UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
For the quarterly period ended
OR
For the transition period from to
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) |
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(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
| (Commission File Number) | (IRS Employer Identification No.) |
(Address Of Principal Executive Offices) | (Zip Code) |
( |
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code |
Not Applicable |
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class | Trading | Name of each exchange on |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
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 | ☐ | |
☒ | 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 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes
As of August 23, 2021,
G SQUARED ASCEND I INC.
Form 10-Q
For the Quarter Ended June 30, 2021
Table of Contents
PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1. Condensed Financial Statements
G SQUARED ASCEND I INC.
CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS
| June 30, 2021 |
| December 31, 2020 | |||
(Unaudited) | ||||||
Assets | ||||||
Current assets: | ||||||
Cash | $ | | $ | | ||
Deferred offering costs |
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Prepaid expenses | | | ||||
Total current assets |
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Investments held in Trust Account | | | ||||
Total Assets | $ | | $ | | ||
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity (Deficit) |
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Current liabilities: | ||||||
Accounts payable | $ | | $ | | ||
Accrued expenses | | | ||||
Total current liabilities |
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Deferred underwriting commissions |
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Derivative liabilities | | | ||||
Total liabilities |
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Commitments and Contingencies |
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Class A ordinary shares, $ | | | ||||
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Shareholders' Equity (Deficit): |
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Preference shares, $ |
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Class B ordinary shares, $ |
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Additional paid-in capital |
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Accumulated deficit |
| ( |
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Total shareholders' equity (deficit) |
| ( |
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Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity (Deficit) | $ | | $ | |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed financial statements.
1
G SQUARED ASCEND I INC.
CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
For the Three Months | For the Six Months | |||||
| Ended June 30, 2021 |
| Ended June 30, 2021 | |||
(unaudited) | (unaudited) | |||||
General and administrative expenses | $ | | $ | | ||
General and administrative expenses - related party | | | ||||
Loss from operations | ( | ( | ||||
Other income (expenses) |
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Change in fair value of derivative liabilities | ( | (897,530) | ||||
Offering costs associated with derivative liabilities | — | ( | ||||
Loss on Forward Purchase Agreement | — | ( | ||||
Gain on conversion of working capital loan | — | | ||||
Income from investments held in Trust Account | | | ||||
Total other income (expenses) | ( | ( | ||||
Net loss | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||
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Weighted average shares outstanding of Class A ordinary shares, basic and diluted |
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Basic and diluted net loss per share, Class A ordinary share | $ | | $ | | ||
Weighted average shares outstanding of Class B ordinary shares, basic and diluted | |
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Basic and diluted net loss per share, Class B ordinary share | $ | 0.49 | $ | ( |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed financial statements.
2
G SQUARED ASCEND I INC.
CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN CLASS A ORDINARY SHARES SUBJECT TO
POSSIBLE REDEMPTION AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)
For The Three and Six Months Ended June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)
Shareholders' Equity (Deficit) | |||||||||||||||||||
Class A Ordinary Shares Subject | Additional | Total | |||||||||||||||||
to Possible Redemption | Class B | Paid-in | Accumulated | Shareholders' | |||||||||||||||
| Shares |
| Amount |
| Shares |
| Amount |
| Capital |
| Deficit |
| Equity(Deficit) | ||||||
Balance - December 31, 2020 | — | $ | — | | $ | | $ | | $ | ( | $ | | |||||||
Sale of units in initial public offering, less fair value of derivative warrant liabilities |
| | | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||
Offering costs | — | ( | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
Excess cash received over the fair value of the private placement warrants | — | — | — | — | | — | | ||||||||||||
Accretion of Class A ordinary shares subject to redemption | — | | — | — | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||||||
Net income | — | — | — | — | — | | | ||||||||||||
Balance - March 31, 2021 |
| | | | | — | ( | ( | |||||||||||
Net loss | — | — | — | — | — | ( | ( | ||||||||||||
Balance - June 30, 2021 | | $ | | | $ | | $ | — | $ | ( | $ | ( |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed financial statements.
3
G SQUARED ASCEND I INC.
CONDENSED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
For The Six Months Ended June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities: |
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Net loss |
| $ | ( |
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: |
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General and administrative expenses paid by related party under promissory note | | ||
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities | 2,346,440 | ||
Offering costs - derivative warrant liabilities | | ||
Gain on conversion of working capital loan | ( | ||
Income from investments held in Trust Account | ( | ||
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: |
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Prepaid expenses | ( | ||
Accounts payable | | ||
Accrued expenses | | ||
Net cash used in operating activities |
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Cash Flows from Investing Activities: | |||
Cash deposited in Trust Account | ( | ||
Net cash used in investing activities | ( | ||
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Cash Flows from Financing Activities: |
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Proceeds received note payable from related party |
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Repayment of note payable to related party | ( | ||
Proceeds received from initial public offering |
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Proceeds received from private placement |
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Offering costs paid |
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Net cash provided by financing activities |
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Net change in cash |
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Cash - beginning of the period |
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Cash - end of the period | $ | | |
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Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities: |
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Offering costs included in accounts payable | $ | | |
Offering costs paid by related party under promissory note | $ | | |
Accounts payable paid by related party under promissory note | $ | | |
Deferred underwriting commissions | $ | | |
Conversion of working capital loan to derivative warrant liabilities at fair value | $ | | |
Accretion of Class A ordinary shares subject to redemption | $ | |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed financial statements.
4
Note 1 — Description of Organization and Business Operations
G Squared Ascend I Inc. (the “Company”) is a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company on October 26, 2020. The Company was incorporated for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with
As of June 30, 2021, the Company had not yet commenced operations. All activity for the period from October 26, 2020 (inception) through June 30, 2021 relates to the Company’s formation and the initial public offering (the “Initial Public Offering”), which is described below. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after the completion of its initial Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income from the proceeds derived from the Initial Public Offering.
The Company’s sponsor is G Squared Ascend Management I, LLC, a Cayman Islands exempted limited liability company (the “Sponsor”). The registration statement for the Company’s Initial Public Offering was declared effective on February 4, 2021. On February 9, 2021, the Company consummated its Initial Public Offering of
Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company consummated the private placement (“Private Placement”) of
Upon the closing of the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement, $
The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of its Initial Public Offering and the sale of Private Placement Warrants, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business Combination. The Company’s initial Business Combination must be with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least
5
The Company will provide its holders of the Public Shares (the “Public Shareholders”) with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares upon the completion of a Business Combination either (i) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the Business Combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether the Company will seek shareholder approval of a Business Combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by the Company. The Public Shareholders will be entitled to redeem their Public Shares for a pro rata portion of the amount then in the Trust Account (initially anticipated to be $
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association will provide that any of the Public Shareholders, 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
The Company’s Sponsor, officers, and directors agreed not to propose an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association (A) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow the redemption of its Public Shares in connection with a Business Combination or to redeem
6
If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within
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 and not previously released to the Company to pay the Company’s taxes payable (less taxes payable and up to $
The Initial Shareholders agreed to waive their liquidation rights with respect to the Founder Shares if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period. However, if the Initial Shareholders should acquire Public Shares in or after the Initial Public Offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to such Public Shares if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period. The underwriters agreed to waive their rights to their deferred underwriting commission (see Note 5) held in the Trust Account in the event the Company does not complete a Business Combination within in the Combination Period and, in such event, such amounts will be included with the funds held in the Trust Account that will be available to fund the redemption of the Company’s Public Shares. In the event of such distribution, it is possible that the per share value of the residual assets remaining available for distribution in the Trust Account will be less than the $
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of June 30, 2021, the Company had approximately $
7
The Company’s liquidity needs through June 30, 2021 were satisfied through a payment of $
In connection with the Company’s assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-15, “Disclosures of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern,” as of June 30, 2021, the Company does not have sufficient liquidity to meet its current obligations. However, management has determined that the Company has access to funds from the Sponsor, and the Sponsor has the financial wherewithal to fund the Company, that are sufficient to fund the working capital needs of the Company until the earlier of the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering and a minimum one year from the date of issuance of this financial statement. Over this time period, the Company will be using the funds held outside of the Trust Account for paying existing accounts payable, identifying and evaluating prospective initial Business Combination candidates, performing due diligence on prospective target businesses, paying for travel expenditures, selecting the target business to merge with or acquire, and structuring, negotiating and consummating the Business Combination.
Note 2 — Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying unaudited condensed financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for financial information and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP. In the opinion of management, the unaudited condensed financial statements reflect all adjustments, which include only normal recurring adjustments necessary for the fair statement of the balances and results for the periods presented. Operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected through December 31, 2021, or any future period.
Revision of Previously Issued Financial Statements
In April 2021, the Company identified a misstatement in its accounting treatment for warrants issued in connection with the Initial Public Offering (the “Public Warrants”) and the Private Placement Warrants (collectively, the “warrants”) as presented in its audited balance sheet as of February 9, 2021 included in its Current Report on Form 8-K, filed February 17, 2021. The warrants were reflected as a component of equity as opposed to liabilities on the balance sheet. The following balance sheet items were impacted from the error correction as of February 9, 2021: an increase of $
8
The condensed financial statements contained herein include the impact of a reclassification of
Emerging Growth Company
The Company is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”), and it may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm 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 stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.
Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such an 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 unaudited condensed financial statements with another public company that is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company that has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
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 income 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 had
9
Investments Held in the Trust Account
The Company’s portfolio of investments is comprised of U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act, with a maturity of 185 days or less, or investments in money market funds that invest in U.S. government securities and generally have a readily determinable fair value, or a combination thereof. When the Company’s investments held in the Trust Account are comprised of U.S. government securities, the investments are classified as trading securities. When the Company’s investments held in the Trust Account are comprised of money market funds, the investments are recognized at fair value. Trading securities and investments in money market funds are presented on the condensed balance sheets at fair value at the end of each reporting period. Gains and losses resulting from the change in fair value of these securities is included in income on investments held in the Trust Account in the accompanying unaudited condensed statements of operations. The estimated fair values of investments held in the Trust Account are determined using available market information.
Concentration of Credit Risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist of cash accounts in a financial institution, which, at times, may exceed the Federal Depository Insurance Corporation coverage limit of $
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities which qualify as financial instruments under the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” equal or approximate the carrying amounts represented in the condensed balance sheets.
Fair Value Measurements
Fair value is defined as the price that would be received for sale of an asset or paid for transfer of a liability, in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. GAAP establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). These tiers consist of:
● | Level 1, defined as observable inputs such as quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical instruments in active markets; |
● | Level 2, defined as inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are either directly or indirectly observable such as quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets or quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and |
● | Level 3, defined as unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists, therefore requiring an entity to develop its own assumptions, such as valuations derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs or significant value drivers are unobservable. |
In some circumstances, the inputs used to measure fair value might be categorized within different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In those instances, the fair value measurement is categorized in its entirety in the fair value hierarchy based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement.
10
Derivative Liabilities
The Company does not use derivative instruments to hedge exposures to cash flow, market, or foreign currency risks. The Company evaluates all of its financial instruments, including issued stock purchase warrants, to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives, pursuant to ASC 480 and FASB ASC Topic 815, “Derivatives and Hedging” (“ASC 815”). The classification of derivative instruments, including whether such instruments should be recorded as liabilities or as equity, is re-assessed at the end of each reporting period.
The Public Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants are recognized as derivative liabilities in accordance with ASC 815. Accordingly, the Company recognizes the warrant instruments as liabilities at fair value and adjusts the carrying value of the instruments to fair value at each reporting period. The liabilities are subject to re-measurement at each balance sheet date until exercised. The initial fair value of the Public Warrants issued in connection with the Initial Public Offering, Private Placement Warrants and Working Capital Loan Warrants have been estimated using Monte Carlo simulation model. For periods subsequent to the detachment of the Public Warrants from the Units, the Public Warrants’ listed price in an active market was used as the fair value. The fair value of the Public Warrants as of June 30, 2021 is based on observable listed prices for such warrants. The fair value of the Private Placement Warrants as of June 30, 2021 is based upon the publicly traded value. The determination of the fair value of the warrant liability may be subject to change as more current information becomes available and accordingly the actual results could differ significantly. Derivative warrant liabilities are classified as non-current liabilities as their liquidation is not reasonably expected to require the use of current assets or require the creation of current liabilities.
The forward purchase agreement between the Company and the Sponsor, providing for the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor to purchase up to
Offering Costs Associated with the Initial Public Offering
Offering costs consisted of legal, accounting, underwriting fees and other costs incurred through the Initial Public Offering that were directly related to the Initial Public Offering. Offering costs were allocated to the separable financial instruments issued in the Initial Public Offering based on a relative fair value basis, compared to total proceeds received. Offering costs associated with derivative warrant liabilities were expensed as incurred and presented as non-operating expenses in the condensed statements of operations. Offering costs associated with the Class A common stock issued were charged to stockholders' equity upon the completion of the Initial Public Offering. The Company classifies deferred underwriting commissions as non-current liabilities as their liquidation is not reasonably expected to require the use of current assets or require the creation of current liabilities.
11
Class A Ordinary Shares Subject to Possible Redemption
All of the
The Company determined the Class A ordinary shares subject to redemption to be equal to the redemption value of $
Income Taxes
FASB ASC Topic 740, “Income Taxes” (“ASC 740”) prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more-likely-than-not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. The Company’s management determined that the Cayman Islands is the Company’s only major tax jurisdiction. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. There were
12
Net Income Per Ordinary Share
The Company’s condensed statements of operations include a presentation of net income (loss) per share for Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption in a manner similar to the two-class method of net income (loss) per ordinary share. Net income (loss) per ordinary share, basic and diluted, for Class A ordinary shares is calculated by dividing the interest income earned on the Trust Account, less interest available to be withdrawn for the payment of taxes, by the weighted average number of Class A ordinary shares outstanding for the periods. Net income (loss) per ordinary share, basic and diluted, for Class B ordinary shares is calculated by dividing the net income (loss), adjusted for income attributable to Class A ordinary shares, by the weighted average number of Class B ordinary shares outstanding for the periods. Class B ordinary shares include the Founder Shares as these ordinary shares do not have any redemption features and do not participate in the income earned on the Trust Account. Accretion associated with the redeemable Class A ordinary shares is excluded from earnings per share as the redemption value approximates fair value.
The Company has not considered the effect of the warrants sold in the Public Offering (including the over-allotment). Private Placement Warrants, and Working Capital Loan Warrants to purchase
The Company has considered the effect of Class B ordinary shares that were excluded from weighted average number as they were contingent on the exercise of over-allotment option by the underwriters. Since the contingency was satisfied, the Company included these shares in the weighted average number as of the beginning of the interim period to determine the dilutive impact of these shares.
The following table reflects the calculation of basic and diluted net income (loss) per share of ordinary share:
For the Three Months | For the Six Months Ended | |||||
| Ended June 30, 2021 |
| June 30, 2021 | |||
Class A ordinary shares | ||||||
Numerator: Income allocable to Class A ordinary shares |
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Income from investments held in Trust Account | $ | | $ | | ||
Less: Company's portion available to be withdrawn to pay taxes | ||||||
Net income attributable to Class ordinary shares | $ | | $ | | ||
Denominator: Weighted average Class A ordinary shares | ||||||
Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding, Class A ordinary shares | | | ||||
Basic and diluted net income per share, Class A ordinary shares | $ | | $ | | ||
Class B ordinary shares | ||||||
Numerator: Net income minus net income allocable to Class A ordinary shares | ||||||
Net income | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||
Net income allocable to Class A ordinary shares | ( | ( | ||||
Net income attributable to Class B ordinary shares | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||
Denominator: weighted average Class B ordinary shares | ||||||
Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding, Class B ordinary shares | | | ||||
Basic and diluted net loss per share, Class B ordinary shares | $ | (0.49) | $ | ( |
13
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-06, “Debt-Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging-Contracts in Entity's Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity's Own Equity” (“ASU 2020-06”), which simplifies accounting for convertible instruments by removing major separation models required under current GAAP. The ASU 2020-06 also removes certain settlement conditions that are required for equity-linked contracts to qualify for the derivative scope exception, and it simplifies the diluted earnings per share calculation in certain areas. The Company adopted ASU 2020-06 on January 1, 2021. Adoption of the ASU 2020-06 did not impact the Company's financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
The Company’s management does not believe that any other recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards updates, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s unaudited condensed financial statements.
Note 3 — Initial Public Offering
On February 9, 2021, the Company consummated its Initial Public Offering of
Each Unit consists of
Note 4 — Related Party Transactions
Founder Shares
On December 2, 2020, the Sponsor paid an aggregate of $
The Initial Shareholders agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their Founder Shares until the earlier to occur of: (A)
14
Private Placement Warrants
Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company consummated the Private Placement of
Each whole Private Placement Warrant is exercisable for
The Sponsor and the Company’s officers and directors agreed, subject to limited exceptions, not to transfer, assign or sell any of their Private Placement Warrants until
Related Party Loans
On December 2, 2020, the Sponsor agreed to loan the Company up to $
In addition, in order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor, or certain of the Company’s officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds as may be required (“Working Capital Loans”). If the Company completes a Business Combination, the Company may repay the Working Capital Loans out of the proceeds of the Trust Account released to the Company. Otherwise, the Working Capital Loans may be repaid only out of funds held outside the Trust Account. In the event that a Business Combination does not close, the Company may use a portion of proceeds held outside the Trust Account to repay the Working Capital Loans but no proceeds held in the Trust Account would be used to repay the Working Capital Loans. The Working Capital Loans would either be repaid upon consummation of a Business Combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $
Administrative Support Agreement
Commencing on the date that the Company’s securities were first listed on the New York Stock Exchange through the earlier of consummation of the initial Business Combination and the liquidation, the Company agreed to pay the Sponsor $
15
In addition, the Sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on the Company’s behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable Business Combinations. The audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by the Company to the Sponsor, officers or directors, or the Company’s or their affiliates. Any such payments prior to an initial Business Combination will be made from funds held outside the Trust Account. For the period ended June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company incurred expenses of $
Forward Purchase Agreement
The Sponsor entered into a forward purchase agreement (the “Forward Purchase Agreement”) with the Company that provided for the purchase by the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor, in the aggregate, of
Note 5 — Commitments and Contingencies
Registration and Shareholder Rights
The holders of the Founder Shares, Private Placement Warrants, Class A ordinary shares underlying the Private Placement Warrants, warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans (and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans), Forward Purchase Securities were entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration and shareholder rights agreement signed upon the effective date of the Initial Public Offering. The holders of these securities were entitled to make up to
Underwriting Agreement
The Company granted the underwriters a
The underwriters were entitled to an underwriting discount of $
16
Risks and Uncertainties
Management continues to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry and has concluded that while it is reasonably possible that the virus could have a negative effect on the Company’s financial position, results of its operations and/or search for a target company, the specific impact is not readily determinable as of the date of these unaudited condensed financial statements. The unaudited condensed financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Note 6 — Class A Ordinary Shares Subject to Possible Redemption
The Company is authorized to issue
The Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides that under no circumstances will the Company redeem its Class A ordinary shares in an amount that would cause the Company’s net tangible assets to be less than $
As of June 30, 2021, the Class A ordinary shares reflected on the condensed balance sheets are reconciled in the following table:
| As of June 30, 2021 | ||
Gross proceeds received from Initial Public Offering | $ | | |
Less: |
|
|
|
Fair value of Public Warrants at issuance |
| ( | |
Offering costs allocated to Class A ordinary shares |
| ( | |
Plus: | |||
Accretion on Class A ordinary shares to redemption value |
| | |
Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption | $ | |
Note 7 — Shareholders’ Equity
Preference Shares—The Company is authorized to issue
Class B Ordinary Shares— The Company is authorized to issue
Class B ordinary shareholders of record are entitled to
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initial Business Combination, only holders of the Founder Shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors. In addition, prior to the completion of an initial Business Combination, holders of a majority of the Founder Shares may remove a member of the board of directors for any reason. The provisions of the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association governing the appointment or removal of directors prior to the initial Business Combination may only be amended by a special resolution passed by holders representing at least two-thirds of the issued and outstanding Class B ordinary shares.
The Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares on the first business day following the consummation of the initial Business Combination at a ratio such that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all Founder Shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as- converted basis,
Note 8 — Warrants
As of June 30, 2021, the Company had
Public Warrants may only be exercised for a whole number of shares. No fractional Public Warrants will be issued upon separation of the Units and only whole Public Warrants will trade. The Public Warrants will become exercisable
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The warrants have an exercise price of $
The Private Placement Warrants are identical to the Public Warrants underlying the Units sold in the Initial Public Offering, except (i) that the Private Placement Warrants and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the Private Placement Warrants will not be transferable, assignable or salable until
Redemption of warrants for cash when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00 :
Once the warrants become exercisable, the Company may call the outstanding warrants for redemption (except as described herein with respect to the Private Placement Warrants):
● | in whole and not in part; |
● | at a price of $ |
● | upon a minimum of |
● | if, and only if, the closing price of Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $ |
The Company will not redeem the warrants as described above unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is then effective and a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares is available throughout the 30-day redemption period. If and when the warrants become redeemable by the Company, it may exercise its redemption right even if the Company is unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws.
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Redemption of warrants for Class A ordinary shares when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $10.00:
After the warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the outstanding warrants:
● | in whole and not in part; |
● | at $ |
● | if, and only if, the closing price of Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $ |
● | if the Reference Value is less than $ |
The “fair market value” of Class A ordinary shares for the above purpose shall mean the volume weighted average price of Class A ordinary shares during the
In no event will the Company be required to net cash settle any warrant. If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period and the Company liquidates the funds held in the Trust Account, holders of warrants will not receive any of such funds with respect to their warrants, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside of the Trust Account with the respect to such warrants. Accordingly, the warrants may expire worthless.
Note 9 — Fair Value Measurements
The following table presents information about the Company’s assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of June 30, 2021 and indicates the fair value hierarchy of the valuation techniques that the Company utilized to determine such fair value.
|
| Quoted Prices in |
| Significant Other |
| Significant Other | |||
Active Markets | Observable Inputs | Unobservable Inputs | |||||||
Description |
| (Level 1) |
| (Level 2) |
| (Level 3) | |||
Assets: | |||||||||
Investments held in Trust Account - U.S. Treasury securities |
| $ | |
| $ | — | $ | — | |
Liabilities: | |||||||||
Derivative warrant liabilities - Public warrants | $ | | $ | — | $ | — | |||
Derivative warrant liabilities - Private placement warrants | — | | — | ||||||
Derivative warrant liabilities - Working capital loan warrants | | — | |||||||
Forward purchase agreement | — | | — | ||||||
Total | $ | | $ | | $ | — |
As of December 31, 2020, there were no assets or liabilities that were measured at fair value on a recurring basis.
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Transfers to/from Levels 1, 2, and 3 are recognized at the beginning of the reporting period. The estimated fair value of Public Warrants was transferred from a Level 3 measurement to a Level 1 measurement, when the Public Warrants were separately listed and traded in an active market in March 2021. The estimated fair value of the Private Placement Warrants and Working Capital Loan Warrants were transferred from a Level 3 measurement to a Level 2 fair value measurement in March 2021, as the transfer of Private Placement Warrants and Working Capital Loan Warrants to anyone who is not a permitted transferee would result in the Private Placement Warrants and Working Capital Loan Warrants having substantially the same terms as the Public Warrants, the Company determined that the fair value of each Private Placement Warrant and Working Capital Loan Warrants is equivalent to that of each Public Warrant. The Company transferred the fair value of the Forward Purchase Agreement to Level 2 from Level 3 in April 2021, as the underlying fair value of the warrants included in the Forward Purchase Agreement have substantially the same terms as the Public Warrants. There were
Level 1 instruments include investments U.S. Treasury securities with an original maturity of 185 days or less. The Company uses inputs such as actual trade data, quoted market prices from dealers or brokers, and other similar sources to determine the fair value of its investments.
The estimated fair value of the Private Placement Warrants, Public Warrants, and the Working Capital Loan Warrants prior to the Public Warrants being separately listed and traded, is determined using Level 3 inputs. Inherent in a Monte Carlo simulation and Black-Scholes Option Pricing model are assumptions related to expected stock-price volatility, expected life, risk-free interest rate and dividend yield. The Black-Scholes analysis relies upon appropriate inputs derived from the Monte Carlo simulation of the public warrants; namely, the underlying stock price and the implied volatility from the traded Public Warrant price. The Company estimates the volatility of its common stock warrants based on implied volatility from the Company’s traded warrants and from historical volatility of select peer company’s common stock that matches the expected remaining life of the warrants. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury zero-coupon yield curve on the grant date for a maturity similar to the expected remaining life of the warrants. The expected life of the warrants is assumed to be equivalent to their remaining contractual term. The dividend rate is based on the historical rate, which the Company anticipates remaining at
The following table provides quantitative information regarding Level 3 fair value measurements inputs at their measurement dates for the warrants:
| Initial Fair Value | March 9, 2021 | |||||
Exercise price |
| $ | | $ | | ||
Unit price | $ | | $ | | |||
Term (in years) |
| | |||||
Volatility | | % | | % | |||
Risk-free rate | % |
| | % |
For the fair value of the Public, Working Capital Loan, Private Placement Warrants, issued in connection with the Public Offering and conversion of the working capital loan, the Company utilized a Monte Carlo simulation to estimate the fair value of the public warrants at each reporting period and Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model to estimate the fair value of the private warrants at each reporting period, with changes in fair value recognized in the condensed statement of operations. For periods subsequent to the detachment of the Public Warrants from the Units, the fair value of the Public Warrants is based on the observable listed price for such warrants. The fair value of Private Placement Warrants, Working Capital Loan Warrants, and Forward Purchase Agreement was equivalent to that of the Public Warrants as they had substantially the same terms, however they are not actively traded, as such were listed as Level 2 in the hierarchy table above. The change in fair value is recognized in the condensed statements of operations.
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The change in the fair value of derivative liabilities, measured using Level 3 inputs, for the period ended June 30, 2021 is summarized as follows:
Derivative liabilities at January 1 2021 |
| $ | |
Issuance of Public Warrants |
| | |
Issuance of Private Placement Warrants | | ||
Forward Purchase Agreement | | ||
Working Capital Loan Warrants | | ||
Transfer of Public Warrants to Level 1 | ( | ||
Transfer of Private Placement Warrants to Level 2 | ( | ||
Transfer of Working Capital Loan Warrants to Level 2 | ( | ||
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities | ( | ||
Derivative liabilities at March 31, 2021 | | ||
Transfer of Forward Purchase Agreement to Level 2 | ( | ||
Derivative liabilities at June 30, 2021 | $ | |
Note 10 — Subsequent Events
The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred up to the date the condensed financial statements were issued. Based upon this review, except as set forth above, the Company did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the condensed financial statements.
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Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
References to the “Company,” “G Squared Ascend I Inc.,” “G Squared,” “our,” “us” or “we” refer to G Squared Ascend I Inc. The following discussion and analysis of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the unaudited interim condensed financial statements and the notes thereto contained elsewhere in this report. Certain information contained in the discussion and analysis set forth below includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and Section 21E of the Exchange Act (the “Exchange Act”). We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “continue,” or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. Factors that might cause or contribute to such a discrepancy include, but are not limited to, those described in our other Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filings.
Overview
We are a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company on October 26, 2020. We were formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (the “Business Combination”). We are an emerging growth company and, as such, we are subject to all of the risks associated with emerging growth companies.
Our sponsor is G Squared Ascend Management I, LLC, a Cayman Islands exempted limited liability company (the “Sponsor”). The registration statement for our initial public offering (the “Initial Public Offering”) was declared effective on February 4, 2021. On February 9, 2021, we consummated its Initial Public Offering of 34,500,000 units (each a “Unit” and collectively, the “Units” and, with respect to the Class A ordinary shares included in the Units being offered, the “Public Shares”), including 4,500,000 additional Units to cover over-allotments (the “Over-Allotment Units”), at $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $345.0 million, and incurring offering costs of approximately $19.8 million, of which approximately $12.1 million was for deferred underwriting commissions (Note 5).
Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, we consummated the private placement (“Private Placement”) of 6,100,000 warrants (each, a “Private Placement Warrant” and collectively, the “Private Placement Warrants”), at a price of $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant with the Sponsor, generating gross proceeds of approximately $9.2 million (Note 4).
Upon the closing of the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement, $345.0 million ($10.00 per Unit) of the net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and certain of the proceeds of the Private Placement were placed in a trust account (“Trust Account”) with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee and will be invested in United States “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or the Investment Company Act, having a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations, as determined by the Company, until the earlier of: (i) the completion of a Business Combination and (ii) the distribution of the Trust Account as described below.
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Our management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of its Initial Public Offering and the sale of Private Placement Warrants, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business Combination. Our initial Business Combination must be with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the Trust Account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions) at the time we sign a definitive agreement in connection with the initial Business Combination. However, we will only complete a Business Combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target business or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target business sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.
If we are unable to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period (as defined in Note 1), we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the Public Shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes that were paid by us or are payable by us, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of the then-outstanding Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish Public Shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the remaining shareholders and the board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) to the Company’s obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of June 30, 2021, the Company had approximately $1.0 million in its operating bank account and working capital of approximately $2.0 million.
Our liquidity needs prior to the consummation of the Initial Public Offering were satisfied through the payment of $25,000 from the Sponsor to cover for certain expenses in exchange for the issuance of the Founder Shares (as defined in Note 4), and the loan of approximately $173,000 under the Note (as defined in Note 4). The Company repaid the Note in full on February 12, 2021. Subsequent to the consummation of the Initial Public Offering, the Company’s liquidity has been satisfied through the net proceeds from the consummation of the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement held outside of the Trust Account. On March 1, 2021, the Sponsor agreed to loan the Company up to $1.5 million to cover expenses pursuant to an unsecured promissory note (the “Sponsor Note”). This loan is non-interest bearing and payable on the earlier of September 1, 2021 or the completion of the Initial Business Combination. On March 9, 2021, the Sponsor Note was converted into a Working Capital Loan Warrants (as defined in Note 4). As of March 31, 2021, the Company had no outstanding balance under the Working Capital Loans.
Based on the foregoing, management believes that we will have sufficient working capital and borrowing capacity from our Sponsor or an affiliate of our Sponsor, or certain of our officers and directors to meet its needs through the earlier of the consummation of a Business Combination or one year from this filing. Over this time period, the Company will be using the funds held outside of the Trust Account for paying existing accounts payable, identifying and evaluating prospective initial Business Combination candidates, performing due diligence on prospective target businesses, paying for travel expenditures, selecting the target business to merge with or acquire, and structuring, negotiating and consummating the Business Combination.
Management continues to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry and has concluded that while it is reasonably possible that the virus could have a negative effect on our financial position, results of our operations and/or search for a target company, the specific impact is not readily determinable as of the date of the financial statements. The condensed financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
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Results of Operations
Our entire activity since inception up to June 30, 2021 was in preparation for our formation and the Initial Public Offering and since the Initial Public Offering, searching for a business combination target company. We will not be generating any operating revenues until the closing and completion of our initial Business Combination.
For the three months ended June 30, 2021, we had net loss of approximately $4.2 million, which consisted of approximately a $5.0 non-operating loss resulting from the change in fair value of derivative warrant liabilities and approximately $12,000 of income from investments held in trust account, offset by approximately $679,000 in general and administrative expenses, $30,000 in general and administrative expenses – related party, and approximately $243,000 gain on conversion of working capital loan.
For the six months ended June 30, 2021, we had net loss of approximately $3.5 million, which consisted of approximately a $2.3 million non-operating loss resulting from the change in fair value of derivative warrant liabilities and approximately $32,000 of income from investments held in trust account, offset by approximately $884,000 in general and administrative expenses, $50,000 in general and administrative expenses – related party, $243,000 gain on conversion of working capital loan and approximately $463,000 in offering costs associated with derivative warrant liabilities.
Contractual Obligations
Administrative Support Agreement
Commencing on the date that our securities were first listed on the New York Stock Exchange through the earlier of consummation of the initial Business Combination and the liquidation, we agreed to pay the Sponsor $10,000 per month for office space, secretarial and administrative services provided to us.
We incurred approximately $30,000 and $50,000 in general and administrative expenses in the accompanying unaudited condensed statements of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021. As of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, we had accrued approximately $50,000 and $0, respectively, for services in connection with such agreement on the accompanying condensed balance sheets.
In addition, the Sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on the Company’s behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable Business Combinations. The Company’s audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to the Sponsor, officers or directors, or the Company’s or their affiliates. Any such payments prior to an initial Business Combination will be made from funds held outside the Trust Account.
Registration and Shareholder Rights
The holders of the Founder Shares, Private Placement Warrants, Class A ordinary shares underlying the Private Placement Warrants, warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans (and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans and Forward Purchase Securities) were entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration and shareholder rights agreement signed upon the effective date of the Initial Public Offering. The holders of these securities were 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 the completion of the initial Business Combination. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
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Underwriting Agreement
We granted the underwriters a 45-day option from the date of this prospectus to purchase up to 4,500,000 additional Units at the Initial Public Offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions. On February 9, 2021, the underwriters fully exercised their over-allotment option.
The underwriters were entitled to an underwriting discount of $0.20 per Unit, or $6.9 million in the aggregate, paid upon the closing of the Initial Public Offering. In addition, $0.35 per Unit, or approximately $12.1 million in the aggregate will be payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions. The deferred fee will become payable to the underwriters from the amounts held in the Trust Account solely in the event that we complete a Business Combination, subject to the terms of the underwriting agreement.
Forward Purchase Agreement
The Sponsor entered into a forward purchase agreement (the “Forward Purchase Agreement”) with the Company that provided for the purchase by the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor of 10,000,000 Class A ordinary shares and 2,000,000 redeemable warrants (each, a "Forward Purchase Warrant" and collectively, the “Forward Purchase Warrants”), for an aggregate purchase price of $100,000,000, in each case, for $10.00 per one Class A ordinary share and one-fifth of one Forward Purchase Warrant (collectively, the “Forward Purchase Securities”), in a private placement to close substantially concurrently with the closing of the Business Combination. The obligations under the Forward Purchase Agreement will not depend on whether any Class A ordinary shares are redeemed by the holders of Public Shares. The Class A ordinary shares and Forward Purchase Warrants sold pursuant to the Forward Purchase Agreement will be identical to the Class A ordinary shares and Public Warrants included in the units being sold in the Initial Public Offering, respectively, except that the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor, as applicable, will have certain registration rights. The capital from such private placement would be used as part of the consideration to the sellers in the Business Combination, and any excess capital from such private placement would be used for working capital in the post-transaction company.
Critical Accounting Policies
Derivative Liabilities
The Company does not use derivative instruments to hedge exposures to cash flow, market, or foreign currency risks. The Company evaluates all of its financial instruments, including issued stock purchase warrants, to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives, pursuant to Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity” (“ASC 480”) and FASB ASC Topic 815, “Derivatives and Hedging” (“ASC 815”). The classification of derivative instruments, including whether such instruments should be recorded as liabilities or as equity, is re-assessed at the end of each reporting period.
The Public Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants are recognized as derivative liabilities in accordance with ASC 815. Accordingly, the Company recognizes the warrant instruments as liabilities at fair value and adjusts the carrying value of instruments to fair value at each reporting period. The liabilities are subject to re-measurement at each balance sheet date until exercised. The initial fair value of the Public Warrants issued in connection with the Public Offering, Private Placement Warrants and Working Capital Loan Warrants have been estimated using Monte Carlo simulation model. For periods subsequent to the detachment of the Public Warrants from the Units, the Public Warrants’ listed price in an active market was used as the fair value. Derivative warrant liabilities are classified as non-current liabilities as their liquidation is not reasonably expected to require the use of current assets or require the creation of current liabilities.
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The forward purchase agreement between the Company and the Sponsor, providing for the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor to purchase up to 10,000,000 Class A ordinary shares and 2,000,000 redeemable warrants (the “Forward Purchase Warrants”), for an aggregate purchase price of $100,000,000, in each case, for $10.00 per one Class A ordinary share and one-fifth of one Forward Purchase Warrant (collectively, the “Forward Purchase Securities”), in a private placement to close substantially concurrently with the closing of the Business Combination, is recognized as a derivative liability in accordance with ASC 815. Accordingly, the Company recognizes the instrument as a liability at fair value and with changes in fair value recognized in the Company’s condensed statements of operations. The fair value of the forward purchase agreement is determined as the estimated unit value less the net present value of the forward purchase agreement.
Class A Ordinary Shares Subject to Possible Redemption
All of the 34,500,000 Class A ordinary shares sold as part of the Units in the Public Offering contain a redemption feature which allows for the redemption of such Public Shares in connection with the Company’s liquidation, if there is a shareholder vote or tender offer in connection with the Business Combination and in connection with certain amendments to the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation. The Company accounts for its Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption in accordance with the guidance in ASC 480. Class A ordinary shares subject to mandatory redemption (if any) are classified as liability instruments and are measured at fair value. Conditionally redeemable Class A ordinary shares (including Class A ordinary shares that feature redemption rights that are either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon the occurrence of uncertain events not solely within the Company’s control) are classified as temporary equity. Ordinary liquidation events, which involve the redemption and liquidation of all of the entity’s equity instruments, are excluded from the provisions of ASC 480. Although the Company did not specify a maximum redemption threshold, its charter provides that currently, the Company will not redeem its Public Shares in an amount that would cause its net tangible assets (shareholders’ equity) to be less than $5,000,001.
The Company determined the Class A ordinary shares subject to redemption to be equal to the redemption value of $10.00 per Public Share while also taking into consideration a redemption cannot result in net tangible assets being less than $5,000,001. Upon considering the impact of the forward purchase agreement (as discussed in Note 4), it was concluded that the redemption value should include all Public Shares resulting in the Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption being equal to $345,000,000. Accordingly, as of June 30, 2021, there are 34,500,000 shares of Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption, are presented as temporary equity, outside of the shareholders’ equity (deficit) section of the Company’s condensed balance sheets. There were no shares of Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption at December 31, 2020.
Net Income Per Ordinary Share
The Company’s condensed statements of operations include a presentation of net income per share for Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption in a manner similar to the two-class method of net income per ordinary share. Net income per ordinary share, basic and diluted, for Class A ordinary shares is calculated by dividing the interest income earned on the Trust Account, less interest available to be withdrawn for the payment of taxes, by the weighted average number of Class A ordinary shares outstanding for the periods. Net income per ordinary share, basic and diluted, for Class B ordinary shares is calculated by dividing the net income, adjusted for income attributable to Class A ordinary shares, by the weighted average number of Class B Ordinary shares outstanding for the periods. Class B ordinary shares include the Founder Shares (as defined in Note 4) as these ordinary shares do not have any redemption features and do not participate in the income earned on the Trust Account. Accretion associated with the redeemable Class A ordinary shares is excluded from earnings per share as the redemption value approximates fair value.
The Company has not considered the effect of the warrants sold in the Public Offering (including the over-allotment), Private Placement Warrants, and Working Capital Loan Warrants to purchase 14,000,000 shares of the Company’s ordinary shares in the calculation of diluted income (loss) per share, since the exercise of the warrants and the conversion of the rights into ordinary shares is contingent upon the occurrence of future events.
The Company has considered the effect of Class B ordinary shares that were excluded from weighted average number as they were contingent on the exercise of over-allotment option by the underwriters. Since the contingency was satisfied,
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the Company included these shares in the weighted average number as of the beginning of the interim period to determine the dilutive impact of these shares.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In August 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2020-06, “Debt—Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging—Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity” (“ASU 2020-06”), which simplifies accounting for convertible instruments by removing major separation models required under current GAAP. The ASU 2020-06 also removes certain settlement conditions that are required for equity-linked contracts to qualify for the derivative scope exception, and it simplifies the diluted earnings per share calculation in certain areas. The Company adopted ASU 2020-06 on January 1, 2021. Adoption of the ASU 2020-06 did not impact the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
We do not believe that any other recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards updates, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s unaudited condensed financial statements.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As of June 30, 2021, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of Regulation S-K.
JOBS Act
The Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”) contains provisions that, among other things, relax certain reporting requirements for qualifying public companies. We qualify as an “emerging growth company” and under the JOBS Act are allowed to comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements based on the effective date for private (not publicly traded) companies. We are electing to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards, and as a result, we may not comply with new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for non-emerging growth companies. As a result, the financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.
Additionally, we are in the process of evaluating the benefits of relying on the other reduced reporting requirements provided by the JOBS Act. Subject to certain conditions set forth in the JOBS Act, if, as an “emerging growth company,” we choose to rely on such exemptions we may not be required to, among other things, (i) provide an auditor’s attestation report on our system of internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404, (ii) provide all of the compensation disclosure that may be required of non-emerging growth public companies under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, (iii) comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the PCAOB regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements (auditor discussion and analysis) and (iv) disclose certain executive compensation related items such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the Chief Executive Officer’s compensation to median employee compensation. These exemptions will apply for a period of five years following the completion of our Initial Public Offering or until we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” whichever is earlier.
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Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
We are a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act and are not required to provide the information otherwise required under this item. As of June 30, 2021, we were not subject to any market or interest rate risk. The net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering, including amounts in the Trust Account, will be invested in U.S. government securities with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds that meet certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, that invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Due to the short-term nature of these investments, we believe there will be no associated material exposure to interest rate risk.
We have not engaged in any hedging activities since our inception and we do not expect to engage in any hedging activities with respect to the market risk to which we are exposed.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2021, as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act. Based upon that evaluation and in light of the SEC staff statement issued on April 12, 2021 (the “SEC Staff Statement”), our Certifying Officers concluded that, solely due to the Company’s misapplication of the accounting for the Company’s warrants as liabilities described in in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2021, as filed with the SEC on June 9, 2021, our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of June 30, 2021. In light of this material weakness, we performed additional analysis as deemed necessary to ensure that our unaudited interim financial statements were prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Accordingly, management believes that the financial statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (this “Quarterly Report”) present fairly in all material respects our financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the period presented.
Disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in our Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Other than as described herein, there was no change in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2021 covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting. Management has implemented remediation steps to address the material weakness and to improve our internal control over financial reporting. Specifically, we expanded and improved our review process for complex securities and related accounting standards. As of June 30, 2021, this has not been fully remediated.
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PART II - OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1. Legal Proceedings
None.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
As of the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, there have been no material changes to the risk factors disclosed in our final prospectus filed with the SEC on February 8, 2021, except for the below risk factor. We may disclose changes to such factors or disclose additional factors from time to time in our future filings with the SEC.
Our warrants and forward purchase agreement are accounted for as liabilities and the changes in value could have a material effect on our financial results and thus may have an adverse effect on the market price of our securities.
On April 12, 2021, the staff of the SEC (the “SEC Staff”) issued a public statement entitled “Staff Statement on Accounting and Reporting Considerations for Warrants issued by special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”) (the “SEC Staff Statement”). In the SEC Staff Statement, the SEC Staff expressed its view that certain terms and conditions common to SPACs warrants may require the warrants to be classified as liabilities on the SPACs’ balance sheet as opposed to equity. As a result of the SEC Staff Statement, we reevaluated the accounting treatment of our 6,900,000 Public Warrants, 6,100,000 Private Placement Warrants, and 10,000,000 Forward Purchase Securities and determined to classify the warrants as derivative liabilities measured at fair value, with changes in fair value each period reported in earnings.
As a result, included on our condensed balance sheet as of March 31, 2021 contained elsewhere in this Quarterly Report are derivative liabilities related to embedded features contained within our warrants. ASC 480 and ASC 815, provides for the remeasurement of the fair value of such derivatives at each balance sheet date, with a resulting non-cash gain or loss related to the change in the fair value being recognized in earnings in the statement of operations. As a result of the recurring fair value measurement, our financial statements and results of operations may fluctuate quarterly, based on factors, which are outside of our control. Due to the recurring fair value measurement, we expect that we will recognize non-cash gains or losses on our derivative liabilities each reporting period and that the amount of such gains or losses could be material. The impact of changes in fair value on earnings may have an adverse effect on the market price of our securities.
We have identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting as of March 31, 2021. If we are unable to develop and maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results in a timely manner, which may result a material adverse effect on our ability to consummate an initial business combination.
Following the issuance of the SEC Staff Statement management identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting related to the accounting for the warrants issued in connection with our Initial Public Offering. Our internal control over financial reporting did not result in the proper accounting classification of the warrants, which, due to its impact on our financial statements, we determined to be a material weakness in controls relating to the accounting for the warrants.
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A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Effective internal controls are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and prevent fraud. Any failure to maintain internal control over our financial reporting could adversely impact our ability to report our financial position and results from operations on a timely and accurate basis, which could delay or disrupt our efforts to consummate an initial business combination. If our financial statements are not filed on a timely basis, we may also be subject to sanctions or investigations by the stock exchange on which our securities are listed, the SEC or other regulatory authorities. In either case, there could result a material adverse effect on our ability to consummate an initial business combination. We have expanded and improved our review process for complex securities and related accounting standards and continue to evaluate other steps to remediate the material weakness.
In addition, as a result of such material weakness, the change in accounting for our derivative liabilities, and other matters raised or that may in the future be raised by the SEC, we face potential for litigation or other disputes which may include, among others, claims invoking the federal and state securities laws, contractual claims or other claims arising from the material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting and the preparation of our financial statements. As of the date of this report, we have no knowledge of any such litigation or dispute. However, we can provide no assurance that such litigation or dispute will not arise in the future. Any such litigation or dispute, whether successful or not, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition or our ability to complete a Business Combination.
The securities in which we invest the funds held in the Trust Account could bear a negative rate of interest, which could reduce the value of the assets held in trust such that the per-share redemption amount received by public shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share.
The proceeds held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act, which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. While short-term U.S. government treasury obligations currently yield a positive rate of interest, they have briefly yielded negative interest rates in recent years. Central banks in Europe and Japan pursued interest rates below zero in recent years, and the Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve has not ruled out the possibility that it may in the future adopt similar policies in the United States. In the event that we are unable to complete our initial business combination or make certain amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, our public shareholders are entitled to receive their pro-rata share of the proceeds held in the trust account, plus any interest income, net of income taxes paid or payable (less, in the case we are unable to complete our initial business combination, $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses). Negative interest rates could reduce the value of the assets held in trust such that the per-share redemption amount received by public shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share.
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds.
Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, we consummated the Private Placement of 6,100,000 Private Placement Warrants, at a price of $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant with the Sponsor, generating gross proceeds of approximately $9.2 million.
In connection with the Initial Public Offering, our sponsor had agreed to loan us an aggregate of up to $300,000 pursuant to the Note. This loan is non-interest bearing and payable on the consummation of the Initial Public Offering. As of March 31, 2021, the loan balance was $0.
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Of the gross proceeds received from the Initial Public Offering and the full exercise of the option to purchase additional Shares, $345,000,000 was placed in the Trust Account. The net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and certain proceeds from the Private Placement are invested in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 180 days or less and in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations.
We paid a total of approximately $7.7 million in underwriting discounts and commissions related to the Initial Public Offering. In addition, the underwriters agreed to defer $12.1 million in underwriting discounts and commissions.
On December 2, 2020, the Sponsor paid an aggregate of $25,000 for certain expenses on behalf of the Company in exchange for issuance of 7,187,500 Class B ordinary shares, or approximately $0.004 per share.
Item 3. Defaults upon Senior Securities
None.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.
Not applicable.
Item 5. Other Information.
None.
Item 6. Exhibits.
Exhibit |
| Description |
31.1* | ||
31.2* | ||
32.1* | ||
32.2* | ||
101.INS | Inline XBRL Instance Document | |
101.SCH | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document | |
101.CAL | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document | |
101.DEF | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document | |
101.LAB | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document | |
101.PRE | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document | |
104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as inline XBRL with applicable taxonomy extension information contained in Exhibits 101) |
* | These certifications are furnished to the SEC pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and are deemed not filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, nor shall they be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing. |
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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.
Dated: August 25, 2021 | G SQUARED ASCEND I INC. | |
By: | /s/ Ward Davis | |
Name: | Ward Davis | |
Title: | Chief Executive Officer |
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