UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 3, 2021
ION Acquisition Corp 1 Ltd.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Cayman Islands | 001-39581 | N/A | ||
| (State or other jurisdiction | (Commission | (I.R.S. Employer | ||
| of incorporation) | File Number) | Identification No.) |
89 Medinat Hayehudim Street
Herzliya 4676672, Israel
(Address of principal executive offices, including ZIP code)
+972 (9) 970-3620
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Not Applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
| ☐ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
| ☐ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
| ☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
| ☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) |
Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
| Units, each consisting of one Class A ordinary share and one-fifth of one redeemable warrant | IACA.U | New York Stock Exchange | ||
| Class A ordinary share, par value $0.0001 per share | IACA | New York Stock Exchange | ||
| Redeemable warrants, each whole warrant exercisable for one Class A ordinary share at an exercise price of $11.50 | IACA WS | New York Stock Exchange |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company þ
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 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.
On May 3, 2021, Taboola.com Ltd., a company organized under the laws of the State of Israel (“Taboola”), issued a press release announcing that on April 30, 2021, a registration statement on Form F-4 (the “Registration Statement”) was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), which includes a preliminary proxy statement/prospectus of ION Acquisition Corp 1 Ltd., a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), in connection with the proposed business combination (the “Business Combination”) with Taboola and Toronto Sub Ltd., a Cayman Islands exempted company and a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of Taboola. A copy of the press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 hereto and incorporated by reference hereby.
The information in this Item 7.01, including Exhibit 99.1, is furnished and shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to liabilities under that section, and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into the filings of the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, regardless of any general incorporation language in such filings. This Current Report on Form 8-K will not be deemed an admission as to the materiality of any information of the information contained in this Item 7.01, including Exhibit 99.1.
Important Information About the Business Combination and Where to Find It
In connection with the Business Combination, the Company filed with the SEC the Registration Statement, which includes both the proxy statement to be distributed to holders of shares of the Company’s Class A Shares in connection with its solicitation of proxies for the vote by the Company’s shareholders with respect to the Business Combination and other matters as described in the Registration Statement, as well as the prospectus relating to the offer and sale of the securities of Taboola to be issued in the Business Combination, and certain other related documents. The Company’s shareholders and other interested persons are advised to read the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus included in the Registration Statement and the amendments thereto and the definitive proxy statement/prospectus, as these materials will contain important information about Taboola, the Company and the Business Combination. After the Registration Statement is declared effective, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus will be mailed to the Company’s shareholders as of a record date to be established for voting on the Business Combination and other matters as described in the Registration Statement. The Company’s shareholders of will also be able to obtain copies of the proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC that may be incorporated by reference therein, without charge, once available, at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to: ION Acquisition Corp 1 Ltd., 89 Medinat Hayehudim Street, Herzliya 4676672, Israel, Attention: Secretary, +972 (9) 970-3620.
Participants in the Solicitation
The Company and its directors and executive officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from the Company’s shareholders with respect to the Business Combination. A list of the names of those directors and executive officers and a description of their interests in the Company is contained in its registration statement on Form S-1, which was filed with the SEC on October 1, 2020 and is available free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to ION Acquisition Corp 1 Ltd., 89 Medinat Hayehudim Street, Herzliya 4676672, Israel, Attention: Secretary, +972 (9) 970-3620. Additional information regarding the interests of such participants is contained in the Registration Statement.
Taboola and its directors and executive officers may also be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the Company’s shareholders in connection with the Business Combination. A list of the names of such directors and executive officers and information regarding their interests in the Business Combination is contained in the Registration Statement.
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Forward-Looking Statements
This Current Report on Form 8-K includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company’s and Taboola’s actual results may differ from their expectations, estimates and projections and consequently, you should not rely on these forward looking statements as predictions of future events. Words such as “expect,” “estimate,” “project,” “budget,” “forecast,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “believes,” “predicts,” “potential,” “continue,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the Company’s and Taboola’s expectations with respect to future performance and anticipated financial impacts of the Business Combination, the satisfaction of the closing conditions to the Business Combination, and the timing of the completion of the Business Combination. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results. Most of these factors are outside the Company’s and Taboola’s control and are difficult to predict. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to: (1) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the Merger Agreement or could otherwise cause the Business Combination to fail to close; (2) the outcome of legal proceedings that have or may be instituted against the Company and Taboola; (3) the inability to complete the Business Combination, including due to failure to obtain the requisite approval of shareholders or to satisfy the other conditions to closing in the Merger Agreement; (4) the receipt of an unsolicited offer from another party for an alternative business transaction that could interfere with the Business Combination; (5) the inability to obtain or maintain the listing of the ordinary shares of the post-acquisition company on The New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq Capital Market, as applicable, following the Business Combination; (6) the risk that the announcement and consummation of the Business Combination disrupts current plans and operations; (7) the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of the combined company to grow and manage growth profitably and retain its key employees; (8) costs related to the Business Combination; (9) changes in applicable laws or regulations; (10) the possibility that Taboola or the combined company may be adversely affected by other economic, business, competitive and/or factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic; and (11) other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in the proxy statement/prospectus relating to the Business Combination, including those under “Risk Factors” in the Registration Statement, and in the Company’s other filings with the SEC. The Company cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company does not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.
No Offer or Solicitation
This Current Report on Form 8-K shall not constitute a solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the Business Combination. This Current Report on Form 8-K shall also not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any states or jurisdictions in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of section 10 of the Securities Act, or an exemption therefrom.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits. The following exhibit is filed with this Form 8-K:
| Exhibit No. | Description | |
| 99.1 |
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| ION Acquisition Corp 1 Ltd. | ||
| Date: May 3, 2021 |
By: |
/s/ Anthony Reich |
| Name: | Anthony Reich | |
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer | |
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Exhibit 99.1
Taboola Announces Filing of Registration Statement on Form F-4 in Connection With Its Proposed Business Combination with ION Acquisition Corp. 1 Ltd.
NEW YORK, NY – May 3, 2021 - Taboola, a global leader in powering recommendations for the open web, helping people discover things they may like, today announced it has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) a registration statement on Form F-4 (the “Registration Statement”), which contains a preliminary proxy statement/prospectus, in connection with its previously announced proposed business combination with ION Acquisition Corp. 1 Ltd. (NYSE: IACA) (“ION”). The Registration Statement provides important information about ION, Taboola and the proposed business combination, but has not yet become effective and is subject to change.
ION’s Class A common stock is currently traded on NYSE under the symbol “IACA.” In connection with the closing of the transaction, subject to approval, Taboola’s ordinary shares are expected to be listed on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “TBLA.” Completion of the transaction, which is expected in the second quarter of 2021, is subject to approval by ION’s shareholders, the Registration Statement being declared effective by the SEC, and other customary closing conditions.
Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events including future financial or operating performance of Taboola.com Ltd. (the “Company”). In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may”, “should”, “expect”, “intend”, “will”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “predict”, “potential” or “continue”, or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements.
These forward-looking statements are based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company and its management, are inherently uncertain. Uncertainties and risk factors that could affect the Company’s future performance and cause results to differ from the forward-looking statements in this presentation include, but are not limited to: the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the proposed transaction involving the Company and ION (such transaction, the “Business Combination”); the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against ION or the Company, the combined company or others following the announcement of the Business Combination; the inability to complete the Business Combination due to the failure to obtain approval of the shareholders of ION or to satisfy other conditions to closing; changes to the proposed structure of the Business Combination that may be required or appropriate as a result of applicable laws or regulations or as a condition to obtaining regulatory approval of the Business Combination; the ability to meet stock exchange listing standards following the consummation of the Business Combination; the risk that the Business Combination disrupts current plans and operations of ION or the Company as a result of the announcement and consummation of the Business Combination; the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of the combined company to grow and manage growth profitably, maintain relationships with customers and retain its management and key employees; costs related to the Business Combination; changes in applicable laws or regulations; the Company’s estimates of expenses and profitability and underlying assumptions with respect to shareholder redemptions and purchase price and other adjustments; ability to attract new digital properties and advertisers; ability to meet minimum guarantee requirements in contracts with digital properties; intense competition in the digital advertising space, including with competitors who have significantly more resources; ability to grow and scale the Company’s ad and content platform through new relationships with advertisers and digital properties; ability to secure high quality content from digital properties; ability to maintain relationships with current advertiser and digital property partners; ability to make continued investments in the Company’s AI-powered technology platform; the need to attract, train and retain highly-skilled technical workforce; changes in the regulation of, or market practice with respect to, “third party cookies” and its impact on digital advertising; continued engagement by users who interact with the Company’s platform on various digital properties; the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; reliance on a limited number of partners for a significant portion of the Company’s revenue; changes in laws and regulations related to privacy, data protection, advertising regulation, competition and other areas related to digital advertising; ability to enforce, protect and maintain intellectual property rights; and risks related to the fact that we are incorporated in Israel and governed by Israeli law; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in ION’s final prospectus relating to its initial public offering dated October 1, 2020, in the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus subject to completion relating to the Business Combination filed with the SEC by Taboola on Form F-4, and in subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).
Nothing in this press release should be regarded as a representation by any person that the forward-looking statements set forth herein will be achieved or that any of the contemplated results of such forward-looking statements will be achieved. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they were made. Neither ION nor the Company undertakes any duty to update these forward-looking statements except as may be required by law.
Additional Information
This communication is being made in respect of the proposed transaction involving Taboola.com Ltd. (“Taboola”) and ION Acquisition Corp. 1 Ltd. (“ION”). This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. In connection with the proposed transaction, Taboola has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) a registration statement on Form F-4 that includes a preliminary proxy statement/prospectus subject to completion in connection with ION’s solicitation of proxies for the vote by ION’s shareholders with respect to the proposed transaction and other matters as may be described in the registration statement. Taboola and ION also plan to file other documents with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction and a definitive proxy statement/prospectus will be made available or mailed to holders of shares of ION’s Class A ordinary shares. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION, INVESTORS ARE URGED TO READ THE FORM F-4 AND THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS REGARDING THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. The preliminary proxy statement/prospectus subject to completion, as well as other filings containing information about Taboola and ION are available without charge at the SEC’s Internet site (http://www.sec.gov). Copies of the definitive proxy statement/prospectus can also be obtained, when available, without charge, from Taboola’s website at http://www.taboola.com. Copies of the definitive proxy statement/prospectus can be obtained, when available, without charge, from ION’s website at http://www.ion-am.com/spac.
Participants in the Solicitations
Taboola, ION and certain of their respective directors, executive officers and other members of management and employees may, under SEC rules, be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from ION’s shareholders in connection with the proposed transaction. You can find more information about ION’s directors and executive officers in ION’s final prospectus dated October 1, 2020 and filed with the SEC on October 5, 2020. Additional information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests is included in the proxy statement/prospectus filed with the SEC on Form F-4. Shareholders, potential investors and other interested persons should read the proxy statement/prospectus carefully when it becomes available before making any voting or investment decisions. You may obtain free copies of these documents from the sources indicated above.
No Offer or Solicitation
This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of section 10 of the Securities Act, or an exemption therefrom.
About Taboola
Taboola powers recommendations for the open web, helping people discover things they may like. The company’s platform, powered by artificial intelligence, is used by digital properties, including websites, devices and mobile apps, to drive monetization and user engagement. Taboola has long-term partnerships with some of the top digital properties in the world, including CNBC, NBC News, Business Insider, The Independent and El Mundo. More than 13,000 advertisers use Taboola to reach over 500 million daily active users in a brand-safe environment. The company has offices in 18 cities worldwide, including New York and Tel Aviv.
Learn more at www.taboola.com and follow @taboola on Twitter.
Contacts
Investors:
Jennifer Horsley
investors@taboola.com
Press:
Ran Gishri
press@taboola.com
ION Acquisition Corp:
Avrom Gilbert
avrom@ion-am.com