWBK” and “SWBK.WS,” respectively.

We are an “emerging growth company” and a “smaller reporting company” under applicable federal securities laws and will be subject to reduced public company reporting requirements. Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 34 for a discussion of information that should be considered in connection with an investment in our securities. Investors will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings.

No offer or invitation to subscribe for securities may be made to the public in the Cayman Islands.

 

 

 

Price to Public

 

 

Underwriting

Discounts and

Commissions(1)

 

 

Proceeds,

before

expenses, to us

 

Per Unit

 

$

10.00

 

 

$

0.55

 

 

$

9.45

 

Total

 

$

250,000,000

 

 

$

13,750,000

 

 

$

236,250,000

 

 

(1)

Includes $0.35 per unit, or $8,750,000 in the aggregate (or $10,062,500 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting discounts and commissions to be placed in a trust account located in the United States as described herein and released to the underwriters only upon the completion of an initial business combination, as described in this prospectus. See “Underwriting” beginning on page 166 for a description of compensation and other items of value payable to the underwriters.

Of the approximately $257.0 million in proceeds we receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants described in this prospectus, or approximately $295.3 million if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full, $250.0 million ($10.00 per unit), or approximately $287.5 million if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full ($10.00 per unit), will be deposited into a U.S.-based trust account with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, and $7.0 million, including $5.0 million in underwriting discounts and commissions (or approximately $7.8 million, including approximately $5.8 million in underwriting discounts and commissions, if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), will be used to pay fees and expenses in connection with the closing of this offering and for working capital following the closing of this offering.

The underwriters are offering the units for sale on a firm commitment basis. The underwriters expect to deliver the units to the purchasers on or about                   , 2021.

Neither the SEC nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

The date of this prospectus is                      , 2021.

 

 

 


 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

We are responsible for the information contained in this prospectus. We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized anyone to provide any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this prospectus. We and the underwriters take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. This prospectus is an offer to sell only the units offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The information contained in this prospectus is current only as of its date.

Switchback II Corporation

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

Summary

This summary only highlights the more detailed information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. As this is a summary, it does not contain all of the information that you should consider in making an investment decision. You should read this entire prospectus carefully, including the information under “Risk Factors” and our financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, before investing.

Unless otherwise stated in this prospectus or the context otherwise requires, references to:

“we,” “us,” “our,” “company” or “our company” are to Switchback II Corporation;

“Companies Law” are to the Companies Law (2020 Revision) of the Cayman Islands as the same may be amended from time to time;

“earnout shares” are to 25% of the Class A ordinary shares issued upon the automatic conversion of Class B ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination as described herein;

“equity-linked securities” are to any securities of our company or any of our subsidiaries which are convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for, equity securities of our company or such subsidiary, including any securities issued by our company or any of our subsidiaries which are pledged to secure any obligation of any holder to purchase equity securities of our company or any of our subsidiaries;

“founder shares” are to our Class B ordinary shares initially purchased by our sponsor in a private placement prior to this offering and our Class A ordinary shares issued upon the automatic conversion thereof at the time of our initial business combination as described herein;

“initial shareholders” are to our sponsor and other holders of our founder shares prior to this offering (if any);

“management” or our “management team” are to our officers and directors;

“NGP” are to NGP Energy Capital Management, L.L.C., an SEC-registered investment advisor that manages the NGP Funds;

“NGP Funds” are to a family of energy-focused private equity investments funds advised by NGP, including NGP Natural Resources XII, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“NGP XII”);

“ordinary shares” are to our Class A ordinary shares and our Class B ordinary shares, collectively;

“private placement warrants” are to the warrants issued to our sponsor in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of this offering;

“public shares” are to our Class A ordinary shares sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are purchased in this offering or thereafter in the open market);

“public shareholders” are to the holders of our public shares, including our initial shareholders and management team to the extent our initial shareholders and/or members of our management team purchase public shares, provided that each initial shareholder’s and member of our management team’s status as a “public shareholder” shall only exist with respect to such public shares;

“public warrants” are to the warrants sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are purchased in this offering or thereafter in the open market); and

“sponsor” are to NGP Switchback II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a portfolio company of NGP XII. Our sponsor is owned indirectly by NGP XII and certain members of our management team.

Each unit consists of one Class A ordinary share and one-fifth of one warrant for each unit purchased. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share,

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subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus, and only whole warrants are exercisable. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least five units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant.

All references in this prospectus to shares of the company being forfeited shall take effect as surrenders for no consideration of such shares as a matter of Cayman Islands law. Any conversion of the Class B ordinary shares described in this prospectus will take effect as a compulsory redemption of Class B ordinary shares and an issuance of Class A ordinary shares as a matter of Cayman Islands law. Any share dividends described in this prospectus will take effect as share capitalizations as a matter of Cayman Islands law. Similarly, all references in this prospectus to our preferred shares means, as a matter of Cayman Islands law, our preference shares.

Registered trademarks referred to in this prospectus are the property of their respective owners. Unless we tell you otherwise, the information in this prospectus assumes that the underwriters will not exercise their option to purchase additional units.

Our Company

We are a blank check company newly incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. We have not selected any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. We intend to focus our search for a target business in the energy technology arena targeting industries that require sustainable and innovative solutions to decarbonize in order to meet critical emission reduction objectives. The International Energy Agency (“IEA”) estimates that achieving lower emission targets will require a radical transformation in the way the world supplies, transforms and uses energy. The IEA has identified over 800 energy technology options that would need to happen for the world to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. The clean energy technologies the world will need tomorrow hinge on fostering innovation today, with 35% of the decarbonization efforts resulting from increased electrification, 25% from carbon capture, utilization and storage (“CCUS”), 20% from bioenergy and 5% from increased hydrogen use. The need for energy technology has never been more important, and the IEA estimates that the transition to net-zero emissions will require approximately $30 trillion of invested capital by 2040, or an implied approximate $1.5 trillion per year, in order to provide smart electricity grids, alternative fuel distribution, carbon dioxide transportation and storage, and communications networks for connected appliances and vehicles, among other solutions.

Most recently, our management team and an affiliate of NGP co-founded Switchback Energy Acquisition Corporation (“Switchback I”; NYSE: SBE), a special purpose acquisition company that completed its initial public offering in July 2019, in which it sold 30,000,000 units, each consisting of one share of Class A common stock and one-third of one warrant, with each whole warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one share of Class A common stock, for an offering price of $10.00 per unit, generating aggregate proceeds of approximately $300 million. Following the underwriters’ exercise of their option to purchase additional units, the aggregate proceeds were approximately $345 million. In September 2020, Switchback I announced its initial business combination with ChargePoint Inc., a Delaware corporation (“ChargePoint”), which was founded in 2007 and has built one of the world’s largest electric vehicle (“EV”) charging networks. The combined entity, ChargePoint Holdings, Inc., will be listed on the NYSE. We believe that we will benefit from the valuable experience gained by our management team during the launch and operation of Switchback I, including the process of evaluating numerous target companies and industry sectors, selecting ChargePoint as its business combination partner and negotiating the terms of the business combination agreement and all of the related financing transactions.

Our extensive sourcing network includes (i) business founders, owners and senior management contacts, (ii) private equity, financial investors and other sponsors of private businesses and (iii) industry professionals, including investment banking, legal, accounting and other industry focused experts. We believe that there are highly attractive investment opportunities that are accessible through our network of contacts which exist within our focus industries and also exhibit strong ESG profiles. We believe our management team’s experience and combined expertise provide us with unique insight to evaluate targets across numerous sectors, including energy technology, clean and renewable energy infrastructure, electric and autonomous mobility ecosystem, energy efficiency and battery storage, environmental solutions and services, hydrogen technology and infrastructure, renewable and bio fuels, waste to

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energy and recycling, among others. We plan to target companies that are at an inflection point in growth expectations that can utilize guidance on strategic positioning and capital optimization to accelerate business development, improve their business prospects and unlock the full potential of their business.

We believe in the ability of our management team to add significant value to a target company from a business building, commercial, capital markets and sustainability perspective. Our extensive operational experience and the public company expertise of our management team present the potential for an attractive risk-adjusted return profile through our involvement and stewardship. As demonstrated by our management team with Switchback I’s announced business combination with ChargePoint, we believe that the extensive skills and perspectives of our management team will enable us to identify dynamic and visionary management teams and work alongside them to crystalize their strategic vision, enhance their business plan and improve their operational capabilities. In addition, our team has significant hands-on experience working with growth-oriented companies in preparing for and executing an initial public offering or an initial business combination, and serving as active owners and directors by working closely with these companies to assist in the execution of their strategic plan, support their continued transformations and help access and create value in the public markets.

We believe we play an important role in the public equity markets by identifying high-quality, growth-oriented businesses, evaluating the merits and viability of high-growth business plans and completing pre-investment due diligence, focusing and preparing the business for the multi-faceted requirements of being a publicly traded company, and both capitalizing and leading the actual business combination transaction. This function will be invaluable to our eventual business combination target, as we have the skills to validate and enhance its business plan, improve its ESG profile and prepare it for the rigors of being publicly listed, as well as to our investors who might otherwise not have the opportunity or confidence to publicly invest in the business we identify in the transition towards a decarbonized and cleaner future.

Management, Our Sponsor and Board of Directors

Scott McNeill, our Co-Chief Executive Officer and a member of our board of directors, co-founded the company and also co-founded and currently serves as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and a director of Switchback I and will continue to serve on the board of directors of Switchback I until the closing of its business combination with ChargePoint. Mr. McNeill served as Chief Financial Officer of RSP Permian, Inc. (“RSP”) from April 2013 through the completion of its acquisition by Concho Resources, Inc. (“Concho”) in July 2018. Mr. McNeill also served as a member of the board of directors of RSP from December 2013 through July 2018. Mr. McNeill joined RSP prior to its initial public offering in January 2014 (“IPO”) and helped build the organization during its early growth phase while positioning it for its IPO. During Mr. McNeill’s tenure at RSP, RSP executed over $13 billion in M&A transactions and approximately $7 billion of financings. Before joining RSP, Mr. McNeill served as a managing director in the energy investment banking group of Raymond James Financial, Inc., advising companies operating in the exploration and production, midstream, and energy service and equipment segments of the energy industry. Mr. McNeill holds a B.B.A from Baylor University and an M.B.A from the University of Texas at Austin and is a certified public accountant in the State of Texas.

Jim Mutrie, our Co-Chief Executive Officer and a member of our board of directors, co-founded the company and co-founded and currently serves as Chief Commercial Officer, General Counsel, Secretary and a director of Switchback I and will continue to serve on the board of directors of Switchback I until the closing of its business combination with ChargePoint. Mr. Mutrie also served as RSP’s Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary from June 2014 through the completion of the acquisition of RSP by Concho in July 2018. During his tenure, Mr. Mutrie led the negotiation and execution of approximately $13 billion of energy-related transactions and over $6 billion of financings, and oversaw Legal, Information Technology, Health and Safety, Human Resources and Government Affairs at RSP. Prior to RSP, Mr. Mutrie served as General Counsel and Compliance Officer at United Surgical Partners International (NASDAQ: USPI). From October 2003 to January 2007, Mr. Mutrie practiced corporate law at Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., representing public and private companies in M&A transactions and capital market offerings. Mr. Mutrie holds a B.A. from Cornell University, a J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law, a Certificate in Financial Management from Cornell University and a Certificate in Financial Skills from SMU Cox School of Business, Executive Education.

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We will further be supported by our board of directors, comprised of former senior executives who have been at the forefront of forward thinking on climate change, sustainability policies and companies leading the transition to a cleaner future. Our directors come from a wide range of sub-sectors and functional areas and will provide us with access to their expertise and extensive industry networks from which we intend to source and evaluate targets as well as devise plans to optimize any business that we acquire.

Our management team will also draw upon the resources and support of NGP. Since NGP’s founding in 1988, NGP Funds have raised $20 billion of cumulative capital commitments and invested in more than 215 portfolio companies across 12 flagship private equity funds. NGP has experience investing across a variety of commodity price cycles and a track record of identifying high-quality assets, businesses and management teams with significant resources, capital and optimization potential. We believe that we will benefit from NGP’s prior experience in the public capital markets and from NGP’s exclusive focus on energy and energy-related investing. Since 2014, NGP portfolio companies have raised $6.1 billion in 10 IPO transactions and an additional $866 million through two energy-focused SPACs. Additionally, NGP was an early leader investing in energy technology and renewables through its partnership with NGP Energy Technology Partners (“NGP ETP”) and Philip J. Deutch. Since 2005, NGP has deployed approximately $500 million of capital through NGP ETP across a broad range of renewable and energy technology companies. With over 15 years of profitably investing in energy technology and renewables, we believe NGP’s deep experience and extensive network of senior industry contacts will add value to our search for a target business in the broad energy transition and sustainability sectors.

A prior NGP Fund and a management team different from our management team founded Vantage Energy Acquisition Corp. (“VEAC”) in 2017, a blank check company formed for substantially similar purposes as our company. VEAC completed its initial public offering in April 2017, in which it sold 55,200,000 units, each consisting of one share of Class A common stock of VEAC and one-third of one redeemable warrant to purchase one share of Class A common stock of VEAC, for an offering price of $10.00 per unit, generating aggregate proceeds of $552,000,000. On November 6, 2018, VEAC entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement (the “VEAC Purchase Agreement”) with QEP Energy Company, a Delaware corporation (“QEP Seller”), and Vantage Acquisition Operating Company, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly owned subsidiary of VEAC (“VEAC OpCo”), relating to the proposed acquisition by VEAC, through VEAC OpCo, of certain oil and natural gas assets located primarily in the Williston Basin in North Dakota and Montana. On February 20, 2019, VEAC, QEP Seller and VEAC OpCo mutually agreed to terminate the VEAC Purchase Agreement. The termination of the VEAC Purchase Agreement was effective as of February 20, 2019. In April 2019, VEAC redeemed all of its outstanding shares of Class A common stock because VEAC determined it was not able to consummate an initial business combination that would provide attractive returns to its stockholders within the time period required by its amended and restated certificate of incorporation. The per-share redemption price for the shares of VEAC’s Class A common stock was approximately $10.22. Other than Scott Gieselman, who served as a director of VEAC, none of our officers or directors served as an officer or director of VEAC.

We believe that potential sellers of target businesses will view the fact that our management team has successfully negotiated a business combination as a positive factor in considering whether or not to enter into a business combination with us. However, past performance of our management team, Switchback I or NGP is not a guarantee either (i) of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate or (ii) that we will be able to identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination. You should not rely on the historical record of our management team, Switchback I or any related investment’s performance as indicative of our future performance.

Business Strategy

Our acquisition and value creation strategy will be to identify and complete our initial business combination with a company that is playing an active role in providing solutions to reduce emissions and/or improve the sustainability of products and industries, along with making a positive impact on the communities that it serves by employing efficient and innovative business practices. We intend to target a company and management team that complements the experience of our management team and can benefit from its operational expertise and/or executive oversight. Our acquisition strategy will leverage our team’s network of potential proprietary and public transaction sources where we believe a combination of our relationships, knowledge and experience could effect a positive transformation or augmentation of existing businesses or properties to improve their overall value proposition. Our goal is to form a focused business with multiple competitive advantages and the potential to

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generate cash flow in excess of its capital. We would expect to grow the business over time, both organically and through acquisitions, with a focus on consistently achieving attractive returns on capital and maintaining conservative balance sheet metrics.

We believe our management team’s track record and execution experience, including its experience sourcing ChargePoint for Switchback I, together with the deep industry and investing experience of our sponsor combined with the extensive experience of our management team, make us very well positioned to identify, source, negotiate and execute a business combination that meets our investment criteria and generates attractive risk-adjusted returns for our shareholders. We plan to utilize the network and industry experience of our management team and NGP in seeking an initial business combination and employing our acquisition strategy. Over the course of their careers, the members of our management team and their affiliates have developed a broad network of contacts and corporate relationships that was instrumental in identifying a target for Switchback I and we believe will serve as a useful source of acquisition opportunities for us. This network has been developed through our management team’s extensive experience in both investing in and operating in the energy transition and sustainability industry and further expanded through its experience seeking an identifying a target for Switchback I. We will additionally leverage NGP’s considerable experience investing in the energy industry; since 1988, NGP Funds have raised approximately $20 billion of cumulative capital commitments from investors and invested in more than 215 portfolio companies across 12 flagship private equity funds. We expect these networks will provide our management team with a robust flow of acquisition opportunities. In addition, we anticipate that target business candidates will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, which may include investment market participants, private equity groups, investment banking firms, consultants, accounting firms and large business enterprises. Upon completion of this offering, members of our management team will communicate with their networks of relationships to articulate the parameters for our search for a target business and a potential business combination and begin the process of pursuing and reviewing potentially interesting leads.

Acquisition Criteria

Consistent with this strategy, we have identified the following general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective targets. We will use these criteria and guidelines in evaluating acquisition opportunities, but we may decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target that does not meet these criteria and guidelines. We intend to acquire target businesses that we believe:

are fundamentally sound but that we believe can achieve better results by leveraging the operating and financial experience of our management team and NGP and/or combining these businesses into a public vehicle run by our management team;

can utilize the extensive networks and insights that our management team and NGP have built in the energy transition and sustainability industry;

are at an inflection point, such as requiring additional management expertise, are able to innovate through new operational techniques, or where we believe we can drive improved financial performance;

exhibit unrecognized value or other characteristics, desirable returns on capital, and a need for capital to achieve the company’s growth strategy, that we believe have been misevaluated by the marketplace based on our analysis and due diligence review; and

will offer an attractive risk-adjusted return for our shareholders.

These criteria are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general guidelines as well as other considerations, factors and criteria that our management may deem relevant. In the event that we decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet the above criteria and guidelines, we will disclose that the target business does not meet the above criteria in our shareholder communications related to our initial business combination, which, as discussed in this prospectus, would be in the form of proxy solicitation or tender offer materials that we would file with the SEC.

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Initial Business Combination

The NYSE rules require that we must complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the net assets held in trust (net of amounts disbursed to management for working capital purposes and excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting discount held in trust) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial business combination. Our board will make the determination as to the fair market value of a target business or businesses. If our board is not able to independently determine the fair market value of a target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”), or an independent accounting firm with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria.

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require the affirmative vote of a majority of our board of directors, which must include a majority of our independent directors and each of the non-independent directors nominated by our sponsor, to approve our initial business combination.

We may pursue an acquisition opportunity jointly with our sponsor, or one or more other entities affiliated with NGP, including other NGP Funds, other NGP Fund portfolio companies, and/or one or more investors in the NGP Funds, which we refer to as an “Affiliated Joint Acquisition.” Any such parties may co-invest with us in the target business at the time of our initial business combination, or we could raise additional proceeds to complete the acquisition by issuing to such parties a class of equity or equity-linked securities. Any such issuance of equity or equity-linked securities would, on a fully diluted basis, reduce the percentage ownership of our then-existing shareholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, pursuant to the anti-dilution provisions of our Class B ordinary shares, issuances or deemed issuances of Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities would result in an adjustment to the ratio at which Class B ordinary shares shall convert into Class A ordinary shares such that our initial shareholders and their permitted transferees, if any, would retain their aggregate percentage ownership at 20% of the sum of the total number of all ordinary shares outstanding upon completion of this offering plus all Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued in connection with the business combination (excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the business combination), unless the holders of a majority of the then-outstanding Class B ordinary shares agreed to waive such adjustment with respect to such issuance or deemed issuance at the time thereof. Our sponsor and its affiliates have no obligation to make any such investment, and may compete with us for potential business combinations.

We anticipate structuring our initial business combination either (i) in such a way so that the post-transaction company in which our public shareholders own shares will own or acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses, or (ii) in such a way so that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or shareholders, or for other reasons, including an Affiliated Joint Acquisition as described above. However, we will only complete a business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise is not required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock, shares or other equity interests of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our shareholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test. If the business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the transactions and we will treat the target businesses together as the initial business combination for seeking shareholder approval or for purposes of a tender offer, as applicable.

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Our Acquisition Process

In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review that will encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, inspection of facilities, as well as a review of financial and other information that will be made available to us. We will also utilize our operational and capital allocation experience.

We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA or an independent accounting firm that our initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.

NGP XII, members of our management team and our independent directors will directly or indirectly own founder shares and/or private placement warrants following this offering. Through their direct or indirect interest in NGP XII, members of our board of directors who are employees of NGP currently own an indirect interest in us. Each member of our management team may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Further, each of our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.

Certain of the members of our board of directors are employed by NGP or affiliates of NGP. NGP and its affiliates are continuously made aware of potential business opportunities, one or more of which we may desire to pursue for a business combination; we have not, however, selected any specific business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target.

Certain of our directors presently have, and any of our officers and directors in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity. For example, certain of our officers and directors currently serve in similar roles for Switchback I, a blank check company incorporated as a Delaware corporation and formed for the purpose of effecting its own initial business combination. Scott McNeill is the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and a director of Switchback I, Jim Mutrie is the Chief Commercial Officer, General Counsel, Secretary and a director of Switchback I and Ray Kubis is a director of Switchback I. Each such officer and director owes fiduciary duties under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”) to Switchback I. In addition, Philip J. Deutch is the Chief Executive Officer of NGP Energy Technology Partners III, LLC (“NGP ETP III”), a portfolio company of NGP XII and a member of our sponsor, that is also focused on investments in the renewable energy industry.

Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity that is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such opportunity to such other entity, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our business combination. In addition, we may pursue an Affiliated Joint Acquisition opportunity with an entity to which an officer or director has a fiduciary or contractual obligation. Any such entity may co-invest with us in the target business at the time of our initial business combination, or we could raise additional proceeds to complete the business combination by making a specified future issuance of equity or equity-linked securities to any such entity. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law: (i) no individual serving as a director or officer will have any duty, except and to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as us; and (ii) we renounce any interest or expectancy in or in being offered an opportunity to participate in any potential transaction or matter which may be a corporate opportunity for any of our directors or officers on the one hand, and us, on the other hand.

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In addition, NGP or its affiliates may sponsor other blank check companies similar to our company during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination, and members of our management team may participate in such blank check companies. Any such companies may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an acquisition target, particularly in the event there is overlap among the management teams.

Prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will file a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). As a result, we will be subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act. We have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent to the consummation of our initial business combination.

Corporate Information

Our executive offices are located at 5949 Sherry Lane, Suite 1010, Dallas, TX 75225, and our telephone number is (972) 514-9535. Upon completion of this offering, our corporate website address will be                        . Our website and the information contained on, or that can be accessed through, the website is not deemed to be incorporated by reference in, and is not considered part of, this prospectus. You should not rely on any such information in making your decision whether to invest in our securities.

We are a Cayman Islands exempted company. Exempted companies are Cayman Islands companies conducting business mainly outside the Cayman Islands and, as such, are exempted from complying with certain provisions of the Companies Law. As an exempted company, we have applied for and received a tax exemption undertaking from the Cayman Islands government that, in accordance with Section 6 of the Tax Concessions Law (2018 Revision) of the Cayman Islands, for a period of 20 years from the date of the undertaking, no law which is enacted in the Cayman Islands imposing any tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations will apply to us or our operations and, in addition, that no tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations or which is in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax will be payable (i) on or in respect of our shares, debentures or other obligations or (ii) by way of the withholding in whole or in part of a payment of dividends or other distribution of income or capital by us to our shareholders or a payment of principal or interest or other sums due under a debenture or other obligation of us.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”). As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.

In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an emerging growth company can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.

We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion (as adjusted for inflation pursuant to SEC rules from time to time), or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our Class A ordinary shares that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period. References herein to emerging growth company shall have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act.

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Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (i) the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $250 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter or (ii) our annual revenues exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter.

The following diagram illustrates our simplified ownership structure after giving effect to this offering (assuming that the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is not exercised).

 

 

 

(1)

Interests are held indirectly by NGP XII US Holdings, L.P. through its wholly-owned subsidiary, NGP ETP III Investments, LLC and NGP ETP III Investments, LLC’s majority-owned subsidiary, NGP Energy Technology Partners III, LLC. NGP XII Holdings GP, L.L.C. is the sole general partner of NGP XII US Holdings, L.P., and NGP Natural Resources XII, L.P. is the sole member of NGP XII Holdings GP, L.L.C. G.F.W. Energy XII, L.P. is the sole general partner of NGP Natural Resources XII, L.P., and GFW XII, L.L.C. is the sole general partner of G.F.W. Energy XII, L.P. GFW XII, L.L.C. has delegated full power and authority to manage NGP XII US Holdings, L.P. to NGP Energy Capital Management, L.L.C. Chris Carter, Craig Glick and Jill Lampert serve on the Executive Committee of NGP Energy Capital Management, L.L.C. See the section of this prospectus entitled “Principal Shareholders.”

(2)

Interests are held by Scott McNeill, our Co-Chief Executive Officer and a member of our board of directors, and Jim Mutrie, our Co-Chief Executive Officer and a member of our board of directors.


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The Offering

In making your decision on whether to invest in our securities, you should take into account not only the backgrounds of the members of our management team, but also the special risks we face as a blank check company and the fact that this offering is not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act. You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings. You should carefully consider these and the other risks set forth in the section below entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 34.

Securities offered

25,000,000 units, at $10.00 per unit, each unit consisting of:

 

one Class A ordinary share; and

 

one-fifth of one redeemable warrant.

Listing symbols

We anticipate that the units, the Class A ordinary shares and warrants, once they begin separate trading, will be listed on the NYSE under the following symbols:

Units: “SWBK.U”

Class A ordinary shares: “SWBK”

Warrants: “SWBK.WS”

Trading commencement and separation of

Class A ordinary shares and warrants

The units will begin trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. The Class A ordinary shares and warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the Class A ordinary shares and warrants commence separate trading, holders will have the option to continue to hold units or separate their units into the component securities. Holders will need to have their brokers contact our transfer agent in order to separate the units into Class A ordinary shares and warrants. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least five units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant. Additionally, the units will automatically separate into their component parts and will not be traded after completion of our initial business combination.

Separate trading of the Class A ordinary

shares and warrants is prohibited until we

have filed a Current Report on Form 8-K

In no event will the Class A ordinary shares and warrants be traded separately until we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K that includes an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds at the closing of this offering. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering, which is anticipated to take place three business days from the date of this prospectus. If the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial

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information to reflect the exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units.

Units:

Number outstanding before this offering

0

Number outstanding after this offering

25,000,000(1)

Ordinary Shares:

Number outstanding before this offering

7,187,500 Class B ordinary shares(2)(3)

Number outstanding after this offering

31,250,000 Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares(1)(3)

Warrants:

Number of private placement warrants

to be sold in a private placement

simultaneously with this offering

4,666,666(1)

Number of warrants to be outstanding after

this offering and the private placement

9,666,666(1)

Exercisability

Each whole warrant offered in this offering is exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share. Only whole warrants are exercisable. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade.

Exercise price

$11.50 per whole share, subject to adjustment as described herein. In addition, if (x) we issue additional Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per Class A ordinary share (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by our board and, in the case of any such issuance to our sponsor or its affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by our sponsor or its affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance) (the “newly issued price”), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of our initial business combination on the date of the consummation of our initial business combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of our Class A ordinary shares during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which we consummate our initial business combination (such price, the “market value”) is below $9.20 per share, (i) the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the market value and the newly issued price, (ii) the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price described adjacent to “Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the market value and the newly issued price, (iii) the $10.00 per share redemption

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trigger price described adjacent to the caption “Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $10.00” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to the higher of the market value and the newly issued price, and (iv) the $12.00 per share trigger price described adjacent to the caption “Founder shares earnout” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 120% of the higher of the market value and the newly issued price.

 

(1)

Assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units and the forfeiture by our sponsor of 937,500 founder shares.

(2)

Includes up to 937,500 shares that are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised.

(3)  

The ordinary shares included in the units are Class A ordinary shares. Founder shares are classified as Class B ordinary shares, which shares are convertible into Class A ordinary shares on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as described below adjacent to the caption “Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution rights” and subject to forfeiture as described below adjacent to the caption “Founder shares earnout.” We refer to our Class A ordinary shares and our Class B ordinary shares collectively herein as our ordinary shares.

 

Exercise period

The warrants will become exercisable on the later of:

 

30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, and

 

12 months from the closing of this offering;

provided in each case that we have an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available and such shares are registered, qualified or exempt from registration under the securities, or blue sky, laws of the state of residence of the holder (or we permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis under the circumstances specified in the warrant agreement including as a result of a notice of redemption described below under “Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00” or “Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $10.00”).

We are not registering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants at this time. We have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 20 business days, after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement for the registration, under the Securities Act, of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants. We will use our commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become effective and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement, and a current prospectus relating thereto, until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. Notwithstanding the above, if our Class A ordinary shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that it satisfies the definition of a “covered security” under Section

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18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless” basis in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, but we will be required to use our commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available.

The warrants will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, five years after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation. On the exercise of any warrant, the warrant exercise price will be paid directly to us and not placed in the trust account.

Redemption of warrants when the price per
Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds

$18.00

Once the warrants become exercisable, we may redeem the outstanding warrants for cash (except as described herein with respect to the private placement warrants):

 

in whole and not in part;

 

at a price of $0.01 per warrant;

 

upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption, which we refer to as the “30-day redemption period,” to each warrantholder; and

 

if, and only if, the last sale price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading day period ending three business days prior to the date on which we send the notice of redemption to the warrantholders.

We will not redeem the warrants as described above unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is effective and a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares is available throughout the 30-day redemption period. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws.

None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us so long as they are held by the initial purchasers of the private placement warrants or their permitted transferees.

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Redemption of warrants when the price per
Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds

$10.00

Once the warrants become exercisable, we may redeem the outstanding warrants (except as described herein with respect to the private placement warrants):

 

in whole and not in part;

 

at a price of $0.10 per warrant upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption provided that holders will be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis prior to redemption and receive that number of Class A ordinary shares determined by reference to the table set forth under “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Shareholders’ Warrants” based on the redemption date and the “fair market value” of our Class A ordinary shares (as defined below) except as otherwise described in “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Shareholders’ Warrants”; and

 

if, and only if, the last sale price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $10.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) on the trading day prior to the date on which we send the notice of redemption to the warrantholders.

The “fair market value” of our Class A ordinary shares shall mean the average reported last sale price of our Class A ordinary shares for the 10 trading days immediately following the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. We will provide our warrantholders with the final fair market value no later than one business day after the ten trading day period described above ends. In no event will the warrants be exercisable on a cashless basis in connection with this redemption feature for more than 0.361 Class A ordinary shares per whole warrant (subject to adjustment). This redemption feature differs from the typical warrant redemption features used in some other blank check offerings.

No fractional Class A ordinary shares will be issued upon the exercise of warrants on a cashless basis. If, upon the exercise of warrants on a cashless basis, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will round down to the nearest whole number of the number of Class A ordinary shares to be issued to the holder. Please see the section entitled “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Shareholders’ Warrants” for additional information.

None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us so long as they are held by the initial purchasers of the private placement warrants or their permitted transferees.

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Appointment of directors; voting rights

Prior to our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors. Holders of the Class A ordinary shares will not be entitled to vote on the appointment of directors during such time. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may only be amended by a special resolution passed by a majority of at least 90% of our ordinary shares voting at a general meeting. With respect to any other matter submitted to a vote of our shareholders, including any vote in connection with our initial business combination, except as required by applicable law or stock exchange rule, holders of our Class A ordinary shares and holders of our Class B ordinary shares will vote together as a single class, with each share entitling the holder to one vote.

Founder shares

In October 2020, 7,906,250 founder shares were issued to our sponsor in exchange for the payment of $25,000 of expenses on our behalf, or approximately $0.003 per share. In October 2020, our sponsor returned to us at no cost an aggregate of 718,750 founder shares, which we cancelled. Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,000 by our sponsor, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. The per share price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash contributed to the company by the number of founder shares issued. The number of founder shares issued was determined based on the expectation that the founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares after this offering. As such, our initial shareholders will collectively own 20% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering). If we increase or decrease the size of the offering, we will effect a share dividend or share contribution back to capital, as applicable, with respect to our Class B ordinary shares, immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of our initial shareholders prior to this offering at 20% of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering. Up to 937,500 founder shares will be subject to forfeiture by our sponsor (or its permitted transferees) depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is not exercised so that our initial shareholders will maintain ownership of 20% of our ordinary shares after this offering.

The founder shares are identical to the Class A ordinary shares included in the units being sold in this offering, except that:

 

the founder shares are Class B ordinary shares that automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment pursuant to certain anti-dilution rights, as described herein;

 

25% of the Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion of the founder shares will be subject to forfeiture on the fifth anniversary of the closing of our initial business combination if the price of our Class A ordinary shares does not reach a certain threshold before such date, as described in more detail below;

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only holders of the founder shares have the right to vote on the appointment of directors prior to our initial business combination;

 

the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below;

 

our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed (i) to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares held by them in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) in a manner that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity and (iii) to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering (although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame). If we submit our initial business combination to our public shareholders for a vote, we will complete our initial business combination only if we obtain the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of a majority of the ordinary shares, represented in person or by proxy and entitled to vote thereon, voted and who vote at a general meeting. Our initial shareholders have agreed to vote any founder shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, in addition to our initial shareholders’ founder shares, we would need 9,375,001, or 37.5%, of the 25,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming all outstanding shares are voted and the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is not exercised); and

 

the founder shares are entitled to registration rights.

Transfer restrictions on founder shares

Our initial shareholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any founder shares held by them until one year after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination or earlier if, subsequent to our initial business combination, (i) the last sale price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading

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days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination or (ii) we consummate a subsequent liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property (except as described herein under “Principal Shareholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants”).

In addition, our initial shareholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any earnout shares held by them until the earlier of (i) the occurrence of the triggering event (as defined below) and (ii) the fifth anniversary of the date of the consummation of our initial business combination, at which time the earnout shares would be forfeited, as described below under “Founder shares earnout” (except as described herein under “Principal Shareholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants”).


We refer to such transfer restrictions throughout this prospectus as the lock-up.

Founder shares conversion and

anti-dilution rights

We have issued 7,187,500 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share. The Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for share subdivisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional Class A ordinary shares, or equity-linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts sold in this offering and related to the closing of the initial business combination, the ratio at which Class B ordinary shares shall convert into Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the outstanding Class B ordinary shares agree to waive such adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all Class B ordinary shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the sum of the total number of all ordinary shares outstanding upon the completion of this offering plus all Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued in connection with the business combination (excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the business combination).

Founder shares earnout

Upon and subject to the conversion of the Class B ordinary shares (as adjusted as set forth above) into Class A ordinary shares at the time of the closing of our initial business combination as set forth above, 25% of such Class A ordinary shares (the “earnout shares”) shall become subject to potential forfeiture if the triggering event (as defined below) does not occur during the time period between the closing date of our initial business combination and the five-year anniversary of such date (the “earnout period”); “triggering event”  means the date on which the average reported last sale price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 for any 10 trading days within any 20 consecutive trading day period; provided, that, if, during the earnout period, we

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consummate a subsequent liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction pursuant to which we or any of our shareholders have the right to receive consideration implying a value of our Class A ordinary shares (as determined in good faith by our board) of greater than or equal to $12.00, then the triggering event shall be deemed to have occurred.

Voting

Holders of our Class B ordinary shares will have the right to appoint all of our directors prior to our initial business combination. On any other matter submitted to a vote of our shareholders, holders of the Class A ordinary shares and holders of the Class B ordinary shares will vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of our shareholders, except as required by law or stock exchange rule. Each ordinary share will have one vote on all such matters.

Private placement warrants

Our sponsor has committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase an aggregate of 4,666,666 private placement warrants (or 5,166,666 private placement warrants if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), each exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share at $11.50 per share, at a price of $1.50 per warrant ($7,000,000 in the aggregate or $7,750,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Each whole private placement warrant is exercisable for one whole Class A ordinary share at $11.50 per share. A portion of the purchase price of the private placement warrants will be added to the proceeds from this offering to be held in the trust account such that at the time of closing $250.0 million (or approximately $287.5 million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional units in full) will be held in the trust account. If we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, the proceeds from the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law) and the private placement warrants will expire without value to the holder. The private placement warrants will be non-redeemable and exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees. If the private placement warrants are held by holders other than our sponsor or its permitted transferees, the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us and exercisable by the holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the units being sold in this offering.

Transfer restrictions on private placement

warrants

The private placement warrants will not be transferable, assignable or saleable until the date that is 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination (except as described below under “Principal Shareholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants”).

Cashless exercise of private placement

warrants

If holders of private placement warrants elect to exercise them on a cashless basis, each holder would pay the exercise price by

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surrendering the warrants in exchange for a number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of (A) the number of Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants, and (B) the excess of the “fair market value” (defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” shall mean the average reported last sale price of the Class A ordinary shares for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of warrant exercise is sent to the warrant agent. The reason that we have agreed that these warrants will be exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees is because it is not known at this time whether they will be affiliated with us following a business combination. If they remain affiliated with us, their ability to sell our securities in the open market will be significantly limited. We expect to have policies in place that prohibit insiders from selling our securities except during specific periods of time. Even during such periods of time when insiders will be permitted to sell our securities, an insider cannot trade in our securities if he or she is in possession of material non-public information. Accordingly, unlike public shareholders who could sell the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants freely in the open market, the insiders could be significantly restricted from doing so. As a result, we believe that allowing the holders to exercise such warrants on a cashless basis is appropriate.

Proceeds to be held in trust account

The rules of the NYSE provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants be deposited in a trust account. Of the proceeds we will receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants described in this prospectus, $250.0 million, or $10.00 per unit (approximately $287.5 million, or $10.00 per unit, if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) will be deposited into a U.S.-based trust account with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee and $15.8 million will be used to pay expenses in connection with the closing of this offering and for working capital following this offering. The proceeds to be placed in the trust account include approximately $8.8 million (or approximately $10.1 million if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) in deferred underwriting discounts and commissions.

Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our tax obligations, the proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of (a) the completion of our initial business combination (including the release of funds to pay any amounts due to any public shareholders who properly exercise their redemption rights in connection therewith), (b) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) in a manner that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or

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(B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity, or (c) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could become subject to the claims of our creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of our public shareholders.

Anticipated expenses and funding sources

Unless and until we complete our initial business combination, no proceeds held in the trust account will be available for our use, except the withdrawal of interest to pay our taxes. The proceeds held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. We will disclose in each quarterly and annual report filed with the SEC prior to our initial business combination whether the proceeds deposited in the trust account are invested in U.S. government treasury obligations or money market funds or a combination thereof. We estimate the interest earned on the trust account will be approximately $250,000 per year, assuming an interest rate of 0.10% per year; however, we can provide no assurances regarding this amount. Unless and until we complete our initial business combination, we may pay our expenses only from:

 

the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants not held in the trust account, which will be approximately $1.0 million in working capital after the payment of approximately $1.0 million in expenses relating to this offering; and

 

any loans or additional investments from our sponsor, members of our management team or their affiliates or other third parties, although they are under no obligation to advance funds or invest in us, and provided that any such loans will not have any claim on the proceeds held in the trust account unless such proceeds are released to us upon completion of our initial business combination.

Conditions to completing our initial

business combination

There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds privately or through loans in connection with our initial business combination. The NYSE rules require that our initial business combination must occur with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the trust account (net of amounts disbursed to management for working capital purposes and excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting discount held in trust) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination.

If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses or we are considering an initial business combination with an affiliated

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entity, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA or an independent accounting firm. Our shareholders may not be provided with a copy of such opinion nor will they be able to rely on such opinion.

We anticipate structuring our initial business combination so that the post-transaction company in which our public shareholders own shares will own or acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial business combination such that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or shareholders or for other reasons, including, but not limited to, an Affiliated Joint Acquisition. However, we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise is not required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-business combination company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination transaction. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be taken into account for purposes of the NYSE’s 80% of net assets test, provided that in the event that the business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the transactions and we will treat the transactions together as our initial business combination for seeking shareholder approval or for purposes of a tender offer, as applicable.

Permitted purchases of public shares and

public warrants by our affiliates

If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates may purchase public shares or public warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds held in the trust account will be used to purchase public shares or public warrants in such transactions. If they engage in such transactions, they will not make any such purchases when they are in possession of any material nonpublic information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the

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purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will comply with such rules. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements. See “Proposed Business — Permitted Purchases of our Securities” for a description of how our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates will select which shareholders to purchase securities from in any private transaction.

The purpose of any such purchases of shares could be to vote such shares in favor of the business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining shareholder approval of the business combination or to satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. The purpose of any such purchases of public warrants could be to reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or to vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrantholders for approval in connection with our initial business combination. Any such purchases of our securities may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our Class A ordinary shares or our public warrants may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.

There is no limit on the number of public shares and public warrants that our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates may purchase pursuant to the transactions described above.

Redemption rights for public shareholders

upon completion of our initial

business combination

We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share. The per share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions we will pay to the underwriters. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our initial business combination with respect to our warrants. Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares held by them and any public shares

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they may acquire during or after this offering in connection with the completion of our business combination.

Limitations on redemptions

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). However, a greater net tangible asset or cash requirement may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. For example, the proposed business combination may require (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash to be transferred to the target for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions in accordance with the terms of the proposed business combination. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all Class A ordinary shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the business combination or redeem any shares, and all Class A ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof.

Manner of conducting redemptions

We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination either (i) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the business combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would require us to seek shareholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements. Asset acquisitions and share purchases would not typically require shareholder approval, while direct mergers with our company where we do not survive and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our outstanding ordinary shares or seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association would require shareholder approval. We currently intend to conduct redemptions in connection with a shareholder vote unless shareholder approval is not required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements and we choose to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC for business or other legal reasons.

If we hold a shareholder vote to approve our initial business combination, we will:

 

conduct the redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies, and not pursuant to the tender offer rules; and

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file proxy materials with the SEC.

If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we obtain the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of a majority of the ordinary shares, represented in person or by proxy and entitled to vote thereon, voted and who vote at a general meeting. A quorum for such meeting will consist of the holders present in person or by proxy of the outstanding shares of the company representing a majority of the voting power of all outstanding shares of the company entitled to vote at such meeting. Our initial shareholders will count towards this quorum and have agreed to vote their founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination. For purposes of seeking approval of the requisite majority of our outstanding ordinary shares voted, abstentions and non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial business combination once a quorum is obtained. As a result, in addition to our initial shareholders’ founder shares, we would need 9,375,001, or 37.5%, of the 25,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming all outstanding shares are voted and the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is not exercised), subject to any higher consent threshold as may be required by Cayman Islands or other applicable law. We intend to give approximately 30 days (but not less than 10 days nor more than 60 days) prior written notice of any such meeting, if required, at which a vote shall be taken to approve our initial business combination. These quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreements of our initial shareholders, may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination. Each public shareholder may elect to redeem its public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction or vote at all.

We may require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the initially scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically. We believe that this will allow our transfer agent to efficiently process any redemptions without the need for further communication or action from the redeeming public shareholders, which could delay redemptions and result in additional administrative cost. If the proposed business combination is not approved and we continue to search for a target business, we will promptly return any certificates delivered, or shares tendered electronically, by public shareholders who elected to redeem their shares.

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If we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association:

 

conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers; and

 

file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about our initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies. Although we are not required to do so, we currently intend to comply with the substantive and procedural requirements of Regulation 14A in connection with any shareholder vote even if we are not able to maintain our NYSE listing or Exchange Act registration.

Upon the public announcement of our business combination, if we elect to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, we or our sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase Class A ordinary shares in the open market, in order to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act.

In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on public shareholders not tendering more than the number of public shares we are permitted to redeem. If public shareholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete the initial business combination.

Limitation on redemption rights of

shareholders holding 20% or more of the

shares sold in this offering if we hold

shareholder vote

Notwithstanding the foregoing redemption rights, if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 20% of the shares sold in this offering, without our prior consent. We believe the restriction described above will discourage shareholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to redeem their shares as a means to force us or our management to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent

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this provision, a public shareholder holding more than an aggregate of 20% of the shares sold in this offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights against a business combination if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us, our sponsor or our management at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our shareholders’ ability to redeem more than 20% of the shares sold in this offering, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of shareholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our business combination, particularly in connection with a business combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. However, we would not be restricting our shareholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including all shares held by those shareholders that hold more than 20% of the shares sold in this offering) for or against our business combination.

Redemption rights in connection with

proposed amendments to our

memorandum and articles of association

Some other blank check companies have a provision in their charter which prohibits the amendment of certain charter provisions. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that any of its provisions (other than amendments relating to the appointment of directors prior to our initial business combination, which require the approval of a majority of at least 90% of our ordinary shares voting at a general meeting) related to pre-business combination activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of this offering and the private placement of warrants into the trust account and not release such amounts except in specified circumstances, and to provide redemption rights to public shareholders as described herein) may be amended if approved by holders of at least two thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote in a general meeting, and corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account may be amended if approved by holders of at least two thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote in a general meeting. Our initial shareholders, who will beneficially own 20% of our ordinary shares upon the closing of this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering), will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and/or trust agreement and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) in a manner that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Class A ordinary shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not

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previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described above under “Limitations on redemptions.” For example, our board of directors may propose such an amendment if it determines that additional time is necessary to complete our initial business combination. Pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, such an amendment would need to be approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two thirds of all then-outstanding ordinary shares who attend and vote in a general meeting. In such event, we will conduct a proxy solicitation and distribute proxy materials pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act seeking shareholder approval of such proposal, and in connection therewith, provide our public shareholders with the redemption rights described above upon shareholder approval of such amendment. This redemption right shall apply in the event of the approval of any such amendment, whether proposed by our sponsor, any executive officer, director or director nominee, or any other person.

Release of funds in trust account on closing

of our initial business combination

On the completion of our initial business combination, the funds held in the trust account will be used to pay amounts due to any public shareholders who exercise their redemption rights as described above under “Redemption rights for public shareholders upon completion of our initial business combination,” to pay the underwriters their deferred underwriting discounts and commissions, to pay all or a portion of the consideration payable to the target or owners of the target of our initial business combination and to pay other expenses associated with our initial business combination. If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt securities, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of post-transaction businesses, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other businesses or assets or for working capital.

Redemption of public shares and

distribution and liquidation if no initial

business combination

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides that we will have only 24 months from the closing of this offering to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within such 24-month period, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses and net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will

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completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire without value to the holder if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the 24-month time period.

Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering. However, if our initial shareholders or management team acquire public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the allotted 24-month time period.

The underwriters have agreed to waive their rights to their deferred underwriting discounts and commissions held in the trust account in the event we do not complete our initial business combination and subsequently liquidate and, in such event, such amounts will be included with the funds held in the trust account that will be available to fund the redemption of our public shares.

Limited payments to insiders

There will be no finder’s fees, reimbursements or cash payments made by the company to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates, for services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, other than the following payments, none of which will be made from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account prior to the completion of our initial business combination:

 

repayment of up to an aggregate of $300,000 in loans made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses;

 

reimbursement for office space, utilities, secretarial support and administrative services provided to us by our sponsor, in an amount equal to $20,000 per month;

 

reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating, negotiating and completing an initial business combination; and

 

repayment of loans which may be made by our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or our officers and directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants of the post business combination entity at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the

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lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period. Except for the foregoing, the terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans.

Audit Committee

We will establish and maintain an audit committee, which will be composed entirely of independent directors as and when required by the rules of the NYSE and Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act. Among its responsibilities, the audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates, and monitor compliance with the other terms relating to this offering. If any noncompliance is identified, then the audit committee will be charged with the responsibility to promptly take all action necessary to rectify such noncompliance or otherwise to cause compliance with the terms of this offering. For more information, see the section entitled “Management — Committees of the Board of Directors — Audit Committee.”

Conflicts of Interest

NGP manages several investment vehicles. NGP Funds and other NGP affiliates and portfolio companies may compete with us for acquisition opportunities. If these entities decide to pursue any such opportunity, we may be precluded from procuring such opportunities. In addition, investment ideas generated within NGP may be suitable for both us and for a current or future NGP Fund or NGP Fund portfolio company and may be directed to such investment vehicle rather than to us. Neither NGP nor members of our board of directors who are also employed by NGP have any obligation to present us with any opportunity for a potential business combination of which they become aware, unless presented to such member solely in his or her capacity as an officer of the company. NGP and/or certain of our directors, in their capacities as employees of NGP or in their other endeavors, may be required to present potential business combinations to the related entities described above, current or future NGP Funds or portfolio companies, or third parties, before they present such opportunities to us.

Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such opportunity to such other entity, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our business combination.

In addition, NGP or its affiliates may sponsor other blank check companies similar to ours during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination, and members of our

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management team may participate in such blank check companies. Any such companies may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an acquisition target, particularly in the event there is overlap among the management teams.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, we may pursue an Affiliated Joint Acquisition opportunity with any such fund or other investment vehicle. Such entity may co-invest with us in the target business at the time of our initial business combination, or we could raise additional proceeds to complete the acquisition by issuing to such entity a class of equity or equity-linked securities.

Indemnity

Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party (other than our independent public accountants) for services rendered or products sold to us, or by a prospective target business with which we have entered into a letter of intent, confidentiality or other similar agreement or business combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below (i) $10.00 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest which may be withdrawn to pay our taxes.

This liability will not apply with respect to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, then our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third party claims. We have not independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.


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Risks

We are a newly incorporated company that has conducted no operations and has generated no revenues. Until we complete our initial business combination, we will have no operations and will generate no operating revenues. In making your decision whether to invest in our securities, you should take into account not only the background of our management team, but also the special risks we face as a blank check company. This offering is not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act. Accordingly, you will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings. For additional information concerning how Rule 419 blank check offerings differ from this offering, please see “Proposed Business — Comparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419.” You should carefully consider these and the other risks set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 34. Such risks include, but are not limited to, the following:

 

 

We are a newly incorporated company with no operating history and no revenues, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.

 

Past performance by our management team, Switchback I and NGP may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in us.

 

Our public shareholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed business combination, which means we may complete our initial business combination even though a majority of our public shareholders do not support such a combination.

 

Your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination may be limited to the exercise of your right to redeem your shares from us for cash.

 

If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial shareholders and management team have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public shareholders vote.

 

The ability of our public shareholders to redeem their shares for cash may make our financial condition unattractive to potential business combination targets, which may make it difficult for us to enter into a business combination with a target.

 

The ability of our public shareholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares may not allow us to complete the most desirable business combination or optimize our capital structure.

 

The ability of our public shareholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares could increase the probability that our initial business combination would be unsuccessful and that you would have to wait for liquidation in order to redeem your shares.

 

The requirement that we complete our initial business combination within the prescribed timeframe may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating a business combination and may limit the time we have to conduct due diligence on potential business combination targets as we approach our dissolution deadline, which could undermine our ability to complete our business combination on terms that would produce value for our shareholders.

 

Our search for a business combination, and any target business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination, may be materially adversely affected by the recent coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and the status of debt and equity markets.

 

We may not be able to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed timeframe, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate, in which case our public shareholders may receive only their pro rata portion of the

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funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our warrants will expire without value to the holder.  

 

If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial shareholders, sponsor, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates may elect to purchase shares or public warrants from public shareholders or public warrantholders, which may influence a vote on a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our Class A ordinary shares.

 

If a shareholder fails to receive notice of our offer to redeem our public shares in connection with our business combination, or fails to comply with the procedures for tendering its shares, such shares may not be redeemed.

 

You will not have any rights or interests in funds from the trust account, except under certain limited circumstances. Therefore, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.

 

The NYSE may delist our securities from trading on its exchange, which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.

 

You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of many other blank check companies.

 

If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, and if you or a “group” of shareholders are deemed to hold in excess of 20% of our Class A ordinary shares, you will lose the ability to redeem all such shares in excess of 20% of our Class A ordinary shares.

 

Because of our limited resources and the significant competition for business combination opportunities, it may be more difficult for us to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our warrants will expire without value to the holder.

 

If the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants not being held in the trust account are insufficient to allow us to operate for at least the next 24 months, it could limit the amount available to fund our search for a target business or businesses and complete our initial business combination and we will depend on loans from our sponsor or management team to fund our search for a business combination, to pay our taxes and to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to obtain these loans, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination.

 

Our initial business combination may be structured in a manner that requires shareholders and/or warrantholders to recognize gain or income for tax purposes, and our shareholders and warrantholders may be subject to additional income, withholding or other taxes with respect to their ownership of us after our initial business combination. In addition, as a result of our business combination, our tax obligations may be more complex, burdensome and uncertain.

 

We may be treated as a passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”), which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. investors.

 

An investment in this offering may result in uncertain or adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences for an investor, including uncertainty with respect to the allocation of tax basis among the components of our units, the tax treatment of a cashless exercise of warrants and the applicable holding period of our Class A ordinary shares.

 

The other risks and uncertainties discussed in “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus.

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Summary Financial Data

The following table summarizes the relevant financial data for our business and should be read with our financial statements, which are included in this prospectus. We have not had any significant operations to date, so only balance sheet data is presented.

 

 

 

October 8, 2020

 

Balance Sheet Data:

 

 

 

 

Working capital (deficiency)

 

$

(38,966

)

Total assets

 

$

76,034

 

Total liabilities

 

$

60,000

 

Shareholder's equity

 

$

16,034

 

 

If no business combination is completed within 24 months from the closing of this offering, the proceeds then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes (net of any taxes payable by us and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares. Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination within such 24 month time period.

 

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RISK FACTORS

An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully all of the risks described below, together with the other information contained in this prospectus, before making a decision to invest in our units. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition and operating results may be materially adversely affected. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Relating to Our Search for, Consummation of, or Inability to Consummate, a Business Combination and Post-Business Combination Risks

We are a newly incorporated company with no operating history and no revenues, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.

We are a newly incorporated company established in the Cayman Islands with no operating results, and we will not commence operations until obtaining funding through this offering. Because we lack an operating history, you have no basis upon which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective of completing our initial business combination with one or more target businesses. We have no plans, arrangements or understandings with any prospective target business concerning a business combination and may be unable to complete our business combination. If we fail to complete our business combination, we will never generate any operating revenues.

Past performance by our management team, Switchback I and NGP may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in us.

Information regarding performance by, or businesses associated with, our management team, Switchback I, NGP, other NGP Funds and any related investment is presented for informational purposes only. Past performance by our management team, Switchback I, NGP, other NGP Funds and any related investment is not a guarantee either (i) of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate or (ii) that we will be able to locate a suitable candidate for our initial business combination. You should not rely on the historical record of our management team, Switchback I, NGP, other NGP Funds or any related investment’s performance as indicative of our future performance or of an investment in us or the returns we will, or are likely to, generate going forward.

Our public shareholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed business combination, which means we may complete our initial business combination even though a majority of our public shareholders do not support such a combination.

We may choose not to hold a shareholder vote to approve our initial business combination if the business combination would not require shareholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements. Except as required by applicable law or stock exchange requirement, the decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination or will allow shareholders to sell their shares to us in a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors, such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would otherwise require us to seek shareholder approval. Accordingly, we may complete our initial business combination even if holders of a majority of our public shares do not approve of the business combination we complete. Please see the section entitled “Proposed Business — Shareholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve Our Initial Business Combination” for additional information.

Your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination may be limited to the exercise of your right to redeem your shares from us for cash.

At the time of your investment in us, you will not be provided with an opportunity to evaluate the specific merits or risks of our initial business combination. Since our board of directors may complete a business combination without seeking shareholder approval, public shareholders may not have the right or opportunity to vote on the business combination, unless we seek such shareholder vote. Accordingly, if we do not seek shareholder approval, your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination may be limited to exercising your redemption rights within the period of time (which will be at least 20 business days) set forth in our tender offer documents mailed to our public shareholders in which we describe our initial business combination.

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If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial shareholders and management team have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public shareholders vote.

Our initial shareholders will own 20% of our outstanding ordinary shares immediately following the completion of this offering. Our initial shareholders and management team also may from time to time purchase Class A ordinary shares prior to our initial business combination. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that, if we seek shareholder approval of an initial business combination, such initial business combination will be approved only if we obtain the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of a majority of the ordinary shares, represented in person or by proxy and entitled to vote thereon, voted and who vote at a general meeting, including the founder shares. As a result, in addition to our initial shareholders’ founder shares, we would need 9,375,001, or 37.5%, of the 25,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming all outstanding shares are voted and the option to purchase additional units is not exercised), subject to any higher consent threshold as may be required by Cayman Islands or other applicable law. Accordingly, if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, the agreement by our initial shareholders and management team to vote in favor of our initial business combination will increase the likelihood that we will receive the requisite shareholder approval for such initial business combination.

The ability of our public shareholders to redeem their shares for cash may make our financial condition unattractive to potential business combination targets, which may make it difficult for us to enter into a business combination with a target.

We may seek to enter into a business combination transaction agreement with a prospective target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. If too many public shareholders exercise their redemption rights, we would not be able to meet such closing condition and, as a result, would not be able to proceed with the business combination. Furthermore, in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). Consequently, if accepting all properly submitted redemption requests would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of underwriters’ fees and commissions or such greater amount necessary to satisfy a closing condition as described above, we would not proceed with such redemption and the related business combination and may instead search for an alternate business combination. Prospective targets will be aware of these risks and, thus, may be reluctant to enter into a business combination transaction with us.

The ability of our public shareholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares may not allow us to complete the most desirable business combination or optimize our capital structure.

At the time we enter into an agreement for our initial business combination, we will not know how many shareholders may exercise their redemption rights, and therefore will need to structure the transaction based on our expectations as to the number of shares that will be submitted for redemption. If our business combination agreement requires us to use a portion of the cash in the trust account to pay the purchase price, or requires us to have a minimum amount of cash at closing, we will need to reserve a portion of the cash in the trust account to meet such requirements, or arrange for third party financing. In addition, if a larger number of shares are submitted for redemption than we initially expected, we may need to restructure the transaction to reserve a greater portion of the cash in the trust account or arrange for third party financing. Raising additional third party financing may involve dilutive equity issuances or the incurrence of indebtedness at higher than desirable levels. The above considerations may limit our ability to complete the most desirable business combination available to us or optimize our capital structure. The amount of the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions payable to the underwriters will not be adjusted for any shares that are redeemed in connection with a business combination. The per-share amount we will distribute to shareholders who properly exercise their redemption rights will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions and after such redemptions, the amount held in trust will continue to reflect our obligation to pay the entire deferred underwriting discounts and commissions.

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The ability of our public shareholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares could increase the probability that our initial business combination would be unsuccessful and that you would have to wait for liquidation in order to redeem your shares.

If our business combination agreement requires us to use a portion of the cash in the trust account to pay the purchase price, or requires us to have a minimum amount of cash at closing, the probability that our initial business combination would be unsuccessful is increased. If our initial business combination is unsuccessful, you would not receive your pro rata portion of the trust account until we liquidate the trust account. If you are in need of immediate liquidity, you could attempt to sell your shares in the open market; however, at such time our shares may trade at a discount to the pro rata amount per share in the trust account. In either situation, you may suffer a material loss on your investment or lose the benefit of funds expected in connection with our redemption until we liquidate or you are able to sell your shares in the open market.

The requirement that we complete our initial business combination within the prescribed timeframe may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating a business combination and may limit the time we have to conduct due diligence on potential business combination targets as we approach our dissolution deadline, which could undermine our ability to complete our business combination on terms that would produce value for our shareholders.

Any potential target business with which we enter into negotiations concerning a business combination will be aware that we must complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering. Consequently, such target business may obtain leverage over us in negotiating a business combination, knowing that if we do not complete our initial business combination with that particular target business, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination with any target business. This risk will increase as we get closer to the timeframe described above. In addition, we may have limited time to conduct due diligence and may enter into our initial business combination on terms that we would have rejected upon a more comprehensive investigation.

Our search for a business combination, and any target business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination, may be materially adversely affected by the recent coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and the status of debt and equity markets.

In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus was reported to have surfaced in Wuhan, China, which has and is continuing to spread throughout China and other parts of the world, including the United States. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern.” On January 31, 2020, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II declared a public health emergency for the United States to aid the U.S. healthcare community in responding to COVID-19, and on March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization characterized the outbreak as a “pandemic”. The COVID-19 outbreak has resulted, and a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases could result, in a widespread health crisis that has adversely affected, in the case of COVID-19, and could adversely affect, in the case of future outbreaks of infectious diseases, the economies and financial markets worldwide, and the business of any potential target business with which we consummate a business combination could be materially and adversely affected. Furthermore, we may be unable to complete a business combination if continued concerns relating to COVID-19 continues to restrict travel, limit the ability to have meetings with potential investors or the target company’s personnel, vendors and services providers are unavailable to negotiate and consummate a transaction in a timely manner. The extent to which COVID-19 impacts our search for a business combination will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of COVID-19 and the actions to contain COVID-19 or treat its impact, among others. If the disruptions posed by COVID-19 or other matters of global concern continue for an extensive period of time, our ability to consummate a business combination, or the operations of a target business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination, may be materially adversely affected.

In addition, our ability to consummate a transaction may be dependent on the ability to raise equity and debt financing which may be impacted by COVID-19 and other events, including as a result of increased market volatility, decreased market liquidity and third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to us or at all. Finally, the outbreak of COVID-19 may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this “Risk Factors” section.

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We may not be able to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed timeframe, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate, in which case our public shareholders may receive only their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our warrants will expire without value to the holder.  

We may not be able to find a suitable target business and complete our initial business combination within 24 months after the closing of this offering. Our ability to complete our initial business combination may be negatively impacted by general market conditions, volatility in the capital and debt markets and the other risks described herein. If we have not completed our initial business combination within such time period, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes (net of any taxes payable by us and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. In such case, our public shareholders may only receive $10.00 per share, and our warrants will expire without value to the holder. In certain circumstances, our public shareholders may receive less than $10.00 per share on the redemption of their shares. See “—If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors below.

If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial shareholders, sponsor, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates may elect to purchase shares or public warrants from public shareholders or public warrantholders, which may influence a vote on a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our Class A ordinary shares.

If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares or public warrants or a combination thereof in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination, although they are under no obligation to do so. There is no limit on the number of shares our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase in such transactions, subject to compliance with applicable law and the rules of the NYSE. However, other than as expressly stated herein, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase shares or public warrants in such transactions.

In the event that our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions from public shareholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights, such selling shareholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares. The purpose of any such purchases of shares could be to vote such shares in favor of the business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining shareholder approval of the business combination or to satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. The purpose of any such purchases of public warrants could be to reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or to vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrantholders for approval in connection with our initial business combination. Any such purchases of our securities may result in the completion of our business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent the purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements. See “Proposed Business — Permitted Purchases of our Securities” for a description of how our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates will select which shareholders to purchase securities from in any private transaction.

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In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our Class A ordinary shares or public warrants and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, possibly making it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.

If a shareholder fails to receive notice of our offer to redeem our public shares in connection with our business combination, or fails to comply with the procedures for tendering its shares, such shares may not be redeemed.

We will comply with the proxy rules or tender offer rules, as applicable, when conducting redemptions in connection with our business combination. Despite our compliance with these rules, if a shareholder fails to receive our proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, such shareholder may not become aware of the opportunity to redeem its shares. In addition, the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will describe the various procedures that must be complied with in order to validly redeem or tender public shares. For example, we may require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the initially scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically. In the event that a shareholder fails to comply with these or any other procedures, its shares may not be redeemed. See “Proposed Business — Tendering Share Certificates in Connection with a Tender Offer or Redemption Rights.”

If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, and if you or a “group” of shareholders are deemed to hold in excess of 20% of our Class A ordinary shares, you will lose the ability to redeem all such shares in excess of 20% of our Class A ordinary shares.

If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to more than an aggregate of 20% of the shares sold in this offering without our prior consent, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares.” However, we would not be restricting our shareholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our business combination. Your inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce your influence over our ability to complete our business combination and you could suffer a material loss on your investment in us if you sell Excess Shares in open market transactions. Additionally, you will not receive redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares if we complete our business combination. And as a result, you will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 20% and, in order to dispose of such shares, would be required to sell your shares in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.

Because of our limited resources and the significant competition for business combination opportunities, it may be more difficult for us to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our warrants will expire without value to the holder.

We expect to encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including private investors (which may be individuals or investment partnerships), other blank check companies and other entities, domestic and international, competing for the types of businesses we intend to acquire. Many of these individuals and entities are well-established and have extensive experience in identifying and effecting, directly or indirectly, acquisitions of companies operating in or providing services to various industries. Many of these competitors possess greater technical, human and other resources or more local industry knowledge than we do and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. While we believe there are numerous target businesses we could potentially acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, our ability to compete with respect to the acquisition of certain target businesses that are sizable will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent competitive limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of certain target businesses. Furthermore, we are obligated to

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offer holders of our public shares the right to redeem their shares for cash at the time of our initial business combination, in conjunction with a shareholder vote or via a tender offer. Target businesses will be aware that this may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination. Any of these obligations may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating a business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our warrants will expire without value to the holder. In certain circumstances, our public shareholders may receive less than $10.00 per share upon our liquidation. See “—If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors below.

If the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants not being held in the trust account are insufficient, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination, in which case our public shareholders may only receive $10.00 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire without value to the holder.

The funds available to us outside of the trust account may not be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the next 24 months, assuming that our initial business combination is not completed during that time. We believe that, upon the closing of this offering, the funds available to us outside of the trust account will be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the next 24 months; however, we cannot assure you that our estimate is accurate. Of the funds available to us, we could use a portion of the funds available to us to pay fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business. We could also use a portion of the funds as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision (a provision in letters of intent or merger agreements designed to keep target businesses from “shopping” around for transactions with other companies on terms more favorable to such target businesses) with respect to a particular proposed business combination, although we do not have any current intention to do so. If we entered into a letter of intent or merger agreement where we paid for the right to receive exclusivity from a target business and were subsequently required to forfeit such funds (whether as a result of our breach or otherwise), we might not have sufficient funds to continue searching for, or conduct due diligence with respect to, a target business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire without value to the holder. In certain circumstances, our public shareholders may receive less than $10.00 per share upon our liquidation. See “—If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors below.

If the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants not being held in the trust account are insufficient to allow us to operate for at least the next 24 months, it could limit the amount available to fund our search for a target business or businesses and complete our initial business combination and we will depend on loans from our sponsor or management team to fund our search for a business combination, to pay our taxes and to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to obtain these loans, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination.

Of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, only approximately $1,000,000 will be available to us initially outside the trust account to fund our working capital requirements. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $1,000,000, we may fund such excess with funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $1,000,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount. The amount held in the trust account will not be impacted as a result of such increase or decrease. If we are required to seek additional capital, we would need to borrow funds from our sponsor, management team or other third parties to operate or we may be forced to liquidate. None of our sponsor, members of our management team nor any of their affiliates is under any obligation to advance funds to us in such circumstances. Any such advances would be repaid only from funds held outside the trust account or from funds released to us upon completion of our initial business combination. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants of the post-business combination entity at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be

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willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account. Consequently, our public shareholders may only receive an estimated $10.00 per share, or possibly less, on our redemption of our public shares, and our warrants will expire without value to the holder. See “—If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors below.

Subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination, we may be required to take write-downs or write-offs, restructuring and impairment or other charges that could have a significant negative effect on our financial condition, results of operations and our share  price, which could cause you to lose some or all of your investment.

Even if we conduct extensive due diligence on a target business with which we combine, we cannot assure you that this diligence will surface all material issues in relation to a particular target business, that it would be possible to uncover all material issues through a customary amount of due diligence, or that factors outside of the target business and outside of our control will not later arise. As a result of these factors, we may be forced to later write-down or write-off assets, restructure our operations, or incur impairment or other charges that could result in our reporting losses. Even if our due diligence successfully identifies certain risks, unexpected risks may arise and previously known risks may materialize in a manner not consistent with our preliminary risk analysis. Even though these charges may be non-cash items and not have an immediate impact on our liquidity, the fact that we report charges of this nature could contribute to negative market perceptions about us or our securities. In addition, charges of this nature may cause us to violate net worth or other covenants to which we may be subject as a result of assuming pre-existing debt held by a target business or by virtue of our obtaining post-combination debt financing. Accordingly, any shareholders who choose to remain shareholders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such shareholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value unless they are able to successfully claim that the reduction was due to the breach by our officers or directors of a duty of care or other fiduciary duty owed to them, or if they are able to successfully bring a private claim under securities laws that the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, relating to the business combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission.

The securities in which we invest the funds held in the trust account could bear a negative rate of interest, which could reduce the value of the assets held in trust such that the per-share redemption amount received by public shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share.

The proceeds held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act, which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. While short-term U.S. government treasury obligations currently yield a positive rate of interest, they have briefly yielded negative interest rates in recent years. Central banks in Europe and Japan pursued interest rates below zero in recent years, and the Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve has not ruled out the possibility that it may in the future adopt similar policies in the United States. In the event that we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months after the closing of this offering, then we will, among other things, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes (net of any taxes payable by us and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares. Negative interest rates could reduce the value of the assets held in trust such that the per-share redemption amount received by public shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share.

 

Changes in laws or regulations, or a failure to comply with any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination, and results of operations.

We are subject to laws and regulations enacted by national, regional and local governments. In particular, we will be required to comply with certain SEC and other legal requirements and numerous complex tax laws.

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Compliance with, and monitoring of, applicable laws and regulations may be difficult, time consuming and costly. Those laws and regulations and their interpretation and application may also change from time to time and those changes could have a material adverse effect on our business, investments and results of operations. In addition, a failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations, as interpreted and applied, could have a material adverse effect on our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination, and results of operations.

If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within 24 months of the closing of this offering, our public shareholders may be forced to wait beyond such 24 months before redemption from our trust account.

If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will distribute the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of any taxes payable by us and less up to $100,000 of interest earned thereon to pay dissolution expenses), pro rata to our public shareholders by way of redemption and cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up of our affairs, as further described herein. Any redemption of public shareholders form the trust account shall be effected automatically by function of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association prior to any voluntary winding up. If we are required to windup, liquidate, the trust account and distribute such amount therein, pro rata, to our shareholders as part of any liquidation process, such winding up, liquidation and distribution must comply with the applicable provisions of the Companies Law. In that case, investors may be forced to wait beyond the initial 24 months before the redemption proceeds of our trust account become available to them and they receive the return of their pro rata portion of the proceeds from our trust account. We have no obligation to return funds to investors prior to the date of our redemption or liquidation unless we consummate our initial business combination prior thereto and only then in cases where investors have sought to redeem their ordinary shares. Only upon our redemption or any liquidation will public shareholders be entitled to distributions if we are unable to complete our initial business combination.

Because we are not limited to a particular industry, sector or any specific target businesses with which to pursue our initial business combination, you will be unable to ascertain the merits or risks of any particular target business’s operations.

Although we expect to focus our search for a target business in the broad energy transition or sustainability arena targeting industries that require innovative solutions to decarbonize in order to meet critical emission reduction objectives, we may complete a business combination with an operating company in any industry or sector. However, we will not, under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, be permitted to effectuate our business combination with another blank check company or similar company with nominal operations. Because we have not yet selected or approached any specific target business with respect to a business combination, there is no basis to evaluate the possible merits or risks of any particular target business’s operations, results of operations, cash flows, liquidity, financial condition or prospects. To the extent we complete our business combination, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business operations with which we combine. For example, if we combine with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of revenues or earnings, we may be affected by the risks inherent in the business and operations of a financially unstable or a development stage entity. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors or that we will have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will ultimately prove to be more favorable to investors than a direct investment, if such opportunity were available, in a business combination target. Accordingly, any shareholders who choose to remain shareholders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such shareholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value unless they are able to successfully claim that the reduction was due to the breach by our officers or directors of a duty of care or other fiduciary duty owed to them, or if they are able to successfully bring a private claim under securities laws that the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials (as applicable) relating to the business combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission.

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We may seek acquisition opportunities outside of our target  industries or sectors (which industries or sectors may or may not be outside of our management’s areas of expertise).

Although we intend to focus on identifying business combination candidates in the broad energy transition or sustainability arena targeting industries that require innovative solutions to decarbonize in order to meet critical emission reduction objectives, we will consider a business combination outside of our target industries or sectors if a business combination candidate is presented to us and we determine that such candidate offers an attractive acquisition opportunity for our company or we are unable to identify a suitable candidate in our target industries or sectors after having expended a reasonable amount of time and effort in an attempt to do so. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in any particular business combination candidate, we cannot assure you that we will adequately ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will not ultimately prove to be less favorable to investors in this offering than a direct investment, if an opportunity were available, in a business combination candidate. In the event we elect to pursue an acquisition outside of our target industries or sectors, our management’s expertise may not be directly applicable to its evaluation or operation, and the information contained in this prospectus regarding our target industries or sectors would not be relevant to an understanding of the business that we elect to acquire. As a result, our management may not be able to adequately ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. Accordingly, any shareholders who choose to remain shareholders following our business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their shares. Such shareholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.

Although we have identified general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses, we may enter into our initial business combination with a target that does not meet such criteria and guidelines, and as a result, the target business with which we enter into our initial business combination may not have attributes entirely consistent with our general criteria and guidelines.

Although we have identified general criteria and guidelines for evaluating prospective target businesses, it is possible that a target business with which we enter into our initial business combination will not have all of these positive attributes. If we complete our initial business combination with a target that does not meet some or all of these guidelines, such combination may not be as successful as a combination with a business that does meet all of our general criteria and guidelines. In addition, if we announce a prospective business combination with a target that does not meet our general criteria and guidelines, a greater number of shareholders may exercise their redemption rights, which may make it difficult for us to meet any closing condition with a target business that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash.

In addition, if shareholder approval of the transaction is required by law, or we decide to obtain shareholder approval for business or other legal reasons, it may be more difficult for us to attain shareholder approval of our initial business combination if the target business does not meet our general criteria and guidelines. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our warrants will expire without value to the holder.

We may seek business combination opportunities with an early stage company, a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of revenue or earnings, which could subject us to volatile revenues, cash flows or earnings or difficulty in retaining key personnel.

To the extent we complete our initial business combination with an early stage company, a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of revenues, cash flows or earnings, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the operations of the business with which we combine. These risks include investing in a business without a proven business model and with limited historical financial data, volatile revenues, cash flows or earnings and difficulties in obtaining and retaining key personnel. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we may not be able to properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors and we may not have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business.

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We are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm and consequently, you may have no assurance from an independent source that the price we are paying for the business is fair to our company from a financial point of view.

Unless we complete our business combination with an affiliated entity, we are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA that the price we are paying is fair to our company from a financial point of view. If no opinion is obtained, our shareholders will be relying on the judgment of our board of directors, who will determine fair market value based on standards generally accepted by the financial community. Such standards used will be disclosed in our proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, related to our initial business combination. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of our initial business combination, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm. However, our shareholders may not be provided with a copy of such opinion, nor will they be able to rely on such opinion.

Unlike some other similarly structured blank check companies, our initial shareholders will receive additional Class A ordinary shares if we issue shares to consummate an initial business combination.

The founder shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for share subdivisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities convertible or exercisable for Class A ordinary shares are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts sold in this offering and related to the closing of our initial business combination, the ratio at which founder shares will convert into Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted so that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all founder shares will equal, in the aggregate, 20% of the sum of our ordinary shares outstanding upon completion of this offering plus the number of Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued in connection with our initial business combination, excluding any Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in our initial business combination.

Resources could be wasted in researching business combinations  that are not completed, which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our warrants will expire without value to the holder.

We anticipate that the investigation of each specific target business and the negotiation, drafting and execution of relevant agreements, disclosure documents and other instruments will require substantial management time and attention and substantial costs for accountants, attorneys, consultants and others. If we decide not to complete a specific initial business combination, the costs incurred up to that point for the proposed transaction likely would not be recoverable. Furthermore, if we reach an agreement relating to a specific target business, we may fail to complete our initial business combination for any number of reasons including those beyond our control. Any such event will result in a loss to us of the related costs incurred which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our warrants will expire without value to the holder.

Our initial business combination and our structure thereafter may not be tax-efficient to our shareholders and warrantholders. As a result of our business combination, our tax obligations may be more complex, burdensome and uncertain.

Although we will attempt to structure our initial business combination in a tax-efficient manner, tax structuring considerations are complex, the relevant facts and law are uncertain and may change, and we may prioritize commercial and other considerations over tax considerations. For example, in connection with our initial business combination and subject to requisite shareholder approval under the Companies Law, we may structure our business combination in a manner that requires shareholders and/or warrantholders to recognize gain or income for tax purposes. We do not intend to make any cash distributions to shareholders or warrantholders to pay taxes in connection with our business combination or thereafter. Accordingly, a shareholder or a warrantholder may need to

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satisfy any liability resulting from our initial business combination with cash from its own funds or by selling all or a portion of such holder’s shares or warrants.

We will likely effect a business combination with a target company that has business operations outside of the Cayman Islands and, possibly, business operations in multiple jurisdictions, and we may reincorporate in a different jurisdiction in connection therewith (including, but not limited to, the jurisdiction in which the target company or business is located). If we effect such a business combination, we could be subject to significant income, withholding and other tax obligations in a number of jurisdictions with respect to income, operations and subsidiaries related to those jurisdictions. Due to the complexity of tax obligations and filings in many jurisdictions, we may have a heightened risk related to audits or examinations by U.S. federal, state, and local and non-U.S. taxing authorities. This additional complexity and risk could have an adverse effect on our after-tax profitability and financial condition. In addition, shareholders and warrantholders may also be subject to additional income, withholding or other taxes with respect to their ownership of us after our initial business combination.

We may be treated as a passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”), which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. investors.

If we are treated as a PFIC for any taxable year in which a U.S. Holder (as defined in the section of this prospectus captioned “Certain Income Tax Considerations — U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations — U.S. Holder and Non-U.S. Holder Defined”) holds our Class A ordinary shares or warrants (regardless of whether we remain a PFIC for subsequent taxable years), such U.S. Holder may be subject to certain adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences and may be subject to additional reporting requirements. Our PFIC status for our current and subsequent taxable years will depend on, among other things, whether we qualify for the PFIC start-up exception, the timing of our business combination, the amount of our passive income and assets in the year of the business combination, and the amount of the acquired business’s passive income and assets.  Our actual PFIC status for our current taxable year or any subsequent taxable year will not be determinable until after the end of such taxable year (and in the case of our start-up year possibly not until after the close of the second taxable year following our start-up year). We cannot assure you that we will not be a PFIC in our current taxable year or in any future taxable year.

If we determine we are a PFIC for any taxable year, upon written request by a U.S. Holder, we will endeavor to provide to such U.S. Holder such information as the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) may require, including a PFIC annual information statement, in order to enable such U.S. Holder to make and maintain a “qualified electing fund” (“QEF”) election with respect to its Class A ordinary shares, but there is no assurance that we will timely provide such required information. Furthermore, a U.S. Holder may not make a QEF election with respect to its warrants to acquire our Class A ordinary shares. The rules dealing with PFICs and with the QEF election are very complex and are affected by various factors in addition to those described in this prospectus. Accordingly, U.S. investors are strongly urged to consult with their own tax advisors regarding the application of the PFIC rules to them in their particular circumstances.

For a more detailed discussion of the PFIC rules and the related tax considerations for U.S. Holders, see the section of this prospectus captioned “Certain Income Tax Considerations — U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations — Considerations for U.S. Holders — Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules.”

An investment in this offering may result in additional uncertain or adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences for an investor.

An investment in this offering may result in additional uncertain or adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences for an investor. For instance, because there are no authorities that directly address instruments similar to the units we are issuing in this offering, the allocation an investor makes of the purchase price of a unit between the Class A ordinary share and the one-fifth of one warrant to purchase one Class A ordinary share included in each unit could be challenged by the IRS or the courts. Furthermore, the U.S. federal income tax consequences of a cashless exercise of warrants is unclear under current law. Additionally, it is unclear whether the redemption rights with respect to our Class A ordinary shares suspend the running of a U.S. Holder’s holding period for purposes of determining whether any gain or loss realized by such holder on the sale or exchange of a Class A ordinary share is long-term capital gain or loss and for determining whether any dividend we pay would be eligible for favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment. See “Certain Income Tax Considerations — U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations”

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below for a summary of the principal U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in our securities. Each prospective investor is urged to consult with its own tax advisors with respect to these and other tax consequences when purchasing, holding or disposing of our securities.

After our initial business combination, it is possible that a majority of our directors and officers will live outside the United States and all of our assets will be located outside the United States; therefore investors may not be able to enforce federal securities laws or their other legal rights.

It is possible that after our initial business combination, a majority of our directors and officers will reside outside of the United States and all of our assets will be located outside of the United States. As a result, it may be difficult, or in some cases not possible, for investors in the United States to enforce their legal rights, to effect service of process upon all of our directors or officers or to enforce judgments of United States courts predicated upon civil liabilities and criminal penalties on our directors and officers under United States laws.

The officers and directors of an acquisition candidate may resign upon completion of our initial business combination. The loss of a business combination target’s key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.

The role of an acquisition candidate’s key personnel upon the completion of our initial business combination cannot be ascertained at this time. Although we contemplate that certain members of an acquisition candidate’s management team will remain associated with the acquisition candidate following our initial business combination, it is possible that members of the management of an acquisition candidate will not wish to remain in place.

We may issue notes or other debt securities, or otherwise incur substantial debt, to complete a business combination, which may adversely affect our leverage and financial condition and thus negatively impact the value of our shareholders’ investment in us.

Although we have no commitments as of the date of this prospectus to issue any notes or other debt securities, or to otherwise incur outstanding debt following this offering, we may choose to incur substantial debt to complete our business combination. We have agreed that we will not incur any indebtedness unless we have obtained from the lender a waiver of any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to the monies held in the trust account. As such, no issuance of debt will affect the per share amount available for redemption from the trust account. Nevertheless, the incurrence of debt could have a variety of negative effects, including:

 

default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after an initial business combination are insufficient to repay our debt obligations;

 

acceleration of our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we make all principal and interest payments when due if we breach certain covenants that require the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant;

 

our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt security is payable on demand;

 

our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt security contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt security is outstanding;

 

our inability to pay dividends on our ordinary shares;

 

using a substantial portion of our cash flow to pay principal and interest on our debt, which will reduce the funds available for dividends on our ordinary shares if declared, to pay expenses, make capital expenditures and acquisitions and fund other general corporate purposes;

 

limitations on our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and in the industry in which we operate;

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increased vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions and adverse changes in government regulation;

 

limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, and execution of our strategy; and

 

other disadvantages compared to our competitors who have less debt.

We may only be able to complete one business combination with the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, which will cause us to be solely dependent on a single business which may have a limited number of products or services. This lack of diversification may negatively impact our operations and profitability.

Of the net proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, up to $251.0 million (or up to $288.5 million if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) will be available to complete our business combination and pay related fees and expenses (which includes approximately $8.8 million, or up to approximately $10.1 million if the option to purchase additional units is exercised in full, for payment of deferred underwriting discounts and commissions). Of the up to $251.0 million (or up to $288.5 million if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), $1.0 million will be held outside the trust account for business, legal and accounting due diligence on prospective acquisitions and continuing general and administrative expenses.

We may effectuate our business combination with a single target business or multiple target businesses simultaneously or within a short period of time. However, we may not be able to effectuate our business combination with more than one target business because of various factors, including the existence of complex accounting issues and the requirement that we prepare and file pro forma financial statements with the SEC that present operating results and the financial condition of several target businesses as if they had been operated on a combined basis. By completing our initial business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory developments. Further, we would not be able to diversify our operations or benefit from the possible spreading of risks or offsetting of losses, unlike other entities which may have the resources to complete several business combinations in different industries or different areas of a single industry. In addition, we intend to focus our search for an initial business combination in a single industry. Accordingly, the prospects for our success may be:

 

solely dependent upon the performance of a single business, property or asset, or

 

dependent upon the development or market acceptance of a single or limited number of products, processes or services.

This lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory risks, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact upon the particular industry in which we may operate subsequent to our business combination.

We may attempt to simultaneously complete business combinations with multiple prospective targets, which may hinder our ability to complete our business combination and give rise to increased costs and risks that could negatively impact our operations and profitability.

If we determine to simultaneously acquire several businesses that are owned by different sellers, we will need for each of such sellers to agree that our purchase of its business is contingent on the simultaneous closings of the other business combinations, which may make it more difficult for us, and delay our ability, to complete our initial business combination. With multiple business combinations, we could also face additional risks, including additional burdens and costs with respect to possible multiple negotiations and due diligence investigations (if there are multiple sellers) and the additional risks associated with the subsequent assimilation of the operations and services or products of the acquired companies in a single operating business. If we are unable to adequately address these risks, it could negatively impact our profitability and results of operations.

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We may attempt to complete our initial business combination with a private company about which little information is available, which may result in a business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.

In pursuing our business combination strategy, we may seek to effectuate our initial business combination with a privately held company. Very little public information generally exists about private companies, and we could be required to make our decision on whether to pursue a potential initial business combination on the basis of limited information, which may result in a business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require the affirmative vote of a majority of our board of directors, which must include a majority of our independent directors and each of the non-independent directors nominated by our sponsor, to approve our initial business combination, which may have the effect of delaying or preventing a business combination that our public shareholders would consider favorable.

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require the affirmative vote of a majority of our board of directors, which  must include a majority of our independent directors and each of the non-independent directors nominated by our sponsor, to approve our initial business combination. Accordingly, it is unlikely that we will be able to enter into an initial business combination unless our sponsor’s members find the target and the business combination attractive. This may make it more difficult for us to approve and enter into an initial business combination than other blank check companies and could result in us not pursuing an acquisition target or other board or corporate action that our public shareholders would find favorable.

In order to effectuate our initial business combination, we may seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or other governing instruments in a manner that will make it easier for us to complete our initial business combination but that our shareholders or warrantholders may not support.

Amending our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require at least a special resolution of our shareholders as a matter of Cayman Islands law, meaning the approval of holders of not less than two-thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company, and amending our warrant agreement will require a vote of holders of at least 50% of the public warrants. In addition, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association require us to provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash if we propose an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete an initial business combination within 24 months of the closing of this offering. To the extent any of such amendments would be deemed to fundamentally change the nature of any of the securities offered through this registration statement, we would register, or seek an exemption from registration for, the affected securities.

In order to effectuate a business combination, we may amend various provisions of our charter and governing instruments, including the warrant agreement, the underwriting agreement relating to this offering, the letter agreement among us and our sponsor, officers and directors, and the registration rights agreement among us and our initial shareholders. These agreements contain various provisions that our public shareholders might deem to be material. While we do not expect our board to approve any amendment to any of these agreements prior to our initial business combination, it may be possible that our board, in exercising its business judgment and subject to its fiduciary duties, chooses to approve one or more amendments to any such agreement in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination. Except in relation to the charter, any such amendments would not require approval from our shareholders and may have an adverse effect on the value of an investment in our securities. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our charter or other governing instruments or change our industry focus in order to effectuate our initial business combination.

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The provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that relate to our pre-business combination activity (and corresponding provisions of the agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account) may be amended with the approval of holders of at least two-thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at a general meeting, which is a lower amendment threshold than that of some other blank check companies. It may be easier for us, therefore, to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and the trust agreement to facilitate the completion of an initial business combination that some of our shareholders may not support.

Some other blank check companies have a provision in their charter which prohibits the amendment of certain of its provisions, including those which relate to a company’s pre-business combination activity, without approval by a certain percentage of the company’s shareholders. In those companies, amendment of these provisions requires approval by between 90% and 100% of the company’s public shareholders. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that any of its provisions (other than amendments relating to the appointment of directors prior to our initial business combination, which require the approval of a majority of at least 90% of our ordinary shares voting at a general meeting) related to pre-business combination activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of this offering and the private placement of warrants into the trust account and not release such amounts except in specified circumstances, and to provide redemption rights to public shareholders as described herein) may be amended if approved by holders of at least two-thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote in a general meeting, and corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account may be amended if approved by holders of at least two-thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote in a general meeting. Our initial shareholders, who will collectively beneficially own 20% of our ordinary shares upon the closing of this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering), will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and/or trust agreement and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. As a result, we may be able to amend the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association which govern our pre-business combination behavior more easily than some other blank check companies, and this may increase our ability to complete a business combination with which you do not agree. Our shareholders may pursue remedies against us for any breach of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.

Our sponsor, officers, directors and director nominees have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (i) in a manner that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Class A ordinary shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares. These agreements are contained in a letter agreement, the form of which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, that we have entered into with our sponsor, officers, directors and director nominees. Our public shareholders are not parties to, or third-party beneficiaries of, these agreements and, as a result, will not have the ability to pursue remedies against our sponsor, officers, directors or director nominees for any breach of these agreements. As a result, in the event of a breach, our shareholders would need to pursue a shareholder derivative action, subject to applicable law.

We may be unable to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination or to fund the operations and growth of a target business, which could compel us to restructure or abandon a particular business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our warrants will expire without value to the holder.

Although we believe that the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants will be sufficient to allow us to complete our initial business combination, because we have not yet selected any prospective target business we cannot ascertain the capital requirements for any particular transaction. If the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants prove to be insufficient, either because of the size of our initial business combination, the depletion of the available net proceeds in search of a target business, the obligation

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to redeem for cash a significant number of shares from shareholders who elect redemption in connection with our initial business combination or the terms of negotiated transactions to purchase shares in connection with our initial business combination, we may be required to seek additional financing or to abandon the proposed business combination. We cannot assure you that such financing will be available on acceptable terms, if at all. To the extent that additional financing proves to be unavailable when needed to complete our initial business combination, we would be compelled to either restructure the transaction or abandon that particular business combination and seek an alternative target business candidate. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our warrants will expire without value to the holder. In addition, even if we do not need additional financing to complete our business combination, we may require such financing to fund the operations or growth of the target business. The failure to secure additional financing could have a material adverse effect on the continued development or growth of the target business. None of our officers, directors or shareholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our business combination.

 

Because we must furnish our shareholders with target business financial statements, we may lose the ability to complete an otherwise advantageous initial business combination with some prospective target businesses.

The federal proxy rules require that a proxy statement with respect to a vote on a business combination meeting certain financial significance tests include target historical and/or pro forma financial statement disclosure. We will include the same financial statement disclosure in connection with our tender offer documents, whether or not they are required under the tender offer rules. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with, or be reconciled to, accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or U.S. GAAP, or international financial reporting standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, or IFRS, depending on the circumstances and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), or the PCAOB. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may acquire because some targets may be unable to provide such financial statements in time for us to disclose such financial statements in accordance with federal proxy rules and complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame.

If we pursue a target business with operations or opportunities outside of the United States for our initial business combination, we may face additional burdens in connection with investigating, agreeing to and completing such initial business combination, and if we effect such initial business combination, we would be subject to a variety of additional risks that may negatively impact our operations.

If we pursue a target company with operations or opportunities outside of the United States for our initial business combination, we would be subject to risks associated with cross-border business combinations, including in connection with investigating, agreeing to and completing our initial business combination, conducting due diligence in a foreign jurisdiction, having such transaction approved by any local governments, regulators or agencies and changes in the purchase price based on fluctuations in foreign exchange rates.

If we effect our initial business combination with such a company, we would be subject to special considerations or risks associated with companies operating in an international setting, including any of the following:

 

higher costs and difficulties inherent in executing cross-border transactions, managing cross-border business operations and complying with different commercial and legal requirements of overseas markets;

 

rules and regulations regarding currency redemption;

 

laws governing the manner in which future business combinations may be effected;

 

exchange listing and/or delisting requirements;

 

tariffs and trade barriers;

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regulations related to customs and import/export matters;

 

local or regional economic policies and market conditions;

 

unexpected changes in regulatory requirements;

 

longer payment cycles;

 

tax issues, including complex withholding or other tax regimes which may apply in connection with our business combination or to our structure following our business combination, variations in tax laws as compared to the United States, and potential changes in the applicable tax laws in the United States and/or relevant non-U.S. jurisdictions;

 

currency fluctuations and exchange controls;

 

rates of inflation;

 

challenges in collecting accounts receivable;

 

cultural and language differences;

 

employment regulations;

 

underdeveloped or unpredictable legal or regulatory systems;

 

corruption;

 

protection of intellectual property;

 

social unrest, crime, strikes, riots and civil disturbances;

 

regime changes and political upheaval;

 

terrorist attacks, natural disasters and wars;

 

deterioration of political relations with the United States; and

 

government appropriation of assets.

We may not be able to adequately address these additional risks. If we were unable to do so, we may be unable to complete such initial business combination, or, if we complete such combination, our operations might suffer, either of which may adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If our management following our initial business combination is unfamiliar with United States securities laws, they may have to expend time and resources becoming familiar with such laws, which could lead to various regulatory issues.

Following our initial business combination, our management may resign from their positions as officers or directors of the company and the management of the target business at the time of the business combination could remain in place. Management of the target business may not be familiar with United States securities laws. If new management is unfamiliar with United States securities laws, they may have to expend time and resources becoming familiar with such laws. This could be expensive and time-consuming and could lead to various regulatory issues which may adversely affect our operations.

After our initial business combination, substantially all of our assets may be located in a foreign country and substantially all of our revenue will be derived from our operations in such country. Accordingly, our results of

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operations and prospects will be subject, to a significant extent, to the economic, political and legal policies, developments and conditions in the country in which we operate.

The economic, political and social conditions, as well as government policies, of the country in which our operations are located could affect our business. Economic growth could be uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy and such growth may not be sustained in the future. If in the future such country’s economy experiences a downturn or grows at a slower rate than expected, there may be less demand for spending in certain industries. A decrease in demand for spending in certain industries could materially and adversely affect our ability to find an attractive target business with which to consummate our initial business combination and if we effect our initial business combination, the ability of that target business to become profitable.

Exchange rate fluctuations and currency policies may cause a target business’s ability to succeed in the international markets to be diminished.

In the event we acquire a non-U.S. target, all revenues and income would likely be received in a foreign currency, and the dollar equivalent of our net assets and distributions, if any, could be adversely affected by reductions in the value of the local currency. The value of the currencies in non-U.S. regions fluctuates and is affected by, among other things, changes in political and economic conditions. Any change in the relative value of such currency against our reporting currency may affect the attractiveness of any target business or, following consummation of our initial business combination, our financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, if a currency appreciates in value against the dollar prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, the cost of a target business as measured in dollars will increase, which may make it less likely that we are able to consummate such transaction.

If we acquire a non-U.S. target, our results of operations may be negatively impacted because of the costs and difficulties inherent in managing cross-border business operations.

We may pursue a target company with operations or opportunities outside of the United States for our initial business combination. Managing a business, operations, personnel or assets in another country is challenging and costly. Any management that we may have (whether based abroad or in the U.S.) may be inexperienced in cross-border business practices and unaware of significant differences in accounting rules, legal regimes and labor practices. Even with a seasoned and experienced management team, the costs and difficulties inherent in managing cross-border business operations, personnel and assets can be significant (and much higher than in a purely domestic business) and may negatively impact our financial and operational performance.

If social unrest, acts of terrorism, regime changes, changes in laws and regulations, political upheaval or policy changes or enactments occur in a country in which we may operate after we effect our initial business combination, it may result in a negative impact on our business.

In the event we acquire a non-U.S. target, political events in another country may significantly affect our business, assets or operations. Social unrest, acts of terrorism, regime changes, changes in laws and regulations, political upheaval, and policy changes or enactments could negatively impact our business in a particular country.

Many countries have difficult and unpredictable legal systems and underdeveloped laws and regulations that are unclear and subject to corruption and inexperience, which may adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.

In the event we acquire a non-U.S. target, our ability to seek and enforce legal protections, including with respect to intellectual property and other property rights, or to defend ourselves with regard to legal actions taken against us in a given country, may be difficult or impossible, which could adversely impact our operations, assets or financial condition.

Rules and regulations in many countries are often ambiguous or open to differing interpretation by responsible individuals and agencies at the municipal, state, regional and federal levels. The attitudes and actions of such individuals and agencies are often difficult to predict and inconsistent.

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Delay with respect to the enforcement of particular rules and regulations, including those relating to customs, tax, environmental and labor, could cause serious disruption to operations abroad and negatively impact our results.

Because foreign law could govern almost all of our material agreements, we may not be able to enforce our rights within such jurisdiction or elsewhere, which could result in a significant loss of business, business opportunities or capital.

In the event we acquire a non-U.S. target, foreign law could govern almost all of our material agreements. The target business may not be able to enforce any of its material agreements or enforce remedies for breaches of those agreements outside of such foreign jurisdiction’s legal system. The system of laws and the enforcement of existing laws and contracts in such jurisdiction may not be as certain in implementation and interpretation as in the United States. As a result, the inability to enforce or obtain a remedy under any of our future agreements could result in a significant loss of business and business opportunities.

We may reincorporate in another jurisdiction in connection with our initial business combination, and the laws of such jurisdiction may govern some or all of our future material agreements and we may not be able to enforce our legal rights.

In connection with our initial business combination, we may relocate the home jurisdiction of our business from the Cayman Islands to another jurisdiction. If we determine to do this, the laws of such jurisdiction may govern some or all of our future material agreements. The system of laws and the enforcement of existing laws in such jurisdiction may not be as certain in implementation and interpretation as in the United States. The inability to enforce or obtain a remedy under any of our future agreements could result in a significant loss of business, business opportunities or capital.

Risks Relating to Our Securities

You will not have any rights or interests in funds from the trust account, except under certain limited circumstances. Therefore, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.

Our public shareholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earliest to occur of: (i) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with our completion of an initial business combination (including the release of funds to pay any amounts due to any public shareholders who properly exercise their redemption rights in connection therewith), (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) in a manner that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity, or (iii) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law and as further described herein. In no other circumstances will a public shareholder have any right or interest of any kind in the trust account. Holders of warrants will not have any right to the proceeds held in the trust account with respect to the warrants. Accordingly, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.

The NYSE may delist our securities from trading on its exchange, which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.

We intend to apply to have our units listed on the NYSE on or promptly after the date of this prospectus and our Class A ordinary shares and warrants listed on or promptly after their date of separation. Although after giving effect to this offering we expect to meet, on a pro forma basis, the minimum initial listing standards set forth in the NYSE listing standards, we cannot assure you that our securities will be, or will continue to be, listed on the NYSE in the future or prior to our initial business combination. In order to continue listing our securities on the NYSE prior to our initial business combination, we must maintain certain financial, distribution and share price levels. Generally, we must maintain a minimum market capitalization ($50 million in the aggregate and $40 million of publicly-held shares) and a minimum number of holders of our securities (generally 300 public holders). Additionally, in

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connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to demonstrate compliance with the NYSE’s initial listing requirements, which are more rigorous than the NYSE’s continued listing requirements, in order to continue to maintain the listing of our securities on the NYSE. For instance, our share price would generally be required to be at least $4.00 per share, our aggregate market value would be required to be at least $100 million, and the market value of our publicly-held shares would be required to be at least $80 million. We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet those initial listing requirements at that time.

If the NYSE delists our securities from trading on its exchange and we are not able to list our securities on another national securities exchange, we expect our securities could be quoted on an over-the-counter market. If this were to occur, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:

 

a limited availability of market quotations for our securities;

 

reduced liquidity for our securities;

 

a determination that our Class A ordinary shares are a “penny stock” which will require brokers trading in our Class A ordinary shares to adhere to more stringent rules and possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our securities;

 

a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and

 

a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future.

The National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, which is a federal statute, prevents or preempts the states from regulating the sale of certain securities, which are referred to as “covered securities.” Because we expect that our units and eventually our Class A ordinary shares and warrants will be listed on the NYSE, our units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants will be covered securities. Although the states are preempted from regulating the sale of our securities, the federal statute does allow the states to investigate companies if there is a suspicion of fraud, and, if there is a finding of fraudulent activity, then the states can regulate or bar the sale of covered securities in a particular case. While we are not aware of a state having used these powers to prohibit or restrict the sale of securities issued by blank check companies, other than the state of Idaho, certain state securities regulators view blank check companies unfavorably and might use these powers, or threaten to use these powers, to hinder the sale of securities of blank check companies in their states. Further, if we were no longer listed on the NYSE, our securities would not be covered securities and we would be subject to regulation in each state in which we offer our securities.

Since only holders of our founder shares will have the right to vote on the election of directors prior to our initial business combination, the NYSE may consider us to be a “controlled company” within the meaning of the NYSE’s rules and, as a result, we may qualify for exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements that would otherwise provide protection to shareholders of other companies.

After completion of this offering, only holders of our founder shares will have the right to vote on the election of directors prior to our initial business combination. As a result, the NYSE may consider us to be a “controlled company” within the meaning of the NYSE’s rules. Under the NYSE corporate governance standards, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power for the election of directors is held by an individual, a group or another company is a “controlled company” and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements, including the requirements that:

 

we have a board that includes a majority of “independent directors,” as defined under the NYSE rules;

 

we have a nominating and corporate governance committee of our board that is composed entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee's purpose and responsibilities;

 

we have a compensation committee of our board that is comprised entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities; and

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there be an annual performance evaluation of the nominating and corporate governance and compensation committees.

Following this offering, we intend to utilize certain of these exemptions, including the exemption for a board of directors composed of a majority of independent directors. In addition, the phase-in rules of the SEC and the NYSE with respect to the audit committee permit us to have an audit committee that has a majority of members that are independent within 90 days of the completion of this offering and all members that are independent within one year of the completion of this offering. Accordingly, you may not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the NYSE’s corporate governance requirements as long as we remain a “controlled company.” Our status as a controlled company could make our ordinary shares less attractive to some investors or otherwise harm our stock price.

You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of many other blank check companies.

Since the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants are intended to be used to complete an initial business combination with a target business that has not been selected, we may be deemed to be a “blank check” company under the United States securities laws. However, because we will have net tangible assets in excess of $5,000,000 upon the successful completion of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants and will file a Current Report on Form 8-K, including an audited balance sheet demonstrating this fact, we are exempt from rules promulgated by the SEC to protect investors in blank check companies, such as Rule 419. Accordingly, investors will not be afforded the benefits or protections of those rules. Among other things, this means our units will be immediately tradable and we will have a longer period of time to complete our business combination than do companies subject to Rule 419. Moreover, if this offering were subject to Rule 419, that rule would prohibit the release of any interest earned on funds held in the trust account to us unless and until the funds in the trust account were released to us in connection with our completion of an initial business combination.

For a more detailed comparison of our offering to offerings that comply with Rule 419, please see “Proposed Business — Comparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419.”

If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share.

Our placing of funds in the trust account may not protect those funds from third-party claims against us. Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public shareholders, such parties may not execute such agreements, or even if they execute such agreements, they may not be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account, including, but not limited to, fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain an advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management will perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will only enter into an agreement with a third party that has not executed a waiver if management believes that such third party’s engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative. Making such a request of potential target businesses may make our acquisition proposal less attractive to them and, to the extent prospective target businesses refuse to execute such a waiver, it may limit the field of potential target businesses that we might pursue.

Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where management is unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. Upon redemption of our public shares, if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed timeframe, or upon the exercise of a redemption right in connection with our business combination, we will be required to provide for payment of claims of creditors that were not waived that may be brought against us

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within the 10 years following redemption. Accordingly, the per-share redemption amount received by public shareholders could be less than the $10.00 per public share initially held in the trust account, due to claims of such creditors. Pursuant to the letter agreement the form of which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party (other than our independent public accountants) for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or other similar agreement or business combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, if less than $10.00 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest which may be withdrawn to pay our taxes, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the trust account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, we have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and we believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the trust account, the funds available for our initial business combination and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.00 per public share. In such event, we may not be able to complete our initial business combination, and you would receive such lesser amount per share in connection with any redemption of your public shares. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.

Our directors may decide not to enforce the indemnification obligations of our sponsor, resulting in a reduction in the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public shareholders.

In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, if less than $10.00 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest which may be withdrawn to pay our taxes, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations.

While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment and subject to their fiduciary duties may choose not to do so in any particular instance. If our independent directors choose not to enforce these indemnification obligations, the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public shareholders may be reduced below $10.00 per share.

We may not have sufficient funds to satisfy indemnification claims of our directors and officers.

We have agreed to indemnify our officers and directors to the fullest extent permitted by law. However, our officers and directors have agreed, and any persons who may become officers or directors prior to the initial business combination will agree, to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the trust account and to not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason whatsoever. Accordingly, any indemnification provided will be able to be satisfied by us only if (i) we have sufficient funds outside of the trust account or (ii) we consummate an initial business combination. Our obligation to indemnify our officers and directors may discourage shareholders from bringing a lawsuit against our officers or directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against our officers and directors, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our shareholders. Furthermore, a shareholder’s investment may be adversely affected to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against our officers and directors pursuant to these indemnification provisions.

If, after we distribute the proceeds in the trust account to our public shareholders, we file a winding up petition or a winding up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, a liquidator may seek to recover such proceeds, and

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the members of our board of directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties to our creditors, thereby potentially exposing the members of our board of directors and us to claims of punitive damages.

If, after we distribute the proceeds in the trust account to our public shareholders, we file a winding up petition or a winding up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by shareholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or insolvency laws as a “voidable preference”. As a result, a liquidator could seek to challenge the transaction and recover some or all amounts received by our shareholders. In addition, our board of directors may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our creditors and/or having acted in bad faith, thereby exposing itself and us to claims of punitive damages, by paying public shareholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors.

If, before distributing the proceeds in the trust account to our public shareholders, we file a winding up petition or a winding up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the claims of creditors in such proceeding may have priority over the claims of our shareholders and the per-share amount that would otherwise be received by our shareholders in connection with our liquidation may be reduced.

If, before distributing the proceeds in the trust account to our public shareholders, we file a winding up petition or a winding up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable insolvency law, and may be included in our liquidation estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our shareholders. To the extent any liquidation claims deplete the trust account, the per-share amount that would otherwise be received by our shareholders in connection with our liquidation may be reduced.

If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we may be required to institute burdensome compliance requirements and our activities may be restricted, which may make it difficult for us to complete our business combination.

If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, our activities may be restricted, including:

 

restrictions on the nature of our investments; and

 

restrictions on the issuance of securities, each of which may make it difficult for us to complete our business combination.

In addition, we may have imposed upon us burdensome requirements, including:

 

registration as an investment company;

 

adoption of a specific form of corporate structure; and

 

reporting, record keeping, voting, proxy and disclosure requirements and other rules and regulations.

In order not to be regulated as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, unless we can qualify for an exclusion, we must ensure that we are engaged primarily in a business other than investing, reinvesting or trading of securities and that our activities do not include investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading “investment securities” constituting more than 40% of our assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis. Our business will be to identify and complete a business combination and thereafter to operate the post-transaction business or assets for the long term. We do not plan to buy businesses or assets with a view to resale or profit from their resale. We do not plan to buy unrelated businesses or assets or to be a passive investor.

We do not believe that our anticipated principal activities will subject us to the Investment Company Act. To this end, the proceeds held in the trust account may only be invested in United States “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act having a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Pursuant to the trust agreement, the trustee is not

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permitted to invest in other securities or assets. By restricting the investment of the proceeds to these instruments, and by having a business plan targeted at acquiring and growing businesses for the long term (rather than on buying and selling businesses in the manner of a merchant bank or private equity fund), we intend to avoid being deemed an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act. This offering is not intended for persons who are seeking a return on investments in government securities or investment securities. The trust account is intended as a holding place for funds pending the earliest to occur of: (i) the completion of our initial business combination; (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) in a manner that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity; or (iii) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete our business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law. If we do not invest the proceeds as discussed above, we may be deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act. If we were deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act, compliance with these additional regulatory burdens would require additional expenses for which we have not allotted funds and may hinder our ability to complete a business combination or may result in our liquidation. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our warrants will expire without value to the holder.

Our shareholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against us to the extent of distributions received by them upon redemption of their shares.

If we are forced to enter into an insolvent liquidation, any distributions received by shareholders could be viewed as an unlawful payment if it was proved that immediately following the date on which the distribution was made, we were unable to pay our debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. As a result, a liquidator could seek to recover some or all amounts received by our shareholders. Furthermore, our directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties to us or our creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, thereby exposing themselves and our company to claims, by paying public shareholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors. We cannot assure you that claims will not be brought against us for these reasons. We and our directors and officers who knowingly and willfully authorized or permitted any distribution to be paid out of our share premium account while we were unable to pay our debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business would be guilty of an offence and may be liable to a fine and to imprisonment in the Cayman Islands or both. We may not hold an annual general meeting until after the consummation of our initial business combination, which could delay the opportunity for our shareholders to appoint directors.

We may not hold an annual general meeting until after the consummation of our initial business combination, which could delay the opportunity for our shareholders to appoint directors.

In accordance with the NYSE corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual general meeting until no later than one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on the NYSE. There is no requirement under the Companies Law for us to hold annual or general meetings to appoint directors. Until we hold an annual general meeting, public shareholders may not be afforded the opportunity to appoint directors and to discuss company affairs with management. Our board of directors is divided into three classes with only one class of directors being elected in each year and each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual general meeting) serving a three-year term.

We are not registering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants under the Securities Act or any state securities laws at this time, and such registration may not be in place when an investor desires to exercise warrants, thus precluding such investor from being able to exercise its warrants except on a cashless basis and potentially causing such warrants to expire without value to the holder.

We are not registering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants under the Securities Act or any state securities laws at this time. However, under the terms of the warrant agreement, we have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 20 business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to file a registration statement under the Securities Act covering such shares. We will use our commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become effective

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and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement, and a current prospectus relating thereto, until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. We cannot assure you that we will be able to do so if, for example, any facts or events arise which represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement or prospectus, the financial statements contained or incorporated by reference therein are not current or correct or the SEC issues a stop order. Notwithstanding the above, if our Class A ordinary shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that it satisfies the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, but we will be required to use our commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. To exercise warrants on a cashless basis, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants in exchange for a number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the lesser of (A) the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of (i) the number of Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants, and (ii) the excess of the “fair market value” (defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value and (B) the product of the number of warrants surrendered and 0.361 (subject to adjustment). The “fair market value” as used in this paragraph shall mean the average reported last sale price of our Class A ordinary shares for the 10 trading days ending on the trading day prior to the date on which the notice of exercise is received by the warrant agent. In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant, or issue securities or other compensation in exchange for the warrants in the event that we are unable to register or qualify the shares underlying the warrants under the Securities Act or applicable state securities laws, and there is no exemption available. If the issuance of the shares upon exercise of the warrants is not so registered or qualified or exempt from registration or qualification, the holder of such warrant shall not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire without value to the holder. In such event, holders who acquired their warrants as part of a purchase of units will have paid the full unit purchase price solely for the Class A ordinary shares included in the units. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying Class A ordinary shares for sale under all applicable state securities laws.

The grant of registration rights to our initial shareholders may make it more difficult to complete our initial business combination, and the future exercise of such rights may adversely affect the market price of our Class A ordinary shares.

Pursuant to an agreement to be entered into concurrently with the issuance and sale of the securities in this offering, we have agreed with our initial shareholders to register the Class A ordinary shares into which founder shares are convertible, the private placement warrants and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants, any Class A ordinary shares held upon the completion of this offering or acquired prior to or in connection with our initial business combination and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans or the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of such warrants. Assuming the founder shares convert on a one for one basis, no warrants are issued upon conversion of working capital loans and our initial shareholders do not hold any Class A ordinary shares at the completion of this offering or acquire any shares prior to or in connection with our initial business combination, an aggregate of up to 6,250,000 Class A ordinary shares and up to 4,666,666 warrants (or up to 7,187,500 Class A ordinary shares and up to 5,166,666 warrants if the option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) are subject to registration under these agreements.

We will bear the cost of registering these securities. The registration and availability of such a significant number of securities for trading in the public market may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A ordinary shares. In addition, the existence of the registration rights may make our initial business combination more costly or difficult to conclude. This is because the shareholders of the target business may increase the equity stake they seek in the combined entity or ask for more cash consideration to offset the negative impact on the market price of our Class A ordinary shares that is expected when the securities owned by our initial shareholders or their permitted transferees are registered.

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We do not have a specified maximum redemption threshold. The absence of such a redemption threshold may make it possible for us to complete a business combination with which a substantial majority of our shareholders do not agree.

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will not provide a specified maximum redemption threshold, except that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of underwriters’ fees and commissions (such that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). As a result, we may be able to complete our business combination even though a substantial majority of our public shareholders do not agree with the transaction and have redeemed their shares or, if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and do not conduct redemptions in connection with our business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, have entered into privately negotiated agreements to sell their shares to our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or any of their affiliates. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all Class A ordinary shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the business combination or redeem any shares, all Class A ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate business combination.

The exercise price of the public warrants is higher than in some other blank check company offerings, and, accordingly, the warrants are more likely to expire without value to the holder.

The exercise price of the public warrants is higher than in some other blank check companies. For example, historically, the exercise price of a warrant was often a fraction of the purchase price of the units in the initial public offering. The exercise price of our public warrants is $11.50 per share, subject to adjustments as provided herein. As a result, the warrants are less likely to ever be in the money and more likely to expire without value to the holder.

We may amend the terms of the warrants in a manner that may be adverse to holders of public warrants with the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then-outstanding public warrants. As a result, the exercise price of your warrants could be increased, the warrant could be converted into cash or shares (at a ratio different than initially provided), the exercise period could be shortened and the number of our Class A ordinary shares purchasable upon exercise of a warrant could be decreased, all without your approval.

Our warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, but requires the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then-outstanding public warrants to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of public warrants.

Accordingly, we may amend the terms of the public warrants in a manner adverse to a holder if holders of at least 50% of the then-outstanding public warrants approve of such amendment. Although our ability to amend the terms of the public warrants with the consent of at least 50% of the then-outstanding public warrants is unlimited, examples of such amendments could be amendments to, among other things, increase the exercise price of the warrants, convert the warrants into cash or shares (at a ratio different than initially provided), shorten the exercise period or decrease the number of our Class A ordinary shares purchasable upon exercise of a warrant.

We may redeem your unexpired warrants prior to their exercise at a time that is disadvantageous to you, thereby making your warrants without value to the holder.

We have the ability to redeem the outstanding public warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.01 per warrant, provided that the last reported sale price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30 on the trading day period ending three business days prior to the date on which we give proper notice of such redemption and provided certain other conditions are met. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. As a result, we may redeem the warrants as set forth above even if the holders are otherwise unable to exercise the

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warrants. Redemption of the outstanding warrants could force you (i) to exercise your warrants and pay the exercise price therefor at a time when it may be disadvantageous for you to do so, (ii) to sell your warrants at the then-current market price when you might otherwise wish to hold your warrants or (iii) to accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the outstanding warrants are called for redemption, is likely to be substantially less than the market value of your warrants.

In addition, we have the ability to redeem the outstanding public warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.10 per warrant upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption provided that the last reported sale price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $10.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) on the trading day prior to the date on which we send the notice of redemption to the warrantholders, and provided that certain other conditions are met, including that holders will be able to exercise their warrants prior to redemption for a number of Class A ordinary shares determined based on the redemption date and the fair market value of our Class A ordinary shares. Please see “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Shareholders’ Warrants — Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $10.00”. The value received upon exercise of the warrants (1) may be less than the value the holders would have received if they had exercised their warrants at a later time where the underlying share price is higher and (2) may not compensate the holders for the value of the warrants, including because the number of ordinary shares received is capped at 0.361 Class A ordinary shares per warrant (subject to adjustment) irrespective of the remaining life of the warrants. Any such redemption may have similar consequences to a cash redemption described above. In addition, such redemption may occur at a time when the warrants are “out-of-the-money,” in which case you would lose any potential embedded value from a subsequent increase in the value of the Class A ordinary shares had your warrants remained outstanding.

None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees.

If you exercise your warrants on a “cashless” basis, you will receive fewer Class A ordinary shares from such exercise than if you were to exercise such warrants for cash.

There are circumstances in which the exercise of the warrants may be required or permitted to be made on a cashless basis. If our Class A ordinary shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that our Class A ordinary shares satisfy the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a cashless basis in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, and in the event we do not so elect, we will use commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. To exercise warrants on a cashless basis, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants in exchange for a number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the lesser of (A) the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of (i) the number of Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants, and (ii) the excess of the “fair market value” (defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value and (B) the product of the number of warrants surrendered and 0.361 (subject to adjustment).

The “fair market value” of our Class A ordinary shares as used in this paragraph shall mean the average reported last sale price of our Class A ordinary shares for the 10 trading days ending on the trading day prior to the date on which the notice of exercise is received by the warrant agent. Second, if we call our redeemable warrants for redemption when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $10.00, holders who exercise their warrants will receive that number of shares set forth in the table as described under “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Shareholders’ Warrants — Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $10.00.” As a result, you would receive fewer Class A ordinary shares from such exercise than if you were to exercise such warrants for cash.

Our warrants and founder shares may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A ordinary shares and make it more difficult to effectuate our business combination.

We will be issuing warrants to purchase 5,000,000 Class A ordinary shares (or up to 5,750,000 Class A ordinary shares if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) as part of the units offered by this

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prospectus and, simultaneously with the closing of this offering, we will be issuing in a private placement an aggregate of 4,666,666 (or up to 5,166,666 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) private placement warrants, each exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share at $11.50 per share. Our initial shareholders currently own an aggregate of 7,187,500 founder shares.

The founder shares are convertible into Class A ordinary shares on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for share subdivisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like and subject to further adjustment as set forth herein. In addition, if our sponsor makes any working capital loans, it may convert those loans into up to an additional 1,000,000 private placement warrants, at the price of $1.50 per warrant. To the extent we issue Class A ordinary shares to effectuate a business combination, the potential for the issuance of a substantial number of additional Class A ordinary shares upon exercise of these warrants and conversion rights could make us a less attractive acquisition vehicle to a target business. Any such issuance will increase the number of issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares and reduce the value of the Class A ordinary shares issued to complete the business combination. Therefore, our warrants and founder shares may make it more difficult to effectuate a business combination or increase the cost of acquiring the target business.

Because each unit contains one-fifth of one warrant and only a whole warrant may be exercised, the units may be worth less than units of other blank check companies.

Each unit contains one-fifth of one warrant. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, no fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units, and only whole warrants will trade. This is different from other offerings similar to ours whose units include Class A ordinary shares and one warrant to purchase one whole share. We have established the components of the units in this way in order to reduce the dilutive effect of the warrants upon completion of a business combination since the warrants will be exercisable in the aggregate for one-fifth of the number of shares compared to units that each contain a whole warrant to purchase one share, thus making us, we believe, a more attractive merger partner for target businesses. Nevertheless, this unit structure may cause our units to be worth less than if they included a warrant to purchase one whole share.

A provision of our warrant agreement may make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination.

Unlike some blank check companies, if (i) we issue additional Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination at a newly issued price of less than $9.20 per Class A ordinary share, (ii) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of our initial business combination on the date of the consummation of our initial business combination (net of redemptions), and (iii) the market value is below $9.20 per share, then (i) the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted to be equal to 115% of the higher of the market value and the newly issued price, (ii) the $18.00 redemption trigger prices described below under “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Shareholders’ Warrants — Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00 per share” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the market value and the newly issued price, (iii) the $10.00 redemption trigger price described below under “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Shareholders’ Warrants — Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $10.00 per share” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to the higher of the market value and the newly issued price, and (iv) the $12.00 per share trigger price described below under “Description of Securities — Founder Shares” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 120% of the higher of the market value and the newly issued price. This may make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination with a target business.

The determination of the offering price of our units and the size of this offering is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities and size of an offering of an operating company in a particular industry. You may have less assurance, therefore, that the offering price of our units properly reflects the value of such units than you would have in a typical offering of an operating company.

Prior to this offering there has been no public market for any of our securities. The public offering price of the units and the terms of the warrants were negotiated between us and the underwriters. In determining the size of this offering, management held customary organizational meetings with representatives of the underwriters, both prior to

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our inception and thereafter, with respect to the state of capital markets, generally, and the amount the underwriters believed they reasonably could raise on our behalf. Factors considered in determining the size of this offering, prices and terms of the units, including the Class A ordinary shares and warrants underlying the units, include:

 

the history and prospects of companies whose principal business is the acquisition of other companies;

 

prior offerings of those companies;

 

our prospects for acquiring an operating business at attractive values;

 

a review of debt to equity ratios in leveraged transactions;

 

our capital structure;

 

an assessment of our management and their experience in identifying operating companies;

 

general conditions of the securities markets at the time of this offering; and

 

other factors as were deemed relevant.

Although these factors were considered, the determination of our offering price is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities of an operating company in a particular industry since we have no historical operations or financial results.

There is currently no market for our securities and a market for our securities may not develop, which would adversely affect the liquidity and price of our securities.

There is currently no market for our securities. Shareholders therefore have no access to information about prior market history on which to base their investment decision. Following this offering, the price of our securities may vary significantly due to one or more potential business combinations and general market or economic conditions. Furthermore, an active trading market for our securities may never develop or, if developed, it may not be sustained. You may be unable to sell your securities unless a market can be established and sustained.

Risks Relating to Our Sponsor and Management Team

We are dependent upon our officers and directors, and their loss could adversely affect our ability to operate.

Our operations are dependent upon a relatively small group of individuals and, in particular, our officers and directors. We believe that our success depends on the continued service of our officers and directors, at least until we have completed our initial business combination. In addition, our officers and directors are not required to commit any specified amount of time to our affairs and, accordingly, will have conflicts of interest in allocating their time among various business activities, including identifying potential business combinations and monitoring the related due diligence.

We do not have an employment agreement with, or key-man insurance on the life of, any of our directors or officers. The unexpected loss of the services of one or more of our directors or officers could have a detrimental effect on us.

Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination and to be successful thereafter will be totally dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel, some of whom may join us following our initial business combination. The loss of key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.

Our ability to successfully effect our business combination is dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel. The role of our key personnel in the target business, however, cannot presently be ascertained. Although some of our key personnel may remain with the target business in senior management or advisory positions following our business combination, it is likely that some or all of the management of the target business will remain in place. While we intend to closely scrutinize any individuals we engage after our initial business combination, we cannot

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assure you that our assessment of these individuals will prove to be correct. These individuals may be unfamiliar with the requirements of operating a company regulated by the SEC, which could cause us to have to expend time and resources helping them become familiar with such requirements.

In addition, the officers and directors of an acquisition candidate may resign upon completion of our initial business combination. The departure of a business combination target’s key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business. The role of an acquisition candidate’s key personnel upon the completion of our initial business combination cannot be ascertained at this time. Although we contemplate that certain members of an acquisition candidate’s management team will remain associated with the acquisition candidate following our initial business combination, it is possible that members of the management of an acquisition candidate will not wish to remain in place. The loss of key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.

Our key personnel may negotiate employment or consulting agreements with a target business in connection with a particular business combination, and a particular business combination may be conditioned on the retention or resignation of such key personnel. These agreements may provide for them to receive compensation following our business combination and as a result, may cause them to have conflicts of interest in determining whether a particular business combination is the most advantageous.

Our key personnel may be able to remain with our company after the completion of our business combination only if they are able to negotiate employment or consulting agreements in connection with the business combination. Such negotiations would take place simultaneously with the negotiation of the business combination and could provide for such individuals to receive compensation in the form of cash payments and/or our securities for services they would render to us after the completion of the business combination. Such negotiations also could make such key personnel’s retention or resignation a condition to any such agreement. The personal and financial interests of such individuals may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business.

Our current officers may not remain in their positions following our business combination. We may have a limited ability to assess the management of a prospective target business and, as a result, may effect our initial business combination with a target business whose management may not have the skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company, which could, in turn, negatively impact the value of our shareholders’ investment in us.

When evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial business combination with a prospective target business, our ability to assess the target business’s management may be limited due to a lack of time, resources or information. Our assessment of the capabilities of the target business’s management, therefore, may prove to be incorrect and such management may lack the skills, qualifications or abilities we suspected. Should the target business’s management not possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to manage a public company, the operations and profitability of the post-combination business may be negatively impacted. Accordingly, any shareholders who choose to remain shareholders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such shareholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value unless they are able to successfully claim that the reduction was due to the breach by our officers or directors of a duty of care or other fiduciary duty owed to them, or if they are able to successfully bring a private claim under securities laws that the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials (as applicable) relating to the business combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission.

Our officers and directors may allocate their time to other businesses thereby causing conflicts of interest in their determination as to how much time to devote to our affairs. This conflict of interest could have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination.

Our officers and directors are not required to, and our directors will not, commit their full time to our affairs, which may result in a conflict of interest in allocating their time between our operations and our search for a business combination and other businesses. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination. Our officers are not obligated to contribute any specific number of hours per week to our affairs. In addition, certain of our directors are employed by NGP, which is an investment manager to various private investment funds, which make investments in securities or other interests of or relating to companies in industries we may target for our initial business combination. Our independent directors may also

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serve as officers or board members for other entities. If our officers’ and directors’ other business affairs require them to devote substantial amounts of time to such affairs in excess of their current commitment levels, it could limit their ability to devote time to our affairs which may have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination. For a complete discussion of our officers’ and directors’ other business affairs, please see “Management — Officers, Directors and Director Nominees,” “Management — Conflicts of Interest” and “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions.”

Certain of our officers and directors are now, and all of them may in the future become, affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us, including another blank check company, and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating their time and determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.

Following the completion of this offering and until we consummate our initial business combination, we intend to engage in the business of identifying and combining with one or more businesses. Certain of our directors are, and our officers and directors may in the future become, affiliated with entities that are engaged in a similar business, including another blank check company that may have acquisition objectives that are similar to ours. For example, certain of our officers and directors currently serve in similar roles for Switchback I, a blank check company incorporated as a Delaware corporation and formed for the purpose of effecting its own initial business combination. Scott McNeill is the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and a director of Switchback I, Jim Mutrie is the Chief Commercial Officer, General Counsel, Secretary and a director of Switchback I and Ray Kubis is a director of Switchback I. Each such officer and director owes fiduciary duties under the DGCL to Switchback I. Upon consummation of the business combination with ChargePoint, none of our officers or directors will continue to serve in any capacity at the combined entity. In addition, Philip J. Deutch is the Chief Executive Officer of NGP ETP III, a portfolio company of NGP XII and a member of our sponsor, that is also focused on investments in the renewable energy industry.

Our officers and directors also may become aware of business opportunities which may be appropriate for presentation to us and the other entities to which they owe certain fiduciary or contractual duties.  Accordingly, they may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented. These conflicts may not be resolved in our favor and a potential target business may be presented to another entity prior to its presentation to us, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law: (i) no individual serving as a director or an officer will have any duty, except and to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as us; and (ii) we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which may be a corporate opportunity for any of our directors or officers on the one hand, and us, on the other hand.

For a complete discussion of our officers’ and directors’ business affiliations and the potential conflicts of interest that you should be aware of, please see “Management — Officers, Directors and Director Nominees,” “Management — Conflicts of Interest” and “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions.”

Our officers, directors, security holders and their respective affiliates may have competitive pecuniary interests that conflict with our interests.

We have not adopted a policy that expressly prohibits our directors, officers, security holders or affiliates from having a direct or indirect pecuniary or financial interest in any investment to be acquired or disposed of by us or in any transaction to which we are a party or have an interest. In fact, we may enter into a business combination with a target business that is affiliated with our sponsor, our directors or officers, although we do not intend to do so, or we may acquire a target business through an Affiliated Joint Acquisition with one or more affiliates of NGP and/or one or more investors in the NGP Funds. We do not have a policy that expressly prohibits any such persons from engaging for their own account in business activities of the types conducted by us, including the formation of, or participation in, one or more other blank check companies. Accordingly, such persons or entities may have a conflict between their interests and ours.

In particular, certain of the NGP Funds also are focused on investments in areas of sustainability, energy transition, infrastructure, water and clean energy. As a result, there may be substantial overlap between companies

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that would be a suitable business combination for us and companies that would make an attractive target for such other affiliates. The personal and financial interests of our directors and officers may influence their motivation in timely identifying and selecting a target business and completing a business combination. Consequently, our directors’ and officers’ discretion in identifying and selecting a suitable target business may result in a conflict of interest when determining whether the terms, conditions and timing of a particular business combination are appropriate and in our shareholders’ best interest. If this were the case, it would be a breach of their fiduciary duties to us as a matter of Cayman Islands law and we or our shareholders might have a claim against such individuals for infringing on our shareholders’ rights.

We may engage in a business combination with one or more target businesses that have relationships with entities that may be affiliated with our sponsor, officers, directors or existing holders which may raise potential conflicts of interest.

In light of the involvement or potential involvement of our sponsor, officers and directors with other entities, we may decide to acquire one or more businesses affiliated with our sponsor, officers, directors or existing holders. Our officers and directors also serve as officers and board members for other entities, including, without limitation, those described under “Management — Conflicts of Interest.” They may also have investments in target businesses. Such entities may compete with us for business combination opportunities. Our sponsor, officers and directors are not currently aware of any specific opportunities for us to complete our business combination with any entities with which they are affiliated, and there have been no preliminary discussions concerning a business combination with any such entity or entities. Although we will not be specifically focusing on, or targeting, any transaction with any affiliated entities, we would pursue such a transaction if we determined that such affiliated entity met our criteria for a business combination as set forth in “Proposed Business — Selection of a Target Business and Structuring of our Initial Business Combination” and such transaction was approved by a majority of our independent and disinterested directors. Despite our obligation to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA or from an independent accounting firm regarding the fairness to our company from a financial point of view of a business combination with one or more domestic or international businesses affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, potential conflicts of interest still may exist and, as a result, the terms of the business combination may not be as advantageous to our public shareholders as they would be absent any conflicts of interest.

Moreover, we may pursue an Affiliated Joint Acquisition opportunity with an entity affiliated with NGP and/or one or more investors in the NGP Funds. Any such parties may co-invest with us in the target business at the time of our initial business combination, or we could raise additional proceeds to complete the business combination by issuing to such parties a class of equity or equity-linked securities. Accordingly, such persons or entities may have a conflict between their interests and ours.

Since our sponsor, officers and directors will lose their entire investment in us if our business combination is not completed (other than with respect to public shares they may acquire during or after this offering), a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination.

In October 2020, 7,906,250 founder shares were issued to our sponsor in exchange for the payment of $25,000 of expenses on our behalf, or approximately $0.003 per share. In October 2020, our sponsor returned to us at no cost an aggregate of 718,750 founder shares, which we cancelled. Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,000 by our sponsor, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. The per share price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount contributed to the company by the number of founder shares issued. The number of founder shares issued was determined based on the expectation that the total size of this offering would be a maximum of 28,750,000 units if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full, and therefore that such founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares after this offering. Our sponsor will forfeit up to 937,500 founder shares depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is not exercised. The founder shares will be without value to the holder if we do not complete an initial business combination. In addition, our sponsor has committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase an aggregate of 4,666,666 (or 5,166,666 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) private placement warrants, each exercisable for one Class A ordinary share at $11.50 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of $7,000,000 (or $7,750,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), or $1.50 per warrant, that will also be without value to the holder if we do not complete a business

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combination. The founder shares are identical to the Class A ordinary shares included in the units being sold in this offering, except that only holders of the founder shares have the right to vote on the appointment of directors prior to our initial business combination and they are Class B ordinary shares that automatically convert into our Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment pursuant to certain anti-dilution rights, and 25% of such Class A ordinary shares will be subject to forfeiture under certain conditions, as described herein. However, the holders have agreed (A) to vote any shares owned by them in favor of any proposed business combination and (B) not to redeem any founder shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination. In addition, we may obtain loans from our sponsor, affiliates of our sponsor or an officer or director. The personal and financial interests of our officers and directors may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business combination, completing an initial business combination and influencing the operation of the business following our initial business combination. This risk may become more acute as the 24-month anniversary of the closing of this offering nears, which is the deadline for our completion of an initial business combination.

Since our sponsor paid only approximately $0.003 per share for the founder shares, our officers and directors could potentially make a substantial profit even if we acquire a target business that subsequently declines in value.

In October 2020, our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 7,906,250 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.003 per share. In October 2020, our sponsor returned to us at no cost an aggregate of 718,750 founder shares, which we cancelled. Our officers and directors have a significant economic interest in our sponsor. As a result, the low acquisition cost of the founder shares creates an economic incentive whereby our officers and directors could potentially make a substantial profit even if we acquire a target business that subsequently declines in value and is unprofitable for public investors.

Our management may not be able to maintain control of a target business after our initial business combination. We cannot provide assurance that, upon loss of control of a target business, new management will possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to profitably operate such business.

We may structure a business combination so that the post-transaction company in which our public shareholders own shares will own less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise is not required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. We will not consider any transaction that does not meet such criteria. Even if the post-transaction company owns 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post business combination company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock, shares or other equity interests of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our shareholders immediately prior to such transaction could own less than a majority of our outstanding ordinary shares subsequent to such transaction. In addition, other minority shareholders may subsequently combine their holdings resulting in a single person or group obtaining a larger share of the company’s shares than we initially acquired. Accordingly, this may make it more likely that our management will not be able to maintain control of the target business.

Our initial shareholders will control the appointment of our board of directors until consummation of our initial business combination and will hold a substantial interest in us. As a result, they will appoint all of our directors prior to our initial business combination and may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a shareholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support.

Upon the closing of this offering, our initial shareholders will own shares representing 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering). In addition, the founder shares, all of which are held by our initial shareholders, will entitle the holders to appoint all of our directors prior to our initial business combination. Holders of our public shares will have no right to vote on the appointment of directors during such time. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may only be amended by a special resolution passed by a majority of at least 90% of our ordinary shares voting in a general meeting. As a result, you will not have any influence over the appointment of directors prior to our initial

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business combination. Accordingly, our initial shareholders may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a shareholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support, including amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and approval of major corporate transactions. If our initial shareholders purchase any units in this offering or if our initial shareholders purchase any additional ordinary shares in the aftermarket or in privately negotiated transactions, this would increase their control. Neither our initial shareholders nor, to our knowledge, any of our officers or directors have any current intention to purchase additional securities, other than as disclosed in this prospectus. Factors that would be considered in making such additional purchases would include consideration of the current trading price of our Class A ordinary shares. In addition, our board of directors, whose members were elected by our initial shareholders, is and will be divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of three years with only one class of directors being elected in each year. We may not hold an annual general meeting to appoint new directors prior to the completion of our business combination, in which case all of the current directors will continue in office until at least the completion of the business combination. If there is an annual general meeting, as a consequence of our “staggered” board of directors, only a minority of the board of directors will be considered for appointment and our initial shareholders, because of their ownership position, will have considerable influence regarding the outcome. Accordingly, our initial shareholders will continue to exert control at least until the completion of our business combination.

Our sponsor paid an aggregate of $25,000, or approximately $0.003 per founder share, and, accordingly, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution from the purchase of our Class A ordinary shares to the benefit of our sponsor and certain of our directors and officers.

The difference between the public offering price per share (allocating all of the unit purchase price to the Class A ordinary shares and none to the warrant included in the unit) and the pro forma net tangible book value per share of our Class A ordinary shares after this offering constitutes the dilution to you and the other investors in this offering. Our sponsor acquired the founder shares at a nominal price, significantly contributing to this dilution. Upon the closing of this offering, and assuming no value is ascribed to the warrants included in the units, you and the other public shareholders will incur an immediate and substantial dilution of approximately 93.4% (or $9.34 per share, assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units), the difference between the pro forma net tangible book value per share after this offering of $0.66 and the initial offering price of $10.00 per unit. This dilution would increase to the extent that the anti-dilution provisions of the founder shares result in the issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the founder shares at the time of our initial business combination and would become exacerbated to the extent that public shareholders seek redemptions from the trust for their public shares. In addition, because of the anti-dilution protection in the founder shares, any equity or equity-linked securities issued in connection with our initial business combination would be disproportionately dilutive to our Class A ordinary shares. Moreover, although we are of the view that our sponsor, directors and officers paid fair value for the founder shares, there is no assurance that a taxing authority would agree with us, and if a taxing authority were to successfully assert otherwise, we may be subject to material withholding and other tax liabilities that could adversely affect our financial condition.

General Risk Factors

We may issue additional ordinary shares or preferred shares to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination. We may also issue Class A ordinary shares upon the conversion of the Class B ordinary shares at a ratio greater than one-to-one at the time of our initial business combination as a result of the anti-dilution provisions contained in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Any such issuances would dilute the interest of our shareholders and likely present other risks.

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will authorize the issuance of up to 500,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, 50,000,000 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, and 5,000,000 undesignated preferred shares, par value $0.0001 per share. Immediately after this offering, there will be 475,000,000 and 43,750,000 (assuming, in each case, that the underwriters have not exercised their option to purchase additional units) authorized but unissued Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares, respectively, available for issuance, which amount does not take into account Class A ordinary shares reserved for issuance upon exercise of outstanding warrants or shares issuable upon conversion of Class B ordinary shares. Our Class B ordinary shares are automatically convertible into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination, initially at a one-for-one ratio but subject to adjustment and forfeiture as set forth

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herein. Immediately after the consummation of this offering, there will be no preferred shares issued and outstanding. Class B ordinary shares are convertible into our Class A ordinary shares initially at a one-for-one ratio but subject to adjustment as set forth herein, including in certain circumstances in which we issue Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities related to our initial business combination.

We may issue a substantial number of additional ordinary shares or preferred shares to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination. We may also issue Class A ordinary shares upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares at a ratio greater than one-to-one at the time of our initial business combination as a result of the anti-dilution provisions contained in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. However, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide, among other things, that prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional ordinary shares that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote on any initial business combination. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, like all provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, may be amended with a shareholder vote. The issuance of additional ordinary shares or preferred shares:

 

may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in this offering;

 

may subordinate the rights of holders of ordinary shares if preferred shares are issued with rights senior to those afforded our ordinary shares;

 

could cause a change in control if a substantial number of ordinary shares are issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and could result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors; and

 

may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our units, Class A ordinary shares and/or warrants.

We are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company within the meaning of the Securities Act, and if we take advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure requirements available to emerging growth companies or smaller reporting companies, this could make our securities less attractive to investors and may make it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies.

We are an “emerging growth company” within the meaning of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act, and we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. As a result, our shareholders may not have access to certain information they may deem important. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years, although circumstances could cause us to lose that status earlier, including if the market value of our Class A ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of any June 30 before that time, in which case we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the following December 31. We cannot predict whether investors will find our securities less attractive because we will rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result of our reliance on these exemptions, the trading prices of our securities may be lower than they otherwise would be, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the trading prices of our securities may be more volatile.

Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such an election to opt out is irrevocable. We have elected not to opt out of such extended transition period, which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, we, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of our

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financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.

Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (i) the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $250 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter or (ii) our annual revenues exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter. To the extent we take advantage of such reduced disclosure obligations, it may also make comparison of our financial statements with other public companies difficult or impossible.

Compliance obligations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may make it more difficult for us to effectuate our business combination, require substantial financial and management resources, and increase the time and costs of completing our initial business combination.

Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we evaluate and report on our system of internal controls beginning with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2021. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer will we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. Further, for as long as we remain an emerging growth company, we will not be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. The fact that we are a blank check company makes compliance with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act particularly burdensome for us as compared to other public companies because a target business with which we seek to complete our business combination may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of its internal controls. The development of the internal control of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such acquisition.

Because we are incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands, you may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through the U.S. federal courts may be limited.

We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process within the United States upon our directors or executive officers, or enforce judgments obtained in the United States courts against our directors or officers.

Our corporate affairs will be governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Law and the common law of the Cayman Islands. We will also be subject to the federal securities laws of the United States. The rights of shareholders to take action against the directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands as well as from English common law, the decisions of whose courts are of persuasive authority, but are not binding on a court in the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under Cayman Islands law are different from what they would be under statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a different body of securities laws as compared to the United States, and certain states, such as Delaware, may have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholders derivative action in a Federal court of the United States.

We have been advised by Maples and Calder, our Cayman Islands legal counsel, that the courts of the Cayman Islands are unlikely (i) to recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts of the United States predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or any state; and (ii) in original actions brought in the Cayman Islands, to impose liabilities against us predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or any state, so far as the liabilities imposed by those provisions are penal in nature. In those circumstances, although there is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments

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obtained in the United States, the courts of the Cayman Islands will recognize and enforce a foreign money judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits based on the principle that a judgment of a competent foreign court imposes upon the judgment debtor an obligation to pay the sum for which judgment has been given provided certain conditions are met. For a foreign judgment to be enforced in the Cayman Islands, such judgment must be final and conclusive and for a liquidated sum, and must not be in respect of taxes or a fine or penalty, inconsistent with a Cayman Islands judgment in respect of the same matter, impeachable on the grounds of fraud or obtained in a manner, or be of a kind the enforcement of which is, contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands (awards of punitive or multiple damages may well be held to be contrary to public policy). A Cayman Islands Court may stay enforcement proceedings if concurrent proceedings are being brought elsewhere.

As a result of all of the above, public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by management, members of the board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a United States company.

Provisions in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may inhibit a takeover of us, which could limit the price investors might be willing to pay in the future for our Class A ordinary shares and could entrench management.

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will contain provisions that may discourage unsolicited takeover proposals that shareholders may consider to be in their best interests. These provisions include a staggered board of directors and the ability of the board of directors to designate the terms of and issue new series of preferred shares, which may make the removal of management more difficult and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities.

Cyber incidents or attacks directed at us could result in information theft, data corruption, operational disruption and/or financial loss.

We depend on digital technologies, including information systems, infrastructure and cloud applications and services, including those of third parties with which we may deal. Sophisticated and deliberate attacks on, or security breaches in, our systems or infrastructure, or the systems or infrastructure of third parties or the cloud, could lead to corruption or misappropriation of our assets, proprietary information and sensitive or confidential data. As an early stage company without significant investments in data security protection, we may not be sufficiently protected against such occurrences. We may not have sufficient resources to adequately protect against, or to investigate and remediate any vulnerability to, cyber incidents. It is possible that any of these occurrences, or a combination of them, could have adverse consequences on our business and lead to financial loss.

 

 


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Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this prospectus may constitute “forward-looking statements” for purposes of the federal securities laws. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements in this prospectus may include, for example, statements about:

 

our ability to select an appropriate target business or businesses;

 

our ability to complete our initial business combination;

 

our expectations around the performance of the prospective target business or businesses;

 

our success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our officers, key employees or directors following our initial business combination;

 

our officers and directors allocating their time to other businesses and potentially having conflicts of interest with our business or in approving our initial business combination;

 

our potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination;

 

our pool of prospective target businesses;

 

our ability to consummate an initial business combination due to the uncertainty resulting from the recent COVID-19 pandemic and other events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or other significant outbreaks of infectious diseases);

 

the ability of our officers and directors to generate a number of potential acquisition opportunities;

 

our public securities’ potential liquidity and trading;

 

the lack of a market for our securities;

 

our reliance on exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements in connection to us being a “controlled company” within the meaning of NYSE rules;

 

the use of proceeds not held in the trust account or available to us from interest income on the trust account balance;

 

the trust account not being subject to claims of third parties; or

 

our financial performance following this offering.

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The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described under the heading “Risk Factors.” Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.


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Use Of Proceeds

We are offering 25,000,000 units at an offering price of $10.00 per unit. We estimate that the net proceeds of this offering together with the funds we will receive from the sale of the private placement warrants will be used as set forth in the following table.

 

 

 

Without Option

to Purchase

Additional Units

 

 

Option to

Purchase

Additional Units

Fully Exercised

 

Gross proceeds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gross proceeds from units offered to public(1)

 

$

250,000,000

 

 

$

287,500,000

 

Gross proceeds from private placement warrants offered in the private placement

 

 

7,000,000

 

 

 

7,750,000

 

Total gross proceeds

 

$

257,000,000

 

 

$

295,250,000

 

Offering expenses(2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Underwriting commissions (2.0% of gross proceeds from units offered

   to public, excluding deferred portion)(3)

 

$

5,000,000

 

 

$

5,750,000

 

Legal fees and expenses

 

 

400,000

 

 

 

400,000

 

Printing and engraving expenses

 

 

60,000

 

 

 

60,000

 

Accounting and bookkeeping fees and expenses

 

 

45,000

 

 

 

45,000

 

SEC/FINRA Expenses

 

 

74,991

 

 

 

74,991

 

NYSE listing and filing fees

 

 

85,000

 

 

 

85,000

 

Director and Officer liability insurance premiums

 

 

300,000

 

 

 

300,000

 

Miscellaneous

 

 

35,009

 

 

 

35,009

 

Total offering expenses (excluding underwriting discounts and commissions)

 

$

1,000,000

 

 

$

1,000,000

 

Proceeds after offering expenses

 

$

251,000,000

 

 

$

288,500,000

 

Held in trust account(3)

 

$

250,000,000

 

 

$

287,500,000

 

% of public offering size

 

 

100

%

 

 

100

%

Not held in trust account

 

$

1,000,000

 

 

$

1,000,000

 

 

The following table shows the use of the approximately $1,000,000 of net proceeds not held in the trust account(4).

 

 

 

Amount

 

 

% of Total

 

Legal, accounting, due diligence, travel, and other expenses in connection

   with any business combination(5)

 

$

210,000

 

 

 

21.0

%

Legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting obligations

 

 

100,000

 

 

 

10.0

%

Payment for office space, utilities, administrative and support

   services ($20,000 per month for up to 24 months)

 

 

480,000

 

 

 

48.0

%

NYSE annual fees

 

 

170,000

 

 

 

17.0

%

Working capital to cover miscellaneous expenses (including

   taxes net of anticipated interest income)

 

 

40,000

 

 

 

4.0

%

Total

 

$

1,000,000

 

 

 

100.0

%

 

(1)

Includes amounts payable to public shareholders who properly redeem their shares in connection with our successful completion of our initial business combination.

(2)

A portion of the offering expenses will be paid from the proceeds of loans from our sponsor of up to $300,000 as described in this prospectus. These loans will be repaid upon completion of this offering as part of the estimated $1,000,000 of offering proceeds that has been allocated for the payment of offering expenses (other than underwriting discounts and commissions) and amounts not to be held in the trust account. In the event that offering expenses are less than set forth in this table, any such amounts will be used for post-closing working capital expenses. In the event that the offering expenses are more than as set forth in this table, we may fund such excess with funds not held in the trust account.

(3)

The underwriters have agreed to defer underwriting discounts and commissions equal to 3.5% of the gross proceeds of this offering. Upon completion of our initial business combination, $8,750,000, which constitutes the underwriters’ deferred underwriting discounts and commissions (or $10,062,500 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) will be paid to the underwriters from the funds held in the trust account, and the remaining funds, less amounts released to the trustee to pay redeeming shareholders, will be released to us and can be used to pay all or a portion of the purchase price of the business or businesses with which our initial business combination occurs or for general

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corporate purposes, including payment of principal or interest on indebtedness incurred in connection with our initial business combination, to fund the purchases of other businesses or assets or for working capital. The underwriters will not be entitled to any interest accrued on the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions.

(4)

These expenses are estimates only. Our actual expenditures for some or all of these items may differ from the estimates set forth herein. For example, we may incur greater legal and accounting expenses than our current estimates in connection with negotiating and structuring our business combination based upon the level of complexity of such business combination. In the event we identify a business combination target in a specific industry subject to specific regulations, we may incur additional expenses associated with legal due diligence and the engagement of special legal counsel. In addition, our staffing needs may vary and as a result, we may engage a number of consultants to assist with legal and financial due diligence. We do not anticipate any change in our intended use of proceeds, other than fluctuations among the current categories of allocated expenses, which fluctuations, to the extent they exceed current estimates for any specific category of expenses, would not be available for our expenses. The amount in the table above does not include interest available to us from the trust account. The proceeds held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. We estimate the interest earned on the trust account will be approximately $250,000 per year, assuming an interest rate of 0.10% per year; however, we can provide no assurances regarding this amount.

(5)

Includes estimated amounts that may also be used in connection with our business combination to fund a “no shop” provision and commitment fees for financing.

The rules of the NYSE provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the private placement be deposited in a trust account. Of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, $250,000,000 (or $287,500,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), including $8,750,000 (or $10,062,500 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) of deferred underwriting discounts and commissions, will be deposited into a U.S. based trust account with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, and $7,000,000 (or $7,750,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), will be used to pay expenses in connection with the closing of this offering and for working capital following this offering. The proceeds held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. We estimate that the interest earned on the trust account will be approximately $250,000 per year, assuming an interest rate of 0.10% per year; however, we can provide no assurances regarding this amount. Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our tax obligations, the proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants will not be released from the trust account until the earliest to occur of (a) the completion of our initial business combination (including the release of funds to pay any amounts due to any public shareholders who properly exercise their redemption rights in connection therewith), (b) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (i) in a manner that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity or (c) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete our business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law. Based on current interest rates, we expect that the interest earned on the trust account, will be sufficient to pay our taxes.

The net proceeds held in the trust account may be used as consideration to pay the sellers of a target business with which we ultimately complete our business combination. If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt securities, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our business combination, we may apply the balance of the cash released from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction company, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other businesses or assets or for working capital. There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds privately or through loans in connection with our initial business combination.

We believe that amounts not held in trust will be sufficient to pay the costs and expenses to which such proceeds are allocated. This belief is based on the fact that while we may begin preliminary due diligence of a target business in connection with an indication of interest, we intend to undertake in-depth due diligence, depending on the circumstances of the relevant prospective acquisition, only after we have negotiated and signed a letter of intent

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or other preliminary agreement that addresses the terms of a business combination. However, if our estimate of the costs of undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating a business combination is less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may be required to raise additional capital, the amount, availability and cost of which is currently unascertainable. If we are required to seek additional capital, we could seek such additional capital through loans or additional investments from our sponsor, members of our management team or any of their affiliates, but such persons are not under any obligation to advance funds to, or invest in, us.

We will reimburse our sponsor for office space, utilities, secretarial support and administrative services provided to members of our management team, in an amount equal to $20,000 per month. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.

Prior to the closing of this offering, our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. These loans are non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of March 31, 2021 or the closing of this offering. The loan will be repaid upon the closing of this offering as part of the estimated $1,000,000 of offering expenses.

In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. Otherwise, such loans would be repaid only out of funds held outside the trust account. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants of the post business combination entity at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period. Except as set forth above, the terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.

If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. There is no limit on the number of shares our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase in such transactions, subject to compliance with applicable law and the rules of the NYSE. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. If they engage in such transactions, they will not make any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act.

We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will comply with such rules.

We may not redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) and the agreement for our business combination may require as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. If too many public shareholders exercise their redemption rights so that we cannot satisfy the net tangible asset requirement or any net worth or cash requirements, we would not proceed with the redemption of our public shares or the business combination, and instead may search for an alternate business combination.

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A public shareholder will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earliest to occur of: (i) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with our completion of an initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) in a manner that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity or (iii) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete our business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law and as further described herein and any limitations (including but not limited to cash requirements) created by the terms of the proposed business combination. In no other circumstances will a public shareholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account.

Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. In addition, our initial shareholders have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame. However, if our sponsor or any of our officers, directors or affiliates acquires public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame.


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Dividend Policy

We have not paid any cash dividends on our ordinary shares to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of our initial business combination. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition subsequent to completion of our initial business combination. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to our initial business combination will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time. In addition, our board of directors is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any other share dividends in the foreseeable future, except if we increase the size of this offering, in which case we will effect a share dividend or other appropriate mechanism immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in an amount necessary to maintain the ownership of our initial shareholders prior to the offering at 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering. Further, if we incur any indebtedness in connection with our business combination, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.


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Dilution

The difference between the public offering price per share of Class A ordinary shares, assuming no value is attributed to the warrants included in the units we are offering pursuant to this prospectus or the private placement warrants, and the pro forma net tangible book value per share of our Class A ordinary shares after this offering constitutes the dilution to investors in this offering. Such calculation does not reflect any dilution associated with the sale and exercise of warrants, including the private placement warrants, which would cause the actual dilution to the public shareholders to be higher, particularly where a cashless exercise is utilized. Net tangible book value per share is determined by dividing our net tangible book value, which is our total tangible assets less total liabilities (including the value of Class A ordinary shares which may be redeemed for cash), by the number of outstanding Class A ordinary shares.

At October 8, 2020, our net tangible book value was a deficit of $(38,966) or approximately $(0.01) per ordinary share. After giving effect to the sale of 25,000,000 Class A ordinary shares included in the units we are offering by this prospectus (or 28,750,000 Class A ordinary shares if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), the sale of the private placement warrants and the deduction of underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated expenses of this offering, our pro forma net tangible book value at October 8, 2020 would have been $5,000,004, or approximately $0.66 per share (or $5,000,004, or $0.58 per share if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), representing an immediate increase in net tangible book value (as decreased by the value of the 23,726,603 Class A ordinary shares that may be redeemed for cash, or 27,345,353 Class A ordinary shares if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) of $0.67 per share (or $0.58 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) to our initial shareholders as of the date of this prospectus. Total dilution to public shareholders from this offering will be $9.34 per share (or $9.42 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full).

The following table illustrates the dilution to the public shareholders on a per-share basis, assuming no value is attributed to the warrants included in the units or the private placement warrants:

 

 

 

Without Option to

Purchase Additional Units

 

 

With Option to Purchase

Additional Units

 

Public offering price

 

 

 

 

 

$

10.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

10.00

 

Net tangible book deficit before this offering

 

 

(0.01

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(0.01

)

 

 

 

 

Increase attributable to public shareholders

 

 

0.67

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0.59

 

 

 

 

 

Pro forma net tangible book value after this offering and the

   sale of the private placement warrants

 

 

 

 

 

 

0.66

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0.58

 

Dilution to public shareholders

 

 

 

 

 

$

9.34

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

9.42

 

Percentages of dilution to public shareholders

 

 

 

 

 

 

93.4

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

94.2

%

 

For purposes of presentation, we have reduced our pro forma net tangible book value after this offering (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units) by $237,266,030 because holders of up to approximately 94.9% of our public shares may redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account at a per share redemption price equal to the amount in the trust account as set forth in our proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable (initially anticipated to be the aggregate amount held in trust two days prior to the commencement of our shareholders’ meeting or tender offer, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes), divided by the number of Class A ordinary shares sold in this offering.

The following table sets forth information with respect to our initial shareholders and the public shareholders:

 

 

 

Shares Purchased

 

 

Total Consideration

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Number

 

 

Percentage

 

 

Amount

 

 

Percentage

 

 

Average

Price

Per Share

 

Initial Shareholders(1)

 

 

6,250,000

 

 

 

20.0

%

 

$

25,000

 

 

 

0.01

%

 

$

0.004

 

Public Shareholders

 

 

25,000,000

 

 

 

80.0

%

 

$

250,000,000

 

 

 

99.99

%

 

$

10.000

 

 

 

 

31,250,000

 

 

 

100.0

%

 

$

250,025,000

 

 

 

100.000

%

 

 

 

 

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(1)

Assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units and the corresponding forfeiture of an aggregate of 937,500 Class B ordinary shares held by our sponsor.

The pro forma net tangible book value per share after the offering is calculated as follows:

 

 

 

Without Option to

Purchase

Additional

Units

 

 

With Option to

Purchase

Additional

Units

 

Numerator:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net tangible book deficit before this offering

 

$

(38,966

)

 

$

(38,966

)

Net proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants(1)

 

 

251,000,000

 

 

 

288,500,000

 

Plus: Offering costs paid in advance, excluded from tangible book

   value before this offering

 

 

55,000

 

 

 

55,000

 

Less: Deferred underwriting commissions

 

 

(8,750,000

)

 

 

(10,062,500

)

Less: Proceeds held in trust subject to redemption(2)

 

 

(237,266,030

)

 

 

(273,453,530

)

 

 

$

5,000,004

 

 

$

5,000,004

 

Denominator:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Class B ordinary shares outstanding prior to this offering

 

 

7,187,500

 

 

 

7,187,500

 

Class B ordinary shares forfeited if option to purchase additional units

   is not exercised

 

 

(937,500

)

 

 

 

Class A ordinary shares included in the units offered

 

 

25,000,000

 

 

 

28,750,000

 

Less: Class A ordinary shares subject to redemption

 

 

(23,726,603

)

 

 

(27,345,353

)

 

 

 

7,523,397

 

 

 

8,592,147

 

 

(1)

Expenses applied against gross proceeds include offering expenses of $1,000,000 and underwriting discounts and commissions of $5,000,000 (or $5,750,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) (excluding deferred underwriting discounts and commissions). See “Use of Proceeds.”

(2)

If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares or public warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. In the event of any such purchases of our shares prior to the completion of our initial business combination, the number of Class A ordinary shares subject to redemption will be reduced by the amount of any such purchases, increasing the pro forma net tangible book value per share. See “Proposed Business — Permitted Purchases of our Securities.”


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Capitalization

The following table sets forth our capitalization at October 8, 2020, and as adjusted to give effect to the filing of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the sale of our units in this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants and the application of the estimated net proceeds derived from the sale of such securities, assuming no exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional units:

 

 

 

October 8, 2020

 

 

 

Actual

 

 

As Adjusted(1)

 

Note payable to related party(2)

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

Deferred underwriting discounts and commissions

 

$

-

 

 

$

8,750,000

 

Promissory note to affiliate

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption; -0- and 23,726,603

   shares subject to possible redemption, actual and adjusted, respectively

 

 

-

 

 

 

237,266,030

 

Shareholders’ equity:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value per share, 5,000,000 shares authorized;

   none issued or outstanding, actual and as adjusted

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

Common stock

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, 500,000,000 shares,

   authorized; -0- and 1,273,397 shares issued and outstanding

   (excluding -0- and 23,726,603 shares subject to possible

    redemption), actual and as adjusted, respectively

 

 

-

 

 

 

127

 

Class B ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value, 50,000,000 shares

   authorized; 7,187,500 and 6,250,000 shares issued and

   outstanding, actual and as adjusted, respectively(3)(5)

 

 

719

 

 

 

625

 

Additional paid-in capital

 

 

24,281

 

 

 

5,008,218

 

Accumulated deficit

 

 

(8,966

)

 

 

(8,966

)

Total stockholders’ equity

 

$

16,034

 

 

$

5,000,004

 

Total capitalization

 

$

16,034

 

 

$

251,016,034

 

 

(1)

Assumes the option to purchase additional units has not been exercised and the resulting forfeiture of 937,500 founder shares held by our sponsor has occurred.

(2)

Our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $300,000 under an unsecured promissory note to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. As of October 8, 2020, we have not borrowed any amount under the note. The “as adjusted” information gives effect to the repayment of any loans made under this note out of the proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants.

(3)

Upon the completion of our initial business combination, we will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein whereby redemptions cannot cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 and any limitations (including, but not limited to, cash requirements) created by the terms of the proposed business combination.

(4)

Actual share amount is prior to any forfeiture of founder shares by our sponsor and as adjusted amount assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units.

(5)

In October 2020, our sponsor returned 718,750 Class B ordinary shares to the Company at no cost. All shares and associated amounts have been retroactively stated to reflect the return of the shares.


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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Overview

We are a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company on October 7, 2020 for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. We have not selected any specific business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, our shares, debt or a combination of the foregoing.

The issuance of additional ordinary or preferred shares in connection with a business combination to the owners of the target or other investors:

 

may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in this offering, which dilution would increase if the anti-dilution provisions in the Class B ordinary shares resulted in the issuance of Class A shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares;

 

may subordinate the rights of holders of our ordinary shares if preferred shares are issued with rights senior to those afforded our ordinary shares;

 

could cause a change in control if a substantial number of our ordinary shares are issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and could result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors;

 

may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of us by diluting the share ownership or voting rights of a person seeking to obtain control of us; and

 

may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our Class A ordinary shares and/or warrants.

Similarly, if we issue debt securities or otherwise incur significant debt to bank or other lenders or the owners of a target, it could result in:

 

default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after an initial business combination are insufficient to repay our debt obligations;

 

acceleration of our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we make all principal and interest payments when due if we breach certain covenants that require the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant;

 

our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt security is payable on demand;

 

our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt security contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt security is outstanding;

 

our inability to pay dividends on our ordinary shares;

 

using a substantial portion of our cash flow to pay principal and interest on our debt, which will reduce the funds available for dividends on our ordinary shares if declared, our ability to pay expenses, make capital expenditures and acquisitions and fund other general corporate purposes;

 

limitations on our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and in the industry in which we operate;

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increased vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions and adverse changes in government regulation;

 

limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, and execution of our strategy; and

 

other purposes and other disadvantages compared to our competitors who have less debt.

As indicated in the accompanying financial statements, at October 8, 2020, we had no cash, prepaid expenses of approximately $21,000 and deferred offering costs of $55,000. Further, we expect to incur significant costs in the pursuit of our initial business combination. We cannot assure you that our plans to raise capital or to complete our initial business combination will be successful.

Results of Operations and Known Trends or Future Events

We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenues to date. Our only activities since inception have been organizational activities and those necessary to prepare for this offering. Following this offering, we will not generate any operating revenues until after completion of our initial business combination. We will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on cash and cash equivalents after this offering. There has been no significant change in our financial or trading position and no material adverse change has occurred since the date of our audited financial statements. After this offering, we expect to incur increased expenses as a result of being a public company (for legal, financial reporting, accounting and auditing compliance), as well as expenses as we conduct due diligence on prospective business combination candidates. We expect our expenses to increase substantially after the closing of this offering.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our liquidity needs have been satisfied prior to completion of this offering through the payment of $25,000 of expenses on our behalf by our sponsor in exchange for the issuance of the founder shares and loans to us of up to $300,000 by our sponsor under an unsecured promissory note. As of October 8, 2020, we had not borrowed any amount under the note for offering expenses. We estimate that the net proceeds from (i) the sale of the units in this offering, after deducting offering expenses of approximately $1,000,000, underwriting discounts and commissions of $5,000,000 ($5,750,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) (excluding deferred underwriting discounts and commissions of $8,750,000 (or $10,062,500 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full)), and (ii) the sale of the private placement warrants for a purchase price of $7,000,000 (or $7,750,000 if the option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), will be $251,000,000 (or $288,000,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full). Of this amount, $250,000,000 (or $287,500,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) will be held in the trust account, which includes $8,750,000 (or $10,062,500 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) of deferred underwriting discounts and commissions. The proceeds held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. We will disclose in each quarterly and annual report filed with the SEC prior to our initial business combination whether the proceeds deposited in the trust account are invested in U.S. government treasury obligations or money market funds or a combination thereof. The remaining approximately $1,000,000 will not be held in the trust account. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $1,000,000, we may fund such excess with funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $1,000,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.

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We intend to use substantially all of the funds held in the trust account, including any amounts representing interest earned on the trust account (less taxes payable and deferred underwriting discounts and commissions) to complete our initial business combination. We may withdraw interest to pay our taxes, if any. Our annual tax obligations will depend on the amount of interest and other income earned on the amounts held in the trust account. Based on current interest rates, we expect that the interest earned on the trust account will be sufficient to pay our taxes. To the extent that our shares or debt is used, in whole or in part, as consideration to complete our initial business combination, the remaining proceeds held in the trust account will be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business or businesses, make other acquisitions and pursue our growth strategies.

After the closing of this offering, we will have available to us the approximately $1,000,000 of proceeds held outside the trust account. We will use these funds primarily to identify and evaluate target businesses, perform business due diligence on prospective target businesses, travel to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses or their representatives or owners, review corporate documents and material agreements of prospective target businesses, and structure, negotiate and complete a business combination.

We do not believe we will need to raise additional funds following this offering in order to meet the expenditures required for operating our business prior to our initial business combination. However, if our estimates of the costs of identifying a target business, undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating an initial business combination are less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may have insufficient funds available to operate our business prior to our initial business combination. In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants of the post business combination entity at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period. The terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.

We expect our primary liquidity requirements during that period to include approximately $210,000 for legal, accounting, due diligence, travel and other expenses associated with any business combinations; $100,000 for legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting requirements; $480,000 for office space, utilities and administrative and support services; $170,000 for NYSE annual fees; and $40,000 for general working capital to cover miscellaneous expenses (including taxes net of anticipated interest income).

These amounts are estimates and may differ materially from our actual expenses. In addition, we could use a portion of the funds not being placed in trust to pay commitment fees for financing, fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business or as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision (a provision designed to keep target businesses from “shopping” around for transactions with other companies or investors on terms more favorable to such target businesses) with respect to a particular proposed business combination, although we do not have any current intention to do so. If we entered into an agreement where we paid for the right to receive exclusivity from a target business, the amount that would be used as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision would be determined based on the terms of the specific business combination and the amount of our available funds at the time. Our forfeiture of such funds (whether as a result of our breach or otherwise) could result in our not having sufficient funds to continue searching for, or conducting due diligence with respect to, prospective target businesses.

Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing to complete our business combination, either because the transaction requires more cash than is available from the proceeds held in our trust account or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon completion of the business combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account.

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Controls and Procedures

We are not currently required to maintain an effective system of internal controls as defined by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We will be required to comply with the internal control requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021. Only in the event that we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer would we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement. Further, for as long as we remain an emerging growth company as defined in the JOBS Act, we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement.

Prior to the closing of this offering, we have not completed an assessment, nor has our independent registered public accounting firm tested our systems, of our internal controls. We expect to assess the internal controls of our target business or businesses prior to the completion of our initial business combination and, if necessary, to implement and test additional controls as we may determine are necessary in order to state that we maintain an effective system of internal controls. A target business may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding the adequacy of internal controls. Many small and mid-sized target businesses we may consider for our business combination may have internal controls that need improvement in areas such as:

 

staffing for financial, accounting and external reporting areas, including segregation of duties;

 

reconciliation of accounts;

 

proper recording of expenses and liabilities in the period to which they relate;

 

evidence of internal review and approval of accounting transactions;

 

documentation of processes, assumptions and conclusions underlying significant estimates; and

 

documentation of accounting policies and procedures.

Because it will take time, management involvement and perhaps outside resources to determine what internal control improvements are necessary for us to meet regulatory requirements and market expectations for our operation of a target business, we may incur significant expenses in meeting our public reporting responsibilities, particularly in the areas of designing, enhancing, or remediating internal and disclosure controls. Doing so effectively may also take longer than we expect, thus increasing our exposure to financial fraud or erroneous financing reporting.

Once our management’s report on internal controls is complete, we will retain our independent registered public accounting firm to audit and render an opinion on such report when required by Section 404. The independent registered public accounting firm may identify additional issues concerning a target business’s internal controls while performing their audit of internal control over financial reporting.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

The net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account will be invested in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Due to the short-term nature of these investments, we believe there will be no associated material exposure to interest rate risk.

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Related Party Transactions

In October 2020, 7,906,250 founder shares were issued to our sponsor in exchange for the payment of $25,000 expenses on our behalf, or approximately $0.003 per share. In October 2020, our sponsor returned to us at no cost an aggregate of 718,750 founder shares, which we cancelled. The number of founder shares issued was determined based on the expectation that such founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares upon completion of this offering. The per share purchase price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash contributed to the company by the aggregate number of founder shares issued.

Commencing on the date that our securities are first listed on the NYSE, we have agreed to pay our sponsor a total of $20,000 per month for office space, utilities, secretarial support and administrative services. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.

Our sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates, will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers, directors or our or their affiliates and will determine which expenses and the amount of expenses that will be reimbursed. There is no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by such persons in connection with activities on our behalf.

Prior to the consummation of this offering, our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. As of October 8, 2020, we had not borrowed any amount under the note. These loans are non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of March 31, 2021 or the closing of this offering. The loan will be repaid upon the closing of this offering as part of the estimated $$1,000,000 of offering proceeds that have been allocated for the payment of offering expenses.

In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants of the post business combination entity at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. Such warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period. The terms of such loans by our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.

Our sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 4,666,666 private placement warrants (or 5,166,666 private placement warrants if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) at a price of $1.50 per warrant ($7,000,000 in the aggregate, or $7,750,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Each whole private placement warrant is exercisable for one Class A ordinary share at $11.50 per share. Our sponsor will be permitted to transfer the private placement warrants held by it to certain permitted transferees, including our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with or related to it, but the transferees receiving such securities will be subject to the same agreements with respect to such securities as our sponsor. Otherwise, these warrants will not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferable, assignable or saleable until 30 days after the completion of our business combination. The private placement warrants will be non-redeemable so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees. The private placement warrants may also be exercised by our sponsor and its permitted transferees for cash or on a cashless basis. Otherwise, the private placement warrants have terms and provisions that are identical to those of the warrants being sold as part of the units in this offering, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period.

Pursuant to a registration rights agreement we will enter into with our initial shareholders on or prior to the closing of this offering, we may be required to register certain securities for sale under the Securities Act. These holders and holders of warrants issued upon conversion of working capital loans, if any, are entitled under the

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registration rights agreement to make up to three demands that we offer securities held by them for sale under the Securities Act and to have the securities covered thereby registered for resale pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. In addition, these holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to certain underwritten offerings we may conduct. We will bear the costs and expenses of registering these securities.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements; Commitments and Contractual Obligations; Quarterly Results

As of October 8, 2020, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of Regulation S-K and did not have any commitments or contractual obligations. No unaudited quarterly operating data is included in this prospectus as we have not conducted any operations to date.

JOBS Act

The JOBS Act contains provisions that, among other things, relax certain reporting requirements for qualifying public companies. We will qualify as an “emerging growth company” and under the JOBS Act will be allowed to comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements based on the effective date for private (not publicly traded) companies. We are electing to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards, and as a result, we may not comply with new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for non-emerging growth companies. As a result, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.

Additionally, we are in the process of evaluating the benefits of relying on the other reduced reporting requirements provided by the JOBS Act. Subject to certain conditions set forth in the JOBS Act, if, as an “emerging growth company,” we choose to rely on such exemptions we may not be required to, among other things, (i) provide an independent registered public accounting firm’s attestation report on our system of internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404, (ii) provide all of the compensation disclosure that may be required of non-emerging growth public companies under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, (iii) comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the PCAOB regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the independent registered public accounting firm’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements (auditor discussion and analysis), and (iv) disclose certain executive compensation related items such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the CEO’s compensation to median employee compensation. These exemptions will apply for a period of five years following the completion of this offering or until we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” whichever is earlier.


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Proposed Business

Overview

We are a blank check company newly incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. We have not selected any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. We intend to focus our search for a target business in the energy technology arena targeting industries that require sustainable and innovative solutions to decarbonize in order to meet critical emission reduction objectives. The IEA estimates that achieving lower emission targets will require a radical transformation in the way the world supplies, transforms and uses energy. The IEA has identified over 800 energy technology options that would need to happen for the world to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. The clean energy technologies the world will need tomorrow hinge on fostering innovation today, with 35% of the decarbonization efforts resulting from increased electrification, 25% from CCUS, 20% from bioenergy and 5% from increased hydrogen use. The need for energy technology has never been more important, and the IEA estimates that the transition to net-zero emissions will require approximately $30 trillion of invested capital by 2040, or an implied approximate $1.5 trillion per year, in order to provide smart electricity grids, alternative fuel distribution, carbon dioxide transportation and storage, and communications networks for connected appliances and vehicles, among other solutions We believe our management team, together with NGP, an affiliate of our sponsor, are well suited to identify opportunities that create a positive environmental impact, exhibit strong ESG attributes and have the potential to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns for our shareholders, although we may pursue a business combination opportunity in any business or industry.

Most recently, our management team and an affiliate of NGP co-founded Switchback I, a special purpose acquisition company that completed its initial public offering in July 2019, in which it sold 30,000,000 units, each consisting of one share of Class A common stock and one-third of one warrant, with each whole warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one share of Class A common stock, for an offering price of $10.00 per unit, generating aggregate proceeds of approximately $300 million. Following the underwriters’ exercise of their option to purchase additional units, the aggregate proceeds were approximately $345 million. In September 2020, Switchback I announced its initial business combination with ChargePoint, which was founded in 2007 and has built one of the world’s largest EV charging networks. The combined entity, ChargePoint Holdings, Inc., will be listed on the NYSE.We believe that we will benefit from the valuable experience gained by our management team during the launch and operation of Switchback I, including the process of evaluating numerous target companies and industry sectors, selecting ChargePoint as its business combination partner and negotiating the terms of the business combination agreement and all of the related financing transactions.

Our extensive sourcing network includes (i) business founders, owners and senior management contacts, (ii) private equity, financial investors and other sponsors of private businesses and (iii) industry professionals, including investment banking, legal, accounting and other industry focused experts. We believe that there are highly attractive investment opportunities that are accessible through our network of contacts which exist within our focus industries and also exhibit strong ESG profiles. We believe our management team’s experience and combined expertise provide us with unique insight to evaluate targets across numerous sectors, including energy technology, clean and renewable energy infrastructure, electric and autonomous mobility ecosystem, energy efficiency and battery storage, environmental solutions and services, hydrogen technology and infrastructure, renewable and bio fuels, waste to energy and recycling, among others. We plan to target companies that are at an inflection point in growth expectations that can utilize guidance on strategic positioning and capital optimization to accelerate business development, improve their business prospects and unlock the full potential of their business.

We believe in the ability of our management team to add significant value to a target company from a business building, commercial, capital markets and sustainability perspective. Our extensive operational experience and the public company expertise of our management team present the potential for an attractive risk-adjusted return profile through our involvement and stewardship. As demonstrated by our management team with Switchback I’s announced business combination with ChargePoint, we believe that the extensive skills and perspectives of our management team will enable us to identify dynamic and visionary management teams and work alongside them to crystalize their strategic vision, enhance their business plan and improve their operational capabilities. In addition,

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our team has significant hands-on experience working with growth-oriented companies in preparing for and executing an initial public offering or an initial business combination, and serving as active owners and directors by working closely with these companies to assist in the execution of their strategic plan, support their continued transformations and help access and create value in the public markets.

We believe we play an important role in the public equity markets by identifying high-quality, growth-oriented businesses, evaluating the merits and viability of high-growth business plans and completing pre-investment due diligence, focusing and preparing the business for the multi-faceted requirements of being a publicly traded company, and both capitalizing and leading the actual business combination transaction. This function will be invaluable to our eventual business combination target, as we have the skills to validate and enhance its business plan, improve its ESG profile and prepare it for the rigors of being publicly listed, as well as to our investors who might otherwise not have the opportunity or confidence to publicly invest in the business we identify in the transition towards a decarbonized and cleaner future.

Management, Our Sponsor and Board of Directors

Scott McNeill, our Co-Chief Executive Officer and a member of our board of directors, co-founded the company and also co-founded and currently serves as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and a director of Switchback I and will continue to serve on the board of directors of Switchback I until the closing of its business combination with ChargePoint. Mr. McNeill served as Chief Financial Officer of RSP from April 2013 through the completion of its acquisition by Concho in July 2018. Mr. McNeill also served as a member of the board of directors of RSP from December 2013 through July 2018. Mr. McNeill joined RSP prior to its IPO in January 2014 and helped build the organization during its early growth phase while positioning it for its IPO. During Mr. McNeill’s tenure at RSP, RSP executed over $13 billion in M&A transactions and approximately $7 billion of financings. Before joining RSP, Mr. McNeill served as a managing director in the energy investment banking group of Raymond James Financial, Inc., advising companies operating in the exploration and production, midstream, and energy service and equipment segments of the energy industry. Mr. McNeill holds a B.B.A from Baylor University and an M.B.A from the University of Texas at Austin and is a certified public accountant in the State of Texas.

Jim Mutrie, our Co-Chief Executive Officer and a member of our board of directors, co-founded the company and co-founded and currently serves as Chief Commercial Officer, General Counsel, Secretary and a director of Switchback I and will continue to serve on the board of directors of Switchback I until the closing of its business combination with ChargePoint. Mr. Mutrie also served as RSP’s Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary from June 2014 through the completion of the acquisition of RSP by Concho in July 2018. During his tenure, Mr. Mutrie led the negotiation and execution of approximately $13 billion of energy-related transactions and over $6 billion of financings, and oversaw Legal, Information Technology, Health and Safety, Human Resources and Government Affairs at RSP. Prior to RSP, Mr. Mutrie served as General Counsel and Compliance Officer at United Surgical Partners International (NASDAQ: USPI). From October 2003 to January 2007, Mr. Mutrie practiced corporate law at Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., representing public and private companies in M&A transactions and capital market offerings. Mr. Mutrie holds a B.A. from Cornell University, a J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law, a Certificate in Financial Management from Cornell University and a Certificate in Financial Skills from SMU Cox School of Business, Executive Education.

We will further be supported by our board of directors, comprised of former senior executives who have been at the forefront of forward thinking on climate change, sustainability policies and companies leading the transition to a cleaner future. Our directors come from a wide range of sub-sectors and functional areas and will provide us with access to their expertise and extensive industry networks from which we intend to source and evaluate targets as well as devise plans to optimize any business that we acquire.

Our management team will also draw upon the resources and support of NGP. Since NGP’s founding in 1988, NGP Funds have raised $20 billion of cumulative capital commitments and invested in more than 215 portfolio companies across 12 flagship private equity funds. NGP has experience investing across a variety of commodity price cycles and a track record of identifying high-quality assets, businesses and management teams with significant resources, capital and optimization potential. We believe that we will benefit from NGP’s prior experience in the public capital markets and from NGP’s exclusive focus on energy and energy-related investing. Since 2014, NGP portfolio companies have raised $6.1 billion in 10 IPO transactions and an additional $866 million through two energy-focused SPACs. Additionally, NGP was an early leader investing in energy technology and renewables

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through its partnership with NGP ETP and Philip J. Deutch. Since 2005, NGP has deployed approximately $500 million of capital through NGP ETP across a broad range of renewable and energy technology companies. With over 15 years of profitably investing in energy technology and renewables, we believe NGP’s deep experience and extensive network of senior industry contacts will add value to our search for a target business in the broad energy transition and sustainability sectors.

A prior NGP Fund and a management team different from our management team founded VEAC in 2017, a blank check company formed for substantially similar purposes as our company. VEAC completed its initial public offering in April 2017, in which it sold 55,200,000 units, each consisting of one share of Class A common stock of VEAC and one-third of one redeemable warrant to purchase one share of Class A common stock of VEAC, for an offering price of $10.00 per unit, generating aggregate proceeds of $552,000,000. On November 6, 2018, VEAC entered into the VEAC Purchase Agreement with QEP Seller, and VEAC OpCo, relating to the proposed acquisition by VEAC, through VEAC OpCo, of certain oil and natural gas assets located primarily in the Williston Basin in North Dakota and Montana. On February 20, 2019, VEAC, QEP Seller and VEAC OpCo mutually agreed to terminate the VEAC Purchase Agreement. The termination of the VEAC Purchase Agreement was effective as of February 20, 2019. In April 2019, VEAC redeemed all of its outstanding shares of Class A common stock because VEAC determined it was not able to consummate an initial business combination that would provide attractive returns to its stockholders within the time period required by its amended and restated certificate of incorporation. The per-share redemption price for the shares of VEAC’s Class A common stock was approximately $10.22. Other than Scott Gieselman, who served as a director of VEAC, none of our officers or directors served as an officer or director of VEAC.

We believe that potential sellers of target businesses will view the fact that our management team has successfully negotiated a business combination as a positive factor in considering whether or not to enter into a business combination with us. However, past performance of our management team, Switchback I or NGP is not a guarantee either (i) of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate or (ii) that we will be able to identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination. You should not rely on the historical record of our management team, Switchback I or any related investment’s performance as indicative of our future performance.

Business Strategy

Our acquisition and value creation strategy will be to identify and complete our initial business combination with a company that is playing an active role in providing solutions to reduce emissions and/or improve the sustainability of products and industries, along with making a positive impact on the communities that it serves by employing efficient and innovative business practices. We intend to target a company and management team that complements the experience of our management team and can benefit from its operational expertise and/or executive oversight. Our acquisition strategy will leverage our team’s network of potential proprietary and public transaction sources where we believe a combination of our relationships, knowledge and experience could effect a positive transformation or augmentation of existing businesses or properties to improve their overall value proposition. Our goal is to form a focused business with multiple competitive advantages and the potential to generate cash flow in excess of its capital. We would expect to grow the business over time, both organically and through acquisitions, with a focus on consistently achieving attractive returns on capital and maintaining conservative balance sheet metrics.

We believe our management team’s track record and execution experience, including its experience sourcing ChargePoint for Switchback I, together with the deep industry and investing experience of our sponsor combined with the extensive experience of our management team, make us very well positioned to identify, source, negotiate and execute a business combination that meets our investment criteria and generates attractive risk-adjusted returns for our shareholders. We plan to utilize the network and industry experience of our management team and NGP in seeking an initial business combination and employing our acquisition strategy. Over the course of their careers, the members of our management team and their affiliates have developed a broad network of contacts and corporate relationships that was instrumental in identifying a target for Switchback I and we believe will serve as a useful source of acquisition opportunities for us. This network has been developed through our management team’s extensive experience in both investing in and operating in the energy transition and sustainability industry and further expanded through its experience seeking an identifying a target for Switchback I. We will additionally leverage NGP’s considerable experience investing in the energy industry; since 1988, NGP Funds have raised

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approximately $20 billion of cumulative capital commitments from investors and invested in more than 215 portfolio companies across 12 flagship private equity funds. We expect these networks will provide our management team with a robust flow of acquisition opportunities. In addition, we anticipate that target business candidates will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, which may include investment market participants, private equity groups, investment banking firms, consultants, accounting firms and large business enterprises. Upon completion of this offering, members of our management team will communicate with their networks of relationships to articulate the parameters for our search for a target business and a potential business combination and begin the process of pursuing and reviewing potentially interesting leads.

Acquisition Criteria

Consistent with this strategy, we have identified the following general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective targets. We will use these criteria and guidelines in evaluating acquisition opportunities, but we may decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target that does not meet these criteria and guidelines. We intend to acquire target businesses that we believe:

 

are fundamentally sound but that we believe can achieve better results by leveraging the operating and financial experience of our management team and NGP and/or combining these businesses into a public vehicle run by our management team;

 

can utilize the extensive networks and insights that our management team and NGP have built in the energy transition and sustainability industry;

 

are at an inflection point, such as requiring additional management expertise, are able to innovate through new operational techniques, or where we believe we can drive improved financial performance;

 

exhibit unrecognized value or other characteristics, desirable returns on capital, and a need for capital to achieve the company’s growth strategy, that we believe have been misevaluated by the marketplace based on our analysis and due diligence review; and

 

will offer an attractive risk-adjusted return for our shareholders.

These criteria are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general guidelines as well as other considerations, factors and criteria that our management may deem relevant. In the event that we decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet the above criteria and guidelines, we will disclose that the target business does not meet the above criteria in our shareholder communications related to our initial business combination, which, as discussed in this prospectus, would be in the form of proxy solicitation or tender offer materials that we would file with the SEC.

Initial Business Combination

The NYSE rules require that we must complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the net assets held in trust (net of amounts disbursed to management for working capital purposes and excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting discount held in trust) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial business combination. Our board will make the determination as to the fair market value of a target business or businesses. If our board is not able to independently determine the fair market value of a target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria.

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require the affirmative vote of a majority of our board of directors, which must include a majority of our independent directors and each of the non-independent directors nominated by our sponsor, to approve our initial business combination.

We may pursue an acquisition opportunity jointly with our sponsor, or one or more other entities affiliated with NGP, including other NGP Funds, other NGP Fund portfolio companies, and/or one or more investors in the NGP Funds, which we refer to as an “Affiliated Joint Acquisition.” Any such parties may co-invest with us in the target

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business at the time of our initial business combination, or we could raise additional proceeds to complete the acquisition by issuing to such parties a class of equity or equity-linked securities. Any such issuance of equity or equity-linked securities would, on a fully diluted basis, reduce the percentage ownership of our then-existing shareholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, pursuant to the anti-dilution provisions of our Class B ordinary shares, issuances or deemed issuances of Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities would result in an adjustment to the ratio at which Class B ordinary shares shall convert into Class A ordinary shares such that our initial shareholders and their permitted transferees, if any, would retain their aggregate percentage ownership at 20% of the sum of the total number of all ordinary shares outstanding upon completion of this offering plus all Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued in connection with the business combination (excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the business combination), unless the holders of a majority of the then-outstanding Class B ordinary shares agreed to waive such adjustment with respect to such issuance or deemed issuance at the time thereof. Our sponsor and its affiliates have no obligation to make any such investment, and may compete with us for potential business combinations.

We anticipate structuring our initial business combination either (i) in such a way so that the post-transaction company in which our public shareholders own shares will own or acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses, or (ii) in such a way so that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or shareholders, or for other reasons, including an Affiliated Joint Acquisition as described above. However, we will only complete a business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise is not required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock, shares or other equity interests of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our shareholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test. If the business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the transactions and we will treat the target businesses together as the initial business combination for seeking shareholder approval or for purposes of a tender offer, as applicable.

Our Acquisition Process

Consistent with this strategy, we have identified the following general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective targets. We will use these criteria and guidelines in evaluating acquisition opportunities, but we may decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target that does not meet these criteria and guidelines. We intend to acquire target businesses that we believe:

 

are fundamentally sound but that we believe can achieve better results by leveraging the operating and financial experience of our management team and NGP and/or combining these businesses into a public vehicle run by our management team;

 

can utilize the extensive networks and insights that our management team and NGP have built in the energy transition and sustainability industry;

 

are at an inflection point, such as requiring additional management expertise, are able to innovate through new operational techniques, or where we believe we can drive improved financial performance;

 

exhibit unrecognized value or other characteristics, desirable returns on capital, and a need for capital to achieve the company’s growth strategy, that we believe have been misevaluated by the marketplace based on our analysis and due diligence review; and

 

will offer an attractive risk-adjusted return for our shareholders.

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These criteria are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general guidelines as well as other considerations, factors and criteria that our management may deem relevant. In the event that we decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet the above criteria and guidelines, we will disclose that the target business does not meet the above criteria in our shareholder communications related to our initial business combination, which, as discussed in this prospectus, would be in the form of proxy solicitation or tender offer materials that we would file with the SEC.

Our Management Team

Members of our management team are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters but they intend to devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time that any members of our management team will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the current stage of the business combination process.

We believe our management team’s operating and transaction experience and relationships with companies will provide us with a substantial number of potential business combination targets. Over the course of their careers, the members of our management team have developed a broad network of contacts and corporate relationships around the world. This network has grown through the activities of our management team sourcing, acquiring and financing businesses, our management team’s relationships with sellers, financing sources and target management teams and the experience of our management team in executing transactions under varying economic and financial market conditions. See the section of this prospectus entitled “Management” for a more complete description of our management team’s experience.

Status as a Public Company

We believe our structure will make us an attractive business combination partner to target businesses. As an existing public company, we offer a target business an alternative to the traditional initial public offering through a merger or other business combination with us. In a business combination transaction with us, the owners of the target business may, for example, exchange their shares of stock, shares or other equity interests in the target business for our Class A ordinary shares (or shares of a new holding company) or for a combination of our Class A ordinary shares and cash, allowing us to tailor the consideration to the specific needs of the sellers. Although there are various costs and obligations associated with being a public company, we believe target businesses will find this method a more certain and cost effective method to becoming a public company than the typical initial public offering. The typical initial public offering process takes a significantly longer period of time than the typical business combination transaction process, and there are significant expenses in the initial public offering process, including underwriting discounts and commissions, that may not be present to the same extent in connection with a business combination with us.

Furthermore, once a proposed business combination is completed, the target business will have effectively become public, whereas an initial public offering is always subject to the underwriters’ ability to complete the offering, as well as general market conditions, which could delay or prevent the offering from occurring or could have negative valuation consequences. Once public, we believe the target business would then have greater access to capital, an additional means of providing management incentives consistent with shareholders’ interests and the ability to use its equity as currency for acquisitions. Being a public company can offer further benefits by augmenting a company’s profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented employees.

While we believe that our structure and our management team’s backgrounds will make us an attractive business partner, some potential target businesses may view our status as a blank check company, such as our lack of an operating history and our ability to seek shareholder approval of any proposed initial business combination, negatively.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act. As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not

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being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.

In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.

We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion (as adjusted for inflation pursuant to SEC rules from time to time), or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our Class A ordinary shares that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period.

Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (i) the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $250 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter or (ii) our annual revenues exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter.

Financial Position

With funds available for a business combination initially in the amount of up to $241,250,000 after payment of $8,750,000 of deferred underwriting discounts and commissions (or up to $277,437,500 after payment of $10,062,500 of deferred underwriting discounts and commissions if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), in each case before fees and expenses associated with our initial business combination, we offer a target business a variety of options such as creating a liquidity event for its owners, providing capital for the potential growth and expansion of its operations or strengthening its balance sheet by reducing its debt or leverage ratio. Because we are able to complete our business combination using our cash, debt or equity securities, or a combination of the foregoing, we have the flexibility to use the most efficient combination that will allow us to tailor the consideration to be paid to the target business to fit its needs and desires. However, we have not taken any steps to secure third party financing and there can be no assurance it will be available to us.

Effecting our Initial Business Combination

We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any operations for an indefinite period of time following this offering. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, our shares, debt or a combination of the foregoing. We may seek to complete our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, which would subject us to the numerous risks inherent in such companies and businesses. If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt securities, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our business combination or used for redemptions of our Class A ordinary shares, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction company, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other businesses or assets or for working capital.

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We have not selected any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions with any business combination target. Additionally, we have not engaged or retained any agent or other representative to identify or locate any suitable acquisition candidate, to conduct any research or take any measures, directly or indirectly, to locate or contact a target business, other than our officers and directors. Accordingly, there is no current basis for investors in this offering to evaluate the possible merits or risks of the target business with which we may ultimately complete our initial business combination. Although our management will assess the risks inherent in a particular target business with which we may combine, we cannot assure you that this assessment will result in our identifying all risks that a target business may encounter. Furthermore, some of those risks may be outside of our control, meaning that we can do nothing to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely affect a target business.

We may need to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination, either because the transaction requires more cash than is available from the proceeds held in our trust account or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon completion of the business combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such business combination. In the case of an initial business combination funded with assets other than the trust account assets, our tender offer documents or proxy materials disclosing the business combination would disclose the terms of the financing and, only if required by applicable law, we would seek shareholder approval of such financing. There are no prohibitions on our ability to issue securities or incur debt in connection with our initial business combination. We are not currently a party to any arrangement or understanding with any third party with respect to raising any additional funds through the sale of securities, the incurrence of debt or otherwise.

Sources of Target Businesses

We anticipate that target business candidates will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment market participants, private equity groups, investment banking firms, consultants, accounting firms and large business enterprises. Target businesses may be brought to our attention by such unaffiliated sources as a result of being solicited by us through calls or mailings. These sources may also introduce us to target businesses in which they think we may be interested on an unsolicited basis, since many of these sources will have read this prospectus and know what types of businesses we are targeting. Our officers and directors, as well as their affiliates, may also bring to our attention target business candidates that they become aware of through their business contacts as a result of formal or informal inquiries or discussions they may have, as well as attending trade shows or conventions. In addition, we expect to receive a number of proprietary deal flow opportunities that would not otherwise necessarily be available to us as a result of the track record and business relationships of our officers and directors. While we do not presently anticipate engaging the services of professional firms or other individuals that specialize in business acquisitions on any formal basis, we may engage these firms or other individuals in the future, in which event we may pay a finder’s fee, consulting fee or other compensation to be determined in an arm’s length negotiation based on the terms of the transaction. We will engage a finder only to the extent our management determines that the use of a finder may bring opportunities to us that may not otherwise be available to us or if finders approach us on an unsolicited basis with a potential transaction that our management determines is in our best interest to pursue. Payment of a finder’s fee is customarily tied to completion of a transaction, in which case any such fee will be paid out of the funds held in the trust account. In no event, however, will our sponsor or any of our existing officers or directors, or any entity with which they are affiliated, be paid any finder’s fee, consulting fee or other compensation by the company prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the completion of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). We have agreed to pay our sponsor a total of $20,000 per month for office space, utilities, secretarial support and administrative services and to reimburse our sponsor for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination. Some of our officers and directors may enter into employment or consulting agreements with the post-transaction company following our initial business combination. The presence or absence of any such fees or arrangements will not be used as a criterion in our selection process of an acquisition candidate.

We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a business combination target that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, or from making the acquisition through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a business combination target that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm

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which is a member of FINRA or an independent accounting firm that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.

As more fully discussed in the section of this prospectus entitled “Management — Conflicts of Interest,” if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity that falls within the line of business of any entity to which he or she has pre-existing fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she may be required to present such business combination opportunity to such entity prior to presenting such business combination opportunity to us. Our officers and directors currently have certain relevant fiduciary duties or contractual obligations that may take priority over their duties to us. We may pursue an Affiliated Joint Acquisition opportunity with an entity to which an officer or director has a fiduciary or contractual obligation. Any such entity may co-invest with us in the target business at the time of our initial business combination, or we could raise additional proceeds to complete the acquisition by issuing to such entity a class of equity or equity-linked securities.

Selection of a Target Business and Structuring of our Initial Business Combination

The NYSE rules require that our initial business combination must occur with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the net assets held in trust (net of amounts disbursed to management for working capital purposes and excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting discount held in trust) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial business combination. The fair market value of the target or targets will be determined by our board of directors based upon one or more standards generally accepted by the financial community, such as discounted cash flow valuation or value of comparable businesses. If our board is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA or from an independent accounting firm with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. We do not intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination. Subject to this requirement, our management will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting one or more prospective target businesses, although we will not be permitted to effectuate our initial business combination with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations.

In any case, we will only complete an initial business combination in which we own or acquire 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or if the post-transaction company is otherwise not required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. If we own or acquire less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses, the portion of such business or businesses that are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company is what will be valued for purposes of the NYSE’s 80% of net assets test. There is no basis for investors in this offering to evaluate the possible merits or risks of any target business with which we may ultimately complete our business combination.

To the extent we effect our business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in such company or business. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all significant risk factors. In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review, which may encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspection of facilities, as applicable, as well as a review of financial, operational, legal and other information which will be made available to us. If we determine to move forward with a particular target, we will proceed to structure and negotiate the terms of the business combination transaction.

The time required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete our initial business combination, and the costs associated with this process, are not currently ascertainable with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of, and negotiation with, a prospective target business with which our business combination is not ultimately completed will result in our incurring losses and will reduce the funds we can use to complete another business combination. The company will not pay any consulting fees to members of our management team, or any of their respective affiliates, for services rendered to or in connection with our initial business combination.

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Lack of Business Diversification

For an indefinite period of time after the completion of our initial business combination, the prospects for our success may depend entirely on the future performance of a single business. Unlike other entities that have the resources to complete business combinations with multiple entities in one or several industries, it is probable that we will not have the resources to diversify our operations and mitigate the risks of being in a single line of business. In addition, we intend to focus our search for an initial business combination in a single industry. By completing our business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may:

 

subject us to negative economic, competitive and regulatory developments, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact on the particular industry in which we operate after our initial business combination, and

 

cause us to depend on the marketing and sale of a single product or limited number of products or services.

Limited Ability to Evaluate the Target’s Management Team

Although we intend to closely scrutinize the management of a prospective target business when evaluating the desirability of effecting our business combination with that business, our assessment of the target business’s management may not prove to be correct. In addition, the future management may not have the necessary skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company. Furthermore, the future role of members of our management team, if any, in the target business cannot presently be stated with any certainty. The determination as to whether any of the members of our management team will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial business combination. While it is possible that one or more of our directors will remain associated in some capacity with us following our business combination, it is unlikely that any of them will devote their full efforts to our affairs subsequent to our business combination. Moreover, we cannot assure you that members of our management team will have significant experience or knowledge relating to the operations of the particular target business.

We cannot assure you that any of our key personnel will remain in senior management or advisory positions with the combined company. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial business combination.

Following a business combination, we may seek to recruit additional managers to supplement the incumbent management of the target business. We cannot assure you that we will have the ability to recruit additional managers, or that additional managers will have the requisite skills, knowledge or experience necessary to enhance the incumbent management.

Shareholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve our Initial Business Combination

We may conduct redemptions without a shareholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC, subject to the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. However, we will seek shareholder approval if it is required by law or applicable stock exchange rule, or we may decide to seek shareholder approval for business or other legal reasons.

Under the NYSE’s listing rules, shareholder approval would be required for our initial business combination if, for example:

 

we issue Class A ordinary shares that will be equal to or in excess of 20% of the number of our Class A ordinary shares then outstanding (other than in a public offering);

 

any of our directors, officers or substantial shareholders (as defined by the NYSE rules) has a 5% or greater interest, directly or indirectly, in the target business or assets to be acquired and if the number of ordinary shares to be issued, or if the number of ordinary shares into which the securities may be convertible or exercisable, exceeds either (a) 1% of the number of ordinary shares or 1% of the voting power outstanding before the issuance in the case of any of our directors or officers, or (b) 5% of the number of ordinary

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shares or 5% of the voting power outstanding before the issuance in the case of any substantial shareholders; or

 

the issuance or potential issuance of ordinary shares will result in our undergoing a change of control.

Permitted Purchases of our Securities

In the event we seek shareholder approval of our business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares or public warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. There is no limit on the number of shares our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase in such transactions, subject to compliance with applicable law and the rules of the NYSE. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase shares or public warrants in such transactions. If they engage in such transactions, they will not make any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. Such a purchase may include a contractual acknowledgement that such shareholder, although still the record holder of our shares is no longer the beneficial owner thereof and therefore agrees not to exercise its redemption rights.

In the event that our initial shareholders, sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions from public shareholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights, such selling shareholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will comply with such rules.

The purpose of any such purchases of shares could be to (i) vote such shares in favor of the business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining shareholder approval of the business combination or (ii) to satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. The purpose of any such purchases of public warrants could be to reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or to vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrantholders for approval in connection with our initial business combination. Any such purchases of our securities may result in the completion of our business combination that may not otherwise have been possible.

In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our ordinary shares or public warrants may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.

Our initial shareholders, sponsor, officers, directors and/or their affiliates anticipate that they may identify the shareholders with whom our initial shareholders, sponsor, officers, directors or their affiliates may pursue privately negotiated purchases by either the shareholders contacting us directly or by our receipt of redemption requests submitted by shareholders (in the class of Class A ordinary shares) following our mailing of proxy materials in connection with our initial business combination. To the extent that our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates enter into a private purchase, they would identify and contact only potential selling shareholders who have expressed their election to redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the trust account or vote against our initial business combination, whether or not such shareholder has already submitted a proxy with respect to our initial business combination but only if such shares have not already been voted at the general meeting related to our initial business combination. Our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or any of their affiliates will select which shareholders to purchase shares from based on the negotiated price and number of shares and any other factors that they may deem relevant, and will only purchase shares if such purchases comply with Regulation M under the Exchange Act and the other federal securities laws.

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Any purchases by our sponsor, officers, directors and/or their affiliates who are affiliated purchasers under Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act will only be made to the extent such purchases are able to be made in compliance with Rule 10b-18, which is a safe harbor from liability for manipulation under Section 9(a)(2) and Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. Rule 10b-18 has certain technical requirements that must be complied with in order for the safe harbor to be available to the purchaser. Our sponsor, officers, directors and/or their affiliates will not make purchases of ordinary shares if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements.

Redemption Rights for Public Shareholders upon Completion of our Initial Business Combination

We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share. The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions we will pay to the underwriters. Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares held by them and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our business combination.

Limitations on Redemptions

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). However, the proposed business combination may require (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash to be transferred to the target for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions in accordance with the terms of the proposed business combination. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all Class A ordinary shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the business combination or redeem any shares, and all Class A ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof.

Manner of Conducting Redemptions

We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of our initial business combination either (i) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the business combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would require us to seek shareholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement. Asset acquisitions and share purchases would not typically require shareholder approval while direct mergers with our company where we do not survive and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our outstanding ordinary shares or seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association would require shareholder approval. If we structure a business combination transaction with a target business in a manner that requires shareholder approval, we will not have discretion as to whether to seek a shareholder vote to approve the proposed business combination. We currently intend to conduct redemptions in connection with a shareholder vote unless shareholder approval is not required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement and we choose to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC for business or other legal reasons.

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If we hold a shareholder vote to approve our initial business combination, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association:

 

conduct the redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies, and not pursuant to the tender offer rules, and

 

file proxy materials with the SEC.

In the event that we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, we will distribute proxy materials and, in connection therewith, provide our public shareholders with the redemption rights described above upon completion of the initial business combination.

If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we obtain the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of a majority of the ordinary shares, represented in person or by proxy and entitled to vote thereon, voted and who vote at a general meeting. A quorum for such meeting will consist of the holders present in person or by proxy of shares the company representing a majority of the voting power of all outstanding shares of the company entitled to vote at such meeting. Our initial shareholders will count toward this quorum and have agreed to vote their founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination. For purposes of seeking approval of the majority of our outstanding ordinary shares voted, abstentions and non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial business combination once a quorum is obtained. As a result, in addition to our initial shareholders’ founder shares, we would need 9,375,001, or 37.5%, of the 25,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of a business combination (assuming all outstanding shares are voted) in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming the option to purchase additional units is not exercised), subject to any higher consent threshold as may be required by Cayman Islands or other applicable law. We intend to give approximately 30 days (but not less than 10 days nor more than 60 days) prior written notice of any such meeting, if required, at which a vote shall be taken to approve our initial business combination. These quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreements of our initial shareholders, may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination. Each public shareholder may elect to redeem its public shares irrespective of whether it votes for or against the proposed transaction. In addition, our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of a business combination.

If we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association:

 

conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers, and

 

file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies. Although we are not required to do so, we currently intend to comply with the substantive and procedural requirements of Regulation 14A in connection with any shareholder vote even if we are not able to maintain our NYSE listing or Exchange Act registration.

Upon the public announcement of our business combination, we or our sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase our Class A ordinary shares in the open market if we elect to redeem our public shares through a tender offer, to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act.

In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on public shareholders not tendering more than the number of public shares we are permitted to redeem. If public shareholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete the initial business combination.

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Limitation on Redemption upon Completion of our Initial Business Combination if we Seek Shareholder Approval

If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to the Excess Shares. We believe this restriction will discourage shareholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to exercise their redemption rights against a proposed business combination as a means to force us or our management to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public shareholder holding more than an aggregate of 20% of the shares sold in this offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us, our sponsor or our management at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our shareholders’ ability to redeem more than 20% of the shares sold in this offering without our prior consent, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of shareholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our business combination, particularly in connection with a business combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. However, we would not be restricting our shareholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our business combination.

Tendering Share Certificates in Connection with a Tender Offer or Redemption Rights

Public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” will be required to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials (as applicable) mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the initially scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using the Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option. The proxy solicitation or tender offer materials (as applicable) that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate the applicable delivery requirements. Accordingly, a public shareholder would have from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, or up to two days prior to the initially scheduled vote on the business combination if we distribute proxy materials, as applicable, to tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. Given the relatively short period in which to exercise redemption rights, it is advisable for shareholders to use electronic delivery of their public shares.

There is a nominal cost associated with the above-referenced tendering process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC System. The transfer agent will typically charge the tendering broker a fee of approximately $80.00 and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the redeeming holder. However, this fee would be incurred regardless of whether or not we require holders seeking to exercise redemption rights to tender their shares. The need to deliver shares is a requirement of exercising redemption rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated.

The foregoing is different from the procedures used by many blank check companies. In order to perfect redemption rights in connection with their business combinations, many blank check companies would distribute proxy materials for the shareholders’ vote on an initial business combination, and a holder could simply vote against a proposed business combination and check a box on the proxy card indicating such holder was seeking to exercise his or her redemption rights. After the business combination was approved, the company would contact such shareholder to arrange for him or her to deliver his or her certificate to verify ownership. As a result, the shareholder then had an “option window” after the completion of the business combination during which he or she could monitor the price of the company’s shares in the market. If the price rose above the redemption price, he or she could sell his or her shares in the open market before actually delivering his or her shares to the company for cancellation. As a result, the redemption rights, to which shareholders were aware they needed to commit before the general meeting, would become “option” rights surviving past the completion of the business combination until the redeeming holder delivered its certificate. The requirement for physical or electronic delivery prior to the meeting ensures that a redeeming holder’s election to redeem is irrevocable once the business combination is approved.

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Any request to redeem such shares, once made, may be withdrawn at any time up to the date set forth in the tender offer materials or the date of the general meeting set forth in our proxy materials, as applicable. Furthermore, if a holder of a public share delivered its certificate in connection with an election of redemption rights and subsequently decides prior to the applicable date not to elect to exercise such rights, such holder may simply request that the transfer agent return the certificate (physically or electronically). It is anticipated that the funds to be distributed to holders of our public shares electing to redeem their shares will be distributed promptly after the completion of our business combination.

If our initial business combination is not approved or completed for any reason, then our public shareholders who elected to exercise their redemption rights would not be entitled to redeem their shares for the applicable pro rata share of the trust account. In such case, we will promptly return any certificates delivered by public holders who elected to redeem their shares.

If our initial proposed business combination is not completed, we may continue to try to complete a business combination with a different target until 24 months from the closing of this offering.

Redemption of Public Shares and Liquidation if no Initial Business Combination

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that we will have only 24 months from the closing of this offering to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our business combination within such 24-month period we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes (net  of any taxes payable by us and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire without value to the holder if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the 24-month time period.

Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering. However, if our sponsor, officers or directors acquire public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the allotted 24-month time period.

Our sponsor, officers, directors and director nominees have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) in a manner that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the right of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Class A ordinary shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares. However, we may not redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). If this optional redemption right is exercised with respect to an excessive number of public shares such that we cannot satisfy the net tangible asset requirement, we would not proceed with the amendment or the related redemption of our public shares at such time. Pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, such an amendment would need to be approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of all then-outstanding ordinary shares.

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We expect that all costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, as well as payments to any creditors, will be funded from amounts remaining out of the approximately $1,000,000 of proceeds held outside the trust account, although we cannot assure you that there will be sufficient funds for such purpose. However, if those funds are not sufficient to cover the costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, to the extent that there is any interest accrued in the trust account not required to pay taxes on interest income earned on the trust account balance, we may request the trustee to release to us an additional amount of up to $100,000 of such accrued interest to pay those costs and expenses.

If we were to expend all of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, other than the proceeds deposited in the trust account, and without taking into account interest, if any, earned on the trust account, the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders upon our dissolution would be $10.00. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could, however, become subject to the claims of our creditors which would have higher priority than the claims of our public shareholders. We cannot assure you that the actual per-share redemption amount received by shareholders will not be substantially less than $10.00. While we intend to pay such amounts, if any, we cannot assure you that we will have funds sufficient to pay or provide for all creditors’ claims.

Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public shareholders, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements or even if they execute such agreements that they would be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account including but not limited to fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain an advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management will perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will only enter into an agreement with a third party that has not executed a waiver if management believes that such third party’s engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative. Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where management is unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party (other than our independent public accountants) for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or other similar agreement or business combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below (i) $10.00 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, due to reductions in value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay our taxes, except as to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the trust account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, we have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations, and we believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the trust account, the funds available for our initial business combination and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.00 per public share. In such event, we may not be able to complete our initial business combination, and you would receive such lesser amount per share in connection with any redemption of your public shares. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.

In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below (i) $10.00 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, due to reductions in value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay our taxes, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its indemnification obligations or that it has no

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indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so if, for example, the cost of such legal action is deemed by the independent directors to be too high relative to the amount recoverable or if the independent directors determine that a favorable outcome is not likely. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations and we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that due to claims of creditors the actual value of the per-share redemption price will not be less than $10.00 per public share.

We will seek to reduce the possibility that our sponsor will have to indemnify the trust account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses or other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the trust account. Our sponsor will also not be liable as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. We will have access to up to approximately $1,000,000 from the proceeds of this offering with which to pay any such potential claims (including costs and expenses incurred in connection with our liquidation, currently estimated to be no more than approximately $100,000). In the event that we liquidate and it is subsequently determined that the reserve for claims and liabilities is insufficient, shareholders who received funds from our trust account could be liable for claims made by creditors. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $1,000,000, we may fund such excess with funds from the funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $1,000,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.

If we file a winding up petition or a winding up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable insolvency law, and a liquidator may determine that such funds should be included in our insolvency estate and subject to the claims of third-party creditors with priority over the claims of our shareholders. To the extent any bankruptcy or insolvency claims deplete the trust account, we cannot assure you we will be able to return $10.00 per share to our public shareholders. Additionally, if we file a winding up petition or a winding up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by shareholders could be subject to challenge under applicable debtor/creditor and/or insolvency laws as a “voidable preference.” As a result, a liquidator could seek to recover some or all amounts received by our shareholders. Furthermore, our board of directors may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, and thereby exposing itself and our company to claims of punitive damages, by paying public shareholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors. We cannot assure you that claims will not be brought against us for these reasons.

Our public shareholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only (i) in the event of the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law, (ii) in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) in a manner that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity or (iii) if they redeem their respective shares for cash upon the completion of the initial business combination. In no other circumstances will a shareholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account. In the event we seek shareholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, a shareholder’s voting in connection with the business combination alone will not result in a such shareholder redeeming its shares to us for an applicable pro rata share of the trust account. Such shareholder must have also exercised its redemption rights described above. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, like all provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, may be amended with a shareholder vote.

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Comparison of Redemption or Purchase Prices in Connection with our Initial Business Combination and if We Fail to Complete our Initial Business Combination.

The following table compares the redemptions and other permitted purchases of public shares that may take place in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and if we are unable to complete our business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering.

 

 

Redemptions in

Connection with our

Initial Business

Combination

 

Other Permitted

Purchases of Public

Shares by our Affiliates

 

Redemptions if we fail to

Complete an Initial

Business Combination

Calculation of redemption price

 

Redemptions at the time of our initial business combination may be made pursuant to a tender offer or in connection with a shareholder vote. The redemption price will be the same whether we conduct redemptions pursuant to a tender offer or in connection with a shareholder vote. In either case, our public shareholders may redeem their public shares for cash equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination (which is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share), including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, subject to the limitation that no redemptions will take place, if all of the redemptions would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of underwriters’ fees and commissions and any limitations (including but not limited to cash requirements) agreed to in connection with the negotiation of terms of a proposed business combination.

 

If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market prior to or following completion of our initial business combination. There is no limit to the prices that our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may pay in these transactions.

 

If we are unable to complete our business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will redeem all public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount, then on deposit in the trust account (which is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes (net of any taxes payable by us and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses)), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares.

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Redemptions in

Connection with our

Initial Business

Combination

 

Other Permitted

Purchases of Public

Shares by our Affiliates

 

Redemptions if we fail to

Complete an Initial

Business Combination

Impact to remaining shareholders

 

The redemptions in connection with our initial business combination will reduce the book value per share for our remaining shareholders, who will bear the burden of the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions and interest withdrawn in order to pay our taxes (to the extent not paid from amounts accrued as interest on the funds held in the trust account).

 

If the permitted purchases described above are made there would be no impact to our remaining shareholders because the purchase price would not be paid by us.

 

The redemption of our public shares if we fail to complete our business combination will reduce the book value per share for the shares held by our initial shareholders, who will be our only remaining shareholders after such redemptions.

Comparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419

The following table compares the terms of this offering to the terms of an offering by a blank check company subject to the provisions of Rule 419. This comparison assumes that the gross proceeds, underwriting discounts and commissions and underwriting expenses of our offering would be identical to those of an offering undertaken by a company subject to Rule 419, and that the underwriters will not exercise their option to purchase additional units. None of the provisions of Rule 419 apply to our offering.

 

 

Terms of Our Offering

 

Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering

Escrow of offering proceeds

 

The rules of the NYSE provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the private placement be deposited in a U.S.-based trust account. $250,000,000 of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants will be deposited into a U.S.-based trust account with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee.

 

Approximately $212,625,000.00 of the offering proceeds would be deposited into either an escrow account with an insured depositary institution or in a separate bank account established by a broker-dealer in which the broker-dealer acts as trustee for persons having the beneficial interests in the account.

Investment of net proceeds

 

$250,000,000 of the net offering proceeds and the sale of the private placement warrants held in trust will be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations.

 

Proceeds could be invested only in specified securities such as a money market fund meeting conditions of the Investment Company Act or in securities that are direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed as to principal or interest by, the United States.

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Terms of Our Offering

 

Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering

Receipt of interest on escrowed funds

 

Interest on proceeds from the trust account to be paid to shareholders is reduced by (i) any taxes paid or payable, and (ii) in the event of our liquidation for failure to complete our initial business combination within the allotted time, up to $100,000 of net interest that may be released to us should we have no or insufficient working capital to fund the costs and expenses of our dissolution and liquidation.

 

Interest on funds in escrow account would be held for the sole benefit of investors, unless and only after the funds held in escrow were released to us in connection with our completion of a business combination.

Limitation on fair value or net assets of target business

 

The NYSE rules require that our initial business combination must occur with one or more target businesses that together have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in trust (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination.

 

The fair value or net assets of a target business must represent at least 80% of the maximum offering proceeds.

Trading of securities issued

 

The units will begin trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. The Class A ordinary shares and warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering, which is anticipated to take place three business days from the date of this prospectus. If the option to purchase additional units is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the option to purchase additional units.

 

No trading of the units or the underlying Class A ordinary shares and warrants would be permitted until the completion of a business combination. During this period, the securities would be held in the escrow or trust account.

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Terms of Our Offering

 

Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering

 

 

Additionally, the units will automatically separate into their component parts and will not be traded after completion of our initial business combination.

 

 

Exercise of the warrants

 

The warrants cannot be exercised until the later of 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination or 12 months from the closing of this offering.

 

The warrants could be exercised prior to the completion of a business combination, but securities received and cash paid in connection with the exercise would be deposited in the escrow or trust account.

Election to remain an investor

 

We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein. We may not be required by law to hold a shareholder vote. If we are not required by law and do not otherwise decide to hold a shareholder vote, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC and file tender offer documents with the SEC which will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules.

 

A prospectus containing information pertaining to the business combination required by the SEC would be sent to each investor. Each investor would be given the opportunity to notify the company in writing, within a period of no less than 20 business days and no more than 45 business days from the effective date of a post-effective amendment to the company’s registration statement, to decide if he, she or it elects to remain a shareholder of the company or require the return of his, her or its investment. If the company has not received the notification by the end of the 45th business day, funds and interest or dividends, if any, held in the trust or escrow account are automatically returned to the shareholder. Unless a sufficient number of investors elect to remain investors, all funds on deposit in the escrow account must be returned to all of the investors and none of the securities are issued.

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Terms of Our Offering

 

Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering

 

 

If, however, we hold a shareholder vote, we will, like many blank check companies, offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the tender offer rules. Pursuant to the tender offer rules, the tender offer period will be not less than 20 business days and, in the case of a shareholder vote, a final proxy statement would be mailed to public shareholders at least ten days prior to the shareholder vote. However, we expect that a draft proxy statement would be made available to such shareholders well in advance of such time, providing additional notice of redemption if we conduct redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation. If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we obtain the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of a majority of the ordinary shares, represented in person or by proxy and entitled to vote thereon, voted and who vote at the general meeting. Additionally, each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction.

 

 

 

 

A quorum for such meeting will consist of the holders present in person or by proxy of shares of the company representing a majority of the voting power of all outstanding shares of the company entitled to vote at such meeting.

 

 

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Terms of Our Offering

 

Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering

Business combination deadline

 

If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes (net of any taxes payable by us and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.

 

If an acquisition has not been completed within 18 months after the effective date of the company’s registration statement, funds held in the trust or escrow account are returned to investors.

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Terms of Our Offering

 

Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering

Release of funds

 

Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our tax obligations, the proceeds from this offering held in the trust account will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of (i) the completion of our initial business combination (including the release of funds to pay any amounts due to any public shareholders who properly exercise their redemption rights in connection therewith), (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) in a manner that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity or (iii) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete our business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law.

 

The proceeds held in the escrow account are not released until the earlier of the completion of a business combination or the failure to effect a business combination within the allotted time.

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Terms of Our Offering

 

Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering

Limitation on redemption rights of shareholders holding more than 20% of the shares sold in this offering if we hold a shareholder vote

 

If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to Excess Shares (more than an aggregate of 20% of the shares sold in this offering). Our public shareholders’ inability to redeem Excess Shares will reduce their influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination and they could suffer a material loss on their investment in us if they sell Excess Shares in open market transactions.

 

Most blank check companies provide no restrictions on the ability of shareholders to redeem shares based on the number of shares held by such shareholders in connection with an initial business combination.

Tendering share certificates in connection with a tender offer or redemption rights

 

We may require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the tender offer documents or proxy materials mailed to such holders or up to two business days prior to the initially scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically.

 

In order to perfect redemption rights in connection with their business combinations, holders could vote against a proposed business combination and check a box on the proxy card indicating such holders were seeking to exercise their redemption rights. After the business combination was approved, the company would contact such shareholders to arrange for them to deliver their certificate to verify ownership.

Competition

In identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business for our business combination, we may encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including other blank check companies, private equity groups and leveraged buyout funds, and operating businesses seeking strategic acquisitions. Many of these entities are well established and have extensive experience identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Moreover, many of these competitors possess greater financial, technical, human and other resources than we do. Our ability to acquire larger target businesses will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of a target business. Furthermore, our obligation to pay cash in connection with our public shareholders who exercise

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their redemption rights may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination and our outstanding warrants, and the future dilution they potentially represent, may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses. Any of these factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating an initial business combination.

Facilities

Our executive offices are located at 5949 Sherry Lane, Suite 1010 Dallas, TX 75225, and our telephone number is (972) 514-9535. The cost for our use of this space is included in the $20,000 per month fee we will pay to our sponsor for office space, utilities, secretarial support and administrative services. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.

Employees

We currently have two officers. These individuals are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters but they intend to devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time that they will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the stage of the business combination process we are in.

Periodic Reporting and Financial Information

We have registered our units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants under the Exchange Act and have reporting obligations, including the requirement that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with the SEC. In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, our annual reports will contain financial statements audited and reported on by our independent registered public accountants.

We will provide shareholders with audited financial statements of the prospective target business as part of the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials (as applicable) sent to shareholders. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with GAAP, or reconciled to, GAAP, or IFRS, depending on the circumstances, and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may acquire because some targets may be unable to provide such statements in time for us to disclose such statements in accordance with federal proxy rules and complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame. We cannot assure you that any particular target business identified by us as a potential acquisition candidate will have financial statements prepared in accordance with the requirements outlined above, or that the potential target business will be able to prepare its financial statements in accordance with the requirements outlined above. To the extent that any applicable requirements cannot be met, we may not be able to acquire the proposed target business. While this may limit the pool of potential acquisition candidates, we do not believe that this limitation will be material.

We will be required to evaluate our internal control procedures for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021 as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer will we be required to have our internal control procedures audited. A target business may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of their internal controls. The development of the internal controls of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such acquisition. Prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will file a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Exchange Act. As a result, we will be subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act. We have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent to the consummation of our initial business combination.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act. As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act,

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reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.

In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.

We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (i) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion (as adjusted for inflation pursuant to SEC rules from time to time), or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our Class A ordinary shares that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th, and (ii) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period.

Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (i) the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $250 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter or (ii) our annual revenues exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter.

Legal Proceedings

There is no material litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding currently pending against us or any members of our management team in their capacity as such.

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Management

Officers, Directors and Director Nominees

Our officers, directors and director nominees are as follows:

 

Name

 

Age

 

Position

Scott McNeill*

 

 

49

 

Co-Chief Executive Officer and Director

Jim Mutrie*

 

 

48

 

Co-Chief Executive Officer and Director

Chris Carter

 

 

42

 

Director

Scott Gieselman

 

 

57

 

Director

Sam Stoutner

 

 

33

 

Director

Philip J. Deutch

 

 

56

 

Director

Ray Kubis

 

 

66

 

Independent Director Nominee

 

*

Denotes an executive officer.

Scott McNeill is one of our co-founders and has been our Co-Chief Executive Officer since December 2020 and a member of our board of directors since October 2020. Mr. McNeill co-founded and has served as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Director of the board of directors of Switchback I since May 2019 and will continue to serve Switchback I in such capacity until the closing of its business combination with ChargePoint. Mr. McNeill served as Chief Financial Officer of RSP from April 2013 through the completion of its acquisition by Concho in July 2018. Mr. McNeill also served as a member of the board of directors of RSP from December 2013 through July 2018. Mr. McNeill joined RSP prior to its IPO in January 2014 and helped build the organization during its early growth phase while positioning it for its IPO. During Mr. McNeill’s tenure at RSP, RSP’s production grew from approximately 2,500 boe per day to approximately 80,000 boe per day, and RSP executed over $13 billion in M&A transactions and approximately $7 billion of financings. Before joining RSP, Mr. McNeill served as a managing director in the energy investment banking group of Raymond James Financial, Inc., advising companies operating in the exploration and production, midstream, and energy service and equipment segments of the energy industry. Mr. McNeill holds a B.B.A from Baylor University and an M.B.A from the University of Texas at Austin and is a certified public accountant in the State of Texas.

We believe Mr. McNeill’s extensive knowledge of the energy industry, as well as his substantial business, leadership and management experience, including serving as the chief financial officer and a member of the board of directors of a publicly traded company, brings important and valuable skills to our board of directors.

Jim Mutrie is one of our co-founders and has been our Co-Chief Executive Officer since December 2020 and a member of our board of directors since October 2020. Mr. Mutrie co-founded and has served as Chief Commercial Officer, General Counsel, Secretary and Director of the board of directors of Switchback I since May 2019 and will continue to serve Switchback I in such capacity until the closing of its business combination with ChargePoint. Mr. Mutrie served as RSP’s Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary from June 2014 through the completion of the acquisition of RSP by Concho in July 2018. During his tenure, Mr. Mutrie led the negotiation and execution of approximately $13 billion of M&A transactions and over $6 billion of financings, and oversaw Legal, Information Technology, Health and Safety, Human Resources and Government Affairs at RSP.  While at RSP, Mr. Mutrie was a board member of the Texas Oil and Gas Association, the largest and oldest group in Texas representing petroleum interests. Prior to RSP, Mr. Mutrie served as General Counsel and Compliance Officer at United Surgical Partners International (NASDAQ: USPI). From October 2003 to January 2007, Mr. Mutrie practiced corporate law at Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., representing public and private companies in M&A transactions and capital market offerings, predominantly in the oil and gas industry. Mr. Mutrie holds a B.A. from Cornell University, a J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law, a Certificate in Financial Management from Cornell University and a Certificate in Financial Skills for The Energy Industry from SMU Cox School of Business, Executive Education.

We believe Mr. Mutrie’s extensive experience in managing public company M&A and financing transactions, as well as his extensive knowledge of the energy industry, brings important and valuable skills to our board of directors.

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Chris Carter has been a member of our board of directors since December 2020. Since May 2019, Mr. Carter has served as Director on the board of directors of Switchback I and will continue to serve Switchback I in such capacity until the closing of its business combination with ChargePoint. Mr. Carter joined NGP in 2004 and currently serves as Managing Partner and as a director of certain private NGP portfolio companies. Prior to joining NGP, Mr. Carter was an analyst with Deutsche Bank’s Energy Investment Banking group in Houston, where he focused on financing and merger and acquisition transactions in the oil and gas and oilfield services industries. Mr. Carter served on the Board of Directors of PennTex Midstream GP, LLC from June 2015 until November 2016 and on the Board of Directors of Parsley Energy, Inc. from December 2013 until January 2016. Mr. Carter also served on the Board of Directors of Rice Energy, Inc. from October 2013 through November 2014. Mr. Carter received a B.B.A. and an M.P.A. in Accounting, summa cum laude, in 2002 from the University of Texas, where he was a member of the Business Honors Program. He received an M.B.A. in 2008 from Stanford University, where he graduated as an Arjay Miller Scholar.

We believe that Mr. Carter’s considerable experience with financing and merger and acquisition transactions in the energy industry, as well as his experience on the boards of several public and private energy companies, bring important and valuable skills to our board of directors.

Scott Gieselman has been a member of our board of directors since December 2020. Since May 2019, Mr. Gieselman has served as Director on the board of directors of Switchback I and will continue to serve Switchback I in such capacity until the closing of its business combination with ChargePoint. Mr. Gieselman has served as a Partner for NGP since April 2007. Mr. Gieselman serves as a director of certain private NGP portfolio companies. Prior to joining NGP, Mr. Gieselman worked in various positions in the investment banking energy group of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, where he became a partner in 2002. He has served on the board of directors of HighPoint Resources Corporation since March 2018. Mr. Gieselman served on the board of directors of WildHorse Resource Development Corporation from September 2016 until it was acquired by Chesapeake Energy Corporation in February 2019 and served on the board of directors of Chesepeake Energy Corporation from May 2019 to November 2019. Mr. Gieselman also served as a member of the board of directors of Rice Energy, Inc. from January 2014 until April 2017 and was a member of the board of directors of Memorial Resource Development Corp. from its formation until it was acquired by Range Resources Corporation in September 2016. In addition, Mr. Gieselman served as a member of the board of directors of Memorial Production Partners GP LLC from December 2011 until March 2016. Mr. Gieselman received a B.S. in 1985 and an M.B.A. in 1988 from Boston College.

We believe that Mr. Gieselman’s considerable financial and energy investment banking experience, as well as his experience on the boards of several public and private energy companies, bring important and valuable skills to our board of directors.

Sam Stoutner has been a member of our board of directors since December 2020. Since May 2019, Mr. Stoutner has served as Director on the board of directors of Switchback I and will continue to serve Switchback I in such capacity until the closing of its business combination with ChargePoint. Mr. Stoutner joined NGP in 2011 and currently serves as Partner and as a director of certain private NGP portfolio companies. Prior to joining NGP, Mr. Stoutner was an investment banking analyst with Madison Williams and Company’s Energy Investment Banking Group in Houston, where he focused on financing and merger and acquisition transactions in the oil and gas industry. Mr. Stoutner received a B.B.A. and M.P.A. in Accounting, summa cum laude, in 2010 from The University of Texas at Austin. He received an M.B.A. in 2016 from Stanford University.

We believe that Mr. Stoutner’s considerable experience with financing and merger and acquisition transactions in the energy industry, as well as his experience on the boards of several private energy companies, bring important and valuable skills to our board of directors.

Philip J. Deutch has been a member of our board of directors since December 2020. Mr. Deutch currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of NGP ETP III, a portfolio company of NGP XII that invests in companies with products, services, or technologies in the areas of renewable energy, power, energy storage, environmental, energy efficiency, and transportation.  Mr. Deutch founded NGP ETP in 2005 and has been investing in the energy technology sector since 1997.  Mr. Deutch managed NGP Energy Technology Partners and NGP Energy Technology Partners II, two private equity funds affiliated with NGP, which invested in companies that provide products and services to the oil and gas, power, environmental, energy efficiency, and alternative energy sectors.  From 2015 to 2018, Mr. Deutch was Partner, COO, and President of Social Capital, a $1.8 billion Silicon Valley-

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based investment firm, where he helped launch SC Public Equity Partners and Social Capital Hedosophia Holdings Corp. (NYSE:IPOA).  From 1997 to 2004, Mr. Deutch was Managing Director at Perseus, L.L.C., where he led or co-led the firm’s energy investing activities and was a member of the firm’s Executive Committee.  At Perseus, Mr. Deutch helped launch Perseus CDO I Limited, Perseus Acquisition-Recapitalization Fund, and Perseus-Soros Biopharmaceutical Fund, L.P. From 1986 to 1988, Mr. Deutch was a financial analyst in the Mergers & Acquisition Department of Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc.  Mr. Deutch is a board member of Form Energy Inc., Voltus Inc., Community Energy Inc. and TPI Composites Inc. (NASDAQ:TPIC) and is a former board member of, among other companies, American Wind Capital, Beacon Power, Evergreen Solar, Renewable Energy Group (NASDAQ:REGI), and SatCon Technologies.  Mr. Deutch is a member of the External Advisory Board of the MIT Future of Storage Study, the Board of Governors of the Folger Shakespeare Library and the Board of Trustees of the Menlo School.  He previously served on the Boards of the International Center for Women, the Washington Performing Arts Society and Capital for Children.  Mr. Deutch holds a J.D. with distinction from Stanford Law School and a B.A. in Economics from Amherst College, where he was elected a member of Phi Beta Kappa.  

We believe that Mr. Deutch’s considerable experience investing in renewable energy, power quality/reliability, distributed generation, energy management and control, and power electronics, as well as his experience on the board of directors of many public and private energy companies, bring important and valuable skills to our board of directors.

Ray Kubis will serve as a director following the completion of this offering. Since July 2020, Mr. Kubis has served on the board of directors of Switchback I and will continue to serve Switchback I in such capacity until the closing of its business combination with ChargePoint. Mr. Kubis has served as a director of Gridtential Energy, Inc., an inventor and developer of battery technology (“Gridtential”), since October 2015. Mr. Kubis has served as the Chairman of Gridential since November 2016. From June 2013 to October 2015 Mr. Kubis served as President, and from June 2013 to January 2020 Mr. Kubis served as a member of the Board of Directors of ECO-BAT Technologies Limited, which collects, recycles and produces products for the battery, mining and other industries. From March 2002 through January 2013, Mr. Kubis served as President—Europe, Middle East and Africa of EnerSys, a manufacturer, marketer and distributor of industrial batteries. From October 1998 to March 2002, Mr. Kubis was Vice President, General Manager, for the Energy Storage Group of Invensys plc. He has also worked in senior leadership positions with Johnson Controls and Exide in the automotive battery industry. Mr. Kubis received his M.B.A. degree from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. degree in Accounting from the University of Illinois.

We believe that Mr. Kubis’s extensive experience in various leadership roles throughout the transportation and industrial battery industries will bring important and valuable skills to our board of directors.

Number and Terms of Office of Officers and Directors

We intend to have eight directors upon completion of this offering. Our board of directors will be divided into three classes with only one class of directors being elected in each year and each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual general meeting) serving a three-year term. The term of office of the first class of directors, consisting of Scott McNeill and Scott Gieselman, will expire at our first annual general meeting. The term of office of the second class of directors, consisting of Sam Stoutner, Philip J. Deutch and                , will expire at the second annual general meeting. The term of office of the third class of directors, consisting of Jim Mutrie, Chris Carter and Ray Kubis, will expire at the third annual general meeting. We may not hold an annual general meeting until after we consummate our initial business combination.

Holders of our founder shares will have the right to appoint all of our directors prior to consummation of our initial business combination and holders of our public shares will not have the right to vote on the appointment of directors during such time. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may only be amended if approved by a majority of at least 90% of our ordinary shares voting at a general meeting.

Approval of our initial business combination will require the affirmative vote of a majority of our board of directors, which must include a majority of our independent directors and each of the non-independent directors nominated by our sponsor.

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Our officers are appointed by the board of directors and serve at the discretion of the board of directors, rather than for specific terms of office. Our board of directors is authorized to appoint persons to the offices set forth in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association as it deems appropriate. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that our officers may consist of a Chairman of the Board, one or more Chief Executive Officers, President, Chief Financial Officer, Vice Presidents, Secretary and such other offices as may be determined by the board of directors.

Controlled Company

We intend to apply to list our Class A ordinary shares on the NYSE. As affiliates of NGP will continue to control more than 50% of the combined voting power of our outstanding ordinary shares upon the completion of this offering, we will be considered a “controlled company” for purposes of that exchange’s rules and corporate governance standards. As a result, although the members of our audit committee are required to be independent (subject to a permitted “phase-in” period), we are not required to have a majority of our board of directors be independent, nor are we required to have a compensation committee with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities or an independent nominating function through a nominating and corporate governance committee or through our independent directors under the rules of the NYSE. Accordingly, you will not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of these corporate governance requirements. In the event that we cease to be a “controlled company” and our shares continue to be listed on the NYSE, we will be required to comply with these provisions within the applicable transition periods.

Director Independence

The NYSE listing standards require that a majority of our board of directors be independent. However, as a “controlled company” we are not obligated to comply with this listing requirement and we do not intend to comply with this requirement as of the closing of this offering. An “independent director” is defined generally as a person who has no material relationship with the listed company (either directly or as a partner, shareholder or officer of an organization that has a relationship with the company). Our board of directors has determined that Ray Kubis and are “independent directors” as defined in the NYSE listing standards and applicable SEC rules. Our independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.

Officer and Director Compensation

None of our officers or directors have received any cash compensation for services rendered to us. Commencing on the date that our securities are first listed on the NYSE through the earlier of consummation of our initial business combination and our liquidation, we have agreed to pay our sponsor a total of $20,000 per month for office space, utilities, secretarial support and administrative services. In addition, our sponsor, executive officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates, will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates. Any such payments prior to an initial business combination will be made using funds held outside the trust account. Other than quarterly audit committee review of such reimbursements, we do not expect to have any additional controls in place governing our reimbursement payments to our directors and officers for their out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with our activities on our behalf in connection with identifying and consummating an initial business combination. Other than these payments and reimbursements, no compensation of any kind, including finder’s and consulting fees, will be paid by the company to our sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates, prior to completion of our initial business combination.

After the completion of our initial business combination, directors or members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting or management fees from the combined company. All of these fees will be fully disclosed to shareholders, to the extent then known, in the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials (as applicable) furnished to our shareholders in connection with a proposed business combination. We have not established any limit on the amount of such fees that may be paid by the combined company to our directors or members of management. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of the proposed business combination, because the directors of the post-combination business will be responsible for determining officer and director compensation. Any compensation to be paid to our officers will be determined, or recommended

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to the board of directors for determination, either by a compensation committee constituted solely by independent directors or by a majority of the independent directors on our board of directors.

We do not intend to take any action to ensure that members of our management team maintain their positions with us after the consummation of our initial business combination, although it is possible that some or all of our officers and directors may negotiate employment or consulting arrangements to remain with us after our initial business combination. The existence or terms of any such employment or consulting arrangements to retain their positions with us may influence our management’s motivation in identifying or selecting a target business but we do not believe that the ability of our management to remain with us after the consummation of our initial business combination will be a determining factor in our decision to proceed with any potential business combination. We are not party to any agreements with our officers and directors that provide for benefits upon termination of employment.

Committees of the Board of Directors

Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, our board of directors will have three standing committees: an audit committee, a compensation committee and a nominating and corporate governance committee. Subject to phase-in rules and a limited exception, the rules of the NYSE and Rule 10A of the Exchange Act require that the audit committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors. Subject to phase-in rules and a limited exception, the rules of the NYSE require that the compensation and nominating and corporate governance committees of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors. The charter of each committee will be available on our website.

Audit Committee

Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish an audit committee of the board of directors. Scott Gieselman, Ray Kubis and                       will serve as members of our audit committee. Under the NYSE listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have at least three members of the audit committee, all of whom must be independent, subject to the exception described below. Ray Kubis and                 are independent. Because we expect to list our securities on the NYSE in connection with our initial public offering, we have one year from the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part to have our audit committee be comprised solely of independent members. We intend to identify one additional independent director to serve on the audit committee within one year of the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, at which time Scott Gieselman will resign from the committee. We expect such additional director to enter into a letter agreement substantially similar to the letter agreement signed by our sponsor, officer and directors included as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

                    will serve as chair of the audit committee. Each member of the audit committee is financially literate and our board of directors has determined that qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules.

We will adopt an audit committee charter, which will detail the principal functions of the audit committee, including:

 

the appointment, compensation, retention, replacement, and oversight of the work of any independent registered public accounting firm engaged by us;

 

pre-approving all audit and permitted non-audit services to be provided by any independent registered public accounting firm engaged by us, and establishing pre-approval policies and procedures;

 

reviewing and discussing with our independent registered public accounting firm all relationships our auditors have with us in order to evaluate their continued independence;

 

setting clear hiring policies for employees or former employees of our independent registered public accounting firm;

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setting clear policies for audit partner rotation in compliance with applicable laws and regulations;

 

obtaining and reviewing a report, at least annually, from our independent registered public accounting firm describing (i) the independent registered public accounting firm’s internal quality-control procedures and (ii) any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality-control review, or peer review, of the audit firm, or by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities within the preceding five years respecting one or more independent audits carried out by the firm and any steps taken to deal with such issues;

 

reviewing and approving any related party transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC prior to us entering into such transaction; and

 

reviewing with management, our independent registered public accounting firm, and our legal advisors, as appropriate, any legal, regulatory or compliance matters, including any correspondence with regulators or government agencies and any employee complaints or published reports that raise material issues regarding our financial statements or accounting policies and any significant changes in accounting standards or rules promulgated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the SEC or other regulatory authorities.

Compensation Committee

Prior to the consummation of this offering, we will establish a compensation committee of the board of directors. Ray Kubis and will serve as members of our compensation committee. Under the NYSE listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have at least two members of the compensation committee, all of whom must be independent. Ray Kubis and are independent. Ray Kubis will serve as chair of the compensation committee.

We will adopt a compensation committee charter, which will detail the principal functions of the compensation committee, including:

 

reviewing and approving on an annual basis the corporate goals and objectives relevant to our chief executive officer’s compensation, evaluating our chief executive officer’s performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration (if any) of our chief executive officer based on such evaluation;

 

reviewing and approving on an annual basis the compensation of all of our other officers;

 

reviewing on an annual basis our executive compensation policies and plans;

 

implementing and administering our incentive compensation equity-based remuneration plans;

 

assisting management in complying with our proxy statement and annual report disclosure requirements;

 

approving all special perquisites, special cash payments and other special compensation and benefit arrangements for our officers and employees;

 

if required, producing a report on executive compensation to be included in our annual proxy statement; and

 

reviewing, evaluating and recommending changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration for directors.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, as indicated above, other than the $20,000 per month administrative fee payable to an affiliate of our sponsor and reimbursement of expenses, no compensation of any kind, including finders, consulting or other similar fees, will be paid to any of our existing shareholders, officers, directors or any of their respective affiliates, prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate the consummation of a business combination. Accordingly, it is likely that prior to the consummation of an initial business combination, the compensation committee will only be responsible for the review and recommendation of any compensation arrangements to be entered into in connection with such initial business combination.

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The charter will also provide that the compensation committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser and will be directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of any such adviser. However, before engaging or receiving advice from a compensation consultant, external legal counsel or any other adviser, the compensation committee will consider the independence of each such adviser, including the factors required by the NYSE and the SEC.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

Prior to the consummation of this offering, we will establish a nominating and corporate governance committee of the board of directors. The members of our nominating and corporate governance committee will be Ray Kubis and                        . Ray Kubis will serve as chair of the nominating and corporate governance committee.

The primary purposes of our nominating and corporate governance committee will be to assist the board in:

 

identifying, screening and reviewing individuals qualified to serve as directors and recommending to the board of directors candidates for nomination for election at the annual general meeting or to fill vacancies on the board of directors;

 

developing, recommending to the board of directors and overseeing implementation of our corporate governance guidelines;

 

coordinating and overseeing the annual self-evaluation of the board of directors, its committees, individual directors and management in the governance of the company; and

 

reviewing on a regular basis our overall corporate governance and recommending improvements as and when necessary.

The nominating and corporate governance committee will be governed by a charter that complies with the rules of the NYSE.

Director Nominations

Our nominating and corporate governance committee will recommend to the board of directors candidates for nomination for election at the annual general meeting of the shareholders. The board of directors will also consider director candidates recommended for nomination by our shareholders during such times as they are seeking proposed nominees to stand for election at the next annual general meeting (or, if applicable, an extraordinary general meeting). Our shareholders that wish to nominate a director for appointment to our board of directors should follow the procedures set forth in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.

We have not formally established any specific, minimum qualifications that must be met or skills that are necessary for directors to possess. In general, in identifying and evaluating nominees for director, our board of directors considers educational background, diversity of professional experience, knowledge of our business, integrity, professional reputation, independence, wisdom, and the ability to represent the best interests of our shareholders. Prior to our initial business combination, holders of our public shares will not have the right to recommend director candidates for nomination to our board of directors.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

None of our officers currently serves, or in the past year has served, as a member of the board of directors or compensation committee of any entity that has one or more officers serving on our board of directors.

Code of Ethics

Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will have adopted a Code of Ethics applicable to our directors, officers and employees. You will be able to review this document on our website. In addition, a copy of the Code of Ethics will be provided without charge upon request from us. We intend to disclose any amendments to or waivers of certain provisions of our Code of Ethics in a Current Report on Form 8-K.

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Corporate Governance Guidelines

Our board of directors will adopt corporate governance guidelines in accordance with the corporate governance rules of the NYSE that serve as a flexible framework within which our board of directors and its committees operate. These guidelines will cover a number of areas including board membership criteria and director qualifications, director responsibilities, board agenda, roles of the chairman of the board, chief executive officer and presiding director, meetings of independent directors, committee responsibilities and assignments, board member access to management and independent advisors, director communications with third parties, director compensation, director orientation and continuing education, evaluation of senior management and management succession planning. A copy of our corporate governance guidelines will be posted on our website.

Conflicts of Interest

Under Cayman Islands law, directors and officers owe the following fiduciary duties:

 

duty to act in good faith in what the director or officer believes to be in the best interests of the company as a whole;

 

directors should not improperly fetter the exercise of future discretion;

 

duty to exercise authority for the purpose for which it is conferred;

 

duty not to put themselves in a position in which there is a conflict between their duty to the company and their personal interests; and

 

duty to exercise independent judgment.

In addition to the above, directors also owe a duty of care which is not fiduciary in nature. This duty has been defined as a requirement to act as a reasonably diligent person having both the general knowledge, skill and experience that may reasonably be expected of a person carrying out the same functions as are carried out by that director in relation to the company and the general knowledge, skill and experience of that director.

As set out above, directors have a duty not to put themselves in a position of conflict and this includes a duty not to engage in self-dealing, or to otherwise benefit as a result of their position at the expense of the company. However, in some instances what would otherwise be a breach of this duty can be forgiven and/or authorized in advance by the shareholders provided that there is full disclosure by the directors. This can be done by way of permission granted in the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or alternatively by shareholder approval at general meetings. NGP manages several investment vehicles. NGP Funds and other NGP affiliates and portfolio companies may compete with us for acquisition opportunities. If these entities or companies decide to pursue any such opportunity, we may be precluded from procuring such opportunities. In addition, investment ideas generated within NGP may be suitable for both us and for a current or future NGP Fund or other portfolio company and may be directed to such investment vehicle rather than to us. Neither NGP nor members of our board of directors who are also employed by NGP have any obligation to present us with any opportunity for a potential business combination of which they become aware. NGP and/or our management, in their capacities as partners, officers or managing directors of NGP or in their other endeavors, may be required to present potential business combinations to the related entities described above, current or future NGP Funds or portfolio companies, or third parties, before they present such opportunities to us.

Additionally, our sponsor and certain of our officers and directors are now, and all of them may in the future become, affiliated with entities that are engaged in a similar business. For example, certain of our officers and directors currently serve in similar roles for Switchback I, a blank check company incorporated as a Delaware corporation and formed for the purpose of effecting its own initial business combination. Scott McNeill is the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and a director of Switchback I, Jim Mutrie is the Chief Commercial Officer, General Counsel, Secretary and a director of Switchback I and Ray Kubis is a director of Switchback I. Each such officer and director owes fiduciary duties under the DGCL to Switchback I. Upon consummation of the business combination with ChargePoint, none of our officers or directors will continue to serve in any capacity at the

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combined entity. In addition, Philip J. Deutch is the Chief Executive Officer of NGP ETP III, a portfolio company of NGP XII and a member of our sponsor, that is also focused on investments in the renewable energy industry.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, we may pursue an Affiliated Joint Acquisition opportunity with any such fund or other portfolio company or investment vehicle. Such entity may co-invest with us in the target business at the time of our initial business combination, or we could raise additional proceeds to complete the acquisition by issuing to such entity a class of equity or equity-linked securities. Certain of our directors presently have, and any of our officers and directors in the future may have, additional fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity that is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such opportunity to such other entity, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our business combination. In addition, we may pursue an Affiliated Joint Acquisition opportunity with an entity to which an officer or director has a fiduciary or contractual obligation. Any such entity may co-invest with us in the target business at the time of our initial business combination, or we could raise additional proceeds to complete the acquisition by issuing to such entity a class of equity or equity-linked securities. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law: (i) no individual serving as a director or an officer will have any duty, except and to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as us; and (ii) we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which may be a corporate opportunity for any of our directors or officers on the one hand, and us, on the other hand. See “Risk Factors — Certain of our officers and directors are now, and all of them may in the future become, affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating their time and determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.”

In addition, NGP or its affiliates may sponsor other blank check companies similar to ours during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination, and members of our management team may participate in such blank check companies. Any such companies may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an acquisition target, particularly in the event there is overlap among the management teams.

Potential investors should also be aware of the following other potential conflicts of interest:

 

none of our officers or directors is required to commit his or her full time to our affairs and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating his or her time among various business activities.

 

in the course of their other business activities, our officers and directors may become aware of investment and business opportunities which may be appropriate for presentation to us as well as the other entities with which they are then affiliated. Our management may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.

 

our initial shareholders have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination. Additionally, our initial shareholders have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares held by them if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within 24 months after the closing of this offering. If we do not complete our initial business combination within such applicable time period, the proceeds of the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares, and the private placement warrants will expire without value to the holder. Furthermore, our initial shareholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any founder shares held by them until one year after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination or earlier if, subsequent to our initial business combination, (i) the last sale price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination or (ii) we consummate a subsequent

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liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property. With certain limited exceptions, the private placement warrants and the Class A ordinary shares underlying such warrants will not be transferable, assignable or saleable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. Since our sponsor and officers and directors may directly or indirectly own ordinary shares and warrants following this offering, our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination.

 

our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.

 

our initial shareholders have agreed (i) to forfeit the earnout shares if the triggering event does not occur before the fifth anniversary of the closing, as described in “Description of Securities – Founder Shares”; and (ii) subject to certain limited exceptions, not to transfer, assign or sell the earnout shares prior to the triggering date. Since our sponsor and officers and directors may directly or indirectly own earnout shares following this offering, our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination.

 

our sponsor, officers or directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a business combination and financing arrangements as we may obtain loans from our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or any of our officers or directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. Such warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period.

The conflicts described above may not be resolved in our favor.

We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors or making the acquisition through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a business combination target that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA or from an independent accounting firm that such initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context. Furthermore, in no event will our sponsor or any of our existing officers or directors, or any of their respective affiliates, be paid by the company any finder’s fee, consulting fee or other compensation prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the completion of our initial business combination. Further, commencing on the date our securities are first listed on the NYSE, we will pay an amount equal to $20,000 per month to our sponsor for office space, utilities, secretarial support and administrative services provided to us.

We cannot assure you that any of the above mentioned conflicts will be resolved in our favor.

In the event that we submit our initial business combination to our public shareholders for a vote, we will complete our initial business combination only if we obtain the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of a majority of the ordinary shares, represented in person or by proxy and entitled to vote thereon, voted and who vote at a general meeting. Our initial shareholders have agreed to vote any founder shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after the offering in favor of our initial business combination and our officers and directors have also agreed to vote any public shares purchased during or after the offering in favor of our initial business combination.

Limitation on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors

Cayman Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company’s memorandum and articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent any such provision may be held by

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the Cayman Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against willful default, fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that our officers and directors will be indemnified by us to the fullest extent permitted by law, as it now exists or may in the future be amended, including for any liability incurred in their capacities as such, except through their own actual fraud, willful default or willful neglect. We expect to purchase a policy of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance that insures our officers and directors against the cost of defense, settlement or payment of a judgment in some circumstances and insures us against our obligations to indemnify our officers and directors.

Our officers and directors have agreed, and any persons who may become officers or directors prior to the initial business combination will agree, to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the trust account, and to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any services provided to us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason whatsoever. Accordingly, any indemnification provided will only be able to be satisfied by us if (i) we have sufficient funds outside of the trust account or (ii) we consummate an initial business combination.

Our indemnification obligations may discourage shareholders from bringing a lawsuit against our officers or directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against our officers and directors, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our shareholders. Furthermore, a shareholder’s investment may be adversely affected to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against our officers and directors pursuant to these indemnification provisions.

We believe that these provisions, the insurance and the indemnity agreements are necessary to attract and retain talented and experienced officers and directors.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.


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Principal Shareholders

The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our ordinary shares as of the date of this prospectus, and as adjusted to reflect the sale of our ordinary shares included in the units offered by this prospectus, and assuming no purchase of units in this offering, by:

each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our outstanding ordinary shares;

each of our named executive officers, directors and director nominees that beneficially owns ordinary shares; and

all our executive officers, directors and director nominees as a group.

Unless otherwise indicated, we believe that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all ordinary shares beneficially owned by them. The following table does not reflect record or beneficial ownership of the private placement warrants as these warrants are not exercisable within 60 days of the date of this prospectus.

In October 2020, 7,906,250 founder shares were issued to our sponsor in exchange for the payment of $25,000 of expenses on our behalf, or approximately $0.003 per share. In October 2020, our sponsor returned to us at no cost an aggregate of 718,750 founder shares, which we cancelled. The following table presents the number of shares and percentage of our ordinary shares owned by our initial shareholders before and after this offering. The post-offering numbers and percentages presented assume that the underwriters do not exercise their option to purchase additional units, that our sponsor forfeits 937,500 founder shares, and that there are 31,250,000 ordinary shares issued and outstanding after this offering.

 

 

 

Before Offering

 

 

After Offering

 

Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1)

 

Number of

Shares

Beneficially

Owned(2)

 

 

Approximate

Percentage of

Outstanding

Ordinary

Share

 

 

Number of

Shares

Beneficially

Owned(2)

 

 

Approximate

Percentage of

Outstanding

Ordinary

Share

 

NGP Switchback II, LLC (our sponsor)(3)

 

 

7,187,500

 

 

 

100

%

 

 

6,250,000

 

 

 

20.0

%

Scott McNeill(3)

 

 

7,187,500

 

 

 

100

%

 

 

6,250,000

 

 

 

20.0

%

Jim Mutrie(3)

 

 

7,187,500

 

 

 

100

%

 

 

6,250,000

 

 

 

20.0

%

Chris Carter(4)

 

 

7,187,500

 

 

 

100

%

 

 

6,250,000

 

 

 

20.0

%

Scott Gieselman(4)

 

 

7,187,500

 

 

 

100

%

 

 

6,250,000

 

 

 

20.0

%

Sam Stoutner(4)

 

 

7,187,500

 

 

 

100

%

 

 

6,250,000

 

 

 

20.0

%

Philip J. Deutch(4)

 

 

7,187,500

 

 

 

100

%

 

 

6,250,000

 

 

 

20.0

%

Ray Kubis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All directors, director nominees and

   executive officers as a group (7 Individuals)

 

 

7,187,500

 

 

 

100

%

 

 

6,250,000

 

 

 

20.0

%

 

*

Less than one percent.

(1)

Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each of the following entities or individuals is 5949 Sherry Lane, Suite 1010, Dallas, TX 75225.

(2)

Interests shown consist solely of founder shares, classified as Class B ordinary shares. Such shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment and forfeiture, as described in the section entitled “Description of Securities.”

(3)

NGP Switchback II, LLC is the record holder of the shares reported herein. Mr. McNeill is a manager and the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of NGP Switchback II, LLC. Mr. Mutrie is a manager and the President of NGP Switchback II, LLC. As such, Messrs. McNeill and Mutrie may be deemed to have beneficial ownership of the ordinary shares held directly by NGP Switchback II, LLC. Messrs. McNeill and Mutrie disclaims any such beneficial ownership of such securities. In addition, NGP XII US Holdings, L.P. indirectly owns a majority of the limited liability company interests of NGP Switchback II, LLC through its wholly-owned subsidiary, NGP ETP III Investments, LLC and NGP ETP III Investments, LLC’s majority-owned subsidiary, NGP Energy Technology Partners III, LLC. NGP XII Holdings GP, L.L.C. is the sole general partner of NGP XII US Holdings, L.P., and NGP Natural Resources XII, L.P. is the sole member of NGP XII Holdings GP, L.L.C. G.F.W. Energy XII, L.P. is the sole general partner of NGP Natural Resources XII, L.P., and GFW XII, L.L.C. is the sole general partner of G.F.W. Energy XII, L.P. GFW XII, L.L.C. has

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delegated full power and authority to manage NGP XII US Holdings, L.P. to NGP Energy Capital Management, L.L.C. Chris Carter, Craig Glick and Jill Lampert serve on the Executive Committee of NGP Energy Capital Management, L.L.C. Accordingly, each of NGP XII US Holdings, L.P., NGP XII Holdings GP, L.L.C., NGP Natural Resources XII, L.P., G.F.W. Energy XII, L.P., GFW XII, L.L.C., NGP ETP III Investments, LLC, NGP Energy Capital Management, L.L.C., Chris Carter, Craig Glick and Jill Lampert may be deemed to have or share beneficial ownership of the ordinary shares held directly by NGP Switchback II, LLC.

(4)

NGP Switchback II, LLC is the record holder of the shares reported herein. Messrs. Carter, Deutch, Gieselman and Stoutner are managers of NGP Switchback II, LLC. As such, Messrs. Carter, Deutch, Gieselman and Stoutner may be deemed to have or share beneficial ownership of the ordinary shares held directly by NGP Switchback II, LLC. Messrs. Carter, Deutch, Gieselman and Stoutner disclaim any such beneficial ownership of such securities.

Immediately after this offering, our initial shareholders will beneficially own 20% of the then-issued and outstanding ordinary shares (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering). If we increase or decrease the size of the offering, we will effect a share dividend or a share contribution back to capital, or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B ordinary shares immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amounts to maintain the ownership of our initial shareholders at 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering. Because of this ownership block, our initial shareholders may be able to effectively influence the outcome of all matters requiring approval by our shareholders, including the appointment of directors, amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and approval of significant corporate transactions, including approval of our initial business combination. Pursuant to the terms of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, holders of our Class B ordinary shares have the exclusive right to elect, remove and replace any director prior to the consummation of our initial business combination. This provision may only be amended if approved by holders of 90% of our ordinary shares entitled to vote thereon.

The holders of the founder shares have agreed (A) to vote any shares owned by them in favor of any proposed business combination and (B) not to redeem any shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination.

Our sponsor has committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase an aggregate of 4,666,666 private placement warrants (or 5,166,666 private placement warrants if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), each exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share at $11.50 per share, at a price of $1.50 per warrant ($7,000,000 in the aggregate or $7,750,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. If we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, the private placement warrants will expire without value to the holder. The private placement warrants are subject to the transfer restrictions described below. The private placement warrants will not be redeemable by us so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees. Our sponsor, or its permitted transferees, has the option to exercise the private placement warrants for cash or on a cashless basis. If the private placement warrants are held by holders other than our sponsor or its permitted transferees, the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us and exercisable by the holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the units being sold in this offering. Otherwise, the private placement warrants have terms and provisions that are identical to those of the warrants being sold as part of the units in this offering.

Our sponsor, its affiliates and our officers and directors are deemed to be our “promoters” as such term is defined under the federal securities laws.

Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants

The founder shares, private placement warrants and any Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion or exercise thereof are each subject to transfer restrictions pursuant to a letter agreement to be entered into by our sponsor, directors, officers and us. This letter agreement will provide that the founder shares may not be transferred, assigned or sold until the earlier of (x) one year after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier if, subsequent to our business combination, the last sale price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other

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similar transaction after our initial business combination that results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property.

The letter agreement will also provide that the earnout shares may not be transferred, assigned or sold until the earlier of (i) the occurrence of the triggering event and (ii) the fifth anniversary of the date of the consummation of our initial business combination, at which time the earnout shares would be forfeited, as described in “Description of Securities – Founder Shares.”

The letter agreement will provide that the private placement warrants may not be transferred, assigned or sold until 30 days following the completion of our initial business combination.

Additionally, in the event of (i) our liquidation prior to the completion of our initial business combination or (ii) the completion of a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination, the lock-up period shall terminate. However, in the case of clauses (a) through (f) below, such securities may be transferred during the lock-up period to certain permitted transferees, provided that they enter into a written agreement agreeing to be bound by these transfer restrictions. Permitted transfers include: (a) transfers to our officers or directors, any affiliates or family members of any of our officers or directors, any members of our sponsor or their affiliates, or any affiliates of our sponsor, (b) in the case of an individual, transfers by gift to members of the individual’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of one of the individual’s immediate family, an affiliate of such person or to a charitable organization; (c) in the case of an individual, transfers by virtue of laws of descent and distribution upon death of the individual; (d) in the case of an individual, transfers pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order; (e) transfers by virtue of the laws of our sponsor’s operating agreement upon dissolution of our sponsor; and (f) transfers by private sales or transfers made in connection with the consummation of a business combination at prices no greater than the price at which the securities were originally purchased.

Permitted transferees would be subject to the same written agreements as our sponsor, directors and officers with respect to (i) voting any founder shares held by them in favor of the initial business combination, (ii) agreeing to not propose any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) in a manner that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of public shares if we do not complete an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity, and (iii) waiving their redemption rights and rights to liquidating distributions.


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Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions

In October 2020, 7,906,250 founder shares were issued to our sponsor in exchange for the payment of $25,000 of expenses on our behalf, or approximately $0.003 per share. In October 2020, our sponsor returned to us at no cost an aggregate of 718,750 founder shares, which we cancelled. The number of founder shares issued was determined based on the expectation that such founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares upon completion of this offering. If we increase or decrease the size of the offering, we will effect a share dividend or a share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B ordinary shares immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of our initial shareholders at 20% of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering. Up to 937,500 founder shares are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised. The founder shares (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise thereof) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holder. In addition, 25% of the Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion of the founder shares will be subject to forfeiture on the fifth anniversary of the closing of our initial business combination if the price of our Class A ordinary shares does not reach a certain threshold on or prior to such date as described in “Description of Securities – Founder Shares.”

Our sponsor has committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase an aggregate of 4,666,666 (or 5,166,666 if the option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) private placement warrants for a purchase price of $1.50 per warrant in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. As such, our sponsor’s interest in this transaction is valued at between $7,000,000 and $7,750,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full, depending on the number of private placement warrants purchased. Each private placement warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Class A ordinary share at $11.50 per share. The private placement warrants (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise thereof) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holder until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination.

As more fully discussed in the section of this prospectus titled “Management — Conflicts of Interest,” if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity that falls within the line of business of any entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity. Our officers and directors currently have certain relevant fiduciary duties or contractual obligations that may take priority over their duties to us. We may pursue an Affiliated Joint Acquisition opportunity with an entity to which an officer or director has a fiduciary or contractual obligation. Any such entity may co-invest with us in the target business at the time of our initial business combination, or we could raise additional proceeds to complete the acquisition by issuing to such entity a class of equity or equity-linked securities.

Commencing on the date that our securities are first listed on the NYSE, we will pay our sponsor a total of $20,000 per month for office space, utilities, secretarial support and administrative services. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.

Other than these monthly fees, no compensation of any kind, including finder’s and consulting fees, will be paid by the company to our sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates, for services rendered prior to or in connection with the completion of an initial business combination. However, these individuals will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers, directors or our or their affiliates and will determine which expenses and the amount of expenses that will be reimbursed. There is no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by such persons in connection with activities on our behalf.

Prior to the closing of this offering, our sponsor may loan us up to $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. These loans would be non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of March 31, 2021 or the closing of this offering. The loan would be repaid upon the closing of this offering as part of the estimated $1,000,000 of offering expenses. The value of our sponsor’s interest in this transaction corresponds to the principal amount outstanding under any such loan.

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In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete an initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period. Except as set forth above, the terms of such loans by our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.

After our initial business combination, members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting, management or other fees from the combined company with any and all amounts being fully disclosed to our shareholders, to the extent then known, in the tender offer or proxy solicitation materials (as applicable) furnished to our shareholders. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of distribution of such tender offer materials or at the time of a general meeting held to consider our initial business combination, as applicable, as it will be up to the directors of the post-combination business to determine executive and director compensation.

We will enter into a registration rights agreement with respect to the private placement warrants, the warrants issuable upon conversion of working capital loans (if any) and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the foregoing and upon conversion of the founder shares, which is described under the heading “Description of Securities — Registration Rights.”

Related Party Policy

We have not yet adopted a formal policy for the review, approval or ratification of related party transactions. Accordingly, the transactions discussed above were not reviewed, approved or ratified in accordance with any such policy.

Prior to the consummation of this offering, we will adopt a code of ethics requiring us to avoid, wherever possible, all conflicts of interests, except under guidelines or resolutions approved by our board of directors (or the appropriate committee of our board) or as disclosed in our public filings with the SEC. Under our code of ethics, conflict of interest situations will include any financial transaction, arrangement or relationship (including any indebtedness or guarantee of indebtedness) involving the company.

In addition, our audit committee, pursuant to a written charter that we will adopt prior to the consummation of this offering, will be responsible for reviewing and approving related party transactions to the extent that we enter into such transactions. An affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the audit committee present at a meeting at which a quorum is present will be required in order to approve a related party transaction. A majority of the members of the entire audit committee will constitute a quorum. Without a meeting, the unanimous written consent of all of the members of the audit committee will be required to approve a related party transaction. A form of the audit committee charter that we plan to adopt prior to the consummation of this offering is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. We also require each of our directors and executive officers to complete a directors’ and officers’ questionnaire that elicits information about related party transactions.

These procedures are intended to determine whether any such related party transaction impairs the independence of a director or presents a conflict of interest on the part of a director, employee or officer.

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To further minimize conflicts of interest, we will not consummate an initial business combination with an entity that is affiliated with any of our sponsor, officers or directors unless we, or a committee of independent directors, have obtained an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA or an independent accounting firm that our initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. Furthermore, no finder’s fees, reimbursements or cash payments will be made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates, for services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, other than the following payments, none of which will be made from the proceeds of this offering held in the trust account prior to the completion of our initial business combination:

 

repayment of up to an aggregate of $300,000 in loans made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses;

 

payment to our sponsor of $20,000 per month for office space, utilities, secretarial support and administrative services;

 

reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination; and

 

repayment of loans which may be made by our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or our officers and directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, the terms of which have not been determined nor have any written agreements been executed with respect thereto. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants, at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender.

Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates.


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Description of Securities

We are a Cayman Islands exempted company and our affairs are governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Law and the common law of the Cayman Islands. Pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, our authorized share capital consists of 500,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value, 50,000,000 Class B ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value, and 5,000,000 undesignated preferred shares, $0.0001 par value. The following description summarizes certain terms of our share capital as set out more particularly in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Because it is only a summary, it may not contain all the information that is important to you.

Units

Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one whole Class A ordinary share and one-fifth of one warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, a warrantholder may exercise its warrants only for a whole number of Class A ordinary shares. This means that only a whole warrant may be exercised at any given time by a warrantholder. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least five units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant. The Class A ordinary shares and warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the Class A ordinary shares and warrants commence separate trading, holders will have the option to continue to hold units or separate their units into the component securities. Holders will need to have their brokers contact our transfer agent in order to separate the units into Class A ordinary shares and warrants. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least five units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant.

In no event will the Class A ordinary shares and warrants be traded separately until we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K that includes an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds at the closing of this offering. We will file a Current Report on Form 8-K that includes this audited balance sheet upon the completion of this offering, which is anticipated to take place three business days after the date of this prospectus. If the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units.

Additionally, the units will automatically separate into their component parts and will not be traded after completion of our initial business combination.

Ordinary Shares

Upon the closing of this offering, 31,250,000 ordinary shares will be outstanding (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units and the corresponding forfeiture of 937,500 founder shares by our sponsor), consisting of:

 

25,000,000 Class A ordinary shares underlying the units being offered in this offering; and

 

6,250,000 Class B ordinary shares held by our sponsor.

If we increase or decrease the size of this offering, we will effect a share dividend or share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B ordinary shares immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of founder shares by our initial shareholders prior to this offering at 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering.

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Ordinary shareholders of record are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by shareholders. Holders of our Class B ordinary shares will have the right to appoint all of our directors prior to our initial business combination. On any other matter submitted to a vote of our shareholders, holders of the Class A ordinary shares and holders of the Class B ordinary shares will vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of our shareholders except as required by law or stock exchange rule. Unless specified in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, or as required by applicable provisions of the Companies Law or applicable stock exchange rules, the affirmative vote of a majority of our ordinary shares that are voted is required to approve any such matter voted on by our shareholders. Approval of certain actions will require a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds of our ordinary shares that are voted, and pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association; such actions include amending our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and approving a statutory merger or consolidation with another company. Our board of directors will be divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of three years with only one class of directors being elected in each year. There is no cumulative voting with respect to the appointment of directors, with the result that the holders of more than 50% of the shares voted for the appointment of directors can appoint all of the directors. Our shareholders are entitled to receive ratable dividends when, as and if declared by the board of directors out of funds legally available therefor. Pursuant to the terms of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, holders of our Class B ordinary shares have the exclusive right to elect, remove and replace any director prior to the consummation of our initial business combination. This provision may only be amended if approved by holders of 90% of our ordinary shares entitled to vote thereon.

Because our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association authorizes the issuance of up to 500,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, if we were to enter into a business combination, we may (depending on the terms of such a business combination) be required to increase the number of Class A ordinary shares which we are authorized to issue at the same time as our shareholders vote on the business combination to the extent we seek shareholder approval in connection with our business combination.

Our board of directors is divided into three classes with only one class of directors being elected in each year and each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual general meeting) serving a three-year term. In accordance with the NYSE corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual general meeting until no later than one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on the NYSE. There is no requirement under the Companies Law for us to hold annual or general meetings or appoint directors. We may not hold an annual general meeting to appoint new directors prior to the consummation of our initial business combination.

We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share. The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions we will pay to the underwriters. Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our business combination. Unlike many blank check companies that hold shareholder votes and conduct proxy solicitations in conjunction with their initial business combinations and provide for related redemptions of public shares for cash upon completion of such initial business combinations even when a vote is not required by law, if a shareholder vote is not required by law and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC, and file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require these tender offer documents to contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules. If, however, shareholder approval of the transaction is required by law, or we decide to obtain shareholder approval for business or other legal reasons, we will, like many blank check companies, offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant

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to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we obtain the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of a majority of the ordinary shares, represented in person or by proxy and entitled to vote thereon, voted and who vote at a general meeting. A quorum for such meeting will consist of the holders present in person or by proxy of shares of the company representing a majority of the voting power of all outstanding shares of the company entitled to vote at such meeting. However, the participation of our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates in privately-negotiated transactions (as described in this prospectus), if any, could result in the approval of our business combination even if a majority of our public shareholders vote, or indicate their intention to vote, against such business combination. For purposes of seeking approval of the majority of our outstanding ordinary shares voted, abstentions and non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our business combination once a quorum is obtained. We intend to give approximately 30 days (but not less than 10 days nor more than 60 days) prior written notice of any such meeting, if required, at which a vote shall be taken to approve our business combination. These quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreements of our initial shareholders, may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination.

If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to the Excess Shares. However, we would not be restricting our shareholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our business combination. Our shareholders’ inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce their influence over our ability to complete our business combination, and such shareholders could suffer a material loss in their investment if they sell such Excess Shares on the open market. Additionally, such shareholders will not receive redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares if we complete the business combination. And, as a result, such shareholders will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 20% and, in order to dispose such shares would be required to sell their shares in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.

If we seek shareholder approval in connection with our business combination, our initial shareholders have agreed to vote their founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, in addition to our initial shareholders’ founder shares, we would need 9,375,001, or 37.5%, of the 25,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of the business combination (assuming all outstanding shares are voted) in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming the option to purchase additional units is not exercised), subject to any higher consent threshold as may be required by Cayman Islands or other applicable law. Additionally, each public shareholder may elect to redeem its public shares irrespective of whether it votes for or against the proposed transaction (subject to the limitation described in the preceding paragraph).

Pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but no more than ten business days thereafter subject to lawfully available funds therefor, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes (net of any taxes payable by us and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares held by them if we fail to complete our business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering. However, if our sponsor, officers or directors acquire public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our business combination within the prescribed time period.

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In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the company after a business combination, our shareholders are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining available for distribution to them after payment of liabilities and after provision is made for each class of shares, if any, having preference over the ordinary shares. Our shareholders have no preemptive or other subscription rights. There are no sinking fund provisions applicable to the ordinary shares, except that we will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein.

Founder Shares

The founder shares are identical to the Class A ordinary shares included in the units being sold in this offering, and holders of founder shares have the same shareholder rights as public shareholders, except that (i) only holders of the founder shares have the right to vote on the appointment of directors prior to our initial business combination, (ii) the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below, (iii) our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed (A) to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our business combination, (B) to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares held by them in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (a) in a manner that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (b) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity, and (C) to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our business combination within such time period, (iv) the founder shares are our Class B ordinary shares that will automatically convert into our Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment pursuant to certain anti-dilution rights, as described herein; (v) after conversion to Class A ordinary shares, the earnout shares will be subject to forfeiture under certain conditions, as described herein and (vi) the founder shares are subject to registration rights. If we submit our business combination to our public shareholders for a vote, we will complete our initial business combination only if we obtain the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of a majority of the ordinary shares, represented in person or by proxy and entitled to vote thereon, voted and who vote at a general meeting. Our initial shareholders have agreed to vote any founder shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination.

The Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination on a one-for-one basis (subject to adjustment for share subdivisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like), and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional Class A ordinary shares, or equity-linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts sold in this offering and related to the closing of the business combination, the ratio at which Class B ordinary shares shall convert into Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the outstanding Class B ordinary shares agree to waive such adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all Class B ordinary shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the sum of the total number of all ordinary shares outstanding upon completion of this offering plus all Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued in connection with the business combination (excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the business combination).

Upon and subject to the conversion of the Class B ordinary shares (as adjusted as set forth above) into Class A ordinary shares at the time of the closing of our initial business combination as set forth above, 25% of such Class A ordinary shares (the “earnout shares”) shall become subject to potential forfeiture if the triggering event (as defined below) does not occur during the time period between the closing date of our initial business combination and the five-year anniversary of such date (the “earnout period”); “triggering event”  means the date on which the average reported last sale price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 for any 10 trading days within any 20 consecutive trading day period; provided, that, if, during the earnout period, we consummate a subsequent

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liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction pursuant to which we or any of our shareholders have the right to receive consideration implying a value of our Class A ordinary shares (as determined in good faith by our board) of greater than or equal to $12.00, then the triggering event shall be deemed to have occurred.

Our initial shareholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any founder shares held by them until one year after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination or earlier if, subsequent to our business combination, (i) the last sale price of our ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share dividends, reorganizations and recapitalizations) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination or (ii) we consummate a subsequent liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property. In addition, our initial shareholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any earnout shares held by them until the earlier of (i) the occurrence of the triggering event and (ii) the fifth anniversary of the date of the consummation of our initial business combination, at which time the earnout shares would be forfeited, as described above.

Our sponsor (or its permitted transferees) will forfeit up to 937,500 founder shares depending on the exercise of the option to purchase additional units in order to maintain our initial shareholders’ ownership of 20% of our ordinary shares after this offering. The founder shares are identical to the ordinary shares included in the units being sold in this offering. However, the holders have agreed (A) to vote any shares owned by them in favor of any proposed business combination and (B) not to convert any shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination.

Register of Members

Under Cayman Islands law, we must keep a register of members and there will be entered therein:

 

the names and addresses of the members, a statement of the shares held by each member, and of the amount paid or agreed to be considered as paid, on the shares of each member and the voting rights of shares of each member;

 

whether voting rights are attached to the share in issue;

 

the date on which the name of any person was entered on the register as a member; and

 

the date on which any person ceased to be a member.

Under Cayman Islands law, the register of members of our company is prima facie evidence of the matters set out therein (i.e. the register of members will raise a presumption of fact on the matters referred to above unless rebutted) and a member registered in the register of members will be deemed as a matter of Cayman Islands law to have legal title to the shares as set against its name in the register of members. Upon the closing of this public offering, the register of members will be immediately updated to reflect the issue of shares by us. Once our register of members has been updated, the shareholders recorded in the register of members will be deemed to have legal title to the shares set against their name. However, there are certain limited circumstances where an application may be made to a Cayman Islands court for a determination on whether the register of members reflects the correct legal position. Further, the Cayman Islands court has the power to order that the register of members maintained by a company should be rectified where it considers that the register of members does not reflect the correct legal position. If an application for an order for rectification of the register of members were made in respect of our ordinary shares, then the validity of such shares may be subject to re-examination by a Cayman Islands court.

Preferred Shares

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that preferred shares may be issued from time to time in one or more series. Our board of directors will be authorized to fix the voting rights, if any, designations, powers, preferences, the relative, participating, optional or other special rights and any qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, applicable to the shares of each series. Our board of directors will be able to, without shareholder approval, issue preferred shares with voting and other rights that could adversely affect the voting power and other rights of the holders of the ordinary shares and could have anti-takeover effects.

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The ability of our board of directors to issue preferred shares without shareholder approval could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change of control of us or the removal of existing management. We have no preferred shares outstanding at the date hereof. Although we do not currently intend to issue any preferred shares, we cannot assure you that we will not do so in the future. No preferred shares are being issued or registered in this offering.

Warrants

Public Shareholders’ Warrants

Each whole warrant entitles the registered holder to purchase one whole Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as discussed below, at any time commencing on the later of 12 months from the closing of this offering or 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, provided in each case that we have an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available (or we permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis under the circumstances specified in the warrant agreement) and such shares are registered, qualified or exempt from registration under the securities, or blue sky, laws of the state of residence of the holder. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, a warrantholder may exercise its warrants only for a whole number of Class A ordinary shares. This means that only a whole warrant may be exercised at any given time by a warrantholder. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least five units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant. The warrants will expire five years after the completion of our initial business combination, at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.

We will not be obligated to deliver any Class A ordinary shares pursuant to the exercise of a warrant and will have no obligation to settle such warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to the Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants is then effective and a prospectus relating thereto is current, subject to our satisfying our obligations described below with respect to registration. No warrant will be exercisable and we will not be obligated to issue Class A ordinary shares upon exercise of a warrant unless the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon such warrant exercise has been registered, qualified or deemed to be exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the registered holder of the warrants. In the event that the conditions in the two immediately preceding sentences are not satisfied with respect to a warrant, the holder of such warrant will not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire without value to the holder. In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant. In the event that a registration statement is not effective for the exercised warrants, the purchaser of a unit containing such warrant will have paid the full purchase price for the unit solely for the share of Class A ordinary shares underlying such unit.

We have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 20 business days, after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement for the registration, under the Securities Act, of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants. We will use our commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become effective and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement, and a current prospectus relating thereto, until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. Notwithstanding the above, if our Class A ordinary shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that it satisfies the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, but we will be required to use our commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. To exercise warrants on a cashless basis, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants in exchange for a number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the lesser of (A) the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of (i) the number of our Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants, and (ii) the excess of the “fair market value” (defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value and (B) the product of the number of warrants surrendered and 0.361 (subject to adjustment). The “fair market value” as used in this paragraph shall mean the average reported last sale price of our Class A ordinary shares for the 10 trading days ending on the trading day prior to the date on which the notice of exercise is received by the warrant agent.

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Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00.

Once the warrants become exercisable, we may redeem the outstanding warrants for cash (except as described herein with respect to the private placement warrants):

 

in whole and not in part;

 

at a price of $0.01 per warrant;

 

upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption (the “30-day redemption period”) to each warrantholder; and

 

if, and only if, the reported last sale price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading day period ending three business days prior to the date on which we send the notice of redemption to the warrantholders. We will not redeem the warrants as described above unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is effective and a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares is available throughout the 30 day redemption period.

If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws.

We have established the last of the redemption criterion discussed above to prevent a redemption call unless there is at the time of the call a significant premium to the warrant exercise price. If the foregoing conditions are satisfied and we issue a notice of redemption of the warrants, each warrantholder will be entitled to exercise its warrant prior to the scheduled redemption date. However, the price of the Class A ordinary shares may fall below the $18.00 redemption trigger price (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) as well as the $11.50 (for whole shares) warrant exercise price after the redemption notice is issued.

Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $10.00.

Once the warrants become exercisable, we may redeem the outstanding warrants (except as described herein with respect to the private placement warrants):

 

in whole and not in part;

 

at a price of $0.10 per warrant upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption provided that during such 30 day period holders will be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis prior to redemption and receive that number of Class A ordinary shares determined by reference to the table below, based on the redemption date and the “fair market value” of our Class A ordinary shares (as defined below) except as otherwise described below; and

 

if, and only if, the reported last sale price of Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $10.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share dividends, reorganizations, reclassifications, recapitalizations and the like) on the trading day prior to the date on which we send the notice of redemption to the warrantholders.

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Beginning on the date the notice of redemption is given until the warrants are redeemed or exercised, holders may elect to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis. The numbers in the table below represent the number of Class A ordinary shares that a warrantholder will receive upon a cashless exercise in connection with a redemption by us pursuant to this redemption feature, based on the “fair market value” of our Class A ordinary shares on the corresponding redemption date (assuming holders elect to exercise their warrants and such warrants are not redeemed for $0.10 per warrant), and the number of months that the corresponding redemption date precedes the expiration date of the warrants, each as set forth in the table below.

 

Redemption Date

 

Fair Market Value of Class A Ordinary Shares

 

(period to expiration of warrants)

 

≤$10.00

 

 

$

11.00

 

 

$

12.00

 

 

$

13.00

 

 

$

14.00

 

 

$

15.00

 

 

$

16.00

 

 

$

17.00

 

 

≥$18.00

 

60 months

 

 

0.261

 

 

 

0.281

 

 

 

0.297

 

 

 

0.311

 

 

 

0.324

 

 

 

0.337

 

 

 

0.318

 

 

 

0.358

 

 

 

0.361

 

57 months

 

 

0.257

 

 

 

0.277

 

 

 

0.294

 

 

 

0.310

 

 

 

0.324

 

 

 

0.337

 

 

 

0.348

 

 

 

0.358

 

 

 

0.361

 

54 months

 

 

0.252

 

 

 

0.272

 

 

 

0.291

 

 

 

0.307

 

 

 

0.322

 

 

 

0.335

 

 

 

0.347

 

 

 

0.357

 

 

 

0.361

 

51 months

 

 

0.246

 

 

 

0.268

 

 

 

0.287

 

 

 

0.304

 

 

 

0.320

 

 

 

0.333

 

 

 

0.346

 

 

 

0.357

 

 

 

0.361

 

48 months

 

 

0.241

 

 

 

0.263

 

 

 

0.283

 

 

 

0.301

 

 

 

0.317

 

 

 

0.332

 

 

 

0.344

 

 

 

0.356

 

 

 

0.361

 

45 months

 

 

0.235

 

 

 

0.258

 

 

 

0.279

 

 

 

0.298

 

 

 

0.315

 

 

 

0.330

 

 

 

0.343

 

 

 

0.356

 

 

 

0.361

 

42  months

 

 

0.228

 

 

 

0.252

 

 

 

0.274

 

 

 

0.294

 

 

 

0.312

 

 

 

0.328

 

 

 

0.342

 

 

 

0.355

 

 

 

0.361

 

39 months

 

 

0.221

 

 

 

0.246

 

 

 

0.269

 

 

 

0.290

 

 

 

0.309

 

 

 

0.325

 

 

 

0.340

 

 

 

0.354

 

 

 

0.361

 

36 months

 

 

0.213

 

 

 

0.239

 

 

 

0.263

 

 

 

0.285

 

 

 

0.305

 

 

 

0.323

 

 

 

0.339

 

 

 

0.353

 

 

 

0.361

 

33 months

 

 

0.205

 

 

 

0.232

 

 

 

0.257

 

 

 

0.280

 

 

 

0.301

 

 

 

0.320

 

 

 

0.337

 

 

 

0.352

 

 

 

0.361

 

30 months

 

 

0.196

 

 

 

0.224

 

 

 

0.250

 

 

 

0.274

 

 

 

0.297

 

 

 

0.316

 

 

 

0.335

 

 

 

0.351

 

 

 

0.361

 

27 months

 

 

0.185

 

 

 

0.214

 

 

 

0.242

 

 

 

0.268

 

 

 

0.291

 

 

 

0.313

 

 

 

0.332

 

 

 

0.350

 

 

 

0.361

 

24 months

 

 

0.173

 

 

 

0.204

 

 

 

0.233

 

 

 

0.260

 

 

 

0.285

 

 

 

0.308

 

 

 

0.329

 

 

 

0.348

 

 

 

0.361

 

21 months

 

 

0.161

 

 

 

0.193

 

 

 

0.223

 

 

 

0.252

 

 

 

0.279

 

 

 

0.304

 

 

 

0.326

 

 

 

0.347

 

 

 

0.361

 

18 months

 

 

0.146

 

 

 

0.179

 

 

 

0.211

 

 

 

0.242

 

 

 

0.271

 

 

 

0.298

 

 

 

0.322

 

 

 

0.345

 

 

 

0.361

 

15 months

 

 

0.130

 

 

 

0.164

 

 

 

0.197

 

 

 

0.230

 

 

 

0.262

 

 

 

0.291

 

 

 

0.317

 

 

 

0.342

 

 

 

0.361

 

12 months

 

 

0.111

 

 

 

0.146

 

 

 

0.181

 

 

 

0.216

 

 

 

0.250

 

 

 

0.282

 

 

 

0.312

 

 

 

0.339

 

 

 

0.361

 

9 months

 

 

0.090

 

 

 

0.125

 

 

 

0.162

 

 

 

0.199

 

 

 

0.237

 

 

 

0.272

 

 

 

0.305

 

 

 

0.336

 

 

 

0.361

 

6 months

 

 

0.065

 

 

 

0.099

 

 

 

0.137

 

 

 

0.178

 

 

 

0.219

 

 

 

0.259

 

 

 

0.296

 

 

 

0.331

 

 

 

0.361

 

3 months

 

 

0.034

 

 

 

0.065

 

 

 

0.104

 

 

 

0.150

 

 

 

0.197

 

 

 

0.243

 

 

 

0.286

 

 

 

0.326

 

 

 

0.361

 

0 months

 

 

 

 

 

 

0.042

 

 

 

0.115

 

 

 

0.179

 

 

 

0.233

 

 

 

0.281

 

 

 

0.323

 

 

 

0.361

 

 

The “fair market value” of our Class A ordinary shares shall mean the average reported last sale price of our Class A ordinary shares for the 10 trading days immediately following the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. We will provide our warrantholders with the final fair market value no later than one business day after the ten trading day period described above ends.

The exact fair market value and redemption date may not be set forth in the table above, in which case, if the fair market value is between two values in the table or the redemption date is between two redemption dates in the table, the number of Class A ordinary shares to be issued for each warrant exercised will be determined by a straight-line interpolation between the number of shares set forth for the higher and lower fair market values and the earlier and later redemption dates, as applicable, based on a 365-day year. For example, if the average reported last sale price of our Class A ordinary shares for the 10 trading days immediately following the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of the warrants is $11.00 per share, and at such time there are 57 months until the expiration of the warrants, warrantholders may choose to, in connection with this redemption feature, exercise their warrants for 0.277 Class A ordinary shares for each whole warrant. For an example where the exact fair market value and redemption date are not as set forth in the table above, if the average reported last sale price of our Class A ordinary shares for the 10 trading days immediately following the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of the warrants is $13.50 per share, and at such time there are 38 months until the expiration of the warrants, warrantholders may choose to, in connection with this redemption feature, exercise their warrants for 0.298 Class A ordinary shares for each whole warrant. In no event will the warrants be exercisable on a cashless basis in connection with this redemption feature for more than 0.361 Class A ordinary shares per whole warrant (subject to adjustment). Finally, as reflected in the table above, if the warrants are “out of the money” (i.e. the trading price of our Class A ordinary shares is below the exercise price of the warrants) and about to expire, they cannot be exercised on a cashless basis in connection with a redemption by us pursuant to this redemption feature, since they will not be exercisable for any Class A ordinary shares.

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This redemption feature differs from the typical warrant redemption features used in some other blank check offerings, which typically only provide for a redemption of warrants for cash (other than the private placement warrants) when the trading price for the Class A ordinary shares exceeds $18.00 per share for a specified period of time. This redemption feature is structured to allow for all of the outstanding warrants (other than the private placement warrants) to be redeemed when the Class A ordinary shares are trading at or above $10.00 per share, which may be at a time when the trading price of our Class A ordinary shares is below the exercise price of the warrants. We have established this redemption feature to provide us with the flexibility to redeem the warrants without the warrants having to reach the $18.00 per share threshold. Holders choosing to exercise their warrants in connection with a redemption pursuant to this feature will, in effect, receive a number of shares for their warrants, based on the “redemption price” as determined pursuant to the above table. We have calculated the “redemption prices” as set forth in the table above to reflect a Black-Scholes option pricing model with a fixed volatility input as of the date of this prospectus. This redemption right provides us with an additional mechanism by which to redeem all of the outstanding warrants (other than the private placement warrants), and therefore have certainty as to our capital structure as the warrants would no longer be outstanding and would have been exercised or redeemed, and we will effectively be required to pay the redemption price to warrantholders if we choose to exercise this redemption right, it will allow us to quickly proceed with a redemption of the warrants if we determine it is in our best interest to do so. As such, we would redeem the warrants in this manner when we believe it is in our best interest to update our capital structure to remove the warrants and pay the redemption price to the warrantholders.

As stated above, we can redeem the warrants when the Class A ordinary shares are trading at a price starting at $10.00, which is below the exercise price of $11.50, because it will provide certainty with respect to our capital structure and cash position while providing warrantholders with the opportunity to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis for the applicable number of shares. If we choose to redeem the warrants when the Class A ordinary shares are trading at a price below the exercise price of the warrants, this could result in the warrantholders receiving fewer Class A ordinary shares than they would have received if they had chosen to wait to exercise their warrants for Class A ordinary shares if and when such Class A ordinary shares were trading at a price higher than the exercise price of $11.50. No fractional Class A ordinary shares will be issued upon the exercise of warrants on a cashless basis. If, upon exercise of the warrants on a cashless basis, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will round down to the nearest whole number of the number of Class A ordinary shares to be issued to the holder.

Redemption Procedures

A holder of a warrant may notify us in writing in the event it elects to be subject to a requirement that such holder will not have the right to exercise such warrant, to the extent that after giving effect to such exercise, such person (together with such person’s affiliates), to the warrant agent’s actual knowledge, would beneficially own in excess of 9.8% (or such other amount as a holder may specify) of the Class A ordinary shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise.

Anti-Dilution Adjustments

The share prices set forth in the column headings of the table above shall be adjusted as of any date on which the number of shares issuable upon exercise of a warrant is adjusted pursuant to the following three paragraphs. The adjusted share prices in the column headings shall equal the share prices immediately prior to such adjustment, multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares deliverable upon exercise of a warrant immediately prior to such adjustment and the denominator of which is the number of shares deliverable upon exercise of a warrant as so adjusted. The number of shares in the table above shall be adjusted in the same manner and at the same time as the number of shares issuable upon exercise of a warrant.

If the number of outstanding Class A ordinary shares is increased by a share dividend payable in Class A ordinary shares, or by a subdivision of Class A ordinary shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such share dividend, subdivision or similar event, the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable on exercise of each warrant will be increased in proportion to such increase in the outstanding Class A ordinary shares. A rights offering to holders of Class A ordinary shares entitling holders to purchase Class A ordinary shares at a price less than the fair market value will be deemed a share dividend of a number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the product of (i) the number of Class A ordinary shares actually sold in such rights offering (or issuable under any other equity securities sold in such rights offering that are convertible into or exercisable for Class A ordinary

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shares) multiplied by (ii) one (1) minus the quotient of (x) the price per share of Class A ordinary shares paid in such rights offering divided by (y) the fair market value. For these purposes (i) if the rights offering is for securities convertible into or exercisable for Class A ordinary shares, in determining the price payable for Class A ordinary shares, there will be taken into account any consideration received for such rights, as well as any additional amount payable upon exercise or conversion and (ii) fair market value means the average last reported sale price of Class A ordinary shares as reported for the ten (10) trading day period ending on the trading day prior to the first date on which the Class A ordinary shares trade on the applicable exchange or in the applicable market, regular way, without the right to receive such rights.

In addition, if we, at any time while the warrants are outstanding and unexpired, pay a dividend or make a distribution in cash, securities or other assets to the holders of Class A ordinary shares on account of such Class A ordinary shares (or other shares into which the warrants are convertible), other than (a) as described above, (b) certain ordinary cash dividends, (c) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Class A ordinary shares in connection with a proposed initial business combination, (d) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Class A ordinary shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) in a manner that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our Class A ordinary shares if we have not consummated our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity, or (e) in connection with the redemption of our public shares upon our failure to complete our initial business combination, then the warrant exercise price will be decreased, effective immediately after the effective date of such event, by the amount of cash and/or the fair market value of any securities or other assets paid on each Class A ordinary share in respect of such event.

If the number of outstanding Class A ordinary shares is decreased by a consolidation, combination, or reclassification of Class A ordinary shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such consolidation, combination, reclassification or similar event, the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable on exercise of each warrant will be decreased in proportion to such decrease in outstanding Class A ordinary shares.

Whenever the number of Class A ordinary shares purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants is adjusted, as described above, the warrant exercise price will be adjusted by multiplying the warrant exercise price immediately prior to such adjustment by a fraction (x) the numerator of which will be the number of Class A ordinary shares purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants immediately prior to such adjustment, and (y) the denominator of which will be the number of Class A ordinary shares so purchasable immediately thereafter.

In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding Class A ordinary shares (other than those described above or that solely affects the par value of such Class A ordinary shares), or in the case of any merger or consolidation of us with or into another corporation (other than a consolidation or merger in which we are the continuing corporation and that does not result in any reclassification or reorganization of our outstanding Class A ordinary shares), or in the case of any sale or conveyance to another corporation or entity of the assets or other property of us as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in connection with which we are dissolved, the holders of the warrants will thereafter have the right to purchase and receive, upon the basis and upon the terms and conditions specified in the warrants and in lieu of our Class A ordinary shares immediately theretofore purchasable and receivable upon the exercise of the rights represented thereby, the kind and amount of shares or other securities or property (including cash) receivable upon such reclassification, reorganization, merger or consolidation, or upon a dissolution following any such sale or transfer, that the holder of the warrants would have received if such holder had exercised their warrants immediately prior to such event. If less than 70% of the consideration receivable by the holders of Class A ordinary shares in such a transaction is payable in the form of ordinary shares in the successor entity that is listed for trading on a national securities exchange or is quoted in an established over-the-counter market, or is to be so listed for trading or quoted immediately following such event, and if the registered holder of the warrant properly exercises the warrant within thirty days following public disclosure of such transaction, the warrant exercise price will be reduced as specified in the warrant agreement based on the Black-Scholes value (as defined in the warrant agreement) of the warrant. The purpose of such exercise price reduction is to provide additional value to holders of the warrants when an extraordinary transaction occurs during the exercise period of the warrants pursuant to which the holders of the warrants otherwise do not receive the full potential value of the warrants. The warrant exercise price will not be adjusted for other events.

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The warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. You should review a copy of the warrant agreement, which will be filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, for a complete description of the terms and conditions applicable to the warrants. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, but requires the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of public warrants.

In addition, if (x) we issue additional Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per share of Class A ordinary shares (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by our board and, in the case of any such issuance to our sponsor or its affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by our sponsor or its affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance) (the “newly issued price”), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of our initial business combination on the date of the consummation of our initial business combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of our Class A ordinary shares during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which we consummate our initial business combination (such price, the “market value”) is below $9.20 per share, (i) the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the market value and the newly issued price, (ii) the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price described above under “— Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00 per share” and “— Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $10.00” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the market value and the newly issued price, (iii) the $10.00 per share redemption trigger price described above under “— Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $10.00” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to the higher of the market value and the newly issued price, and (iv) the $12.00 per share trigger price described above under “— Founder Shares” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 120% of the higher of the market value and the newly issued price.

The warrants may be exercised upon surrender of the warrant certificate on or prior to the expiration date at the offices of the warrant agent, with the exercise form on the reverse side of the warrant certificate completed and executed as indicated, accompanied by full payment of the exercise price (or on a cashless basis, if applicable), by certified or official bank check payable to us, for the number of warrants being exercised. The warrantholders do not have the rights or privileges of holders of Class A ordinary shares or any voting rights until they exercise their warrants and receive Class A ordinary shares. After the issuance of Class A ordinary shares upon exercise of the warrants, each holder will be entitled to one (1) vote for each share held of record on all matters to be voted on by shareholders.

No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the warrants. If, upon exercise of the warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number of Class A ordinary shares to be issued to the warrantholder.

Private Placement Warrants

The private placement warrants (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination (except, among other limited exceptions as described under “Principal Shareholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants,” to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with our sponsor), and they will not be redeemable by us so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees. Our sponsor, or its permitted transferees, has the option to exercise the private placement warrants for cash or on a cashless basis. Except as described below, the private placement warrants have terms and provisions that are identical to those of the warrants being sold as part of the units in this offering, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period. If the private placement warrants are held by holders other than our sponsor or its permitted transferees, the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us in all redemption scenarios and exercisable by the holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the units being sold in this offering.

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If holders of the private placement warrants elect to exercise them on a cashless basis, they would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants in exchange for a number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of (A) the number of Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants and (B) the excess of the “fair market value” (defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” shall mean the average last reported sale price of the Class A ordinary shares as reported for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of warrant exercise is sent to the warrant agent. The reason that we have agreed that these warrants will be exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by our sponsor and its permitted transferees is because it is not known at this time whether they will be affiliated with us following a business combination. If they remain affiliated with us, their ability to sell our securities in the open market will be significantly limited. We expect to have policies in place that prohibit insiders from selling our securities except during specific periods of time. Even during such periods of time when insiders will be permitted to sell our securities, an insider cannot trade in our securities if he or she is in possession of material non-public information. Accordingly, unlike public shareholders who could sell the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants freely in the open market to fund their cash exercise price, the insiders could be significantly restricted from doing so. As a result, we believe that allowing the holders to exercise such warrants on a cashless basis is appropriate.

In order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. Such warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period.

Our sponsor has agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private placement warrants (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of any of these warrants) until the date that is 30 days after the date we complete our initial business combination, except that, among other limited exceptions as described under “Principal Shareholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants” made to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with our sponsor. If our sponsor transfers our private placement warrants to any person other than a permitted transferee, the transferred warrants will become identical to our public warrants, including that they will be subject to redemption in certain circumstances, they generally will not be exercisable on a cashless basis, and they will be exercisable solely for Class A ordinary shares.

Dividends

We have not paid any cash dividends on our ordinary shares to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of a business combination. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial conditions subsequent to completion of a business combination. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to a business combination will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time. In addition, our board of directors is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any share dividends in the foreseeable future. Further, if we incur any indebtedness, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.

Our Transfer Agent and Warrant Agent

The transfer agent for our ordinary shares and warrant agent for our warrants is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company. We have agreed to indemnify Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company in its roles as transfer agent and warrant agent, its agents and each of its shareholders, directors, officers and employees against all claims and losses that may arise out of acts performed or omitted for its activities in that capacity, except for any liability due to any gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of the indemnified person or entity.

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Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company has agreed that it has no right of set-off or any right, title, interest or claim of any kind to, or to any monies in, the trust account, and has irrevocably waived any right, title, interest or claim of any kind to, or to any monies in, the trust account that it may have now or in the future. Accordingly, any indemnification provided will only be able to be satisfied, or a claim will only be able to be pursued, solely against us and our assets outside the trust account and not against any monies in the trust account or interest earned thereon.

Certain Differences in Corporate Law

Cayman Islands companies are governed by the Companies Law. The Companies Law is modeled on English law but does not follow recent English Law statutory enactments, and differs from laws applicable to United States corporations and their shareholders. Set forth below is a summary of the material differences between the provisions of the Companies Law applicable to us and the laws applicable to companies incorporated in the United States and their shareholders.

Mergers and Similar Arrangements.  In certain circumstances, the Companies Law allows for mergers or consolidations between two Cayman Islands companies, or between a Cayman Islands exempted company and a company incorporated in another jurisdiction (provided that is facilitated by the laws of that other jurisdiction).

Where the merger or consolidation is between two Cayman Islands companies, the directors of each company must approve a written plan of merger or consolidation containing certain prescribed information. That plan or merger or consolidation must then be authorized by either (a) a special resolution (usually a majority of 66 2/3% in value of the voting shares voted at a general meeting) of the shareholders of each company; and (b) such other authorization, if any, as may be specified in such constituent company’s articles of association. No shareholder resolution is required for a merger between a parent company (i.e., a company that owns at least 90% of the issued shares of each class in a subsidiary company) and its subsidiary company. The consent of each holder of a fixed or floating security interest of a constituent company must be obtained, unless the court waives such requirement. If the Cayman Islands Registrar of Companies is satisfied that the requirements of the Companies Law (which includes certain other formalities) have been complied with, the Registrar of Companies will register the plan of merger or consolidation.

Where the merger or consolidation involves a foreign company, the procedure is similar, save that with respect to the foreign company, the directors of the Cayman Islands exempted company are required to make a declaration to the effect that, having made due enquiry, they are of the opinion that the requirements set out below have been met: (i) that the merger or consolidation is permitted or not prohibited by the constitutional documents of the foreign company and by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the foreign company is incorporated, and that those laws and any requirements of those constitutional documents have been or will be complied with; (ii) that no petition or other similar proceeding has been filed and remains outstanding or order made or resolution adopted to wind up or liquidate the foreign company in any jurisdictions; (iii) that no receiver, trustee, administrator or other similar person has been appointed in any jurisdiction and is acting in respect of the foreign company, its affairs or its property or any part thereof; (iv) that no scheme, order, compromise or other similar arrangement has been entered into or made in any jurisdiction whereby the rights of creditors of the foreign company are and continue to be suspended or restricted; and (v) that there is no other reason why it would be against the public interest to permit the merger or consolidation.

Where the surviving company is the Cayman Islands exempted company, the directors of the Cayman Islands exempted company are further required to make a declaration to the effect that, having made due enquiry, they are of the opinion that the requirements set out below have been met: (i) that the foreign company is able to pay its debts as they fall due and that the merger or consolidated is bona fide and not intended to defraud unsecured creditors of the foreign company; (ii) that in respect of the transfer of any security interest granted by the foreign company to the surviving or consolidated company (a) consent or approval to the transfer has been obtained, released or waived; (b) the transfer is permitted by and has been approved in accordance with the constitutional documents of the foreign company; and (c) the laws of the jurisdiction of the foreign company with respect to the transfer have been or will be complied with; and (iii) that the foreign company will, upon the merger or consolidation becoming effective, cease to be incorporated, registered or exist under the laws of the relevant foreign jurisdiction.

The Companies Law provides for a right of dissenting shareholders to be paid a payment of the fair value of his shares upon their dissenting to the merger or consolidation in certain circumstances if they follow a prescribed

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procedure. In essence, where such rights apply, that procedure is as follows: (a) the shareholder must give his written objection to the merger or consolidation to the constituent company before the vote on the merger or consolidation, including a statement that the shareholder proposes to demand payment for his shares if the merger or consolidation is authorized by the vote; (b) within 20 days following the date on which the merger or consolidation is approved by the shareholders, the constituent company must give written notice to each shareholder who made a written objection; (c) a shareholder must within 20 days following receipt of such notice from the constituent company, give the constituent company a written notice of his intention to dissent including, among other details, a demand for payment of the fair value of his shares; (d) within seven days following the date of the expiration of the period set out in paragraph (b) above or seven days following the date on which the plan of merger or consolidation is filed, whichever is later, the constituent company, the surviving company or the consolidated company must make a written offer to each dissenting shareholder to purchase his shares at a price that the company determines is the fair value and if the company and the shareholder agree the price within 30 days following the date on which the offer was made, the company must pay the shareholder such amount; and (e) if the company and the shareholder fail to agree a price within such 30 day period, within 20 days following the date on which such 30 day period expires, the company (and any dissenting shareholder) must file a petition with the Cayman Islands Grand Court to determine the fair value and such petition must be accompanied by a list of the names and addresses of the dissenting shareholders with whom agreements as to the fair value of their shares have not been reached by the company. At the hearing of that petition, the court has the power to determine the fair value of the shares together with a fair rate of interest, if any, to be paid by the company upon the amount determined to be the fair value. Any dissenting shareholder whose name appears on the list filed by the company may participate fully in all proceedings until the determination of fair value is reached. These rights of a dissenting shareholder are not available in certain circumstances, for example, to dissenters holding shares of any class in respect of which an open market exists on a recognized stock exchange or recognized interdealer quotation system at the relevant date, where the consideration for such shares to be contributed are shares of any company listed on a national securities exchange or shares of the surviving or consolidated company or in the context of a parents and subsidiary merger.

Moreover, Cayman Islands law has separate statutory provisions that facilitate the reconstruction or amalgamation of companies in certain circumstances, schemes of arrangement will generally be more suited for complex mergers or other transactions involving widely held companies, commonly referred to in the Cayman Islands as a “scheme of arrangement” which may be tantamount to a merger. In the event that a merger was sought pursuant to a scheme of arrangement (the procedures for which are more rigorous and take longer to complete than the procedures typically required to consummate a merger in the United States), the arrangement in question must be approved by a majority in number of each class of shareholders and creditors with whom the arrangement is to be made and who must in addition represent three-fourths in value of each such class of shareholders or creditors, as the case may be, that are present and voting either in person or by proxy at a meeting, or meeting summoned for that purpose. The convening of the meetings and subsequently the terms of the arrangement must be sanctioned by the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands. While a dissenting shareholder would have the right to express to the court the view that the transaction should not be approved, the court can be expected to approve the arrangement if it satisfies itself that:

 

we are not proposing to act illegally or beyond the scope of our corporate authority and the statutory provisions as to majority vote have been complied with;

 

the shareholders have been fairly represented at the meeting in question;

 

the arrangement is such as a businessman would reasonably consider; and

 

the arrangement is not one that would more properly be sanctioned under some other provision of the Companies Law or that would amount to a “fraud on the minority.”

If a scheme of arrangement or takeover offer (as described below) is approved, any dissenting shareholder would have no rights comparable to appraisal rights (providing rights to receive payment in cash for the judicially determined value of the shares), which would otherwise ordinarily be available to dissenting shareholders of United States corporations.

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Squeeze-out Provisions.  When a takeover offer is made and accepted by holders of 90% of the shares to whom the offer is made within four months, the offeror may, within a two-month period, require the holders of the remaining shares to transfer such shares on the terms of the offer. An objection can be made to the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands, but this is unlikely to succeed unless there is evidence of fraud, bad faith, collusion or inequitable treatment of the shareholders.

Further, transactions similar to a merger, reconstruction and/or an amalgamation may in some circumstances be achieved through means other than these statutory provisions, such as a share capital exchange, asset acquisition or control, or through contractual arrangements of an operating business.

Shareholders’ Suits.  Maples and Calder, our Cayman Islands legal counsel, is not aware of any reported class action having been brought in a Cayman Islands court. Derivative actions have been brought in the Cayman Islands courts, and the Cayman Islands courts have confirmed the availability for such actions. In most cases, we will be the proper plaintiff in any claim based on a breach of duty owed to us, and a claim against (for example) our officers or directors usually may not be brought by a shareholder. However, based both on Cayman Islands authorities and on English authorities, which would in all likelihood be of persuasive authority and be applied by a court in the Cayman Islands, exceptions to the foregoing principle apply in circumstances in which:

 

a company is acting, or proposing to act, illegally or beyond the scope of its authority;

 

the act complained of, although not beyond the scope of the authority, could be effected if duly authorized by more than the number of votes which have actually been obtained; or

 

those who control the company are perpetrating a “fraud on the minority.”

A shareholder may have a direct right of action against us where the individual rights of that shareholder have been infringed or are about to be infringed.

Enforcement of Civil Liabilities.  The Cayman Islands has a different body of securities laws as compared to the United States and provides less protection to investors. Additionally, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to sue before the Federal courts of the United States.

We have been advised by Maples and Calder, our Cayman Islands legal counsel, that the courts of the Cayman Islands are unlikely (i) to recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts of the United States predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or any state; and (ii) in original actions brought in the Cayman Islands, to impose liabilities against us predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or any state, so far as the liabilities imposed by those provisions are penal in nature. In those circumstances, although there is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, the courts of the Cayman Islands will recognize and enforce a foreign money judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits based on the principle that a judgment of a competent foreign court imposes upon the judgment debtor an obligation to pay the sum for which judgment has been given provided certain conditions are met. For a foreign judgment to be enforced in the Cayman Islands, such judgment must be final and conclusive and for a liquidated sum, and must not be in respect of taxes or a fine or penalty, inconsistent with a Cayman Islands judgment in respect of the same matter, impeachable on the grounds of fraud or obtained in a manner, and or be of a kind the enforcement of which is, contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands (awards of punitive or multiple damages may well be held to be contrary to public policy). A Cayman Islands Court may stay enforcement proceedings if concurrent proceedings are being brought elsewhere.

Special Considerations for Exempted Companies.  We are an exempted company with limited liability under the Companies Law. The Companies Law distinguishes between ordinary resident companies and exempted companies. Any company that is registered in the Cayman Islands but conducts business mainly outside of the Cayman Islands may apply to be registered as an exempted company. The requirements for an exempted company are essentially the same as for an ordinary company except for the exemptions and privileges listed below:

 

an exempted company does not have to file an annual return of its shareholders with the Registrar of Companies;

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an exempted company’s register of members is not open to inspection;

 

an exempted company does not have to hold an annual general meeting;

 

an exempted company may issue shares with no par value;

 

an exempted company may obtain an undertaking against the imposition of any future taxation (such undertakings are usually given for 20 years in the first instance);

 

an exempted company may register by way of continuation in another jurisdiction and be deregistered in the Cayman Islands;

 

an exempted company may register as a limited duration company; and

 

an exempted company may register as a segregated portfolio company.

“Limited liability” means that the liability of each shareholder is limited to the amount unpaid by the shareholder on the shares of the company (except in exceptional circumstances, such as involving fraud, the establishment of an agency relationship or an illegal or improper purpose or other circumstance in which a court may be prepared to pierce or lift the corporate veil).

Our Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will contain certain requirements and restrictions relating to this offering that will apply to us until the completion of our initial business combination. These provisions (other than amendments relating to the appointment of directors prior to our initial business combination, which require the approval of a majority of at least 90% of our ordinary shares voting at a general meeting) cannot be amended without a special resolution. As a matter of Cayman Islands law, a resolution is deemed to be a special resolution where it has been approved by either (i) at least two-thirds (or any higher threshold specified in a company’s articles of association) of a company’s shareholders at a general meeting for which notice specifying the intention to propose the resolution as a special resolution has been given; or (ii) if so authorized by a company’s articles of association, by a unanimous written resolution of all of the company’s shareholders. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that special resolutions must be approved either by at least two-thirds of our shareholders (i.e., the lowest threshold permissible under Cayman Islands law), or by a unanimous written resolution of all of our shareholders.

Our initial shareholders, who will collectively beneficially own 20% of our ordinary shares upon the closing of this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering), will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. Specifically, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides, among other things, that:

 

If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter subject to lawfully available funds therefor, redeem 100% of the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes (net of any taxes payable by us and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law;

 

Prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional shares that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote on any initial business combination;

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If a shareholder vote on our initial business combination is not required by law and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will offer to redeem our public shares pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, and will file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about our initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act;

 

The NYSE rules require that our initial business combination must occur with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the net assets held in trust (net of amounts disbursed to management for working capital purposes and excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting discount held in trust) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial business combination;

 

If our shareholders approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) in a manner that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity, we will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares upon such approval at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares; and

 

We will not effectuate our initial business combination with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations.

In addition, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that under no circumstances will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of underwriters’ fees and commissions.

The Companies Law permits a company incorporated in the Cayman Islands to amend its memorandum and articles of association with the approval of a special resolution. A company’s articles of association may specify that the approval of a higher majority is required. Accordingly, although we could amend any of the provisions relating to our proposed offering, structure and business plan which are contained in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, we view all of these provisions as binding obligations to our shareholders and neither we, nor our officers or directors, will take any action to amend or waive any of these provisions unless we provide dissenting public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares.

Anti-Money Laundering — Cayman Islands

If any person in the Cayman Islands knows or suspects, or has reasonable grounds for knowing or suspecting, that another person is engaged in criminal conduct or money laundering or is involved with terrorism or terrorist financing and property and the information for that knowledge or suspicion came to their attention in the course of business in the regulated sector or other trade, profession, business or employment, the person will be required to report such knowledge or suspicion to (i) the Financial Reporting Authority of the Cayman Islands, pursuant to the Proceeds of Crime Law (2020 Revision) of the Cayman Islands if the disclosure relates to criminal conduct or money laundering or (ii) a police officer of the rank of constable or higher, or the Financial Reporting Authority, pursuant to the Terrorism Law (2018 Revision) of the Cayman Islands, if the disclosure relates to involvement with terrorism or terrorist financing and property. Such a report shall not be treated as a breach of confidence or of any restriction upon the disclosure of information imposed by any enactment or otherwise.

Data Protection — Cayman Islands

We have certain duties under the Data Protection Law, 2017 of the Cayman Islands (the “DPL”) based on internationally accepted principles of data privacy.

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Privacy Notice

Introduction

This privacy notice puts our shareholders on notice that through your investment in the company you will provide us with certain personal information which constitutes personal data within the meaning of the DPL (“personal data”). In the following discussion, the “company” refers to us and our affiliates and/or delegates, except where the context requires otherwise.

Investor Data

We will collect, use, disclose, retain and secure personal data to the extent reasonably required only and within the parameters that could be reasonably expected during the normal course of business. We will only process, disclose, transfer or retain personal data to the extent legitimately required to conduct our activities of on an ongoing basis or to comply with legal and regulatory obligations to which we are subject. We will only transfer personal data in accordance with the requirements of the DPL, and will apply appropriate technical and organizational information security measures designed to protect against unauthorized or unlawful processing of the personal data and against the accidental loss, destruction or damage to the personal data.

In our use of this personal data, we will be characterized as a “data controller” for the purposes of the DPL, while our affiliates and service providers who may receive this personal data from us in the conduct of our activities may either act as our “data processors” for the purposes of the DPL or may process personal information for their own lawful purposes in connection with services provided to us.

We may also obtain personal data from other public sources. Personal data includes, without limitation, the following information relating to a shareholder and/or any individuals connected with a shareholder as an investor: name, residential address, email address, contact details, corporate contact information, signature, nationality, place of birth, date of birth, tax identification, credit history, correspondence records, passport number, bank account details, source of funds details and details relating to the shareholder’s investment activity.

Who this Affects

If you are a natural person, this will affect you directly. If you are a corporate investor (including, for these purposes, legal arrangements such as trusts or exempted limited partnerships) that provides us with personal data on individuals connected to you for any reason in relation your investment in the company, this will be relevant for those individuals and you should transmit the content of this Privacy Notice to such individuals or otherwise advise them of its content.

How the Company May Use a Shareholder’s Personal Data

The company, as the data controller, may collect, store and use personal data for lawful purposes, including, in particular:

where this is necessary for the performance of our rights and obligations under any purchase agreements;

where this is necessary for compliance with a legal and regulatory obligation to which we are subject (such as compliance with anti-money laundering and FATCA/CRS requirements); and/or

where this is necessary for the purposes of our legitimate interests and such interests are not overridden by your interests, fundamental rights or freedoms.

Should we wish to use personal data for other specific purposes (including, if applicable, any purpose that requires your consent), we will contact you.

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Why We May Transfer Your Personal Data

In certain circumstances we may be legally obliged to share personal data and other information with respect to your shareholding with the relevant regulatory authorities such as the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority or the Tax Information Authority. They, in turn, may exchange this information with foreign authorities, including tax authorities.

We anticipates disclosing personal data to persons who provide services to us and their respective affiliates (which may include certain entities located outside the United States, the Cayman Islands or the European Economic Area), who will process your personal data on our behalf.

The Data Protection Measures We Take

Any transfer of personal data by us or our duly authorized affiliates and/or delegates outside of the Cayman Islands shall be in accordance with the requirements of the DPL.

We and our duly authorized affiliates and/or delegates shall apply appropriate technical and organizational information security measures designed to protect against unauthorized or unlawful processing of personal data, and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data.

We shall notify you of any personal data breach that is reasonably likely to result in a risk to your interests, fundamental rights or freedoms or those data subjects to whom the relevant personal data relates.

Certain Anti-Takeover Provisions of our Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that our board of directors will be classified into three classes of directors. As a result, in most circumstances, a person can gain control of our board only by successfully engaging in a proxy contest at two or more annual general meetings.

Our authorized but unissued ordinary shares and preferred shares are available for future issuances without shareholder approval and could be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes, including future offerings to raise additional capital, acquisitions and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued and unreserved ordinary shares and preferred shares could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise.

Extraordinary General Meetings

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that extraordinary general meetings may be called only by a majority vote of our board of directors, by our Chief Executive Officer or by our Chairman.

Advance Notice Requirements for Shareholder Proposals and Director Nominations

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that shareholders seeking to bring business before our annual general meeting, or to nominate candidates for appointment as directors at our annual general meeting must provide timely notice of their intent in writing. To be timely, a shareholder’s notice will need to be received by the company secretary at our principal executive offices not later than the close of business on the 90th day nor earlier than the close of business on the 120th day prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual general meeting. Pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act, proposals seeking inclusion in our annual proxy statement must comply with the notice periods contained therein. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will also specify certain requirements as to the form and content of a shareholders’ meeting. These provisions may preclude our shareholders from bringing matters before our annual general meeting or from making nominations for directors at our annual general meeting. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will allow the chairman of the meeting at a meeting of the shareholders to adopt rules and regulations for the conduct of meetings which may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the rules and regulations are not followed. These provisions may also defer, delay or discourage a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to influence or obtain control of us.

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Unanimous Written Resolutions

Subsequent to the consummation of the offering, any action required or permitted to be taken by our ordinary shareholders must be effected by a duly called annual general meeting or extraordinary general meeting and may not be effected by unanimous written resolution of the shareholders other than with respect to our Class B ordinary shares.

Classified Board of Directors

Our board of directors will initially be divided into three classes, Class I, Class II and Class III, with members of each class serving staggered three year terms. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that the authorized number of directors may be changed only by resolution of the board of directors. Subject to the terms of any preferred shares, any or all of the directors may be removed from office at any time, but only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the voting power of all then outstanding shares entitled to vote generally in the appointment of directors, voting together as a single class. Any vacancy on our board of directors, including a vacancy resulting from an enlargement of our board of directors, may be filled only by a vote of a majority of our directors then in office.

Class B Ordinary Shares Consent Right

For so long as any Class B ordinary shares remain outstanding, we may not, without the prior vote or written consent of the holders of a majority of Class B ordinary shares then outstanding, voting separately as a single class, amend, alter or repeal any provision our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise, if such amendment, alteration or repeal of would alter or change the powers, preferences or relative, participating, optional or other or special rights of the Class B ordinary shares. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the holders of Class B ordinary shares may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by the holders of the outstanding Class B ordinary shares having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all Class B ordinary shares were present and voted.

Securities Eligible for Future Sale

Immediately after the consummation of this offering, we will have 31,250,000 (or 35,937,500 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) ordinary shares outstanding. Of these shares, the 25,000,000 shares (or 28,750,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) sold in this offering will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, except for any shares purchased by one of our affiliates within the meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act. All of the remaining 6,250,000 (or 7,187,500 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) shares and all 4,666,666 (or 5,166,666 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) private placement warrants are restricted securities under Rule 144, in that they were issued in private transactions not involving a public offering, and the Class B ordinary shares and private placement warrants are subject to transfer restrictions as set forth elsewhere in this prospectus. These restricted securities will be subject to registration rights as more fully described below under “— Registration Rights.”

Rule 144

Pursuant to Rule 144, a person who has beneficially owned restricted ordinary shares or warrants for at least six months would be entitled to sell their securities provided that (i) such person is not deemed to have been one of our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale and (ii) we are subject to the Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements for at least three months before the sale and have filed all required reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the 12 months (or such shorter period as we were required to file reports) preceding the sale.

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Persons who have beneficially owned restricted ordinary shares or warrants for at least six months but who are our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale, would be subject to additional restrictions, by which such person would be entitled to sell within any three-month period only a number of securities that does not exceed the greater of:

 

1% of the total number of ordinary shares then outstanding, which will equal 312,500 shares immediately after this offering (or 359,375 if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional units in full); or

 

the average weekly reported trading volume of the ordinary shares during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale.

Sales by our affiliates under Rule 144 are also limited by manner of sale provisions and notice requirements and to the availability of current public information about us.

Restrictions on the Use of Rule 144 by Shell Companies or Former Shell Companies

Rule 144 is not available for the resale of securities initially issued by shell companies (other than business combination related shell companies) or issuers that have been at any time previously a shell company. However, Rule 144 also includes an important exception to this prohibition if the following conditions are met:

 

the issuer of the securities that was formerly a shell company has ceased to be a shell company;

 

the issuer of the securities is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act;

 

the issuer of the securities has filed all Exchange Act reports and materials required to be filed, as applicable, during the preceding 12 months (or such shorter period that the issuer was required to file such reports and materials), other than Current Reports on Form 8-K; and

 

at least one year has elapsed from the time that the issuer filed current Form 10 type information with the SEC reflecting its status as an entity that is not a shell company.

As a result, our initial shareholders will be able to sell their founder shares and private placement warrants, as applicable, pursuant to Rule 144 without registration one year after we have completed our initial business combination.

Registration Rights

The holders of the founder shares, private placement warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans (and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the private placement warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans and upon conversion of the founder shares) and any Class A ordinary shares held by our initial shareholders at the completion of this offering or acquired prior to or in connection with our initial business combination, will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, requiring us to register such securities for resale (in the case of the founder shares, only after conversion to our Class A ordinary shares). The holders of these securities, having a value of at least $25 million in the aggregate, are entitled to make up to three demands that we offer such securities in an underwritten offering. These holders also have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to certain underwritten offerings we may conduct. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with registering these securities.

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Listing of Securities

We intend to apply to list our units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants on the NYSE under the symbols “SWBK.U,” “SWBK” and “SWBK.WS,” respectively. We expect that our units will be listed on the NYSE on or promptly after the effective date of the registration statement. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on the NYSE. Following the date our Class A ordinary shares and warrants are eligible to trade separately, we anticipate that our Class A ordinary shares and warrants will be listed separately and as a unit on the NYSE. Additionally, the units will automatically separate into their component parts and will not be traded after completion of our initial business combination.


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Certain Income Tax Considerations

The following is a discussion of the material Cayman Islands and U.S. federal income tax considerations with respect to an investment in our units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants, which we refer to collectively as our securities. This discussion is based upon laws and relevant interpretations thereof in effect as of the date of this prospectus, all of which are subject to change. This discussion does not address all possible tax considerations with respect to an investment in our securities, such as the tax considerations under state, local and other tax laws.

Prospective investors should consult with their own tax advisors regarding the possible tax consequences of investing in our securities under the laws of their country of citizenship, residence or domicile.

Cayman Islands Taxation

The following is a discussion on certain Cayman Islands income tax consequences of an investment in our securities. The discussion is a general summary of present law, which is subject to prospective and retroactive change. It is not intended as tax advice, does not consider any investor’s particular circumstances, and does not consider tax consequences other than those arising under Cayman Islands law.

Under Existing Cayman Islands Laws

Payments of dividends and capital in respect of our securities will not be subject to taxation in the Cayman Islands and no withholding will be required on the payment of a dividend or capital to any holder of the securities nor will gains derived from the disposal of the securities be subject to Cayman Islands income or corporate tax. The Cayman Islands currently has no income, corporate or capital gains tax and no estate duty, inheritance tax or gift tax.

No stamp duty is payable in respect of the issue of the warrants, the units or the Class A ordinary shares. An instrument of transfer in respect of a warrant, a unit or a Class A ordinary share is stampable if executed in or brought into the Cayman Islands.

The Company has been incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands as an exempted company with limited liability and, as such, has applied for and received an undertaking from the Financial Secretary of the Cayman Islands in a form substantially similar to the following:

The Tax Concessions Law 
(2018 Revision) 
Undertaking as to Tax Concessions

In accordance with the provision of Section 6 of The Tax Concessions Law (2018 Revision), the Financial Secretary undertakes with Switchback II Corporation (“the Company”):

 

1.

That no law which is hereafter enacted in the Islands imposing any tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations shall apply to the Company or its operations; and

 

2.

In addition, that no tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations or which is in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax shall be payable:

 

2.1

On or in respect of the shares, debentures or other obligations of the Company; or

 

2.2

by way of the withholding in whole or part, of any relevant payment as defined in Section 6(3) of the Tax Concessions Law (as amended).

These concessions shall be for a period of twenty years from the date hereof.”

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U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations

General

The following is a discussion of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations related to the acquisition, ownership and disposition by U.S. Holders (as defined below) and Non-U.S. Holders (as defined below) of our units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants, which we refer to collectively as our securities. Although not entirely clear, we intend to treat, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the holder of a unit as the owner of the one share of the underlying Class A ordinary shares and the one-fifth of one warrant that are the components of the unit. See “— Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit” below. Assuming such treatment is appropriate, the discussion below with respect to actual holders of our Class A ordinary shares and warrants should also apply to holders of units (as the deemed owners of the underlying Class A ordinary shares and warrants that constitute the units). This discussion applies only to our securities that are held as a capital asset for U.S. federal income tax purposes (generally property held for investment) and is applicable only to holders who purchased units in this offering and assumes any distributions on Class A ordinary shares and warrants will be paid in U.S. dollars.

This discussion is based on the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), U.S. Treasury regulations, administrative rulings and judicial decisions, all as in effect on the date hereof, and all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. We cannot assure you that a change in law will not significantly alter the tax considerations that we describe in this summary. We have not sought any ruling from the IRS with respect to the statements made and the conclusions reached in the following summary, such statements and conclusions are not free from doubt, and there can be no assurance that the IRS or a court will agree with such statements and conclusions.

This summary does not address  all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to holders in light of their personal circumstances. In addition, this summary does not address the Medicare tax on certain investment income, U.S. federal estate or gift tax laws, any state, local or non-U.S. tax laws or any tax treaties. In addition, this discussion does not address all tax considerations that may be important to a particular holder in light of the holder’s circumstances, or to certain categories of investors that may be subject to special rules, such as:

 

our founders, sponsors, officers or directors or other holders of our Class B ordinary shares or private placement warrants;

 

banks, insurance companies or other financial institutions;

 

tax-exempt or governmental organizations;

 

“qualified foreign pension funds” as defined in Section 897(l)(2) of the Code (or any entities all of the interests of which are held by a qualified foreign pension fund);

 

dealers in securities or foreign currencies;

 

U.S. Holders (as defined below) whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar;

 

traders in securities that use the mark-to-market method of accounting for U.S. federal income tax purposes;

 

“controlled foreign corporations,” “passive foreign investment companies” and corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax;

 

partnerships or other pass-through entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes or holders of interests therein;

 

persons deemed to sell our securities under the constructive sale provisions of the Code;

 

persons that acquired our securities through the exercise of employee share options or otherwise as compensation or through a tax-qualified retirement plan;

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persons that hold our securities as part of a straddle, appreciated financial position, synthetic security, hedge, conversion transaction or other integrated investment or risk reduction transaction;

 

certain former citizens or long-term residents of the United States; and

 

persons that actually or constructively own five percent or more of any class of our shares.

PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CONSULT WITH THEIR TAX ADVISORS WITH RESPECT TO THE APPLICATION OF THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAWS (INCLUDING ANY POTENTIAL FUTURE CHANGES THERETO) TO THEIR PARTICULAR SITUATION, AS WELL AS ANY TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE PURCHASE, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR SECURITIES ARISING UNDER THE U.S. FEDERAL ESTATE OR GIFT TAX LAWS OR UNDER THE LAWS OF ANY STATE, LOCAL, NON U.S. OR OTHER TAXING JURISDICTION OR UNDER ANY APPLICABLE INCOME TAX TREATY.

Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit

No statutory, administrative or judicial authority directly addresses the treatment of a unit or instruments similar to a unit for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, therefore, that treatment is not entirely clear. We intend to treat, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the acquisition of a unit as the acquisition of one Class A ordinary share and one-fifth of one warrant to acquire one Class A ordinary share and, by purchasing a unit, you will agree to adopt such treatment for U.S. federal income tax purposes. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, each holder of a unit must allocate the purchase price paid by such holder for such unit between the one Class A ordinary share and the one-fifth of one warrant based on the relative fair market value of each at the time of issuance. Under U.S. federal income tax law, each investor must make its own determination of such value based on all the relevant facts and circumstances. Therefore, each investor is strongly urged to consult with its own tax advisor regarding the determination of value for these purposes. The purchase price allocated to each Class A ordinary share and the one-fifth of one warrant should be the shareholder’s tax basis in such share or one-fifth of one warrant, as the case may be. Any disposition of a unit should be treated, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as a disposition of the one Class A ordinary share and the one-fifth of one warrant constituting the unit, and the amount realized on the disposition should be allocated between the Class A ordinary share and the one-fifth of one warrant based on their respective relative fair market values at the time of disposition. The separation of Class A ordinary shares and warrants constituting units should not be a taxable event for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

The foregoing treatment of our Class A ordinary shares and warrants and a holder’s purchase price allocation are not binding on the IRS or the courts. Because there are no authorities that directly address instruments that are similar to the units, no assurance can be given that the IRS or the courts will agree with the characterization described above or the discussion below. Accordingly, each prospective investor is urged to consult with its own tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of an investment in a unit (including alternative characterizations of a unit). The balance of this discussion assumes that the characterization of the units described above is respected for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

U.S. Holder and Non-U.S. Holder Defined

A “U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner of our units, Class A ordinary shares or warrants that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is:

 

an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States;

 

a corporation (or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia;

 

an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source; or

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a trust (A) the administration of which is subject to the primary supervision of a U.S. court and which has one or more “United States persons” (within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code) who have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (B) that has made a valid election under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations to be treated as a United States person.

A “Non-U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner of our units, Class A ordinary shares or warrants that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, an individual, corporation, estate or trust and that is not a U.S. Holder, but such term generally does not include an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of a disposition. If you are such an individual, you should consult with your tax advisor regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the sale or other disposition of our securities.

If a partnership (including an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds our units, Class A ordinary shares or warrants, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner in such partnership generally will depend upon the status of the partner, upon the activities of the partnership and upon certain determinations made at the partner level. Accordingly, we urge partners in partnerships (including entities or arrangements treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes) considering the purchase of our securities to consult with their tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax considerations of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our securities by such partnership.     

Considerations for U.S. Holders

This section applies to you if you are a U.S. Holder.

Taxation of Distributions with Respect to Class A Ordinary Shares

Subject to the passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) rules discussed below, if we pay distributions of cash or other property to U.S. Holders of our Class A ordinary shares, such distributions generally will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. Distributions in excess of current and accumulated earnings and profits will constitute a non-taxable return of capital to the extent of a U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in our Class A ordinary shares, that will be applied against and reduce (but not below zero) the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in our Class A ordinary shares. Any remaining excess will be treated as capital gain realized on the sale or other disposition of our Class A ordinary shares and will be treated as described under “— Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants” below.

Dividends paid by us will be taxable to a corporate U.S. Holder at regular rates and will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction generally allowed to domestic corporations in respect of dividends received from other domestic corporations. Dividends we pay to a non-corporate U.S. Holder generally will constitute “qualified dividends” that will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the lower applicable long-term capital gains rate only if our Class A ordinary shares are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States and certain holding period and other requirements are met, including that we are not classified as a PFIC during the taxable year in which the dividend is paid or a preceding taxable year. It is unclear whether the redemption rights with respect to the Class A ordinary shares described in this prospectus may prevent a U.S. Holder from satisfying the holding period requirements with respect to the preferential tax rate on qualified dividend income. If the holding period requirements are not satisfied, a non-corporate U.S. Holder may be subject to tax on the dividend at regular ordinary income tax rates instead of the preferential rate that applies to qualified dividend income. U.S. Holders should consult with their tax advisors regarding the availability of the lower preferential rate for qualified dividend income for any dividends paid with respect to our Class A ordinary shares.

Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants

Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, upon a sale or other taxable disposition of our Class A ordinary shares or warrants, which in general would include a redemption of our Class A ordinary shares or warrants that is treated as a sale of such securities as described below, and including as a result of a dissolution and liquidation in the event we do not consummate an initial business combination within the required time period, a U.S. Holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized and the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its Class A ordinary shares or warrants. Any such capital gain or loss

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generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A ordinary shares or warrants so disposed of (as applicable) exceeds one year. It is unclear, however, whether the redemption rights with respect to the Class A ordinary shares described in this prospectus may suspend the running of the applicable holding period for this purpose. If the running of the holding period for the Class A ordinary shares is suspended, non-corporate U.S. Holders may not be able to satisfy the one-year holding period requirement for long-term capital gain treatment, in which case any gain on a sale or other taxable disposition of the shares or warrants would be subject to short-term capital gain treatment and would be taxed at regular ordinary income tax rates. Long-term capital gains recognized by non-corporate U.S. Holders will be eligible to be taxed at reduced rates. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.

Generally, the amount of gain or loss recognized by a U.S. Holder will be an amount equal to the difference between (i) the sum of the amount of cash and the fair market value of any property received in such disposition (or, if the Class A ordinary shares or warrants are held as part of units at the time of the disposition, the portion of the amount realized on such disposition that is allocated to the Class A ordinary shares or the warrants based upon the then-fair market values of the Class A ordinary shares and the warrants included in the units) and (ii) the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its Class A ordinary shares or warrants so disposed of. A U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its Class A ordinary shares or warrants generally will equal the U.S. Holder’s acquisition cost (that is, as discussed above, the portion of the purchase price of a unit allocated to the Class A ordinary share or the one-fifth of one warrant or, as discussed below, the U.S. Holder’s initial basis for our Class A ordinary shares received upon exercise of warrants), less, in the case of a Class A ordinary share, any prior distributions treated as a return of capital, as discussed above.

Redemption of Class A Ordinary Shares

Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, in the event that a U.S. Holder’s Class A ordinary shares are redeemed pursuant to the redemption provisions described in this prospectus under the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Ordinary Shares” or if we purchase a U.S. Holder’s Class A ordinary shares in an open market transaction, the treatment of the transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes will depend on whether the redemption qualifies as a sale of the Class A ordinary shares under Section 302 of the Code. If the redemption qualifies as a sale of Class A ordinary shares, the U.S. Holder will be treated as described under “— Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants” above. If the redemption does not qualify as a sale of Class A ordinary shares, the U.S. Holder will be treated as receiving a distribution from us with the tax consequences described above under “— Taxation of Distributions with Respect to Class A Ordinary Shares”. Whether a redemption qualifies for sale treatment will depend largely on the total number of our shares treated as held by the U.S. Holder (including any shares constructively owned by the U.S. Holder as a result of owning warrants) relative to all of our shares outstanding both before and after the redemption. The redemption of our Class A ordinary shares generally will be treated as a sale of Class A ordinary shares (rather than as a distribution from us) if the redemption (i) is “substantially disproportionate” with respect to the U.S. Holder, (ii) results in a “complete termination” of the U.S. Holder’s interest in us or (iii) is “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” with respect to the U.S. Holder. These tests are explained more fully below.

In determining whether any of the foregoing tests is satisfied, a U.S. Holder takes into account not only our shares actually owned by the U.S. Holder, but also our shares that are constructively owned by it. A U.S. Holder may constructively own, in addition to shares owned directly, shares owned by certain related individuals and entities in which the U.S. Holder has an interest or that have an interest in such U.S. Holder, as well as any shares the U.S. Holder has a right to acquire by exercise of an option, which would generally include Class A ordinary shares which could be acquired pursuant to the exercise of the warrants. In order to meet the substantially disproportionate test, the percentage of our outstanding voting shares actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder immediately following the redemption of our Class A ordinary shares must, among other requirements, be less than 80% of the percentage of our outstanding voting shares actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder immediately before the redemption. Prior to our initial business combination, the Class A ordinary shares may not be treated as voting shares for this purpose and, consequently, this substantially disproportionate test may not be applicable. There will be a complete termination of a U.S. Holder’s interest if either (i) all of the shares actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder are redeemed or (ii) all of the shares actually owned by the U.S. Holder are redeemed, the U.S. Holder is eligible to waive (and effectively waives in accordance with specific rules) the attribution of shares owned by certain family members, and the U.S. Holder does not constructively own

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any other shares in us (including shares constructively owned by the U.S. Holder as a result of owning warrants). The redemption of our Class A ordinary shares will not be essentially equivalent to a dividend if a U.S. Holder’s redemption results in a “meaningful reduction” of the U.S. Holder’s proportionate interest in us. Whether the redemption will result in a meaningful reduction in a U.S. Holder’s proportionate interest in us will depend on the particular facts and circumstances. However, the IRS has indicated in a published ruling that even a small reduction in the proportionate interest of a small minority shareholder in a publicly held corporation who exercises no control over corporate affairs may constitute such a “meaningful reduction.” A U.S. Holder should consult with its own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of a redemption.

If none of the foregoing tests is satisfied, the redemption will be treated as a distribution from us and the tax considerations will be as described under “— Taxation of Distributions with Respect to Class A Ordinary Shares” above. After the application of those rules, any remaining tax basis of the U.S. Holder in the redeemed Class A ordinary shares will be added to the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its remaining shares, or, if it has none, to the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its warrants or possibly in other shares in us constructively owned by it.

U.S. Holders who actually or constructively own five percent (or, if our Class A ordinary shares are not then publicly traded, one percent) or more of our shares (by vote or value) may be subject to special reporting requirements with respect to a redemption of our Class A ordinary shares, and such holders should consult with their own tax advisors with respect to their reporting requirements.

Exercise or Redemption of a Warrant

Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below and except as discussed below with respect to the cashless exercise of a warrant, a U.S. Holder generally will not recognize gain or loss on the acquisition of Class A ordinary shares upon the exercise of a warrant. The U.S. Holder’s tax basis in our Class A ordinary shares received upon exercise of the warrant generally will be an amount equal to the sum of the U.S. Holder’s initial investment in the warrant (i.e., the portion of the U.S. Holder’s purchase price for a unit that is allocated to the warrant, as described above under “— Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit”) and the exercise price of such warrant. It is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A ordinary share received upon exercise of the warrant will commence on the date of exercise of the warrant or the date following the date of exercise of the warrant; in either case, the holding period will not include the period during which the U.S. Holder held the warrant.

The tax consequences of a cashless exercise or cashless redemption (collectively referred to herein as a “cashless exchange”) of a warrant are not clear under current tax law. Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, a cashless exchange may be tax-free, either because the exchange is not treated as a realization event or, if it is treated as a realization event, because the exchange is treated as a “recapitalization” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If, however, the cashless exchange were treated as a realization event other than a recapitalization, the exchange could be taxable in whole or in part. Due to the absence of authority on the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a cashless exchange, there can be no assurance which, if any, of the alternative tax consequences and holding periods described herein would be adopted by the IRS or a court of law. Accordingly, U.S. Holders should consult with their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of a cashless exchange.

We intend to treat any cashless exercise of a warrant occurring after our giving notice of an intention to redeem the warrant for cash as described in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Shareholders’ Warrants” as if we redeemed such warrant for shares in a cashless redemption qualifying as a “recapitalization” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In such case, a U.S. Holder should not recognize any gain or loss on the redemption of warrants for Class A ordinary shares. A U.S. Holder’s aggregate tax basis in the Class A ordinary shares received in the redemption should equal the U.S. Holder’s aggregate tax basis in the warrants redeemed, and the holding period for the Class A ordinary shares received in redemption of the warrants would include the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the redeemed warrants. Alternatively, if the cashless exercise were treated as a cashless redemption that was not treated as a realization event, a U.S. Holder’s basis in the Class A ordinary shares received would generally equal the holder’s basis in the warrants, and it is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period in the Class A ordinary shares would be treated as commencing on the date of exercise of the warrants or on the date following the date of exercise of the warrants; in either case, the holding period would not include the period during which the U.S. Holder held the warrants.

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However, if such cashless exercise of a warrant were instead to be characterized for U.S. federal income tax purposes as an exercise of the warrant, such exercise could be characterized as either a realization event that is not a recapitalization or as not a realization event (as discussed in the immediately preceding paragraph). If treated as a realization event that is not a recapitalization, such a cashless exercise could be treated in whole or in part as a taxable exchange in which gain or loss would be recognized. For example, a portion of the warrants to be exercised on a cashless basis could, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, be deemed to have been surrendered in payment of the exercise price of the remaining portion of such warrants, which would be deemed to be exercised. For this purpose, a U.S. Holder would be deemed to have surrendered a number of warrants having an aggregate value equal to the exercise price of the number of warrants deemed exercised. The U.S. Holder would recognize capital gain or loss in an amount generally equal to the difference between (i) the exercise price of the warrants deemed exercised and (ii) the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the warrants deemed surrendered. In such case, a U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the Class A ordinary shares received would generally equal the sum of the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the warrants deemed exercised and the exercise price of the warrants deemed exercised. It is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A ordinary shares would commence on the date of exercise of the warrants or on the date following the date of exercise of the warrants; in either case, the holding period would not include the period during which the U.S. Holder held the warrants.

Subject to the PFIC rules described below, if we redeem warrants for cash pursuant to the redemption provisions described in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Shareholders’ Warrants” or if we purchase warrants in an open market transaction, such redemption or purchase generally will be treated as a taxable disposition to the U.S. Holder, taxed as described above under “— Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants”.

Expiration of a Warrant

If a warrant is allowed to expire unexercised, a U.S. Holder generally will recognize a capital loss equal to such holder’s tax basis in the warrant (i.e., the portion of the U.S. Holder’s purchase price for a unit that is allocated to the warrant, as described above under “— Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit”). The deductibility of capital losses is subject to certain limitations.

Possible Constructive Distributions with Respect to Warrants

The terms of the warrants provide for an adjustment to the number of Class A ordinary shares for which warrants may be exercised or to the exercise price of the warrants in certain events, as discussed in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Shareholders’ Warrants”. An adjustment which has the effect of preventing dilution generally is not taxable. The U.S. Holders of the warrants would, however, be treated as receiving a constructive distribution from us if, for example, the adjustment increases the warrantholders’ proportionate interest in our assets or earnings and profits (e.g., through an increase in the number of ordinary shares that would be obtained upon exercise or through a decrease in the exercise price of the warrant) as a result of a distribution of cash or other property to the holders of our ordinary shares which is taxable to the holders of such shares as a distribution. Any such constructive distribution would be subject to tax in the same manner as if the U.S. Holders of the warrants received a cash distribution from us equal to the fair market value of such increased proportionate interest, as described above under “— Taxation of Distributions with Respect to Class A Ordinary Shares”. For certain information reporting purposes, we are required to determine the date and amount of any such constructive distributions. Proposed Treasury regulations, which we may rely on prior to the issuance of final regulations, specify how the date and amount of constructive distributions are determined.

Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules

Adverse U.S. federal income tax rules apply to U.S. Holders that hold shares in a foreign (i.e., non-U.S.) corporation classified as a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In general, we will be treated as a PFIC with respect to a U.S. Holder in any taxable year in which, after applying certain look-through rules, either:

(i) at least 75% of our gross income for such taxable year, including our pro rata share of the gross income of any corporation in which we are considered to own at least 25% of the shares by value, consists of passive income (which generally includes dividends, interest, rents and royalties (other than rents or royalties derived from the active conduct of a trade or business) and gains from the disposition of passive assets); or

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(ii) at least 50% of our assets in a taxable year (ordinarily determined based on fair market value and averaged quarterly over the year), including our pro rata share of the assets of any corporation in which we are considered to own at least 25% of the shares by value, produce or are held for the production of passive income.

Because we are a blank check company with no current active business, we believe that it is likely that we will meet one or both of the PFIC tests during the taxable years prior to our acquisition of a company or assets in a business combination, which would generally result in us being treated as a PFIC in those taxable years. However, pursuant to a “start-up exception,” a corporation will not be a PFIC for the first taxable year the corporation has gross income (the “start-up year”), if (1) no predecessor of the corporation was a PFIC; (2) the corporation satisfies the IRS that it will not be a PFIC for either of the first two taxable years following the start-up year; and (3) the corporation is not in fact a PFIC for either of those years. If the start-up exception were to apply to us, we would not be a PFIC during our start-up year. The applicability of the start-up exception to us is uncertain, however, and will not be known until, at the earliest, after the close of our current taxable year (and might not be known until after the close of the second taxable year following our start-up year). Therefore, we cannot assure you that we will qualify for the start-up exception. Furthermore, we could meet one or both of the PFIC tests following our start-up year, and whether we do so would depend on, among other things, the timing of our business combination, the amount of our passive income and assets in the year of the business combination, and the amount of the acquired business’s passive income and assets. In such case, we would be treated as a PFIC in those taxable years and likely would not qualify for the start-up exception. Our actual PFIC status for our current taxable year or any subsequent taxable year will not be determinable until after the end of such taxable year. We cannot assure you that we will not be a PFIC in our current taxable year or in any future taxable year.

Although our PFIC status is determined annually, an initial determination that we are a PFIC will generally apply for subsequent years to a U.S. Holder who held (or is deemed to have held) Class A ordinary shares or warrants while we were a PFIC, whether or not we are treated as a PFIC in those subsequent years. If we are treated as a PFIC for any taxable year in which a U.S. Holder holds our Class A ordinary shares or warrants (regardless of whether we remain a PFIC for subsequent taxable years) and, in the case of our Class A ordinary shares, the U.S. Holder did not timely make either a qualified electing fund (“QEF”) election or a mark-to-market election (in either case, as described below), such U.S. Holder generally will be subject to special rules with respect to (i) any gain realized on the sale or other disposition of its Class A ordinary shares or warrants and (ii) any “excess distribution” (generally, the portion of any distributions received by such U.S. Holder during a taxable year in excess of 125% of the average annual distributions received by such U.S. Holder during the three preceding taxable years or, if shorter, such U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A ordinary shares). Under these rules:

 

the U.S. Holder’s gain or excess distribution will be allocated ratably over the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A ordinary shares or warrants;

 

the amount allocated to the U.S. Holder’s taxable year in which the U.S. Holder realized the gain or received the excess distribution, or to the portion of the U.S. Holder’s holding period prior to the first day of our first taxable year in which we are a PFIC, will be taxed as ordinary income; and

 

the amount allocated to each of the other taxable years (or portions thereof) of the U.S. Holder will be subject to tax at the highest tax rate in effect for the U.S. Holder in that year, and an interest charge for the deemed deferral benefit will be imposed with respect to the resulting tax attributable to each such other taxable year (or portion thereof).

In general, if we are treated as a PFIC, a U.S. Holder may be able to avoid the PFIC tax consequences described above in respect of our Class A ordinary shares (but not our warrants) by making a timely and valid QEF election (if eligible to do so) in the first taxable year in which the U.S. Holder held (or was deemed to hold) Class A ordinary shares and we are classified as a PFIC. If a U.S. Holder makes a timely QEF election with respect to our Class A ordinary shares, each year such U.S. Holder will be required to include in its income its pro rata share of our net capital gains (as long-term capital gain) and our ordinary earnings (as ordinary income), if any, for our taxable year that ends with or within the taxable year of the U.S. Holder, regardless of whether or not we make distributions to such U.S. Holder (although a U.S. Holder generally may make a separate election to defer the payment of taxes on undistributed income inclusions under the QEF rules, but if deferred, any such taxes will be subject to an interest charge). Such U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in our Class A ordinary shares will be increased to reflect taxed but undistributed earnings and profits. Distributions of earnings and profits that had been previously taxed will result in

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a corresponding reduction in the adjusted tax basis in the Class A ordinary shares and will not be taxed again once distributed. A U.S. Holder that has made a timely QEF election with respect to our Class A ordinary shares will generally recognize capital gain or loss on the sale or other disposition of our Class A ordinary shares, and no additional tax charge will be imposed under the PFIC rules.   

It is not entirely clear how various aspects of the PFIC rules apply to the warrants, and U.S. Holders are strongly urged to consult with their tax advisors regarding the application of such rules to their warrants in their particular circumstances. A U.S. Holder may not make a QEF election with respect to its warrants to acquire our Class A ordinary shares. As a result, if a U.S. Holder sells or otherwise disposes of such warrants (other than upon the exercise of such warrants) and we were treated as a PFIC at any time during the U.S. Holder’s holding period of such warrants, any gain recognized generally will be treated as an excess distribution, taxed as described above. If a U.S. Holder that exercises such warrants properly makes a QEF election with respect to the newly acquired Class A ordinary shares (or has previously made a QEF election with respect to our Class A ordinary shares), the QEF election will apply to the newly acquired Class A ordinary shares. Notwithstanding any such QEF election, the adverse tax consequences relating to PFIC shares, adjusted to take into account the current income inclusions resulting from the QEF election, generally will continue to apply with respect to such newly acquired Class A ordinary shares (which generally will be deemed to have a holding period solely for purposes of the PFIC rules that includes the period the U.S. Holder held the warrants), unless the U.S. Holder makes a purging election under the PFIC rules. Under one type of purging election, the U.S. Holder will be deemed to have sold such shares at their fair market value and any gain recognized on such deemed sale will be treated as an excess distribution, as described above. As a result of this purging election, the U.S. Holder will have additional basis (to the extent of any gain recognized on the deemed sale) and, solely for purposes of the PFIC rules, a new holding period in the Class A ordinary shares acquired upon the exercise of the warrants. The application of the rules related to purging elections described above to a U.S. Holder of a warrant that already owns Class A ordinary shares is not entirely clear. U.S. Holders are strongly urged to consult with their tax advisors regarding the application of the rules governing purging elections to their particular circumstances (including the availability of a separate “deemed dividend” purging election that may be available if we are a controlled foreign corporation).

The QEF election is made on a shareholder-by-shareholder basis and, once made, will apply to all subsequent taxable years of the U.S. Holder during which it holds Class A ordinary shares, unless we cease to be a PFIC or unless revoked by the U.S. Holder with the consent of the IRS. A U.S. Holder generally makes a QEF election by attaching a completed IRS Form 8621, including the information provided in a PFIC annual information statement (discussed below), to a timely filed U.S. federal income tax return for the tax year to which the election relates. Retroactive QEF elections generally may be made only by filing a protective statement with such return and if certain other conditions are met or with the consent of the IRS. U.S. Holders should consult with their tax advisors regarding the availability and tax consequences of a retroactive QEF election in their particular circumstances.

In order to comply with the requirements of a QEF election, a U.S. Holder must receive a PFIC annual information statement from us. If we determine we are a PFIC for any taxable year, upon written request by a U.S. Holder, we will endeavor to provide to such U.S. Holder such information as the IRS may require, including a PFIC annual information statement, in order to enable such U.S. Holder to make and maintain a QEF election, but there is no assurance that we will timely provide such required information. There is also no assurance that we will have timely knowledge of our status as a PFIC in the future or of the required information to be provided.

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If we are treated as a PFIC and our Class A ordinary shares are treated as “marketable stock,” a U.S. Holder that holds our Class A ordinary shares at the close of a taxable year may make a mark-to-market election with respect to such Class A ordinary shares, provided the U.S. Holder completes and files IRS Form 8621 in accordance with the relevant instructions and related U.S. Treasury regulations. The mark-to-market election is available only for “marketable stock,” which generally includes stock that is regularly traded on a national securities exchange that is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the NYSE (on which we intend to list the Class A ordinary shares), or on a foreign exchange or market that the IRS determines has rules sufficient to ensure that the market price represents a legitimate and sound fair market value. If made, a mark-to-market election would be effective for the taxable year for which the election was made and for all subsequent taxable years unless the Class A ordinary shares ceased to qualify as “marketable stock” for purposes of the PFIC rules or the IRS consented to the revocation of the election. U.S. Holders should consult with their own tax advisors regarding the availability and tax consequences of a mark-to-market election in respect of our Class A ordinary shares in their particular circumstances.

If the U.S. Holder makes a valid mark-to-market election for the first taxable year of the U.S. Holder in which the U.S. Holder holds (or is deemed to hold) our Class A ordinary shares and in which we are treated as a PFIC, such U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to the PFIC rules described above in respect of its Class A ordinary shares. Instead, in general, such U.S. Holder will include as ordinary income in each taxable year the excess, if any, of the fair market value of its Class A ordinary shares at the end of the taxable year over its adjusted basis in its Class A ordinary shares. These amounts of ordinary income would not be eligible for the favorable tax rates applicable to qualified dividend income or long-term capital gains. Such U.S. Holder also will be permitted an ordinary loss in respect of the excess, if any, of its adjusted basis of its Class A ordinary shares over the fair market value of its Class A ordinary shares at the end of the taxable year, but only to the extent of the net amount previously included in income as a result of the mark-to-market election. Such U.S. Holder’s basis in its Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted to reflect any such income or loss amounts. Any gain recognized by such U.S. Holder on a sale or other disposition of its Class A ordinary shares will be treated as ordinary income, and any loss recognized on the sale or other disposition of its Class A ordinary shares will be treated as ordinary loss to the extent that such loss does not exceed the net mark-to-market gains previously included by the U.S. Holder. Currently, a mark-to-market election may not be made with respect to warrants.

If we are a PFIC and, at any time, have a direct or indirect interest in another entity that is treated as a PFIC (a “subsidiary PFIC”), each U.S. Holder generally would be treated as owning its pro rata share by value of the stock of such subsidiary PFIC, and generally could incur liability for the deferred tax and interest charge described in the general PFIC rules above if we receive a distribution from, or dispose of all or part of our interest in, the subsidiary PFIC or the U.S. Holder is otherwise deemed to have disposed of an interest in the subsidiary PFIC. Upon written request by a U.S. Holder, we will endeavor to cause any subsidiary PFIC to provide to such U.S. Holder the information that may be required to make or maintain a QEF election with respect to the subsidiary PFIC. There can be no assurance that we will have timely knowledge of the status of any such subsidiary PFIC. In addition, we may not hold a controlling interest in any such subsidiary PFIC and thus there can be no assurance we will be able to cause the subsidiary PFIC to provide such required information. A mark-to-market election generally would not be available with respect to a subsidiary PFIC. U.S. Holders are urged to consult with their tax advisors regarding the tax issues raised by subsidiary PFICs.

A U.S. Holder that owns (or is deemed to own) shares in a PFIC during any taxable year of the U.S. Holder may have to file an IRS Form 8621 (whether or not a QEF or mark-to-market election is made) and such other information as may be required by the United States Department of the Treasury. Failure to do so, if required, may subject such U.S. Holder to substantial penalties and will extend the statute of limitations on the assessment and collection of all U.S. federal income taxes of such person for the related tax year until such required information is furnished to the IRS.

The rules dealing with PFICs and with the QEF election and the mark-to-market election are very complex and are affected by various factors in addition to those described above. Accordingly, U.S. Holders of our Class A ordinary shares and warrants are strongly urged to consult with their own tax advisors regarding the application of the PFIC rules to them in their particular circumstances.

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Information Reporting and Backup Withholding

Dividends with respect to our Class A ordinary shares and proceeds from the sale, exchange or redemption of our securities may be subject to information reporting to the IRS and possible United States backup withholding. Backup withholding will not apply, however, to a U.S. Holder who furnishes a correct taxpayer identification number and makes other required certifications or who is otherwise exempt from backup withholding and establishes such exempt status. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Rather, the U.S. federal income tax liability (if any) of persons subject to backup withholding will be reduced by the amount of tax withheld. If backup withholding results in an overpayment of taxes, a refund generally may be obtained, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.

Certain U.S. Holders may be required to file an IRS Form 926 (Return by a U.S. Transferor of Property to a Foreign Corporation) to report a transfer of property (including cash) to us. Substantial penalties may be imposed on a U.S. Holder that fails to comply with this reporting requirement and the period of limitations on assessment and collection of U.S. federal income taxes will be extended in the event of a failure to comply. Furthermore, certain U.S. Holders who are individuals and certain entities will be required to report information with respect to such U.S. Holder’s investment in “specified foreign financial assets” on IRS Form 8938 (Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets), subject to certain exceptions. An interest in us constitutes a specified foreign financial asset for these purposes. Persons who are required to report specified foreign financial assets and fail to do so may be subject to substantial penalties and the period of limitations on assessment and collection of U.S. federal income taxes will be extended in the event of a failure to comply. Potential investors are urged to consult with their tax advisors regarding the foreign financial asset and other reporting obligations and their application to an investment in our Class A ordinary shares and warrants.

Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders

This section applies to you if you are a Non-U.S. Holder.

Taxation of Distributions with Respect to Class A Ordinary Shares

Distributions (including constructive distributions) of cash or other property on our Class A ordinary shares, if any, generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax, unless the distributions are effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are treated as attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States). Any such effectively connected dividends generally will be taxed on a net income basis at the rates and in the manner generally applicable to comparable U.S. Holders. If the Non-U.S. Holder is a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it may also be subject to a branch profits tax (at a 30% rate or such lower rate as specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on its effectively connected earnings and profits (as adjusted for certain items), which will include effectively connected dividends.

Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants

Subject to the discussion below under “— Information Reporting and Backup Withholding”, a Non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax on any gain realized upon the sale or other disposition of our Class A ordinary shares, which would include a dissolution and liquidation in the event we do not consummate an initial business combination within the required time period, or our warrants, unless such gain is effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States). A Non-U.S. Holder whose gains are effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States) generally will be subject to U.S. tax in the same manner as a comparable U.S. Holder. If the Non-U.S. Holder is a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, then the after-tax amount of such gain may be subject to an additional branch profits tax (at a 30% rate or such lower rate as specified by an applicable income tax treaty).

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Redemption of Class A Ordinary Shares

The characterization for U.S. federal income tax purposes of the redemption of a Non-U.S. Holder’s Class A ordinary shares pursuant to the redemption provisions described in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Ordinary Shares” generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax characterization of such a redemption of a U.S. Holder’s Class A ordinary shares, as described under “Considerations for U.S. Holders — Redemption of Class A Ordinary Shares” above, and the consequences of the redemption to the Non-U.S. Holder will correspond to that described above in “— Taxation of Distributions with Respect to Class A Ordinary Shares” and “— Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants”, as applicable.

Exercise or Redemption of a Warrant

The U.S. federal income tax treatment of a Non-U.S. Holder’s exercise of a warrant generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the exercise of a warrant by a U.S. Holder, as described under “— Considerations for U.S. Holders — Exercise or Redemption of a Warrant” above, although to the extent a cashless exercise results in a taxable exchange, the consequences would be similar to those described above in “— Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders — Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants”. The U.S. federal income tax treatment for a Non-U.S. Holder of a redemption of warrants for cash described in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Shareholders’ Warrants” (or if we purchase warrants in an open market transaction) generally will correspond to that described above in “— Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders — Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants”. The U.S. federal income tax treatment for a Non-U.S. Holder of a redemption of warrants for our Class A ordinary shares described in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Shareholders’ Warrants” generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax treatment for a U.S. Holder of a redemption of warrants for our Class A ordinary shares, as described above in “— Considerations For U.S. Holders — Exercise or Redemption of a Warrant”.

Expiration of a Warrant

The U.S. federal income tax treatment of the expiration of a warrant held by a Non-U.S. Holder generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the expiration of a warrant by a U.S. Holder, as described above in “— Considerations For U.S. Holders — Expiration of a Warrant”.

Possible Constructive Distributions with Respect to Warrants

The terms of the warrants provide for an adjustment to the number of our Class A ordinary shares for which warrants may be exercised or to the exercise price of the warrants in certain events, as discussed in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Shareholders’ Warrants” An adjustment which has the effect of preventing dilution generally is not taxable. The Non-U.S. Holders of the warrants would, however, be treated as receiving a constructive distribution from us if, for example, the adjustment increases the warrantholders’ proportionate interest in our assets or earnings and profits (e.g., through an increase in the number of ordinary shares that would be obtained upon exercise or through a decrease in the exercise price of the warrant) as a result of a distribution of cash or other property to the holders of our ordinary shares which is taxable to the holders of such shares as a distribution. A Non-U.S. Holder would be subject to tax on any such constructive distribution in the same manner as if such Non-U.S. Holder received a cash distribution from us equal to the fair market value of such increased proportionate interest, as described above under “— Taxation of Distributions with Respect to Class A Ordinary Shares”. For certain information reporting purposes, we are required to determine the date and amount of any such constructive distributions. Proposed Treasury regulations, which we may rely on prior to the issuance of final regulations, specify how the date and amount of constructive distributions are determined.

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Information Reporting and Backup Withholding

Dividends with respect to our Class A ordinary shares and proceeds from the sale, exchange or redemption of our securities may be subject to information reporting to the IRS and possible United States backup withholding. A Non-U.S. Holder generally will eliminate the requirement for information reporting and backup withholding by providing certification of its foreign status, under penalties of perjury, on a duly executed applicable IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E (or other applicable or successor form). Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Rather, the U.S. federal income tax liability (if any) of persons subject to backup withholding will be reduced by the amount of tax withheld. If backup withholding results in an overpayment of taxes, a refund generally may be obtained, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.

INVESTORS CONSIDERING THE PURCHASE OF OUR SECURITIES ARE URGED TO CONSULT WITH THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS REGARDING THE APPLICATION OF THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAWS TO THEIR PARTICULAR SITUATIONS AND THE APPLICABILITY AND EFFECT OF U.S. FEDERAL ESTATE AND GIFT TAX LAWS AND ANY STATE, LOCAL OR NON-U.S. TAX LAWS AND TAX TREATIES.

 

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Underwriting

Subject to the terms and conditions of the underwriting agreement, the underwriters named below have severally agreed to purchase from us the following respective number of units at a public offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.

 

Underwriters

 

Number of Units

 

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

 

 

 

 

Total

 

 

25,000,000

 

 

The underwriting agreement provides that the underwriters are obligated to purchase all the units in the offering if any are purchased, other than those units covered by the option to purchase additional units described below.

We have granted to the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase on a pro rata basis up to 3,750,000 additional units at the initial public offering price, less the underwriting discounts and commissions.

The underwriters propose to offer the units initially at the public offering price on the cover page of this prospectus and to selling group members at that price less a selling concession of $        per unit. The underwriters and the selling group members may allow a discount of $        per unit on sales to other broker/dealers. After the initial public offering the underwriters may change the public offering price and concession and discount to broker/dealers. The offering of the units by the underwriters is subject to receipt and acceptance and subject to the underwriters’ right to reject any order in whole or in part.

The following table summarizes the compensation and estimated expenses we will pay. $0.35 per unit, or $8,750,000 (or $10,062,500 if the option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), of deferred underwriting commissions will be paid upon the completion of our initial business combination. Of such amount, up to approximately $0.10 per unit, or up to approximately $2,500,000 (or approximately $2,875,000 if the option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), may be paid to third parties not participating in this offering (but who are members of FINRA) that assist us in consummating our initial business combination. The election to make such payments to third parties will be solely at the discretion of our management team, and such third parties will be selected by our management team in their sole and absolute discretion.

 

 

 

Per Unit(1)

 

 

Total(1)

 

 

 

Without

Option to

Purchase

Additional

Units

 

 

With

Option to

Purchase

Additional

Units

 

 

Without

Option to

Purchase

Additional

Units

 

 

With

Option to

Purchase

Additional

Units

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Underwriting Discounts and

   Commissions paid by us

 

$

0.55

 

 

$

0.55

 

 

$

13,750,000

 

 

$

5,750,000

 

 

(1)

Includes $0.035 per unit, or $8,750,000  in the aggregate (or $10,062,500 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting discounts and commissions to be placed in a trust account located in the United States as described herein and released to the underwriters only upon the completion of an initial business combination, as described in this prospectus.

We estimate that our out-of-pocket expenses for this offering will be approximately $         .

The representatives have informed us that the underwriters do not intend to make sales to discretionary accounts.

We, our sponsor and our officers and directors have agreed that we will not offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or grant any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, without the prior written consent of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC for a period of 180 days after the date of this prospectus, any units, warrants, ordinary shares or any other securities convertible into, or exercisable, or exchangeable for, ordinary shares or enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of

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ownership of any units, ordinary shares, warrants or any securities convertible into, or exercisable, or exchangeable for, ordinary shares owned, whether any such transaction is to be settled by delivery of such securities, in cash or otherwise; provided, however, that we may (1) issue and sell the private placement warrants; (2) issue and sell the additional units to cover our underwriters’ option to purchase additional units (if any); (3) register with the SEC pursuant to an agreement to be entered into concurrently with the issuance and sale of the securities in this offering, the resale of the private placement warrants and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and the founder shares; and (4) issue securities in connection with our initial business combination. However, the foregoing shall not apply to the forfeiture of any founder shares pursuant to their terms or any transfer of founder shares to any current or future independent director of the company (as long as such current or future independent director is subject to the terms of the letter agreement, filed herewith, at the time of such transfer; and as long as, to the extent any Section 16 reporting obligation is triggered as a result of such transfer, any related Section 16 filing includes a practical explanation as to the nature of the transfer). Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC in its sole discretion may release any of the securities subject to these lock-up agreements at any time without notice.

Our initial shareholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any founder shares held by them until one year after the date of consummation of our initial business combination or earlier if, subsequent to our business combination, (i) the last sale price of our ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share dividends, reorganizations and recapitalizations) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination or (ii) we consummate a subsequent liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property (except as described herein under “Principal Shareholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants”). In addition, our initial shareholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any earnout shares held by them until the earlier of (i) the occurrence of the triggering event and (ii) the fifth anniversary of the date of the consummation of our initial business combination, at which time the earnout shares would be forfeited, as described above. Any permitted transferees would be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our initial shareholders with respect to any founder shares.

The private placement warrants (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination (except with respect to permitted transferees as described in this prospectus under “Principal Shareholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants”).

We have agreed to indemnify the several underwriters against certain liabilities under the Securities Act, or contribute to payments that the underwriters may be required to make in that respect.

We expect our units to be listed on the NYSE, under the symbol “SWBK.U” and, once the Class A ordinary shares and warrants begin separate trading, to have our Class A ordinary shares and warrants listed on the NYSE under the symbols “SWBK” and “SWBK.WS,” respectively.

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our securities.

The determination of our per unit offering price was more arbitrary than would typically be the case if we were an operating company. Among the factors considered in determining the initial public offering price were the history and prospects of companies whose principal business is the acquisition of other companies, prior offerings of those companies, our management, our capital structure, and currently prevailing general conditions in equity securities markets, including current market valuations of publicly traded companies considered comparable to our company. We cannot assure you, however, that the price at which the units, Class A ordinary shares or warrants will sell in the public market after this offering will not be lower than the initial public offering price or that an active trading market in our units, Class A ordinary shares or warrants will develop and continue after this offering.

If we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we and the underwriters have agreed that: (1) the underwriters will forfeit any rights or claims to their deferred underwriting discounts and commissions, including any accrued interest thereon, then in the trust account; and (2) that the deferred underwriters’ discounts and commissions will be distributed on a pro rata basis, together with any accrued interest thereon (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) to the public shareholders.

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In connection with this offering the underwriters may engage in stabilizing transactions, over allotment transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act.

 

Stabilizing transactions permit bids to purchase the underlying security so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum.

 

Over allotment involves sales by the underwriters of units in excess of the number of units the underwriters are obligated to purchase, which creates a syndicate short position. The short position may be either a covered short position or a naked short position. In a covered short position, the number of units over-allotted by the underwriters is not greater than the number of units that they may purchase in the option to purchase additional units. In a naked short position, the number of units involved is greater than the number of units in the option to purchase additional units. The underwriters may close out any covered short position by either exercising their option to purchase additional units and/or purchasing units in the open market.

 

Syndicate covering transactions involve purchases of the units in the open market after the distribution has been completed in order to cover syndicate short positions. In determining the source of units to close out the short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of units available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase units through the option to purchase additional units. If the underwriters sell more units than could be covered by the option to purchase additional units, a naked short position, the position can only be closed out by buying units in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there could be downward pressure on the price of the units in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in this offering.

 

Penalty bids permit the representative to reclaim a selling concession from a syndicate member when the units originally sold by the syndicate member are purchased in a stabilizing or syndicate covering transaction to cover syndicate short positions.

These stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our units or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the units. As a result the price of our units may be higher than the price that might otherwise exist in the open market. These transactions may be effected on the NYSE or otherwise and, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time.

We are not under any contractual obligation to engage the underwriters to provide any services for us after this offering, and have no present intent to do so. However, the underwriters may introduce us to potential target businesses or assist us in raising additional capital in the future. If any of the underwriters provide services to us after this offering, we may pay such underwriter fair and reasonable fees that would be determined at that time in an arm’s length negotiation; provided that no agreement will be entered into with the underwriters and no fees for such services will be paid to the underwriters prior to the date that is 90 days from the date of this prospectus, unless FINRA determines that such payment would not be deemed underwriters’ compensation in connection with this offering and we may pay the underwriters of this offering or any entity with which they are affiliated a finder’s fee or other compensation for services rendered to us in connection with the completion of a business combination.

The underwriters and their respective affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include sales and trading, commercial and investment banking, advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, market making, brokerage and other financial and non-financial activities and services. The underwriters and their affiliates have engaged in, and may in the future engage in, investment banking and other commercial dealings in the ordinary course of business with us or our affiliates. They have received, or may in the future receive, customary fees and commissions for these transactions.

In addition, in the ordinary course of their business activities, the underwriters and their respective affiliates, officers, directors and employees may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers. Such investments and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of ours or our affiliates. The underwriters and their affiliates may also make investment

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recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or financial instruments and may hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.

A prospectus in electronic format may be made available on the web sites maintained by the underwriters, or selling group members, if any, participating in this offering and the underwriters participating in this offering may distribute prospectuses electronically. The representative may agree to allocate a number of units to underwriters and selling group members for sale to their online brokerage account holders. Internet distributions will be allocated by the underwriters and selling group members that will make internet distributions on the same basis as other allocations.

The units are offered for sale in those jurisdictions in the United States, Europe, Asia and elsewhere where it is lawful to make such offers.

The underwriters have represented and agreed that they have not offered, sold or delivered and will not offer, sell or deliver any of the units directly or indirectly, or distribute this prospectus or any other offering material relating to the units, in or from any jurisdiction except under circumstances that will result in compliance with the applicable laws and regulations thereof and that will not impose any obligations or other duties on us except as set forth in the underwriting agreement.

Notice to Prospective Investors in Canada

The units may be sold in Canada only to purchasers purchasing, or deemed to be purchasing, as principal that are accredited investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario), and are permitted clients, as defined in National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations. Any resale of the units must be made in accordance with an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the prospectus requirements of applicable securities laws.

Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if this prospectus (including any amendment thereto) contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory. The purchaser should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.

Pursuant to section 3A.3 of National Instrument 33-105 Underwriting Conflicts (NI 33-105), the underwriters are not required to comply with the disclosure requirements of NI 33-105 regarding underwriter conflicts of interest in connection with this offering.

European Economic Area and United Kingdom

In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom (each a “Relevant State”), no ordinary shares (the “Shares”) have been offered or will be offered pursuant to the offering to the public in that Relevant State prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the Shares which has been approved by the competent authority in that Relevant State or, where appropriate, approved in another Relevant State and notified to the competent authority in that Relevant State, all in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation, except that offers of Shares may be made to the public in that Relevant State at any time under the following exemptions under the Prospectus Regulation:

 

(a)

to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under the Prospectus Regulation;

 

(b)

to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under the Prospectus Regulation), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the Representative for any such offer; or

 

(c)

in any other circumstances falling within Article 1(4) of the Prospectus Regulation,

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provided that no such offer of Shares shall require the company or any Representative to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the Prospectus Regulation.

For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to any Shares in any Relevant State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any Shares to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any Shares, and the expression “Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129.

Notice to Residents of Hong Kong

The units may not be offered or sold in Hong Kong by means of any document other than (i) in circumstances which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32, Laws of Hong Kong), or (ii) to “professional investors” within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder, or (iii) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32, Laws of Hong Kong) and no advertisement, invitation or document relating to the units may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to units which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder.

Notice to Residents of Japan

The units have not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan (Law No. 25 of 1948, as amended) and, accordingly, will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in Japan, or for the benefit of any Japanese Person or to others for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to any Japanese Person, except in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines promulgated by relevant Japanese governmental or regulatory authorities in effect at the relevant time. For the purposes of this paragraph, “Japanese Person” shall mean any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan.

Notice to Residents of Singapore

This prospectus has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the units may not be circulated or distributed, nor may the units be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the “SFA”), (ii) to a relevant person pursuant to Section 275(1), or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA, in each case subject to compliance with conditions set forth in the SFA.

Where the units are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is (a) a corporation (which is not an accredited investor) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor; or (b) a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary is an accredited investor, shares, debentures and units of shares and debentures of that corporation or the beneficiaries’ rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferred within six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the shares pursuant to an offer made under Section 275 of the SFA except:

 

to an institutional investor (for corporations, under Section 274 of the SFA) or to a relevant person defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA, or to any person pursuant to an offer that is made on terms that such shares, debentures and units of shares and debentures of that corporation or such rights and interest in that trust are acquired at a consideration of not less than S$200,000 (or its equivalent in a foreign currency) for each

170

 


 

 

transaction, whether such amount is to be paid for in cash or by exchange of securities or other assets, and further for corporations, in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA;

 

where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer; or

 

where the transfer is by operation of law.

Notice to Investors in the United Kingdom

This prospectus is only being distributed to, and is only directed at, persons in the United Kingdom that are qualified investors within the meaning of Article 2(1)(e) of the Prospectus Directive that are also (i) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the “Order”) or (ii) high net worth entities, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as a “relevant person”). The units are only available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to purchase or otherwise acquire such units will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. This prospectus and its contents are confidential and should not be distributed, published or reproduced (in whole or in part) or disclosed by recipients to any other persons in the United Kingdom. Any person in the United Kingdom that is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents.

 


171

 


 

Legal Matters

Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., Houston, Texas, is acting as counsel in connection with the registration of our securities under the Securities Act, and as such, will pass upon the validity of the securities offered in this prospectus with respect to units and warrants. Maples and Calder will pass upon the validity of the securities offered in this prospectus with respect to the ordinary shares and matters of Cayman Islands law. In connection with this offering, Latham & Watkins LLP is acting as counsel to the underwriters.

Experts

The financial statements of Switchback II Corporation as of October 8, 2020 and for the period from October 7, 2020 (inception) through October 8, 2020, have been audited by WithumSmith+Brown, PC, independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which is incorporated herein. Such financial statements have been incorporated herein in reliance on the report of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

Where You Can Find Additional Information

We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act with respect to the securities we are offering by this prospectus. This prospectus does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement. For further information about us and our securities, you should refer to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed with the registration statement. Whenever we make reference in this prospectus to any of our contracts, agreements or other documents, the references are materially complete but may not include a description of all aspects of such contracts, agreements or other documents, and you should refer to the exhibits attached to the registration statement for copies of the actual contract, agreement or other document.

Upon completion of this offering, we will be subject to the information requirements of the Exchange Act and will file annual, quarterly and current event reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You can read our SEC filings, including the registration statement, over the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

 

172

 


 

 

SWITCHBACK II CORPORATION

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

 

 

 


 

 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

To the Shareholder and the Board of Directors of

Switchback II Corporation

 

Opinion on the Financial Statements

 

We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Switchback II Corporation (the “Company”) as of October 8, 2020, and the related statements of operations, changes in shareholder’s equity and cash flows for the period from October 7, 2020 (inception) through October 8, 2020, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of October 8, 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the period from October 7, 2020 (inception) through October 8, 2020, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

Basis for Opinion

 

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the "PCAOB") and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

 

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

 

Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

/s/ WithumSmith+Brown, PC

 

 

We have served as the Company's auditor since 2020.

 

New York, New York

October 30, 2020


F-2

 


 

SWITCHBACK II CORPORATION

 

BALANCE SHEET

October 8, 2020

 

Assets:

 

 

 

 

Current assets:

 

 

 

 

Prepaid expenses

 

$

21,034

 

Total current assets

 

 

21,034

 

Deferred offering costs associated with proposed public offering

 

 

55,000

 

Total Assets

 

$

76,034

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities and Shareholder's Equity:

 

 

 

 

Current liabilities:

 

 

 

 

Accrued expenses

 

$

60,000

 

Total current liabilities

 

 

60,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commitments and Contingencies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shareholder's Equity:

 

 

 

 

Preference shares, $0.0001 par value; 5,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding

 

 

-

 

Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value; 500,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding

 

 

-

 

Class B ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value; 50,000,000 shares authorized; 7,187,500 shares issued and outstanding (1)

 

 

719

 

Additional paid-in capital

 

 

24,281

 

Accumulated deficit

 

 

(8,966

)

Total shareholder's equity

 

 

16,034

 

Total Liabilities and Shareholder's Equity

 

$

76,034

 

 

(1) This number includes up to 937,500 Class B ordinary shares subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriter.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

F-3

 


 

SWITCHBACK II CORPORATION

 

STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS

For the period from October 7, 2020 (inception) through October 8, 2020

 

General and administrative expenses

 

$

8,966

 

Net loss

 

$

(8,966

)

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted average shares outstanding, basic and diluted (1)

 

 

6,250,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic and diluted net loss per share

 

$

(0.00

)

 

(1) This number excludes an aggregate of up to 937,500 Class B ordinary shares subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriter.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

F-4

 


 

SWITCHBACK II CORPORATION

 

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDER'S EQUITY

For the period from October 7, 2020 (inception) through October 8, 2020

 

 

 

Ordinary Shares

 

 

Additional

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

 

 

Class A

 

 

Class B

 

 

Paid-in

 

 

Accumulated

 

 

Shareholder's

 

 

 

Shares

 

 

Amount

 

 

Shares

 

 

Amount

 

 

Capital

 

 

Deficit

 

 

Equity

 

Balance - October 7, 2020 (inception)

 

 

-

 

 

$

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

Issuance of Class B ordinary shares to Sponsor (1)

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

7,187,500

 

 

 

719

 

 

 

24,281

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

25,000

 

Net loss

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

(8,966

)

 

 

(8,966

)

Balance - October 8, 2020

 

 

-

 

 

$

-

 

 

 

7,187,500

 

 

$

719

 

 

$

24,281

 

 

$

(8,966

)

 

$

16,034

 

 

(1) This number includes up to 937,500 Class B ordinary shares subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriter

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

F-5

 


 

 

SWITCHBACK II CORPORATION

 

STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

For the period from October 7, 2020 (inception) through October 8, 2020

 

Cash Flows from Operating Activities:

 

 

 

 

Net loss

 

$

(8,966

)

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

 

 

 

 

Prepaid expenses

 

 

3,966

 

Accrued expenses

 

 

5,000

 

Net cash used in operating activities

 

 

-

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net increase in cash

 

 

-

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash - beginning of the period

 

 

-

 

Cash - ending of the period

 

 

-

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplemental disclosure of noncash investing and financing activities:

 

 

 

 

Deferred offering costs included in accrued expenses

 

$

55,000

 

Prepaid expenses paid by Sponsor in exchange for issuance of Class B ordinary shares

 

$

25,000

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

F-6


 

 

SWITCHBACK II CORPORATION

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

NOTE 1. DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION, BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION

Switchback II Corporation (the "Company") is a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company on October 7, 2020. The Company was incorporated for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities that the Company has not yet identified ("Business Combination").

As of October 8, 2020, the Company had not yet commenced operations. All activity for the period from October 7, 2020 (inception) through October 8, 2020 relates to the Company's formation and the Proposed Public Offering, which is described below. The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year end.  

The Company's ability to commence operations is contingent upon obtaining adequate financial resources through a proposed initial public offering of 25,000,000 units at $10.00 per unit (or 28,750,000 units if the underwriters' option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) ("Units" and, with respect to the Class A ordinary shares included in the Units being offered, the "Public Shares") which is discussed in Note 3 (the "Proposed Public Offering") and the sale of 4,666,666 warrants (or 5,166,666 warrants if the underwriters' option to purchase additional units is exercised in full)  at a price of $1.50 per warrant ("Private Placement Warrants") in a private placement (the “Private Placement”) to the Company's sponsor, NGP Switchback II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company ("Sponsor"), that will close simultaneously with the Proposed Public Offering. The Company's management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of its Proposed Public Offering and the sale of Private Placement Warrants, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business Combination. The Company's initial Business Combination must be with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the Trust Account (as defined below) (net of amounts disbursed to management for working capital purposes and excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting discount held in trust) at the time the Company signs a definitive agreement in connection with the initial Business Combination. However, the Company will only complete a Business Combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act 1940, as amended, or the Investment Company Act. Upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, management has agreed that an amount equal to at least $10.00 per Unit sold in the Proposed Public Offering, including the proceeds of the Private Placement Warrants, will be held in a trust account ("Trust Account") with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee and invested in United States “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act having a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations, as determined by the Company, until the earlier of: (i) the completion of a Business Combination and (ii) the distribution of the Trust Account as described below.The Company will provide the holders (the “Public Shareholders”) of the Public Shares with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares upon the completion of a Business Combination either (i) in connection with a shareholder meeting called to approve the Business Combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether the Company will seek shareholder approval of a Business Combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by the Company, solely in its discretion. The Public Shareholders will be entitled to redeem their Public Shares for a pro rata portion of the amount then in the Trust Account (initially anticipated to be $10.00 per share), plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay its tax obligations (net of taxes payable by the Company and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay the Company’s dissolution expenses). The per-share amount to be distributed to Public Shareholders who redeem their Public Shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions the Company will pay to the underwriters (as discussed in Note 6). These Public Shares will be recorded at a redemption value and classified as temporary equity upon the completion of the Proposed Public Offering, in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 480 "Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity." In such case, the Company will proceed with a Business Combination if the Company has net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation of a

 

F-7


SWITCHBACK II CORPORATION

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Business Combination and a majority of the shares voted are voted in favor of the Business Combination. If a shareholder vote is not required by law and the Company does not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other legal reasons, the Company will, pursuant to the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association which will be adopted by the Company upon the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering (the "Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association"), conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), and file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing a Business Combination. If, however, a shareholder approval of the transactions is required by law, or the Company decides to obtain shareholder approval for business or legal reasons, the Company will offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. Additionally, each Public Shareholder may elect to redeem their Public Shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction. If the Company seeks shareholder approval in connection with a Business Combination, the holders of the Founder Shares prior to this Proposed Public Offering (the "Initial Shareholders") will agree to vote their Founder Shares (as defined in Note 5) and any Public Shares purchased during or after the Proposed Public Offering in favor of a Business Combination. In addition, the Initial Shareholders will agree to waive their redemption rights with respect to their Founder Shares and Public Shares in connection with the completion of a Business Combination. In addition, the Company has agreed not to enter into a definitive agreement regarding an initial Business Combination without the prior consent of the Sponsor.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company's Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association will provide that a Public Shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a "group" (as defined under Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act")), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 20% or more of the Class A ordinary shares sold in the Proposed Public Offering, without the prior consent of the Company.

The Company's Sponsor, executive officers, directors and director nominees will agree not to propose an amendment to the Company's Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association that would affect the substance or timing of the Company's obligation to provide for the redemption of its Public Shares in connection with a Business Combination or to redeem 100% of its Public Shares if the Company does not complete a Business Combination, unless the Company provides the Public Shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Class A ordinary shares in conjunction with any such amendment.

If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering (the "Combination Period"), the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the Public Shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay its taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses and net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then-outstanding Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish Public Shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the remaining shareholders and the board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), to the Company’s obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.

The Initial Shareholders will agree to waive their liquidation rights with respect to the Founder Shares if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period. However, if the Initial Shareholders should acquire Public Shares in or after the Proposed Public Offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to such Public Shares if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period. The underwriters will agree to waive their rights to their deferred underwriting commission (see Note 6) held in the Trust Account in the event the Company does not complete a Business Combination within in the Combination Period and, in such event, such amounts will be included with the funds held in the Trust Account that will be available to fund the redemption of the Company's Public Shares. In the event of such distribution, it is possible that the per share value of the residual assets remaining available for distribution (including Trust Account assets) will be only $10.00 per share initially held in the Trust Account. In order to protect the amounts held in the Trust Account, the Sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to

 

F-8


SWITCHBACK II CORPORATION

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

the Company if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to the Company, or a prospective target business with which the Company has entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or other similar agreement or business combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account, if less than $10.00 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the Trust Account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under the Company's indemnity of the underwriters of the Proposed Public Offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). In the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, the Sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. The Company will seek to reduce the possibility that the Sponsor will have to indemnify the Trust Account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have vendors, service providers (except the Company's independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses or other entities with which the Company does business, execute agreements with the Company waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the Trust Account.

 

Basis of presentation

The accompanying financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC.

In connection with the Company's assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with ASU 2014-15, "Disclosures of Uncertainties about an Entity's Ability to Continue as a Going Concern," as of October 8, 2020, the Company does not have sufficient liquidity to meet its current obligations. However, management has determined that the Company has access to funds from the Sponsor that are sufficient to fund the working capital needs of the Company until the earlier of the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering or a minimum one year from the date of issuance of these financial statements.  

Management is currently evaluating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry and concluded that the specific impact is not readily determinable as of the date of these financial statements.  The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

 

Emerging growth company

The Company is an "emerging growth company," as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the "JOBS Act"), and it may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in its periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.

Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. The Company has elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of the Company's financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.

 

F-9


SWITCHBACK II CORPORATION

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

 

NOTE 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

Use of estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the Company’s management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period.

Making estimates requires management to exercise significant judgment. It is at least reasonably possible that the estimate of the effect of a condition, situation or set of circumstances that existed at the date of the financial statements, which management considered in formulating its estimate, could change in the near term due to one or more future confirming events. Accordingly, the actual results could differ significantly from those estimates.

 

Financial instruments

The fair value of the Company's assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under the FASB ASC 820, "Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures," approximates the carrying amounts represented in the balance sheet.

 

Deferred offering costs

Deferred offering costs consist of legal, accounting, and other costs incurred through the balance sheet date that are directly related to the Proposed Public Offering and that will be charged to shareholder's equity upon the completion of the Proposed Public Offering. Should the Proposed Public Offering prove to be unsuccessful, these deferred costs, as well as additional expenses to be incurred, will be charged to operations.

 

Net loss per ordinary share

The Company complies with accounting and disclosure requirements of ASC Topic 260, "Earnings Per Share." Net loss per share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of Class B ordinary shares outstanding during the period, excluding ordinary shares subject to forfeiture. Weighted average shares at October 8, 2020 were reduced for the effect of an aggregate of 937,500 Class B ordinary shares that are subject to forfeiture if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriters (see Note 6). At October 8, 2020, the Company did not have any dilutive securities and other contracts that could, potentially, be exercised or converted into ordinary shares and then share in the earnings of the Company. As a result, diluted loss per share is the same as basic loss per share for the period presented.

 

Income taxes

ASC Topic 740 prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more-likely-than-not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. The Company's management determined that the Cayman Islands is the Company's only major tax jurisdiction. The Company is currently not aware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviation from its position.

There is currently no taxation imposed on income by the Government of the Cayman Islands. In accordance with Cayman federal income tax regulations, income taxes are not levied on the Company. Consequently, income taxes are not reflected in the Company's financial statements.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting pronouncements, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company's financial statements.

 

F-10


SWITCHBACK II CORPORATION

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

 

NOTE 3. PROPOSED PUBLIC OFFERING

Pursuant to the Proposed Public Offering, the Company intends to offer for sale up to 25,000,000 Units (or 28,750,000 Units if the underwriters' option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) at a purchase price of $10.00 per Unit. Each Unit will consist of one Class A ordinary share and one-fifth of one redeemable warrant ("Public Warrant"). Each whole Public Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Class A ordinary share at an exercise price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment (see Note 7).

 

NOTE 4. PRIVATE PLACEMENT

The Sponsor agreed to purchase an aggregate of 4,666,666 Private Placement Warrants (or 5,166,666 Private Placement Warrants if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares is exercised in full), at a price of $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant (or $7.0 million in the aggregate, or approximately $7.8 million if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares is exercised in full) in the Private Placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of the Proposed Public Offering.

Each whole Private Placement Warrant is exercisable for one whole Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Warrants to the Sponsor will be added to the proceeds from the Proposed Public Offering to be held in the Trust Account. If the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period, the Private Placement Warrants will expire worthless. The Private Placement Warrants will be non-redeemable for cash and exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by the Sponsor or its permitted transferees.

The Sponsor and the Company’s officers and directors will agree, subject to limited exceptions, not to transfer, assign or sell any of their Private Placement Warrants until 30 days after the completion of the initial Business Combination.

NOTE 5. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

Founder Shares

On October 8, 2020, the Sponsor paid an aggregate of $25,000 for certain expenses on behalf of the Company in exchange for issuance of 7,906,250 Class B ordinary shares (the "Founder Shares"). On October 27, 2020, the Sponsor surrendered an aggregate of 718,750 Class B ordinary shares to the Company at no cost, resulting in an aggregate of 7,187,500 Class B ordinary shares outstanding. All shares and associated amounts have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the share surrender.  The holders of the Founder Shares will agree to forfeit up to an aggregate of 937,500 Founder Shares, on a pro rata basis, to the extent that the option to purchase additional units is not exercised in full by the underwriters. The forfeiture will be adjusted to the extent that the option to purchase additional units is not exercised in full by the underwriters so that the Founder Shares will represent 20% of the Company's issued and outstanding shares after the Proposed Public Offering. If the Company increases or decreases the size of the Proposed Public Offering, the Company will effect a share capitalization or a share repurchase or redemption or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to the Class B ordinary shares prior to the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering in such amount as to maintain the number of Founder Shares at 20% of the Company's issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering.

The Initial Shareholders will agree not to transfer, assign or sell any Founder Shares held by them until one year after the date of the consummation of the initial Business Combination or earlier if, subsequent to the initial Business Combination, (i) the last sale price of Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after the initial Business Combination or (ii) the Company consummates a subsequent liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of the shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property.

 

 

F-11


SWITCHBACK II CORPORATION

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Related Party Loans

On October 8, 2020, the Sponsor agreed to loan the Company up to $300,000 pursuant to a promissory note (the "Note"). The Note is non-interest bearing, unsecured and due on the earlier of March 31, 2021, or the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. The Company intends to repay the Note from the proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering not being placed in the Trust Account. As of October 8, 2020, the Company has not borrowed any amount under the Note.

In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor, members of the Company’s founding team or any of their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds as may be required ("Working Capital Loans"). If the Company completes a Business Combination, the Company would repay the Working Capital Loans out of the proceeds of the Trust Account released to the Company. Otherwise, the Working Capital Loans would be repaid only out of funds held outside the Trust Account. In the event that a Business Combination does not close, the Company may use a portion of proceeds held outside the Trust Account to repay the Working Capital Loans but no proceeds held in the Trust Account would be used to repay the Working Capital Loans. The Working Capital Loans would either be repaid upon consummation of a Business Combination, without interest, or, at the lender's discretion, up to $1.5 million of such Working Capital Loans may be convertible into warrants of the post Business Combination entity at a price of $1.50 per warrant. The warrants would be identical to the Private Placement Warrants. Except for the foregoing, the terms of such Working Capital Loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. To date, the Company had no borrowings under the Working Capital Loans.

Administrative Services Agreement

The Company will enter into an agreement that will provide that, commencing on the date that the Company’s securities are first listed on the NYSE through the earlier of consummation of the initial Business Combination and the liquidation, the Company will pay the Sponsor $20,000 per month for office space, utilities, secretarial support and administrative services.

In addition, the Sponsor, executive officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on the Company’s behalf such as identifying potential partner businesses and performing due diligence on suitable Business Combinations. The Company’s audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by the Company to the Sponsor, executive officers or directors, or the Company’s or their affiliates. Any such payments prior to an initial Business Combination will be made using funds held outside the Trust Account.

NOTE 6. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

 

Registration and Shareholder Rights

The holders of the Founder Shares, Private Placement Warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans (and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans and upon conversion of the Founder Shares) and any Class A ordinary shares held by the Company’s initial shareholders at the completion of this offering or acquired prior to or in connection with the Company’s Business Combination will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration and shareholder rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of the Proposed Public Offering. The holders of these securities, having a value of at least $25 million in the aggregate, are entitled to make up to three demands  that the Company registers such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the completion of the initial Business Combination. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.

Underwriting Agreement

The Company will grant the underwriters a 45-day option from the date of this prospectus to purchase up to 3,750,000 additional Units at the Proposed Public Offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions.

 

F-12


SWITCHBACK II CORPORATION

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The underwriters will be entitled to an underwriting discount of $0.20 per Unit, or $5.0 million in the aggregate (or approximately $5.8 million in the aggregate if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), payable upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. In addition, $0.35 per Unit, or approximately $8.8 million in the aggregate (or approximately $10.1 million in the aggregate if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), will be payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions. The deferred fee will become payable to the underwriters from the amounts held in the Trust Account solely in the event that the Company completes a Business Combination, subject to the terms of the underwriting agreement.

 

NOTE 7. SHAREHOLDER'S EQUITY

Class A Ordinary Shares—The Company is authorized to issue 500,000,000 Class A ordinary shares with a par value of $0.0001 per share. Holders of the Company's Class A ordinary shares are entitled to one vote for each share. At October 8, 2020, there were no Class A ordinary shares issued or outstanding.

Class B Ordinary Shares—The Company is authorized to issue 50,000,000 Class B ordinary shares with a par value of $0.0001 per share. On October 8, 2020, 7,187,500 Class B ordinary shares were issued and outstanding including an aggregate of up to 937,500 Class B ordinary shares that are subject to forfeiture, to the Company by the Initial Shareholders for no consideration to the extent that the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is not exercised in full or in part, so that the Initial Shareholders will collectively own 20% of the Company’s issued and outstanding ordinary shares after the Proposed Public Offering.  

Ordinary shareholders of record are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by shareholders. Holders of Class B ordinary shares will have the right to appoint all of the Company’s directors prior to the initial Business Combination. On any other matter submitted to a vote of the Company’s shareholders, holders of the Class A ordinary shares and holders of the Class B ordinary shares will vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of the shareholders except as required by law or stock exchange rule.

 

The Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of the initial Business Combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for share subdivisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional Class A ordinary shares, or equity-linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts sold in the Proposed Public Offering and related to the closing of the initial Business Combination, the ratio at which Class B ordinary shares shall convert into Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the outstanding Class B ordinary shares agree to waive such adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all Class B ordinary shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the sum of the total number of all ordinary shares outstanding upon the completion of the Proposed Public Offering plus all Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued in connection with the Business Combination (excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the Business Combination).

Founder Shares Earnout

Upon and subject to the conversion of the Class B ordinary shares (as adjusted) into Class A ordinary shares at the time of the closing of the initial Business Combination as set forth above, 25% of such Class A ordinary shares (the “Earnout Shares”) shall become subject to potential forfeiture if the triggering event (as defined below) does not occur during the time period between the closing date of the initial Business Combination and the five-year anniversary of such date (the “Earnout Period”); “triggering event”  means the date on which the average reported last sale price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 for any 10 trading days within any 20 consecutive trading day period; provided, that, if, during the earnout period, the Company consummates a subsequent liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction pursuant to which the Company or any of the Company’s shareholders have the right to receive consideration implying a value of the Class A ordinary shares (as determined in good faith by the board) of greater than or equal to $12.00, then the triggering event shall be deemed to have occurred.

Preference Shares—The Company is authorized to issue 5,000,000 preference shares with a par value of $0.0001 per share. At October 8, 2020, there were no preference shares issued or outstanding.

 

F-13


SWITCHBACK II CORPORATION

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Warrants—Public Warrants may only be exercised for a whole number of shares. No fractional Public Warrants will be issued upon separation of the Units and only whole Public Warrants will trade. The Public Warrants will become exercisable on the later of (a) 30 days after the completion of a Business Combination or (b) 12 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering; provided in each case that the Company has an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the Public Warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available and such shares are registered, qualified or exempt from registration under the securities, or blue sky, laws of the state of residence of the holder (or the Company permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis under certain circumstances). The Company has agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 20 business days after the closing of the initial Business Combination, the Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC and have an effective registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and to maintain a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares until the warrants expire or are redeemed, as specified in the warrant agreement. Notwithstanding the above, if the Class A ordinary shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that they satisfy the definition of a "covered security" under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, the Company may, at its option, require holders of Public Warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a "cashless basis" and, in the event the Company so elects, the Company will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, and in the event the Company does not so elect, it will use commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available.

The warrants have an exercise price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustments, and will expire five years after the completion of a Business Combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.  In addition, if the Company issues additional Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of the initial Business Combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per Class A ordinary share (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by the board and, in the case of any such issuance to the Sponsor or its affiliates, without taking into account any Founder Shares held by the Sponsor or such affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance) (the “Newly Issued Price”), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of the initial Business Combination on the date of the consummation of the initial Business Combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of Class A ordinary shares during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which the Company consummates its initial Business Combination (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, (i) the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, (ii) the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price described under “Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00 per share” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, (iii) the $10.00 per share redemption trigger price described under “Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $10.00 per share” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, and (iv) the $12.00 per share trigger price under Founder shares earnout (as described above) will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 120% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.

The Private Placement Warrants are identical to the Public Warrants underlying the Units sold in the Proposed Public Offering, except that the Private Placement Warrants and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the Private Placement Warrants will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of a Business Combination, subject to certain limited exceptions. Additionally, the Private Placement Warrants will be non-redeemable so long as they are held by the initial purchasers or such purchasers' permitted transferees. If the Private Placement Warrants are held by someone other than the Initial Shareholders or their permitted transferees, the Private Placement Warrants will be redeemable by the Company and exercisable by such holders on the same basis as the Public Warrants.

Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00 per share:  Once the warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the outstanding warrants for cash (except as described herein with respect to the Private Placement Warrants):

 

in whole and not in part;

 

F-14


SWITCHBACK II CORPORATION

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

 

 

at a price of $0.01 per warrant;

 

upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption to each warrant holder; and

 

if, and only if, the last sale price of Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading day period ending three business days prior to the date on which the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrantholders.

The Company will not redeem the warrants as described above unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is then effective and a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares is available throughout the 30-day redemption period.  

Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $10.00 per share: Once the warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the outstanding warrants (except as described herein with respect to the Private Placement Warrants):

 

in whole and not in part;

 

at $0.10 per warrant upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption provided that holders will be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis prior to redemption and receive that number of Class A ordinary shares to be determined by reference to an agreed table based on the redemption date and the “fair market value” of Class A ordinary shares; and

 

if, and only if, the last sale price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $10.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) on the trading day prior to the date on which the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrantholders.

The “fair market value” of Class A ordinary shares for the above purpose shall mean the average reported last sale price of the Class A ordinary shares for the 10 trading days immediately following the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. In no event will the warrants be exercisable in connection with this redemption feature for more than 0.361 Class A ordinary shares per warrant (subject to adjustment).

In no event will the Company be required to net cash settle any warrant. If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period and the Company liquidates the funds held in the Trust Account, holders of warrants will not receive any of such funds with respect to their warrants, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside of the Trust Account with the respect to such warrants.  Accordingly, the warrants may expire without value to holders.

NOTE 8. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

On October 27, 2020, the Sponsor surrendered an aggregate of 718,750 Class B ordinary shares to the Company at no cost, resulting in an aggregate of 7,187,500 Class B ordinary shares outstanding. All shares and associated amounts have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the share surrender.      

The Company has evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date up to October 30, 2020, the date that the financial statements were available to be issued. Based upon this review, the Company did not identify any subsequent events, except as noted above, that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements.    

 

 

 

F-15


 

 

 

 

$250,000,000

25,000,000 Units

 

 

 

Prospectus

, 2021

 

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

Until, 2021, all dealers that effect transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers’ obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to unsold allotments or subscriptions.

 

 

 

 


 

 

PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 13.     Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

The estimated expenses payable by us in connection with the offering described in this registration statement (other than the underwriting discounts and commissions) will be as follows:

 

SEC expenses

 

$

31,366

 

FINRA expenses

 

 

43,625

 

Accounting and bookkeeping fees and expenses

 

 

45,000

 

Printing and engraving expenses

 

 

60,000

 

Directors’ & Officers’ liability insurance premiums(1)

 

 

300,000

 

Legal fees and expenses

 

 

400,000

 

NYSE listing and filing fees

 

 

85,000

 

Miscellaneous(2)

 

 

35,009

 

Total

 

$

1,000,000

 

 

(1)

This amount represents the approximate amount of annual director and officer liability insurance premiums we anticipate paying following the completion of our initial public offering and until we complete a business combination.

(2)

This amount represents additional expenses that may be incurred by us in connection with the offering over and above those specifically listed above, including distribution and mailing costs.

Item 14.     Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Cayman Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company’s memorandum and articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent any such provision may be held by the Cayman Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against willful default, willful neglect, civil fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide for indemnification of our officers and directors to the maximum extent permitted by law, including for any liability incurred in their capacities as such, except through their own actual fraud, willful default or willful neglect. We will enter into agreements with our directors and officers to provide contractual indemnification in addition to the indemnification provided for in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. We expect to purchase a policy of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance that insures our officers and directors against the cost of defense, settlement or payment of a judgment in some circumstances and insures us against our obligations to indemnify our officers and directors.

Our officers and directors have agreed to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the trust account, and have agreed to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any services provided to us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason whatsoever (except to the extent they are entitled to funds from the trust account due to their ownership of public shares). Accordingly, any indemnification provided will only be able to be satisfied by us if (i) we have sufficient funds outside of the trust account or (ii) we consummate an initial business combination.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

Item 15.     Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.

On October 8, 2020, 7,906,250 of our Class B ordinary shares were issued to our sponsor in exchange for the payment of $25,000 of expenses on our behalf, or approximately $0.003 per share. In October 2020, our sponsor returned to us at no cost an aggregate of 718,750 Class B ordinary shares, which we cancelled. The number of founder shares was determined based on the expectation that the founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares after this offering. Such securities were issued in connection with our organization pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.

 

II-1


 

Our sponsor is an accredited investor for purposes of Rule 501 of Regulation D under the Securities Act.

In addition, our sponsor has committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase from us an aggregate of 4,666,666 (or 5,166,666 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) private placement warrants at $1.50 per warrant (for an aggregate purchase price of $7,000,000 (or $7,750,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full)). These purchases will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the completion of our initial public offering. These issuances will be made pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.

No underwriting discounts or commissions were paid with respect to such sales.

 

II-2


 

Item 16.     Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.

 

Exhibit Number

 

Description

  1.1

 

Form of Underwriting Agreement.**

  3.1

 

Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Registrant.*

  3.2

 

Form of Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association.**

  4.1

 

Specimen Unit Certificate.**

  4.2

 

Specimen Class A Ordinary Shares Certificate.**

  4.3

 

Specimen Warrant Certificate.**

  4.4

 

Form of Warrant Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant.**

  5.1

 

Form of Opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.*

  5.2

 

Form of Opinion of Maples and Calder, Cayman Islands Legal Counsel to the Registrant.*

10.1

 

Promissory Note, dated October 8, 2020, issued to sponsor by the Registrant.*

10.2

 

Form of Letter Agreement among the Registrant and its officers and directors and sponsor.**

10.3

 

Form of Investment Management Trust Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant.**

10.4

 

Form of Registration Rights Agreement among the Registrant, sponsor and the other parties thereto.**

10.5

 

Securities Subscription Agreement, dated October 8, 2020, between the Registrant and sponsor.*

10.6

 

Form of Private Placement Warrants Purchase Agreement between the Registrant and sponsor.**

10.7

 

Form of Indemnification Agreement.**

10.8

 

Form of Administrative Services Agreement between the Registrant and sponsor.**

23.1

 

Consent of WithumSmith+Brown, PC.*

23.2

 

Consent of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. (to be included in Exhibit 5.1).*

23.3

 

Consent of Maples and Calder, Cayman Islands Legal Counsel to the Registrant (to be included in Exhibit 5.2).*

24

 

Power of Attorney (included on signature page of this Registration Statement).*

99.1

 

Consent of Ray Kubis.*

99.2

 

Consent of                      .**

 

*

Filed herewith.

**

To be filed by amendment

Item 17.     Undertakings.

(a)    Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

II-3


 

(b)     The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:

(1)    For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

(2)    For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

 

 

II-4


 

 

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Dallas, Texas on the 18th day of December, 2020.

 

 

 

Switchback II Corporation

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 /s/ Scott McNeill

 

 

 

 

Scott McNeill

 

 

 

 

Co-Chief Executive Officer

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each of the undersigned constitutes and appoints each of Scott McNeill and Jim Mutrie, each acting alone, his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for such person and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign this Registration Statement on Form S-1 (including all pre-effective and post-effective amendments and registration statements filed pursuant to Rule 462 under the Securities Act of 1933), and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, each acting alone, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming that any such attorney-in-fact and agent, or his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities indicated on December 18, 2020.

 

Name

 

Position

 

 

 

 /s/ Scott McNeill

 

Co-Chief Executive Officer and Director

Scott McNeill

 

(Principal Executive, Financial and Accounting Officer)

 

 

 

 /s/ Jim Mutrie

 

Co-Chief Executive Officer and Director

Jim Mutrie

 

 

 

 

 

 /s/ Chris Carter

 

Director

Chris Carter

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Philip J. Deutch

 

Director

Philip J. Deutch

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Scott Gieselman

 

Director

Scott Gieselman

 

 

 

 

 

 /s/ Sam Stoutner

 

Director

Sam Stoutner