0001213900-17-006029.txt : 20170601 0001213900-17-006029.hdr.sgml : 20170601 20170601092232 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0001213900-17-006029 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: S-1 PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 21 FILED AS OF DATE: 20170531 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20170601 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: Bison Capital Acquisition Corp CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0001697805 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: BLANK CHECKS [6770] IRS NUMBER: 000000000 STATE OF INCORPORATION: D8 FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: S-1 SEC ACT: 1933 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 333-218404 FILM NUMBER: 17883467 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 609-610 21ST CENTURY TOWER STREET 2: 40 LIANGMAQIAO ROAD, CHAOYANG DISTRICT CITY: BEIJING STATE: F4 ZIP: 100016 BUSINESS PHONE: 9493506999 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 609-610 21ST CENTURY TOWER STREET 2: 40 LIANGMAQIAO ROAD, CHAOYANG DISTRICT CITY: BEIJING STATE: F4 ZIP: 100016 S-1 1 fs12017_bisoncapital.htm REGISTRATION STATEMENT

 As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 31, 2017.

Registration No. 333-             

 

 

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

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

 

Bison Capital Acquisition Corp.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

British Virgin Islands   6770   N/A
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
  (Primary Standard Industrial
Classification Code Number)
  (I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)

 

609-610 21st Century Tower

No. 40 Liangmaqiao Road

Chaoyang District, Beijing 100016, China

+86(10) 8444-6968

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

CT Corporation System

111 Eighth Avenue

New York, New York 10011

+1 (212) 590-9070

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service

 

Copies to:

 

Louis Taubman, Esq.

Arila Er Zhou, Esq.
Hunter Taubman Fischer &Li LLC
1450 Broadway, 26th Floor

New York, NY10018
+1 (917) 512-0827
+1 (212) 202-6380 — Facsimile

  Michael Killourhy
Ogier
Ritter House, 6th Floor
Wickhams Cay II
PO Box 3170
Road Town, Tortola
British Virgin Islands, VG1110
(+1284) 852 7300
  David Alan Miller, Esq.
Jeffrey M. Gallant, Esq.
Graubard Miller
The Chrysler Building
405 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York10174
+1 (212) 818-8800
+1 (212) 818-8881 — Facsimile

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the closing of this offering.

 

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, please 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 ☒
      (Do not check if a smaller reporting 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 Security Being Registered  Amount Being Registered   Proposed Maximum Offering Price per Security(1)   Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price(1)(2)   Amount of Registration
Fee
 
units, each consisting of one ordinary share of no par value, one right entitling the holder to receive one-tenth (1/10) of one ordinary share and one-half (1/2) of one Warrant, each whole Warrant entitling the holder to purchase one ordinary share(2)(3)   5,750,000   $10.00   $57,500,000   $6,664.25 
ordinary shares of no par value, included as part of the units(3)   5,750,000            (4)
warrants included as part of the units(3)   2,875,000            (4)
rights included as part of the units(3)   5,750,000            (4)
Total            $57,500,000   $6,664.25 

 

(1) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

(2) Includes (A) the aggregate of units of 5,000,000 units to be issued to public shareholders in the public offering, and 750,000 units which may be issued upon exercise of a 30-day option granted to the Underwriters to cover over-allotment, if any; (B) ordinary shares, rights and warrants underlying such units; and (C) ordinary shares underlying the rights included in such units.

 

(3) Pursuant to Rule 416, 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(o).

 

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 in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This 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.

 

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS   May 31, 2017

 

$50,000,000
Bison Capital Acquisition Corp.
5,000,000 Units

 

Bison Capital Acquisition Corp., which we refer to as “we,” “us” or “our company,” is a newly organized blank check company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands as a business company and formed for the purpose of acquiring, engaging in a share exchange, share reconstruction and amalgamation with, purchasing all or substantially all of the assets of, entering into contractual arrangements with, or engaging in any other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our “initial business combination”. Although we are not limited to a particular industry or geographic region for purposes of consummating an initial business combination, we intend to focus on businesses that have their primary operations located in Asia and North America.

 

This is an initial public offering of our securities. We are offering 5,000,000 units at an offering price of $10.00 per unit. Each unit consists of one ordinary share of no par value, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as “ordinary shares,” one right, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as “rights” or the “public rights” and one-half (1/2) of one warrant, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as “warrants” or the “public warrants.” Each right entitles the holder to receive one-tenth (1/10) of an ordinary share upon consummation of our initial business combination. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in the prospectus. Each warrant will become exercisable on the consummation of an initial business combination, and will expire five years after the completion of an initial business combination, or earlier upon redemption.

 

We have also granted EarlyBirdCapital, Inc., the representative of the underwriters, a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 750,000 units (over and above the 5,000,000 units referred to above) solely to cover over-allotments, if any.

 

We will provide the holders of our outstanding ordinary shares that were sold as part of the units in this offering, which we refer to as our “public shareholders”, with the opportunity to redeem their ordinary shares upon the consummation 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, including interest (net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding ordinary shares that were sold as part of the units in this offering, which we refer to as our “public shares.”

 

We have 21 months from the closing of this offering to consummate our initial business combination. If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within the above time period, we will distribute the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, pro rata to our public shareholders, by way of the redemption of their shares and thereafter cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up of our affairs, as further described herein. In such event, the warrants will expire and be worthless.

 

Bison Capital Holding Company Limited, a company incorporated in the Cayman Islands, in which our Chief Executive Officer, Dr. James Jiayuan Tong, serves as Partner and Mr. Peixin Xu, our Chairman, serves as Managing Partner and is a 20% shareholder, and which we refer to as “our sponsor” or “Bison Capital,” and EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. have agreed that they or their designees will purchase from us an aggregate of 375,000 (or 416,250 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) units, or “private units,” at $10.00 per unit (with 350,000 units, or 387,500 units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, being purchased by our sponsor and 25,000 units, or 28,750 units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, being purchased by EarlyBirdCapital). These purchases will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering and the over-allotment option, as applicable. All of the proceeds we receive from these purchases will be placed in the trust account described below.

 

 

 

 

In December 2016, our sponsor and Dr. Tong purchased an aggregate of 1,437,500 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.017 per share, including an aggregate of up to 187,500 shares that are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part.

 

There is presently no public market for our units, ordinary shares, rights or warrants. We intend to apply to have our units listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, or Nasdaq, under the symbol “BCACU” on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading as described in this prospectus, the ordinary shares, rights and warrants will be traded on Nasdaq under the symbols “BCAC,” “BCACR” and “BCACW,” respectively. We cannot assure you that our securities will continue to be listed on Nasdaq after this offering.

 

We are an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 and will therefore be subject to reduced public company reporting requirements.

 

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 14 for a discussion of information that should be considered in connection with an investment in our securities.

 

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.

 

This prospectus does not constitute, and there will not be, an offering of securities to the public in the British Virgin Islands.

 

   Price to
Public
   Underwriting
Discounts and
Commissions(1)
   Proceeds,
Before
Expenses, to
us
 
Per Unit  $10.00   $0.30   $9.70 
Total  $50,000,000   $1,500,000   $48,500,000 

 

(1) Please see the section titled “Underwriting” for further information relating to the underwriting arrangements agreed to between us and the underwriters in this offering.

 

Upon consummation of the offering, $10.25 per unit sold to the public in this offering (whether or not the over-allotment option has been exercised in full or part) will be deposited into a United States-based trust account at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee. Except as described in this prospectus, these funds will not be released to us until the earlier of the completion of our initial business combination and our redemption of the public shares upon our failure to consummate a business combination within the required period.

 

The underwriters are offering the units on a firm commitment basis. EarlyBirdCapital, acting as the representative of the underwriters, expects to deliver the units to purchasers on or about ____________, 2017.

 

Sole Book-Running Manager

 

EarlyBirdCapital, Inc.

 

______________, 2017

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

    Page
Summary   1
Summary Financial Data   13
Risk Factors   14
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements   41
Use of Proceeds   42
Dividend Policy   44
Dilution   45
Capitalization   46
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations   47
Proposed Business   51
Management   71
Principal Shareholders   80
Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions   82
Description of Securities   84
British Virgin Islands Company Considerations   92
Securities Eligible For Future Sale   102
Taxation   103
Notes Regarding Our Choice of British Virgin Islands and the Enforceability of Civil Liabilities   113
Underwriting   115
Legal Matters   120
Experts   120
Where You Can Find Additional Information   120
Index to Financial Statements   F-1

  

 i 

  

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:

 

  references in this prospectus to “founder shares” refer to the 1,437,500 ordinary shares currently held by the initial shareholders (as defined below), which include up to an aggregate of 187,500 ordinary shares subject to forfeiture by our initial shareholders to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part
     
  references to “our sponsor” refer to Bison Capital Holding Company Limited, a company incorporated in the Cayman Islands, in which our Chief Executive Officer, Dr. James Jiayuan Tong, serves as Partner, Mr. Peng Jin, our Chief Operating Officer and Secretary, serves as Managing Partner,  and Mr. Peixin Xu, our Chairman, serves as Managing Partner and is a 20% shareholder;
     
  references to our “initial shareholders” refer to our sponsor, officers and directors that hold founder shares; and
     
  references to our “register of members” refer to our register of shareholders.

 

Except as specifically provided otherwise, the information in this prospectus assumes that the underwriters will not exercise their over-allotment option.

 

Certain financial information contained in this prospectus has been rounded and, as a result, certain totals shown in this prospectus may not equal the arithmetic sum of the figures that should otherwise aggregate to those totals.

 

You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized anyone to provide you with different information. We are not, and the underwriters are not, making an offer of these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted.

 

General

 

We are a newly organized blank check company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands (or “BVI”) as a business company with limited liability (meaning that our public shareholders have no liability, as shareholders of our company, for the liabilities of our company over and above the amount paid for their shares) and formed for the purpose of acquiring, engaging in a share exchange, share reconstruction and amalgamation with, purchasing all or substantially all of the assets of, entering into contractual arrangements with, or engaging in any other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. Although we are not limited to a particular industry or geographic region, we intend to focus on businesses that have their primary operations located in Asia and North America. We have not identified any acquisition targets. From the date of our incorporation through the date of this prospectus, there have been no communications, evaluations or discussions between any of our officers, directors or our sponsor and any of their contacts or relationships regarding a potential initial business combination with our company. Additionally, we have not engaged or retained any agent or other representative to identify or locate any suitable acquisition candidate.

 

We anticipate structuring our initial business combination to acquire 100% of the equity interest or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial business combination to acquire less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business, but we will only consummate such business combination if we will become the majority shareholder of the target (or control the target through contractual arrangements in limited circumstances for regulatory compliance purposes) or are otherwise not required to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or the “Investment Company Act” or, to the extent permitted by law, we may acquire interests in a variable interest entity, in which we may have less than a majority of the voting rights in such entity, but in which we are the primary beneficiary. We will not consider any transaction that does not meet this criterion. Even though we will own a majority interest in 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 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. 

 

 1 

 

Our sponsor was founded in March 2013 and is an investment firm and a provider of financial, advisory, investment, and funds management services, primarily focused on China-related investment opportunities in the healthcare, medical, pharmaceuticals, entertainment, media, tourism, high technology industries. Bison Capital comprises advisory, capital raising, principal investing and asset management capabilities. The firm provides a variety of services to corporate and financial sponsors and government clients involved in mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity fund raising, corporate restructuring, project finance and public private partnerships. Bison Capital’s investment strategy is generating returns for investors and shareholders by bringing investment resources and strategic relationships to help clients generate new growth opportunities and secure key alliances. Led by a management team experienced in technology start-up, corporate management, sales and marketing, investment banking and direct investment, Bison Capital invests in its target industries around the world. Bison Capital operates in office locations in mainland China and Hong Kong.

 

At December 31, 2016, our sponsor had assets of $336,195,613 and shareholders’ equity of $279,018,384 and had net income of $22,754,312 and revenues of $50,087,624 for the year ended December 31, 2016. Our sponsor does not guarantee that it will maintain the level of assets it had at December 31, 2016 in the future, and may enter into other agreements and take on additional liabilities, including ones that can have a significant effect on its financial stability.

 

We believe that our relationship with Bison Capital will enable us to take advantage of its extensive relationships with equity investors and lenders, and its experience securing equity and debt financing in order to provide additional capital (particularly in the event that the proceeds of this offering are insufficient to fund the initial business combination).

 

Bison Capital, our officers and directors have agreed to, and have a contractual obligation to, offer all suitable business combination opportunities to us before any other person or company until the consummation of our initial business combination, subject to any pre-existing contractual or fiduciary obligations they may have. However, there can be no assurance that any business combination opportunities will be identified, and if there are business combination opportunities identified, that they will be appropriate for us.

 

Our officers and directors, or our “management team,” have a broad range of operational experience across a variety of economic sectors, including, without limitation, healthcare, medical, pharmaceuticals, entertainment, media, tourism, high technology, asset management, financial advisory, and investment management. Over the course of their careers, the members of our management team have developed a broad international network of contacts and corporate relationships that we believe will serve as a useful source of investment opportunities. This network has been developed through our management team’s:

 

  experience in sourcing, acquiring, operating, financing and selling businesses, as demonstrated by the sourcing, acquisition, investment, financing and sale of healthcare service assets such as the acquisition and sale of Beijing New Journey Cancer Care Hospital headquartered in Beijing, China in which our management team invested in 2011 and subsequently sold in 2014 and the financing of Shanghai Rainbow Children’s Clinic headquartered in Shanghai, China which established its first pediatric center in March 2014 and its second and third centers in October 2014. We believe these cases exhibit our management’s capabilities to acquire, operate and finally exit from their investments;

 

  reputation for integrity and fair dealing with sellers, capital providers and target management teams;

 

  experience as advisors on transactions;

 

  experience in executing transactions under varying economic and financial market conditions, as demonstrated by members of our management executing investments in Bona Film Group Ltd., AirMedia Group Inc. and WeFilm (Beijing Weiying Technology Co. Ltd.) during a transitional period in the media and entertainment industries in China from traditional to technological- and digital-based media, and investments in Beijing New Journey Cancer Care Hospital and Shanghai Rainbow Children’s Clinic at the beginning stages of the specialty-specific medical care industry in China; and

 

  experience in operating in developing environments around the world.

 

 2 

 

We believe that the network of contacts and relationships of our management team will provide us with an important source of prospective target businesses. In addition, 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.

 

As more fully discussed in “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 may be required to present such business combination opportunity to such entity prior to presenting such business combination opportunity to us. All of our officers and directors currently have certain relevant pre-existing fiduciary duties.

 

We are currently a “foreign private issuer” as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act, but are voluntarily choosing to register on a domestic form. We are required to determine our status as a foreign private issuer for the 2017 fiscal year as of the last day of our second quarter, or June 30, 2017. On such date, if we no longer qualify as a “foreign private issuer” (as set forth in Rule 3b-4 of the Exchange Act), we will then become subject to the U.S. domestic issuer rules as of the first day of our 2018 fiscal year, or January 1, 2018.

 

We are an emerging growth company as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (which we refer to herein as the JOBS Act) and will remain such for up to five years. However, if our non-convertible debt issued within a three-year period or our total revenues exceed $1 billion or the market value of our ordinary shares that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million on the last day of the second fiscal quarter of any given fiscal year, we would cease to be an emerging growth company as of the following fiscal year. As an emerging growth company, we have elected, under Section 107(b) of the JOBS Act, to 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.

 

 3 

 

Private Placements

 

In December 2016, our initial shareholders purchased an aggregate of 1,437,500 of our ordinary shares, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as the “founder shares,” for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.017 per share. The 1,437,500 founder shares held by our initial shareholders include an aggregate of up to 187,500 shares subject to forfeiture by our initial shareholders to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part, so that our initial shareholders will collectively own 20.0% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering (excluding the sale of the private units and assuming our initial shareholders do not purchase public units in this offering). None of our initial shareholders has indicated any intention to purchase public units in this offering.

 

The founder shares are identical to the public shares. However, our initial shareholders have agreed (A) to vote their founder shares in favor of any proposed business combination, (B) not to propose, or vote in favor of, prior to and unrelated to an initial business combination, an amendment to our memorandum and articles of association that would affect the substance or timing of our redemption obligation to redeem all public shares if we cannot complete an initial business combination within 21 months of the closing of this offering, unless we provide public shareholders an opportunity to redeem their public shares in conjunction with any such amendment, (C) not to redeem any shares, including founder shares into the right to receive cash from the trust account in connection with a shareholder vote to approve our proposed initial business combination or sell any shares to us in any tender offer in connection with our proposed initial business combination, and (D) that the founder shares shall not participate in any liquidating distribution upon winding up if a business combination is not consummated.

 

On the date of this prospectus, the founder shares will be placed into an escrow account maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as escrow agent. Fifty percent of these shares will not be transferred, assigned, sold or released from escrow until the earlier of (i) one year after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination or (ii) the date on which the closing price of our ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.50 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations and recapitalizations) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after our initial business combination and the remaining 50% of the founder shares will not be transferred, assigned, sold or released from escrow until one year after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination, or earlier, in either case, if, subsequent to our initial business combination, we consummate a subsequent 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. During the escrow period, the holders of these shares will not be able to sell or transfer their securities except (1) to any persons (including their affiliates and shareholders) participating in the private placement of the private units, officers, directors, shareholders, employees and members of our sponsor and its affiliates, (2) amongst initial shareholders or to our officers, directors and employees, (3) if a holder is an entity, as a distribution to its, partners, shareholders or members upon its liquidation, (4) by bona fide gift to a member of the holder’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a holder or a member of a holder’s immediate family, for estate planning purposes, (5) by virtue of the laws of descent and distribution upon death, (6) pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order, (7) by certain pledges to secure obligations incurred in connection with purchases of our securities, (8) by private sales at prices no greater than the price at which the shares were originally purchased or (9) for the cancellation of up to 187,500 ordinary shares subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment is not exercised in full or in part or in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination, in each case (except for clause 9 or with our prior consent) where the transferee agrees to the terms of the escrow agreement and the insider letter.

 

In addition, our sponsor and EarlyBirdCapital have agreed that they or their designees will purchase an aggregate of 375,000 private units at a price of $10.00 per unit ($3,750,000 in the aggregate) in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering (with 350,000 units being purchased by our sponsor and 25,000 units being purchased by EarlyBirdCapital). Our sponsor and EarlyBirdCapital have also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters, they or their designees will purchase from us at a price of $10.00 per unit the number of private units (up to a maximum of 41,250 private units, with up to 37,500 private units being purchased by our sponsor and up to 3,750 private units being purchased by EarlyBirdCapital) that are necessary to maintain in the trust account an amount equal to $10.25 per share of ordinary shares sold to the public in this offering. These 41,250 additional private units will be purchased in private placements that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of units resulting from the exercise of the over-allotment option. The foregoing purchases will be made by our sponsor, EarlyBirdCapital or their designees only if they are able to do so in accordance with Regulation M and Sections 9(a)(2) and 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act.

 

 4 

 

The proceeds from the private placement of the private units will be added to the proceeds of this offering and placed in a trust account in the United States at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as trustee. If we do not complete our initial business combination within 21 months from the closing of this offering, the proceeds from the sale of the private units will be included in the liquidating distribution to the holders of our public shares.

 

The private units are identical to the units sold in this offering except that (1) the purchasers of the private units have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private units until after the completion of our initial business combination, subject to certain exceptions, (2) the private units (including underlying securities) are being purchased pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and will become tradable only after certain conditions are met or the resale of the private units (including underlying securities) is registered under the Securities Act, and (3) the warrants included in the private units, or “private warrants,” will be non-redeemable and may be exercised on a cashless basis, in each case so long as they continue to be held by the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees. Additionally, the holders have agreed (A) to vote the ordinary shares included within their private units, or their “private shares,” in favor of any proposed business combination, (B) not to propose, or vote in favor of, prior to and unrelated to an initial business combination, an amendment to our memorandum and articles of association that would affect the substance or timing of our redemption obligation to redeem all public shares if we cannot complete an initial business combination within 21 months of the closing of this offering, unless we provide public shareholders an opportunity to redeem their public shares in conjunction with any such amendment, (C) not to redeem any private shares into the right to receive cash from the trust account in connection with a shareholder vote to approve our proposed initial business combination or sell their shares to us in a tender offer in connection with our proposed initial business combination, and (D) that the private shares shall not participate in any liquidating distribution upon winding up if a business combination is not consummated.

 

If public units or shares are purchased by any of our directors, officers or initial shareholders, they will be entitled to funds from the trust account to the same extent as any public shareholder upon our liquidation but will not have redemption rights related thereto.

 

Our executive offices are located at 609-610 21st Century Tower, No. 40 Liangmaqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100016, China, and our telephone number is +86(10) 8444-6968.

 

 5 

 

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 of 1933, as amended, or 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 14 of this prospectus.

 

Securities offered   5,000,000 units, at $10.00 per unit, each unit consisting of one ordinary share, one right and one-half of one warrant. Each right entitles the holder to receive one-tenth (1/10) of an ordinary share upon consummation of our initial business combination.  Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus.
     
Listing of our securities and proposed symbols   We anticipate the units, the ordinary shares, rights and the warrants once they begin separate trading, will be listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “BCACU,” “BCAC,” “BCACR” and “BCACW,” respectively.
     
    Each of the ordinary shares, rights and warrants may trade separately on the 90th day after the date of this prospectus unless EarlyBirdCapital determines that an earlier date is acceptable (based upon, among other things, its assessment of the relative strengths of the securities markets and small capitalization companies in general, and the trading pattern of, and demand for, our securities in particular). In no event will EarlyBirdCapital allow separate trading of the ordinary shares, rights and warrants until we file an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds of this offering.
     
    Once the ordinary shares, rights and warrants commence separate trading, holders will have the option to continue to hold units or separate their units into the component pieces. Holders will need to have their brokers contact our transfer agent in order to separate the units into ordinary shares, rights and warrants.
     
    We will file a Current Report on Form 8-K with the SEC, including an audited balance sheet, promptly upon the consummation of this offering, which is anticipated to take place three business days from the date the units commence trading. The audited balance sheet will reflect our receipt of the proceeds from the exercise of the over-allotment option if the over-allotment option is exercised on the date of this prospectus. If the over-allotment option is exercised after the date of this prospectus, we will file an amendment to the Form 8-K or a new Form 8-K to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the over-allotment option. We will also include in the Form 8-K, or amendment thereto, or in a subsequent Form 8-K, information indicating if EarlyBirdCapital has allowed separate trading of the ordinary shares, rights and warrants prior to the 90th day after the date of this prospectus.

  

Ordinary shares:    
     
Number of issued and outstanding before this offering   1,437,500 shares (includes up to an aggregate of 187,500 founder shares that are subject to forfeiture by our initial shareholders if the over-allotment option is not fully exercised by the underwriters).
     
Number to be issued and outstanding after this offering and sale of private units   6,625,000 shares (assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised and an aggregate of 187,500 founder shares have been forfeited by our initial shareholders.)
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Rights:    
     
Number outstanding before this offering   0 rights
     
Number to be outstanding after this offering and sale of private units   5,375,000 rights (assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised).
     
Terms of Rights  

Each holder of a right will receive one-tenth (1/10) of a share upon consummation of our initial business combination. In the event we will not be the surviving company upon completion of our initial business combination, each holder of a right will be required to affirmatively convert his, her or its rights in order to receive the 1/10 of a share underlying each right (without paying any additional consideration) upon consummation of the business combination. More specifically, each holder will be required to indicate his, her or its election to convert the rights into their underlying shares as well as to return the original rights certificates to us. There is no length of time within which an investor must affirmatively elect to convert the rights. However, until a holder affirmatively elects to convert its rights, the right certificates held by such holder will not represent the ordinary shares they are convertible for but instead will simply represent the right to receive such ordinary shares.

 

If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the required time period and we redeem the public shares for the funds held in the trust account, holders of rights will not receive any of such funds for their rights and the rights will expire worthless. Because we will only issue a whole number of shares, you will not receive any fractional shares to the extent the number of rights held by you upon consummation of our initial business combination is not divisible by ten.

     

Warrants:

   
     
Number outstanding before this offering   0 warrants
     
Number to be outstanding after this offering and sale of private units   2,687,500 warrants (assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised).
     
Exercisability   Each whole warrant is exercisable for one ordinary share. No fractional warrants will be issued and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least two units, you will not be able to trade a full warrant.
     
Exercise price   $11.50 per share. No public warrants will be exercisable for cash unless we have an effective and current registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to such ordinary shares. It is our current intention to have an effective and current registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to such ordinary shares in effect promptly following consummation of an initial business combination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the public warrants is not effective within 120 days following the consummation of our initial business combination, public warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a cashless basis pursuant to an available exemption from registration under the Securities Act. In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the “fair market value of the ordinary share” (defined below) by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value of the ordinary share” shall mean the average reported last sale price of the ordinary shares for the 10 trading days ending on the day prior to the date of exercise. For example, if a holder held 300 warrants to purchase 300 shares and the fair market value on the date prior to exercise was $15.00, that holder would receive 70 shares without the payment of any additional cash consideration. If an exemption from registration is not available, holders will not be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis.
     
Exercise period   The warrants will become exercisable on the consummation of an initial business combination. The warrants will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the fifth anniversary of the consummation of such initial business combination, or earlier upon redemption.

 

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Redemption   We may redeem the outstanding warrants (excluding private warrants but including any outstanding warrants issued upon exercise of the unit purchase option issued to EarlyBirdCapital and/or its designees), in whole and not in part, at a price of $0.01 per warrant:
     
    ●        at any time while the warrants are exercisable,
     
    ●        upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption,
     
    ●        if, and only if, the last sales price of our ordinary shares equals or exceeds $24.00 per share for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading day period ending three business days before we send the notice of redemption, and
     
    ●        if, and only if, there is a current registration statement in effect with respect to the ordinary shares underlying such warrants at the time of redemption and for the entire 30-day trading period referred to above and continuing each day thereafter until the date of redemption.
     
    If the foregoing conditions are satisfied and we issue a notice of redemption, each warrant holder can exercise his, her or its warrant prior to the scheduled redemption date. However, the price of the ordinary shares may fall below the $24.00 trigger price as well as the $11.50 warrant exercise price after the redemption notice is issued.
     
    The redemption criteria for our warrants have been established at a price which is intended to provide warrant holders a reasonable premium to the initial exercise price and provide a sufficient differential between the then-prevailing share price and the warrant exercise price so that if the share price declines as a result of our redemption call, the redemption will not cause the share price to drop below the exercise price of the warrants.
     
    If we call the warrants for redemption as described above, our management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise warrants to do so on a “cashless basis.” In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the fair market value of the ordinary share by (y) the fair market value of the ordinary share. The “fair market value” shall mean the average reported last sale price of the ordinary shares for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. Whether we will exercise our option to require all holders to exercise their warrants on a “cashless basis” will depend on a variety of factors including the price of our ordinary shares at the time the warrants are called for redemption, our cash needs at such time and concerns regarding dilutive share issuances.
     
Offering proceeds to be held in the trust account   $51,250,000 of the net proceeds of this offering (or $58,937,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), taking into account the $3,750,000 (or $4,162,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) we will receive from the sale of the private units, or $10.25 per unit sold to the public in this offering (in either case), will be placed in a trust account in the United States at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee pursuant to an agreement to be signed on the date of this prospectus. The remaining $500,000 of net proceeds of this offering will not be held in the trust account.

 

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    Except as set forth below, the proceeds held in the trust account will not be released until the earlier of: (1) the completion of our initial business combination within the required time period and (2) our redemption of 100% of the outstanding public shares if we have not completed a business combination in the required time period. Therefore, unless and until our initial business combination is consummated, the proceeds held in the trust account will not be available for our use for any expenses related to this offering or expenses which we may incur related to the investigation and selection of a target business and the negotiation of an agreement to acquire a target business.
     
    Notwithstanding the foregoing, there can be released to us from the trust account any interest earned on the funds in the trust account that we need to pay our income or other tax obligations. With this exception, expenses incurred by us may be paid prior to a business combination only from the net proceeds of this offering not held in the trust account of approximately $500,000 provided, however, that in order to meet our working capital needs following the consummation of this offering if the funds not held in the trust account are insufficient, our initial shareholders, officers and directors or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion. Each loan would be evidenced by a promissory note. The notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $500,000 of the notes may be converted upon consummation of our business combination into additional private units at a price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued 55,000 ordinary shares if $500,000 of notes were so converted as the rights included in the units would result in an additional 5,000 shares being issued, as well as 25,000 warrants to purchase 25,000 shares). Our shareholders have approved the issuance of the units (and underlying securities) upon conversion of such notes, to the extent the holder wishes to so convert them at the time of the consummation of our initial business combination. If we do not complete a business combination, the loans will only be repaid with funds not held in the trust account, to the extent available.
     
Limited payments to insiders   There will be no fees, reimbursements or other cash payments paid to our initial shareholders, officers, directors or their affiliates prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the consummation of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is) other than:
     
   

●        repayment at the closing of this offering of non-interest bearing advances in the aggregate amount of $1,804 and a loan in an amount of $300,000 made by our sponsor;

●        payment to an affiliate of our sponsor a total of $5,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative services commencing on the date of this prospectus;

●        reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them in connection with certain activities on our behalf, such as identifying and investigating possible business targets and business combinations;

●        payment to our independent directors of an annual retainer in an aggregate of $38,400 (to be prorated for a partial term), payable in arrears commencing on the first anniversary of the closing of this offering and ending on the earlier of the consummation of our initial business combination and our liquidation; and

 

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    ●        repayment upon consummation of our initial business combination of any loans which may be made by our initial shareholders or their affiliates or our officers and directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination.
     
    There is no limit on the amount of out-of-pocket expenses reimbursable by us; provided, however, that to the extent such expenses exceed the available proceeds not deposited in the trust account and the interest income earned on the amounts held in the trust account that may be released to us, such expenses would not be reimbursed by us unless we consummate an initial business combination. Our audit committee will review and approve all reimbursements and payments made to our sponsor or member of our management team, or our or their respective affiliates, and any reimbursements and payments made to members of our audit committee will be reviewed and approved by our Board of Directors, with any interested director abstaining from such review and approval.
     
Manner of conducting redemptions  

We are a foreign private issuer within the meaning of the rules under the Exchange Act and, as such, for so long as we remain a foreign private issuer, we are required to comply with the tender offer rules in connection with our initial business combination. Unless otherwise required by Nasdaq rules or applicable laws, we do not intend to conduct a shareholder vote to approve our initial business combination for so long as we remain a foreign private issuer.

 

For so long as we remain a foreign private issuer, we will provide our shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination by means of a tender offer as set forth in our memorandum and articles of association and pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers. If we file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination, they will 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. If we are a foreign private issuer and we are required by Nasdaq rules or applicable laws to hold a shareholder vote, we will do so, but redemptions will still be effectuated pursuant to the tender offer rules described above. To the extent Nasdaq rules or applicable laws require redemption pursuant to a shareholder vote, even if we are also conducting a tender offer, we will comply with such rules or laws.

 

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 a specified number of public shares, which number will be based on the requirement that we may not redeem public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. 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.

 

If we are no longer deemed a foreign private issuer (and no longer required to comply with the foreign issuer rules), we will conduct the redemptions like other blank check companies in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules or pursuant to the tender offer rules.  If we have a shareholder vote, we will consummate our initial business combination only if we have net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation and a majority of the outstanding ordinary shares voted are voted in favor of the business combination.

     
    We chose our net tangible asset threshold of $5,000,001 to ensure that we would avoid being subject to Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act. However, if we seek to consummate an initial business combination with a target business that imposes any type of working capital closing condition or requires us to have a minimum amount of funds available from the trust account upon consummation of such initial business combination, our net tangible asset threshold may limit our ability to consummate such initial business combination (as we may be required to have a lesser number of shares redeem) and may force us to seek third party financing which may not be available on terms acceptable to us or at all. As a result, we may not be able to consummate such initial business combination and we may not be able to locate another suitable target within the applicable time period, if at all.

 

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    Our initial shareholders have agreed (A) to vote their founder shares and any public shares in favor of any proposed business combination, (B) not to propose, or vote in favor of, prior to and unrelated to an initial business combination, an amendment to our memorandum and articles of association that would affect the substance or timing of our redemption obligation to redeem all public shares if we cannot complete an initial business combination within 21 months of the closing of this offering unless we provide public shareholders an opportunity to redeem their public shares in conjunction with any such amendment, (C) not to redeem any shares (including the founder shares) into the right to receive cash from the trust account in connection with a shareholder vote to approve our proposed initial business combination or sell any shares to us in a tender offer in connection with our proposed initial business combination, and (D) that the founder shares shall not participate in any liquidating distribution upon winding up if a business combination is not consummated. None of our initial shareholders or their affiliates has indicated any intention to purchase public units in this offering or any units or ordinary shares in the open market or in private transactions. However, if a significant number of shareholders vote, or indicate an intention to vote, against a proposed business combination, our initial shareholders, officers, directors or their affiliates could make such purchases in the open market or in private transactions in order to influence the vote. Our initial shareholders, officers, directors and their affiliates could purchase sufficient shares so that the initial business combination may be approved without the majority vote of public shares held by non-affiliates. Notwithstanding the foregoing, our officers, directors, initial shareholders and 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, which are rules designed to stop potential manipulation of a company’s stock or purchasing shares when the buyer is in possession of material non-public information about the Company.
     
Redemption rights   With respect to any tender offer or any meeting called to approve an initial business combination or amend our memorandum and articles of association to affect the substance or timing of our redemption obligation to redeem all public shares, if we cannot complete an initial business combination within 21 months of the closing of this offering, any public shareholder whether tendering their shares or not or voting either for or against such proposed business combination or such amendment will be entitled to demand that his ordinary shares be redeemed for a pro rata portion of the amount then in the trust account (initially, approximately $10.25 per share, plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not necessary to pay our taxes).
     
   

Notwithstanding the foregoing, a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of his or any other person with whom he is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to 20% or more of the ordinary shares sold in this offering without our prior written consent. We believe this restriction will prevent an individual shareholder or “group” from accumulating large blocks of shares before the vote held to approve a proposed business combination and attempt to use the redemption right as a means to force us or our management to purchase its shares at a significant premium to the then current market price. By limiting a shareholder’s ability to redeem no more than 20% of the ordinary shares sold in this offering, we believe we have limited the ability of a small group of shareholders to unreasonably attempt to block a transaction, which is favored by our other public shareholders.

 

Whether we effectuate our initial business combination via tender offer or shareholder vote, we will 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 expiration date set forth in the tender offer documents, or in the event we distribute proxy materials, up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the business combination, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option. The requirement for physical or electronic delivery at or prior to the meeting ensures that a holder’s election to redeem his shares is irrevocable once the business combination is approved. There is a nominal cost associated with this 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 $45 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 to deliver their shares prior to the vote on the business combination in order to exercise redemption rights. This is because a holder would need to deliver shares to exercise redemption rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated. However, in the event the proposed business combination is not consummated, this may result in an increased cost to shareholders.

 

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Liquidation if no business combination   If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 21 months from the closing date 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 five business days thereafter (subject to our memorandum and articles of association and the laws of the British Virgin Islands), redeem 100% of the outstanding public shares (including any public units in this offering or any public units or shares that our initial shareholders or their affiliates purchased in this offering or later acquired in the open market or in private transactions) which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining holders of ordinary shares and our board of directors, proceed to commence a voluntary liquidation and thereby a formal dissolution of the company, subject (in the case of (ii) and (iii) above) to our obligations to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of applicable law.
     
    In connection with our redemption of 100% of our outstanding public shares for a portion of the funds held in the trust account, each holder will receive a full pro rata portion of the amount then in the trust account, plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not necessary to pay our taxes payable on such funds. Holders of warrants will receive no proceeds in connection with the liquidation with respect to such warrants, which will expire worthless.
     
    We may not have funds sufficient to pay or provide for all creditors’ claims. Although we will seek to have all third parties (including any vendors or other entities we engage after this offering) and any prospective target businesses enter into valid and enforceable agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements. There is also no guarantee that the third parties would not challenge the enforceability of these waivers and bring claims against the trust account for monies owed them.
     
    The holders of the founder shares and private units will not participate in any redemption distribution with respect to their founder shares, private shares, and private warrants, but may have any public shares redeemed upon liquidation.
     
    If we are unable to conclude our initial business combination and we expend all of the net proceeds of this offering not deposited in the trust account, without taking into account any interest earned on the trust account, we expect that the initial per-share redemption price will be approximately $10.25. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could, however, become subject to claims of our creditors that are in preference to the claims of our shareholders. Furthermore, our underwriters may seek recourse against the proceeds in the trust account relating to any future claims they may have against us. In addition, if we are forced to file a bankruptcy case or an involuntary bankruptcy case is filed against us that is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy law, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our shareholders. Therefore, the actual per-share redemption price may be less than approximately $10.25.
     
    We will pay the costs of any subsequent liquidation from our remaining assets outside of the trust account. If such funds are insufficient, Bison Capital, has agreed to pay the funds necessary to complete such liquidation and has agreed not to seek repayment for such expenses. We currently do not anticipate that such funds will be insufficient.

 

Risks

 

We are a newly formed 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 on 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, as well as the fact that this offering is not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act, and, therefore, 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 to offerings 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 14 of 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.

 

   December 31, 2016   March 31, 2017 
   Actual   Actual   As
Adjusted(1) (2) (3)
 
Balance Sheet Data:            
Working capital (deficiency)  $(206,554)  $(272,038)  $51,773,226 
Total assets  $552,952   $356,135   $51,773,226 
Total liabilities  $529,753   $333,009   $ 
Value of ordinary shares which may be redeemed for cash  $-   $-   $46,773,220 
Shareholders’ equity  $23,199   $23,126   $5,000,006 

 

(1)      Includes $3,750,000 we will receive from the sale of the private units.

(2)      The “as adjusted” working capital and total assets is derived by adding total shareholders’ equity and the value of the ordinary shares, which may be redeemed for cash.

(3)      The “as adjusted” value of ordinary shares which may be redeemed for cash is derived by taking 4,563,241 ordinary shares which may be redeemed, representing the maximum number of shares that may be redeemed while maintaining at least $5,000,001 in net tangible assets after the offering, multiplied by a redemption price of $10.25.

 

The “as adjusted” information gives effect to the sale of the units we are offering, including the application of the related gross proceeds and the payment of the estimated remaining costs from such sale and the repayment of the accrued and other liabilities required to be repaid such that we have at least $5,000,001 of net tangible assets upon consummation of this offering and upon consummation of our initial business combination.

 

The “as adjusted” working capital and total assets amounts include the $51,250,000 (without exercise of over-allotment option) to be held in the trust account, which, except for limited situations described in this prospectus, will be available to us only upon the consummation of our initial business combination within the time period described in this prospectus.

 

We will consummate our initial business combination only if we have net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation and a majority of the outstanding ordinary shares voted are voted in favor of the business combination (if a vote is required or being obtained).

 

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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.

 

We are a newly formed blank check company in the early stage 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 recently formed blank check company with no operating results, and we will not commence operations until obtaining funding through this offering and consummating our initial business combination. 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 our initial business combination and may be unable to complete our initial business combination. If we fail to complete our initial business combination, we will never generate any operating revenues.

 

Our independent registered public accounting firm’s report contains an explanatory paragraph that expresses substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a “going concern.”

 

As of March 31, 2017, we had $60,971 in cash and cash equivalents and a working capital deficiency of $272,038. Further, we have incurred and expect to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of our acquisition plans. Management’s plans to address this need for capital through this offering are discussed in the section of this prospectus titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” Our plans to raise capital and to consummate our initial business combination may not be successful. These factors, among others, raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statements contained elsewhere in this prospectus do not include any adjustments that might result from our inability to consummate this offering or our inability to continue as a going concern.

 

The requirement that the target business or businesses that we acquire must collectively have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance of the funds in the trust account (excluding any taxes payable) at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination may limit the type and number of companies that we may complete such a business combination that would affect the substance of timing of our redemption obligation if we don’t consummate a business combination within the relevant time period with.

 

Pursuant to the Nasdaq listing rules, the target business or businesses that we acquire must collectively have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance of the funds in the trust account (excluding any taxes payable) at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination. This restriction may limit the type and number of companies that we may complete a business combination with. If we are unable to locate a target business or businesses that satisfy this fair market value test, we may be forced to liquidate and you will only be entitled to receive your pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account, which may be less than $10.25 per share.

 

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

 

If a shareholder vote is not required we may, and if we are a foreign private issuer, we will, conduct redemptions via a tender offer. Accordingly, we may consummate our initial business combination even if holders of a majority of our public shares do not approve of the business combination.

 

As a foreign private issuer, we are permitted to adopt certain home country practices in relation to corporate governance matters that differ significantly from the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards; these practices may afford less protection to shareholders than they would enjoy if we complied fully with the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards.

 

We intend to apply to have our securities listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market. Assuming our securities are approved for listing on such exchange, we will be subject to the Nasdaq corporate governance listing rules. However, Nasdaq rules permit a foreign private issuer like us to follow the corporate governance practices of its home country. Certain corporate governance practices in the British Virgin Islands, which is our home country, may differ significantly from the Nasdaq corporate governance rules. As we have chosen, or may from time to time to choose, to follow home country practice exemptions with respect to certain corporate matters such as the requirement for a shareholder meeting to be held , our shareholders may be afforded less protection than they otherwise would be afforded under the Nasdaq corporate governance rules applicable to U.S. domestic issuers. For a more detailed discussion of our home country practice exemptions, see “Management -- Corporate Governance -- NASDAQ Marketplace Rules and Home Country Practices.”

 

 14 

 

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 one or more target businesses. Because our board of directors may consummate our initial business combination without seeking shareholder approval, public shareholders may not have the right or opportunity to vote on the business combination. Accordingly, 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 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 our initial business combination with a target.

 

We may enter into a 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 may 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. Consequently, if accepting all properly submitted redemption requests would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 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 would be aware of these risks and, thus, may be reluctant to enter into our initial business combination transaction with us.

 

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

 

In connection with the successful consummation of our business combination, we may redeem up to that number of ordinary shares that would permit us to maintain net tangible assets of $5,000,001. If our business combination requires us to use substantially all of our cash to pay the purchase price, the redemption threshold may be further limited. Alternatively, we may need to arrange third party financing to help fund our business combination in case a larger percentage of shareholders exercise their redemption rights than we expect. If the acquisition involves the issuance of our shares as consideration, we may be required to issue a higher percentage of our shares to the target or its shareholders to make up for the failure to satisfy a minimum cash requirement. Raising additional funds to cover any shortfall may involve dilutive equity financing or incurring indebtedness at higher than desirable levels. This may limit our ability to effectuate the most attractive business combination available to us.

 

The requirement that we maintain a minimum net worth or retain a certain amount of cash could increase the probability that we cannot consummate our business combination and that you would have to wait for liquidation in order to redeem your shares.

 

If, pursuant to the terms of our proposed business combination, we are required to maintain a minimum net worth or retain a certain amount of cash in trust in order to consummate the business combination and regardless of whether we proceed with redemptions under the tender offer or proxy rules, the probability that we cannot consummate our business combination is increased. If we do not consummate our business combination, you would not receive your pro rata portion of the trust account until we liquidate. 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 in our 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 21 months from the closing of this offering may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating our initial business combination.

 

Any potential target business with which we enter into negotiations concerning our initial business combination will be aware that we must consummate our initial business combination within 21 months from the closing of this offering. Consequently, such target businesses may obtain leverage over us in negotiating our initial 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.

 

 15 

 

We may not be able to consummate our initial business combination within the required time period, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate.

 

Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed that we must complete our initial business combination within 21 months from the closing of this offering. We may not be able to find a suitable target business and consummate our initial business combination within such time period. If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within the required time period, we will, as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than five business days thereafter (subject to our memorandum and articles of association and the laws of the British Virgin Islands), distribute the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), pro rata to our public shareholders by way of redemption and cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up of our affairs, as further described herein. This redemption of public shareholders from the trust account shall be effected as required by function of our memorandum and articles of association and prior to any voluntary winding up.

 

If we seek shareholder approval of our business combination, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates may elect to purchase shares from shareholders, in which case they may influence a vote in favor of a proposed business combination that you do not support.

 

If 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, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions either prior to or following the consummation of our initial business combination. Such purchases will not be made if our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates are in possession of any material non-public information that has not been disclosed to the selling shareholder. Such a purchase would 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 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. It is intended that, if Rule 10b-18 would apply to purchases by our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates, then such purchases will comply with Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act, to the extent it applies, which provides a safe harbor for purchases made under certain conditions, including with respect to timing, pricing and volume of purchases.

 

The purpose of such purchases would be to (1) increase the likelihood of obtaining shareholder approval of the business combination or (2) 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 the business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. This may result in the consummation of an initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible.

 

Purchases of ordinary shares in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions by our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may make it difficult for us to maintain the listing of our ordinary shares on a national securities exchange following the consummation of an initial business combination.

 

If our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates purchase ordinary shares in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions, the public “float” of our ordinary shares and the number of beneficial holders of our securities would both be reduced, possibly making it difficult to maintain the listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange following consummation of the business combination.

 

 16 

 

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

 

Our public shareholders shall be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only in the event of a redemption to public shareholders prior to any winding up in the event we do not consummate our initial business combination or our liquidation, if they redeem their shares in connection with an initial business combination that we consummate or if we seek to amend our memorandum and articles of association to affect the substance or timing of our redemption obligation to redeem all public shares if we cannot complete an initial business combination within 21 months of the closing of this offering. In no other circumstances will a shareholder have any right or interest of any kind to the funds in the trust account. Accordingly, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares, potentially at a loss.

 

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

 

Because the net proceeds of this offering are intended to be used to complete our initial business combination with a target business that has not been identified, 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 consummation of this offering and will expect to 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 initial business combination than do companies subject to Rule 419. Moreover, offerings subject to Rule 419 would prohibit the release of any interest earned on funds held in the trust account to us. 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 we seek shareholder approval of our 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 ordinary shares, you will lose the ability to redeem all such shares in excess of 20% of our 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 memorandum and articles of association provides that a public shareholder, individually or 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. Your inability to redeem more than an aggregate of 20% of the shares sold in this offering will reduce your influence over our ability to consummate our initial business combination and you could suffer a material loss on your investment in us if you sell such excess shares in open market transactions. As a result, you will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 20% and, in order to dispose of such shares, you would be required to sell your shares in open market transaction, potentially at a loss.

 

If the net proceeds of this offering not being held in the trust account are insufficient to allow us to operate for at least the next 21 months, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination.

 

The funds available to us outside of the trust account may not be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the next 21 months, assuming that our initial business combination is not consummated during that time. 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 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 are unable to fund such down payments or “no shop” provisions, our ability to close a contemplated transaction could be impaired. Furthermore, if we entered into a letter of intent 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 only receive a pro rata portion of the amount then in the trust account (which may be less than $10.25 per share) (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) on our redemption, and our warrants will expire worthless.

 

 17 

 

Cash payments to be made to our directors will reduce the amount of funds available to us to complete an initial business combination.

 

We have agreed to pay our independent directors an annual retainer in an aggregate of $38,400 (to be prorated for partial terms) for their services as directors on our board. These payments will reduce the amount of funds available to us for working capital to complete an initial business combination and may make it more likely that we will need to locate third party financing to complete such a business combination.

 

Subsequent to our consummation of our initial business combination, we may be required to take write-downs or write-offs, restructuring and impairment or other charges.

 

Even if we conduct thorough due diligence on a target business with which we combine, this diligence may not surface all material issues that may be present inside 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.

 

If we liquidate, distributions, or part of them, may be delayed while the liquidator determines the extent of potential creditor claims.

 

Pursuant to, among other documents, our memorandum and articles of association, if we do not complete our initial business combination within 21 months from the closing of this offering, this will trigger the required redemption of our ordinary shares using the available funds in the trust account pursuant to our memorandum and articles of association, resulting in our repayment of available funds in the trust account. Following which, we will proceed to commence a voluntary liquidation and thereby a formal dissolution of the company. In connection with such a voluntary liquidation, the liquidator would give notice to our creditors inviting them to submit their claims for payment, by notifying known creditors (if any) who have not submitted claims and by placing a public advertisement in at least one newspaper published in the British Virgin Islands newspaper and in at least one newspaper circulating in the location where the company has its principal place of business, and taking any other steps he considers appropriate, after which our remaining assets would be distributed.

 

As soon as our affairs are fully wound-up, if we were to liquidate, the liquidator must complete his statement of account and will then notify the Registrar of Corporate Affairs in the British Virgin Islands, or the “Registrar”, that the liquidation has been completed. However, the liquidator may determine that he or she requires additional time to evaluate creditors’ claims (particularly if there is uncertainty over the validity or extent of the claims of any creditors). Also, a creditor or shareholder may file a petition with a British Virgin Islands court, which, if successful, may result in our liquidation being subject to the supervision of that court. Such events might delay distribution of some or all of our remaining assets.

 

In any liquidation proceedings of the company under British Virgin Islands law, the funds held in our trust account may be included in our estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our shareholders. To the extent any such claims deplete the trust account we may not be able to return to our public shareholders the redemption amounts payable to them.

 

 18 

 

Our directors may decide not to enforce indemnification obligations against Bison Capital, 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 $10.25 per share (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) and Bison Capital, our sponsor, asserts that it is unable to satisfy his obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine on our behalf 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 in any particular instance. If our independent directors choose not to enforce these indemnification obligations on our behalf, the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public shareholders may be reduced below $10.25 per share.

 

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 initial 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 initial 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.

 

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 consummate our initial business combination.

 

Changes in laws or regulations, or a failure to comply with any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business, investments and results of operations.

 

We are subject to laws and regulations enacted by national, regional and local governments, in particular, the Securities Exchange and Commission, or the “SEC”. 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 also may 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 and results of operations.

 

We are not subject to the supervision of the Financial Services Commission of the British Virgin Islands and our shareholders are not protected by any regulatory inspections in the British Virgin Islands.

 

We are not an entity subject to any regulatory supervision in the British Virgin Islands by the Financial Services Commission. As a result, shareholders are not protected by any regulatory supervision or inspections by any regulatory agency in the British Virgin Islands and we are not required to observe any restrictions in respect of our conduct except as disclosed in this prospectus or our memorandum and articles of association.

 

 19 

 

If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination, our public shareholders may be forced to wait up to 21 months or longer before redemption from our trust account.

 

If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within 21 months from the closing of this offering, we will, as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than five business days thereafter (subject to our memorandum and articles of association and the laws of the British Virgin Islands), distribute the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), pro rata to our public shareholders by way of redemption and cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up of our affairs by way of a voluntary liquidation, as further described herein. Any redemption of public shareholders from the trust account shall be effected as required by our memorandum and articles of association prior to our commencing any voluntary liquidation. If we are required to liquidate prior to distributing the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable) pro rata to our public shareholders, then such winding up, liquidation and distribution must comply with the applicable provisions of the BVI Business Companies Act, 2004, as amended, or the “Companies Act.” In that case, investors may be forced to wait beyond 21 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. Except as otherwise described herein, we have no obligation to return funds to investors prior to the date of any redemption required as a result of our failure to consummate our initial business combination within the period described above or our 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 any such redemption of public shares as we are required to effect or any liquidation will public shareholders be entitled to distributions if we are unable to complete our initial business combination.

 

If we are deemed to be insolvent, distributions, or part of them, may be delayed while the insolvency liquidator determines the extent of potential creditor claims. In these circumstances, prior payments made by us may be deemed “voidable transactions.”

 

If we do not complete our initial business combination within 21 months, we will be required to redeem our public shares from the trust account pursuant to our memorandum and articles of association.

 

However, if at any time we are deemed insolvent for the purposes of the Insolvency Act, 2003 of the British Virgin Islands, as amended, or the “Insolvency Act” (i.e., (i) we fail to comply with the requirements of a statutory demand that has not been set aside under Section 157 of the Insolvency Act; (ii) execution or other process issued on a judgment, decree or order of a British Virgin Islands court in favor of a creditor of ours is returned wholly or partly unsatisfied; or (iii) either the value of our liabilities exceeds our assets, or we are unable to pay our debts as they fall due), we are required to immediately enter insolvent liquidation. In these circumstances, a liquidator will be appointed who will give notice to our creditors inviting them to submit their claims for payment, by notifying known creditors (if any) who have not submitted claims and by placing a public advertisement in at least one newspaper published in the British Virgin Islands and in at least one newspaper circulating in the location where we have our principal place of business, and taking any other steps the liquidator considers appropriate, after which our assets would be distributed. Following the process of insolvent liquidation, the liquidator will complete his final report and accounts and will then notify the Registrar. The liquidator may determine that he requires additional time to evaluate creditors’ claims (particularly if there is uncertainty over the validity or extent of the claims of any creditors). Also, a creditor or shareholder may file a petition with a British Virgin Islands court which, if successful, may result in our liquidation being subject to the supervision of that court. Such events might delay distribution of some or all of our assets to our public shareholders. In such liquidation proceedings, the funds held in our trust account may be included in our estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our shareholders. To the extent any such claims deplete the trust account we cannot assure you we will be able to return to our public shareholders the amounts otherwise payable to them.

 

If we are deemed insolvent, then there are also limited circumstances where prior payments made to shareholders or other parties may be deemed to be a “voidable transaction” for the purposes of the Insolvency Act. A voidable transaction would be, for these purposes, a payment made as “unfair preference” or a “transaction at an undervalue.” Where a payment was a risk of being a voidable transaction, a liquidator appointed over an insolvent company could apply to a British Virgin Islands court for an order, inter alia, for the transaction to be set aside as a voidable transaction in whole or in part.

 

Our initial shareholders (and/or our sponsor’s designees) have waived their right to participate in any liquidation distribution with respect to the founder shares and private shares. We will pay the costs of our liquidation and distribution of the trust account from our remaining assets outside of the trust account. In addition, Bison Capital, our sponsor, has agreed that it will be liable to us for all claims of creditors to the extent that we fail to obtain executed waivers from such entities in order to protect the amounts held in trust, 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 cannot assure you that the liquidator will not determine that he or she requires additional time to evaluate creditors’ claims (particularly if there is uncertainty over the validity or extent of the claims of any creditors). We also cannot assure you that a creditor or shareholder will not file a petition with a British Virgin Islands court which, if successful, may result in our liquidation being subject to the supervision of that court. Such events might delay distribution of some or all of our assets to our public shareholders.

 

 20 

 

If deemed to be insolvent, distributions made to public shareholders, or part of them, from our trust account may be subject to claw back in certain circumstances.

 

If we do not complete our initial business combination within 21 months from the closing of this offering, and instead distribute the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), pro rata to our public shareholders by way of redemption, it will be necessary for our directors to pass a board resolution approving the redemption of those public shares and the payment of the proceeds to public shareholders. Such board resolutions are required to confirm that we satisfy the solvency test prescribed by the Companies Act (namely that our assets exceed our liabilities; and that we are able to pay our debts as they fall due). Under the Companies Act, proceeds distributed to public shareholders in the redemption may be recovered from public shareholders if our financial position at the time of redemption did not satisfy the solvency test. However, such distribution will not be subject to claw back if (a) the public shareholders received the proceeds in good faith and without knowledge of our failure to satisfy the solvency test; (b) a public shareholder altered its position in reliance of the validity of the payment of the proceeds; or (c) it would be unfair to require repayment of the proceeds in full or at all.

 

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 ordinary shares.

 

Pursuant to an agreement to be entered into on the date of this prospectus, our initial shareholders, our sponsor (and/or our sponsor’s designees), EarlyBirdCapital (and/or its designees) and their permitted transferees can demand that we register the founder shares, the private units and underlying securities and any securities issued upon conversion of working capital loans. 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 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 ordinary shares that is expected when the securities owned by our sponsor, holders of our private units or their respective permitted transferees are registered.

 

Because we have not selected a particular business or specific geographic location 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’ operations.

 

Although we have a stated focus on certain target businesses as indicated elsewhere in this prospectus, we may pursue acquisition opportunities in any geographic region, but may rely upon our management team’s background. While we may pursue an acquisition opportunity in any business industry or sector, we intend to initially focus on those industries or sectors that complement our management team’s background. Except for the limitations that a target business have a fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any taxes payable) and that we are not permitted to effectuate our initial business combination with another blank check company or similar company with nominal operations, we will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting a prospective acquisition candidate. Because we have not yet identified or approached any specific target business with respect to our initial 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 consummate our initial 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 sales 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 may not 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. In addition, investors will be relying on the business judgment of our board of directors, which will have significant discretion in choosing the standard used to establish the fair market value of a particular target business. An investment in our units may not ultimately prove to be more favorable to investors than a direct investment, if such opportunity were available, in an acquisition target.

 

 21 

 

We may seek investment opportunities outside of our management’s area of expertise and our management may not be able to adequately ascertain or assess all significant risks associated with the target company.

 

There is no limitation on the industry or business sector we may consider when contemplating our initial business combination. We may therefore be presented with a business combination candidate in an industry unfamiliar to our management team, but determine that such candidate offers an attractive investment opportunity for our company. In the event we elect to pursue an investment outside of our management’s expertise, our management’s experience may not be directly applicable to the target business or their evaluation of its operations.

 

Although we 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 specific 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 consummate 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 our initial 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 the Nasdaq Capital Market, 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 $10.25 per share or even less (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) on our redemption, and our warrants will expire worthless.

 

Management’s flexibility in identifying and selecting a prospective acquisition candidate, along with our management’s financial interest in consummating our initial business combination, may lead management to enter into an acquisition agreement that is not in the best interest of our shareholders.

 

Subject to the requirement that our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses or assets having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any taxes payable) at the time of the agreement to enter into such initial business combination, we will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting a prospective acquisition candidate. Investors will be relying on management’s ability to identify business combinations, evaluate their merits, conduct or monitor diligence and conduct negotiations. Management’s flexibility in identifying and selecting a prospective acquisition candidate, along with management’s financial interest in consummating our initial business combination, may lead management to enter into an acquisition agreement that is not in the best interest of our shareholders, which would be the case if the trading price of our ordinary shares after giving effect to such business combination was less than the per-share trust liquidation value that our shareholders would have received if we had dissolved without consummating our initial business combination.

 

 22 

 

We are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm, and consequently, an independent source may not confirm that the price we are paying for the business is fair to our shareholders from a financial point of view.

 

Unless we consummate our initial business combination with an affiliated entity, we are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that the price we are paying is fair to our shareholders 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 tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials, as applicable, related to our initial business combination.

 

We may issue additional ordinary or preferred shares to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after consummation of our initial business combination, which would dilute the interest of our shareholders and likely present other risks.

 

Our memorandum and articles of association authorize the issuance of an unlimited amount of both ordinary shares of no par value and preferred shares of no par value. We may issue a substantial number of additional ordinary or preferred shares to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after consummation of our initial business combination. Although no such issuance of ordinary or preferred shares will affect the per share amount available for redemption from the trust account, the issuance of additional ordinary or preferred shares:

 

  may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in this offering, who will not have pre-emption rights in respect of such an issuance;

 

  may subordinate the rights of holders of ordinary shares if preferred shares are issued with rights created by amendment of our memorandum and articles of association by resolution of the directors senior to those afforded our ordinary shares;

 

  could cause a change in control if a substantial number of ordinary shares is 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, ordinary shares and/or warrants.

 

Resources could be wasted in researching acquisitions that are not consummated.

 

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 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 consummate 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 $10.25 per share or even less (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) on our redemption, and our warrants will expire worthless.

 

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

 

If we are determined to be a PFIC for any taxable year (or portion thereof) that is included in the holding period of a U.S. Holder (as defined in the section of this prospectus captioned “Taxation — United States Federal Income Taxation — General”) of our ordinary shares or warrants, the U.S. Holder may be subject to increased U.S. federal income tax liability and may be subject to additional reporting requirements. Our actual PFIC status for our current taxable year ending December 31, 2017 may depend on whether we qualify for the PFIC start-up exception (see the section of this prospectus captioned “Taxation — United States Federal Income Taxation — U.S. Holders — Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules”). If we do not complete our initial business combination by the end of our current taxable year ending December 31, 2017, and we have gross income for such taxable year, we likely will be a PFIC for such taxable year unless we complete our initial business combination before the end of our taxable year ending December 31, 2017 and are not treated as a PFIC for either of our taxable years ending December 31, 2018 or December 31, 2019. Our actual PFIC status for any taxable year, however, will not be determinable until after the end of such taxable year. In addition, we may not provide timely financial information that would be required for U.S. investors to make a potentially favorable “qualified electing fund” election, and such election would be unavailable with respect to our warrants in all cases. We urge U.S. investors to consult their own tax advisors regarding the possible application of the PFIC rules. For a more detailed explanation of the tax consequences of PFIC classification to U.S. Holders, see the section of this prospectus captioned “Taxation — United States Federal Income Taxation — U.S. Holders — Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules.”

 

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An investor may be subject to adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences in the event the Internal Revenue Service, or “IRS,” were to disagree with the U.S. federal income tax consequences described herein.

 

As described in the section of this prospectus captioned “Taxation — United States Federal Income Taxation — General,” we have not sought a ruling from the IRS as to any U.S. federal income tax consequences described herein. The IRS may disagree with the descriptions of U.S. federal income tax consequences contained herein, and its determination may be upheld by a court. Any such determination could subject an investor or us to adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences that would be different than those described herein. Accordingly, each prospective investor is urged to consult a tax advisor with respect to the specific tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our ordinary shares, warrants and units, including the applicability and effect of state, local or non-U.S. tax laws, as well as U.S. federal tax laws.

 

After our initial business combination, it is likely 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 likely 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.

 

Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination and to be successful thereafter will be largely dependent upon the efforts of our officers, directors and key personnel, some of whom may join us following our initial business combination.

 

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 consummated 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 management 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.

 

The role of such persons in the target business, however, cannot presently be ascertained. Although some of such persons may remain with the target business in senior management or advisory positions following our initial 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, our assessment of these individuals may not 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.

 

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Our key personnel may negotiate employment or consulting agreements with a target business in connection with a particular business combination. These agreements may provide for them to receive compensation following our initial 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 us after the consummation of our initial 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 consummation of the business combination. The personal and financial interests of such individuals may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business. However, we believe the ability of such individuals to remain with us after the consummation of our initial business combination will not be the determining factor in our decision as to whether or not we will proceed with any potential business combination. There is no certainty, however, that any of our key personnel will remain with us after the consummation of our initial business combination. Our key personnel may not remain in senior management or advisory positions with us. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with us will be made at the time of our initial business combination.

 

We may have a limited ability to assess the management of a prospective target business and, as a result, may effectuate our initial business combination with a target business whose management may not have the skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company.

 

When evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial business combination with a prospective target business, our ability to assess the target business’ management may be limited due to a lack of time, resources or information. Our assessment of the capabilities of the target’s management, therefore, may prove to be incorrect and such management may lack the skills, qualifications or abilities we suspected. Should the target’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.

 

The officers and directors of an acquisition candidate may resign upon consummation of our initial business combination. The loss of an acquisition 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 consummation 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 some members of the management team of an acquisition candidate will not wish to remain in place.

 

Certain of our officers and directors are 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.

 

Following the completion of this offering and until we consummate our business combination, we intend to engage in the business of identifying and combining with one or more businesses. Certain of our executive officers and directors are affiliated with entities that are engaged in a similar business.

 

Our officers may become aware of business opportunities which may be appropriate for presentation to us and the other entities to which they owe certain fiduciary 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 or a potential target business may not be presented to another entity prior to its presentation to us.

 

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Certain shares beneficially owned by our officers and directors will not participate in liquidation distributions and, therefore, our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is appropriate for our initial business combination.

 

Our officers and directors have waived their right to redeem any shares in connection with our initial business combination, or to receive distributions with respect to their founder shares or private shares upon our liquidation if we are unable to consummate our initial business combination. Accordingly, these securities will be worthless if we do not consummate our initial business combination. Any warrants they hold, like those held by the public, will also be worthless if we do not consummate an initial business combination. 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.

 

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

 

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 light of the involvement of our sponsor, officers and directors with other entities, we may decide to acquire one or more businesses affiliated with our sponsor, officers and directors. Our directors also serve as officers and board members for other entities. Our sponsor, officers and directors are not currently aware of any specific opportunities for us to consummate our initial business combination with any entities with which they are affiliated, and there have been no preliminary discussions concerning a business combination with any 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 our initial business combination as set forth in “Proposed Business — Effecting our initial business combination — Selection of a target business and structuring of our initial business combination” and such transaction was approved by a majority of our disinterested directors. Despite our agreement to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm, or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions on the type of target business we seek to acquire, regarding the fairness to our shareholders from a financial point of view of a business combination with one or more domestic or international businesses affiliated with our executive officers, directors or existing holders, 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. Our directors have a fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of our shareholders, whether or not a conflict of interest may exist.

 

Because our sponsor will lose its entire initial investment in us if our initial business combination is not consummated and our officers and directors have significant financial interests in us, a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular acquisition target is appropriate for our initial business combination.

 

In December 2016, our initial shareholders purchased an aggregate of 1,437,500 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.017 per share. The founder shares will be worthless if we do not consummate an initial business combination. In addition, our sponsor has agreed that it or its designees will purchase an aggregate of 350,000 (or 387,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) private units, each consisting of one ordinary share, one right, each to receive one-tenth of one ordinary share upon consummation of our initial business combination, and one half of one warrant, each whole warrant to purchase one ordinary share, for an aggregate purchase price of $3,500,000 (or $3,875,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) that will also be worthless if we do not consummate our initial business combination.

 

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We may issue notes or other debt securities, or otherwise incur substantial debt, to complete our initial business combination, which may adversely affect our 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, we may choose to incur substantial debt to complete our initial business combination. If we incur any indebtedness without a waiver from the lender of any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account, the incurrence of debt could have a variety of negative effects, including:

 

  default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after our 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, expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions and 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;

 

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

 

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

 

The net proceeds from this offering together with the funds we will receive from the sale of the private units (excluding $500,000 of net proceeds that will not be held in the trust account) will provide us with approximately $51,250,000 (or approximately $58,937,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) that we may use to complete our initial business combination.

 

We may effectuate our initial business combination with a single target business or multiple target businesses simultaneously. However, we may not be able to effectuate our initial 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 consummating 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. 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.

 

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

 

We may attempt to simultaneously consummate business combinations with multiple prospective targets, which may hinder our ability to consummate our initial 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 the 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.

 

We may attempt to consummate our initial business combination with a private company about which little information is available.

 

In pursuing our acquisition strategy, we may seek to effectuate our initial business combination with a privately held company. By definition, very little public information 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 our initial business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.

 

We may not be able to maintain control of a target business after our initial business combination.

 

We may structure our initial business combination to acquire less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business, but we will only consummate such business combination if we will become the majority shareholder of the target (or control the target through contractual arrangements in limited circumstances for regulatory compliance purposes) or are otherwise not required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act or to the extent permitted by law we may acquire interests in a variable interest entity, in which we may have less than a majority of the voting rights in such entity, but in which we are the primary beneficiary. Even though we may own a majority interest in 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 of a target. In this case, we 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 such transaction could own less than a majority of our outstanding 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 stock than we initially acquired. Accordingly, this may make it more likely that we will not be able to maintain our control of the target business.

 

Unlike many blank check companies, we do not have a specified maximum redemption threshold. The absence of such a redemption threshold will make it easier for us to consummate our initial business combination with which a substantial majority of our shareholders do not agree.

 

Since we have no specified percentage threshold for redemption contained in our memorandum and articles of association, our structure is different in this respect from the structure that has been used by many blank check companies. Many blank check companies would not be able to consummate an initial business combination if the holders of the company’s public shares voted against a proposed business combination and elected to redeem more than a specified percentage of the shares sold in such company’s initial public offering, which percentage threshold has typically been between 19.99% and 39.99%. As a result, many blank check companies have been unable to complete business combinations because the amount of shares voted by their public shareholders electing redemption exceeded the maximum redemption threshold pursuant to which such company could proceed with our initial business combination. As a result, we may be able to consummate our initial 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 us or our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates. However, 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. Furthermore, the redemption threshold may be further limited by the terms and conditions of our initial business combination. In such case, we would not proceed with the redemption of our public shares and the related business combination, and instead may search for an alternate business combination.

 

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Holders of rights or warrants will not participate in liquidating distributions if we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the required time period.

 

If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the required time period and we liquidate the funds held in the trust account, the rights and warrants will expire and holders will not receive any of such proceeds with respect to the rights or warrants. The foregoing may provide a financial incentive to public shareholders to vote in favor of any proposed initial business combination as each of their rights and warrants would entitle the holder to receive or purchase additional ordinary shares, resulting in an increase in their overall economic stake in us. If a business combination is not approved, the rights and warrants will expire and will be worthless.

 

If we do not maintain a current and effective prospectus relating to the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants, public holders will only be able to exercise such warrants on a “cashless basis” which would result in a fewer number of shares being issued to the holder had such holder exercised the warrants for cash.

 

If we do not maintain a current and effective prospectus relating to the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the public warrant at the time that holders wish to exercise such warrants, they will only be able to exercise them on a “cashless basis” provided that an exemption from registration is available. As a result, the number of ordinary shares that a holder will receive upon exercise of its public warrants will be fewer than it would have been had such holder exercised its warrant for cash. Further, if an exemption from registration is not available, holders would not be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis and would only be able to exercise their warrants for cash if a current and effective prospectus relating to the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is available. Under the terms of the warrant agreement, we have agreed to use our best efforts to meet these conditions and to maintain a current and effective prospectus relating to the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants until the expiration of the warrants. However, we cannot assure you that we will be able to do so. If we are unable to do so, the potential “upside” of the holder’s investment in us may be reduced or the warrants may expire worthless. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the private warrants may be exercisable for unregistered ordinary shares for cash even if the prospectus relating to the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not current and effective.

 

An investor will only be able to exercise a warrant for cash if the issuance of ordinary shares upon such exercise has been registered or qualified or is deemed exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the holder of the warrants.

 

No public warrants will be exercisable for cash and we will not be obligated to issue ordinary shares unless the ordinary shares issuable upon such exercise has been registered or qualified or deemed to be exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the holder of the warrants. At the time that the warrants become exercisable, we expect to continue to be listed on a national securities exchange, which would provide an exemption from registration in every state. However, we cannot assure you of this fact. If the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants are not qualified or exempt from qualification in the jurisdictions in which the holders of the warrants reside, the warrants may be deprived of any value, the market for the warrants may be limited and they may expire worthless if they cannot be sold.

 

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Our management’s ability to require holders of our warrants to exercise such warrants on a cashless basis will cause holders to receive fewer ordinary shares upon their exercise of the warrants than they would have received had they been able to exercise their warrants for cash.

 

If we call our public warrants for redemption after the redemption criteria described elsewhere in this prospectus have been satisfied, our management will have the option to require any holder that wishes to exercise his warrant (including any warrants held by our sponsor and/or its permitted transferees) to do so on a “cashless basis.” If our management chooses to require holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis, the number of ordinary shares received by a holder upon exercise will be fewer than it would have been had such holder exercised his warrant for cash. This will have the effect of reducing the potential “upside” of the holder’s investment in our company.

 

We may amend the terms of the warrants in a way that may be adverse to holders with the approval by the holders of a majority of the then outstanding warrants.

 

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. The warrant agreement requires the approval by the holders of a majority of the then outstanding warrants (including the private warrants) in order to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders.

 

We may amend the terms of the rights in a way that may be adverse to holders with the approval by the holders of a majority of the then outstanding rights.

 

Our rights will be issued in registered form under a rights agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The rights agreement provides that the terms of the rights may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision. The rights agreement requires the approval by the holders of a majority of the then outstanding rights (including the private rights) in order to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders.

 

We have no obligation to net cash settle the rights and warrants.

 

In no event will we have any obligation to net cash settle the rights and warrants. Furthermore, there are no contractual penalties for failure to deliver securities to the holders of the rights upon consummation of an initial business combination. Accordingly, the rights and warrants may expire worthless.

 

The ability of our public shareholders to exercise their redemption rights may not allow us to effectuate the most desirable business combination or optimize our capital structure.

 

If our initial business combination requires us to use substantially all of our cash to pay the purchase price, because we will not know how many public shareholders may exercise redemption rights, we may either need to reserve part of the trust account for possible payment upon such redemption, or we may need to arrange third party financing to help fund our initial business combination. In the event that the acquisition involves the issuance of our stock as consideration, we may be required to issue a higher percentage of our stock to make up for a shortfall in funds. Raising additional funds to cover any shortfall may involve dilutive equity financing or incurring indebtedness at higher than desirable levels. This may limit our ability to effectuate the most attractive business combination available to us.

 

In connection with any meeting held to approve an initial business combination, we will offer each public shareholder the option to vote in favor of the proposed business combination and still seek redemption of his, her or its shares.

 

In connection with any meeting held to approve an initial business combination, we will offer each public shareholder (but not our initial shareholders, officers or directors) the right to have his, her or its ordinary shares redeemed for cash (subject to the limitations described elsewhere in this prospectus) regardless of whether such shareholder votes for or against such proposed business combination; provided that a shareholder must in fact vote for or against a proposed business combination in order to have his, her or its ordinary shares redeemed for cash. If a shareholder fails to vote for or against a proposed business combination, that shareholder would not be able to have his ordinary shares so redeemed. We will consummate our initial business combination only if we have net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation and a majority of the outstanding ordinary shares voted are voted in favor of the business combination. This is different than other similarly structured blank check companies where shareholders are offered the right to redeem their shares only when they vote against a proposed business combination. This threshold and the ability to seek redemption while voting in favor of a proposed business combination may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination.

 

A public shareholder who fails to vote either in favor of or against a proposed business combination will not be able to have his shares redeemed for cash.

 

In order for a public shareholder to have his shares redeemed for cash in connection with any proposed business combination, that public shareholder must vote either in favor of or against a proposed business combination. If a public shareholder fails to vote in favor of or against a proposed business combination, whether that shareholder abstains from the vote or simply does not vote, that shareholder would not be able to have his ordinary shares so redeemed to cash in connection with such business combination.

 

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We will require public shareholders who wish to redeem their ordinary shares in connection with a proposed business combination or amendment to our memorandum and articles of association to effect the substance or timing of their redemption obligation if we fail to timely complete a business combination to comply with specific requirements for redemption that may make it more difficult for them to exercise their redemption rights prior to the deadline for exercising their rights.

 

We will 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 expiration date set forth in the tender offer documents mailed to such holders, or in the event we distribute proxy materials, up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the business combination or amendment to our memorandum and articles of association to affect the substance or timing of our redemption obligation to redeem all public shares if we cannot complete an initial business combination, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option. In order to obtain a physical stock certificate, a shareholder’s broker and/or clearing broker, DTC and our transfer agent will need to act to facilitate this request. It is our understanding that shareholders should generally allot at least two weeks to obtain physical certificates from the transfer agent. However, because we do not have any control over this process or over the brokers or DTC, it may take significantly longer than two weeks to obtain a physical stock certificate. While we have been advised that it takes a short time to deliver shares through the DWAC System, this may not be the case. Under our memorandum and articles of association, we are required to provide at least 10 days advance notice of any shareholder meeting, which would be the minimum amount of time a shareholder would have to determine whether to exercise redemption rights. Accordingly, if it takes longer than we anticipate for shareholders to deliver their shares, shareholders who wish to redeem may be unable to meet the deadline for exercising their redemption rights and thus may be unable to redeem their shares.

 

Redeeming shareholders may be unable to sell their securities when they wish to in the event that the proposed business combination is not approved.

 

We will require public shareholders who wish to redeem their ordinary shares in connection with any proposed business combination to comply with the delivery requirements discussed above for redemption. If such proposed business combination is not consummated, we will promptly return such certificates to the tendering public shareholders. Accordingly, investors who attempted to redeem their shares in such a circumstance will be unable to sell their securities after the failed acquisition until we have returned their securities to them. The market price for our ordinary shares may decline during this time and you may not be able to sell your securities when you wish, even while other shareholders that did not seek redemption may be able to sell their securities.

 

Because of our structure, other companies may have a competitive advantage and we may not be able to consummate an attractive business combination.

 

We expect to encounter intense competition from entities other than blank check companies having a business objective similar to ours, including venture capital funds, leveraged buyout funds and operating businesses competing for acquisitions. Many of these entities are well established and have extensive experience in identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Many of these competitors possess greater technical, human and other resources than we do and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. Therefore, our ability to compete in acquiring certain sizable target businesses may be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent competitive limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of certain target businesses. Furthermore, seeking shareholder approval of our initial business combination may delay the consummation of a transaction. Additionally, our rights, and the future dilution they represent (entitling the holders to receive ordinary shares on consummation of our initial business combination), may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses. Any of the foregoing may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating our initial business combination.

 

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The provisions of our memorandum and articles of association relating to the rights and obligations attaching to our ordinary shares may be amended prior to the consummation of our initial business combination with the approval of the holders of 65% (or 50% if for the purposes of approving, or in conjunction with, the consummation of our initial business combination) of our outstanding ordinary shares attending and voting on such amendment at the relevant meeting, which is a lower amendment threshold than that of many blank check companies. It may be easier for us, therefore, to amend our memorandum and articles of association to facilitate the consummation of our initial business combination that a significant number of our shareholders may not support.

 

Many blank check companies have a provision in their charter that 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. Typically, amendment of these provisions requires approval by between 90% and 100% of the company’s public shareholders. Our memorandum and articles of association provides that, prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, its provisions related to pre-business combination activity and the rights and obligations attaching to the ordinary shares, may be amended if approved by holders of 65% (or 50% if approved in connection with our initial business combination) of our outstanding ordinary shares attending and voting on such amendment. If, prior to and unrelated to a business combination, our directors propose an amendment to the rights of the public shares that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to pay or offer to pay the pro rata per share redemption price to any holder of public shares, and the amendment is approved by the shareholders and filed with the registry of corporate affairs, we will offer to redeem the public shares (other than those held by our sponsor, directors, and officers) for cash at the applicable pro rata per share redemption price. Other provisions of our memorandum and articles of association may be amended prior to the consummation of our initial business combination if approved by a majority of the votes of shareholders attending and voting on such amendment or by resolution of the directors. Our initial shareholders, which will beneficially own 24.2% of our ordinary shares upon the closing of this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering, no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option and the forfeiture of 187,500 founder shares by our initial shareholders), will participate in any vote to amend our memorandum and articles of association 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 memorandum and articles of association which govern our pre-business combination and the rights and obligations attaching to the ordinary shares behavior more easily that many blank check companies, and this may increase our ability to consummate our initial business combination with which you do not agree. However, our initial shareholders (and/or our sponsor’s designees), and our directors and officers have agreed to not propose, or vote in favor of, an amendment to our memorandum and articles of association that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem all public shares if we cannot complete an initial business combination within 21 months of the closing of this offering, unless the Company provides public shareholders an opportunity to redeem their public shares in connection with the vote on any such amendment.

 

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 $10.25 per share or even less (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) on our redemption, and the warrants will expire worthless.

 

Although we believe that the net proceeds of this offering will be sufficient to allow us to consummate our initial business combination, because we have not yet identified any prospective target business we cannot ascertain the capital requirements for any particular transaction or our costs to operate or locate a transaction. If the net proceeds of this offering 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 to repurchase 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. Financing may not be available on acceptable terms, if at all. The current economic environment has made it especially difficult for companies to obtain acquisition financing. To the extent that additional financing proves to be unavailable when needed to consummate our initial business combination, we would be compelled to either restructure the transaction or abandon that particular initial 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 $10.25 per share or even less (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) on our redemption, and the warrants will expire worthless. In addition, even if we do not need additional financing to consummate our initial 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 initial business combination.

 

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Our sponsor controls a substantial interest in us and thus may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a shareholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support.

 

Upon closing of this offering, our initial shareholders and our sponsor (and/its designees) collectively will own 24.2% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option resulting in the forfeiture of 187,500 founder shares by our initial shareholders). Accordingly, they may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a shareholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support, including amendments to our memorandum and articles of association. If our sponsor purchases any units in this offering or if we or our sponsor purchase any additional ordinary shares in the aftermarket or in privately negotiated transactions, this would increase their control. Neither our sponsor nor, to our knowledge, any of our officers or directors, has any current intention to purchase additional securities. Factors that would be considered in making such additional purchases would include consideration of the current trading price of our ordinary shares. In addition, our board of directors, is and will be divided into two classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of two years with only one class of directors being elected in each year. Unless otherwise required by Nasdaq, it is unlikely that there will be an annual meeting of shareholders to elect new directors prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, in which case all of the current directors will continue in office until at least the consummation of the business combination. If there is an annual meeting, as a consequence of our “staggered” board of directors, only half of the board of directors will be considered for election and our sponsor, because of its ownership position, will have considerable influence regarding the outcome. Accordingly, our sponsor will continue to exert control at least until, shortly prior to, the consummation of our initial business combination.

 

If we do not hold an annual meeting of shareholders until after the consummation of our initial business combination (unless required by Nasdaq), shareholders will not be afforded an opportunity to elect directors and to discuss company affairs with management until such time.

 

Unless otherwise required by law or the Nasdaq Capital Market, we do not currently intend to hold an annual meeting of shareholders until after we consummate our initial business combination. If our shareholders want us to hold a meeting prior to our consummation of our initial business combination, they may do so by shareholders holding not less than thirty percent of voting rights in respect of the matter for which the meeting is requested making a request in writing to the directors in accordance with Section 82(2) of the Companies Act. Under British Virgin Islands law, we may not increase the required percentage to call a meeting above thirty percent. Until we hold an annual meeting of shareholders, public shareholders may not be afforded the opportunity to elect directors and to discuss company affairs with management.

 

Our initial shareholders paid an aggregate of $25,000, or approximately $0.017 per founder share and, accordingly, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution from the purchase of our ordinary shares.

 

The difference between the public offering price per share (allocating all of the unit purchase price to the ordinary shares included in the unit and none to the warrants included in the unit) and the pro forma net tangible book value per ordinary share after this offering constitutes the dilution to you and the other investors in this offering. Our initial shareholders acquired the founder shares at a nominal price, significantly contributing to this dilution. Upon closing of this offering, you and the other public shareholders will incur an immediate and substantial dilution of approximately 78.8% or $7.17 per share (the difference between the pro forma net tangible book value per share of $1.92 and the initial offering price of $9.09 per ordinary share at a fully diluted base immediately upon the closing of this offering), or approximately 81.1% dilution or $7.37 per share (the difference between the pro forma net tangible book value per share of $1.72 and the initial offering price of $9.09 per ordinary share) if the over-allotment is fully exercised.

 

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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.

 

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 rights and 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 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 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.

 

As of the date of this prospectus there is currently no market for our securities. Prospective 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. Once listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, an active trading market for our securities may never develop or, if developed, it may not be sustained. Additionally, if our securities become delisted from the Nasdaq Capital Market for any reason, and are quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board, an inter-dealer automated quotation system for equity securities not listed on a national exchange, the liquidity and price of our securities may be more limited than if we were listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market or another national exchange. You may be unable to sell your securities unless a market can be established and sustained.

 

Once initially listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, our securities may not continue to be listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market in the future, which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.

 

We anticipate that our securities will be initially listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market upon consummation of this offering. However, we cannot assure you of this or that our securities will continue to be listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market in the future. Additionally, in connection with our business combination, the Nasdaq Capital Market may require us to file a new initial listing application and meet its initial listing requirements as opposed to its more lenient continued listing requirements. We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet those initial listing requirements at that time. If the Nasdaq Capital Market delists our securities from trading on its exchange, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:

 

  a limited availability of market quotations for our securities;

 

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  a reduced liquidity with respect to our securities;

 

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

 

  a limited amount of news and analyst coverage for our company; and

 

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

 

Because we must furnish our stockholders with target business financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles or international financial reporting standards, we may lose the ability to complete an otherwise advantageous initial business combination with some prospective target businesses.

 

The federal proxy rules, which require that a proxy statement with respect to a vote on a business combination meeting certain financial significance tests include historical and/or pro forma financial statement disclosure in periodic reports. 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 GAAP, or international financial reporting standards, or IFRS as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board or the IASB, 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 PCAOB. We will include the substantially the same financial statement disclosure in connection with any tender offer documents we use, whether or not they are required under the tender offer rules. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may consummate our initial business combination with 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.

 

Compliance obligations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 may make it more difficult for us to effectuate our initial business combination, require substantial financial and management resources, and increase the time and costs of completing an acquisition.

 

Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or 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, 2018. The fact that we are a blank check company makes compliance with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act particularly burdensome on us as compared to all public companies because a target company with which we seek to complete our initial 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 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.

 

We may re-domicile or continue out of the British Virgin Islands into, another jurisdiction in connection with our initial business combination, and the laws of such jurisdiction may govern 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 or re-domicile or continue out of from the British Virgin Islands to another jurisdiction. If we determine to do this, the laws of such jurisdiction may govern our 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. Any such reincorporation and the international nature of our business will likely subject us to foreign regulation.

 

You may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through the U.S. federal courts may be limited, because we are incorporated under British Virgin Islands law.

 

We are a company incorporated under the laws of the British Virgin Islands. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to enforce judgments obtained in the United States courts against our directors or officers.

 

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Our corporate affairs will be governed by our memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act and the common law of the British Virgin Islands. The rights of shareholders to take action against the directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under British Virgin Islands law are governed by the Companies Act and the common law of the British Virgin Islands. The common law of the British Virgin Islands is derived from English common law, and while the decisions of the English courts are of persuasive authority, they are not binding on a court in the British Virgin Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under British Virgin Islands law may not be as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the British Virgin Islands has a less developed body of securities laws as compared to the United States, and some states, such as Delaware, have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law. In addition, while statutory provisions do exist in BVI law for derivative actions to be brought in certain circumstances, shareholders in BVI companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in a federal court of the United States. The circumstances in which any such action may be brought, and the procedures and defenses that may be available with respect to any such action, may result in the rights of shareholders of a BVI company being more limited than those of shareholders of a company organized in the United States. Accordingly, shareholders may have fewer alternatives available to them if they believe that corporate wrongdoing has occurred.

 

The British Virgin Islands courts are also unlikely:

 

  to recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts of the United States based on certain civil liability provisions of U.S. securities laws where that liability is in respect of penalties, taxes, fines or similar fiscal or revenue obligations of the company; and

 

  to impose liabilities against us, in original actions brought in the British Virgin Islands, based on certain civil liability provisions of U.S. securities laws that are penal in nature.

 

There is no statutory recognition in the British Virgin Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, although the courts of the British Virgin Islands will in certain circumstances recognize such a foreign judgment and treat it as a cause of action in itself which may be sued upon as a debt at common law so that no retrial of the issues would be necessary provided that the U.S. judgment:

 

  the U.S. court issuing the judgment had jurisdiction in the matter and the company either submitted to such jurisdiction or was resident or carrying on business within such jurisdiction and was duly served with process;

 

  is final and for a liquidated sum;

 

  the judgment given by the U.S. court was not in respect of penalties, taxes, fines or similar fiscal or revenue obligations of the company;

 

  in obtaining judgment there was no fraud on the part of the person in whose favor judgment was given or on the part of the court;

 

  recognition or enforcement of the judgment would not be contrary to public policy in the British Virgin Islands; and

 

  the proceedings pursuant to which judgment was obtained were not contrary to natural justice.

 

In appropriate circumstances, a British Virgin Islands court may give effect in the British Virgin Islands to other kinds of final foreign judgments such as declaratory orders, orders for performance of contracts and injunctions.

 

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 our board of directors, management or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a U.S. company. For a discussion of certain differences between the provisions of the Companies Act, remedies available to shareholders and the laws applicable to companies incorporated in the United States and their shareholders, see “British Virgin Islands Company Considerations.”

 

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Our memorandum and articles of association permit the board of directors by resolution to amend our memorandum and articles of association, including to create additional classes of securities, including shares with rights, preferences, designations and limitations as they determine which may have an anti-takeover effect.

 

Our memorandum and articles of association permits the board of directors by resolution to amend the memorandum and articles of association including to designate rights, preferences, designations and limitations attaching to the preferred shares as they determine in their discretion, without shareholder approval with respect the terms or the issuance. If issued, the rights, preferences, designations and limitations of the preferred shares would be set by the board of directors and could operate to the disadvantage of the outstanding ordinary shares the holders of which would not have any pre-emption rights in respect of such an issue of preferred shares. Such terms could include, among others, preferences as to dividends and distributions on liquidation, or could be used to prevent possible corporate takeovers. We may issue some or all of such preferred shares in connection with our initial business combination that would affect the substance or timing of our redemption obligation if we don’t consummate a business combination within the relevant time period. Notwithstanding the foregoing, our initial shareholders (and/or our sponsor’s designees), and our directors and officers have agreed to not propose, or vote in favor of, an amendment to our memorandum and articles of association that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem all public shares if we cannot complete an initial business combination within 21 months of the closing of this offering, unless the Company provides public shareholders an opportunity to redeem their public shares.

 

We are a foreign private issuer within the meaning of the rules under the Exchange Act, and as such we are exempt from certain provisions applicable to United States domestic public companies.

 

We are a foreign private issuer within the meaning of the rules under the Exchange Act.  As such, we are exempt from certain provisions applicable to United States domestic public companies.  For example:

 

  we are not required to provide as many Exchange Act reports, or as frequently, as a domestic public company;

 

  we are not required to provide the same level of disclosure on certain issues, such as executive compensation;

 

  for interim reporting, we are permitted to comply solely with our home country requirements, which are less rigorous than the rules that apply to domestic public companies;

 

  we are not required to comply with the sections of the Exchange Act regulating the solicitation of proxies, consents or authorizations in respect of a security registered under the Exchange Act; and

 

  we are not required to comply with Section 16 of the Exchange Act requiring insiders to file public reports of their share ownership and trading activities and establishing insider liability for profits realized from any “short-swing” trading transaction.

 

Until we consummate a business combination, however, we intend to file annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K similar to U.S. domestic reporting companies and disclose the information required to be disclosed in those reports, although, as long as we remain a foreign private issuer, we do not intend to comply with Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act in regards to proxy statements for shareholder meetings, except to the extent that Nasdaq rules or applicable laws require us to comply with Regulation 14A for shareholder proxy solicitation in relation to our business combination. After such time, we may elect to file annual reports on Form 20-F and reports on Form 6-K as a foreign private issuer, to the extent that we remain one. If we elect to file reports as a foreign private issuer, our shareholders may not have access to certain information they may deem important.

 

We are an “emerging growth company” and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our securities less attractive to investors.

 

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. We will remain an “emerging growth company” for up to five years. However, if our non-convertible debt issued within a three-year period or revenues exceeds $1 billion, or the market value of our ordinary shares that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million on the last day of the second fiscal quarter of any given fiscal year, we would cease to be an emerging growth company as of the following fiscal year. As an emerging growth company, we are not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, we have reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and we are exempt 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 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, will not adopt the new or revised standard until the time private companies are required to adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of our 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 accountant standards used. We cannot predict if investors will find our ordinary shares less attractive because we may rely on these provisions. If some investors find our ordinary shares less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our shares and our share price may be more volatile.

 

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Risks Associated with Acquiring and Operating a Business outside of the United States

 

We may effect our initial business combination with a company located outside of the United States.

 

If we effect our initial business combination with a company located outside of the United States, we would be subject to any special considerations or risks associated with companies operating in the target business’ home jurisdiction, including any of the following:

 

  rules and regulations or currency redemption or corporate withholding taxes on individuals;

 

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

 

  exchange listing and/or delisting requirements;

 

  tariffs and trade barriers;

 

  regulations related to customs and import/export matters;

 

  longer payment cycles;

 

  tax issues, such as tax law changes and variations in tax laws as compared to the United States;

 

  currency fluctuations and exchange controls;

 

  rates of inflation;

 

  challenges in collecting accounts receivable;

 

  cultural and language differences;

 

  employment regulations;

 

  crime, strikes, riots, civil disturbances, terrorist attacks and wars; and

 

  deterioration of political relations with the United States. We may not be able to adequately address these additional risks. If we were unable to do so, our operations might suffer.

 

There are costs and difficulties inherent in managing cross-border business operations.

 

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 United States) 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.

 

Social unrest, acts of terrorism, regime changes, changes in laws and regulations, political upheaval, or policy changes or enactments may occur in a country in which we may operate after we effect our initial business combination.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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If relations between the United States and foreign governments deteriorate, it could cause potential target businesses or their goods and services to become less attractive.

 

The relationship between the United States and foreign governments could be subject to sudden fluctuation and periodic tension. For instance, the United States may announce its intention to impose quotas on certain imports. Such import quotas may adversely affect political relations between the two countries and result in retaliatory countermeasures by the foreign government in industries that may affect our ultimate target business. Changes in political conditions in foreign countries and changes in the state of U.S. relations with such countries are difficult to predict and could adversely affect our operations or cause potential target businesses or their goods and services to become less attractive. Because we are not limited to any specific industry, there is no basis for investors in this offering to evaluate the possible extent of any impact on our ultimate operations if relations are strained between the United States and a foreign country in which we acquire a target business or move our principal manufacturing or service 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.

 

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 will remain in place. Management of the target business may not be familiar with United States securities laws. If new management is unfamiliar with our 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 operations and prospects may 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. The economies in Asia differ from the economies of most developed countries in many respects. For the most part, such economies have grown at a rate in excess of the United States; however, (1) such economic growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy and (2) 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.

 

Currency policies may cause a target business’ 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, 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 our target regions fluctuate and are 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.

 

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Because foreign law could govern our material agreements, we may not be able to enforce our rights within such jurisdiction or elsewhere.

 

Foreign law could govern our material agreements. The target business may not be able to enforce any of its material agreements or that remedies will be available 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. The judiciaries in Asia are relatively inexperienced in enforcing corporate and commercial law, leading to a higher than usual degree of uncertainty as to the outcome of any litigation, any such jurisdictions may not favor outsiders or could be corrupt. 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.

 

Many of the economies in Asia are experiencing substantial inflationary pressures which may prompt the governments to take action to control the growth of the economy and inflation.

 

While many of the economies in Asia have experienced rapid growth over the last two decades, they currently are experiencing inflationary pressures. As governments take steps to address the current inflationary pressures, there may be significant changes in the availability of bank credits, interest rates, limitations on loans, restrictions on currency conversions and foreign investment. There also may be imposition of price controls. If prices for the products of our ultimate target business rise at a rate that is insufficient to compensate for the rise in the costs of supplies, it may have an adverse effect on our profitability. If these or other similar restrictions are imposed by a government to influence the economy, it may lead to a slowing of economic growth. Because we are not limited to any specific industry, the ultimate industry that we operate in may be affected more severely by such a slowing of economic growth.

 

Many industries in Asia are subject to government regulations that limit or prohibit foreign investments in such industries.

 

Governments in many Asian countries have imposed regulations that limit foreign investors’ equity ownership or prohibit foreign investments altogether in companies that operate in certain industries. As a result, the number of potential acquisition candidates available to us may be limited, or our ability to grow and sustain the business that we ultimately acquire will be limited.

 

If a country in Asia enacts regulations in industry segments that forbid or restrict foreign investment, our ability to consummate our initial business combination could be severely impaired.

 

Many of the rules and regulations that companies face concerning foreign ownership are not explicitly communicated. If new laws or regulations forbid or limit foreign investment in industries in which we want to complete our initial business combination, they could severely impair our candidate pool of potential target businesses. Additionally, if the relevant central and local authorities find us or the target business with which we ultimately complete our initial business combination to be in violation of any existing or future laws or regulations, they would have broad discretion in dealing with such a violation, including, without limitation:

 

  levying fines;

 

  revoking our business and other licenses;

 

  requiring that we restructure our ownership or operations; and

 

  requiring that we discontinue any portion or all of our business.

 

Any of the above could have an adverse effect on our company post-business combination and could materially reduce the value of your investment.

 

Corporate governance standards in Asia may not be as strict or developed as in the United States and such weakness may hide issues and operational practices that are detrimental to a target business.

 

General corporate governance standards in some countries are weak in that they do not prevent business practices that cause unfavorable related party transactions, over-leveraging, improper accounting, family company interconnectivity and poor management. Local laws often do not go far enough to prevent improper business practices. Therefore, shareholders may not be treated impartially and equally as a result of poor management practices, asset shifting, conglomerate structures that result in preferential treatment to some parts of the overall company, and cronyism. The lack of transparency and ambiguity in the regulatory process also may result in inadequate credit evaluation and weakness that may precipitate or encourage financial crisis. In our evaluation of a business combination we will have to evaluate the corporate governance of a target and the business environment, and in accordance with United States laws for reporting companies take steps to implement practices that will cause compliance with all applicable rules and accounting practices. Notwithstanding these intended efforts, there may be endemic practices and local laws that could add risk to an investment we ultimately make and that result in an adverse effect on our operations and financial results.

 

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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

Certain statements contained in this prospectus, which reflect our current views with respect to future events and financial performance, and any other statements of a future or forward-looking nature, constitute “forward-looking statements” for the purpose of the federal securities laws. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management’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,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “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 complete our initial business combination;
     
  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, as a result of which they would then receive expense reimbursements;
     
  our potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination;
     
  our pool of prospective target businesses;
     
  the ability of our officers and directors to generate a number of potential investment opportunities;
     
  failure to list or delisting of our securities from the Nasdaq Capital Market or an inability to have our securities listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market following a business combination;
     
  our public securities’ potential liquidity and trading;
     
  the lack of a market for our securities; or
     
  our financial performance following this offering.

 

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. Future developments affecting us may not 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” beginning on page 14. 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.

 

 41 

 

USE OF PROCEEDS

 

We are offering 5,000,000 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 units (all of which will be deposited into the trust account) will be used as set forth in the following table.

 

   Without Over-Allotment Option   Over-Allotment Option Exercised 
Gross proceeds        
From offering  $50,000,000   $57,500,000 
From private placements   3,750,000    4,162,500 
Total gross proceeds   53,750,000    61,662,500 
Offering expenses(1)          
Underwriting discount (3.0% of gross proceeds from offering)   1,500,000(2)   1,725,000(2)
Legal fees and expenses   225,000    225,000 
Nasdaq listing fee   50,000    50,000 
Printing and engraving expenses   40,000    40,000 
Accounting fees and expenses   50,000    50,000 
FINRA filing fee   10,000    10,000 
SEC registration fee   6,664    6,664 
Miscellaneous expenses   118,336    118,336 
Total offering expenses   2,000,000    2,225,000 
Net proceeds          
Held in the trust account(3)   51,250,000    58,937,500 
Not held in the trust account   500,000    500,000 
Total net proceeds  $51,750,000   $59,437,500 
Use of net proceeds not held in the trust account(3)             
Legal, accounting and other third party expenses attendant to the search for target businesses and to the due diligence investigation, structuring and negotiation of our initial business combination  $70,000    14%
Legal and accounting fees relating to SEC reporting obligations   148,750    30%
Nasdaq continued listing fees,
prorated for a partial year
   43,750    9%
Payment of administrative fee   105,000    21%
Payment of annual fees to independent directors(4)     67,200    14%
Working capital to cover miscellaneous expenses, general corporate purposes, liquidation obligations and reserves   65,300    13%
Total  $500,000    100.0%

 

(1) A portion of the offering expenses, including the SEC registration fee, the FINRA filing fee, the non-refundable portion of the Nasdaq listing fee and a portion of the legal and audit fees, have been paid from the funds we borrowed from the sponsor. These funds will be repaid out of the proceeds of this offering available to us.
(2) No discounts or commissions will be paid with respect to the purchase of the private units.
(3) Upon closing of the initial business combination, the funds held in the trust account may, but need not, be used to pay our expenses relating to acquiring a target business, including a cash fee payable to EarlyBirdCapital equal to 3% of the gross proceeds of this offering.
(4) We will pay our independent directors an annual retainer in an aggregate of $38,400 (to be prorated for a partial term), payable in arrears commencing on the first anniversary of the closing of this offering and ending on the earlier of the consummation of our initial business combination and our liquidation.

 

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A total of $10.25 per share (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) of the net proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private units described in this prospectus will be placed in a trust account in the United States at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee and will be invested only in U.S. government treasury bills, notes and bonds with a maturity of 180 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act and which invest solely in U.S. Treasuries. Except for all interest income that may be released to us (net of taxes payable) to fund our working capital requirements, as discussed below, none of the funds held in the trust account will be released from the trust account until the earlier of: (i) the consummation of our initial business combination within 21 months from the closing of this offering and (ii) a redemption to public shareholders prior to any voluntary winding-up in the event we do not consummate our initial business combination within the applicable period.

 

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 initial business combination. If our initial business combination is paid for using shares or debt securities, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the purchase price in connection with our business combination, we may apply the cash released from the trust account that is not applied to the purchase price for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of acquired businesses, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in consummating the initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital.

 

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 or other preliminary agreement that addresses the terms of our initial business combination. However, if our estimate of the costs of undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating our initial business combination is less than the actual amount necessary to do so, or the amount of interest available to use from the trust account is minimal as a result of the current interest rate environment, we may be required to raise additional capital, the amount, availability and cost of which is currently unascertainable. In this event, we could seek such additional capital through loans or additional investments from members of our management team, but such members of our management team are not under any obligation to advance funds to, or invest in, us.

 

Commencing on the date of this prospectus, we have agreed to pay an affiliate of our sponsor a total of $5,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative services. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.

 

As of the date of this prospectus, our sponsor has advanced to us a total of $1,804 and loaned to us a total of $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. The advance is non-interest bearing and is payable on demand. The loan is non-interest bearing, unsecured and is due on the earlier of December 31, 2017 or the closing of this offering.

 

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 consummate our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that the initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the offering proceeds 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 $500,000 of such loans may be convertible into additional private units at a price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued 55,000 ordinary shares if $500,000 of notes were so converted as the rights included in the units would result in an additional 5,000 shares being issued, as well as 25,000 warrants to purchase 25,000 shares).

 

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. Furthermore, the redemption threshold may be further limited by the terms and conditions of our initial business combination. In such case, we would not proceed with the redemption of our public shares or the business combination, and instead may search for an alternate business combination.

 

A public shareholder will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earlier to occur of: (i) our consummation of our initial business combination, and then only in connection with those ordinary shares that such shareholder properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations described herein, (ii) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within 21 months following the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law, or (iii) if we seek to amend our memorandum and articles of association to affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem all public shares if we cannot complete an initial business combination within 21 months of the closing of this offering and such amendment is duly approved and registered. In no other circumstances will a public shareholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account.

 

Our initial shareholders have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any shares they own in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination, including their founder shares, private shares and public shares that they have purchased during or after the offering, if any. In addition, our initial shareholders have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions with respect to its founder shares and private shares if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within 21 months from the closing of this offering. However, if our initial shareholders acquire public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to receive liquidating distributions with respect to such public shares if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within the required time period.

  

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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 and subject to the Companies Act. In addition, our board of directors is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any share dividends in the foreseeable future, except if we increase the size of the offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, in which case we will effect a share dividend immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain our initial shareholders’ ownership at 20% of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering (assuming no purchase in this offering and not taking into account ownership of the private units). Further, if we incur any indebtedness in connection with our initial 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, assuming no value is attributed to the warrants included in the units we are offering by this prospectus and included in the private units, and the pro forma net tangible book value per share after this offering constitutes the dilution to investors in this offering. Such calculation does not reflect any dilution associated with sale and exercise of warrants, including the private warrants. 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 ordinary shares which may be redeemed for cash), by the number of outstanding ordinary shares. For the purposes of the dilution calculations, we have assumed the issuance of 1/10 of a share for each right outstanding, as such issuance will occur upon a business combination without the payment of additional consideration. Accordingly, for the purposes of the dilution calculation, the number of shares included in the units offered hereby will be deemed to be 5,500,000, the price per share in this offering will be deemed to be $9.09 and the private units will represent 412,500 ordinary shares. 

At March 31, 2017, our net tangible book value was a deficiency of $272,038, or a deficiency of approximately $0.22 per share (assuming no exercise of the over-allotment option and, therefore, the forfeiture of an aggregate of 187,500 ordinary shares held by our initial shareholders). After giving effect to the sale of 5,000,000 ordinary shares included in the units we are offering by this prospectus, and the deduction of underwriting discounts and estimated expenses of this offering, and the sale of the private units, and assuming the issuance of 537,500 shares for the outstanding rights (including the private rights), our pro forma net tangible book value at March 31, 2017 would have been $5,000,006 or $1.92 per share, representing an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $2.14 per share to the initial shareholders and an immediate dilution of $7.17 per share or 78.8% to new investors not exercising their redemption rights. For purposes of presentation, our pro forma net tangible book value after this offering is $46,773,220 less than it otherwise would have been because if we effect our initial business combination, the redemption rights of the public shareholders (but not our initial shareholders) may result in the redemption of up to 4,563,241 shares sold in this offering. 

The following table illustrates the dilution to our public shareholders on a per-share basis, inclusive of the shares underlying the rights included in the units, assuming no value is attributed to the warrants included in the units or the private warrants. 

Public offering price      $9.09 
Net tangible book value before this offering  $(0.22)     
Increase attributable to new investors and private sales   2.14      
Pro forma net tangible book value after this offering        1.92 
Dilution to new investors       $7.17 
Percentage of dilution to new investors        78.8%

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

    Shares Purchased     Total Consideration     Average 
Price
 
    Number     Percentage     Amount     Percentage     per Share  
Initial shareholders (founder shares)     1,250,000 (1)     17.4 %   $ 25,000       0.0 %   $ 0.02  
Private shares     412,500 (2) (3)    5.8 %     3,750,000       7.0 %   $ 9.09  
Public shareholders     5,500,000 (2) (4)    76.8 %     50,000,000       93.0 %   $ 9.09  
Total     7,162,500       100.0 %   $ 53,775,000       100.0 %        

 

(1) Assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised and an aggregate of 187,500 founder shares have been forfeited by our initial shareholders as a result thereof.
(2) Assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised.
(3) Assumes the issuance of an additional 37,500 shares underlying the rights included in the private units issued to our sponsor and EarlyBirdCapital.
(4) Assumes the issuance of an additional 500,000 shares underlying the rights issued to the public shareholders.

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

Numerator:    
Net tangible book value before the offering  $(272,038)
Net proceeds from this offering and private placements of private units   51,750,000 
Proceeds from sale of unit purchase option   100 
Plus: Offering costs accrued for and paid in advance, excluded from tangible book value before this offering   295,164 
Less: Proceeds held in the trust account subject to redemption   (46,773,220)
   $5,000,006 
Denominator:     
Ordinary shares outstanding prior to this offering   1,250,000(1)
Ordinary shares to be sold in this offering   5,000,000 
Ordinary shares underlying rights to be sold in this offering   500,000 
Ordinary shares to be sold in private placement   375,000 
Ordinary shares underlying rights to be sold in the private placement   37,500 
Less: Shares subject to redemption   (4,563,241)
    2,599,259 

 

(1) Assumes that the underwriters’ over-allotment option has not been exercised and an aggregate of 187,500 founder shares have been forfeited by our initial shareholders as a result thereof.

 

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CAPITALIZATION

 

The following table sets forth our capitalization at March 31, 2017 and as adjusted to give effect to the sale of our units offered by this prospectus and the private units, and the application of the estimated net proceeds derived from the sale of such securities:

 

   As at March 31, 2017 
   Actual   As Adjusted (1) 
Amount payable to related party(2)  $301,804     
Ordinary shares, no par value, -0- and 4,563,241 shares which are subject to possible redemption       46,773,220(4)
Shareholders’ equity:          
Preferred stock, no par value, unlimited shares authorized; none issued or outstanding        
Ordinary shares, no par value, unlimited shares authorized; 1,437,500 shares issued and outstanding, actual; 2,061,759 shares(3) issued and outstanding (excluding 4,563,241 shares subject to possible redemption), as adjusted   25,000    5,001,880 
Accumulated deficit   (1,874)   (1,874)
Total shareholders’ equity:   23,126    5,000,006 
Total capitalization  $324,930   $51,773,226(5)

 

(1) Includes $3,750,000 we will receive from the sale of the private units. Assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised.
(2) Amount payable to related party is a promissory note of $300,000 and an advance of $1,804. The promissory note is non-interest bearing and due the earlier of December 31, 2017 or the closing of this offering. The advance is non-interest bearing and is payable on demand.
(3) Assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised and an aggregate of 187,500 founder shares have been forfeited by our initial shareholders as a result thereof.
(4) Derived by taking 4,563,241 ordinary shares, which may be redeemed, representing the maximum number of shares that may be redeemed while maintaining at least $5,000,001 in net tangible assets after the offering, multiplied by a redemption price of $10.25.
(5) Derived by adding total shareholders’ equity and the value of the ordinary share, which may be redeemed for cash.

 

 46 

 

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

 

Overview

 

We are a blank check company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands with limited liability (meaning our public shareholders have no liability, as shareholders of the Company, for the liabilities of the Company over and above the amount paid for their shares) formed for the purpose of acquiring, engaging in a share exchange, share reconstruction and amalgamation with, purchasing all or substantially all of the assets of, or engaging in any other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. Although we are not limited to a particular industry or geographic region, we intend to focus on businesses that have their primary operations located in Asia and North America. We have not identified an acquisition target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any discussions, research or other measures, directly or indirectly, with respect to identifying any acquisition targets. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the private placement of the private units, our shares, debt or a combination of cash, shares and debt.

 

The issuance of additional shares in our initial business combination:

 

  may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in this offering who would not have pre-emption rights in respect of any such issue;
     
  may subordinate the rights of holders of ordinary shares if the rights, preferences, designations and limitations attaching to the preferred shares are created by amendment of our memorandum and articles of association by resolution of the board of directors and 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 is 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 or a person seeking to obtain control of us; and
     
  may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our ordinary shares and/or rights.

 

Similarly, if we issue debt securities, it could result in:

 

  default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after our 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, expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions and 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; and
     
  limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, 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 March 31, 2017, we had $60,971 in cash and deferred offering costs of $295,164. Further, we expect to continue to incur significant costs in the pursuit of our acquisition plans. Our plans to raise capital or to consummate our initial business combination may not 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 for due diligence expenses. We expect our expenses to increase substantially after the closing of this offering.

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

As indicated in the accompanying financial statements, we had $60,971 in cash and cash equivalents and a working capital deficiency of $272,038. Management’s plans to address this uncertainty through this offering are discussed above. Our plans to raise capital or to consummate our initial business combination may not be successful. These factors, among others, raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.

 

Our liquidity needs have been satisfied to date through receipt of $25,000 from the sale of the founder shares, an advance from our sponsor in the amount of $1,804 and a loan from our sponsor in the amount of $300,000 that is more fully described below. We estimate that the net proceeds from (1) the sale of the units in this offering, after deducting offering expenses of approximately $500,000 and underwriting discounts and commissions of $1,500,000 (or $1,725,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) and (2) the sale of the private units for purchase price of $3,750,000 (or $4,162,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), will be $51,750,000 (or $59,437,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), of which amount $51,250,000 (or $58,937,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be held in trust account. The remaining $500,000 will not be held in the trust account.

 

We intend to use substantially all of the net proceeds of this offering, including the funds held in the trust account, to acquire a target business or businesses and to pay our expenses relating thereto, including a fee payable to EarlyBirdCapital for its services in connection with our initial business combination upon the consummation of such combination in an amount equal to 3% of the gross proceeds received in this offering. To the extent that our capital stock is used in whole or in part as consideration to effect our initial business combination, the remaining proceeds held in the trust account as well as any other net proceeds not expended will be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business. Such working capital funds could be used in a variety of ways including continuing or expanding the target business’ operations, for strategic acquisitions and for marketing, research and development of existing or new products. Such funds could also be used to repay any operating expenses or finders’ fees which we had incurred prior to the completion of our initial business combination if the funds available to us outside of the trust account were insufficient to cover such expenses.

 

We believe that, upon consummation of this offering, the estimated $500,000 of net proceeds not held in the trust account will be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the next 21 months, assuming that a business combination is not consummated during that time. Over this time period, we will be using these funds for identifying and evaluating prospective acquisition candidates, performing business due diligence on prospective target businesses, traveling to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses, reviewing corporate documents and material agreements of prospective target businesses, selecting the target business to acquire and structuring, negotiating and consummating the business combination. We anticipate that we will incur approximately:

 

  $70,000 of expenses for the search for target businesses and for the legal, accounting and other third-party expenses attendant to the due diligence investigations, structuring and negotiating of our initial business combination;

 

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  $105,000 to an affiliate of our Chairman for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative services commencing on the date of this prospectus;
     
  $148,750 of expenses in legal and accounting fees relating to our SEC reporting obligations;
     
  $43,750 of expenses in continued Nasdaq listing fees (to be prorated for a partial year);
     
  $67,200 for payment to our independent directors as an annual retainer in an aggregate of $38,400 (to be prorated for a partial term), payable in arrears commencing on the first anniversary of the closing of this offering and ending on the earlier to occur of the consummation of our initial business combination and our liquidation; and
     
  $65,300 for general working capital that will be used for miscellaneous expenses, liquidation obligations and reserves, including director and officer liability insurance premiums.

 

If our estimates of the costs of undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating our initial business combination is less than the actual amount necessary to do so, or the amount of interest available to us from the trust account is less than we expect as a result of the current interest rate environment, we may have insufficient funds available to operate our business prior to our initial business combination. Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing either to consummate our initial business combination or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon consummation of our initial business combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such business combination. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, we would only consummate such financing simultaneously with the consummation of our initial business combination. Following our initial business combination, if cash on hand is insufficient, we may need to obtain additional financing in order to meet our obligations.

 

Controls and Procedures

 

We are not currently required to comply with the internal control reporting requirements under Section 404 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act until the fiscal year ending December 31, 2018. As of the date of this prospectus, we have not completed an assessment of 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 initial 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 expense in meeting our public reporting responsibilities, particularly in the areas of designing, enhancing, or remediating internal and disclosure controls. Doing so effectively also may take longer than we expect, thus increasing our exposure to financial fraud or erroneous financing reporting.

 

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Related Party Transactions

 

As of March 31, 2017, our sponsor advanced an aggregate of $1,804 to us and loaned an aggregate of $300,000 to us, on a non-interest bearing basis, for payment of offering expenses on our behalf.

 

We are obligated, commencing on the date of this prospectus, to pay $5,000 per month to an affiliate of our sponsor for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative services. In addition, we will pay to our independent directors an aggregate amount of annual retainer of $38,400 (to be prorated for a partial term), payable in arrears commencing on the first anniversary of the closing of this offering and ending on the earlier of the consummation of our initial business combination and our liquidation.

 

Our sponsor and EarlyBirdCapital have committed that they and/or their designees will purchase an aggregate of 375,000 (or 416,250 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) private units at $10.00 per unit. These purchases will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering and the over-allotment option, as applicable. The foregoing purchases will only be made if the purchasers are able to do so in accordance with Regulation M and Sections 9(a)(2) and 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. All of the proceeds we receive from these purchases will be placed in the trust account described below.

 

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. However, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our initial shareholders, officers, directors or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. In the event that the 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. Such loans would be evidenced by promissory notes. The notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $500,000 of the notes may be converted upon consummation of our business combination into additional private units at a price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued 55,000 ordinary shares if $500,000 of notes were so converted as the rights included in the units would result in an additional 5,000 shares being issued, as well as 25,000 warrants to purchase 25,000 shares).

 

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

 

The net proceeds of this offering, including amounts in the trust account, will be invested in United States government treasury bills, bonds or notes having a maturity of 180 days or less, or in money market funds meeting the applicable conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and that invest solely in U.S. treasuries. Due to the short-term nature of these investments, we believe there will be no associated material exposure to interest rate risk.

 

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

 

As of the date of this prospectus, 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 conducted no operations to date.

 

JOBS Act

 

On April 5, 2012, the JOBS Act was signed into law. 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.

 

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PROPOSED BUSINESS

 

Introduction

 

We are a blank check company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands as a business company with limited liability. This means that our shareholders have no additional liability for the company’s liabilities over and above the amount paid for their shares. We were formed for the purpose of acquiring, engaging in a share exchange, share reconstruction and amalgamation with, contractual control arrangement with, purchasing all or substantially all of the assets of, or engaging in any other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. We have not yet identified any acquisition targets and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any discussions, research or other measures, directly or indirectly, with respect to identifying any acquisition targets.

 

Business Strategy

 

Our efforts in identifying prospective target businesses will not be limited to a particular country, although we intend to focus on businesses that have their primary operations located in Asia and North America. We believe that we will add value to these businesses primarily by providing them with access to the U.S. capital markets. In addition, we believe the target business will benefit from our involvement and increase growth through potential strategic relationships we can introduce.

 

We will seek to capitalize on the strength of our experienced, Asia-focused and North America-focused international management team. Our team consists of experienced financial services and accounting professionals, senior operating executives and directors of Asian and North American companies. Our Chairman, CEO, and directors have decades of experience in mergers, acquisitions and divestures of privately and publicly-held companies. Both our Chairman and CEO have been actively engaged in cross-border investments/divestments between the U.S. and Asia for more than a decade. Our independent directors are Canadian and U.S. citizens who have decades of experience in entrepreneurship, asset management/advisory services, and accounting & tax practices in Asia and the U.S. We believe we will benefit from their accomplishments in Asia as well as in the U.S., in identifying attractive acquisition opportunities. However, there is no assurance that we will complete a business combination.

 

There is no restriction in the geographic location of targets we can pursue, although we intend to initially prioritize geographic locations in Asia and North America. We will seek to identify targets that are likely to provide attractive financial returns through business combinations. We have yet to determine a time frame, an investment amount or any other criteria, which would trigger our search for business opportunities outside of Asia or North America.

 

Investment Criteria

 

Our management team intends to focus on creating shareholder value by leveraging its experience in the management, operation and financing of businesses to improve the efficiency of operations while implementing strategies to scale revenue organically and/or through acquisitions. We have identified the following general criteria and guidelines, which we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses. While we intend to use these criteria and guidelines in evaluating prospective businesses, we may deviate from these criteria and guidelines should we see the justifications to do so.

 

  Middle-Market Growth Business. We will primarily seek to acquire one or more growth businesses with a total enterprise value of between $200,000,000 and $300,000,000. We believe that there are a substantial number of potential target businesses within this valuation range that can benefit from new capital for scalable operations to yield significant revenue and earnings growth. We currently do not intend to acquire either a start-up company, defined as a company that has not yet established commercial operations, or a company with negative cash flow, though we may consider a business in its early stages of development or growth.

 

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  Companies in Business Segments that are Strategically Significant to Asia or North America. We will seek to acquire those businesses with strong technological know-how or advancement, sustainable market competitiveness, attractive growth prospects with meaning undervaluation, broad distribution networks and/or business practices in economic sectors that are currently experiencing significant Asia or North America outbound investing. Such sectors include but are not limited to: high technology, clean energy, healthcare, consumer and retail, energy and resources, food processing and manufacturing.

 

  Business with Revenue and Earnings Growth Potential. We will seek to acquire one or more businesses that have the potential for significant revenue and earnings growth through a combination of both existing and new product development, increased production capacity, expense reduction and synergistic follow-on acquisitions resulting in increased operating leverage.

 

  Companies with Potential for Strong Free Cash Flow Generation. We will seek to acquire one or more businesses that have the potential to generate strong, stable and increasing free cash flow. We intend to focus on one or more businesses that have predictable revenue streams and definable low working capital and capital expenditure requirements. We may also seek to prudently leverage this cash flow in order to enhance shareholder value.

 

  Benefit from Being a Public Company. We intend to acquire a business or businesses that will benefit from being publicly traded and which can effectively utilize access to broader sources of capital and a public profile that are associated with being a publicly traded company.

 

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.

 

Our Competitive Advantages

 

We believe the experience and contacts of our management team will aid us in sourcing, structuring and consummating business combinations. However, none of our management team is obligated to remain with the company after a business combination, and we cannot provide assurance that the resignation or retention of our current management will be a term or condition in any agreement relating to a business combination. Moreover, despite the competitive advantages we believe we have, we remain subject to significant competition with respect to identifying and executing a business combination.

 

Our Relationship with Bison Capital Enhances Our Capabilities to Source, Execute, and Scrutinize Potential Acquisition Targets.

 

Our sponsor, Bison Capital, was founded in March 2013 and is an investment firm and a provider of financial, advisory, investment, and funds management services, primarily focused on China-related investment opportunities in the healthcare, medical, pharmaceuticals, entertainment, media, tourism, high technology industries. Bison Capital comprises advisory, capital raising, principal investing and asset management capabilities. It has a strong focus on China-related investment opportunities in the healthcare, medical, pharmaceuticals, entertainment, media, tourism and high technology industries. Bison Capital’s investment strategy is generating returns for investors and shareholders by bringing investment resources and strategic relationships to help clients generate new growth opportunities and secure key alliances. Bison Capital operates in office locations in mainland China and Hong Kong.

 

We believe that we could benefit from the substantial resources of Bison Capital. Bison Capital does not have a fiduciary duty to our shareholders, but has a contractual obligation to offer all suitable business combination opportunities to us before any other person or company until the consummation of our initial business combination, subject to any pre-existing contractual or fiduciary obligations it may have. Bison Capital will assist us in the identification, analysis, and diligence of potential targets if needed. Furthermore, our affiliation with Bison Capital could enable us to access potential targets for a business combination more effectively since Bison Capital is a well-recognized financial and investment company in the areas where we are planning to focus our acquisition efforts.

 

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Bison Capital has deep specialist sector expertise and a comprehensive financial advisory and capital markets platform. Bison Capital’s expertise spans a variety of industry sectors including:

 

  Industrials;

 

  Media and Entertainment;

 

  Tourism

 

  Financial Services;

 

  Resources;

 

  High-technology;

 

  Healthcare;

 

  Medical Devices and Pharmaceuticals;

 

We will seek to capitalize on the substantial resources and the global infrastructure of our sponsor. Bison Capital has significant investing experience in the international market and has leveraged its relationships to source and execute potential deals.

 

  Execution Capabilities:

 

  Bison Capital invests around the world in a wide range of sectors including healthcare, medical, pharmaceuticals, entertainment, media, tourism and high technology.
     
  We believe that our relationship with Bison Capital will enable us to take advantage of its extensive relationships with equity investors and lenders, and its experience securing equity and debt financing in order to provide additional capital (particularly in the event that the proceeds of this offering are insufficient to fund the initial business combination).

 

Established Deal Sourcing Network

 

Through our management team, we believe we have contacts and sources from which to generate acquisition opportunities and possibly seek complimentary follow-on business arrangements. These contacts and sources include those in government, private and public companies around the world, private equity and venture capital funds, investment bankers, attorneys and accountants.

 

Unique positioning

 

We are a management team with significant experience in cross-border business between Asia and the U.S. We understand the cultural, business and economic differences and opportunities that will allow us to negotiate a transaction. For Asia-based companies, we provide the ability to help them bridge their overseas expansion in term of both capital raising and business activity. In addition, if we find a very attractive acquisition target outside of the Asia region, we believe our experience and relationships in Asia would enhance the value of such a business through our introductions to identified Asian business partners.

 

Status as a Public Company

 

We believe our structure will make us an attractive business combination partner to prospective target businesses. As a public company, we will offer a target business an alternative to the traditional initial public offering. We believe that target businesses will favor this alternative, which we believe is less expensive, while offering greater certainty of execution than the traditional initial public offering. During an initial public offering, there are typically expenses incurred in marketing, which would be costlier than a business combination with us. Furthermore, once a proposed business combination is approved by our shareholders and the transaction is consummated, 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 that could prevent the offering from occurring. Once public, we believe the target business would have greater access to capital and additional means of creating management incentives that are better aligned with shareholders’ interests than it would as a private company. It can offer further benefits by augmenting a company’s profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented management staffs.

 

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Strong Financial Position and Flexibility

 

With a trust account initially in the amount of $51,250,000 (or $58,937,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) and a public market for our ordinary shares, we can offer a target business a variety of options to facilitate a business combination and fund future expansion and growth of its business. Because we are able to consummate a business combination using the cash proceeds from this offering, our share capital, debt or a combination of the foregoing, we have the flexibility to use an efficient structure allowing us to tailor the consideration to be paid to the target business to address the needs of the parties. However, if a business combination requires us to use substantially all of our cash to pay for the purchase price, we may need to arrange third party financing to help fund our business combination. Because we have no specific business combination under consideration, we have not taken any steps to secure third party financing. Accordingly, our flexibility in structuring a business combination may be subject to these constraints.

 

Effecting our initial business combination

 

General

 

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 private placement of the private units, our shares, new debt, or a combination of these, as the consideration to be paid in our initial business combination. We may seek to consummate our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth (such as a company that has begun operations but is not yet at the stage of commercial manufacturing and sales), which would subject us to the numerous risks inherent in such companies and 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.

 

If our initial business combination is paid for using shares or debt securities, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the purchase price in connection with our business combination or used for redemptions of purchases of our ordinary shares, we may apply the cash released to us from the trust account that is not applied to the purchase price for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of acquired businesses, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in consummating our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital.

 

We have not identified any acquisition targets. From the period prior to our formation through the date of this prospectus, there have been no communications, evaluations or discussions between any of our officers, directors or our sponsor and any of their contacts or relationships regarding a potential initial business combination. Additionally, we have not engaged or retained any agent or other representative to identify or locate any suitable acquisition candidate. Subject to the requirement that our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses or assets having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any taxes payable) at the time of the agreement to enter into such initial business combination, we have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting one or more prospective target businesses. 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, this assessment may not 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 impact a target business.

 

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We may seek to raise additional funds through a private offering of debt or equity securities in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination, and we may effectuate our initial business combination using the proceeds of such offering rather than using the amounts held in the trust account. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, we would consummate such financing only simultaneously with the consummation of our 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 law or the Nasdaq Capital Market, we would seek shareholder approval of such financing. There are no prohibitions on our ability to raise funds privately or through loans in connection with our initial business combination. At this time, we are not a party to any arrangement or understanding with any third party with respect to raising any additional funds through the sale of securities or otherwise.

 

Sources of target businesses

 

We anticipate that target business candidates will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment bankers, venture capital funds, private equity groups, leveraged buyout funds, management buyout funds and other members of the financial community. 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 also may 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, also may 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 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 finder’s fees 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. Although some of our officers and directors may enter into employment or consulting agreements with the acquired business following our initial business combination, the presence or absence of any such 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 company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with such a company, we, or a committee of independent directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions on the type of target business we seek to acquire that such an initial business combination is fair to our unaffiliated shareholders from a financial point of view.

 

Selection of a target business and structuring of our initial business combination

 

Subject to the requirement that our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses or assets having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any taxes payable) at the time of the agreement to enter into such initial business combination, our management will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting one or more prospective target businesses. In any case, we will only consummate an initial business combination in which we become the majority shareholder of the target (or control the target through contractual arrangements in limited circumstances for regulatory compliance purposes as discussed below) or are otherwise not required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act or to the extent permitted by law we may acquire interests in a variable interest entity, in which we may have less than a majority of the voting rights in such entity, but in which we are the primary beneficiary. 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 initial business combination. To the extent we effect our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth (such as a company that has begun operations but is not yet at the stage of commercial manufacturing and sales), 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 may not properly ascertain or assess all significant risk factors.

 

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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, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspection of facilities, as well as a review of financial and other information which will be made available to us.

 

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 a prospective target business with which a 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. We will not pay any finders or 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.

 

Fair market value of target business or businesses

 

The target business or businesses or assets with which we effect our initial business combination must have a collective fair market value equal to at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any taxes payable) at the time of the agreement to enter into such initial business combination. If we acquire less than 100% of one or more target businesses in our initial business combination, the aggregate fair market value of the portion or portions we acquire must equal at least 80% of the value of the trust account at the time of the agreement to enter into such initial business combination. However, we will always acquire at least a controlling interest in a target business. The fair market value of a portion of a target business or assets will likely be calculated by multiplying the fair market value of the entire business by the percentage of the target we acquire. We may seek to consummate our initial business combination with an initial target business or businesses with a collective fair market value in excess of the balance in the trust account. In order to consummate such an initial business combination, we may issue a significant amount of debt, equity or other securities to the sellers of such business and/or seek to raise additional funds through a private offering of debt, equity or other securities. If we issue securities in order to consummate such an initial business combination, our shareholders could end up owning a minority of the combined company’s voting securities as there is no requirement that our shareholders own a certain percentage of our company (or, depending on the structure of the initial business combination, an ultimate parent company that may be formed) after our business combination. Because we have no specific business combination under consideration, we have not entered into any such arrangement to issue our debt or equity securities and have no current intention of doing so.

 

The fair market value of a target business or businesses or assets will be determined by our board of directors based upon standards generally accepted by the financial community, such as actual and potential gross margins, the values of comparable businesses, earnings and cash flow, book value, enterprise value and, where appropriate, upon the advice of appraisers or other professional consultants. Investors will be relying on the business judgment of our board of directors, which will have significant discretion in choosing the standard used to establish the fair market value of a particular target business. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine that the target business or assets has a sufficient fair market value to meet the threshold criterion, we will obtain an opinion from an unaffiliated, independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions on the type of target business we seek to acquire with respect to the satisfaction of such criterion. Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless we consummate a business combination with an affiliated entity, we are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm, or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions on the type of target business we seek to acquire, that the price we are paying is fair to our shareholders.

 

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Lack of business diversification

 

For an indefinite period of time after consummation 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. By consummating our initial 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 initial business combination with that business, our assessment of the target business’ management may not prove to be correct. The future role of members of our management team, if any, in the target business cannot presently be stated with any certainty. Consequently, members of our management team may not become a part of the target’s management team, and the future management may not have the necessary skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company. Further, it is also not certain whether one or more of our directors will remain associated in some capacity with us following our initial business combination. Moreover, members of our management team may not have significant experience or knowledge relating to the operations of the particular target business. Our key personnel may not 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 our initial business combination, we may seek to recruit additional managers to supplement the incumbent management of the target business. We may not 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

 

Although we may seek shareholder approval before we effect our initial business combination, we may not do so for business or legal reasons (so long as such transaction does not require shareholder approval under the Companies Act or the Nasdaq Capital Market rules). Presented in the table below is a graphic explanation of the types of initial business combinations we may consider and whether we expect shareholder approval would be required under the Companies Act for each such transaction.

 

Type of Transaction  Whether Shareholder Approval is Required
Purchase of assets  No
Purchase of stock of target not involving a merger with the company  No
Merger of target with a subsidiary of the company  No
Merger of the company with a target  Yes
Entering into contractual agreements with a target to obtain control  No

 

We also may be required to obtain shareholder approval if we wish to take certain actions in connection with our initial business combination such as adopting an incentive stock or share plan or amending our memorandum and articles of association.

 

Redemption rights for public shareholders upon consummation of our initial business combination

 

We will provide our shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares upon the consummation 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, including interest (net of taxes payable), 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 $10.25 per share, whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full. Our sponsor, other initial shareholders, officers, directors or affiliates have agreed to waive their right to receive liquidating distributions if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within the requisite time period for their private units and founder shares. 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 receive liquidating distributions with respect to such public shares if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within the required time period.

 

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Manner of Conducting Redemptions

 

We are a foreign private issuer within the meaning of the rules under the Exchange Act and, as such, for so long as we remain a foreign private issuer, we are required to comply with the tender offer rules in connection with our initial business combination. We do not intend to conduct a shareholder vote in connection with our initial business combination unless required by Nasdaq rules or applicable laws for so long as we remain a foreign private issuer. We will provide our shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination by means of a tender offer as set forth in our memorandum and articles of incorporation and pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act. If we are a foreign private issuer and we are required by Nasdaq rules or applicable laws to hold a shareholder vote, we will do so, but redemptions will still be effectuated pursuant to the tender offer rules described above. To the extent Nasdaq rules or applicable laws require redemption pursuant to a shareholder vote, even if we are also conducting a tender offer, we will comply with such rules or laws. We will file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which will 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. If we conduct a tender offer, we will not be permitted to consummate our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. Our offer to redeem shall remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act.

 

Many blank check companies would not be able to consummate our initial business combination if the holders of the company’s public shares elected to redeem more than a specified maximum percentage of the shares sold in such company’s initial public offering, which percentage threshold has typically been between 19.99% and 39.99%. As a result, many blank check companies have been unable to complete business combinations because the amount of shares redeemed by their public shareholders electing redemption exceeded the maximum redemption threshold pursuant to which such company could proceed with our initial business combination. Because we have no such specified maximum redemption threshold, our structure is different in this respect from the structure that has been used by many blank check companies. However, 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. Furthermore, the redemption threshold may be further limited by the terms and conditions of our initial business combination. In such case, we would not proceed with the redemption of our public shares and the related business combination, and instead may search for an alternate business combination.

 

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In connection with the successful consummation of our business combination, we may redeem pursuant to a tender offer up to that number of ordinary shares that would permit us to maintain net tangible assets of $5,000,001. However, the redemption threshold may be further limited by the terms and conditions of our proposed initial business combination. For example, the proposed business combination may require: (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or members of its management team, (ii) cash to be transferred to the target for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the allocation of cash to satisfy other conditions in accordance with the terms of the proposed business combination, or any combination thereof. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all shares that are validly tendered 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 consummate the business combination, we will not purchase any shares pursuant to the tender offer and all shares will be returned to the holders thereof following the expiration of the tender offer. Additionally, since we are required to maintain net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 (which may be substantially higher depending on the terms of our potential business combination), the chance that the holders of our ordinary shares electing to redeem in connection with a redemption conducted pursuant to the tender offer rules will cause us to fall below such minimum requirement is increased.

 

When we conduct a tender offer to redeem our public shares upon consummation of our initial business combination, in order to comply with the tender offer rules, the offer will be made to all of our shareholders, not just our public shareholders.

 

Our initial shareholders (and/or our sponsor’s designees) have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares, private shares and public shares in connection with any such tender offer.

 

If we are no longer deemed a foreign private issuer (and no longer required to comply with the foreign private issuer rules), we will conduct redemptions like other blank check companies in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules (i.e., a shareholder vote) or pursuant to the tender offer rules. If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, we will conduct a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules or the tender offer rules and, in connection therewith, provide our public shareholders with the redemption rights described above upon consummation of the initial business combination.

 

If we seek shareholder approval, we will consummate our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding ordinary shares voted are voted in favor of the business combination. In such case, our sponsor, directors, officers and affiliates have agreed to vote their founder shares, any private shares purchased in the private placement, 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. Each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction. In addition, our initial shareholders including our sponsor have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to its founder shares, private shares and public shares in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination. 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. Furthermore, the redemption threshold may be further limited by the terms and conditions of our initial business combination. In such case, we would not proceed with the redemption of our public shares and the related business combination, and instead may search for an alternate business combination.

 

Limitation on redemption rights upon consummation of our initial business combination if we seek shareholder approval

 

If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our memorandum and articles of association provides that a public shareholder, individually or 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. 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 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 or our management at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our shareholders’ ability to redeem no 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 consummate our initial business combination, particularly in connection with our initial business combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. We will resolve any disputes relating to whether a public shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” either by requiring certifications under the penalty of perjury to such effect by public shareholders or via adjudication in court.

 

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Permitted purchases of our securities by our affiliates

 

If we seek shareholder approval of our business combination, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions either prior to or following the consummation of our initial business combination. Such purchases will not be made if our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates are in possession of any material non-public information that has not been disclosed to the selling shareholder. Such a purchase would 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 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. Our initial shareholders, officers, directors and their affiliates could purchase sufficient shares so that the initial business combination may be approved without the majority vote of public shares held by non-affiliates. It is intended that, if Rule 10b-18 would apply to purchases by our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates, then such purchases will comply with Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act, to the extent it applies, which provides a safe harbor for purchases made under certain conditions, including with respect to timing, pricing and volume of purchases.

 

The purpose of such purchases would be to (1) increase the likelihood of obtaining shareholder approval of the business combination or (2) 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 the business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. This may result in the consummation of an initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible.

 

As a consequence of any such purchases, the public “float” of our ordinary shares may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain the listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange following consummation of a business combination.

 

Tendering share certificates in connection with redemption rights

 

If we engage in tender offer or a proxy solicitation for a business combination, we will 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 up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the business combination, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option. Accordingly, a public shareholder would have up to two days prior to the vote on the business combination to tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. Given the relatively short exercise period, 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 $45.00 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 our 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 redemption rights. After the business combination was approved, the company would contact such shareholder to arrange for him to deliver his certificate to verify ownership. As a result, the shareholder then had an “option window” after the consummation of the business combination during which he could monitor the price of the company’s shares in the market. If the price rose above the redemption price, he could sell his shares in the open market before actually delivering his shares to the company for cancellation. As a result, the redemption rights, to which shareholders were aware they needed to commit before the shareholder meeting, would become “option” rights surviving past the consummation of the business combination until the redeeming holder delivered its certificate. The requirement for physical or electronic delivery at or prior to the meeting ensures that a redeeming holder’s election to redeem is irrevocable once the business combination is approved.

 

Any request to redeem such shares, once made, may be withdrawn at any time up to the date of the shareholder meeting set forth in our proxy materials. 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 initial business combination.

 

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If the initial business combination is not approved (if we were to seek shareholder approval) or completed for any reason, then our public shareholders who elected to tender their shares or 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 consummated, we may continue to try to consummate our initial business combination with a different target until 21 months from the closing of this offering.

 

Redemption of public shares and liquidation if no initial business combination

 

Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed that we must complete our initial business combination within 21 months from the closing of this offering. We may not be able to find a suitable target business and consummate our initial business combination within such time period. If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within 21 months from the closing of this offering, we will, as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than five business days thereafter (subject to our memorandum and articles of association and the laws of the British Virgin Islands), distribute the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), pro rata to our public shareholders by way of redemption and cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up of our affairs. This redemption of public shareholders from the trust account shall be effected as required by function of our memorandum and articles of association and prior to any voluntary winding up, although at all times subject to the Companies Act.

 

Following the redemption of public shares, we intend to enter “voluntary liquidation” which is the statutory process for formally closing and dissolving a company under the laws of the British Virgin Islands. Given that we intend to enter voluntary liquidation following the redemption of public shareholders from the trust account, we do not expect that the voluntary liquidation process will cause any delay to the payment of redemption proceeds from our trust account. In connection with such a voluntary liquidation, the liquidator would give notice to creditors inviting them to submit their claims for payment, by notifying known creditors (if any) who have not submitted claims and by placing a public advertisement in at least one newspaper published in the British Virgin Islands newspaper and in at least one newspaper circulating in the location where we have our principal place of business, and taking any other steps the liquidator considers appropriate to identify our creditors, after which our remaining assets would be distributed. As soon as our affairs are fully wound-up, the liquidator must complete his statement of account and make a notificational filing with the Registrar. We would be dissolved once the Registrar issues a Certificate of Dissolution.

 

Our initial shareholders (and/or our sponsor’s designees) have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and private units if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within the applicable period from the closing of this offering.

 

However, if our sponsor, or any of our officers, directors or affiliates acquire public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distribution with respect to such public shares if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within the required time period. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless in the event we do not consummate our initial business combination within 21 months of the closing of this offering. We will pay the costs of our liquidation from our remaining assets outside of the trust account. However, the liquidator may determine that he or she requires additional time to evaluate creditors’ claims (particularly if there is uncertainty over the validity or extent of the claims of any creditors). Also, a creditor or shareholder may file a petition with the BVI court which, if successful, may result in our liquidation being subject to the supervision of that court. Such events might delay distribution of some or all of our remaining assets.

 

Additionally, in any liquidation proceedings under British Virgin Islands law, the funds held in our trust account may be included in our estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our shareholders. To the extent any such claims deplete the trust account we may not be able to return to our public shareholders the liquidation amounts payable to them.

 

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If we were to expend all of the net proceeds of this offering, 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 initially be $10.25 (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full). 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. Furthermore, our underwriters may seek recourse against the proceeds in the trust account relating to any future claims they may have against us. The actual per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may therefore be less than $10.25, plus interest (net of any taxes payable).

 

Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers, 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 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. Pursuant to a letter agreement among us, EarlyBirdCapital, Inc., our sponsor, and each of our directors and officers, which has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, in order to protect the amounts held in the trust account, Bison Capital, our sponsor, agreed that it will be liable to us, if and to the extent any claims by a vendor for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amounts in the trust account to below $10.25 per share (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), except as to any claims by a third party 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. In the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, Bison Capital will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third party claims. However, Bison Capital may not be able to satisfy those obligations. None of our other officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses. We have not independently verified whether Bison Capital has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations. We believe the likelihood of Bison Capital having to indemnify the trust account is limited because we will endeavor to have all vendors and prospective target businesses as well as other entities execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the trust account.

 

In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below $10.25 per share (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) and Bison Capital asserts that it is unable to satisfy any applicable obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against Bison Capital to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against Bison Capital 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 in any particular instance. Accordingly, due to claims of creditors, the actual value of the per-share redemption price may be less than $10.25 per share (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full).

 

We will seek to reduce the possibility that Bison Capital will have to indemnify the trust account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers, 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. Bison Capital 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 $500,000 not placed in the trust account 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 $20,000). 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 $500,000, we may fund such excess with funds from the estimated $500,000 not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to hold outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $500,000 the amount of funds we intend to hold outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.

 

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If we are deemed insolvent for the purposes of the Insolvency Act (i.e., (i) we fail to comply with the requirements of a statutory demand that has not been set aside under Section 157 of the Insolvency Act; (ii) execution or other process issued on a judgment, decree or order of a British Virgin Islands court in favor of a creditor of ours is returned wholly or partly unsatisfied; or (iii) either the value of our liabilities exceeds its assets, or the company is unable to pay its debts as they fall due), then there are very limited circumstances where prior payments made to shareholders or other parties may be deemed to be a “voidable transaction” for the purposes of the Insolvency Act. A voidable transaction would include, for these purposes, a payment made as “unfair preferences” or a “transaction at an undervalue”. A liquidator appointed over an insolvent company who considers that a particular transaction or payment is a voidable transaction under the Insolvency Act could apply to a British Virgin Islands courts for an order setting aside that payment or transaction in whole or in part.

 

Additionally, if we enter insolvent liquidation under the Insolvency Act, the funds held in our trust account will likely be included in our estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our shareholders. To the extent any insolvency claims deplete the trust account you may not be able to return to our public shareholders the liquidation amounts due them.

 

Our public shareholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only in the event of a redemption of the public shares prior to any winding up in the event we do not consummate our initial business combination within 21 months of the closing of this offering, if they redeem their shares in connection with an initial business combination that we consummate, or if we seek to amend our memorandum and articles of association to affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem all public shares if we cannot complete an initial business combination within 21 months of the closing of this offering. In no other circumstances shall 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 shareholder’s redeeming its shares to us for an applicable pro rata share of the trust account. Such shareholder must also exercise its redemption rights described above.

 

Comparison of redemption or purchase prices in connection with our initial business combination and if we fail to consummate 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 consummation of our initial business combination and if we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within 21 months from the closing of this offering.

 

    Redemptions in
Connection with our
Initial Business
Combination
  Redemptions if we fail to Consummate
our 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, if required by Nasdaq or applicable laws or if we lose our foreign private issuer status, 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 (which is initially anticipated to be $10.25 per share, whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), including interest less taxes payable and any additional amount released to us as permitted under the trust agreement, 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 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 are unable to consummate our initial business combination within 21 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 $10.25 per share, whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), including interest less taxes payable and less such net interest to pay dissolution expenses, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares.
     
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 commissions and taxes payable.   The redemption of our public shares if we fail to consummate our initial business combination will reduce the book value per share for the shares held by our initial shareholders, including our sponsor, who will be our remaining shareholders after such redemptions.

 

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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 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 over-allotment option. 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   $51,250,000 (or $58,937,500 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) of the net offering proceeds, which includes the $3,750,000 net proceeds from the sale of the private units ($4,162,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), will be deposited into a trust account in the Unites States at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee.   Approximately $52,500,000 of the offering proceeds, representing the gross proceeds of this offering, less allowable underwriting commissions, expenses and company deductions under Rule 419 would be required to 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   $51,250,000 (or $58,937,500 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) of the net offering proceeds, which includes the $3,750,000 net proceeds from the sale of the private units ($4,162,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) held in trust will be invested only in U.S. government treasury bills, notes or bonds with a maturity of 180 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act and which invest solely in U.S. Treasuries.   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.
         
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 then (ii) any interest that can be used for working capital purposes, including amounts necessary to fund our dissolution and liquidation if we are unable to complete a business combination within the required time period.   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 consummation of a business combination.
         
Limitation on fair value or net assets of target business   Our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses or assets having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any taxes payable) at the time of the agreement to enter into such initial business combination.   The fair value or net assets of a target business must represent at least 80% of the maximum offering proceeds.

 

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    Terms of Our Offering   Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering
Trading of securities issued   The public units will begin trading on or promptly after the effective date of this prospectus. The ordinary shares, rights and warrants comprising the public units will begin to trade separately on the 90th day after the date of this prospectus unless EarlyBirdCapital informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading (based upon its assessment of the relative strengths of the securities markets and small capitalization companies in general, and the trading pattern of, and demand for, our securities in particular), provided we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K, which includes an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the proceeds of this offering.   No trading of the units or the underlying ordinary shares or 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.
         
Exercise of the warrants   The warrants cannot be exercised until the consummation of a business combination and, accordingly, will be exercised only after the trust account has been terminated and distributed.   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, including interest less taxes payable, upon the consummation of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein and any limitations (including but not limited to cash requirements) agreed to in connection with the negotiation of terms of a proposed business combination. As a foreign private issuer we are required to comply with the tender offer rules and for so long as we remain a foreign private issuer we will offer to redeem our public shares pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC and our memorandum and articles of association 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.

 

As long as we remain a foreign private issuer and are required to comply with the tender offer rules, unless otherwise required by Nasdaq rules or applicable laws, we do not intend to conduct a shareholder vote. If we are a foreign private issuer and we are required by Nasdaq rules or applicable laws to hold a shareholder vote, we will do so, but redemptions will still be effectuated pursuant to the tender offer rules described above. To the extent Nasdaq rules or applicable laws require redemption pursuant to a shareholder vote, even if we are also conducting a tender offer, we will comply with such rules or laws.

 

If we are no longer deemed a foreign private issuer (and no longer required to comply with the foreign issuer rules), we will conduct the redemptions like other blank check companies in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules or pursuant to the tender offer 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
Election to remain an investor (continued)    If we lose our foreign private issuer status and we seek shareholder approval, we will consummate our initial business combination by means of a tender offer or if a majority of the outstanding ordinary shares voted are voted in favor of the business combination. Each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction. In such case, we will, like many blank check companies, offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules or pursuant to the tender offer rules.    
         
Business combination deadline   If we are unable to complete our initial business combination by 21 months from the closing of this offering, we will, as soon as reasonably possible but not more than five business days thereafter (subject to our memorandum and articles of association and the laws of the British Virgin Islands), distribute the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), pro rata to our public shareholders by way of redemption and cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up of our affairs, but always subject to the Companies Act. This redemption of public shareholders from the trust account shall be effected as required by function of our memorandum and articles of association and prior to any voluntary winding up.   If an acquisition has not been consummated 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.
         
Release of funds   Except for interest earned on the funds in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our tax obligations, the proceeds held in the trust account will not be released until the earlier of the completion of our initial business combination and the redemption of public shareholders upon failure to effect our initial business combination within the allotted time.   The proceeds held in the escrow account are not released until the earlier of the completion of a business combination and the failure to effect our initial business combination within the allotted time.

 

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Comparison of This Offering to Those of Many Blank Check Companies Not Subject to Rule 419

 

The following table compares the terms of this offering to the terms of many blank check companies that are not subject to Rule 419. Each term of this offering described in the table below is located in our memorandum and articles of association.

 

    Terms of Our Offering   Terms of Many Blank
Check Offerings
  Impact on Whether a
Particular Business
Combination is
Completed
Requirement to conduct a tender offer or hold a shareholder vote   We will provide our shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their ordinary shares upon the consummation of our initial business combination on the terms described in this prospectus. As a foreign private issuer we are required to conduct these redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules without filing a proxy statement with the SEC and without conducting a shareholder vote to approve our initial business combination (unless Nasdaq rules or applicable laws require us to conduct a shareholder vote). Pursuant to our memorandum and articles of association and SEC rules, if we file tender offer documents with the SEC they 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. If we are no longer deemed to be a foreign private issuer we may instead seek shareholder approval in connection with our initial business combination. In such case, 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 or pursuant to the tender offer rules, and file proxy materials with the SEC.   Many blank check companies are required to file a proxy statement with the SEC and hold a shareholder vote to approve their initial business combination regardless of whether such a vote is required by law. These blank check companies may not consummate their initial business combinations if the majority of the relevant companies’ public shares voted are voted against a proposed business combination.   Our ability to consummate our initial business combination without conducting a shareholder vote in the event that a shareholder vote is not required by law may increase the likelihood that we will be able to complete our initial business combination and decrease the ability of public shareholders to affect whether or not a particular business combination is completed.
             
Required shareholder vote if we hold a shareholder vote   If we are no longer deemed to be a foreign private issuer and we seek shareholder approval in conjunction with the consummation of our initial business combination, a majority of all shares voted that are entitled to vote are required to approve the business combination.   Many blank check companies require that majority of the public shares that are voted and entitled to vote approve the business combination.   Our ability to consummate our initial business combination by allowing all of our shareholders to vote in connection with our business combination will increase the likelihood that we will be able to complete our initial business combination.

 

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    Terms of Our Offering   Terms of Many Blank
Check Offerings
  Impact on Whether a
Particular Business
Combination is
Completed
Requirement to vote against a business combination in order to redeem   If we are no longer deemed to be a foreign private issuer and we seek shareholder approval in conjunction with the consummation of our initial business combination, each public shareholder (other than our sponsor) may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction.   Many blank check companies require public shareholders to vote against the proposed business combination in order to redeem their shares.   The ability of our public shareholders to vote in favor of a business combination and redeem their shares may increase the likelihood that we will be able to complete our initial business combination and decrease the ability of public shareholders to affect whether or not a particular business combination is completed.
     

Limited Redemption Rights of 20% Public Shareholders

 

 

  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 memorandum and articles of association provides that a public shareholder, individually or 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.   Many blank check companies limit the redemption rights of 10% – 20% public shareholders and limit the voting rights of such public shareholders.   We believe this restriction 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.
     
Redemption threshold   We do not have a specified maximum redemption threshold apart from the limitation that we will not redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001. Furthermore, the redemption threshold may be further limited by the terms and conditions of our initial business combination. In such case, we would not proceed with the redemption of our public shares and the related business combination, and instead may search for an alternate business combination.   Many blank check companies are not permitted to consummate our initial business combination if more than a specified percentage of the shares sold in such company’s initial public offering, which percentage threshold has typically been between 19.99% and 39.99%, elect to redeem or redeem their shares in connection with the shareholder vote.   The absence of a redemption threshold in our offering will make it easier for us to consummate our initial business combination even if a substantial majority of our shareholders do not agree.

 

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Competition

 

In identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business for our initial 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 significant experience identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Moreover, many of these competitors possess greater financial, technical, human and other resources than us. 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, the requirement that we acquire a target business or businesses having a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any taxes payable) at the time of the agreement to enter into the business combination, our obligation to pay cash in connection with our public shareholders who exercise their redemption rights and the number of 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 our initial business combination.

 

Facilities

 

We currently maintain our executive offices at 609-610 21st Century Tower, No. 40 Liangmaqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100016, China. The cost for this space is included in the $5,000 per month fee that we pay an affiliate of our sponsor for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative services. We believe, based on rents and fees for similar services in the metropolitan area that this amount is at least as favorable as we could have obtained from an unaffiliated person. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.

 

Employees

 

We currently have three executive 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 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. We do not intend to have any full time employees prior to the consummation of our initial business combination.

 

Periodic Reporting and Financial Information

 

Upon completion of this offering, we will be subject to the periodic reporting and financial information requirements of the Exchange Act as applicable to foreign private issuers. Until we consummate a business combination, however, we intend to file annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K applicable to domestic companies with the SEC, although we do not intend to comply with Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act in regards to proxy statements for shareholder meetings, except that our memorandum and articles of association requires us to comply with Regulation 14A for shareholder proxy solicitation in relation to our business combination. After such time, we may elect to file annual reports on Form 20-F and reports on Form 6-K as a foreign private issuer, to the extent we remain one. 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.

 

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We will provide shareholders with audited financial statements of the prospective target business as part of any tender offer or proxy solicitation documents sent to shareholders to assist them in assessing the target business. In all likelihood, the financial information included in the proxy solicitation materials will need to be prepared in accordance with 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. The financial statements may also be required to be prepared in accordance with GAAP for the Form 8-K announcing the closing of an initial business combination, which would need to be filed within four business days thereafter. 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 consummate our initial business combination within our 21 month time frame.

 

We will be required to have our internal control procedures evaluated for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2018 required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. A target company 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.

 

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in 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. We will remain an “emerging growth company” for up to five years, although if our non-convertible debt issued within a three year period or revenues exceeds $1 billion, or if the market value of our ordinary shares that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million on the last day of our second fiscal quarter, we would cease to be an “emerging growth company” as of the following fiscal year.

 

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, and we and the members of our management team have not been subject to any such proceeding in the 12 months preceding the date of this prospectus.

 

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MANAGEMENT

 

Our current directors, officers and director nominees are listed below.

 

Name   Age   Position
Peixin Xu   45   President, Director and Chairman of the Board
James Jiayuan Tong   43   Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Director
Peng Jin   41   Chief Operating Officer and Secretary
Charles Vincent Prizzi   42   Director nominee*
 Thomas Folinsbee   49   Director nominee*
        Director nominee*

 

* This individual has indicated his assent to occupy such position upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms part.

 

Mr. Peixin Xu has been our President and Chairman of the Board since December 2016. Since March 2013, Mr. Xu has been the Founder, Managing Partner and Director of our sponsor. He has been a Director at AirMedia Group, Inc., a Nasdaq-listed operator of out-of-home advertising platforms in China targeting mid-to-high-end consumers in the travel Wi-Fi market since September 2013. In addition, since July 2016, Mr. Xu has been a Non-Executive Director of Target Capital Management Limited, an asset management company established in Hong Kong and licensed under the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong. Target Capital Management Limited manages discretionary portfolios and one hedge fund for individual and institutional clients, and invests in equities in selected Asian countries, which includes ASEAN countries, China and Hong Kong along with the United States and European countries across all sectors and market capitalization.  Mr. Xu also co-founded Beijing Redbaby Info-Tech Co, the largest ecommerce service provider for baby and maternity products in China, and has been the Chairman of Beijing Redbaby since June 2004. Mr. Xu has also served as an independent director and chairman of the strategy committee of Bona Film Group Ltd, a Nasdaq-listed public company focusing on vertically integrated filming in China, since November 2011. Mr. Xu has also been a researcher at Peking University since 2007. From 2005 to June 2012, Mr. Xu was a Partner of New Enterprise Associates, one of the world’s largest and most active venture capital firms. Mr. Xu graduated from Tianjin University of Commerce with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration in 1993.

 

We believe Mr. Xu is well-qualified to serve as a member of our board due to his in-depth knowledge and experience in the Chinese and global capital markets and his experience in the fields of securities and financial services for over 10 years.

 

Dr. James Jiayuan Tong has been our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and a director since December 2016. Since October 2015, Dr. Tong has served as a Partner of our sponsor. Dr. Tong has served as a Venture Partner at Delta Capital, a venture capital and early growth investment firm, since September 2015. From December 2014 until September 2015, Dr. Tong worked as an advisor to Delta Capital. From 2010 to November 2014, he worked as Chief Financial Officer at Tianyin Pharmaceutical Co., Inc, a U.S. public company that manufactures and sells biopharmaceutical herbal medicines, branded generics and other pharmaceuticals in Asia. From 2008 to 2010, Dr. Tong worked as Vice President in the investment banking department at Roth Capital, an investment banking firm headquartered in Newport Beach, CA. In 2007, Dr. Tong was a biotech equity research analyst for Rodman & Renshaw. In 2006, Dr. Tong was principal investigator at the Grass Foundation Laboratory at the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA. From 2002 to 2005, Dr. Tong was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Center for Molecular Medicine and Mitochondrial Genetics at the University of California, Irvine focusing on Neurofibromatosis, cognitive disorders and longevity research. Dr. Tong graduated from Peking University Healthcare Center with a Medical Degree in 1996 and from Stony Brook University and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory with a Doctor of Philosophy degree majored in Neurobiology and Behavior in 2002.

 

We believe Dr. Tong is well-qualified to serve as a member of the board because of his experience in healthcare and medical industries, his knowledge of capital markets and investment management, and his experience in U.S. public companies.

 

Mr. Peng Jin has been our Chief Operating Officer since December 2016. Since August 2014, Mr. Jin has been a Managing Partner of our sponsor. In addition, since July 2016, Mr. Jin has been a Non-Executive Director of Target Capital Management Limited. From August 2000 until December 2002, Mr. Jin worked at 21 Vianet (Nasdaq: VNET) as Vice President in charge of operations. From 2003 to 2008, Mr. Jin was a Partner at China eCapital, a boutique investment bank. During his stay at China eCapital, Mr. Jin led many fund raising, leveraged buyout and cross-border M&A transactions in the Internet and consumer service industries. In 2008, Mr. Jin co-founded Keytone Ventures, a U.S. dollar venture capital fund focused on early-growth stage technology investment opportunities and served as a Partner there until May 2014. Mr. Jin holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance and Information Systems from New York University, Stern School of Business.

 

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Mr. Charles Vincent Prizzi will be one of our directors as of the effective date of this registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Mr. Prizzi has been the Vice President for Development and Community Relations and a member of the senior administrative team at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a world-renowned cancer and neuroscience research institution based in New York, since February 2000. Mr. Prizzi has also served as one of Cold Spring Harbor’s liaisons to Accelerate Long Island, an organization composed of leading research institutions to strengthen Long Island’s regional biotechnology cluster, since May 2012. Mr. Prizzi has also served on the charity boards of Save the Children – Long Island Chapter, the Cold Spring Harbor Education Foundation, the Long Island University Alumni Board, the Thomas Hartman Foundation for Parkinson's Research and the Don Monti Memorial Cancer Research Foundation. Mr. Prizzi received both his Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science from Long Island University, where he was honored with the Outstanding Alumni Award. He received the Special Humanitarian Award from the Sons of Italy in America Grand Lodge of New York in 2007 and the “40 Under 40” Award by Long Island Business News in 2013.

 

We believe Mr. Prizzi is well-qualified to serve as a member of our board due to his experience and success in research, science education, management and fund raising.

 

Mr. Thomas Folinsbee, CFA, is a director nominee. Mr. Folinsbee is Director of Corporate Development of 3SBio Inc.’s strategic investment division with a focus on sourcing business development opportunities in Canada, Australia and Japan, including licensing, distribution and M&A. Mr. Folinsbee joined 3SBio, a biotechnology company, in 2009 to manage 3SBio’s investor relations activities and was a member of the management group which delisted 3SBio from NASDAQ in May 2013 and relisted it on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in June 2016. In addition, since 2011, Mr. Folinsbee has worked with the board of directors of Hisanaga Seisakusho Co. Ltd, a Japanese company, where he helped launch Hisanaga’s sales platform in India and designed a business intelligence system to support a corporate turnaround.  Mr. Folinsbee has over 25 years of experience as a financial and securities professional. In 2001, Mr. Folinsbee established Optivest Systems Ltd and developed proprietary research databases to support institutional investment strategies. In 2006, Mr. Folinsbee joined BNP Paribas’ Asian Execution Services desk where he helped institutional investors implement statistical arbitrage strategies and post-trade analytics. In 2008, he rejoined Macquarie Equities (Hong Kong) Limited in its Alternative Strategies Division where he packaged long-short trading strategies in collaboration with the equity research platform. Mr. Folinsbee had previously been at Macquarie from 1998 to 2001. Mr. Folinsbee graduated in 1990 from McGill University with a Bachelor of Commerce degree with concentrations in finance and international business (with distinction).

 

We believe that Mr. Folinsbee is well-qualified to serve as a member of our board due to his financial and investment experience and his experience in operating and sourcing business opportunities worldwide.

 

There are no family relationships between any of our directors or senior management. There are no arrangements or understandings with major shareholders, customers, suppliers or others, pursuant to which any person referred to above was selected as a director or member of senior management. The Company is not aware of any agreements or arrangements between any director and any person or entity other than the Company relating to the compensation or other payments in connection with such director’s candidacy or service as a director of the Company.

 

Prior Involvement of Management in Blank Check Companies

 

No member of our management team has any previous experience with other blank check companies.

 

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

 

NASDAQ Marketplace Rules and Home Country Practices

 

As long as we remain a foreign private issuer, we are permitted to follow home country practice in lieu of certain of Nasdaq’s corporate governance requirements that are applicable to U.S. companies listed on Nasdaq. Upon our listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market, we will certify to Nasdaq that our corporate governance practices are in compliance with, and are not prohibited by, BVI law. The significant ways in which our corporate governance practices differ from those followed by U.S. companies listed on Nasdaq are that, for so long as we remain a foreign private issuer:

 

  in lieu of obtaining shareholder approval prior to the issuance of securities (including adoption of any equity incentive plan or issuance of shares relating to a business combination), we may comply with provisions of BVI law, which allow the board of directors to approve all share issuances.

 

  in lieu of holding regularly scheduled meetings of the board of directors at which only independent directors are present, we may decide not to hold such regularly scheduled meetings.

 

As a foreign private issuer, we are not required to solicit proxies or provide proxy statements to Nasdaq pursuant to Nasdaq corporate governance rules or BVI law. Consistent with BVI law as applicable to us under our memorandum and articles, we will notify our shareholders of meetings no less than 10 days and no more than 60 days before the meeting. This notification will contain, among other things, information regarding business to be transacted at the meeting.

 

Other than the home country practices described above, we are not aware of any significant ways in which our corporate governance practices differ from those followed by U.S. domestic companies under the Nasdaq rules.

 

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Director Independence

 

The Nasdaq Capital Market requires that a majority of our board must be composed of “independent directors,” which is defined generally as a person other than an officer or employee of the company or its subsidiaries or any other individual having a relationship, which, in the opinion of the company’s board of directors would interfere with the director’s exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director.

 

Upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, Messrs.                            , Thomas Folinsbee and Charles Prizzi will be our independent directors. Our independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present. Any affiliated transactions will be on terms that our board believes are no less favorable to us than could be obtained from independent parties.

 

Executive Officer and Director Compensation

 

We will pay to our independent directors an annual retainer of $12,000 each (to be prorated for a partial term), payable in arrears commencing on the first anniversary of the closing of this offering and ending on the earlier of the consummation of our initial business combination and our liquidation. Additionally,                     , as chairman of the audit committee will be paid an additional $2,400 per year. Commencing on the date of this prospectus through the earlier of consummation of our initial business combination and our liquidation, we will pay an affiliate of our sponsor a total of $5,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative services. This arrangement is being agreed to by our sponsor for our benefit and is not intended to provide our sponsor with additional compensation. We believe that such fees are at least as favorable as we could have obtained from an unaffiliated third party for such services. Except as set forth above, no compensation will be paid to our sponsor, executive officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates, prior to or in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination. Additionally, 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 independent directors will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers, directors or our or their affiliates.

 

After the completion of 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 shareholders, to the extent then known, in the tender offer materials or proxy solicitation materials furnished to our shareholders in connection with a proposed business combination. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time, as it will be up to the directors of the post-combination business to determine executive and director compensation. Any compensation to be paid to our officers will be determined, or recommended, to the board of directors for determination, either by a 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 executive officers and directors may negotiate employment or consulting arrangements to remain with us after the 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 executive officers and directors that provide for benefits upon termination of employment.

 

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. Messrs.                  , Thomas Folinsbee and Charles Prizzi will serve as members of our audit committee.                will serve as chairman of the audit committee. Under the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have three members of the audit committee all of whom must be independent. Messrs.                   ,   Thomas Folinsbee and Charles Prizzi are independent.

 

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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.

 

Responsibilities of the audit committee include:

 

  the appointment, compensation, retention, replacement, and oversight of the work of the independent auditors and any other independent registered public accounting firm engaged by us;
     
  pre-approving all audit and non-audit services to be provided by the independent auditors or any other registered public accounting firm engaged by us, and establishing pre-approval policies and procedures;
     
  reviewing and discussing with the independent auditors all relationships the auditors have with us in order to evaluate their continued independence;
     
  setting clear hiring policies for employees or former employees of the independent auditors;
     
  setting clear policies for audit partner rotation in compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
     
  obtaining and reviewing a report, at least annually, from the independent auditors describing (1) the independent auditor’s internal quality-control procedures and (2) 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, the independent auditors, 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

 

Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, and subject to the requirement of law or the Nasdaq market rules, we will establish a compensation committee of the board of directors. The members of our Compensation Committee will be Messrs.                   , Thomas Folinsbee and Charles Prizzi. Mr. Prizzi will serve as chairman 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’s based on such evaluation in executive session at which the Chief Executive Officer is not present;
     
  reviewing and approving the compensation of all of our other executive officers;
     
  reviewing 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 executive officers and employees;

 

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  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.

 

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 Nasdaq and the SEC.

 

Director Nominations

 

We do not have a standing nominating committee, though we intend to form a corporate governance and nominating committee as and when required to do so by law or Nasdaq rules. In accordance with Rule 5605(e)(2) of the Nasdaq rules, a majority of the independent directors may recommend a director nominee for selection by the board of directors. The board of directors believes that the independent directors can satisfactorily carry out the responsibility of properly selecting or approving director nominees without the formation of a standing nominating committee. The directors who shall participate in the consideration and recommendation of director nominees are Messrs.                   , Thomas Folinsbee and Charles Prizzi. In accordance with Rule 5605(e)(1)(A) of the Nasdaq rules, all such directors are independent. As there is no standing nominating committee, we do not have a nominating committee charter in place.

 

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 meeting of shareholders (or, if applicable, a special meeting of shareholders).

 

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, the 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.

 

Our board of directors is divided into two classes with only one class of directors being elected in each year and each class serving a two-year term. The term of office of the first class of directors, consisting of Messrs.                               , Thomas Folinsbee and Charles Prizzi, will expire at the first annual meeting. The term of office of the second class of directors, consisting of Mr. Peixin Xu and Dr. James Jiayuan Tong, will expire at the second annual meeting.

 

Code of Conduct and Ethics

 

We have adopted a code of conduct and ethics applicable to our directors, officers and employees in accordance with applicable federal securities laws.

 

Conflicts of Interest

 

Under British Virgin Islands law, the directors owe fiduciary duties at both common law and under statute, including a statutory duty to act honestly, in good faith and with a view to the company’s best interests. When exercising powers or performing duties as a director, the director shall exercise the care, diligence and skill that a reasonable director would exercise in the circumstances taking into account, without limitation the nature of the company; the nature of the decision; and the position of the director and the nature of the responsibilities undertaken by him. In exercising the powers of a director, the directors shall exercise their powers for a proper purpose and shall not act or agree to the company acting in a manner that contravenes our memorandum and articles of association or the Companies Act.

 

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In certain limited circumstances, a shareholder has the right to seek various remedies against the company in the event the directors are in breach of their duties under the Companies Act. Pursuant to Section 184B of the Companies Act, if a company or director of a company engages in, or proposes to engage in or has engaged in, conduct that contravenes the provisions of the Companies Act or the memorandum or articles of association of the company, a British Virgin Islands court may, on application of a shareholder or director of the company, make an order directing the company or director to comply with, or restraining the company or director from engaging in conduct that contravenes the Companies Act or the memorandum or articles of association. Furthermore, pursuant to Section 184I(1) of the Companies Act, a shareholder of a company who considers that the affairs of the company have been, are being or likely to be, conducted in a manner that is, or any acts of the company have been, or are likely to be oppressive, unfairly discriminatory, or unfairly prejudicial to him in that capacity, may apply to a British Virgin Islands court for an order that the court considers just and equitable which, inter alia, can require the company or any other person to pay compensation to the shareholders.

 

Potential investors should be aware of the following 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 affiliated. Our management may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.

 

  Our initial shareholders purchased founder shares prior to the date of this prospectus and our sponsors will purchase the private units in transactions that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Our initial shareholders have agreed to waive their right to liquidating distributions with respect to its founder shares if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within 21 months. However, if our initial shareholders acquire public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to receive liquidating distributions with respect to such public shares if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within the required time period. If we do not complete our initial business combination within such applicable time period, the proceeds of the sale of the private units will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares. On the date of this prospectus, the founder shares will be placed into an escrow account maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as escrow agent. Subject to certain limited exceptions, 50% of the founder shares will not be transferred, assigned, sold or released from escrow until the earlier of (i) one year after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination or (ii) the date on which the closing price of our ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.50 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations and recapitalizations) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after our initial business combination and the remaining 50% of the founder shares will not be transferred, assigned, sold or released from escrow until one year after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination, or earlier, in either case, if, subsequent to our initial business combination, we consummate a subsequent 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 units will not be transferable, assignable or salable by our initial shareholders until after the completion of our initial business combination. Additionally, they will not have liquidation rights with respect to the shares underlying such units.

 

  Affiliates of our sponsor engage in a broad spectrum of activities including principal investing, specialized investment vehicle management, asset management, financial advisory, securities underwriting, sales and trading, investment research, lending and other activities. In the ordinary course of business, they engage in activities where their interests or the interests of their clients may conflict with our interests. Accordingly, there may be situations in which our sponsor or its affiliates has an obligation or an interest that actually or potentially conflicts with our interests. You should assume that these conflicts will not be resolved in our favor and, as a result, we may be denied certain acquisition opportunities or otherwise disadvantaged in certain situations by our relationship to our sponsor and its affiliates.

 

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  Affiliates of our sponsor and their clients make investments in a variety of different businesses and may directly compete with us for acquisition opportunities provided or created by affiliates of our sponsor that meet our initial business combination objectives. You should assume that our sponsor and its affiliates and clients will have priority over us in terms of access to acquisition opportunities. If our sponsor is engaged to act for any such clients, we may be precluded from pursuing opportunities that would conflict with our sponsor’s obligations to such client. In addition, investment ideas generated within our sponsor may be suitable for our company or a client of our sponsor, and may be directed to any of such persons or entities rather than to us. Our sponsor may also be engaged to advise the seller of a company, business or assets that would qualify as an acquisition opportunity for us. In such cases, we may be precluded from participating in the sale process or from purchasing the company, business or assets. If, however, we are permitted to pursue the opportunity, the interests of our sponsor or its obligations to the seller may diverge from our interests.

 

  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 sponsor, officers and directors, and advisors have agreed to offer all suitable business combination opportunities to us before any other person or company until the consummation of our initial business combination, subject to any pre-existing contractual or fiduciary obligations they may have. 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 will be required to present such business combination opportunity to such entity prior to presenting such business combination opportunity to us or, in the case of a non-compete obligation, possibly prohibited from referring such opportunity to us. All of our officers and directors currently have fiduciary duties that take priority over their duties to us. In addition, none of the other firms, except Bison Capital, that our officers and directors are affiliated with, has any obligation to present any business combination opportunities to us. A description of the specific potential conflicts for our officers and directors arising from affiliations with other entities is contained in the table below, which summarizes the companies to which our officers and directors owe fiduciary obligations that would conflict with their fiduciary obligations to us.

 

Name   Entity
(Role)
  Industry   Pre-existing Fiduciary Obligations

Peixin Xu

 

 

Bison Capital Holding Company Limited (Managing Partner)

 

  Investment company focused on China-related opportunities in the media/entertainment, financial service and healthcare industries.   Mr. Xu, in his capacity with Bison Capital, regularly develops, pursues or is presented with investment opportunities in both the U.S. and China for investors in Asia. Accordingly, these opportunities may be presented to clients of Bison Capital prior to us.
             
   

AirMedia Group, Inc. (Nasdaq AMCN) (Director)

Target Capital Management Limited (Director)

 

 

An operator of out-of-home advertising platforms in China.

Portfolios and hedge fund management and investment in selected Asian countries and the U.S. and European countries.

 

  As a director of AirMedia Group, Inc., Target Capital Management Limited, Beijing Redbaby Info.-Tech Col., Ltd. and Bona Film Group Ltd, Mr. Xu must provide those companies with opportunities that he reasonably believes are ones that they may be interested in pursuing. To the extent any of such opportunities would be a potential target of us, we would not have priority in respect of those opportunities.

 

 

Beijing Redbaby Info-Tech Co., Ltd. (Founder and Chairman)

Bona Film Group Ltd. (Director)

 

  A B2C e-commerce company mainly focusing on the maternal and infant products.

Vertically integrated filming in China.
 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, Mr. Xu believes that Bison Capital and Target Capital Management Limited generally work with clients seeking investment opportunities rather than business acquisition opportunities, and AirMedia Group, Inc., Beijing Redbaby Info.-Tech Co., Ltd. and Bona Film Group Ltd focus on operational development rather than business acquisition opportunities. Thus, he believes there will be limited conflicts with us in respect of those companies.

 

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Name   Entity
(Role)
  Industry   Pre-existing Fiduciary Obligations
James Jiayuan Tong  

Bison Capital Holding Company Limited (Partner)

 

  An investment company focused on China-related opportunities in the media/entertainment, financial service and healthcare industries.   Dr. Tong, in his capacity with Bison Capital and Delta Capital, regularly develops, pursues or is presented with investment opportunities in both the U.S. and China for investors in Asia. Accordingly, these opportunities may be presented to clients of Bison Capital prior to us.
             
    Delta Capital (Partner)   An early growth investment firm.   However, Dr. Tong believes that Bison Capital and Delta Capital generally work with clients seeking investments opportunities rather than business acquisition opportunities, and thus he believes there will be limited conflicts with us.
             
Peng Jin  

Bison Capital Holding Company Limited (Managing Partner)

 

  An investment company focused on China-related opportunities in the media/entertainment, financial service and healthcare industries.   Mr. Jin, in his capacity with Bison Capital, regularly develops, pursues or is presented with investment opportunities in both U.S. and China for investors in Asia. Accordingly, these opportunities may be presented to clients of Bison Capital prior to us.
             
   

Target Capital Management Limited (Director)

 

 

A portfolios and hedge fund management and investment firm in selected Asian countries and the U.S. and European countries.

 

  As a director of Target Capital Management Limited, Travelzen Co. Ltd. and Geo Media, Mr. Jin must provide these companies with opportunities that he reasonably believes are ones that they may be interested in pursuing. To the extent any of such opportunities would be a potential target of us, we would not have priority in respect of those opportunities.
             
   

Travelzen Co. Ltd. (Director)

 

Geo Media (Director)

 

Online travel services

 

A provider of big data-based business intelligence services

 

  Notwithstanding the foregoing, Mr. Jin believes that Bison Capital and Target Capital Management Limited are generally seeking investment opportunities rather than business acquisition opportunities. Additionally, Travelzen Co. Ltd. and Geo Media generally focus on online travel services and business intelligence services, respectively. Thus, he believes there will be limited conflicts with us in respect of those companies.
             
Charles Vincent Prizzi   Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (VP for Development and Community Relations)   A world-renowned cancer and neuroscience research institute   Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory generally studies and researches cancer and neuroscience rather than business acquisition opportunities. Thus, Mr. Prizzi believes there will be very limited conflicts with us in respect of this research institute, if any.
             
Thomas Folinsbee   3SBio Inc. (Director, Corporate Development)   Biotechnology   As a Director of Corporate Development for 3SBio Inc., focusing on business development opportunities in Canada, Australia and Japan, Mr. Folinsbee must provide the company with opportunities that he reasonably believes are ones that they may be interested in pursuing in those countries and elsewhere. To the extent any of such opportunities would be a potential target of us, we would not have priority in respect of those opportunities.

 

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Notwithstanding the foregoing, the above mentioned conflicts may not be resolved in our favor. In the event that we submit our initial business combination to our public shareholders for a vote, our sponsor has agreed to vote its founder shares 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

 

Our memorandum and articles of association provide that, subject to certain limitations, we shall indemnify our directors and officers against all expenses, including legal fees, and against all judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement and reasonably incurred in connection with legal, administrative or investigative proceedings. Such indemnity only applies if the person acted honestly and in good faith with a view to our best interests and, in the case of criminal proceedings, the person had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful. The decision of the directors as to whether the person acted honestly and in good faith and with a view to our best interests and as to whether the person had no reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful and is, in the absence of fraud, sufficient for the purposes of the memorandum and articles of association, unless a question of law is involved. The termination of any proceedings by any judgment, order, settlement, conviction or the entering of a nolle prosequi does not, by itself, create a presumption that the person did not act honestly and in good faith and with a view to our best interests or that the person had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful.

 

We will enter into agreements with our officers and directors to provide contractual indemnification in addition to the indemnification provided for in our memorandum and articles of association. Our memorandum and articles of association also will permit us to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any officer or director who at the request of the Company is or was serving as a director or officer of, or in any other capacity is or was acting for, another company or a partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against any liability asserted against the person and incurred by the person in that capacity, whether or not the company has or would have had the power to indemnify the person against the liability as provided in the memorandum and articles of association. We will 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.

 

These provisions may discourage shareholders from bringing a lawsuit against our directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against 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 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 private units, 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 officers, directors and director nominees that beneficially owns ordinary shares; and

 

  all our officers and directors 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 any ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of rights or exercise of warrants as these rights and warrants are not convertible or exercisable within 60 days of the date of this prospectus.

 

   Prior to Offering   After Offering(2) 
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1)  Amount and Nature of Beneficial Ownership   Approximate Percentage of Outstanding Shares of common stock(3)   Amount and Nature of Beneficial Ownership   Approximate Percentage of Outstanding Shares of common stock(4) 
Fengyun Jiang (5)   1,064,500    74.0%   1,275,000    19.3%
Peixin Xu(5)   1,064,500    74.0%   1,275,000    19.3%
James Jiayuan Tong   373,000    26.0%   325,000    4.9%
Peng Jin   *    *      *    *   
Charles Vincent Prizzi   *    *      *    *   
Thomas Folinsbee   *    *      *    *   
    *    *      *    *   
All 5% or more beneficial owners, directors and executive officers as a group (six individuals)   1,437,500    100.0%   1,600,000    24.2%

 

* Less than one percent

 

(1) Unless otherwise indicated, the business address of each of the individuals is 609-610 21st Century Tower, No. 40 Liangmaqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100016, China.

 

(2) Includes the 375,000 private units to be purchased by our sponsor and EarlyBirdCapital and/or their designees simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. Assumes no exercise of the over-allotment option and, therefore, the forfeiture of an aggregate of 187,500 ordinary shares held by our initial shareholders.

 

(3) Based on 1,437,500 ordinary shares immediately prior to this offering.

 

(4) Based on 6,625,000 ordinary shares immediately after this offering (assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised and an aggregate of 187,500 founder shares have been forfeited by our initial shareholders).

 

(5) Shares owned through Bison Capital Holding Company Limited which is 80% owned by Fengyun Jiang, Peixin Xu’s spouse and 20% owned by Peixin Xu.

 

Immediately after this offering (without the exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option), our initial shareholders will beneficially own 24.2% of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering, and after giving effect to the private placement of 375,000 private units).

 

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 election of directors, amendments to our memorandum and articles of association and approval of significant corporate transactions other than approval of our initial business combination.

 

To the extent the underwriters do not exercise the over-allotment option, up to an aggregate of 187,500 founder shares held by our initial shareholders will be subject to forfeiture. Our initial shareholders will be required to forfeit only a number of founder shares necessary to maintain our initial shareholders’ 20% ownership interest in our ordinary shares (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering and without giving effect to the private placement) after giving effect to the offering and without giving effect to the exercise, if any, of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.

 

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All of the founder shares outstanding prior to the date of this prospectus will be placed in escrow at Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as escrow agent. Subject to certain limited exceptions, 50% of these founder shares will not be transferred, assigned, sold or released from escrow until the earlier of (i) one year after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination or (ii) the date on which the closing price of our ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.50 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations and recapitalizations) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after our initial business combination and the remaining 50% of the founder shares will not be transferred, assigned, sold or released from escrow until one year after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination, or earlier, in either case, if, subsequent to our initial business combination, we consummate a subsequent 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.

 

During the escrow period, the holders of these shares will not be able to sell or transfer their securities except (1) to any persons (including their affiliates and shareholders) participating in the private placement of the private units, officers, directors, shareholders, employees and members of our sponsor and its affiliates, (2) amongst initial shareholders or to our officers, directors and employees, (3) if a holder is an entity, as a distribution to its, partners, shareholders or members upon its liquidation, (4) by bona fide gift to a member of the holder’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a holder or a member of a holder’s immediate family, for estate planning purposes, (5) by virtue of the laws of descent and distribution upon death, (6) pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order, (7) by certain pledges to secure obligations incurred in connection with purchases of our securities, (8) by private sales at prices no greater than the price at which the shares were originally purchased or (9) for the cancellation of up to 187,500 ordinary shares subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment is not exercised in full or in part or in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination, in each case (except for clause 9 or with our prior consent) where the transferee agrees to the terms of the escrow agreement and the insider letter. If dividends are declared and payable in ordinary shares, such dividends will also be placed in escrow. If we are unable to effect a business combination and liquidate, there will be no liquidation distribution with respect to the founder shares.

 

Our sponsor and EarlyBirdCapital have committed that they and/or their designees will purchase an aggregate of 375,000 private units at $10.00 per unit (350,000 by our sponsor and 25,000 by EarlyBirdCapital). These purchases will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. Our sponsor and EarlyBirdCapital have also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters in full or in part, they or their designees will purchase from us at a price of $10.00 per unit the number of private units (up to a maximum of 41,250 private units, up to 37,500 by our sponsor and up to 3,750 by EarlyBirdCapital) that are necessary to maintain in the trust account an amount equal to $10.25 per share sold to the public in this offering. These 37,500 additional private units will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of units resulting from the exercise of the over-allotment option. The private units are identical to the units sold in this offering except that (i) the purchasers of the private units have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private units until after the completion of our initial business combination, subject to certain exceptions, (ii) the private units are being purchased pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and will become tradable only after certain conditions are met or the resale of the private units is registered under the Securities Act, and (iii) the private warrants will be non-redeemable and may be exercised on a cashless basis, in each case so long as they continue to be held by the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees. Additionally, the holders have agreed (1) to vote their private shares in favor of any proposed business combination, (2) not to propose, or vote in favor of, an amendment to our memorandum and articles of association, prior to and unrelated to a business combination, to affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem all public shares if we cannot complete an initial business combination within 21 months of the closing of this offering, unless we provide public shareholders an opportunity to redeem their public shares, (3) not to redeem any private shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve our proposed initial business combination or sell their shares to us in a tender offer in connection with our proposed initial business combination, and (4) that such private shares shall not participate in any liquidating distribution upon winding up if a business combination is not consummated.

 

Registration Rights

 

Our initial shareholders (and/or our sponsor’s designees), EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. and their permitted transferees can demand that we register the founder shares, the private units and underlying securities and any securities issued upon conversion of working capital loans, pursuant to an agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of the Proposed Public Offering. The holders of the majority of the founder shares are entitled to demand that the Company register these shares at any time commencing three months prior to the first anniversary of the consummation of a business combination. The holders of the private units (or underlying securities) are entitled to demand that the Company register these securities at any time after the Company consummates a business combination. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. and/or its designees may only make a demand registration (i) on one occasion and (ii) during the five year period beginning on the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights on registration statements filed after the Company’s consummation of a business combination. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. and/or its designees may participate in a “piggy-back” registration only during the seven year period beginning on the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

 

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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

In December 2016 we issued an aggregate of 1,437,500 founder shares to our initial shareholders for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000 in cash, or approximately $0.017 per share. If the underwriters determine the size of the offering should be increased or decreased, a share dividend or contribution back to capital would be effectuated, as applicable, in order to maintain the ownership represented by the founder shares at the same percentage, as was the case before the share dividend or contribution to capital. There will be 187,500 founder shares subject to forfeiture by our initial shareholders if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full. All of the founder shares outstanding prior to the date of this prospectus will be placed in escrow with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as escrow agent.

 

Our initial shareholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell 50% of the founder shares (except to certain permitted transferees) until the earlier of (i) one year after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination or (ii) the date on which the closing price of our ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.50 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations and recapitalizations) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after our initial business combination and the remaining 50% of the founder shares will not be transferred, assigned, sold or released from escrow until one year after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination, or earlier, in either case, if, subsequent to our initial business combination, we consummate a subsequent 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.

 

Our sponsor and EarlyBirdCapital have agreed that they or their designees will purchase an aggregate of 375,000 (or 416,250 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) private units in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Our sponsor and EarlyBirdCapital have agreed that they or their designees will not to transfer, assign or sell any of the shares included in the private units and the ordinary shares underlying the rights or warrants included in the private units until after the completion of our initial business combination, subject to certain exceptions.

 

Our sponsor agreed, from the date of this prospectus through the earlier of our consummation of our initial business combination and our liquidation, to make available to us, through one of his affiliates, office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative services, as we may require from time to time. We have agreed to pay an affiliate of our sponsor $5,000 per month for these services. However, this arrangement is solely for our benefit and is not intended to provide our sponsor with additional compensation. We believe, based on rents and fees for similar services in the metropolitan area, that the fee charged by our sponsor is at least as favorable as we could have obtained from an unaffiliated person.

 

Other than the $5,000 per-month administrative fee as described above, an aggregate of $38,400 annual retainer payments to our independent directors as described below and reimbursement of 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, no compensation or fees of any kind, including finder’s fees, consulting fees or other similar compensation, will be paid to our sponsor, officers or directors, or to any of their respective affiliates, prior to or with respect to services rendered in connection with our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). Our independent directors will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers, directors or our or their affiliates and will be responsible for reviewing and approving all related party transactions as defined under Item 404 of Regulation S-K, after reviewing each such transaction for potential conflicts of interests and other improprieties.

 

We will pay to our independent directors an annual retainer of $12,000 each (to be prorated for a partial term), payable in arrears commencing on the first anniversary of the closing of this offering and ending on the earlier of the consummation of our initial business combination and our liquidation. Additionally,                                 , as chairman of the audit committee will be paid an additional $2,400 per year.

 

As of the date of this prospectus, our sponsor has loaned an aggregate of $300,000 and has advanced $1,804 to us to cover expenses related to this offering. This loan is non-interest bearing, unsecured and is due on the earlier of December 31, 2017 or the closing of this offering. The advance is non-interest bearing and is payable on demand. We intend to repay these advances and loan from the proceeds of this offering not placed in the trust account.

 

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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 consummate our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that the initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the offering proceeds held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment, other than the interest on such proceeds that may be released to us for working capital purposes. Such loans would be evidenced by promissory notes. The notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $500,000 of the notes may be converted upon consummation of our business combination into additional private units at a price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued 55,000 ordinary shares if $500,000 of notes were so converted as the rights included in the units would result in an additional 5,000 shares being issued, and 25,000 warrants to purchase 25,000 shares).

 

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 shareholder 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.

 

All ongoing and future transactions between us and any member of our management team or his or her respective affiliates will be on terms believed by us at that time, based upon other similar arrangements known to us, to be no less favorable to us than are available from unaffiliated third parties. It is our intention to obtain estimates from unaffiliated third parties for similar goods or services to ascertain whether such transactions with affiliates are on terms that are no less favorable to us than are otherwise available from such unaffiliated third parties. If a transaction with an affiliated third party were found to be on terms less favorable to us than with an unaffiliated third party, we would not engage in such transaction.

 

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, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm, or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions on the type of target business we seek to acquire, that our initial business combination is fair to our shareholders from a financial point of view.

 

We have entered into a registration rights agreement with respect to the founder shares and private units, which is described under the heading “Principal Shareholders — Registration Rights.”

 

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DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

 

We are a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands as a BVI business company (company number 1925452) and our affairs are governed by our memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act and the common law of the British Virgin Islands. We are authorized to issue an unlimited number of both ordinary shares of no par value and preferred shares of no par value. The following description summarizes certain terms of our shares as set out more particularly in our memorandum and articles of association. Because it is only a summary, it may not contain all the information that is important to you. “Members” and “shareholders” are interchangeable terms for purposes of the laws of the British Virgin Islands in respect of a company limited by shares

 

Units

 

Each unit consists of one ordinary share, one right and one-half of one warrant. Each right entitles the holder to receive one-tenth of one ordinary share upon consummation of our initial business combination. Each whole warrant entitles the holder to one ordinary share exercisable at $11.50 per share. No fractional warrants will be issued and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least two units, you will not be able to trade a full warrant.

 

The ordinary shares, rights and warrants comprising the Units will not be separately traded until 90 days of the effective date of this prospectus unless EarlyBirdCapital informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, but in no event will the ordinary shares and warrants be traded separately until we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds of this offering. We will file a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes this audited balance sheet upon the consummation of this offering, which is anticipated to take place three business days after the date of this prospectus. The audited balance sheet will include proceeds we received from the exercise of the over-allotment option if such option is exercised prior to the filing of the Current Report on Form 8-K. If the underwriters’ over-allotment option 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’ over-allotment option.

 

Ordinary Shares

 

As of the date of this prospectus, there were 1,437,500 ordinary shares outstanding, all of which were held of record by our initial shareholders. This includes an aggregate of 187,500 ordinary shares subject to forfeiture by our initial shareholders to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full so that our initial shareholders will own 20.0% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering and without giving effect to the private placement). Upon closing of this offering, 6,625,000 ordinary shares will be outstanding (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option).

 

Under the Companies Act, the ordinary shares are deemed to be issued when the name of the shareholder is entered in our register of members. Our register of members will be maintained by our transfer agent Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, which will enter the name of Cede & Co. in our register of members on the closing of this offering as nominee for each of the respective shareholders. If (a) information that is required to be entered in the register of members is omitted from the register or is inaccurately entered in the register, or (b) there is unreasonable delay in entering information in the register, a shareholder of the company, or any person who is aggrieved by the omission, inaccuracy or delay, may apply to a British Virgin Islands courts for an order that the register be rectified, and the court may either refuse the application or order the rectification of the register, and may direct the company to pay all costs of the application and any damages the applicant may have sustained.

 

At any general meeting on a show of hands every ordinary shareholder who is present in person (or, in the case of a shareholder being an entity, by its duly authorized representative) or by proxy will have one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by shareholders. Voting at any meeting of the ordinary shareholders is by show of hands unless a poll is demanded. A poll may be demanded by shareholders present in person or by proxy if the shareholder disputes the outcome of the vote on a proposed resolution and the chairman shall cause a poll to be taken. Prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, the rights attaching to ordinary shares (including those provisions designed to provide certain rights and protections to our ordinary shareholders) may only be amended by a resolution of persons holding 65% (or 50% if approved in connection with our initial business combination) of our outstanding ordinary shares attending and voting on such amendment. Other provisions of our memorandum and articles of association may be amended prior to the consummation of our initial business combination if approved by a majority of the votes of shareholders attending and voting on such amendment or by resolution of the directors. Following the consummation of, or in connection with, our initial business combination, the rights and obligations attaching to our ordinary shares and other provisions of our memorandum and articles of association may be amended if approved by a majority of the votes of shareholders attending and voting on such amendment or by resolution of the directors. Our board of directors is divided into two classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of two years with only one class of directors being elected in each year. There is no cumulative voting with respect to the election of directors, with the result that the holders of more than 50% of the shares voted for the election of directors can elect 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.

 

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We do not currently intend to hold an annual meeting of shareholders until after we consummate our initial business combination (unless otherwise required by Nasdaq). Therefore, if our shareholders want us to hold a meeting prior to such consummation, they may requisition the directors to hold one upon the written request of members entitled to exercise at least 30 percent of the voting rights in respect of the matter for which the meeting is requested. Under British Virgin Islands law, we may not increase the required percentage to call a meeting above such 30 percent level.

 

Our memorandum and articles of association will require us to provide our shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares upon the consummation 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, including interest (net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein and any limitations (including but not limited to cash requirements) agreed to in connection with the negotiation of terms of a proposed business combination. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.25 per share, whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, although it may be less upon redemption. Our initial shareholders (and/or our sponsor’s designees) have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares, private shares and public shares in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination. We are a foreign private issuer and, as such, for so long as we remain a foreign private issuer, we are required to comply with the tender offer rules in connection with our initial business combination. We do not intend to conduct a shareholder vote in connection with an initial business combination unless otherwise required by Nasdaq rules or applicable laws for so long as we remain a foreign private issuer. We will, pursuant to our memorandum and articles of association, for so long as we remain a foreign private issuer, offer to redeem our public shares pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC, and file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to consummating our initial business combination. If we are a foreign private issuer and we are required by Nasdaq rules or applicable laws to hold a shareholder vote, we will do so, but redemptions will still be effectuated pursuant to the tender offer rules described above. To the extent Nasdaq rules or applicable laws require redemption pursuant to a shareholder vote, even if we are also conducting a tender offer, we will comply with such rules or laws. Our memorandum and articles of association requires 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 we lose our foreign private issuer status, we may obtain shareholder approval in connection with our initial business combination and will, like many blank check companies, offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules or pursuant to the tender offer rules. If we seek shareholder approval, we will consummate our initial business combination only if a majority of the votes of ordinary shareholders who being so entitled attend and vote at the meeting are voted in favor of the business combination. 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 initial 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, non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial business combination once a quorum is obtained. We intend to give not less than 10 days’ nor more than 60 days’ prior written notice of any such meeting, if held, at which a vote shall be taken to approve our initial business combination.

 

If we seek shareholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, our initial shareholders and our sponsor have agreed that they or their designees will vote their founder shares, any private shares purchased in the private placement and any public shares purchased during or after the offering in favor of our initial business combination. Each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction.

 

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Pursuant to our memorandum and articles of association, if we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within 21 months from the closing of this offering, we will, as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than five business days thereafter, subject to the Companies Act, distribute the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), pro rata to our public shareholders by way of redemption and cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up of our affairs. This redemption of public shareholders from the trust account will be effected as required by and by function of our memorandum and articles of association and prior to any formal voluntary liquidation of the company. Our sponsor has agreed to waive its right to receive liquidating distributions with respect to its founder shares and private shares if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within 21 months from the closing of this offering. However, if our sponsor or any of our officers, directors or affiliates acquire public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to receive liquidating distributions with respect to such public shares if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within the required time period.

 

Our shareholders are entitled to receive ratable dividends when, as and if declared by the board of directors out of legally available funds. In the event of a liquidation or winding up of the company after our initial 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 shareholders with the redemption rights set forth above.

 

Founder Shares

 

The founder shares are identical to the other 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) the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below, and (ii) our initial shareholders agreed (A) to waive their rights to redemption with respect to any shares in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination and (B) to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and private shares if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within 21 months from the closing of this offering, although they will be entitled to redemption rights with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within such time period. Our initial shareholders have agreed to vote their founder shares, private shares 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.

 

All of the founder shares outstanding prior to the date of this prospectus will be placed in escrow with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company as escrow agent as described above.

 

Preferred shares

 

Our memorandum and articles of association authorizes the creation and issuance without shareholder approval of an unlimited number of preferred shares divided into five classes, Class A through Class E each with such designation, rights and preferences as may be determined by a resolution of our board of directors to amend the memorandum and articles of association to create such designations, rights and preferences. We have five classes of preferred shares to give us flexibility as to the terms on which each Class is issued. Unlike Delaware law, all shares of a single class must be issued with the same rights and obligations. Accordingly, starting with five classes of preference shares will allow us to issue shares at different times on different terms. No preferred shares are currently issued or outstanding. Accordingly, our board of directors is empowered, without shareholder approval, to issue preferred shares with dividend, liquidation, redemption, voting or other rights, which could adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of ordinary shares. However, the underwriting agreement prohibits us, prior to our initial business combination, from issuing preferred shares which participate in any manner in the proceeds of the trust account, or which vote as a class with the ordinary shares on our initial business combination. We may issue some or all of the preferred shares to effect our initial business combination. In addition, the preferred shares could be utilized as a method of discouraging, delaying or preventing a change in control of us. Although we do not currently intend to issue any preferred shares, we may do so in the future.

 

The rights of preferred shareholders, once the preferred shares are in issue, may only be amended by a resolution to amend our memorandum and articles of association provided such amendment is also approved by a separate resolution of a majority of the votes of preferred shareholders who being so entitled attend and vote at the class meeting of the relevant preferred class. If our preferred shareholders want us to hold a meeting of preferred shareholders (or of a class of preferred shareholders), they may requisition the directors to hold one upon the written request of preferred shareholders entitled to exercise at least 30 percent of the voting rights in respect of the matter (or class) for which the meeting is requested. Under British Virgin Islands law, we may not increase the required percentage to call a meeting above 30 percent.

 

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Under the Companies Act there are no provisions which specifically prevent the issuance of preferred shares or any such other “poison pill” measures. Our memorandum and articles of association also do not contain any express prohibitions on the issuance of any preferred shares. Therefore, the directors, without the approval of the holders of ordinary shares, may issue preferred shares that have characteristics that may be deemed anti-takeover. Additionally, such a designation of shares may be used in connection with plans that are poison pill plans. However, as noted above under the Companies Act, a director in the exercise of his powers and performance of his duties is required to act honestly and in good faith in what the director believes to be the best interests of the company.

 

Rights

 

Each holder of a right will receive one-tenth (1/10) of a share upon consummation of our initial business combination, even if the holder of such right converted all ordinary shares held by him, her or it in connection with the initial business combination or an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association with respect to our pre-business combination activities. No additional consideration will be required to be paid by a holder of rights in order to receive his, her or its additional shares upon consummation of an initial business combination as the consideration related thereto has been included in the unit purchase price paid for by investors in this offering. The shares issuable upon exchange of the rights will be freely tradable (except to the extent held by affiliates of ours) since the issuance of the shares underlying the rights will either be registered under an effective registration statement on Form F-4 or Form S-1, whichever is applicable (in the case where we are not the surviving entity) or be exempt from registration pursuant to an applicable exemption such as the exemption provided by Section 3(a)(9) (in the case where we are the surviving entity).

 

The number of ordinary shares that the holders of rights are entitled to receive upon consummation of a business combination shall be equitably adjusted to reflect appropriately the effect of any share split, reverse share split, share dividend, reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, combination, exchange of shares or other like change with respect to the ordinary shares occurring on or after the date hereof and prior to the consummation of a business combination.

 

The rights will be issued in registered form under a rights agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as rights agent, and us. The rights agreement provides that the terms of the rights may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, but requires the approval, by written consent or vote, of the holders of a majority of the then outstanding rights in order to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders.

 

If we enter into a definitive agreement for a business combination in which we will not be the surviving entity, the definitive agreement will provide for the holders of rights to receive the same per share consideration the holders of the ordinary shares will receive in the transaction on an as-converted into ordinary share basis. In the event we will not be the surviving company upon completion of our initial business combination, each holder of a right will be required to affirmatively convert his, her or its rights in order to receive the 1/10 of a share underlying each right (without paying any additional consideration) upon consummation of the business combination. More specifically, each holder will be required to indicate his, her or its election to convert the rights into their underlying shares as well as to return the original rights certificates to us. There is no length of time within which an investor must affirmatively elect to convert the rights. However, until a holder affirmatively elects to convert its rights, the right certificates held by such holder will not represent the ordinary shares they are convertible for but instead will simply represent the right to receive such ordinary shares.

 

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If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the required time period and we liquidate the funds held in the trust account, holders of rights will not receive any of such funds with respect to their rights, nor will they receive any distribution from our assets held outside of the trust account with respect to such rights, and the rights will expire worthless. Further, there are no contractual penalties for failure to deliver securities to the holders of the rights upon consummation of an initial business combination. Additionally, in no event will we be required to net cash settle the rights. Because we will only issue a whole number of shares, you will not receive any fractional shares to the extent the number of rights held by you upon consummation of our initial business combination is not divisible by ten.

 

The rights included in the private units will be identical to the rights included in the units being offered by this prospectus except that the shares issuable upon the exchange of such rights will become tradable only after certain conditions are met or the resale of such rights (including underlying securities) is registered under the Securities Act

 

Warrants

 

No warrants are currently outstanding. Each whole public warrant entitles the registered holder to purchase one ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as discussed below, at any time commencing on the consummation of an initial business combination. However, no public warrants will be exercisable for cash unless we have an effective and current registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to such ordinary shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the public warrants is not effective within 120 days from the closing of our initial business combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a cashless basis pursuant to an available exemption from registration under the Securities Act. If an exemption from registration is not available, holders will not be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis. The warrants will expire five years from the closing of our initial business combination at 5:00 p.m., New York City time.

 

The private warrants will be identical to the public warrants underlying the units being offered by this prospectus except that such private warrants will be exercisable for cash (even if a registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of such warrants is not effective) or on a cashless basis, at the holder’s option, and will not be redeemable by us, in each case so long as they are still held by the initial purchasers or their affiliates.

 

We may call the outstanding warrants for redemption (excluding the private warrants but including any warrants already issued upon exercise of the unit purchase option), in whole and not in part, at a price of $.01 per warrant:

 

  at any time while the warrants are exercisable,

 

  upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption to each warrant holder,

 

  if, and only if, the reported last sale price of the ordinary shares equals or exceeds $24.00 per share, for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading day period ending on the third business day prior to the notice of redemption to warrant holders, and

 

  if, and only if, there is a current registration statement in effect with respect to the ordinary shares underlying such warrants at the time of redemption and for the entire 30-day trading period referred to above and continuing each day thereafter until the date of redemption.

 

The right to exercise will be forfeited unless the warrants are exercised prior to the date specified in the notice of redemption. On and after the redemption date, a record holder of a warrant will have no further rights except to receive the redemption price for such holder’s warrant upon surrender of such warrant.

 

The redemption criteria for our warrants have been established at a price which is intended to provide warrant holders a reasonable premium to the initial exercise price and provide a sufficient differential between the then-prevailing share price and the warrant exercise price so that if the share price declines as a result of our redemption call, the redemption will not cause the share price to drop below the exercise price of the warrants.

 

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If we call the warrants for redemption as described above, our management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise warrants to do so on a “cashless basis.” In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the “fair market value” (defined below) by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” shall mean the average reported last sale price of the ordinary shares for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. Whether we will exercise our option to require all holders to exercise their warrants on a “cashless basis” will depend on a variety of factors including the price of our ordinary shares at the time the warrants are called for redemption, our cash needs at such time and concerns regarding dilutive share issuances.

 

The 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 written consent or vote, of the holders of a majority of the then outstanding warrants in order to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders.

 

The exercise price and number of ordinary shares issuable on exercise of the warrants may be adjusted in certain circumstances including in the event of a share dividend, extraordinary dividend or our recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. However, the warrants will not be adjusted for issuances of ordinary shares at a price below their respective exercise prices.

 

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, by certified or official bank check payable to us, for the number of warrants being exercised. The warrant holders do not have the rights or privileges of holders of ordinary shares and any voting rights until they exercise their warrants and receive ordinary shares. After the issuance of ordinary shares upon exercise of the warrants, each holder will be entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters to be voted on by shareholders.

 

Except as described above, no public warrants will be exercisable for cash and we will not be obligated to issue ordinary shares unless at the time a holder seeks to exercise such warrant, a prospectus relating to the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is current and the ordinary shares have been registered or qualified or deemed to be exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the holder of the warrants. Under the terms of the warrant agreement, we have agreed to use our best efforts to meet these conditions and to maintain a current prospectus relating to the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants until the expiration of the warrants. However, we cannot assure you that we will be able to do so and, if we do not maintain a current prospectus relating to the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants, holders will be unable to exercise their warrants and we will not be required to settle any such warrant exercise. If the prospectus relating to the ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the warrants is not current or if the ordinary shares is not qualified or exempt from qualification in the jurisdictions in which the holders of the warrants reside, we will not be required to net cash settle or cash settle the warrant exercise, the warrants may have no value, the market for the warrants may be limited and the warrants may expire worthless.

 

Warrant holders may elect to be subject to a restriction on the exercise of their warrants such that an electing warrant holder would not be able to exercise their warrants to the extent that, after giving effect to such exercise, such holder would beneficially own in excess of 9.8% of the ordinary shares outstanding.

 

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 up or down to the nearest whole number the number of ordinary shares to be issued to the warrant holder.

 

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Dividends

 

We have not paid any cash dividends on our shares of ordinary share 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 dividends subsequent to our initial business combination will be within the discretion of our then board of directors. It is the present intention of our board of directors to retain all earnings, if any, for use in our business operations and, accordingly, our board does not anticipate declaring any dividends in the foreseeable future.

 

Private units

 

With certain limited exceptions, the private units (including the warrants or ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or salable by our initial shareholders until after the completion of our initial business combination and the private warrants will not be redeemable by us so long as they are held by shareholders of the sponsor or their permitted transferees. Otherwise, the private units have terms and provisions that are identical the units sold in this offering except that (1) the private units are being purchased pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and will become tradable only after certain conditions are met or the resale of the private units is registered under the Securities Act, and (2) the private warrants will be non-redeemable and may be exercised on a cashless basis, in each case so long as they continue to be held by the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees. If the private warrants are held by holders other than the holders who purchased private units or their permitted transferees, the private warrants will be redeemable by us and exercisable by the holders on the same basis as the public warrants being sold in this offering. The price of the private units was determined in negotiations between our sponsor and the underwriter for this offering, with reference to the prices paid by sponsors for such warrants in special purpose acquisition companies, which have recently consummated their initial public offerings.

 

With certain limited exceptions, the private units will not be transferable, assignable or salable by our initial shareholders until after the completion of our initial business combination.

 

Purchase Option

 

We have agreed to sell to EarlyBirdCapital (and/or its designees) an option to purchase up to 150,000 units at $10.00 per unit. The units issuable upon exercise of this option are identical to those offered by this prospectus except that the units, if the purchase option is exercised, will be purchased pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and will become tradable only after certain conditions are met or the resale of the units is registered under the Securities Act.

 

Our Transfer Agent and Right and Warrant Agent

 

The transfer agent for our ordinary shares, and right and warrant agent for our rights and warrants, is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company.

 

Memorandum and Articles of Association

 

As set forth in the memorandum of association, the objects for which are established are unrestricted and we shall have full power and authority to carry out any object not prohibited by the Companies Act or as the same may be revised from time to time, or any other law of the British Virgin Islands.

 

Our memorandum and articles of association contains provisions designed to provide certain rights and protections to our ordinary shareholders prior to the consummation of our initial business combination. These provisions cannot be amended without the approval of 65% (or 50% if approved in connection with our initial business combination) of our outstanding ordinary shares attending and voting on such amendment. Our initial shareholders and our sponsor (and/or its designees), who will collectively beneficially own 20.0% of our ordinary shares upon the closing of this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering and the over-allotment option is not exercised, and not including the private units), will participate in any vote to amend our memorandum and articles of association and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose.

 

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If our directors propose an amendment to the rights of the public shares that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to pay or offer to pay the pro rata per share redemption price to any holder of public shares, and the amendment is approved by the shareholders and filed with the registry of corporate affairs, we will offer to redeem the public shares (other than those held by our sponsor, directors, and officers) for cash at the applicable pro rata per share redemption price. Our initial shareholders, sponsor (and/or its designees), and our directors and officers have agreed to not propose, or vote in favor of, an amendment to our memorandum and articles of association that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem all public shares if we cannot complete an initial business combination within 21 months of the closing of this offering, unless we provide public shareholders an opportunity to redeem their public shares.

 

Specifically, our memorandum and articles of association provide, among other things, that:

 

  If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within 21 months from the closing of this offering, we will, as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than five business days thereafter (subject to our memorandum and articles of association and the laws of the British Virgin Islands), distribute the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), pro rata to our public shareholders by way of redemption and cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up of our affairs, subject to the Companies Act and applicable law. This redemption of public shareholders from the trust account shall be effected as required by function of our memorandum and articles of association and prior to commencing any voluntary liquidation; and

 

  except in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination, prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional shares that would entitle the holders thereof to (1) receive funds from the trust account or (2) vote on any initial business combination;

 

  in the event we enter into a transaction with a target business affiliated with our sponsor or our officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions on the type of target business we seek to acquire that such our initial business combination is fair to our shareholders from a financial point of view; and

 

  we will not effectuate our initial business combination with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations.

 

In addition, our memorandum and articles of association 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.

 

Following the consummation of our initial business combination, the rights and obligations attaching to our ordinary shares and other provisions of our memorandum and articles of association may be amended if approved by a majority of the votes of shareholders attending and voting on such amendment or by resolution of the directors.

 

Changes in Authorized Shares

 

We are authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares, which will have rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions attaching to them as the shares in issue. We may by resolution of directors or shareholders:

 

  consolidate and divide all or any of our unissued authorized shares into shares of larger or smaller amount than our existing shares;

 

  cancel any ordinary shares which, at the date of the passing of the resolution, have not been taken or agreed to be taken by any person; or

 

  create new classes of shares with preferences to be determined by resolution of the board of directors to amend the memorandum and articles of association to create new classes of shares with such preferences at the time of authorization, although any such new classes of shares, with the exception of the preferred shares, may only be created with prior shareholder approval.

 

Pre-emption Rights

 

There are no pre-emption rights applicable to the issuance of new shares under our memorandum and articles of association.

 

Variation of Rights of Shares

 

As permitted by the Companies Act and our memorandum of association, we may vary the rights attached to any class of shares only with: (i) in the case of the ordinary shares prior to our initial business combination, the consent of not less than 65% (or 50% if for the purposes of approving, or in connection with, the consummation of our initial business combination) of the votes who are in attendance and vote at a meeting, or (ii) in the case of the preferred shares, 50% of the votes of shareholders who being so entitled attend and vote at a meeting of such shares, except, in each case where a greater majority is required under our memorandum and articles of association or the Companies Act, provided that that for these purposes the creation, designation or issue of preferred shares with rights and privileges ranking in priority to an existing class of shares is deemed not to be a variation of the rights of such existing class and may in accordance with our memorandum and articles of association be effected by resolution of directors without shareholder approval.

 

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BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS COMPANY CONSIDERATIONS

 

Our corporate affairs are governed by our memorandum and articles of association and the provisions of applicable British Virgin Islands law, including the Companies Act. The Companies Act differs from laws applicable to United States corporations and their shareholders. Set forth below is a summary of some significant differences between the provisions of the Companies Act applicable to us and the laws applicable to companies incorporated in the United States and their shareholders. A brief discussion of certain other provisions of the Companies Act and British Virgin Islands law also follows.

 

We cannot predict whether British Virgin Islands courts would reach the same conclusions based on a particular set of facts as the U.S. courts would be expected to reach. Thus, you may have more difficulty in protecting your interests in the face of actions by the management, directors or controlling shareholders than would shareholders of a corporation incorporated in a United States jurisdiction, which has developed a substantial body of case law. The following table provides a comparison between the statutory provisions of the Companies Act together with the provisions of our memorandum and articles of association) and the Delaware General Corporation Law relating to shareholders’ rights.

 

British Virgin Islands   Delaware
Shareholder Meetings
     

●    Held at a time and place as determined by the directors

 

●    May be held within or outside the British Virgin Islands

 

●    Notice:

 

Under our memorandum and articles of association, a copy of the notice of any meeting shall be given not fewer than ten (10) days before the date of the proposed meeting to those persons whose names appear in the register of members on the date the notice is given and are entitled to vote at the meeting.

 

●    May be held at such time or place as designated in the charter or the bylaws, or if not so designated, as determined by the board of directors

 

●    May be held within or without Delaware

 

●    Notice:

 

Whenever shareholders are required to take any action at a meeting, a written notice of the meeting shall be given which shall state the place, if any, date and hour of the meeting, and the means of remote communication, if any

     
Shareholders’ Voting Rights
     

●    Any person authorized to vote may be represented at a meeting by a proxy who may speak and vote on behalf of the shareholder.

 

●    Quorum is fixed by our memorandum and articles of association, to consist of the holder or holders present in person or by proxy entitled to exercise at least 50 percent of the voting rights of the shares of each class or series of shares entitled to vote as a class or series thereon.

 

●    Any person authorized to vote may authorize another person or persons to act for him by proxy

 

●    For stock corporations, the charter or bylaws may specify the number to constitute a quorum but in no event shall a quorum consist of less than one-third of shares entitled to vote at a meeting. In the absence of such specifications, a majority of shares shall constitute a quorum

 

Under our memorandum and articles of association, subject to any rights or restrictions attached to any shares, at any general meeting on a show of hands every shareholder who is present in person (or, in the case of a shareholder being a corporation, by its duly authorized representative) or by proxy shall have one vote and on a poll every shareholder present in person (or, in the case of a shareholder being a corporation, by its duly appointed representative) or by proxy shall have one vote for each share which such shareholder is the holder. Voting at any meeting of the shareholders is by show of hands unless a poll is demanded. A poll may be demanded by shareholders present in person or by proxy if the shareholder disputes the outcome of the vote on a proposed resolution and the chairman shall cause a poll to be taken.

 

 

For non-stock companies, the charter or bylaws may specify the number of shareholders to constitute a quorum. In the absence of this, one-third of the shareholders shall constitute a quorum

 

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British Virgin Islands   Delaware
Prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, changes in the rights attaching to the ordinary shares as set forth in the memorandum and articles of association require approval by way of resolution of not less than 65% (or 50% if for the purposes of approving, or in connection with, the consummation of our initial business combination) of those outstanding ordinary shares attending the meeting and voting in respect of such resolution, following the consummation of our initial business combination, changes in the rights attaching to the ordinary shares require the approval by way of resolution of only a majority of those outstanding ordinary shares attending at the meeting and voting in respect of such resolution.   Except as provided in the charter documents, changes in the rights of shareholders as set forth in the charter documents require approval of a majority of its shareholders
     
The rights attaching to the preferred shares may be changed by way of a resolution of a majority of the votes attending and voting at the relevant meeting or class meeting.    
     
However, in the case of both the ordinary shares and the preferred shares, the above is subject to any greater majority is required under our memorandum and articles of association or the Companies Act, provided that that for these purposes the creation, designation or issue of preferred shares with rights and privileges ranking in priority to an existing class of shares shall be deemed not to be a variation of the rights of such existing class.    
     
The memorandum and articles of association do not provide for cumulative voting in the election of directors   The certificate of incorporation may provide for cumulative voting
     
If we decide to seek shareholder approval in respect of the consummation of our initial business combination, such approval may be by a majority vote of shareholders who being so entitled attend and vote at the general meeting   Approval of our initial business combination may be by a majority of outstanding shares if such transaction involves the merger of such entity
     
All other matters to be decided upon by the shareholders require a majority vote of shareholders who being so entitled attend and vote at the general meeting, unless the Companies Act requires a higher majority. Our memorandum and articles of association also may be amended by resolution of directors, including to create the rights, preferences, designations and limitations attaching to any blank check preferred shares.    

 

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British Virgin Islands   Delaware
Directors
 
Board must consist of at least one director   Board must consist of at least one member
     
Maximum and minimum number of directors can be changed by an amendment to the articles of association, with such amendment being passed by a resolution of shareholders or a resolution of directors   Number of board members shall be fixed by the bylaws, unless the charter fixes the number of directors, in which case a change in the number shall be made only by amendment of the charter
     
Directors are appointed for two year staggered terms by the shareholders (as described under “Directors” below). However, the directors may by resolution appoint a replacement director to fill a casual vacancy arising on the resignation, disqualification or death of a director. The replacement director will then hold office until the next annual general meeting at which the director he replaces would have been subject to retirement by rotation.    
     
Directors do not have to be independent Under our memorandum and articles of association, a director may not be removed from office by a resolution of our shareholders prior to the consummation of our business combination.   Directors do not have to be independent
     
Fiduciary Duties
 
Directors and officers owe fiduciary duties at both common law and under statute as follows:   Directors and officers must act in good faith, with the care of a prudent person, and in the best interest of the corporation.
     
Duty to act honestly and in good faith in what the directors believe to be in the best interests of the company;   Directors and officers must refrain from self-dealing, usurping corporate opportunities and receiving improper personal benefits.
     
Duty to exercise powers for a proper purpose and directors shall not act, or agree to act, in a matter that contravenes the Companies Act or the memorandum and articles of association;   Decisions made by directors and officers on an informed basis, in good faith and in the honest belief that the action was taken in the best interest of the corporation will generally be protected by the “business judgment rule.”
     
Duty to exercise the care, diligence and skill that a reasonable director would exercise in the circumstances taking into account, without limitation:    
     

(a) the nature of the company;

(b) the nature of the decision; and

(c) the position of the director and the nature of the responsibilities undertaken by him.

   

 

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British Virgin Islands   Delaware
The Companies Act provides that, a director of a company shall, immediately after becoming aware of the fact that he is interested in a transaction entered into, or to be entered into, by the company, disclose the interest to the board of the company. However, the failure of a director to disclose that interest does not affect the validity of a transaction entered into by the director or the company, so long as the transaction was not required to be disclosed because the transaction is between the company and the director himself and is in the ordinary course of business and on usual terms and conditions. Additionally, the failure of a director to disclose an interest does not affect the validity of the transaction entered into by the company if (a) the material facts of the interest of the director in the transaction are known by the shareholders and the transaction is approved or ratified by a resolution of shareholders entitled to vote at a meeting of shareholders or (b) the company received fair value for the transaction.   Directors may vote on a matter in which they have an interest so long as the director has disclosed any interests in the transaction.
     
Pursuant to the Companies Act, the company’s memorandum and articles of association, so long as a director has disclosed any interests in a transaction entered into or to be entered into by the company to the board he/she may:    
     
vote on a matter relating to the transaction;    
     
attend a meeting of directors at which a matter relating to the transaction arises and be included among the directors present at the meeting for the purposes of a quorum; and    
     
sign a document on behalf of the company, or do any other thing in his capacity as a director, that relates to the transaction.    
     
Shareholders’ Derivative Actions
 
Generally speaking, the company is the proper plaintiff in any action. A shareholder may, with the permission of a British Virgin Islands court, bring an action or intervene in a matter in the name of the company, in certain circumstances. Such actions are known as derivative actions. The British Virgin Islands court may only grant permission to bring a derivative action where the following circumstances apply:   In any derivative suit instituted by a shareholder of a corporation, it shall be averred in the complaint that the plaintiff was a shareholder of the corporation at the time of the transaction of which he complains or that such shareholder’s stock thereafter devolved upon such shareholder by operation of law.
     
the company does not intend to bring, diligently continue or defend or discontinue the proceedings; and   Complaint shall set forth with particularity the efforts of the plaintiff to obtain the action by the board or the reasons for not making such effort.
     
it is in the interests of the company that the conduct of the proceedings not be left to the directors or to the determination of the shareholders as a whole.   Such action shall not be dismissed or compromised without the approval of the Chancery court.
     
When considering whether to grant leave, a British Virgin Islands court is also required to have regard to the following matters:    
     

●    whether the shareholder is acting in good faith;

●    whether a derivative action is in the interests of the company, taking into account the directors’ views on commercial matters;

●    whether the action is likely to succeed;

●    the costs of the proceedings in relation to the relief likely to be obtained; and

●    whether another alternative remedy to the derivative action is available.

  If we were a Delaware corporation, a shareholder whose shares were cancelled in connection with our dissolution, would not be able to bring a derivative action against us after the ordinary shares have been cancelled.

 

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As noted above, the Companies Act differs from laws applicable to United States corporations and their shareholders. Set forth below is a summary of some of the significant provisions of the Companies Act applicable to us and the laws applicable to companies incorporated in the United States and their shareholders.

 

Mergers and Similar Arrangements. The Companies Act provides for mergers as that expression is understood under United States corporate law. Under the Companies Act, two or more companies may either merge into one of such existing companies (the “surviving company”) or consolidate with both existing companies ceasing to exist and forming a new company (the “consolidated company”). The procedure for a merger or consolidation between the company and another company (which need not be a BVI company, and which may be the company’s parent or subsidiary, but need not be) is set out in the Companies Act. The directors of the BVI company or BVI companies which are to merge or consolidate must approve a written plan of merger or consolidation which, with the exception of a merger between a parent company and its subsidiary, must also be approved by a resolution of a majority of the shareholders who are entitled to vote and actually vote at a quorate meeting of shareholders or by written resolution of the shareholders of the BVI company or BVI companies which are to merge. A foreign company which is able under the laws of its foreign jurisdiction to participate in the merger or consolidation is required by the Companies Act to comply with the laws of that foreign jurisdiction in relation to the merger or consolidation. The company must then execute articles of merger or consolidation, containing certain prescribed details. The plan and articles of merger or consolidation are then filed with the Registrar of Corporate Affairs in the British Virgin Islands. The Registrar then registers the articles of merger or consolidation and any amendment to the memorandum and articles of the surviving company in a merger or the memorandum and articles of association of the new consolidated company in a consolidation and issue a certificate of merger or consolidation (which is conclusive evidence of compliance with all requirements of the Companies Act in respect of the merger or consolidation). The merger is effective on the date that the articles of merger are registered with the Registrar or on such subsequent date, not exceeding thirty days, as is stated in the articles of merger or consolidation.

 

As soon as a merger becomes effective: (a) the surviving company or consolidated company (so far as is consistent with its memorandum and articles of association, as amended or established by the articles of merger or consolidation) has all rights, privileges, immunities, powers, objects and purposes of each of the constituent companies; (b) in the case of a merger, the memorandum and articles of association of any surviving company are automatically amended to the extent, if any, that changes to its amended memorandum and articles of association are contained in the articles of merger or, in the case of a consolidation, the memorandum and articles of association filed with the articles of consolidation are the memorandum and articles of the consolidated company; (c) assets of every description, including choses-in-action and the business of each of the constituent companies, immediately vest in the surviving company or consolidated company; (d) the surviving company or consolidated company is liable for all claims, debts, liabilities and obligations of each of the constituent companies; (e) no conviction, judgment, ruling, order, claim, debt, liability or obligation due or to become due, and no cause existing, against a constituent company or against any member, director, officer or agent thereof, is released or impaired by the merger or consolidation; and (f) no proceedings, whether civil or criminal, pending at the time of a merger by or against a constituent company, or against any member, director, officer or agent thereof, are abated or discontinued by the merger or consolidation; but: (i) the proceedings may be enforced, prosecuted, settled or compromised by or against the surviving company or consolidated company or against the member, director, officer or agent thereof; as the case may be; or (ii) the surviving company or consolidated company may be substituted in the proceedings for a constituent company. The Registrar shall strike off the register of companies each constituent company that is not the surviving company in the case of a merger and all constituent companies in the case of a consolidation.

 

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If the directors determine it to be in the best interests of the company, it is also possible for a merger to be approved as a court approved plan of arrangement or scheme of arrangement in accordance with the Companies Act. However, we do not anticipate the use of such statutory provisions because we expect the required terms of the initial business combination will be capable of being achieved through other means, such as a merger or consolidation (as described above), a share exchange, asset acquisition or control, through contractual arrangements, of an operating business.

 

Poison Pill Defenses. Under the Companies Act there are no provisions that specifically prevent the issuance of preferred shares or any such other ‘poison pill’ measures. Our memorandum and articles of association also do not contain any express prohibitions on the issuance of any preferred shares. Therefore, our directors without the approval of the holders of ordinary shares may issue preferred shares that have characteristics that may be deemed to be anti-takeover. Additionally, such a designation of shares may be used in connection with plans that are poison pill plans. However, as noted above under the Companies Act, a director in the exercise of his powers and performance of his duties is required to act honestly and in good faith in what the director believes to be the best interests of the company.

 

Directors.  Our directors are appointed by our shareholders and are subject to rotational retirement every two years. The initial terms of office of the Class I and Class II directors have been staggered over a period of two years to ensure that all directors of the company do not face reelection in the same year. However, the directors may by resolution appoint a replacement director to fill a casual vacancy arising on the resignation, disqualification or death of a director. The replacement director will then hold office until the next annual general meeting at which the director he replaces would have been subject to retirement by rotation. Under our memorandum and articles of association, a director may not be removed from office by a resolution of our shareholders prior to the consummation of our business combination. There is nothing under the laws of the British Virgin Islands that specifically prohibits or restricts the creation of cumulative voting rights for the election of our directors. Our memorandum and articles of association do not provide for cumulative voting for such elections.

 

There are no share ownership qualifications for directors.

 

Meetings of our board of directors may be convened at any time by any of our directors.

 

A meeting of our board of directors will be quorate if at least a majority of the directors are present or represented by an alternate director. At any meeting of our directors, each director, whether by his or her presence or by his or her alternate, is entitled to one vote. Questions arising at a meeting of our board of directors are required to be decided by simple majority votes of the directors present or represented at the meeting. In the case of an equality of votes, the chairman of the meeting shall have a second or deciding vote. Our board of directors also may pass resolutions without a meeting by unanimous written consent.

 

Alternate Directors.  Our memorandum and articles of association provide that, following the consummation of our initial business combination, each of our directors may appoint an alternate (who need not be another director of the company). The alternate of any director shall be entitled to attend board meetings in the absence of the director who appointed him or her and to vote or give written consent in place of that director until the alternate’s appointment lapses or is terminated (an alternate’s appointment, if it has not already done so, will automatically terminate on his appointor ceasing to be a director). However, a director may not appoint an alternate prior to our initial business combination.

 

Agents.  Our board of directors has the power to appoint any person (whether or not a director or other officer of ours) to be an agent of the company. Our memorandum and articles of association provide that an agent of the company shall be able to exercise such powers and authorities of the directors (which may include the power to affix the company’s seal) as the directors may allow when appointing the agent, except that, as stated in our memorandum and articles of association and the Companies Act, no agent shall have be given any power or authority to amend the memorandum or the articles in place of the directors or members; to designate committees of directors; to delegate powers to a committee of directors; to appoint directors; to appoint an agent; to approve a plan of merger, consolidation or arrangement; or to make a declaration of solvency or to approve a liquidation plan. When appointing an agent of ours, our directors may authorize the agent to appoint one or more substitutes or delegates to exercise some or all of the powers conferred on the agent. Our directors may remove an agent and may revoke or vary a power conferred on him.

 

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Indemnification of Directors.  Our memorandum and articles of association provide that, subject to certain limitations, we shall indemnify our directors and officers against all expenses, including legal fees, and against all judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement and reasonably incurred in connection with legal, administrative or investigative proceedings. Such indemnity only applies if the person acted honestly and in good faith with a view to our best interests and, in the case of criminal proceedings, the person had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful. The decision of the directors as to whether the person acted honestly and in good faith and with a view to our best interests and as to whether the person had no reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful is, in the absence of fraud, sufficient for the purposes of the memorandum and articles of association, unless a question of law is involved. The termination of any proceedings by any judgment, order, settlement, conviction or the entering of a nolle prosequi does not, by itself, create a presumption that the person did not act honestly and in good faith and with a view to our best interests or that the person had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.

 

Directors and Conflicts of Interest. As noted in the table above, pursuant to the Companies Act and our memorandum and articles of association, a director of a company who has an interest in a transaction and who has declared such interest to the other directors, may:

 

  (a) vote on a matter relating to the transaction;

 

  (b) attend a meeting of directors at which a matter relating to the transaction arises and be included among the directors present at the meeting for the purposes of a quorum; and

 

  (c) sign a document on behalf of the company, or do any other thing in his capacity as a director, that relates to the transaction.

 

Shareholders’ Suits. Our British Virgin Islands counsel is not aware of any reported class action having been brought in a British Virgin Islands court. The enforcement of a company’s rights will ordinarily be a matter for its directors.

 

In certain limited circumstances, a shareholder has the right to seek various remedies against a company in the event the directors are in breach of their duties under the Companies Act. Pursuant to Section 184B of the Companies Act, if a company or director of a company engages in, or proposes to engage in or has engaged in, conduct that contravenes the provisions of the Companies Act or the memorandum or articles of association of the company, a British Virgin Islands court may, on application of a shareholder or director of the company, make an order directing the company or director to comply with, or restraining the company or director from engaging in conduct that contravenes the Companies Act or the memorandum or articles. Furthermore, pursuant to section 184I(1) of the Companies Act a shareholder of a company who considers that the affairs of the company have been, are being or likely to be, conducted in a manner that is, or any acts of the company have been, or are likely to be oppressive, unfairly discriminatory, or unfairly prejudicial to him in that capacity, may apply to a British Virgin Islands court for an order which, inter alia, can require the company or any other person to pay compensation to the shareholders.

 

The Companies Act provides for a series of remedies available to shareholders. Where a company incorporated under the Companies Act conducts some activity that breaches the Act or the company’s memorandum and articles of association, the court can issue a restraining or compliance order. Under the Companies Act, a shareholder of a company may bring an action against a company for breach of a duty owed by the company to him as a shareholder. A shareholder also may, with the permission of a British Virgin Islands court, bring an action or intervene in a matter in the name of the company, in certain circumstances. Such actions are known as derivative actions. As noted above, a British Virgin Islands court may only grant permission to bring a derivative action where the following circumstances apply:

 

  the company does not intend to bring, diligently continue or defend or discontinue proceedings; and

 

  it is in the interests of the company that the conduct of the proceedings not be left to the directors or to the determination of the shareholders as a whole.

 

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When considering whether to grant leave, a British Virgin Islands court is also required to have regard to the following matters:

 

  whether the shareholder is acting in good faith;

 

  whether a derivative action is in the company’s best interests, taking into account the directors’ views on commercial matters;

 

  whether the action is likely to proceed;

 

  the costs of the proceedings; and

 

  whether an alternative remedy is available.

 

Any shareholder of a company may apply to a British Virgin Islands court under the Insolvency Act for the appointment of a liquidator to liquidate the company and the court may appoint a liquidator for the company if it is of the opinion that it is just and equitable to do so.

 

The Companies Act provides that any shareholder of a company is entitled to payment of the fair value of his shares upon dissenting from any of the following: (a) a merger if the company is a constituent company, unless the company is the surviving company and the shareholder continues to hold the same or similar shares; (b) a consolidation if the company is a constituent company; (c) any sale, transfer, lease, exchange or other disposition of more than 50 per cent in value of the assets or business of the company if not made in the usual or regular course of the business carried on by the company but not including: (i) a disposition pursuant to an order of the court having jurisdiction in the matter, (ii) a disposition for money on terms requiring all or substantially all net proceeds to be distributed to the shareholders in accordance with their respective interest within one year after the date of disposition, or (iii) a transfer pursuant to the power of the directors to transfer assets for the protection thereof; (d) a compulsory redemption of 10 per cent, or fewer of the issued shares of the company required by the holders of 90 percent, or more, of the shares of the company pursuant to the terms of the Act; and (e) a plan of arrangement, if permitted by a British Virgin Islands court.

 

Generally any other claims against a company by its shareholders must be based on the general laws of contract or tort applicable in the British Virgin Islands or their individual rights as shareholders as established by the company’s memorandum and articles of association. There are common law rights for the protection of shareholders that may be invoked, largely derived from English common law. Under the general English company law known as the rule in Foss v. Harbottle, a court will generally refuse to interfere with the management of a company at the insistence of a minority of its shareholders who express dissatisfaction with the conduct of the company’s affairs by the majority or the board of directors. However, every shareholder is entitled to seek to have the affairs of the company conducted properly according to law and the constituent documents of the corporation. As such, if those who control the company have persistently disregarded the requirements of company law or the provisions of the company’s memorandum and articles of association, then the courts may grant relief. Generally, the areas in which the courts will intervene are the following:

 

  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 only be effected if duly authorized by more than the number of votes which have actually been obtained;

 

  the individual rights of the plaintiff shareholder have been infringed or are about to be infringed; or

 

  those who control the company are perpetrating a “fraud on the minority.”

 

Under the law of Delaware, the rights of minority shareholders are similar to that which will be applicable to the shareholders of the company.

 

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Compulsory Acquisition.  Under the Companies Act, subject to any limitations in a company’s memorandum or articles, shareholders holding 90% of the votes of the outstanding shares entitled to vote, and shareholders holding 90% of the votes of the outstanding shares of each class of shares entitled to vote, may give a written instruction to the company directing the company to redeem the shares held by the remaining shareholders. Upon receipt of such written instruction, the company shall redeem the shares specified in the written instruction, irrespective of whether or not the shares are by their terms redeemable. The company shall give written notice to each shareholder whose shares are to be redeemed stating the redemption price and the manner in which the redemption is to be effected. A shareholder whose shares are to be so redeemed is entitled to dissent from such redemption, and to be paid the fair value of his shares, as described under “Shareholders’ Suits” above.

 

Share Repurchases and Redemptions.  As permitted by the Companies Act and our memorandum and articles of association, shares may be repurchased, redeemed or otherwise acquired by us. Depending on the circumstances of the redemption or repurchase, our directors may need to determine that immediately following the redemption or repurchase we will be able to satisfy our debts as they fall due and the value of our assets exceeds our liabilities. Our directors may only exercise this power on our behalf, subject to the Companies Act, our memorandum and articles of association and to any applicable requirements imposed from time to time by the SEC, the Nasdaq Capital Market or any other stock exchange on which our securities are listed.

 

Dividends.  Subject to the Companies Act and our memorandum and articles of association, our directors may declare dividends at a time and amount they think fit if they are satisfied, on reasonable grounds, that, immediately after distribution of the dividend, the value of our assets will exceed our liabilities and we will be able to pay our debts as they fall due. No dividend shall carry interest against us.

 

Rights of Non-resident or Foreign Shareholders and Disclosure of Substantial Shareholdings.  There are no limitations imposed by our memorandum and articles of association on the rights of non-resident or foreign shareholders to hold or exercise voting rights on our shares. In addition, there are no provisions in our memorandum and articles of association governing the ownership threshold above which shareholder ownership must be disclosed.

 

Untraceable Shareholders. Under our memorandum and articles of association, we are entitled to sell any shares of a shareholder who is untraceable, as long as: (a) all checks, not being less than three in total number, for any sums payable in cash to the holder of such shares have remained uncashed for a period of 12 years; (b) we have not during that time or before the expiry of the three-month period referred to in (c) below received any indication of the existence of the shareholder or person entitled to such shares by death, bankruptcy or operation of law; and (c) upon expiration of the 12-year period, we have caused an advertisement to be published in newspapers, giving notice of our intention to sell these shares, and a period of three months or such shorter period has elapsed since the date of such advertisement. The net proceeds of any such sale shall belong to us, and when we receive these net proceeds we shall become indebted to the former shareholder for an amount equal to such net proceeds.

 

Transfer of Shares.  Subject to any applicable restrictions set forth in our memorandum and articles of association, any of our shareholders may transfer all or any of his or her shares by an instrument of transfer in the usual or common form or in any other form which our directors may approve.

 

Inspection of Books and Records. Under the Companies Act, shareholders of the general public, on payment of a nominal fee, can obtain copies of the public records of a company available at the office of the Registrar which will include the company’s certificate of incorporation, its memorandum and articles of association (with any amendments) and records of license fees paid to date and will also disclose any articles of dissolution, articles of merger and a register of charges if the company has elected to file such a register.

 

A shareholder of a company is entitled, on giving written notice to the company, to inspect:

 

  (a) the memorandum and articles;

 

  (b) the register of members;

 

  (c) the register of directors; and

 

  (d) the minutes of meetings and resolutions of shareholders and of those classes of shareholders of which he is a shareholder; and to make copies of or take extracts from the documents and records referred to in (a) to (d) above.

 

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Subject to the memorandum and articles of association, the directors may, if they are satisfied that it would be contrary to the company’s interests to allow a shareholder to inspect any document, or part of a document, specified in (b), (c) or (d) above, refuse to permit the shareholder to inspect the document or limit the inspection of the document, including limiting the making of copies or the taking of extracts from the records.

 

Where a company fails or refuses to permit a shareholder to inspect a document or permits a shareholder to inspect a document subject to limitations, that shareholder may apply to a British Virgin Islands court for an order that he should be permitted to inspect the document or to inspect the document without limitation.

 

Dissolution; Winding Up.  As permitted by the Companies Act and our memorandum and articles of association, we may be voluntarily liquidated under Part XII of the Companies Act by resolution of directors and resolution of shareholders if we have no liabilities or we are able to pay our debts as they fall due.

 

We also may be wound up in circumstances where we are insolvent in accordance with the terms of the Insolvency Act.

 

Anti-Money Laundering Laws

 

In order to comply with legislation or regulations aimed at the prevention of money laundering we are required to adopt and maintain anti-money laundering procedures, and may require subscribers to provide evidence to verify their identity. Where permitted, and subject to certain conditions, we also may delegate the maintenance of our anti-money laundering procedures (including the acquisition of due diligence information) to a suitable person.

 

We reserve the right to request such information as is necessary to verify the identity of a subscriber. In the event of delay or failure on the part of the subscriber in producing any information required for verification purposes, we may refuse to accept the application, in which case any funds received will be returned without interest to the account from which they were originally debited.

 

If any person resident in the British Virgin Islands knows or suspects that another person is engaged in money laundering or terrorist financing and the information for that knowledge or suspicion came to their attention in the course of their business the person will be required to report his belief or suspicion to the Financial Investigation Agency of the British Virgin Islands, pursuant to the Proceeds of Criminal Conduct Act 1997 (as amended). 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.

 

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SECURITIES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE

 

Immediately after this offering we will have 6,625,000 (or 7,603,750 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) ordinary shares outstanding. Of these shares, the 5,000,000 (or 5,750,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) shares 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 1,250,000 shares (or 1,437,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) and all 375,000 (or 416,250 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) private units are restricted securities under Rule 144, in that they were issued in private transactions not involving a public offering. 

In addition, if we consummate an initial business combination, the shares issuable upon exchange of the rights will be freely tradable (except to the extent held by affiliates of ours) since the issuance of the shares underlying the rights will either be registered under an effective registration statement on Form F-4 (in the case where we are not the surviving entity) or be exempt from registration pursuant to an applicable exemption such as the exemption provided by Section 3(a)(9) (in the case where we are the surviving entity). 

Rule 144 

Pursuant to Rule 144, a person who has beneficially owned restricted ordinary shares 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. 

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 66,250 shares immediately after this offering (or 76,037 if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option); 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 material 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 Form 8-K reports; 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 units, as applicable, pursuant to Rule 144 without registration one year after we have completed our initial business combination, assuming that we timely file our Exchange Act reports and materials. 

Registration Rights 

Pursuant to an agreement to be entered into on the date of this prospectus, our initial shareholders, our sponsor, EarlyBirdCapital (and/or their designees) and their permitted transferees can demand that we register the founder shares, the private units and underlying securities and any securities issued upon conversion of working capital loans. The holders of 25% of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that we register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our consummation of our initial business combination. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements. In addition, we have granted similar demand registration rights and “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to the unit purchase option issued to EarlyBirdCapital and the underlying securities. 

Listing of Securities 

We have applied to list our units, ordinary shares, rights and warrants on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbols “BCACU,” “BCAC,” “BCACR” and “BCACW,” respectively. We anticipate that our units will be listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market on or promptly after the effective date of the registration statement. Following the date the ordinary shares, rights and warrants are eligible to trade separately, we anticipate that the ordinary shares and warrants will be listed separately and as a unit on the Nasdaq Capital Market. 

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TAXATION

 

The following summary of the material British Virgin Islands and U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in our units, ordinary shares and warrants to acquire our ordinary shares, sometimes referred to collectively in the summary as our “securities,” 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 summary does not deal with all possible tax consequences relating to an investment in our securities, such as the tax consequences under state, local and other tax laws.

 

British Virgin Islands Taxation

 

The following discussion is the opinion of Ogier, our British Virgin Islands counsel.

 

The Government of the British Virgin Islands does not, under existing legislation, impose any income, corporate or capital gains tax, estate duty, inheritance tax, gift tax or withholding tax upon the company or its security holders who are not tax resident in the British Virgin Islands.

 

The company and all distributions, interest and other amounts paid by the company to persons who are not tax resident in the British Virgin Islands will not be subject to any income, withholding or capital gains taxes in the British Virgin Islands, with respect to the shares in the company owned by them and dividends received on such shares, nor will they be subject to any estate or inheritance taxes in the British Virgin Islands.

 

No estate, inheritance, succession or gift tax, rate, duty, levy or other charge is payable by persons who are not tax resident in the British Virgin Islands with respect to any shares, debt obligations or other securities of the company.

 

Except to the extent that we have any interest in real property in the British Virgin Islands, all instruments relating to transactions in respect of the shares, debt obligations or other securities of the company and all instruments relating to other transactions relating to the business of the company are exempt from the payment of stamp duty in the British Virgin Islands.

 

There are currently no withholding taxes or exchange control regulations in the British Virgin Islands applicable to the company or its security holders.

 

United States Federal Income Taxation

 

General

 

The following discussion is the opinion of Hunter Taubman Fischer &Li LLC, our U.S. counsel.

 

The following are the material U.S. federal income tax consequences to an investor of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our securities issued pursuant to this offering. The discussion below of the U.S. federal income tax consequences with respect to actual holders of ordinary shares and warrants should also apply to holders of units (as the deemed owners of the underlying ordinary shares and warrants that comprise the units).

 

The discussion below of the U.S. federal income tax consequences to “U.S. Holders” will apply to a beneficial owner of our securities that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

 

  an individual citizen or resident of the United States;

 

  a corporation (or other entity treated as a corporation) that is created or organized (or treated as created or organized) in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia;

 

  an estate whose income is includible in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of its source; or

 

  a trust if (i) a U.S. court can exercise primary supervision over the trust’s administration and one or more U.S. persons are authorized to control all substantial decisions of the trust, or (ii) it has a valid election in effect under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations to be treated as a U.S. person.

 

If a beneficial owner of our securities is not described as a U.S. Holder and is not an entity treated as a partnership or other pass-through entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes, such owner will be considered a “Non-U.S. Holder.” The material U.S. federal income tax consequences applicable specifically to Non-U.S. Holders are described below under the heading “Non-U.S. Holders.”

 

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This discussion is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), its legislative history, Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder, proposed regulations, published rulings and court decisions, all as currently in effect. These authorities are subject to change or differing interpretations, possibly on a retroactive basis.

 

This discussion assumes that the ordinary shares and warrants will trade separately and does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to any particular holder based on such holder’s individual circumstances. In particular, this discussion considers only holders that own our securities as capital assets within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code, and does not address the potential application of the alternative minimum tax. In addition, this discussion does not address the U.S. federal income tax consequences to holders that are subject to special rules, including:

 

  financial institutions or financial services entities;

 

  broker-dealers;

 

  taxpayers that are subject to the mark-to-market accounting rules under Section 475 of the Code;

 

  tax-exempt entities;

 

  governments or agencies or instrumentalities thereof;

 

  insurance companies;

 

  regulated investment companies;

 

  real estate investment trusts;

 

  expatriates or former long-term residents of the United States;

 

  persons that actually or constructively own 5 percent or more of our voting shares;

 

  persons that acquired our securities pursuant to an exercise of employee share options, in connection with employee share incentive plans or otherwise as compensation;

 

  persons that hold our securities as part of a straddle, constructive sale, hedging, redemption or other integrated transaction; or

 

  persons whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar.

 

This discussion does not address any aspect of U.S. federal non-income tax laws, such as gift or estate tax laws, state, local or non-U.S. tax laws or, except as discussed herein, any tax reporting obligations of a holder of our securities. Additionally, this discussion does not consider the tax treatment of partnerships or other pass-through entities or persons who hold our securities through such entities. If a partnership (or other entity classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) is the beneficial owner of our securities, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner in the partnership generally will depend on the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. This discussion also assumes that any distributions made (or deemed made) by us on our ordinary shares and any consideration received (or deemed received) by a holder in consideration for the sale or other disposition of our securities will be in U.S. dollars.

 

We have not sought, and will not seek, a ruling from the IRS as to any U.S. federal income tax consequence described herein. The IRS may disagree with the descriptions herein, and its determination may be upheld by a court. Moreover, there can be no assurance that future legislation, regulations, administrative rulings or court decisions will not adversely affect the accuracy of the statements in this discussion.

 

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THIS DISCUSSION IS ONLY A SUMMARY OF THE MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE ACQUISITION, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR SECURITIES. EACH PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR IN OUR SECURITIES IS URGED TO CONSULT ITS OWN TAX ADVISOR WITH RESPECT TO THE PARTICULAR TAX CONSEQUENCES TO SUCH INVESTOR OF THE ACQUISITION, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR SECURITIES, INCLUDING THE APPLICABILITY AND EFFECT OF ANY STATE, LOCAL, AND NON-U.S. TAX LAWS, AS WELL AS U.S. FEDERAL TAX LAWS AND ANY APPLICABLE TAX TREATIES.

 

Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit

 

There is no authority addressing the treatment, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, of securities with terms substantially the same as the units, and, therefore, that treatment is not entirely clear. Each unit may be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as an investment unit consisting of one ordinary share and one warrant to acquire one ordinary share. If this is the case, then for U.S. federal income tax purposes, each holder of a unit may be required to allocate the purchase price of a unit among the ordinary share and warrant that comprise the unit based on the relative fair market value of each at the time of issuance. The price allocated to each ordinary share or warrant generally will be the holder’s tax basis in such share or warrant, as the case may be.

 

The foregoing treatment of our 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 holder is advised to consult its own tax advisor regarding the risks associated with an investment in a unit (including alternative characterizations of a unit) and regarding an allocation of the purchase price among the ordinary share and the warrant that comprise a unit. The balance of this discussion generally assumes that the characterization of the units described above is respected for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

U.S. Holders

 

Tax Reporting

 

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. A U.S. Holder that transfers cash to us must report the transfer on Form 926 if (a) immediately after the transfer the U.S. Holder holds directly, indirectly or by attribution at least 10% of the total voting power or the total value of our corporation or (b) the amount of cash transferred by the U.S. Holder or any related person to us during the 12-month period ending on the date of the transfer exceeds $100,000. Substantial penalties may be imposed on a U.S. Holder that fails to comply with this reporting requirement. Each U.S. Holder is urged to consult with its own tax advisor regarding this reporting obligation.

 

Taxation of Distributions Paid on Ordinary Shares

 

Subject to the passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) rules discussed below, a U.S. Holder generally will be required to include in gross income as dividends the amount of any cash distribution paid on our ordinary shares. A cash distribution on such shares generally will be treated as a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent the distribution is paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles). Such 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.

 

Distributions in excess of such earnings and profits generally will be applied against and reduce the U.S. Holder’s basis in its ordinary shares (but not below zero) and, to the extent in excess of such basis, will be treated as gain from the sale or exchange of such ordinary shares.

 

With respect to non-corporate U.S. Holders, dividends will be taxed at the lower applicable long-term capital gains rate (see “— Taxation on the Disposition of Ordinary Shares and Warrants” below) only if (1) our ordinary shares are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States (which includes Nasdaq); (2) we are not a PFIC for the taxable year during which the dividend is paid or in the immediately preceding taxable year; (3) the U.S. Holder has owned the ordinary shares for more than 60 days in the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the date on which the common shares become ex-dividend; and (4) the U.S. Holder is not under an obligation to make related payments with respect to the position in substantially similar or related property. U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the availability of the lower rate for any dividends paid with respect to our ordinary shares.

 

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Possible Constructive Distributions

 

The terms of each warrant provide for an adjustment to the number of shares for which the warrant may be exercised or to the exercise price of the warrant in certain events. An adjustment which has the effect of preventing dilution generally is not taxable. However, the U.S. Holders of the warrants would be treated as receiving a constructive distribution from us if, for example, the adjustment increases the warrant holders’ 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) as a result of a distribution of cash to the holders of our ordinary shares which is taxable to the U.S. Holders of such ordinary shares as described under “— Taxation of Distributions Paid on Ordinary Shares” above. Such constructive distribution would be subject to tax as described under that section 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 interest.

 

Taxation on the Disposition of Ordinary Shares and Warrants

 

Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, upon a sale or other taxable disposition of our ordinary shares or warrants which, in general, would include a redemption of ordinary shares as described below, and including as a result of a dissolution and liquidation if 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 the ordinary shares or warrants. See “— Acquisition of Ordinary Shares Pursuant to a Warrant” below for a discussion regarding a U.S. Holder’s basis in an ordinary share acquired upon the exercise of a warrant.

 

Long-term capital gains recognized by non-corporate U.S. Holders are generally subject to U.S. federal income tax at reduced rates. Capital gain or loss will constitute long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the ordinary shares or warrants exceeds one year. It is unclear whether the redemption rights with respect to the ordinary shares described in this prospectus may prevent a U.S. Holder from satisfying the applicable holding period requirements for this purpose. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to various limitations that are not described herein because a discussion of such limitations depends on each U.S. Holder’s particular facts and circumstances. Among such limitations is the deduction for losses upon a taxable disposition by a U.S. Holder of an ordinary share or a warrant (whether or not held as part of a unit) if, within a period beginning 30 days before the date of such disposition and ending 30 days after such date, such U.S. Holder has acquired (by purchase or by an exchange on which the entire amount of gain or loss was recognized by law), or has entered into a contract or option so to acquire, substantially identical shares or securities. U.S. Holders who recognize losses with respect to a disposition of our ordinary shares or warrants should consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax treatment of such losses.

 

Redemption of Ordinary Shares

 

Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, if a U.S. Holder redeems ordinary shares for the right to receive cash pursuant to the exercise of a shareholder redemption right or if we purchase a U.S. Holder’s ordinary shares in an open market transaction, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, such redemption will be subject to the following rules. If the redemption qualifies as a sale of the ordinary shares under Section 302 of the Code, the tax treatment of such redemption will be as described under “— Taxation on the Disposition of Ordinary Shares and Warrants” above. If the redemption does not qualify as a sale of ordinary shares under Section 302 of the Code, a U.S. Holder will be treated as receiving a distribution with the tax consequences described below. Whether a redemption of our shares qualifies for sale treatment will depend largely on the total number of our ordinary shares treated as held by such U.S. Holder (including any shares constructively owned as a result of, among other things, owning warrants). The redemption of ordinary shares generally will be treated as a sale or exchange of the ordinary shares (rather than as a distribution) if the receipt of cash upon the redemption (i) is “substantially disproportionate” with respect to a U.S. Holder, (ii) results in a “complete termination” of such holder’s interest in us or (iii) is “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” with respect to such holder. These tests are explained more fully below.

 

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In determining whether any of the foregoing tests are satisfied, a U.S. Holder must take into account not only our ordinary shares actually owned by such holder, but also our ordinary shares that are constructively owned by such holder. A U.S. Holder may constructively own, in addition to our ordinary shares owned directly, ordinary shares owned by related individuals and entities in which such holder has an interest or that have an interest in such holder, as well as any ordinary shares such holder has a right to acquire by exercise of an option, which would generally include ordinary shares which could be acquired upon the exercise of the warrant. In order to meet the substantially disproportionate test, the percentage of our outstanding voting shares actually and constructively owned by a U.S. Holder immediately following the redemption of our ordinary shares must, among other requirements, be less than 80% of the percentage of our outstanding voting shares actually and constructively owned by such holder immediately before the redemption. There will be a complete termination of a U.S. Holder’s interest if either (1) all of our ordinary shares actually and constructively owned by such U.S. Holder are redeemed or (2) all of our ordinary shares actually owned by such U.S. Holder are redeemed and such holder is eligible to waive, and effectively waives, in accordance with specific rules, the attribution of shares owned by family members and such holder does not constructively own any other shares. The redemption of the ordinary shares will not be essentially equivalent to a dividend if such redemption results in a “meaningful reduction” of a 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.” U.S. Holders should consult with their own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of an exercise of the redemption right.

 

If none of the foregoing tests are satisfied, then the redemption may be treated as a distribution and the tax effects will be as described under “— Taxation of Distributions Paid on Ordinary Shares,” above. After the application of those rules, any remaining tax basis a U.S. Holder has in the redeemed ordinary shares will be added to the adjusted tax basis in such holder’s remaining ordinary shares. If there are no remaining ordinary shares, a U.S. Holder should consult its own tax advisors as to the allocation of any remaining basis.

 

U.S. Holders who actually or constructively own one percent (or five percent if our ordinary shares are listed on Nasdaq) or more of our shares (by vote or value) may be subject to special reporting requirements with respect to a redemption of ordinary shares, and such holders should consult with their own tax advisors with respect to their reporting requirements.

 

Acquisition of Ordinary Shares Pursuant to a Warrant

 

Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, a U.S. Holder generally will not recognize gain or loss upon the acquisition of an ordinary share on the exercise of a warrant for cash. An ordinary share acquired pursuant to the exercise of a warrant for cash generally will have a tax basis equal to the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the warrant, increased by the amount paid to exercise the warrant. The holding period of such ordinary share generally would begin on the day after the date of receipt of shares from the exercise of the warrant and will not include the period during which the U.S. Holder held the warrant. If a warrant is allowed to lapse unexercised, a U.S. Holder generally will recognize a capital loss equal to such holder’s tax basis in the warrant.

 

The tax consequences of a cashless exercise of a warrant are not clear under current tax law. A cashless exercise may be tax-free, either because the exercise is not a gain realization event or because the exercise is treated as a recapitalization for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In either tax-free situation, a U.S. Holder’s basis in the ordinary shares received would equal the holder’s basis in the warrant. If the cashless exercise were treated as not being a gain realization event, a U.S. Holder’s holding period in the ordinary shares would be treated as commencing on the date following the date of exercise of the warrant. If the cashless exercise were treated as a recapitalization, the holding period of the ordinary shares would include the holding period of the warrant. It is also possible that a cashless exercise could be treated as a taxable exchange in which gain or loss would be recognized. In such event, a U.S. Holder could be deemed to have surrendered warrants equal to the number of ordinary shares having a value equal to the exercise price for the total number of warrants to be exercised. The U.S. Holder would recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the fair market value of the ordinary shares represented by the warrants deemed surrendered and the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the warrants deemed surrendered. In this case, a U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the ordinary shares received would equal the sum of the fair market value of the ordinary shares represented by the warrants deemed surrendered and the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the warrants exercised. A U.S. Holder’s holding period for the ordinary shares would commence on the date following the date of exercise of the warrant. Due to the absence of authority on the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a cashless exercise, there can be no assurance which, if any, of the alternative tax consequences and holding periods described above would be adopted by the IRS or a court of law. Accordingly, U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of a cashless exercise.

 

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Additional Medicare Taxes

 

A U.S. Holder that is an individual or estate, or a trust that does not fall into a special class of trusts that is exempt from such tax, is subject to a 3.8% tax on the lesser of (1) such U.S. Holder’s “net investment income” (or undistributed “net investment income” in the case of estates and trusts) for the relevant taxable year and (2) the excess of such U.S. Holder’s modified adjusted gross income for the taxable year over a certain threshold (which in the case of individuals will be between $125,000 and $250,000, depending on the individual’s circumstances). A U.S. Holder’s net investment income will generally include its gross dividend income and its net gains from the disposition of the securities, unless such dividends or net gains are derived in the ordinary course of the conduct of a trade or business (other than a trade or business that consists of certain passive or trading activities). Net investment income generally will not include a U.S. Holder’s pro rata share of the Company’s income and gain if we are a PFIC and that U.S. Holder makes a QEF election, as described below in “—Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules”). However, a U.S. Holder may elect to treat inclusions of income and gain from a QEF election as net investment income. Failure to make this election could result in a mismatch between a U.S. Holder’s ordinary income and net investment income. If you are a U.S. Holder that is an individual, estate or trust, you are urged to consult your tax advisor regarding the applicability of the net investment income tax to your income and gains in respect of your investment in the securities.

 

Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules

 

A foreign (i.e., non-U.S.) corporation will be a PFIC for U.S. tax purposes if at least 75% of its gross income in a taxable year, including its pro rata share of the gross income of any corporation in which it is considered to own at least 25% of the shares by value, is passive income. Alternatively, a foreign corporation will be a PFIC if at least 50% of its assets in a taxable year of the foreign corporation, ordinarily determined based on fair market value and averaged quarterly over the year, including its pro rata share of the assets of any corporation in which it is considered to own at least 25% of the shares by value, are held for the production of, or produce, passive income. Passive income 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.

 

Because we are a blank check company, with no current active business, we believe that it is likely that we will meet the PFIC asset and/or income test for our taxable year ending December 31, 2017. 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. The applicability of the start-up exception to us will not be known until after the close of our taxable year ending December 31, 2017. After the acquisition of a company or assets in a business combination, we may still meet one of the PFIC tests depending on the timing of the acquisition and the amount of our passive income and assets as well as the passive income and assets of the acquired business. If the company that we acquire in a business combination is a PFIC, then we will likely not qualify for the start-up exception and will be a PFIC for our taxable year ending December 31, 2017. Our actual PFIC status for our current taxable year or any subsequent taxable year, however, will not be determinable until after the end of such taxable year. Accordingly, there can be no assurance with respect to our status as a PFIC for our taxable year ending December 31, 2017 or any future taxable year.

 

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If we are determined to be a PFIC for any taxable year (or portion thereof) that is included in the holding period of a U.S. Holder of any of our ordinary shares or warrants and the U.S. Holder did not make either a timely qualified electing fund (“QEF”) election for our first taxable year as a PFIC in which the U.S. Holder held (or was deemed to hold) ordinary shares (but not warrants), or a mark-to-market election, in each case as described below, such holder generally will be subject to special rules with respect to:

 

  any gain recognized by the U.S. Holder on the sale or other disposition of its ordinary shares or warrants; and

 

  any “excess distribution” made to the U.S. Holder (generally, any distribution to such U.S. Holder during a taxable year of the U.S. Holder that are greater than 125% of the average annual distributions received by such U.S. Holder in respect of the ordinary shares during the three preceding taxable years of such U.S. Holder or, if shorter, such U.S. Holder’s holding period for the ordinary shares prior to the taxable year during which such distribution is made).

 

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 ordinary shares or warrants, and with respect to ordinary shares acquired by exercise of warrants, including for this purpose the holding period of such warrants;

 

  the amount of gain or exercise distribution allocated to the U.S. Holder’s taxable year in which the U.S. Holder recognized the gain or received the excess distribution, and to the period in the U.S. Holder’s holding period before the first day of our first taxable year in which we are a PFIC, will be taxed as ordinary income;

 

  the amount of gain or excess distribution allocated to the period in the U.S. Holder’s holding period when we are a PFIC prior to the U.S. Holder’s taxable year in which the U.S. Holder recognized the gain or received the excess distribution will be taxed at the highest tax rate in effect for that year and applicable to the U.S. Holder, and the interest charge generally applicable to underpayments of tax will be imposed in respect of the tax attributable to each such taxable year of the U.S. Holder.

 

In general, if we are determined to be a PFIC, a U.S. Holder may avoid the PFIC tax consequences described above with respect to our ordinary shares (but not our warrants) by making a timely QEF election (if eligible to do so) to include in income its pro rata share of our net capital gains (as long-term capital gain) and other earnings and profits (as ordinary income), on a current basis, in each case whether or not distributed, in the taxable year of the U.S. Holder in which or with which our taxable year ends. A U.S. Holder 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.

 

A U.S. Holder may not make a QEF election with respect to its warrants to acquire our ordinary shares, and the warrants are currently ineligible for the mark-to-market election described below. As a result, if a U.S. Holder sells or otherwise disposes of such warrants (other than upon exercise of such warrants), any gain recognized generally will be subject to the special tax and interest charge rules treating the gain as an excess distribution, as described above, if we were a PFIC at any time during the period the U.S. Holder held the warrants. If a U.S. Holder that exercises such warrants properly makes a QEF election with respect to the newly acquired ordinary shares (or has previously made a QEF election with respect to our ordinary shares), the QEF election will apply to the newly acquired ordinary shares, but the adverse tax consequences relating to PFIC shares, adjusted to take into account the current income inclusions resulting from the QEF election, will continue to apply with respect to such newly acquired ordinary shares (which generally will be deemed to have a holding period 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. The purging election creates a deemed sale of such shares at their fair market value. The gain recognized by the purging election will be subject to the special tax and interest charge rules treating the gain as an excess distribution, as described above. As a result of the purging election, the U.S. Holder will have a new basis and holding period in the ordinary shares acquired upon the exercise of the warrants for purposes of the PFIC rules.

 

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The QEF election is made on a shareholder-by-shareholder basis and, once made, can be revoked only with the consent of the IRS. A QEF election may not be made with respect to our warrants. A U.S. Holder generally makes a QEF election by attaching a completed IRS Form 8621 (Information Return by a Shareholder of a Passive Foreign investment Company or Qualified Electing Fund), including the information provided in a PFIC annual information statement, 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 their own tax advisors regarding the availability and tax consequences of a retroactive QEF election under 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, we will endeavor to provide to a U.S. Holder such information as the IRS may require, including a PFIC annual information statement, in order to enable the U.S. Holder to make and maintain a QEF election. However, there is 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.

 

If a U.S. Holder has made a QEF election with respect to our ordinary shares, and the special tax and interest charge rules do not apply to such shares (because of a timely QEF election for our first taxable year as a PFIC in which the U.S. Holder holds (or is deemed to hold) such shares or a purge of the PFIC taint pursuant to a purging election, as described above), any gain recognized on the sale of our ordinary shares generally will be taxable as capital gain and no interest charge will be imposed. As discussed above, U.S. Holders of a QEF are currently taxed on their pro rata shares of its earnings and profits, whether or not distributed. In such case, a subsequent distribution of such earnings and profits that were previously included in income generally should not be taxable as a dividend to such U.S. Holders. The tax basis of a U.S. Holder’s shares in a QEF will be increased by amounts that are included in income, and decreased by amounts distributed but not taxed as dividends, under the above rules. Similar basis adjustments apply to property if by reason of holding such property the U.S. Holder is treated under the applicable attribution rules as owning shares in a QEF.

 

Although a determination as to our PFIC status will be made annually, an initial determination that our company is a PFIC will generally apply for subsequent years to a U.S. Holder who held ordinary shares or warrants while we were a PFIC, whether or not we meet the test for PFIC status in those subsequent years. A U.S. Holder who makes the QEF election discussed above for our first taxable year as a PFIC in which the U.S. Holder holds (or is deemed to hold) our ordinary shares (but not our warrants), however, will not be subject to the PFIC tax and interest charge rules discussed above with respect to such shares. In addition, such U.S. Holder will not be subject to the QEF inclusion regime with respect to such shares for any taxable year of us that ends within or with a taxable year of the U.S. Holder and in which we are not a PFIC. On the other hand, if the QEF election is not effective for each of our taxable years in which we are a PFIC and the U.S. Holder holds (or is deemed to hold) our ordinary shares, the PFIC rules discussed above will continue to apply to such shares unless the holder makes a purging election, as described above, and pays the tax and interest charge with respect to the gain inherent in such shares attributable to the pre-QEF election period.

 

Alternatively, if a U.S. Holder, at the close of its taxable year, owns shares in a PFIC that are treated as marketable stock, the U.S. Holder may make a mark-to-market election with respect to such shares for such taxable year. 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) ordinary shares in us and for which we are determined to be a PFIC, such holder generally will not be subject to the PFIC rules described above with respect to its ordinary shares. Instead, in general, the U.S. Holder will include as ordinary income each year the excess, if any, of the fair market value of its ordinary shares at the end of its taxable year over the adjusted basis in its ordinary shares. The U.S. Holder also will be allowed to take an ordinary loss in respect of the excess, if any, of the adjusted basis of its ordinary shares over the fair market value of its ordinary shares at the end of its taxable year, but only to the extent of the net amount of previously included income as a result of the mark-to-market election. The U.S. Holder’s basis in its ordinary shares will be adjusted to reflect any such income or loss amounts, and any further gain recognized on a sale or other taxable disposition of the ordinary shares will be treated as ordinary income. Currently, a mark-to-market election may not be made with respect to our warrants.

 

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The mark-to-market election is available only for stock that is regularly traded on a national securities exchange that is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Nasdaq. U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the availability and tax consequences of a mark-to-market election with respect to our ordinary shares under their particular circumstances.

 

If we are a PFIC and, at any time, have a foreign subsidiary that is classified as a PFIC, U.S. Holders generally would be deemed to own a portion of the shares of such lower-tier PFIC, and generally could incur liability for the deferred tax and interest charge described above if we receive a distribution from, or dispose of all or part of our interest in, the lower-tier PFIC or the U.S. Holders otherwise were deemed to have disposed of an interest in the lower-tier PFIC. We will endeavor to cause any lower-tier PFIC to provide to a U.S. Holder the information that may be required to make or maintain a QEF election with respect to the lower-tier PFIC. However, there is no assurance that we will have timely knowledge of the status of any such lower-tier PFIC. In addition, we may not hold a controlling interest in any such lower-tier PFIC and thus there can be no assurance we will be able to cause the lower-tier PFIC to provide the required information. U.S. Holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax issues raised by lower-tier 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 market-to-market election is made) and such other information as may be required by the U.S. Treasury Department.

 

The rules dealing with PFICs and with the QEF and mark-to-market elections are very complex and are affected by various factors in addition to those described above. Accordingly, U.S. Holders of our ordinary shares and warrants should consult their own tax advisors concerning the application of the PFIC rules to our ordinary shares and warrants under their particular circumstances.

 

Non-U.S. Holders

 

Dividends (including constructive dividends) paid or deemed paid to a Non-U.S. Holder with respect to our ordinary shares generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax, unless the dividends are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base that such holder maintains in the United States).

 

In addition, a Non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on any gain attributable to a sale or other disposition of our ordinary shares or warrants unless such gain is effectively connected with its conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base that such holder maintains in the United States) or the Non-U.S. Holder is an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of sale or other disposition and certain other conditions are met (in which case, such gain from United States sources generally is subject to tax at a 30% rate or a lower applicable tax treaty rate).

 

Dividends and gains that are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base in the United States) generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax (but not the Medicare contribution tax) at the same regular U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to a comparable U.S. Holder and, in the case of a Non-U.S. Holder that is a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, also may be subject to an additional branch profits tax at a 30% rate or a lower applicable tax treaty rate.

 

The U.S. federal income tax treatment of a Non-U.S. Holder’s receipt of an ordinary share upon the exercise of a warrant held by a Non-U.S. Holder, generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the receipt of a share or exercise of a warrant by a U.S. Holder, as described under “U.S. Holders — Acquisition of Ordinary Shares Pursuant to Warrant,” above, although to the extent a cashless exercise results in a taxable exchange, the consequences would be similar to those described in the preceding paragraphs above for a Non-U.S. Holder’s gain on the sale or other disposition of our ordinary shares and warrants.

 

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Backup Withholding and Information Reporting

 

In general, information reporting for U.S. federal income tax purposes should apply to distributions made on our ordinary shares within the United States to a U.S. Holder, subject to certain exceptions, and to the proceeds from sales and other dispositions of our ordinary shares or warrants by a U.S. Holder to or through a U.S. office of a broker. Payments made (and sales and other dispositions effected at an office) outside the United States will be subject to information reporting in limited circumstances.

 

In addition, backup withholding of U.S. federal income tax, currently at a rate of 28%, generally will apply to dividends paid on our ordinary shares to a U.S. Holder and the proceeds from sales and other dispositions of shares or warrants by a U.S. Holder, in each case who:

 

  fails to provide an accurate taxpayer identification number;

 

  is notified by the IRS that backup withholding is required; or

 

  fails to comply with applicable certification requirements.

 

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-8 or by otherwise establishing an exemption.

 

We will withhold all taxes required to be withheld by law from any amounts otherwise payable to any holder of our securities, including tax withholding required by the backup withholding rules. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Rather, the amount of any backup withholding will be allowed as a credit against a U.S. Holder’s or a Non-U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability and may entitle such holder to a refund, provided that the requisite information is timely furnished to the IRS. Holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the application of backup withholding and the availability of and procedure for obtaining an exemption from backup withholding in their particular circumstances.

 

U.S. Holders of our securities may be required to file forms with the IRS under the applicable reporting provisions of the Code. For example, such U.S. Holders may be required, under Sections 6038, 6038B, 6038D and/or 6046 of the Code, and the regulations thereunder, to supply the IRS with certain information regarding the U.S. Holder, other U.S. Holders and us if (1) such person owns at least 10% of the total value or 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of our shares entitled to vote or (2) the acquisition of our securities, when aggregated with certain other acquisitions that may be treated as related under applicable regulations, exceeds $100,000 in value. U.S. Holders may also be required to report information relating to an interest in our securities that are not held in a financial account maintained by a U.S. or foreign financial institution. If a U.S. Holder fails to file a form when required to do so, the U.S. Holder could be subject to substantial tax penalties.

 

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NOTES REGARDING OUR CHOICE OF BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS AND THE
ENFORCEABILITY OF CIVIL LIABILITIES

 

Reasons for our Choice of Incorporating in the British Virgin Islands

 

We are incorporated in the British Virgin Islands because of the following benefits found there:

 

  political and economic stability;

 

  an effective and sophisticated judicial system with a dedicated Commercial court;

 

  tax neutral treatment, with no tax levied against companies incorporated in the British Virgin Islands by the local tax authorities;

 

  the absence of exchange control or currency restrictions; and

 

  the availability of professional and support services.

 

In addition to the benefits listed above, incorporation in the British Virgin Islands offers investors the following benefits:

 

  commitment of the British Virgin Islands to implement best international practice and to comply with the requirements of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Financial Action Taskforce (FATF);

 

  the adoption of the English law concept of corporate separateness to mitigate the risk of the assets of a shareholder being used to satisfy the liabilities of the company; and

 

  confidentiality for shareholders.

 

However, there are certain disadvantages accompanying incorporation in the British Virgin Islands. These disadvantages include:

 

  the British Virgin Islands has a less developed body of securities laws as compared to the United States and provides significantly less protection to investors; and

 

  British Virgin Islands companies may not have standing to sue before the federal courts of the United States.

 

We believe the disadvantages of incorporating in the British Virgin Islands are outweighed by the benefits to us and our investors of such incorporation.

 

Enforceability of Civil Liabilities

 

We are a BVI business company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands and therefore, located outside of the United States. The proceeds we receive from this offering will be held in U.S. Dollars and deposited in a trust account at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. in the United States maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as trustee. The trust account will be governed by an Investment Management Trust Agreement between us and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company.

 

The courts of the British Virgin Islands will not necessarily enter judgments in original actions brought in those courts predicated on U.S. federal or state securities laws. Additionally, there is no statutory enforcement in the British Virgin Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, however, the courts of the British Virgin Islands will in certain circumstances recognize such a foreign judgment and treat it as a cause of action in itself which may be sued upon as a debt at common law so that no retrial of the issues would be necessary provided that the U.S. judgment, provided that:

 

  the U.S. court issuing the judgment had jurisdiction in the matter and the company either submitted to such jurisdiction or was resident or carrying on business within such jurisdiction and was duly served with process;

 

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  is final and for a liquidated sum;

 

  the judgment given by the U.S. court was not in respect of penalties, taxes, fines or similar fiscal or revenue obligations of the company;

 

  in obtaining judgment there was no fraud on the part of the person in whose favor judgment was given or on the part of the court;

 

  recognition or enforcement of the judgment in the BVI would not be contrary to public policy; and

 

  the proceedings pursuant to which judgment was obtained were not contrary to natural justice.

 

In appropriate circumstances, a British Virgin Islands court may give effect in the British Virgin Islands to other kinds of final foreign judgments such as declaratory orders, orders for performance of contracts and injunctions.

 

We expect that in the event of a voluntary liquidation of us, after payment of the liquidation costs and any sums then due to creditors, that the liquidator would distribute our remaining assets on a pari passu basis.

 

Although we will seek to have all third parties such as vendors and prospective target businesses enter into agreements with us waiving any interest to any assets held in the trust account, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements. Bison Capital, our sponsor, agreed that it will be liable to us, if and to the extent any claims by a vendor for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement reduce the amounts in the trust account to below $10.25 per share, except as to any claims by a third party 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. In the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, such persons will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third party claims. We have not independently verified whether Bison Capital has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and, therefore, our existing shareholders may not be able to satisfy those obligations. We believe the likelihood of Bison Capital having to indemnify the trust account is limited because we will endeavor to have all vendors and prospective target businesses as well as other entities execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the trust account.

 

Our initial shareholders and our sponsor (and/or its designees) have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and any private shares purchased in the private placement if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within 21 months from the closing of this offering. However, if any of our sponsor, officers, directors or affiliates acquire public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to receive liquidating distributions with respect to such public shares if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within the required time period.

 

We will pay the costs of our liquidation of the trust account from our remaining assets outside of the trust account. However, if those funds are not sufficient to cover these costs and expenses, we may request the trustee to release to us such accrued interest to pay those costs and expenses. In addition, Bison Capital has agreed to indemnify us for all claims of creditors to the extent that we fail to obtain executed waivers from such entities in order to protect the amounts held in trust and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.

 

Under British Virgin Islands law, the directors owe fiduciary duties at both common law and under statute, including a statutory duty to act honestly, in good faith and with a view to our best interests. When exercising powers or performing duties as a director, the director is required to exercise the care, diligence and skill that a reasonable director would exercise in the circumstances taking into account, without limitation, the nature of the company, the nature of the decision and the position of the director and the nature of the responsibilities undertaken by him. In exercising the powers of a director, the directors must exercise their powers for a proper purpose and shall not act or agree to the company acting in a manner that contravenes our memorandum and articles of association or the Companies Act.

 

In certain limited circumstances, a shareholder has the right to seek various remedies against the company in the event the directors are in breach of their duties under the Companies Act. Pursuant to Section 184B of the Companies Act, if a company or director of a company engages in, proposes to engage in or has engaged in, conduct that contravenes the provisions of the Companies Act or the memorandum or articles of association of the company, the courts of the British Virgin Islands may, on application of a shareholder or director of the company, make an order directing the company or director to comply with, or restraining the company or director from engaging in conduct that contravenes the Companies Act or the memorandum or articles. Furthermore, pursuant to Section 184I(1) of the Companies Act, a shareholder of a company who considers that the affairs of the company have been, are being or likely to be, conducted in a manner that is, or any acts of the company have been, or are likely to be oppressive, unfairly discriminatory, or unfairly prejudicial to him in that capacity, may apply to the courts of the British Virgin Islands for an order which, inter alia, can require the company or any other person to pay compensation to the shareholders.

 

If we are deemed insolvent for the purposes of the Insolvency Act (i.e., (i) we fail to comply with the requirements of a statutory demand that has not been set aside under section 157 of the Insolvency Act; (ii) the execution or other process issued on a judgment, decree or order of a British Virgin Islands court in favor of a creditor of ours is returned wholly or partly unsatisfied; or (iii) either the value of our liabilities exceeds our assets, or we are unable to pay our debts as they fall due), there are very limited circumstances where prior payments made to shareholders or other parties may be deemed to be a “voidable transaction” for the purposes of the Insolvency Act. A voidable transaction would include, for these purposes, payments made as “unfair preferences” or “transactions at an undervalue”. A liquidator appointed over an insolvent company who considers that a particular transaction or payment is a voidable transaction under the Insolvency Act could apply to a British Virgin Islands courts for an order setting aside that payment or transaction in whole or in part.

 

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UNDERWRITING

 

We intend to offer our securities described in this prospectus through the underwriters named below. Subject to the terms and conditions of the underwriting agreement, the underwriters, through their representative EarlyBirdCapital, Inc., have severally agreed to purchase from us on a firm commitment basis the following number of units at a public offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions set forth on the cover page of this prospectus:

 

Underwriter  Number of Units 
EarlyBirdCapital, Inc.     
Total   5,000,000 

 

A copy of the underwriting agreement has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

 

Listing of our Securities

 

We expect our units, ordinary shares, rights and warrants to be quoted on Nasdaq under the symbols “BCACU,” “BCAC,” “BCACR” and “BCACW,” respectively. We anticipate that our units will be listed on Nasdaq on or promptly after the effective date of the registration statement. Following the date that our ordinary shares, rights and warrants are eligible to trade separately, we anticipate that our ordinary shares, rights and warrants will be listed separately and as a unit on Nasdaq. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq or that they will continue to be listed on Nasdaq after this offering.

 

Pricing of this Offering

 

We have been advised by the representative that the underwriters propose to offer the units to the public at the offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. They may re-allow some dealers concessions not in excess of $ per unit and the dealers may allow a concession not in excess of $ per unit to other dealers.

 

Prior to this offering there has been no public market for our securities. The public offering price of the units and the terms of the warrants was negotiated between us and the representative of the underwriters. Factors considered in determining the prices and terms of the units include:

 

  the history of other similarly structured blank check companies;

 

  prior offerings of those companies;

 

  our prospects for acquiring an operating business at attractive values;

 

  our capital structure;

 

  securities exchange listing requirements;

 

  market demand;

 

  expected liquidity of our securities; and

 

  general conditions of the securities markets at the time of the offering.

 

However, although these factors were considered, the determination of our offering price is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities for an operating company in a particular industry since the underwriters are unable to compare our financial results and prospects with those of public companies operating in the same industry.

 

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Over-allotment Option

 

We have granted the underwriters an option to buy up to 750,000 additional units. The underwriters may exercise this option solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments, if any, made in connection with this offering. The underwriters have 30 days from the date of this prospectus to exercise this option. If the underwriters exercise this option, they will each purchase additional units approximately in proportion to the amounts specified in the table above.

 

Commissions and Discounts

 

The following table shows the public offering price, underwriting discount to be paid by us to the underwriters and the proceeds, before expenses, to us. This information assumes either no exercise or full exercise by the representative of the underwriters of its over-allotment option.

 

   Per Unit   Without
Over-allotment
   With
Over-allotment
 
Public offering price  $10.00   $50,000,000   $57,500,000 
Discount  $0.30   $1,500,000   $1,725,000 
Proceeds before expenses(1)  $9.70   $48,500,000   $55,775,000 

 

(1) The offering expenses are estimated at $500,000.

 

In addition, we have agreed to pay for the FINRA-related fees and expenses of the underwriters’ legal counsel and certain diligence and other fees described below.

 

No discounts or commissions will be paid on the sale of the private units.

 

Business Combination Marketing Agreement

 

We have engaged EarlyBirdCapital as an advisor in connection with our business combination to assist us in holding meetings with our shareholders to discuss the potential business combination and the target business’ attributes, introduce us to potential investors that are interested in purchasing our securities, assist us in obtaining shareholder approval for the business combination and assist us with our press releases and public filings in connection with the business combination. We will pay EarlyBirdCapital a cash fee for such services upon the consummation of our initial business combination in an amount equal to 3% of the gross proceeds of the offering (exclusive of any applicable finders’ fees which might become payable). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the fee will be reduced by an amount equal to 2% of the dollar amount of purchases of our ordinary shares by investors introduced to us by our sponsor, officers, directors or their respective affiliates following announcement by us of a proposed initial business combination, where such investors hold the purchased ordinary shares through the vote on such business combination and do not seek conversion of their shares in connection with such proposed business combination; provided, however, that the fee will not be reduced by more than $500,000.

 

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Private Units

 

EarlyBirdCapital (and/or its designees) has committed to purchase 25,000 private units for an aggregate purchase price of $250,000, or $10.00 per unit. EarlyBirdCapital has also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters in full or in part, it will purchase from us at a price of $10.00 per unit the number of private units (up to a maximum of 3,750 private units) that is necessary to maintain in the trust account an amount equal to $10.25 per ordinary share sold to the public in this offering. The private units are identical to the units being sold in this offering except (i) the private warrants will be non-redeemable and may be exercised on a cashless basis, in each case so long as they continue to be held by the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees and (ii) the private warrants included in the private units shall expire on the five year anniversary of the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Additionally, because the private warrants will be issued in a private transaction, the holders and their transferees will be allowed to exercise such warrants for cash even if a registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of such warrants is not effective and receive unregistered ordinary shares. The private units, and the ordinary shares and rights and warrants underlying the private units, the ordinary shares that are issuable for the rights and warrants included in such units have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to a 180-day lock-up pursuant to Rule 5110(g)(1) of the FINRA Manual commencing on the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(g)(1), these securities will not be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of the securities by any person for a period of 180 days immediately following the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Additionally, the private units purchased by EarlyBirdCapital may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated during the 180-day period following the date of this prospectus except to any selected dealer participating in the offering and the bona fide officers or partners of the underwriter and any such participating selected dealer. EarlyBirdCapital has agreed that the private units it purchases will not be sold or transferred by it (except to certain permitted transferees) until after we have completed an initial business combination. We have granted the holders of private units, including EarlyBirdCapital, the registration rights as described under the section “Shares Eligible for Future Sale — Registration Rights.” Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, the warrants underlying the private units shall not be exercisable after the five year anniversary of the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

 

Purchase Option

 

We have agreed to sell to EarlyBirdCapital (and/or its designees) an option for $100.00 to purchase up to 150,000 units. The units issuable upon exercise of this option are identical to those offered by this prospectus except that the units, if the purchase option is exercised, will be purchased pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and will become tradable only after certain conditions are met or the resale of the units is registered under the Securities Act. This option is exercisable at $10.00 per unit, and may be exercised in whole or in part, commencing on the later of the consummation of a business combination or the one-year anniversary of the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. The option expires on the five-year anniversary of the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, neither the option nor the warrants underlying the option shall be exercisable after the five year anniversary of the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. The option and such units purchased pursuant to the option, as well as the ordinary shares underlying such units, the warrants included in such units, and the shares underlying such warrants, have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to a lock-up for a period of 180 days immediately following the date of the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part pursuant to Rule 5110(g)(1) of FINRA’s NASD Conduct Rules. Pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(g)(1), these securities will not be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of the securities by any person for a period of 180 days immediately following the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, nor may they be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated for a period of 180 days immediately following the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part except to any underwriter and selected dealer participating in the offering and their bona fide officers or partners. The option grants to holders demand and “piggy back” rights for periods of five and seven years, respectively, from the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part with respect to the registration under the Securities Act of the securities directly and indirectly issuable upon exercise of the option. We will bear all fees and expenses attendant to registering the securities, other than underwriting commissions and transfer taxes, which will be paid for by the holders themselves. The exercise price and number of units issuable upon exercise of the option may be adjusted in certain circumstances including in the event of a stock dividend, or our recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. However, the option will not be adjusted for issuances of ordinary shares at a price below its exercise price. We will have no obligation to net cash settle the exercise of the purchase option or the warrants underlying the purchase option.

 

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Regulatory Restrictions on Purchase of Securities

 

Rules of the SEC may limit the ability of the underwriters to bid for or purchase our units before the distribution of the units is completed. However, the underwriters may engage in the following activities in accordance with the rules:

 

  Stabilizing Transactions. The underwriters may make bids or purchases solely for the purpose of preventing or retarding a decline in the price of our units, as long as stabilizing bids do not exceed the offering price of $10.00 and the underwriters comply with all other applicable rules.

 

  Over-Allotments and Syndicate Coverage Transactions. The underwriters may create a short position in our units by selling more of our units than are set forth on the cover page of this prospectus up to the amount of the over-allotment option. This is known as a covered short position. The underwriters may also create a short position in our units by selling more of our units than are set forth on the cover page of this prospectus and the units allowed by the over-allotment option. This is known as a naked short position. If the underwriters create a short position during the offering, the representative may engage in syndicate covering transactions by purchasing our units in the open market. The representative may also elect to reduce any short position by exercising all or part of the over-allotment option. Determining what method to use in reducing the short position depends on how the units trade in the aftermarket following the offering. If the unit price drops following the offering, the short position is usually covered with shares purchased by the underwriters in the aftermarket. However, the underwriters may cover a short position by exercising the over-allotment option even if the unit price drops following the offering. If the unit price rises after the offering, then the over-allotment option is used to cover the short position. If the short position is more than the over-allotment option, the naked short must be covered by purchases in the aftermarket, which could be at prices above the offering price.

 

  Penalty Bids. The representative may 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.

 

Stabilization and syndicate covering transactions may cause the price of our securities to be higher than they would be in the absence of these transactions. The imposition of a penalty bid might also have an effect on the prices of our securities if it discourages resales of our securities.

 

Neither we nor the underwriters make any representation or prediction as to the effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of our securities. These transactions may occur on Nasdaq, in the over-the-counter market or on any trading market. If any of these transactions are commenced, they may be discontinued without notice at any time.

 

Other Terms

 

We are obligated to reimburse the underwriters for (1) filing fees, costs and expenses, including fees and disbursements of underwriters’ counsel of up to $15,000, incurred in registering the offering with FINRA; and (2) the costs of an investigative search firm to conduct background checks on our principals, up to a maximum of $3,500 per person (or $25,000 in the aggregate).

 

Except as set forth above, we are not under any contractual obligation to engage any of the underwriters to provide any services for us after this offering, and have no present intent to do so. However, any of the underwriters may, among other things, introduce us to potential target businesses or assist us in raising additional capital, as needs may arise in the future. If any underwriter provides services to us after this offering, we may pay the 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 underwriter and no fees for such services will be paid to the underwriter prior to the date which is 90 days after the date of this prospectus, unless FINRA determines that such payment would not be deemed underwriter’s compensation in connection with this offering.

 

Indemnification

 

We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters against some liabilities, including civil liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments the underwriters may be required to make in this respect.

 

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Canada

 

Resale Restrictions

 

We intend to distribute our securities in the Province of Ontario, Canada (the “Canadian Offering Jurisdiction”) by way of a private placement and exempt from the requirement that we prepare and file a prospectus with the securities regulatory authorities in such Canadian Offering Jurisdiction. Any resale of our securities in Canada must be made under applicable securities laws that will vary depending on the relevant jurisdiction, and which may require resales to be made under available statutory exemptions or under a discretionary exemption granted by the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authority. Canadian resale restrictions in some circumstances may apply to resales of interests made outside of Canada. Canadian purchasers are advised to seek legal advice prior to any resale of our securities. We may never be a “reporting issuer”, as such term is defined under applicable Canadian securities legislation, in any province or territory of Canada in which our securities will be offered and there currently is no public market for any of the securities in Canada, and one may never develop. Canadian investors are advised that we have no intention to file a prospectus or similar document with any securities regulatory authority in Canada qualifying the resale of the securities to the public in any province or territory in Canada.

 

Representations of Purchasers

 

A Canadian purchaser will be required to represent to us and the dealer from whom the purchase confirmation is received that:

 

  the purchaser is entitled under applicable provincial securities laws to purchase our securities without the benefit of a prospectus qualified under those securities laws;

 

  where required by law, that the purchaser is purchasing as principal and not as agent;

 

  the purchaser has reviewed the text above under Resale Restrictions; and

 

  the purchaser acknowledges and consents to the provision of specified information concerning its purchase of our securities to the regulatory authority that by law is entitled to collect the information.

 

Rights of Action — Ontario Purchasers Only

 

Under Ontario securities legislation, certain purchasers who purchase a security offered by this prospectus during the period of distribution will have a statutory right of action for damages, or while still the owner of our securities, for rescission against us in the event that this prospectus contains a misrepresentation without regard to whether the purchaser relied on the misrepresentation. The right of action for damages is exercisable not later than the earlier of 180 days from the date the purchaser first had knowledge of the facts giving rise to the cause of action and three years from the date on which payment is made for our securities. The right of action for rescission is exercisable not later than 180 days from the date on which payment is made for our securities. If a purchaser elects to exercise the right of action for rescission, the purchaser will have no right of action for damages against us. In no case will the amount recoverable in any action exceed the price at which our securities were offered to the purchaser and if the purchaser is shown to have purchased the securities with knowledge of the misrepresentation, we will have no liability. In the case of an action for damages, we will not be liable for all or any portion of the damages that are proven to not represent the depreciation in value of our securities as a result of the misrepresentation relied upon. These rights are in addition to, and without derogation from, any other rights or remedies available at law to an Ontario purchaser. The foregoing is a summary of the rights available to an Ontario purchaser. Ontario purchasers should refer to the complete text of the relevant statutory provisions.

 

Enforcement of Legal Rights

 

All of our directors and officers as well as the experts named herein are located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible for Canadian purchasers to effect service of process within Canada upon us or those persons. All of our assets and the assets of those persons are located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible to satisfy a judgment against us or those persons in Canada or to enforce a judgment obtained in Canadian courts against us or those persons outside of Canada.

 

Collection of Personal Information

 

If a Canadian purchaser is resident in or otherwise subject to the securities laws of the Province of Ontario, the Purchaser authorizes the indirect collection of personal information pertaining to the Canadian purchaser by the Ontario Securities Commission (the “OSC”) and each Canadian purchaser will be required to acknowledge and agree that the Canadian purchaser has been notified by us (i) of the delivery to the OSC of personal information pertaining to the Canadian purchaser, including, without limitation, the full name, residential address and telephone number of the Canadian purchaser, the number and type of securities purchased and the total purchase price paid in respect of the securities, (ii) that this information is being collected indirectly by the OSC under the authority granted to it in securities legislation, (iii) that this information is being collected for the purposes of the administration and enforcement of the securities legislation of Ontario, and (iv) that the title, business address and business telephone number of the public official in Ontario who can answer questions about the OSC’s indirect collection of the information is the Administrative Assistant to the Director of Corporate Finance, the Ontario Securities Commission, Suite 1903, Box 5520, Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 3S8, Telephone: (416) 593-8086, Facsimile: (416) 593-8252.

 

 119 

 

LEGAL MATTERS

 

The validity of the securities offered in this prospectus is being passed upon for us by Hunter Taubman Fischer &Li LLC, New York, New York with respect to the rights and warrants and Ogier, British Virgin Islands, with respect to the units, ordinary shares and matters of British Virgin Islands law. Graubard Miller, New York, New York is acting as counsel to the underwriters in connection with this offering.

 

EXPERTS

 

The financial statements of Bison Capital Acquisition Corp. as of December 31, 2016 and for the period from October 7, 2016 (inception) through December 31, 2016 appearing in this prospectus have been audited by Marcum LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report, thereon (which contains an explanatory paragraph relating to substantial doubt about the ability of Bison Capital Acquisition Corp. to continue as a going concern, as described in Note 1 to the financial statements), appearing elsewhere in this prospectus, and are included in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

We are a foreign private issuer within the meaning of the rules under the Securities Act, but have elected to file a registration statement on Form S-1 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 as applicable to foreign private issuers. Until we consummate a business combination, however, we intend to file annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K applicable to domestic companies with the SEC, although, for as long as we remain a foreign private issuer, we do not intend to comply with Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act in regards to proxy statements for shareholder meetings, except to the extent that Nasdaq rules or applicable laws require us to comply with Regulation 14A for shareholder proxy solicitation in relation to our business combination. After such time, we may elect to file annual reports on Form 20-F and reports on Form 6-K as a foreign private issuer, to the extent we remain one.

 

You can read our SEC filings, including the registration statement, over the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. You also may read and copy any document we file with the SEC at its public reference facility at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549.

 

You also may obtain copies of the documents at prescribed rates by writing to the Public Reference Section of the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the operation of the public reference facilities.

 

Until                           , 2017 (25 days after the date of this prospectus), all dealers that buy, sell or trade our ordinary shares, 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 their unsold allotments or subscriptions.

 

No dealer, salesperson or any other person is authorized to give any information or make any representations in connection with this offering other than those contained in this prospectus and, if given or made, the information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by us. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security other than the securities offered by this prospectus, or an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities by anyone in any jurisdiction in which the offer or solicitation is not authorized or is unlawful.

 

 120 

 

BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP.

 

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm   F-2
Balance Sheets   F-3
Statements of Operations   F-4
Statement of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity   F-5
Statements of Cash Flows   F-6
Notes to Financial Statements   F-7

 

 F-1 

 

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

To the Board of Directors and Shareholders

of Bison Capital Acquisition Corp.

 

We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Bison Capital Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2016, and the related statements of operations, changes in shareholders’ equity and cash flows for the period from October 7, 2016 (inception) through December 31, 2016. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit.

 

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audit included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Bison Capital Acquisition Corp. as of December 31, 2016, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the period from October 7, 2016 (inception) through December 31, 2016 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company has no present revenue, its business plan is dependent on the completion of a financing and the Company’s cash and working capital as of December 31, 2016 are not sufficient to complete its planned activities for the upcoming year. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s places regarding these matters are also described in Notes 1 and 3. These financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

 

/s/ Marcum llp  

 

Marcum llp

New York City, NY

February 28, 2017

 

 F-2 

 

BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP.

 

Balance Sheets

 

   March 31, 2017   December 31, 2016 
   (Unaudited)    
ASSETS        
Current asset – cash and cash equivalents  $60,971   $298,199 
Founder subscription receivable   -    25,000 
Total current asset   60,971    323,199 
Deferred offering costs   295,164    229,753 
Total Assets  $356,135   $552,952 
           
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY          
Current Liabilities          
Accounts payable  $31,205   $142,253 
Advances from related party   1,804    87,500 
Promissory note - related party   300,000    300,000 
Total Current Liabilities   333,009    529,753 
           
Commitments and Contingencies          
Shareholders’ Equity          
Preferred shares, no par value; unlimited shares authorized, none issued and outstanding   -    - 
Ordinary shares, no par value; unlimited shares authorized; 1,437,500 shares issued and outstanding(1)   25,000    25,000 
Accumulated deficit   (1,874)   (1,801)
Total Shareholders’ Equity   23,126    23,199 
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY   356,135   $552,952 

 

(1) Includes an aggregate of up to 187,500 shares held by the initial shareholders that are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment is not exercised in part or in full (see Note 7).

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

 F-3 

 

BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP.

 

Statements of Operations

 

  

Three Months Ended

March 31, 2017

  

For the period from

October 7, 2016 (inception) through December 31, 2016

 
   (Unaudited)    
         
Formation and operating costs  $73   $1,801 
Net Loss  $(73)  $(1,801)
           
Weighted average shares outstanding, basic and diluted(1)   1,250,000    1,250,000 
Basic and diluted net loss per ordinary share  $(0.00)  $(0.00)

 

(1) Excludes an aggregate of up to 187,500 shares held by the initial shareholders that are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment is not exercised in part or in full (see Note 7).

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

 F-4 

 

BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP.

 

Statement of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity

 

   Ordinary Shares(1)   Accumulated   Total Shareholders’ 
   Shares   Amount   Deficit   Equity 
Balance – October 7, 2016 (Inception)      $   $   $ 
Issuance of ordinary shares   1,437,500    25,000        25,000 
Net loss           (1,801)   (1,801)
Balance – December 31, 2016   1,437,500   $25,000   $(1,801)  $23,199 
Net loss           (73)   (73)
Balance – March 31, 2017 (unaudited)   1,437,500   $25,000   $(1,874)  $23,126 

 

(1) Includes an aggregate of up to 187,500 shares held by our initial shareholders that are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment is not exercised in part or in full (see Note 7).

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

 F-5 

 

BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP.

 

Statements of Cash Flows

 

   Three Months Ended March 31, 2017   For the period October 7, 2016 (inception) through December 31, 2016 
   (Unaudited)    
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:        
Net loss  $(73)  $(1,801)
Net cash used in operating activities   (73)   (1,801)
           
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:          
Proceeds from issuance of ordinary shares   25,000    - 
Advances from related party   1,804    - 
Repayment of advances from related party   (87,500)   - 
Payment of offering costs   (176,459)   - 
Proceeds from promissory note – related party   -    300,000 
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities   (237,155)   300,000 
           
Net Change in Cash and Cash Equivalents   (237,228)   298,199 
Cash and Cash Equivalents – Beginning   298,199     
Cash and Cash Equivalents– Ending  $60,971   $298,199 
           
Non-cash investing and financing activities:          
Payment of offering costs through advances from related party  $-   $87,500 
Accrued offering costs  $31,205   $142,253 
Subscription receivable  $-   $25,000 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

 F-6 

 

BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP. 

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31 2017 (unaudited) AND FOR THE PERIOD FROM

OCTOBER 7, 2016 (INCEPTION) THROUGH DECEMBER 31 2016

 

NOTE 1. DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS

 

Bison Capital Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) is a newly organized blank check company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands on October 7, 2016. The Company was formed for the purpose of acquiring, engaging in a share exchange, share reconstruction and amalgamation, purchasing all or substantially all of the assets of, entering into contractual arrangements, or engaging in any other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities (a “Business Combination”). Although the Company is not limited to a particular industry or geographic region for purposes of consummating an initial business combination, the Company intends to focus on businesses that have their primary operations located in Asia and North America.

 

As of March 31, 2017, the Company had not yet commenced any operations. All activity through March 31, 2017 relates to the Company’s formation and the Proposed Offering described below.

 

The Company’s ability to commence operations is contingent upon obtaining adequate financial resources through a proposed initial public offering of 5,000,000 units at $10.00 per unit (or 5,750,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (“Units” and, with respect to the ordinary shares included in the Units being offered, the “Public Shares”) which is discussed in Note 3 (the “Proposed Offering”) and the sale of 375,000 Units (or 416,250 Units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (the “Private Units”) at a price of $10.00 per Unit in a private placement to the Company’s sponsor, Bison Capital Holding Company Limited, a Cayman Islands company (“Bison Capital”) and EarlyBirdCapital, Inc., the underwriter of the Proposed Offering, (“EarlyBirdCapital”) and/or their designees that will close simultaneously with the Proposed Offering. The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of its Proposed Offering and Private Units (subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the certain trust agreement), although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business Combination. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to successfully effect a Business Combination. Upon the closing of the Proposed Offering, management has agreed that at least $10.25 per Unit sold in the Proposed Offering, including the net proceeds of the Private Units, will be held in a trust account (the “Trust Account”) and invested in U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), with a maturity of 180 days or less or in any open-ended investment company that holds itself out as a money market fund selected by the Company meeting the conditions of paragraphs (c)(2), (c)(3) and (c)(4) of Rule 2a-7 of the 1940 Act, 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, as a foreign private issuer, must comply with the tender offer rules in connection with its Business Combination, and unless otherwise required by Nasdaq rules or applicable laws, it does not intend to conduct a shareholder vote. It will, if it remains a foreign private issuer, provide its shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares upon the completion of a Business Combination by means of a tender offer pursuant to its Memorandum and Articles of Association, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and file tender offer documents containing substantially the same information as would be included in a proxy statement with the SEC prior to completing a Business Combination. If the Company is a foreign private issuer and it is required by Nasdaq rules or applicable laws to hold a shareholder vote, it will do so, but redemptions will still be effectuated pursuant to the tender offer rules described above. To the extent Nasdaq rules or applicable laws require redemption pursuant to a shareholder vote, even if a tender offer is also conducted, the Company will comply with such rules or laws. If the Company were to lose its foreign private issuer status, the Company may seek shareholder approval of a Business Combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which shareholders may seek to redeem their shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against a Business Combination or may conduct a tender offer. The shareholders will be entitled to redeem their shares for a pro rata portion of the amount then in the Trust Account (initially approximately $10.25 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). These ordinary shares will be recorded at a redemption value and classified as temporary equity upon the completion of the Proposed 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 only if the Company has net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation of a Business Combination and a majority of the outstanding shares voted are voted in favor of the Business Combination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, 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 seeking redemption rights with respect to 20% or more of the ordinary shares sold in the Proposed Offering without the Company’s prior written consent.

 

 F-7 

 

BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP. 

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31 2017 (unaudited) AND FOR THE PERIOD FROM

OCTOBER 7, 2016 (INCEPTION) THROUGH DECEMBER 31 2016

 

The Company’s sponsor, officers and directors (the “Initial Shareholders”) have agreed (a) to vote their Founder Shares (as defined in Note 5) in favor of a Business Combination, (b) not to propose, or vote in favor of, prior to and unrelated to an initial Business Combination, an amendment to the Company’s Memorandum and Articles of Association that would affect the substance or timing of the Company’s redemption obligation to redeem all public shares if the Company cannot complete an initial Business Combination within 21 months of the closing of the Proposed Offering, unless the Company provides public shareholders an opportunity to redeem their public shares in conjunction with any such amendment; (c) not to redeem any shares (including the Founder Shares) into the right to receive cash from the Trust Account in connection with a shareholder vote to approve a Business Combination (or to sell any shares in a tender offer in connection with a Business Combination if the Company does not seek shareholder approval in connection therewith) and (d) that the Founder Shares shall not participate in any liquidating distributions upon winding up if a Business Combination is not consummated.

 

If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within 21 months from the closing of the Proposed 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 no more than five business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the outstanding Public Shares (including any public units in the Proposed Offering or any public units or shares that the Initial Shareholders or their affiliates purchased in the Proposed Offering or later acquired in the open market or in private transactions) which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation 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 Company’s board of directors, proceed to commence a voluntary liquidation and thereby a formal dissolution of the Company, subject (in each case of (ii) and (iii) above) to its obligations to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of applicable law.

 

In connection with the redemption of 100% of the Company’s outstanding Public Shares for a portion of the funds held in the Trust Account, each holder will receive a full pro rata portion of the amount then in the Trust Account plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account (net of any taxes payable).

 

The Initial Shareholders have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to the Founder Shares and the shares underlying the Private Units (i) in connection with the consummation of a Business Combination and (ii) if the Company fails to consummate a Business Combination within the Combination Period. However, if the Company’s Initial Shareholders should acquire Public Shares in or after the Proposed Offering, they will be entitled to redemption rights with respect to such Public Shares if the Company fails to consummate a Business Combination within the Combination Period. The Initial Shareholders have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any acquired Public Shares in connection with the consummation of a Business Combination. In the event of such distribution, it is possible that the per share value of the assets remaining available for distribution (including Trust Account assets) will be less than the Proposed Offering price per Unit (initially approximately $10.25).

 

Bison Capital has agreed that it will indemnify the Company to the extent necessary to ensure that the proceeds in the Trust Account are not reduced by the claims of prospective target businesses with which the Company has discussed entering into a transaction agreement, or claims of vendors or other entities that are owed money by the Company for services rendered or contracted for or products sold to the Company, but only if such a vendor or prospective target business does not execute such a waiver. However, Bison Capital may not be able to meet such obligation as the Company has not required Bison Capital to retain any assets to provide for its indemnification obligations, nor has the Company taken any further steps to ensure that Bison Capital will be able to satisfy any indemnification obligations that arise. Moreover, Bison Capital will not be personally liable to the Company’s public shareholders if Bison Capital should fail to satisfy its obligations under this agreement and instead will only be liable to the Company. The Company will seek to reduce the possibility that Bison Capital will have to indemnify the Trust Account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers (other than the Company’s independent auditors), 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. Therefore, the distribution from the Trust Account to each holder of ordinary shares may be less than approximately $10.25 per Unit.

 

 F-8 

 

BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP. 

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31 2017 (unaudited) AND FOR THE PERIOD FROM

OCTOBER 7, 2016 (INCEPTION) THROUGH DECEMBER 31 2016

 

Going Concern Consideration

 

At March 31, 2017, the Company had $60,971 in cash and a working capital deficit of $272,038. The Company has incurred and expects to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of its financing and acquisition plans. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued. Management plans to address this uncertainty through a Proposed Offering as discussed in Note 3. There is no assurance that the Company’s plans to raise capital or to consummate a Business Combination will be successful or successful within the Combination Period. The Company’s sponsor has advanced the Company $1,804 and has loaned the Company $300,000 to be used, in part, for transaction costs incurred in connection with the Proposed Offering. The advances from the sponsor are non-interest bearing, unsecured and due on demand. The promissory note from the sponsor is non-interest bearing, unsecured and due on the earlier of December 31, 2017 or the closing of the Proposed Offering (see Note 5). The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

 

NOTE 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

Emerging growth company

 

The Company is 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”), 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, 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 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 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.

 

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.

 

The accompanying unaudited financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2017 have been prepared in accordance with GAAP for interim financial information and Article 8 of Regulation S-X. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal accruals) considered for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2017 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2017.

 

 F-9 

 

BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31 2017 (unaudited) AND FOR THE PERIOD FROM

OCTOBER 7, 2016 (INCEPTION) THROUGH DECEMBER 31 2016

 

Use of estimates

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires 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 revenues and 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.

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

The Company considers all short-term investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. The Company did not have any cash equivalents as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016.

 

Deferred offering costs

 

Deferred offering costs consist of legal, accounting, underwriting fees and other costs incurred through the balance sheet date that are directly related to the Proposed Offering and that will be charged to shareholders’ equity upon the completion of the Proposed Offering. Should the Proposed Offering prove to be unsuccessful, these deferred costs, as well as additional expenses to be incurred, will be charged to operations.

 

Income taxes

 

The Company complies with the accounting and reporting requirements of ASC Topic 740, “Income Taxes,” which requires an asset and liability approach to financial accounting and reporting for income taxes. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are computed for differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities that will result in future taxable or deductible amounts, based on enacted tax laws and rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.

 

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 British Virgin Islands is the Company’s only major tax jurisdiction. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits, if any, as income tax expense. There were no unrecognized tax benefits as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and no amounts accrued for interest and penalties. The Company is currently not aware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviation from its position.

 

The Company may be subject to potential examination by U.S. federal, U.S. states or foreign taxing authorities in the area of income taxes. These potential examinations may include questioning the timing and amount of deductions, the nexus of income among various tax jurisdictions and compliance with U.S. federal, U.S. state and foreign tax laws. The Company’s management does not expect that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will materially change over the next twelve months.

 

The provision for income taxes was deemed to be immaterial for the periods ended March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016.

 

 F-10 

 

BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP. 

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31 2017 (unaudited) AND FOR THE PERIOD FROM

OCTOBER 7, 2016 (INCEPTION) THROUGH DECEMBER 31 2016

 

Net loss per 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 ordinary shares outstanding during the period, excluding ordinary shares subject to forfeiture by the Initial Shareholders. Weighted average shares were reduced for the effect of an aggregate of up to 187,500 ordinary shares that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised by the underwriters in part or in full (see Note 7). At March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, 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 periods presented.

  

Concentration of credit risk

 

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentration of credit risk consist of a cash account in a financial institution which, at times may exceed the amount covered by government-provided insurance, if any, and in the event of non-performance by financial institutions may expose the Company to a loss. Any amounts held within the United States may exceed the Federal depository insurance coverage of $250,000. At March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the Company had not experienced losses on this account and management believes the Company is not exposed to significant risks on such account. 

 

Fair value of financial instruments

 

The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the accompanying balance sheet, primarily due to their short-term nature.

 

Recently issued accounting standards

 

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 consolidated financial statements.

 

Subsequent events

 

The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date up to the date that the financial statements were issued. Based upon this review, the Company did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements.

 

NOTE 3. PROPOSED OFFERING

 

Pursuant to the Proposed Offering, the Company will offer for sale up to 5,000,000 Units (or 5,750,000 Units if the underwriters’ overallotment option is exercised in full) at a purchase price of $10.00 per Unit. Each Unit will consist of one ordinary share, no par value, one right (“Public Right”) and one-half of one redeemable warrant (each whole warrant, a “Public Warrant”). Each Public Right will convert into one-tenth (1/10) of one ordinary share upon consummation of a Business Combination (see Note 7). Each whole Public Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one ordinary share at an exercise price of $11.50 per share (subject to certain adjustments) (see Note 7).

 

 F-11 

 

BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP. 

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31 2017 (unaudited) AND FOR THE PERIOD FROM

OCTOBER 7, 2016 (INCEPTION) THROUGH DECEMBER 31 2016

 

NOTE 4. PRIVATE PLACEMENT

 

Bison Capital and EarlyBirdCapital have committed to purchase an aggregate of 375,000 Private Units (or 416,250 Private Units if the underwriters’ over-allotment is exercised in full) at $10.00 per unit, of which 350,000 Private Units (or 387,500 Private Units if the underwriters’ over-allotment is exercised in full) will be purchased by Bison Capital and 25,000 Private Units (or 28,750 if the underwriters’ over-allotment is exercised in full) will be purchased by EarlyBirdCapital, in each case, ($3,750,000 in the aggregate, or $4,162,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment is exercised in full ) from the Company in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of the Proposed Offering. The proceeds from the Private Units less the expenses will be added to the net proceeds from the Proposed Offering held in the Trust Account. The Private Units are identical to the Units sold in the Proposed Offering, except that (i) Bison Capital and EarlyBirdCapital have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the Private Units until after the completion of a Business Combination, subject to certain exceptions, (ii) the Private Units (including underlying securities) are being purchased pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and will become tradable only after certain conditions are met or the resale of the Private Units is registered under the Securities Act, and (iii) the warrants included in the Private Units (the “Private Warrants”), as described in Note 7, will be non-redeemable and may be exercised on a cashless basis, in each case so long as they continue to be held by Bison Capital or EarlyBirdCapital or their permitted transferees. However, the holders have agreed (a) to vote their private shares (representing the ordinary shares underlying the Private Units) and any Public Shares in favor of a Business Combination, (b) not to propose, or vote in favor of, an amendment to the Memorandum and Articles of Association, prior to and unrelated to a Business Combination, to affect the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to redeem all Public Shares if it cannot complete an Business Combination within 21 months of the closing of this Proposed Offering, unless the Company provides public shareholders an opportunity to redeem their Public Shares, (c) not to redeem any shares included in the Private Units (the “Private Shares”) into the right to receive cash from the Trust Account in connection with a shareholder vote to approve a Business Combination or sell their shares to the Company in a tender offer in connection with a Business Combination, and (d) that the Private Shares shall not participate in any liquidating distribution upon winding up if a Business Combination is not consummated. 

 

NOTE 5. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

Founder Shares

 

In December 2016, the Company issued 1,437,500 ordinary shares to some of its Initial Shareholders (the “Founder Shares”) for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000. The Founder Shares are identical to the Public Shares being sold in the Proposed Offering, except that (1) the Founder Shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions as set forth in certain share escrow agreement, (2) the Founder Shares were purchased pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and will become tradable only after certain conditions are met or the resale of the Founder Shares is registered under the Securities Act, in addition to in accordance with the terms of the share escrow agreement, and (3) the Initial Shareholders have agreed (i) to waive their redemption rights with respect to any shares in connection with the consummation of Business Combination and (ii) to waive their liquidation rights with respect to their Founder Shares and private shares if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period.

 

The 1,437,500 Founder Shares include an aggregate of up to 187,500 shares subject to forfeiture by the Initial Shareholders to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment is not exercised in full or in part, so that the Initial Shareholders will collectively own 20% of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares after the Proposed Offering (excluding the sale of the Private Units).

 

Additionally, subject to certain limited exceptions, the Initial Shareholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the Founder Shares (except to certain permitted transferees) until, with respect to 50% of the Founder Shares, the earlier of (i) one year after the date of the consummation of a Business Combination, or (ii) the date on which the closing price of the Company’s ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.50 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations and recapitalizations) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after a Business Combination, and with respect to the remaining 50% of the Founder Shares, upon one year after the date of the consummation of a Business Combination, or earlier, in each case, if, subsequent to a Business Combination, the Company consummates a subsequent liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of the Company’s shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property.

 

Promissory Note — Related Party

 

Bison Capital has loaned the Company $300,000, a portion of which is to be used for the payment of costs associated with the Proposed Offering. The loan is non-interest bearing, unsecured and due on the earlier of December 31, 2017 or the closing of the Proposed Offering. At March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, $300,000 was outstanding under the note.

 

 F-12 

 

BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP. 

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31 2017 (unaudited) AND FOR THE PERIOD FROM

OCTOBER 7, 2016 (INCEPTION) THROUGH DECEMBER 31 2016

 

Related Party Advances

 

During the period ended March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, Bison Capital advanced the Company an aggregate of $1,804, and $87,500, respectively, to be used for the payment of costs related to the Proposed Offering. During the three months ended March 31, 2017, the Company repaid $87,500 of such advances. The advances are non-interest bearing, unsecured and due on demand. As of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, advances outstanding amounted to $1,804 and $87,500, respectively.

 

Administrative Services Arrangement

 

Bison Capital has agreed, commencing from the effective date of the registration statement related to the Proposed Offering through the earlier of the Company’s consummation of a Business Combination and its liquidation, to make available to the Company certain general and administrative services, including office space, utilities and administrative services, as the Company may require from time to time. The Company has agreed to pay Bison Capital $5,000 per month for these services.

 

Related Party Loans

 

In order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, Bison Capital or the Company’s officers and directors or their respective affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds as may be required (the “Working Capital Loans”). If the Company completes a Business Combination, the Company would repay the Working Capital Loans. 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. Such Working Capital Loans would be evidenced by promissory notes. The notes would either be repaid upon consummation of a Business Combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $500,000 of notes may be converted upon consummation of a Business Combination into additional Private Units at a price of $10.00 per Unit (the “Working Capital Units”).

 

NOTE 6. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

 

Director Compensation

 

The Company will pay its independent directors an annual retainer in an aggregate amount of $38,400 (to be prorated for a partial term), payable in arrears commencing on the first anniversary of the Proposed Offering and ending on the earlier of a Business Combination and the Company’s liquidation.

 

Registration Rights

 

The holders of the Founder Shares, Private Units (and underlying securities) and Working Capital Units (and underlying securities) 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 related to the Proposed Offering. The holders of a majority-in-interest of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that the Company register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the consummation of a Business Combination. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, EarlyBirdCapital may participate in a “piggy-back” registration only during the seven year period beginning on the effective date of the registration statement. However, the registration rights agreement provides that the Company will not permit any registration statement filed under the Securities Act to become effective until termination of the applicable lock-up period. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.

 

 F-13 

 

BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP. 

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31 2017 (unaudited) AND FOR THE PERIOD FROM

OCTOBER 7, 2016 (INCEPTION) THROUGH DECEMBER 31 2016

 

Underwriters Agreement

 

The Company will grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 750,000 additional Units to cover the over-allotment at the Proposed Offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions.

 

The underwriters will be entitled to an underwriting discount of 3%, payable in cash at the closing of the Proposed Offering. No discounts or commissions will be paid on the sale of the Private Units.

 

Business Combination Marketing Agreement

 

The Company will enter into a Business Combination Marketing Agreement with EarlyBirdCapital wherein EarlyBirdCapital will act as an advisor in connection with a Business Combination to assist the Company in holding meetings with its shareholders to discuss the potential Business Combination and the target business’ attributes, introduce the Company to potential investors that are interested in purchasing the Company’s securities, assist the Company in obtaining shareholder approval for the Business Combination and assist the Company with its press releases and public filings in connection with the Business Combination. The Company will pay EarlyBirdCapital a cash fee for such services upon the consummation of a Business Combination in an amount equal to 3% of the gross proceeds of the Company’s Proposed Offering (exclusive of any applicable finders’ fees which might become payable). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the fee will be reduced by an amount equal to 2% of the dollar amount of purchases of the Company’s ordinary shares by investors introduced to the Company by Bison Capital or the Company’s officers, directors or their respective affiliates following announcement by the Company of a proposed initial Business Combination, where such investors hold the purchased ordinary shares through the vote on such Business Combination and do not seek conversion of their shares in connection with such proposed Business Combination; provided, however, that the fee will not be reduced by more than $500,000.

 

Unit Purchase Option

 

The Company has agreed to sell the underwriter (and/or its designees), for $100, an option to purchase up to 150,000 units exercisable at $10.00 per unit (or an aggregate exercise price of $1,500,000) commencing on the later of the first anniversary of the effective date of the registration statement related to the Proposed Offering and the consummation of a Business Combination. The unit purchase option may be exercised for cash or on a cashless basis, at the holder’s option, and expires five years from the effective date of the registration statement related to the Proposed Offering. The units issuable upon exercise of this option are identical to the Units offered in the Proposed Offering. The Company intends to account for the unit purchase option, inclusive of the receipt of $100 cash payment, as an expense of the Proposed Offering resulting in a charge directly to stockholders’ equity. The Company estimates that the fair value of this unit purchase option is approximately $507,529 (or $3.38 per Unit) using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The fair value of the unit purchase option to be granted to the underwriters is estimated as of the date of grant using the following assumptions: (1) expected volatility of 35%, (2) risk-free interest rate of 1.93% and (3) expected life of five years. The unit purchase option and such units purchased pursuant to the unit purchase option, as well as the ordinary shares underlying such units, the rights included in such units, the ordinary shares that are issuable for the rights included in such units, the warrants included in such units, and the shares underlying such warrants, have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to a 180-day lock-up pursuant to Rule 5110(g)(1) of FINRA’s NASDAQ Conduct Rules. Additionally, the unit purchase option may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated for a one-year period (including the foregoing 180-day period) following the date of Proposed Offering except to any underwriter and selected dealer participating in the Proposed Offering and their bona fide officers or partners. The unit purchase option grants to holders demand and “piggy back” rights for periods of five and seven years, respectively, from the effective date of the registration statement with respect to the registration under the Securities Act of the securities directly and indirectly issuable upon exercise of the option. The Company will bear all fees and expenses attendant to registering the securities, other than underwriting commissions which will be paid for by the holders themselves. The exercise price and number of units issuable upon exercise of the unit purchase option may be adjusted in certain circumstances including in the event of a stock dividend, or the Company’s recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. However, the option will not be adjusted for issuances of ordinary shares at a price below its exercise price.

 

 F-14 

 

BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP. 

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31 2017 (unaudited) AND FOR THE PERIOD FROM

OCTOBER 7, 2016 (INCEPTION) THROUGH DECEMBER 31 2016

 

NOTE 7. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

 

Preferred Shares — The Company is authorized to issue an unlimited number of no par value preferred shares, divided into five classes, Class A through Class E, each with such designation, rights and preferences as may be determined by a resolution of the Company’s board of directors to amend the Memorandum and Articles of Association to create such designations, rights and preferences. The Company has five classes of preferred shares to give the Company flexibility as to the terms on which each Class is issued. All shares of a single class must be issued with the same rights and obligations. Accordingly, starting with five classes of preferred shares will allow the Company to issue shares at different times on different terms. At March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, there are no preferred shares designated, issued or outstanding.

 

Ordinary Shares — The Company is authorized to issue an unlimited number of no par value ordinary shares. Holders of the Company’s ordinary shares are entitled to one vote for each share. At March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, there were 1,437,500 ordinary shares issued and outstanding, of which up to 187,500 are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in part or in full, so that the Initial Shareholders will own 20% of the issued and outstanding shares after the Proposed Offering (excluding the sale of the Private Units and assuming the Initial Shareholders do not purchase any Units in the Proposed Offering).

 

Rights — Each holder of a right will receive one-tenth (1/10) of one ordinary share upon consummation of a Business Combination, even if a holder of such right converted all ordinary shares held by it in connection with a Business Combination. No fractional shares will be issued upon exchange of the rights. No additional consideration will be required to be paid by a holder of rights in order to receive its additional shares upon consummation of a Business Combination as the consideration related thereto has been included in the Unit purchase price paid for by investors in the Proposed Offering. If the Company enters into a definitive agreement for a Business Combination in which the Company will not be the surviving entity, the definitive agreement will provide for the holders of rights to receive the same per share consideration the holders of the ordinary shares will receive in the transaction on an as-converted into ordinary shares basis and each holder of rights will be required to affirmatively covert its rights in order to receive 1/10 of a share underlying each right (without paying additional consideration). The shares issuable upon exchange of the rights will be freely tradable (except to the extent held by affiliates of the Company).

 

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 rights will not receive any of such funds with respect to their rights, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside of the Trust Account with respect to such rights, and the rights will expire worthless. Further, there are no contractual penalties for failure to deliver securities to the holders of the rights upon consummation of a Business Combination. Additionally, in no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the rights. Accordingly, the rights may expire worthless.

 

The rights included in the Private Units being sold in the Private Placement will be identical to the rights included in the Units being sold in the Proposed Offering, except that, among others, the rights including the shares issuable upon exchange of such rights, are being purchased pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and will become tradable only after certain conditions are met or the resale of such rights (including underlying securities) is registered under the Securities Act. Please refer to Note 4 Private Placement for more details.

 

Warrants — Public Warrants may only be exercised for a whole number of shares. No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the Public Warrants. The Public Warrants will become exercisable on the later of (a) the consummation of a Business Combination or (b) 12 months from the effective date of the registration statement relating to the Proposed Offering. No Public Warrants will be exercisable for cash unless the Company has an effective and current registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the Public Warrants and a current prospectus relating to such ordinary shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the Public Warrants is not effective within 120 days from the consummation of a Business Combination, the holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when the Company shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise the Public Warrants on a cashless basis pursuant to an available exemption from registration under the Securities Act. If an exemption from registration is not available, holders will not be able to exercise their Public Warrants on a cashless basis. The Public Warrants will expire five years from the consummation of a Business Combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.

 

 F-15 

 

BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP. 

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31 2017 (unaudited) AND FOR THE PERIOD FROM

OCTOBER 7, 2016 (INCEPTION) THROUGH DECEMBER 31 2016

 

The Private Warrants will be identical to the Public Warrants underlying the Units being sold in the Proposed Offering, except the Private Warrants will be exercisable for cash (even if a registration statement covering the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of such Private Warrants is not effective) or on a cashless basis, at the holder’s option, and will not be redeemable by the Company, in each case so long as they are still held by the Initial Shareholders or their affiliates.

 

The Company may call the warrants for redemption (excluding the Private Warrants but including any outstanding warrants issued upon exercise of the unit purchase option issued to EarlyBirdCapital), in whole and not in part, at a price of $.01 per warrant:

 

  at any time while the Public Warrants are exercisable,
     
  upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption to each Public Warrant holder,
     
  if, and only if, the reported last sale price of the ordinary shares equals or exceeds $24.00 per share, for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading day period ending on the third business day prior to the notice of redemption to Public Warrant holders, and
     
  if, and only if, there is a current registration statement in effect with respect to the ordinary shares underlying such warrants at the time of redemption and for the entire 30-day trading period referred to above and continuing each day thereafter until the date of redemption.

 

If the Company calls the Public Warrants for redemption, management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise the Public Warrants to do so on a “cashless basis,” as described in the warrant agreement.

 

The exercise price and number of ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants may be adjusted in certain circumstances including in the event of a stock dividend, extraordinary dividend or recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. However, the warrants will not be adjusted for issuances of ordinary shares at a price below its exercise price. Additionally, in no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the warrants. 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 respect to such warrants. Accordingly, the warrants may expire worthless.

  

 F-16 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$50,000,000

 

 

Bison Capital Acquisition Corp.

 

5,000,000 Units

 

 

 

 

PROSPECTUS

 

 

Sole Book-Running Manager

EarlyBirdCapital, Inc.

 

 

_____________, 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 discount and commissions) will be as follows:

 

SEC Registration Fees  $6,664 
FINRA Filing Fees  $10,000 
Accounting fees and expenses  $50,000 
Printing and engraving expenses  $40,000 
Nasdaq Capital Market expenses  $50,000 
D&O insurance  $100,000 
Legal fees and expenses  $225,000 
Miscellaneous(1)  $18,336 
Total  $500,000 

 

(1)      This amount represents additional expenses that may be incurred by the Company in connection with the offering over and above those specifically listed above, including distribution and mailing costs.

 

Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

 

British Virgin 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 a British Virgin Islands court to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against civil fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. Our memorandum and articles of association provide that, subject to certain limitations, we shall indemnify our directors and officers against all expenses, including legal fees, and against all judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement and reasonably incurred in connection with legal, administrative or investigative proceedings. Such indemnity only applies if the person acted honestly and in good faith with a view to our best interests and, in the case of criminal proceedings, the person had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.

 

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 Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is theretofore unenforceable.

 

Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.

 

On December 20, 2016, 1,437,500 ordinary shares of the Company were sold to Bison Capital and our officer for consideration of $25,000, at a price of approximately $0.017 per share. These founder shares include 187,500 shares subject to forfeiture by Bison Capital and one of our officers to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full. 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.

 

Each of our initial shareholders is an accredited investor for purposes of Rule 501 of Regulation D. In addition, Bison Capital and EarlyBirdCapital have agreed that they and/or their designees will purchase from us up to 375,000 private units (416,250 units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at $10.00 per unit (for an aggregate purchase price of $3,750,000, or $4,162,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full). These purchases will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation 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 nor will be paid with respect to such sales.

 

 II-1 

 

Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.

 

(a)      The following exhibits are filed as part of this Registration Statement:

 

Exhibit No.  Description
1.1  Form of Underwriting Agreement**
1.2  Letter Agreement between the Registrant and EarlyBirdCapital**
3.1  Memorandum and Articles of Association*
3.2  Form of Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association***
4.1  Specimen Unit Certificate**
4.2  Specimen Ordinary Shares Certificate*
4.3  Specimen Warrant Certificate**
4.4  Specimen Right Certificate**
4.5  Form of Warrant Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant**
4.6  Form of Unit Purchase Option between the Registrant and EarlyBirdCapital, Inc.**
4.7  Form of Right Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant.**
5.1  Form of Opinion of Ogier*
5.2  Form of Opinion of Hunter Taubman Fischer &Li LLC**
8.1  Form of Tax Opinion of Hunter Taubman Fischer &Li LLC**
10.1  Form of Letter Agreement among the Registrant, EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. and each of the sponsor, directors and officers of the Registrant**
10.2  Form of Investment Management Trust Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant**
10.3  Form of Letter Agreement between Bison Capital Holding Company Limited, our sponsor, and the Registrant regarding administrative support**
10.4  Form of Escrow Agreement between the Registrant, Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Initial Shareholders**
10.5  Securities Purchase Agreement between the Company and Bison Capital.*
10.6  Securities Purchase Agreement between the Company and James Jiayuan Tong*
10.7  Amended and Restated Unit Subscription Agreement between the Registrant and Sponsor **
10.8  Form of Registration Rights Agreement between the Registrant and security holders**
10.9  Form of Indemnity Agreement*
10.10  Promissory Note, dated December 20, 2016 issued to the sponsor in the amount of $300,000.*
10.11 

Unit Subscription Agreement between the Registrant and EarlyBirdCapital**

14  Form of Code of Ethics*
23.1  Consent of Marcum LLP**
23.2  Consent of Ogier (included in Exhibit 5.1)*
23.3  Consent of Hunter Taubman Fischer &Li LLC (included in Exhibit 5.2)**
24  Power of Attorney (included in signature page)*
99.1  Form of Audit Committee Charter*
99.2  Form of Compensation Committee Charter*
99.3  Consent of Charles Vincent Prizzi, Director Nominee*
99.4  Consent of Thomas Folinsbee, Director Nominee*
99.5  Consent of                               , Director Nominee***

 

*          Previously filed.

**        Filed herewith.

***     To be filed by amendment.

 

 II-2 

 

Item 17. Undertakings.

 

  (a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriter at the closing specified in the underwriting agreements, certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriter to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.
     
  (b) 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 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 Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
     
  (c) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:

 

  (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

 

  (i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;
     
  (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement;
     
  (iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement.

 

  (2) 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.
     
  (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
     
  (4) 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.
     
  (5) For the purpose of determining liability of a registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of an undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

 

  (i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
     
  (ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by an undersigned registrant;
     
  (iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
     
  (iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

 

 II-3 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Beijing, China, on the 31st day of May, 2017.

 

  BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP.
     
  By: /s/ James Jiayuan Tong
  Name:  James Jiayuan Tong
  Title: Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints James Jiayuan Tong his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities to sign any and all amendments including post-effective amendments to this registration statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done, as fully for all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent or his substitute, each acting alone, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue thereof.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Name   Position   Date
         
/s/ Peixin Xu   President and Chairman of the Board   May 31, 2017
Peixin Xu        
         
/s/ James Jiayuan Tong   Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer   May 31, 2017
James Jiayuan Tong   (Principal Executive Officer, Principal Financial and Accounting Officer), Director    
         
/s/ Peng Jin   Chief Operating Officer and Secretary   May 31, 2017
Peng Jin        

  

 

 II-4

 
EX-1.1 2 fs12017ex1i_bisoncapital.htm FORM OF UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

Exhibit 1.1

 

5,000,000 Units

 

BISON CAPITAL Acquisition Corp.

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

New York, New York

[l], 2017

 

EarlyBirdCapital, Inc.

366 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10017

 

As Representative of the Underwriters

named on Schedule A hereto

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Bison Capital Acquisition Corp., a British Virgin Islands company (the “Company”), hereby confirms its agreement with EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. (the “Representative”) and with the other underwriters named on Schedule A hereto (if any), for which the Representative is acting as representative (the Representative and such other underwriters being collectively referred to herein as the “Underwriters” or, each underwriter individually, an “Underwriter”) as follows:

 

1.                  Purchase and Sale of Securities.

 

1.1.Units.

 

1.1.1.      Purchase of Units.  On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell to the several Underwriters, severally and not jointly, an aggregate of 5,000,000 units of the Company (the “Firm Units”) at a purchase price (net of discounts and commissions) of $9.70 per Firm Unit. Each Unit consists of one ordinary share of the Company, no par value per share (the “Ordinary Shares”), one right (the “Right(s)”) to receive one-tenth of one Ordinary Share on consummation of a Business Combination (defined below) and one-half of one warrant (the “Warrant(s)”) each whole Warrant to purchase one Ordinary Share for $11.50 per share. The Ordinary Shares, Rights and Warrants included in the Firm Units will not be separately tradable until 90 days after the date hereof unless the Representative informs the Company of its decision to allow earlier separate trading. The Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agree to purchase from the Company the number of Firm Units set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule A.  The Firm Units are to be offered initially to the public (the “Offering”) at the offering price of $10.00 per Firm Unit.

 

1.1.2.      Payment and Delivery.  Delivery and payment for the Firm Units shall be made at 10:00 A.M., New York time, on the third (3rd) Business Day following the commencement of trading of the Firm Units, or at such earlier time as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company at the offices of the Representative or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company.  The closing of the Offering is referred to herein as the “Closing” and the hour and date of delivery and payment for the Firm Units is referred to herein as the “Closing Date.”  Payment for the Firm Units shall be made on the Closing Date through the facilities of Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) by wire transfer in Federal (same day) funds. The Company shall receive an aggregate of $51,750,000 net proceeds from the sale of the Firm Units and the Private Units (defined in Section 1.4.2 below), of which $51,250,000 shall be deposited on the Closing Date into the trust account (the “Trust Account”) established by the Company for the benefit of the Public Shareholders, as described in the Registration Statement (as defined in Section 2.1.1 hereof) and pursuant to the terms of an Investment Management Trust Agreement (the “Trust Agreement”) between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (“CST&T”) substantially in the form annexed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. The remaining proceeds (less actual expense payments or other fees payable pursuant to this Agreement) shall be paid to the order of the Company upon delivery of certificates (in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative) representing the Firm Units (or through the facilities of the DTC for the account of the Representative). The Firm Units shall be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denominations as the Representative may request in writing at least two (2) Business Days (defined below) prior to the Closing Date.  The Company will permit the Representative to examine and package the Firm Units for delivery at least one (1) full Business Day prior to the Closing Date.  The Company shall not be obligated to sell or deliver the Firm Units except upon tender of payment by the Representative for all the Firm Units. As used herein, the term “Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or any day on which national banks in New York, New York are not open for business, and the term “Public Shareholders” means the holders of Ordinary Shares sold in the Offering or acquired in the aftermarket, including any of the Respondents (as defined in Section 2.14 below) to the extent they acquire such Ordinary Shares in the Offering or in the aftermarket (and solely with respect to such shares).

 

EarlyBirdCapital, Inc.

[l], 2017

Page 1 of 45

 

1.2.            Over-Allotment Option

 

1.2.1.      The Representative shall have the option (the “Over-Allotment Option”) to purchase all or less than all of an additional 750,000 Units (the “Option Units”) solely for the purposes of covering any over-allotments in connection with the distribution and sale of the Firm Units. Such Option Units shall, at the Representative’s election, be purchased for each account of the several Underwriters in the same proportion as the number of Firm Units set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name on Schedule A hereto (subject to adjustment by the Representative to eliminate fractions). Such Option Units shall be identical in all respects to the Firm Units. The Firm Units and the Option Units are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Public Securities.”  No Option Units shall be sold or delivered unless the Firm Units previously have been, or simultaneously are, sold and delivered. The right to purchase the Option Units, or any portion thereof, may be exercised from time to time and to the extent not previously exercised may be surrendered and terminated at any time upon notice by the Representative to the Company. The purchase price to be paid for each Option Unit (net of discounts and commissions) will be $9.70 per Option Unit.

 

1.2.2.      Exercise of Option. The Over-Allotment Option granted pursuant to Section 1.2.1 hereof may be exercised by the Representative as to all (at any time) or any part (from time to time) of the Option Units within thirty(30 days) after the Effective Date. The Representative will not be under any obligation to purchase any Option Units prior to the exercise of the Over-Allotment Option. The Over-allotment Option granted hereby may be exercised by the giving of written notice to the Company by the Representative, which must be confirmed in accordance with Section 10.1 herein setting forth the number of Option Units to be purchased and the date and time for delivery of and payment for the Option Units, if other than the Closing Date (the “Option Closing Date”), which shall not be earlier than the Closing Date or be later than the earlier of (i) 30 days after the Effective Date and (ii) ten (10) full Business Days after the date of the notice or such other time as shall be agreed upon by the Company and the Representative, at the offices of the Representative or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Company and the Representative. Upon exercise of the Over-Allotment Option, the Company will become obligated to convey to the Representative, and, subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Representative will become obligated to purchase, the number of Option Units specified in such notice.

 

1.2.3.      Payment and Delivery. Payment for the Option Units shall be made on the Option Closing Date at the Representative’s election by wire transfer in Federal (same day) funds or by certified or bank cashier’s check(s) in New York Clearing House funds, payable as follows: $9.70 per Option Unit shall be deposited in the Trust Account pursuant to the Trust Agreement upon delivery of certificates (in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative) representing the Option Units (or through the facilities of DTC) for the account of the Representative). The certificates representing the Option Units to be delivered will be in such denominations and registered in such names as the Representative requests not less than two full business days prior to the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, and will be made available to the Representative for inspection, checking and packaging at the aforesaid office of the Company’s transfer agent or correspondent not less than one full Business Day prior to such Closing Date.

 

EarlyBirdCapital, Inc.

[l], 2017

Page 2 of 45

 

1.3.            Representative’s Purchase Option. The Company hereby agrees to issue and sell to the Representative (and/or its designees) on the Closing Date, for an aggregate purchase price of $100.00, an option (“Representative’s Purchase Option”) to purchase up to an aggregate of 150,000 Units (the “Representative’s Units”). Each of the Representative’s Units is identical to the Firm Units. The Representative’s Purchase Option shall be exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis, in whole or in part, commencing on the later of the consummation of a Business Combination or one year from the Effective Date and expiring on the five-year anniversary of the Effective Date at an initial exercise price per Representative’s Unit of $10.00, which is equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the initial public offering price per Unit. On the Closing Date, the Company shall deliver to the Representative, upon payment therefor, certificates for the Representative’s Purchase Option in the name or names and in such denominations as the Representative may request. The Representative’s Purchase Option, the Representative’s Units, the Ordinary Shares included in the Representative’s Units, the Rights included in the Representative’s Units (the “Representative’s Rights”), the Warrants included in the Representative’s Units (the “Representative’s Warrants”) and the Ordinary Shares issuable pursuant to the terms of the Representative’s Rights and Representative’s Warrants are hereinafter referred to collectively as the “Representative’s Securities.”  Delivery and payment for the Representative’s Purchase Option shall be made on the Closing Date.

 

1.4.            Private Placements.

 

1.4.1.      The Company issued to Bison Capital Holding Company Limited (the “Sponsor”) and the Company’s officers and directors (collectively, the “Insiders”), for aggregate consideration of $25,000, 1,437,500 Ordinary Shares (the “Insider Shares”) in a private placement intended to be exempt from registration under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”). No underwriting discounts, commissions or placement fees have been or will be payable in connection with the sale of the Insider Shares. The Insider Shares shall be held in escrow and subject to restrictions on transfer as set forth in the Escrow Agreement (as defined in Section 2.24.3 hereof). The Insiders shall have no right to any liquidation distributions with respect to any portion of the Insider Shares in the event the Company fails to consummate any proposed initial merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination, or entering into contractual arrangements, with one or more businesses or entities (“Business Combination”) within the required time period. The Insiders shall not have conversion rights with respect to the Insider Shares nor shall they be entitled to sell such Insider Shares to the Company in any tender offer in connection with a proposed Business Combination. To the extent that the Over-allotment Option is not exercised by the Underwriters in full or in part, up to 187,500 of the Insider Shares shall be subject to forfeiture by the Sponsor. The Sponsor will be required to forfeit only a number of Ordinary Shares necessary to maintain the Insiders’ 20% ownership interest in the Ordinary Shares after giving effect to the Offering and exercise, if any, of the Underwriters’ Over-allotment Option (and excluding the purchase of the Private Units and any shares purchased in the Offering).

1.4.2.      Simultaneously with the Closing Date, the Sponsor (and/or its designees) and the Representative (and/or its designees) will purchase from the Company pursuant to a Subscription Agreement (as defined in Section 2.24.2 hereof), an aggregate of 350,000 Units and 25,000 Units, respectively (the “Private Units”) at a purchase price of $10.00 per Private Unit in a private placement (the “Private Placement”) intended to be exempt from registration under the Act.  The terms of the Private Units are as described in the Prospectus (as defined in Section 2.1.1). No underwriting discounts, commissions or placement fees have been or will be payable in connection with the Private Placement.  The Sponsor and the Representative have also agreed that, in the event the Representative has exercised the Over-allotment Option, they (and/or their designees) will purchase up to 37,500 and 3,750 additional Private Units, respectively, and the Company shall cause to be deposited an amount of additional proceeds from the sale of such additional Private Units into the Trust Account such that the amount of funds in the Trust Account shall be $10.25 per Public Share sold in the Offering.

 

EarlyBirdCapital, Inc.

[l], 2017

Page 3 of 45

 

1.5.            Working Capital; Trust Account Proceeds.

 

1.5.1.      Working Capital. Upon consummation of the Offering, it is intended that approximately $500,000 of the proceeds from the sale of the Firm Units and Private Units will be released to the Company to fund the working capital requirements of the Company.

 

1.5.2.      Trust Account Proceeds. Interest income on the funds held in the Trust Account may be released to the Company from the Trust Account in accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement to pay any taxes incurred by the Company, all as more fully described in the Prospectus.

 

2.                  Representations and Warranties of the Company.  The Company represents and warrants to the Underwriters as follows:

 

2.1.            Filing of Registration Statement.

 

2.1.1.      Pursuant to the Act.  The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement and an amendment or amendments thereto, on Form S-1 (File No. 333-[l]), including any related preliminary prospectus (the “Preliminary Prospectus”, including any prospectus that is included in the registration statement immediately prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement), for the registration of the Public Securities under the Act, which registration statement and amendment or amendments have been prepared by the Company in conformity with the requirements of the Act, and the rules and regulations (the “Regulations”) of the Commission under the Act.  Except as the context may otherwise require, such registration statement, as amended, on file with the Commission at the time the registration statement became effective (“Effective Date”), including the prospectus, financial statements, schedules, exhibits and all other documents filed as a part thereof or incorporated therein and all information deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430A of the Regulations, together with the registration statement filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act registering additional Public Securities (the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement”), is hereinafter called the “Registration Statement,” and the form of the final prospectus dated the Effective Date included in the Registration Statement (or, if applicable, the form of final prospectus containing information permitted to be omitted at the time of effectiveness by Rule 430A of the Regulations filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 of the Regulations), is hereinafter called the “Prospectus.” For purposes of this Agreement, “Time of Sale”, as used in the Act, means 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the date of this Agreement. Prior to the Time of Sale, the Company prepared a preliminary prospectus, dated [l], 2017, for distribution by the Underwriters (the “Statutory Prospectus”). Other than the Registration Statement, together with any correspondence letters between the Company and/or counsel for the Company and the Commission, no other document with respect to the Registration Statement has heretofore been filed under the Act with the Commission. All of the Public Securities have been or will be registered under the Act pursuant to the Registration Statement. The Registration Statement has been declared effective by the Commission on the date hereof. If, subsequent to the date of this Agreement, the Company or the Representative has determined that at the Time of Sale the Statutory Prospectus included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted a statement of material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and have agreed to provide an opportunity to purchasers of the Firm Units to terminate their old purchase contracts and enter into new purchase contracts, then the Statutory Prospectus will be deemed to include any additional information available to purchasers at the time of entry into the first such new purchase contract.

 

EarlyBirdCapital, Inc.

[l], 2017

Page 4 of 45

 

2.1.2.      Pursuant to the Exchange Act.  The Company has filed with the Commission a Registration Statement on Form 8-A (File Number 001-[l]) providing for the registration under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), of the Units, Ordinary Shares, Rights and Warrants.  The registration of the Units, Ordinary Shares, Rights and Warrants under the Exchange Act has been declared effective by the Commission on the date hereof.

 

2.2.            No Stop Orders, etc.  Neither the Commission nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any foreign or state regulatory authority has issued any order or threatened to issue any order preventing or suspending the use of any Statutory Prospectus or Prospectus or has instituted or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, threatened to institute any proceedings with respect to such an order.

 

2.3.            Disclosures in Registration Statement.

 

2.3.1.      10b-5 Representation.  At the time of effectiveness of the Registration Statement (or at the effective time of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement) and at all times subsequent thereto up to the Closing Date, the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus contained or will contain all material statements that are required to be stated therein in accordance with the Act and the Regulations, and did or will, in all material respects, conform to the requirements of the Act and the Regulations. On the Effective Date and at the Time of Sale, the Registration Statement did not, and on the Closing Date it will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; on the date of any filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) and on the Closing Date, the Prospectus (together with any supplement thereto) will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and at the Time of Sale, the Statutory Prospectus does not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the representation and warranty made in this Section 2.3.1 does not apply to statements made or statements omitted in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company with respect to the Underwriters by or on behalf of the Underwriters expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus or Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, which information, it is agreed, shall consist solely of the subsection captioned “Pricing of this Offering” included in the section captioned “Underwriting.”

 

2.3.2.      Disclosure of Agreements.  The agreements and documents described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus conform to the descriptions thereof contained therein and there are no agreements or other documents required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus or to be filed with the Commission as exhibits to the Registration Statement, that have not been so described or filed.  Each agreement or other instrument (however characterized or described) to which the Company is a party or by which its property or business is or may be bound or affected and (i) that is referred to in the Registration Statement or attached as an exhibit thereto, or (ii) is material to the Company’s business, has been duly and validly executed by the Company, is in full force and effect in all material respects and is enforceable against the Company and, to the Company’s knowledge, the other parties thereto, in accordance with its terms, except (x) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, (y) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under the foreign, federal and state securities laws, and (z) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought, and none of such agreements or instruments has been assigned by the Company, and neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any other party is in breach or default thereunder and, to the Company’s knowledge, no event has occurred that, with the lapse of time or the giving of notice, or both, would constitute a breach or default thereunder.  To the Company’s knowledge, performance by the Company of the material provisions of such agreements or instruments will not result in a violation of any existing applicable law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any governmental agency or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its assets or businesses, including, without limitation, those relating to environmental laws and regulations.

 

EarlyBirdCapital, Inc.

[l], 2017

Page 5 of 45

 

2.3.3.      Prior Securities Transactions.  No securities of the Company have been sold by the Company or by or on behalf of, or for the benefit of, any person or persons controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Company since the date of the Company’s formation, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement.

 

2.3.4.      Regulations. The disclosures in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus concerning the effects of foreign, federal, state and local regulation on the Company’s business as currently contemplated are correct in all material respects and do not omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading.

 

2.4.            Changes After Dates in Registration Statement.

 

2.4.1.      No Material Adverse Change.  Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, except as otherwise specifically stated therein: (i) there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or business prospects of the Company; (ii) there have been no material transactions entered into by the Company, other than as contemplated pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) no member of the Company’s board of directors or management has resigned from any position with the Company and (iv) no event or occurrence has taken place which materially impairs, or would likely materially impair, with the passage of time, the ability of the members of the Company’s board of directors or management to act in their capacities with the Company as described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus.

 

2.4.2.      Recent Securities Transactions, etc. Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus and except as may otherwise be indicated or contemplated herein or therein, the Company has not: (i) issued any securities or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, for borrowed money; or (ii) declared or paid any dividend or made any other distribution on or in respect to its capital stock.

 

2.5.            Independent Accountants. Marcum LLP (“Marcum”), whose report is filed with the Commission as part of the Registration Statement and included in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, are independent registered public accountants as required by the Act, the Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the “PCAOB”), including the rules and regulations promulgated by such entity. To the Company’s knowledge, Marcum is duly registered and in good standing with the PCAOB. Marcum has not, during the periods covered by the financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, provided to the Company any non-audit services, as such term is used in Section 10A(g) of the Exchange Act.

 

2.6.            Financial Statements

 

2.6.1       The financial statements, including the notes thereto and supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, fairly present in all material respects the financial position and the results of operations of the Company at the dates and for the periods to which they apply; and such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), consistently applied throughout the periods involved; and the supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement present fairly in all material respects the information required to be stated therein in conformity with the Regulations.  No other financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus. The Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus disclose all material off-balance sheet transactions, arrangements, obligations (including contingent obligations), and other relationships of the Company with unconsolidated entities or other persons that may have a material current or future effect on the Company’s financial condition, changes in financial condition, results of operations, prospects, liquidity, capital expenditures, capital resources, or significant components of revenues or expenses, to the extent they exist. There are no pro forma or as adjusted financial statements which are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus in accordance with Regulation S-X of the Regulations which have not been included as so required.

 

EarlyBirdCapital, Inc.

[l], 2017

Page 6 of 45

 

2.7.            Authorized Capital; Options, etc.  The Company had at the date or dates indicated in each of the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, as the case may be, duly authorized, issued and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus.  Based on the assumptions stated in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company will have on the Closing Date the adjusted stock capitalization set forth therein. Except as set forth in, or contemplated by, the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, on the Effective Date and on the Closing Date, there will be no options, warrants, or other rights to purchase or otherwise acquire any authorized, but unissued Ordinary Shares or any security convertible into Ordinary Shares, or any contracts or commitments to issue or sell Ordinary Shares or any such options, warrants, rights or convertible securities.

 

2.8.            Valid Issuance of Securities, etc.

 

2.8.1.      Outstanding Securities.  All issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; the holders thereof have no rights of rescission with respect thereto, and are not subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders; and none of such securities were issued in violation of the preemptive rights of any holders of any security of the Company or similar contractual rights granted by the Company. The outstanding Ordinary Shares conform to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus. All offers, sales and any transfers of the outstanding Ordinary Shares of the Company were at all relevant times either registered under the Act and the applicable state securities or Blue Sky laws or exempt from such registration requirements.

 

2.8.2.      Securities To Be Sold.

 

2.8.2.1.                        The Public Securities have been duly authorized and reserved for issuance and when issued and paid for in accordance with this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; the holders thereof are not and will not be subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders; the Public Securities are not and will not be subject to the preemptive rights of any holders of any security of the Company or similar contractual rights granted by the Company; and all corporate action required to be taken for the authorization, issuance and sale of the Public Securities has been duly and validly taken.  The Public Securities conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, as the case may be. 

 

2.8.2.2.                        When issued, the Representative’s Purchase Option and the Representative’s Rights and Representative’s Warrants will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company to issue and sell, upon exercise thereof and payment of the exercise price therefor, the number and type of securities of the Company called for thereby in accordance with the terms thereof and such Representative’s Purchase Option, Representative’s Rights and Representative’s Warrants are enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except: (i) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally; (ii) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under foreign, federal and state securities laws; and (iii) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought. The Ordinary Shares underlying the Representative’s Units, the Representative’s Rights and Representative’s Warrants have been reserved for issuance upon the exercise of the Representative’s Purchase Option upon payment of the consideration therefor, and when issued in accordance with the terms thereof, will be duly and validly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; the holders thereof are not and will not be subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders. The Representative’s Securities conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, as the case may be.

 

EarlyBirdCapital, Inc.

[l], 2017

Page 7 of 45

 

2.8.2.3.                        The Private Units and the Rights and Warrants included within the Private Units (the “Private Rights” and “Private Warrants”, respectively) have been duly authorized and reserved for issuance and when issued and paid for in accordance with the Subscription Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; the holders thereof are not and will not be subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders; the Private Units, Private Rights and Private Warrants are not and will not be subject to the preemptive rights of any holders of any security of the Company or similar contractual rights granted by the Company; and all corporate action required to be taken for the authorization, issuance and sale of the Private Units, Private Rights and Private Warrants has been duly and validly taken.  The Private Units, Private Rights and Private Warrants conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, as the case may be.

 

2.8.2.4.                        The Insider Shares have been duly authorized, duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; the holders thereof are not and will not be subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders; the Insider Shares are not and will not be subject to the preemptive rights of any holders of any security of the Company or similar contractual rights granted by the Company; and all corporate action required to be taken for the authorization, issuance and sale of the Insider Shares has been duly and validly taken.  The Insider Shares conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, as the case may be.

 

2.8.3.      No Integration. Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates has, prior to the date hereof, made any offer or sale of any securities which are required to be “integrated” pursuant to the Act or the Regulations with the offer and sale of the Public Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement.

 

2.9.            Registration Rights of Third Parties.  Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, no holders of any securities of the Company or any rights exercisable for or convertible or exchangeable into securities of the Company have the right to require the Company to register any such securities of the Company under the Act or to include any such securities in a registration statement to be filed by the Company.

 

2.10.        Validity and Binding Effect of Agreements.  This Agreement, the Trust Agreement, the Subscription Agreement, the Escrow Agreement, the Services Agreement (as defined in Section 2.24.7 hereof), the Business Combination Marketing Agreement (as defined in Section 2.27 hereof), the Rights Agreement (as defined in Section 2.26 hereof), the Warrant Agreement (as defined in Section 2.28 hereof), the Registration Rights Agreement (as defined in Section 2.24.6) and the Representative’s Purchase Option have been duly and validly authorized by the Company and, when executed and delivered by the Company and the other parties thereto, will constitute valid and binding agreements of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, except: (i) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally; (ii) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under foreign, federal and state securities laws; and (iii) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought.

 

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2.11.        No Conflicts, etc.  The execution, delivery, and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the Trust Agreement, the Subscription Agreement, the Escrow Agreement, the Services Agreement, the Business Combination Marketing Agreement, the Rights Agreement, the Warrant Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement and the Representative’s Purchase Option, the consummation by the Company of the transactions herein and therein contemplated and the compliance by the Company with the terms hereof and thereof do not and will not, with or without the giving of notice or the lapse of time or both: (i) result in a breach or violation of, or conflict with any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation, modification, termination or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company pursuant to the terms of any agreement, obligation, condition, covenant or instrument to which the Company is a party or bound or to which its property is subject except pursuant to the Trust Agreement; (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company; or (iii) violate any existing applicable statute, law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any governmental agency or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its properties, business or assets, except with respect to clauses (i) and (iii) which violation or default will not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

2.12.        No Defaults; Violations.  No material default or violation exists in the due performance and observance of any term, covenant or condition of any material license, contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, note, loan or credit agreement, or any other agreement or instrument evidencing an obligation for borrowed money, or any other material agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which the Company may be bound or to which any of the properties or assets of the Company is subject. The Company is not in material violation of any term or provision of its Charter Documents or in material violation of any franchise, license, permit, applicable law, rule, regulation, judgment or decree of any governmental agency or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its properties or businesses.

 

2.13.        Corporate Power; Licenses; Consents.

 

2.13.1.  Conduct of Business.  The Company has all requisite corporate power and authority, and has all necessary authorizations, approvals, orders, licenses, certificates and permits of and from all governmental regulatory officials and bodies that it needs as of the date hereof to conduct its business for the purposes described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus other than those the failure of which to have would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.  The disclosures in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus concerning the effects of foreign, federal, state and local regulation on this Offering and the Company’s business purpose as currently contemplated are correct in all material respects and do not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Since its formation and except as described in the Registration Statement, the Company has conducted no business and has incurred no liabilities other than in connection with its formation and in furtherance of the Offering.

 

 

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2.13.2.  Transactions Contemplated Herein.  The Company has all corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to carry out the provisions and conditions hereof, and all consents, authorizations, approvals and orders required in connection therewith have been obtained.  No consent, authorization or order of, and no filing with, any court, government agency or other body, foreign or domestic, is required for the valid issuance, sale and delivery, of the Public Securities and Representative’s Securities and the consummation of the transactions and agreements contemplated by this Agreement, the Trust Agreement, the Subscription Agreement, the Escrow Agreement, the Services Agreement, the Business Combination Marketing Agreement, the Rights Agreement, the Warrant Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement and the Representative’s Purchase Option and as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and Prospectus, except with respect to applicable foreign, federal and state securities laws and the rules and regulations promulgated by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).

 

2.14.        D&O Questionnaires. To the Company’s knowledge, all information contained in the questionnaires (the “Questionnaires”) completed by each of the Company’s officers, directors, 5% beneficial owners and owners of unregistered securities acquired within the past 180 days (the “Respondents”) immediately prior to the initial filing of the Registration Statement and provided to the Representative, as such Questionnaires may have been updated from time to time and confirmed by each of the Respondents, as well as the biographies previously provided to the Representative, is true and correct and the Company has not become aware of any information which would cause the information disclosed in the Questionnaires to become inaccurate and incorrect.

 

2.15.        Litigation; Governmental Proceedings. There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry, arbitration, investigation, litigation or governmental proceeding pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against, or involving the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of the Respondents, which has not been disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus.

 

2.16.        Good Standing.  The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a British Virgin Islands company and is in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation and is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing as a foreign entity in each jurisdiction in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of business requires such qualification, except where the failure to qualify would not have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), prospects, earnings, business or properties of the Company, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto) (a “Material Adverse Effect”).

 

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2.17.        No Contemplation of a Business Combination. Prior to the date hereof, to the knowledge of the Company, no Respondent has, and as of the Closing, the Company and such Respondents will not have: (a) had any specific Business Combination under consideration or contemplation; (b) directly or indirectly, contacted any potential operating assets, business or businesses which the Company may seek to acquire (each, a “Target Business”) or any owner, officer, director, manager, agent or representative thereof or had any substantive discussions, formal or otherwise, with respect to effecting any potential Business Combination with the Company; or (c) engaged or retained any agent or other representative to identify or locate any Target Business for the Company.

 

2.18.        Transactions Affecting Disclosure to FINRA.

 

2.18.1.        To the Company’s knowledge, all information contained in the questionnaires (the “FINRA Questionnaires”) completed by each of the Respondents and provided to the Representative, as such FINRA Questionnaires may have been updated from time to time and confirmed by each of the Respondents, is true and correct and the Company has not become aware of any information which would cause the information disclosed in the FINRA Questionnaires to become inaccurate and incorrect.

 

2.18.2.        Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, there are no claims, payments, arrangements, agreements or understandings relating to the payment of a finder’s, consulting or origination fee by the Company or any Company Affiliate with respect to the sale of the Public Securities hereunder or any other arrangements, agreements or understandings of the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, any Insider that may affect the Underwriters’ compensation, as determined by FINRA.

 

2.18.3.        Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company has not made any direct or indirect payments (in cash, securities or otherwise) to: (i) any person, as a finder’s fee, consulting fee or otherwise, in consideration of such person raising capital for the Company or introducing to the Company persons who raised or provided capital to the Company; (ii) to any FINRA member; or (iii) to any person or entity that has any direct or indirect affiliation or association with any FINRA member, within the 180-day period prior to the initial filing date of the Registration Statement with the Commission, other than the Representative.

 

2.18.4.        Except as provided in the FINRA Questionnaires, to the Company’s knowledge, no officer or director or any direct or indirect beneficial owner of 5% or greater of any class of the Company’s securities, including the Sponsor and holders of securities to be purchased in the Private Placements (whether debt or equity, registered or unregistered, regardless of the time acquired or the source from which derived) (any such individual or entity, a “Company Affiliate”) is a member of FINRA or a person associated or affiliated with a member of FINRA.

 

2.18.5.        Except as provided in the FINRA Questionnaires, to the Company’s knowledge, no Company Affiliate is an owner of stock or other securities of any member of FINRA (other than securities purchased on the open market).

 

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2.18.6.        To the Company’s knowledge, no Company Affiliate has made a subordinated loan to any member of FINRA.

 

2.18.7.        No proceeds from the sale of the Public Securities or Private Units (excluding underwriting compensation) will be paid to any FINRA member, or any persons associated or affiliated with a member of FINRA, except as specifically authorized herein or as disclosed in the Registration Statement.

 

2.18.8.        The Company has not issued any warrants or other securities, or granted any options, directly or indirectly to anyone who is a potential underwriter in the Offering or a related person (as defined by FINRA rules) of such an underwriter within the 180-day period prior to the initial filing date of the Registration Statement with the Commission, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus.

 

2.18.9.        Except as provided in the FINRA Questionnaires, to the Company’s knowledge, no person to whom securities of the Company have been privately issued within the 180-day period prior to the initial filing date of the Registration Statement with the Commission has any relationship or affiliation or association with any member of FINRA.

 

2.18.10.    To the Company’s knowledge, no FINRA member intending to participate in the Offering has a conflict of interest (as defined by FINRA rules) with the Company.

 

2.18.11.    Except with respect to the Representative in connection with the Offering, the Company has not entered into any agreement or arrangement (including, without limitation, any consulting agreement or any other type of agreement) during the 180-day period prior to the initial filing date of the Registration Statement with the Commission, which arrangement or agreement provides for the receipt of any item of value and/or the transfer or issuance of any warrants, options, or other securities from the Company to a FINRA member, any person associated with a member (as defined by FINRA rules), any potential underwriters in the Offering and/or any related persons.

 

2.19.        Taxes.

 

2.19.1.  There are no transfer taxes or other similar fees or charges under British Virgin Islands law, U.S. federal law or the laws of any U.S. state or any political subdivision thereof, required to be paid in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the issuance or sale by the Company of the Public Securities.

 

2.19.2.  The Company has filed all non-U.S. and U.S. federal, state and local tax returns that are required to be filed by it or has requested extensions thereof, except in any case in which the failure to so file would not have a Material Adverse Effect, and has paid all taxes required to be paid by it and any other assessment, fine or penalty levied against it, to the extent that any of the foregoing is due and payable, except for any such assessment, fine or penalty that is currently being contested in good faith or as would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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2.20.        Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.  Neither the Company nor to the knowledge of the Company any of the Respondents or any other person acting on behalf of the Company has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “FCPA”) or otherwise subject the Company to any damage or penalty under the FCPA in any civil, criminal or governmental litigation or proceeding, including, without limitation, given or agreed to give any money, gift or similar benefit (other than legal price concessions to customers in the ordinary course of business) to any customer, supplier, employee or agent of a customer or supplier, or official or employee of any governmental agency or instrumentality of any government (domestic or foreign) or any political party or candidate for office (domestic or foreign) or any political party or candidate for office (domestic or foreign) or other person who was, is, or may be in a position to help or hinder the business of the Company (or assist it in connection with any actual or proposed transaction), but in each case, only to the extent that such action would result in a violation of the FCPA. The Company’s internal accounting controls and procedures are sufficient to cause the Company to comply with the FCPA.

 

2.21.        Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act. The operations of the Company are and have been conducted at all times in material compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all applicable jurisdictions with authority over the Company, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency with authority over the Company (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

2.22.        Patriot Act. Neither the Company, nor to the Company’s knowledge, any Company Affiliate, has violated the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) Act of 2001, and/or the rules and regulations promulgated under any such law, or any successor law.

 

2.23.        Officers’ Certificate.  Any certificate signed by any duly authorized officer of the Company and delivered to the Representative or to its counsel shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Underwriters as to the matters covered thereby.

 

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2.24.        Agreements With Company Affiliates.

 

2.24.1.  Insider Letters.  The Company has caused to be duly executed legally binding and enforceable agreements (except (i) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under foreign, federal and state securities laws, and (iii) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought) in the form annexed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement (the “Insider Letters”), pursuant to which each of the directors and officers of the Company and the Sponsor agree to certain matters, including but not limited to, the voting of Ordinary Shares held by them and certain matters described as being agreed to by them under the “Proposed Business” section of the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and Prospectus.

 

2.24.2.  Subscription Agreement. The Sponsor has executed and delivered a subscription agreement, which is annexed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement (the “Subscription Agreement”), pursuant to which the Sponsor has agreed, among other things, to purchase on the Closing Date the Private Units in the Private Placement.  Pursuant to the Subscription Agreement, the purchaser has waived any and all rights and claims it may have to any proceeds, and any interest thereon, held in the Trust Account in respect of the Ordinary Shares included in or underlying the Private Units in the event that a Business Combination is not consummated and the Trust Account is liquidated in accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement.  

 

2.24.3.  Escrow Agreement.  The Company has caused the Insiders to enter into an escrow agreement (the “Escrow Agreement”) with CST&T substantially in the form filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement whereby the Insider Shares will be held in escrow by CST&T for a period (the “Escrow Period”) commencing on the Effective Date and expiring (i) with respect to 50% of the Insider Shares, on the earlier of the one year anniversary of the consummation of the Business Combination and the date on which the closing price of the Ordinary Share exceeds $12.50 per share for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period following the consummation of the Business Combination, and (ii) with respect to the remaining 50% of the Insider Shares, on the one year anniversary of the consummation of the Business Combination, or earlier in each case in certain limited situations. During the Escrow Period, such parties shall be prohibited from selling or otherwise transferring such Insider Shares, except in certain limited circumstances set forth in the Escrow Agreement. To the Company’s knowledge, the Escrow Agreement, when duly executed, is enforceable against the Insiders and will not, with or without the giving of notice or the lapse of time or both, result in a breach of, or conflict with, any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under, an agreement or instrument to which any of the Insiders are a party.

 

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2.24.4.  Non-Competition/Solicitation. To the Company’s knowledge, no director or officer of the Company is subject to any non-competition agreement or non-solicitation agreement with any employer or prior employer which could materially affect each director’s or officer’s ability to be and act in the capacity of a director or officer of the Company, as applicable, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement.

 

2.24.5.  Loans. The Sponsor has made a loan to the Company in the aggregate amount of $300,000, as described in the Registration Statement (the “Insider Loan”). The Insider Loan does not bear any interest and is repayable by the Company on the consummation of the Offering.

 

2.24.6.  Registration Rights Agreement. The Company and the Insiders have entered into (or will enter into prior to Closing) a registration rights agreement (“Registration Rights Agreement”) substantially in the form annexed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, whereby the Insiders will be entitled to certain registration rights with respect to their securities, as set forth in such Registration Rights Agreement and described more fully in the Registration Statement.

 

2.24.7.  Administrative Services. The Company has entered into an agreement (“Services Agreement”) with the Sponsor substantially in the form annexed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement pursuant to which the Sponsor will make available to the Company, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein, general and administrative services including office space, utilities and secretarial support for the Company’s use for $5,000 per month payable until the earlier of the consummation by the Company of a Business Combination or the liquidation of the Trust Account.

 

2.25.        Investment Management Trust Agreement.  The Company has entered into the Trust Agreement with respect to certain proceeds of the Offering and the Private Placements substantially in the form filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, pursuant to which the funds held in the Trust Account may be released under limited circumstances. The Trust Agreement shall not be amended, modified or otherwise changed in any way that modifies the rights or obligations of the Representative without the prior written consent of the Representative, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld.

 

2.26.        Rights Agreement. The Company has entered into a rights agreement with respect to the Rights, the Representative’s Rights and Private Rights with CST&T substantially in the form filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement (the “Rights Agreement”).

 

2.27.        Business Combination Marketing Agreement. The Company and the Representative have entered into a separate business combination marketing agreement substantially in the form filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement (the “Business Combination Marketing Agreement”).

 

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2.28.        Warrant Agreement. The Company has entered into a warrant agreement with respect to the Warrants, Representative’s Warrants and Private Warrants with CST&T substantially in the form filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement (the “Warrant Agreement”).

 

2.29.        Investments.  No more than 45% of the “value” (as defined in Section 2(a)(41) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“Investment Company Act”)) of the Company’s total assets (exclusive of cash items and “Government Securities,” as defined in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act) consist of, and no more than 45% of the Company’s net income after taxes is derived from, securities other than Government Securities.

 

2.30.        Investment Company Act. The Company is not required, and upon the issuance and sale of the Public Securities as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the Prospectus will not be required, to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act.

 

2.31.        Subsidiaries.  The Company does not own an interest in any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust or other business entity.

 

2.32.        Related Party Transactions.  No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among any of the Company or any Company Affiliate, on the one hand, and any director, officer, shareholder, customer or supplier of the Company or any Company Affiliate, on the other hand, which is required by the Act, the Exchange Act or the Regulations to be described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, which is not so described as required. There are no outstanding loans, advances (except normal advances for business expenses in the ordinary course of business which do not violate SOX) or guarantees of indebtedness by the Company to or for the benefit of any of the officers or directors of the Company or any of their respective family members, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus. The Company has not extended or maintained credit, arranged for the extension of credit, or renewed an extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan to or for any director or officer of the Company.

 

2.33.        No Influence. The Company has not offered, or caused the Underwriters to offer, the Firm Units to any person or entity with the intention of unlawfully influencing: (a) a customer or supplier of the Company or any affiliate of the Company to alter the customer’s or supplier’s level or type of business with the Company or such affiliate or (b) a journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company or any such affiliate.

 

2.34.        Sarbanes-Oxley. The Company is in material compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended (“SOX”), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and related or similar rules and regulations promulgated by any governmental or self-regulatory entity or agency, that are applicable to it as of the date hereof.

 

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2.35.        Nasdaq Eligibility. As of the Effective Date, the Public Securities have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Markets (“NASDAQ”), subject to official notice of issuance and evidence of satisfactory distribution. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company's directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with (as and when applicable), and immediately following the effectiveness of the Registration Statement the Company will be in compliance with, the NASDAQ Marketplace Rules, as amended.

 

2.36.        Emerging Growth Status. From the date of the Company’s formation through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”).

 

2.37.        Testing-The-Waters Communications. The Company (a) has not engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communication other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the consent of the Representative with entities that are qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the Securities Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Securities Act and (b) has not authorized anyone to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications other than its officers and the Representative and individuals engaged by the Representative. The Company has not distributed any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications other than those listed on Schedule B hereto. “Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Act.

 

2.38.        Disclosure Controls and Procedures. The Company maintains effective “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined under Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) to the extent required by such rule.

 

 

2.39.        Definition of “Knowledge”. As used in herein, the term “knowledge of the Company” (or similar language) shall mean the knowledge of the Company’s executive officers and directors, with the assumption that such officers and directors shall have made reasonable and diligent inquiry of the matters presented.

 

3.                  Covenants of the Company.  The Company covenants and agrees as follows:

 

3.1.            Amendments to Registration Statement.  The Company will deliver to the Representative, prior to filing, any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus proposed to be filed after the Effective Date and shall not file any such amendment or supplement to which the Representative shall reasonably object in writing.

 

 

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3.2.            Federal Securities Laws.

 

3.2.1.      Compliance.  During the time when a prospectus is required to be delivered under the Act, the Company will use all reasonable efforts to comply with all requirements imposed upon it by the Act, the Regulations and the Exchange Act and by the regulations under the Exchange Act, as from time to time in force, so far as necessary to permit the continuance of sales of or dealings in the Public Securities in accordance with the provisions hereof and the Prospectus.  If at any time when a Prospectus relating to the Public Securities is required to be delivered under the Act, any event shall have occurred as a result of which, in the opinion of counsel for the Company or counsel for the Underwriters, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if it is necessary during such period to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Statutory Prospectus and Prospectus to comply with the Act, the Company will notify the Representative promptly and prepare and file with the Commission, subject to Section 3.1 hereof, an appropriate amendment to the Registration Statement or amendment or supplement to the Statutory Prospectus and Prospectus (at the expense of the Company) so as to correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance.

 

3.2.2.      Filing of Final Prospectus.  The Company will promptly file the Prospectus (in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative) with the Commission pursuant to the requirements of Rule 424 of the Regulations.

 

3.2.3.      Exchange Act Registration.  For a period of five years from the Effective Date (except in connection with a going private transaction), or until such earlier time upon which the Trust Account is liquidated, or if the Company goes private, in the event the Company has not consummated a Business Combination as required by its Charter Documents (the “Termination Date”), the Company (i) will use its best efforts to maintain the registration of the Ordinary Shares, Rights (until the consummation of the Business Combination) and Warrants under the provisions of the Exchange Act and (ii) will not deregister the Ordinary Shares, Rights (prior to the consummation of the Business Combination) or Warrants under the Exchange Act without the prior written consent of the Representative.

 

3.2.4.      Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents and agrees that it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Public Securities that would constitute an issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433 under the Act.

 

3.2.5.      Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance. As soon as it is legally required to do so, the Company shall take all actions necessary to obtain and thereafter maintain material compliance with each applicable provision of SOX and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and related or similar rules and regulations promulgated by any other governmental or self-regulatory entity or agency with jurisdiction over the Company.

 

3.3.            Emerging Growth Company Status. The Company will promptly notify the Representative if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the earlier of five years after the consummation of the Company’s initial Business Combination, or the liquidation of the Trust Account if a Business Combination is not consummated by the Termination Date.

 

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3.4.            Delivery of Materials to Underwriters.  The Company will deliver to each of the several Underwriters, without charge and from time to time during the period when a prospectus is required to be delivered under the Act or the Exchange Act, such number of copies of each Statutory Prospectus, the Prospectus and all amendments and supplements to such documents as such Underwriters may reasonably request.

 

3.5.            Effectiveness and Events Requiring Notice to the Representative.  The Company will use its best efforts to cause the Registration Statement to remain effective and will notify the Representative immediately and confirm the notice in writing: (i) of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto; (ii) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, or any post-effective amendment thereto or preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or of the initiation, or the threatening, of any proceeding for that purpose; (iii) of the issuance by any foreign or state securities commission of any proceedings for the suspension of the qualification of the Public Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or of the initiation, or the threatening, of any proceeding for that purpose; (iv) of the mailing and delivery to the Commission for filing of any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus; (v) of the receipt of any comments or request for any additional information from the Commission; and (vi) of the happening of any event during the period described in this Section 3.5 hereof that, in the judgment of the Company or its counsel, makes any statement of a material fact made in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus untrue or that requires the making of any changes in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, (with respect to the Prospectus and the Statutory Prospectus and in light of the circumstances under which they were made), not misleading.  If the Commission or any foreign or state securities commission shall enter a stop order or suspend such qualification at any time, the Company will make every reasonable effort to obtain promptly the lifting of such order.

 

3.6.            Review of Financial Statements.  Until the earlier of five years from the Effective Date, or until the liquidation of the Trust Account if a Business Combination is not consummated by the Termination Date, or the if Company goes private, the Company, at its expense, shall cause its regularly engaged independent certified public accountants to review (but not audit) the Company’s financial statements for each of the first three fiscal quarters prior to the announcement of quarterly financial information, the filing of the Company’s quarterly report.

 

3.7.            Affiliated Transactions.

 

3.7.1.      Business Combinations.  The Company will not consummate a Business Combination with an entity that is affiliated with any Insider unless in each case the Company obtains an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions on the type of Target Business the Company is seeking to acquire that the Business Combination is fair to the Company from a financial point of view and a majority of the Company’s disinterested and independent directors (if there are any) approve such transaction.

 

3.7.2.      Services Agreement. The Company has entered into the Services Agreement with the Sponsor pursuant to which the Sponsor will make available to the Company general and administrative services including office space, utilities and secretarial support for the Company’s use for $5,000 per month. Prior to the consummation of a Business Combination, the Company shall not enter into any other arrangement for the provision of such services with any Insider that will require the Company to pay in excess of $5,000 per month for such services.

 

 

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3.7.3.      Compensation.  Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Company shall not pay any Insider or Company Affiliate or any of their affiliates any fees or compensation for services rendered to the Company prior to, or in connection with, either this Offering or the Business Combination.

 

3.8.            Secondary Market Trading and Standard & Poor’s. If the Company does not maintain the listing of the Public Securities on NASDAQ or another national securities exchange, the Company will (i) apply to be included in Standard & Poor’s Daily News and Corporation Records Corporate Descriptions for a period of five years from the consummation of a Business Combination, (ii) take such commercially reasonable steps as may be necessary to obtain a secondary market trading exemption for the Company’s securities in such jurisdictions and (iii) take such other action as may be reasonably requested by the Representative to obtain a secondary market trading exemption in such other states as may be requested by the Representative; provided that no qualification shall be required in any jurisdiction where, as a result thereof, the Company would be subject to service of general process or to taxation as a foreign entity doing business in such jurisdiction.

 

3.9.            Investor Relations Firm. Promptly after the execution of a definitive agreement for a Business Combination, the Company shall retain an investor relations firm with the expertise necessary to assist the Company both before and after the consummation of the Business Combination for a term to be agreed upon by the Company and the Representative.

 

3.10.        Reports to the Representative.

 

3.10.1.  Periodic Reports, etc.  For a period of five years from the Effective Date or until such earlier time upon which the Company is required to be liquidated and dissolved or goes private, the Company will furnish to the Representative and its counsel copies of such financial statements and other periodic and special reports as the Company from time to time furnishes generally to holders of any class of its securities, and promptly furnish to the Representative: (i) a copy of each periodic report the Company shall be required to file with the Commission; (ii) a copy of every press release and every news item and article with respect to the Company or its affairs which was released by the Company; (iii) a copy of each Current Report on Form 8-K and any Schedules 13D, 13G, 14D-1 or 13E-4 received or prepared by the Company; (iv) five copies of each registration statement, proxy statement or tender offer document filed by the Company with the Commission under the Securities Act; and (v) such additional documents and information with respect to the Company and the affairs of any future subsidiaries of the Company as the Representative may from time to time reasonably request; provided that the Representative shall sign a Regulation FD compliant confidentiality agreement which is reasonably acceptable to the Representative and its counsel in connection with the Representative’s receipt of such information. Documents filed with the Commission pursuant to Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (“EDGAR”), including registration statements, shall be deemed to have been delivered to the Representative pursuant to this section.

 

3.10.2.  For a period of five years following the Effective Date or until such earlier time upon which the Company is required to be liquidated or goes private, the Company shall retain a transfer agent and warrant agent acceptable to the Representative. CST&T is acceptable to the Underwriters.

 

 

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3.11.        Payment of Expenses.  The Company hereby agrees to pay on each of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, to the extent not paid at Closing Date, or such later date as may be agreed to by the Representative in its sole discretion, all fees and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement, including, but not limited to: (i) the preparation, printing, filing and mailing (including the payment of postage with respect to such mailing) of the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus, and the final Prospectus and mailing of this Agreement and related documents, including the cost of all copies thereof and any amendments thereof or supplements thereto supplied to the Underwriters in quantities as may be required by the Underwriters; (ii) the printing, engraving, issuance and delivery of the Units, Ordinary Shares, Rights and Warrants included in the Units, including any transfer or other taxes payable thereon; (iii) NASDAQ filing fees or, if necessary, the qualification of the Public Securities under state or foreign securities or Blue Sky laws; (iv) fees and expenses (including legal fees of the Representative not to exceed $15,000) incurred in registering the Offering with FINRA; (v) fees and disbursements of the transfer and warrant agent; (vi) all costs and expenses of the Company associated with “road show” marketing and “due diligence” trips for the Company’s management to meet with prospective investors, including without limitation, all travel, food and lodging expenses associated with such trips incurred by the Company or such management; and (vii) all other costs and expenses customarily borne by an issuer incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section 3.11. The Company also agrees that it will pay for an investigative search firm of the Representative’s choice to conduct an investigation of the principals of the Company as shall be mutually selected by the Representative and the Company (not to exceed $25,000). If the Offering is consummated, the Representative may deduct from the net proceeds of the Offering payable to the Company on the Closing Date the expenses set forth above (which shall be mutually agreed upon between the Company and the Representative prior to Closing) to be paid by the Company to the Representative and others. As of the date hereof, the Company has paid $25,000 to the Representative. The Representative shall retain such part of the advance previously paid as shall equal its actual out-of-pocket expenses and refund the balance, if any. Additionally, if the Offering is not consummated because the Company has materially breached any of its obligations hereunder or because the Company elects not to proceed with the offering for any reason other than Representative’s inability to complete the Offering (at the size and on the terms herein) within a reasonable period of time, then the Company shall reimburse the Representative in full for its out-of-pocket accountable expenses actually incurred through such date, including, without limitation, fees of counsel to the Representative, which reimbursement shall not exceed $100,000 less the $25,000 previously paid.

 

3.12.        Application of Net Proceeds.  The Company will apply the net proceeds from this Offering received by it in a manner substantially consistent with the application described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Prospectus.

 

3.13.        Delivery of Earnings Statements to Security Holders.  The Company will make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable, but not later than the first day of the sixteenth full calendar month following the Effective Date, an earnings statement (which need not be certified by independent public or independent certified public accountants unless required by the Act or the Regulations, but which shall satisfy the provisions of Rule 158(a) under Section 11(a) of the Act) covering a period of at least twelve consecutive months beginning after the Effective Date.

 

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3.14.        Notice to FINRA.

 

3.14.1.  Assistance with Business Combination. For a period of ninety days following the Effective Date, in the event any person or entity (regardless of any FINRA affiliation or association) is engaged to assist the Company in its search for a Business Combination candidate or to provide any similar Business Combination-related services, the Company will provide the following information (the “Business Combination Information”) to the Representative:  (i) complete details of all services and copies of agreements governing such services (which details or agreements may be appropriately redacted to account for privilege or confidentiality concerns); and (ii) justification as to why the person or entity providing the Business Combination-related services should not be considered an “underwriter and related person” with respect to the Company’s initial public offering, as such term is defined in Rule 5110 of FINRA’s Conduct Rules.  The Company also agrees that proper disclosure of such arrangement or potential arrangement will be made in the proxy statement which the Company will file for purposes of soliciting shareholder approval for the Business Combination. Upon the Company’s delivery of the Business Combination Information to the Representative, the Company hereby expressly authorizes the Representative to provide such information directly to FINRA as a result of representations the Representative have made to FINRA in connection with the Offering.

 

3.14.2.  Broker/Dealer. In the event the Company intends to register as a broker/dealer, merge with or acquire a registered broker/dealer, or otherwise become a member of FINRA, it shall promptly notify the Representative.

 

3.15.        Stabilization. Neither the Company, nor, to its knowledge, any of its employees, officers, directors or shareholders (without the consent of the Representative) has taken or will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that has constituted or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act, or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Units.

 

3.16.        Internal Controls.  From and after the Closing Date, the Company will maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary in order to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

 

3.17.        Accountants.  For a period of five years from the Effective Date or until such earlier time upon which the Trust Account is required to be liquidated or the Company goes private, the Company shall retain Marcum or other independent public accountants reasonably acceptable to the Representative.

 

 

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3.18.        Form 8-K’s.  The Company has retained Marcum to audit the balance sheet of the Company as of the Closing Date (the “Audited Balance Sheet”) reflecting the receipt by the Company of the proceeds of the Offering and the Private Placements.  Within four (4) Business Days of the Closing Date, the Company shall file a Current Report on Form 8-K with the Commission, which Report shall contain the Company’s Audited Balance Sheet. If the Over-Allotment Option has not been exercised on the Effective Date, the Company will also file an amendment to the Form 8-K, or a new Form 8-K, to provide updated financial information of the Company to reflect the exercise and consummation of the Over-Allotment Option.

 

3.19.        FINRA.  Until the Option Closing Date, if any, the Company shall advise the Representative if it is aware that any 5% or greater shareholder of the Company becomes an affiliate or associated person of a FINRA member participating in the distribution of the Public Securities.

 

3.20.        Corporate Proceedings. All corporate proceedings and other legal matters necessary to carry out the provisions of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall have been done to the reasonable satisfaction to counsel for the Underwriters.

 

3.21.        Investment Company. The Company shall cause the proceeds of the Offering to be held in the Trust Account to be invested only as set forth in the Trust Agreement as in effect on the date hereof and disclosed in the Prospectus. The Company will otherwise conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become subject to the Investment Company Act. Furthermore, once the Company consummates a Business Combination, it will be engaged in a business other than that of investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading securities.

 

3.22.        Press Releases. The Company agrees that it will not issue press releases or engage in any other publicity, without the Representative’s prior written consent (not to be unreasonably withheld), for a period of twenty-five (25) days after the Closing Date; provided that in no event shall the Company be prohibited from issuing any press release or engaging in any other publicity required by law.

 

3.23.        Electronic Prospectus. The Company shall cause to be prepared and delivered to the Representative, at its expense, promptly, but in no event later than two (2) Business Days from the effective date of this Agreement, an Electronic Prospectus to be used by the Underwriters in connection with the Offering. As used herein, the term “Electronic Prospectus” means a form of prospectus, and any amendment or supplement thereto, that meets each of the following conditions: (i) it shall be encoded in an electronic format, satisfactory to the Representative, that may be transmitted electronically by the other Underwriters to offerees and purchasers of the Ordinary Shares for at least the period during which a Prospectus relating to the Ordinary Shares is required to be delivered under the Act; (ii) it shall disclose the same information as the paper prospectus and prospectus filed pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent that graphic and image material cannot be disseminated electronically, in which case such graphic and image material shall be replaced in the electronic prospectus with a fair and accurate narrative description or tabular representation of such material, as appropriate; and (iii) it shall be in or convertible into a paper format or an electronic format, satisfactory to the Representative, that will allow recipients thereof to store and have continuously ready access to the prospectus at any future time, without charge to such recipients (other than any fee charged for subscription to the Internet as a whole and for on-line time). The Company hereby confirms that it has included or will include in the Prospectus filed pursuant to EDGAR or otherwise with the Commission and in the Registration Statement at the time it was declared effective an undertaking that, upon receipt of a request by an investor or his or her representative within the period when a prospectus relating to the Ordinary Shares is required to be delivered under the Act, the Company shall transmit or cause to be transmitted promptly, without charge, a paper copy of the Prospectus.

 

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3.24.        Future Financings. The Company agrees that neither it, nor any successor or subsidiary of the Company, will consummate any public or private equity or debt financing prior to or in connection with the consummation of a Business Combination, unless all investors in such financing expressly waive, in writing, any rights in or claims against the Trust Account.

 

3.25.        NASDAQ Maintenance. Until the consummation of a Business Combination, the Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to maintain the listing by NASDAQ of the Units and the Ordinary Shares and Warrants included within the Units.

 

3.26.        Private Placement Proceeds. On the Closing Date, the Company shall cause to be deposited $3,750,000 of proceeds from the Private Placement into the Trust Account. On the Option Closing Date, if any, the Company shall cause to be deposited an amount of additional proceeds from the additional Private Units sold on the Option Closing Date into the Trust Account such that the amount of funds in the Trust Account shall be $10.25 per Public Share sold in the Offering.

 

3.27.        Reservation of Shares.  The Company will reserve and keep available that maximum number of its authorized but unissued securities which are issuable pursuant to the Rights, Warrants, the Private Rights, the Private Warrants, the Representative’s Rights and the Representative’s Warrants outstanding from time to time.

 

3.28.        Testing-the-Waters Communications. If at any time following the distribution of any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication included or would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly (i) notify the Representative so that use of the Written Testing-the-Waters Communication may cease until it is amended or supplemented; (ii) amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication to eliminate or correct such untrue statement or omission; and (iii) supply any amendment or supplement to the Representative in such quantities as may be reasonably requested.

 

4.                  Conditions.

 

4.1.            Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations.  The obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Public Securities, as provided herein, shall be subject to the continuing accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, to the accuracy of the statements of officers of the Company made pursuant to the provisions hereof and to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following conditions:

 

4.1.1.      Regulatory Matters.

 

4.1.1.1.                        Effectiveness of Registration Statement.  The Registration Statement shall have become effective not later than 5:00 p.m., New York time, on the date of this Agreement or such later date and time as shall be consented to in writing by the Representative, and, at the Closing Date, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued and no proceedings for the purpose shall have been instituted or shall be pending or contemplated by the Commission and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with.

 

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4.1.1.2.                        FINRA Clearance.  By the Effective Date, the Representative shall have received clearance from FINRA as to the amount of compensation allowable or payable to the Underwriters as described in the Registration Statement.

 

4.1.1.3.                        No Commission Stop Order. At the Closing Date, the Commission has not issued any order or threatened to issue any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any part thereof, and has not instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened to institute any proceedings with respect to such an order.

 

4.1.1.4.                        NASDAQ Listing. The Public Securities shall have been approved for listing on NASDAQ, subject to official notice of issuance and evidence of satisfactory distribution.

 

4.1.2.      Company Counsel Matters.

 

4.1.2.1.                        Opinions of Company Counsel.  On each of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, if any, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinions of Watson Farley & Williams LLP, U.S. counsel to the Company, and Ogier, British Virgin Islands counsel to the Company, addressed to the Representative as representative for the several Underwriters and in form mutually agreed to by the Company and the Representative.

 

4.1.2.2.                        Reliance.  In rendering such opinions, such counsels may rely: (i) as to matters involving the application of laws other than the laws of the United States and jurisdictions in which they are admitted, to the extent such counsel deems proper and to the extent specified in such opinion, if at all, upon an opinion or opinions (in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative) of other counsel reasonably acceptable to the Representative, familiar with the applicable laws; and (ii) as to matters of fact, to the extent they deem proper, on certificates or other written statements of officers (or equivalent) of the Company and officers (or equivalent) of departments of various jurisdiction having custody of documents respecting the corporate existence or good standing of the Company, provided that copies of any such certificates shall be delivered to the Underwriters’ counsel if requested.  The opinions of counsels for the Company and any opinion relied upon by such counsel for the Company shall include a statement to the effect that it may be relied upon by counsel for the Underwriters in its opinion delivered to the Underwriters.

 

4.1.3.      Cold Comfort Letter.  At the time this Agreement is executed, and at the Closing Date and Option Closing Date, if any, the Representative shall have received a letter, addressed to the Representative as representative for the several Underwriters and in form and substance satisfactory in all respects (including the non-material nature of the changes or decreases, if any, referred to in clause (iii) below) to the Representative from Marcum dated, respectively, as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date and Option Closing Date, if any:

 

(i)       Confirming that they are independent accountants with respect to the Company within the meaning of the Act and the applicable Regulations and that they have not, during the periods covered by the financial statements included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, provided to the Company any non-audit services, as such term is used in Section 10A(g) of the Exchange Act;

 

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(ii)       Stating that in their opinion the financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the published Regulations thereunder;

 

(iii)       Stating that, on the basis of a limited review which included a reading of the latest available unaudited interim financial statements of the Company (with an indication of the date of the latest available unaudited interim financial statements), a reading of the latest available minutes of the shareholders and board of directors and the various committees of the board of directors, consultations with officers and other employees of the Company responsible for financial and accounting matters and other specified procedures and inquiries, nothing has come to their attention which would lead them to believe that: (a) the unaudited financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus do not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the Regulations or are not fairly presented in conformity with GAAP applied on a basis substantially consistent with that of the audited financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus; or (b) at a date immediately prior to the Effective Date or Closing Date, as the case may be, there was any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company, or any decrease in the shareholders’ equity of the Company as compared with amounts shown in the December 31, 2016 balance sheet included in the Registration Statement, other than as set forth in or contemplated by the Registration Statement, or, if there was any decrease, setting forth the amount of such decrease, and (c) during the period from December 31, 2016 to a specified date immediately prior to the Effective Date or Closing Date, as the case may be, there was any changes in revenues, net earnings (losses), or net earnings (losses) per Ordinary Share, in each case as compared with the Statement of Operations for the period from October 7, 2016 (Inception) to December 31, 2016 included in the Registration Statement, or, if there was any such change, setting forth the amount of such change;

(iv)  Stating that they have compared specific dollar amounts, numbers of shares, percentages of revenues and earnings, statements and other financial information pertaining to the Company set forth in the Registration Statement in each case to the extent that such amounts, numbers, percentages, statements and information may be derived from the general accounting records, including work sheets, of the Company and excluding any questions requiring an interpretation by legal counsel, with the results obtained from the application of specified readings, inquiries and other appropriate procedures (which procedures do not constitute an examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards) set forth in the letter and found them to be in agreement; and

(v)       Statements as to such other matters incident to the transaction contemplated hereby as the Representative may reasonably request.

 

4.1.4.      Officers’ Certificates.

 

4.1.4.1.                        Officers’ Certificate.  As of each of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, the Representative shall have received a certificate of the Company signed by the Chairman of the Board or Chief Executive Officer (in their capacities as such), respectively, to the effect that the Company has performed all covenants and complied with all conditions required by this Agreement to be performed or complied with by the Company prior to and as of the Closing Date and that the conditions set forth in Section 4 hereof have been satisfied as of such date and that, as of Closing Date, the representations and warranties of the Company set forth in Section 2 hereof are true and correct.  In addition, the Representative will have received such other and further certificates of officers of the Company as the Representative may reasonably request.

 

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4.1.4.2.                        Secretary’s Certificate.  As of each of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, the Representative shall have received a certificate of the Company signed by the Secretary or President or Chief Executive Officer of the Company, respectively, certifying: (i) that the Charter Documents of the Company are true and complete, have not been modified and are in full force and effect; (ii) that the resolutions relating to the Offering are in full force and effect and have not been modified; (iii) all correspondence between the Company or its counsel and the Commission; (iv) all correspondence between the Company or its counsel and NASDAQ; and (v) as to the incumbency of the officers of the Company.  The documents referred to in such certificate shall be attached to such certificate.

 

4.1.5.      No Material Changes.  Prior to each of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any: (i) there shall have been no material adverse change or development involving a material adverse change in the condition or prospects or the business activities, financial or otherwise, of the Company from the latest dates as of which such condition is set forth in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and Prospectus; (ii) no action suit or proceeding, at law or in equity, shall have been pending or threatened against the Company or any Company Affiliate before or by any court or foreign, federal or state commission, board or other administrative agency wherein an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding may materially adversely affect the business, operations, prospects or financial condition or income of the Company, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and Prospectus; (iii) no stop order shall have been issued under the Act against the Company and no proceedings therefor shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and (iv) the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto shall contain all material statements which are required to be stated therein in accordance with the Act and the Regulations and shall conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the Regulations, and none of the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto shall contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of the Statutory Prospectus and Prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made), not misleading.

 

4.1.6.      Delivery of Agreements. On the Effective Date, the Company shall have delivered to the Representative executed copies of the Trust Agreement, the Subscription Agreement, the Escrow Agreement, the Services Agreement, the Business Combination Marketing Agreement, the Rights Agreement, the Warrant Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement and all of the Insider Letters. On the Closing Date, the Company shall have delivered to the Representative the Representative’s Purchase Option.

 

4.1.7.      Private Units. On the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, as applicable, the Sponsor and Representative shall have purchased the Private Units as provided for in the Subscription Agreement and the purchase price for such securities shall be deposited into the Trust Account.

 

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5.                  Indemnification.

 

5.1.            Indemnification of Underwriters.

 

5.1.1.      General.  Subject to the conditions set forth below, the Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each of the Underwriters and each dealer selected by the Representative that participates in the offer and sale of the Public Securities (each a “Selected Dealer”) and each of their respective directors, officers, partners and employees and each person, if any, who controls any such Underwriter or Selected Dealer (“Controlling Person”) within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act, and its counsel, against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever (including but not limited to any and all legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever, whether arising out of any action between any of the Underwriters and the Company or between any of the Underwriters and any third party or otherwise) to which they or any of them may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or any other foreign, federal, state or local statute, law, rule, regulation or ordinance or at common law or otherwise or under the laws, rules and regulation of foreign countries, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in (i) any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, or the Prospectus (as from time to time each may be amended and supplemented); (ii) in any post-effective amendment or amendments or any new registration statement and prospectus relating to any of the Public Securities; or (iii) any application or other document or written communication (in this Section 5 collectively called “application”) executed by the Company or based upon written information furnished by the Company in any jurisdiction in order to qualify the Public Securities under the securities laws thereof or filed with the Commission, any foreign or state securities commission or agency, NASDAQ (in each case other than statements contained in the section captioned “Selling Restrictions”); or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, unless such statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company with respect to an Underwriter by or on behalf of such Underwriter expressly for use in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereof, or in any application, as the case may be, which furnished written information, it is expressly agreed, consists solely of the information described in clause (ii) of the last sentence of Section 2.3.1.  With respect to any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in the Preliminary Prospectus, the indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph shall not inure to the benefit of any Underwriter to the extent that any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense of such Underwriter results from the fact that a copy of the Prospectus was not given or sent to the person asserting any such loss, liability, claim or damage at or prior to the written confirmation of sale of the Public Securities to such person as required by the Act and the Regulations, and if the untrue statement or omission has been corrected in the Prospectus, unless such failure to deliver the Prospectus was a result of non-compliance by the Company with its obligations under Section 3.4 hereof. The Company agrees promptly to notify the Representative of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against the Company or any of its officers, directors or controlling persons in connection with the issue and sale of the Public Securities or in connection with the Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.

 

5.1.2.      Procedure.  If any action is brought against an Underwriter or controlling person in respect of which indemnity may be sought against the Company pursuant to Section 5.1.1, such Underwriter shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the institution of such action and the Company shall assume the defense of such action, including the employment and fees of counsel (subject to the reasonable approval of such Underwriter) and payment of actual expenses, and the Company thereafter will not be liable to any person to be indemnified hereunder for expenses incurred by such person in connection with the defense thereof. Such Underwriter or controlling person shall have the right to employ its or their own counsel in any such case, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Underwriter or such controlling person unless: (i) the employment of such counsel at the expense of the Company shall have been authorized in writing by the Company in connection with the defense of such action; (ii) the Company shall not have employed counsel to have charge of the defense of such action; or (iii) counsel to such indemnified party or parties shall have reasonably concluded that there may be defenses available to it or them which are different from or additional to those available to the Company (in which case the Company shall not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party or parties) and cannot be made, in any of which events the reasonable fees and expenses of not more than one additional firm of attorneys selected by the Underwriter and/or controlling person shall be borne by the Company.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, if the Underwriter or controlling person shall assume the defense of such action as provided above, the Company shall have the right to approve the terms of any settlement of such action which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Company shall not be liable for any settlement or compromise or consent to the entry of a judgment of any claim against any person to be indemnified hereunder if made without the Company’s prior written consent unless the Company is completely released from liability.

 

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5.2.            Indemnification of the Company.  Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, officers, and employees and agents and persons who control the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and its counsel, against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the foregoing indemnity from the Company to the several Underwriters, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or in any application, in reliance upon, and in strict conformity with, written information furnished to the Company with respect to such Underwriter by or on behalf of the Underwriter expressly for use in such Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto or in any such application, which furnished written information, it is expressly agreed, consists solely of the information described in clause (ii) of the last sentence of Section 2.3.1.  In case any action shall be brought against the Company or any other person so indemnified based on any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto or any application, and in respect of which indemnity may be sought against any Underwriter, such Underwriter shall have the rights and duties given to the Company, and the Company and each other person so indemnified shall have the rights and duties given to the several Underwriters by the provisions of Section 5.1.2.

 

5.3.            Contribution.

 

5.3.1.      Contribution Rights.  In order to provide for just and equitable contribution under the Act in any case in which (i) any person entitled to indemnification under this Section 5 makes claim for indemnification pursuant hereto but it is judicially determined (by the entry of a final judgment or decree by a court of competent jurisdiction and the expiration of time to appeal or the denial of the last right of appeal) that such indemnification may not be enforced in such case notwithstanding the fact that this Section 5 provides for indemnification in such case, or (ii) contribution under the Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise may be required on the part of any such person in circumstances for which indemnification is provided under this Section 5 but is unavailable, then, and in each such case, the Company and the Underwriters shall contribute to the aggregate losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses of the nature contemplated by said indemnity agreement incurred by the Company and the Underwriters, as incurred, in such proportions that the Underwriters are responsible for that portion represented by the percentage that the underwriting discount appearing on the cover page of the Prospectus bears to the initial offering price appearing thereon and the Company is responsible for the balance; provided, that, no person guilty of a fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.  Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 5.3.1, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Public Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay in respect of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses.  For purposes of this Section, each director, officer and employee of an Underwriter or the Company, as applicable, and each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter or the Company, as applicable, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Underwriters or the Company, as applicable.

 

5.3.2.      Contribution Procedure.  Within fifteen days after receipt by any party to this Agreement (or its representatives) of notice of the commencement of any action, suit or proceeding, such party will, if a claim for contribution in respect thereof is to be made against another party (“contributing party”), notify the contributing party of the commencement thereof, but the omission to so notify the contributing party will not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any other party other than for contribution hereunder unless the contributing party or any relevant defense is prejudiced thereby.  In case any such action, suit or proceeding is brought against any party, and such party notifies a contributing party or its representatives of the commencement thereof within the aforesaid fifteen days, the contributing party will be entitled to participate therein with the notifying party and any other contributing party similarly notified.  Any such contributing party shall not be liable to any party seeking contribution on account of any settlement of any claim, action or proceeding effected by such party seeking contribution on account of any settlement of any claim, action or proceeding effected by such party seeking contribution without the written consent of such contributing party.  The contribution provisions contained in this Section are intended to supersede, to the extent permitted by law, any right to contribution under the Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise available.  The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 5.3 are several and not joint.

 

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6.                  Default by an Underwriter.

 

6.1.            Default Not Exceeding 10% of Firm Units.  If any Underwriter or Underwriters shall default in its or their obligations to purchase the Firm Units and if the number of the Firm Units with respect to which such default relates does not exceed in the aggregate 10% of the number of Firm Units that all Underwriters have agreed to purchase hereunder, then such Firm Units to which the default relates shall be purchased by the non-defaulting Underwriters in proportion to their respective commitments hereunder.

 

6.2.            Default Exceeding 10% of Firm Units.  In the event that the default addressed in Section 6.1 above relates to more than 10% of the Firm Units, the Representative may, in its discretion, arrange for it or for another party or parties to purchase such Firm Units to which such default relates on the terms contained herein.  If within one (1) Business Day after such default relating to more than 10% of the Firm Units the Representative does not arrange for the purchase of such Firm Units, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of one (1) Business Day within which to procure another party or parties satisfactory to the Representative to purchase said Firm Units on such terms.  In the event that neither the Representative nor the Company arrange for the purchase of the Firm Units to which a default relates as provided in this Section 6, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representative or the Company without liability on the part of the Company (except as provided in Sections 3.11 and 5 hereof) or the several Underwriters (except as provided in Section 5 hereof); provided that nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter of its liability, if any, to the other several Underwriters and to the Company for damages occasioned by its default hereunder.

 

6.3.            Postponement of Closing Date.  In the event that the Firm Units to which the default relates are to be purchased by the non-defaulting Underwriters, or are to be purchased by another party or parties as aforesaid, the Representative or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date for a reasonable period, but not in any event exceeding five (5) Business Days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement and/or the Prospectus, as the case may be, or in any other documents and arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any amendment to, or to supplement, the Registration Statement and/or the Prospectus, as the case may be, that in the reasonable opinion of counsel for the Underwriters may thereby be made necessary. The term “Underwriter” as used in this Agreement shall include any party substituted under this Section 6 with like effect as if it had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such securities.

 

7.                  Additional Covenants.

 

7.1.            Additional Shares or Options.  Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Company hereby agrees that until the Company consummates a Business Combination, it shall not issue any Ordinary Shares or any options or other securities convertible into Ordinary Shares or any shares of preferred stock which participate in any manner in the Trust Account or which vote on a Business Combination.

 

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[l], 2017

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7.2.            Trust Account Waiver Acknowledgments. The Company hereby agrees that, prior to commencing its due diligence investigation of any Target Business or obtaining the services of any vendor, it will use its best efforts to have such Target Business or vendor acknowledge in writing, whether through a letter of intent, memorandum of understanding, agreement in principle or other similar document (and subsequently acknowledges the same in any definitive document replacing any of the foregoing), that (a) it has read the Prospectus, and understands that the Company has established the Trust Account, initially in an amount of $51,250,000 for the benefit of the Public Shareholders and that, except for the interest earned on the amounts held in the Trust Account, the Company may disburse monies from the Trust Account only: (i) to the Public Shareholders in the event of the conversion of their shares upon consummation of a Business Combination or amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association relating to pre-Business Combination activity, (ii) to the Public Shareholders in connection with the Company’s liquidation in the event the Company is unable to consummate a Business Combination within the required time period or (iii) to the Company concurrently with, or after it consummates a Business Combination, and (b) for and in consideration of the Company (1) agreeing to evaluate such Target Business for purposes of consummating a Business Combination with it or (2) agreeing to engage the services of the vendor, as the case may be, such Target Business or vendor agrees that it does not have any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies of the Trust Account (“Claim”) and waives any Claim it may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with the Company and will not seek recourse against the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever. The foregoing letters shall substantially be in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A and B, respectively.

 

7.3.            Insider Letters.  The Company shall not take any action or omit to take any action which would cause a breach of any of the Insider Letters executed or to be executed between each Company Affiliate and the Representative and will not allow any amendments to, or waivers of, such Insider Letters without the prior written consent of the Representative.

 

7.4.            Intentionally Omitted

 

7.5.            Rule 419. The Company agrees that it will use its best efforts to prevent the Company from becoming subject to Rule 419 under the Act prior to the consummation of any Business Combination, including, but not limited to, using its best efforts to prevent any of the Company’s outstanding securities from being deemed to be a “penny stock” as defined in Rule 3a-51-1 under the Exchange Act during such period.

 

7.6.            Presentation of Potential Target Businesses.  The Company shall cause each of the Sponsor and the directors and officers of the Company to agree that, in order to minimize potential conflicts of interest which may arise from multiple affiliations, the Sponsor and the directors and officers of the Company will present to the Company for its consideration, prior to presentation to any other person or company, any suitable opportunity to acquire an operating business, until the earlier of the consummation by the Company of a Business Combination or the liquidation of the Trust Account, subject to any pre-existing fiduciary obligations the Sponsor, directors or officers might have.

 

7.7.            Target Fair Market Value. The Company agrees that the Target Business that it acquires must have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance in the Trust Account (excluding any taxes and deferred underwriting commissions) at the time of signing the definitive agreement for the Business Combination with such Target Business. The fair market value of such business must be determined by the Board of Directors of the Company based upon standards generally accepted by the financial community, such as actual and potential sales, earnings, cash flow and book value. If the Board of Directors of the Company is not able to independently determine that the target business meets such fair market value requirement, the Company will obtain an opinion from an unaffiliated, independent investment banking firm, or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions on the type of Target Business the Company is seeking to acquire. The Company is not required to obtain such an opinion as to the fair market value if the Company’s Board of Directors independently determines that the Target Business does have sufficient fair market value.

 

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8.                  Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery.  Except as the context otherwise requires, all representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement shall be deemed to be representations, warranties and agreements at the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as applicable, and such representations, warranties and agreements of the Underwriters and Company, including the indemnity agreements contained in Section 5 hereof, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, the Company or any controlling person, and shall survive termination of this Agreement or the issuance and delivery of the Public Securities to the several Underwriters until the earlier of the expiration of any applicable statute of limitations and the seventh (7th) anniversary of the Closing Date, at which time the representations, warranties and agreements shall terminate and be of no further force and effect.

 

9.                  Effective Date of This Agreement and Termination Thereof.

 

9.1.            Effective Date.  This Agreement shall become effective on the Effective Date at the time the Registration Statement is declared effective by the Commission.

 

9.2.            Termination.  The Representative shall have the right to terminate this Agreement at any time prior to any Closing Date: (i) if any domestic or international event or act or occurrence has materially disrupted or, in the Representative’s sole opinion, will in the immediate future materially disrupt, general securities markets in the United States; or (ii) if trading on the NASDAQ shall have been suspended, or minimum or maximum prices for trading shall have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices for securities shall have been fixed, or (iii) if the United States shall have become involved in a war or an increase in existing major hostilities, or (iv) if a banking moratorium has been declared by a New York State or federal authority, or (v) if a moratorium on foreign exchange trading has been declared which materially adversely impacts the United States securities market, or (vi) if the Company shall have sustained a material loss by fire, flood, accident, hurricane, earthquake, theft, sabotage or other calamity or malicious act which, whether or not such loss shall have been insured, will, in the Representative’s sole opinion, make it inadvisable to proceed with the delivery of the Ordinary Shares, or (vii) if any of the Company’s representations, warranties or covenants hereunder are materially breached, or (viii) if the Representative shall have become aware after the date hereof of a Material Adverse Effect on the Company, or such adverse material change in general market conditions, including, without limitation, as a result of terrorist activities after the date hereof, as in the Representative’s sole judgment would make it impracticable to proceed with the offering, sale and/or delivery of the Ordinary Shares or to enforce contracts made by the Underwriters for the sale of the Ordinary Shares. The Company shall have the right to terminate this Agreement at any time prior to any Closing Date if the Underwriters have materially breached any of their representations, warranties or obligations hereunder.

 

9.3.            Expenses.  In the event that this Agreement shall not be carried out for any reason whatsoever, within the time specified herein or any extensions thereof pursuant to the terms herein, the obligations of the Company to pay the out of pocket expenses related to the transactions contemplated herein shall be governed by Section 3.11 hereof.

 

9.4.            Indemnification.  Notwithstanding any contrary provision contained in this Agreement, any election hereunder or any termination of this Agreement, and whether or not this Agreement is otherwise carried out, the provisions of Section 5 shall not be in any way effected by, such election or termination or failure to carry out the terms of this Agreement or any part hereof.

 

 

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10.              Miscellaneous.

 

10.1.        Notices.  All communications hereunder, except as herein otherwise specifically provided, shall be in writing and shall be mailed by certified mail (with return receipt), delivered by hand or reputable overnight courier, delivered by facsimile transmission (with printed confirmation of receipt) and confirmed, or by electronic transmission via PDF and shall be deemed given when so mailed, delivered, or faxed or transmitted (or if mailed, five days after such mailing):

 

If to the Representative:

 

EarlyBirdCapital, Inc.

366 Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10017
Fax No.: (212) 661-4936

Attn: Steven Levine

Email: slevine@ebcap.com

 

With a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:

 

Graubard Miller

405 Lexington Avenue

New York, New York 10174

Fax No.: (212) 818-8881

Attn: David Alan Miller, Esq.

Email: dmiller@graubard.com

 

 

If to the Company, to:

 

Bison Capital Acquisition Corp.

609-610 21st Century Tower

No. 40 Liangmaqiao Road

Chaoyang District, Beijing 100016, China

Fax No.: is +86 10 84446968, ext. 800

Attn: James Jiayuan Tong

Email: jamestong@bisoncapital.cn

 

With a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:

 

Watson Farley & Williams LLP

250 West 55th Street

New York, New York 10019

Fax No.: 212-922-1512

Attn: Steven Hollander, Esq.

Email: shollander@wfw.com

 

 

10.2.        Headings.  The headings contained herein are for the sole purpose of convenience of reference, and shall not in any way limit or affect the meaning or interpretation of any of the terms or provisions of this Agreement.

 

10.3.        Amendment.  This Agreement may only be amended by a written instrument executed by each of the parties hereto.

 

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10.4.        Entire Agreement.  This Agreement (together with the other agreements and documents being delivered pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement) constitute the entire agreement of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof, and supersede all prior agreements and understandings of the parties, oral and written, with respect to the subject matter hereof.

 

10.5.        Binding Effect.  This Agreement shall inure solely to the benefit of and shall be binding upon the Representative, the Underwriters, the Company and the controlling persons, directors and officers referred to in Section 5 hereof, and their respective successors, legal representatives and assigns, and no other person shall have or be construed to have any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of or by virtue of this Agreement or any provisions herein contained.

 

10.6.        Governing Law, Venue, etc.

 

10.6.1.  In connection with Section 5-1401 of the General Obligations Law of the State of New York, this Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York without regard to principles of conflicts of law that would result in the application of the substantive law of another jurisdiction. The parties hereto agree that any action, proceeding or claim arising out of or relating in any way to this Agreement shall be resolved through final and binding arbitration in accordance with the International Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”). The arbitration shall be brought before the AAA International Center for Dispute Resolution’s offices in New York City, New York, will be conducted in English and will be decided by a panel of three arbitrators selected from the AAA Commercial Disputes Panel and that the arbitrator panel’s decision shall be final and enforceable by any court having jurisdiction over the party from whom enforcement is sought. The cost of such arbitrators and arbitration services, together with the prevailing party’s legal fees and expenses, shall be borne by the non-prevailing party or as otherwise directed by the arbitrators. The Company hereby appoints, without power of revocation, CT Corporation System, 111 Eighth Avenue, New York, New York 10011, as its agent to accept and acknowledge on its behalf service of any and all process which may be served in any arbitration, action, proceeding or counterclaim in any way relating to or arising out of this Agreement. The Company further agrees to take any and all action as may be necessary to maintain such designation and appointment of such agent in full force and effect for a period of seven years from the date of the Effective Date.

 

10.6.2.  THE COMPANY (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, ON BEHALF OF ITS EQUITY HOLDERS AND CREDITORS) AND THE REPRESENTATIVE (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND ALL UNDERWRITERS) HEREBY WAIVE ANY RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY CLAIM BASED UPON, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT AND THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT, THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND THE PROSPECTUS.

 

10.6.3.  The Company agrees that the prevailing party(ies) in any such action shall be entitled to recover from the other party(ies) all of its reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses relating to such action or proceeding and/or incurred in connection with the preparation therefor.

 

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10.7.        Execution in Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, and by the different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement, and shall become effective when one or more counterparts has been signed by each of the parties hereto and delivered to each of the other parties hereto. Delivery of a signed counterpart of this Agreement by fax or email/.pdf transmission shall constitute valid and sufficient delivery thereof.

 

10.8.        Waiver, etc.  The failure of any of the parties hereto to at any time enforce any of the provisions of this Agreement shall not be deemed or construed to be a waiver of any such provision, nor to in any way affect the validity of this Agreement or any provision hereof or the right of any of the parties hereto to thereafter enforce each and every provision of this Agreement.  No waiver of any breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be effective unless set forth in a written instrument executed by the party or parties against whom or which enforcement of such waiver is sought; and no waiver of any such breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment shall be construed or deemed to be a waiver of any other or subsequent breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment.

 

10.9.        No Fiduciary Relationship. The Company hereby acknowledges that the Underwriters are acting solely as underwriters in connection with the offering of the Public Securities. The Company further acknowledges that the Underwriters are acting pursuant to a contractual relationship created solely by this Agreement entered into on an arm's length basis and in no event do the parties intend that the Underwriters act or be responsible as a fiduciary to the Company, its management, shareholders, creditors or any other person in connection with any activity that the Underwriters may undertake or have undertaken in furtherance of the offering of the Public Securities, either before or after the date hereof. The Underwriters hereby expressly disclaim any fiduciary or similar obligations to the Company, either in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any matters leading up to such transactions, and the Company hereby confirms its understanding and agreement to that effect. The Company and the Underwriters agree that they are each responsible for making their own independent judgments with respect to any such transactions, and that any opinions or views expressed by the Underwriters to the Company regarding such transactions, including but not limited to any opinions or views with respect to the price or market for the Public Securities, do not constitute advice or recommendations to the Company. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company may have against the Underwriters with respect to any breach or alleged breach of any fiduciary or similar duty to the Company in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any matters leading up to such transactions.

 

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding between the Underwriters and the Company, please so indicate in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this letter shall constitute a binding agreement between us.

 

Very Truly Yours,

 

BISON CAPITAL Acquisition Corp.

 

 

By: ________________________________________

Name:

Title:

 

Agreed to and accepted

as of the date first written above:

 

EARLYBIRDCAPITAL, INC., as Representative of the several Underwriters

 

 

By: ________________________________________

Name:

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement, dated [l], 2017]

 

 

SCHEDULE A

 

BISON CAPITAL Acquisition Corp.

 

5,000,000 Units

 

Underwriter  

Number of Firm Units

to be Purchased

EarlyBirdCapital, Inc.   [l]
[_____]   [l]
     
     
     
TOTAL   5,000,000

 

 

 

SCHEDULE B

 

Investor Presentation Dated May 2017
EXHIBIT A

 

 

Form of Target Business Letter

 

Bison Capital Acquisition Corp.
609-610 21st Century Tower

No. 40 Liangmaqiao Road

Chaoyang District, Beijing 100016, China

 

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Reference is made to the Final Prospectus of Bison Capital Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”), dated [l], 2017 (the “Prospectus”). Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Prospectus.

 

We have read the Prospectus and understand that the Company has established the Trust Account, initially in an amount of at least $51,250,000, for the benefit of the Public Shareholders and that, except for the interest earned on the amounts held in the Trust Account, the Company may disburse monies from the Trust Account only: (i) to the Public Shareholders in the event of the conversion of their shares upon consummation of a Business Combination or amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association relating to pre-Business Combination activity, (ii) to the Public Shareholders in connection with the Company’s liquidation in the event the Company is unable to consummate a Business Combination within the required time period or (iii) to the Company concurrently with, or after it consummates a Business Combination.

 

For and in consideration of the Company agreeing to evaluate the undersigned for purposes of consummating a Business Combination with it, the undersigned hereby agrees that it does not have any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the Trust Account (each, a “Claim”) and hereby waives any Claim it may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with the Company and will not seek recourse against the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever.

 

 

   
  Print Name of Target Business
   
   
   
  Authorized Signature of Target Business

 

 

 

EXHIBIT B

 

Form of Vendor Letter

 

Bison Capital Acquisition Corp.
609-610 21st Century Tower

No. 40 Liangmaqiao Road

Chaoyang District, Beijing 100016, China

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Reference is made to the Final Prospectus of Bison Capital Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”), dated [l], 2017 (the “Prospectus”). Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Prospectus.

 

We have read the Prospectus and understand that the Company has established the Trust Account, initially in an amount of at least $51,250,000, for the benefit of the Public Shareholders and that, except for the interest earned on the amounts held in the Trust Account, the Company may disburse monies from the Trust Account only: (i) to the Public Shareholders in the event of the conversion of their shares upon consummation of a Business Combination or amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association relating to pre-Business Combination activity, (ii) to the Public Shareholders in connection with the Company’s liquidation in the event the Company is unable to consummate a Business Combination within the required time period or (iii) to the Company concurrently with, or after it consummates a Business Combination.

 

For and in consideration of the Company agreeing to use the services of the undersigned, the undersigned hereby agrees that it does not have any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the Trust Account (each, a “Claim”) and hereby waives any Claim it may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any services provided to the Company and will not seek recourse against the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever.

 

 

   
  Print Name of Vendor
   
   
   
  Authorized Signature of Vendor

 

 

 

 

EX-1.2 3 fs12017ex1ii_bisoncapital.htm LETTER AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE REGISTRANT AND EARLYBIRDCAPITAL

Exhibit 1.2 

 

EARLYBIRDCAPITAL, INC.

366 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10017

 

 

 

________________, 2017

 

 

 

Bison Capital Acquisition Corp.

609-610 21st Century Tower

No. 40 Liangmaqiao Road

Chaoyang District, Beijing 100016, China

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

This is to confirm our agreement whereby Bison Capital Acquisition Corp., a British Virgin Islands company (“Company”), has requested EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. (the “Advisor”) to assist it in connection with the Company merging with, acquiring, engaging in a share exchange, share reconstruction and amalgamation, purchasing all or substantially all of the assets of, entering into contractual arrangements, or engaging in any other similar business combination (in each case, a “Business Combination”) with one or more businesses or entities (each a “Target”), as described in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-[l]) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Registration Statement”) in connection with its initial public offering (“IPO”).

1.                  Services and Fees.

(a)                The Advisor will:

(i)Hold meetings with Company stockholders to discuss the Business Combination and the Target’s attributes;
(ii)Introduce the Company to potential investors to purchase the Company’s securities;
(iii)Assist the Company in trying to obtain shareholder approval for the Business Combination or in minimizing the number of tenders in a tender offer, including assistance with the Company’s proxy statement or tender offer materials; and
(iv)Assist the Company with any press releases and filings related to the Business Combination or the Target.

(b)               As compensation for the foregoing services, the Company will pay the Advisor a cash fee equal to 3% of the gross proceeds of the IPO (“Fee”). The Fee is due and payable to the Advisor by wire transfer at the closing of the Business Combination (“Closing”). If a proposed Business Combination is not consummated for any reason, no Fee shall be due or payable to the Advisor hereunder. The Fee shall be exclusive of any finder’s fees which may become payable to the Advisor pursuant to any subsequent agreement between the Advisor and either of the Company or the Target.

 1 

 

 

(c)                Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Fee will be reduced by an amount equal to 2% of the dollar amount of purchases of the Company’s ordinary shares by investors introduced to the Company by its sponsor, officers, directors or their affiliates following announcement by the Company of a proposed initial Business Combination, where such investors hold the purchased ordinary shares through the vote on such Business Combination and do not seek conversion of their shares in connection with such proposed Business Combination; provided, however, that the Fee will not be reduced by more than $500,000.

2.                  Expenses.

At the Closing, the Company shall reimburse the Advisor for all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by the Advisor (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel) in connection with the performance of its services hereunder; provided, however, all expenses in excess of $5,000 in the aggregate shall be subject to the Company’s prior written approval, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.

3.                  Company Cooperation.

The Company will cooperate with the Advisor as may be necessary for the efficient performance by the Advisor of its obligations hereunder, including, but not limited to, providing to the Advisor and its counsel, on a timely basis, all documents and information regarding the Company and Target that the Advisor may reasonably request or that are otherwise relevant to the Advisor’s performance of its obligations hereunder (collectively, the “Information”); making the Company’s management, auditors, suppliers, customers, consultants and advisors available to the Advisor; and, using commercially reasonable efforts to provide the Advisor with reasonable access to the management, auditors, suppliers, customers, consultants and advisors of Target. The Company will promptly notify the Advisor of any change in facts or circumstances or new developments affecting the Company or Target or that might reasonably be considered material to the Advisor’s engagement hereunder.

4.                  Representations; Warranties and Covenants.

The Company represents, warrants and covenants to the Advisor that all Information it makes available to the Advisor by or on behalf of the Company in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading as of the date thereof and as of the consummation of the Business Combination.

 

 2 

 

 

 

5.                  Indemnity.

The Company shall indemnify the Advisor and its affiliates and directors, officers, employees, shareholders, representatives and agents in accordance with the indemnification provisions set forth in Annex I hereto, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Notwithstanding the foregoing and Annex 1, the Advisor agrees, if there is no Closing, (i) that it does not have any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the Company’s trust account (“Trust Account”) established in connection with the IPO; (ii) to waive any claim it may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any services provided to the Company hereunder; and (iii) the Advisor will not seek recourse against the Trust Account with respect to the Fee or its expenses hereunder.

6.                  Use of Name and Reports.

Without the Advisor’s prior written consent, neither the Company nor any of its affiliates (nor any director, officer, manager, partner, member, employee or agent thereof) shall quote or refer to (i) the Advisor’s name, (ii) any advice rendered by the Advisor to the Company, or (iii) any communication from the Advisor in connection with performance of its services hereunder, except as required by applicable federal or state law, regulation or securities exchange rule.

7.                  Status as Independent Contractor.

The Advisor shall perform its services as an independent contractor and not as an employee of the Company or affiliate thereof. It is expressly understood and agreed to by the parties that the Advisor shall have no authority to act for, represent or bind the Company or any affiliate thereof in any manner, except as may be expressly agreed to by the Company in writing. In rendering such services, the Advisor will be acting solely pursuant to a contractual relationship on an arm’s-length basis. This Agreement is not intended to create a fiduciary relationship between the parties and neither the Advisor nor any of the Advisor’s officers, directors or personnel will owe any fiduciary duty to the Company or any other person in connection with any of the matters contemplated by this Agreement.

8.                  Potential Conflicts.

The Company acknowledges that the Advisor is a full-service securities firm engaged in securities trading and brokerage activities and providing investment banking and advisory services from which conflicting interests may arise. In the ordinary course of business, the Advisor and its affiliates may at any time hold long or short positions, and may trade or otherwise effect transactions, for their own account or the accounts of customers, in debt or equity securities of the Company, its affiliates or other entities that may be involved in the transactions contemplated hereby. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to limit or restrict the Advisor or any of its affiliates in conducting such business, subject to applicable securities laws.

 3 

 

 

9.                  Entire Agreement.

This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, oral or written, with respect thereto. This Agreement may not be modified or terminated orally or in any manner other than by an agreement in writing signed by the parties hereto.

10.              Notices.

Any notices required or permitted to be given hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given when mailed by certified mail or private courier service, return receipt requested, addressed to each party at its respective addresses set forth above, or such other address as may be given by a party in a notice given pursuant to this Section.

11.              Successors and Assigns.

This Agreement may not be assigned by either party without the written consent of the other. This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and, except where prohibited, to their successors and assigns.

12.              Non-Exclusivity.

Nothing herein shall be deemed to restrict or prohibit the engagement by the Company of other consultants providing the same or similar services or the payment by the Company of fees to such parties. The Company’s engagement of any other consultant(s) shall not affect the Advisor’s right to receive the Fee and reimbursement of expenses pursuant to this Agreement.

13.              Applicable Law; Venue.

This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without giving effect to conflict of laws.

In the event of any dispute under this Agreement, then and in such event, each party hereto agrees that the dispute shall either be (i) resolved through final and binding arbitration in accordance with the International Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) or (ii) brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York, County of New York under the accelerated adjudication procedures of the Commercial Division, or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, in each event at the discretion of the party initiating the dispute. Once a party files a dispute (if arbitration, by sending JAMS a Demand for Arbitration) with one of the above forums, the parties agree that all issues regarding such dispute or this Agreement must be resolved before such forum rather than seeking to resolve it through another alternative forum set forth above.

In the event the dispute is brought before the AAA, the arbitration shall be brought before the AAA International Center for Dispute Resolution’s offices in New York City, New York, will be conducted in English and will be decided by a panel of three arbitrators selected from the AAA Commercial Disputes Panel. Each of the parties agrees that the decision and/or award made by the arbitrators shall be final and enforceable by any court having jurisdiction over the party from whom enforcement is sought. Furthermore, the parties to any such arbitration shall be entitled to make one motion for summary judgment within 60 days of the commencement of the arbitration, which shall be decided by the arbitrators prior to the commencement of the hearings.

In the event the dispute is brought by a party in the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, each party irrevocably submits to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be exclusive. Each party hereby waives any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum. Any such process or summons to be served upon a party may be served by transmitting a copy thereof by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such party at the address set forth at the beginning of this Agreement. Such mailing shall be deemed personal service and shall be legal and binding upon the party being served in any action, proceeding or claim. The parties agree that the prevailing party(ies) in any such action shall be entitled to recover from the other party(ies) all of its reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses relating to such action or proceeding and/or incurred in connection with the preparation therefor.

 4 

 

 

The Company hereby appoints, without power of revocation, CT Corporation System, 111 Eighth Avenue, New York, New York 10011, as its agent to accept and acknowledge on its behalf service of any and all process which may be served in any arbitration, action, proceeding or counterclaim in any way relating to or arising out of this Agreement. The Company further agrees to take any and all action as may be necessary to maintain such designation and appointment of such agent in full force and effect for a period of seven years from the date of this Agreement.

14.           Counterparts.

 

This Agreement may be executed in several original or facsimile counterparts, each one of which shall constitute an original, and together shall constitute but one instrument.

 

[Signature page follows]

 

 

 5 

 

 

If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding between the by Advisor and the Company with respect to the foregoing, please so indicate your agreement by signing in the place provided below, at which time this letter shall become a binding contract.

  EARLYBIRDCAPITAL, INC.
   
  By: 
 

Name:

Title:


 

 

AGREED AND ACCEPTED BY:

 

BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP.

 

 

 

By:

Name:

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Signature Page to Business Combination Marketing Agreement)

 

 6 

 

 

ANNEX I

Indemnification

In connection with the Company's engagement of EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. (the “Advisor”) pursuant to that certain letter agreement (“Agreement”) of which this Annex forms a part, Bison Capital Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) hereby agrees, subject to the second paragraph of Section 5 of the Agreement, to indemnify and hold harmless the Advisor and its affiliates and its respective directors, officers, shareholders, agents and employees of any of the foregoing (collectively the “Indemnified Persons”), from and against any and all claims, actions, suits, proceedings (including those of shareholders), damages, liabilities and reasonable expenses incurred by any of them (including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel), as incurred, (collectively a “Claim”), that (A) are related to or arise out of (i) any actions taken or omitted to be taken (including any untrue statements made or any statements omitted to be made) by the Company relating to the Company’s engagement of the Advisor under this Agreement, or (ii) any actions taken or omitted to be taken by any Indemnified Person in connection with the Company’s engagement of the Advisor, or (B) otherwise related to or arise out of the Advisor's activities on the Company's behalf under the Advisor's engagement, and the Company shall reimburse any Indemnified Person for all expenses (including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel) as incurred by such Indemnified Person in connection with investigating, preparing or defending any such claim, action, suit or proceeding, whether or not in connection with pending or threatened litigation in which any Indemnified Person is a party. The Company will not, however, be responsible for any Claim that is finally judicially determined to have resulted from the breach of the Agreement, fraud, bad faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct of any Indemnified Person. The Company further agrees that no Indemnified Person shall have any liability to the Company for or in connection with the Company's engagement of the Advisor except for any Claim incurred by the Company as a result of such Indemnified Person's breach of the Agreement, fraud, bad faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct.

The Company further agrees that it will not, without the prior written consent of the Advisor, settle, compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened Claim in respect of which indemnification may be sought hereunder (whether or not any Indemnified Person is an actual or potential party to such Claim), unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional, irrevocable release of each Indemnified Person from any and all liability arising out of such Claim. The Company shall not be liable for any settlement or compromise or consent to the entry of a judgment of any claim against any Indemnified Person if made without the Company’s prior written consent. No Indemnified Person seeking indemnification, reimbursement or contribution under this Annex will, without the Company’s prior written consent, settle, compromise, consent to the entry of any judgment in or otherwise seek to terminate any action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding referred to in the preceding paragraph unless such Indemnified Person releases the Company from all liability.

Promptly upon receipt by an Indemnified Person of notice of any complaint or the assertion or institution of any Claim with respect to which indemnification is being sought hereunder, such Indemnified Person shall notify the Company in writing of such complaint or of such assertion or institution but failure to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company from any obligation it may have hereunder, except if the Company or any relevant defense is prejudiced thereby. If the Company so elects or is requested by such Indemnified Person, the Company will assume the defense of such Claim, including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person and the payment of the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel. Upon receipt of notice from the Company to such Indemnified Person of the Company’s election so to assume the defense of the relevant proceeding, the Company will not be liable to such Indemnified Person for expenses incurred by any Indemnified Person in connection with the defense thereof. In the event, however, that legal counsel to such Indemnified Person reasonably determines that having common counsel would present such counsel with a conflict of interest or if the defendant in, or target of, any such Claim, includes an Indemnified Person and the Company, and legal counsel to such Indemnified Person reasonably concludes that there may be legal defenses available to it or other Indemnified Persons different from or in addition to those available to the Company that cannot be made, then such Indemnified Person may employ its own separate counsel to represent or defend him, her or it in any such Claim and the Company shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel, provided that the Company shall be required to pay only one separate counsel for all Indemnified Persons. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if the Company fails timely or diligently to defend, contest, or otherwise protect, without reasonable cause, that results in failure against such Claim, the relevant Indemnified Party shall have the right, but not the obligation, to defend, contest, compromise, settle, assert crossclaims, or counterclaims or otherwise protect against the same, and shall be fully indemnified by the Company therefor, including without limitation, for the reasonable fees and expenses of its counsel and the reasonable amounts paid as a result of such Claim or the compromise or settlement thereof.

In addition, with respect to any Claim in which the Company assumes the defense, the Indemnified Person shall have the right to participate in such Claim and to retain his, her or its own counsel therefor at his, her or its own expense. Any counsel of the Indemnified Persons shall, to the extent consistent with its professional responsibilities, cooperate with the Company and any counsel designated by the Company, as applicable. The Indemnified Persons shall cooperate with the Company in any defense.

 7 

 

 

The Company agrees that if any indemnity sought by an Indemnified Person hereunder is held by a court to be unavailable for any reason then (whether or not the Advisor is an Indemnified Person), the Company and the Advisor shall contribute to the Claim for which such indemnity is held unavailable in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits to the Company, on the one hand, and the Advisor on the other, in connection with the Advisor's engagement referred to above, subject to the limitation that in no event shall the amount of the Advisor's contribution to such Claim exceed the amount of fees actually received by the Advisor from the Company pursuant to the Advisor's engagement. The Company hereby agrees that the relative benefits to the Company, on the one hand, and the Advisor on the other, with respect to the Advisor's engagement shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as (a) the total value paid or proposed to be paid or received by the Company or its shareholders as the case may be, pursuant to the transaction (whether or not consummated) for which the Advisor is engaged to render services bears to (b) the fee paid or proposed to be paid to the Advisor in connection with such engagement.

The Company's indemnity, reimbursement and contribution obligations under this Agreement (a) shall be in addition to, and shall in no way limit or otherwise adversely affect any rights that any Indemnified Party may have at law or at equity and (b) shall be effective whether or not the Company is at fault in any way.

 

 8 

EX-4.1 4 fs12017ex4i_bisoncapital.htm SPECIMEN UNIT CERTIFICATE

Exhibit 4.1

 

NUMBER

U-__________

 

  UNITS
SEE REVERSE FOR
CERTAIN
DEFINITIONS
BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP.  
    CUSIP [●]
     

UNITS CONSISTING OF ONE ORDINARY SHARE, ONE RIGHT AND ONE-HALF OF ONE WARRANT

 

THIS CERTIFIES THAT_______________________________________

 

is the owner of _______________________________________ Units.

 

Each Unit (“Unit”) consists of one (1) ordinary share, no par value per share, of BISON CAPITAL ACQUISTION CORP., a British Virgin Islands company (the “Company”), one (1) right (the “Right”) and one-half (1/2) of one warrant (the “Warrants”). Each holder of a Right is entitled to receive one tenth (1/10) of a share upon the Company’s completion of an initial merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, contractual arrangement, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities (a “Business Combination”). Each whole Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one ordinary share for $11.50 per whole share (subject to adjustment) and may only be exercised for a whole number of ordinary shares. Each Warrant will become exercisable commencing on the Company’s completion of a Business Combination and will expire unless exercised before 5:00 p.m., New York City Time, five years after the completion by Company of an initial Business Combination, or earlier upon redemption (the “Expiration Date”). The ordinary share, Rights and Warrants comprising the Units represented by this certificate are not transferable separately prior to the ninetieth (90th) day after the date of the prospectus relating to the Company’s initial public offering, unless EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. (“EBC”) determines that an earlier date is acceptable, but in no event will the ordinary shares, Rights and Warrants be traded separately until the Company files with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a current report on Form 8-K which includes an audited balance sheet reflecting the receipt by the Company of the gross proceeds from its initial public offering including the proceeds received by the Company from the exercise of the over-allotment option thereto, if the over-allotment option is exercised. If EBC allows separate trading of the ordinary shares, Rights and Warrants prior to the 90th day after the date of the prospectus relating to the Company’s initial public offering, the Company will issue a press release and file a Current Report on Form 8-K with the SEC announcing when such separate trading shall begin. The terms of the Rights are set forth in the prospectus as well as a Rights Agreement, dated as of _______, 2017 between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, and are subject to the terms and provisions contained therein, all of which terms and provisions the holder of this certificate consents to by acceptance hereof. The terms of the Warrants are governed by a Warrant Agreement, dated as of _______, 2017, between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as Warrant Agent, and are subject to the terms and provisions contained therein, all of which terms and provisions the holder of this certificate consents to by acceptance hereof. Copies of the Rights Agreement and the Warrant Agreement are on file at the office of the Warrant Agent at 1 State Street, New York, New York 10004, and are available to any Right holder or Warrant holder, respectively, on written request and without cost.

 

This certificate is not valid unless countersigned by the Transfer Agent and Registrar of the Company.

 

Witness the facsimile seal of the Company and the facsimile signatures of its duly authorized officers.

 

By      
    SEAL  
  Chairman 2017 Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

 

BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP.

 

The Company will furnish without charge to each shareholder who so requests, a statement of the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof of the Company and the qualifications, limitations, or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights.

 

The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this certificate, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations:

 

TEN COM – as tenants in common   UNIF GIFT MIN ACT - _____ Custodian ______
TEN ENT – as tenants by the entireties   (Cust)                 (Minor)
JT TEN – as joint tenants with right of
survivorship
and not as tenants in common
 

under Uniform Gifts to Minors
and not as tenants in common Act ______________

    (State)

 

Additional Abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.

 

For value received, ___________________________ hereby sell, assign and transfer unto

 

PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER

IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE

 

 

 

 

(PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING ZIP CODE, OF ASSIGNEE)
 
 
 

 

Units represented by the within Certificate, and do hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint___________________________________________________________________________ Attorney to transfer the said Units on the books of the within named Company will full power of substitution in the premises.

 

Dated    
     
    Notice:      The signature to this assignment must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatever.

 

Signature(s) Guaranteed:

 
THE SIGNATURE(S) SHOULD BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM, PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15).

 

The holder of this certificate shall be entitled to receive funds from the trust fund only in the event of the Company’s liquidation upon failure to consummate a business combination or if the holder seeks to redeem his shares upon consummation of such business combination or in connection with certain amendments to the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association. In no other circumstances shall the holder have any right or interest of any kind in or to the trust fund.

 

 

 

 

EX-4.3 5 fs12017ex4iii_bisoncapital.htm SPECIMEN WARRANT CERTIFICATE

Exhibit 4.3

 

__________ NUMBER WARRANTS

 

(SEE REVERSE SIDE FOR LEGEND)

THIS WARRANT WILL BE VOID IF NOT

EXERCISED PRIOR TO THE EXPIRATION

DATE (DEFINED BELOW)

 

THIS CERTIFIES THAT, for value received

 

is the registered holder of a warrant or warrants (the “Warrant”), expiring at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the five year anniversary of the completion by Bison Capital Acquisition Corp., a British Virgin Islands company (the “Company”), of an initial merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization, contractual arrangements, or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities (a “Business Combination”), or earlier upon the redemption, to purchase one half (1/2) of one fully paid and non-assessable ordinary share, no par value (“Shares”), of the Company for each Warrant evidenced by this Warrant Certificate.  The Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase from the Company, commencing on the Company’s completion of a Business Combination, such whole number of Shares one Share of the Company at the price of $11.50 per whole share (subject to adjustments), upon surrender of this Warrant Certificate and payment of the Warrant Price at the office or agency of the warrant agent, Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the “Warrant Agent”), but only subject to the conditions set forth herein and in a warrant agreement between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the “Warrant Agreement”).  In no event will the Company be required to net cash settle any warrant exercise. The Warrant Agreement provides that upon the occurrence of certain events the Warrant Price and the number of Shares purchasable hereunder, set forth on the face hereof, may, subject to certain conditions, be adjusted.  The term Warrant Price as used in this Warrant Certificate refers to the price per Share at which Shares may be purchased at the time the Warrant is exercised.

 

No fraction of a Share will be issued upon any exercise of a Warrant.  A Warrant holder may exercise its Warrants only for a whole number of shares.  This means that only an even number of warrants may be exercised at any given time by a warrantholder.

 

Upon any exercise of the Warrant for less than the total number of full Shares provided for herein, there shall be issued to the registered holder hereof or the registered holder’s assignee a new Warrant Certificate covering the number of Shares for which the Warrant has not been exercised.

 

Warrant Certificates, when surrendered at the office or agency of the Warrant Agent by the registered holder hereof in person or by attorney duly authorized in writing, may be exchanged in the manner and subject to the limitations provided in the Warrant Agreement, but without payment of any service charge, for another Warrant Certificate or Warrant Certificates of like tenor and evidencing in the aggregate a like number of Warrants.

 

Upon due presentment for registration of transfer of the Warrant Certificate at the office or agency of the Warrant Agent, a new Warrant Certificate or Warrant Certificates of like tenor and evidencing in the aggregate a like number of Warrants shall be issued to the transferee in exchange for this Warrant Certificate, subject to the limitations provided in the Warrant Agreement, without charge except for any applicable tax or other governmental charge.

 

The Company and the Warrant Agent may deem and treat the registered holder as the absolute owner of this Warrant Certificate (notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing hereon made by anyone), for the purpose of any exercise hereof, of any distribution to the registered holder, and for all other purposes, and neither the Company nor the Warrant Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.

 

This Warrant does not entitle the registered holder to any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company.

 

The Company reserves the right to call the Warrant at any time prior to its exercise with a notice of call in writing to the holders of record of the Warrant, giving at least 30 days’ notice of such call, at any time while the Warrant is exercisable, if the last sale price of the Shares has been at least $24.00 per share on each of 20 trading days within any 30 trading day period (the “30-day trading period”) ending on the third business day prior to the date on which notice of such call is given and if, and only if, there is a current registration statement in effect with respect to the Shares underlying the Warrants for each day of the 30-day trading period and continuing each day thereafter until the date of redemption.  The call price of the Warrants is to be $.01 per Warrant.  Any Warrant either not exercised or tendered back to the Company by the end of the date specified in the notice of call shall be canceled on the books of the Company and have no further value except for the $.01 call price.

 

 

 

By:    
Chairman   Chief Executive Officer

 

 1 

 

 

SUBSCRIPTION FORM

 

To Be Executed by the Registered Holder in Order to Exercise Warrants

 

The undersigned Registered Holder irrevocably elects to exercise ______________ Warrants represented by this Warrant Certificate, and to purchase the ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of such Warrants, and requests that Certificates for such shares shall be issued in the name of

 

 

(PLEASE TYPE OR PRINT NAME AND ADDRESS)
 
 

 (SOCIAL SECURITY OR TAX IDENTIFICATION NUMBER)

 

and be delivered to                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

(PLEASE PRINT OR TYPE NAME AND ADDRESS)

 

and, if such number of Warrants shall not be all the Warrants evidenced by this Warrant Certificate, that a new Warrant Certificate for the balance of such Warrants be registered in the name of, and delivered to, the Registered Holder at the address stated below:

 

Dated:      
      (SIGNATURE)
       
      (ADDRESS)
       
       
      (TAX IDENTIFICATION NUMBER)

  

 2 

 

 

ASSIGNMENT

 

To Be Executed by the Registered Holder in Order to Assign Warrants

 

For Value Received, _______________________ hereby sell, assign, and transfer unto

 

(PLEASE TYPE OR PRINT NAME AND ADDRESS)
 
 

(SOCIAL SECURITY OR TAX IDENTIFICATION NUMBER)

 

and be delivered to                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

(PLEASE PRINT OR TYPE NAME AND ADDRESS)

 

______________________ of the Warrants represented by this Warrant Certificate, and hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint _________________________________ Attorney to transfer this Warrant Certificate on the books of the Company, with full power of substitution in the premises.

 

Dated      
      (SIGNATURE)

 

The signature to the assignment of the Subscription Form must correspond to the name written upon the face of this Warrant Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever, and must be guaranteed by a commercial bank or trust company [or a member firm of the NYSE Amex, New York Stock Exchange, Pacific Stock Exchange or Chicago Stock Exchange].

 

 

3

 

EX-4.4 6 fs12017ex4iv_bisoncapital.htm SPECIMEN RIGHT CERTIFICATE

Exhibit 4.4

 

NUMBER   RIGHTS
______R    

 

BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP.

 

A BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS COMPANY

 

RIGHT

 

        SEE REVERSE FOR
        CERTAIN DEFINITIONS

 

CUSIP [                  ]

 

THIS CERTIFIES THAT, for value received

 

is the registered holder of a right or rights (the “Right”) to receive one-tenth of one ordinary share, no par value per share (“Ordinary Share”), of Bison Capital Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) for each Right evidenced by this Rights Certificate on the Company’s completion of an initial business combination (as defined in the prospectus relating to the Company’s initial public offering (“Prospectus”)) upon surrender of this Rights Certificate pursuant to the Rights Agreement between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company. In no event will the Company be required to net cash settle any Right or issue a fractional Ordinary Share.

 

Upon liquidation of the Company in the event an initial business combination is not consummated during the required period as identified in the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, the Right shall expire and be worthless. The holder of a Right shall have no right or interest of any kind in the Company’s trust account (as defined in the Prospectus).

 

Upon due presentment for registration of transfer of the Right Certificate at the office or agency of Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the Right Agent, a new Right Certificate or Right Certificates of like tenor and evidencing in the aggregate a like number of Rights shall be issued to the transferee in exchange for this Right Certificate, without charge except for any applicable tax or other governmental charge. The Company shall not issue fractional shares upon exchange of Rights. The Company reserves the right to deal with any fractional entitlement at the relevant time in any manner (as provided in the Rights Agreement).

 

The Company and the Right Agent may deem and treat the registered holder as the absolute owner of this Right Certificate (notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing hereon made by anyone), for the purpose of any conversion hereof, of any distribution to the registered holder, and for all other purposes, and neither the Company nor the Right Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.

 

This Right does not entitle the registered holder to any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company.

 

Dated:    
     
  SEAL  
CHAIRMAN 2017 CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

 

 

 

 

The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this certificate, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations: 

 

TEN COM – as tenants in common UNIF GIFT MIN ACT - _____ Custodian ______
TEN ENT – as tenants by the entireties   (Cust)                    (Minor)
JT TEN – as joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common  

under Uniform Gifts to Minors Act ______________

(State)

 

Additional Abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.

 

BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP.

 

The Company will furnish without charge to each securityholder who so requests the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof of the Company and the qualifications, limitations, or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights. This certificate and the rights represented thereby are issued and shall be held subject to all the provisions of the Memorandum and Articles of Association and all amendments thereto and resolutions of the Board of Directors providing for the issue of Preferred Shares (copies of which may be obtained from the secretary of the Company), to all of which the holder of this certificate by acceptance hereof assents.

 

For value received, ___________________________ hereby sell, assign and transfer unto

 

PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER

       IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE

 

 

 

 
 
(PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING ZIP CODE, OF ASSIGNEE) 

 

 

 rights represented by the within Certificate, and do hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint

 

___________________________________________________________________________________ Attorney to transfer the said rights on the books of the within named Company will full power of substitution in the premises.

 

Dated    
     
    Notice: The signature to this assignment must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatever.
Signature(s) Guaranteed:
 
 
THE SIGNATURE(S) SHOULD BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM, PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15).

 

 

 

EX-4.5 7 fs12017ex4v_bisoncapital.htm FORM OF WARRANT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY AND THE REGISTRANT

Exhibit 4.5

 

WARRANT AGREEMENT

 

Agreement made as of [______], 2017 between Bison Capital Acquisition Corp., a British Virgin Islands company, with offices at 609-610 21st Century Tower, No. 40 Liangmaqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China 100016 (the “Company”), and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York corporation, with offices at 17 Battery Place, New York, New York 10004 ( the “Warrant Agent”).

 

WHEREAS, the Company has received a binding commitments (the “Subscription Agreements”) from Bison Capital Holding Company Limited (“Bison Capital”) and from EarlyBird Capital, Inc. (“EBC”) whereby they and/or their designees will purchase up to an aggregate of 375,000 units (up to 416,250 units if the over-allotment option is exercised), each unit (collectively, the “Private Units”) comprised of one ordinary share of the Company, no par value (the “Ordinary Share”), one right to receive one tenth of one Ordinary Share and one-half of one warrant each whole Warrant to purchase one Ordinary Share at $11.50 per whole share, subject to adjustment as described herein, and in connection therewith, the Company will issue and deliver up to an aggregate of 187,500 warrants (up to 208,125 warrants if the over-allotment option is exercised) (the “Private Warrants”), upon consummation of such private placement (the “Private Offering”); and

 

WHEREAS, the Company is engaged in a public offering (the “Public Offering”) of units (the “Public Units”, together with Private Units, the “Units”) and, in connection therewith, will issue and deliver (i) up to 2,500,000 warrants (or 2,875,000 warrants assuming the over-allotment option is exercised in full) (the “Public Warrants”) to the public investors and (ii) 75,000 warrants (underlying unit purchase options) to EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. (“EBC”) or its designees (“EBC Warrants” and, together with the Public Warrants and Private Warrants, the “Warrants”); and

 

WHEREAS, the Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a Registration Statement, on Form S-1, No. 333-[             ] (the “Registration Statement”), for the registration, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) of, among other securities, the Public Warrants; and

 

WHEREAS, the Company desires the Warrant Agent to act on behalf of the Company, and the Warrant Agent is willing to so act, in connection with the issuance, registration, transfer, exchange, redemption and exercise of the Warrants; and

 

WHEREAS, the Company desires to provide for the form and provisions of the Warrants, the terms upon which they shall be issued and exercised, and the respective rights, limitation of rights, and immunities of the Company, the Warrant Agent, and the holders of the Warrants; and

 

WHEREAS, all acts and things have been done and performed which are necessary to make the Warrants, when executed on behalf of the Company and countersigned by or on behalf of the Warrant Agent, as provided herein, the valid, binding and legal obligations of the Company, and to authorize the execution and delivery of this Agreement.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements herein contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1.            Appointment of Warrant Agent. The Company hereby appoints the Warrant Agent to act as agent for the Company for the Warrants, and the Warrant Agent hereby accepts such appointment and agrees to perform the same in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.

 

2.            Warrants.

 

2.1.         Form of Warrant. Each Warrant shall be issued in registered form only, shall be in substantially the form of Exhibit A hereto, the provisions of which are incorporated herein and shall be signed by the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and shall bear a facsimile of the Company’s seal. In the event the person whose facsimile signature has been placed upon any Warrant shall have ceased to serve in the capacity in which such person signed the Warrant before such Warrant is issued, it may be issued with the same effect as if he or she had not ceased to be such at the date of issuance.

 

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2.2.         Effect of Countersignature. Unless and until countersigned by the Warrant Agent pursuant to this Agreement, a Warrant shall be invalid and of no effect and may not be exercised by the holder thereof.

 

2.3.         Registration.

 

2.3.1.         Warrant Register. The Warrant Agent shall maintain books (the “Warrant Register”) for the registration of original issuance and the registration of transfer of the Warrants. Upon the initial issuance of the Warrants, the Warrant Agent shall issue and register the Warrants in the names of the respective holders thereof in such denominations and otherwise in accordance with instructions delivered to the Warrant Agent by the Company.

 

2.3.2.         Registered Holder. Prior to due presentment for registration of transfer of any Warrant, the Company and the Warrant Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name such Warrant shall be registered upon the Warrant Register (the “Registered Holder”) as the absolute owner of such Warrant and of each Warrant represented thereby (notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing on the warrant certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Warrant Agent), for the purpose of any exercise thereof, and for all other purposes, and neither the Company nor the Warrant Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.

 

2.4.         Detachability of Public Warrants. The securities comprising the Public Units will not be separately transferable until the ninetieth (90th) day after the date of the Registration Statement unless EBC informs the Company of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, but in no event will separate trading of the securities comprising the Public Units begin until (i) the Company files a current report on Form 8-K which includes an audited balance sheet reflecting the receipt by the Company of the gross proceeds of the Public Offering including the proceeds received by the Company from the exercise of the over-allotment option, if the over-allotment option is exercised on the date hereof, and (ii) if EBC allows separate trading prior to the 90th day after the date of the Registration Statement, the Company issues a press release and files a current report on Form 8-K announcing when such separate trading shall begin. 

 

2.5.         Warrant Attributes.

 

2.5.1.         Private Warrants. The Private Warrants will be issued in the same form as the Public Warrants but they (i) will be exercisable either for cash or on a cashless basis at the holder’s option pursuant to Section 3.3.1(c), and (ii) will not be redeemable by the Company, in either case as long as such warrants are held by the initial purchasers or their affiliates and permitted transferees (as provided below). The provisions of this Section 2.5.1 may not be modified, amended or deleted without the prior written consent of EBC. Prior to the date immediately following the consummation by the Company of a Business Combination (as defined below), the Private Warrants held by Bison Capital or EBC may only be transferred by the holders thereof: 

 

(a)             to any persons (including their affiliates and shareholders) participating in the Private Offering, officer, director, security holder, employee, member or affiliate of Bison Capital,

 

(b)             to the Company’s officers, directors and employees,

 

(c)             as a distribution to partners, shareholders of Bison Capital or EBC upon the liquidation and dissolution of Bison Capital or EBC, as the case may be, 

 

(d)             by bona fide gift to such person’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of such person’s immediate family for estate planning purposes,

 

(e)             by virtue of the laws of descent and distribution upon death of such person,

 

(f)              pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order,

 

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(g)             by certain pledges to secure obligations incurred in connection with purchases of the Company’s securities,

 

(h)             by private sales made at or prior to the consummation of a Business Combination at prices no greater than the price at which the Private Warrants were originally purchased, or

 

(i)               in the event that, subsequent to the consummation of the Company’s Business Combination, the Company consummates a merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of the holders of the Company’s equity securities issued in the Public Offering having the right to exchange their Ordinary Shares for cash, securities or other property.

 

2.5.2.         EBC Warrants. The EBC Warrants shall have the same terms and be in the same form as the Public Warrants.

 

3.            Terms and Exercise of Warrants.

 

3.1.         Warrant Price. Each Warrant shall, when countersigned by the Warrant Agent, entitle the Registered Holder thereof, subject to the provisions of such Warrant and of this Warrant Agreement, to purchase from the Company the number of Ordinary Shares stated therein, at the price of $11.50 per share, subject to the adjustments provided in Section 4 hereof and in the last sentence of this Section 3.1. The term “Warrant Price” as used in this Warrant Agreement refers to the price per share at which Ordinary Shares may be purchased at the time a Warrant is exercised. The Company in its sole discretion may lower the Warrant Price at any time prior to the Expiration Date (as defined in Section 3.2 below) for a period of not less than 20 business days; provided, however, that the Company shall provide at least 10 business days prior written notice of such reduction to Registered Holders of the Warrants; provided, further, however, that any such reduction shall be applied consistently to all of the Warrants.

 

3.2.         Duration of Warrants. A Warrant may be exercised only during the period (the “Exercise Period”) commencing on the consummation by the Company of a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, contractual arrangement, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities (the “Business Combination”) (as described more fully in the Registration Statement), and terminating at 5:00 p.m., New York City time on the earlier to occur of (1) five years from the consummation of a Business Combination, (2) the liquidation of the Company, and (3) the Redemption Date as provided in Section 6.2 of this Agreement (the “Expiration Date”); provided, however, that the exercise of any Warrant shall be subject to the satisfaction of any applicable conditions, as set forth in Section 7.4 below. Except with respect to the right to receive the Redemption Price (as set forth in Section 6 hereunder), each Warrant not exercised on or before the Expiration Date shall become void, and all rights thereunder and all rights in respect thereof under this Agreement shall cease at the close of business on the Expiration Date. The Company in its sole discretion may extend the duration of the Warrants by delaying the Expiration Date; provided, however, that the Company will provide written notice to Registered Holders of the Warrants of such extension of not less than 20 days prior to such extension.

 

3.3.         Exercise of Warrants.

 

3.3.1.         Payment. Subject to the provisions of the Warrant and this Warrant Agreement, a Warrant, when countersigned by the Warrant Agent, may be exercised by the Registered Holder thereof by surrendering it, at the office of the Warrant Agent, or at the office of its successor as Warrant Agent, in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York, with the subscription form, as set forth in the Warrant, duly executed, and by paying in full the Warrant Price for each full Ordinary Share as to which the Warrant is exercised and any and all applicable taxes due in connection with the exercise of the Warrant, as follows:

 

(a)              in lawful money of the United States, in good certified check or good bank draft payable to the order of the Warrant Agent;

 

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(b)             in the event of redemption pursuant to Section 6 hereof in which the Company’s management has elected to require all holders of Warrants to exercise such Warrants on a “cashless basis,” by surrendering the Warrants for that number of Ordinary Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Ordinary Shares underlying the Warrants, multiplied by the difference between the Warrant Price and “Fair Market Value A” (defined below) by (y) Fair Market Value A, provided, however, that no cashless exercise shall be permitted unless Fair Market Value A is higher than the exercise price. “Fair Market Value A” shall mean the average reported last sale price of the Ordinary Shares for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to holders of Warrant pursuant to Section 6 hereof; or

 

(c)              with respect to any Private Warrants, so long as such Private Warrants are held by the initial purchasers or their affiliates and permitted transferees (as prescribed in Section 5.6 hereof), by surrendering such Private Warrants for that number of Ordinary Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Ordinary Shares underlying the Warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the Warrants and “Fair Market Value B” (defined below) by (y) Fair Market Value B; provided, however, that no cashless exercise shall be permitted unless Fair Market Value B is higher than the exercise price. “Fair Market Value B” shall mean the average reported last sale price of the Ordinary Shares for the 10 trading days ending on the day prior to the Company’s receipt of the applicable exercise notice; or

 

(d)             in the event the post-effective amendment or registration statement required by Section 7.4 hereof is not effective and current, then during the period beginning on the 120th day after the closing of the Business Combination and ending upon the effectiveness of such post-effective amendment or registration statement, and during any other period after such date of effectiveness when the Company shall fail to have maintained an effective registration statement covering the Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants, by surrendering such Warrants for that number of Ordinary Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Ordinary Shares underlying the Warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the Warrants and “Fair Market Value C” (defined below) by (y) Fair Market Value C; provided, however, that no cashless exercise shall be permitted unless Fair Market Value C is higher than the exercise price. “Fair Market Value C” shall mean the average reported last sale price of the Ordinary Shares for the ten (10) trading days ending on the day prior to the date of exercise.

 

3.3.2.         Issuance of Certificates. As soon as practicable after the exercise of any Warrant and the clearance of the funds in payment of the Warrant Price (if any), the Company shall issue to the Registered Holder of such Warrant a certificate or certificates for the number of full Ordinary Shares to which he is entitled, registered in such name or names as may be directed by him, her or it, and if such Warrant shall not have been exercised in full, a new countersigned Warrant for the number of shares as to which such Warrant shall not have been exercised. Subject to Section 4.7 of this Agreement, a Registered Holder of Warrants may exercise its Warrants only for a whole number of Ordinary Shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the Warrant exercise. Warrants may not be exercised by, or securities issued to, any Registered Holder in any state in which such exercise would be unlawful.

 

3.3.3.         Valid Issuance. All Ordinary Shares issued upon the proper exercise of a Warrant in conformity with this Agreement shall be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

 

3.3.4.         Date of Issuance. Each person in whose name any such certificate for Ordinary Shares is issued shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of such shares on the date on which the Warrant was surrendered and payment of the Warrant Price was made, irrespective of the date of delivery of such certificate, except that, if the date of such surrender and payment is a date when the share transfer books of the Company are closed, such person shall be deemed to have become the holder of such shares at the close of business on the next succeeding date on which the share transfer books are open.

 

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3.3.5.         Maximum Percentage.  A holder of a Warrant may notify the Company in writing in the event it elects to be subject to the provisions contained in this subsection 3.3.5; however, no holder of a Warrant shall be subject to this subsection 3.3.5 unless he, she or it makes such election. If the election is made by a holder, the Warrant Agent shall not effect the exercise of the holder’s Warrant, and such holder shall 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% (the “Maximum Percentage”) of the Ordinary Shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise.  For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the aggregate number of Ordinary Shares beneficially owned by such person and its affiliates shall include the number of Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrant with respect to which the determination of such sentence is being made, but shall exclude Ordinary Shares that would be issuable upon (x) exercise of the remaining, unexercised portion of the Warrant beneficially owned by such person and its affiliates and (y) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or unconverted portion of any other securities of the Company beneficially owned by such person and its affiliates (including, without limitation, any convertible notes or convertible preferred shares or warrants) subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this paragraph, beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).  For purposes of the Warrant, in determining the number of outstanding Ordinary Shares, the holder may rely on the number of outstanding Ordinary Shares as reflected in (1) the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly report on Form 10-Q, current report on Form 8-K or other public filing with the SEC as the case may be, (2) a more recent public announcement by the Company, or (3) any other notice by the Company or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of Ordinary Shares outstanding.  For any reason at any time, upon the written request of the holder of the Warrant, the Company shall, within two (2) business days, confirm orally and in writing to such holder the number of Ordinary Shares then outstanding.  In any case, the number of outstanding Ordinary Shares shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of equity securities of the Company by the holder and its affiliates since the date as of which such number of outstanding Ordinary Shares was reported.  By written notice to the Company, the holder of a Warrant may from time to time increase or decrease the Maximum Percentage applicable to such holder to any other percentage specified in such notice; provided, however, that any such increase shall not be effective until the sixty-first (61st) day after such notice is delivered to the Company.

 

4.            Adjustments.

 

4.1.         Share Dividends - Split Ups. If after the date hereof, subject to Section 4.7, the number of outstanding Ordinary Shares is increased by a share dividend payable in Ordinary Shares, or by a split up of the Ordinary Shares, or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such share dividend, split up or similar event, the number of Ordinary Shares issuable on exercise of each Warrant shall be increased in proportion to such increase in outstanding Ordinary Shares. A rights offering to all holders of the Ordinary Shares entitling holders to purchase Ordinary Shares at a price less than “Fair Market Value D” (defined below) shall be deemed a share dividend of a number of Ordinary Shares equal to the product of (i) the number of 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 the Ordinary Shares) multiplied by (ii) one (1) minus the quotient of (x) the price per Ordinary Share paid in such rights offering divided by (y) Fair Market Value D (as defined below). For purposes of this Section 4.1, (i) if the rights offering is for securities convertible into or exercisable for Ordinary Shares, in determining the price payable for the Ordinary Shares, there shall 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 D” means the volume weighted average price of the Ordinary Shares as reported during the ten (10) trading day period ending on the trading day prior to the first date on which the Ordinary Shares trade on the applicable exchange or in the applicable market, regular way, with the right to receive such rights.

 

4.2.         Aggregation of Shares. If after the date hereof, the number of outstanding Ordinary Shares is decreased by a consolidation, combination, reverse share split or reclassification of the Ordinary Shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such consolidation, combination, reverse share split, reclassification or similar event, the number of Ordinary Shares issuable on exercise of each Warrant shall be decreased in proportion to such decrease in outstanding Ordinary Shares.

 

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4.3.         Extraordinary Dividends.  If the Company, at any time while the Warrants (or rights to purchase the Warrants) are outstanding and unexpired, shall pay a dividend or make a distribution in cash, securities or other assets to the holders of the Ordinary Shares on account of such Ordinary Shares (or other shares of the Company’s share capital into which the Warrants are convertible), other than (a) as described in Section 4.1 above, (b) Ordinary Cash Dividends (as defined below), (c) to satisfy the conversion rights of the holders of the Ordinary Shares in connection with a proposed Business Combination, (d) as a result of the repurchase of Ordinary Shares by the Company in connection with a Business Combination or as otherwise permitted by the Investment Management Trust Agreement between the Company and the Warrant Agent dated of even date herewith, (e) or as a result of the issuance of Ordinary Shares as a result of conversion of the Rights issued in the Public Offering, or (f) in connection with the Company’s liquidation and the distribution of its assets upon its failure to consummate a Business Combination (any such non-excluded event being referred to herein as an “Extraordinary Dividend”), then the Warrant Price shall be decreased, effective immediately after the effective date of such Extraordinary Dividend, by the amount of cash and the fair market value (as determined by the Company’s board of directors, in good faith) of any securities or other assets paid on each Ordinary Share in respect of such Extraordinary Dividend. For purposes of this Section 4.3, “Ordinary Cash Dividends” means any cash dividend or cash distribution which, when combined on a per share basis with the per share amounts of all other cash dividends and cash distributions paid on the Ordinary Shares during the 365-day period ending on the date of declaration of such dividend or distribution (as adjusted to appropriately reflect any of the events referred to in other subsections of this Section 4 and excluding cash dividends or cash distributions that resulted in an adjustment to the Warrant Price or to the number of Ordinary Shares issuable on exercise of each Warrant) does not exceed $0.50 (being 5% of the offering price of the Units in the Offering).

 

4.4.         Adjustments in Exercise Price. Whenever the number of Ordinary Shares purchasable upon the exercise of the Warrants is adjusted, as provided in Section 4.1 and 4.2 above, the Warrant Price shall be adjusted (to the nearest cent) by multiplying such Warrant Price immediately prior to such adjustment by a fraction (x) the numerator of which shall be the number of Ordinary Shares purchasable upon the exercise of the Warrants immediately prior to such adjustment, and (y) the denominator of which shall be the number of Ordinary Shares so purchasable immediately thereafter.

 

4.5.         Replacement of Securities upon Reorganization, etc. In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding Ordinary Shares (other than a change covered by Section 4.1 or 4.2 hereof or that solely affects the par value of such Ordinary Shares), or in the case of any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another corporation (other than a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing corporation and that does not result in any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding Ordinary Shares), or in the case of any sale or conveyance to another corporation or entity of the assets or other property of the Company as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in connection with which the Company is dissolved, the Warrant holders shall 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 the Ordinary Shares of the Company immediately theretofore purchasable and receivable upon the exercise of the rights represented thereby, the kind and amount of shares of stock 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 Warrant holder would have received if such Warrant holder had exercised his, her or its Warrant(s) immediately prior to such event; and if any reclassification also results in a change in Ordinary Shares covered by Section 4.1 or 4.2, then such adjustment shall be made pursuant to Sections 4.1, 4.2, 4.4 and this Section 4.5. The provisions of this Section 4.5 shall similarly apply to successive reclassifications, reorganizations, mergers or consolidations, sales or other transfers. 

 

4.6.         Notices of Changes in Warrant. Upon every adjustment of the Warrant Price or the number of shares issuable upon exercise of a Warrant, the Company shall give written notice thereof to the Warrant Agent, which notice shall state the Warrant Price resulting from such adjustment and the increase or decrease, if any, in the number of shares purchasable at such price upon the exercise of a Warrant, setting forth in reasonable detail the method of calculation and the facts upon which such calculation is based. Upon the occurrence of any event specified in Sections 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4 or 4.5, then, in any such event, the Company shall give written notice to each Warrant holder, at the last address set forth for such holder in the warrant register, of the record date or the effective date of the event. Failure to give such notice, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of such event.

 

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4.7.         No Fractional Shares. Notwithstanding any provision contained in this Warrant Agreement to the contrary, the Company shall not issue fractional shares upon exercise of Warrants. If, by reason of any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 4, the holder of any Warrant would be entitled, upon the exercise of such Warrant, to receive a fractional interest in a share, the Company shall, upon such exercise, round up or down to the nearest whole number the number of the Ordinary Shares to be issued to the Warrant holder.

 

4.8.         Form of Warrant. The form of Warrant need not be changed because of any adjustment pursuant to this Section 4, and Warrants issued after such adjustment may state the same Warrant Price and the same number of shares as is stated in the Warrants initially issued pursuant to this Agreement; provided, however, that the Company may at any time in its sole discretion make any change in the form of Warrant that the Company may deem appropriate and that does not affect the substance thereof, and any Warrant thereafter issued or countersigned, whether in exchange or substitution for an outstanding Warrant or otherwise, may be in the form as so changed.

 

4.9.         Other Events. In case any event shall occur affecting the Company as to which none of the provisions of preceding subsections of this Section 4 are strictly applicable, but which would require an adjustment to the terms of the Warrants in order to (i) avoid an adverse impact on the Warrants and (ii) effectuate the intent and purpose of this Section 4, then, in each such case, the Company shall appoint a firm of independent public accountants, investment banking or other appraisal firm of recognized national standing, which shall give its opinion as to whether or not any adjustment to the rights represented by the Warrants is necessary to effectuate the intent and purpose of this Section 4 and, if such firm determines that an adjustment is necessary, the terms of such adjustment. The Company shall adjust the terms of the Warrants in a manner that is consistent with any adjustment recommended in such opinion.

 

5.            Transfer and Exchange of Warrants.

 

5.1.         Registration of Transfer. The Warrant Agent shall register the transfer, from time to time, of any outstanding Warrant upon the Warrant Register, upon surrender of such Warrant for transfer, properly endorsed with signatures properly guaranteed and accompanied by appropriate instructions for transfer. Upon any such transfer, a new Warrant representing an equal aggregate number of Warrants shall be issued and the old Warrant shall be cancelled by the Warrant Agent. The Warrants so cancelled shall be delivered by the Warrant Agent to the Company from time to time upon request.

 

5.2.         Procedure for Surrender of Warrants. Warrants may be surrendered to the Warrant Agent, together with a written request for exchange or transfer, and thereupon the Warrant Agent shall issue in exchange therefor one or more new Warrants as requested by the Registered Holder of the Warrants so surrendered, representing an equal aggregate number of Warrants; provided, however, that in the event that a Warrant surrendered for transfer bears a restrictive legend, the Warrant Agent shall not cancel such Warrant and issue new Warrants in exchange therefor until the Warrant Agent has received an opinion of counsel for the Company stating that such transfer may be made and indicating whether the new Warrants must also bear a restrictive legend.

 

5.3.         Fractional Warrants. The Warrant Agent shall not be required to effect any registration of transfer or exchange which will result in the issuance of a warrant certificate for a fraction of a warrant.

 

5.4.         Service Charges. No service charge shall be made for any exchange or registration of transfer of Warrants.

 

5.5.         Warrant Execution and Countersignature. The Warrant Agent is hereby authorized to countersign and to deliver, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Warrants required to be issued pursuant to the provisions of this Section 5, and the Company, whenever required by the Warrant Agent, will supply the Warrant Agent with Warrants duly executed on behalf of the Company for such purpose.

 

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5.6.         Private Warrants. The Warrant Agent shall not register any transfer of Private Warrants until after the consummation by the Company of a Business Combination, except for transfers made in accordance with Section 2.5 hereof, on the condition that prior to such registration for transfer, the Warrant Agent shall be presented with written documentation pursuant to which each transferee or the trustee or legal guardian for such transferee agrees to be bound by the terms of the Subscription Agreements.

 

6.            Redemption.

 

6.1.         Redemption. Subject to Section 6.4 hereof, not less than all of the outstanding Warrants may be redeemed, at the option of the Company, at any time while they are exercisable and prior to their expiration, at the office of the Warrant Agent, upon the notice referred to in Section 6.2, at the price of $.01 per Warrant (the “Redemption Price”), provided that the last sales price of the Ordinary Shares has been at least $24.00 per share (subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 4 hereof), on each of twenty (20) trading days within any thirty (30) trading day period (the “30-Day Trading Period”) ending on the third business day prior to the date on which notice of redemption is given and provided further that there is a current registration statement in effect with respect to the Ordinary Shares underlying the Warrants for each day in the 30-Day Trading Period and continuing each day thereafter until the Redemption Date (as defined below).

 

6.2.         Date Fixed for, and Notice of, Redemption. In the event the Company shall elect to redeem all of the Warrants, the Company shall fix a date for the redemption (the “Redemption Date”). Notice of redemption shall be mailed by first class mail, postage prepaid, by the Company not less than 30 days prior to the Redemption Date to the Registered Holders of the Warrants to be redeemed at their last addresses as they shall appear on the registration books. Any notice mailed in the manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given whether or not the Registered Holder received such notice.

 

6.3.         Exercise after Notice of Redemption. The Warrants may be exercised, for cash (or on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3 of this Agreement) at any time after notice of redemption shall have been given by the Company pursuant to Section 6.2 hereof and prior to the Redemption Date. In the event the Company determines to require all holders of Warrants to exercise their Warrants on a “cashless basis” pursuant to Section 3.3.1(b), the notice of redemption will contain the information necessary to calculate the number of Ordinary Shares to be received upon exercise of the Warrants, including Fair Market Value A. On and after the Redemption Date, the record holder of the Warrants shall have no further rights except to receive, upon surrender of the Warrants, the aggregate Redemption Price.

 

6.4.         Exclusion of Certain Warrants. The Company understands that the redemption rights provided for by this Section 6 apply only to outstanding Warrants. To the extent a person holds rights to purchase Warrants, such purchase rights shall not be extinguished by redemption. However, once such purchase rights are exercised, the Company may redeem the Warrants issued upon such exercise provided that the criteria for redemption is met. Additionally, any of the Private Warrants shall not be redeemable by the Company as long as such Private Warrants continue to be held by initial purchasers and affiliates or their permitted transferees (as prescribed in Section 5.6 hereof). However, once such Private Warrants are no longer held by the initial purchasers or their affiliates or permitted transferees, such Private Warrants shall then be redeemable by the Company pursuant to Section 6 hereof. The provisions of this Section 6.4 may not be modified, amended or deleted without the prior written consent of EBC.

 

7.            Other Provisions Relating to Rights of Holders of Warrants.

 

7.1.         No Rights as Shareholder. A Warrant does not entitle the Registered Holder thereof to any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to receive dividends, or other distributions, exercise any preemptive rights to vote or to consent or to receive notice as shareholders in respect of the meetings of shareholders or the election of directors of the Company or any other matter.

 

7.2.         Lost, Stolen, Mutilated, or Destroyed Warrants. If any Warrant is lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed, the Company and the Warrant Agent may on such terms as to indemnity or otherwise as they may in their discretion impose (which shall, in the case of a mutilated Warrant, include the surrender thereof), issue a new Warrant of like denomination, tenor, and date as the Warrant so lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed. Any such new Warrant shall constitute a substitute contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the allegedly lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed Warrant shall be at any time enforceable by anyone.

 

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7.3.         Reservation of Ordinary Shares. The Company shall at all times, prior to the Expiration Date, reserve and keep available a number of its authorized but unissued Ordinary Shares that will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Warrants issued pursuant to this Agreement.

 

7.4.         Registration of Ordinary Shares. The Company agrees that as soon as practicable after the closing of a Business Combination, it shall use its best efforts to file with the SEC a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, or a new registration statement, for the registration, under the Act, of the Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants, and it shall use its best efforts to take such action as is necessary to qualify for sale, in those states in which the Warrants were initially offered by the Company, the Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants. In either case, the Company will use its best efforts to cause the same to become effective and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement until the expiration of the Warrants in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. In addition, the Company agrees to use its best efforts to register such securities under the blue sky laws of the states of residence of the exercising warrant holders to the extent an exemption is not available. If any such post-effective amendment or registration statement has not been declared effective by the 120-day anniversary following the closing of the Business Combination, holders of the Warrants shall have the right, during the period beginning on the 120th day after the closing of the Business Combination and ending upon such post-effective amendment or registration statement being declared effective by the SEC, and during any other period after such date of effectiveness when the Company shall fail to have maintained an effective registration statement covering the Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants, to exercise such Warrants on a “cashless basis” as determined in accordance with Section 3.3.1(d). The Company shall provide the Warrant Agent with an opinion of counsel for the Company (which shall be an outside law firm with securities law experience) stating that (i) the issuance of Ordinary Shares upon exercise of the Warrants on a cashless basis in accordance with this Section 7.4 is not required to be registered under the Act and (ii) the Ordinary Shares issued upon such exercise will be freely tradable under U.S. federal securities laws by anyone who is not an affiliate (as such term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act) of the Company and, accordingly, will not be required to bear a restrictive legend. For the avoidance of any doubt, unless and until all of the Warrants have been exercised on a cashless basis, the Company shall continue to be obligated to comply with its registration obligations under the first three sentences of this Section The provisions of this Section 7.4 may not be modified, amended or deleted without the prior written consent of EBC.

 

8.            Concerning the Warrant Agent and Other Matters.

 

8.1.         Payment of Taxes. The Company will from time to time promptly pay all taxes and charges that may be imposed upon the Company or the Warrant Agent in respect of the issuance or delivery of Ordinary Shares upon the exercise of Warrants, but the Company shall not be obligated to pay any transfer taxes in respect of the Warrants or such shares.

 

8.2.         Resignation, Consolidation, or Merger of Warrant Agent.

 

8.2.1.         Appointment of Successor Warrant Agent. The Warrant Agent, or any successor to it hereafter appointed, may resign its duties and be discharged from all further duties and liabilities hereunder after giving sixty (60) days’ notice in writing to the Company. If the office of the Warrant Agent becomes vacant by resignation or incapacity to act or otherwise, the Company shall appoint in writing a successor Warrant Agent in place of the Warrant Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of 30 days after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the Warrant Agent or by the holder of the Warrant (who shall, with such notice, submit his Warrant for inspection by the Company), then the holder of any Warrant may apply to the Supreme Court of the State of New York for the County of New York for the appointment of a successor Warrant Agent at the Company’s cost. Any successor Warrant Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such court, shall be a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York, in good standing and having its principal office in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York, and authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers and subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority. After appointment, any successor Warrant Agent shall be vested with all the authority, powers, rights, immunities, duties, and obligations of its predecessor Warrant Agent with like effect as if originally named as Warrant Agent hereunder, without any further act or deed; but if for any reason it becomes necessary or appropriate, the predecessor Warrant Agent shall execute and deliver, at the expense of the Company, an instrument transferring to such successor Warrant Agent all the authority, powers, and rights of such predecessor Warrant Agent hereunder; and upon request of any successor Warrant Agent the Company shall make, execute, acknowledge, and deliver any and all instruments in writing for more fully and effectually vesting in and confirming to such successor Warrant Agent all such authority, powers, rights, immunities, duties, and obligations.

 

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8.2.2.         Notice of Successor Warrant Agent. In the event a successor Warrant Agent shall be appointed, the Company shall give notice thereof to the predecessor Warrant Agent and the transfer agent for the Ordinary Shares not later than the effective date of any such appointment.

 

8.2.3.         Merger or Consolidation of Warrant Agent. Any corporation into which the Warrant Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated or any corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Warrant Agent is a party shall be the successor Warrant Agent under this Agreement without any further act.

 

8.3.         Fees and Expenses of Warrant Agent.

 

8.3.1.         Remuneration. The Company agrees to pay the Warrant Agent reasonable remuneration for its services as such Warrant Agent hereunder and will reimburse the Warrant Agent upon demand for all expenditures that the Warrant Agent may reasonably incur in the execution of its duties hereunder.

 

8.3.2.         Further Assurances. The Company agrees to perform, execute, acknowledge, and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged, and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments, and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Warrant Agent for the carrying out or performing of the provisions of this Agreement.

 

8.4.         Liability of Warrant Agent.

 

8.4.1.         Reliance on Company Statement. Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Warrant Agreement, the Warrant Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a statement signed by the Chief Executive Officer or Chairman of the Board of the Company and delivered to the Warrant Agent. The Warrant Agent may rely upon such statement for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement.

 

8.4.2.         Indemnity. The Warrant Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith. The Company agrees to indemnify the Warrant Agent and save it harmless against any and all liabilities, including judgments, costs and reasonable counsel fees, for anything done or omitted by the Warrant Agent in the execution of this Agreement except as a result of the Warrant Agent’s gross negligence, willful misconduct, or bad faith.

 

8.4.3.         Exclusions. The Warrant Agent shall have no responsibility with respect to the validity or execution of any Warrant (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Warrant; nor shall it be responsible to make any adjustments required under the provisions of Section 4 hereof or responsible for the manner, method, or amount of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such adjustment; nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any Ordinary Shares to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Warrant or as to whether any Ordinary Shares will when issued be valid and fully paid and nonassessable.

 

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8.5.         Acceptance of Agency. The Warrant Agent hereby accepts the agency established by this Agreement and agrees to perform the same upon the terms and conditions herein set forth and among other things, shall account promptly to the Company with respect to Warrants exercised and concurrently account for, and pay to the Company, all moneys received by the Warrant Agent for the purchase of Ordinary Shares through the exercise of Warrants.

 

8.6.         Waiver. The Warrant Agent hereby waives any right of set-off or any other right, title, interest or claim of any kind (“Claim”) in, or to any distribution of, the Trust Account (as defined in that certain Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and between the Company and the Warrant Agent as trustee thereunder) and hereby agrees not to seek recourse, reimbursement, payment or satisfaction for any Claim against the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever.

 

9.            Miscellaneous Provisions.

 

9.1.         Successors. All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Warrant Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns.

 

9.2.         Notices. Any notice, statement or demand authorized by this Warrant Agreement to be given or made by the Warrant Agent or by any party shall be sufficiently given when so delivered if by hand or overnight delivery, or when receipt so acknowledged if sent via facsimile, or if sent by certified mail or private courier service within five days after deposit of such notice, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing by any party), as follows:

 

Bison Capital Acquisition Corp.

609-610 21st Century Tower

No. 40 Liangmaquaio Road

Chaoyang District, Beijing, China 100016

Attn: James Jiayuan Tong, Chief Executive Officer

And Chief Executive Officer

Fax: +81 10 84446968

 

Any notice, statement or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by any party shall be sufficiently given when so delivered if by hand or overnight delivery, or when receipt so acknowledged if sent via facsimile, or if sent by certified mail or private courier service within five days after deposit of such notice, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing by such party), as follows:

 

Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company

1 State Street, 30th Floor

New York, New York 10004

Fax: (212) 616-7620

Attn: Steven Nelson and Fran Wolf

 

with a copy in each case (which shall not constitute notice) to:

 

Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC

1450 Broadway, 26th Floor

New York, New York 10018

Fax: 212-202-6380

Attn: Arila Zhou, Esq.

 

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And if with respect to Sections 2.5, 6.4, 7.4, 9.4 and 9.8

 

Graubard Miller

The Chrysler Building

405 Lexington Avenue

New York, New York 10174

Attn: David Alan Miller, Esq.

Fax: (212) 818-8881

 

and

 

EarlyBirdCapital, Inc.

366 Madison Avenue, 28th Floor

New York, New York 10017

Attn: Steven Levine, Chief Executive Officer

Fax: (212) 661-4936

 

9.3.         Applicable Law. The validity, interpretation, and performance of this Agreement and of the Warrants shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to conflicts of law principles that would result in the application of the substantive laws of another jurisdiction. The Parties hereby agree that any action, proceeding or claim against it arising out of or relating in any way to this Agreement shall be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be exclusive. The Parties hereby waive any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenience forum. Any such process or summons to be served upon the Parties may be served by transmitting a copy thereof by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed to it at the address set forth in Section 9.2 hereof. Such mailing shall be deemed personal service and shall be legal and binding upon the Parties in any action, proceeding or claim. The Company hereby appoints, without power of revocation, CT Corporation System, 111 Eighth Avenue, New York, New York 10011, as its agent to accept and acknowledge on its behalf service of any and all process which may be served in any arbitration, action, proceeding or counterclaim in any way relating to or arising out of this Agreement. The Company further agrees to take any and all action as may be necessary to maintain such designation and appointment of such agent in full force and effect for a period of seven years from the date of this Agreement. 

 

9.4.         Persons Having Rights under this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement expressed and nothing that may be implied from any of the provisions hereof is intended, or shall be construed, to confer upon, or give to, any person or corporation other than the parties hereto and the Registered Holders of the Warrants and, for the purposes of Sections 2.5, 6.4, 7.4, 9.4 and 9.8 hereof, EBC, any right, remedy, or claim under or by reason of this Warrant Agreement or of any covenant, condition, stipulation, promise, or agreement hereof. EBC shall be deemed to be a third-party beneficiary of this Agreement with respect to Sections 2.5, 6.4, 7.4, 9.4 and 9.8 hereof. All covenants, conditions, stipulations, promises, and agreements contained in this Warrant Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto (and EBC with respect to the Sections 2.5, 6.4, 7.4, 9.4 and 9.8 hereof) and their successors and assigns and of the Registered Holders of the Warrants.

 

9.5.         Examination of the Warrant Agreement. A copy of this Agreement shall be available at all reasonable times at the office of the Warrant Agent in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York, for inspection by the Registered Holder of any Warrant. The Warrant Agent may require any such holder to submit his Warrant for inspection by it.

 

9.6.         Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of original or facsimile counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. 

 

9.7.         Effect of Headings. The Section headings herein are for convenience only and are not part of this Warrant Agreement and shall not affect the interpretation thereof.

 

9.8.         Amendments. This Agreement may be amended by the parties hereto without the consent of any Registered Holder for the purpose of curing any ambiguity, or of curing, correcting or supplementing any defective provision contained herein or adding or changing any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under this Agreement as the parties may deem necessary or desirable and that the parties deem shall not adversely affect the interest of the Registered Holders. All other modifications or amendments, including any amendment to increase the Warrant Price or shorten the Exercise Period, shall require the written consent or vote of the Registered Holders of a majority of the then outstanding Warrants. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may lower the Warrant Price or extend the duration of the Exercise Period pursuant to Sections 3.1 and 3.2, respectively, without the consent of the Registered Holders. The provisions of this Section 9.8 may not be modified, amended or deleted without the prior written consent of EBC.

 

9.9.         Severability. This Warrant Agreement shall be deemed severable, and the invalidity or unenforceability of any term or provision hereof shall not affect the validity or enforceability of this Warrant Agreement or of any other term or provision hereof. Furthermore, in lieu of any such invalid or unenforceable term or provision, the parties hereto intend that there shall be added as a part of this Warrant Agreement a provision as similar in terms to such invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible and be valid and enforceable.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement has been duly executed by the parties hereto as of the day and year first above written.

 

  BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP.
   
  By:  
  Name: James Jiayuan Tong
  Title: Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer
     
  CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY
     
  By:  
  Name:  
  Title:  

 

 

13

 

 

EX-4.6 8 fs12017ex4vi_bisoncapital.htm FORM OF UNIT PURCHASE OPTION BETWEEN THE REGISTRANT AND EARLYBIRDCAPITAL, INC.

Exhibit 4.6

 

THE REGISTERED HOLDER OF THIS PURCHASE OPTION BY ITS ACCEPTANCE HEREOF, AGREES THAT IT WILL NOT SELL, TRANSFER OR ASSIGN THIS PURCHASE OPTION EXCEPT AS HEREIN PROVIDED, AND THE REGISTERED HOLDER OF THIS PURCHASE OPTION AGREES THAT IT WILL NOT SELL, TRANSFER, ASSIGN, PLEDGE OR HYPOTHECATE THIS PURCHASE OPTION FOR A PERIOD OF ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY (180) DAYS FOLLOWING THE EFFECTIVE DATE (DEFINED BELOW) TO ANYONE OTHER THAN (I) EARLYBIRDCAPITAL, INC. (“EBC”) OR AN UNDERWRITER OR SELECTED DEALER IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING, OR (II) A BONA FIDE OFFICER OR PARTNER OF EBC OR OF ANY SUCH UNDERWRITER OR SELECTED DEALER, EXCEPT IN ACCORDANCE WITH FINRA RULE 5110(G)(2). ADDITIONALLY, PURSUANT TO FINRA CONDUCT RULE 5110(G), THE PURCHASE OPTION (OR THE ORDINARY SHARES AND WARRANTS UNDERLYING THIS PURCHASE OPTION) WILL NOT BE THE SUBJECT OF ANY HEDGING, SHORT SALE, DERIVATIVE, PUT OR CALL TRANSACTION THAT WOULD RESULT IN THE ECONOMIC DISPOSITION OF THE SECURITIES BY ANY PERSON FOR A PERIOD OF 180 DAYS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE EFFECTIVE DATE.

 

THIS PURCHASE OPTION IS NOT EXERCISABLE PRIOR TO THE LATER OF THE CONSUMMATION BY BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP. (“COMPANY”) OF A MERGER, SHARE EXCHANGE, ASSET ACQUISITION, SHARE PURCHASE, RECAPITALIZATION, REORGANIZATION OR OTHER SIMILAR BUSINESS COMBINATION WITH ONE OR MORE BUSINESSES OR ENTITIES (“BUSINESS COMBINATION”) (AS DESCRIBED MORE FULLY IN THE COMPANY’S REGISTRATION STATEMENT (DEFINED HEREIN)) AND [●][●], 2018 AND IS VOID AFTER 5:00 P.M. NEW YORK CITY LOCAL TIME, ON THE EXPIRATION DATE (DEFINED HEREIN).

 

UNIT PURCHASE OPTION

 

FOR THE PURCHASE OF

 

150,000 UNITS

 

OF

 

BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP.

 

1.            Purchase Option.

 

THIS CERTIFIES THAT, in consideration of $100.00 duly paid by or on behalf of EarlyBirdCapital, Inc., as registered owner (the “Holder”) of this purchase option (this “Purchase Option”), to Bison Capital Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”), the Holder is entitled, at any time or from time to time from the later of the consummation by the Company of a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities (“Business Combination”) or [●] [●], 2018 (the “Commencement Date”), until 5:00 p.m., New York City local time, on the five year anniversary of the effective date (the “Effective Date”) of the Company’s registration statement (the “Registration Statement”) pursuant to which units are offered for sale to the public (the “Offering”), but not thereafter (the “Expiration Date”), to subscribe for, purchase and receive, in whole or in part, up to 150,000 units (“Unit(s)”) of the Company, each Unit consisting of one ordinary share of the Company, no par value (“Ordinary Shares”), one right entitling the Holder to receive one tenth (1/10) of an Ordinary Share upon consummation of a Business Combination, and one-half of one warrant (“Warrant(s)”) each whole Warrant to purchase one Ordinary Share. Each Right is the same as the right included in the units being registered for sale to the public by way of the Registration Statement (the Right(s)”). Each Warrant is the same as the warrant included in the Units being registered for sale to the public by way of the Registration Statement (“Public Warrants”). If the Expiration Date is a day on which banking institutions are authorized by law to close, then this Purchase Option may be exercised on the next succeeding day which is not such a day in accordance with the terms herein. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, neither this Purchase Option nor the Warrants underlying this Purchase Option may be exercisable after the five year anniversary of the Effective Date. During the period ending on the Expiration Date, the Company agrees not to take any action that would terminate the Purchase Option. This Purchase Option is initially exercisable at $10.00 per Unit so purchased; provided, however, that upon the occurrence of any of the events specified in Section 6 hereof, the rights granted by this Purchase Option, including the exercise price per Unit and the number of Units (and Ordinary Shares, Rights and Warrants) to be received upon such exercise, shall be adjusted as therein specified. The term “Exercise Price” shall mean the initial exercise price or the adjusted exercise price, depending on the context.

 

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2.            Exercise.

 

2.1.         Exercise Form. In order to exercise this Purchase Option, the exercise form attached hereto must be duly executed and completed and delivered to the Company, together with this Purchase Option and payment of the Exercise Price for the Units being purchased payable in cash or by certified check or official bank check. If the subscription rights represented hereby shall not be exercised at or before 5:00 p.m., New York City local time, on the Expiration Date, this Purchase Option shall become and be void without further force or effect, and all rights represented hereby shall cease and expire.

 

2.2.         Legend. Each certificate for the securities purchased under this Purchase Option shall bear a legend substantially as follows and appropriate “stop transfer” instructions unless counsel to the Company advises otherwise such securities have been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Act”):

 

“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS AND NEITHER THE SECURITIES NOR ANY INTEREST THEREIN MAY BE OFFERED, SOLD, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION THEREUNDER, IN EACH CASE IN ACCORDANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF THE STATES OR OTHER JURISDICTIONS.”

 

2.3.         Cashless Exercise.

 

2.3.1.       Determination of Amount. In lieu of the payment of the Exercise Price multiplied by the number of Units for which this Purchase Option is exercisable (and in lieu of being entitled to receive Ordinary Shares and Warrants) in the manner required by Section 2.1, and subject to Section 6.1 hereof, the Holder shall have the right (but not the obligation) to convert any exercisable but unexercised portion of this Purchase Option into Units (the “Cashless Exercise Right”) as follows: upon exercise of the Cashless Exercise Right, the Company shall deliver to the Holder (without payment by the Holder of any of the Exercise Price in cash) that number of Units (or that number of Ordinary Shares, Rights and Warrants comprising that number of Units) equal to the number of Units to be exercised multiplied by the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the “Value” (as defined below) of the portion of the Purchase Option being converted by (y) the Current Market Value (as defined below). The “Value” of the portion of the Purchase Option being converted shall equal the remainder derived from subtracting (a) (i) the Exercise Price multiplied by (ii) the number of Units underlying the portion of this Purchase Option being converted from (b) the Current Market Value of a Unit multiplied by the number of Units underlying the portion of the Purchase Option being converted. As used herein, the term “Current Market Value” per Unit at any date means: (A) in the event that the Units, Ordinary Shares and Public Warrants are still trading, (i) if the Units are listed on a national securities exchange or quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board (or successor exchange), the average reported last sale price of the Units in the principal trading market for the Units as reported by the exchange, Nasdaq or the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), as the case may be, for the three trading days preceding the date in question; or (ii) if the Units are not listed on a national securities exchange or quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board (or successor exchange), but is traded in the residual over-the-counter market, the average reported last sale price for Units for the three trading days preceding the date in question for which such quotations are reported by the Pink Sheets, LLC or similar publisher of such quotations; (B) in the event that the Units are not still trading but the Ordinary Share and Public Warrants underlying the Units are still trading, the aggregate of (i) the product of (x) the Current Market Price of the Ordinary Share and (y) the number of the Ordinary Shares underlying one Unit (which shall include the portion of an Ordinary Share the holder of a Unit would automatically receive in connection with the Right included in each such Unit) plus (ii) the product of (x) the Current Market Price of the Public Warrants and (y) the number of the Warrants included in one Unit; or (C) in the event that neither the Units nor Public Warrants are still trading, the aggregate of (i) the product of (x) the Current Market Price of the Ordinary Share and (y) the number of the Ordinary Shares underlying one Unit (which shall include the portion of an Ordinary Share the holder of a Unit would automatically receive in connection with the Right included in each such Unit) plus (ii) the remainder derived from subtracting (x) the exercise price of the Warrants multiplied by the number of Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants underlying one Unit from (y) the product of (aa) the Current Market Price of the Ordinary Shares multiplied by (bb) the number of Ordinary Shares underlying the Warrants included in each such Unit. The “Current Market Price” shall mean (i) if the Ordinary Shares (or Public Warrants, as the case may be) are listed on a national securities exchange or quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board (or successor exchange), the average reported last sale price of the Ordinary Shares (or Public Warrants) in the principal trading market for the Ordinary Share (or Public Warrants) as reported by the exchange, Nasdaq or FINRA, as the case may be, for the three trading days preceding the date in question; (ii) if the Ordinary Shares (or Public Warrants, as the case may be) are not listed on a national securities exchange or quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board (or successor exchange), but are traded in the residual over-the-counter market, the average reported last sale price for the Ordinary Share (or Public Warrants) on for the three trading days preceding the date in question for which such quotations are reported by the Pink Sheets, LLC or similar publisher of such quotations; and (iii) if the fair market value of the Ordinary Share cannot be determined pursuant to clause (i) or (ii) above, such price as the Board of Directors of the Company shall determine, in good faith. In the event the Public Warrants have expired and are no longer exercisable, no “Value” shall be attributed to the Warrants underlying this Purchase Option.

 

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2.3.2.       Mechanics of Cashless Exercise. The Cashless Exercise Right may be exercised by the Holder on any business day on or after the Commencement Date and not later than the Expiration Date by delivering the Purchase Option with the duly executed exercise form attached hereto with the cashless exercise section completed to the Company, exercising the Cashless Exercise Right and specifying the total number of Units the Holder will purchase pursuant to such Cashless Exercise Right.

 

2.4.         No Obligation to Net Cash Settle. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Purchase Option, in no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the exercise of the Purchase Option or the Rights or Warrants underlying the Purchase Option. The holder of the Purchase Option and the Warrants underlying the Purchase Option will not be entitled to exercise the Purchase Option or the Warrants underlying such Purchase Option unless it exercises such Purchase Option pursuant to the Cashless Exercise Right or a registration statement is effective, or an exemption from the registration requirements is available at such time and, if the holder is not able to exercise the Purchase Option or underlying Warrants, the Purchase Option and/or the underlying Warrants, as applicable, will expire worthless. For the avoidance of doubt, the holder of the Purchase Option and the Warrants may not utilize the Cashless Exercise Right if the Exercise Price of a Unit is more than the average reported last sale price for a Unit or Ordinary Share for the three trading days preceding the exercise.

 

3.            Transfer.

 

3.1.         General Restrictions. The Holder, by its acceptance of this Purchase Option, agrees that it will not sell, transfer, assign, pledge or hypothecate this Purchase Option (or the Ordinary Shares, Rights and Warrants underlying this Purchase Option) for a period of 180 days pursuant to FINRA Conduct Rule 5110(g)(1) following the Effective Date to anyone other than (i) the Holder or an underwriter or selected dealer in connection with the Offering, or (ii) a bona fide officer or partner of the Holder or of any such underwriter or selected dealer. Additionally, pursuant to FINRA Conduct Rule 5110(g), the Purchase Option (or the Ordinary Shares, Rights and Warrants underlying this Purchase Option) will not be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of the securities by any person for a period of 180 days immediately following the Effective Date. On and after the 181st day following the Effective Date, transfers to others may be made subject to compliance with or exemptions from applicable securities laws. In order to make any permitted assignment, the Holder must deliver to the Company the assignment form attached hereto duly executed and completed, together with the Purchase Option and payment of all transfer taxes, if any, payable in connection therewith. The Company shall within five business days transfer this Purchase Option on the books of the Company and shall execute and deliver a new Purchase Option or Purchase Options of like tenor to the appropriate assignee(s) expressly evidencing the right to purchase the aggregate number of Units purchasable hereunder or such portion of such number as shall be contemplated by any such assignment.

 

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3.2.         Restrictions Imposed by the Act. The securities evidenced by this Purchase Option shall not be transferred unless and until (i) the Company has received the opinion of counsel for the Holder that the securities may be transferred pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Act and applicable state securities laws, the availability of which is established to the reasonable satisfaction of the Company (the Company hereby agreeing that the opinion of Graubard Miller shall be deemed satisfactory evidence of the availability of an exemption), or (ii) a registration statement or a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement relating to such securities has been filed by the Company and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) and compliance with applicable state securities law has been established.

 

4.            New Purchase Option to be Issued.

 

4.1.         Partial Exercise or Transfer. Subject to the restrictions in Section 3 hereof, this Purchase Option may be exercised or assigned in whole or in part. In the event of the exercise or assignment hereof in part only, upon surrender of this Purchase Option for cancellation, together with the duly executed exercise or assignment form and funds sufficient to pay any Exercise Price (except to the extent that the Holder elects to exercise this Purchase Option by means of a cashless exercise as provided in Section 2.3 above) and/or transfer tax, the Company shall cause to be delivered to the Holder without charge a new Purchase Option of like tenor to this Purchase Option in the name of the Holder evidencing the right of the Holder to purchase the number of Units purchasable hereunder as to which this Purchase Option has not been exercised or assigned.

 

4.2.         Lost Certificate. Upon receipt by the Company of evidence satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Purchase Option and of reasonably satisfactory indemnification or the posting of a bond, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Purchase Option of like tenor and date. Any such new Purchase Option executed and delivered as a result of such loss, theft, mutilation or destruction shall constitute a substitute contractual obligation on the part of the Company.

 

5.            Registration Rights.

 

5.1.         Demand Registration.

 

5.1.1.       Grant of Right. The Company, upon written demand (the “Initial Demand Notice”) of the Holder(s) of at least 51% of the Purchase Option and/or the underlying Units and/or the underlying securities (“Majority Holders”), agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to register (the “Demand Registration”) under the Act on one occasion, all or any portion of the Purchase Option requested by the Majority Holders in the Initial Demand Notice and all of the securities underlying such Purchase Option, including the Units, Ordinary Shares, the Warrants and the Ordinary Shares underlying the Warrants (collectively, the “Registrable Securities”). On such occasion, the Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to file a registration statement or a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement covering the Registrable Securities as expeditiously as possible after receipt of the Initial Demand Notice and use commercially reasonable efforts to have such registration statement or post-effective amendment declared effective as soon as possible thereafter. The demand for registration may be made at any time during a period of four and one-half years beginning 180 days after the Effective Date. The Initial Demand Notice shall specify the number of shares of Registrable Securities proposed to be sold and the intended method(s) of distribution thereof. The Company will notify all holders of the Purchase Option and/or Registrable Securities of the demand within ten days from the date of the receipt of any such Initial Demand Notice. Each holder of Registrable Securities who wishes to include all or a portion of such holder’s Registrable Securities in the Demand Registration (each such holder including shares of Registrable Securities in such registration, a “Demanding Holder”) shall so notify the Company within fifteen (15) days after the receipt by the holder of the notice from the Company. Upon any such request, the Demanding Holders shall be entitled to have their Registrable Securities included in the Demand Registration, subject to Section 5.1.4. The Company shall not be obligated to effect more than one (1) Demand Registration under this Section 5.1 in respect of all Registrable Securities.

 

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5.1.2.       Effective Registration. Notwithstanding Section 5.1.5, a registration will not count as a Demand Registration until the registration statement filed with the Commission with respect to such Demand Registration has been declared effective and the Company has complied with all of its obligations under this Purchase Option with respect thereto.

 

5.1.3.       Underwritten Offering. If the Majority Holders so elect and such holders so advise the Company as part of the Initial Demand Notice, the offering of such Registrable Securities pursuant to such Demand Registration shall be in the form of an underwritten offering. In such event, the right of any holder to include its Registrable Securities in such registration shall be conditioned upon such holder’s participation in such underwriting and the inclusion of such holder’s Registrable Securities in the underwriting to the extent provided herein. All Demanding Holders proposing to distribute their securities through such underwriting shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the underwriter or underwriters selected for such underwriting by the Majority Holders.

 

5.1.4.       Reduction of Offering. If the managing underwriter or underwriters for a Demand Registration that is to be an underwritten offering advises the Company and the Demanding Holders in writing that the dollar amount or number of shares of Registrable Securities which the Demanding Holders desire to sell, taken together with all other Ordinary Shares or other securities which the Company desires to sell and the Ordinary Shares, if any, as to which registration has been requested pursuant to written contractual piggy-back registration rights held by other shareholders of the Company who desire to sell, exceeds the maximum dollar amount or maximum number of shares that can be sold in such offering without adversely affecting the proposed offering price, the timing, the distribution method, or the probability of success of such offering (such maximum dollar amount or maximum number of shares, as applicable, the “Maximum Number of Shares”), then the Company shall include in such registration: (i) first, the Registrable Securities as to which Demand Registration has been requested by the Demanding Holders (pro rata in accordance with the number of shares that each such Person has requested be included in such registration, regardless of the number of shares held by each such Person (such proportion is referred to herein as “Pro Rata”)) that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; (ii) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clause (i), the Ordinary Shares or other securities that the Company desires to sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; (iii) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), the Ordinary Shares or other securities registrable pursuant to the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement between the Company and the initial investors in the Company and EBC (and/or its designees), dated as of [●], 2017 (the “Registration Rights Agreement” and such registrable securities, the “Investor Securities”) as to which “piggy-back” registration has been requested by the holders thereof, Pro Rata, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; and (iv) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares have not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i), (ii), and (iii), the Ordinary Shares or other securities for the account of other persons that the Company is obligated to register pursuant to written contractual arrangements with such persons and that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares.

 

5.1.5.       Withdrawal. If a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders disapprove of the terms of any underwriting or are not entitled to include all of their Registrable Securities in any offering, such majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders may elect to withdraw from such offering by giving written notice to the Company and the underwriter or underwriters of their request to withdraw prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement filed with the Commission with respect to such Demand Registration. If the majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders withdraws from a proposed offering relating to a Demand Registration, then the Company does not have to continue its obligations under this Section 5.1, provided that, any such withdrawal will not count as the Demand Registration if the Demanding Holders pay all of the Company’s out-of-pocket expenses of the Company with respect to such withdrawn registration.

 

5.1.6.       Terms. The Company shall bear all fees and expenses attendant to registering the Registrable Securities, including the expenses of one legal counsel, not to exceed $5,000, selected by the Holders to represent them in connection with the sale of the Registrable Securities, but the Holders shall pay any and all underwriting commissions and transfer taxes. The Company agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to qualify or register the Registrable Securities in such states as are reasonably requested by the Majority Holder(s); provided, however, that in no event shall the Company be required to register the Registrable Securities in a state in which such registration would cause (i) the Company to be obligated to qualify to do business in such state, or would subject the Company to taxation as a foreign corporation doing business in such jurisdiction or require the Company to be subject to service of process in that state or (ii) the principal shareholders of the Company to be obligated to escrow their ordinary shares of the Company. The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause any registration statement or post-effective amendment filed pursuant to the demand rights granted under Section 5.1.1 to remain effective for a period of six consecutive months from the effective date of such registration statement or post-effective amendment.

 

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5.2.         Piggy-Back Registration.

 

5.2.1.       Piggy-Back Rights. If at any time during the seven year period commencing on the Effective Date the Company proposes to file a registration statement under the Act with respect to an offering of equity securities, or securities or other obligations exercisable or exchangeable for, or convertible into, equity securities, by the Company for its own account or for shareholders of the Company for their account (or by the Company and by shareholders of the Company including, without limitation, pursuant to Section 5.1), other than a registration statement (i) filed in connection with any employee share option or other benefit plan, (ii) for an exchange offer or offering of securities solely to the Company’s existing shareholders, (iii) for an offering of debt that is convertible into equity securities of the Company or (iv) for a dividend reinvestment plan, then the Company shall (x) give written notice of such proposed filing to the holders of Registrable Securities as soon as practicable but in no event less than ten (10) days before the anticipated filing date, which notice shall describe the amount and type of securities to be included in such offering, the intended method(s) of distribution, and the name of the proposed managing underwriter or underwriters, if any, of the offering, and (y) offer to the holders of Registrable Securities in such notice the opportunity to register the sale of such number of shares of Registrable Securities as such holders may request in writing within five (5) days following receipt of such notice (a “Piggy-Back Registration”). The Company shall cause such Registrable Securities to be included in such registration and shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the managing underwriter or underwriters of a proposed underwritten offering to permit the Registrable Securities requested to be included in a Piggy-Back Registration on the same terms and conditions as any similar securities of the Company and to permit the sale or other disposition of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution thereof. All holders of Registrable Securities proposing to distribute their securities through a Piggy-Back Registration that involves an underwriter or underwriters shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the underwriter or underwriters selected for such Piggy-Back Registration.

 

5.2.2.       Reduction of Offering. If the managing underwriter or underwriters for a Piggy-Back Registration that is to be an underwritten offering advises the Company and the holders of Registrable Securities in writing that the dollar amount or number of Ordinary Shares which the Company desires to sell, taken together with Ordinary Shares, if any, as to which registration has been demanded pursuant to written contractual arrangements with persons other than the holders of Registrable Securities hereunder, the Registrable Securities as to which registration has been requested under this Section 5.2, and the Ordinary Shares, if any, as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the written contractual piggy-back registration rights of other shareholders of the Company, exceeds the Maximum Number of Shares, then the Company shall include in any such registration:

 

(a)       If the registration is undertaken for the Company’s account: (A) first, the Ordinary Shares or other securities that the Company desires to sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; (B) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clause (A), the Ordinary Shares or other securities, if any, comprised of Registrable Securities and Investor Securities, as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the applicable written contractual piggy-back registration rights of such security holders, Pro Rata, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; and (C) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A) and (B), the Ordinary Shares or other securities for the account of other persons that the Company is obligated to register pursuant to written contractual piggy-back registration rights with such persons and that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares;

 

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(b)       If the registration is a “demand” registration undertaken at the demand of holders of Investor Securities, (A) first, the Ordinary Shares or other securities for the account of the demanding persons, Pro Rata, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; (B) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clause (A), the Ordinary Shares or other securities that the Company desires to sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; (C) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A) and (B), the shares of Registrable Securities , Pro Rata, as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the terms hereof, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; and (D) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A), (B) and (C), the Ordinary Shares or other securities for the account of other persons that the Company is obligated to register pursuant to written contractual arrangements with such persons, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; and

 

(c)       If the registration is a “demand” registration undertaken at the demand of persons other than either the holders of Registrable Securities or of Investor Securities, (A) first, the Ordinary Shares or other securities for the account of the demanding persons that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; (B) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clause (A), the Ordinary Shares or other securities that the Company desires to sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; (C) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A) and (B), collectively the Ordinary Shares or other securities comprised of Registrable Securities and Investor Securities, Pro Rata, as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the terms hereof and of the Registration Rights Agreement, as applicable, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; and (D) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A), (B) and (C), the Ordinary Shares or other securities for the account of other persons that the Company is obligated to register pursuant to written contractual arrangements with such persons, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares.

 

5.2.3.       Withdrawal. Any holder of Registrable Securities may elect to withdraw such holder’s request for inclusion of Registrable Securities in any Piggy-Back Registration by giving written notice to the Company of such request to withdraw prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement. The Company (whether on its own determination or as the result of a withdrawal by persons making a demand pursuant to written contractual obligations) may withdraw a registration statement at any time prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement.

 

5.2.4.       Terms. The Company shall bear all fees and expenses attendant to registering the Registrable Securities, including the expenses of one legal counsel, not to exceed $5,000, selected by the Holders to represent them in connection with the sale of the Registrable Securities but the Holders shall pay any and all underwriting commissions related to the Registrable Securities and all transfer taxes. In the event of such a proposed registration, the Company shall furnish the then Holders of outstanding Registrable Securities with not less than fifteen days written notice prior to the proposed date of filing of such registration statement. Such notice to the Holders shall continue to be given for each applicable registration statement filed (during the period in which the Purchase Option is exercisable) by the Company until such time as all of the Registrable Securities have been registered and sold. The Holders of the Registrable Securities shall exercise the “piggy-back” rights provided for herein by giving written notice, within ten days of the receipt of the Company’s notice of its intention to file a registration statement. The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause any registration statement filed pursuant to the above “piggyback” rights to remain effective for at least three months from the date that the Holders of the Registrable Securities are first given the opportunity to sell all of such securities.

 

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5.3.         General Terms.

 

5.3.1.       Indemnification. The Company shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, indemnify the Holder(s) of the Registrable Securities to be sold pursuant to any registration statement hereunder and each person, if any, who controls such Holders within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”), against all loss, claim, damage, expense or liability (including all reasonable attorneys’ fees and other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against litigation, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever whether arising out of any action between the underwriter and the Company or between the underwriter and any third party or otherwise) to which any of them may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, arising from such registration statement but only to the same extent and with the same effect as the provisions pursuant to which the Company has agreed to indemnify the underwriters contained in Section 5 of the Underwriting Agreement between the Company, EarlyBirdCapital Inc. (“EBC”) and the other underwriters named therein dated the Effective Date. The Holder(s) of the Registrable Securities to be sold pursuant to such registration statement, and their successors and assigns, shall severally, and not jointly, indemnify the Company, its officers and directors and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act, against all loss, claim, damage, expense or liability (including all reasonable attorneys’ fees and other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any claim whatsoever) to which they may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, arising from information furnished by or on behalf of such Holders, or their successors or assigns for specific inclusion in such registration statement or arising from any omission or the alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statement contained therein not misleading in connection with the registration of the Registrable Securities, to the same extent and with the same effect as the provisions contained in Section 5 of the Underwriting Agreement pursuant to which the underwriters have agreed to indemnify the Company.

 

5.3.2.       Exercise of Purchase Option. Nothing contained in this Purchase Option shall be construed as requiring the Holder(s) to exercise their Purchase Option or Warrants underlying such Purchase Option prior to or after the initial filing of any registration statement or the effectiveness thereof.

 

5.3.3.       Documents Delivered to Holders. The Company shall furnish EBC for as long as it is a Holder, as representative of the Holders participating in any of the foregoing offerings, a signed counterpart, addressed to the participating Holders, of (i) an opinion of counsel to the Company, dated the effective date of such registration statement (and, if such registration includes an underwritten public offering, an opinion dated the date of the closing under any underwriting agreement related thereto), and (ii) if such registration statement is filed in connection of an underwritten public offering, a “cold comfort” letter dated the effective date of such registration statement (and, if such registration includes an underwritten public offering, a letter dated the date of the closing under the underwriting agreement) signed by the independent public accountants who have issued a report on the Company’s financial statements included in such registration statement, in each case covering substantially the same matters with respect to such registration statement (and the prospectus included therein) and, in the case of such accountants’ letter, with respect to events subsequent to the date of such financial statements, as are customarily covered in opinions of issuer’s counsel and in accountants’ letters delivered to underwriters in underwritten public offerings of securities. The Company shall also deliver promptly to EBC for as long as it is a Holder, as representative of the Holders participating in the offering, the correspondence and memoranda described below and copies of all correspondence between the Commission and the Company, its counsel or auditors and all memoranda relating to discussions with the Commission or its staff with respect to the registration statement and permit EBC, as representative of the Holders, to do such investigation, upon reasonable advance notice, with respect to information contained in or omitted from the registration statement as it deems reasonably necessary to comply with applicable securities laws or rules of FINRA. Such investigation shall include access to books, records and properties and opportunities to discuss the business of the Company with its officers and independent auditors, all to such reasonable extent and at such reasonable times and as often as EBC, as representative of the Holders, shall reasonably request. The Company shall not be required to disclose any confidential information or other records to EBC, as representative of the Holders, or to any other person, until and unless such persons shall have entered into reasonable confidentiality agreements (in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company), with the Company with respect thereto, or if EBC is not a Holder.

 

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5.3.4.       Underwriting Agreement. The Company shall enter into an underwriting agreement with the managing underwriter(s), if any, selected by any Holders whose Registrable Securities are being registered pursuant to this Section 5, which managing underwriter shall be reasonably acceptable to the Company. Such agreement shall be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Company, each Holder and such managing underwriters, and shall contain such representations, warranties and covenants by the Company and such other terms as are customarily contained in agreements of that type used by the managing underwriter. The Holders shall be parties to any underwriting agreement relating to an underwritten sale of their Registrable Securities and may, at their option, require that any or all the representations, warranties and covenants of the Company to or for the benefit of such underwriters shall also be made to and for the benefit of such Holders. Such Holders shall not be required to make any representations or warranties to or agreements with the Company or the underwriters except as they may relate to such Holders and their intended methods of distribution. Such Holders, however, shall agree to such covenants and indemnification and contribution obligations for selling shareholders as are customarily contained in agreements of that type used by the managing underwriter. Further, such Holders shall execute appropriate custody agreements and otherwise cooperate fully in the preparation of the registration statement and other documents relating to any offering in which they include securities pursuant to this Section 5. Each Holder shall also furnish to the Company such information regarding itself, the Registrable Securities held by it, and the intended method of disposition of such securities as shall be reasonably required to effect the registration of the Registrable Securities.

 

5.3.5.       Rule 144 Sale. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Section 5 to the contrary, the Company shall have no obligation pursuant to Sections 5.1 or 5.2 to use any efforts to obtain the registration of Registrable Securities held by any Holder (i) where such Holder would then be entitled to sell under Rule 144 within any three-month period (or such other period prescribed under Rule 144 as may be provided by amendment thereof) all of the Registrable Securities then held by such Holder, or (ii) where the number of Registrable Securities held by such Holder is within the volume limitations under paragraph (e) of Rule 144 (calculated as if such Holder were an affiliate within the meaning of Rule 144).

 

5.3.6.       Supplemental Prospectus. Each Holder agrees, that upon receipt of any notice from the Company of the happening of any event as a result of which the prospectus included in the registration statement, as then in effect, includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances then existing, such Holder will immediately discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities pursuant to the registration statement covering such Registrable Securities until such Holder’s receipt of the copies of a supplemental or amended prospectus, and, if so desired by the Company, such Holder shall deliver to the Company (at the expense of the Company) or destroy (and deliver to the Company a certificate of such destruction) all copies, other than permanent file copies then in such Holder’s possession, of the prospectus covering such Registrable Securities current at the time of receipt of such notice. Each Holder agrees that it shall be liable for, and indemnify the Company for any breach of this Section 5.3.6.

 

6.            Adjustments.

 

6.1.         Adjustments to Exercise Price and Number of Securities. The Exercise Price and the number of Units underlying the Purchase Option shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as hereinafter set forth:

 

6.1.1.       Share Dividends - Split-Ups. If after the date hereof, and subject to the provisions of Section 6.3 below, the number of outstanding Ordinary Shares is increased by a share dividend payable in Ordinary Shares or by a split-up of Ordinary Shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date thereof, the number of Ordinary Shares underlying each of the Units purchasable hereunder shall be increased in proportion to such increase in outstanding shares and the Exercise Price shall be proportionately decreased. In such case, the number of Ordinary Shares, and the exercise price applicable thereto, underlying the Warrants underlying each of the Units purchasable hereunder shall be adjusted in accordance with the terms of the Warrants.

 

6.1.2.       Aggregation of Shares. If after the date hereof, and subject to the provisions of Section 6.3, the number of outstanding Ordinary Shares is decreased by a consolidation, combination or reclassification of Ordinary Shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date thereof, the number of Ordinary Shares underlying each of the Units purchasable hereunder shall be decreased in proportion to such decrease in outstanding shares, and the Exercise Price shall be proportionately increased. In such case, the number of Ordinary Shares, and the exercise price applicable thereto, underlying the Warrants underlying each of the Units purchasable hereunder shall be adjusted in accordance with the terms of the Warrants.

 

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6.1.3.       Replacement of Securities upon Reorganization, etc. In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding Ordinary Shares other than a change covered by Section 6.1.1 or 6.1.2 hereof or that solely affects the par value of such Ordinary Shares, or in the case of any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another corporation (other than a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing corporation and that does not result in any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding Ordinary Shares), or in the case of any sale or conveyance to another corporation or entity of the property of the Company as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in connection with which the Company is dissolved, the Holder of this Purchase Option shall have the right thereafter (until the expiration of the right of exercise of this Purchase Option) to receive upon the exercise hereof, for the same aggregate Exercise Price payable hereunder immediately prior to such event, 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, by a Holder of the number of Ordinary Shares of the Company obtainable upon exercise of this Purchase Option and the underlying Rights and Warrants immediately prior to such event; and if any reclassification also results in a change in Ordinary Shares covered by Section 6.1.1 or 6.1.2, then such adjustment shall be made pursuant to Sections 6.1.1, 6.1.2 and this Section 6.1.3. The provisions of this Section 6.1.3 shall similarly apply to successive reclassifications, reorganizations, mergers or consolidations, sales or other transfers.

 

6.1.4.       Changes in Form of Purchase Option. This form of Purchase Option need not be changed because of any change pursuant to this Section, and a Purchase Option issued after such change may state the same Exercise Price and the same number of Units as are stated in the Purchase Option as initially issued. The acceptance by any Holder of the issuance of a new Purchase Option reflecting a required or permissive change shall not be deemed to waive any rights to an adjustment occurring after the Commencement Date or the computation thereof.

 

6.2.         Substitute Purchase Option. In case of any consolidation of the Company with, or merger of the Company with, or merger of the Company into, another corporation (other than a consolidation or merger which does not result in any reclassification or change of the outstanding Ordinary Shares), the corporation formed by such consolidation or merger shall execute and deliver to the Holder a supplemental Purchase Option providing that the holder of each Purchase Option then outstanding or to be outstanding shall have the right thereafter (until the stated expiration of such Purchase Option) to receive, upon exercise of such Purchase Option, the kind and amount of shares and other securities and property receivable upon such consolidation or merger, by a holder of the number of Ordinary Shares of the Company for which such Purchase Option might have been exercised immediately prior to such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer. Such supplemental Purchase Option shall provide for adjustments which shall be identical to the adjustments provided in Section 6.1. The above provision of this Section shall similarly apply to successive consolidations or mergers.

 

6.3.         Elimination of Fractional Interests. The Company shall not be required to issue certificates representing fractions of Ordinary Shares or Warrants upon the exercise of the Purchase Option, nor shall it be required to issue scrip or pay cash in lieu of any fractional interests, it being the intent of the parties that all fractional interests shall be eliminated by rounding any fraction up or down to the nearest whole number of Warrants, Ordinary Shares or other securities, properties or rights (or as otherwise provided pursuant to the Warrants Agreement or Rights Agreement, as the case may be).

 

7.            Reservation and Listing.

 

The Company shall at all times reserve and keep available out of its authorized but unissued Ordinary Shares, solely for the purpose of issuance upon exercise of the Purchase Option (including the Ordinary Shares underlying the Rights) or the Warrants underlying the Purchase Option, such number of Ordinary Shares or other securities, properties or rights as shall be issuable upon the exercise thereof. The Company covenants and agrees that, upon exercise of the Purchase Option and payment of the Exercise Price therefor, all Ordinary Shares and other securities issuable upon such exercise shall be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and not subject to preemptive rights of any shareholder. The Company further covenants and agrees that upon exercise of the Warrants underlying the Purchase Option and payment of the respective Warrant exercise price therefor, all Ordinary Shares and other securities issuable upon such exercise shall be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and not subject to preemptive rights of any shareholder.

 

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8.            Certain Notice Requirements.

 

8.1.         Holder’s Right to Receive Notice. Nothing herein shall be construed as conferring upon the Holders the right to vote or consent as a shareholder for the election of directors or any other matter, or as having any rights whatsoever as a shareholder of the Company. If, however, at any time prior to the expiration of the Purchase Option and its exercise, any of the events described in Section 8.2 shall occur, then, in one or more of said events, the Company shall give written notice of such event at least fifteen days prior to the date fixed as a record date or the date of closing the transfer books for the determination of the shareholders entitled to such dividend, distribution, conversion or exchange of securities or subscription rights, or entitled to vote on such proposed dissolution, liquidation, winding up or sale. Such notice shall specify such record date or the date of the closing of the transfer books, as the case may be. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall deliver to each Holder a copy of each notice given to the other shareholders of the Company at the same time and in the same manner that such notice is given to the shareholders.

 

8.2.         Events Requiring Notice. The Company shall be required to give the notice described in this Section 8 upon one or more of the following events: (i) if the Company shall take a record of the holders of its Ordinary Shares for the purpose of entitling them to receive a dividend or distribution payable otherwise than in cash, or a cash dividend or distribution payable otherwise than out of retained earnings, as indicated by the accounting treatment of such dividend or distribution on the books of the Company, or (ii) the Company shall offer to all the holders of its Ordinary Shares any additional shares of the Company or securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of the Company, or any option, right or warrant to subscribe therefor, or (iii) a dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the Company (other than in connection with a consolidation or merger) or a sale of all or substantially all of its property, assets and business shall be proposed. The parties hereto agree that any breach of this Section 8.2 shall not invalidate any of the events described in this Section 8.2 or make or deem such events not authorized.

 

8.3.         Notice of Change in Exercise Price. The Company shall, promptly after an event requiring a change in the Exercise Price pursuant to Section 6 hereof, send notice to the Holders of such event and change (“Price Notice”). The Price Notice shall describe the event causing the change and the method of calculating same and shall be certified as being true and accurate by the Company’s President and Chief Financial Officer.

 

8.4.         Transmittal of Notices. All notices, requests, consents and other communications under this Purchase Option shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly made when hand delivered, or mailed by express mail or private courier service, or receipt is acknowledged if sent via facsimile: (i) if to the registered Holder of the Purchase Option, to the address of such Holder as shown on the books of the Company, or (ii) if to the Company, to the following address or to such other address as the Company may designate by notice to the Holders:

 

Bison Capital Acquisition Corp.

609-610 21st Century Tower

No. 40 Liangmaqiao Road

Chaoyang District, Beijing, China 100016

Attn: James Jiayuan Tong

Fax: +86 10 84446968, ext. 800

 

with a copy in each case (which shall not constitute notice) to:

 

Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC

1450 Broadway, 26th Floor

New York, New York 10018

Fax: 212-202-6380

Attn: Arila Zhou, Esq.

 

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9.            Miscellaneous.

 

9.1.         Amendments. The Company and EBC, for as long as it is a Holder, may from time to time supplement or amend this Purchase Option without the approval of any of the Holders in order to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision contained herein that may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, or to make any other provisions in regard to matters or questions arising hereunder that the Company and EBC may deem necessary or desirable and that the Company and EBC deem shall not adversely affect the interest of the Holders. All other modifications or amendments shall require the written consent of and be signed by the party against whom enforcement of the modification or amendment is sought.

 

9.2.         Headings. The headings contained herein are for the sole purpose of convenience of reference, and shall not in any way limit or affect the meaning or interpretation of any of the terms or provisions of this Purchase Option.

 

9.3.         Entire Agreement. This Purchase Option (together with the other letters, agreements and documents being delivered pursuant to or in connection with this Purchase Option) constitutes the entire agreement of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof, and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings of the parties, oral and written, with respect to the subject matter hereof.

 

9.4.         Binding Effect. This Purchase Option shall inure solely to the benefit of and shall be binding upon, the Holder and the Company and their permitted assignees, respective successors, legal representative and assigns, and no other person shall have or be construed to have any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of or by virtue of this Purchase Option or any provisions herein contained.

 

9.5.         Governing Law; Submission to Jurisdiction. This Purchase Option shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to conflict of laws. Each of the Holder and the Company hereby agree that any action, proceeding or claim against it arising out of, or relating in any way to this Purchase Option shall be resolved through final and binding arbitration in accordance with the International Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”). The arbitration shall be brought before the AAA International Center for Dispute Resolution’s offices in New York City, New York, will be conducted in English and will be decided by a panel of three arbitrators selected from the AAA Commercial Disputes Panel and that the arbitrator panel’s decision shall be final and enforceable by any court having jurisdiction over the party from whom enforcement is sought. The cost of such arbitrators and arbitration services, together with the prevailing party’s legal fees and expenses, shall be borne by the non-prevailing party or as otherwise directed by the arbitrators. The Company hereby appoints, without power of revocation, CT Corporation System, 111 Eighth Avenue, New York, New York 10011, as agent to accept and acknowledge on its behalf of any and all process which may be served in any arbitration, action, proceeding or counterclaim in any way relating to or arising out of this Purchase Option.

 

9.6.         Waiver, etc. The failure of the Company or the Holder to at any time enforce any of the provisions of this Purchase Option shall not be deemed or construed to be a waiver of any such provision, nor to in any way affect the validity of this Purchase Option or any provision hereof or the right of the Company or any Holder to thereafter enforce each and every provision of this Purchase Option. No waiver of any breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment of any of the provisions of this Purchase Option shall be effective unless set forth in a written instrument executed by the party or parties against whom or which enforcement of such waiver is sought; and no waiver of any such breach, non-compliance or non- fulfillment shall be construed or deemed to be a waiver of any other or subsequent breach or non-compliance.

 

9.7.         Execution in Counterparts. This Purchase Option may be executed in one or more counterparts, and by the different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement, and shall become effective when one or more counterparts has been signed by each of the parties hereto and delivered to each of the other parties hereto.

 

9.8.         Exchange Agreement. As a condition of the Holder’s receipt and acceptance of this Purchase Option, Holder agrees that, at any time prior to the complete exercise of this Purchase Option by Holder, if the Company and EBC enter into an agreement (“Exchange Agreement”) pursuant to which they agree that all outstanding Purchase Option will be exchanged for securities or cash or a combination of both, then Holder shall be deemed to have agreed to such exchange and it shall become a party to the Exchange Agreement.

 

9.9.         Representations and Warranties. The Holder’s receipt and acceptance of this Purchase Option and any subsequent exercises of this Purchase Option are subject to the Company receiving any representations and warranties the Company reasonably requests in order to ensure compliance with the Act.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Purchase Option to be signed by its duly authorized officer as of the ____ day of ___________, 2017.

 

  BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP.
     
  By:  
  Name:  James Jianyuan Tong
  Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

 13 

 

 

Form to be used to exercise Purchase Option:

 

Bison Capital Acquisition Corp.

[●]

Fax No.: [●]

Attn.: James Jianyuan Tong

Date:_________________, 20___

 

The undersigned hereby elects irrevocably to exercise all or a portion of the within Purchase Option and to purchase ____ Units of Bison Capital Acquisition Corp. and hereby makes payment of $____________ (at the rate of $_________ per Unit) in payment of the Exercise Price pursuant thereto. Please issue the securities as to which this Purchase Option is exercised in accordance with the instructions given below.

 

or

 

The undersigned hereby elects irrevocably to convert its right to purchase _________ Units purchasable under the within Purchase Option by surrender of the unexercised portion of the attached Purchase Option (with a “Value” based of $_______ based on a “Market Price” of $_______). Please issue the securities comprising the Units as to which this Purchase Option is exercised in accordance with the instructions given below.

 

     
    NOTICE:  The signature to this assignment must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the purchase option in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatever.
     
Signature(s) Guaranteed:    
     
     
THE SIGNATURE(S) SHOULD BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM, PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15).    

 

INSTRUCTIONS FOR REGISTRATION OF SECURITIES

 

Name of Unitholder: _________________________________________
                                              (Print in block letters)

 

Address: _________________________________________________

 

 

 

 

Form to be used to assign Purchase Option:

 

ASSIGNMENT

 

(To be executed by the registered Holder to effect a transfer of the within Purchase Option):

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED,______________________________________________ does hereby sell, assign and transfer unto___________________________________________ the right to purchase __________ Units of Bison Capital Acquisition Corp. (“Company”) evidenced by the within Purchase Option and does hereby authorize the Company to transfer such right on the books of the Company.

 

The address of the transferee is:________________

 

Dated: ___________________, 20__

 

     
    Signature
     
    NOTICE:  The signature to this assignment must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the purchase option in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatever.
     
Signature(s) Guaranteed:    
     
     
THE SIGNATURE(S) SHOULD BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM, PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15).    

 

 

2

 

 

EX-4.7 9 fs12017ex4vii_bisoncapital.htm FORM OF RIGHT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY AND THE REGISTRANT.

Exhibit 4.7

 

RIGHT AGREEMENT

 

Agreement made as of __________, 2017 between Bison Capital Acquisition Corp., a British Virgin Islands company, with offices at 609-610 21st Century Tower, No. 40 Liangmaqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China 100016 (the “Company”), and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York corporation, with offices at 17 Battery Place, New York, New York 10004 (the “Right Agent”).

 

WHEREAS, the Company has received binding commitments from Bison Capital Holding Company Limited (“Bison Capital”) and EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. (“EBC”) to purchase up to an aggregate of 416,250 units, each unit (“Unit”) comprised of one ordinary share of the Company, no par value (“Ordinary Share”), one right to receive one-tenth of one Ordinary Share (“Right”) upon the happening of the triggering event described herein, and one warrant to purchase one half of one ordinary share (“Warrant”), and in connection therewith, will issue and deliver up to an aggregate of 416,250 Rights upon consummation of such private placement (“Private Offering”); and

 

WHEREAS, the Company is engaged in a public offering (“Public Offering”) of Units and, in connection therewith, will issue and deliver up to 5,750,000 Rights to the public investors and 150,000 Rights (underlying unit purchase options) to EBC or its designees; and

 

WHEREAS, the Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a Registration Statement on Form S-1, No. 333-[●] (“Registration Statement”), for the registration, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Act”) of, among other securities, the Rights and the Ordinary Shares issuable to the holders of the Rights; and

 

WHEREAS, the Company desires the Right Agent to act on behalf of the Company, and the Right Agent is willing to so act, in connection with the issuance, registration, transfer and exchange of the Rights; and

 

WHEREAS, the Company desires to provide for the form and provisions of the Rights, the terms upon which they shall be issued, and the respective rights, limitation of rights, and immunities of the Company, the Right Agent, and the holders of the Rights; and

 

WHEREAS, all acts and things have been done and performed which are necessary to make the Rights, when executed on behalf of the Company and countersigned by or on behalf of the Right Agent, as provided herein, the valid, binding and legal obligations of the Company, and to authorize the execution and delivery of this Agreement.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements herein contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1.            Appointment of Right Agent. The Company hereby appoints the Right Agent to act as agent for the Company for the Rights, and the Right Agent hereby accepts such appointment and agrees to perform the same in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.

 

2.            Rights.

 

2.1.         Form of Right. Each Right shall be issued in registered form only, shall be in substantially the form of Exhibit A hereto, the provisions of which are incorporated herein and shall be signed by the Chairman of the Board or Chief Executive Officer and Treasurer, Secretary or Assistant Secretary of the Company and shall bear a facsimile of the Company’s seal. In the event the person whose facsimile signature has been placed upon any Right shall have ceased to serve in the capacity in which such person signed the Right before such Right is issued, it may be issued with the same effect as if he or she had not ceased to be such at the date of issuance.

 

2.2.         Effect of Countersignature. Unless and until countersigned by the Right Agent pursuant to this Agreement, a Right shall be invalid and of no effect and may not be exchanged for shares of Ordinary Shares.

 

 

 

 

2.3.        Registration.

 

2.3.1.        Right Register. The Right Agent shall maintain books (“Right Register”) for the registration of original issuance and the registration of transfer of the Rights. Upon the initial issuance of the Rights, the Right Agent shall issue and register the Rights in the names of the respective holders thereof in such denominations and otherwise in accordance with instructions delivered to the Right Agent by the Company.

 

2.3.2.        Registered Holder. Prior to due presentment for registration of transfer of any Right, the Company and the Right Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name such Right shall be registered upon the Right Register (“registered holder”) as the absolute owner of such Right and of each Right represented thereby (notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing on the Right Certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Right Agent), for the purpose of the exchange thereof, and for all other purposes, and neither the Company nor the Right Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.

 

2.4.        Detachability of Rights. The securities comprising the Units, including the Rights, will not be separately transferable until the ninetieth (90th) day after the date hereof unless EBC informs the Company of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, but in no event will separate trading of the securities comprising the Units begin until (i) the Company files a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes an audited balance sheet reflecting the receipt by the Company of the gross proceeds of the Public Offering including the proceeds received by the Company from the exercise of the over-allotment option, if the over-allotment option is exercised on the date hereof, and (ii) the Company issues a press release and files a Current Report on Form 8-K announcing when such separate trading shall begin.

 

3.           Terms and Exchange of Rights

 

3.1.        Rights. Each Right shall entitle the holder thereof to receive one-tenth of one Ordinary Share upon the happening of an Exchange Event (described below). No additional consideration shall be paid by a holder of Rights in order to receive his, her or its shares of Ordinary Shares upon an Exchange Event as the purchase price for such shares of Ordinary Shares has been included in the purchase price for the Units. In no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the Rights or issue fractional Ordinary Shares.

 

3.2.        Exchange Event. An Exchange Event shall occur upon the Company’s consummation of an initial Business Combination (as defined in the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association).

 

3.3.        Exchange of Rights.

 

3.3.1.        Issuance of Certificates. As soon as practicable upon the occurrence of an Exchange Event, the Company shall direct holders of the Rights to return their Rights Certificates to the Right Agent. Upon receipt of a valid Rights Certificate, the Company shall issue to the registered holder of such Right(s) the number of full Ordinary Shares to which he, she or it is entitled, registered in such name or names as may be directed by him, her or it and issue to such registered holder(s) a certificate for the such shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, or any provision contained in this Rights Agreement to the contrary, in no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the Rights. The Company shall not issue fractional shares upon exchange of Rights. In the event that any holder would otherwise be entitled to any fractional share upon exchange of Rights, at the time of an Exchange Event, the Company will instruct the Right Agent how any such entitlement will be addressed. To the fullest extent permitted by the Company's Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association the Company reserves the right to deal with any such fractional entitlement at the relevant time in any manner permitted by the Act and the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles, which would include the rounding down of any entitlement to receive Ordinary Shares to the nearest whole share (and in effect extinguishing any fractional entitlement), or the holder being entitled to hold any remaining fractional entitlement (without any share being issued) and to aggregate the same with any future fractional entitlement to receive shares in the Company until the holder is entitled to receive a whole number. Any rounding down and extinguishment may be done with or without any in lieu cash payment or other compensation being made to the holder of the relevant Rights, such that value received on exchange of the Rights may be considered less than the value that the holder would otherwise expect to receive.

 

 2 

 

 

3.3.2.        Valid Issuance. All Ordinary Shares issued upon an Exchange Event in conformity with this Agreement shall be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

 

3.3.3.        Date of Issuance. Each person in whose name any such certificate for Ordinary Shares is issued shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of such shares on the date of the Exchange Event, irrespective of the date of delivery of such certificate.

 

3.3.4.       Company Not Surviving Following Exchange Event. Upon an Exchange Event in which the Company does not continue as the publicly held reporting entity, the definitive agreement will provide for the holders of Rights to receive the same per share consideration the holders of the Ordinary Shares will receive in such transaction, for the number of shares such holder is entitled to pursuant to Section 3.3.1 above. Each holder of a Right will be required to affirmatively convert his/her or its rights in order to receive the 1/10 share underlying each right (without paying any additional consideration) upon consummation of the Exchange Event. Each holder of a Right will be required to indicate his, her or its election to convert the Rights into underlying shares as well as to return the original certificates evidencing the Rights to the Company.

 

3.4.         Duration of Rights. If an Exchange Event does not occur within the time period set forth in the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, as the same may be amended from time to time, the Rights shall expire and shall be worthless.

 

4.           Transfer and Exchange of Rights.

 

4.1.        Registration of Transfer. The Right Agent shall register the transfer, from time to time, of any outstanding Right upon the Right Register, upon surrender of such Right for transfer, properly endorsed with signatures properly guaranteed and accompanied by appropriate instructions for transfer. Upon any such transfer, a new Right representing an equal aggregate number of Rights shall be issued and the old Right shall be cancelled by the Right Agent. The Rights so cancelled shall be delivered by the Right Agent to the Company from time to time upon request.

 

4.2.         Procedure for Surrender of Rights. Rights may be surrendered to the Right Agent, together with a written request for exchange or transfer, and thereupon the Right Agent shall issue in exchange therefor one or more new Rights as requested by the registered holder of the Rights so surrendered, representing an equal aggregate number of Rights; provided, however, that in the event that a Right surrendered for transfer bears a restrictive legend, the Right Agent shall not cancel such Right and issue new Rights in exchange therefor until the Right Agent has received an opinion of counsel for the Company stating that such transfer may be made and indicating whether the new Rights must also bear a restrictive legend.

 

4.3.         Fractional Rights. The Right Agent shall not be required to effect any registration of transfer or exchange which will result in the issuance of a Right Certificate for a fraction of a Right.

 

4.4.         Service Charges. No service charge shall be made for any exchange or registration of transfer of Rights.

 

4.5.         Right Execution and Countersignature. The Right Agent is hereby authorized to countersign and to deliver, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Rights required to be issued pursuant to the provisions of this Section 4, and the Company, whenever required by the Right Agent, will supply the Right Agent with Rights duly executed on behalf of the Company for such purpose.

 

5.          Other Provisions Relating to Rights of Holders of Rights.

 

5.1.         No Rights as Shareholder. Until exchange of a Right for shares of Ordinary Shares as provided for herein, a Right does not entitle the registered holder thereof to any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to receive dividends, or other distributions, exercise any preemptive rights to vote or to consent or to receive notice as shareholders in respect of the meetings of shareholders or the election of directors of the Company or any other matter.

 

 3 

 

 

5.2.        Lost, Stolen, Mutilated, or Destroyed Rights. If any Right is lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed, the Company and the Right Agent may on such terms as to indemnity or otherwise as they may in their discretion impose (which shall, in the case of a mutilated Right, include the surrender thereof), issue a new Right of like denomination, tenor, and date as the Right so lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed. Any such new Right shall constitute a substitute contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the allegedly lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed Right shall be at any time enforceable by anyone.

 

5.3.        Reservation of Ordinary Shares. The Company shall at all times reserve and keep available a number of its authorized but unissued shares of Ordinary Shares that will be sufficient to permit the exchange of all outstanding Rights issued pursuant to this Agreement.

 

6.           Concerning the Right Agent and Other Matters.

 

6.1.        Payment of Taxes. The Company will from time to time promptly pay all taxes and charges that may be imposed upon the Company or the Right Agent in respect of the issuance or delivery of shares of Ordinary Shares upon the exchange of Rights, but the Company shall not be obligated to pay any transfer taxes in respect of the Rights or such shares.

 

6.2.         Resignation, Consolidation, or Merger of Right Agent.

 

6.2.1.        Appointment of Successor Right Agent. The Right Agent, or any successor to it hereafter appointed, may resign its duties and be discharged from all further duties and liabilities hereunder after giving sixty (60) days’ notice in writing to the Company. If the office of the Right Agent becomes vacant by resignation or incapacity to act or otherwise, the Company shall appoint in writing a successor Right Agent in place of the Right Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of 30 days after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the Right Agent or by the holder of the Right (who shall, with such notice, submit his, her or its Right for inspection by the Company), then the holder of any Right may apply to the Supreme Court of the State of New York for the County of New York for the appointment of a successor Right Agent at the Company’s cost. Any successor Right Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such court, shall be a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York, in good standing and having its principal office in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York, and authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers and subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority. After appointment, any successor Right Agent shall be vested with all the authority, powers, rights, immunities, duties, and obligations of its predecessor Right Agent with like effect as if originally named as Right Agent hereunder, without any further act or deed; but if for any reason it becomes necessary or appropriate, the predecessor Right Agent shall execute and deliver, at the expense of the Company, an instrument transferring to such successor Right Agent all the authority, powers, and rights of such predecessor Right Agent hereunder; and upon request of any successor Right Agent the Company shall make, execute, acknowledge, and deliver any and all instruments in writing for more fully and effectually vesting in and confirming to such successor Right Agent all such authority, powers, rights, immunities, duties, and obligations.

 

6.2.2.        Notice of Successor Right Agent. In the event a successor Right Agent shall be appointed, the Company shall give notice thereof to the predecessor Right Agent and the transfer agent for the Ordinary Shares not later than the effective date of any such appointment.

 

6.2.3.        Merger or Consolidation of Right Agent. Any corporation into which the Right Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated or any corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Right Agent shall be a party shall be the successor Right Agent under this Agreement without any further act.

 

6.3.        Fees and Expenses of Right Agent.

 

6.3.1.        Remuneration. The Company agrees to pay the Right Agent reasonable remuneration for its services as such Right Agent hereunder and will reimburse the Right Agent upon demand for all expenditures that the Right Agent may reasonably incur in the execution of its duties hereunder.

 

 4 

 

 

6.3.2.         Further Assurances. The Company agrees to perform, execute, acknowledge, and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged, and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments, and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Right Agent for the carrying out or performing of the provisions of this Agreement.

 

6.4.         Liability of Right Agent.

 

6.4.1.        Reliance on Company Statement. Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Right Agreement, the Right Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a statement signed by the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer and delivered to the Right Agent. The Right Agent may rely upon such statement for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement. 

 

6.4.2.        Indemnity. The Right Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith. The Company agrees to indemnify the Right Agent and save it harmless against any and all liabilities, including judgments, costs and reasonable counsel fees, for anything done or omitted by the Right Agent in the execution of this Agreement except as a result of the Right Agent’s gross negligence, willful misconduct, or bad faith.

 

6.4.3.        Exclusions. The Right Agent shall have no responsibility with respect to the validity of this Agreement or with respect to the validity or execution of any Right (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Right; nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any Ordinary Shares to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Right or as to whether any Ordinary Shares will when issued be valid and fully paid and nonassessable.

 

6.5.        Acceptance of Agency. The Right Agent hereby accepts the agency established by this Agreement and agrees to perform the same upon the terms and conditions herein set forth.

 

6.6.        Waiver. The Right Agent hereby waives any right of set-off or any other right, title, interest or claim of any kind (“Claim”) in, or to any distribution of, the Trust Account (as defined in that certain Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and between the Company and the Right Agent as trustee thereunder) and hereby agrees not to seek recourse, reimbursement, payment or satisfaction for any Claim against the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever.

 

7.           Miscellaneous Provisions.

 

7.1.        Successors. All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Right Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns.

 

7.2.        Notices. Any notice, statement or demand authorized by this Right Agreement to be given or made by the Right Agent or by the holder of any Right to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given when so delivered if by hand or overnight delivery or if sent by certified mail or private courier service within five days after deposit of such notice, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing by the Company with the Right Agent), as follows:

 

Bison Capital Acquisition Corp.

609-610 21st Century Tower

No. 40 Liangmaquaio Road

Chaoyang District, Beijing, China 100016

Attn: James Jiayuan Tong, Chief Executive Officer

And Chief Executive Officer

Fax: +81 10 84446968

 

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Any notice, statement or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the holder of any Right or by the Company to or on the Right Agent shall be sufficiently given when so delivered if by hand or overnight delivery or if sent by certified mail or private courier service within five days after deposit of such notice, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing by the Right Agent with the Company), as follows:

 

Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company

1 State Street, 30th Floor

New York, New York 10004

Fax: (212) 616-7620

Attn: Steven Nelson and Fran Wolf

 

with a copy in each case (which shall not constitute notice) to:

 

Hunter Taubman Fischer &Li LLC

1450 Broadway, 26th Floor

New York, New York 10018

Fax: 212-202-6380

Attn: Arila Zhou, Esq.

 

and

 

Graubard Miller

405 Lexington Avenue

New York, New York 10174

Attn: David Alan Miller, Esq.

Fax: (212) 818-8881

 

and

 

EarlyBirdCapital, Inc.

366 Madison Avenue, 28th Floor

New York, New York 10017

Attn: Steven Levine, Chief Executive Officer

Fax: (212) 661-4936

 

7.3.        Applicable Law. The validity, interpretation, and performance of this Agreement and of the Rights shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to conflicts of law principles that would result in the application of the substantive laws of another jurisdiction. The Parties hereby agree that any action, proceeding or claim against it arising out of or relating in any way to this Agreement shall be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be exclusive. The Company hereby waives any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenience forum. Any such process or summons to be served upon the Company may be served by transmitting a copy thereof by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed to it at the address set forth in Section 9.2 hereof. Such mailing shall be deemed personal service and shall be legal and binding upon the Company in any action, proceeding or claim.

 

7.4.        Persons Having Rights under this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement expressed and nothing that may be implied from any of the provisions hereof is intended, or shall be construed, to confer upon, or give to, any person or corporation other than the parties hereto and the registered holders of the Rights and, for the purposes of Sections 3.1, 7.4 and 7.8 hereof, EBC, any right, remedy, or claim under or by reason of this Right Agreement or of any covenant, condition, stipulation, promise, or agreement hereof. EBC shall be deemed to be a third-party beneficiary of this Agreement with respect to Sections 3.1, 7.4 and 7.8 hereof. All covenants, conditions, stipulations, promises, and agreements contained in this Right Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto (and EBC with respect to the Sections 3.1, 7.4 and 7.8 hereof) and their successors and assigns and of the registered holders of the Rights.

 

 6 

 

 

7.5.        Examination of the Right Agreement. A copy of this Agreement shall be available at all reasonable times at the office of the Right Agent in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York, for inspection by the registered holder of any Right. The Right Agent may require any such holder to submit his, her or its Right for inspection by it.

 

7.6.        Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of original or facsimile counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.

 

7.7.        Effect of Headings. The Section headings herein are for convenience only and are not part of this Right Agreement and shall not affect the interpretation thereof.

 

7.8.        Amendments. This Agreement may be amended by the parties hereto without the consent of any registered holder for the purpose of curing any ambiguity, or of curing, correcting or supplementing any defective provision contained herein or adding or changing any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under this Agreement as the parties may deem necessary or desirable and that the parties deem shall not adversely affect the interest of the registered holders. All other modifications or amendments shall require the written consent or vote of the registered holders of a majority of the then outstanding Rights. The provisions of this Section 7.8 may not be modified, amended or deleted without the prior written consent of EBC.

 

7.9.        Severability. This Right Agreement shall be deemed severable, and the invalidity or unenforceability of any term or provision hereof shall not affect the validity or enforceability of this Right Agreement or of any other term or provision hereof. Furthermore, in lieu of any such invalid or unenforceable term or provision, the parties hereto intend that there shall be added as a part of this Right Agreement a provision as similar in terms to such invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible and be valid and enforceable.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

 7 

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement has been duly executed by the parties hereto as of the day and year first above written.

 

  BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP.
     
  By:
  Name: James Jiayuan Tong
  Title: Chief Executive Officer and
Chief Financial Officer
     
  CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY
     
  By:  
  Name:  
  Title:  

 

 

8

 

EX-5.2 10 fs12017ex5ii_bisoncap.htm FORM OF OPINION OF HUNTER TAUBMAN FISCHER &LI LLC

Exhibit 5.2

 

 

 

Bison Capital Acquisition Corp.

609-610 21st Century Tower

No. 40 Liangmaqiao Road

Chaoyang District, Beijing 100016, China

+86(10) 8444-6968

HTFL DRAFT May 31, 2017

 

[●], 2017

 

Registration Statement on Form S-1: Exhibit 5.2 Opinion

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as counsel to Bison Capital Acquisition Corp., a British Virgin Islands business company (the “Company”) in connection with the registration by the Company with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) of up to 5,750,000 units of the Company, including the underwriters’ over-allotment option (collectively the “Units”), with each Unit consisting of one ordinary share of the Company, no par value (the “Ordinary Share”), and one right to receive one tenth of one Ordinary Share, and one-half of one warrant, each whole warrant to purchase one ordinary share (the “Warrant”), pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-1 initially filed by the Company with the Commission on May 31, 2017 (File No. 333-[●]) (as amended, the “Registration Statement”).

 

In rendering this opinion, we have examined originals or copies (certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction) of the Registration Statement and prospectus included therein (the “Prospectus”), the right agreement to be entered into by and between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust (the “Right Agreement”) and warrant agreement to be entered into by and between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust (the “Warrant Agreement”), as well as such other papers, documents, agreements, certificates of public officials and certificates of representatives of the Company, as we have deemed relevant and necessary as the basis for the opinions hereafter expressed.

 

In such examination, we have assumed: (a) the legal capacity of each natural person, (b) the genuineness of all signatures and the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, (c) the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as conformed or photostatic copies, (d) that the documents reviewed by us in connection with the rendering of the opinion set forth herein are true, correct, and complete, (e) the truthfulness of each statement as to all factual matters contained in any document or certificate encompassed within the due diligence review undertaken by us, and (f) the due authorization of the Right Agreement and the Warrant Agreement by each of the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust.

 

 

 

 

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As to matters of fact material to this opinion that have not been independently established, we have relied upon the representations and certificates of public officials, directors and officers of the Company and others, in each case as we have deemed relevant and appropriate. We have not independently verified the facts so relied on.

 

This opinion is limited to the laws of the State of New York as in effect on the date hereof. We expressly disclaim any responsibility to advise of any development or circumstance of any kind, including any change of law or fact that may occur after the date of this opinion letter that might affect the opinion expressed herein. We express no opinion with respect to the applicability to, or the effect on, the subject transaction of the laws of any other jurisdiction or as to any matters of municipal law or the laws of any local agencies within any state other than the State of New York. We express no opinion as to whether the laws of any other jurisdiction are applicable to the subject matter hereof, and we express no opinion as to compliance with any other federal or state law, rule or regulation relating to securities, or to the sale or issuance thereof.

 

Based on the foregoing, and having regard to legal considerations which we deem relevant, and subject to the qualifications, limitations and assumptions set forth herein, we are of the opinion that when the Registration Statement becomes effective under the Act, when the Right Agreement and the Warrant Agreement is duly executed and delivered and when such Rights and Warrants are duly executed and authenticated in accordance with the Right Agreement and Warrant Agreement, respectively, and issued, delivered and paid for as part of the Units, as contemplated by the Registration Statement, such Rights and Warrants will be legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their terms, except: (a) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles (regardless of whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); (b) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under federal and state securities laws, and (c) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought.

 

We express no opinion as to the enforceability of (i) provisions that relate to choice of law, forum selection or submission to jurisdiction (including, without limitation, any express or implied waiver of any objection to venue in any court or of any objection that a court is an inconvenient forum) to the extent that the validity, binding effect or enforceability of any such provision is to be determined by any court other than a state court of the State of New York, (ii) waivers by the Company of any statutory or constitutional rights or remedies, or (iii) terms which excuse any person or entity from liability for, or require the Company to indemnify such person or entity against, such person’s or entity’s negligence or willful misconduct. We draw your attention to the fact that, under certain circumstances, the enforceability of terms to the effect that provisions may not be waived or modified except in writing may be limited.

 

We consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, the discussion of this opinion in the Registration Statement and to the references to our firm in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. In giving this consent, we do not hereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act, or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, nor do we admit that we are experts with respect to any part of the Registration Statement within the meaning of the term “expert” as used in the Securities Act.

 

Very truly yours,

 

Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC

 

 

 

 

 

EX-8.1 11 fs12017ex8i_bisoncap.htm FORM OF TAX OPINION OF HUNTER TAUBMAN FISCHER &LI LLC

Exhibit 8.1

 

 

Bison Capital Acquisition Corp.

609-610 21st Century Tower

No. 40 Liangmaqiao Road

Chaoyang District, Beijing 100016, China

+86(10) 8444-6968

HTFL DRAFT May 31, 2017

 

[●], 2017

 

Registration Statement on Form S-1: Exhibit 8.1 Opinion

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as counsel to Bison Capital Acquisition Corp., a British Virgin Islands business company (the “Company”) in connection with the registration by the Company with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) of units (each a “Unit”) of the Company, with each Unit consisting of one ordinary share of the Company, no par value (the “Ordinary Share”), one right to receive one tenth of one Ordinary Share, and one-half of one warrant, each whole warrant to purchase one ordinary share (the “Warrant”), pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-1 initially filed by the Company with the Commission on May 31, 2017 (File No. 333-[●]) (as amended, the “Registration Statement”), to which this opinion appears as an exhibit.

 

In rendering this opinion, we have examined originals or copies (certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction) of the Registration Statement and prospectus included therein (the “Prospectus”), as well as such other papers, documents, agreements, certificates of public officials and certificates of representatives of the Company, as we have deemed relevant and necessary as the basis for the opinions hereafter expressed.

 

In such examination, we have assumed: (a) the legal capacity of each natural person, (b) the genuineness of all signatures and the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, (c) the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as conformed or photostatic copies, (d) that the documents reviewed by us in connection with the rendering of the opinion set forth herein are true, correct, and complete, and (e) the truthfulness of each statement as to all factual matters contained in any document or certificate encompassed within the due diligence review undertaken by us.

 

As to matters of fact material to this opinion that have not been independently established, we have relied upon the representations and certificates of public officials, directors and officers of the Company and others, in each case as we have deemed relevant and appropriate. We have not independently verified the facts so relied on. In addition, we have assumed, with your permission, that the statements concerning the Company and its operations contained in the Prospectus are true, correct and complete and will remain true, correct and complete at all relevant times.

 

 1 

 

 

 

This opinion is limited to U.S. federal income tax laws as in effect on the date hereof. This opinion is based on various statutory provisions, regulations promulgated thereunder and interpretations thereof by the Internal Revenue Service and the courts having jurisdiction over such matters, all of which are subject to change either prospectively or retroactively. We expressly disclaim any responsibility to advise of any development or circumstance of any kind, including any change of law or fact that may occur after the date of this opinion letter that might affect the opinion expressed herein. We express no opinion with respect to the applicability to, or the effect on, the subject transaction of the laws of any other jurisdiction or as to any matters of municipal law or the laws of any local agencies within any state. We express no opinion as to whether the laws of any other jurisdiction are applicable to the subject matter hereof, and we express no opinion as to compliance with any other federal or state law, rule or regulation relating to securities, or to the sale or issuance thereof.

 

Based on the foregoing, and the representations, covenants, assumptions, conditions and qualifications described in the section of the Prospectus under the caption “Taxation—United States Federal Income Taxation”, and taking into account the fact that the discussions set forth in such section do not purport to discuss all possible U.S. federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of the Units, and subject to the qualifications, limitations and assumptions set forth herein, we confirm that the discussions set forth in such section, to the extent they constitute summaries of law or legal conclusions, unless otherwise noted, constitute our opinion with respect to the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of the Units, as of the date of the Registration Statement, and accurately state our views as to the tax matters discussed therein (except for the representations and statements of fact of the Company included in such section, as to which we express no opinion).

 

We consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, the discussion of this opinion in the Registration Statement and to the references to our firm in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. In giving this consent, we do not hereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act, or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, nor do we admit that we are experts with respect to any part of the Registration Statement within the meaning of the term “expert” as used in the Securities Act.

 

Very truly yours,  
   
Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC  

 

 

2

 

 

EX-10.1 12 fs12017ex10i_bisoncap.htm FORM OF LETTER AGREEMENT AMONG THE REGISTRANT, EARLYBIRDCAPITAL, INC. AND EACH OF THE SPONSOR, DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT

Exhibit 10.1

 

____, 2017

 

Bison Capital Acquisition Corp.

609-610 21st Century Tower

No. 40 Liangmaqiao Road

Chaoyang District, Beijing, China

 

EarlyBirdCapital, Inc.

366 Madison Avenue, 8th Floor

New York, New York 10017

 

  Re: Initial Public Offering

 

Gentlemen:

 

This letter is being delivered to you in accordance with the Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) entered into by and between Bison Capital Acquisition Corp., a British Virgin Islands company (the “Company”), and EarlyBirdCapital, Inc., as representative of the underwriters (the “Underwriters”), relating to an underwritten initial public offering (the “IPO”) of the Company’s units (the “Units”), each comprised of one ordinary share, no par value, of the Company (the “Ordinary Shares”), one right to receive one-tenth of one Ordinary Share, and one-half of one warrant (the “Warrant”), each whole Warrant to purchase one Ordinary Share. Certain capitalized terms used herein are defined in paragraph 15 hereof. In order to induce the Company and the Underwriters to enter into the Underwriting Agreement and to proceed with the IPO, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the undersigned hereby agrees with the Company as follows:

 

1.            If the Company solicits approval of its shareholders of a Business Combination, the undersigned will vote all Ordinary Shares beneficially owned by him, her or it, whether acquired before, in or after the IPO, in favor of such Business Combination.

 

2.            (a)       In the event that the Company fails to consummate a Business Combination within the time period set forth in the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, as the same may be amended from time to time, the undersigned shall take all reasonable steps to (1) cause the Trust Fund to be liquidated and distributed to the holders of the IPO Shares, and (2) cause the Company to liquidate as soon as reasonably practicable.

 

(b)       The undersigned hereby waives any and all right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any distribution of the Trust Fund and any remaining net assets of the Company as a result of such liquidation with respect to his, her or its Insider Shares or Private Units (“Claim”) and hereby waives any Claim the undersigned may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any contracts or agreements with the Company and will not seek recourse against the Trust Fund for any reason whatsoever, but may, for the avoidance of doubt, have his, her or its Ordinary Shares purchased in the IPO or in the aftermarket redeemed upon liquidation of the Company if a Business Combination is not consummated. The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that there will be no distribution from the Trust Fund with respect to any Warrants, which will terminate on the Company’s liquidation.

 

(c)       In the event of the liquidation of the Trust Fund, Bison Capital Holding Company Limited, a Cayman Islands company, (“Bison Capital”) agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company against any and all loss, liability, claims, damage and expense whatsoever (including, but not limited to, any and all legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, whether pending or threatened, or any claim whatsoever) which the Company may become subject to as a result of any claim by any vendor or other person who is owed money by the Company for services rendered or products sold to or contracted for the Company, or by any target business with which the Company has discussed entering into a transaction agreement, but only to the extent necessary to ensure that such loss, liability, claim, damage or expense does not reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Fund; provided that such indemnity shall not apply (i) if such vendor or prospective target business executes an agreement waiving any claims against the Trust Fund and (ii) to any claims under the Company’s indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.

 

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3.            The undersigned will escrow all of his, her or its Insider Shares pursuant to the terms of a share escrow agreement which the Company will enter into with the undersigned and an escrow agent acceptable to the Company.

 

4.            In order to minimize potential conflicts of interest which may arise from multiple affiliations, Bison Capital, and each of the undersigned directors and officers of the Company agree to present to the Company for its consideration, prior to presentation to any other person or entity, any suitable opportunity to acquire a target business, until the earlier of the consummation by the Company of a Business Combination or the liquidation of the Company, subject to any pre-existing fiduciary and contractual obligations Bison Capital, and each of the undersigned directors and officers might have.

 

5.            The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that prior to entering into a Business Combination with a target business that is affiliated with any Insiders of the Company or their affiliates, such transaction must be approved by a majority of the Company’s disinterested independent directors and the Company must obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions on the type of target business the Company is seeking to acquire, that such Business Combination is fair to the Company’s unaffiliated shareholders from a financial point of view.

 

6.            Neither the undersigned, any member of the family of the undersigned, nor any affiliate of the undersigned will be entitled to receive and will not accept any compensation or other cash payment for services rendered prior to, or in order to effectuate, the consummation of the Business Combination; provided that the Company shall be allowed to (i) repay working capital loans made by the undersigned or its affiliates to the Company in cash upon consummation of the Business Combination or, at the undersigned’s discretion, with respect to up to an aggregate of $500,000 of working capital loans from all lenders, by converting such loans into Private Units at a price of $10.00 per Private Unit, as more fully described in the Registration Statement, (ii) repay a non-interest bearing loan in an aggregate amount of $300,000 made to the Company by Bison Capital to cover the IPO expenses, (iii) pay $5,000 per month to Bison Capital for office space and related services, (iv) reimburse the undersigned and any affiliate of the undersigned for their out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with identifying, investigating and consummating a Business Combination, and (v) pay to the Company’s independent directors an annual retainer in an aggregate amount of $38,400 (to be prorated for a partial term), payable in arrears commencing on the first anniversary of the closing of the Company’s IPO and ending on the earlier of the consummation of a Business Combination or a Company liquidation.

 

7.            Neither the undersigned, any member of the family of the undersigned, nor any affiliate of the undersigned will be entitled to receive or accept a finder’s fee or any other compensation in the event the undersigned, any member of the family of the undersigned or any affiliate of the undersigned originates a Business Combination.

 

8.            The undersigned officers and directors agree to be the officers and directors of the Company until the earlier of the consummation by the Company of a Business Combination or the liquidation of the Company. The undersigned officers’ and directors’ biographical information included in the Registration Statement is true and accurate in all material respects, does not omit any material information with respect to the officers’ and directors’ biography and contains all of the information required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 401 of Regulation S-K, promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Each of the undersigned officers’ and directors’ FINRA Questionnaire previously furnished to the Company and the Underwriters is true and accurate in all material respects.

 

9.            Each of the undersigned represents and warrants that:

 

(a)       He, she or it has never had a petition under the federal bankruptcy laws or any state or foreign insolvency law been filed by or against (i) him, her or it, or any partnership in which he, she or it was a general partner at or within two years before the time of filing; or (ii) (to the extent the undersigned is an individual) any corporation or business association of which he or she was an executive officer at or within two years before the time of such filing;

 

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(b)       He, she or it has never had a receiver, fiscal agent or similar officer been appointed by a court for his or her business or property, or any such partnership;

 

(c)       He, she, or it has never been convicted of fraud in a civil or criminal proceeding;

 

(d)       He, she, or it has never been convicted in a criminal proceeding or named the subject of a pending criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations and minor offenses);

 

(e)       He, she, or it has never been the subject of any order, judgment or decree, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, of any court of competent jurisdiction, permanently or temporarily enjoining or otherwise limiting him from (i) acting as a futures commission merchant, introducing broker, commodity trading advisor, commodity pool operator, floor broker, leverage transaction merchant, any other person regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) or an associated person of any of the foregoing, or as an investment adviser, underwriter, broker or dealer in securities, or as an affiliated person, director or employee of any investment company, bank, savings and loan association or insurance company, or from engaging in or continuing any conduct or practice in connection with any such activity; or (ii) engaging in any type of business practice; or (iii) engaging in any activity in connection with the purchase or sale of any security or commodity or in connection with any violation of federal or state securities or federal commodities laws;

 

(f)        He, she, or it has never been the subject of any order, judgment or decree, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, of any federal or state authority barring, suspending or otherwise limiting for more than 60 days his, her or its right to engage in any activity described in 9(e)(i) above, or to be associated with persons engaged in any such activity;

 

(g)       He, she or it has never been found by a court of competent jurisdiction in a civil action or by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) to have violated any federal, state, or foreign securities law, where the judgment in such civil action or finding by the SEC has not been subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated;

 

(h)       He, she or it has never been found by a court of competent jurisdiction in a civil action or by the CFTC to have violated any federal commodities law, where the judgment in such civil action or finding by the CFTC has not been subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated;

 

(i)        He, she or it has never been the subject of, or a party to, any federal, state, or foreign judicial or administrative order, judgment, decree or finding, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, relating to an alleged violation of (i) any federal, state or foreign securities or commodities law or regulation, (ii) any law or regulation respecting financial institutions or insurance companies including, but not limited to, a temporary or permanent injunction, order of disgorgement or restitution, civil money penalty or temporary or permanent cease-and desist order, or removal or prohibition order, or (iii) any law or regulation prohibiting mail or wire fraud or fraud in connection with any business entity;

 

(j)        He, she or it has never been the subject of, or party to, any sanction or order, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, or any self-regulatory organization, any registered entity, or any equivalent exchange, association, entity or organization that has disciplinary authority over its members or persons associated with a member;

 

(k)        He, she or it has never been convicted, of any felony or misdemeanor: (1) in connection with the purchase or sale of any security, (2) involving the making of any false filing with the SEC, or (3) arising out of the conduct of the business of an underwriter, broker, dealer, municipal securities dealer, investment advisor or paid solicitor of purchasers of securities;

 

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(l)       He, she or it was never subject to a final order of a state or foreign securities commission (or an agency of officer of a state performing like functions); a state or foreign authority that supervises or examines banks, savings associations, or credit unions; a state or foreign insurance commission (or an agency or officer of a state performing like functions); an appropriate federal or foreign banking agency; the CFTC; or the National Credit Union Administration (“NCUA”) that is based on a violation of any law or regulation that prohibits fraudulent, manipulative, or deceptive conduct;

 

(m)      He, she or it has never been subject to any order, judgment or decree of any court of competent jurisdiction, that, at the time of the sale of the Units, restrained or enjoined him from engaging or continuing to engage in any conduct or practice: (i) in connection with the purchase or sale of any security, (ii) involving the making of any false filing with the SEC or any foreign regulatory agency with similar functions, or (iii) arising out of the conduct of the business of an underwriter, broker, dealer, municipal securities dealer, investment adviser or paid solicitor of purchasers of securities;

 

(n)       He, she or it has never been subject to any order of the SEC or any foreign regulatory agency with similar functions that orders him to cease and desist from committing or causing a future violation of: (i) any scienter-based anti-fraud provision of the foreign or federal securities laws, including, but not limited to, Section 17(a)(1) of the Securities Act, Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, Section 15(c) and Section 206(1) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”) or any other rule or regulation thereunder, or (ii) Section 5 of the Securities Act;

 

(o)       He, she or it has never filed (as a registrant or issuer), or been named as an underwriter in any registration statement or Regulation A offering statement filed with the SEC that was the subject of a refusal order, stop order, or order suspending the Regulation A exemption, or is, currently, the subject of an investigation or proceeding to determine whether a stop order or suspension order should be issued;

 

(p)       He, she or it has never been subject to a United States Postal Service false representation order, or is currently subject to a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction with respect to conduct alleged by the United States Postal Service to constitute a scheme or device for obtaining money or property through the mail by means of false representations;

 

(q)       He, she or it is not subject to a final order of a state securities commission (or an agency of officer of a state performing like functions); a state authority that supervises or examines banks, savings associations, or credit unions; a state insurance commission (or an agency or officer of a state performing like functions); an appropriate federal banking agency; the CFTC; or the NCUA that bars the undersigned from: (i) association with an entity regulated by such commission, authority, agency or officer, (ii) engaging in the business of securities, insurance or banking, or (iii) engaging in savings association or credit union activities;

 

(r)       He, she or it is not subject to an order of the SEC entered pursuant to Section 15(b) or 15B(c) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) or Section 203(e) or 203(f) of the Advisers Act that: (i) suspends or revokes the undersigned’s registration as a broker, dealer, municipal securities dealer or investment adviser, (ii) places limitations on the activities, functions or operations of, or imposes civil money penalties on, such person, or (iii) bars the undersigned from being associated with any entity or from participating in the offering of any penny stock; and

 

(s)       He, she or it has never been suspended or expelled from membership in, or suspended or barred from association with a member of, a securities self-regulatory organization (e.g., a registered national securities exchange or a registered national or affiliated securities association) for any act or omission to act constituting conduct inconsistent with just and equitable principles of trade.

 

10.          The undersigned has full right and power, without violating any agreement by which he, she or it is bound, to enter into this letter agreement and to hold the current position/title in the Company (if applicable).

 

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11.         The undersigned hereby waives his, her or its right to exercise redemption rights with respect to any shares of the Ordinary Shares owned or to be owned by him, her or it, directly or indirectly, whether purchased prior to the IPO, in the IPO or in the aftermarket, and agrees that he, she or it will not seek redemption with respect to or otherwise sell, such shares in connection with any vote to approve a Business Combination or any tender offer in respect thereto, but may, for the avoidance of doubt, have his, her or its Ordinary Shares purchased in the IPO or in the aftermarket redeemed upon liquidation of the Company if a Business Combination is not consummated.

 

12.         The undersigned hereby agrees to not propose, or vote in favor of, an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association prior to the consummation of a Business Combination that would affect the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to redeem 100% of the IPO Shares if the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the time period set forth in the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, unless the Company provides its public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their IPO shares upon approval of any such amendment at a price per share, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account including interest income (net of taxes payable and any amounts released to the Company to fund working capital requirements), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares.

 

13.          In the event that the Company does not consummate a Business Combination and must liquidate and its remaining net assets are insufficient to complete such liquidation, Bison Capital agrees to advance such funds necessary to complete such liquidation and agrees not to seek repayment for such expenses.

 

14.          In connection with Section 5-1401 of the General Obligations Law of the State of New York, this letter agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York without regard to principles of conflicts of law that would result in the application of the substantive law of another jurisdiction. The parties hereto agree that any action, proceeding or claim arising out of or relating in any way to this letter agreement shall be resolved through final and binding arbitration in accordance with the International Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”). The arbitration shall be brought before the AAA International Center for Dispute Resolution’s offices in New York City, New York, will be conducted in English and will be decided by a panel of three arbitrators selected from the AAA Commercial Disputes Panel and that the arbitrator panel’s decision shall be final and enforceable by any court having jurisdiction over the party from whom enforcement is sought. The cost of such arbitrators and arbitration services, together with the prevailing party’s legal fees and expenses, shall be borne by the non-prevailing party or as otherwise directed by the arbitrators. The Company and each of the undersigned hereby appoints, without power of revocation, CT Corporation System, 111 Eighth Avenue, New York, New York 10011, as their respective agent to accept and acknowledge on its behalf service of any and all process which may be served in any arbitration, action, proceeding or counterclaim in any way relating to or arising out of this letter agreement. The Company and each undersigned further agrees to take any and all action as may be necessary to maintain such designation and appointment of such agent in full force and effect for a period of seven years from the date of this letter agreement.

 

15.          As used herein, (i) a “Business Combination” shall mean a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, contractual arrangement, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities; (ii) “Insiders” shall mean all officers, directors and shareholders of the Company immediately prior to the IPO; (iii) “Insider Shares” shall mean all of the Ordinary Shares of the Company acquired by an Insider prior to the IPO; (iv) “IPO Shares” shall mean the Ordinary Shares issued in the Company’s IPO; (v) “Private Units” shall mean the Units purchased in the private placement taking place simultaneously with the consummation of the Company’s IPO; and the additional Units that will be purchased in a private placement upon the full or partial exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option for the Company’s IPO; (vi) “Registration Statement” means the registration statement on Form S-1 filed by the Company with respect to the IPO, and (vii) “Trust Fund” shall mean the trust fund into which a portion of the net proceeds of the Company’s IPO will be deposited.

 

16.          Any notice, consent or request to be given in connection with any of the terms or provisions of this letter agreement shall be in writing and shall be sent by express mail or similar private courier service, by certified mail (return receipt requested), by hand delivery or facsimile transmission.

 

17.          No party hereto may assign either this letter agreement or any of its rights, interests, or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the other party. Any purported assignment in violation of this paragraph shall be void and ineffectual and shall not operate to transfer or assign any interest or title to the purported assignee. This letter agreement shall be binding on the parties hereto and any successors and assigns thereof.

 

18.          The undersigned acknowledges and understands that the Underwriters and the Company will rely upon the agreements, representations and warranties set forth herein in proceeding with the IPO.

 

[Signature page to follow]

 

 5 

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have duly executed this Letter Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

  Bison Capital Acquisition Corp.
     
  By:  
    Name: James Jiayuan Tong
    Title: Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Director

 

[Signature Page to the Letter Agreement by Certain Insiders-Bison Capital Acquisition Corp]

 

 

 

 

  Bison Capital Holding Company Limited
     
  By:  
    Name: Peixin Xu
    Title:  Director

 

[Signature Page to the Letter Agreement by Certain Insiders-Bison Capital]

 

 

 

 

   
  James Jiayuan Tong

 

[Signature Page to the Letter Agreement by Certain Insiders- James Jiayuan Tong]

 

 

 

 

   
  Peixin Xu

 

[Signature Page to the Letter Agreement by Certain Insiders- Peixin Xu]

 

 

 

 

   
  Peng Jin

 

[Signature Page to the Letter Agreement by Certain Insiders- Peng Jin]

 

 

 

 

   
  Thomas Folinsbee

 

[Signature Page to the Letter Agreement by Certain Insiders- Thomas Folinsbee]  

 

 

 

 

   
  Charles Vincent Prizzi

 

[Signature Page to the Letter Agreement by Certain Insiders- Charles Prizzi]

 

 

 

 

   

 

[Signature Page to the Letter Agreement by Certain Insiders-]

 

 

 

 

 

EX-10.2 13 fs12017ex10ii_bisoncap.htm FORM OF INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT TRUST AGREEMENT BETWEEN CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY AND THE REGISTRANT

Exhibit 10.2

 

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT TRUST AGREEMENT

 

This Agreement is made as of [●], 2017 by and between Bison Capital Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the “Trustee”).

 

WHEREAS, the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1, No. 333-[●], as amended, (the “Registration Statement”) for its initial public offering of securities (the “IPO”) has been declared effective as of the date hereof (the “Effective Date”) by the Securities and Exchange Commission (capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings set forth in the Registration Statement); and

 

WHEREAS, EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. (“EBC”) is acting as the representative of the underwriters in the IPO; and

 

WHEREAS, simultaneously with the closing of the IPO, Bison Capital Holding Company Limited (the “Sponsor”) and EBC and/or their designees will be purchasing an aggregate of 375,000 units (the “Initial Private Units”) from the Company for an aggregate purchase price of $3,750,000; and

 

WHEREAS, in the event EBC exercises its over-allotment option in full or in part, the Sponsor and EBC and/or their designees will purchase up to an aggregate of an additional 41,250 units (the “Over-Allotment Private Units,” together with the Initial Private Units, the “Private Units”) for an aggregate purchase price of up to $412,500; and

 

WHEREAS, as described in the Registration Statement, and in accordance with the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, $51,250,000 of the net proceeds of the IPO and sale of the Private Units ($58,937,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be delivered to the Trustee to be deposited and held in a trust account for the benefit of the Company and the holders of the Company’s ordinary shares, no par value per share (“Ordinary Shares”), issued in the IPO as hereinafter provided (the amounts to be delivered to the Trustee will be referred to herein as the “Property”; the shareholders for whose benefit the Trustee shall hold the Property will be referred to as the “Public Shareholders,” and the Public Shareholders and the Company will be referred to together as the “Beneficiaries”); and

 

WHEREAS, the Company and the Trustee desire to enter into this Agreement to set forth the terms and conditions pursuant to which the Trustee shall hold the Property;

 

IT IS AGREED:

 

1.       Agreements and Covenants of Trustee. The Trustee hereby agrees and covenants to:

 

(a)       Hold the Property in trust for the Beneficiaries in accordance with the terms of this Agreement in a segregated trust account (the “Trust Account”) established by the Trustee at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and at a brokerage institution selected by the Trustee that is satisfactory to the Company;

 

(b)       Manage, supervise and administer the Trust Account subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein;

 

(c)      (i) For one year after the closing of the IPO, in a timely manner, to invest and reinvest the Property as instructed by the Company, including, but not limited to, in United States "government securities" within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 having a maturity of 180 days or less, and/or in any open ended investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 that holds itself out as a money market fund selected by the Company meeting the conditions of paragraph (d) under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as determined by the Company;

 

 

 

 

(ii) One year after the closing of the IPO, to immediately transfer all prior investments of the Property into U.S. government-insured bank deposits payable on demand, unless the Company has instructed the Trustee in writing to invest or reinvest the Property in other investments; and

 

(iii) 11 months after the closing of the IPO, to notify the Company in writing that the Trustee will transfer the investments as set forth in Section 1(c)(ii) unless the Company otherwise instructs the Trustee;

 

(d)       Collect and receive, when due, all principal and income arising from the Property, which shall become part of the Property, subject to Section 2 hereto;

 

(e)       Notify the Company of all communications received by it with respect to any Property requiring action by the Company;

 

(f)       Supply any necessary information or documents as may be requested by the Company in connection with the Company’s preparation of the tax returns relating to income from the Property in the Trust Account or otherwise;

 

(g)       Participate in any plan or proceeding for protecting or enforcing any right or interest arising from the Property if, as and when instructed by the Company in writing to do so;

 

(h)       Render to the Company, and to such other person as the Company may instruct, monthly written statements of the activities of and amounts in the Trust Account reflecting all receipts and disbursements of the Trust Account; and

 

(i)       Commence liquidation of the Trust Account only after and promptly after receipt of, and only in accordance with, the terms of a letter (the “Termination Letter”), in a form substantially similar to that attached hereto as either Exhibit A or Exhibit B, signed on behalf of the Company by its Chief Executive Officer or Chairman of the Board and Secretary or Assistant Secretary, affirmed by counsel for the Company and, in the case of a Termination Letter in a form substantially similar to that attached hereto as Exhibit A, acknowledged and agreed to by EBC, and complete the liquidation of the Trust Account and distribute the Property in the Trust Account only as directed in the Termination Letter and the other documents referred to therein; provided, however, that in the event that a Termination Letter has not been received by the Trustee by the last date set forth in the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, as the same may be amended from time to time (the “Last Date”), the Trust Account shall be liquidated in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Termination Letter attached as Exhibit B hereto and distributed to the Public Shareholders as of the Last Date.

 

2.       Limited Distributions of Income from Trust Account.

 

(a)       Upon written request from the Company, which may be given from time to time in a form substantially similar to that attached hereto as Exhibit C, the Trustee shall distribute to the Company the amount of interest income earned on the Trust Account requested by the Company to cover any income or other tax obligations owed by the Company.

 

(b)       The limited distributions referred to in Section 2(a) above shall be made only from income collected on the Property. Except as provided in Section 2(a) above, no other distributions from the Trust Account shall be permitted except in accordance with Section 1(i) hereof.

 

3.       Agreements and Covenants of the Company. The Company hereby agrees and covenants to:

 

(a)       Give all instructions to the Trustee hereunder in writing, signed by the Company’s Chairman of the Board, Vice Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer or . In addition, except with respect to its duties under Sections 1(i) and 2(a) above, the Trustee shall be entitled to rely on, and shall be protected in relying on, any verbal or telephonic advice or instruction which it in good faith believes to be given by any one of the persons authorized above to give written instructions, provided that the Company shall promptly confirm such instructions in writing;

 

 2 

 

 

(b)       Subject to the provisions of Sections 5 and 7(g) hereof, hold the Trustee harmless and indemnify the Trustee from and against, any and all expenses, including reasonable counsel fees and disbursements, or loss suffered by the Trustee in connection with any action, suit or other proceeding brought against the Trustee involving any claim, or in connection with any claim or demand which in any way arises out of or relates to this Agreement, the services of the Trustee hereunder, or the Property or any income earned from investment of the Property, except for expenses and losses resulting from the Trustee’s gross negligence or willful misconduct. Promptly after the receipt by the Trustee of notice of demand or claim or the commencement of any action, suit or proceeding, pursuant to which the Trustee intends to seek indemnification under this Section, it shall notify the Company in writing of such claim (hereinafter referred to as the “Indemnified Claim”). The Trustee shall have the right to conduct and manage the defense against such Indemnified Claim, provided, that the Trustee shall obtain the consent of the Company with respect to the selection of counsel, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Trustee may not agree to settle any Indemnified Claim without the prior written consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Company may participate in such action with its own counsel;

 

(c)       Pay the Trustee an initial acceptance fee, an annual fee and a transaction processing fee for each disbursement made pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof and as set forth on Schedule A hereto, which fees shall be subject to modification by the parties from time to time. It is expressly understood that the Property shall not be used to pay such fees and further agreed that any fees owed to the Trustee shall be deducted by the Trustee from the disbursements made to the Company pursuant to Section 1(i) hereof solely in connection with the consummation of the Company’s initial acquisition, share exchange, share reconstruction and amalgamation, purchase of all or substantially all of the assets of, or any other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities (the “Business Combination”). The Company shall pay the Trustee the initial acceptance fee and first year’s fee at the consummation of the IPO and thereafter on the anniversary of the Effective Date. The Trustee shall refund to the Company the annual fee (on a pro rata basis) with respect to any period after the liquidation of the Trust Account;

 

(d)       In connection with any vote of the Company’s shareholders regarding a Business Combination, provide to the Trustee an affidavit or certificate of a firm regularly engaged in the business of soliciting proxies and/or tabulating shareholder votes verifying the vote of the Company’s shareholders regarding such Business Combination; and

 

(e)       In the event that the Company directs the Trustee to commence liquidation of the Trust Account pursuant to Section 1(i) hereof, the Company agrees that it will not direct the Trustee to make any payments that are not specifically authorized by this Agreement.

 

4.       Limitations of Liability. The Trustee shall have no responsibility or liability to:

 

(a)       Take any action with respect to the Property, other than as directed in Sections 1 and 2 hereof and the Trustee shall have no liability to any party except for liability arising out of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct;

 

(b)       Institute any proceeding for the collection of any principal and income arising from, or institute, appear in or defend any proceeding of any kind with respect to, any of the Property unless and until it shall have received written instructions from the Company given as provided herein to do so and the Company shall have advanced or guaranteed to it funds sufficient to pay any expenses incident thereto;

 

(c)       Change the investment of any Property, other than in compliance with Section 1(c) hereof;

 

(d)       Refund any depreciation in principal of any Property;

 

 3 

 

 

(e)       Assume that the authority of any person designated by the Company to give instructions hereunder shall not be continuing unless provided otherwise in such designation, or unless the Company shall have delivered a written revocation of such authority to the Trustee;

 

(f)       The other parties hereto or to anyone else for any action taken or omitted by it, or any action suffered by it to be taken or omitted, in good faith and in the exercise of its own best judgment, except for its bad faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct. The Trustee may rely conclusively and shall be protected in acting upon any order, notice, demand, certificate, opinion or advice of counsel (including counsel chosen by the Trustee), statement, instrument, report or other paper or document (not only as to its due execution and the validity and effectiveness of its provisions, but also as to the truth and acceptability of any information therein contained) which is believed by the Trustee, in good faith, to be genuine and to be signed or presented by the proper person or persons. The Trustee shall not be bound by any notice or demand, or any waiver, modification, termination or rescission of this Agreement or any of the terms hereof, unless evidenced by a written instrument delivered to the Trustee signed by the proper party or parties and, if the duties or rights of the Trustee are affected, unless it shall give its prior written consent thereto;

 

(g)       Verify the correctness of the information set forth in the Registration Statement or to confirm or assure that any acquisition made by the Company or any other action taken by it is as contemplated by the Registration Statement; and

 

(h)       File local, state and/or Federal tax returns or information returns with any taxing authority on behalf of the Trust Account and payee statements with the Company documenting the taxes, if any, payable by the Company or the Trust Account, relating to the income earned on the Property.

 

(i)       Pay any taxes on behalf of the Trust Account (it being expressly understood that the Property shall not be used to pay any such taxes and that such taxes, if any, shall be paid by the Company from funds not held in the Trust Account or released to it under Section 2(a) hereof).

 

(j)       Imply obligations, perform duties, inquire or otherwise be subject to the provisions of any agreement or document other than this agreement and that which is expressly set forth herein.

 

(k)       Verify calculations, qualify or otherwise approve Company requests for distributions pursuant to Section 1(i) or 2(a) above.

 

5.       Trust Account Waiver. The Trustee has no right of set-off or any right, title, interest or claim of any kind (“Claim”) to, or to any monies in, the Trust Account, and hereby irrevocably waives any Claim to, or to any monies in, the Trust Account that it may have now or in the future. In the event the Trustee has any Claim against the Company under this Agreement, including, without limitation, under Section 3(b) or Section 3(c) hereof, the Trustee shall pursue such Claim solely against the Company and its assets outside the Trust Account and not against the Property or any monies in the Trust Account.

 

6.       Termination. This Agreement shall terminate as follows:

 

(a)       If the Trustee gives written notice to the Company that it desires to resign under this Agreement, the Company shall use its reasonable efforts to locate a successor trustee during which time the Trustee shall act in accordance with this Agreement. At such time that the Company notifies the Trustee that a successor trustee has been appointed by the Company and has agreed to become subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Trustee shall transfer the management of the Trust Account to the successor trustee, including but not limited to the transfer of copies of the reports and statements relating to the Trust Account, whereupon this Agreement shall terminate; provided, however, that, in the event that the Company does not locate a successor trustee within ninety days of receipt of the resignation notice from the Trustee, the Trustee may submit an application to have the Property deposited with any court in the State of New York or with the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and upon such deposit, the Trustee shall be immune from any liability whatsoever; or

 

(b)       At such time that the Trustee has completed the liquidation of the Trust Account in accordance with the provisions of Section 1(i) hereof, and distributed the Property in accordance with the provisions of the Termination Letter, this Agreement shall terminate except with respect to Section 3(b) hereof.

 

 4 

 

 

7.       Miscellaneous.

 

(a)       The Company and the Trustee each acknowledge that the Trustee will follow the security procedures set forth below with respect to funds transferred from the Trust Account. The Company and the Trustee will each restrict access to confidential information relating to such security procedures to authorized persons. Each party must notify the other party immediately if it has reason to believe unauthorized persons may have obtained access to such information, or of any change in its authorized personnel. In executing funds transfers, the Trustee will rely upon all information supplied to it by the Company, including account names, account numbers and all other identifying information relating to a beneficiary, beneficiary’s bank or intermediary bank. The Trustee shall not be liable for any loss, liability or expense resulting from any error in the information or transmission of the wire.

 

(b)       This Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, applicable to contracts wholly performed within the borders of such states and without giving effect to conflicts of law principles that would result in the application of the substantive laws of another jurisdiction.  It may be executed in several original or facsimile counterparts, each one of which shall constitute an original, and together shall constitute but one instrument.

 

(c)       This Agreement contains the entire agreement and understanding of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof. Except for Sections 1(i), 2(a) and 2(b) hereof (which may not be modified, amended or deleted without the affirmative vote of at least the same majority of the then outstanding Ordinary Shares attending and voting on such amendment at the relevant meeting as would be required by the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association to pass a resolution thereunder to modify, amend or delete any provision thereof which corresponds to the same Section of this Agreement); provided that no such amendment will affect any Public Shareholder who has otherwise indicated his election to redeem his Ordinary Shares in connection with a shareholder vote sought to amend this Agreement to extend to the time he would be entitled to a return of his pro rata amount in the Trust Account), this Agreement or any provision hereof may only be changed, amended or modified (other than to correct a typographical error) by a writing signed by each of the parties hereto; provided, however, that no such change, amendment or modification may be made without the prior written consent of EBC. As to any claim, cross-claim or counterclaim in any way relating to this Agreement, each party waives the right to trial by jury. The Trustee may require from Company counsel an opinion as to the propriety of any proposed amendment.

 

(d)       The parties hereto consent to the jurisdiction and venue of any state or federal court located in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan, for purposes of resolving any disputes hereunder.

 

(e)       Any notice, consent or request to be given in connection with any of the terms or provisions of this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be sent by express mail or similar private courier service, by certified mail (return receipt requested), by hand delivery or by facsimile transmission:

 

if to the Trustee, to:

 

Continental Stock Transfer

& Trust Company

1 State Street, 30th Floor

New York, New York 10004

Attn: Steven Nelson and Fran Wolf

Fax No.: (212) 616-7620

 

 5 

 

 

if to the Company, to:

 

Bison Capital Acquisition Corp.

609-610 21st Century Tower

No. 40 Liangmaquaio Road

Chaoyang District, Beijing, China 100016

Attn: James Jiayuan Tong, Chief Executive Officer

and Chief Financial Officer

Fax No.: +86 10 84446968, ext. 800

 

in either case with a copy to:

 

EarlyBirdCapital, Inc.

366 Madison Avenue, 8th Floor

New York, New York 10017

Attn: Steven Levine, Chief Executive Officer

Fax No.: (212) 661-4936

 

(f)       This Agreement may not be assigned by the Trustee without the prior consent of the Company.

 

(g)       Each of the Trustee and the Company hereby represents that it has the full right and power and has been duly authorized to enter into this Agreement and to perform its respective obligations as contemplated hereunder. The Trustee acknowledges and agrees that it shall not make any claims or proceed against the Trust Account, including by way of set-off, and shall not be entitled to any funds in the Trust Account under any circumstance. In the event that the Trustee has a claim against the Company under this Agreement, the Trustee will pursue such claim solely against the Company and not against the Property held in the Trust Account.

 

(h)       The Trustee hereby consents to the inclusion of Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company in the Registration Statement and other materials relating to the IPO.

 

(i)       Each of the Company and the Trustee hereby acknowledge that EBC is a third party beneficiary of this Agreement.

 

 

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

 6 

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have duly executed this Investment Management Trust Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

 

CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & 

TRUST COMPANY, as Trustee

     
  By:  
  Name:  
  Title:  
     
  BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP.
     
  By:               
  Name:  
  Title:  

 

 

 

 

SCHEDULE A

 

Fee Item  Time and method of payment  Amount 
Initial acceptance fee  Initial closing of IPO by wire transfer  $2,000 
Annual fee  First year, initial closing of IPO by wire transfer; thereafter on the anniversary of the Effective Date of the IPO by wire transfer or check  $10,000 
Transaction processing fee for disbursements to Company under Section 2  Deduction by Trustee from accumulated income following disbursement made to Company under Section 2  $250 
Paying Agent services as required pursuant to Section 1(i)  Billed to Company upon delivery of service pursuant to Section 1(i)   Prevailing rates 

 

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

[Letterhead of Company]

 

[Insert date]

 

Continental Stock Transfer

& Trust Company

1 State Street, 30th Floor

New York, New York 10004

Attn: Steven Nelson Fran Wolf and Sharmin Carter

 

Re: Trust Account No. - Termination Letter

 

Gentlemen:

 

Pursuant to Section 1(i) of the Investment Management Trust Agreement between Bison Capital Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (“Trustee”), dated as of [●], 2017 (the “Trust Agreement”), this is to advise you that the Company has entered into a definitive agreement with __________________ (a “Target Business”) to consummate a business combination with Target Business (the “Business Combination”) on or about [insert date]. The Company shall notify you at least 48 hours in advance of the actual date of the consummation of the Business Combination (the “Consummation Date”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings set forth in the Trust Agreement.

 

In accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement, we hereby authorize you to liquidate the Trust Account investments on __________ and to transfer the proceeds to the above-referenced account at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. to the effect that, on the Consummation Date, all of funds held in the Trust Account will be immediately available for transfer to the account or accounts that the Company shall direct on the Consummation Date. It is acknowledged and agreed that while the funds are on deposit in the Trust Account awaiting distribution, the Company will not earn any interest or dividends.

 

On the Consummation Date (i) counsel for the Company shall deliver to you written notification that the Business Combination has been consummated and (ii) the Company shall deliver to you (a) [an affidavit] [a certificate] of __________________, which verifies the vote of the Company’s shareholders in connection with the Business Combination if a vote is held and (b) joint written instructions from it and EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. with respect to the transfer of the funds held in the Trust Account (the “Instruction Letter”). You are hereby directed and authorized to transfer the funds held in the Trust Account immediately upon your receipt of the counsel's letter and the Instruction Letter, in accordance with the terms of the Instruction Letter. In the event that certain deposits held in the Trust Account may not be liquidated by the Consummation Date without penalty, you will notify the Company of the same and the Company shall direct you as to whether such funds should remain in the Trust Account and distributed after the Consummation Date to the Company. Upon the distribution of all the funds in the Trust Account pursuant to the terms hereof, the Trust Agreement shall be terminated.

 

In the event that the Business Combination is not consummated on the Consummation Date described in the notice thereof and we have not notified you on or before the original Consummation Date of a new Consummation Date, then upon receipt by the Trustee of written instructions from the Company, the funds held in the Trust Account shall be reinvested as provided in the Trust Agreement on the business day immediately following the Consummation Date as set forth in the notice.

 

  Very truly yours,
     
  BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP.
     
  By:                
  Name:
  Title:

 

And AGREED TO AND  
ACKNOWLEDGED BY  
     
EARLYBIRDCAPITAL, INC.  
     
By:                                
Name:    
Title:    

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT B

 

[Letterhead of Company]

 

[Insert date]

 

Continental Stock Transfer

& Trust Company

1 State Street, 30th Floor

New York, New York 10004

Attn: Steven Nelson, Fran Wolf and Sharmin Carter

 

Re: Trust Account No. [insert no.] – Termination Letter

 

Gentlemen:

 

Pursuant to Section 1(i) of the Investment Management Trust Agreement between Bison Capital Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (“Trustee”), dated as of [●], 2017 (the “Trust Agreement”), this is to advise you that the Company has been unable to effect a Business Combination with a Target Company within the time frame specified in the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, as described in the Company’s prospectus relating to its IPO. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings set forth in the Trust Agreement.

 

In accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement, we hereby authorize you to liquidate all the Trust Account investments on ______________ and to transfer the total proceeds to the Trust Account at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. to await distribution to the Public Shareholders. The Company has selected ____________, 20__ as the record date for the purpose of determining the Public Shareholders entitled to receive their share of the liquidation proceeds. It is acknowledged that no interest will be earned by the Company on the liquidation proceeds while on deposit in the Trust Account. You agree to be the Paying Agent of record and in your separate capacity as Paying Agent, to distribute said funds directly to the Public Shareholders in accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement and the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company. Upon the distribution of all the funds in the Trust Account, your obligations under the Trust Agreement shall be terminated.

 

  Very truly yours,
     
  BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP.
     
  By:               
  Name:  
  Title:  

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT C

 

[Letterhead of Company]

 

[Insert date]

 

Continental Stock Transfer

& Trust Company

1 State Street, 30th Floor

New York, New York 10004

Attn: [Steven Nelson, Fran Wolf and Sharmin Carter]

 

Re: Trust Account No. [insert no.]

 

Gentlemen:

 

Pursuant to Section 2(a) of the Investment Management Trust Agreement between Bison Capital Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, dated as of [●], 2017 (the “Trust Agreement”), the Company hereby requests that you deliver to the Company $_______ of the interest income earned on the Property (as defined in the Trust Agreement) as of the date hereof. The Company needs such funds to pay for its tax obligations. In accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement, you are hereby directed and authorized to transfer (via wire transfer) such funds promptly upon your receipt of this letter to the Company’s operating account at:

 

[WIRE INSTRUCTION INFORMATION]

 

  BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP.
     
  By:                    
  Name:    
  Title:  

 

 

 

 

 

EX-10.3 14 fs12017ex10iii_bisoncap.htm FORM OF LETTER AGREEMENT BETWEEN BISON CAPITAL HOLDING COMPANY LIMITED, OUR SPONSOR, AND THE REGISTRANT REGARDING ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT

Exhibit 10.3

 

Bison Capital Acquisition Corp.

609-610 21st Century Tower

No. 40 Liangmaqiao Road

Chaoyang District, Beijing, China

 

__________, 2017

 

Bison Capital Holding Company Limited

609-610 21st Century Tower

No. 40 Liangmaqiao Road

Chaoyang District, Beijing, China

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

This letter will confirm our agreement that, commencing on the effective date (the “Effective Date”) of the registration statement (the “Registration Statement”) for the initial public offering (the “IPO”) of the securities of Bison Capital Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) and continuing until the earlier of (i) the consummation by the Company of an initial business combination or (ii) the Company’s liquidation (in each case as described in the Registration Statement) (such earlier date hereinafter referred to as the “Termination Date”), Bison Capital Holding Company Limited, a company incorporated in the Cayman Islands (“Bison Capital”), shall make available to the Company certain office space and administrative and support services as may be required by the Company from time to time, situated at 609-610 21st Century Tower, No. 40 Liangmaqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China (or any successor location). In exchange therefore, the Company shall pay Bison Capital the sum of $5,000 per month on the Effective Date and continuing monthly thereafter until the Termination Date. Bison Capital hereby agrees that, solely with respect to this letter agreement, it does not have any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies that may be set aside in a trust account (the “Trust Account”) that may be established upon the consummation of the IPO (“Claim”) and hereby waives any Claim it may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, this letter agreement and will not seek recourse against the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever relating to this letter agreement. No party hereto may assign either this letter agreement or any of its rights, interests, or obligations hereunder without the prior written approval of the other party, provided that Bison Capital may assign this letter agreement to an affiliate without the prior written approval of the Company. Any purported assignment in violation of this paragraph shall be void and ineffectual and shall not operate to transfer or assign any interest or title to the purported assignee.

 

  Very truly yours,
   
  BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP.
   
  By:  
  Name: James Jiayuan Tong
 

Title:

Chief Executive Officer and
Chief Financial Officer

 

AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED BY:

 

BISON CAPITAL HOLDING COMPANY LIMITED

 
     
By:    
Name: Peixin Xu  
Title: Director  

 

EX-10.4 15 fs12017ex10iv_bisoncap.htm FORM OF ESCROW AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE REGISTRANT, CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY AND THE INITIAL SHAREHOLDERS

Exhibit 10.4

 

SHARE ESCROW AGREEMENT

 

SHARE ESCROW AGREEMENT, dated as of [_______], 2017 (this “Agreement”), by and among BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP., a British Virgin Islands Company (the “Company”), BISON CAPITAL HOLDING COMPANY LIMITED (“Bison Capital”) and JAMES JIAYUAN TONG (collectively with Bison Capital, the “Initial Shareholders”) and CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, a New York corporation (the “Escrow Agent”).

 

WHEREAS, the Company has entered into an Underwriting Agreement, dated as of [_______], 2017 (the “Underwriting Agreement”), with EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. (the “Underwriter”), pursuant to which, among other matters, the Underwriter has agreed to purchase 5,000,000 units (the “Units”) of the Company, plus an additional 750,000 Units if the Underwriter exercises its over-allotment option in full. Each Unit consists of one ordinary share of the Company, no par value per share (an “Ordinary Share”), one right to receive one-tenth of one Ordinary Share and one-half of one warrant (a “Warrant”), each whole Warrant to purchase one Ordinary Share at $11.50 per whole share upon the Company’s initial business combination (as described in the Registration Statement hereinafter a “Business Combination”), all as more fully described in the Company’s final Prospectus, dated [_______], 2017 (the “Prospectus”), comprising part of the Company’s registration statement, as amended, on Form S-1 (File No. 333-[●]) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Registration Statement”), declared effective on [________], 2017 (the “Effective Date”).

 

WHEREAS, the Initial Shareholders have agreed as a condition of the sale of the Units to deposit their Ordinary Shares of the Company, as set forth opposite their respective names in Exhibit A attached hereto (collectively the “Escrow Shares”), in escrow as hereinafter provided.

 

WHEREAS, the Company and the Initial Shareholders desire that the Escrow Agent accept the Escrow Shares, in escrow, to be held and disbursed as hereinafter provided.

 

IT IS AGREED:

 

1.           Appointment of Escrow Agent. The Company and the Initial Shareholders hereby appoint the Escrow Agent to act in accordance with and subject to the terms of this Agreement and the Escrow Agent hereby accepts such appointment and agrees to act in accordance with and subject to such terms.

 

2.           Deposit of Escrow Shares. On the Effective Date, certificates representing each Initial Shareholder’s respective Escrow Shares (and any applicable share power) shall be placed in escrow, to be held and disbursed subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement. Each Initial Shareholder acknowledges that the certificate representing such Initial Shareholder’s Escrow Shares will be legended to reflect the deposit of such Escrow Shares under this Agreement.

 

3.           Disbursement of the Escrow Shares.

 

3.1.         The Escrow Agent shall hold the Escrow Shares during the period (the “Escrow Period”) commencing on the date hereof and (i) for 50% of the Escrow Shares, ending on the earlier of (x) one year after the date of the consummation of the Company’s initial Business Combination and (y) the date on which the closing sale price of the Company’s Ordinary Shares equals or exceeds $12.50 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share dividends, reorganizations and recapitalizations) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after the Business Combination and (ii) for the remaining 50% of the Escrow Shares, ending one year after the date of the consummation of the Business Combination; provided, however, that if, subsequent to the Company’s consummation of the Business Combination, the Company (or the surviving entity) subsequently consummates a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of the shareholders of such entity having the right to exchange their Ordinary Shares for cash, securities or other property, then the Escrow Agent will, upon receipt of a notice executed by the Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer or other authorized officer of the Company, in form reasonably acceptable to the Escrow Agent, certifying that such transaction is then being consummated, release the Escrow Shares then held by it to the Initial Shareholders. The Company shall promptly provide notice of the consummation of the Business Combination to the Escrow Agent. Upon completion of the Escrow Period, the Escrow Agent shall disburse such amount of each Initial Shareholder’s Escrow Shares (and any applicable share power) to such Initial Shareholder; provided, however, that if the Escrow Agent is notified by the Company pursuant to Section 6.7 hereof that the Company is being liquidated at any time during the Escrow Period, then the Escrow Agent shall promptly destroy the certificates representing the Escrow Shares. The Escrow Agent shall have no further duties hereunder after the disbursement or destruction of the Escrow Shares in accordance with this Section 3.

 

 

 

 

3.2.         Notwithstanding Section 3.1, if the Underwriter does not exercise its over-allotment option to purchase an additional 750,000 Units of the Company in full within 30 days of the date of the Prospectus (as described in the Underwriting Agreement), the Initial Shareholders agree that the Escrow Agent shall return to the Company for cancellation, at no cost, an aggregate number of Escrow Shares held by them respectively determined by multiplying (a) 139,500 for Bison Capital or 48,000 for James Jiayuan Tong, as applicable, by (b) a fraction, (i) the numerator of which is 750,000 minus the number of Ordinary Shares purchased by the Underwriters relating to the exercise of their over-allotment option, and (ii) the denominator of which is 750,000. The Company shall promptly provide notice to the Escrow Agent of the expiration or termination of the Underwriter’s over-allotment option and the number of Units, if any, purchased by the Underwriter in connection with its exercise thereof.

 

4.           Rights of Initial Shareholders in Escrow Shares.

 

4.1.         Voting Rights as a Shareholder. Subject to the terms of the Insider Letter described in Section 4.4 hereof and except as herein provided, the Initial Shareholders shall retain all of their rights as shareholders of the Company during the Escrow Period, including, without limitation, the right to vote such shares.

 

4.2.         Dividends and Other Distributions in Respect of the Escrow Shares. During the Escrow Period, all dividends payable in cash with respect to the Escrow Shares shall be paid to the Initial Shareholders, but all dividends payable in shares or other non-cash property (“Non-Cash Dividends”) shall be delivered to the Escrow Agent to hold in accordance with the terms hereof. As used herein, the term “Escrow Shares” shall be deemed to include the Non-Cash Dividends distributed thereon, if any.

 

4.3.         Restrictions on Transfer. During the Escrow Period, the only permitted transfers of the Escrow Shares will be (i) to any persons (including their affiliates and shareholders) participating in the private placement of the private units, officers, directors, shareholders, employees, members or affiliates of Bison Capital, (ii) amongst the Initial Shareholders or to the Company’s officers, directors and employees, (iii) if the Initial Shareholder is an entity, as a distribution to partners, members or shareholders of the Initial Shareholder upon the liquidation and dissolution of the Initial Shareholder, (iv) by bona fide gift to a member of the Initial Shareholder’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is the Initial Shareholder or a member of the Initial Shareholder’s immediate family for estate planning purposes, (v) by virtue of the laws of descent and distribution upon death of the Initial Shareholder, (vi) pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order, (vii) by certain pledges to secure obligations incurred in connection with purchases of the Company’s securities, (viii) by private sales at prices no greater than the price at which the Escrow Shares were originally purchased, or (ix) to the Company for cancellation as set forth in Section 3.2 hereof or in connection with the consummation of the Business Combination, in each case, except for clause (ix) or with the Company’s prior consent, on the condition that such transfers may be implemented only upon the respective transferee’s written agreement to be bound by the terms and conditions of this Agreement and of the Insider Letter (as defined below) signed by the Initial Shareholder transferring the Escrow Shares.

 

4.4.         Insider Letters. The Initial Shareholders have collectively executed a letter agreement with EBC and the Company, dated as indicated on Exhibit A hereto, and the form of which is filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement (the “Insider Letter”), respecting the rights and obligations of such Initial Shareholder in certain events, including but not limited to the liquidation of the Company.

 

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5.           Concerning the Escrow Agent.

 

5.1.         Good Faith Reliance. The Escrow Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in the exercise of its own best judgment, and may rely conclusively and shall be protected in acting upon any order, notice, demand, certificate, opinion or advice of counsel (including counsel chosen by the Escrow Agent), statement, instrument, report or other paper or document (not only as to its due execution and the validity and effectiveness of its provisions, but also as to the truth and acceptability of any information therein contained) which is believed by the Escrow Agent to be genuine and to be signed or presented by the proper person or persons. The Escrow Agent shall not be bound by any notice or demand, or any waiver, modification, termination or rescission of this Agreement unless evidenced by a writing delivered to the Escrow Agent signed by the proper party or parties and, if the duties or rights of the Escrow Agent are affected, unless it shall have given its prior written consent thereto.

 

5.2.         Indemnification. The Escrow Agent shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Company from and against any expenses, including reasonable counsel fees, or loss suffered by the Escrow Agent in connection with any action, suit or other proceeding involving any claim which in any way arises out of this Agreement, the services of the Escrow Agent hereunder, or the Escrow Shares held by it hereunder, other than expenses or losses arising from the bad faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct of the Escrow Agent. Promptly after the receipt by the Escrow Agent of notice of any demand or claim or the commencement of any action, suit or proceeding, the Escrow Agent shall notify the other parties hereto in writing. In the event of the receipt of such notice, the Escrow Agent, in its sole discretion, may commence an action in the nature of interpleader in an appropriate court to determine ownership or disposition of the Escrow Shares or it may deposit the Escrow Shares with the clerk of any appropriate court or it may retain the Escrow Shares pending receipt of a final, non-appealable order of a court having jurisdiction over all of the parties hereto directing to whom and under what circumstances the Escrow Shares are to be disbursed and delivered. The provisions of this Section 5.2 shall survive in the event the Escrow Agent resigns or is discharged pursuant to Sections 5.5 or 5.6 below.

 

5.3.         Compensation. The Escrow Agent shall be entitled to reasonable compensation from the Company for all services rendered by it hereunder. The Escrow Agent shall also be entitled to reimbursement from the Company for all expenses paid or incurred by it in the administration of its duties hereunder including, but not limited to, all counsel, advisors’ and agents’ fees and disbursements and all taxes or other governmental charges.

 

5.4.         Further Assurances. From time to time on and after the date hereof, the Company and the Initial Shareholders shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Escrow Agent such further documents and instruments and shall do or cause to be done such further acts as the Escrow Agent shall reasonably request to carry out more effectively the provisions and purposes of this Agreement, to evidence compliance herewith or to assure itself that it is protected in acting hereunder.

 

5.5.         Resignation. The Escrow Agent may resign at any time and be discharged from its duties as escrow agent hereunder by its giving the other parties hereto written notice and such resignation shall become effective as hereinafter provided. Such resignation shall become effective at such time that the Escrow Agent shall turn over to a successor escrow agent appointed by the Company, the Escrow Shares held hereunder. If no new escrow agent is so appointed within the 60 day period following the giving of such notice of resignation, the Escrow Agent may deposit the Escrow Shares with any court it reasonably deems appropriate.

 

5.6.         Discharge of Escrow Agent. The Escrow Agent shall resign and be discharged from its duties as escrow agent hereunder if so requested in writing at any time by the other parties hereto, jointly, provided, however, that such resignation shall become effective only upon acceptance of appointment by a successor escrow agent as provided in Section 5.5.

 

5.7.         Liability. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Escrow Agent shall not be relieved from liability hereunder for its own bad faith, gross negligence or its own willful misconduct.

 

5.8.         Waiver. The Escrow Agent hereby waives any right of set-off or any other right, title, interest or claim of any kind (“Claim”) in, or to any distribution of, the Trust Account (as defined in that certain Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and between the Company and the Escrow Agent as trustee thereunder) and hereby agrees not to seek recourse, reimbursement, payment or satisfaction for any Claim against the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever.

 

 3 

 

 

6.            Miscellaneous.

 

6.1.         Governing Law; Jurisdiction. In connection with Section 5-1401 of the General Obligations Law of the State of New York, this Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York without regard to principles of conflicts of law that would result in the application of the substantive law of another jurisdiction. The parties hereto agree that any action, proceeding or claim arising out of or relating in any way to this Agreement shall be resolved through final and binding arbitration in accordance with the International Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”). The arbitration shall be brought before the AAA International Center for Dispute Resolution’s offices in New York City, New York, will be conducted in English and will be decided by a panel of three arbitrators selected from the AAA Commercial Disputes Panel and that the arbitrator panel’s decision shall be final and enforceable by any court having jurisdiction over the party from whom enforcement is sought. The cost of such arbitrators and arbitration services, together with the prevailing party’s legal fees and expenses, shall be borne by the non-prevailing party or as otherwise directed by the arbitrators. This Agreement may be executed in several original or facsimile counterparts, each one of which shall constitute an original, and together shall constitute but one instrument.

 

6.2.        Third Party Beneficiaries. Each of the Initial Shareholders hereby acknowledges that the Underwriter is a third party beneficiary of this Agreement and this Agreement may not be modified or changed without the prior written consent of EBC.

 

6.3.        Entire Agreement. This Agreement contains the entire agreement of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and, except as expressly provided herein, may not be changed or modified except by an instrument in writing signed by the party to the charged.

 

6.4.        Headings. The headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation thereof.

 

6.5.        Binding Effect. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the respective parties hereto and their legal representatives, successors and assigns.

 

6.6.        Notices. Any notice, consent or request to be given in connection with any of the terms or provisions of this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be sent by express mail or similar private courier service, by certified mail (return receipt requested), by hand delivery or by facsimile transmission, as follows:

 

If to the Company, to:

 

Bison Capital Acquisition Corp.

B609-610 21st Century Tower,

No. 40 Liangmaqiao Road,

Chaoyang District, Beijing, China

Attn: James Jiayuan Tong, Chief Executive Officer

and Chief Financial Officer

Fax No.: +81 10 84446968 ext. 800

 

If to a Shareholder, to his address set forth in Exhibit A.

 

and if to the Escrow Agent, to:

 

Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company

1 State Street, 30th Floor

New York, New York 10004

Attn: Steve Nelson, Fran Wolf and Sharmin Carter

Fax No.: (212) 616-7620

 

 4 

 

 

A copy of any notice (which shall not constitute notice) sent hereunder shall be sent to:

 

EarlyBirdCapital, Inc.

366 Madison Avenue, 8th Floor

New York, New York 10017

Attn: Steven Levine, Chief Executive Officer

Fax No.: (212) 661-4936

 

and:

 

Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC

1450 Broadway, 26th Floor,

New York, New York 10018

Attn: Arila Zhou, Esq.

Fax No.: (212) 202-6380

 

and:

 

Graubard Miller

The Chrysler Building

405 Lexington Avenue

New York, New York 10174

Attn: David Alan Miller, Esq.

Fax No. (212) 818-8881

 

The parties may change the persons and addresses to which the notices or other communications are to be sent by giving written notice to any such change in the manner provided herein for giving notice.

 

6.7.         Liquidation of the Company. The Company shall give the Escrow Agent written notification of the liquidation and dissolution of the Company in the event that the Company fails to consummate the Business Combination within the time period specified in the Prospectus.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

 5 

 

 

WITNESS the execution of this Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

 

COMPANY:

   
  BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP.
     
  By:  
    Name: James Jiayuan Tong
   

Title:  Chief Executive Officer and
Chief Financial Officer

     
 

INITIAL SHAREHOLDERS:

     
 

Bison Capital Holding Company Limited

     
  By:  
    Name: Peixin Xu
   

Title: Partner

     
   
  James Jiayuan Tong
     
 

ESCROW AGENT:

     
 

CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER
& TRUST COMPANY

     
  By:  
    Name:
   

Title:

 

[Signature Page to Escrow Agreement]

 

 6 

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

Name and Address of Initial Shareholder

 

Number

of Shares

 

Share

Certificate
Number

 

Date of
Insider Letter

Bison Capital Holding Company Limited [ADDRESS]

  1,064,500   [●]   [_______], 2017
           

James Jiayuan Tong [ADDRESS]

  373,000   [●]   [_______], 2017
             

  

 

 

 

EX-10.7 16 fs12017ex10vii_bisoncap.htm AMENDED AND RESTATED UNIT SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE REGISTRANT, EARLYBIRDACAPITAL AND SPONSOR

Exhibit 10.7

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED UNIT SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT

 

This AMENDED AND RESTATED UNIT SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), made as of this ____ day of June, 2017, by and between Bison Capital Acquisition Corp., a British Virgin Islands business company (the “Company”), having its principal place of business at 609-610 21st Century Tower, No. 40 Liangmaqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China, and Bison Capital Holding Company Limited, a Cayman Island company, having its principal place of business at 609-610 21st Century Tower, No. 40 Liangmaqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China (the “Purchaser”) amends and replaces certain Unit Subscription Agreement dated as of December 20, 2016, by and between the Company and the Purchaser in its entirety.

 

WHEREAS, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), Rule 506 of Regulation D (“Regulation D”) under the Securities Act and/or Regulation S (“Regulation S”) under the Securities Act, the Company desires to sell in a private placement (the “Offering”) up to an aggregate of 387,500 units (the “Units”) of the Company, each Unit comprised of one ordinary share of the Company, no par value per share (collectively, the “Ordinary Shares”), one right (collectively, the “Rights”) to receive one-tenth of one Ordinary Share (collectively, the “Right Shares”), to be governed by the Rights Agreement (defined herein), and one-half of one warrant (collectively, the “Warrants”) each whole Warrant to purchase one Ordinary Share (collectively, the “Warrant Shares”), to be governed by the Warrant Agreement (defined herein), on the consummation of an acquisition, share exchange, purchase of all or substantially all of the assets of, or any other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities (a “Business Combination”), for an aggregate purchase price of up to $3,875,000, or $10.00 per Unit.

 

WHEREAS, the Purchaser desires to purchase the Units and the Company wishes to accept such subscription on the terms herein.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants hereinafter set forth and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Purchaser hereby agree as follows:

 

1.       Purchase and Issuance of the Units.

 

For the aggregate sum of $3,500,000 (the “Initial Purchase Price”), upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement, the Purchaser hereby agrees to purchase from the Company, and the Company hereby agrees to sell to the Purchaser, on the Closing Date (as defined in Section 1.2) 350,000 Units (the “Initial Units”) at $10.00 per Initial Unit.

 

In addition to the foregoing, the Purchaser hereby conditionally agrees to purchase up to an additional 37,500 Units (collectively, the “Additional Units”) at $10.00 per Additional Unit for a purchase price of $375,000 (the “Additional Purchase Price” and together with the Initial Purchase Price, the “Purchase Price”), if, and only if, and only to the extent that the underwriters’ 30-day over-allotment option (the “Over-Allotment Option”) in the IPO (as defined below) is exercised in full or part. The total number of Additional Units to be purchased hereunder shall be the number that is necessary to maintain in the Trust Account (as defined below) an amount equal to $10.25 per Ordinary Share sold to the public in the IPO. Each purchase of Additional Units shall occur simultaneously with the consummation of any portion of the Over-Allotment Option.

 

1.1.       Closing. The closing (the “Closing”) of the Offering shall take place at the offices of Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC, 1450 Broadway, 26th Floor, New York, New York, 10018 simultaneously with the consummation of the Company’s initial public offering (“IPO”) of 5,000,000 units consisting of Ordinary Shares, rights and warrants and the consummation of the exercise of all or any portion of the Over-Allotment Option (each a “Closing Date”).

 

1.2.       Delivery of the Purchase Price. At least one business day prior to the effective date of the Company’s registration statement relating to the IPO (the “Registration Statement”), or the date of the exercise of the Over-Allotment Option, if any, the Purchaser agrees to deliver the Initial Purchase Price or Additional Purchase Price, as the case may be, by certified bank check or wire transfer of immediately available funds denominated in United States Dollars to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company or any other agent designated by the Company which is hereby irrevocably authorized to deposit such funds on the applicable Closing Date to the trust account which will be established for the benefit of the Company’s public shareholders, managed pursuant to that certain investment management trust agreement to be entered into by and between the Company and a trustee and into which substantially all of the net proceeds of the IPO (less than certain amount of fund not held in the trust account) will be deposited (the “Trust Account”). If the IPO is not consummated within 14 days of the date the Initial Purchase Price is delivered to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company or any other agent designated by the Company, the Initial Purchase Price shall be returned to the Purchaser by certified bank check or wire transfer of immediately available funds denominated in United States Dollars, without interest or deduction.

 

 1 

 

 

1.3.       Delivery of Unit Certificate. Upon the applicable Closing Date after delivery of the Purchase Price in accordance with Section 1.3, the Purchaser shall become irrevocably entitled to receive a unit certificate representing the Units purchased hereunder. 

 

2.       Representations and Warranties of the Purchasers

 

The Purchaser represents and warrants to the Company that:

 

2.1.       No Government Recommendation or Approval. The Purchaser understands that no United States federal or state agency or similar agency of any other country has passed upon or made any recommendation or endorsement of the Company, the Offering, the Units, the Rights, the Right Shares, the Warrants, or the Warrant Shares, or the Ordinary Shares underlying the Units (the “Unit Shares” and, collectively with the Units, the Rights, the Right Shares, the Warrants and the Warrant Shares, the “Securities”).

 

2.2.       Organization.  The Purchaser is a company, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction and possesses all requisite power and authority necessary to carry out the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

2.3.       Private Offering. The Purchaser is an “accredited investor” as such term is defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D (the “Securities Act”) and it is not a “U.S. person” as defined in Rule 902 of Regulation S. The Purchaser acknowledges that the sale contemplated hereby is being made in reliance on a private placement exemption pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act, Regulation D and/or Regulation S promulgated thereunder.

 

2.4.       Authority. This Agreement has been validly authorized, executed and delivered by the Purchaser and is a valid and binding agreement enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding at law or in equity).

 

2.5.       No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation by the Purchaser of the transactions contemplated hereby do not violate, conflict with or constitute a default under (i) the Purchaser’s organizational documents, (ii) any agreement, indenture or instrument to which the Purchaser is a party or (iii) any law, statute, rule or regulation to which the Purchaser is subject, or any agreement, order, judgment or decree to which the Purchaser is subject.

 

2.6.       No Legal Advice from Company. The Purchaser acknowledges that it has had the opportunity to review this Agreement and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the other agreements entered into between the parties hereto with its own legal counsel and investment and tax advisors. Except for any statements or representations of the Company made in this Agreement and the other agreements entered into between the parties hereto, the Purchaser is relying solely on such counsel and advisors and not on any statements or representations of the Company or any of its representatives or agents for legal, tax or investment advice with respect to this investment, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the securities laws of any jurisdiction.

 

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2.7.       Access to Information; Independent Investigation. Prior to the execution of this Agreement, the Purchaser has had the opportunity to ask questions of and receive answers from representatives of the Company concerning an investment in the Company, as well as the finances, operations, business and prospects of the Company, and the opportunity to obtain additional information to verify the accuracy of all information so obtained. In determining whether to make this investment, the Purchaser has relied solely on its own knowledge and understanding of the Company and its business based upon its own due diligence investigation and the information furnished pursuant to this paragraph. The Purchaser understands that no person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations which were not furnished pursuant to this Section 2 and it has not relied on any other representations or information in making its investment decision, whether written or oral, relating to the Company, its operations and/or its prospects.

 

2.8.       Reliance on Representations and Warranties. The Purchaser understands the Units are being offered and sold to it in reliance on exemptions from the registration requirements under the Securities Act, and analogous provisions in the laws and regulations of various states, and that the Company is relying upon the truth and accuracy of the representations, warranties, agreements, acknowledgments and understandings of the Purchaser set forth in this Agreement in order to determine the applicability of such provisions.

 

2.9.       No General Solicitation or General Advertising; No Directed Selling Efforts. The Purchaser is not aware of any form of general solicitation or general advertising (within the meaning of Regulation D) in respect of the Securities, including (1) any advertisement, article, notice or other communication published in any newspaper, magazine, or similar media or broadcast over television, radio, or the internet; and (2) any seminar or meeting whose attendees have been invited by any general solicitation or general advertising. The Purchaser is not aware of any form of “directed selling efforts” (as defined in Regulation S) in the United States in respect of the Securities, which would include any activities undertaken for the purpose of, or that could reasonably be expected to have the effect of, conditioning the market in the United States for the resale of the Securities, including placing an advertisement in a publication with a general circulation in the United States. Legend. The Purchaser acknowledges and agrees the certificates evidencing the Units, the Unit Shares, the Rights, the Right Shares, the Warrants, and the Warrant Shares when issued, shall bear a restrictive legend (the “Legend”), in form and substance as set forth in Section 4 hereof, prohibiting the offer, sale, pledge or transfer of the securities except (i) pursuant to an effective registration statement covering these securities under the Securities Act or (ii) pursuant to any other exemptions from the registration requirements under the Securities Act and the rules thereunder and with all applicable state securities laws.

 

2.10.       Experience, Financial Capability and Suitability. The Purchaser is (i) sophisticated in financial matters and is able to evaluate the risks and benefits of the investment in the Securities and (ii) able to bear the economic risk of its investment in the Securities for an indefinite period of time because the Securities have not been registered under the Securities Act and therefore cannot be sold unless subsequently registered under the Securities Act or an exemption from such registration is available. It has substantial experience in evaluating and investing in transactions of securities in companies similar to the Company so that it is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of its investment in the Company and has the capacity to protect its own interests. The Purchaser must bear the economic risk of this investment until the Securities are sold pursuant to: (i) an effective registration statement under the Securities Act or (ii) an exemption from registration available with respect to such sale. The Purchaser is able to bear the economic risks of an investment in the Securities and to afford a complete loss of the Purchaser’s investment in the Securities.

 

2.11.       Investment Purposes. The Purchaser is purchasing the Securities solely for investment purposes, for its own account and not for the account or benefit of any other person, and not with a view towards the distribution or dissemination thereof and the Purchaser has no present arrangement to sell the interest in the Securities to or through any person or entity.

 

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2.12.       Restrictions on Transfer; Shell Company; Affiliate Status. The Purchaser acknowledges and understands the Units are being offered in a transaction not involving a public offering in the United States within the meaning of the Securities Act. The Securities have not been registered under the Securities Act, and, if in the future, the Purchaser decides to offer, resell, pledge or otherwise transfer the Securities, such Securities may be offered, resold, pledged or otherwise transferred only (A) pursuant to an effective registration statement filed under the Securities Act, (B) pursuant to an exemption from registration under Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act (the “Rule 144”), if available, or (C) pursuant to any other available exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, and in each case in accordance with any applicable securities laws of any state or any other jurisdiction. The Purchaser agrees that if any transfer of its Securities or any interest therein is proposed to be made, as a condition precedent to any such transfer, the Purchaser may be required to deliver to the Company an opinion of counsel satisfactory to the Company. Absent registration or another available exemption from registration, the Purchaser agrees it will not resell the Securities. It further acknowledges that because the Company is a shell company, Rule 144 may not be available to it for the resale of the Securities until the one year anniversary following consummation of the initial Business Combination of the Company, despite technical compliance with the requirements of Rule 144 and the release or waiver of any contractual transfer restrictions. Such Purchaser (a) acknowledges that after the issuance of the Securities, such Purchaser may be deemed an “affiliate” of the Company under the Securities Act, (b) acknowledges understanding the additional restrictions under the Securities Act applicable to affiliate of the Company, and (c) acknowledges that it had a full and fair opportunity and the means to obtain United States securities counsel and discuss such restrictions prior to entering into this Agreement.

 

2.13.       No Governmental Consents. No governmental, administrative or other third party consents or approvals are required, necessary or appropriate on the part of the Purchaser in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

2.14.       Trading Activities. In the event that the Securities are listed on a stock exchange, the Purchaser’s trading activities, if any, with respect to the Shares will be in compliance with all applicable state and federal securities laws, rules and regulations, and the rules and regulations of such stock exchange.

 

2.15.       Bad Actor The Purchaser is not subject to any of the “Bad Actor” disqualifications described in Rule 506(d)(1)(i) to (viii) under the Securities Act (a “Disqualification Event”), except for a Disqualification Event covered by Rule 506(d)(2) or (d)(3) under the Securities Act. The Purchaser has exercised reasonable care to determine whether he, she or it is subject to a Disqualification Event. The Purchaser will not subject the Company to any Disqualification Event. There are no matters that would have triggered disqualification under Rule 506(d)(1) under the Securities Act but occurred before September 23, 2013.

 

3.       Representations and Warranties of the Company

 

The Company represents and warrants to the Purchasers that:

 

3.1.       Valid Issuance of Share Capital. The total number of all classes of share capital which the Company has authority to issue is (i) an unlimited number of Ordinary Shares and (ii) an unlimited number of preferred shares. As of the date hereof, the Company has issued 1,437,500 Ordinary Shares (of which 187,500 Ordinary Shares are subject to forfeiture as described in the Registration Statement) and no preferred shares are issued and outstanding. All of the issued share capital of the Company has been duly authorized, validly issued, and are fully paid and non-assessable.

 

3.2.       Title to Securities. Upon issuance in accordance with, and payment pursuant to, the terms hereof, a rights agreement to be entered into with a mutually agreeable rights agent on or prior to the closing of the IPO (the “Rights Agreement”) and a warrant agreement to be entered into with a mutually agreeable warrant agent on or prior to the closing of the IPO (the “Warrant Agreement”), as the case may be, each of the Units, the Rights, the Warrants and the Unit Shares will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. When the Units are issued, the Right Shares and Warrant Shares will have been reserved for issuance. Upon issuance in accordance with the terms of the Rights Agreement and Warrant Agreement, as the case may be, the Purchaser will have or receive good title to the Right Shares and Warrant Shares, free and clear of all liens, claims and encumbrances of any kind, other than (i) transfer restrictions hereunder and under other agreements contemplated hereby, (ii) transfer restrictions under federal and state securities laws and (iii) liens, claims or encumbrances imposed due to the action of the Purchaser.

 

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3.3.       Organization and Qualification. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a British Virgin Islands business company and has the requisite corporate power to own its properties and assets and to carry on its business as now being conducted.

 

3.4.       Authorization; Enforcement. (i) The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement and to issue the Securities in accordance with the terms hereof, (ii) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and no further consent or authorization of the Company or its Board of Directors or shareholders is required, and (iii) this Agreement constitutes, and upon the execution and delivery thereof, the Rights and Rights Agreement, the Warrants and Warrant Agreement will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium, reorganization, or similar laws relating to, or affecting generally the enforcement of, creditors’ rights and remedies or by equitable principles of general application and except as enforcement of rights to indemnity and contribution may be limited by federal and state securities laws or principles of public policy.

 

3.5.       No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby do not (i) result in a violation of the Company’s Memorandum and Articles of Association, (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default under any agreement, indenture or instrument to which the Company is a party or (iii) conflict with any law statute, rule or regulation to which the Company is subject or any agreement, order, judgment or decree to which the Company is subject. Other than any federal, state or foreign securities filings which may be required to be made by the Company subsequent to the Closing, and any registration statement which may be filed pursuant thereto, the Company is not required under federal, state or local law, rule or regulation to obtain any consent, authorization or order of, or make any filing or registration with, any court or governmental agency or self-regulatory entity in order for it to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement or issue the Units, the Rights, the Right Shares, the Warrants, or the Unit Shares, or Warrant Shares in accordance with the terms hereof.

 

3.6.       No Registration. Assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Purchaser contained in this Agreement, the issuance and sale of the Private Units pursuant to this Agreement is exempt from registration requirements of the Securities Act, and neither the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any authorized representative acting on its behalf, has taken or will take any action hereafter that would cause the loss of such exemption.

 

3.7.       No Integration. Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates have, directly or indirectly through any agent, sold, offered for sale, solicited offers to buy or otherwise negotiated in respect of, any “security” (as defined in the Securities Act) that is or will be integrated with the sale of the Units in a manner that would require registration under the Securities Act.

 

3.8.       No General Solicitation or General Advertising; No Directed Selling Efforts. Neither the Company nor any person acting on behalf of the Company has offered or sold any of the Securities by any form of general solicitation or general advertising (within the meaning of Regulation D) including (1) any advertisement, article, notice or other communication published in any newspaper, magazine, or similar media or broadcast over television, radio, or the internet; and (2) any seminar or meeting whose attendees have been invited by any general solicitation or general advertising; nor has it seen or been aware of any activity that, to its knowledge, constitutes general solicitation or general advertising. Neither the Company nor any person acting on behalf of the Company has engaged in any “directed selling efforts” (as defined in Regulation S) in the United States in respect of the Securities, which would include any activities undertaken for the purpose of, or that could reasonably be expected to have the effect of, conditioning the market in the United States for the resale of the Securities, including placing an advertisement in a publication with a general circulation in the United States, nor has it seen or been aware of any activity that, to its knowledge, constitutes directed selling efforts in the United States.

 

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4.       Legends

 

4.1.       Legend. The Company will issue the Units, the Rights, the Warrants and the Unit Shares, and when issued, the Right Shares and the Warrant Shares, as the case may be, purchased by the Purchaser, in the name of the Purchaser. Unless counsel to the Company advises otherwise, the Securities will bear the following Legend and appropriate “stop transfer” instructions:

 

“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS AND NEITHER THE SECURITIES NOR ANY INTEREST THEREIN MAY BE OFFERED, SOLD, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION THEREUNDER, IN EACH CASE IN ACCORDANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF THE STATES OR OTHER JURISDICTIONS, AND IN THE CASE OF A TRANSACTION EXEMPT FROM REGISTRATION, SUCH SECURITIES MAY ONLY BE TRANSFERRED IF THE COMPANY AND TRANSFER AGENT FOR SUCH SECURITIES HAS RECEIVED DOCUMENTATION SATISFACTORY TO IT THAT SUCH TRANSACTION DOES NOT REQUIRE REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT.”

 

“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE ARE SUBJECT TO AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP. AND BISON CAPITAL HOLDING COMPANY LIMITED AND MAY ONLY BE OFFERED, SOLD, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED DURING THE TERM OF THE LOCKUP PURSUANT TO THE TERMS SET FORTH THEREIN.”

 

4.2.       Purchaser’s Compliance. Nothing in this Section 4 shall affect in any way the Purchaser’s obligations and agreements to comply with all applicable securities laws upon resale of the Securities.

 

4.3.       Company’s Refusal to Register Transfer of the Securities. The Company shall refuse to register any transfer of the Securities, if in the sole judgment of the Company such purported transfer would not be made (i) pursuant to an effective registration statement filed under the Securities Act, or (ii) pursuant to an available exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and the rules promulgated by the Commission thereunder and with all applicable state securities laws.

 

4.4.       Registration Rights. The Purchaser will be entitled to certain registration rights which will be governed by a registration rights agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) to be entered into with the Company on or prior to the closing of the IPO.

 

5.       Lock-up

 

The Purchaser acknowledges and agrees that the Units, the Rights, the Right Shares, the Warrants and the Unit Shares shall not be transferable, saleable or assignable until after the consummation of a Business Combination, except to permitted transferees (as permitted in the Share Escrow Agreement to be entered into by and between an escrow agent and the Purchaser).

 

6.       Securities Laws Restrictions

 

In addition to any restrictions contained herein, the Purchaser agrees not to sell, transfer, pledge, hypothecate or otherwise dispose of all or any part of the Securities unless, prior thereto (i) a registration statement on the appropriate form under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws with respect to the Securities proposed to be transferred shall then be effective, or (ii) that an exempt from registration is available under the Securities Act and the rules promulgated by the Commission thereunder and the transfer is made in accordance with all applicable state securities laws.

 

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7.       Waiver of Distributions from Trust Account

 

In connection with the Securities purchased pursuant to this Agreement, the Purchaser hereby waives any and all right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any distributions from the Trust Account.

 

8.       Rescission Right Waiver and Indemnification

 

8.1.       Rescission Waiver. The Purchaser understands and acknowledges that an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act requires there be no general solicitation of purchasers of the Units. In this regard, if the Offering were deemed to be a general solicitation with respect to the Units, the offer and sale of such Units may not be exempt from registration and, if not, the Purchaser may have a right to rescind its purchase of the Units. In order to facilitate the completion of the Offering and in order to protect the Company, its shareholders and the Trust Account from claims that may adversely affect the Company or the interests of its shareholders, the Purchaser hereby agrees to waive, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, any claims, right to sue or rights in law or arbitration, as the case may be, to seek rescission of its purchase of the Units as a result of the issuance of the Units being deemed to be in violation of Section 5 of the Securities Act. The Purchaser acknowledges and agrees this waiver is being made in order to induce the Company to sell the Units to the Purchaser. The Purchaser agrees the foregoing waiver of rescission rights shall apply to any and all known or unknown actions, causes of action, suits, claims or proceedings (collectively, “Claims”) and related losses, costs, penalties, fees, liabilities and damages, whether compensatory, consequential or exemplary, and expenses in connection therewith, including reasonable attorneys’ and expert witness fees and disbursements and all other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any Claims, whether pending or threatened, in connection with any present or future actual or asserted right to rescind the purchase of the Units hereunder or relating to the purchase of the Units and the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

8.2.       No Recourse Against Trust Account. The Purchaser agrees not to seek recourse against the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever in connection with its purchase of the Units or any Claim that may arise now or in the future relating to the purchase of the Units and the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

8.3.       Section 8 Waiver. The Purchaser agrees that to the extent any waiver of rights under this Section 8 is ineffective as a matter of law, the Purchaser has offered such waiver for the benefit of the Company as an equitable right that shall survive any statutory disqualification or bar that applies to a legal right. The Purchaser acknowledges the receipt and sufficiency of consideration received from the Company hereunder in this regard.

 

9.       Terms of the Units

 

The Units shall be substantially identical to the units offered in the IPO as set forth in an underwriting agreement to be entered into by and between the Company and EarlyBirdCapital, Inc., except as provided for herein, and principally, (i) the Units will be subject to the transfer restrictions described herein, (ii) the Units are being purchased pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and will become freely tradable only after certain conditions are met or the resale of the Units is registered under the Securities Act, and (iii) the Warrants will be non-redeemable and may be exercised on a cashless basis, in each case so long as they continue to be held by the initial Purchaser or its permitted transferees as set forth in the Warrant Agreement. The Purchaser is also agreeing to certain obligations with respect to the Units as set forth in that certain insider letter to be entered into in connection with the IPO.

 

10.     Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Waiver of Jury Trial

 

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the British Virgin Islands for agreements made and to be wholly performed within such territory. The parties hereto hereby waive any right to a jury trial in connection with any litigation pursuant to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

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11.     Assignment; Entire Agreement; Amendment

 

11.1.       Assignment. Neither this Agreement nor any rights hereunder may be assigned by any party to any other person other than by the Purchaser, without the prior consent of the Company, to one or more persons agreeing to be bound by the terms hereof. Upon such assignment by a Purchaser, the assignee(s) shall become Purchaser hereunder and have the rights and obligations provided for herein to the extent of such assignment.

 

11.2.       Entire Agreement. This Agreement sets forth the entire agreement and understanding between the parties as to the subject matter hereof and supersedes any and all prior discussions, agreements and understandings of any and every nature.

 

11.3.       Amendment. Except as expressly provided in this Agreement, neither this Agreement nor any term hereof may be amended, waived, discharged or terminated other than by a written instrument signed by the party against whom enforcement of any such amendment, waiver, discharge or termination is sought.

 

11.4.       Binding upon Successors. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and to their respective heirs, legal representatives, successors and permitted assigns.

 

12.     Notices; Indemnity

 

12.1.       Notices. All notices, requests, consents and other communications hereunder shall be in writing, shall be addressed to the receiving party’s address set forth herein or to such other address as a party may designate by notice hereunder, and shall be either (a) delivered by hand, (b) sent by overnight courier, (c) sent via facsimile, or (d) sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid. All notices, requests, consents and other communications hereunder shall be deemed to have been given either (i) if by hand, at the time of the delivery thereof to the receiving party at the address of such party set forth above, (ii) if sent by overnight courier, on the next business day following the day such notice is delivered to the courier service, (iii) if sent via facsimile, when receipt is acknowledged, or (iv) if sent by certified mail, on the fifth business day following the day such mailing is made.

 

12.2.       Indemnification. Each party shall indemnify the other party against any loss, cost or damages (including reasonable attorney’s fees and expenses) incurred as a result of such party’s breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement set forth in this Agreement.

 

13.     Counterparts

 

This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party, it being understood that both parties need not sign the same counterpart.  In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or any other form of electronic delivery, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such signature page were an original thereof.

 

14.     Survival; Severability

 

14.1.       Survival. The representations, warranties, covenants and agreements of the parties hereto shall survive the Closing until one (1) year following the consummation of an initial Business Combination.

 

14.2.       Severability. In the event that any provision of this Agreement becomes or is declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal, unenforceable or void, this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect without said provision; provided that no such severability shall be effective if it materially changes the economic benefit of this Agreement to any party.

 

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15.     Headings

 

The titles and subtitles used in this Agreement are used for convenience only and are not to be considered in construing or interpreting this Agreement.

 

16.     Construction

 

The parties hereto have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement. If an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement will be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties hereto and no presumption or burden of proof will arise favoring or disfavoring any party hereto because of the authorship of any provision of this Agreement. The words “include,” “includes,” and “including” will be deemed to be followed by “without limitation.” Pronouns in masculine, feminine, and neuter genders will be construed to include any other gender, and words in the singular form will be construed to include the plural and vice versa, unless the context otherwise requires. The words “this Agreement,” “herein,” “hereof,” “hereby,” “hereunder,” and words of similar import refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular subdivision unless expressly so limited. The parties hereto intend that each representation, warranty, and covenant contained herein will have independent significance. If any party hereto has breached any representation, warranty, or covenant contained herein in any respect, the fact that there exists another representation, warranty or covenant relating to the same subject matter (regardless of the relative levels of specificity) which such party hereto has not breached will not detract from or mitigate the fact that such party hereto is in breach of the first representation, warranty, or covenant.

 

[Intentionally Left Blank]

 

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This subscription is accepted by the Company as of the date first written above.

 

  BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP.
     
  By:
  Name: James Jiayuan Tong
  Title: Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Director

 

 

[Signature Page to Private Units Subscription Agreement-the Capital]

 

 

 

 

Accepted and agreed this

______  day of June 2017

 

BISON CAPITAL HOLDING COMPANY LIMITED
     
By:  
Name: Peixin Xu  
Title: Director  

 

 

[Signature Page to Private Units Subscription Agreement-Bison Capital]

 

 

 

 

EX-10.8 17 fs12017ex10viii_bisoncap.htm FORM OF REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE REGISTRANT AND SECURITY HOLDERS

Exhibit 10.8

 

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 

THIS REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is entered into as of [●], 2017, by and among Bison Capital Acquisition Corp., a British Virgin Islands company (the “Company”), the undersigned parties listed under Investor on the signature page hereto (each, an “Investor” and collectively, the “Investors”).

 

WHEREAS, the Investors collectively hold 1,437,500 shares of the outstanding Ordinary Shares (defined below) of the Company, among which up to 187,500 shares are subject to forfeiture in the event the underwriters of the Company’s initial public offering do not exercise the over-allotment option in full or in part, issued prior to the consummation of the Company’s initial public offering (the “Initial Shares”);

 

WHEREAS, certain of the Investors are privately purchasing 375,000 Units (defined below) simultaneously with the consummation of the Company’s initial public offering (the “Initial Private Units”), and such Investors will purchase up to 41,250 additional Units (“Over-Allotment Private Units,” together with the Initial Private Units, the “Private Units”) in the event the underwriters of the Company’s initial public offering exercise the over-allotment option in full or in part;

 

WHEREAS, the Investors and the Company desire to enter into this Agreement to provide the Investors with certain rights relating to the registration of the Initial Shares, the Private Units and the Working Capital Units (defined below);

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth herein, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows: 

 

1.       DEFINITIONS. The following capitalized terms used herein have the following meanings:

 

Agreement” means this Agreement, as amended, restated, supplemented, or otherwise modified from time to time.

 

Business Combination” means a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities.

 

Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission, or any other Federal agency then administering the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.

 

Company” is defined in the preamble to this Agreement.

 

Demand Registration” is defined in Section 2.1.1.

 

Demanding Holder” is defined in Section 2.1.1.

 

Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder, all as the same shall be in effect at the time.

 

Form S-3” is defined in Section 2.3.

 

Indemnified Party” is defined in Section 4.3.

 

Indemnifying Party” is defined in Section 4.3.

 

Initial Shares” is defined in the preamble to this Agreement.

 

Initial Private Units” is defined in the preamble to this Agreement.

 

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Investor” is defined in the preamble to this Agreement.

 

Investor Indemnified Party” is defined in Section 4.1.

 

Maximum Number of Shares” is defined in Section 2.1.4.

 

Notices” is defined in Section 6.3.

 

Option Securities” is defined in Section 2.1.4.

 

Ordinary Shares” means the Ordinary Shares of the Company, no par value.

 

Over-Allotment Private Units” is defined in the preamble to this Agreement.

 

Piggy-Back Registration” is defined in Section 2.2.1.

 

Private Units” is defined in the preamble to this Agreement.

 

Register,” “Registered” and “Registration” mean a registration effected by preparing and filing a registration statement or similar document in compliance with the requirements of the Securities Act, and the applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and such registration statement becoming effective.

 

Registrable Securities” means (i) all of the Initial Shares, (ii) all of the Private Units (and underlying Ordinary Shares) and (iii) all of the Working Capital Units (and underlying Ordinary Shares). Registrable Securities include any warrants, share capital or other securities of the Company issued as a dividend or other distribution with respect to or in exchange for or in replacement of such Initial Shares, Private Units (and underlying Ordinary Shares) and Working Capital Units (and underlying Ordinary Shares). As to any particular Registrable Securities, such securities shall cease to be Registrable Securities when: (a) a Registration Statement with respect to the sale of such securities shall have become effective under the Securities Act and such securities shall have been sold, transferred, disposed of or exchanged in accordance with such Registration Statement; (b) such securities shall have been otherwise transferred, new certificates for them not bearing a legend restricting further transfer shall have been delivered by the Company and subsequent public distribution of them shall not require registration under the Securities Act; (c) such securities shall have ceased to be outstanding, or (d) the Registrable Securities are freely saleable under Rule 144 without volume limitations.  

 

Registration Statement” means a registration statement filed by the Company with the Commission in compliance with the Securities Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder for a public offering and sale of equity securities, or securities or other obligations exercisable or exchangeable for, or convertible into, equity securities (other than a registration statement on Form S-4 or Form S-8, or their successors, or any registration statement covering only securities proposed to be issued in exchange for securities or assets of another entity).

 

Release Date” means the date on which the Initial Shares are disbursed from escrow pursuant to Section 3 of that certain Share Escrow Agreement dated as of [●], 2017 by and among certain of the Investors and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company.

 

Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder, all as the same shall be in effect at the time.

 

Underwriter” means a securities dealer who purchases any Registrable Securities as principal in an underwritten offering and not as part of such dealer’s market-making activities.

 

Units” means the units of the Company, each comprised of one ordinary share, one right to receive one-tenth of one ordinary share automatically on the consummation of an initial business combination, and one Warrant to purchase one half of one Ordinary Share.

 

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Warrants means the warrants of the Company underlying the Units, each to purchase one half of one Ordinary Share.

 

Working Capital Units” means any Units held by Investors, officers or directors of the Company or their affiliates which may be issued in payment of working capital loans made to the Company.

 

2.          REGISTRATION RIGHTS.

 

2.1.       Demand Registration.

 

2.1.1.       Request for Registration. At any time and from time to time on or after (i) the date that the Company consummates a Business Combination with respect to the Private Units (or underlying Ordinary Shares) or Working Capital Units (or underlying Ordinary Shares) or (ii) three months prior to the Release Date with respect to Initial Shares, the holders of a majority-in-interest of such Private Units (or underlying Ordinary Shares), Working Capital Units (or underlying Ordinary Shares) or the Initial Shares, as the case may be, held by the Investors, officers or directors of the Company or their affiliates, or the transferees of the Investors, may make a written demand for registration under the Securities Act of all or part of their Private Units (or underlying Ordinary Shares), Working Capital Units (or underlying Ordinary Shares) or the Initial Shares, as the case may be (a “Demand Registration”). Any demand for a Demand Registration shall specify the number of shares of Registrable Securities proposed to be sold and the intended method(s) of distribution thereof. The Company will notify all holders of Registrable Securities of the demand, and each holder of Registrable Securities who wishes to include all or a portion of such holder’s Registrable Securities in the Demand Registration (each such holder demanding to include shares of Registrable Securities in such registration, a “Demanding Holder”) shall so notify the Company within fifteen (15) days after the receipt by the holder of the notice from the Company. Upon any such request, the Demanding Holders shall be entitled to have their Registrable Securities included in the Demand Registration, subject to Section 2.1.4 and the provisos set forth in Section 3.1.1. The Company shall not be obligated to effect more than an aggregate of three (3) Demand Registrations under this Section 2.1.1 in respect of all Registrable Securities. 

 

2.1.2.       Effective Registration. A registration will not count as a Demand Registration until the Registration Statement filed with the Commission with respect to such Demand Registration has been declared effective and the Company has complied with all of its obligations under this Agreement with respect thereto; provided, however, that if, after such Registration Statement has been declared effective, the offering of Registrable Securities pursuant to a Demand Registration is interfered with by any stop order or injunction of the Commission or any other governmental agency or court, the Registration Statement with respect to such Demand Registration will be deemed not to have been declared effective, unless and until, (i) such stop order or injunction is removed, rescinded or otherwise terminated, and (ii) a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders thereafter elect to continue the offering; provided, further, that the Company shall not be obligated to file a second Registration Statement until a Registration Statement that has been filed is counted as a Demand Registration or is terminated. 

 

2.1.3.       Underwritten Offering. If a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders so elect and such holders so advise the Company as part of their written demand for a Demand Registration, the offering of such Registrable Securities pursuant to such Demand Registration shall be in the form of an underwritten offering. In such event, the right of any holder to include its Registrable Securities in such registration shall be conditioned upon such holder’s participation in such underwriting and the inclusion of such holder’s Registrable Securities in the underwriting to the extent provided herein. All Demanding Holders proposing to distribute their Registrable Securities through such underwriting shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the Underwriter or Underwriters selected for such underwriting by a majority-in-interest of the holders initiating the Demand Registration. 

 

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2.1.4.       Reduction of Offering. If the managing Underwriter or Underwriters for a Demand Registration that is to be an underwritten offering advises the Company and the Demanding Holders in writing that the dollar amount or number of shares of Registrable Securities which the Demanding Holders desire to sell, taken together with all other Ordinary Shares or other securities which the Company desires to sell and the Ordinary Shares, if any, as to which registration has been requested pursuant to written contractual piggy-back registration rights held by other shareholders of the Company who desire to sell, exceeds the maximum dollar amount or maximum number of shares that can be sold in such offering without adversely affecting the proposed offering price, the timing, the distribution method, or the probability of success of such offering (such maximum dollar amount or maximum number of shares, as applicable, the “Maximum Number of Shares”), then the Company shall include in such registration: (i) first, the Registrable Securities as to which Demand Registration has been requested by the Demanding Holders (pro rata in accordance with the number of shares that each such Person has requested be included in such registration, regardless of the number of shares held by each such Person (such proportion is referred to herein as "Pro Rata")) that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; (ii) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clause (i), the Ordinary Shares or other securities that the Company desires to sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; (iii) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), the Ordinary Shares or other securities registrable pursuant to the terms of the Unit Purchase Option issued to EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. or its designees in connection with the Company’s initial public offering (the “Unit Purchase Option” and such registrable securities, the “Option Securities”) as to which “piggy-back” registration has been requested by the holders thereof, Pro Rata, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; and (iv) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares have not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i), (ii), and (iii), the Ordinary Shares or other securities for the account of other persons that the Company is obligated to register pursuant to written contractual arrangements with such persons and that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares. 

 

2.1.5.       Withdrawal. If a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders disapprove of the terms of any underwriting or are not entitled to include all of their Registrable Securities in any offering, such majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders may elect to withdraw from such offering by giving written notice to the Company and the Underwriter or Underwriters of their request to withdraw prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement filed with the Commission with respect to such Demand Registration. If the majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders withdraws from a proposed offering relating to a Demand Registration, then such registration shall not count as a Demand Registration provided for in Section 2.1. 

 

2.2.       Piggy-Back Registration.

 

2.2.1.       Piggy-Back Rights. If at any time on or after the date the Company consummates a Business Combination the Company proposes to file a Registration Statement under the Securities Act with respect to an offering of equity securities, or securities or other obligations exercisable or exchangeable for, or convertible into, equity securities, by the Company for its own account or for shareholders of the Company for their account (or by the Company and by shareholders of the Company including, without limitation, pursuant to Section 2.1), other than a Registration Statement (i) filed in connection with any employee share option or other benefit plan, (ii) for an exchange offer or offering of securities solely to the Company’s existing shareholders, (iii) for an offering of debt that is convertible into equity securities of the Company or (iv) for a dividend reinvestment plan, then the Company shall (x) give written notice of such proposed filing to the holders of Registrable Securities as soon as practicable but in no event less than ten (10) days before the anticipated filing date, which notice shall describe the amount and type of securities to be included in such offering, the intended method(s) of distribution, and the name of the proposed managing Underwriter or Underwriters, if any, of the offering, and (y) offer to the holders of Registrable Securities in such notice the opportunity to register the sale of such number of shares of Registrable Securities as such holders may request in writing within five (5) days following receipt of such notice (a “Piggy-Back Registration”). The Company shall cause such Registrable Securities to be included in such registration and shall use its best efforts to cause the managing Underwriter or Underwriters of a proposed underwritten offering to permit the Registrable Securities requested to be included in a Piggy-Back Registration on the same terms and conditions as any similar securities of the Company and to permit the sale or other disposition of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution thereof. All holders of Registrable Securities proposing to distribute their securities through a Piggy-Back Registration that involves an Underwriter or Underwriters shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the Underwriter or Underwriters selected for such Piggy-Back Registration.

 

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2.2.2.       Reduction of Offering. If the managing Underwriter or Underwriters for a Piggy-Back Registration that is to be an underwritten offering advises the Company and the holders of Registrable Securities in writing that the dollar amount or number of Ordinary Shares which the Company desires to sell, taken together with Ordinary Shares, if any, as to which registration has been demanded pursuant to written contractual arrangements with persons other than the holders of Registrable Securities hereunder, the Registrable Securities as to which registration has been requested under this Section 2.2, and the Ordinary Shares, if any, as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the written contractual piggy-back registration rights of other shareholders of the Company, exceeds the Maximum Number of Shares, then the Company shall include in any such registration: 

 

(a)       If the registration is undertaken for the Company’s account: (A) first, the Ordinary Shares or other securities that the Company desires to sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; (B) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clause (A), the Ordinary Shares or other securities, if any, comprised of Registrable Securities and Option Securities, as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the applicable written contractual piggy-back registration rights of such security holders, Pro Rata, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; and (C) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of shares has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A) and (B), the Ordinary Shares or other securities for the account of other persons that the Company is obligated to register pursuant to written contractual piggy-back registration rights with such persons and that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares.

 

(b)       If the registration is a “demand” registration undertaken at the demand of holders of Option Securities, (A) first, the Ordinary Shares or other securities for the account of the demanding persons, Pro Rata, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; (B) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clause (A), the Ordinary Shares or other securities that the Company desires to sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; (C) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A) and (B), the shares of Registrable Securities, Pro Rata, as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the terms hereof, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; and (D) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A), (B) and (C), the Ordinary Shares or other securities for the account of other persons that the Company is obligated to register pursuant to written contractual arrangements with such persons, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; and

 

(c)       If the registration is a “demand” registration undertaken at the demand of persons other than either the holders of Registrable Securities or of Option Securities, (A) first, the Ordinary Shares or other securities for the account of the demanding persons that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; (B) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clause (A), the Ordinary Shares or other securities that the Company desires to sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; (C) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A) and (B), collectively the Ordinary Shares or other securities comprised of Registrable Securities and Option Securities, Pro Rata, as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the terms hereof and of the Unit Purchase Option, as applicable, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; and (D) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A), (B) and (C), the Ordinary Shares or other securities for the account of other persons that the Company is obligated to register pursuant to written contractual arrangements with such persons, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares.

 

2.2.3.       Withdrawal. Any holder of Registrable Securities may elect to withdraw such holder’s request for inclusion of Registrable Securities in any Piggy-Back Registration by giving written notice to the Company of such request to withdraw prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement. The Company (whether on its own determination or as the result of a withdrawal by persons making a demand pursuant to written contractual obligations) may withdraw a Registration Statement at any time prior to the effectiveness of such Registration Statement. Notwithstanding any such withdrawal, the Company shall pay all expenses incurred by the holders of Registrable Securities in connection with such Piggy-Back Registration as provided in Section 3.3. 

 

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2.3.       Registrations on Form S-3. The holders of Registrable Securities may at any time and from time to time, request in writing that the Company register the resale of any or all of such Registrable Securities on Form S-3 or any similar short-form registration which may be available at such time (“Form S-3”); provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to effect such request through an underwritten offering. Upon receipt of such written request, the Company will promptly give written notice of the proposed registration to all other holders of Registrable Securities, and, as soon as practicable thereafter, effect the registration of all or such portion of such holder’s or holders’ Registrable Securities as are specified in such request, together with all or such portion of the Registrable Securities or other securities of the Company, if any, of any other holder or holders joining in such request as are specified in a written request given within fifteen (15) days after receipt of such written notice from the Company; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to effect any such registration pursuant to this Section 2.3: (i) if Form S-3 is not available for such offering; or (ii) if the holders of the Registrable Securities, together with the holders of any other securities of the Company entitled to inclusion in such registration, propose to sell Registrable Securities and such other securities (if any) at any aggregate price to the public of less than $500,000. Registrations effected pursuant to this Section 2.3 shall not be counted as Demand Registrations effected pursuant to Section 2.1.

 

3.          REGISTRATION PROCEDURES.

 

3.1.       Filings; Information. Whenever the Company is required to effect the registration of any Registrable Securities pursuant to Section 2, the Company shall use its best efforts to effect the registration and sale of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution thereof as expeditiously as practicable, and in connection with any such request: 

 

3.1.1.       Filing Registration Statement. The Company shall use its best efforts to, as expeditiously as possible after receipt of a request for a Demand Registration pursuant to Section 2.1, prepare and file with the Commission a Registration Statement on any form for which the Company then qualifies or which counsel for the Company shall deem appropriate and which form shall be available for the sale of all Registrable Securities to be registered thereunder in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution thereof, and shall use its best efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become effective and use its best efforts to keep it effective for the period required by Section 3.1.3; provided, however, that the Company shall have the right to defer any Demand Registration for up to thirty (30) days, and any Piggy-Back Registration for such period as may be applicable to deferment of any demand registration to which such Piggy-Back Registration relates, in each case if the Company shall furnish to the holders a certificate signed by the Chief Executive Officer or Chairman of the Company stating that, in the good faith judgment of the Board of Directors of the Company, it would be materially detrimental to the Company and its shareholders for such Registration Statement to be effected at such time; provided further, however, that the Company shall not have the right to exercise the right set forth in the immediately preceding proviso more than once in any 365-day period in respect of a Demand Registration hereunder. 

 

3.1.2.       Copies. The Company shall, prior to filing a Registration Statement or prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, furnish without charge to the holders of Registrable Securities included in such registration, and such holders’ legal counsel, copies of such Registration Statement as proposed to be filed, each amendment and supplement to such Registration Statement (in each case including all exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein), the prospectus included in such Registration Statement (including each preliminary prospectus), and such other documents as the holders of Registrable Securities included in such registration or legal counsel for any such holders may request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such holders. 

 

3.1.3.       Amendments and Supplements. The Company shall prepare and file with the Commission such amendments, including post-effective amendments, and supplements to such Registration Statement and the prospectus used in connection therewith as may be necessary to keep such Registration Statement effective and in compliance with the provisions of the Securities Act until all Registrable Securities and other securities covered by such Registration Statement have been disposed of in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution set forth in such Registration Statement or such securities have been withdrawn or until such time as the Registrable Securities cease to be Registrable Securities as defined by the Agreement. 

 

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3.1.4.       Notification. After the filing of a Registration Statement, the Company shall promptly, and in no event more than two (2) business days after such filing, notify the holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement of such filing, and shall further notify such holders promptly and confirm such advice in writing in all events within two (2) business days of the occurrence of any of the following: (i) when such Registration Statement becomes effective; (ii) when any post-effective amendment to such Registration Statement becomes effective; (iii) the issuance or threatened issuance by the Commission of any stop order (and the Company shall take all actions required to prevent the entry of such stop order or to remove it if entered); and (iv) any request by the Commission for any amendment or supplement to such Registration Statement or any prospectus relating thereto or for additional information or of the occurrence of an event requiring the preparation of a supplement or amendment to such prospectus so that, as thereafter delivered to the purchasers of the securities covered by such Registration Statement, such prospectus will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and promptly make available to the holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement any such supplement or amendment; except that before filing with the Commission a Registration Statement or prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, including documents incorporated by reference, the Company shall furnish to the holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement and to the legal counsel for any such holders, copies of all such documents proposed to be filed sufficiently in advance of filing to provide such holders and legal counsel with a reasonable opportunity to review such documents and comment thereon, and the Company shall not file any Registration Statement or prospectus or amendment or supplement thereto, including documents incorporated by reference, to which such holders or their legal counsel shall object. 

 

3.1.5.       State Securities Laws Compliance. The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) register or qualify the Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement under such securities or “blue sky” laws of such jurisdictions in the United States as the holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement (in light of their intended plan of distribution) may request and (ii) take such action necessary to cause such Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement to be registered with or approved by such other governmental authorities as may be necessary by virtue of the business and operations of the Company and do any and all other acts and things that may be necessary or advisable to enable the holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement to consummate the disposition of such Registrable Securities in such jurisdictions; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify but for this paragraph or subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction. 

 

3.1.6.       Agreements for Disposition. The Company shall enter into customary agreements (including, if applicable, an underwriting agreement in customary form) and take such other actions as are reasonably required in order to expedite or facilitate the disposition of such Registrable Securities. The representations, warranties and covenants of the Company in any underwriting agreement which are made to or for the benefit of any Underwriters, to the extent applicable, shall also be made to and for the benefit of the holders of Registrable Securities included in such registration statement. No holder of Registrable Securities included in such registration statement shall be required to make any representations or warranties in the underwriting agreement except, if applicable, with respect to such holder’s organization, good standing, authority, title to Registrable Securities, lack of conflict of such sale with such holder’s material agreements and organizational documents, and with respect to written information relating to such holder that such holder has furnished in writing expressly for inclusion in such Registration Statement.

 

3.1.7.        Cooperation. The principal executive officer of the Company, the principal financial officer of the Company, the principal accounting officer of the Company and all other officers and members of the management of the Company shall cooperate fully in any offering of Registrable Securities hereunder, which cooperation shall include, without limitation, the preparation of the Registration Statement with respect to such offering and all other offering materials and related documents, and participation in meetings with Underwriters, attorneys, accountants and potential investors. 

 

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3.1.8.       Records. The Company shall make available for inspection by the holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement, any Underwriter participating in any disposition pursuant to such registration statement and any attorney, accountant or other professional retained by any holder of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement or any Underwriter, all financial and other records, pertinent corporate documents and properties of the Company, as shall be necessary to enable them to exercise their due diligence responsibility, and cause the Company’s officers, directors and employees to supply all information requested by any of them in connection with such Registration Statement. 

 

3.1.9.       Opinions and Comfort Letters. The Company shall furnish to each holder of Registrable Securities included in any Registration Statement a signed counterpart, addressed to such holder, of (i) any opinion of counsel to the Company delivered to any Underwriter and (ii) any comfort letter from the Company’s independent public accountants delivered to any Underwriter. In the event no legal opinion is delivered to any Underwriter, the Company shall furnish to each holder of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement, at any time that such holder elects to use a prospectus, an opinion of counsel to the Company to the effect that the Registration Statement containing such prospectus has been declared effective and that no stop order is in effect.

 

3.1.10.       Earnings Statement. The Company shall comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the Commission and the Securities Act, and make available to its shareholders, as soon as practicable, an earnings statement covering a period of twelve (12) months, which earnings statement shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 thereunder. 

 

3.1.11.       Listing. The Company shall use its best efforts to cause all Registrable Securities included in any registration to be listed on such exchanges or otherwise designated for trading in the same manner as similar securities issued by the Company are then listed or designated or, if no such similar securities are then listed or designated, in a manner satisfactory to the holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities included in such registration. 

 

3.2.       Obligation to Suspend Distribution. Upon receipt of any notice from the Company of the happening of any event of the kind described in Section 3.1.4(iv), or, in the case of a resale registration on Form S-3 pursuant to Section 2.3 hereof, upon any suspension by the Company, pursuant to a written insider trading compliance program adopted by the Company’s Board of Directors, of the ability of all “insiders” covered by such program to transact in the Company’s securities because of the existence of material non-public information, each holder of Registrable Securities included in any registration shall immediately discontinue disposition of such Registrable Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement covering such Registrable Securities until such holder receives the supplemented or amended prospectus contemplated by Section 3.1.4(iv) or the restriction on the ability of “insiders” to transact in the Company’s securities is removed, as applicable, and, if so directed by the Company, each such holder will deliver to the Company all copies, other than permanent file copies then in such holder’s possession, of the most recent prospectus covering such Registrable Securities at the time of receipt of such notice.

 

3.3.       Registration Expenses. The Company shall bear all costs and expenses incurred in connection with any Demand Registration pursuant to Section 2.1, any Piggy-Back Registration pursuant to Section 2.2, and any registration on Form S-3 effected pursuant to Section 2.3, and all expenses incurred in performing or complying with its other obligations under this Agreement, whether or not the Registration Statement becomes effective, including, without limitation: (i) all registration and filing fees; (ii) fees and expenses of compliance with securities or “blue sky” laws (including fees and disbursements of counsel in connection with blue sky qualifications of the Registrable Securities); (iii) printing expenses; (iv) the Company’s internal expenses (including, without limitation, all salaries and expenses of its officers and employees); (v) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Registrable Securities as required by Section 3.1.11; (vi) Financial Industry Regulatory Authority fees; (vii) fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company and fees and expenses for independent certified public accountants retained by the Company (including the expenses or costs associated with the delivery of any opinions or comfort letters requested pursuant to Section 3.1.9); (viii) the fees and expenses of any special experts retained by the Company in connection with such registration and (ix) the fees and expenses of one legal counsel selected by the holders of a majority-in-interest of the Registrable Securities included in such registration. The Company shall have no obligation to pay any underwriting discounts or selling commissions attributable to the Registrable Securities being sold by the holders thereof, which underwriting discounts or selling commissions shall be borne by such holders. Additionally, in an underwritten offering, all selling shareholders and the Company shall bear the expenses of the Underwriter pro rata in proportion to the respective amount of shares each is selling in such offering. 

 

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3.4.       Information. The holders of Registrable Securities shall provide such information as may reasonably be requested by the Company, or the managing Underwriter, if any, in connection with the preparation of any Registration Statement, including amendments and supplements thereto, in order to effect the registration of any Registrable Securities under the Securities Act pursuant to Section 2 and in connection with the Company’s obligation to comply with Federal and applicable state securities laws.

 

3.5.       Limitations on Registration Rights. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (i) EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. may not exercise its rights under Sections 2.1 and 2.2 hereunder after five (5) and seven (7) years after the effective date of the registration statement relating to the Company’s initial public offering, respectively, and (ii) EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. may not exercise its rights under Section 2.1 more than one time.

 

4.          INDEMNIFICATION AND CONTRIBUTION.

 

4.1.       Indemnification by the Company. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Investor and each other holder of Registrable Securities, and each of their respective officers, employees, affiliates, directors, partners, members, attorneys and agents, and each person, if any, who controls an Investor and each other holder of Registrable Securities (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) (each, an “Investor Indemnified Party”), from and against any expenses, losses, judgments, claims, damages or liabilities, whether joint or several, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement (or allegedly untrue statement) of a material fact contained in any Registration Statement under which the sale of such Registrable Securities was registered under the Securities Act, any preliminary prospectus, final prospectus or summary prospectus contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment or supplement to such Registration Statement, or arising out of or based upon any omission (or alleged omission) to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or any violation by the Company of the Securities Act or any rule or regulation promulgated thereunder applicable to the Company and relating to action or inaction required of the Company in connection with any such registration; and the Company shall promptly reimburse the Investor Indemnified Party for any legal and any other expenses reasonably incurred by such Investor Indemnified Party in connection with investigating and defending any such expense, loss, judgment, claim, damage, liability or action; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such expense, loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon any untrue statement or allegedly untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in such Registration Statement, preliminary prospectus, final prospectus, or summary prospectus, or any such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company, in writing, by such selling holder expressly for use therein. The Company also shall indemnify any Underwriter of the Registrable Securities, their officers, affiliates, directors, partners, members and agents and each person who controls such Underwriter on substantially the same basis as that of the indemnification provided above in this Section 4.1.

 

4.2.       Indemnification by Holders of Registrable Securities. Each selling holder of Registrable Securities will, in the event that any registration is being effected under the Securities Act pursuant to this Agreement of any Registrable Securities held by such selling holder, indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors and officers and each Underwriter (if any), and each other selling holder and each other person, if any, who controls another selling holder or such Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act, against any losses, claims, judgments, damages or liabilities, whether joint or several, insofar as such losses, claims, judgments, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or allegedly untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Registration Statement under which the sale of such Registrable Securities was registered under the Securities Act, any preliminary prospectus, final prospectus or summary prospectus contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, or arise out of or are based upon any omission or the alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statement therein not misleading, if the statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by such selling holder expressly for use therein, and shall reimburse the Company, its directors and officers, and each other selling holder or controlling person for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by any of them in connection with investigation or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action. Each selling holder’s indemnification obligations hereunder shall be several and not joint and shall be limited to the amount of any net proceeds actually received by such selling holder.

 

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4.3.       Conduct of Indemnification Proceedings. Promptly after receipt by any person of any notice of any loss, claim, damage or liability or any action in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 4.1 or 4.2, such person (the “Indemnified Party”) shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against any other person for indemnification hereunder, notify such other person (the “Indemnifying Party”) in writing of the loss, claim, judgment, damage, liability or action; provided, however, that the failure by the Indemnified Party to notify the Indemnifying Party shall not relieve the Indemnifying Party from any liability which the Indemnifying Party may have to such Indemnified Party hereunder, except and solely to the extent the Indemnifying Party is actually prejudiced by such failure. If the Indemnified Party is seeking indemnification with respect to any claim or action brought against the Indemnifying Party, then the Indemnifying Party shall be entitled to participate in such claim or action, and, to the extent that it wishes, jointly with all other Indemnifying Parties, to assume control of the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Party. After notice from the Indemnifying Party to the Indemnified Party of its election to assume control of the defense of such claim or action, the Indemnifying Party shall not be liable to the Indemnified Party for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by the Indemnified Party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation; provided, however, that in any action in which both the Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party are named as defendants, the Indemnified Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel (but no more than one such separate counsel) to represent the Indemnified Party and its controlling persons who may be subject to liability arising out of any claim in respect of which indemnity may be sought by the Indemnified Party against the Indemnifying Party, with the fees and expenses of such counsel to be paid by such Indemnifying Party if, based upon the written opinion of counsel of such Indemnified Party, representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. No Indemnifying Party shall, without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Party, consent to entry of judgment or effect any settlement of any claim or pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which the Indemnified Party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Party, unless such judgment or settlement includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Party from all liability arising out of such claim or proceeding.  

 

4.4.       Contribution. 

 

4.4.1.       If the indemnification provided for in the foregoing Sections 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3 is unavailable to any Indemnified Party in respect of any loss, claim, damage, liability or action referred to herein, then each such Indemnifying Party, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Party as a result of such loss, claim, damage, liability or action in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the Indemnified Parties and the Indemnifying Parties in connection with the actions or omissions which resulted in such loss, claim, damage, liability or action, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of any Indemnified Party and any Indemnifying Party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by such Indemnified Party or such Indemnifying Party and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

 

4.4.2.       The parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 4.4 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in the immediately preceding Section 4.4.1. 

 

4.4.3.       The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Party as a result of any loss, claim, damage, liability or action referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses incurred by such Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 4.4, no holder of Registrable Securities shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the dollar amount of the net proceeds (after payment of any underwriting fees, discounts, commissions or taxes) actually received by such holder from the sale of Registrable Securities which gave rise to such contribution obligation. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

 

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5.          UNDERWRITING AND DISTRIBUTION.

 

5.1.       Rule 144. The Company covenants that it shall file any reports required to be filed by it under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and shall take such further action as the holders of Registrable Securities may reasonably request, all to the extent required from time to time to enable such holders to sell Registrable Securities without registration under the Securities Act within the limitation of the exemptions provided by Rule 144 under the Securities Act, as such Rules may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission. 

 

6.          MISCELLANEOUS

 

6.1.       Other Registration Rights. The Company represents and warrants that no person, other than the holders of the Registrable Securities and Option Securities, has any right to require the Company to register any of the Company’s share capital for sale or to include the Company’s share capital in any registration filed by the Company for the sale of share capital for its own account or for the account of any other person. 

 

6.2.       Assignment; No Third Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement and the rights, duties and obligations of the Company hereunder may not be assigned or delegated by the Company in whole or in part. This Agreement and the rights, duties and obligations of the holders of Registrable Securities hereunder may be freely assigned or delegated by such holder of Registrable Securities in conjunction with and to the extent of any transfer of Registrable Securities by any such holder. This Agreement and the provisions hereof shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of each of the parties, to the permitted assigns of the Investors or holder of Registrable Securities or of any assignee of the Investors or holder of Registrable Securities. This Agreement is not intended to confer any rights or benefits on any persons that are not party hereto other than as expressly set forth in Article 4 and this Section 6.2. 

 

6.3.       Notices. All notices, demands, requests, consents, approvals or other communications (collectively, “Notices”) required or permitted to be given hereunder or which are given with respect to this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be personally served, delivered by reputable air courier service with charges prepaid, or transmitted by hand delivery, telegram, telex or facsimile, or certified mail, return receipt acknowledged, postage prepaid, addressed as set forth below, or to such other address as such party shall have specified most recently by written notice. Notice shall be deemed given on the date of service or transmission if personally served or transmitted by telegram, telex or facsimile; provided, that if such service or transmission is not on a business day or is after normal business hours, then such notice shall be deemed given on the next business day; or on the fifth business day following such mailing if made if sent by certified mail. Notice otherwise sent as provided herein shall be deemed given on the next business day following timely delivery of such notice to a reputable air courier service with an order for next-day delivery. 

 

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To the Company:

 

Bison Capital Acquisition Corp.

609-610 21st Century Tower

No. 40 Liangmaqiao Road, Chaoyang District

Beijing, China

Attn: James Jiayuan Tong, Chief Executive Officer

and Chief Financial Officer

 

with a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):

 

Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC

1450 Broadway, 26th Floor

New York, New York 10018

Attn: Louis E. Taubman

 

To an Investor, to the address set forth below such Investor’s name on Exhibit A hereto.

 

6.4.       Severability. This Agreement shall be deemed severable, and the invalidity or unenforceability of any term or provision hereof shall not affect the validity or enforceability of this Agreement or of any other term or provision hereof. Furthermore, in lieu of any such invalid or unenforceable term or provision, the parties hereto intend that there shall be added as a part of this Agreement a provision as similar in terms to such invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible that is valid and enforceable.

 

6.5.       Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in multiple counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument. 

 

6.6.       Entire Agreement. This Agreement (including all agreements entered into pursuant hereto and all certificates and instruments delivered pursuant hereto and thereto) constitute the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior and contemporaneous agreements, representations, understandings, negotiations and discussions between the parties, whether oral or written. 

 

6.7.       Modifications and Amendments. No amendment, modification or termination of this Agreement shall be binding upon any party unless executed in writing by such party. 

 

6.8.       Titles and Headings. Titles and headings of sections of this Agreement are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction of any provision of this Agreement. 

 

6.9.       Waivers and Extensions. Any party to this Agreement may waive any right, breach or default which such party has the right to waive, provided that such waiver will not be effective against the waiving party unless it is in writing, is signed by such party, and specifically refers to this Agreement. Waivers may be made in advance or after the right waived has arisen or the breach or default waived has occurred. Any waiver may be conditional. No waiver of any breach of any agreement or provision herein contained shall be deemed a waiver of any preceding or succeeding breach thereof nor of any other agreement or provision herein contained. No waiver or extension of time for performance of any obligations or acts shall be deemed a waiver or extension of the time for performance of any other obligations or acts.

 

6.10.       Remedies Cumulative. In the event that any party fails to observe or perform any covenant or agreement to be observed or performed under this Agreement, the other parties may proceed to protect and enforce their rights by suit in equity or action at law, whether for specific performance of any term contained in this Agreement or for an injunction against the breach of any such term or in aid of the exercise of any power granted in this Agreement or to enforce any other legal or equitable right, or to take any one or more of such actions, without being required to post a bond. None of the rights, powers or remedies conferred under this Agreement shall be mutually exclusive, and each such right, power or remedy shall be cumulative and in addition to any other right, power or remedy, whether conferred by this Agreement or now or hereafter available at law, in equity, by statute or otherwise. 

 

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6.11.       Governing Law. In connection with Section 5-1401 of the General Obligations Law of the State of New York, this Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York without regard to principles of conflicts of law that would result in the application of the substantive law of another jurisdiction. The parties hereto agree that any action, proceeding or claim arising out of or relating in any way to this Agreement shall be resolved through final and binding arbitration in accordance with the International Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”). The arbitration shall be brought before the AAA International Center for Dispute Resolution’s offices in New York City, New York, will be conducted in English and will be decided by a panel of three arbitrators selected from the AAA Commercial Disputes Panel and that the arbitrator panel’s decision shall be final and enforceable by any court having jurisdiction over the party from whom enforcement is sought. The cost of such arbitrators and arbitration services, together with the prevailing party’s legal fees and expenses, shall be borne by the non-prevailing party or as otherwise directed by the arbitrators. This Agreement may be executed in several original or facsimile counterparts, each one of which shall constitute an original, and together shall constitute but one instrument. 

 

6.12.       Waiver of Trial by Jury. Each party hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives the right to a trial by jury in any action, suit, counterclaim or other proceeding (whether based on contract, tort or otherwise) arising out of, connected with or relating to this Agreement, the transactions contemplated hereby, or the actions of the Investor in the negotiation, administration, performance or enforcement hereof.

 

[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Registration Rights Agreement to be executed and delivered by their duly authorized representatives as of the date first written above. 

 

  COMPANY:
   
  BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP.
     
  By:
    Name : James Jiayuan Tong
    Tittle : CEO and CFO
     
  INVESTORS:
   
  Bison Capital Holding Company Limited
     
  By:
    Name: Peixin Xu
    Tittle: Director
    James Jiayuan Tong
     
  EarlyBirdCapital, Inc.
     
  By:
  Name: Steve Levine
    Title: CEO

 

[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]

 

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EXHIBIT A

 

Name

Address

   
Bison Capital Holding Company Limited

609-610 21st Century Tower, No. 40
Liangmaqiao Road, Chaoyang District
Beijing, China

   
James Jiayuan Tong

2073 Maple Avenue,
Costa Mesa, California 92627

   
EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. 366 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10017

 

 

14

 

EX-10.11 18 fs12017ex10xi_bisoncap.htm UNIT SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE REGISTRANT AND EARLYBIRDCAPITAL

Exhibit 10.11

 

UNIT SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT

 

This UNIT SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made as of this ____ day of June, 2017, by and between Bison Capital Acquisition Corp., a British Virgin Islands business company (the “Company”), having its principal place of business at 609-610 21st Century Tower, No. 40 Liangmaqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China, and EarlyBirdCapital, Inc., having its principal place of business at 366 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10017 (the “Purchaser”)

 

WHEREAS, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), Rule 506 of Regulation D (“Regulation D”) under the Securities Act, the Company desires to sell in a private placement (the “Offering”) up to an aggregate of 28,750 units (the “Units”) of the Company, each Unit comprised of one ordinary share of the Company, no par value per share (collectively, the “Ordinary Shares”), one right (collectively, the “Rights”) to receive one-tenth of one Ordinary Share (collectively, the “Right Shares”), to be governed by the Rights Agreement (defined herein), and one-half of one warrant (collectively, the “Warrants”) each whole Warrant to purchase one Ordinary Share (collectively, the “Warrant Shares”), to be governed by the Warrant Agreement (defined herein), on the consummation of an acquisition, share exchange, purchase of all or substantially all of the assets of, or any other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities (a “Business Combination”), for an aggregate purchase price of up to $287,500, or $10.00 per Unit.

 

WHEREAS, the Purchaser desires to purchase the Units and the Company wishes to accept such subscription on the terms herein.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants hereinafter set forth and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Purchaser hereby agree as follows:

 

1.       Purchase and Issuance of the Units.

 

For the aggregate sum of $250,000 (the “Initial Purchase Price”), upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement, the Purchaser hereby agrees to purchase from the Company, and the Company hereby agrees to sell to the Purchaser, on the Closing Date (as defined in Section 1.2) 25,000 Units (the “Initial Units”) at $10.00 per Initial Unit.

 

In addition to the foregoing, the Purchaser hereby conditionally agrees to purchase up to an additional 3,750 Units (collectively, the “Additional Units”) at $10.00 per Additional Unit for a purchase price of $37,500 (the “Additional Purchase Price” and together with the Initial Purchase Price, the “Purchase Price”), if, and only if, and only to the extent that the underwriters’ 30-day over-allotment option (the “Over-Allotment Option”) in the IPO (as defined below) is exercised in full or part. The total number of Additional Units to be purchased hereunder shall be the number that is necessary to maintain in the Trust Account (as defined below) an amount equal to $10.25 per Ordinary Share sold to the public in the IPO. Each purchase of Additional Units shall occur simultaneously with the consummation of any portion of the Over-Allotment Option.

 

1.1.       Closing. The closing (the “Closing”) of the Offering shall take place at the offices of Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC, 1450 Broadway, 26th Floor, New York, New York, 10018 simultaneously with the consummation of the Company’s initial public offering (“IPO”) of 5,000,000 units consisting of Ordinary Shares, rights and warrants and the consummation of the exercise of all or any portion of the Over-Allotment Option (each a “Closing Date”).

 

1.2.       Delivery of the Purchase Price. At least one business day prior to the effective date of the Company’s registration statement relating to the IPO (the “Registration Statement”), or the date of the exercise of the Over-Allotment Option, if any, the Purchaser agrees to deliver the Initial Purchase Price or Additional Purchase Price, as the case may be, by certified bank check or wire transfer of immediately available funds denominated in United States Dollars to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company or any other agent designated by the Company which is hereby irrevocably authorized to deposit such funds on the applicable Closing Date to the trust account which will be established for the benefit of the Company’s public shareholders, managed pursuant to that certain investment management trust agreement to be entered into by and between the Company and a trustee and into which substantially all of the net proceeds of the IPO (less than certain amount of fund not held in the trust account) will be deposited (the “Trust Account”). If the IPO is not consummated within 14 days of the date the Initial Purchase Price is delivered to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company or any other agent designated by the Company, the Initial Purchase Price shall be returned to the Purchaser by certified bank check or wire transfer of immediately available funds denominated in United States Dollars, without interest or deduction.

 

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1.3.       Delivery of Unit Certificate. Upon the applicable Closing Date after delivery of the Purchase Price in accordance with Section 1.3, the Purchaser shall become irrevocably entitled to receive a unit certificate representing the Units purchased hereunder. 

 

2.       Representations and Warranties of the Purchasers

 

The Purchaser represents and warrants to the Company that:

 

2.1.       No Government Recommendation or Approval. The Purchaser understands that no United States federal or state agency or similar agency of any other country has passed upon or made any recommendation or endorsement of the Company, the Offering, the Units, the Rights, the Right Shares, the Warrants, or the Warrant Shares, or the Ordinary Shares underlying the Units (the “Unit Shares” and, collectively with the Units, the Rights, the Right Shares, the Warrants and the Warrant Shares, the “Securities”).

 

2.2.       Organization.  The Purchaser is a company, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction and possesses all requisite power and authority necessary to carry out the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

2.3.       Private Offering. The Purchaser is an “accredited investor” as such term is defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D (the “Securities Act”) and it is not a “U.S. person” as defined in Rule 902 of Regulation S. The Purchaser acknowledges that the sale contemplated hereby is being made in reliance on a private placement exemption pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act, Regulation D and/or Regulation S promulgated thereunder.

 

2.4.       Authority. This Agreement has been validly authorized, executed and delivered by the Purchaser and is a valid and binding agreement enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding at law or in equity).

 

2.5.       No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation by the Purchaser of the transactions contemplated hereby do not violate, conflict with or constitute a default under (i) the Purchaser’s organizational documents, (ii) any agreement, indenture or instrument to which the Purchaser is a party or (iii) any law, statute, rule or regulation to which the Purchaser is subject, or any agreement, order, judgment or decree to which the Purchaser is subject.

 

2.6.       No Legal Advice from Company. The Purchaser acknowledges that it has had the opportunity to review this Agreement and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the other agreements entered into between the parties hereto with its own legal counsel and investment and tax advisors. Except for any statements or representations of the Company made in this Agreement and the other agreements entered into between the parties hereto, the Purchaser is relying solely on such counsel and advisors and not on any statements or representations of the Company or any of its representatives or agents for legal, tax or investment advice with respect to this investment, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the securities laws of any jurisdiction.

 

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2.7.       Access to Information; Independent Investigation. Prior to the execution of this Agreement, the Purchaser has had the opportunity to ask questions of and receive answers from representatives of the Company concerning an investment in the Company, as well as the finances, operations, business and prospects of the Company, and the opportunity to obtain additional information to verify the accuracy of all information so obtained. In determining whether to make this investment, the Purchaser has relied solely on its own knowledge and understanding of the Company and its business based upon its own due diligence investigation and the information furnished pursuant to this paragraph. The Purchaser understands that no person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations which were not furnished pursuant to this Section 2 and it has not relied on any other representations or information in making its investment decision, whether written or oral, relating to the Company, its operations and/or its prospects.

 

2.8.       Reliance on Representations and Warranties. The Purchaser understands the Units are being offered and sold to it in reliance on exemptions from the registration requirements under the Securities Act, and analogous provisions in the laws and regulations of various states, and that the Company is relying upon the truth and accuracy of the representations, warranties, agreements, acknowledgments and understandings of the Purchaser set forth in this Agreement in order to determine the applicability of such provisions.

 

2.9.       No General Solicitation or General Advertising; No Directed Selling Efforts. The Purchaser is not aware of any form of general solicitation or general advertising (within the meaning of Regulation D) in respect of the Securities, including (1) any advertisement, article, notice or other communication published in any newspaper, magazine, or similar media or broadcast over television, radio, or the internet; and (2) any seminar or meeting whose attendees have been invited by any general solicitation or general advertising. The Purchaser is not aware of any form of “directed selling efforts” (as defined in Regulation S) in the United States in respect of the Securities, which would include any activities undertaken for the purpose of, or that could reasonably be expected to have the effect of, conditioning the market in the United States for the resale of the Securities, including placing an advertisement in a publication with a general circulation in the United States. Legend. The Purchaser acknowledges and agrees the certificates evidencing the Units, the Unit Shares, the Rights, the Right Shares, the Warrants, and the Warrant Shares when issued, shall bear a restrictive legend (the “Legend”), in form and substance as set forth in Section 4 hereof, prohibiting the offer, sale, pledge or transfer of the securities except (i) pursuant to an effective registration statement covering these securities under the Securities Act or (ii) pursuant to any other exemptions from the registration requirements under the Securities Act and the rules thereunder and with all applicable state securities laws.

 

2.10.     Experience, Financial Capability and Suitability. The Purchaser is (i) sophisticated in financial matters and is able to evaluate the risks and benefits of the investment in the Securities and (ii) able to bear the economic risk of its investment in the Securities for an indefinite period of time because the Securities have not been registered under the Securities Act and therefore cannot be sold unless subsequently registered under the Securities Act or an exemption from such registration is available. It has substantial experience in evaluating and investing in transactions of securities in companies similar to the Company so that it is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of its investment in the Company and has the capacity to protect its own interests. The Purchaser must bear the economic risk of this investment until the Securities are sold pursuant to: (i) an effective registration statement under the Securities Act or (ii) an exemption from registration available with respect to such sale. The Purchaser is able to bear the economic risks of an investment in the Securities and to afford a complete loss of the Purchaser’s investment in the Securities.

 

2.11.     Investment Purposes. The Purchaser is purchasing the Securities solely for investment purposes, for its own account and not for the account or benefit of any other person, and not with a view towards the distribution or dissemination thereof and the Purchaser has no present arrangement to sell the interest in the Securities to or through any person or entity.

 

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2.12.     Restrictions on Transfer; Shell Company; Affiliate Status. The Purchaser acknowledges and understands the Units are being offered in a transaction not involving a public offering in the United States within the meaning of the Securities Act. The Securities have not been registered under the Securities Act, and, if in the future, the Purchaser decides to offer, resell, pledge or otherwise transfer the Securities, such Securities may be offered, resold, pledged or otherwise transferred only (A) pursuant to an effective registration statement filed under the Securities Act, (B) pursuant to an exemption from registration under Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act (the “Rule 144”), if available, or (C) pursuant to any other available exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, and in each case in accordance with any applicable securities laws of any state or any other jurisdiction. The Purchaser agrees that if any transfer of its Securities or any interest therein is proposed to be made, as a condition precedent to any such transfer, the Purchaser may be required to deliver to the Company an opinion of counsel satisfactory to the Company. Absent registration or another available exemption from registration, the Purchaser agrees it will not resell the Securities. It further acknowledges that because the Company is a shell company, Rule 144 may not be available to it for the resale of the Securities until the one year anniversary following consummation of the initial Business Combination of the Company, despite technical compliance with the requirements of Rule 144 and the release or waiver of any contractual transfer restrictions. Such Purchaser (a) acknowledges that after the issuance of the Securities, such Purchaser may be deemed an “affiliate” of the Company under the Securities Act, (b) acknowledges understanding the additional restrictions under the Securities Act applicable to affiliate of the Company, and (c) acknowledges that it had a full and fair opportunity and the means to obtain United States securities counsel and discuss such restrictions prior to entering into this Agreement.

 

2.13.     No Governmental Consents. No governmental, administrative or other third party consents or approvals are required, necessary or appropriate on the part of the Purchaser in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

2.14.     Trading Activities. In the event that the Securities are listed on a stock exchange, the Purchaser’s trading activities, if any, with respect to the Shares will be in compliance with all applicable state and federal securities laws, rules and regulations, and the rules and regulations of such stock exchange.

 

2.15.     Bad Actor The Purchaser is not subject to any of the “Bad Actor” disqualifications described in Rule 506(d)(1)(i) to (viii) under the Securities Act (a “Disqualification Event”), except for a Disqualification Event covered by Rule 506(d)(2) or (d)(3) under the Securities Act. The Purchaser has exercised reasonable care to determine whether he, she or it is subject to a Disqualification Event. The Purchaser will not subject the Company to any Disqualification Event. There are no matters that would have triggered disqualification under Rule 506(d)(1) under the Securities Act but occurred before September 23, 2013.

 

3.       Representations and Warranties of the Company

 

The Company represents and warrants to the Purchasers that:

 

3.1.       Valid Issuance of Share Capital. The total number of all classes of share capital which the Company has authority to issue is (i) an unlimited number of Ordinary Shares and (ii) an unlimited number of preferred shares. As of the date hereof, the Company has issued 1,437,500 Ordinary Shares (of which 187,500 Ordinary Shares are subject to forfeiture as described in the Registration Statement) and no preferred shares are issued and outstanding. All of the issued share capital of the Company has been duly authorized, validly issued, and are fully paid and non-assessable.

 

3.2.       Title to Securities. Upon issuance in accordance with, and payment pursuant to, the terms hereof, a rights agreement to be entered into with a mutually agreeable rights agent on or prior to the closing of the IPO (the “Rights Agreement”) and a warrant agreement to be entered into with a mutually agreeable warrant agent on or prior to the closing of the IPO (the “Warrant Agreement”), as the case may be, each of the Units, the Rights, the Warrants and the Unit Shares will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. When the Units are issued, the Right Shares and Warrant Shares will have been reserved for issuance. Upon issuance in accordance with the terms of the Rights Agreement and Warrant Agreement, as the case may be, the Purchaser will have or receive good title to the Right Shares and Warrant Shares, free and clear of all liens, claims and encumbrances of any kind, other than (i) transfer restrictions hereunder and under other agreements contemplated hereby, (ii) transfer restrictions under federal and state securities laws and (iii) liens, claims or encumbrances imposed due to the action of the Purchaser.

 

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3.3.       Organization and Qualification. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a British Virgin Islands business company and has the requisite corporate power to own its properties and assets and to carry on its business as now being conducted.

 

3.4.       Authorization; Enforcement. (i) The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement and to issue the Securities in accordance with the terms hereof, (ii) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and no further consent or authorization of the Company or its Board of Directors or shareholders is required, and (iii) this Agreement constitutes, and upon the execution and delivery thereof, the Rights and Rights Agreement, the Warrants and Warrant Agreement will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium, reorganization, or similar laws relating to, or affecting generally the enforcement of, creditors’ rights and remedies or by equitable principles of general application and except as enforcement of rights to indemnity and contribution may be limited by federal and state securities laws or principles of public policy.

 

3.5.       No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby do not (i) result in a violation of the Company’s Memorandum and Articles of Association, (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default under any agreement, indenture or instrument to which the Company is a party or (iii) conflict with any law statute, rule or regulation to which the Company is subject or any agreement, order, judgment or decree to which the Company is subject. Other than any federal, state or foreign securities filings which may be required to be made by the Company subsequent to the Closing, and any registration statement which may be filed pursuant thereto, the Company is not required under federal, state or local law, rule or regulation to obtain any consent, authorization or order of, or make any filing or registration with, any court or governmental agency or self-regulatory entity in order for it to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement or issue the Units, the Rights, the Right Shares, the Warrants, or the Unit Shares, or Warrant Shares in accordance with the terms hereof.

 

3.6.       No Registration. Assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Purchaser contained in this Agreement, the issuance and sale of the Private Units pursuant to this Agreement is exempt from registration requirements of the Securities Act, and neither the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any authorized representative acting on its behalf, has taken or will take any action hereafter that would cause the loss of such exemption.

 

3.7.       No Integration. Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates have, directly or indirectly through any agent, sold, offered for sale, solicited offers to buy or otherwise negotiated in respect of, any “security” (as defined in the Securities Act) that is or will be integrated with the sale of the Units in a manner that would require registration under the Securities Act.

 

3.8.       No General Solicitation or General Advertising; No Directed Selling Efforts. Neither the Company nor any person acting on behalf of the Company has offered or sold any of the Securities by any form of general solicitation or general advertising (within the meaning of Regulation D) including (1) any advertisement, article, notice or other communication published in any newspaper, magazine, or similar media or broadcast over television, radio, or the internet; and (2) any seminar or meeting whose attendees have been invited by any general solicitation or general advertising; nor has it seen or been aware of any activity that, to its knowledge, constitutes general solicitation or general advertising. Neither the Company nor any person acting on behalf of the Company has engaged in any “directed selling efforts” (as defined in Regulation S) in the United States in respect of the Securities, which would include any activities undertaken for the purpose of, or that could reasonably be expected to have the effect of, conditioning the market in the United States for the resale of the Securities, including placing an advertisement in a publication with a general circulation in the United States, nor has it seen or been aware of any activity that, to its knowledge, constitutes directed selling efforts in the United States.

 

 5 

 

 

4.       Legends

 

4.1.       Legend. The Company will issue the Units, the Rights, the Warrants and the Unit Shares, and when issued, the Right Shares and the Warrant Shares, as the case may be, purchased by the Purchaser, in the name of the Purchaser. Unless counsel to the Company advises otherwise, the Securities will bear the following Legend and appropriate “stop transfer” instructions:

 

“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS AND NEITHER THE SECURITIES NOR ANY INTEREST THEREIN MAY BE OFFERED, SOLD, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION THEREUNDER, IN EACH CASE IN ACCORDANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF THE STATES OR OTHER JURISDICTIONS, AND IN THE CASE OF A TRANSACTION EXEMPT FROM REGISTRATION, SUCH SECURITIES MAY ONLY BE TRANSFERRED IF THE COMPANY AND TRANSFER AGENT FOR SUCH SECURITIES HAS RECEIVED DOCUMENTATION SATISFACTORY TO IT THAT SUCH TRANSACTION DOES NOT REQUIRE REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT.”

 

“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE ARE SUBJECT TO AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP. AND EARLYBIRDCAPITAL, INC. AND MAY ONLY BE OFFERED, SOLD, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED DURING THE TERM OF THE LOCKUP PURSUANT TO THE TERMS SET FORTH THEREIN.”

 

4.2.       Purchaser’s Compliance. Nothing in this Section 4 shall affect in any way the Purchaser’s obligations and agreements to comply with all applicable securities laws upon resale of the Securities.

 

4.3.       Company’s Refusal to Register Transfer of the Securities. The Company shall refuse to register any transfer of the Securities, if in the sole judgment of the Company such purported transfer would not be made (i) pursuant to an effective registration statement filed under the Securities Act, or (ii) pursuant to an available exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and the rules promulgated by the Commission thereunder and with all applicable state securities laws.

 

4.4.       Registration Rights. The Purchaser will be entitled to certain registration rights which will be governed by a registration rights agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) to be entered into with the Company on or prior to the closing of the IPO.

 

5.       Lock-up

 

The Purchaser acknowledges and agrees that the Units, the Rights, the Right Shares, the Warrants and the Unit Shares shall not be transferable, saleable or assignable until after the consummation of a Business Combination, except to permitted transferees (as permitted in the Share Escrow Agreement to be entered into by and between an escrow agent and the Purchaser). The Units, the Rights, the Warrants, the Unit Shares, the Warrant Shares, and the Right Shares will be deemed compensation by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and will therefore be subject to lock-up for a period of 180 days immediately following the date of effectiveness of the Registration Statement or commencement of sales of the IPO, subject to certain limited exceptions, pursuant to Rule 5110(g)(1) of the FINRA Manual. Accordingly, the Units, the Rights, the Warrants, the Unit Shares, the Warrant Shares, and the Right Shares may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated for 180 days immediately following the effective date of the Registration Statement except to any underwriter or selected dealer participating in the IPO and the bona fide officers or partners of the Purchaser and any such participating underwriter or selected dealer nor may they be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of the securities by any person during such 180-day period.

 

 6 

 

 

6.       Securities Laws Restrictions

 

In addition to any restrictions contained herein, the Purchaser agrees not to sell, transfer, pledge, hypothecate or otherwise dispose of all or any part of the Securities unless, prior thereto (i) a registration statement on the appropriate form under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws with respect to the Securities proposed to be transferred shall then be effective, or (ii) that an exempt from registration is available under the Securities Act and the rules promulgated by the Commission thereunder and the transfer is made in accordance with all applicable state securities laws.

 

7.       Waiver of Distributions from Trust Account

 

In connection with the Securities purchased pursuant to this Agreement, the Purchaser hereby waives any and all right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any distributions from the Trust Account.

 

8.       Rescission Right Waiver and Indemnification

 

8.1.       Rescission Waiver. The Purchaser understands and acknowledges that an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act requires there be no general solicitation of purchasers of the Units. In this regard, if the Offering were deemed to be a general solicitation with respect to the Units, the offer and sale of such Units may not be exempt from registration and, if not, the Purchaser may have a right to rescind its purchase of the Units. In order to facilitate the completion of the Offering and in order to protect the Company, its shareholders and the Trust Account from claims that may adversely affect the Company or the interests of its shareholders, the Purchaser hereby agrees to waive, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, any claims, right to sue or rights in law or arbitration, as the case may be, to seek rescission of its purchase of the Units as a result of the issuance of the Units being deemed to be in violation of Section 5 of the Securities Act. The Purchaser acknowledges and agrees this waiver is being made in order to induce the Company to sell the Units to the Purchaser. The Purchaser agrees the foregoing waiver of rescission rights shall apply to any and all known or unknown actions, causes of action, suits, claims or proceedings (collectively, “Claims”) and related losses, costs, penalties, fees, liabilities and damages, whether compensatory, consequential or exemplary, and expenses in connection therewith, including reasonable attorneys’ and expert witness fees and disbursements and all other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any Claims, whether pending or threatened, in connection with any present or future actual or asserted right to rescind the purchase of the Units hereunder or relating to the purchase of the Units and the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

8.2.       No Recourse Against Trust Account. The Purchaser agrees not to seek recourse against the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever in connection with its purchase of the Units or any Claim that may arise now or in the future relating to the purchase of the Units and the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

8.3.       Section 8 Waiver. The Purchaser agrees that to the extent any waiver of rights under this Section 8 is ineffective as a matter of law, the Purchaser has offered such waiver for the benefit of the Company as an equitable right that shall survive any statutory disqualification or bar that applies to a legal right. The Purchaser acknowledges the receipt and sufficiency of consideration received from the Company hereunder in this regard.

 

9.       Terms of the Units

 

The Units shall be substantially identical to the units offered in the IPO as set forth in an underwriting agreement to be entered into by and between the Company and EarlyBirdCapital, Inc., except as provided for herein, and principally, (i) the Units will be subject to the transfer restrictions described herein, (ii) the Units are being purchased pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and will become freely tradable only after certain conditions are met or the resale of the Units is registered under the Securities Act, and (iii) the Warrants will be non-redeemable and may be exercised on a cashless basis, in each case so long as they continue to be held by the initial Purchaser or its permitted transferees as set forth in the Warrant Agreement. The Purchaser is also agreeing to certain obligations with respect to the Units as set forth in that certain insider letter to be entered into in connection with the IPO.

 

 7 

 

 

10.       Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Waiver of Jury Trial

 

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the British Virgin Islands for agreements made and to be wholly performed within such territory. The parties hereto hereby waive any right to a jury trial in connection with any litigation pursuant to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

11.       Assignment; Entire Agreement; Amendment

 

11.1.     Assignment. Neither this Agreement nor any rights hereunder may be assigned by any party to any other person other than by the Purchaser, without the prior consent of the Company, to one or more persons agreeing to be bound by the terms hereof. Upon such assignment by a Purchaser, the assignee(s) shall become Purchaser hereunder and have the rights and obligations provided for herein to the extent of such assignment.

 

11.2.     Entire Agreement. This Agreement sets forth the entire agreement and understanding between the parties as to the subject matter hereof and supersedes any and all prior discussions, agreements and understandings of any and every nature.

 

11.3.     Amendment. Except as expressly provided in this Agreement, neither this Agreement nor any term hereof may be amended, waived, discharged or terminated other than by a written instrument signed by the party against whom enforcement of any such amendment, waiver, discharge or termination is sought.

 

11.4.     Binding upon Successors. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and to their respective heirs, legal representatives, successors and permitted assigns.

 

12.       Notices; Indemnity

 

12.1.     Notices. All notices, requests, consents and other communications hereunder shall be in writing, shall be addressed to the receiving party’s address set forth herein or to such other address as a party may designate by notice hereunder, and shall be either (a) delivered by hand, (b) sent by overnight courier, (c) sent via facsimile, or (d) sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid. All notices, requests, consents and other communications hereunder shall be deemed to have been given either (i) if by hand, at the time of the delivery thereof to the receiving party at the address of such party set forth above, (ii) if sent by overnight courier, on the next business day following the day such notice is delivered to the courier service, (iii) if sent via facsimile, when receipt is acknowledged, or (iv) if sent by certified mail, on the fifth business day following the day such mailing is made.

 

12.2.     Indemnification. Each party shall indemnify the other party against any loss, cost or damages (including reasonable attorney’s fees and expenses) incurred as a result of such party’s breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement set forth in this Agreement.

 

13.       Counterparts

 

This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party, it being understood that both parties need not sign the same counterpart.  In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or any other form of electronic delivery, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such signature page were an original thereof.

 

14.       Survival; Severability

 

14.1.     Survival. The representations, warranties, covenants and agreements of the parties hereto shall survive the Closing until one (1) year following the consummation of an initial Business Combination.

 

14.2.     Severability. In the event that any provision of this Agreement becomes or is declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal, unenforceable or void, this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect without said provision; provided that no such severability shall be effective if it materially changes the economic benefit of this Agreement to any party.

 

 8 

 

 

15.       Headings

 

The titles and subtitles used in this Agreement are used for convenience only and are not to be considered in construing or interpreting this Agreement.

 

16.       Construction

 

The parties hereto have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement. If an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement will be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties hereto and no presumption or burden of proof will arise favoring or disfavoring any party hereto because of the authorship of any provision of this Agreement. The words “include,” “includes,” and “including” will be deemed to be followed by “without limitation.” Pronouns in masculine, feminine, and neuter genders will be construed to include any other gender, and words in the singular form will be construed to include the plural and vice versa, unless the context otherwise requires. The words “this Agreement,” “herein,” “hereof,” “hereby,” “hereunder,” and words of similar import refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular subdivision unless expressly so limited. The parties hereto intend that each representation, warranty, and covenant contained herein will have independent significance. If any party hereto has breached any representation, warranty, or covenant contained herein in any respect, the fact that there exists another representation, warranty or covenant relating to the same subject matter (regardless of the relative levels of specificity) which such party hereto has not breached will not detract from or mitigate the fact that such party hereto is in breach of the first representation, warranty, or covenant.

 

[Intentionally Left Blank]

 

 9 

 

 

This subscription is accepted by the Company as of the date first written above.

 

  BISON CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP.
     
  By:
  Name: James Jiayuan Tong
  Title: Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Director

 

 

[Signature Page to Private Units Subscription Agreement-the Capital]

 

 

 

Accepted and agreed this

______  day of June 2017

 

EARLYBIRDCAPITAL, INC.  
     
By:                                     
Name: Steve Levine  
Title: CEO  

 

 

[Signature Page to Private Units Subscription Agreement-Bison Capital]

 

 

 

EX-23.1 19 fs12017ex23i_bisoncap.htm CONSENT OF MARCUM LLP

Exhibit 23.1

 

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm’s Consent

 

We consent to the inclusion in this Registration Statement of Bison Capital Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) on Form S-1 of our report dated February 28, 2017, which includes an explanatory paragraph as to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern, with respect to our audit of the financial statements of Bison Capital Acquisition Corp. as of December 31, 2016 and for the period from October 7, 2016 (inception) through December 31, 2016, which report appears in the Prospectus, which is part of this Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to our Firm under the heading “Experts” in such Prospectus.

 

/s/ Marcum llp  

Marcum llp

New York, NY

May 31, 2017

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