S-1/A

As filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on January 29, 2021 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

No. 333-252105

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

AMENDMENT NO. 3 TO

FORM S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

Kernel Group Holdings, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Cayman Islands
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization) 6770
(Primary Standard Industrial
Classification Code Number) 98-1567976
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

2 Rousseau Street

San Francisco, California 94112

(415) 404-6356

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

Mark Gross

Chief Executive Officer

2 Rousseau Street

San Francisco, California 94112

(415) 404-6356

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

Copies of all communications, including communications sent to agent for service, should be sent to:

Marshall P. Shaffer
Peter S. Seligson
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
601 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York 10022
Tel: (212) 446-4800
Fax: (212) 446-4900 Alexander D. Lynch, Esq.
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
767 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10153
Tel: (212) 310-8000
Fax: (212) 310-8007

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

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

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, 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, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.  ☐

Large accelerated filer  ☐	Accelerated filer  ☐
Non-accelerated filer ☒	Smaller reporting company ☒
	Emerging growth company ☒

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

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered	Amount to be Registered	Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Unit(1)	Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price(1)(2)	Amount of Registration Fee
Units, each consisting of one Class A ordinary share, $0.0001 par value, and one-half of one redeemable warrant(2)	28,750,000 units	$10.00	$287,500,000	$31,367
Class A ordinary shares included as part of the units(3)	28,750,000 shares	—	—	—(4)
Redeemable warrants included as part of the units(3)	14,375,000 warrants	—	—	—(4)
Total			$287,500,000	$31,367(5)

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

(2)
Includes 3,750,000 units, consisting of 3,750,000 Class A ordinary shares and 1,875,000 redeemable warrants, which may be issued upon exercise of a 45-day option granted to the underwriters to cover over-allotments, if any.

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

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

(5)
Registration fee has previously been paid.

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.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Kernel Group Holdings, Inc. is filing this Amendment No. 3 to its registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-252105) as an exhibits-only filing. Accordingly, this Amendment consists only of the facing page, this explanatory note, Item 16(a) of Part II of the Registration Statement, the exhibits index to the Registration Statement, the signature page to the Registration Statement and the filed exhibits. The remainder of the Registration Statement is unchanged and has therefore been omitted.

PART II

 

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 16.
Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.

(a)
The Exhibit Index is incorporated herein by reference.

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.	Description
1.1	Form of Underwriting Agreement.*
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 Class A Ordinary Share Certificate.*
4.3	Specimen Warrant Certificate.*
4.4	Form of Warrant Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant.*
5.1	Opinion of Kirkland & Ellis LLP.*
5.2	Opinion of Maples and Calder, Cayman Islands Counsel to the Registrant.
10.1	Form of Investment Management Trust Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant.*
10.2	Form of Registration and Shareholder Rights Agreement among the Registrant, the Sponsor and the Holders signatory thereto.*
10.3	Form of Private Placement Warrants Purchase Agreement between the Registrant and the Sponsor.*
10.4	Form of Indemnity Agreement.*
10.5	Form of Administrative Services Agreement between the Registrant and the Sponsor.*
10.6	Promissory Note, dated as of November 19, 2020, between the Registrant and the Sponsor.*
10.7	Securities Subscription Agreement, dated November 19, 2020, between the Registrant and the Sponsor.*
10.8	Form of Letter Agreement between the Registrant, the Sponsor and each director, executive officer and advisor of the Registrant.*
23.1	Consent of WithumSmith+Brown, PC.*
23.2	Consent of Kirkland & Ellis LLP (included on Exhibit 5.1).*
23.3	Consent of Maples and Calder (included on Exhibit 5.2).
24	Power of Attorney.*
99.1	Consent of Rakesh Tondon.*
99.2	Consent of Brett Northart.*
99.3	Consent of Chris Farrell.*
99.4	Consent of Dee Dee Sklar.*
99.5	Consent of Ron Meyer.*

*
Previously filed.

II-1

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York, State of New York, on the 29th day of January, 2021.

KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.
By:	/s/ Mark Gross
Name:	Mark Gross
Title:	Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Name	Position	Date
/s/ Mark Gross	Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer)	January 29, 2021
Mark Gross
/s/ Rakesh Tondon	Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)	January 29, 2021
Rakesh Tondon

II-2

EX-5.2

Exhibit 5.2

Our ref          TZC/779505-000001/65005335v42

Kernel Group Holdings, Inc.

PO Box 309, Ugland House

Grand Cayman

KY1-1104

Cayman Islands

29 January 2021

Kernel Group Holdings, Inc.

We have acted as counsel as to Cayman Islands law to Kernel Group Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) in connection with the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1, including all amendments or supplements thereto, filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”) (including its exhibits, the “Registration Statement”) for the purposes of, registering with the Commission under the Act, the offering and sale to the public of:

(a) up to 28,750,000 units (including 3,750,000 units, which the several underwriters, for whom Citigroup Global Markets Inc. is acting as representative (“Representative”), will have a 45-day option to purchase from the Company to cover over-allotments, if any) (“Units”) at an offering price of US$10 per Unit, each Unit consisting of:

(i) one Class A ordinary share of a par value of US$0.0001 of the Company (“Ordinary Shares”); and

(ii) one-half of one redeemable warrant, each whole warrant exercisable to purchase one Ordinary Share at a price of US$11.50 per Ordinary Share (“Warrants”);

(b) all Ordinary Shares and Warrants issued as part of the Units; and

(c) all Ordinary Shares that may be issued upon exercise of the Warrants included in the Units.

This opinion letter is given in accordance with the terms of the Legal Matters section of the Registration Statement.

1 Documents Reviewed

We have reviewed originals, copies, drafts or conformed copies of the following documents:

1.1 The certificate of incorporation dated 10 November 2020 and the memorandum and articles of association of the Company as registered or adopted on 10 November 2020 (the “Memorandum and Articles”).

1.2 The written resolutions of the board of directors of the Company dated 13 November 2020 and 11 January 2021 (the “Resolutions”) and the corporate records of the Company maintained at its registered office in the Cayman Islands.

1.3 A certificate of good standing with respect to the Company issued by the Registrar of Companies (the “Certificate of Good Standing”).

1.4 A certificate from a director of the Company a copy of which is attached to this opinion letter (the “Director’s Certificate”).

1.5 The Registration Statement.

1.6 A draft of the form of the unit certificate representing the Units (the “Unit Certificate”).

1.7 A draft of the form of the warrant agreement and the warrant certificate constituting the Warrants (the “Warrant Documents”).

1.8 A draft of the underwriting agreement between the Company and the Representative.

The documents listed in paragraphs 1.6 to 1.8 inclusive above shall be referred to collectively herein as the “Documents”.

2 Assumptions

The following opinions are given only as to, and based on, circumstances and matters of fact existing and known to us on the date of this opinion letter. These opinions only relate to the laws of the Cayman Islands which are in force on the date of this opinion letter. In giving the following opinions, we have relied (without further verification) upon the completeness and accuracy, as at the date of this opinion letter, of the Director’s Certificate and the Certificate of Good Standing. We have also relied upon the following assumptions, which we have not independently verified:

2.1 The Documents have been or will be authorised and duly executed and unconditionally delivered by or on behalf of all relevant parties in accordance with all relevant laws (other than, with respect to the Company, the laws of the Cayman Islands).

2.2 The Documents are, or will be, legal, valid, binding and enforceable against all relevant parties in accordance with their terms under the laws of the State of New York (the “Relevant Law”) and all other relevant laws (other than, with respect to the Company, the laws of the Cayman Islands).

2.3 The choice of the Relevant Law as the governing law of the Documents has been made in good faith and would be regarded as a valid and binding selection which will be upheld by the courts of the State of New York and any other relevant jurisdiction (other than the Cayman Islands) as a matter of the Relevant Law and all other relevant laws (other than the laws of the Cayman Islands).

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2.4 Copies of documents, conformed copies or drafts of documents provided to us are true and complete copies of, or in the final forms of, the originals.

2.5 All signatures, initials and seals are genuine.

2.6 The capacity, power, authority and legal right of all parties under all relevant laws and regulations (other than, with respect to the Company, the laws and regulations of the Cayman Islands) to enter into, execute, unconditionally deliver and perform their respective obligations under the Documents.

2.7 No invitation has been or will be made by or on behalf of the Company to the public in the Cayman Islands to subscribe for any of the Units, the Warrants or the Ordinary Shares.

2.8 There is no contractual or other prohibition or restriction (other than as arising under Cayman Islands law) binding on the Company prohibiting or restricting it from entering into and performing its obligations under the Documents.

2.9 No monies paid to or for the account of any party under the Documents or any property received or disposed of by any party to the Documents in each case in connection with the Documents or the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby represent or will represent proceeds of criminal conduct or criminal property or terrorist property (as defined in the Proceeds of Crime Act (As Revised) and the Terrorism Act (As Revised), respectively).

2.10 There is nothing under any law (other than the laws of the Cayman Islands) which would or might affect the opinions set out below. Specifically, we have made no independent investigation of the Relevant Law.

2.11 The Company will receive money or money’s worth in consideration for the issue of the Ordinary Shares and none of the Ordinary Shares were or will be issued for less than par value.

Save as aforesaid we have not been instructed to undertake and have not undertaken any further enquiry or due diligence in relation to the transaction the subject of this opinion letter.

3 Opinions

Based upon, and subject to, the foregoing assumptions and the qualifications set out below, and having regard to such legal considerations as we deem relevant, we are of the opinion that:

3.1 The Company has been duly incorporated as an exempted company with limited liability and is validly existing and in good standing with the Registrar of Companies under the laws of the Cayman Islands.

3.2 The Ordinary Shares to be offered and issued by the Company as contemplated by the Registration Statement (including the issuance of Ordinary Shares upon the exercise of the Warrants in accordance with the Warrant Documents) have been duly authorised for issue, and when issued by the Company against payment in full of the consideration as set out in the Registration Statement and in accordance with the terms set out in the Registration Statement (including the issuance of Ordinary Shares upon the exercise of the Warrants in accordance with the Warrant Documents), such Ordinary Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. As a matter of Cayman Islands law, a share is only issued when it has been entered in the register of members (shareholders).

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3.3 The execution, delivery and performance of the Unit Certificate and the Warrant Documents  have been authorised by and on behalf of the Company and, once the Unit Certificate and the Warrant Documents have been executed and delivered by any director or officer of the Company, the Unit Certificate and the Warrant Documents will be duly executed and delivered on behalf of the Company and will constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their terms.

4 Qualifications

The opinions expressed above are subject to the following qualifications:

4.1 The term “enforceable” as used above means that the obligations assumed by the Company under the Documents are of a type which the courts of the Cayman Islands will enforce. It does not mean that those obligations will necessarily be enforced in all circumstances in accordance with their terms. In particular:

(a) enforcement may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, liquidation, reorganisation, readjustment of debts or moratorium or other laws of general application relating to or affecting the rights of creditors;

(b) enforcement may be limited by general principles of equity. For example, equitable remedies such as specific performance may not be available, inter alia, where damages are considered to be an adequate remedy;

(c) where obligations are to be performed in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands, they may not be enforceable in the Cayman Islands to the extent that performance would be illegal under the laws of that jurisdiction; and

(d) some claims may become barred under relevant statutes of limitation or may be or become subject to defences of set off, counterclaim, estoppel and similar defences.

4.2 To maintain the Company in good standing with the Registrar of Companies under the laws of the Cayman Islands, annual filing fees must be paid and returns made to the Registrar of Companies within the time frame prescribed by law.

4.3 Under Cayman Islands law, the register of members (shareholders) is prima facie evidence of title to shares and this register would not record a third party interest in such shares. However, there are certain limited circumstances where an application may be made to a Cayman Islands court for a determination on whether the register of members reflects the correct legal position. Further, the Cayman Islands court has the power to order that the register of members maintained by a company should be rectified where it considers that the register of members does not reflect the correct legal position. As far as we are aware, such applications are rarely made in the Cayman Islands and for the purposes of the opinion given in paragraph 3.2, there are no circumstances or matters of fact known to us on the date of this opinion letter which would properly form the basis for an application for an order for rectification of the register of members of the Company, but if such an application were made in respect of the Ordinary Shares, then the validity of such shares may be subject to re-examination by a Cayman Islands court.

4.4 Except as specifically stated herein, we make no comment with respect to any representations and warranties which may be made by or with respect to the Company in any of the documents or instruments cited in this opinion letter or otherwise with respect to the commercial terms of the transactions the subject of this opinion letter.

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4.5 In this opinion letter, the phrase “non-assessable” means, with respect to shares in the Company, that a shareholder shall not, solely by virtue of its status as a shareholder, be liable for additional assessments or calls on the shares by the Company or its creditors (except in exceptional circumstances, such as involving fraud, the establishment of an agency relationship or an illegal or improper purpose or other circumstances in which a court may be prepared to pierce or lift the corporate veil).

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the references to our firm under the headings “Legal Matters”, “Risk Factors”, “Shareholders’ Suits” and “Enforcement of Civil Liabilities” in the prospectus included in the Registration Statement. In providing our consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the Rules and Regulations of the Commission thereunder.

This opinion letter is addressed to you and may be relied upon by you, your counsel and purchasers of Units pursuant to the Registration Statement. This opinion letter is limited to the matters detailed herein and is not to be read as an opinion with respect to any other matter.

Yours faithfully

/s/ Maples and Calder

Maples and Calder

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Kernel Group Holdings, Inc.

PO Box 309, Ugland House

Grand Cayman

KY1-1104

Cayman Islands

29 January 2021

To:	Maples and Calder
	PO Box 309, Ugland House
	Grand Cayman
	KY1-1104
	Cayman Islands

Kernel Group Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”)

I, the undersigned, being a director of the Company, am aware that you are being asked to provide an opinion letter (the “Opinion”) in relation to certain aspects of Cayman Islands law. Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalised terms used in this certificate have the respective meanings given to them in the Opinion.  I hereby certify that:

1 The Memorandum and Articles remain in full force and effect and are unamended.

2 The Company has not entered into any mortgages or charges over its property or assets other than those entered in the register of mortgages and charges of the Company.

3 The Resolutions were duly passed in the manner prescribed in the Memorandum and Articles (including, without limitation, with respect to the disclosure of interests (if any) by the director of the Company) and have not been amended, varied or revoked in any respect.

4 The authorised share capital of the Company is US$22,100 divided into 200,000,000 Class A ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.0001 each, 20,000,000 Class B ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.0001 each and 1,000,000 preference shares of a par value of US$0.001 each. The issued share capital of the Company is 7,187,500 Class B ordinary shares, which have been duly authorised and are validly issued as fully-paid and non-assessable.

5 The shareholders of the Company (the “Shareholders”) have not restricted the powers of the directors of the Company in any way.

6 The director of the Company at the date of the Resolutions and at the date of this certificate was and is as follows: Mark Gross

7 The minute book and corporate records of the Company as maintained at its registered office in the Cayman Islands and made available to you are complete and accurate in all material respects, and all minutes and resolutions filed therein represent a complete and accurate record of all meetings of the Shareholders and the director (or any committee thereof) of the Company (duly convened in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles) and all resolutions passed at the meetings or passed by written resolution or consent, as the case may be.

8 Prior to, at the time of, and immediately following the approval of the transactions contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Company was, or will be, able to pay its debts as they fell, or fall, due and has entered, or will enter, into the transactions contemplated by the Registration Statement for proper value and not with an intention to defraud or wilfully defeat an obligation owed to any creditor or with a view to giving a creditor a preference.

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9 The director of the Company considers the transactions contemplated by the Registration Statement to be of commercial benefit to the Company and has acted in good faith in the best interests of the Company, and for a proper purpose of the Company, in relation to the transactions which are the subject of the Opinion.

10 To the best of my knowledge and belief, having made due inquiry, the Company is not the subject of legal, arbitral, administrative or other proceedings in any jurisdiction. Nor have the directors or Shareholders taken any steps to have the Company struck off or placed in liquidation, nor have any steps been taken to wind up the Company. Nor has any receiver been appointed over any of the Company’s property or assets.

11 To the best of my knowledge and belief, having made due inquiry, there are no circumstances or matters of fact existing which may properly form the basis for an application for an order for rectification of the register of members of the Company.

12 The Registration Statement has been, or will be, authorised and duly executed and delivered by or on behalf of all relevant parties in accordance with all relevant laws.

13 No invitation has been made or will be made by or on behalf of the Company to the public in the Cayman Islands to subscribe for any of the Ordinary Shares.

14 The Ordinary Shares to be issued pursuant to the Registration Statement have been, or will be, duly registered, and will continue to be registered, in the Company’s register of members (shareholders).

15 The Company is not a central bank, monetary authority or other sovereign entity of any state and is not a subsidiary, direct or indirect, of any sovereign entity or state.

16 There is no contractual or other prohibition or restriction (other than as arising under Cayman Islands law) binding on the Company prohibiting or restricting it from entering into and performing its obligations under the Documents.

(Signature Page follows)

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I confirm that you may continue to rely on this certificate as being true and correct on the day that you issue the Opinion unless I shall have previously notified you in writing personally to the contrary.

Signature:	/s/ Mark Gross
Name:	Mark Gross
Title:	Director

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