DRS 1 filename1.htm

Confidentially submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on February [•], 2021.

This draft registration statement has not been publicly filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and all information herein remains strictly confidential

 

Registration No. 333-[•]

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

Form S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

 

Model Performance Acquisition Corp.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

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

 

Cheung Kong Center,

58 Floor, Unit 5801

2 Queens Road Central

Central

Hong Kong
Telephone: +852 9258 9728

 

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

 

Serena Shie

Cheung Kong Center,

58 Floor, Unit 5801

2 Queens Road Central

Central

Hong Kong

Telephone: +852 9258 9728

 

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

 

 

 

Copies to:

 

Giovanni Caruso, Esq.
Loeb & Loeb LLP

345 Park Avenue

New York, NY 10154
(212) 407-4000

Ralph V. De Martino

Cavas S. Pavri
Schiff Hardin LLP
901 K Street NW

Suite 700
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 778-6400

 

 

 

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. x

 

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 x Smaller reporting company x
  Emerging growth company x

 

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

 

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

Title of Each Class of Security Being Registered  Amount
Being
Registered
   Proposed
Maximum
Offering
Price per
Security(1)
   Proposed
Maximum
Aggregate
Offering
Price(1)
   Amount of
Registration
Fee
 
Units, each consisting of one Class A ordinary share, with no par value, one-half of one redeemable warrant and one right to receive one-tenth of one Class A ordinary share(2)   5,750,000   $10.00   $57,500,000   $6,273.25 
Class A ordinary shares included as part of the units(3)   5,750,000            (4)
Redeemable warrants included as part of the units(3)   2,875,000            (4)
Rights included as part of the units(3)   5,750,000            (4)
Class A ordinary shares underlying rights included as part of the units (3)   575,000    10.00    5,750,000    627.33 
Representative’s Shares   57,500    10.00    575,000    62.73 
Total            $63,825,000   $6,963.31 

 

 

  (1) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee.
  (2) Includes 750,000 units, consisting of 750,000 Class A ordinary shares and 375,000 redeemable warrants and 750,000 rights, 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, there are also being registered an indeterminable number of additional securities as may be issued to prevent dilution resulting from share splits, share capitalizations or similar transactions.
  (4) No fee pursuant to Rule 457(g).

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED FEBRUARY [•], 2021

 

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

 

$50,000,000

Model Performance Acquisition Corp.

5,000,000 Units

 

Model Performance Acquisition Corp. is a newly incorporated blank check company incorporated as a BVI business company and incorporated for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. Although there is no restriction or limitation on what industry or geographic region our target operates in, it is our intention to pursue prospective targets that are in Asia and the Middle East and North African (“MENA”) region. We will primarily seek to acquire one or more growth businesses with a total enterprise value of between $200,000,000 and $600,000,000. We have not selected any specific business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target.

 

This is an initial public offering of our securities. Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one of our Class A ordinary shares, one-half of one redeemable warrant and one right as described in more detail in this prospectus. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as provided herein. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade, so you unless you purchase at least two units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant. Each right entitles the holder thereof to receive one-tenth (1/10) of one Class A ordinary share upon consummation of our initial business combination, so you must hold rights in multiples of 10 in order to receive shares for all of your rights upon closing of a business combination. We have also granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional units to cover over-allotments, if any.

 

We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account described below as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares that were sold as part of the units in this offering, which we refer to collectively as our public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time, as described in more detail in this prospectus), we will redeem 100% of the public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (less up to $50,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses and which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law and as further described herein.

 

Our sponsor, First Euro Investments Limited Company, a British Virgin Islands company, has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 220,000 units (or 235,000 units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit for an aggregate purchase price of $2,200,000 (or $2,350,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full). Each private placement unit will be identical to the units sold in this offering, except as described in this prospectus. The private placement units will be sold in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering, including the over-allotment option, as applicable. We refer to these units throughout this prospectus as private placement units.

 

Prior to this offering, our sponsor held 1,437,500 Class B ordinary shares,or founder shares (up to 187,500 of which are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised). The Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as provided herein and in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.

 

 

 

 

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our units, Class A ordinary shares, warrants or rights. We have applied to list our units on the NASDAQ Capital Market, or NASDAQ, under the symbol “MPACU” on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on NASDAQ. The Class A ordinary shares, warrants and rights comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless Maxim Group LLC, or Maxim, the representative of the underwriters of this offering, informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our filing a Current Report on Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, containing an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds of this offering and issuing a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, we expect that the Class A ordinary shares, warrants and rights will be listed on NASDAQ under the symbols “MPAC,” “MPACW” and “MPACR,” respectively.

  

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

 

We are an “emerging growth company” under applicable federal securities laws and will be subject to reduced public company reporting requirements. Investing in our securities involves risks. See “Risk Factors” on page 31. Investors will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings.

 

   Price to
Public
   Underwriting
Discounts and
Commissions(1)
   Proceeds,
before
expenses, to us
 
Per Unit  $10.00   $0.55   $9.45 
Total  $50,000,000   $2,750,000   $47,250,000 

 

  (1) Includes $0.35 per unit, or $1,750,000 in the aggregate, payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions that will be placed in a trust account at JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. as described herein. Does not include certain fees and expenses payable to the underwriters in connection with this offering. See also “Underwriting” for a description of compensation and other items of value payable to the underwriters.

 

Of the proceeds we receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement units described in this prospectus, $50,000,000 or $57,500,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($10.00 per unit), will be deposited into a trust account at JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could become subject to the claims of our creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of our public shareholders.

 

The underwriters are offering the units for sale on a firm commitment basis. Delivery of the units will be made on or about                          [•], 2021.

 

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

 

No offer or invitation to subscribe for units may be made to the public in the British Virgin Islands.

 

Maxim Group LLC

 

The date of this prospectus is [•], 2021.

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

   Page
    
SUMMARY   1
RISK FACTORS   31
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS   66
USE OF PROCEEDS   67
DIVIDEND POLICY   71
DILUTION   72
CAPITALIZATION   75
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS   76
PROPOSED BUSINESS   82
MANAGEMENT   107
PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS   117
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS   119
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES   122
INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS   144
UNDERWRITING   153
LEGAL MATTERS   157
EXPERTS   157
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION   157
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS   F-1

 

 

 

 

SUMMARY

 

This summary only highlights the more detailed information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. You should read this entire prospectus carefully, including the information under “Risk Factors” and our financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, before investing.

 

Unless otherwise stated in this prospectus, references to:

 

  · “amended and restated memorandum and articles of association” are to our memorandum and articles of association to be in effect upon completion of this offering;

 

  · “BVI” are to the British Virgin Islands;

 

  · “Companies Act” and the “Insolvency Act” are to the BVI Business Companies Act, 2004 and the Insolvency Act, 2003 of the British Virgin Islands, respectively and in each case as amended;

 

  · “founder shares” are to our Class B ordinary shares, with no par value, held by our initial shareholders and, unless the context otherwise requires, the term also includes our Class A ordinary shares issued upon the conversion thereof as provided herein;

 

  · “initial shareholders” are the holders of our founder shares sold prior to this offering;

 

  · “letter agreement” refers to the letter agreement by and among our company, our sponsor and our officers and directors, the form of which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part;

 

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

 

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

 

  · “private placement rights” are to the rights included in the private placement units being purchased by our sponsor in the private placement;

 

  · “private placement shares” are to the Class A ordinary shares included in the private placement units being purchased by our sponsor in the private placement;

 

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

 

  · “private placement warrants” are to the warrants included within the private placement units being purchased separately by our sponsor in the private placement;

 

  · “public rights” are to the rights sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are subscribed for in this offering or in the open market);
     
  · “public shareholders” are to the holders of our public shares;
     
  · “public shares” are to our Class A ordinary shares, with no par value, offered as part of the units in this offering (whether they are subscribed for in this offering or thereafter in the open market);
     
  · “public warrants” are to the redeemable warrants sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are subscribed for in this offering or in the open market);
     
  · “rights” are to our rights, which include the public rights as well as the private placement rights to the extent they are no longer held by the initial purchasers of the private placement rights or their permitted transferees;

 

1

 

 

  · “sponsor” is to First Euro Limited Investments Company, a BVI business company with limited liability;

 

  · “warrants” are to our redeemable warrants, which include the public warrants as well as the private placement warrants to the extent they are no longer held by the initial purchasers of the private placement warrants or their permitted transferees; and

 

  · “we,” “us,” “company,” “Model Performance” or “our company” are to Model Performance Acquisition Corp., a BVI business company with limited liability.

 

All references in this prospectus to shares of Model Performance Acquisition Corp. being forfeited shall take effect as surrenders for no consideration of such shares as a matter of British Virgin Islands law. Any conversion of the Class B ordinary shares described in this prospectus will take effect as a redemption of Class B ordinary shares and an issuance of Class A ordinary shares as a matter of British Virgin Island law.

 

2

 

 

General

 

We are a newly incorporated blank check company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands as a business company for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. Although there is no restriction or limitation on what industry or geographic region our target operates in, it is our intention to pursue prospective targets that are in Asia and the MENA region. We will primarily seek to acquire one or more growth businesses with a total enterprise value of between $200,000,000 and $600,000,000. At the time of preparing this prospectus, we do not have any specific business combination under consideration or contemplation, and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, contacted any prospective target business or had any discussions, formal or otherwise, with respect to such a transaction. Our efforts to date are limited to organizational activities related to this offering.

 

Background and Competitive Strengths

  

 

We will seek to capitalize on the experience and networks of the members of our management team: Mr. Mohamed Semary, Mr. Claudius Tsang, Ms. Serena Shie, Mr. Patrick Tsang, Mr. Joseph Chu, and Mr. Brian Keng. Our team consists of seasoned and experienced professionals who have significant experience in investing in both public and private companies. Members of our management also have extensive experience in sourcing and evaluating potential investment targets as well as deal negotiation, corporate finance, business operations and management. We have developed a proprietary network of business leaders, investors and intermediaries that we believe can generate deal flow for us. We believe our team has the ability to source attractive deals and find good investment opportunities from sources in their networks.

 

Mr. Mohamed Semary, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, has twenty-five years of experience in private equity, advisory and business development in the MENA region. Mr. Semary is a founding partner at PSB Advisory, which provides a range of services, including M&A, corporate and  placement advisory, and was previously a partner with the Abraaj Group, a leading global private equity fund. Mr. Claudius Tsang, our Chief Investment Officer, has over twenty years of experience in the financial and equity investment industry having most recently been a partner with Templeton Private Equity Partners, a leading global emerging markets private equity firm that is part of Franklin Templeton Investments. Ms. Serena Shie, our President, Chief Financial Officer and Director, has proprietary deal sourcing channels from her experience as CEO of a media company, and substantial experience in investment, business management and legal services. Mr. Patrick Tsang, our Independent Director, is a seasoned investor and has worked on numerous public offerings, acquisition transactions and has established a strong network of investment institutions and business connections. Mr. Joseph Chu, our Independent Director, has around thirty years of experience in origination and execution of equity capital market and corporate finance transactions in Asia, in particular Hong Kong and the PRC. Mr. Brian Keng, our Independent Director, is the COO of Century Peak Holdings, an integrated mining company in the Philippines, and has valuable experience in business operation and investment. Our management team’s past performance is not an assurance that we will be able to identify an appropriate candidate for our initial business combination or achieve success with respect to the business combination we intend to consummate. However, we believe that the skills and professional network of our management team will enable us to identify, structure and consummate a business combination.

 

We believe the experience and contacts of our management team will give us distinct advantages in sourcing, structuring and consummating acquisition transactions. We believe that our team has a strong mixture of skills, including experience with entrepreneurship, investment, legal, accounting and finance and marketing, which we believe will assist us in identifying a target and effecting a business combination. However, none of our management team is obligated to remain with the company after an acquisition transaction, and we cannot provide assurance that the resignation or retention of our current management will be a term or condition in any agreement relating to an acquisition transaction. Moreover, despite the competitive advantages we believe we have, we remain subject to significant competition with respect to identifying and executing an acquisition transaction.

  

Leadership of an Experienced Management Team

 

Our management team is led by our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of our Board of Directors, Mr. Mohamed Semary, our Chief Investment Officer, Mr. Claudius Tsang, and our President, Chief Financial Officer and Director, Ms. Serena Shie.

 

3

 

 

 

Mr. Mohamed Semary has served as our Chief Executive Officer since January, 2021 and will become our Chairman upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. Mr. Semary has twenty-five years of experience in emerging markets, private equity, advisory and business development in the MENA region. Mr. Semary is a Founding Partner at PSB Advisory (“PSB”) where he has served since 2013. PSB provides a range of services, including M&A, corporate and placement advisory, as well as investment portfolio optimization. From 2006 to 2013, Mr. Semary was a Partner at the Abraaj Group (the “Abraaj Group”). He spent eight years with the firm in a role encompassing fundraising, deal origination and maintaining relationships with institutional investors and Limited Partners, globally. Within the Abraaj Group, Mr. Semary helped manage a team of 25 dedicated coverage professionals, based out of five offices across the globe, and covering institutions in the Middle East, United States and Europe. During Mr. Semary’s tenure, the Abraaj Group grew from $800m to $8 billion of Assets Under Management, across emerging markets. While at Abraaj, Mohamed was also the CEO of MENASA Capital Management (“MCM”), a sister company of the Abraaj Group and a leading public markets asset manager in the MENASA region.  From 1997 to 2006, Mr. Semary undertook several entrepreneurial ventures and held various positions, including five years at EFG-Hermes, a financial services company that provides investment banking products and services primarily in the Egypt, Gulf Cooperation Council, and Lebanon. While at EFG-Hermes, he held a number of positions including Country Head of EFG-Hermes Algeria SPA and Head of Corporate Business Development. Mr. Semary’s responsibilities encompassed brokerage, advisory and corporate development across MENA. Mr. Semary holds a B.A. degree from American University in Cairo in political science.

 

Mr. Claudius Tsang has served as our Chief Investment Officer since January 2021. Mr. Tsang has over 20 years of experience in capital markets, with a strong track record of success in private equity, M&A transactions and PIPE investments with a focus on Greater China and other emerging markets. Mr. Tsang was co-head of private equity, North Asia of Templeton Asset Management Ltd and a partner of Templeton Private Equity Partners, a leading global emerging markets private equity firm that is part of Franklin Templeton Investments. During his 15 year career at Templeton, Mr. Tsang served in various positions, including partner, senior executive director and vice president. Mr. Tsang was responsible for the overall investment, management and operation activities of Templeton Private Equity Partners in North Asia. His role encompassed overseeing the analysis and evaluation of opportunities for strategic equity investment in Asia, including China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. During his tenure, Mr. Tsang managed $1 billion in private equity funds, with approximately 50 portfolio companies. He was involved in the management of a $3 billion fund, which was the largest Central Eastern European listed closed-end fund at the time of IPO in London. From July 2007 to June 2008, Mr. Tsang joined Lehman Brothers, where he managed private equity projects in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and the United States. At Lehman Brothers, Mr. Tsang managed $500 million proprietary funds. Mr. Tsang has served as a director of the CFA Society of Hong Kong from 2013 to 2021. Mr. Tsang obtained his MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 2017, the second bachelor degree of law from Tsinghua University in 2005 and a bachelor degree of engineering from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1998. He is a charterholder of Chartered Financial Analyst from the CFA Institute.

 

Ms. Serena Shie has served as our President, Chief Financial Officer and as a member of our board of directors since the company’s inception in January 2021. Ms. Shie has a decade of experience in capital markets, property development and entrepreneurship. Since 2017, Ms. Shie has been the chief investment officer of Shiji Dingfeng Investment Co, Ltd., Huanya International Co., Ltd. and Quanzhou Chiyuan Trade Co., Ltd., where she led an early investment round of 85 million RMB into Enovate Motors, a leading electric vehicle manufacturer in China. During her tenure, the valuation of the acquisition increased to approximately 1.6 billion RMB. Ms. Shie has also served as President of Lion Pride Properties Inc. since 2018, which invests into development of high rises in Manila, Philippines. Ms. Shie has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Jumpstart Media since March of 2020, and is overseeing the growth of the office. Jumpstart Media is one of the largest English print publication in APAC covering tech startups with a presence in 11 countries. From 2015 to 2017, Ms. Shie was an associate in the Hong Kong office of Latham & Watkins, LLP, where she worked on capital market transactions, with a focus on debt offerings, IPO and M&A. Prior to joining Latham & Watkins, Ms. Shie was the Chief Operating Officer of Silent Models LLC from 2011 to 2012 where she oversaw the growth of one of New York’s top boutique modeling agencies. Ms. Shie serves as the Director of Shenzhen Women’s Association and the Chair of Shie Scholarship Committee at Yongning Zhentao Elementary School. Ms. Shie holds a Bachelors from New York University, and a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School.

 

Mr. Patrick Tsang will serve as a member of our board of directors upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. Mr. Tsang has over 20 years of experience in capital markets, with a strong track record of success in IPOs and M&A transactions with a focus on Asia cross border transactions. From October 2016, Mr. Tsang has served as the Chairman of Tsang Group, a family office headquartered in Hong Kong with a global presence, including in London, Beijing and Shenzhen. Under Mr. Tsang’s leadership, the Tsang Group expanded to invest in special situations globally with a sector and location agnostic outlook. Under Mr. Tsang’s leadership, Tsang Group expanded to invest into property in the United Kingdom and other regions including Hong Kong, as well as other sectors including technology. Mr. Tsang has also served as the Chairman of Block T Ventures since December 2018, which focuses on blockchain and fintech technology. Mr. Tsang was one of the founders of Aquavit London, and was the Chairman from October 2015 to December 2018. Mr. Tsang has also been a partner of Hui & Lam Solicitors LLP in Hong Kong since October 2016 and is a qualified solicitor in England, Wales and Hong Kong. He holds an LLB, Bachelor of Laws, from Kingston University. Mr. Tsang was voted China Economic Person of the Year in 2014.

 

Mr. Joseph will serve as a member of our board of directors upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. Mr. Chu has around 30 years of experience in origination and execution of equity capital market and corporate finance transactions in Asia, including M&A, fund raising, asset injections, IPOs, and restructuring. Mr. Chu began his career at Morgan Stanley and has held positions in the investment banking division of a number of global banks, including Morgan Grenfell (presently Deutsche Bank), SBC Warburg (Presently UBS) and Rothschild, where he served as a member of the board of directors in Hong Kong and a board member of a direct investment fund sponsored by Rothschild and the CITIC Group which was one of the first China direct investment funds ever established. From 2007 to 2009, Mr. Chu was Managing Director and Head of Hong Kong Coverage of CLSA Limited, an institutional brokerage and investment group, where he was responsible for the bank’s investment banking activities in Hong Kong and the PRC. In 2009, Mr. Chu established a joint venture with Galaxy Asset Management, an alternative investment company, under which he raised and managed an event driven fund and also set up a special situation fund and a corporate finance advisory firm. He acted as managing director and portfolio manager of Galaxy Asset Management, one of the earliest hedge funds established in Hong Kong with asset under management in excess of $1 billion. In 2011, Mr. Chu bought out Galaxy’s shares in the joint venture and renamed it Odysseus Capital Asia Limited. Over the last decade, Mr. Chu has been the Chairman, CEO of Odysseus Capital Group from 2011. Under his leadership, Odysseus Capital Group has expanded to cover a broad range of capital markets transactions, including restructuring, pre-IPO, IPO and M&A transactions. Mr. Chu is a Fellow Member of Hong Kong Institute of Directors and is a former director of Yan Oi Tong, one of the six largest charitable organizations in HK, and a member of its investment committee. Mr. Chu obtained an MBA from Imperial College London and a BEng degree in Chemical Engineering from University College London.

  

4

 

 

Brian Keng will serve as a member of our board of directors upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. Mr. Keng is experienced in management, advisory and business development in China and the Philippines. Since 2017 Mr. Keng has served as the COO of Century Peak Holdings Corporation and CEO of Century Peak Energy Corporation. Century Peak Holdings Corporation  invests and operates in a range of projects including mining, cement, steel, construction, land reclamation, and property development. Mr. Keng’s experience with the energy sector led him to become CEO of Century Peak Energy Corporation. Century Peak Energy Corporation focuses on building, owning and operating renewable energy assets such as hydro power projects. Within Century Peak, Mr. Keng helped manage a team of over 300 staff, based out of offices in Philippines, Hong Kong and Greater China. Since 2017, Mr. Keng has been the president of Shiji Dingfeng Investment Co, Ltd., Huanya International Co., Ltd., and Quanzhou Chiyuan Trade Co., Ltd., where he supervised an early investment round of 85 million RMB into Enovate Motors, a leading electric vehicle manufacturer in China. During his tenure, the valuation of the acquisition increased to approximately 1.6 billion RMB. Due to this involvement, Mr. Keng became the CEO of Enovate Motors Philippines, which is the official distributor of Enovate vehicles, charging station, and app development in the Philippines. Mr. Keng graduated from the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance.

 

Established Deal Sourcing Network

 

We believe the strong track record of our management team will enable us to get access to quality deal pipeline. In addition, we believe we, through our management team, have contacts and sources from which to generate acquisition opportunities and possibly seek complementary follow-on business arrangements. These contacts and sources include those in government, media, private and public companies, private equity and venture capital funds, investment bankers, attorneys and accountants.

 

Status as a Publicly Listed Acquisition Company

 

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

 

With respect to the foregoing examples and descriptions, past performance by our management team is not a guarantee either (i) of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate or (ii) that we will be able to identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination. Potential investors should not rely upon the historical record of our management as indicative of future performance.

 

Acquisition Strategy

 

Our efforts in identifying prospective target businesses will not be limited to a particular industry or country, although we intend to focus on businesses that have their primary operations located in Asia and the Middle East. In particular, we intend to focus our search for an initial business combination on private companies in Asia and the Middle East that have compelling economics and clear paths to positive operating cash flow, significant assets, and successful management teams that are seeking access to the U.S. public capital markets.

 

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We will seek to capitalize on the strength of our management team. We believe that our board and management’s experiences, from evaluating assets through investing and company building, will enable us to identify businesses that have the capacity for cash flow creation, opportunity for operational improvement and robust company fundamentals, and enable us to execute a business combination with high-quality targets. Our selection process will leverage our board and management’s broad network of relationships with leading startups, venture capitalists, private equity, hedge fund managers and respected peers, as well as our industry expertise and deal sourcing capabilities. Together with this network of trusted partners, we intend to capitalize the target business and create purposeful strategic initiatives in order to achieve attractive growth and performance after our initial business combination. We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, or completing the business combination through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a target that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent accounting firm or independent investment banking firm that our initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.

  

Investment Criteria

 

Consistent with our strategy, we have identified the following criteria to evaluate prospective target businesses. We will primarily seek to acquire one or more growth businesses with a total enterprise value of between $200,000,000 and $600,000,000. Although we may decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet the criteria described below, it is our intention to acquire companies that we believe:

 

Unique competitive advantage in the markets and/or underexploited growth opportunities that our team is uniquely positioned to identify;

 

We intend to seek target companies that have unique competitive advantages and/or underexploited expansion opportunities that can benefit from access to additional capital as well as expertise. We believe a large number of companies in Asia and the Middle East suffer from a lack of insightful strategy and capital for growth. We intend to target businesses that have historically demonstrated revenue growth and possess favorable future growth characteristics, combined with a durable business model that is resistant to macroeconomic volatility. Our management team has significant experience in identifying such targets and in helping target management assess the strategic and financial fit.

 

Strong management team that can create significant value for the target company;

 

We will seek to identify companies with strong and experienced management teams that will complement the operating and investment abilities of our management team. We believe we can provide a platform for the existing management team to leverage the experience of our management team. We believe that the operating expertise of our management team is well suited to complement the target’s management team.

 

Potential for strong free cash flow generation;

 

We will seek to identify target companies that have the potential to generate strong, stable and increasing free cash flow. We intend to focus on one or more businesses that have predictable revenue streams and definable low working capital and capital expenditure requirements. We may also seek to prudently leverage this cash flow in order to enhance shareholder value.

 

Exhibit unrecognized value or other characteristics that we believe have been misevaluated by the market;

 

We will seek target companies which exhibit characteristics that we believe have been overlooked or misevaluated by the marketplace based on our company-specific analyses and due diligence. We intend to leverage the significant experience and disciplined investment approach of our team to identify opportunities to unlock value that our experience in complex situations allows us to pursue.

 

Ready to be public, and will benefit from access to capital markets;

 

We will look for public-ready management teams that have a track record of value creation for their shareholders, with the ambition to take advantage of the improved liquidity and additional capital that can come from a successful listing in the United States. We believe that there are a substantial number of potential target businesses with appropriate valuations that can benefit from a public listing and new capital to support significant revenue and earnings growth.

 

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Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets

 

We believe that the operational and transactional experience of our management team and their respective affiliates, and the relationships they have developed as a result of such experience, will provide us with a substantial number of potential business combination targets. These individuals and entities have developed a broad network of contacts and corporate relationships around the world. This network has grown through sourcing, acquiring and financing businesses, relationships with sellers, financing sources and target management teams and experience in executing transactions under varying economic and financial market conditions. We believe that these networks of contacts and relationships will provide us important sources of investment opportunities. In addition, we anticipate that target business candidates may be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment market participants, private equity funds and large business enterprises seeking to divest noncore assets or divisions.

 

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

 

Other Acquisition Considerations

 

We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent firm that commonly renders valuation opinions for the type of company we are seeking to acquire or an independent accounting firm that our initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.

 

Unless we complete our initial business combination with an affiliated entity, or our Board of Directors cannot independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm, another independent firm that commonly renders valuation opinions for the type of company we are seeking to acquire or from an independent accounting firm that the price we are paying for a target is fair to our company from a financial point of view. If no opinion is obtained, our shareholders will be relying on the business judgment of our Board of Directors, which will have significant discretion in choosing the standard used to establish the fair market value of the target or targets, and different methods of valuation may vary greatly in outcome from one another. Such standards used will be disclosed in our tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials, as applicable, related to our initial business combination.

 

Members of our management team may directly or indirectly own our Class A ordinary shares and/or private placement units following this offering, and, accordingly, may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Further, each of our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.

 

Each of our directors and officers presently has, and in the future any of our directors and our officers may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present acquisition opportunities to such entity. Accordingly, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under British Virgin Islands law, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of an acquisition opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will need to honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such acquisition opportunity to such entity, and only present it to us if such entity rejects the opportunity. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under British Virgin Islands law, we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any officer or director unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue. We do not believe, however, that any fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our directors or officers would materially undermine our ability to complete our business combination.

 

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There is no restriction in the geographic location of targets we can pursue, although we intend to initially prioritize Asia and the Middle East as the geographical focus. We will seek to identify targets that are likely to provide attractive financial returns through business combinations. We have yet to determine a time frame, an investment amount or any other criteria, which would trigger our search for business opportunities outside of Asia. We believe that we will add value to these businesses primarily by providing them with access to the U.S. capital markets.

 

Our sponsor, officers and directors may become an officer or director of other special purpose acquisition companies with a class of securities registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. Notwithstanding that, such officers and directors will continue to have a pre-existing fiduciary obligation to us and we will, therefore, have priority over any special purpose acquisition companies they subsequently join.

 

Initial Business Combination

 

NASDAQ rules require that our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance in the trust account (less any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. If our Board of Directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent firm that commonly renders valuation opinions for the type of company we are seeking to acquire or an independent accounting firm. We do not intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination.

 

We will have until 18 months from the closing of this offering to consummate an initial business combination. However, if we anticipate that we may not be able to consummate our initial business combination within 18 months, we may extend the period of time to consummate a business combination up to two times, each by an additional three months (for a total of up to 24 months to complete a business combination). Pursuant to the terms of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and the trust agreement to be entered into between us and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company on the date of this prospectus, in order to extend the time available for us to consummate our initial business combination, our sponsor or its affiliates or designees, upon ten days advance notice prior to the applicable deadline, must deposit into the trust account $500,000, or up to $575,000 if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full ($0.10 per share in either case) on or prior to the date of the applicable deadline, for each three month extension (or up to an aggregate of $1,000,000 (or $1,150,000 if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full), or $0.20 per share if we extend for the full six months). Any such payments would be made in the form of a loan. Any such loans will be non-interest bearing and payable upon the consummation of our initial business combination. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. Up to $1,150,000 of such loans may be convertible into units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. If we do not complete a business combination, we will not repay such loans. Furthermore, the letter agreement with our initial shareholders contains a provision pursuant to which our sponsor has agreed to waive its right to be repaid for such loans out of the funds held in the trust account in the event that we do not complete a business combination. Our sponsor and its affiliates or designees are not obligated to fund the trust account to extend the time for us to complete our initial business combination.

 

If we are unable to consummate an initial business combination within such time period, we will, as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the outstanding public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including any interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (net of interest that may be used by us to pay our taxes payable and for dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law and as further described herein, and then seek to dissolve and liquidate. We expect the pro rata redemption price to be approximately $10.00 per public share (regardless of whether or not the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option) (subject to increase of up to an additional $0.20 per share in the event that our sponsor elects to extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full six months), without taking into account any interest earned on such funds. However, we cannot assure you that we will in fact be able to distribute such amounts as a result of claims of creditors which may take priority over the claims of our public shareholders.

 

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

 

Prior to the date of this prospectus, we will file a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Exchange Act. As a result, we will be subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act. We have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent to the consummation of our initial business combination.

 

Potential Conflicts

 

Members of our management team will directly or indirectly own ordinary shares, or other instruments, such as warrants, linked to our ordinary shares, following this offering and, accordingly, may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Further, each of our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.

 

Our officers and directors have agreed to present to us all target business opportunities that have a fair market value of at least 80% of the assets held in the trust account, subject to any fiduciary or contractual obligations they may have. As more fully discussed in “Management — Conflicts of Interest,” if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of an initial business combination opportunity that might be attractive to any entity to which he has fiduciary or contractual obligations, he may be required to present such initial business combination opportunity to such entity prior to presenting such initial business combination opportunity to us. For more information on the relevant pre-existing fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our management team, see the section titled “Management — Conflicts of Interest.”

 

Corporate Information

 

Our executive offices are located at Cheung Kong Center, 58 Floor, Unit 5801, 2 Queens Road Central, Central, Hong Kong and our telephone number is +852 9258 9728 .

 

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

 

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

 

We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our ordinary shares that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter; and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.00 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period. References herein to “emerging growth company” shall have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act.

 

Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $250 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter, or (2) our annual revenues exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter.

 

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THE OFFERING

 

In making your decision whether to invest in our securities, you should take into account not only the backgrounds of the members of our management team, but also the special risks we face as a blank check company and the fact that this offering is not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act. You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings. You should carefully consider these and the other risks set forth in the section below entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 31 of this prospectus.

 

Securities offered   5,000,000 units, at $10.00 per unit, each unit consisting of:
     
    •   one Class A ordinary share;
     
    •   one-half of one warrant to purchase one Class A ordinary share; and
     
    •   one right to receive one-tenth (1/10) of one Class A ordinary share upon the consummation of our initial business combination.
     
Proposed NASDAQ symbols   Units: “MPACU
     
    Class A Ordinary Shares: “MPAC
     
    Warrants: “MPACW
     
    Rights: “MPACR
     
Trading commencement and separation of Class A ordinary shares, warrants and rights   The units will begin trading promptly after the date of this prospectus. The Class A ordinary shares, warrants and rights comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless Maxim informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the Class A ordinary shares, warrants and rights commence separate trading, holders will have the option to continue to hold units or separate their units into the component securities. Holders will need to have their brokers contact our transfer agent in order to separate the units into Class A ordinary shares, warrants and rights. 

 

Separate trading of the Class A ordinary shares, warrants and rights is prohibited until we have filed a Current Report on
Form 8-K
  In no event will the Class A ordinary shares, warrants and rights be traded separately until we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds at the closing of this offering. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering, which is anticipated to take place three business days from the date of this prospectus. If the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.
     
Units:    
Number outstanding before this offering   0
     
Number outstanding after this offering and the private placement   5,220,0001
     
Ordinary shares:    
Number issued and outstanding before this offering   1,437,5002,4

 

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Number issued and outstanding after this offering and the private placement   6,520,0003,4
     
Rights:    
Number issued and outstanding before this offering   0
     
Number issued and outstanding after this offering and the private placement   5,220,0001
     
Redeemable Warrants:    
Number of issued and outstanding before this offering   0
     
Number of warrants to be outstanding after this offering and the private placement   2,610,0001
     
Exercisability   Each unit contains one-half of one warrant. Each whole warrant is exercisable to purchase one of our Class A ordinary shares. 
     
Exercise price   $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described herein. In addition, if (x) we issue additional ordinary shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per share (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by our board of directors and, in the case of any such issuance to our initial stockholders or their affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by such stockholders or their affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance (the “Newly Issued Price”)), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for funding our initial business combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of our ordinary shares during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which we consummate our business combination (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, the exercise price shall be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, and the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price described in the section “Redemption of warrants” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.
     
Exercise period   The warrants will become exercisable on the later of:
     
    • 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, and
     
    •   12 months from the date of this prospectus;
     
    provided in each case that we have an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available (or we permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis under the circumstances specified in the warrant agreement).

 

1 Assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option and the forfeiture by our sponsor of 187,500 founder shares.

 

2 Consists solely of founder shares and includes up to 187,500 Class B ordinary shares that are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. Except as otherwise specified, the rest of this prospectus has been drafted to give effect to the full forfeiture of these 187,500 Class B ordinary shares.

 

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3 Includes 5,000,000 public shares, 1,250,000 founder shares, 220,000 private placement shares and 50,000 Class A ordinary shares to be issued to Maxim and/or its designees, which we refer to as the Representative’s shares.

 

4 Founder shares are classified as Class B ordinary shares, which shares will convert into Class A ordinary shares on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as described below adjacent to the caption “Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution.”

 

    We are not registering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants at this time. However, we have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our best efforts to file, and within 60 business days following our initial business combination to have declared effective, a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants, and to maintain a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares until the warrants expire or are redeemed. No warrants will be exercisable for cash unless we have an effective and current registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to such Class A ordinary shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective within a specified period following the consummation of our initial business combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a cashless basis pursuant to the exemption provided by Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, provided that such exemption is available. If that exemption, or another exemption, is not available, holders will not be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis.
     
    The warrants will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, five years after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation. On the exercise of any warrant, the warrant exercise price will be paid directly to us and not placed in the trust account.
     
Redemption of warrants   Once the warrants become exercisable, we may redeem the outstanding warrants (except as described herein with respect to the private placement warrants):
     
    • in whole and not in part;
     
    • at a price of $0.01 per warrant;
     
    • upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption, which we refer to as the 30-day redemption period; and

 

    • if, and only if, the last sale price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, rights issuances, subdivisions, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders.
     
    We will not redeem the warrants unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is effective and a current prospectus relating to those ordinary shares is available throughout the 30-day redemption period, except if the warrants may be exercised on a cashless basis and such cashless exercise is exempt from registration under the Securities Act. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of shares upon exercise of the warrants is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or we are unable to effect such registration or qualification. We will use our best efforts to register or qualify such shares under the blue sky laws of the state of residence in those states in which the warrants were offered by us in this offering.

 

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    If we call the warrants for redemption as described above, our management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise warrants to do so on a “cashless basis.” In determining whether to require all holders to exercise their warrants on a “cashless basis,” our management will consider, among other factors, our cash position, the number of warrants that are outstanding and the dilutive effect on our shareholders of issuing the maximum number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of our warrants. In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “fair market value” (defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” shall mean the average reported last sale price of the Class A ordinary shares for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. Please see the section entitled “Description of Securities — Redeemable Warrants — Public Shareholders’ Warrants” for additional information.
     
    None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees. If the private placement warrants are held by holders other than our sponsor or its permitted transferees, the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us and exercisable by the holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the units being sold in this offering.

 

Terms of Rights   Except in cases where we are not the surviving company in a business combination, each holder of a right will automatically receive one-tenth (1/10) of one Class A ordinary share upon consummation of our initial business combination. We will not issue fractional shares in connection with an exchange of rights. Fractional shares will either be rounded down to the nearest whole share or otherwise addressed in accordance with the applicable provisions of British Virgin Islands law. As a result, you must hold rights in multiples of 10 in order to receive shares for all of your rights upon closing of a business combination. In the event we will not be the surviving company upon completion of our initial business combination, each holder of a right will be required to affirmatively convert his, her or its rights in order to receive the one-tenth (1/10) of one Class A ordinary share underlying each right upon consummation of the business combination. If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the required time period and we redeem the public shares for the funds held in the trust account, holders of rights will not receive any of such funds for their rights and the rights will expire worthless.
     
Election of directors; voting rights   Prior to our initial business combination, only holders of our founder shares will have the right to vote on the election of directors. Holders of our public shares will not be entitled to vote on the election of directors during such time. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may only be amended by a resolution passed by holders of at least a majority of our ordinary shares who are eligible to vote and attend and vote in a general meeting of our shareholders. With respect to any other matter submitted to a vote of our shareholders, including any vote in connection with our initial business combination, except as required by law, holders of our founder shares and holders of our public shares will vote together as a single class, with each share entitling the holder to one vote.

 

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Founder shares   On January 8, 2021 and January 14, 2021, we issued to our sponsor 1 and 1,437,499 founder shares respectively for an aggregate purchase price of $25,001, or approximately $0.017 per share. Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,001 by our sponsor, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. The purchase price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash contributed to us by the number of founder shares issued. Our sponsor will own 20% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering (assuming it does not purchase units in this offering and excluding the private placement shares and the Representative’s shares). If we increase or decrease the size of the offering, we will effect a capitalization or share surrender or redemption or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B ordinary shares immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of founder shares by our sponsor at 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering (excluding the private placement shares and the Representative’s shares). Up to 187,500 founder shares are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised.
     
    The founder shares are identical to the Class A ordinary shares included in the units being sold in this offering, except that:
     
    • only holders of the founder shares have the right to vote on the election of directors prior to our initial business combination;
     
    • the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below;
     
   

• our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed (i) to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time) (although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame). If we submit our initial business combination to our public shareholders for a vote, our insiders have agreed, pursuant to such letter agreement, to vote their founder shares, private placement shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, in addition to our initial shareholder’s founder shares, we would need only 1,740,001,or 34.8%, of the 5,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of a transaction (assuming all outstanding shares are voted and all shares to be issued to Maxim and/or its designees are issued and outstanding and voted in favor of the business combination) or 110,001, or 2.2%, of the 5,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of a transaction (assuming only a quorum is present at such meeting held to vote on our initial business combination and all shares to be issued to Maxim and/or its designees are issued and outstanding and voted in favor of the business combination) in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised);

 

    • the founder shares will automatically convert into our Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment pursuant to certain anti-dilution rights, as described in more detail below and in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association; and

 

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    • the founder shares are subject to registration rights.
     
Transfer restrictions on founder shares   Our sponsor has agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of its founder shares until the earlier to occur of: (A) six months after the completion of our initial business combination or (B) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction after our initial business combination that results in all of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property (except as described herein under “Principal Shareholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units”). We refer to such transfer restrictions throughout this prospectus as the lock-up.
     
    Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the last sale price of our ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, rights issuances, subdivisions, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period, the founder shares will be released from the lock-up.
     
Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution rights   We have issued 1,437,500 Class B ordinary shares, with no par value to our sponsor. The Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for share splits, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, and subject to further adjustment as provided herein and in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.
     
    In the case that additional Class A ordinary shares, or equity-linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts sold in this offering and related to the closing of our initial business combination, the ratio at which the Class B ordinary shares shall convert into Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the issued and outstanding Class B ordinary shares agree to waive such anti-dilution adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all Class B ordinary shares will equal, in the aggregate, 20% of the sum of all ordinary shares outstanding upon completion of this offering plus all Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued in connection with our initial business combination, excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in our initial business combination or any private placement-equivalent securities issued to our sponsor or its affiliates upon conversion of loans made to us. Holders of founder shares may also elect to convert their Class B ordinary shares into an equal number of Class A ordinary shares, subject to adjustment as provided above, at any time. The term “equity-linked securities” refers to any debt or equity securities that are convertible, exercisable or exchangeable for our Class A ordinary shares issued in a financing transaction in connection with our initial business combination, including but not limited to a private placement of equity or debt. Securities could be “deemed issued” for purposes of the conversion adjustment if such shares are issuable upon the conversion or exercise of convertible securities, warrants or similar securities.

 

Private placement units   Our sponsor has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 220,000 units (or 235,000 units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit for an aggregate purchase price of $2,200,000, or $2,350,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full. Each private placement unit will be identical to the units sold in this offering, except as described in this prospectus. The private placement units will be sold in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering, including the over-allotment option, as applicable. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to the founder shares, private placement shares, private placement warrants or private placement rights. The warrants and rights will expire worthless if we do not consummate a business combination within the allotted 18-month period (or up to 24 months from the completion of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time). Our sponsor has agreed to waive its redemption rights with respect to its private placement shares (i) in connection with the consummation of a business combination, (ii) in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months after the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the completion of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time) and (iii) if we fail to consummate a business combination within 18 months after the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the completion of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time) or if we liquidate prior to the expiration of the 18-month period (or up to 24 months from the completion of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time). However, our sponsor will be entitled to redemption rights with respect to any public shares held by it if we fail to consummate a business combination or liquidate within the 18-month period (or up to 24 months if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time).

 

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Transfer restrictions on private placement units   The private placement units and their component securities will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the consummation of our initial business combination except to permitted transferees.
     
Redeemability and exercise of private placement warrants   The private placement warrants will be non-redeemable and exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees. If the private placement warrants are held by someone other than our sponsor or its permitted transferees, the placement warrants will be redeemable by us and exercisable by such holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the units being sold in this offering. If holders of private placement warrants elect to exercise them on a cashless basis, they would pay the exercise price by surrendering their warrants for that number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the “fair market value” (defined below) by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” shall mean the average reported last sale price of the Class A ordinary shares for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of warrant exercise is sent to the warrant agent. The reason that we have agreed that these warrants will be exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by the sponsor or its permitted transferees is because it is not known at this time whether they will be affiliated with us following an initial business combination. If they remain affiliated with us, their ability to sell our securities in the open market will be significantly limited. We expect to have policies in place that prohibit insiders from selling our securities except during specific periods of time. Even during such periods of time when insiders will be permitted to sell our securities, an insider cannot trade in our securities if he or she is in possession of material non-public information. Accordingly, unlike public shareholders who could sell the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants freely in the open market, the insiders could be significantly restricted from doing so. As a result, we believe that allowing the holders to exercise such warrants on a cashless basis is appropriate.
     
Proceeds to be held in trust account   The rules of NASDAQ provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the private placement be deposited in a trust account. Of the net proceeds we will receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement units described in this prospectus, $50,000,000 ($10.00 per unit), or $57,500,000 ($10.00 per unit) if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full (subject to increase of up to an additional $0.20 per unit in the event that our sponsor elects to extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus), will be deposited into a segregated trust account at JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee and $1,7500,000 will be used to pay expenses in connection with the closing of this offering and for working capital following this offering. The proceeds to be placed in the trust account include $1,750,000 (or up to $2,012,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in deferred underwriting commissions.
     
    The funds in the trust account will be invested only in specified U.S. government treasury bills or in specified money market funds.

 

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    Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our taxes, if any, the proceeds from this offering and the private placement will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of (i) the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to (A) modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity and (iii) the redemption of all of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time), subject to applicable law. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could become subject to the claims of our creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of our public shareholders.
     
Ability to extend time to complete business combination   We will have until 18 months from the closing of this offering to consummate an initial business combination. However, if we anticipate that we may not be able to consummate our initial business combination within 18 months, we may extend the period of time to consummate a business combination up to two times, each by an additional three months (for a total of up to 24 months to complete a business combination). Pursuant to the terms of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and the trust agreement to be entered into between us and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company on the date of this prospectus, in order to extend the time available for us to consummate our initial business combination, our sponsor or its affiliates or designees, upon ten days advance notice prior to the applicable deadline, must deposit into the trust account $500,000, or up to $575,000 if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full ($0.10 per share in either case) on or prior to the date of the applicable deadline, for each three month extension (or up to an aggregate of $1,000,000 (or $1,150,000 if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full), or $0.20 per share if we extend for the full six months). Any such payments would be made in the form of a loan. Any such loans will be non-interest bearing and payable upon the consummation of our initial business combination. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. If we do not complete a business combination, we will not repay such loans. Furthermore, the letter agreement with our initial shareholders contains a provision pursuant to which our sponsor has agreed to waive its right to be repaid for such loans out of the funds held in the trust account in the event that we do not complete a business combination. Our sponsor and its affiliates or designees are not obligated to fund the trust account to extend the time for us to complete our initial business combination.
     
Anticipated expenses and funding sources   Unless and until we complete our initial business combination, no proceeds held in the trust account will be available for our use, except the withdrawal of interest to pay taxes. Based upon current interest rates, we expect the trust account to generate approximately $50,000 of interest annually (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ overallotment option and an interest rate of 0.1% per year) following the investment of such funds in specified U.S. government treasury bills or in specified money market funds. Unless and until we complete our initial business combination, we may pay our expenses only from:
     
    • the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units not held in the trust account, which will be approximately $500,000 in working capital after the payment of approximately $700,000 (not including underwriter’s commissions) in expenses relating to this offering; and

 

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    • any loans or additional investments from our sponsor, members of our management team or their affiliates or other third parties, although they are under no obligation to advance funds or invest in us, and provided any such loans will not have any claim on the proceeds held in the trust account unless such proceeds are released to us upon completion of a business combination. Up to $1,150,000 of such loans may be convertible into units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender.
     
Conditions to completing our initial business combination   There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds privately or through loans in connection with our initial business combination. NASDAQ rules require that our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance in the trust account (less any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. We do not intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination.

 

    If our Board of Directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent firm that commonly renders valuation opinions for the type of company we are seeking to acquire or an independent accounting firm. We will complete our initial business combination only if the post-transaction company in which our public shareholders own shares will own or acquire 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to our initial business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in our initial business combination transaction. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test, provided that in the event that our initial business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses.
     
Permitted purchases of public shares by our affiliates   If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. Please see “Proposed Business — Permitted purchases of our securities” for a description of how such persons will determine which shareholders to seek to acquire shares from. There is no limit on the number of shares such persons may purchase, or any restriction on the price that they may pay. Any such price per share may be different than the amount per share a public shareholder would receive if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our initial business combination. However, such persons have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. In the event our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates determine to make any such purchases at the time of a shareholder vote relating to our initial business combination, such purchases could have the effect of influencing the vote necessary to approve such transaction. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase shares in such transactions. If they engage in such transactions, they will not make any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. Subsequent to the consummation of this offering, we will adopt an insider trading policy which will require insiders to: (i) refrain from purchasing shares during certain blackout periods and when they are in possession of any material non-public information and (ii) to clear all trades with our legal counsel prior to execution. We cannot currently determine whether our insiders will make such purchases pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan, as it will be dependent upon several factors, including but not limited to, the timing and size of such purchases. Depending on such circumstances, our insiders may either make such purchases pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan or determine that such a plan is not necessary.

 

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    We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will comply with such rules. Our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates will not make any purchases if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act.
     
Redemption rights for public shareholders upon completion of our initial business combination   We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein.
     
    The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share (subject to increase of up to an additional $0.20 per unit in the event that our sponsor elects to extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus). The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our initial business combination with respect to our public warrants, public rights, private placement warrants or private placement rights. Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and any public shares they may acquire during or after this offering in connection with the completion of our initial business combination.
     
Manner of conducting redemptions   We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination either (i) in connection with a shareholder meeting called to approve the business combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would require us to seek shareholder approval under the law or stock exchange listing requirement. Under NASDAQ rules, asset acquisitions and stock purchases would not typically require shareholder approval while direct mergers with our company where we do not survive and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares or seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association would require shareholder approval. We intend to conduct redemptions without a shareholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC unless shareholder approval is required by law or stock exchange listing requirement or we choose to seek shareholder approval for business or other legal reasons. So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on NASDAQ, we will be required to comply with such rules.

 

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If a shareholder vote is not required and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association:

   
  • conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers; and
   
  • file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies.
   
  Upon the public announcement of our initial business combination, if we elect to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, we or our sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase our Class A ordinary shares in the open market, in order to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act.
   
  In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on public shareholders not tendering more than a specified number of public shares, which number will be based on the requirement that we may not redeem public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 upon consummation of our initial business combination, after payment of the deferred underwriting commission (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. If public shareholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete the initial business combination.
   
  If, however, shareholder approval of the transaction is required by law or stock exchange listing requirement, or we decide to obtain shareholder approval for business or other legal reasons, we will:
   
  • conduct the redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies, and not pursuant to the tender offer rules; and
   
  • file proxy materials with the SEC.
   
  We expect that a final proxy statement would be mailed to public shareholders at least 10 days prior to the shareholder vote. However, we expect that a draft proxy statement would be made available to such shareholders well in advance of such time, providing additional notice of redemption if we conduct redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation. Although we are not required to do so, we currently intend to comply with the substantive and procedural requirements of Regulation 14A in connection with any shareholder vote even if we are not able to maintain our NASDAQ listing or Exchange Act registration.
   

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If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares voted are voted in favor of the business combination. In such case, pursuant to the terms of a letter agreement entered into with us, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed (and their permitted transferees will agree) to vote any founder shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination. We expect that at the time of any shareholder vote relating to our initial business combination, our sponsor and its permitted transferees will own at least 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares entitled to vote thereon. If we submit our initial business combination to our public shareholders for a vote, our insiders have agreed, pursuant to such letter agreement, to vote their founder shares, private placement shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination (as a result, in addition to our initial shareholder’s founder shares and private placement shares, we would need only 1,740,001, or 34.8%, of the 5,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of a transaction (assuming all outstanding shares are voted and all shares to be issued to Maxim and/or its designees are issued and outstanding and voted in favor of the business combination) or 110,001, or 2.2%, of the 5,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of a transaction (assuming only a quorum is present at such meeting held to vote on our initial business combination and all shares to be issued to Maxim and/or its designees are issued and outstanding and voted in favor of the business combination) in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised)). Each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction.

   
  Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 upon consummation of our initial business combination (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). Redemptions of our public shares may also be subject to a higher net tangible asset test or cash requirement pursuant to an agreement relating to our initial business combination. For example, the proposed business combination may require: (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash to be transferred to the target for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions in accordance with the terms of the proposed business combination. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all ordinary shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the business combination or redeem any shares, and all ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof.
   
Tendering share certificates in connection with a tender offer or redemption rights We may require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates (if any) to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the tender offer documents or proxy materials mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve our initial business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using The Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option, rather than simply voting against the initial business combination. The tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring public shareholders to satisfy such delivery requirements.
   

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Limitation on redemption rights of shareholders holding more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering if we hold shareholder vote Notwithstanding the foregoing redemption rights, if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering. We believe the restriction described above will discourage shareholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to redeem their shares as a means to force us or our sponsor or its affiliates to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public shareholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights against a business combination if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us or our sponsor or its affiliates at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our shareholders’ ability to redeem to no more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of shareholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our initial business combination, particularly in connection with a business combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. However, we would not be restricting our shareholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including all shares held by those shareholders that hold more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering) for or against our initial business combination. Our sponsor, officers and directors have, pursuant to a letter agreement entered into with us, waived their right to have any founder shares or public shares held by them redeemed in connection with our initial business combination. Unless any of our other affiliates acquires founder shares through a permitted transfer from an initial shareholder, and thereby becomes subject to the letter agreement, no such affiliate is subject to this waiver. However, to the extent any such affiliate acquires public shares in this offering or thereafter through open market purchases, it would be a public shareholder and subject to the 15% limitation in connection with any such redemption right.
   
Redemption Rights in connection with proposed amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that any of its provisions, including those related to pre-business combination activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of this offering and the private placement into the trust account and not release such amounts except in specified circumstances, and to provide redemption rights to public shareholders as described herein and in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, but excluding the provision of the articles relating to the appointment of directors), may be amended if approved by a resolution by holders of at least a majority of our ordinary shares who are eligible to vote and attend and vote in a general meeting, and corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account may be amended if approved by holders of a majority of our ordinary shares. Should our insiders vote all their shares in favor of any such amendment, such amendment would not be approved regardless how public shares are voted. We may not issue additional securities that can vote on amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or in our initial business combination. Our sponsor, which will beneficially own 20% of our ordinary shares upon the closing of this offering (assuming it does not purchase units in this offering and excluding the private placement shares and the Representative’s shares), will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and/or trust agreement and will have the discretion to vote in any manner it chooses. Our sponsor, officers, and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that would (i) modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time) or (ii) with respect to the other provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity, unless we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Class A ordinary shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination.
   

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Release of funds in trust account on closing of our initial business combination On the completion of our initial business combination, all amounts held in the trust account will be released to us, other than funds the trustee will use to pay amounts due to any public shareholders who exercise their redemption rights as described above under “Redemption rights for public shareholders upon completion of our initial business combination.” We will use the remaining funds to pay the underwriters their deferred underwriting commissions, to pay all or a portion of the consideration payable to the target or owners of the target of our initial business combination and to pay other expenses associated with our initial business combination. If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt securities, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of post-transaction businesses, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital.
   
Redemption of public shares and distribution and liquidation if no initial business combination Our sponsor, officers, and directors have agreed that we will have only 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time) to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within such 18-month period (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time), 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 (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $50,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our Board of Directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under British Virgin Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our public warrants, public rights, private placement warrants or private placement rights. The warrants and rights will expire worthless if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the 18-month time period (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time).
   
  Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time). However, if our sponsor acquires public shares after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the allotted 18-month time frame (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time). The underwriters have agreed to waive their rights to their deferred underwriting commission held in the trust account in the event we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time) and, in such event, such amounts will be included with the funds held in the trust account that will be available to fund the redemption of our public shares.

 

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  Our sponsor, officers, and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that would (i) modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time) or (ii) with respect to the other provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity, unless we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Class A ordinary shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. However, we may not redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 upon consummation of our initial business combination (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules).
   
Limited payments to insiders There will be no finder’s fees, reimbursements or cash payments made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates, for services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, other than the following payments, none of which will be made from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units held in the trust account prior to the completion of our initial business combination:
   
  •  repayment of an aggregate of up to $200,000 in loans made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses;
   
  •  payment to an affiliate of our sponsor of a total of $10,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services;
  •  reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination; and
   
  •  repayment of loans which may be made by our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, the terms of which have not been determined nor have any written agreements been executed with respect thereto. Up to $1,150,000 of such loans may be convertible into units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender.
   

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  These payments may be funded using the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units not held in the trust account or, upon completion of the initial business combination, from any amounts remaining from the proceeds of the trust account released to us in connection therewith.
   
  Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates.
   
Audit committee Prior to the effectiveness of this registration statement, we will have established and will maintain an audit committee (which will be composed entirely of independent directors), to among other things, monitor compliance with the terms described above and the other terms relating to this offering. If any noncompliance is identified, then the audit committee will be charged with the responsibility to immediately take all action necessary to rectify such noncompliance or otherwise to cause compliance with the terms of this offering. For more information, see the section entitled “Management — Committees of the Board of Directors — Audit Committee.”
   
Conflicts of interest Each of our officers and directors presently has, and in the future any of our directors and our officers may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present acquisition opportunities to such entity. Accordingly, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under British Virgin Islands law, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of an acquisition opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will need to honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such acquisition opportunity to such entity, and only present it to us if such entity rejects the opportunity. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under British Virgin Islands law, we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any officer or director unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue. We do not believe, however, that any fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our directors or officers would materially undermine our ability to complete our business combination.
   
Indemnity Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a vendor for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below (i) $10.00 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third -party claims. We have not independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy their indemnity obligations and believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such obligations.

 

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Risks

 

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

 

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Summary Financial Data

 

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

 

    January 18, 2021  
    Actual     As
Adjusted
 
Balance Sheet Data:                
Working (deficiency) capital (1)   $ (80,821 )   $ 48,771,671  
Total assets(2)     102,492       50,521,671  
Total liabilities(3)     80,821       1,750,000  
Value of ordinary shares subject to possible conversion/tender(4)     -       43,771,670  
Shareholders’ equity(5)     21,671       5,000,001  

 

(1) The “as adjusted” calculation includes $50,000,000 of cash held in trust from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units, plus $500,000 of cash held outside the trust account, plus $21,671 of actual shareholders’ equity on January 18, 2021, less $1,750,000 of deferred underwriting commissions.

 

(2) The “as adjusted” calculation equals $50,000,000 of cash held in trust from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units, plus $500,000 in cash held outside the trust account, plus $21,671 of actual shareholders’ equity on January 18, 2021.

 

(3) The “as adjusted” calculation equals $1,750,000 of deferred underwriting commissions, assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised.

 

(4) The “as adjusted” calculation equals the “as adjusted” total assets, less the “as adjusted” total liabilities, less the “as adjusted” shareholders’ equity, which is set to approximate the minimum net tangible assets threshold of at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination.

 

(5) Excludes 4,377,167 shares of ordinary shares purchased in the public market which are subject to conversion in connection with our initial business combination. The “as adjusted” calculation equals the “as adjusted” total assets, less the “as adjusted” total liabilities, less the value of shares of ordinary shares that may be converted in connection with our initial business combination ($10.00 per share).

 

If no business combination is completed within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time), the proceeds then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $50,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares. Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within such 18-month time period (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time).

 

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RISKS

 

Summary of Risk Factors

 

An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. The occurrence of one or more of the events or circumstances described in the section titled “Risk Factors,” alone or in combination with other events or circumstances, may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. Such risks include, but are not limited to:

 

We are a are a newly incorporated company established under the laws of the British Virgin Islands with no operating results, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Because of our limited resources and the significant competition for business combination opportunities, it may be more difficult for us to complete our initial business combination. If we have not completed our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on our redemption of their shares, and our warrants will expire worthless.

 

If the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants not being held in the trust account are insufficient to allow us to operate for at least the prescribed time frame following the closing of this offering, it could limit the amount of cash available to fund our search for a target business or businesses and complete our initial business combination, and we will depend on loans from our sponsor or management team to fund our search and to complete our initial business combination.

 

Past performance by our management team, our advisors and their respective affiliates, including investments and transactions in which they have participated and businesses with which they have been associated, may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in the company.

 

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RISK FACTORS

 

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

 

Risks Relating to our Search for, and Consummation of or Inability to Consummate, a Business Combination

 

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

 

We may not hold a shareholder vote to approve our initial business combination unless the business combination would require shareholder approval under applicable British Virgin Islands law or the rules of NASDAQ or if we decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other reasons. Examples of transactions that would not ordinarily require shareholder approval include asset acquisitions and share purchases, while transactions such as direct mergers with our company or transactions where we issue more than 20% of our outstanding shares would require shareholder vote. For instance, NASDAQ rules currently allow us to engage in a tender offer in lieu of a shareholder meeting but would still require us to obtain shareholder approval if we were seeking to issue more than 20% of our outstanding shares to a target business as consideration in any business combination. Therefore, if we were structuring a business combination that required us to issue more than 20% of our outstanding shares, we would seek shareholder approval of such business combination. Except as required by law or NASDAQ rules, the decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination or will allow shareholders to sell their shares to us in a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors, such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would otherwise require us to seek shareholder approval. Accordingly, we may consummate our initial business combination even if holders of a majority of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares do not approve of the business combination we consummate. Please see the section entitled “Proposed Business — Effecting Our Initial Business Combination — Shareholders may not have the ability to approve our initial business combination” for additional information.

 

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

 

Unlike other blank check companies in which the initial shareholders agree to vote their founder shares in accordance with the majority of the votes cast by the public shareholders in connection with an initial business combination, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed (and their permitted transferees will agree), pursuant to the terms of a letter agreement entered into with us, to vote any founder shares held by them, as well as any public shares purchased during or after this offering, in favor of our initial business combination. We expect that our sponsor and its permitted transferees will own at least 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares at the time of any such shareholder vote. As a result, in addition to our initial shareholder’s founder shares and private placement shares, we would need only 1,740,001, or 34.8%, of the 5,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of a transaction (assuming all outstanding shares are voted and all shares to be issued to Maxim and/or its designees are issued and outstanding and voted in favor of the business combination) or 110,001, or 2.2%, of the 5,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of a transaction (assuming only a quorum is present at such meeting held to vote on our initial business combination and all shares to be issued to Maxim and/or its designees are issued and outstanding and voted in favor of the business combination) in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised). Accordingly, if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, it is more likely that the necessary shareholder approval will be received than would be the case if such persons agreed to vote their founder shares in accordance with the majority of the votes cast by our public shareholders.

 

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Your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination will be limited to the exercise of your right to redeem your shares from us for cash, unless we seek shareholder approval of the business combination.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

At the time we enter into an agreement for our initial business combination, we will not know how many shareholders may exercise their redemption rights, and therefore we will need to structure the transaction based on our expectations as to the number of shares that will be submitted for redemption. If our initial business combination agreement requires us to use a portion of the cash in the trust account to pay the purchase price, or requires us to have a minimum amount of cash at closing, we will need to reserve a portion of the cash in the trust account to meet such requirements, or arrange for third party financing. In addition, if a larger number of shares are submitted for redemption than we initially expected, we may need to restructure the transaction to reserve a greater portion of the cash in the trust account or arrange for third party financing. Raising additional third party financing may involve dilutive equity issuances or the incurrence of indebtedness at higher than desirable levels. Furthermore, this dilution would increase to the extent that the anti-dilution provisions of the Class B ordinary shares result in the issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the Class B shares at the time of the initial business combination. The above considerations may limit our ability to complete the most desirable business combination available to us or optimize our capital structure.

 

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

 

Our search for a business combination, and any target business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination, may be materially adversely affected by the recent coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and the status of debt and equity markets. The COVID-19 outbreak has adversely affected (and a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases could result in an additional widespread health crisis that could adversely affect) the economies and financial markets worldwide, and the business of any potential target business with which we consummate a business combination could be materially and adversely affected by the COVID-19 outbreak and such other outbreak. Furthermore, we may be unable to complete a business combination if continued concerns relating to COVID-19 continue to restrict travel, limit the ability to have meetings with potential investors or result in the target company’s personnel, vendors and services providers being unavailable to negotiate and consummate a transaction in a timely manner. The extent to which COVID-19 impacts our search for a business combination will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of COVID-19 and the actions to contain COVID-19 or treat its impact, among others. If the disruptions posed by COVID-19 or other matters of global concern continue for an extended period of time, our ability to consummate a business combination, or the operations of a target business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination, may be materially adversely affected. In addition, our ability to consummate a transaction may be dependent on our ability to raise equity and debt financing which may be adversely impacted by COVID-19 and other events, including as a result of increased market volatility, decreased market liquidity and third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to us or at all.

 

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We may not be able to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate, in which case our public shareholders may only receive $10.00 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants and rights will expire worthless.

 

Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed that we must complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time). We may not be able to find a suitable target business and complete our initial business combination within such time period. If we have not completed our initial business combination within such time period, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $50,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our Board of Directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under British Virgin Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. In certain circumstances, our public shareholders may receive less than $10.00 per share on the redemption of their shares. See “— If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors herein.

 

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

 

Any potential target business with which we enter into negotiations concerning a business combination will be aware that we must complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time). Consequently, such target business may obtain leverage over us in negotiating a business combination, knowing that if we do not complete our initial business combination with that particular target business, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination with any target business. This risk will increase as we get closer to the timeframe described above. In addition, we may have limited time to conduct due diligence and may enter into our initial business combination on terms that we would have rejected upon a more comprehensive investigation.

 

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

 

If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination, although they are under no obligation to do so. Please see “Proposed Business — Permitted purchases of our securities” for a description of how such persons will determine which shareholders to seek to acquire shares from. Such a purchase may include a contractual acknowledgement that such shareholder, although still the record holder of our shares is no longer the beneficial owner thereof and therefore agrees not to exercise its redemption rights. In the event that our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions from public shareholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights, such selling shareholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares. The price per share paid in any such transaction may be different than the amount per share a public shareholder would receive if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our initial business combination. The purpose of such purchases could be to vote such shares in favor of the business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining shareholder approval of the business combination or to satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. This may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible.

 

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

 

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

 

We will comply with the tender offer rules or proxy rules, as applicable, when conducting redemptions in connection with our initial business combination. Despite our compliance with these rules, if a shareholder fails to receive our tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, such shareholder may not become aware of the opportunity to redeem its shares. In addition, the tender offer documents or proxy materials, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will describe the various procedures that must be complied with in order to validly tender or redeem public shares. In the event that a shareholder fails to comply with these procedures, its shares may not be redeemed. See “Proposed Business — Business Strategy — Tendering share certificates in connection with a tender offer or redemption rights.”

 

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

 

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

 

If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, and if you or a “group” of shareholders are deemed to hold in excess of 15% of our Class A ordinary shares, you will lose the ability to redeem all such shares in excess of 15% of our Class A ordinary shares.

 

If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares.” However, we would not be restricting our shareholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination. Your inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce your influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination and you could suffer a material loss on your investment in us if you sell Excess Shares in open market transactions. Additionally, you will not receive redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares if we complete our initial business combination. And as a result, you will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 15% and, in order to dispose of such shares, would be required to sell your shares in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.

 

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Because of our limited resources and the significant competition for business combination opportunities, it may be more difficult for us to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on our redemption, and our warrants and rights will expire worthless.

 

We expect to encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including private investors (which may be individuals or investment partnerships), other blank check companies and other entities, domestic and international, competing for the types of businesses we intend to acquire. Many of these individuals and entities are well-established and have extensive experience in identifying and effecting, directly or indirectly, acquisitions of companies operating in or providing services to various industries. Many of these competitors possess greater technical, human and other resources or more local industry knowledge than we do and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. While we believe there are numerous target businesses we could potentially acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, our ability to compete with respect to the acquisition of certain target businesses that are sizable will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent competitive limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of certain target businesses. Furthermore, if we are obligated to pay cash for the Class A ordinary shares redeemed and, in the event we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, we make purchases of our Class A ordinary shares, potentially reducing the resources available to us for our initial business combination. Any of these obligations may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating a business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share (or less in certain circumstances) on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants and rights will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public shareholders may receive less than $10.00 per share on the redemption of their shares. See “— If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors herein.

 

We believe that, upon the closing of this offering, the funds available to us outside of the trust account, will be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the next 18 months (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time); however, we cannot assure you that our estimate is accurate. Of the funds available to us, we could use a portion of the funds available to us to pay fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business. We could also use a portion of the funds as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision (a provision in letters of intent designed to keep target businesses from “shopping” around for transactions with other companies on terms more favorable to such target businesses) with respect to a particular proposed business combination, although we do not have any current intention to do so. If we entered into a letter of intent where we paid for the right to receive exclusivity from a target business and were subsequently required to forfeit such funds (whether as a result of our breach or otherwise), we might not have sufficient funds to continue searching for, or conduct due diligence with respect to, a target business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share (or less in certain circumstances) on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants and rights will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public shareholders may receive less than $10.00 per share on the redemption of their shares. See “— If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors herein.

 

If the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units not being held in the trust account are insufficient, it could limit the amount available to fund our search for a target business or businesses and complete our initial business combination and we will depend on loans from our sponsor or management team to fund our search, to pay our taxes and to complete our initial business combination.

 

Of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, only approximately $500,000 will be available to us initially outside the trust account to fund our working capital requirements. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $700,000, we may fund such excess with funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $700,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount. If we are required to seek additional capital, we would need to borrow funds from our sponsor, management team or other third parties to operate or may be forced to liquidate. Neither our sponsor, members of our management team nor any of their affiliates is under any obligation to advance funds to us in such circumstances. Any such advances would be repaid only from funds held outside the trust account or from funds released to us upon completion of our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account. Consequently, our public shareholders may only receive approximately $10.00 per share (or less in certain circumstances) on our redemption of our public shares, and our warrants and rights will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public shareholders may receive less than $10.00 per share on the redemption of their shares. See “— If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors herein.

 

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

 

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

 

Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where management is unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. Upon redemption of our public shares, if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed timeframe, or upon the exercise of a redemption right in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to provide for payment of claims of creditors that were not waived that may be brought against us within the 10 years following redemption. Accordingly, the per-share redemption amount received by public shareholders could be less than the $10.00 per share initially held in the trust account, due to claims of such creditors. Marcum LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, and the underwriters of the offering, will not execute agreements with us waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account.

 

Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a vendor for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below (i) $10.00 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third -party claims. We have not independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy their indemnity obligations and believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Our sponsor may not have sufficient funds available to satisfy those obligations. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such obligations, and therefore, no funds are currently set aside to cover any such obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the trust account, the funds available for our initial business combination and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.00 per public share (subject to increase of up to an additional $0.20 per share in the event that our sponsor elects to extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full six months, as described in more detail in this prospectus). In such event, we may not be able to complete our initial business combination, and you would receive such lesser amount per share in connection with any redemption of your public shares. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.

 

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

 

In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so in any particular instance. If our independent directors choose not to enforce these indemnification obligations, the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public shareholders may be reduced below $10.00 per share.

 

If, after we distribute the proceeds in the trust account to our public shareholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, a bankruptcy court may seek to recover such proceeds, and the members of our Board of Directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties to our creditors, thereby exposing the members of our Board of Directors and us to claims of punitive damages.

 

If, after we distribute the proceeds in the trust account to our public shareholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by shareholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy laws as either a “preferential transfer” or a “fraudulent conveyance.” As a result, a bankruptcy court could seek to recover all amounts received by our shareholders. In addition, our Board of Directors may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our creditors and/or having acted in bad faith, thereby exposing itself and us to claims of punitive damages, by paying public shareholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

  restrictions on the nature of our investments; and

 

  restrictions on the issuance of securities;

 

each of which may make it difficult for us to complete our initial business combination.

 

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

 

  registration as an investment company;

 

  adoption of a specific form of corporate structure; and

 

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

 

We do not believe that our anticipated principal activities will subject us to the Investment Company Act. The proceeds held in the trust account may be invested by the trustee only in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 180 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in U.S. Treasuries and meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act. Because the investment of the proceeds will be restricted to these instruments, we believe we will meet the requirements for the exemption provided in Rule 3a-1 promulgated under the Investment Company Act. If we were deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act, compliance with these additional regulatory burdens would require additional expenses for which we have not allotted funds and may hinder our ability to complete a business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants and rights will expire worthless.

 

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

 

We are subject to laws and regulations enacted by national, regional and local governments. In particular, we will be required to comply with certain SEC and other legal requirements. Compliance with, and monitoring of, applicable laws and regulations may be difficult, time consuming and costly. Those laws and regulations and their interpretation and application may also change from time to time and those changes could have a material adverse effect on our business, investments and results of operations. In addition, a failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations, as interpreted and applied, could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

 

The British Virgin Islands, together with several other non-European Union jurisdictions, have recently introduced legislation aimed at addressing concerns raised by the Council of the European Union as to offshore structures engaged in certain activities which attract profits without real economic activity. With effect from January 1, 2019, the Economic Substance (Companies and Limited Partnerships) Act, 2018 (the “ESA”) came into force in the British Virgin Islands introducing certain economic substance requirements for British Virgin Islands tax resident companies which are engaged in certain “relevant activities”, which in the case of companies incorporated before January 1, 2019 will apply in respect of financial years commencing June 30, 2019 onwards. However, it is not anticipated that the company itself will be subject to any such requirements prior to any business combination and thereafter the company may still remain out of scope of the legislation or else be subject to more limited substance requirements. Although it is presently anticipated that the ESA will have little material impact on the company or its operations, as the legislation is new and remains subject to further clarification and interpretation it is not currently possible to ascertain the precise impact of these legislative changes on the company.

 

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

 

We may seek to complete a business combination with an operating company in any industry or sector. However, we will not, under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, be permitted to effectuate our initial business combination with another blank check company or similar company with nominal operations. Because we have not yet identified or approached any specific target business with respect to a business combination, there is no basis to evaluate the possible merits or risks of any particular target business’s operations, results of operations, cash flows, liquidity, financial condition or prospects. To the extent we complete our initial business combination, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business operations with which we combine. For example, if we combine with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of sales or earnings, we may be affected by the risks inherent in the business and operations of a financially unstable entity. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors or that we will have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will ultimately prove to be more favorable to investors than a direct investment, if such opportunity were available, in a business combination target. Accordingly, any shareholders who choose to remain shareholders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their shares. Such shareholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.

 

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We may seek acquisition opportunities in industries or sectors that may be outside of our management’s areas of expertise.

 

We will consider a business combination outside of our management’s areas of expertise if a business combination candidate is presented to us and we determine that such candidate offers an attractive acquisition opportunity for our company. In the event we elect to pursue an acquisition outside of the areas of our management’s expertise, our management’s expertise may not be directly applicable to its evaluation or operation, and the information contained in this prospectus regarding the areas of our management’s expertise would not be relevant to an understanding of the business that we elect to acquire. As a result, our management may not be able to adequately ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. Accordingly, any shareholders who choose to remain shareholders following our initial business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their shares. Such shareholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.

 

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

 

Although we have identified general criteria and guidelines for evaluating prospective target businesses, it is possible that a target business with which we enter into our initial business combination will not have all of these positive attributes. If we complete our initial business combination with a target that does not meet some or all of these guidelines, such combination may not be as successful as a combination with a business that does meet all of our general criteria and guidelines. In addition, if we announce a prospective business combination with a target that does not meet our general criteria and guidelines, a greater number of shareholders may exercise their redemption rights, which may make it difficult for us to meet any closing condition with a target business that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. In addition, if shareholder approval of the transaction is required by law, or we decide to obtain shareholder approval for business or other legal reasons, it may be more difficult for us to attain shareholder approval of our initial business combination if the target business does not meet our general criteria and guidelines. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants and rights will expire worthless.

 

We may seek acquisition opportunities with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of revenue or earnings.

 

To the extent we complete our initial business combination with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of sales or earnings, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the operations of the business with which we combine. These risks include volatile revenues or earnings and difficulties in obtaining and retaining key personnel. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we may not be able to properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors and we may not have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business.

 

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

 

Unless we complete our business combination with an affiliated entity, or our Board of Directors cannot independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent firm that commonly renders valuation opinions for the type of company we are seeking to acquire or from an independent accounting firm that the price we are paying for a target is fair to our company from a financial point of view. If no opinion is obtained, our shareholders will be relying on the judgment of our Board of Directors, who will determine fair market value based on standards generally accepted by the financial community. Such standards used will be disclosed in our tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials, as applicable, related to our initial business combination. However, if our Board of Directors is unable to determine the fair value of an entity with which we seek to complete an initial business combination based on such standards, we will be required to obtain an opinion as described above.

 

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

 

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will authorize the issuance of up to 100,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, with no par value, 10,000,000 Class B ordinary shares, with no par value and 1,000,000 preference shares, with no par value. Immediately after this offering, there will be 92,120,000 and 8,750,000 (assuming in each case that the underwriters have not exercised their over-allotment option) authorized but unissued Class A and Class B ordinary shares available, respectively, for issuance, which amount takes into account shares reserved for issuance upon exercise of outstanding warrants and conversion of outstanding rights but not upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares. Class B ordinary shares are convertible into Class A ordinary shares, initially at a one-for-one ratio but subject to adjustment as set forth herein and in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Immediately after this offering, there will be no preference shares issued and outstanding.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Resources could be wasted in researching acquisitions that are not completed, which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants and rights will expire worthless.

 

We anticipate that the investigation of each specific target business and the negotiation, drafting and execution of relevant agreements, disclosure documents and other instruments will require substantial management time and attention and substantial costs for accountants, attorneys and others. If we decide not to complete a specific initial business combination, the costs incurred up to that point for the proposed transaction likely would not be recoverable. Furthermore, if we reach an agreement relating to a specific target business, we may fail to complete our initial business combination for any number of reasons including those beyond our control. Any such event will result in a loss to us of the related costs incurred which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants and rights will expire worthless. See “— If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors.

 

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

 

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

 

Since our sponsor, officers and directors will lose their entire investment in us if our initial business combination is not completed, a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination.

 

In January 2021, our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 1,437,500 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,001, or approximately $0.017 per share. Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,001 by our sponsor, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. As such, our sponsor will own 20% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering (assuming it does not purchase units in this offering and excluding the private placement shares and the Representative’s shares). If we increase or decrease the size of the offering, we will effect a capitalization or share surrender or redemption or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of our sponsor prior to this offering at 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering (excluding the private placement shares and the Representative’s shares). The founder shares will be worthless if we do not complete an initial business combination. In addition, our sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 220,000 (or 235,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) private placement units for a purchase price of $2,220,000 in the aggregate or $2,350,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), or $10.00 per unit. Each private placement unit consists of one Class A ordinary share, one-half of one warrant to purchase one Class A ordinary share at $11.50 per share and one right to receive of one-tenth of one Class A ordinary share upon the completion of our initial business combination. Such warrants and rights will also be worthless if we do not complete a business combination.

 

The founder shares are identical to the Class A ordinary shares included in the units being sold in this offering except that (i) holders of the founder shares have the right to vote on the election of directors prior to our initial business combination, (ii) the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, (iii) our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed (A) to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and (B) to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time) (although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame) and (iv) the founder shares will automatically convert into our Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment pursuant to certain anti-dilution rights, as described herein and in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.

 

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The personal and financial interests of our officers and directors may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business combination, completing an initial business combination and influencing the operation of the business following the initial business combination.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

  our inability to pay dividends on our ordinary shares;

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Of the net proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement units, $50,000,000 (or $57,500,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be available to complete our business combination and pay related fees and expenses (which includes up to approximately $1,750,000 (or up to $2,012,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, for the payment of deferred underwriting commissions).

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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In order to effectuate an initial business combination, blank check companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and modified governing instruments. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or governing instruments in a manner that will make it easier for us to complete our initial business combination that our shareholders may not support.

 

In order to effectuate a business combination, blank check companies have, in the past, amended various provisions of their charters and modified governing instruments. For example, blank check companies have amended the definition of business combination, increased redemption thresholds and extended the period of time in which it had to consummate a business combination. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or governing instruments or extend the time in which we have to consummate a business combination through amending our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, each of which will require a resolution passed by holders if at least a majority of our ordinary shares who are eligible to vote and attend and vote in a general meeting of our shareholders.

 

The provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that relate to our pre-initial business combination activity (and corresponding provisions of the agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account), including an amendment to permit us to withdraw funds from the trust account such that the per share amount investors will receive upon any redemption or liquidation is substantially reduced or eliminated, may be amended with the approval of holders of at least a majority of our ordinary shares who attend and vote in a general meeting, which is a lower amendment threshold than that of some other blank check companies. It may be easier for us, therefore, to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and the trust agreement to facilitate the completion of an initial business combination that some of our shareholders may not support.

 

Some other blank check companies have a provision in their charter which prohibits the amendment of certain of its provisions, including those which relate to a company’s pre-initial business combination activity, without approval by a certain percentage of our shareholders. In those companies, amendment of these provisions requires approval by between 90% and 100% of the company’s public shareholders. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that any of its provisions, including those related to pre-initial business combination activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of this offering and the private placement of units into the trust account and not release such amounts except in specified circumstances, and to provide redemption rights to public shareholders as described herein and in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or an amendment to permit us to withdraw funds from the trust account such that the per share amount investors will receive upon any redemption or liquidation is substantially reduced or eliminated) may be amended if approved by holders of at least a majority of our ordinary shares who attend and vote in a general meeting, and corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account may be amended if approved by holders of a majority of our ordinary shares. Should our insiders vote all their shares in favor of any such amendment, such amendment would not be approved regardless how public shares are voted. We may not issue additional securities that can vote on amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Our insiders, which will collectively beneficially own 20% of our ordinary shares upon the closing of this offering (assuming it does not purchase any units in this offering and excluding the private placement shares and the Representative’s shares), will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and/or trust agreement and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. As a result, we may be able to amend the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association which govern our pre-business combination behavior more easily than some other blank check companies, and this may increase our ability to complete a business combination with which you do not agree. Our shareholders may pursue remedies against us for any breach of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.

 

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We may be unable to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination or to fund the operations and growth of a target business, which could compel us to restructure or abandon a particular business combination.

 

Although we believe that the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units will be sufficient to allow us to complete our initial business combination, because we have not yet identified any prospective target business we cannot ascertain the capital requirements for any particular transaction. If the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units prove to be insufficient, either because of the size of our initial business combination, the depletion of the available net proceeds in search of a target business, the obligation to redeem for cash a significant number of shares from shareholders who elect redemption in connection with our initial business combination or the terms of negotiated transactions to purchase shares in connection with our initial business combination, we may be required to seek additional financing or to abandon the proposed business combination. We cannot assure you that such financing will be available on acceptable terms, if at all. To the extent that additional financing proves to be unavailable when needed to complete our initial business combination, we would be compelled to either restructure the transaction or abandon that particular business combination and seek an alternative target business candidate. In addition, even if we do not need additional financing to complete our initial business combination, we may require such financing to fund the operations or growth of the target business. The failure to secure additional financing could have a material adverse effect on the continued development or growth of the target business. None of our officers, directors or shareholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may only receive approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account, and our warrants and rights will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public shareholders may receive less than $10.00 per share on the redemption of their shares. See “— If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors below.

 

Our sponsor will control the election of our Board of Directors until consummation of our initial business combination and will hold a substantial interest in us. As a result, it will elect all of our directors and may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring shareholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support.

 

Upon the closing of this offering, our sponsor will own 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares (assuming it does not purchase any units in this offering and excluding the private placement shares and the Representative’s shares). In addition, the founder shares, all of which are held by our sponsor, will entitle our sponsor to elect all of our directors prior to our initial business combination. Holders of our public shares will have no right to vote on the election of directors during such time. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may only be amended by a resolution passed by holders of at least a majority of our ordinary shares who are eligible to vote and attend and vote in a general meeting of our shareholders. As a result, you will not have any influence over the election of directors prior to our initial business combination.

 

Neither our sponsor nor, to our knowledge, any of our officers or directors, have any current intention to purchase additional securities, other than as disclosed in this prospectus. Factors that would be considered in making such additional purchases would include consideration of the current trading price of our Class A ordinary shares. In addition, as a result of its substantial ownership in our company, our sponsor may exert a substantial influence on other actions requiring a shareholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support, including amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and approval of major corporate transactions. If our sponsor purchases any additional ordinary shares in the aftermarket or in privately negotiated transactions, this would increase its influence over these actions. Accordingly, our sponsor will exert significant influence over actions requiring a shareholder vote at least until the completion of our initial business combination.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

In particular, investors should be aware that there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the British Virgin Islands or any other applicable jurisdiction would recognize and enforce judgements of U.S. courts obtained against us or our directors or officers predicted upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States or entertain original actions brought in the British Virgin Islands or any other applicable jurisdiction’s courts against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the securities laws of the United States or any state.

 

If we effect a business combination with a company located outside of the United States, the laws applicable to such company will likely govern all of our material agreements and we may not be able to enforce our legal rights.

 

If we effect a business combination with a company located outside of the United States, the laws of the country in which such company operates will govern almost all of the material agreements relating to its operations. We cannot assure you that the target business will be able to enforce any of its material agreements or that remedies will be available in this new jurisdiction. The system of laws and the enforcement of existing laws in such jurisdiction may not be as certain in implementation and interpretation as in the United States The inability to enforce or obtain a remedy under any of our future agreements could result in a significant loss of business, business opportunities or capital. Additionally, if we acquire a company located outside of the United States, it is likely that substantially all of our assets would be located outside of the United States and some of our officers and directors might reside outside of the United States As a result, it may not be possible for investors in the United States to enforce their legal rights, to effect service of process upon our directors or officers or to enforce judgments of United States courts predicated upon civil liabilities and criminal penalties of our directors and officers under Federal securities laws.

 

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

 

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

 

If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within 18 months of the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time), our public shareholders may be forced to wait beyond such 18 months (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time) before redemption from our trust account.

 

If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time), we will distribute the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (less up to $50,000 of the net interest earned thereon to pay dissolution expenses), pro rata to our public shareholders by way of redemption and cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up of our affairs, as further described herein. Any redemption of public shareholders from the trust account shall be effected automatically by function of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association prior to any voluntary winding up. If we are required to windup, liquidate the trust account and distribute such amount therein, pro rata, to our public shareholders, as part of any liquidation process, such winding up, liquidation and distribution must comply with the applicable provisions of the Companies Act. In that case, investors may be forced to wait beyond the initial 18 months (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time) before the redemption proceeds of our trust account become available to them and they receive the return of their pro rata portion of the proceeds from our trust account. We have no obligation to return funds to investors prior to the date of our redemption or liquidation unless we consummate our initial business combination prior thereto and only then in cases where investors have sought to redeem their Class A ordinary shares. Only upon our redemption or any liquidation will public shareholders be entitled to distributions if we are unable to complete our initial business combination.

 

We may not hold an annual meeting of shareholders until after the consummation of our initial business combination. Our public shareholders will not have the right to elect directors prior to the consummation of our initial business combination.

 

In accordance with NASDAQ corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until no later than one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on NASDAQ. There is no requirement under the Companies Act for us to hold annual or general meetings or elect directors. Until we hold an annual meeting of shareholders, public shareholders may not be afforded the opportunity to discuss company affairs with management. In addition, as holders of our Class A ordinary shares, our public shareholders will not have the right to vote on the election of directors prior to consummation of our initial business combination.

 

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Risks Relating to the Post-Business Combination Company

 

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

 

Even if we conduct extensive due diligence on a target business with which we combine, we cannot assure you that this diligence will surface all material issues that may be present inside a particular target business, that it would be possible to uncover all material issues through a customary amount of due diligence, or that factors outside of the target business and outside of our control will not later arise. As a result of these factors, we may be forced to later write-down or write-off assets, restructure our operations, or incur impairment or other charges that could result in our reporting losses. Even if our due diligence successfully identifies certain risks, unexpected risks may arise and previously known risks may materialize in a manner not consistent with our preliminary risk analysis. Even though these charges may be non-cash items and not have an immediate impact on our liquidity, the fact that we report charges of this nature could contribute to negative market perceptions about us or our securities. In addition, charges of this nature may cause us to violate net worth or other covenants to which we may be subject as a result of assuming pre-existing debt held by a target business or by virtue of our obtaining post-combination debt financing.

 

Accordingly, any shareholders who choose to remain shareholders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their shares. Such shareholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.

 

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

 

Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination is dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel. The role of our key personnel in the target business, however, cannot presently be ascertained. Although some of our key personnel may remain with the target business in senior management or advisory positions following our initial business combination, it is likely that some or all of the management of the target business will remain in place. While we intend to closely scrutinize any individuals we engage after our initial business combination, we cannot assure you that our assessment of these individuals will prove to be correct. These individuals may be unfamiliar with the requirements of operating a company regulated by the SEC, which could cause us to have to expend time and resources helping them become familiar with such requirements.

 

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

 

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

 

We may reincorporate in another jurisdiction in connection with our initial business combination and such reincorporation may result in taxes imposed on shareholders.

 

We may, in connection with our initial business combination and subject to requisite shareholder approval under the Companies Act, reincorporate in the jurisdiction in which the target company or business is located. The transaction may require a shareholder to recognize taxable income in the jurisdiction in which the shareholder is a tax resident or in which its members are resident if it is a tax transparent entity. We do not intend to make any cash distributions to shareholders to pay such taxes. Shareholders may be subject to withholding taxes or other taxes with respect to their ownership of us after the reincorporation.

 

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

 

When evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial business combination with a prospective target business, our ability to assess the target business’s management may be limited due to a lack of time, resources or information. Our assessment of the capabilities of the target’s management, therefore, may prove to be incorrect and such management may lack the skills, qualifications or abilities we suspected. Should the target’s management not possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to manage a public company, the operations and profitability of the post-combination business may be negatively impacted. Accordingly, any shareholders who choose to remain shareholders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their shares. Such shareholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.

 

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

 

Since our sponsor, officers and directors will not be eligible to be reimbursed for their out-of-pocket expenses if our initial business combination is not completed, a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination.

 

At the closing of our initial business combination, our sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates, will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. There is no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf. These financial interests of our sponsor, officers and directors may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business combination and completing an initial business combination.

 

We may reincorporate in another jurisdiction in connection with our initial business combination and such reincorporation may result in taxes imposed on shareholders.

 

We may, in connection with our initial business combination and subject to requisite shareholder approval under the Companies Act, reincorporate in the jurisdiction in which the target company or business is located. The transaction may require a shareholder to recognize taxable income in the jurisdiction in which the shareholder is a tax resident or in which its members are resident if it is a tax transparent entity. We do not intend to make any cash distributions to shareholders to pay such taxes. Shareholders may be subject to withholding taxes or other taxes with respect to their ownership of us after the reincorporation.

 

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

 

When evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial business combination with a prospective target business, our ability to assess the target business’s management may be limited due to a lack of time, resources or information. Our assessment of the capabilities of the target’s management, therefore, may prove to be incorrect and such management may lack the skills, qualifications or abilities we suspected. Should the target’s management not possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to manage a public company, the operations and profitability of the post-combination business may be negatively impacted. Accordingly, any shareholders who choose to remain shareholders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their shares. Such shareholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.

 

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

 

Since our sponsor, officers and directors will not be eligible to be reimbursed for their out-of-pocket expenses if our initial business combination is not completed, a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination.

 

At the closing of our initial business combination, our sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates, will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. There is no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf. These financial interests of our sponsor, officers and directors may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business combination and completing an initial business combination.

 

Risks Relating to our Management Team

 

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

 

Our operations are dependent upon a relatively small group of individuals, our officers and directors. We believe that our success depends on the continued service of our officers and directors, at least until we have completed our initial business combination. In addition, our officers and directors are not required to commit any specified amount of time to our affairs and, accordingly, will have conflicts of interest in allocating management time among various business activities, including identifying potential business combinations and monitoring the related due diligence. We do not have an employment agreement with, or key-man insurance on the life of, any of our directors or officers. The unexpected loss of the services of one or more of our directors or officers could have a detrimental effect on us.

 

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

 

Our key personnel may be able to remain with the company after the completion of our initial business combination only if they are able to negotiate employment or consulting agreements in connection with the business combination. Such negotiations would take place simultaneously with the negotiation of the business combination and could provide for such individuals to receive compensation in the form of cash payments and/or our securities for services they would render to us after the completion of the business combination. The personal and financial interests of such individuals may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under British Virgin Islands law. However, we believe the ability of such individuals to remain with us after the completion of our initial business combination will not be the determining factor in our decision as to whether or not we will proceed with any potential business combination. There is no certainty, however, that any of our key personnel will remain with us after the completion of our initial business combination. We cannot assure you that any of our key personnel will remain in senior management or advisory positions with us. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with us will be made at the time of our initial business combination.

 

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

 

Our officers and directors are not required to, and will not, commit their full time to our affairs, which may result in a conflict of interest in allocating their time between our operations and our search for a business combination and their other businesses. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination. Each of our officers is engaged in several other business endeavors for which he or she may be entitled to substantial compensation and our officers are not obligated to contribute any specific number of hours per week to our affairs. Our independent directors also serve as officers and board members for other entities. If our officers’ and directors’ other business affairs require them to devote substantial amounts of time to such affairs in excess of their current commitment levels, it could limit their ability to devote time to our affairs which may have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination. For a complete discussion of our officers’ and directors’ other business affairs, please see “Management — Directors and Officers.”

 

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

 

Following the completion of this offering and until we consummate our initial business combination, we intend to engage in the business of identifying and combining with one or more businesses. Our sponsor and officers and directors are, or may in the future become, affiliated with entities such as operating companies, investment vehicles, or another special purpose acquisition company) that are engaged in making and managing investments that may be competitive to us.

 

Our officers and directors also may become aware of business opportunities which may be appropriate for presentation to us and the other entities to which they owe certain fiduciary or contractual duties. Accordingly, they may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented. These conflicts may not be resolved in our favor and a potential target business may be presented to other entities prior to its presentation to us, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under British Virgin Islands law.

 

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

 

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

 

We have not adopted a policy that expressly prohibits our directors, officers, security holders or affiliates from having a direct or indirect pecuniary or financial interest in any investment to be acquired or disposed of by us or in any transaction to which we are a party or have an interest. In fact, we may enter into a business combination with a target business that is affiliated with our sponsor, our directors or officers, although we do not intend to do so. Nor do we have a policy that expressly prohibits any such persons from engaging for their own account in business activities of the types conducted by us. Accordingly, such persons or entities may have a conflict between their interests and ours.

 

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

 

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

 

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Risks Relating to our Securities

 

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

 

Our public shareholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earlier to occur of: (i) the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to (A) modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity and (iii) the redemption of all of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time), subject to applicable law and as further described herein. In no other circumstances will a public shareholder have any right or interest of any kind in the trust account. Accordingly, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares, warrants or rights, potentially at a loss.

 

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

 

We have applied to have our units listed on NASDAQ on or promptly after the date of this prospectus and our Class A ordinary shares, warrants and rights listed on or promptly after their date of separation. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on NASDAQ. Although after giving effect to this offering we expect to meet, on a pro forma basis, the minimum initial listing standards set forth in the NASDAQ listing standards, we cannot assure you that our securities will be, or will continue to be, listed on NASDAQ in the future or prior to our initial business combination. In order to continue listing our securities on NASDAQ prior to our initial business combination, we must maintain certain financial, distribution and stock price levels. Generally, we must maintain a minimum amount in shareholders’ equity (generally $2,500,000) and a minimum number of holders of our securities (generally 300 public holders). Additionally, in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to demonstrate compliance with NASDAQ’s initial listing requirements, which are more rigorous than NASDAQ’s continued listing requirements, in order to continue to maintain the listing of our securities on NASDAQ. For instance, our stock price would generally be required to be at least $4.00 per share, our shareholders’ equity would generally be required to be at least $5.0 million and we would be required to have a minimum of 300 round lot holders of our securities (with at least 50% of such round lot holders holding securities with a market value of at least $2,500). We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet those initial listing requirements at that time.

 

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

 

  a limited availability of market quotations for our securities;

 

  reduced liquidity for our securities;

 

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

 

  a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and

 

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

 

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

 

Our sponsor paid an aggregate of $25,001, or approximately $0.017 per founder share, and, accordingly, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution upon the purchase of our Class A ordinary shares.

 

The difference between the public offering price per share (allocating all of the unit purchase price to the ordinary shares and none to the warrants and rights included in the units) and the pro forma net tangible book value per Class A ordinary share after this offering constitutes the dilution to you and the other investors in this offering. Our sponsor acquired the founder shares at a nominal price, significantly contributing to this dilution. Upon the closing of this offering, and assuming no value is ascribed to the warrants and rights included in the units, you and the other public shareholders will incur an immediate and substantial dilution of approximately 79.32% (or $7.21 per share, assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option), the difference between the pro forma net tangible book value per share of $1.88 and the effective initial offering price of $9.09 per unit. This dilution would increase to the extent that the anti-dilution provisions of the Class B ordinary shares result in the issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination and would become exacerbated to the extent that public shareholders seek redemptions from the trust. In addition, because of the anti-dilution protection in the founder shares, any equity or equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued in connection with our initial business combination would be disproportionately dilutive to our Class A ordinary shares.

 

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

 

Prior to this offering there has been no public market for any of our securities. The public offering price of the units and the terms of the warrants and rights were negotiated between us and the underwriters. In determining the size of this offering, management held customary organizational meetings with representatives of the underwriters, both prior to our inception and thereafter, with respect to the state of capital markets, generally, and the amount the underwriters believed they reasonably could raise on our behalf. Factors considered in determining the size of this offering, prices and terms of the units, including the Class A ordinary shares, warrants and rights underlying the units, include:

 

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

 

  prior offerings of those companies;

 

  our prospects for acquiring an operating business at attractive values;

 

  a review of debt to equity ratios in leveraged transactions;

 

  our capital structure;

 

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

 

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

 

  other factors as were deemed relevant.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Our warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, but requires the approval by the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding public warrants to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of public warrants. Accordingly, we may amend the terms of the public warrants in a manner adverse to a holder if holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding public warrants approve of such amendment. Our ability to amend the terms of the public warrants with the consent of at least a majority of the then outstanding public warrants is unlimited, examples of such amendments could be amendments to, among other things, increase the exercise price of the warrants, shorten the exercise period or decrease the number of ordinary shares purchasable upon exercise of a warrant.

 

We may redeem your unexpired warrants prior to their exercise at a time that is disadvantageous to you, thereby making your warrants worthless.

 

We have the ability to redeem outstanding warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.01 per warrant, provided that the last reported sales price of our Class A ordinary shares equal or exceed $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, rights issuances, subdivisions, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading-day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of shares upon exercise of the warrants is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or we are unable to effect such registration or qualification. We will use our best efforts to register or qualify such shares under the blue sky laws of the state of residence in those states in which the warrants were offered by us in this offering. Redemption of the outstanding warrants could force you (i) to exercise your warrants and pay the exercise price therefor at a time when it may be disadvantageous for you to do so, (ii) to sell your warrants at the then-current market price when you might otherwise wish to hold your warrants or (iii) to accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the outstanding warrants are called for redemption, is likely to be substantially less than the market value of your warrants. None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees.

 

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We are not registering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants under the Securities Act or any state securities laws at this time, and such registration may not be in place when an investor desires to exercise warrants, thus precluding such investor from being able to exercise its warrants except on a cashless basis and potentially causing such warrants to expire worthless.

 

We are not registering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants under the Securities Act or any state securities laws at this time. However, under the terms of the warrant agreement, we have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our best efforts to file, and within 60 business days following our initial business combination to have declared effective, a registration statement covering such shares and maintain a current prospectus relating to the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants, until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. We cannot assure you that we will be able to do so if, for example, any facts or events arise which represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement or prospectus, the financial statements contained or incorporated by reference therein are not current or correct or the SEC issues a stop order. If the shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants are not registered under the Securities Act, we will be required to permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis. However, no warrant will be exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis, and we will not be obligated to issue any shares to holders seeking to exercise their warrants, unless the issuance of the shares upon such exercise is registered or qualified under the securities laws of the state of the exercising holder, or an exemption is available. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective within a specified period following the consummation of our initial business combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a cashless basis pursuant to the exemption provided by Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, provided that such exemption is available. If that exemption, or another exemption, is not available, holders will not be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis. We will use our best efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant, or issue securities or other compensation in exchange for the warrants in the event that we are unable to register or qualify the shares underlying the warrants under applicable state securities laws and no exemption is available. If the issuance of the shares upon exercise of the warrants is not so registered or qualified or exempt from registration or qualification, the holder of such warrant shall not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In such event, holders who acquired their warrants as part of a purchase of units will have paid the full unit purchase price solely for the Class A ordinary shares included in the units. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of shares upon exercise of the warrants is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or we are unable to effect such registration or qualification. We will use our best efforts to register or qualify such shares under the blue sky laws of the state of residence in those states in which the warrants were offered by us in this offering.

 

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

 

Each unit contains one-half of one redeemable warrant. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least two units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant. This is different from other offerings similar to ours whose units include one Class A ordinary share and one warrant to purchase one whole share. We have established the components of the units in this way in order to reduce the dilutive effect of the warrants upon completion of an initial business combination since the warrants will be exercisable in the aggregate for one-half of the number of shares compared to units that contain a warrant to purchase one whole share, thus making us, we believe, a more attractive merger partner for target businesses. Nevertheless, this unit structure may cause our units to be worth less than if they included a warrant to purchase one whole share.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Pursuant to an agreement to be entered into concurrently with the issuance and sale of the securities in this offering, our initial shareholders and their permitted transferees can demand that we register the private placement rights, the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of the private placement rights, the private placement warrants, the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants, the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of the founder shares, the Class A ordinary shares included in the private placement units, and holders of units that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans may demand that we register such Class A ordinary shares, warrants, rights or the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of such warrants and conversion of such rights.  We will bear the cost of registering these securities. The registration and availability of such a significant number of securities for trading in the public market may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A ordinary shares. In addition, the existence of the registration rights may make our initial business combination more costly or difficult to conclude. This is because the shareholders of the target business may increase the equity stake they seek in the combined entity or ask for more cash consideration to offset the negative impact on the market price of our Class A ordinary shares that is expected when the ordinary shares owned by our sponsor, holders of our private placement units or holders of our working capital loans or their respective permitted transferees are registered.

 

Risks Related to Our Securities and This Offering

 

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

 

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

 

U.S. federal income tax reform could adversely affect us and holders of our units.

 

On December 22, 2017, President Trump signed into law H.R. 1, originally known as the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,” which significantly reformed the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The new legislation, among other things, changes the U.S. federal tax rates, imposes significant additional limitations on the deductibility of interest, allows the expensing of capital expenditures, and puts into effect the migration from a “worldwide” system of taxation to a territorial system. We continue to examine the impact this tax reform legislation may have on us. The impact of this tax reform, or of any future administrative guidance interpreting provisions thereof, on holders of our units is uncertain and could be adverse. This prospectus does not discuss any such tax legislation or the manner in which it might affect holders of our units. We urge prospective investors to consult with their legal and tax advisors with respect to any such legislation and the potential tax consequences of investing in our units.

 

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

 

Prior to this offering, our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 1,437,500 founder shares in a private placement. The founder shares are convertible into Class A ordinary shares on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as set forth herein and in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. In addition, if our sponsor makes any working capital loans, up to $1,150,000 of such loans may be converted into units, at the price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. Such units would be identical to the private placement units. To the extent we issue Class A ordinary shares to effectuate a business transaction, the potential for the issuance of a substantial number of additional Class A ordinary shares upon exercise of these warrants, conversion of these rights or conversion of these working capital loans into our securities could make us a less attractive acquisition vehicle to a target business. Any such issuance will increase the number of issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares and reduce the value of the Class A ordinary shares issued to complete the business transaction. Therefore, our warrants, rights and founder shares may make it more difficult to effectuate a business combination or increase the cost of acquiring the target business.

 

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The private placement warrants are identical to the warrants sold as part of the units in this offering except that, so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees, (i) they will not be redeemable by us, (ii) they (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of these warrants) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by our sponsor until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination and (iii) they may be exercised by the holders on a cashless basis.

 

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

 

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

 

Certain agreements related to this offering may be amended without shareholder approval.

 

Certain agreements, including the underwriting agreement relating to this offering, the investment management trust agreement between us and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the letter agreement among us and our sponsor, officers, directors and director nominees, the registration rights agreement among us and our sponsor and the administrative services agreement between us and our sponsor, may be amended without shareholder approval. These agreements contain various provisions that our public shareholders might deem to be material. For example, the underwriting agreement related to this offering contains a covenant that the target company that we acquire must have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance in the trust account at the time of signing the definitive agreement for the transaction with such target business (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) so long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on NASDAQ. While we do not expect our board to approve any amendment to any of these agreements prior to our initial business combination, it may be possible that our board, in exercising its business judgment and subject to its fiduciary duties, chooses to approve one or more amendments to any such agreement in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination. Any such amendment may have an adverse effect on the value of an investment in our securities.

  

Risks Associated with Acquiring and Operating a Business Outside of the U.S.

 

If we effect our initial business combination with a company located outside of the U.S., we would be subject to a variety of additional risks that may negatively impact our operations.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

  tariffs and trade barriers;

 

  regulations related to customs and import/export matters;

 

  longer payment cycles;

 

  tax issues, such as tax law changes and variations in tax laws as compared to the U.S.;

 

  currency fluctuations and exchange controls;

 

  rates of inflation;

 

  challenges in collecting accounts receivable;

 

  cultural and language differences;

 

  employment regulations;

 

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

 

  deterioration of political relations with the U.S. which could result in any number of difficulties, both normal course such as above or extraordinary such as sanctions being imposed. We may not be able to adequately address these additional risks. If we were unable to do so, our operations might suffer.

 

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Because of the costs and difficulties inherent in managing cross-border business operations after we acquire it, our results of operations may be negatively impacted following a business combination.

 

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

 

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

 

Our ability to seek and enforce legal protections, including with respect to intellectual property and other property rights, or to defend ourselves with regard to legal actions taken against us in a given country, may be difficult or impossible, which could adversely impact our operations, assets or financial condition.

 

Rules and regulations in many countries, including some of the emerging markets within the regions we will initially focus, are often ambiguous or open to differing interpretation by responsible individuals and agencies at the municipal, state, regional and federal levels. The attitudes and actions of such individuals and agencies are often difficult to predict and inconsistent.

 

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

 

After our initial business combination, substantially all of our assets may be located in a foreign country and substantially all of our revenue may be derived from our operations in such country. Accordingly, our results of operations and prospects will be subject, to a significant extent, to the economic, political and legal policies, developments and conditions in the country in which we operate.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Because our business objective includes the possibility of acquiring one or more operating businesses with primary operations in emerging markets we will focus on, changes in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the currency of any relevant jurisdiction may affect our ability to achieve such objective. For instance, the exchange rates between the Turkish lira or the Indian rupee and the U.S. dollar has changed substantially in the last two decades and may fluctuate substantially in the future. If the U.S. dollar declines in value against the relevant currency, any business combination will be more expensive and therefore more difficult to complete. Furthermore, we may incur costs in connection with conversions between U.S. dollars and the relevant currency, which may make it more difficult to consummate a business combination.

 

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

 

Foreign law could govern almost all of our material agreements. The target business may not be able to enforce any of its material agreements or remedies may be unavailable outside of such foreign jurisdiction’s legal system. The system of laws and the enforcement of existing laws and contracts in such jurisdiction may not be as certain in implementation and interpretation as in the U.S. Judiciaries in such jurisdiction may also be relatively inexperienced in enforcing corporate and commercial law, leading to a higher than usual degree of uncertainty as to the outcome of any litigation. As a result, the inability to enforce or obtain a remedy under any of our future agreements could result in a significant loss of business and business opportunities.

 

Corporate governance standards in foreign countries may not be as strict or developed as in the U.S. and such weakness may hide issues and operational practices that are detrimental to a target business.

 

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

 

Companies in foreign countries may be subject to accounting, auditing, regulatory and financial standards and requirements that differ, in some cases significantly, from those applicable to public companies in the United States, which may make it more difficult or complex to consummate a business combination. In particular, the assets and profits appearing on the financial statements of a foreign company may not reflect its financial position or results of operations in the way they would be reflected had such financial statements been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP and there may be substantially less publicly available information about companies in certain jurisdictions than there is about comparable U.S. companies. Moreover, foreign companies may not be subject to the same degree of regulation as are U.S. companies with respect to such matters as insider trading rules, tender offer regulation, shareholder proxy requirements and the timely disclosure of information.

 

Legal principles relating to corporate affairs and the validity of corporate procedures, directors’ fiduciary duties and liabilities and shareholders’ rights for foreign corporations may differ from those that may apply in the U.S., which may make the consummation of a business combination with a foreign company more difficult. We therefore may have more difficulty in achieving our business objective.

 

Because a foreign judiciary may determine the scope and enforcement of almost all of our target business’ material agreements under the law of such foreign jurisdiction, we may be unable to enforce our rights inside and outside of such jurisdiction.

 

The law of a foreign jurisdiction, may govern almost all of our target business’ material agreements, some of which may be with governmental agencies in such jurisdiction. We cannot assure you that the target business or businesses will be able to enforce any of their material agreements or that remedies will be available outside of such jurisdiction. The inability to enforce or obtain a remedy under any of our future agreements may have a material adverse impact on our future operations.

 

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A slowdown in economic growth in the markets that our business target operates in may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, the value of its equity shares and the trading price of our shares following our business combination.

 

Following the business combination, our results of operations and financial condition may be dependent on, and may be adversely affected by, conditions in financial markets in the global economy, and, particularly in the markets where the business operates. The specific economy could be adversely affected by various factors such as political or regulatory action, including adverse changes in liberalization policies, business corruption, social disturbances, terrorist attacks and other acts of violence or war, natural calamities, interest rates, inflation, commodity and energy prices and various other factors which may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, value of our equity shares and the trading price of our shares following the business combination.

 

Regional hostilities, terrorist attacks, communal disturbances, civil unrest and other acts of violence or war may result in a loss of investor confidence and a decline in the value of our equity shares and trading price of our shares following our business combination.

 

Terrorist attacks, civil unrest and other acts of violence or war may negatively affect the markets in which we may operate our business following our business combination and also adversely affect the worldwide financial markets. In addition, the countries we will focus on, have from time to time experienced instances of civil unrest and hostilities among or between neighboring countries. Any such hostilities and tensions may result in investor concern about stability in the region, which may adversely affect the value of our equity shares and the trading price of our shares following our business combination. Events of this nature in the future, as well as social and civil unrest, could influence the economy in which our business target operates, and could have an adverse effect on our business, including the value of equity shares and the trading price of our shares following our business combination.

 

The occurrence of natural disasters may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations following our business combination.

 

The occurrence of natural disasters, including hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, fires and pandemic disease may adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations following our business combination. The potential impact of a natural disaster on our results of operations and financial position is speculative, and would depend on numerous factors. The extent and severity of these natural disasters determines their effect on a given economy. Although the long term effect of diseases such as the H5N1 “avian flu,” or H1N1, the swine flu, cannot currently be predicted, previous occurrences of avian flu and swine flu had an adverse effect on the economies of those countries in which they were most prevalent. An outbreak of a communicable disease in our market could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations following our business combination. We cannot assure you that natural disasters will not occur in the future or that our business, financial condition and results of operations will not be adversely affected.

 

Any downgrade of credit ratings of the country in which the company we acquire business may adversely affect our ability to raise debt financing following our business combination.

 

No assurance can be given that any rating organization will not downgrade the credit ratings of the sovereign foreign long-term debt of the country in which our business target operates, which reflect an assessment of the overall financial capacity of the government of such country to pay its obligations and its ability to meet its financial commitments as they become due. Any downgrade could cause interest rates and borrowing costs to rise, which may negatively impact both the perception of credit risk associated with our future variable rate debt and our ability to access the debt markets on favorable terms in the future. This could have an adverse effect on our financial condition following our business combination.

 

Returns on investment in foreign companies may be decreased by withholding and other taxes.

 

Our investments will incur tax risk unique to investment in developing economies. Income that might otherwise not be subject to withholding of local income tax under normal international conventions may be subject to withholding of income tax in a developing economy. Additionally, proof of payment of withholding taxes may be required as part of the remittance procedure. Any withholding taxes paid by us on income from our investments in such country may or may not be creditable on our income tax returns. We intend to seek to minimize any withholding tax or local tax otherwise imposed. However, there is no assurance that the foreign tax authorities will recognize application of such treaties to achieve a minimization of such tax. We may also elect to create foreign subsidiaries to effect the business combinations to attempt to limit the potential tax consequences of a business combination.

 

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As the rights of shareholders under British Virgin Islands law differ from those under U.S. law, you may have fewer protections as a shareholder.

 

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

 

Our corporate affairs will be governed by our memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act, and the common law of the British Virgin Islands. The rights of shareholders to take legal action against our directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under British Virgin Islands law are governed by the Companies Act and the common law of the British Virgin Islands. The common law of the British Virgin Islands is derived from the common law of England and whilst the decision of the English courts are of persuasive authority, they are not binding on a court in the British Virgin Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under British Virgin Islands law may not be as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedents in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the British Virgin Islands has a less developed body of securities laws as compared to the United States, and some states (such as Delaware) have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law. As a result of all of the above, holders of our shares may have more difficulty in protecting their interests through actions against our management, directors or major shareholders than they would as shareholders of a U.S. company.

 

Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure

 

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

 

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

 

British Virgin Islands companies may not be able to initiate shareholder derivative actions, thereby depriving shareholders of the ability to protect their interests.

 

While statutory provisions do exist in British Virgin Islands law for derivative actions to be brought in certain circumstances, shareholders in British Virgin Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in a federal court of the United States. The circumstances in which any such action may be brought, and the procedures and defenses that may be available in respect to any such action, may result in the rights of shareholders of a British Virgin Islands company being more limited than those of shareholders of a company organized in the United States. Accordingly, shareholders may have fewer alternatives available to them if they believe that corporate wrongdoing has occurred.

 

The British Virgin Islands courts are also unlikely:

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

is final and for a liquidated sum;

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

As a result of all of the above, public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by our board of directors, management or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a U.S. company. For a discussion of certain differences between the provisions of the Companies Act, remedies available to shareholders and the laws applicable to companies incorporated in the United States and their shareholders, see “British Virgin Islands Company Considerations.”

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

The courts of the British Virgin Islands are also unlikely:

 

·to recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts of the United States based on certain civil liability provisions of U.S. securities laws where that liability is in respect of penalties, taxes, fines or similar fiscal or revenue obligations of the company; and
·to impose liabilities against us, in original actions brought in the British Virgin Islands, based on certain civil liability provisions of U.S. securities laws that are penal in nature.

 

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

 

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

 

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·the judgment given by the U.S. court was not in respect of penalties, taxes, fines or similar fiscal or revenue obligations of the company;
·in obtaining judgment there was no fraud on the part of the person in whose favor judgment was given or on the part of the court;
·recognition or enforcement of the judgment would not be contrary to public policy in the British Virgin Islands; and
·the proceedings pursuant to which judgment was obtained were not contrary to natural justice.

 

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

 

As a result of all of the above, public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by management, members of the Board of Directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a U.S. company. For a discussion of certain differences between the provisions of the Companies Act, remedies available to shareholders and the laws applicable to companies incorporated in the United States and their shareholders, see “British Virgin Islands Company Considerations.”

 

General Risk Factors

 

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

 

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

 

Past performance by our management team and their respective affiliates may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in us.

 

Information regarding performance by, or businesses associated with, our management team and their affiliates is presented for informational purposes only. Past performance by our management team, including their affiliates’ past performance, is not a guarantee either (i) of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate or (ii) that we will be able to locate a suitable candidate for our initial business combination. You should not rely on the historical record of our management team and their affiliates as indicative of our future performance. Additionally, in the course of their respective careers, members of our management team have been involved in businesses and deals that were unsuccessful. None of our officers or directors has had experience operating a blank check company in the past.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such an election to opt out is irrevocable. We have elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, we, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of our financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accountant standards used.

 

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

 

If we are a PFIC for any taxable year (or portion thereof) that is included in the holding period of a U.S. holder (as defined in the section of this prospectus captioned “Income Tax Considerations — Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations — U.S. Holders”) of our Class A ordinary shares, warrants or rights, the U.S. holder may be subject to adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences and may be subject to additional reporting requirements. Our PFIC status for our current and subsequent taxable years may depend on whether we qualify for the PFIC start-up exception (see the section of this prospectus captioned “Income Tax Considerations — Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations — U.S. Holders — Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules”). Depending on the particular circumstances the application of the start-up exception may be subject to uncertainty, and there cannot be any assurance that we will qualify for the start-up exception. Accordingly, there can be no assurances with respect to our status as a PFIC for our current taxable year or any subsequent taxable year. Our actual PFIC status for any taxable year, however, will not be determinable until after the end of such taxable year. Moreover, if we determine we are a PFIC for any taxable year, we will endeavor to provide to a U.S. holder such information as the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) may require, including a PFIC annual information statement, in order to enable the U.S. holder to make and maintain a “qualified electing fund” election, but there can be no assurance that we will timely provide such required information, and such election would be unavailable with respect to our warrants and possibly not our rights. We urge U.S. holders to consult their own tax advisors regarding the possible application of the PFIC rules to holders of our Class A ordinary shares, warrants and rights. For a more detailed explanation of the tax consequences of PFIC classification to U.S. holders, see the section of this prospectus captioned “Income Tax Considerations — Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations — U.S. Holders — Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules.”

 

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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

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

 

  our ability to complete our initial business combination;

 

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

 

  our officers and directors allocating their time to other businesses and potentially having conflicts of interest with our business or in approving our initial business combination, as a result of which they would then receive expense reimbursements;

 

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

 

  our pool of prospective target businesses;

 

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

 

  our public securities’ potential liquidity and trading;

 

  the lack of a market for our securities;

 

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

 

  our financial performance following this offering.

 

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

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

 

We are offering 5,000,000 units at an offering price of $10.00 per unit. We estimate that the net proceeds of this offering together with the funds we will receive from the sale of the private placement units will be used as set forth in the following table.

 

    Without
Over-Allotment
Option
    Over-Allotment
Option
Exercised
 
Gross proceeds                
Gross proceeds from units offered to public(1)   $ 50,000,000     $ 57,500,000  
Gross proceeds from private placement units offered in the private placement     2,200,000       2,350,000  
Total gross proceeds   $ 52,200,000     $ 59,850,000  
                 
Offering expenses(2)                
Underwriting commissions (2.0% of gross proceeds from units offered to public, excluding deferred portion)(3)   $ 1,000,000     $ 1,150,000  
Legal fees and expenses     250,000       250,000  
Accounting fees and expenses     40,000       40,000  
SEC/FINRA Expenses     16,889       16,889  
NASDAQ listing and filing fees     75,000       75,000  
Director and Officer liability insurance premiums     150,000       150,000  
Printing and engraving expenses     30,000       30,000  
Reimbursement for underwriter expenses     125,000       125,000  
Miscellaneous(4)     13,111       13,111  
Total offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions)   $ 700,000     $ 700,000  
Proceeds after offering expenses   $ 50,500,000     $ 58,000,000  
Held in trust account(3)   $ 50,000,000     $ 57,500,000  
% of public offering size     100 %     100 %
Not held in trust account(2)   $ 500,000     $ 500,000  

 

The following table shows the use of the approximately $500,000 of net proceeds not held in the trust account(5).

 

    Amount     % of Total  
Legal, accounting, due diligence, travel, and other expenses in connection with any business combination(6)   $ 150,000       30.0 %
Legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting obligations     50,000       10.0 %
Payment for office space, administrative and support services     180,000       36.0 %
Other miscellaneous expenses     120,000       24.0 %
Total   $ 500,000       100.0 %

 

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

 

(2) A portion of the offering expenses have been paid from the proceeds of loans from our sponsor of up to $200,000 as described in this prospectus. As of January 18, 2021, we had borrowed $65,999 under the promissory note with our sponsor. These loans will be repaid upon completion of this offering out of the $700,000 of offering proceeds that has been allocated for the payment of offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions) and amounts not to be held in the trust account. In the event that offering expenses are less than as set forth in this table, any such amounts will be used for post-closing working capital expenses. In the event that the offering expenses are more than as set forth in this table, we may fund such excess with funds not held in the trust account.

 

(3) The underwriters have agreed to defer underwriting commissions equal to 3.5% of the gross proceeds of this offering. Upon completion of our initial business combination, $1,750,000 ($2,012,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), which constitutes the underwriters’ deferred commissions will be paid to the underwriters from the funds held in the trust account, and the remaining funds, less amounts released by the trustee to pay redeeming shareholders, will be released to us and can be used to pay all or a portion of the purchase price of the business or businesses with which our initial business combination occurs or for general corporate purposes, including payment of principal or interest on indebtedness incurred in connection with our initial business combination, to fund the purchases of other companies or for working capital. If the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised, an additional 3.5% of the gross proceeds from the over-allotment ($0.35 per unit or up to $262,500 in the aggregate) will be deposited in the trust account as deferred underwriting commissions. The underwriters will not be entitled to any interest accrued on the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions.

 

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(4) Includes organizational and administrative expenses and may include amounts related to above-listed expenses in the event actual amounts exceed estimates.

 

(5) These expenses are estimates only. Our actual expenditures for some or all of these items may differ from the estimates set forth herein. For example, we may incur greater legal and accounting expenses than our current estimates in connection with negotiating and structuring a business combination based upon the level of complexity of such business combination. In the event we identify an acquisition target in a specific industry subject to specific regulations, we may incur additional expenses associated with legal due diligence and the engagement of special legal counsel. In addition, our staffing needs may vary and as a result, we may engage a number of consultants to assist with legal and financial due diligence. We do not anticipate any change in our intended use of proceeds, other than fluctuations among the current categories of allocated expenses, which fluctuations, to the extent they exceed current estimates for any specific category of expenses, would not be available for our expenses. The amount in the table above does not include interest available to us from the trust account. Based on current interest rates, we would expect approximately $50,000 per year to be available to us from interest earned on the funds held in the trust account following the investment of such funds in specified U.S. Government Treasury bills, however, we can provide no assurances regarding this amount. This estimate assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ overallotment option and an interest rate of 0.1% per annum based upon current yields of securities in which the trust account may be invested. In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. Otherwise, such loans would be repaid only out of funds held outside the trust account. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $1,150,000 of such loans may be convertible into units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private placement units issued to our sponsor. The terms of such loans by our sponsor, affiliate of our sponsor, or certain of our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.

 

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

 

Of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, $50,000,000 (or $57,500,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), including $1,750,000 (or up to $2,012,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) of deferred underwriting commissions, will, upon the consummation of this offering, be invested only in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 180 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Based on current interest rates, we estimate that the interest earned on the trust account will be approximately $50,000 per year, assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ overallotment option and an interest rate of 0.1% per year, following the investment of such funds in specified U.S. government treasury bills or in specified money market funds. We will not be permitted to withdraw any of the principal or interest held in the trust account except for the withdrawal of interest to pay taxes, if any, the proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement units will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of (i) the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to (A) modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity and (iii) the redemption of all of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time), subject to applicable law.

 

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

 

We believe that amounts not held in trust will be sufficient to pay the costs and expenses to which such proceeds are allocated. This belief is based on the fact that while we may begin preliminary due diligence of a target business in connection with an indication of interest, we intend to undertake in-depth due diligence, depending on the circumstances of the relevant prospective acquisition, only after we have negotiated and signed a letter of intent or other preliminary agreement that addresses the terms of a business combination. However, if our estimate of the costs of undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating a business combination is less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may be required to raise additional capital, the amount, availability and cost of which is currently unascertainable. If we are required to seek additional capital, we could seek such additional capital through loans or additional investments from our sponsor, members of our management team or their affiliates, but such persons are not under any obligation to advance funds to, or invest in, us.

 

We will enter into an Administrative Services Agreement pursuant to which we will pay an affiliate of our sponsor a total of $10,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.

 

Prior to the closing of this offering, our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $200,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. As of January 18, 2021, we had borrowed $65,999 under the promissory note with our sponsor. These loans are non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of the closing of this offering or the date which the company determines not to conduct this offering. These loans will be repaid upon the closing of this offering out of the $500,000 of offering proceeds not held in the trust account.

 

In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. Otherwise, such loans would be repaid only out of funds held outside the trust account. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $1,150,000 of such loans may be convertible into units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. The units will be identical to the private placement units. The terms of such loans by our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.

 

If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may also purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. Please see “Proposed Business — Permitted purchases of our securities” for a description of how such persons will determine which shareholders to seek to acquire shares from. The price per share paid in any such transaction may be different than the amount per share a public shareholder would receive if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our initial business combination. However, such persons have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. If they engage in such transactions, they will not make any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will comply with such rules.

 

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

 

A public shareholder will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earlier to occur of: (i) the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to (A) modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity and (iii) the redemption of all of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time), subject to applicable law. In no other circumstances will a public shareholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account.

 

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

 

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DIVIDEND POLICY

 

We have not paid any cash dividends on our ordinary shares to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of our initial business combination. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition subsequent to completion of our initial business combination. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to our initial business combination will be within the discretion of our Board of Directors at such time and we will only pay such dividend out of our profits or share premium (subject to solvency requirements) as permitted under British Virgin Law. In addition, our Board of Directors is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any share capitalizations in the foreseeable future, except if we increase the size of the offering, in which case we will effect a capitalization or share surrender or redemption or other appropriate mechanism immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of our sponsor prior to this offering at 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering (excluding the private placement shares). Further, if we incur any indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.

 

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DILUTION

 

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

 

At January 18, 2021, our net tangible book value deficit was $80,821 or approximately $(0.06) per ordinary share. After giving effect to the sale of 5,000,000 Class A ordinary shares included in the units we are offering by this prospectus (or 5,750,000 Class A ordinary shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), the sale of the private securities, the issuance of the representative shares and the deduction of underwriting commissions and estimated expenses of this offering, our pro forma net tangible book value at January 18, 2021 would have been $5,000,001 or $1.88 per share (or $1.68 per share if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), representing an immediate increase in net tangible book value (as decreased by the value of the approximately 4,377,167 Class A ordinary shares that may be redeemed for cash, or 5,100,917 Class A ordinary shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) of $1.94 per share (or $1.74 per share if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) to our initial shareholders as of the date of this prospectus and dilution to public shareholders from this offering will be $7.21 per share (or $7.41 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full).

 

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

 

   

Without

Over-

allotment

   

With

Over-

allotment

 
Public offering price   $ 9.09     $ 9.09  
Net tangible book value before this offering   $ (0.06 )   $ (0.06 )
Increase attributable to public shareholders and private sales   $ 1.94     $ 1.74  
Pro forma net tangible book value after this offering   $ 1.88     $ 1.68  
Dilution to public shareholders   $ 7.21     $ 7.41  
Percentage of dilution to public shareholders     79.32 %     81.52 %

 

For purposes of presentation, we have reduced our pro forma net tangible book value after this offering (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option) by $43,771,670 because holders of up to approximately 87.54% of our public shares may redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account at a per-share redemption price equal to the amount in the trust account as set forth in our tender offer or proxy materials (initially anticipated to be the aggregate amount held in trust two days prior to the commencement of our tender offer or shareholders meeting, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of Class A ordinary shares sold in this offering).

 

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

 

    Shares     Total Consideration     Average
Price
 
Holder of   Purchased     Percentage     Amount     Percentage     per Share  
Founder shares (1)(2)     1,250,000     17.75 %   $ 25,001       0.05 %   $ 0.020  
Representative shares(3)     50,000       0.71 %   $ -       0.00 %   $ -  
Private shares(4)     242,000       3.44 %   $ 2,200,000       4.21 %   $ 9.09  
Public shares(5)     5,500,000       78.10 %   $ 50,000,000       95.74 %   $ 9.09  
Total     7,042,000       100.00 %   $ 52,225,001       100.00 %        
                                         

 

(1)Assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option and the corresponding forfeiture of an aggregate of 187,500 Class B ordinary shares held by our initial shareholders.

 

(2)Assumes conversion of Class B ordinary shares into Class A ordinary shares on a one-for-one basis. The dilution to public shareholders would increase to the extent that the anti-dilution provisions of the Class B ordinary shares result in the issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon such conversion.

 

(3)Represents the issuance of 50,000 representative shares.

 

(4)Assumes the issuance of an additional 22,000 shares underlying the private placement rights issued to our sponsor upon the closing of this offering.

 
(5)Assumes the issuance of an additional 500,000 shares underlying the rights included in the units.

 

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

 

   

Without

Over-allotment

   

With

Over-allotment

 
Numerator:            
Net tangible book value before this offering   $ (80,821 )   $ (80,821 )
Net proceeds from this offering and private placement     50,500,000       58,000,000  
Plus: Offering costs paid for in advance     102,492       102,492  
Less: Deferred underwriting commissions     (1,750,000 )     (2,012,500 )
Less: Proceeds held in trust subject to redemption to maintain net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001     (43,771,670 )     (51,009,170 )
    $ 5,000,001     $ 5,000,001  

 

Denominator:                
Class B ordinary shares outstanding prior to this offering   $ 1,437,500     $ 1,437,500  
Less: Class B ordinary shares forfeited if over-allotment is not exercised     (187,500)       -  
Class A Ordinary shares to be sold as part of the units in this offering(1)     5,500,000       6,325,000  
Ordinary shares to be sold as part of the private units in the private placement(2)     242,000       258,500  
Representative’s shares issued to underwriter as compensation     50,000       57,500  
Less: shares subject to redemption     (4,377,167)       (5,100,917)  
    $ 2,664,833     $ (2,977,583

 

(1) Assumes the issuance of an additional 500,000 shares underlying the rights issued included in the units of this offering.
   
(2) Assumes the issuance of an additional 22,000 shares underlying the private placement rights issued to our sponsor upon the closing of this offering.

 

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CAPITALIZATION

 

The following table sets forth our capitalization at January 18, 2021, and as adjusted to give effect to the sale of our 5,000,000 units in this offering for $50,000,000 (or $10.00 per unit) and the sale of 220,000 private placement units for $2,200,000 (or $10.00 per unit) and the application of the estimated net proceeds derived from the sale of such securities:

 

    Actual    

As

Adjusted(1)

 
Promissory note - related party (2)   $ 65,999     $  
Deferred underwriting commissions           1,750,000  
Class A ordinary share, subject to redemption, 0 and 4,377,167 shares which are subject to possible redemption/tender, actual and as adjusted, respectively(3)           43,771,670  
Preference shares, with no par value, 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding, actual and as adjusted, respectively            
Class A ordinary share, with no par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized; 0 and 892,833 shares issued and outstanding, actual and as adjusted, respectively           4,978,330  
Class B ordinary share, with no par value, 10,000,000 shares authorized, 1,437,500 and 1,250,000 shares issued and outstanding, actual and as adjusted, respectively(4)      25,001       25,001  
Accumulated deficit     (3,330 )     (3,330 )
Total shareholders’ equity     21,671       5,000,001  
Total capitalization   $ 87,670     $ 50,521,671  

 

(1) Assumes the full forfeiture of 187,500 shares that are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. The proceeds of the sale of such shares will not be deposited into the trust account, the shares will not be eligible for redemption from the trust account nor will they be eligible to vote upon the initial business combination.

 

(2) Our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $200,000 under an unsecured promissory note to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. As of January 18, 2021, we had borrowed $65,999 under the promissory note with our sponsor.

 

(3) Upon the completion of our initial business combination, we will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) subject to the limitations described herein whereby our net tangible assets will be maintained at a minimum of $5,000,001 upon consummation of our initial business combination and any limitations (including, but not limited to, cash requirements) created by the terms of the proposed business combination. The “as adjusted” amount of ordinary shares subject to redemption equals the “as adjusted” total assets of $50,521,671 less the “as adjusted” total liabilities of $1,750,000 less the “as adjusted” total shareholders’ equity. The value of ordinary shares that may be redeemed is equal to $10.00 per share (which is the assumed redemption price) multiplied by 4,377,167 ordinary shares, which is the maximum number of ordinary shares that may be redeemed for a $10.00 purchase price per share and still maintain $5,000,001 of net tangible assets upon consummation of our initial business combination.

 

(4) Actual share amount is prior to any forfeiture of founder shares by our sponsor and as adjusted share amount assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.

 

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

 

Overview

 

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

 

The issuance of additional ordinary shares in a business combination:

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

  our inability to pay dividends on our ordinary shares;

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

As indicated in the accompanying financial statements, at January 18, 2021, we had $0 in cash, and a working capital deficit of $80,821. Further, we expect to continue to incur significant costs in the pursuit of our acquisition plans. We cannot assure you that our plans to raise capital or to complete our initial business combination will be successful.

 

Results of Operations and Known Trends or Future Events

 

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

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

Our liquidity needs have been satisfied prior to completion of this offering through receipt of $25,001 from the sale of the founder shares to our sponsor and up to $200,000 in loans from our sponsor under an unsecured promissory note. As of January 18, 2021, we had borrowed $65,999 under the promissory note with our sponsor. We estimate that the net proceeds from (i) the sale of the units in this offering, after deducting offering expenses of approximately $700,000 and underwriting commissions of $1,000,000 (excluding deferred underwriting commissions of $1,750,000 (or up to $2,012,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full)), and (ii) the sale of the private placement units for a purchase price of $2,200,000 (or $2,350,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), will be $50,500,000 (or $58,000,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full). Of this amount, $50,000,000 or ($57,500,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, including $1,750,000 (or up to $2,012,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in deferred underwriting commissions) will be deposited into a non-interest bearing trust account. The funds in the trust account will be invested only in specified U.S. government treasury bills or in specified money market funds. The remaining $500,000 will not be held in the trust account. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $700,000 we may fund such excess with funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $700,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.

 

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

 

Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we will have available to us $500,000 of proceeds held outside the trust account. We will use these funds primarily to identify and evaluate target businesses, perform business due diligence on prospective target businesses, travel to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses or their representatives or owners, review corporate documents and material agreements of prospective target businesses, structure, negotiate and complete a business combination, and to pay taxes to the extent the interest earned on the trust account is not sufficient to pay our taxes.

 

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In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,150,000 of such loans may be convertible into units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private placement units issued to our sponsor. The terms of such loans by our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.

 

We expect our primary liquidity requirements during that period to include approximately $150,000 for legal, accounting, due diligence, travel and other expenses associated with structuring, negotiating and documenting successful business combinations; $50,000 for legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting requirements; $180,000 for office space, administrative and support services; and approximately $120,000 for general working capital that will be used for miscellaneous expenses and reserves net of estimated interest income.

 

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

 

We do not believe we will need to raise additional funds following this offering in order to meet the expenditures required for operating our business. However, if our estimates of the costs of identifying a target business, undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating an initial business combination are less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may have insufficient funds available to operate our business prior to our initial business combination. Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing either to complete our initial business combination or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon completion of our initial business combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such business combination.

 

Controls and Procedures

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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  reconciliation of accounts;

 

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

 

  evidence of internal review and approval of accounting transactions;

 

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

 

  documentation of accounting policies and procedures.

 

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

 

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

 

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

 

The net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units held in the trust account will be invested in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 180 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Due to the short-term nature of these investments, we believe there will be no associated material exposure to interest rate risk.

 

Related Party Transactions

 

On January 8, 2021 and January 18, 2021, our sponsor purchased 1 and 1,437,499 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,001, or approximately $0.017 per share. The purchase price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash contributed to the company by the number of founder shares issued. As such, our sponsor will own 20% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering (assuming it does not purchase units in this offering and excluding the private placement shares and the Representative’ shares). If we increase or decrease the size of the offering, we will effect a capitalization or share surrender or redemption or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable with respect to our Class B ordinary shares immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of founder shares our sponsor at 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering (excluding the private placement shares). Our sponsor does not intend to purchase any units in this offering.

 

We will enter into an Administrative Services Agreement pursuant to which we will also pay an affiliate of our sponsor a total of $10,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.

 

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

 

Our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $200,000 under an unsecured promissory note to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. As of January 18, 2021, we had borrowed $65,999 under the promissory note with our sponsor. These loans are non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of the closing of this offering or the date which the company determines not to conduct this offering. These loans will be repaid upon the closing of this offering out of the $500,000 of offering proceeds not held in the trust account.

 

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In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,150,000 of such loans may be convertible into units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private placement units issued to our sponsor. The terms of such loans by our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.

 

Our sponsor has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 220,000 units (or 235,000 units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit. Each private placement unit will be identical to the units sold in this offering, except as described in this prospectus. The private placement units will be sold in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering and any exercise of the over-allotment option, as applicable. Each private placement unit consists of one Class A ordinary share and one-half of one warrant to purchase one Class A ordinary share at $11.50 per share and one right to receive one-tenth of one Class A ordinary share. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to the founder shares, private placement shares, private placement warrants, private placement rights or public rights, which will expire worthless if we do not consummate a business combination within the allotted 18-month period (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time). Our initial shareholders have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and private placement shares (i) in connection with the consummation of a business combination, (ii) in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months after the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time) and (iii) if we fail to consummate a business combination within 18 months after the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time) or if we liquidate prior to the expiration of the 18-month period (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time). However, our initial shareholders will be entitled to redemption rights with respect to any public shares held by them if we fail to consummate a business combination or liquidate within the 18-month period (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time).

 

Pursuant to a registration rights agreement we will enter into with our sponsor on or prior to the closing of this offering, we may be required to register certain securities for sale under the Securities Act. These holders, and holders of units issued upon conversion of working capital loans, if any, are entitled under the registration rights agreement to make up to three demands that we register certain of our securities held by them for sale under the Securities Act and to have the securities covered thereby registered for resale pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. In addition, these holders have the right to include their securities in other registration statements filed by us. However, the registration rights agreement provides that we will not permit any registration statement filed under the Securities Act to become effective until the securities covered thereby are released from their lock-up restrictions, as described herein. We will bear the costs and expenses of filing any such registration statements. See “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions.”

 

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

 

As of January 18, 2021, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of Regulation S-K and did not have any commitments or contractual obligations. No unaudited quarterly operating data is included in this prospectus as we have conducted no operations to date.

 

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JOBS Act

 

On April 5, 2012, the JOBS Act was signed into law. The JOBS Act contains provisions that, among other things, relax certain reporting requirements for qualifying public companies. We will qualify as an “emerging growth company” and under the JOBS Act will be allowed to comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements based on the effective date for private (not publicly traded) companies. We are electing to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards, and as a result, we may not comply with new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for non-emerging growth companies. As a result, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.

 

Additionally, we are in the process of evaluating the benefits of relying on the other reduced reporting requirements provided by the JOBS Act. Subject to certain conditions set forth in the JOBS Act, if, as an “emerging growth company.” we choose to rely on such exemptions we may not be required to, among other things, (i) provide an 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 CEO’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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PROPOSED BUSINESS

 

General

 

We are a newly incorporated blank check company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands as a business company for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. Although there is no restriction or limitation on what industry or geographic region our target operates in, it is our intention to pursue prospective targets that are in Asia and the Middle East. We will primarily seek to acquire one or more growth businesses with a total enterprise value of between $200,000,000 and $600,000,000. At the time of preparing this prospectus, we do not have any specific business combination under consideration or contemplation, and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, contacted any prospective target business or had any discussions, formal or otherwise, with respect to such a transaction. Our efforts to date are limited to organizational activities related to this offering.

 

Background and Competitive Strengths

 

We believe the experience and contacts of our management team will give us distinct advantages in sourcing, structuring and consummating acquisition transactions. We believe that our team has a strong mixture of skills, including experience with entrepreneurship, investment, legal, accounting and finance and marketing, which we believe will assist us in identifying a target and effecting a business combination. However, none of our management team is obligated to remain with the company after an acquisition transaction, and we cannot provide assurance that the resignation or retention of our current management will be a term or condition in any agreement relating to an acquisition transaction. Moreover, despite the competitive advantages we believe we have, we remain subject to significant competition with respect to identifying and executing an acquisition transaction.

 

We will seek to capitalize on the experience and networks of the members of our management team: Mr. Mohamed Semary, Mr. Claudius Tsang, Ms. Serena Shie, Mr. Patrick Tsang, Mr. Joseph Chu, and Mr. Brian Keng. Our team consists of seasoned and experienced professionals who have significant experience in investing in both public and private companies. Members of our management also have extensive experience in sourcing and evaluating potential investment targets as well as deal negotiation, corporate finance, business operations and management. We have developed a proprietary network of business leaders, investors and intermediaries that we believe can generate deal flow for us. We believe our team has the ability to source attractive deals and find good investment opportunities from sources in their networks.

 

Mr. Semary, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, has twenty-five years of experience in private equity, advisory and business development in the MENA region. Mr. Semary is a founding partner at PSB Advisory, which provides a range of services, including M&A, corporate and  placement advisory, and was previously a partner with the Abraaj Group, a leading global private equity fund. Mr. Claudius Tsang, our Chief Investment Officer, has over twenty years of experience in the financial and equity investment industry having most recently been a partner with Templeton Private Equity Partners, a leading global emerging markets private equity firm that is part of Franklin Templeton Investments. Ms. Serena Shie, our President, Chief Financial Officer and Director, has proprietary deal sourcing channels from her experience as CEO of a media company, and substantial experience in investment, business management and legal services. Mr. Patrick Tsang, our Independent Director, is a seasoned investor and has worked on numerous public offerings, acquisition transactions and has established a strong network of investment institutions and business connections. Mr. Joseph Chu, our Independent Director, has around thirty years of experience in origination and execution of equity capital market and corporate finance transactions in Asia, in particular Hong Kong and the PRC. Mr. Brian Keng, our Independent Director, is the COO of Century Peak Holdings, an integrated mining company in Philippines, and has valuable experience in business operation and investment. Our management team’s past performance is not an assurance that we will be able to identify an appropriate candidate for our initial business combination or achieve success with respect to the business combination we intend to consummate. However, we believe that the skills and professional network of our management team will enable us to identify, structure and consummate a business combination.

 

Leadership of an Experienced Management Team

 

Our management team is led by our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of our Board of Directors, Mr. Mohamed Semary, our Chief Investment Officer, Mr. Claudius Tsang, and our President, Chief Financial Officer and Director, Ms. Serena Shie.

 

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Mr. Mohamed Semary has served as our Chief Executive Officer since January, 2021 and will become our Chairman upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. Mr. Semary has twenty-five years of experience in emerging markets, private equity, advisory and business development in the MENA region. Mr. Semary is a Founding Partner at PSB Advisory (“PSB”) where he has served since 2013. PSB provides a range of services, including M&A, corporate and placement advisory, as well as investment portfolio optimization. From 2006 to 2013, Mr. Semary was a Partner at the Abraaj Group (the “Abraaj Group”). He spent eight years with the firm in a role encompassing fundraising, deal origination and maintaining relationships with institutional investors and Limited Partners, globally. Within the Abraaj Group, Mr. Semary helped manage a team of 25 dedicated coverage professionals, based out of five offices across the globe, and covering institutions in the Middle East, United States and Europe. During Mr. Semary’s tenure, the Abraaj Group grew from $800m to $8 billion of Assets Under Management, across emerging markets. While at Abraaj, Mohamed was also the CEO of MENASA Capital Management (“MCM”), a sister company of the Abraaj Group and a leading public markets asset manager in the MENASA region.  From 1997 to 2006, Mr. Semary undertook several entrepreneurial ventures and held various positions, including five years at EFG-Hermes, a financial services company that provides investment banking products and services primarily in the Egypt, Gulf Cooperation Council, and Lebanon. While EFG-Hermes, he held a number of positions including Country Head of EFG-Hermes Algeria SPA and Head of Corporate Business Development. Mr. Semary held responsibilities encompassed brokerage, advisory and corporate development across MENA. Mr. Semary holds a B.A. degree from American University in Cairo in political science.

 

Mr. Claudius Tsang has served as our Chief Investment Officer since January 2021. Mr. Tsang has over 20 years of experience in capital markets, with a strong track record of success in private equity, M&A transactions and PIPE investments with a focus on Greater China and other emerging markets. Mr. Tsang was co-head of private equity, North Asia of Templeton Asset Management Ltd and a partner of Templeton Private Equity Partners, a leading global emerging markets private equity firm that is part of Franklin Templeton Investments. During his 15 year career at Templeton, Mr. Tsang served in various positions, including partner, senior executive director and vice president. Mr. Tsang was responsible for the overall investment, management and operation activities of Templeton Private Equity Partners in North Asia. His role encompassed overseeing the analysis and evaluation of opportunities for strategic equity investment in Asia, including China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. During his tenure, Mr. Tsang managed $1 billion in private equity funds, with approximately 50 portfolio companies. He was involved in the management of a $3 billion fund, which was the largest Central Eastern European listed closed-end fund at the time of IPO in London. From July 2007 to June 2008, Mr. Tsang joined Lehman Brothers, where he managed private equity projects in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and the United States. At Lehman Brothers, Mr. Tsang managed $500 million proprietary funds. Mr. Tsang has served as a director of the CFA Society of Hong Kong from 2013 to 2021. Mr. Tsang obtained his MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 2017, the second bachelor degree of law from Tsinghua University in 2005 and a bachelor degree of engineering from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1998. He is a charterholder of Chartered Financial Analyst from the CFA Institute.

 

Ms. Serena Shie has served as our President, Chief Financial Officer and as a member of our board of directors since the company’s inception in January 2021. Ms. Shie has a decade of experience in capital markets, property development and entrepreneurship. Since 2017, Ms. Shie has been the chief investment officer of Shiji Dingfeng Investment Co, Ltd., Huanya International Co., Ltd. and Quanzhou Chiyuan Trade Co., Ltd., where she led an early investment round of 85 million RMB into Enovate Motors, a leading electric vehicle manufacturer in China. During her tenure, the valuation of the acquisition increased to approximately 1.6 billion RMB. Ms. Shie has also served as President of Lion Pride Properties Inc. since 2018, which invests into development of high rises in Manila, Philippines. Ms. Shie has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Jumpstart Media since March of 2020, and is overseeing the growth of the office. Jumpstart Media is one of the largest English print publication in APAC covering tech startups with a presence in 11 countries. From 2015 to 2017, Ms. Shie was an associate in the Hong Kong office of Latham & Watkins, LLP, where she worked on capital market transactions, with a focus on debt offerings, IPO and M&A. Prior to joining Latham & Watkins, Ms. Shie was the Chief Operating Officer of Silent Models LLC from 2011 to 2012 where she oversaw the growth of one of New York’s top boutique modeling agencies. Ms. Shie serves as the Director of Shenzhen Women’s Association and the Chair of Shie Scholarship Committee at Yongning Zhentao Elementary School. Ms. Shie holds a Bachelors from New York University, and a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School.

 

Mr. Patrick Tsang will serve as a member of our board of directors upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. Mr. Tsang has over 20 years of experience in capital markets, with a strong track record of success in IPOs and M&A transactions with a focus on Asia cross border transactions. From October 2016, Mr. Tsang has served as the Chairman of Tsang Group, a family office headquartered in Hong Kong with a global presence, including in London, Beijing and Shenzhen. Under Mr. Tsang’s leadership, the Tsang Group expanded to invest in special situations globally with a sector and location agnostic outlook. Under Mr. Tsang’s leadership, Tsang Group expanded to invest into property in the United Kingdom and other regions including Hong Kong, as well as other sectors including technology. Mr. Tsang has also served as the Chairman of Block T Ventures since December 2018, which focuses on blockchain and fintech technology. Mr. Tsang was one of the founders of Aquavit London, and was the Chairman from October 2015 to December 2018. Mr. Tsang has also been a partner of Hui & Lam Solicitors LLP in Hong Kong since October 2016 and is a qualified solicitor in England, Wales and Hong Kong. He holds an LLB, Bachelor of Laws, from Kingston University. Mr. Tsang was voted China Economic Person of the Year in 2014.

 

Mr. Joseph Chu will serve as a member of our board of directors upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. Mr. Chu has around 30 years of experience in origination and execution of equity capital market and corporate finance transactions in Asia, including M&A, fund raising, asset injections, IPOs, and restructuring. Mr. Chu began his career at Morgan Stanley and has held positions in the investment banking division of a number of global banks, including Morgan Grenfell (presently Deutsche Bank), SBC Warburg (Presently UBS) and Rothschild, where he served as a member of the board of directors in Hong Kong and a board member of a direct investment fund sponsored by Rothschild and the CITIC Group which was one of the first China direct investment funds ever established. From 2007 to 2009, Mr. Chu was Managing Director and Head of Hong Kong Coverage of CLSA Limited, an institutional brokerage and investment group, where he was responsible for the bank’s investment banking activities in Hong Kong and the PRC. In 2009, Mr. Chu established a joint venture with Galaxy Asset Management, an alternative investment company, under which he raised and managed an event driven fund and also set up a special situation fund and a corporate finance advisory firm. He acted as managing director and portfolio manager of Galaxy Asset Management, one of the earliest hedge funds established in Hong Kong with asset under management in excess of $1 billion. In 2011, Mr. Chu bought out Galaxy’s shares in the joint venture and renamed it Odysseus Capital Asia Limited. Over the last decade, Mr. Chu has been the Chairman, CEO of Odysseus Capital Group from 2011. Under his leadership, Odysseus Capital Group has expanded to cover a broad range of capital markets transactions, including restructuring, pre-IPO, IPO and M&A transactions. Mr. Chu is a Fellow Member of Hong Kong Institute of Directors and is a former director of Yan Oi Tong, one of the six largest charitable organizations in HK, and a member of its investment committee. Mr. Chu obtained an MBA from Imperial College London and a BEng degree in Chemical Engineering from University College London.

 

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Brian Keng will serve as a member of our board of directors upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. Mr. Keng is experienced in management, advisory and business development in China and the Philippines. Since 2017 Mr. Keng has served as the COO of Century Peak Holdings Corporation and CEO of Century Peak Energy Corporation. Century Peak Holdings Corporation  invests and operates in a range of projects including mining, cement, steel, construction, land reclamation, and property development. Mr. Keng’s experience with the energy sector led him to become CEO of Century Peak Energy Corporation. Century Peak Energy Corporation focuses on building, owning and operating renewable energy assets such as hydro power projects. Within Century Peak, Mr. Keng helped manage a team of over 300 staff, based out of offices in Philippines, Hong Kong and Greater China. Since 2017, Mr. Keng has been the president of Shiji Dingfeng Investment Co, Ltd. Huanya International Co., Ltd., and Quanzhou Chiyuan Trade Co., Ltd., where he supervised an early investment round of 85 million RMB into Enovate Motors, a leading electric vehicle manufacturer in China. During his tenure, the valuation of the acquisition increased to approximately 1.6 billion RMB. Due to this involvement, Mr. Keng became the CEO of Enovate Motors Philippines, which is the official distributor of Enovate vehicles, charging station, and app development in the Philippines. Mr. Keng graduated from the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance.

 

Established Deal Sourcing Network

 

We believe the strong track record of our management team will enable us to get access to quality deal pipeline. In addition, we believe we, through our management team, have contacts and sources from which to generate acquisition opportunities and possibly seek complementary follow-on business arrangements. These contacts and sources include those in government, media, private and public companies, private equity and venture capital funds, investment bankers, attorneys and accountants.

 

Status as a Publicly Listed Acquisition Company

 

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

 

With respect to the foregoing examples and descriptions, past performance by our management team is not a guarantee either (i) of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate or (ii) that we will be able to identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination. Potential investors should not rely upon the historical record of our management as indicative of future performance.

 

Acquisition Strategy

 

Our efforts in identifying prospective target businesses will not be limited to a particular industry or country, although we intend to focus on businesses that have their primary operations located in Asia and the Middle East. In particular, we intend to focus our search for an initial business combination on private companies in Asia and the Middle East that have compelling economics and clear paths to positive operating cash flow, significant assets, and successful management teams that are seeking access to the U.S. public capital markets.

 

As emerging markets, Asia and the Middle East have experienced remarkable growth. The Asian economy experienced sustained expansion in recent years. We believe that Asia is entering a new era of economic growth, which we expect will result in attractive initial business combination opportunities for us. We believe this growth will be driven by private sector expansion, technological innovation, increasing consumption by the middle class, structural economic and policy reforms and demographic changes in China. The Middle East is an emerging market composed of many countries across the wealth spectrum, and it boasts one of the youngest and fastest-growing populations in the world that is expected to reach approximately 580 million people by 2030. We believe the young and growing population of the Middle East entering significant household formation in the next decade can be an economic powerhouse.

 

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The development of private equity and venture capital activities in Asia and the Middle East also provides us opportunities. According to the Asia-Pacific Private Equity Report 2020 issued by Bain & Company, Asia-Pacific now represents a quarter of the global PE market. According to the Asia-Pacific Private Equity Report 2020, exit value in 2019 saw a drop by 43% from 2018. With exits on hold, the value of companies held in PE portfolios, or unrealized value, reached a new high of $806 billion in June 2019, up 32% from a year earlier. Uncertain times and challenges faced by fund managers create opportunities for those who are well-prepared, which positions us as a natural exit alternative and creates opportunities for us to identify targets for our initial business combination. The market in the Middle East also represents a wealth of opportunities. Equity markets in the Middle East are comparatively more thinly capitalized relative to the U.S., suggesting a large number of high-quality private companies that could benefit from going public. An increasing number of companies in the Middle East have their listings on NYSE or Nasdaq.

 

Our investment thesis is supported by the substantial experience and broad networks of the members of our management team in Asia and the Middle East. Our on-the-ground presence in Asia and the Middle East as well as our knowledge of, relationships in, and experience investing in Asia and the Middle East are differentiators for us as compared to other blank check companies.

 

We will seek to capitalize on the strength of our management team. We believe that our board and management’s experiences, from evaluating assets through investing and company building, will enable us to identify businesses that have the capacity for cash flow creation, opportunity for operational improvement and robust company fundamentals, and enable us to execute a business combination with high-quality targets. Our selection process will leverage our board and management’s broad network of relationships with leading startups, venture capitalists, private equity, hedge fund managers and respected peers, as well as our industry expertise and deal sourcing capabilities. Together with this network of trusted partners, we intend to capitalize the target business and create purposeful strategic initiatives in order to achieve attractive growth and performance after our initial business combination. We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, or completing the business combination through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a target that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent accounting firm or independent investment banking firm that our initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.

 

Investment Criteria

 

Consistent with our strategy, we have identified the following criteria to evaluate prospective target businesses. We will primarily seek to acquire one or more growth businesses with a total enterprise value of between $200,000,000 and $600,000,000. Although we may decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet the criteria described below, it is our intention to acquire companies that we believe:

 

·

Unique competitive advantage in the markets and/or underexploited growth opportunities that our team is uniquely positioned to identify;

 

We intend to seek target companies that have unique competitive advantages and/or underexploited expansion opportunities that can benefit from access to additional capital as well as expertise. We believe a large number of companies in Asia and the MENA suffer from a lack of insightful strategy and capital for growth. We intend to target businesses that have historically demonstrated revenue growth and possess favorable future growth characteristics, combined with a durable business model that is resistant to macroeconomic volatility. Our management team has significant experience in identifying such targets and in helping target management assess the strategic and financial fit.

 

·

Strong management team that can create significant value for the target company;

 

We will seek to identify companies with strong and experienced management teams that will complement the operating and investment abilities of our management team. We believe we can provide a platform for the existing management team to leverage the experience of our management team. We believe that the operating expertise of our management team is well suited to complement the target’s management team. .

 

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·

Potential for strong free cash flow generation;

 

We will seek to identify target companies that have the potential to generate strong, stable and increasing free cash flow. We intend to focus on one or more businesses that have predictable revenue streams and definable low working capital and capital expenditure requirements. We may also seek to prudently leverage this cash flow in order to enhance shareholder value.

 

·

Exhibit unrecognized value or other characteristics that we believe have been misevaluated by the market;

 

We will seek target companies which exhibit characteristics that we believe have been overlooked or misevaluated by the marketplace based on our company-specific analyses and due diligence. We intend to leverage the significant experience and disciplined investment approach of our team to identify opportunities to unlock value that our experience in complex situations allows us to pursue.

 

·

Ready to be public, and will benefit from access to capital markets;

 

We will look for public-ready management teams that have a track record of value creation for their shareholders, with the ambition to take advantage of the improved liquidity and additional capital that can come from a successful listing in the United States. We believe that there are a substantial number of potential target businesses with appropriate valuations that can benefit from a public listing and new capital to support significant revenue and earnings growth.

 

Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets

 

We believe that the operational and transactional experience of our management team and their respective affiliates, and the relationships they have developed as a result of such experience, will provide us with a substantial number of potential business combination targets. These individuals and entities have developed a broad network of contacts and corporate relationships around the world. This network has grown through sourcing, acquiring and financing businesses, relationships with sellers, financing sources and target management teams and experience in executing transactions under varying economic and financial market conditions. We believe that these networks of contacts and relationships will provide us important sources of investment opportunities. In addition, we anticipate that target business candidates may be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment market participants, private equity funds and large business enterprises seeking to divest noncore assets or divisions.

 

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

 

We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, or making the acquisition through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete an initial business combination with a target that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent firm that commonly renders valuation opinions for the type of company we are seeking to acquire or an independent accounting firm, that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.

 

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Unless we complete our initial business combination with an affiliated entity, or our Board of Directors cannot independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm, another independent firm that commonly renders valuation opinions for the type of company we are seeking to acquire or from an independent accounting firm that the price we are paying for a target is fair to our company from a financial point of view. If no opinion is obtained, our shareholders will be relying on the judgment of our Board of Directors, who will determine fair market value based on standards generally accepted by the financial community. Such standards used will be disclosed in our tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials, as applicable, related to our initial business combination.

 

As more fully discussed in “Management — Conflicts of Interest,” if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity that falls within the line of business of any entity to which he or she has pre-existing fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she may be required to present such business combination opportunity to such entity prior to presenting such business combination opportunity to us, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under British Virgin Islands law. All of our officers currently have certain relevant fiduciary duties or contractual obligations that may take priority over their duties to us.

 

Other Acquisition Considerations

 

We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent firm that commonly renders valuation opinions for the type of company we are seeking to acquire or an independent accounting firm that our initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.

 

Unless we complete our initial business combination with an affiliated entity, or our Board of Directors cannot independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm, another independent firm that commonly renders valuation opinions for the type of company we are seeking to acquire or from an independent accounting firm that the price we are paying for a target is fair to our company from a financial point of view. If no opinion is obtained, our shareholders will be relying on the business judgment of our Board of Directors, which will have significant discretion in choosing the standard used to establish the fair market value of the target or targets, and different methods of valuation may vary greatly in outcome from one another. Such standards used will be disclosed in our tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials, as applicable, related to our initial business combination.

 

Members of our management team may directly or indirectly own our Class A ordinary shares and/or private placement units following this offering, and, accordingly, may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Further, each of our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.

 

Each of our directors and officers presently has, and in the future any of our directors and our officers may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present acquisition opportunities to such entity. Accordingly, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under British Virgin Islands law, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of an acquisition opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will need to honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such acquisition opportunity to such entity, and only present it to us if such entity rejects the opportunity. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under British Virgin Islands law, we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any officer or director unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue. We do not believe, however, that any fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our directors or officers would materially undermine our ability to complete our business combination.

 

There is no restriction in the geographic location of targets we can pursue, although we intend to initially prioritize Asia and the Middle East as the geographical focus. We will seek to identify targets that are likely to provide attractive financial returns through business combinations. We have yet to determine a time frame, an investment amount or any other criteria, which would trigger our search for business opportunities outside of Asia and the Middle East. We believe that we will add value to these businesses primarily by providing them with access to the U.S. capital markets.

 

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Our sponsor, officers and directors have may become an officers or directors of other special purpose acquisition companies. Notwithstanding that, such officers and directors will continue to have a pre-existing fiduciary obligation to us and we will, therefore, have priority over any special purpose acquisition companies they subsequently join.

 

Initial Business Combination

 

NASDAQ rules require that our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance in the trust account (less any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. If our Board of Directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent firm that commonly renders valuation opinions for the type of company we are seeking to acquire or an independent accounting firm. We do not intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination.

 

We will have until 18 months from the closing of this offering to consummate an initial business combination. However, if we anticipate that we may not be able to consummate our initial business combination within 18 months, we may extend the period of time to consummate a business combination up to two times, each by an additional three months (for a total of up to 24 months to complete a business combination). Pursuant to the terms of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and the trust agreement to be entered into between us and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company on the date of this prospectus, in order to extend the time available for us to consummate our initial business combination, our sponsor or its affiliates or designees, upon ten days advance notice prior to the applicable deadline, must deposit into the trust account $500,000, or up to $575,000 if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full ($0.10 per share in either case) on or prior to the date of the applicable deadline, for each three month extension (or up to an aggregate of $1,000,000 (or $1,150,000 if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full), or $0.20 per share if we extend for the full six months). Any such payments would be made in the form of a loan. Any such loans will be non-interest bearing and payable upon the consummation of our initial business combination. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. Up to $1,150,000 of such loans may be convertible into units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. If we do not complete a business combination, we will not repay such loans. Furthermore, the letter agreement with our initial shareholders contains a provision pursuant to which our sponsor has agreed to waive its right to be repaid for such loans out of the funds held in the trust account in the event that we do not complete a business combination. Our sponsor and its affiliates or designees are not obligated to fund the trust account to extend the time for us to complete our initial business combination.

 

If we are unable to consummate an initial business combination within such time period, we will, as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the outstanding public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including any interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (net of interest that may be used by us to pay our taxes payable and for dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law and as further described herein, and then seek to dissolve and liquidate. We expect the pro rata redemption price to be approximately $10.00 per public share (regardless of whether or not the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option) (subject to increase of up to an additional $0.20 per share in the event that our sponsor elects to extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full six months), without taking into account any interest earned on such funds. However, we cannot assure you that we will in fact be able to distribute such amounts as a result of claims of creditors which may take priority over the claims of our public shareholders.

 

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

 

Prior to the date of this prospectus, we will file a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Exchange Act. As a result, we will be subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act. We have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent to the consummation of our initial business combination.

 

Effecting our Initial Business Combination

 

General

 

We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any operations for an indefinite period of time following this offering. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the private placement of the private units, our shares, new debt, or a combination of these, as the consideration to be paid in our initial business combination. Although substantially all of the net proceeds of this offering and the private placement of private units are intended to be applied generally toward effecting a business combination as described in this prospectus, the proceeds are not otherwise being designated for any more specific purposes. Accordingly, investors in this offering are investing without first having an opportunity to evaluate the specific merits or risks of any one or more business combinations. Our initial business combination may involve the acquisition of, or merger with, a company which does not need substantial additional capital but which desires to establish a public trading market for its shares. In the alternative, we may seek to consummate a business combination with a company that may be in need of capital for development or growth. While we may seek to effect simultaneous business combinations with more than one target business, we will probably have the ability to effect only a single business combination.

 

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

 

We may seek to raise additional funds through a private offering of debt or equity securities in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, and we may effectuate our initial business combination using the proceeds of such offering rather than using the amounts held in the trust account.

 

In the case of an initial business combination funded with assets other than the trust account assets, our tender offer documents or proxy materials disclosing the business combination would disclose the terms of the financing and, only if required by law, we would seek shareholder approval of such financing. There are no prohibitions on our ability to raise funds privately or through loans in connection with our initial business combination. At this time, we are not a party to any arrangement or understanding with any third party with respect to raising any additional funds through the sale of securities or otherwise.

 

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We Have Not Identified a Target Business

 

We have not identified any target business and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any discussions, directly or indirectly, to identify any acquisition target. From the date of our formation through the date of this prospectus, there have been no communications or discussions between any of our officers, directors or our sponsor and any of their contacts or relationships regarding a potential initial business combination with our company. Additionally, we have not engaged or retained any agent or other representative to identify or locate any suitable acquisition candidate, to conduct any research or take any measures, directly or indirectly, to locate or contact a target business. Subject to the requirement that, so long as our securities are listed on Nasdaq, our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses or assets having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the trust account (less any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned and less any interest earned thereon that is released to us for taxes) at the time of the agreement to enter into such initial business combination, we have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting one or more prospective target businesses. Accordingly, there is no current basis for investors in this offering to evaluate the possible merits or risks of the target business with which we may ultimately complete our initial business combination. Although our management will assess the risks inherent in a particular target business with which we may combine, this assessment may not result in our identifying all risks that a target business may encounter. Furthermore, some of those risks may be outside of our control, meaning that we can do nothing to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business.

 

We may seek to raise additional funds through a private offering of debt or equity securities in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination, and we may effectuate our initial business combination using the proceeds of such offering rather than using the amounts held in the trust account. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, we would consummate such financing only simultaneously with the consummation of our business combination. In the case of an initial business combination funded with assets other than the trust account assets, our tender offer documents or proxy materials disclosing the business combination would disclose the terms of the financing and, only if required by law or the rules of Nasdaq, we would seek shareholder approval of such financing. There are no prohibitions on our ability to raise funds privately or through loans in connection with our initial business combination. At this time, we are not a party to any arrangement or understanding with any third party with respect to raising any additional funds through the sale of securities or otherwise.

 

Selection of a Target Business and Structuring of a Business Combination

 

Subject to the requirement that, so long as our securities are listed on Nasdaq, our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses or assets having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the trust account (less any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned and less any interest earned thereon that is released to us for taxes) at the time of the agreement to enter into such initial business combination, our management will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting one or more prospective target businesses, although we will not be permitted to effectuate our initial business combination with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations. In any case, we will only consummate an initial business combination in which we will not be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. There is no basis for investors in this offering to evaluate the possible merits or risks of any target business with which we may ultimately complete our initial business combination. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we may not properly ascertain or assess all significant risk factors.

 

In evaluating a prospective target business, we will conduct an extensive due diligence review which will encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and inspection of facilities, as well as review of financial and other information which is made available to us. This due diligence review will be conducted either by our management or by unaffiliated third parties we may engage, although we have no current intention to engage any such third parties.

 

The time and costs required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete the business combination cannot presently be ascertained with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of a prospective target business with which a business combination is not ultimately completed will result in a loss to us and reduce the amount of capital available to otherwise complete a business combination.

 

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Limited Ability to Evaluate the Target Business’ Management

 

Although we intend to scrutinize the management of a prospective target business when evaluating the desirability of effecting a business combination, we cannot assure you that our assessment of the target business’ management will prove to be correct. In addition, we cannot assure you that the future management will have the necessary skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company. Furthermore, the future role of our officers and directors, if any, in the target business following a business combination cannot presently be stated with any certainty. While it is possible that some of our key personnel will remain associated in senior management or advisory positions with us following a business combination, it is unlikely that they will devote their full time efforts to our affairs subsequent to a business combination. Moreover, they would only be able to remain with the company after the consummation of a business combination if they are able to negotiate employment or consulting agreements in connection with the business combination. Such negotiations would take place simultaneously with the negotiation of the business combination and could provide for them to receive compensation in the form of cash payments and/or our securities for services they would render to the company after the consummation of the business combination. While the personal and financial interests of our key personnel may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business, their ability to remain with the company after the consummation of a business combination will not be the determining factor in our decision as to whether or not we will proceed with any potential business combination. Additionally, our officers and directors may not have significant experience or knowledge relating to the operations of the particular target business.

 

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

 

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

 

Shareholders may not have the ability to approve our initial business combination

 

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

 

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

 

Additionally, under Nasdaq’s listing rules, shareholder approval would be required for our initial business combination if, for example:

 

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

 

any of our directors, officers or substantial shareholders (as defined by Nasdaq rules) has a 5% or greater interest (or such persons collectively have a 10% or greater interest), directly or indirectly, in the target business or assets to be acquired or otherwise and the present or potential issuance of ordinary shares could result in an increase in outstanding ordinary shares or voting power of 5% or more; or

 

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

 

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We also may be required to obtain shareholder approval if we wish to take certain actions in connection with our initial business combination such as amending our memorandum and articles of association. So long as we obtain and maintain a listing of our securities on Nasdaq, we will be required to comply with such rules.

 

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

 

We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion their shares upon the consummation of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per share, whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full. The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. Our initial shareholders have agreed to waive their right to receive liquidating distributions if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within the requisite time period. However, if our initial shareholders or any of our officers, directors or affiliates acquires public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to receive liquidating distributions with respect to such public shares if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within the required time period.

 

Manner of Conducting Redemptions

 

We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination either (i) in connection with a shareholder meeting called to approve the business combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer.

 

We intend to hold a shareholder vote in connection with our business combination. In such case, we will:

 

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

 

file proxy materials with the SEC.

 

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

 

If we seek shareholder approval, we will consummate our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding ordinary shares voted are voted in favor of the business combination. In such case, our initial shareholders have agreed to vote their founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after the offering in favor of our initial business combination and our officers and directors have also agreed to vote any public shares purchased during or after the offering in favor of our initial business combination. Each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction. In addition, our initial shareholders have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination.

 

We will only redeem our public shares so long as (after such redemption) our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of underwriters’ fees and commissions. Furthermore, the redemption threshold may be further limited by the terms and conditions of our initial business combination. If too many public shareholders exercise their redemption rights so that we cannot satisfy the net tangible asset requirement or any net worth or cash requirements, we would not proceed with the redemption of our public shares and the related business combination, and instead may search for an alternate business combination.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote in conjunction with our initial business combination for business or other legal reasons (so long as shareholder approval is not required by the Companies Act or the rules of Nasdaq), we will conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC and our memorandum and articles of association. In such case, we will:

 

offer to redeem our public shares pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers, and

 

file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to consummating our initial business combination which will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies, and we will not be permitted to consummate our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period.

 

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In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem shall remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act.

 

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

 

When we conduct a tender offer to redeem our public shares upon consummation of our initial business combination, in order to comply with the tender offer rules, the offer will be made to all of our shareholders, not just our public shareholders. Our initial shareholders have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with any such tender offer.

 

Permitted purchases of our securities by our affiliates

 

If we seek shareholder approval of our business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our directors, officers or their affiliates may purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the consummation of our initial business combination. Such a purchase would include a contractual acknowledgement that such shareholder, although still the record holder of our shares is no longer the beneficial owner thereof and therefore agrees not to exercise its redemption rights. In the event that our sponsor, directors, officers or their affiliates purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions from public shareholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights, such selling shareholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares. Although very unlikely, our initial shareholders, officers, directors and their affiliates could purchase sufficient shares so that the initial business combination may be approved without the majority vote of public shares held by non-affiliates. It is intended that purchases will comply with Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act, which provides a safe harbor for purchases made under certain conditions, including with respect to timing, pricing and volume of purchases.

 

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

 

The purpose of such purchases would be to (1) increase the likelihood of obtaining shareholder approval of the business combination or (2) to satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of the business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. This may result in the consummation of an initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

There is a nominal cost associated with the above-referenced tendering process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC System. The transfer agent will typically charge the tendering broker $45.00 and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the redeeming holder. However, this fee would be incurred regardless of whether or not we require holders seeking to exercise redemption rights to tender their shares. The need to deliver shares is a requirement of exercising redemption rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

If our initial proposed business combination is not consummated, we may continue to try to consummate our initial business combination with a different target until 18 months from the closing of this offering, or up to 24 months if the sponsor extends the period of time.

 

Redemption of public shares and liquidation if no initial business combination

 

Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed that we will complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering. Our sponsor may decide to extend the period of time up to 24 months to consummate a business combination. We may not be able to find a suitable target business and consummate our initial business combination within such time period. If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, or within up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if our sponsor extends the period, we will, as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than five business days thereafter, distribute the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable, and less up to $50,000 of interest to pay liquidation expenses), pro rata to our public shareholders by way of redemption and cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up of our affairs. This redemption of public shareholders from the trust account shall be effected as required by function of our memorandum and articles of association and prior to any voluntary winding up, although at all times subject to the Companies Act.

 

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

 

Our initial shareholders have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within the applicable period from the closing of this offering.

 

However, if our initial shareholders, or any of our officers, directors or affiliates acquire public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to redemption rights with respect to such public shares if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within the required time period. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our private units, which will expire worthless in the event we do not consummate our initial business combination within 18 months of the closing of this offering, or within up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if our sponsor extends the period. We will pay the costs of our liquidation from our remaining assets outside of the trust account or interest earned on the funds held in the trust account. However, the liquidator may determine that he or she requires additional time to evaluate creditors’ claims (particularly if there is uncertainty over the validity or extent of the claims of any creditors). Also, a creditor or shareholder may file a petition with the BVI court which, if successful, may result in our liquidation being subject to the supervision of that court. Such events might delay distribution of some or all of our remaining assets.

 

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

 

If we were to expend all of the net proceeds of this offering, other than the proceeds deposited in the trust account, and without taking into account interest, if any, earned on the trust account, the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders upon our dissolution would be approximately $10.00 (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full). The proceeds deposited in the trust account could, however, become subject to the claims of our creditors, which would have higher priority than the claims of our public shareholders. The actual per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00, plus interest (net of taxes payable, and less up to $50,000 of interest to pay liquidation expenses).

 

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Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses or other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public shareholders, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements or even if they execute such agreements that they would be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account including but not limited to fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain an advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management will perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will only enter into an agreement with a third party that has not executed a waiver if management believes that such third party’s engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative. Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where management is unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. In order to protect the amounts held in the trust account, our sponsor agreed that it will be liable to us, if and to the extent any claims by a vendor for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amounts in the trust account to below $10.00 per share (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. In the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third party claims. However, our sponsor may not be able to satisfy those obligations. Other than as described above, none of our other officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses. We have not independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy his indemnity obligations and believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. We believe the likelihood of our sponsor having to indemnify the trust account is limited because we will endeavor to have all vendors and prospective target businesses as well as other entities execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the trust account.

 

In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below $10.00 per share (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy any applicable obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so in any particular instance. Accordingly, due to claims of creditors, the actual value of the per-share redemption price may be less than $10.00 per share (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full).

 

We will seek to reduce the possibility that our sponsor will have to indemnify the trust account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses or other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the trust account. Our sponsor will also not be liable as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. We will have access to up to approximately $500,000 not placed in the trust with which to pay any such potential claims. In the event that we liquidate and it is subsequently determined that the reserve for claims and liabilities is insufficient, shareholders who received funds from our trust account could be liable for claims made by creditors. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $700,000, we may fund such excess with funds from the estimated $500,000 not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to hold outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $700,000 the amount of funds we intend to hold outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.

 

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

 

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

 

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Our public shareholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only (i) in the event of a redemption of the public shares prior to any winding up in the event we do not consummate our initial business combination within 18 months of the closing of the offering, or within up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if our sponsor extends the period, (ii) if they redeem their shares in connection with an initial business combination that we consummate or (iii) if they redeem their shares in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, or within up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if our sponsor extends the period, or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity. In no other circumstances shall a shareholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account. In the event we seek shareholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, a shareholder’s voting in connection with the business combination alone will not result in a shareholder’s redeeming its shares to us for an applicable pro rata share of the trust account. Such shareholder must have also exercised its redemption rights described above.

 

Competition

 

In identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business, we may encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours. Many of these entities are well established and have extensive experience identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Many of these competitors possess greater technical, human and other resources than us and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. While we believe there may be numerous potential target businesses that we could complete a business combination with utilizing the net proceeds of this offering, our ability to compete in completing a business combination with certain sizable target businesses may be limited by our available financial resources. Furthermore, the requirement that, so long as our securities are listed on Nasdaq, we acquire a target business or businesses having a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the value of the trust account (less any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned and less any interest earned thereon that is released to us for taxes) at the time of the agreement to enter into the business combination, our obligation to pay cash in connection with our public shareholders who exercise their redemption rights, and our outstanding private units and the potential future dilution they represent, may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses. Any of these factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating our initial business combination.

 

Status as a Public Company

 

We believe our structure will make us an attractive business combination partner to target businesses. As an existing public company, we offer a target business an alternative to the traditional initial public offering through a merger or other business combination. In this situation, the owners of the target business would exchange their shares of stock in the target business for our shares or for a combination of our shares and cash, allowing us to tailor the consideration to the specific needs of the sellers. Although there are various costs and obligations associated with being a public company, we believe target businesses will find this method a more certain and cost-effective method to becoming a public company than the typical initial public offering. In a typical initial public offering, there are additional expenses incurred in marketing, road show and public reporting efforts that may not be present to the same extent in connection with a business combination with us.

 

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

 

While we believe that our structure and our management team’s backgrounds will make us an attractive business partner, some potential target businesses may have a negative view of us since we are a blank check company, without an operating history, and there is uncertainty relating to our ability to obtain shareholder approval of our proposed initial business combination and retain sufficient funds in our trust account in connection therewith.

 

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We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our ordinary shares that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior December 31, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period.

 

Financial Position

 

With funds available for a business combination initially in the amount of $48,250,000 assuming no redemptions and after payment of $1,750,000 of deferred underwriting fees (or $55,487,500 assuming no redemptions and after payment of up to $2,012,500 of deferred underwriting fees if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), in each case before fees and expenses associated with our initial business combination, we offer a target business a variety of options such as creating a liquidity event for its owners, providing capital for the potential growth and expansion of its operations or strengthening its balance sheet by reducing its debt ratio. Because we are able to complete our initial business combination using our cash, debt or equity securities, or a combination of the foregoing, we have the flexibility to use the most efficient combination that will allow us to tailor the consideration to be paid to the target business to fit its needs and desires. However, we have not taken any steps to secure third party financing and there can be no assurance it will be available to us.

 

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

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to Excess Shares. We believe this restriction will discourage shareholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to exercise their redemption rights against a proposed business combination as a means to force us or our sponsor or its affiliates to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public shareholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us or our sponsor or its affiliates at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our shareholders’ ability to redeem no more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of shareholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our initial business combination, particularly in connection with a business combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. However, we would not be restricting our shareholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination. Our sponsor, officers and directors have, pursuant to a letter agreement entered into with us and waived their right to have any founder shares or public shares held by them redeemed in connection with our initial business combination. Unless any of our other affiliates acquires founder shares through a permitted transfer from an initial shareholder, and thereby becomes subject to the letter agreement, no such affiliate is subject to this waiver. However, to the extent any such affiliate acquires public shares in this offering or thereafter through open market purchases, it would be a public shareholder and restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to any Excess Shares.

 

Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association

 

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will contain certain requirements and restrictions relating to this offering that will apply to us until the consummation of our initial business combination. If we seek to amend any provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity, we will provide dissenting public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares in connection with any such vote. Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to waive any redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. Specifically, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide, among other things, that:

 

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  prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, we shall either (1) seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which shareholders may seek to redeem their shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination, into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) or (2) provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to tender their shares to us by means of a tender offer (and thereby avoid the need for a shareholder vote) for an amount equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) in each case subject to the limitations described herein;

 

  we will consummate our initial business combination only if we have net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation and, solely if we seek shareholder approval, a majority of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares voted are voted in favor of the business combination;

 

  if our initial business combination is not consummated within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time), then our existence will terminate and we will distribute all amounts in the trust account; and

 

  prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional ordinary shares that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote on any initial business combination.

 

These provisions cannot be amended without the approval of holders of at least a majority of our ordinary shares. In the event we seek shareholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that we may consummate our initial business combination only if approved by a majority of the ordinary shares voted by our shareholders at a duly held shareholders meeting.

 

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

 

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

 

    Terms of Our Offering   Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering
Escrow of offering proceeds   NASDAQ rules provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the private placement be deposited in a trust account. $50,000,000 of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units will be deposited into a trust account at JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee.   Approximately $42,525,000 of the offering proceeds, representing the gross proceeds of this offering less allowable underwriting commissions, expenses and company deductions under Rule 419, would be required to be deposited into either an escrow account with an insured depositary institution or in a separate bank account established by a broker-dealer in which the broker-dealer acts as trustee for persons having the beneficial interests in the account.
         
Investment of net proceeds   $50,000,000 of the net offering proceeds and the sale of the private placement units held in trust will be invested only in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 180 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations.   Proceeds could be invested only in specified securities such as a money market fund meeting conditions of the Investment Company Act or in securities that are direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed as to principal or interest by, the U.S.
         
Receipt of interest on escrowed funds   Interest on proceeds from the trust account to be paid to shareholders is reduced by (i) any taxes paid or payable and (ii) in the event of our liquidation for failure to complete our initial business combination within the allotted time, up to $50,000 net interest that may be released to us should we have no or insufficient working capital to fund the costs and expenses of our dissolution and liquidation.   Interest on funds in escrow account would be held for the sole benefit of investors, unless and only after the funds held in escrow were released to us in connection with our completion of a business combination.

 

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    Terms of Our Offering   Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering
Limitation on fair value or net assets of target business   NASDAQ rules require that our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance in the trust account (less any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination.   The fair value or net assets of a target business must represent at least 80% of the maximum offering proceeds.
         
Trading of securities issued   The units will begin trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. The Class A ordinary shares, warrants and rights comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless Maxim informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering, which is anticipated to take place three business days from the date of this prospectus. If the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.   No trading of the units or the underlying securities would be permitted until the completion of a business combination. During this period, the securities would be held in the escrow or trust account.
         
Exercise of the warrants   The warrants cannot be exercised until the later of 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination or 12 months from the date of this prospectus.   The warrants could be exercised prior to the completion of a business combination, but securities received and cash paid in connection with the exercise would be deposited in the escrow or trust account.

 

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    Terms of Our Offering   Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering
Election to remain an investor   We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest, which interest shall be net of taxes payable, upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein. We may not be required by law to hold a shareholder vote. If we are not required by law and do not otherwise decide to hold a shareholder vote, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC and file tender offer documents with the SEC which will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules. If, however, we hold a shareholder vote, we will, like many blank check companies, offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. Pursuant to the tender offer rules, the tender offer period will be not less than 20 business days and, in the case of a shareholder vote, a final proxy statement would be mailed to public shareholders at least 10 days prior to the shareholder vote. However, we expect that a draft proxy statement would be made available to such shareholders well in advance of such time, providing additional notice of redemption if we conduct redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation. If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares voted are voted in favor of the business combination.   A prospectus containing information pertaining to the business combination required by the SEC would be sent to each investor. Each investor would be given the opportunity to notify the company in writing, within a period of no less than 20 business days and no more than 45 business days from the effective date of a post-effective amendment to the company’s registration statement, to decide if he, she or it elects to remain a shareholder of the company or require the return of his, her or its investment. If the company has not received the notification by the end of the 45thbusiness day, funds and interest or dividends, if any, held in the trust or escrow account are automatically returned to the shareholder. Unless a sufficient number of investors elect to remain investors, all funds on deposit in the escrow account must be returned to all of the investors and none of the securities are issued.

 

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    Terms of Our Offering   Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering
    Additionally, each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction.    
         
Business combination deadline   If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time), we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable and less up to $50,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our Board of Directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under British Virgin Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.   If an acquisition has not been completed within 18 months after the effective date of the company’s registration statement, funds held in the trust or escrow account are returned to investors.

 

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    Terms of Our Offering   Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering
Release of funds   Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our taxes, if any, the proceeds from this offering will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of (i) the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a shareholder vote to amend and restate our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to (A) modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity and (iii) the redemption of all of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time), subject to applicable law. The Company will instruct the Trustee to pay amounts from the trust account directly to redeeming holders.   The proceeds held in the escrow account are not released until the earlier of the completion of a business combination or the failure to effect a business combination within the allotted time.

 

Limitation on redemption rights of shareholders holding more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering if we hold a shareholder vote   If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect Excess Shares (more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering). Our public shareholders’ inability to redeem Excess Shares will reduce their influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination and they could suffer a material loss on their investment in us if they sell Excess Shares in open market transactions.   Most blank check companies provide no restrictions on the ability of shareholders to redeem shares based on the number of shares held by such shareholders in connection with an initial business combination.

 

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    Terms of Our Offering   Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering
Tendering share certificates in connection with a tender offer or redemption rights   We may require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates (if any) to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the tender offer documents or proxy materials mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using The Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option. The tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring public shareholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. Accordingly, a public shareholder would have from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, or up to two days prior to the vote on the business combination if we distribute proxy materials, as applicable, to tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights.   In order to perfect redemption rights in connection with their business combinations, holders could vote against a proposed business combination and check a box on the proxy card indicating such holders were seeking to exercise their redemption rights. After the business combination was approved, the company would contact such shareholders to arrange for them to deliver their certificate to verify ownership.

 

Competition

 

In identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business for our initial business combination, we may encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including other blank check companies, private equity groups and leveraged buyout funds, and operating businesses seeking strategic acquisitions. Many of these entities are well established and have extensive experience identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Moreover, many of these competitors possess greater financial, technical, human and other resources than us. Our ability to acquire larger target businesses will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of a target business. Furthermore, our obligation to pay cash in connection with our public shareholders who exercise their redemption rights may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination, and our outstanding warrants and rights and the future dilution they potentially represent, may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses. Either of these factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating an initial business combination.

 

Conflicts of Interest

 

Each of our officers and directors presently has, and in the future any of our directors and our officers may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present acquisition opportunities to such entity. Accordingly, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under British Virgin Islands law, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of an acquisition opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will need to honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such acquisition opportunity to such entity, and only present it to us if such entity rejects the opportunity. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under British Virgin Islands law, we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any officer or director unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue. We do not believe, however, that any fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our directors or officers would materially undermine our ability to complete our business combination.

 

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Indemnity

 

Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a vendor for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below (i) $10.00 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third party claims. We have not independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy their indemnity obligations and believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such obligations.

 

Facilities

 

We currently maintain our executive offices at Cheung Kong Center, 58 Floor, Unit 5801, 2 Queens Road Central, Central, Hong Kong. The cost for this space is included in the $10,000 per month fee that we will pay an affiliate of our sponsor for office space, administrative and support services. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.

 

Employees

 

As of the effective date of this prospectus, we will have 3 officers. Members of our management team are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters but they intend to devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time that our officers or any other members of our management team will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the current stage of the business combination process.

 

Periodic Reporting and Financial Information

 

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

 

We will provide shareholders with audited financial statements of the prospective target business as part of the tender offer materials or proxy solicitation materials sent to shareholders to assist them in assessing the target business. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with, or be reconciled to, U.S. GAAP, or IFRS, depending on the circumstances and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the PCAOB. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may acquire because some targets may be unable to provide such statements in time for us to disclose such statements in accordance with federal proxy rules and complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame. While this may limit the pool of potential acquisition candidates, we do not believe that this limitation will be material.

 

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We will be required to evaluate our internal control procedures for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021 as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer will we be required to have our internal control procedures audited. A target company may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of their internal controls. The development of the internal controls of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such acquisition.

 

Prior to the date of this prospectus, we will file a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Exchange Act. As a result, we will be subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act. We have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent to the consummation of our initial business combination.

 

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

 

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

 

We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our ordinary shares that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior December 31, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period. References herein to “emerging growth company” shall have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act.

 

Legal Proceedings

 

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

 

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MANAGEMENT

 

Directors and Officers

 

Upon consummation of this offering, our directors and officers will be as follows:

 

Name

 

Age

 

Position

Mohamed Semary   50   Chief Executive Officer and Chairman
Claudius Tsang   44   Chief Investment Officer
Serena Shie   31  

President, Chief Financial Officer, and Director

Patrick Tsang   44   Director
Joseph Chu   53   Director
Brian Keng   27   Director

 

MrMohamed Semary has served as our Chief Executive Officer since January, 2021 and will become our Chairman upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. Mr. Semary has twenty-five years of experience in emerging markets, private equity, advisory and business development in the MENA region. Mr. Semary is a Founding Partner at PSB Advisory (“PSB”) where he has served since 2013. PSB provides a range of services, including M&A, corporate and placement advisory, as well as investment portfolio optimization. From 2006 to 2013, Mr. Semary was a Partner at the Abraaj Group (the “Abraaj Group”). He spent eight years with the firm in a role encompassing fundraising, deal origination and maintaining relationships with institutional investors and Limited Partners, globally. Within the Abraaj Group, Mr. Semary helped manage a team of 25 dedicated coverage professionals, based out of five offices across the globe, and covering institutions in the Middle East, United States and Europe. During Mr. Semary’s tenure, the Abraaj Group grew from $800m to $8 billion of Assets Under Management, across emerging markets. While at Abraaj, Mohamed was also the CEO of MENASA Capital Management (“MCM”), a sister company of the Abraaj Group and a leading public markets asset manager in the MENASA region.  From 1997 to 2006, Mr. Semary undertook several entrepreneurial ventures and held various positions, including five years at EFG-Hermes, a financial services company that provides investment banking products and services primarily in the Egypt, Gulf Cooperation Council, and Lebanon. While at EFG-Hermes, he held a number of positions including Country Head of EFG-Hermes Algeria SPA and Head of Corporate Business Development. Mr. Semary’s responsibilities encompassed brokerage, advisory and corporate development across MENA. Mr. Semary holds a B.A. degree from American University in Cairo in political science.

 

Mr. Claudius Tsang has served as our Chief Investment Officer since the company’s inception in January 2021. Mr. Tsang has over 20 years of experience in capital markets, with a strong track record of success in private equity, M&A transactions and PIPE investments with a focus on Greater China and other emerging markets. Mr. Tsang was co-head of private equity, North Asia of Templeton Asset Management Ltd and a partner of Templeton Private Equity Partners, a leading global emerging markets private equity firm that is part of Franklin Templeton Investments. During his 15 year career at Templeton, Mr. Tsang served in various positions, including partner, senior executive director and vice president. Mr. Tsang was responsible for the overall investment, management and operation activities of Templeton Private Equity Partners in North Asia. His role encompassed overseeing the analysis and evaluation of opportunities for strategic equity investment in Asia, including China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. During his tenure, Mr. Tsang managed $1 billion in private equity funds, with approximately 50 portfolio companies. He was involved in the management of a $3 billion fund, which was the largest Central Eastern European listed closed-end fund at the time of IPO in London. From July 2007 to June 2008, Mr. Tsang joined Lehman Brothers, where he managed private equity projects in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and the United States. At Lehman Brothers, Mr. Tsang managed $500 million proprietary funds. Mr. Tsang has served as a director of the CFA Society of Hong Kong from 2013 to 2021. Mr. Tsang obtained his MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 2017, the second bachelor degree of law from Tsinghua University in 2005 and a bachelor degree of engineering from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1998. He is a charterholder of Chartered Financial Analyst from the CFA Institute.

 

Ms. Serena Shie has served as our President, Chief Financial Officer and as a member of our board of directors since the company’s inception in January 2021. Ms. Shie has a decade of experience in capital markets, property development and entrepreneurship. Since 2017, Ms. Shie has been the chief investment officer of Shiji Dingfeng Investment Co, Ltd., Huanya International Co., Ltd. and Quanzhou Chiyuan Trade Co., Ltd., where she led an early investment round of 85 million RMB into Enovate Motors, a leading electric vehicle manufacturer in China. During her tenure, the valuation of the acquisition increased to approximately 1.6 billion RMB. Ms. Shie has also served as President of Lion Pride Properties Inc. since 2018, which invests into development of high rises in Manila, Philippines. Ms. Shie has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Jumpstart Media since March of 2020, and is overseeing the growth of the office. Jumpstart Media is one of the largest English print publication in APAC covering tech startups with a presence in 11 countries. From 2015 to 2017, Ms. Shie was an associate in the Hong Kong office of Latham & Watkins, LLP, where she worked on capital market transactions, with a focus on debt offerings, IPO and M&A. Prior to joining Latham & Watkins, Ms. Shie was the Chief Operating Officer of Silent Models LLC from 2011 to 2012 where she oversaw the growth of one of New York’s top boutique modeling agencies. Ms. Shie serves as the Director of Shenzhen Women’s Association and the Chair of Shie Scholarship Committee at Yongning Zhentao Elementary School. Ms. Shie holds a Bachelors from New York University, and a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School.

 

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Mr. Patrick Tsang will serve as a member of our board of directors upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. Mr. Tsang has over 20 years of experience in capital markets, with a strong track record of success in IPOs and M&A transactions with a focus on Asia cross border transactions. From October 2016, Mr. Tsang has served as the Chairman of Tsang Group, a family office headquartered in Hong Kong with a global presence, including in London, Beijing and Shenzhen. Under Mr. Tsang’s leadership, the Tsang Group expanded to invest in special situations globally with a sector and location agnostic outlook. Under Mr. Tsang’s leadership, Tsang Group expanded to invest into property in the United Kingdom and other regions including Hong Kong, as well as other sectors including technology. Mr. Tsang has also served as the Chairman of Block T Ventures since December 2018, which focuses on blockchain and fintech technology. Mr. Tsang was one of the founders of Aquavit London, and was the Chairman from October 2015 to December 2018. Mr. Tsang has also been a partner of Hui & Lam Solicitors LLP in Hong Kong since October 2016 and is a qualified solicitor in England, Wales and Hong Kong. He holds an LLB, Bachelor of Laws, from Kingston University.  Mr. Tsang was voted China Economic Person of the Year in 2014. We believe that Mr. Tsang is qualified to serve on our board of directors based on his transaction expertise.

 

Mr. Joseph Chu will serve as a member of our board of directors upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. Mr. Chu has around 30 years of experience in origination and execution of equity capital market and corporate finance transactions in Asia, including M&A, fund raising, asset injections, IPOs, and restructuring. Mr. Chu began his career at Morgan Stanley and has held positions in the investment banking division of a number of global banks, including Morgan Grenfell (presently Deutsche Bank), SBC Warburg (Presently UBS) and Rothschild, where he served as a member of the board of directors in Hong Kong and a board member of a direct investment fund sponsored by Rothschild and the CITIC Group which was one of the first China direct investment funds ever established. From 2007 to 2009, Mr. Chu was Managing Director and Head of Hong Kong Coverage of CLSA Limited, an institutional brokerage and investment group, where he was responsible for the bank’s investment banking activities in Hong Kong and the PRC. In 2009, Mr. Chu established a joint venture with Galaxy Asset Management, an alternative investment company, under which he raised and managed an event driven fund and also set up a special situation fund and a corporate finance advisory firm. He acted as managing director and portfolio manager of Galaxy Asset Management, one of the earliest hedge funds established in Hong Kong with asset under management in excess of $1 billion. In 2011, Mr. Chu bought out Galaxy’s shares in the joint venture and renamed it Odysseus Capital Asia Limited. Over the last decade, Mr. Chu has been the Chairman, CEO of Odysseus Capital Group from 2011. Under his leadership, Odysseus Capital Group has expanded to cover a broad range of capital markets transactions, including restructuring, pre-IPO, IPO and M&A transactions. Mr. Chu is a Fellow Member of Hong Kong Institute of Directors and is a former director of Yan Oi Tong, one of the six largest charitable organizations in HK, and a member of its investment committee. Mr. Chu obtained an MBA from Imperial College London and a BEng degree in Chemical Engineering from University College London. We believe that Mr. Chu is qualified to serve on our board of directors based on his expertise in finance and his transaction expertise.

 

Mr. Brian Keng will serve as a member of our board of directors upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. Mr. Keng is experienced in management, advisory and business development in China and the Philippines. Since 2017 Mr. Keng has served as the COO of Century Peak Holdings Corporation and CEO of Century Peak Energy Corporation. Century Peak Holdings Corporation  invests and operates in a range of projects including mining, cement, steel, construction, land reclamation, and property development. Mr. Keng’s experience with the energy sector led him to become CEO of Century Peak Energy Corporation. Century Peak Energy Corporation focuses on building, owning and operating renewable energy assets such as hydro power projects. Within Century Peak, Mr. Keng helped manage a team of over 300 staff, based out of offices in Philippines, Hong Kong and Greater China. Since 2017, Mr. Keng has been the president of Shiji Dingfeng Investment Co, Ltd., Huanya International Co., Ltd., and Quanzhou Chiyuan Trade Co., Ltd., where he supervised an early investment round of 85 million RMB into Enovate Motors, a leading electric vehicle manufacturer in China. During his tenure, the valuation of the acquisition increased to approximately 1.6 billion RMB. Due to this involvement, Mr. Keng became the CEO of Enovate Motors Philippines, which is the official distributor of Enovate vehicles, charging station, and app development in the Philippines. Mr. Keng graduated from the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance. We believe that Mr. Keng is qualified to serve on our board of directors based on his management experience.

 

None of our management team has any experience with blank check companies. As such, there is no guarantee that we will be successful with respect to any business combination we may consummate or that we will be able to identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination. As such, there is no guarantee that we will be successful with respect to any business combination we may consummate or that we will be able to identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination.

 

Involvement in Certain Legal Proceedings

 

Except as described below, to the best of our knowledge, none of our directors or executive officers has, during the past ten years:

 

  been convicted in a criminal proceeding or been subject to a pending criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations and other minor offenses);

 

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  had any bankruptcy petition filed by or against the business or property of the person, or of any partnership, corporation or business association of which he was a general partner or executive officer, either at the time of the bankruptcy filing or within two years prior to that time;

 

  been subject to any order, judgment, or decree, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, by any court of competent jurisdiction or federal or state authority, permanently or temporarily enjoining, barring, suspending or otherwise limiting, his involvement in any type of business, securities, futures, commodities, investment, banking, savings and loan, or insurance activities, or to be associated with persons engaged in any such activity;

 

  been found by a court of competent jurisdiction in a civil action or by the Commission or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to have violated a federal or state securities or commodities law, and the judgment has not been reversed, suspended, or vacated;

 

  been the subject of, or a party to, any federal or state judicial or administrative order, judgment, decree, or finding, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated (not including any settlement of a civil proceeding among private litigants), relating to an alleged violation of any federal or state securities or commodities law or regulation, any law or regulation respecting financial institutions or insurance companies including, but not limited to, a temporary or permanent injunction, order of disgorgement or restitution, civil money penalty or temporary or permanent cease-and-desist order, or removal or prohibition order, or any law or regulation prohibiting mail or wire fraud or fraud in connection with any business entity; or

 

  been the subject of, or a party to, any sanction or order, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, of any self-regulatory organization (as defined in Section 3(a)(26) of the Exchange Act), any registered entity (as defined in Section 1(a)(29) of the Commodity Exchange Act), or any equivalent exchange, association, entity or organization that has disciplinary authority over its members or persons associated with a member.

 

Number, Terms of Office and Election of Officers and Directors

 

Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we expect that our Board of Directors will consist of members. Holders of our founder shares will have the right to elect all of our directors prior to consummation of our initial business combination and holders of our public shares will not have the right to vote on the election of directors during such time. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may only be amended by a resolution passed by holders of at least a majority of our ordinary shares who are eligible to vote and attend and vote in a general meeting our shareholders. Each of our directors will hold office for a two-year term. Subject to any other special rights applicable to the shareholders, any vacancies on our Board of Directors may be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors present and voting at the meeting of our board or by a majority of the holders of our founder shares.

 

Our officers are elected by the Board of Directors and serve at the discretion of the Board of Directors, rather than for specific terms of office. Our Board of Directors is authorized to appoint persons to the offices set forth in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association as it deems appropriate. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that our officers may consist of a Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer, Vice Presidents, Secretary, Assistant Secretaries, Treasurer and such other offices as may be determined by the Board of Directors.

 

Collectively, through their positions described above, our officers and directors have extensive experience in public companies and in the consumer/lifestyle industry. These individuals will play a key role in identifying and evaluating prospective acquisition candidates, selecting the target businesses, and structuring, negotiating and consummating the acquisition.

 

Director Independence

 

The NASDAQ listing standards require that a majority of our Board of Directors be independent. An “independent director” is defined generally as a person who has no material relationship with the listed company (either directly or as a partner, shareholder or officer of an organization that has a relationship with the company). Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we expect to have two “independent directors” as defined in the NASDAQ listing standards and applicable SEC rules prior to completion of this offering. Our board has determined that each of Messrs. Chu, Keng and Tsang are independent directors under applicable SEC and NASDAQ rules. Our independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.

 

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Officer and Director Compensation

 

None of our officers or directors have received any cash compensation for services rendered to us. Commencing on the date that our securities are first listed on NASDAQ through the earlier of consummation of our initial business combination and our liquidation, we will pay an affiliate of our sponsor a total of $10,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services. Our sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates, will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers, directors or our or their affiliates.

 

After the completion of our initial business combination, directors or members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting, management or other fees from the combined company. All of these fees will be fully disclosed to shareholders, to the extent then known, in the tender offer materials or proxy solicitation materials furnished to our shareholders in connection with a proposed business combination. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time such materials are distributed, because the directors of the post-combination business will be responsible for determining officer and director compensation. Any compensation to be paid to our officers will be determined by a compensation committee constituted solely by independent directors.

 

We do not intend to take any action to ensure that members of our management team maintain their positions with us after the consummation of our initial business combination, although it is possible that some or all of our officers and directors may negotiate employment or consulting arrangements to remain with us after the initial business combination. The existence or terms of any such employment or consulting arrangements to retain their positions with us may influence our management’s motivation in identifying or selecting a target business but we do not believe that the ability of our management to remain with us after the consummation of our initial business combination will be a determining factor in our decision to proceed with any potential business combination. We are not party to any agreements with our officers and directors that provide for benefits upon termination of employment.

 

Committees of the Board of Directors

 

Upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms part, our Board of Directors will have three standing committees: an audit committee, a compensation committee and a nominating committee. Each committee will operate under a charter that has been approved by our board and will have the composition and responsibilities described below. Subject to phase-in rules and a limited exception, NASDAQ rules and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act require that the audit committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors, and NASDAQ rules require that the compensation committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors.

 

Audit Committee

 

Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish an audit committee of the Board of Directors. The members of our audit committee will be Messrs. Chu, Keng and Tsang. Mr. Chu will serve as chairman of the audit committee.

 

Each member of the audit committee is financially literate and our Board of Directors has determined that Mr. Chu qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules.

 

We will adopt an audit committee charter, which will detail the principal functions of the audit committee, including:

 

  the appointment, compensation, retention, replacement, and oversight of the work of the independent auditors and any other independent registered public accounting firm engaged by us;

 

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  pre-approving all audit and non-audit services to be provided by the independent auditors or any other registered public accounting firm engaged by us, and establishing pre-approval policies and procedures;

 

  reviewing and discussing with the independent auditors all relationships the auditors have with us in order to evaluate their continued independence;

 

  setting clear hiring policies for employees or former employees of the independent auditors;

 

  setting clear policies for audit partner rotation in compliance with applicable laws and regulations;

 

  obtaining and reviewing a report, at least annually, from the independent auditors describing (i) the independent auditor’s internal quality-control procedures and (ii) any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality-control review, or peer review, of the audit firm, or by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities, within, the preceding five years respecting one or more independent audits carried out by the firm and any steps taken to deal with such issues;

 

  reviewing and approving any related party transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC prior to us entering into such transaction; and

 

  reviewing with management, the independent auditors, and our legal advisors, as appropriate, any legal, regulatory or compliance matters, including any correspondence with regulators or government agencies and any employee complaints or published reports that raise material issues regarding our financial statements or accounting policies and any significant changes in accounting standards or rules promulgated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the SEC or other regulatory authorities.

 

Compensation Committee

 

Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish a compensation committee of the Board of Directors. The members of our Compensation Committee will be Messrs. Chu, Keng and Tsang. Mr. Chu will serve as chairman of the compensation committee. We will adopt a compensation committee charter, which will detail the principal functions of the compensation committee, including:

 

  reviewing and approving on an annual basis the corporate goals and objectives relevant to our Chief Executive Officer’s compensation, evaluating our Chief Executive Officer’s performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration (if any) of our Chief Executive Officer’s based on such evaluation;

 

  reviewing and approving the compensation of all of our other officers;

 

  reviewing our executive compensation policies and plans;

 

  implementing and administering our incentive compensation equity-based remuneration plans;

 

  assisting management in complying with our proxy statement and annual report disclosure requirements;

 

  approving all special perquisites, special cash payments and other special compensation and benefit arrangements for our officers and employees;

 

  producing a report on executive compensation to be included in our annual proxy statement; and

 

  reviewing, evaluating and recommending changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration for directors.

 

The charter will also provide that the compensation committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser and will be directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of any such adviser. However, before engaging or receiving advice from a compensation consultant, external legal counsel or any other adviser, the compensation committee will consider the independence of each such adviser, including the factors required by NASDAQ and the SEC.

 

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Nominating Committee

 

Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish a nominating committee of the board of directors, which will consist of Messrs. Chu, Keng and Tsang, each of whom is an independent director under the NASDAQ listing standards. Mr. Keng will serve as chairman of the nominating committee. The nominating committee is responsible for overseeing the selection of persons to be nominated to serve on our board of directors. The nominating committee considers persons identified by its members, management, shareholders, investment bankers and others.

 

Guidelines for Selecting Director Nominees

 

The guidelines for selecting nominees, which are specified in the nominating committee charter, generally provide that persons to be nominated:

 

  should have demonstrated notable or significant achievements in business, education or public service;

 

  should possess the requisite intelligence, education and experience to make a significant contribution to the board of directors and bring a range of skills, diverse perspectives and backgrounds to its deliberations; and

 

  should have the highest ethical standards, a strong sense of professionalism and intense dedication to serving the interests of the shareholders.

 

The nominating committee will consider a number of qualifications relating to management and leadership experience, background and integrity and professionalism in evaluating a person’s candidacy for membership on the board of directors. The nominating committee may require certain skills or attributes, such as financial or accounting experience, to meet specific board needs that arise from time to time and will also consider the overall experience and makeup of its members to obtain a broad and diverse mix of board members. The nominating committee does not distinguish among nominees recommended by shareholders and other persons.

 

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

 

None of our officers currently serves, and in the past year has not served, (i) as a member of the compensation committee or Board of Directors of another entity, one of whose executive officers served on our compensation committee, or (ii) as a member of the compensation committee of another entity, one of whose executive officers served on our Board of Directors.

 

Code of Ethics

 

Prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, we will have adopted a Code of Ethics applicable to our directors, officers and employees. We will file a copy of our form of Code of Ethics and our audit committee charter as exhibits to the registration statement. You will be able to review these documents by accessing our public filings at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. In addition, a copy of the Code of Ethics will be provided without charge upon request from us. We intend to disclose any amendments to or waivers of certain provisions of our Code of Ethics in a Current Report on Form 8-K. See “Where You Can Find Additional Information.”

 

Conflicts of Interest

 

Under British Virgin Islands law, directors and officers owe the following fiduciary duties:

 

  duty to act in good faith in what the director or officer believes to be in the best interests of the company as a whole;

 

  duty to exercise powers for the purposes for which those powers were conferred and not for a collateral purpose;

 

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  directors should not improperly fetter the exercise of future discretion;

 

  duty to exercise powers fairly as between different classes of shareholders;

 

  duty not to put themselves in a position in which there is a conflict between their duty to the company and their personal interests; and

 

  duty to exercise independent judgment.

 

In addition to the above, directors also owe a duty of care which is not fiduciary in nature. This duty has been defined as a requirement to act as a reasonably diligent person having both the general knowledge, skill and experience that may reasonably be expected of a person carrying out the same functions as are carried out by that director in relation to the company and the general knowledge skill and experience which that director has.

 

As set out above, directors have a duty not to put themselves in a position of conflict and this includes a duty not to engage in self-dealing, or to otherwise benefit as a result of their position. However, in some instances what would otherwise be a breach of this duty can be forgiven and/or authorized in advance by the shareholders provided that there is full disclosure by the directors. This can be done by way of permission granted in the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or alternatively by shareholder approval at general meetings.

 

Each of our directors and officers presently has, and in the future any of our directors and our officers may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present acquisition opportunities to such entity. Accordingly, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under British Virgin Islands law, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of an acquisition opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will need to honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such acquisition opportunity to such entity, and only present it to us if such entity rejects the opportunity. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under British Virgin Islands law, we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any officer or director unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue. We do not believe, however, that any fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our directors or officers would materially undermine our ability to complete our business combination.

 

Our sponsor, officers and directors may become officers or directors of other special purpose acquisition companies. Notwithstanding that, such officers and directors will continue to have a pre-existing fiduciary obligation to us and we will, therefore, have priority over any special purpose acquisition companies they subsequently join. Potential investors should also be aware of the following other potential conflicts of interest:

 

  None of our officers or directors is required to commit his or her full time to our affairs and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating his or her time among various business activities.

 

  In the course of their other business activities, our officers and directors may become aware of investment and business opportunities which may be appropriate for presentation to us as well as the other entities with which they are affiliated. Our management may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented. For a complete description of our management’s other affiliations, see “— Directors and Officers.”

 

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  Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to our founder shares and public shares in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination. Additionally, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within 18 months after the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time). If we do not complete our initial business combination within such applicable time period, the proceeds of the sale of the private placement units held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares, and the warrants and rights will expire worthless. With certain limited exceptions, the founder shares will not be transferable, assignable or salable by our sponsor until the earlier of (1) six months after the completion of our initial business combination and (2) the date on which we consummate a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization, or other similar transaction after our initial business combination that results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the last sale price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, rights issuances, subdivisions, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after our initial business combination, the founder shares will be released from the lock-up. With certain limited exceptions, the private placement units, private placement shares, private placement warrants, private placement rights and the Class A ordinary shares underlying such warrants and rights will not be transferable, assignable or salable by our sponsor until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. Since our sponsor and officers and directors may directly or indirectly own ordinary shares, warrants and rights following this offering, our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination.

 

  Our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.

 

The conflicts described above may not be resolved in our favor.

 

Accordingly, as a result of multiple business affiliations, our officers and directors may have similar legal obligations relating to presenting business opportunities meeting the above-listed criteria to multiple entities. Below is a table summarizing the entities to which our officers and directors currently have fiduciary duties or contractual obligations:

 

Individual   Entity(1)   Entity’s Business   Affiliation
Mohamed Semary   PSB Advisory Group Ltd  

Financial Advisory

Placement Advisory

  Founder and
Managing Partner
    PSB Advisory Ltd  

Financial Advisory

Placement Advisory

  Founder and Managing Partner
Claudius Tsang  

JVSakk Asset Management Limited

 

  Asset Management   Partner
    Ocean Media   Media   Consultant Partner
    ACH   Financial Services   Investment Director
    Female Entrepreneurs Worldwide   Internet Community   Advisor
    FashionTech   Retail   Managing Director
    Beijing ReeChain Technology Limited   Blockchain   Director
Serena Shie   Jumpstart Media Limited   Management   Chief Executive
Officer
    Shenzhen Women’s Association   Association   Director
    Shie Scholarship Committee at
Yongning Zhentao Elementary
School
  Committee   Chair
    泉州驰源贸易有限公司   Investments   Chief Investment Officer
    东方创艺有限公司   Investments   Chief Investment Officer
    泉州亘拓企业咨询管理有限公司   Investments   Chief Investment Officer
    世纪顶峰投资有限公司   Investments   Chief Investment Officer
    寰亚国际有限公司   Investments   Chief Investment Officer
    Lion Pride Properties, Inc.   Property Development   President
Patrick Tsang   Tsangs Group Holdings Limited   Investment Holding   Chairman & Founder
    Aquavit Club Limited   Investment Holding   Director & Founder
    Aquavit Restaurant Holding
Limited
  Investment Holding   Director
    Block T Ventures Limited   Investment Holding   Director
    Bright Advantage Limited   Investment Holding   Director
    Cabin Hill Holdings Limited   Investment Holding   Director & Founder
    Firefly Group Holdings Limited   Trading and Investment   Director & Founder
    Gofast Group Holdings Limited   Investment Holding   Director & Founder
    Gofast Hospitality Group Limited   Hospitality   Director & Founder
    Hui & Lam LLP   Law Firm   Partner
    Malven Group Limited   Investment Holding   Director & Founder
    Noble Mining Holdings Limited   Investment Holding   Director
    Ox Financial Group Limited   Investment Holding   Director
    Ox Global Fund SPC   Fund   Director
    Ox Global Technology Fund SPC   Fund   Director
    Shining Global Enterprise Limited   Lending Services   Director
    Young Admiral Limited   Investment Holding   Director & Founder
Joseph Chu   Odysseus Capital Asia Limited   Corporate Finance   Founder and Chief
Executive Officer
    Odysseus Capital Management Limited   Investment Advisory and Management   Founder and Chief
Executive Officer
    Odysseus Capital Holdings Limited   Investment Holding   Director
    Homer International Investment Limited   Investments   Director
    CTG (HK) Company Limited   Investment Holding   Director
    Interstate Global Investment Limited   Investment Holding   Director
    Hong Kong Institute of Directors   Fellow Association   Fellow Member
    Yan Oi Tong   Charitable Organization   Director and Investment Committee Member
Brian Keng   泉州驰源贸易有限公司   Investments   President
    东方创艺有限公司   Investments   President
    泉州亘拓企业咨询管理有限公司   Investments   President
    世纪顶峰投资有限公司   Investments   President
    寰亚国际有限公司   Investments   President
    Enovate Motors Philippines   Electric Vehicles   Chief Executive
Officer
    Century Peak Holdings Corporation   Investments   Chief Operating
Officer
    Lion Pride Properties, Inc.   Property Development   Partner

  

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Accordingly, if any of the above officers or directors become aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for any of the above entities to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity, and only present it to us if such entity rejects the opportunity, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under British Virgin Islands law. We do not believe, however, that any of the foregoing fiduciary duties or contractual obligations will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination, because the specific industry focuses of a majority of these entities differ from our focus on consumer/lifestyle businesses and the type or size of the transaction that such companies would most likely consider are of a size and nature substantially different than what we are targeting.

 

We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with such a company, we, or a committee of independent directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent firm that commonly renders valuation opinions for the type of company we are seeking to acquire or an independent accounting firm, that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.

 

In the event that we submit our initial business combination to our public shareholders for a vote, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to the terms of a letter agreement entered into with us, to vote any founder shares held by them (and their permitted transferees will agree) and any public shares purchased during or after the offering in favor of our initial business combination.

 

Limitation on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors

 

BVI law does not limit the extent to which a company’s articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent any provision providing indemnification may be held by the BVI courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against civil fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. Under our memorandum and articles of association, we indemnify against all expenses, including legal fees, and against all judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement and reasonably incurred in connection with legal, administrative or investigative proceedings for any person who:

 

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  is or was a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed proceedings, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that the person is or was our director; or

 

  is or was, at our request, serving as a director or officer of, or in any other capacity is or was acting for, another body corporate or a partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise.

 

These indemnities only apply if the person acted honestly and in good faith with a view to our best interests and, in the case of criminal proceedings, the person had no reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful.

 

This standard of conduct is generally the same as permitted under the Delaware General Corporation Law for a Delaware corporation. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers or persons controlling us under the foregoing provisions, we have been advised that in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

 

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PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS

 

The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our ordinary shares as of the date of this prospectus, and as adjusted to reflect the sale of our Class A ordinary shares included in the units offered by this prospectus, and assuming no purchase of units in this offering, by:

 

  each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares;

 

  each of our officers, directors and director nominees that beneficially own ordinary shares; and

 

  all our officers, directors and director nominees as a group.

 

Unless otherwise indicated, we believe that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all ordinary shares beneficially owned by them. The following table does not reflect record or beneficial ownership of the private placement warrants or private placement rights as these warrants are not exercisable and these rights are not convertible within 60 days of the date of this prospectus.

 

The below assumes that the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option, that our sponsor forfeits 187,500 founder shares, and that there 6,520,000 are ordinary shares issued and outstanding after this offering.

 

   Before Offering   After Offering 
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1)  Number 
of Ordinary
Shares 
Beneficially 
Owned(2)
   Approximate 
Percentage of 
Outstanding 
Ordinary
Shares
   Number 
of Ordinary Shares 
Beneficially 
Owned
   Approximate 
Percentage of 
Outstanding 
Ordinary
Shares
 
First Euro Investments Limited Company(2)   1,437,500    100.0%   1,470,000    22.5%
Mohamed Semary                
Claudius Tsang       %       %
Serena Shie                
Patrick Tsang                
Joseph Chu                
Brian Keng                
                 
All executive officers and directors as a group (6 individuals)   1,437,500    100.0%   1,470,000    22.5%

 

(1) Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each of the following entities or individuals is Cheung Kong Center, 58 Floor, Unit 5801, 2 Queens Road Central, Central, Hong Kong.

(2)

Our sponsor is controlled by Yuet Bun Wu.

 

Immediately after this offering, our sponsor will beneficially own approximately 20% of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares and will have the right to elect all of our directors prior to our initial business combination as a result of holding all of the founder shares. Holders of our public shares will not have the right to elect any directors to our Board of Directors prior to our initial business combination. In addition, because of their ownership block, our sponsor may be able to effectively influence the outcome of all other matters requiring approval by our shareholders, including amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and approval of significant corporate transactions.

 

Our sponsor has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 220,000 units (or 235,000 units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit for an aggregate purchase price of $2,200,000, or $2,350,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Each private placement unit will be identical to the units sold in this offering, except as described in this prospectus. The purchase price of the private placement units will be added to the proceeds from this offering to be held in the trust account pending our completion of our initial business combination. If we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time), the proceeds of the sale of the private placement units held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares.

 

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Our sponsor and our officers and directors are deemed to be our “promoters” as such term is defined under the federal securities laws. See “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions” for additional information regarding our relationships with our promoters.

 

Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units

 

The founder shares, and private placement units, and securities contained therein, are each subject to transfer restrictions pursuant to lock-up provisions in a letter agreement with us to be entered into by our sponsor, officers and directors. Those lock-up provisions provide that such securities are not transferable or salable (i) in the case of the founder shares, until the earlier of (A) six months after the completion of our initial business combination or (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the last sale price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, rights issuances, subdivisions, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after our initial business combination, or (y) the date following the completion of our initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property, and (ii) in the case of the private placement units, including the component securities therein, until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, except in each case (a) to our officers or directors, any affiliates or family members of any of our officers or directors, any members of our sponsor, or any affiliates of our sponsor, (b) in the case of an individual, by gift to a member of the individual’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of the individual’s immediate family or an affiliate of such person, or to a charitable organization; (c) in the case of an individual, by virtue of laws of descent and distribution upon death of the individual; (d) in the case of an individual, pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order; (e) in the event of our liquidation prior to our completion of our initial business combination; or (f) by virtue of the laws of the British Virgin Islands or our sponsor’s operating agreement upon dissolution of our sponsor; provided, however, that in the case of clauses (a) through (e) or (f) these permitted transferees must enter into a written agreement agreeing to be bound by these transfer restrictions and by the same agreements entered into by our sponsor with respect to such securities (including provisions relating to voting, the trust account and liquidation distributions described elsewhere in this prospectus).

 

Registration Rights

 

The holders of the founder shares, private placement units, shares being issued to the underwriters of this offering, and units that may be issued on conversion of working capital loans (and in each case holders of their component securities, as applicable) will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering requiring us to register such securities for resale (in the case of the founder shares, only after conversion to our Class A ordinary shares). The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that we register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination and rights to require us to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. However, the registration rights agreement provides that we will not permit any registration statement filed under the Securities Act to become effective until termination of the applicable lock-up period, which occurs (i) in the case of the founder shares, on the earlier of (A) six months after the completion of our initial business combination or (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the last sale price of Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, rights issuances, subdivisions, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after our initial business combination, or (y) the date following the completion of our initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property, and (ii) in the case of the private placement units, including the component securities therein, 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. Notwithstanding the above, the shares to be issued to the underwriters in this offering will be further subject to the limitations on registration requirements imposed by FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8). We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.

 

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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

In January 2021, our sponsor purchased 1,437,500 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,001, or approximately $0.017 per share. Our sponsor will own 20% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering (assuming it does not purchase units in this offering and excluding the private placement shares and the Representative’s shares) and will have the right to elect all of our directors prior to our initial business combination. If we increase or decrease the size of the offering, we will effect a capitalization or share surrender or redemption or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B ordinary shares immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of founder shares of our sponsor prior to this offering at 20% of our issued and ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering (excluding the private placement shares).

 

Our sponsor has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 220,000 units (or 235,000 units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Each private placement unit will be identical to the units sold in this offering, except as described in this prospectus. The private placement shares, the private placement warrants and the private placement rights (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants and upon conversion of the private placement rights) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by it until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to the founder shares, private placement shares, private placement warrants or private placement rights, which will expire worthless if we do not consummate a business combination within the allotted 18-month period (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time).

 

As more fully discussed in “Management — Conflicts of Interest,” if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity that falls within the line of business of any entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she may be required to present such business combination opportunity to such entity prior to presenting such business combination opportunity to us, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under British Virgin Islands law. Our officers and directors currently have certain relevant fiduciary duties or contractual obligations that may take priority over their duties to us.

 

We will enter into an Administrative Services Agreement with our sponsor pursuant to which we will pay a total of $10,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services to such affiliate. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees. Accordingly, in the event the consummation of our initial business combination takes the maximum 18 months (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time), an affiliate of our sponsor will be paid a total of $240,000 ($10,000 per month) for office space, administrative and support services and will be entitled to be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses.

 

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

 

As of the date of this prospectus, our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $200,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. As of January 18, 2021, we had borrowed $65,999 under the promissory note with our sponsor. These loans are non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of the closing of this offering or the date which the company determines not to conduct this offering. The loans will be repaid upon the closing of this offering. The value of our sponsor’s interest in this transaction corresponds to the principal amount outstanding under any such loan.

 

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In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete an initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that the initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,150,000 of such loans may be convertible into units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private placement units issued to the initial holders. The terms of such loans by our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account. Marcum LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, and the underwriters of the offering, will not execute agreements with us waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account.

 

After our initial business combination, members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting, management or other fees from the combined company with any and all amounts being fully disclosed to our shareholders, to the extent then known, in the tender offer or proxy solicitation materials, as applicable, furnished to our shareholders. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of distribution of such tender offer materials or at the time of a shareholder meeting held to consider our initial business combination, as applicable, as it will be up to the directors of the post-combination business to determine executive and director compensation.

 

We have entered into a registration rights agreement with respect to the founder shares, private placement units, the shares being issued to the underwriters of this offering, and units that may be issued on conversion of working capital loans (and in each case holders of their component securities, as applicable), which is described under the heading “Principal Shareholders — Registration Rights.”

 

Related Party Policy

 

We have not yet adopted a formal policy for the review, approval or ratification of related party transactions. Accordingly, the transactions discussed above were not reviewed, approved or ratified in accordance with any such policy.

 

Prior to the consummation of this offering, we will adopt a code of ethics requiring us to avoid, wherever possible, all conflicts of interests, except under guidelines or resolutions approved by our Board of Directors (or the appropriate committee of our board) or as disclosed in our public filings with the SEC. Under our code of ethics, conflict of interest situations will include any financial transaction, arrangement or relationship (including any indebtedness or guarantee of indebtedness) involving the company. A form of the code of ethics that we plan to adopt prior to the consummation of this offering is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.

 

In addition, our audit committee, pursuant to a written charter that we will adopt prior to the consummation of this offering, will be responsible for reviewing and approving related party transactions to the extent that we enter into such transactions. An affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the audit committee present at a meeting at which a quorum is present will be required in order to approve a related party transaction. A majority of the members of the entire audit committee will constitute a quorum. Without a meeting, the unanimous written consent of all of the members of the audit committee will be required to approve a related party transaction. A form of the audit committee charter that we plan to adopt prior to the consummation of this offering is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. We also require each of our directors and executive officers to complete a directors’ and officers’ questionnaire that elicits information about related party transactions.

 

These procedures are intended to determine whether any such related party transaction impairs the independence of a director or presents a conflict of interest on the part of a director, employee or officer.

 

To further minimize conflicts of interest, we have agreed not to consummate an initial business combination with an entity that is affiliated with any of our sponsor, officers or directors unless we, or a committee of independent directors, have obtained an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent firm that commonly renders valuation opinions for the type of company we are seeking to acquire or an independent accounting firm, that our initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. Furthermore, no finder’s fees, reimbursements or cash payments will be made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates, for services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. However, the following payments will be made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates, none of which will be made from the proceeds of this offering held in the trust account prior to the completion of our initial business combination:

 

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  Repayment of up to an aggregate of up to $200,000 in loans made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses;

 

  Payment to an affiliate of our sponsor of $10,000 per month, for up to 18 months (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time), for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support;

 

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

 

  Repayment of loans which may be made by our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, the terms of which have not been determined nor have any written agreements been executed with respect thereto. Up to $1,150,000 of such loans may be convertible into units, at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender.

 

Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

 

We are a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands as a BVI business company (company number 2052194) and our affairs are governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act and common law of the British Virgin Islands. Pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association which will be adopted upon the consummation of this offering, we will be authorized to issue 100,000,000 Class A ordinary shares with no par value each, 10,000,000 Class B ordinary shares with no par value each and 1,000,000 preference shares with no par value each. The following description summarizes certain terms of our shares as set out more particularly in our memorandum and articles of association. Because it is only a summary, it may not contain all the information that is important to you.

 

Units

 

Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one Class A ordinary share, one-half of one warrant and one right. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, a warrantholder may exercise his, her or its warrants only for a whole number of Class A ordinary shares. This means that only a whole warrant may be exercised at any given time by a warrantholder. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least two units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant.

 

Each right entitles the holder thereof to receive one-tenth of one Class A ordinary share upon completion of our initial business combination. We will not issue fractional shares in connection with an exchange of rights. Fractional shares will either be rounded down to the nearest whole share or otherwise addressed in accordance with the applicable provisions of British Virgin Islands law. As a result, you must hold rights in multiples of 10 in order to receive shares for all of your rights upon closing of a business combination.

 

The ordinary shares, warrants and rights comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the closing of this offering unless Maxim informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the Class A ordinary shares, warrants and rights commence separate trading, holders will have the option to continue to hold units or separate their units into the component securities. Holders will need to have their brokers contact our transfer agent in order to separate the units into Class A ordinary shares, warrants and rights.

 

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

 

Ordinary Shares

 

Upon the closing of this offering 6,520,000 ordinary shares will be issued and outstanding (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option and the corresponding forfeiture of 187,500 founder shares by our sponsor), including:

 

  5,000,000 Class A ordinary shares underlying the units being offered in this offering;

 

  220,000 Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement units;

 

  1,250,000 Class B ordinary shares held by our sponsor; and

 

  50,000 Class A ordinary shares held by Maxim.

 

If we increase or decrease the size of the offering, we will effect a capitalization or share surrender or redemption or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B ordinary shares immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of founder shares by our sponsor prior to this offering at 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering (excluding the private placement shares).

 

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Class A ordinary shareholders and Class B ordinary shareholders of record are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by shareholders and vote together as a single class, except as required by law; provided, that holders of our Class B ordinary shares will have the right to elect all of our directors prior to our initial business combination and holders of our Class A ordinary shares will not be entitled to vote on the election of directors during such time. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may only be amended by a resolution passed by holders of at least a majority of our ordinary shares who are eligible to vote and attend and vote in a general meeting our shareholders. Unless specified in the Companies Act, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or applicable stock exchange rules, the affirmative vote of a majority of our ordinary shares that are voted is required to approve any such matter voted on by our shareholders (other than the election of directors), and the affirmative vote of a majority of our founder shares is required to approve the election of directors. Directors are elected for a term of two years. There is no cumulative voting with respect to the election of directors, with the result that the holders of more than 50% of the founder shares voted for the election of directors can elect all of the directors. Our shareholders are entitled to receive ratable dividends when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available therefor.

 

Because our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will authorize the issuance of up to 100,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, if we were to enter into a business combination, we may (depending on the terms of such a business combination) be required to increase the number of ordinary shares which we are authorized to issue at the same time as our shareholders vote on the business combination to the extent we seek shareholder approval in connection with our initial business combination.

 

In accordance with NASDAQ corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until no later than one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on NASDAQ. There is no requirement under the Companies Act for us to hold annual or general meetings or elect directors. We may not hold an annual meeting of shareholders prior to the consummation of our initial business combination.

 

We will provide our Class A public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be approximately $10.00 per public share (subject to increase of up to an additional $0.20 per unit in the event that our sponsor elects to extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus). The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination.

 

Unlike many blank check companies that hold shareholder votes and conduct proxy solicitations in conjunction with their initial business combinations and provide for related redemptions of public shares for cash upon completion of such initial business combinations even when a vote is not required by law, if a shareholder vote is not required by law and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC, and file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require these tender offer documents to contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules. If, however, a shareholder approval of the transaction is required by law, or we decide to obtain shareholder approval for business or other legal reasons, we will, like many blank check companies, offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares voted are voted in favor of the business combination. However, the participation of our sponsor, officers, directors or their affiliates in privately-negotiated transactions (as described in this prospectus), if any, could result in the approval of our initial business combination even if a majority of our public shareholders vote, or indicate their intention to vote, against such business combination. For purposes of seeking approval of the majority of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares, non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial business combination once a quorum is obtained. We intend to give approximately 30 days (but not less than 10 days nor more than 60 days) prior written notice of any such meeting, if required, at which a vote shall be taken to approve our initial business combination.

 

If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the ordinary shares sold in this offering, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares.” However, we would not be restricting our shareholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination. Our shareholders’ inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce their influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination, and such shareholders could suffer a material loss in their investment if they sell such Excess Shares on the open market. Additionally, such shareholders will not receive redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares if we complete the business combination. And, as a result, such shareholders will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 15% and, in order to dispose such shares would be required to sell their shares in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.

 

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If we seek shareholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed (and their permitted transferees will agree), pursuant to the terms of a letter agreement entered into with us, to vote any founder shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination. Additionally, each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction.

 

Pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time), we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but no more than ten business days thereafter, 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 (which interest shall be net of taxes payable and less up to $50,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our Board of Directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under British Virgin Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time). However, if our sponsor acquires public shares after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time period.

 

In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the company after a business combination, our shareholders are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining available for distribution to them after payment of liabilities and after provision is made for each class of shares, if any, having preference over the ordinary shares. Our shareholders have no preemptive or other subscription rights. There are no sinking fund provisions applicable to the ordinary shares, except that we will provide our shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein.

 

Founder Shares

 

The founder shares are identical to the Class A ordinary shares included in the units being sold in this offering, and holders of founder shares have the same shareholder rights as public shareholders, except that (i) holders of the founder shares have the right to vote on the election of directors prior to our initial business combination, (ii) the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below, and (iii) our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed (A) to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and (B) to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time), although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within such time period and (iv) the founder shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment pursuant to certain anti-dilution rights, as described herein and in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. If we submit our initial business combination to our public shareholders for a vote, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed (and their permitted transferees will agree), pursuant to the terms of a letter agreement entered into with us, to vote any founder shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, in addition to our initial shareholder’s founder shares and private placement shares, we would need only 1,740,001, or 34.8%, of the 5,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of a transaction (assuming all outstanding shares are voted and all shares to be issued to Maxim and/or its designees are issued and outstanding and voted in favor of the business combination) in order to have our initial business combination approved or 110,001, or 2.2%, of the 5,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of a transaction (assuming only a quorum is present at such meeting held to vote on our initial business combination) (assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised and all shares to be issued to Maxim and/or its designees are issued and outstanding and voted in favor of the business combination).

 

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The Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for share splits, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, and subject to further adjustment as provided herein and in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. In the case that additional Class A ordinary shares, or equity-linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts sold in this offering and related to the closing of the business combination, the ratio at which Class B ordinary shares shall convert into Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the issued and outstanding Class B ordinary shares agree to waive such anti-dilution adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all Class B ordinary shares will equal, in the aggregate, 20% of the sum of all ordinary shares outstanding upon completion of this offering plus all Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued in connection with the business combination (excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination or any private placement-equivalent units issued to our sponsor or its affiliates upon conversion of loans made to us). Holders of founder shares may also elect to convert their Class B ordinary shares into an equal number of Class A ordinary shares, subject to adjustment as provided above, at any time. The term “equity-linked securities” refers to any debt or equity securities that are convertible, exercisable or exchangeable for our Class A ordinary shares issued in a financing transaction in connection with our initial business combination, including but not limited to a private placement of equity or debt. Securities could be “deemed issued” for purposes of the conversion adjustment if such shares are issuable upon the conversion or exercise of convertible securities, warrants or similar securities.

 

With certain limited exceptions, the founder shares are not transferable, assignable or salable (except to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with our sponsor, each of whom will be subject to the same transfer restrictions) until the earlier of (A) six months after the completion of our initial business combination or (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the last sale price of the Class A ordinary shares equal or exceed $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, rights issuances, subdivisions, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after our initial business combination, or (y) the date following the completion of our initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property.

 

Register of Members

 

Under the Companies Act, we must keep a register of members and there shall be entered therein:

 

  the names and addresses of the members of the company;

 

  the number of each class and series of registered shares held by each member;

 

  the date on which the name of any person was entered on the register as a member; and

 

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  the date on which any person ceased to be a member.

 

Under British Virgin Islands law, the register of members of our company is prima facie evidence of the matters set out therein (i.e. the register of members will raise a presumption of fact on the matters referred to above unless rebutted) and a member registered in the register of members shall be deemed as a matter of British Virgin Islands law to have legal title to the shares as set against its name in the register of members. Upon the closing of this public offering, the register of members shall be immediately updated to reflect the issue of shares by us. Once our register of members has been updated, the shareholders recorded in the register of members shall be deemed to have legal title to the shares set against their name. However, there are certain limited circumstances where an application may be made to a British Virgin Islands court for a determination on whether the register of members reflects the correct legal position. Further, the British Virgin Islands court has the power to order that the register of members maintained by a company should be rectified where it considers that the register of members does not reflect the correct legal position. If an application for an order for rectification of the register of members were made in respect of our ordinary shares, then the validity of such shares may be subject to re-examination by a British Virgin Islands court.

 

Preference Shares

 

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that preference shares may be issued from time to time in one or more series. Our Board of Directors will be authorized to fix the voting rights, if any, designations, powers, preferences, the relative, participating, optional or other special rights and any qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, applicable to the shares of each series. Our Board of Directors will be able to, without shareholder approval, issue preference shares with voting and other rights that could adversely affect the voting power and other rights of the holders of the ordinary shares and could have anti-takeover effects. The ability of our Board of Directors to issue preference shares without shareholder approval could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change of control of us or the removal of existing management. We have no preference shares outstanding at the date hereof. Although we do not currently intend to issue any preference shares, we cannot assure you that we will not do so in the future. No preference shares are being issued or registered in this offering.

 

Redeemable Warrants

 

Public Warrants

 

Each whole warrant entitles the registered holder to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as discussed below, at any time commencing on the later of 12 months from the date of this prospectus or 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, a warrantholder may exercise its warrants only for a whole number of Class A ordinary shares. This means that only a whole warrant may be exercised at any given time by a warrantholder. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least two units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant.

 

The warrants will expire five years after the completion of our initial business combination, at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.

 

We will not be obligated to deliver any Class A ordinary shares pursuant to the exercise of a warrant and will have no obligation to settle such warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to the Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants is then effective and a prospectus relating thereto is current, subject to our satisfying our obligations described below with respect to registration. No warrant will be exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis, and we will not be obligated to issue any shares to holders seeking to exercise their warrants, unless the issuance of the shares upon such exercise is registered or qualified under the securities laws of the state of the exercising holder, or an exemption is available. In the event that the conditions in the two immediately preceding sentences are not satisfied with respect to a warrant, the holder of such warrant will not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In the event that a registration statement is not effective for the exercised warrants, the purchaser of a unit containing such warrant will have paid the full purchase price for the unit solely for the Class A ordinary share underlying such unit.

 

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We have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our best efforts to file, and within 60 business days following our initial business combination to have declared effective, a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants. We will use our best efforts to cause the same to become effective and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement, and a current prospectus relating thereto, until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. No warrants will be exercisable for cash unless we have an effective and current registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to such Class A ordinary shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective within a specified period following the consummation of our initial business combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a cashless basis pursuant to the exemption provided by Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, provided that such exemption is available. If that exemption, or another exemption, is not available, holders will not be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis.

 

Once the warrants become exercisable, we may call the warrants for redemption (excluding the private placement warrants):

 

  in whole and not in part;

 

  at a price of $0.01 per warrant;

 

  upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption (the “30-day redemption period”) to each warrant holder; and

 

  if, and only if, the reported last sale price of the Class A ordinary shares equal or exceed $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, rights issuances, subdivisions, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date we send to the notice of redemption to the warrant holders.

 

If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of shares upon exercise of the warrants is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or we are unable to effect such registration or qualification. We will use our best efforts to register or qualify such shares under the blue sky laws of the state of residence in those states in which the warrants were offered by us in this offering.

 

We have established the last of the redemption criterion discussed above to prevent a redemption call unless there is at the time of the call a significant premium to the warrant exercise price. If the foregoing conditions are satisfied and we issue a notice of redemption of the warrants, each warrant holder will be entitled to exercise his, her or its warrant prior to the scheduled redemption date. However, the price of the Class A ordinary shares may fall below the $18.00 redemption trigger price as well as the $11.50 warrant exercise price after the redemption notice is issued.

 

If we call the warrants for redemption as described above, our management will have the option to require any holder that wishes to exercise his, her or its warrant to do so on a “cashless basis.” In determining whether to require all holders to exercise their warrants on a “cashless basis,” our management will consider, among other factors, our cash position, the number of warrants that are outstanding and the dilutive effect on our shareholders of issuing the maximum number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of our warrants. If our management takes advantage of this option, all holders of warrants would pay the exercise price by surrendering their warrants for that number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “fair market value” (defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” shall mean the average reported last sale price of the Class A ordinary shares for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. If our management takes advantage of this option, the notice of redemption will contain the information necessary to calculate the number of Class A ordinary shares to be received upon exercise of the warrants, including the “fair market value” in such case. Requiring a cashless exercise in this manner will reduce the number of shares to be issued and thereby lessen the dilutive effect of a warrant redemption. We believe this feature is an attractive option to us if we do not need the cash from the exercise of the warrants after our initial business combination. If we call our warrants for redemption and our management does not take advantage of this option, our sponsor and its permitted transferees would still be entitled to exercise their private placement warrants for cash or on a cashless basis using the same formula described above that other warrant holders would have been required to use had all warrant holders been required to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis, as described in more detail below.

 

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A holder of a warrant may notify us in writing in the event it elects to be subject to a requirement that such holder will not have the right to exercise such warrant, to the extent that after giving effect to such exercise, such person (together with such person’s affiliates), to the warrant agent’s actual knowledge, would beneficially own in excess of 9.8% (or such other amount as a holder may specify) of the Class A ordinary shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise.

 

If the number of issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares is increased by a capitalization payable in Class A ordinary shares, or by a sub-division of Class A ordinary shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such capitalization, sub-division or similar event, the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable on exercise of each warrant will be increased in proportion to such increase in the issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares. A rights offering to holders of Class A ordinary shares entitling holders to purchase Class A ordinary shares at a price less than the fair market value will be deemed a capitalization of a number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the product of (i) the number of Class A ordinary shares actually sold in such rights offering (or issuable under any other equity securities sold in such rights offering that are convertible into or exercisable for Class A ordinary shares) multiplied by (ii) one (1) minus the quotient of (x) the price per Class A ordinary share paid in such rights offering divided by (y) the fair market value. For these purposes (i) if the rights offering is for securities convertible into or exercisable for Class A ordinary shares, in determining the price payable for Class A ordinary shares, there will be taken into account any consideration received for such rights, as well as any additional amount payable upon exercise or conversion and (ii) fair market value means the volume weighted average price of Class A ordinary shares as reported during the ten (10) trading day period ending on the trading day prior to the first date on which the Class A ordinary shares trade on the applicable exchange or in the applicable market, regular way, without the right to receive such rights.

 

In addition, if we, at any time while the warrants are outstanding and unexpired, pay a dividend or make a distribution in cash, securities or other assets to the holders of Class A ordinary shares on account of such Class A ordinary shares (or other ordinary shares into which the warrants are convertible), other than (a) as described above, (b) certain ordinary cash dividends, (c) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Class A ordinary shares in connection with a proposed initial business combination, (d) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Class A ordinary shares in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our Class A ordinary shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time), or (e) in connection with the redemption of our public shares upon our failure to complete our initial business combination, then the warrant exercise price will be decreased, effective immediately after the effective date of such event, by the amount of cash and/or the fair market value of any securities or other assets paid on each Class A ordinary share in respect of such event.

 

If the number of issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares is decreased by a consolidation, combination, reverse share split or reclassification of Class A ordinary shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such consolidation, combination, reverse share split, reclassification or similar event, the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable on exercise of each warrant will be decreased in proportion to such decrease in issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares.

 

Whenever the number of Class A ordinary shares purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants is adjusted, as described above, the warrant exercise price will be adjusted by multiplying the warrant exercise price immediately prior to such adjustment by a fraction (x) the numerator of which will be the number of Class A ordinary shares purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants immediately prior to such adjustment, and (y) the denominator of which will be the number of Class A ordinary shares so purchasable immediately thereafter.

 

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In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares (other than those described above), or in the case of any merger or consolidation of us with or into another corporation (other than a consolidation or merger in which we are the continuing corporation and that does not result in any reclassification or reorganization of our issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares), or in the case of any sale or conveyance to another corporation or entity of the assets or other property of us as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in connection with which we are dissolved, the holders of the warrants will thereafter have the right to purchase and receive, upon the basis and upon the terms and conditions specified in the warrants and in lieu of our Class A ordinary shares immediately theretofore purchasable and receivable upon the exercise of the rights represented thereby, the kind and amount of shares of stock or other securities or property (including cash) receivable upon such reclassification, reorganization, merger or consolidation, or upon a dissolution following any such sale or transfer, that the holder of the warrants would have received if such holder had exercised their warrants immediately prior to such event. However, if such holders were entitled to exercise a right of election as to the kind or amount of securities, cash or other assets receivable upon such consolidation or merger, then the kind and amount of securities, cash or other assets for which each warrant will become exercisable will be deemed to be the weighted average of the kind and amount received per share by such holders in such consolidation or merger that affirmatively make such election, and if a tender, exchange or redemption offer has been made to and accepted by such holders (other than a tender, exchange or redemption offer made by the company in connection with redemption rights held by shareholders of the company as provided for in the company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or as a result of the redemption of Class A ordinary shares by the company if a proposed initial business combination is presented to the shareholders of the company for approval) under circumstances in which, upon completion of such tender or exchange offer, the maker thereof, together with members of any group (within the meaning of Rule 13d-5(b)(1) under the Exchange Act) of which such maker is a part, and together with any affiliate or associate of such maker (within the meaning of Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act) and any members of any such group of which any such affiliate or associate is a part, own beneficially (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) more than 50% of the issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares, the holder of a warrant will be entitled to receive the highest amount of cash, securities or other property to which such holder would actually have been entitled as a shareholder if such warrant holder had exercised the warrant prior to the expiration of such tender or exchange offer, accepted such offer and all of the Class A ordinary shares held by such holder had been purchased pursuant to such tender or exchange offer, subject to adjustment (from and after the consummation of such tender or exchange offer) as nearly equivalent as possible to the adjustments provided for in the warrant agreement. Additionally, if less than 70% of the consideration receivable by the holders of ordinary shares in such a transaction is payable in the form of Class A ordinary shares in the successor entity that is listed for trading on a national securities exchange or is quoted in an established over-the-counter market, or is to be so listed for trading or quoted immediately following such event, and if the registered holder of the warrant properly exercises the warrant within thirty days following public disclosure of such transaction, the warrant exercise price will be reduced as specified in the warrant agreement based on the per share consideration minus Black-Scholes Warrant Value (as defined in the warrant agreement) of the warrant.

 

The warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. You should review a copy of the warrant agreement, which will be filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, for a complete description of the terms and conditions applicable to the warrants. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, but requires the approval by the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding public warrants to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of public warrants.

 

The warrants may be exercised upon surrender of the warrant certificate on or prior to the expiration date at the offices of the warrant agent, with the exercise form on the reverse side of the warrant certificate completed and executed as indicated, accompanied by full payment of the exercise price (or on a cashless basis, if applicable), by certified or official bank check payable to us, for the number of warrants being exercised. The warrant holders do not have the rights or privileges of holders of Class A ordinary shares and any voting rights until they exercise their warrants and receive Class A ordinary shares. After the issuance of Class A ordinary shares upon exercise of the warrants, each holder will be entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters to be voted on by shareholders.

 

Warrants may be exercised only for a whole number of Class A ordinary shares. No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the warrants. If, upon exercise of the warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number the number of Class A ordinary shares to be issued to the warrant holder.

 

Private Placement Warrants

 

The private placement warrants (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination (except, among other limited exceptions as described under “Principal Shareholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units,” to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with our sponsor) and they will not be redeemable by us and will be exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees. Otherwise, the private placement warrants have terms and provisions that are identical to those of the warrants being sold as part of the units in this offering. If the private placement warrants are held by holders other than our sponsor or its permitted transferees, the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us and exercisable by the holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the units being sold in this offering.

 

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

 

Rights

 

Each holder of a right will receive one-tenth (1/10) of one Class A ordinary share upon consummation of our initial business combination, even if the holder of such right redeemed all Class A ordinary shares held by it in connection with the initial business combination. No additional consideration will be required to be paid by a holder of rights in order to receive its additional shares upon consummation of an initial business combination, as the consideration related thereto has been included in the unit purchase price paid for by investors in this offering. If we enter into a definitive agreement for a business combination in which we will not be the surviving entity, the definitive agreement will provide for the holders of rights to receive the same per share consideration the holders of the Class A ordinary shares will receive in the transaction on an as-converted into Class A ordinary share basis, and each holder of a right will be required to affirmatively convert its rights in order to receive the 1/10 share underlying each right (without paying any additional consideration) upon consummation of the business combination. More specifically, the right holder will be required to indicate its election to convert the rights into underlying shares as well as to return the original rights certificates to us.

 

If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the required time period and we liquidate the funds held in the trust account, holders of rights will not receive any such funds with respect to their rights, nor will they receive any distribution from our assets held outside of the trust account with respect to such rights, and the rights will expire worthless.

 

As soon as practicable upon the consummation of our initial business combination, we will direct registered holders of the rights to return their rights to our rights agent. Upon receipt of the rights, the rights agent will issue to the registered holder of such rights the number of full Class A ordinary shares to which it is entitled. We will notify registered holders of the rights to deliver their rights to the rights agent promptly upon consummation of such business combination and have been informed by the rights agent that the process of exchanging their rights for Class A ordinary shares should take no more than a matter of days. The foregoing exchange of rights is solely ministerial in nature and is not intended to provide us with any means of avoiding our obligation to issue the shares underlying the rights upon consummation of our initial business combination. Other than confirming that the rights delivered by a registered holder are valid, we will have no ability to avoid delivery of the shares underlying the rights. Nevertheless, there are no contractual penalties for failure to deliver securities to the holders of the rights upon consummation of an initial business combination.

 

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The shares issuable upon conversion of the rights will be freely tradable (except to the extent held by affiliates of ours). We will not issue fractional shares upon conversion of the rights. Fractional shares will either be rounded down to the nearest whole share or otherwise addressed in accordance with the applicable provisions of British Virgin Islands law. As a result, you must hold rights in multiples of 10 in order to receive shares for all of your rights upon closing of a business combination. If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the required time period and we liquidate the funds held in the trust account, holders of rights will not receive any of such funds with respect to their rights, nor will they receive any distribution from our assets held outside of the trust account with respect to such rights, and the rights will expire worthless. Further, there are no contractual penalties for failure to deliver securities to the holders of the rights upon consummation of an initial business combination. Accordingly, the rights may expire worthless.

 

Dividends

 

We have not paid any cash dividends on our ordinary shares to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of a business combination. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition subsequent to completion of a business combination. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to a business combination will be within the discretion of our Board of Directors at such time. In addition, our Board of Directors is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any share capitalizations in the foreseeable future, except if we increase the size of the offering, in which case we will effect a share capitalization with respect to our Class B ordinary shares immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of founder shares by our sponsor prior to this offering at 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering (excluding the private placement shares). Further, if we incur any indebtedness, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.

 

Our Transfer Agent, Warrant Agent and Right Agent

 

The transfer agent for our ordinary shares and warrant agent for our warrants and right agent for our rights is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company. We have agreed to indemnify Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company in its roles as transfer agent, warrant agent and right agent, its agents and each of its shareholders, directors, officers and employees against all liabilities, including judgments, costs and reasonable counsel fees that may arise out of acts performed or omitted for its activities in that capacity, except for any liability due to any gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of the indemnified person or entity.

 

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BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS COMPANY CONSIDERATIONS

 

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

 

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

 

British Virgin Islands   Delaware
Shareholder Meetings
 
Held at a time and place as determined by the directors   May be held at such time or place as designated in the charter or the by-laws, or if not so designated, as determined by the board of directors
     
May be held within or outside the British Virgin Islands   May be held within or without Delaware
     
Notice:   Notice:
     
Under our memorandum and articles of association, a copy of the notice of any meeting shall be given not fewer than ten (10) days before the date of the proposed meeting to those persons whose names appear in the register of members on the date the notice is given and are entitled to vote at the meeting.   Whenever shareholders are required to take any action at a meeting, a written notice of the meeting shall be given which shall state the place, if any, date and hour of the meeting, and the means of remote communication, if any
     
Shareholders’ Voting Rights
 
Any person authorized to vote may be represented at a meeting by a proxy who may speak and vote on behalf of the member.   Any person authorized to vote may authorize another person or persons to act for him by proxy
     
Quorum is fixed by our memorandum and articles of association, to consist of the holder or holders present in person or by proxy entitled to exercise at least 50 percent of the voting rights of the shares of each class or series of shares entitled to vote as a class or series thereon.   For stock corporations, the charter or by-laws may specify the number to constitute a quorum but in no event shall a quorum consist of less than one-third of shares entitled to vote at a meeting. In the absence of such specifications, a majority of shares shall constitute a quorum
     
Under our memorandum and articles of association, subject to any rights or restrictions attached to any shares, at any general meeting on a show of hands every shareholder who is present in person (or, in the case of a shareholder being a corporation, by its duly authorized representative) or by proxy shall have one vote and on a poll every shareholder present in person (or, in the case of a shareholder being a corporation, by its duly appointed representative) or by proxy shall have one vote for each share which such shareholder is the holder. Voting at any meeting of the shareholders is by show of hands unless a poll is demanded. A poll may be demanded by shareholders present in person or by proxy if the shareholder disputes the outcome of the vote on a proposed resolution and the chairman shall cause a poll to be taken.   For non-stock companies, the charter or by-laws may specify the number of shareholders to constitute a quorum. In the absence of this, one-third of the shareholders shall constitute a quorum

 

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Changes in the rights attaching to the ordinary shares require the approval by way of resolution of a majority of those outstanding ordinary shares attending at the meeting and voting in respect of such resolution.

  Except as provided in the charter documents, changes in the rights of shareholders as set forth in the charter documents require approval of a majority of its shareholders
     
The rights attaching to the preferred shares may be changed by way of a resolution of a majority of the votes attending and voting at the relevant meeting or class meeting.    
     
However, in the case of both the ordinary shares and the preferred shares, the above is subject to any greater majority asrequired under our memorandum and articles of association or the Companies Act, provided that for these purposes the creation, designation or issue of preferred shares with rights and privileges ranking in priority to an existing class of shares shall be deemed not to be a variation of the rights of such existing class.    
     
The memorandum and articles of association do not provide for cumulative voting in the election of directors   The memorandum and articles of association may provide for cumulative voting
     
If we decide to seek shareholder approval in respect of the consummation of our initial business combination, such approval may be by a majority vote of shareholders who being so entitled attend and vote at the general meeting   Approval of our initial business combination may be by a majority of outstanding shares if such transaction involves the merger of such entity
     
All other matters to be decided upon by the shareholders require a majority vote of shareholders who being so entitled attend and vote at the general meeting, unless the Companies Act requires a higher majority. Our memorandum and articles of association also may be amended by resolution of directors, including to create the rights, preferences, designations and limitations attaching to any blank check preferred shares.    
     
Directors
 
Board must consist of at least one director   Board must consist of at least one member
     
Maximum and minimum number of directors can be changed by an amendment to the articles of association, with such amendment being passed by a resolution of shareholders or a resolution of directors   Number of board members shall be fixed by the by-laws, unless the charter fixes the number of directors, in which case a change in the number shall be made only by amendment of the charter

 

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

 

(a)the nature of the company;    
(b)the nature of the decision; and    
(c)the position of the director and the nature of the responsibilities undertaken by him.    

 

The Companies Act provides that, a director of a company shall, immediately after becoming aware of the fact that he is interested in a transaction entered into, or to be entered into, by the company, disclose the interest to the board of the company. However, the failure of a director to disclose that interest does not affect the validity of a transaction entered into by the director or the company, so long as the transaction was not required to be disclosed because the transaction is between the company and the director himself and is in the ordinary course of business and on usual terms and conditions. Additionally, the failure of a director to disclose an interest does not affect the validity of the transaction entered into by the company if (a) the material facts of the interest of the director in the transaction are known by the shareholders and the transaction is approved or ratified by a resolution of shareholders entitled to vote at a meeting of shareholders or (b) the company received fair value for the transaction.   Directors may vote on a matter in which they have an interest so long as the director has disclosed any interests in the transaction.

 

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Pursuant to the Companies Act, the company’s memorandum and articles of association, so long as a director has disclosed any interests in a transaction entered into or to be entered into by the company to the board he/she may:    
     
vote on a matter relating to the transaction;    
     
attend a meeting of directors at which a matter relating to the transaction arises and be included among the directors present at the meeting for the purposes of a quorum; and    
     
sign a document on behalf of the company, or do any other thing in his capacity as a director, that relates to the transaction.    
     
Shareholders’ Derivative Actions
 
Generally speaking, the company is the proper plaintiff in any action. A shareholder may, with the permission of the British Virgin Islands Court, bring an action or intervene in a matter in the name of the company, in certain circumstances. Such actions are known as derivative actions. The British Virgin Islands Court may only grant permission to bring a derivative action where the following circumstances apply:   In any derivative suit instituted by a shareholder of a corporation, it shall be averred in the complaint that the plaintiff was a shareholder of the corporation at the time of the transaction of which he complains or that such shareholder’s stock thereafter devolved upon such shareholder by operation of law.
     
the company does not intend to bring, diligently continue or defend or discontinue the proceedings; and   Complaint shall set forth with particularity the efforts of the plaintiff to obtain the action by the board or the reasons for not making such effort.
     
it is in the interests of the company that the conduct of the proceedings not be left to the directors or to the determination of the shareholders as a whole.   Such action shall not be dismissed or compromised without the approval of the Chancery Court.
     
When considering whether to grant leave, the British Virgin Islands Court is also required to have regard to the following matters:    
     

whether the shareholder is acting in good faith;

 

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

 

whether the action is likely to succeed;

 

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

 

whether another alternative remedy to the derivative action is available.

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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There are no share ownership qualifications for directors.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

•       when considering whether to grant leave, the British Virgin Islands Court is also required to have regard to the following matters:

 

•       whether the shareholder is acting in good faith;

 

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

 

•       whether the action is likely to proceed;

 

•       the costs of the proceedings; and

 

•       whether an alternative remedy is available.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

•      a company is acting or proposing to act illegally or beyond the scope of its authority;

 

•      the act complained of, although not beyond the scope of the authority, could only be effected if duly authorized by more than the number of votes which have actually been obtained;

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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Transfer of Shares:    Subject to any applicable restrictions set forth in our memorandum and articles of association, any of our shareholders may transfer all or any of his or her shares by an instrument of transfer in the usual or common form, in the case of listed shares, in any manner permitted by and in accordance with the rules of the relevant exchange, or in any other form which our directors may approve.

 

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

 

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

 

(a)the memorandum and articles;
  
(b)the register of members;
  
(c)the register of directors; and
  
(d)the minutes of meetings and resolutions of members and of those classes of members of which he is a member;

 

and to make copies of or take extracts from the documents and records referred to in (a) to (d) above.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Our Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association

 

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will contain certain requirements and restrictions relating to this offering that will apply to us until the completion of our initial business combination. These provisions cannot be amended without approval of a majority of our outstanding ordinary shares attending and voting on such amendment.

 

Our sponsor, who will beneficially own more than 20% of our ordinary shares upon the closing of this offering, will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and will have the discretion to vote in any manner it chooses. Specifically, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide, among other things, that:

 

  if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time), we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, subject to lawfully available funds therefor, redeem 100% of the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable and less up to $50,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our Board of Directors, liquidate and dissolve;

 

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  prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional ordinary shares that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote on any initial business combination;

 

  although we do not intend to enter into a business combination with a target business that is affiliated with our sponsor, our directors or our officers, we are not prohibited from doing so. In the event we enter into such a transaction, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent firm that commonly renders valuation opinions for the type of company we are seeking to acquire or an independent accounting firm, that such a business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view;

 

  if a shareholder vote on our initial business combination is not required by law and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will offer to redeem our public shares pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, and will file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about our initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act;

 

  so long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on NASDAQ, our initial business combination must occur with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of our assets held in the trust account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial business combination;

 

  If our shareholders approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that would (i) modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time) or (ii) with respect to the other provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity, we will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their ordinary shares upon such approval at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares; and

 

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

 

In addition, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that under no circumstances will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 upon consummation of our initial business combination.

 

Anti-Money Laundering — British Virgin Islands

 

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

 

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

 

If any person resident in the British Virgin Islands knows or suspects that another person is engaged in money laundering or terrorist financing and the information for that knowledge or suspicion came to their attention in the course of their business the person will be required to report his belief or suspicion to the Financial Investigation Agency of the British Virgin Islands, pursuant to the Proceeds of Criminal Conduct Act 1997 (as amended). Such a report shall not be treated as a breach of confidence or of any restriction upon the disclosure of information imposed by any enactment or otherwise.

 

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Certain Anti-Takeover Provisions of our Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association

 

Our authorized but unissued ordinary shares and preference shares are available for future issuances without shareholder approval and could be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes, including future offerings to raise additional capital, acquisitions and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued and unreserved ordinary shares and preference shares could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise.

 

Securities Eligible for Future Sale

 

Immediately after this offering we will have 6,520,000 (or 7,480,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) ordinary shares outstanding. Of these shares, the 5,000,000 Class A ordinary shares (or 5,750,000 shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) sold in this offering will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, except for any shares purchased by one of our affiliates within the meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act. All of the remaining 1,250,000 (or 1,437,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) founder shares and all 220,000 (or 235,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) private placement units (including component securities contained therein) are restricted securities under Rule 144, in that they were issued in private transactions not involving a public offering, and are subject to transfer restrictions as set forth elsewhere in this prospectus.

 

Rule 144

 

Pursuant to Rule 144, a person who has beneficially owned restricted ordinary shares, warrants or rights for at least six months would be entitled to sell their securities provided that (i) such person is not deemed to have been one of our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale and (ii) we are subject to the Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements for at least three months before the sale and have filed all required reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the 12 months (or such shorter period as we were required to file reports) preceding the sale.

 

Persons who have beneficially owned restricted ordinary shares, warrants or rights for at least six months but who are our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale, would be subject to additional restrictions, by which such person would be entitled to sell within any three-month period only a number of securities that does not exceed the greater of:

 

  1% of the total number of Class A ordinary shares then outstanding, which will equal 65,200 shares immediately after this offering (or 74,800 if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full), on an as converted basis; or

 

  the average weekly reported trading volume of the ordinary shares during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale.

 

Sales by our affiliates under Rule 144 are also limited by manner of sale provisions and notice requirements and to the availability of current public information about us.

 

Restrictions on the Use of Rule 144 by Shell Companies or Former Shell Companies

 

Rule 144 is not available for the resale of securities initially issued by shell companies (other than business combination related shell companies) or issuers that have been at any time previously a shell company. However, Rule 144 also includes an important exception to this prohibition if the following conditions are met:

 

  the issuer of the securities that was formerly a shell company has ceased to be a shell company;

 

  the issuer of the securities is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act;

 

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  the issuer of the securities has filed all Exchange Act reports and material required to be filed, as applicable, during the preceding 12 months (or such shorter period that the issuer was required to file such reports and materials), other than Current Reports on Form 8-K; and

 

  at least one year has elapsed from the time that the issuer filed current Form 10 type information with the SEC reflecting its status as an entity that is not a shell company.

 

As a result, our sponsor will be able to sell its founder shares and private placement units (including the component securities of the private placement units) pursuant to Rule 144 without registration one year after we have completed our initial business combination.

 

Registration Rights

 

The holders of founder shares, private placement units, shares being issued to the underwriters of this offering, and units that may be issued on conversion of working capital loans (and in each case holders of their component securities, as applicable) will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering requiring us to register such securities for resale (in the case of the founder shares, only after conversion to our Class A ordinary shares). The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that we register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination and rights to require us to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. However, the registration rights agreement provides that we will not permit any registration statement filed under the Securities Act to become effective until termination of the applicable lock-up period, which occurs (i) in the case of the founder shares, on the earlier of (A) six months after the completion of our initial business combination or (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the last sale price of Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, rights issuances, subdivisions, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after our initial business combination, or (y) the date following the completion of our initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property, and (ii) in the case of the private placement units (and their component securities), 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. Notwithstanding the above, the shares to be issued to the underwriters in this offering will be further subject to the limitations on registration requirements imposed by FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8). will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.

 

Listing of Securities

 

We have applied to list our units, Class A ordinary shares, warrants and rights on NASDAQ under the symbols “MPACU,” “MPAC,” “MPACW” and “MPACR,” respectively on or promptly after the effective date of the registration statement. Following the date the Class A ordinary shares, warrants and rights are eligible to trade separately, we anticipate that the Class A ordinary shares, warrants and rights will be listed separately and as a unit on NASDAQ. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on NASDAQ.

 

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INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

 

The following summary of certain British Virgin Islands and U.S. federal income tax considerations relevant to an investment in our units, ordinary shares, warrants and rights is based upon laws and relevant interpretations thereof in effect as of the date of this prospectus, all of which are subject to change. This summary does not deal with all possible tax consequences relating to an investment in our ordinary shares, warrants and rights, such as the tax consequences under state, local and other tax laws.

 

Prospective investors should consult their professional advisors on the possible tax consequences of buying, holding or selling any securities under the laws of their country of citizenship, residence or domicile.

 

British Virgin Islands Taxation

 

The following is a discussion on certain British Virgin Islands income tax consequences of an investment in our securities. The discussion is a general summary of present law, which is subject to prospective and retroactive change. It is not intended as tax advice, does not consider any investor’s particular circumstances, and does not consider tax consequences other than those arising under British Virgin Islands law.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations

 

General

 

The following is a discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to ownership and disposition of our units, Class A ordinary shares, warrants and rights, which we refer to collectively as our securities. Because the components of a unit are separable at the option of the holder, the holder of a unit generally should be treated, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as the owner of the underlying Class A ordinary share, right and warrant components of the unit, as the case may be. As a result, the discussion below with respect to actual holders of Class A ordinary shares, warrants and rights should also apply to holders of units (as the deemed owners of the underlying Class A ordinary shares, warrants and rights that comprise the units). This discussion applies only to securities that are held as capital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is applicable only to holders who purchased units in this offering and assumes any distributions on our ordinary shares will be paid in U.S. dollars.

 

This discussion is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and administrative pronouncements, judicial decisions and final, temporary and proposed Treasury regulations as of the date hereof, changes to any of which subsequent to the date of this prospectus may affect the tax consequences described herein. This discussion does not address any aspect of state, local or non-U.S. taxation, or any U.S. federal taxes other than income taxes (such as gift and estate taxes).

 

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This discussion does not describe all of the tax consequences that may be relevant to you in light of your particular circumstances, including the alternative minimum tax, the Medicare tax on certain investment income and the different consequences that may apply if you are subject to special rules that apply to certain types of investors, such as:

 

  financial institutions;

 

  insurance companies;

 

  dealers or traders subject to a mark-to-market method of accounting with respect to the securities;

 

  persons holding the securities as part of a “straddle,” hedge, integrated transaction or similar transaction;

 

  U.S. holders (as defined below) whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar;

 

  partnerships or other pass-through entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes;

 

  U.S. holders owning or considered as owning 10 percent or more of the ordinary shares; and

 

  tax-exempt entities.

 

If you are a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of your partners will generally depend on the status of the partners and your activities.

 

You are urged to consult your tax advisor with respect to the application of U.S. federal tax laws to your particular situation, as well as any tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or foreign jurisdiction.

 

Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit

 

No statutory, administrative or judicial authority directly addresses the treatment of a unit or instruments similar to a unit for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, therefore, that treatment is not entirely clear. The acquisition of a unit should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as the acquisition of one share of our Class A ordinary shares, one right and one warrant to acquire one of our Class A ordinary shares. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, each holder of a unit must allocate the purchase price paid by such holder for such unit among the Class A ordinary share, right and warrant based on the relative fair market value of each at the time of issuance. Under U.S. federal income tax law, each investor must make his or her own determination of such value based on all the relevant facts and circumstances. Therefore, we strongly urge each investor to consult his or her tax adviser regarding the determination of value for these purposes. The price allocated to each Class A ordinary share, right and warrant should be the shareholder’s tax basis in such share, right or warrant, as the case may be. Any disposition of a unit should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a disposition of the Class A ordinary share, right and warrant comprising the unit, and the amount realized on the disposition should be allocated among the Class A ordinary share, right and warrant based on their respective relative fair market values at the time of disposition (as determined by each such unit holder based on all relevant facts and circumstances). The separation of the Class A ordinary share, right and warrant comprising a unit should not be a taxable event for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

The foregoing treatment of the Class A ordinary shares, warrants and rights and a holder’s purchase price allocation are not binding on the IRS or the courts. Because there are no authorities that directly address instruments that are similar to the units, no assurance can be given that the IRS or the courts will agree with the characterization described above or the discussion below. Accordingly, each prospective investor is urged to consult its own tax advisors regarding tax consequences of an investment in a unit (including alternative characterizations of a unit). The balance of this discussion assumes that the characterization of the units described above is respected for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

U.S. Holders

 

This section applies to you if you are a “U.S. holder.” A U.S. holder is a beneficial owner of our securities who or that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes: (i) an individual citizen or resident of the United States, (ii) a corporation (or other entity treated as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes) that is created or organized (or treated as created or organized) in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia, (iii) an estate the income of which is subject to United States federal income taxation regardless of its source or (iv) a trust if (A) a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of the trust and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust, or (B) it has in effect a valid election to be treated as a U.S. person.

 

 

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Taxation of Distributions

 

Subject to the passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) rules discussed below, a U.S. holder generally will be required to include in gross income any distribution paid on our ordinary shares that is treated as a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A distribution on such shares generally will be treated as a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent the distribution is paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles). Such dividends paid by us will be taxable to a corporate U.S. holder at regular rates and will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction generally allowed to domestic corporations in respect of dividends received from other domestic corporations.

 

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

 

With respect to non-corporate U.S. holders, under tax laws currently in effect, dividends generally will be taxed at the lower applicable long-term capital gains rate (see “— Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares, Warrants and Rights” below) only if our ordinary shares are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States and certain other requirements are met. U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the availability of the lower rate for any dividends paid with respect to our ordinary shares.

 

Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares, Warrants and Rights

 

Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, upon a sale or other taxable disposition of our Class A ordinary shares, rights or warrants which, in general, would include a redemption of Class A ordinary shares as described below, and including as a result of a dissolution and liquidation in the event we do not consummate an initial business combination within the required time period, a U.S. holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized and the U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in the Class A ordinary shares or warrants.

 

Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. holder’s holding period for the Class A ordinary shares or warrants so disposed of exceeds one year. It is unclear, however, whether the redemption rights with respect to the Class A ordinary shares described in this prospectus may suspend the running of the applicable holding period for this purpose. Long-term capital gains recognized by non-corporate U.S. holders will be eligible to be taxed at reduced rates. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.

 

Generally, the amount of gain or loss recognized by a U.S. holder is an amount equal to the difference between (i) the sum of the amount of cash and the fair market value of any property received in such disposition (or, if the Class A ordinary shares, rights or warrants are held as part of units at the time of the disposition, the portion of the amount realized on such disposition that is allocated to the Class A ordinary shares, rights or warrants based upon their then fair market values) and (ii) the U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in its Class A ordinary shares, rights or warrants so disposed of. A U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in its Class A ordinary shares, rights or warrants generally will equal the U.S. holder’s acquisition cost (that is, as discussed above, the portion of the purchase price of a unit allocated to a Class A ordinary share, right or warrant or, as discussed below, the U.S. holder’s initial basis for Class A ordinary shares received upon exercise of warrants) less, in the case of a Class A ordinary share, any prior distributions treated as a return of capital.

 

Redemption of Class A Ordinary Shares

 

Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, in the event that a U.S. holder’s Class A ordinary shares are redeemed, including pursuant to the redemption provisions described in this prospectus under “Description of Securities — Ordinary Shares,” or if we purchase a U.S. holder’s Class A ordinary shares in an open market transaction (each of which we refer to as a “redemption”), the treatment of the transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes will depend on whether the redemption qualifies as sale of the Class A ordinary shares under Section 302 of the Code. If the redemption qualifies as a sale of ordinary shares, the U.S. holder will be treated as described under “U.S. holders — Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares, Warrants and Rights” above. If the redemption does not qualify as a sale of Class A ordinary shares, the U.S. holder will be treated as receiving a distribution with the tax consequences described above under “U.S. holders — Taxation of Distributions.” Whether a redemption qualifies for sale treatment will depend largely on the total number of our shares treated as held by the U.S. holder (including any shares constructively owned by the U.S. holder as a result of owning warrants or otherwise) relative to all of our shares outstanding both before and after the redemption. The redemption of Class A ordinary shares generally will be treated as a sale of the Class A ordinary shares (rather than as a corporate distribution) if the redemption (i) is “substantially disproportionate” with respect to the U.S. holder, (ii) results in a “complete termination” of the U.S. holder’s interest in us or (iii) is “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” with respect to the U.S. holder. These tests are explained more fully below.

 

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In determining whether any of the foregoing tests are satisfied, a U.S. holder takes into account not only shares actually owned by the U.S. holder, but also our shares that are constructively owned by it. A U.S. holder may constructively own, in addition to shares owned directly, shares owned by certain related individuals and entities in which the U.S. holder has an interest or that have an interest in such U.S. holder, as well as any shares the U.S. holder has a right to acquire by exercise of an option, which would generally include Class A ordinary shares which could be acquired pursuant to the exercise of the warrants (and possibly ordinary shares which could be acquired pursuant to the rights). In order to meet the substantially disproportionate test, the percentage of our outstanding voting shares actually and constructively owned by the U.S. holder immediately following the redemption of Class A ordinary shares must, among other requirements, be less than 80% of the percentage of our outstanding voting shares actually and constructively owned by the U.S. holder immediately before the redemption. Prior to our initial business combination, the Class A ordinary shares will not be voting shares for this purpose and, consequently, this substantially disproportionate test will not be applicable. There will be a complete termination of a U.S. holder’s interest if either (i) all of our shares actually and constructively owned by the U.S. holder are redeemed or (ii) all of our shares actually owned by the U.S. holder are redeemed and the U.S. holder is eligible to waive, and effectively waives in accordance with specific rules, the attribution of shares owned by certain family members and the U.S. holder does not constructively own any other shares. The redemption of the Class A ordinary shares will not be essentially equivalent to a dividend if a U.S. holder’s conversion results in a “meaningful reduction” of the U.S. holder’s proportionate interest in us. Whether the redemption will result in a meaningful reduction in a U.S. holder’s proportionate interest in us will depend on the particular facts and circumstances. However, the IRS has indicated in a published ruling that even a small reduction in the proportionate interest of a small minority shareholder in a publicly held corporation who exercises no control over corporate affairs may constitute such a “meaningful reduction.” A U.S. holder should consult with its own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of a redemption.

 

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

 

U.S. holders who actually or constructively own five percent (or, if our Class A ordinary shares are not then publicly traded, one percent) or more of our shares (by vote or value) may be subject to special reporting requirements with respect to a redemption of Class A ordinary shares, and such holders should consult with their own tax advisors with respect to their reporting requirements.

 

Exercise or Lapse of a Warrant

 

Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below and except as discussed below with respect to the cashless exercise of a warrant, a U.S. holder generally will not recognize gain or loss upon the acquisition of an ordinary share on the exercise of a warrant for cash. A U.S. holder’s tax basis in a Class A ordinary share received upon exercise of the warrant generally will be an amount equal to the sum of the U.S. holder’s initial investment in the warrant and the exercise price of such warrant. The U.S. holder’s holding period for a Class A ordinary share received upon exercise of the warrant will begin on the date following the date of exercise (or possibly the date of exercise) of the warrants and will not include the period during which the U.S. holder held the warrants. If a warrant is allowed to lapse unexercised, a U.S. holder generally will recognize a capital loss equal to such holder’s tax basis in the warrant.

 

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The tax consequences of a cashless exercise of a warrant are not clear under current law. A cashless exercise may not be taxable, either because the exercise is not a realization event or because the exercise is treated as a recapitalization for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In either situation, a U.S. holder’s tax basis in the Class A ordinary shares received generally will equal the U.S. holder’s tax basis in the warrant. If the cashless exercise was not a realization event, it is unclear whether a U.S. holder’s holding period for the Class A ordinary shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of such warrant will commence on the date of exercise of the warrant or the day following the date of exercise of the warrant. If the cashless exercise were treated as a recapitalization, the holding period of the Class A ordinary shares will generally include the holding period of the warrant.

 

It is also possible that a cashless exercise could be treated as a taxable exchange in which gain or loss would be recognized. In such event, a U.S. holder could be deemed to have surrendered warrants having an aggregate fair market a value equal to the exercise price for the total number of warrants to be exercised. The U.S. holder would recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the fair market value of the ordinary shares received in respect of the warrants deemed surrendered and the U.S. holder’s tax basis in such warrants. Such gain or loss would be long-term or short-term, depending on the U.S. holder’s holding period in the warrants deemed surrendered. In this case, a U.S. holder’s tax basis in the ordinary shares received would equal the sum of the U.S. holder’s initial investment in the exercised warrants (i.e., the portion of the U.S. holder’s purchase price for the units that is allocated to the warrants, as described above under “— Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit”) and the exercise price of such warrants. It is unclear whether a U.S. holder’s holding period for the ordinary shares would commence on the date of exercise of the warrant or the day following the date of exercise of the warrant. There may also be alternative characterizations of any such taxable exchange that would result in similar tax consequences, except that a U.S. holder’s gain or loss would be short-term.

 

Due to the absence of authority on the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a cashless exercise, there can be no assurance which, if any, of the alternative tax consequences and holding periods described above would be adopted by the IRS or a court of law. Accordingly, U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of a cashless exercise.

 

Possible Constructive Distributions

 

The terms of each warrant provide for an adjustment to the number of ordinary shares for which the warrant may be exercised or to the exercise price of the warrant in certain events, as discussed in the section of this prospectus captioned “Description of Securities — Redeemable Warrants — Public Shareholders’ Warrants.” An adjustment which has the effect of preventing dilution generally is not taxable. The U.S. holders of the warrants would, however, be treated as receiving a constructive distribution from us if, for example, the adjustment increases the warrant holders’ proportionate interest in our assets or earnings and profits (e.g., through an increase in the number of ordinary shares that would be obtained upon exercise) as a result of a distribution of cash to the holders of our ordinary shares which is taxable to the U.S. holders of such ordinary shares as described under “— Taxation of Distributions” above. Such constructive distribution would be subject to tax as described under that section in the same manner as if the U.S. holders of the warrants received a cash distribution from us equal to the fair market value of such increased interest. For certain information reporting purposes, we are required to determine the date and amount of any such constructive distributions. Recently proposed Treasury regulations, which we may rely on prior to the issuance of final regulations, specify how the date and amount of constructive distributions are determined.

 

Acquisition of Ordinary Shares Pursuant to Rights

 

The treatment of the rights to acquire ordinary shares is uncertain. The right may be viewed as a forward contract, derivative security or similar interest in our company (analogous to a warrant or option with no exercise price), and thus the holder of the right would not be viewed as owning the ordinary shares issuable pursuant to the rights until such ordinary shares are actually issued. There may be other alternative characterizations of the rights that the IRS may successfully assert, including that the rights are treated as equity in our company at the time the rights are issued.

 

The tax consequences of an acquisition of our ordinary shares pursuant to rights are unclear and will depend on the treatment of any initial business combination. Accordingly, U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of an acquisition of ordinary shares pursuant to rights and the consequences of any initial business combination.

 

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Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules

 

A foreign corporation will be a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes if at least 75% of its gross income in a taxable year, including its pro rata share of the gross income of any corporation in which it is considered to own at least 25% of the shares by value, is passive income. Alternatively, a foreign corporation will be a PFIC if at least 50% of its assets in a taxable year of the foreign corporation, ordinarily determined based on fair market value and averaged quarterly over the year, including its pro rata share of the assets of any corporation in which it is considered to own at least 25% of the shares by value, are held for the production of, or produce, passive income. Passive income generally includes dividends, interest, rents and royalties (other than rents or royalties derived from the active conduct of a trade or business) and gains from the disposition of passive assets.

 

Because we are a blank check company, with no current active business, we believe that it is likely that we will meet the PFIC asset or income test for our current taxable year. Pursuant to a start-up exception, however, a corporation will not be a PFIC for the first taxable year the corporation has gross income (the “start-up year”), if (1) no predecessor of the corporation was a PFIC; (2) the corporation satisfies the IRS that it will not be a PFIC for either of the first two taxable years following the start-up year; and (3) the corporation is not in fact a PFIC for either of those years. The applicability of the start-up exception to us will not be known until after the close of our current taxable year and possibly not until after the close of our next taxable year. After the acquisition of a company or assets in a business combination, we may still meet one of the PFIC tests depending on the timing of the acquisition and the amount of our passive income and assets as well as the passive income and assets of the acquired business. If the company that we acquire in a business combination is a PFIC, then we will likely not qualify for the start-up exception and will be a PFIC since our inception. Our actual PFIC status for our current taxable year or any subsequent taxable year, however, will not be determinable until after the end of such taxable year. Accordingly, there can be no assurance with respect to our status as a PFIC for our current taxable year or any future taxable year.

 

If we are determined to be a PFIC for any taxable year (or portion thereof) that is included in the holding period of a U.S. holder of our ordinary shares, rights or warrants and, in the case of our ordinary shares, the U.S. holder did not make either a timely qualified electing fund (“QEF”) election for our first taxable year as a PFIC in which the U.S. holder held (or was deemed to hold) ordinary shares, a QEF election along with a deemed sale (or purging) election, or a valid mark-to-market” election, in each case as described below, such holder generally will be subject to special rules with respect to: (i) any gain recognized by the U.S. holder on the sale or other disposition of its ordinary shares or warrants; and (ii) any “excess distribution” made to the U.S. holder (generally, any distributions to such U.S. holder during a taxable year of the U.S. holder that are greater than 125% of the average annual distributions received by such U.S. holder in respect of the ordinary shares during the three preceding taxable years of such U.S. holder or, if shorter, such U.S. holder’s holding period for the ordinary shares).

 

Under these rules:

 

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

 

  the amount allocated to other taxable years (or portions thereof) of the U.S. holder and included in its holding period will be taxed at the highest tax rate in effect for that year and applicable to the U.S. holder; and

 

  the interest charge generally applicable to underpayments of tax will be imposed in respect of the tax attributable to each such other taxable year of the U.S. holder.

 

In general, if we are determined to be a PFIC, a U.S. holder will avoid the PFIC tax consequences described above in respect to our ordinary shares (but not our warrants or rights) by making either (i) a timely QEF election to include in income its pro rata share of our net capital gains (as long-term capital gain) and other earnings and profits (as ordinary income), on a current basis, in each case whether or not distributed, in the taxable year of the U.S. holder in which or with which our taxable year ends or (ii) a valid “mark-to-market” election. A U.S. holder may make a separate election to defer the payment of taxes on undistributed income inclusions under the QEF rules, but if deferred, any such taxes will be subject to an interest charge.

 

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The treatment of the rights to acquire our ordinary shares is unclear. For example, the rights may be viewed as a forward contract, derivative security or similar interest in our company (analogous to a warrant or option with no exercise price), and thus the holder of the right would not be viewed as owning the ordinary shares issuable pursuant to the rights until such ordinary shares are actually issued. There may be other alternative characterizations of the rights that the IRS may successfully assert, including that the rights are treated as equity in our company at the time the rights are issued, that would reach different conclusions regarding the tax treatment of the rights under the PFIC rules. In any case, depending on which characterization is successfully applied to the rights, different PFIC consequences may result for U.S. holders of the rights. It is also likely that a U.S. holder of rights would not be able to make a QEF or mark-to-market election (discussed below) with respect to such U.S. holder’s rights. Due to the uncertainty of the application of the PFIC rules to the rights, all potential investors are strongly urged to consult with their own tax advisors regarding an investment in the rights offered hereunder as part of the units offering and the subsequent consequences to holders of such rights in any initial business combination.

 

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

 

The QEF election is made on a shareholder-by-shareholder basis and, once made, can be revoked only with the consent of the IRS. A U.S. holder generally makes a QEF election by attaching a completed IRS Form 8621 (Information Return by a Shareholder of a Passive Foreign Investment Company or Qualified Electing Fund), including the information provided in a PFIC annual information statement, to a timely filed U.S. federal income tax return for the tax year to which the election relates. Retroactive QEF elections generally may be made only by filing a protective statement with such return and if certain other conditions are met or with the consent of the IRS. U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the availability and tax consequences of a retroactive QEF election under their particular circumstances. A QEF election may not be made with respect to our warrants and likely not our rights.

 

In order to comply with the requirements of a QEF election, a U.S. holder must receive a PFIC annual information statement from us. If we determine we are a PFIC for any taxable year, we will endeavor to provide to a U.S. holder such information as the IRS may require, including a PFIC annual information statement, in order to enable the U.S. holder to make and maintain a QEF election, but there can be no assurance that we will timely provide such required information. In addition, there is no assurance that we will have timely knowledge of our status as a PFIC in the future or of the required information to be provided.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

The mark-to-market election is available only for stock that is regularly traded on a national securities exchange that is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including NASDAQ (on which we intend to list the ordinary shares), or on a foreign exchange or market that the IRS determines has rules sufficient to ensure that the market price represents a legitimate and sound fair market value. U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the availability and tax consequences of a mark-to-market election in respect to our ordinary shares under their particular circumstances.

 

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

 

A U.S. holder that owns (or is deemed to own) shares in a PFIC during any taxable year of the U.S. holder, may have to file an IRS Form 8621 (whether or not a QEF or market-to-market election is made) and such other information as may be required by the U.S. Treasury Department. Failure to do so, if required, will extend the statute of limitations until such required information is furnished to the IRS.

 

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

 

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Tax Reporting

 

Certain U.S. holders may be required to file an IRS Form 926 (Return of a U.S. Transferor of Property to a Foreign Corporation) to report a transfer of property (including cash) to us. Substantial penalties may be imposed on a U.S. holder that fails to comply with this reporting requirement. Furthermore, certain U.S. holders who are individuals and to the extent provided in future Treasury regulations, certain entities, will be required to report information with respect to such U.S. holder’s investment in “specified foreign financial assets” on IRS Form 8938, subject to certain exceptions. An interest in the Company constitutes a specified foreign financial asset for these purposes. Persons who are required to report specified foreign financial assets and fail to do so may be subject to substantial penalties. Potential Investors are urged to consult with their own tax advisors regarding the foreign financial asset reporting obligations and their application to an investment in Class A ordinary shares, warrants and rights. Each U.S. holder is urged to consult with its own tax advisor regarding this reporting obligation.

 

Non-U.S. Holders

 

This section applies to you if you are a “Non-U.S. holder.” A Non-U.S. holder is a beneficial owner of our units, Class A ordinary shares, warrants and rights who or that is neither a U.S. holder nor a partnership (or entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes), but generally does not include an individual who is present in the U.S. for 183 days or more in the taxable year of disposition. If you are such an individual, you should consult your tax advisor regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of any income derived from, or gain attributable to the sale or other disposition of, our securities.

 

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

 

Dividends and gains that are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the U.S. (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base in the U.S.) generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the same regular U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to a comparable U.S. holder and, in the case of a Non-U.S. holder that is a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, also may be subject to an additional branch profits tax at a 30% rate or a lower applicable income tax treaty rate.

 

The U.S. federal income tax treatment of a Non-U.S. holder’s exercise of a warrant, or the lapse of a warrant held by a Non-U.S. holder, generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the exercise or lapse of a warrant by a U.S. holder, as described under “U.S. holders — Exercise or Lapse of a Warrant,” above, although to the extent a cashless exercise results in a taxable exchange, the consequences would be similar to those described in the preceding paragraphs above for a Non-U.S. holders gain on the sale or other disposition of our Class A ordinary shares, warrants and rights.

 

Information Reporting and Backup Withholding

 

Dividend payments with respect to our Class A ordinary shares and proceeds from the sale, exchange or redemption of our securities may be subject to information reporting to the IRS and possible U.S. backup withholding. Backup withholding will not apply, however, to a U.S. holder who furnishes a correct taxpayer identification number and makes other required certifications, or who is otherwise exempt from backup withholding and establishes such exempt status. A Non-U.S. holder generally will eliminate the requirement for information reporting and backup withholding by providing certification of its foreign status, under penalties of perjury, on a duly executed applicable IRS Form W-8 or by otherwise establishing an exemption.

 

Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Amounts withheld as backup withholding may be credited against a holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, and a holder generally may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules by timely filing the appropriate claim for refund with the IRS and furnishing any required information.

 

152

 

 

UNDERWRITING

 

We are offering the units described in this prospectus through the underwriters named below. Maxim is acting as sole book-running manager of this offering and as representative of the underwriters. We have entered into an underwriting agreement with the representative. Subject to the terms and conditions of the underwriting agreement, each of the underwriters has severally agreed to purchase, and we have agreed to sell to the underwriters, the number of units listed next to its name in the following table.

 

Underwriter  Number of
Units
 
Maxim Group LLC     
Total   5,000,000 

 

The underwriting agreement provides that the underwriters must buy all of the units if they buy any of them. However, the underwriters are not required to purchase the units covered by the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units as described below.

 

Our units are offered subject to a number of conditions, including:

 

  receipt and acceptance of our units by the underwriters; and

 

  the underwriters’ right to reject orders in whole or in part.

 

We have been advised by the representative that the underwriters intend to make a market in our units but that they are not obligated to do so and may discontinue making a market at any time without notice.

 

In connection with this offering, certain of the underwriters or securities dealers may distribute prospectuses electronically.

 

Option to Purchase Additional Units

 

We have granted the underwriters an option to buy up to an aggregate of 750,000 additional units. The underwriters have 45 days from the date of this prospectus to exercise this option. If the underwriters exercise this option, they will each purchase additional units approximately in proportion to the amounts specified in the table above.

 

Underwriting Discount

 

Units sold by the underwriters to the public will initially be offered at the initial offering price set forth on the cover of this prospectus. Any units sold by the underwriters to securities dealers may be sold at a discount of up to $___ per unit from the initial public offering price. Sales of units made outside of the U.S. may be made by affiliates of the underwriters. If all the units are not sold at the initial public offering price, the representative may change the offering price and the other selling terms. Upon execution of the underwriting agreement, the underwriters will be obligated to purchase the units at the prices and upon the terms stated therein.

 

The following table shows the per unit and total underwriting discount we will pay to the underwriters assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase up to 750,000 additional units. No discounts or commissions will be paid on the sale of the private warrants.

 

   No Exercise   Full Exercise 
Per Unit(1)  $0.55   $0.55 
Total(1)  $2,750,000   $3,162,500 

 

  (1) Includes $0.35 per unit, or $1,750,000 in the aggregate (or up to $2,012,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions to be placed in a trust account at JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. as described herein. The deferred commissions will be released to the underwriters only on completion of an initial business combination.

 

153

 

 

Furthermore, we have agreed to reimburse the underwriters for certain expenses incurred in connection with this offering, including but not limited to road show expenses, in an amount not to exceed $125,000 in the aggregate. Pursuant to the terms of the engagement letter with Maxim, we agreed to pay $50,000 as an advance payment toward Maxim’s anticipated out-of-pocket expenses, or the Advance. The Advance shall be applied towards Maxim’s accountable expenses. Any portion of the Advance will be returned to us in the event it is not actually incurred. We estimate that the total expenses of the offering payable by us, not including the underwriting discount, will be approximately $700,000.

 

Representative’s Ordinary Shares

 

We have agreed to issue to Maxim Partners LLC and/or its designees, 50,000 ordinary shares (or 57,500 shares if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) upon the consummation of this offering. Maxim has agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any such shares until the completion of our initial business combination. In addition, Maxim has agreed (i) to waive its redemption rights with respect to such shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) to waive its rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus).

 

The shares have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to a lock-up for a period of 180 days immediately following the date of the commencement of sales in this offering pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1). Pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1), these securities will not be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of the securities by any person for a period of 180 days immediately following the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, nor may they be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated for a period of 180 days immediately following the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part except to any underwriter and selected dealer participating in the offering and their officers, partners, registered persons or affiliates.

 

Right of First Refusal

 

For a period beginning on the closing of this offering and ending 12 months from the closing of a business combination, we have granted Maxim a right of first refusal to act as lead-left book running manager and lead left placement agent for any and all future private or public equity, equity-linked, convertible and debt offerings during such period. In accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(6)(A), such right of first refusal shall not have a duration of more than three years from the commencement of sales in this offering.

 

No Sales of Similar Securities

 

Our initial shareholder has agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares until the earlier of: (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination or (B) subsequent to our business combination, the last sale price of the Class A ordinary share (x) equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after our initial business combination, or (y) the date following the completion of our initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property (except with respect to permitted transferees as described herein under “Principal Shareholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units”).

 

The private placement units (including the component securities of such private placement units) will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination (except with respect to permitted transferees as described herein under “Principal Shareholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units”).

 

154

 

 

Indemnification

 

We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters against certain liabilities, including civil liabilities under the Securities Act. If we are unable to provide this indemnification, we have agreed to contribute to payments the underwriters may be required to make in respect of those liabilities.

 

NASDAQ Listing

 

We have applied for our units, Class A ordinary shares, warrants and rights to be listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbols “MPACU,” “MPAC,” “MPACW” and “MPACR,” respectively.

 

Price Stabilization, Short Positions

 

In connection with this offering, the underwriters may engage in activities that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of units during and after this offering, including:

 

  stabilizing transactions;

 

  short sales;

 

  purchases to cover positions created by short sales;

 

  imposition of penalty bids; and

 

  syndicate covering transactions.

 

Stabilizing transactions consist of bids or purchases made for the purpose of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our units while this offering is in progress. Stabilization transactions permit bids to purchase the underlying security so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum. These transactions may also include making short sales of our units, which involve the sale by the underwriters of a greater number of units than they are required to purchase in this offering and purchasing units on the open market to cover short positions created by short sales. Short sales may be “covered short sales,” which are short positions in an amount not greater than the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units referred to above, or may be “naked short sales,” which are short positions in excess of that amount.

 

The underwriters may close out any covered short position by either exercising their option, in whole or in part, or by purchasing units in the open market. In making this determination, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of units available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase units through the over-allotment option.

 

Naked short sales are short sales made in excess of the over-allotment option. The underwriters must close out any naked short position by purchasing units in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the units in the open market that could adversely affect investors who purchased in this offering.

 

The underwriters also may impose a penalty bid. This occurs when a particular underwriter repays to the underwriters a portion of the underwriting discount received by it because the representative has repurchased units sold by or for the account of that underwriter in stabilizing or short covering transactions.

 

These stabilizing transactions, short sales, purchases to cover positions created by short sales, the imposition of penalty bids and syndicate covering transactions may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our units or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our units. As a result of these activities, the price of our units may be higher than the price that otherwise might exist in the open market. The underwriters may carry out these transactions on NASDAQ, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise. Neither we nor the underwriters make any representation or prediction as to the effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of the units. Neither we, nor any of the underwriters make any representation that the underwriters will engage in these stabilization transactions or that any transaction, once commenced, will not be discontinued without notice.

 

155

 

 

Determination of Offering Price

 

Prior to this offering, there was no public market for our units. The initial public offering price will be determined by negotiation between us and the representative of the underwriters. The principal factors to be considered in determining the initial public offering price include:

 

  the information set forth in this prospectus and otherwise available to the representative;

 

  our history and prospects and the history and prospects for the industry in which we compete;

 

  our past and present financial performance;

 

  our prospects for future earnings and the present state of our development;

 

  the general condition of the securities market at the time of this offering;

 

  the recent market prices of, and demand for, publicly traded units of generally comparable companies; and

 

  other factors deemed relevant by the underwriters and us.

 

The estimated public offering price range set forth on the cover page of this preliminary prospectus is subject to change as a result of market conditions and other factors. Neither we nor the underwriters can assure investors that an active trading market will develop for our units, warrants, rights or Class A ordinary shares or that the units will trade in the public market at or above the initial public offering price.

 

Affiliations

 

The underwriters and their respective affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financial advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, financing and brokerage activities. The underwriters and their affiliates may from time to time in the future engage with us and perform services for us or in the ordinary course of their business for which they will receive customary fees and expenses. In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriters and their respective affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and such investment and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of us. The underwriters and their respective affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of these securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in these securities and instruments.

 

Conflicts of Interest

 

We are not under any contractual obligation to engage any of the underwriters to provide any services for us after this offering, and have no present intent to do so. However, any of the underwriters may introduce us to potential target businesses or assist us in raising additional capital in the future. If any of the underwriters provide services to us after this offering, we may pay such underwriter fair and reasonable fees that would be determined at that time in an arm’s length negotiation; provided that no agreement will be entered into with any of the underwriters and no fees for such services will be paid to any of the underwriters prior to the date that is 90 days from the date of this prospectus, unless FINRA determines that such payment would not be deemed underwriter’s compensation in connection with this offering and we may pay the underwriters of this offering or any entity with which they are affiliated a finder’s fee or other compensation for services rendered to us in connection with the completion of a business combination.

 

Electronic Distribution

 

A prospectus in electronic format may be made available on the Internet sites or through other online services maintained by one or more of the underwriters participating in this offering, or by their affiliates. In those cases, prospective investors may view offering terms online and, depending upon the particular underwriter, prospective investors may be allowed to place orders online. The underwriters may agree with us to allocate a specific number of units for sale to online brokerage account holders. Any such allocation for online distributions will be made by the underwriters on the same basis as other allocations. Other than the prospectus in electronic format, the information on any underwriter’s website and any information contained in any other website maintained by an underwriter is not part of the prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, has not been approved and/or endorsed by us or any underwriter in its capacity as underwriter and should not be relied upon by investors.

 

156

 

 

 

LEGAL MATTERS

 

Loeb & Loeb LLP, New York, New York, is acting as counsel in connection with the registration of our securities under the Securities Act, and as such, will pass upon the validity of the securities offered in this prospectus with respect to units, warrants and rights. Ogier, British Virgin Islands, will pass upon the validity of the securities offered in this prospectus with respect to the ordinary shares and matters of British Virgin Islands law. Certain legal matters will be passed upon on behalf of the underwriters by Schiff Hardin LLP, New York, New York.

 

EXPERTS

 

The balance sheet of Model Performance Acquisition Corp. as of January 18, 2021 and the related statements of operations, changes in shareholder’s equity and cash flows for the period from January 8, 2021 (inception) through January 18, 2021 appearing in this prospectus have been audited by Marcum LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon, which contains an explanatory paragraph relating to substantial doubt about the ability of Model Performance Acquisition Corp. to continue as a going concern as described in Note 1 to the financial statements, appearing elsewhere in this prospectus, and are included in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act with respect to the securities we are offering by this prospectus. This prospectus does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement. For further information about us and our securities, you should refer to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed with the registration statement. Whenever we make reference in this prospectus to any of our contracts, agreements or other documents, the references are materially complete but may not include a description of all aspects of such contracts, agreements or other documents, and you should refer to the exhibits attached to the registration statement for copies of the actual contract, agreement or other document.

 

Upon completion of this offering, we will be subject to the information requirements of the Exchange Act and will file annual, quarterly and current event reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You can read our SEC filings, including the registration statement, over the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. You may also read and copy any document we file with the SEC at its public reference facility at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549.

 

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

 

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INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

  Page
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm F-2
Financial Statements:  
Balance Sheet as of January 18, 2021 F-3
Statement of Operations for the period from January 8, 2021 (inception) through January 18, 2021 F-4
Statement of Changes in Shareholder’s Equity for the period from January 8, 2021 (inception) through January 18, 2021 F-5
Statement of Cash Flows for the period from January 8, 2021 (inception) through January 18, 2021 F-6
Notes to Financial Statements F-7

 

F-1

 

 

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

To the Shareholder and Board of Directors of

Model Performance Acquisition Corp.

 

Opinion on the Financial Statements

 

We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Model Performance Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) as of January 18, 2021, the related statements of operations, stockholder’s equity and cash flows for the period from January 8, 2021 (inception) through January 18, 2021, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of January 18, 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the period from January 8, 2021 (inception) through January 18, 2021, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

Explanatory Paragraph – Going Concern

 

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As more fully described in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company’s business plan is dependent upon its completion of the proposed initial public offering described in Note 3 to the financial statements. The Company has a working capital deficiency as of January 18, 2021, and lacks the financial resources it needs to sustain operations for a reasonable amount of time, which is considered to be one year from the issuance date of the financial statements. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. Management's plans with regard to these matters are also described in Notes 1 and 3. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

 

Basis for Opinion

 

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) ("PCAOB") and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

 

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB and in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

 

Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

 

/s/ Marcum llp

 

Marcum llp

 

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2021.

 

 

Houston, Texas

February 1, 2021

 

F-2

 

 

MODEL PERFORMANCE ACQUISITION CORP.

BALANCE SHEET
JANUARY 18, 2021

 

Assets        
Deferred offering costs   $ 102,492  
Total assets   $ 102,492  
         
Liabilities and Shareholder’s Equity        
Accrued offering costs and expenses   $ 14,822  
Promissory note - related party     65,999  
Total current liabilities     80,821  
Commitments        
Shareholder’s Equity:        
Preference shares, with no par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding      
Class A ordinary shares, with no par value;100,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding      
Class B ordinary shares, with no par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized; 1,437,500 shares issued and outstanding(1)     25,001  
Accumulated deficit     (3,330 )
Total shareholder’s equity     21,671  
Total Liabilities and Shareholder’s Equity   $ 102,492  

 

(1) Includes up to 187,500 Class B ordinary shares subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriters. (See Note 7)

 

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

 

F-3

 

 

MODEL PERFORMANCE ACQUISITION CORP.

STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
FOR THE PERIOD FROM JANUARY 8, 2021 (INCEPTION) THROUGH JANUARY 18, 2021

 

Formation costs  $3,330 
      
Net loss  $(3,330)
      
Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding (1)   1,250,000 
Basic and diluted net loss per share  $(0.00)

 

(1) Excludes up to 187,500 Class B ordinary shares subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriters (see Note 7).

 

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

 

F-4

 

 

MODEL PERFORMANCE ACQUISITION CORP.

 

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDER’S EQUITY

  

FOR THE PERIOD FROM JANUARY 8, 2021 (INCEPTION) THROUGH JANUARY 18, 2021

 

    Class B Ordinary
shares
    Accumulated     Shareholder’s  
    Shares (1)     Amount     Deficit     Equity  
Balance as of January 8, 2021 (inception)         $     $     $  
Class B ordinary shares issued to Sponsor     1,437,500       25,001             25,001  
Net loss                 (3,330 )     (3,330 )
Balance as of January 18, 2021     1,437,500     $ 25,001     $ (3,330 )   $ 21,671  

 

(1) Includes up to 187,500 Class B ordinary shares subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriters (see Note 7).

 

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

 

F-5

 

 

MODEL PERFORMANCE ACQUISITION CORP.

 

STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

 

FOR THE PERIOD FROM JANUARY 8, 2021 (INCEPTION) THROUGH JANUARY 18, 2021

 

Cash flows from operating activities:      
Net loss   $ (3,330 )
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:        
Formation cost paid by Sponsor loan     3,330  
Net cash used in operating activities      
         
Net change in cash      
Cash, beginning of the period January 8, 2021 (inception)      
Cash, end of the period   $  
         
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:        
     Deferred offering costs paid by Sponsor in exchange for issuance of Class B ordinary shares   $ 25,001  
     Deferred offering costs paid by Sponsor loan   $ 62,669  
     Accrued deferred offering costs   $ 14,822  

 

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

 

F-6

 

 

Model Performance Acquisition Corp.

Notes to Financial Statements

 

NOTE 1 — ORGANIZATION, BUSINESS OPERATION AND GOING CONCERN

 

Model Performance Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) was incorporated as a British Virgin Islands exempted company on January 8, 2021. The Company was incorporated for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities (the “Business Combination”). The Company has not selected any Business Combination partner and the Company has not, nor has anyone on its behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any Business Combination partner.

 

As of January 18, 2021, the Company had not commenced any operations. All activity for the period from January 8, 2021 (inception) through January 18, 2021 relates to the Company's formation and the proposed initial public offering 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 on cash and cash equivalents from the proceeds derived from the Proposed Public Offering (as defined below). The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year end.

 

The Company's Sponsor is First Euro Investments, a British Virgin Islands company (the “Sponsor”). The Company's ability to commence operations is contingent upon obtaining adequate financial resources through a proposed public offering of 5,000,000 units at $10.00 per unit (the “Units”) (or 5,750,000 units if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full), which is discussed in Note 3 (the “Proposed Public Offering”), and the sale of 220,000 units (or 235,000 units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit in a private placement to the Sponsor (the “Private Placement Units”) that will close simultaneously with the Proposed Public Offering. The Company's management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering and the sale of Private Placement Units, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business Combination.

 

The Company must complete one or more initial Business Combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the Trust Account (as defined below) (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the interest earned on the Trust Account) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial Business Combination. However, the Company will only complete a Business Combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the issued and outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). There is no assurance that the Company will be able to complete a Business Combination successfully.

 

Upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, management has agreed that an amount equal to at least $10.00 per Unit sold in the Proposed Public Offering, including the proceeds of the Private Placement Units, will be held in a trust account (“Trust Account”) and will only be invested in United States “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act having a maturity of 180 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. The Company will not be permitted to withdraw any of the principal or interest held in the Trust Account except for the withdrawal of interest to pay taxes, if any, the proceeds from the Proposed Public Offering and the sale of the Private Placement Units will not be released from the Trust Account until the earliest of (i) the completion of the initial Business Combination; (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a shareholder vote to amend the Company's amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of the Company's obligation to redeem 100% of the public shares if the Company does not complete the initial Business Combination within 18 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering if the Company extends the period of time to consummate a Business Combination by the full amount of time) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-Business Combination activity and (iii) the redemption of all of the public shares if the Company is unable to complete the initial Business Combination within 18 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering if the Company extends the period of time to consummate a Business Combination by the full amount of time), subject to applicable law.

 

The Company will provide its public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of the initial Business Combination either (i) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the Business Combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether the Company will seek shareholder approval of a proposed Business Combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by the Company, solely in its discretion. The shareholders will be entitled to redeem their shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial Business Combination, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations. The amount in the Trust Account is initially anticipated to be approximately $10.00 per public share (subject to increase of up to an additional $0.20 per Unit in the event that the Sponsor elects to extend the period of time to consummate a Business Combination, as described in more detail in Note 5).

 

F-7

 

 

The shares of ordinary share subject to redemption will be recorded at a redemption value and classified as temporary equity upon the completion of the Proposed Public Offering, in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board's (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.” In such case, the Company will proceed with a Business Combination if the Company has net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation of a Business Combination and, if the Company seeks shareholder approval, a majority of the issued and outstanding shares voted are voted in favor of the Business Combination.

 

The Company will have 18 months (or up to 24 months if the Company extends the period of time) from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering to complete the initial Business Combination (the “Combination Period”). However, if the Company is unable to complete the initial Business Combination within the Combination Period, the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible, but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable and less up to $50,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the remaining shareholders and board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to the Company's obligations under British Virgin Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.

 

The Sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with the Company, pursuant to which they have agreed (A) to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares (as described in Note 5) and public shares in connection with the completion of the initial Business Combination and (B) to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to their founder shares if the Company fails to complete the initial Business Combination within the Combination Period, although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to any public shares they hold if the Company fails to complete the initial Business Combination within such time period and (iv) the founder shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of the initial Business Combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment pursuant to certain anti-dilution rights, as described in the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. If the Company submits the initial Business Combination to the public shareholders for a vote, the Sponsor, officers and directors have agreed (and their permitted transferees will agree) to vote their founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after the Proposed Public Offering in favor of the initial Business Combination.

 

The Sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to the Company if and to the extent any claims by a vendor for services rendered or products sold to the Company, or a prospective target business with which the Company has discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account to below (i) $10.00 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the Trust Account as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the Trust Account and except as to any claims under the Company’s indemnity of the underwriters of the Proposed Public Offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “Securities Act”). Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, the Sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third -party claims. The Company has not independently verified whether the Sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy their indemnity obligations and believe that the Sponsor’s only assets are the Company’s security. The Company has not asked the Sponsor to reserve for such obligations.

 

Going Concern Consideration

 

As of January 18, 2021, the Company had no cash and a working capital deficit of $80,821 (excluding deferred offering costs). The Company has incurred and expects to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of its financing and acquisition plans. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. Management plans to address this uncertainty through a Proposed Public Offering as discussed in Note 3. There is no assurance that the Company's plans to raise capital or to consummate a Business Combination will be successful within the Combination Period. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

 

Risks and Uncertainties

 

Management is currently evaluating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic 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 financial statements. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

 

F-8

 

 

NOTE 2 — SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

Basis of Presentation

 

The accompanying financial statements are presented in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

 

Emerging Growth Company Status

 

The Company is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart our Business Startups Act of 2012, (the “JOBS Act”), and it may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in its periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.

 

Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. The Company has elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of the Company's financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.

 

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with US 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 expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

The Company considers all short-term investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. The Company did not have any cash equivalents as of January 18, 2021.

 

Deferred Offering Costs

 

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

 

Net Loss Per Share

 

The Company complies with accounting and disclosure requirements of FASB ASC Topic 260, “Earnings Per Share.” Net loss per share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the period, excluding ordinary shares subject to forfeiture by the Sponsor. Weighted average shares were reduced for the effect of an aggregate of 187,500 ordinary shares that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised by the underwriters (see Note 5). At January 18, 2021, the Company did not have any dilutive securities and other contracts that could, potentially, be exercised or converted into ordinary shares and then share in the earnings of the Company. As a result, diluted loss per share is the same as basic loss per share for the period presented.

 

F-9

 

 

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

 

The fair value of the Company's assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under FASB ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the balance sheet, primarily due to its short-term nature.

 

Income Taxes

 

The Company accounts for income taxes under FASB ASC 740, “Income Taxes” (“ASC 740”). ASC 740 requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for both the expected impact of differences between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities and for the expected future tax benefit to be derived from tax loss and tax credit carry forwards. ASC 740 additionally requires a valuation allowance to be established when it is more likely than not that all or a portion of deferred tax assets will not be realized.

 

ASC 740 also clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise's financial statements and prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement process for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position 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. ASC 740 also provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim period, disclosure and transition. Based on the Company's evaluation, it has been concluded that there are no significant uncertain tax positions requiring recognition in the Company's financial statements. Since the Company was incorporated on January 8, 2021, the evaluation was performed for upcoming 2021 tax year which will be the only period subject to examination.

 

The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. There were no unrecognized tax benefits and no amounts accrued for interest and penalties as of January 18, 2021. The Company is currently not aware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviation from its position.

 

There is currently no taxation imposed on income by the Government of the British Virgin Islands. In accordance with British Virgin Islands federal income tax regulations, income taxes are not levied on the Company. Consequently, income taxes are not reflected in the Company's financial statements.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company's financial statements.

 

NOTE 3 — PROPOSED PUBLIC OFFERING

 

Pursuant to the Proposed Public Offering, the Company intends to offer for sale 5,000,000 Units, (or 5,750,000 Units if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one Class A ordinary share, one-half of one redeemable warrant and one right. Each whole warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the Units and only whole warrants will trade. Each right entitles the holder to receive one-tenth (1/10) of one Class A ordinary share upon consummation of the initial Business Combination.

 

NOTE 4 — PRIVATE PLACEMENT

 

The Company's Sponsor has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 220,000 Private Placement Units (or 235,000 Private Placement Units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per Private Placement Unit for an aggregate purchase price of $2,200,000 (or $2,350,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full).

 

Each Private Placement Unit will be identical to the Units sold in the Proposed Public Offering, except as described below. The Private Placement Units will be sold in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, including the over-allotment option, as applicable. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to the founder shares, private placement shares, private placement warrants or private placement rights. The warrants and rights will expire worthless if the Company does not consummate a Business Combination within the allotted 18-month period (or up to 24 months from the completion of the Proposed Public Offering if the Company extends the period of time to consummate a Business Combination by the full amount of time).

 

F-10

 

 

The Private Placement Units and their component securities will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the consummation of the initial Business Combination except to permitted transferees. The private placement warrants will be non-redeemable and exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by the Sponsor or its permitted transferees. If the private placement warrants are held by someone other than the Sponsor or its permitted transferees, the placement warrants will be redeemable by the Company and exercisable by such holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the Units being sold in the Proposed Public Offering. If holders of private placement warrants elect to exercise them on a cashless basis, they would pay the exercise price by surrendering their warrants for that number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the “fair market value” (defined below) by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” shall mean the average reported last sale price of the Class A ordinary shares for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of warrant exercise is sent to the warrant agent.

 

NOTE 5 — RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

Founder Shares

 

In January 2021, the Sponsor paid $25,001, or approximately $0.017 per share, to cover certain offering costs in consideration for 1,437,500 Class B ordinary shares, with no par value. Up to 187,500 founder shares are subject to forfeiture by the Sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised.

 

The Sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with the Company, pursuant to which they have agreed (A) to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with the completion of the initial Business Combination and (B) to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to their founder shares if the Company fails to complete the initial Business Combination within the Combination Period, although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to any public shares they hold if the Company fails to complete the initial Business Combination within such time period and (iv) the founder shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of the initial Business Combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment pursuant to certain anti-dilution rights, as described in the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. If the Company submits the initial Business Combination to the public shareholders for a vote, the Sponsor, officers and directors have agreed (and their permitted transferees will agree) to vote their founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after the Proposed Public Offering in favor of the initial Business Combination.

 

With certain limited exceptions, the founder shares are not transferable, assignable or salable (except to the Company’s officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with the Sponsor, each of whom will be subject to the same transfer restrictions) until the earlier of (A) six months after the completion of the initial Business Combination or (B) subsequent to the initial Business Combination, (x) if the last sale price of the Class A ordinary shares equal or exceed $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, rights issuances, subdivisions, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after the initial Business Combination, or (y) the date following the completion of the initial Business Combination on which the Company complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of the public shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property.

 

Promissory Note — Related Party

 

On January 13, 2021, the Sponsor agreed to loan the Company up to $200,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of the Proposed Public Offering. These loans are non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. The loan will be repaid upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering out of the offering proceeds that has been allocated to the payment of offering expenses. As of January 18, 2021, the Company had borrowed $65,999 under the promissory note.

 

Working Capital Loans

 

In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended 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 the initial Business Combination, the Company may repay the Working Capital Loans out of the proceeds of the Trust Account released to the Company. In the event that the initial Business Combination does not close, the Company may use a portion of the working capital held outside the Trust Account to repay the Working Capital Loans but no proceeds from the Trust Account would be used to repay the Working Capital Loans. Up to $1,150,000 of such Working Capital Loans may be convertible into warrants of the post-Business Combination company at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. Such units would be identical to the Private Placement Units. As of January 18, 2021, the Company had no borrowings under the Working Capital Loans.

 

F-11

 

 

Extension Loan

 

The Company will have until 18 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering to consummate an initial Business Combination. However, if the Company anticipates that it may not be able to consummate the initial Business Combination within 18 months, it may extend the period of time to consummate a Business Combination up to two times, each by an additional three months (for a total of up to 24 months to complete a Business Combination). Pursuant to the terms of the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and the trust agreement to be entered into between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company on the date of the prospectus, in order to extend the time available for the Company to consummate the initial Business Combination, the Sponsor or its affiliates or designees, upon ten days advance notice prior to the applicable deadline, must deposit into the Trust Account $500,000, or up to $575,000 if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full ($0.10 per share in either case) on or prior to the date of the applicable deadline, for each three month extension (or up to an aggregate of $1,000,000 (or $1,150,000 if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full), or $0.20 per share if the Company extends for the full six months). Any such payments would be made in the form of a loan. Any such loans will be non-interest bearing and payable upon the consummation of the initial Business Combination. If the Company completes the initial Business Combination, it would repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the Trust Account released to the Company. Up to $1,150,000 of such loans may be convertible into units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. If the Company does not complete a Business Combination, the Company will not repay such loans. Furthermore, the letter agreement with the initial shareholders contains a provision pursuant to which the Sponsor has agreed to waive its right to be repaid for such loans out of the funds held in the Trust Account in the event that the Company does not complete a Business Combination. The Sponsor and its affiliates or designees are not obligated to fund the Trust Account to extend the time for the Company to complete the initial Business Combination.

 

Administrative Service Fee

 

Subsequent to the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, the Company will pay the Sponsor $10,000 per month for office space, secretarial and administrative services provided to members of the Company's management team. Upon completion of the initial Business Combination or the Company's liquidation, the Company will cease paying these monthly fees.

 

NOTE 6 — COMMITMENTS & CONTINGENCIES

 

Registration and Shareholder Rights

 

The holders of founder shares, Private Placement Units, shares being issued to the underwriters of the Proposed Public Offering, and units that may be issued on conversion of Working Capital Loans (and in each case holders of their component securities, as applicable) will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of the Proposed Public Offering requiring the Company to register such securities for resale (in the case of the founder shares, only after conversion to the Company’s Class A ordinary shares). The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that the Company registers such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the completion of the initial Business Combination and rights to require the Company to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act.

 

Underwriters Agreement

 

The Company will grant the underwriters a 45-day option from the date of the prospectus to purchase up to an additional 750,000 Units to cover over-allotments, if any.

 

The underwriters will be entitled to a cash underwriting discount of two percent (2%) of the gross proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering, or $1,000,000 (or $1,150,000 if the underwriters' over-allotment is exercised in full). Additionally, the underwriters will be entitled to a deferred underwriting discount of 3.5% of the gross proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering upon the completion of the Company's initial Business Combination.

 

Representative’s Ordinary Shares

 

The Company has agreed to issue to Maxim Partners LLC and/or its designees, 50,000 ordinary shares (or 57,500 shares if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) upon the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering. Maxim has agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any such shares until the completion of the initial Business Combination. In addition, Maxim has agreed (i) to waive its redemption rights with respect to such shares in connection with the completion of the initial Business Combination and (ii) to waive its rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to such shares if the Company fails to complete the initial Business Combination within the Combination Period.

 

F-12

 

 

The shares have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to a lock-up for a period of 180 days immediately following the date of the effectiveness of the registration statement pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1). Pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1), these securities will not be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of the securities by any person for a period of 180 days immediately following the effective date of the registration statement, nor may they be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated for a period of 180 days immediately following the commencement of sales in the Proposed Public Offering, except to any underwriter and selected dealer participating in the offering and their officers, partners, registered persons or affiliates,.

  

NOTE 7 — SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

 

Preference shares — The Company is authorized to issue 1,000,000 preference shares with no par value and with such designations, voting and other rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Company's board of directors. As of January 18, 2021, there were no preference shares issued or outstanding.

 

Class A Ordinary Shares — The Company is authorized to issue 100,000,000 Class A ordinary shares with no par value . At January 18, 2021, there were no Class A ordinary shares issued or outstanding.

 

Class B Ordinary Shares — The Company is authorized to issue 10,000,000 Class B ordinary shares with no par value per share. At January 18, 2021, there were 1,437,500 Class B ordinary shares issued and outstanding. Of the 1,437,500 Class B ordinary shares, an aggregate of up to 187,500 shares are subject to forfeiture to the Company for no consideration to the extent that the underwriters' over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part, so that the initial shareholders will collectively own 20% of the Company's issued and outstanding ordinary shares after the Proposed Public Offering.

 

Class A ordinary shareholders and Class B ordinary shareholders of record are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by shareholders and vote together as a single class, except as required by law.

 

The Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of the initial Business Combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for share splits, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, and subject to further adjustment as provided herein and in the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. In the case that additional Class A ordinary shares, or equity-linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts sold in the Proposed Public Offering and related to the closing of the Business Combination, the ratio at which Class B ordinary shares shall convert into Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the issued and outstanding Class B ordinary shares agree to waive such anti-dilution adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all Class B ordinary shares will equal, in the aggregate, 20% of the sum of all ordinary shares outstanding upon completion of the Proposed Public Offering plus all Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued in connection with the Business Combination (excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial Business Combination or any private placement-equivalent units issued to the Sponsor or its affiliates upon conversion of loans made to the Company). Holders of founder shares may also elect to convert their Class B ordinary shares into an equal number of Class A ordinary shares, subject to adjustment as provided above, at any time. The term “equity-linked securities” refers to any debt or equity securities that are convertible, exercisable or exchangeable for the Company’s Class A ordinary shares issued in a financing transaction in connection with the initial Business Combination, including but not limited to a private placement of equity or debt. Securities could be “deemed issued” for purposes of the conversion adjustment if such shares are issuable upon the conversion or exercise of convertible securities, warrants or similar securities.

 

Warrants — No warrants are currently outstanding. Each whole warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as discussed below.

 

F-13

 

 

In addition, if (x) the Company issues additional ordinary shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of the initial business combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per share (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by the Company’s board of directors and, in the case of any such issuance to the Company’s initial stockholders or their affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by such stockholders or their affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance (the “Newly Issued Price”)), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for funding the initial business combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of the Company ordinary shares during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which the Company consummates the business combination (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, the exercise price shall be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, and the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price described in the section “Redemption of warrants” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.

 

The warrants will become exercisable on the later of 12 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering and 30 days after the completion of its initial Business Combination, and will expire five years after the completion of the Company's initial Business Combination, at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.

 

The Company has agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days after the closing of the initial Business Combination, the Company will use best efforts to file, and within 60 business days following the initial Business Combination to have declared effective, a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants. The Company will use its best efforts to cause the same to become effective and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement, and a current prospectus relating thereto, until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. No warrants will be exercisable for cash unless the Company has an effective and current registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to such Class A ordinary shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective within a specified period following the consummation of the initial Business Combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when the Company shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a cashless basis pursuant to the exemption provided by Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, provided that such exemption is available. If that exemption, or another exemption, is not available, holders will not be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis.

 

Once the warrants become exercisable, the Company may call the warrants for redemption (excluding the private placement warrants):

 

  in whole and not in part;
  at a price of $0.01 per warrant;
  upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption (the “30-day redemption period”) to each warrant holder; and
  if, and only if, the reported last sale price of the Class A ordinary shares equal or exceed $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, rights issuances, subdivisions, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date the Company sends to the notice of redemption to the warrant holders.

 

The Company has established the last of the redemption criterion discussed above to prevent a redemption call unless there is at the time of the call a significant premium to the warrant exercise price. If the foregoing conditions are satisfied and the Company issues a notice of redemption of the warrants, each warrant holder will be entitled to exercise his, her or its warrant prior to the scheduled redemption date. However, the price of the Class A ordinary shares may fall below the $18.00 redemption trigger price as well as the $11.50 warrant exercise price after the redemption notice is issued.

 

If the Company calls the warrants for redemption as described above, the management will have the option to require any holder that wishes to exercise his, her or its warrant to do so on a “cashless basis.” In determining whether to require all holders to exercise their warrants on a “cashless basis,” the management will consider, among other factors, the Company’s cash position, the number of warrants that are outstanding and the dilutive effect on the Company’s shareholders of issuing the maximum number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the warrants. If the management takes advantage of this option, all holders of warrants would pay the exercise price by surrendering their warrants for that number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “fair market value” (defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” shall mean the average reported last sale price of the Class A ordinary shares for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. If the management takes advantage of this option, the notice of redemption will contain the information necessary to calculate the number of Class A ordinary shares to be received upon exercise of the warrants, including the “fair market value” in such case. Requiring a cashless exercise in this manner will reduce the number of shares to be issued and thereby lessen the dilutive effect of a warrant redemption. The Company believes this feature is an attractive option to the Company if it does not need the cash from the exercise of the warrants after the initial Business Combination. If the Company calls the warrants for redemption and the management does not take advantage of this option, the Sponsor and its permitted transferees would still be entitled to exercise their private placement warrants for cash or on a cashless basis using the same formula described above that other warrant holders would have been required to use had all warrant holders been required to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis.

 

F-14

 

 

If the number of issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares is increased by a capitalization payable in Class A ordinary shares, or by a sub-division of Class A ordinary shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such capitalization, sub-division or similar event, the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable on exercise of each warrant will be increased in proportion to such increase in the issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares. A rights offering to holders of Class A ordinary shares entitling holders to purchase Class A ordinary shares at a price less than the fair market value will be deemed a capitalization of a number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the product of (i) the number of Class A ordinary shares actually sold in such rights offering (or issuable under any other equity securities sold in such rights offering that are convertible into or exercisable for Class A ordinary shares) multiplied by (ii) one (1) minus the quotient of (x) the price per Class A ordinary share paid in such rights offering divided by (y) the fair market value. For these purposes (i) if the rights offering is for securities convertible into or exercisable for Class A ordinary shares, in determining the price payable for Class A ordinary shares, there will be taken into account any consideration received for such rights, as well as any additional amount payable upon exercise or conversion and (ii) fair market value means the volume weighted average price of Class A ordinary shares as reported during the ten (10) trading day period ending on the trading day prior to the first date on which the Class A ordinary shares trade on the applicable exchange or in the applicable market, regular way, without the right to receive such rights.

 

Rights

 

Each holder of a right will receive one-tenth (1/10) of one Class A ordinary share upon consummation of the initial Business Combination, even if the holder of such right redeemed all Class A ordinary shares held by it in connection with the initial Business Combination. No additional consideration will be required to be paid by a holder of rights in order to receive its additional shares upon consummation of an initial Business Combination, as the consideration related thereto has been included in the unit purchase price paid for by investors in the Proposed Public Offering. If the Company enters into a definitive agreement for a Business Combination in which the Company will not be the surviving entity, the definitive agreement will provide for the holders of rights to receive the same per share consideration the holders of the Class A ordinary shares will receive in the transaction on an as-converted into Class A ordinary share basis, and each holder of a right will be required to affirmatively convert its rights in order to receive the 1/10 share underlying each right (without paying any additional consideration) upon consummation of the Business Combination. More specifically, the right holder will be required to indicate its election to convert the rights into underlying shares as well as to return the original rights certificates to the Company.

 

If the Company is unable to complete an initial Business Combination within the required time period and the Company liquidates the funds held in the Trust Account, holders of rights will not receive any such funds with respect to their rights, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside of the Trust Account with respect to such rights, and the rights will expire worthless.

 

As soon as practicable upon the consummation of the initial Business Combination, the Company will direct registered holders of the rights to return their rights to the rights agent. Upon receipt of the rights, the rights agent will issue to the registered holder of such rights the number of full Class A ordinary shares to which it is entitled. The Company will notify registered holders of the rights to deliver their rights to the rights agent promptly upon consummation of such Business Combination and have been informed by the rights agent that the process of exchanging their rights for Class A ordinary shares should take no more than a matter of days. The foregoing exchange of rights is solely ministerial in nature and is not intended to provide the Company with any means of avoiding the Company’s obligation to issue the shares underlying the rights upon consummation of the initial Business Combination. Other than confirming that the rights delivered by a registered holder are valid, the Company will have no ability to avoid delivery of the shares underlying the rights. Nevertheless, there are no contractual penalties for failure to deliver securities to the holders of the rights upon consummation of an initial Business Combination.

 

The shares issuable upon conversion of the rights will be freely tradable (except to the extent held by affiliates of the Company’s). The Company will not issue fractional shares upon conversion of the rights. Fractional shares will either be rounded down to the nearest whole share or otherwise addressed in accordance with the applicable provisions of British Virgin Island’s law. As a result, you must hold rights in multiples of 10 in order to receive shares for all of the investors’ rights upon closing of a Business Combination. If the Company is unable to complete an initial Business Combination within the required time period and the Company liquidates the funds held in the Trust Account, holders of rights will not receive any of such funds with respect to their rights, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside of the Trust Account with respect to such rights, and the rights will expire worthless. Further, there are no contractual penalties for failure to deliver securities to the holders of the rights upon consummation of an initial Business Combination. Accordingly, the rights may expire worthless.

 

F-15

 

 

NOTE 8 — SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

 

The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date up to February 1, 2021, the date that the financial statements were available to be issued. Based on this review, the Company did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements.

 

F-16

 

 

$50,000,000

 

5,000,000 Units

 

Model Performance Acquisition Corp.

 

 

 

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

 

 

 

                         , 2021

 

Maxim Group LLC

 

Until                 , 2021 (25 days after the date of this prospectus), all dealers that buy, sell or trade our Class A ordinary shares, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers’ obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.

 

158

 

 

PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

 

The estimated expenses payable by us in connection with the offering described in this registration statement (other than the underwriting discount and commissions) will be as follows:

 

Legal fees and expenses     250,000  
Accounting fees and expenses     40,000  
SEC/FINRA Expenses     16,889  
NASDAQ listing and filing fees     75,000  
Director and Officer liability insurance premiums(1)     150,000  
Printing and engraving expenses     30,000  
Reimbursement for underwriter expenses     125,000  
Miscellaneous expenses     13,111  
Total offering expenses   $ 700,000  

  

(1) This amount represents the approximate amount of annual director and officer liability insurance premiums the registrant anticipates paying following the completion of its initial public offering and until it completes a business combination.

 

Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

 

British Virgin Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company’s memorandum and articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent any such provision may be held by the British Virgin Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against willful default, civil fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide for indemnification of our officers and directors to the maximum extent permitted by law, including for any liability incurred in their capacities as such, except through their own actual fraud or willful default. We may purchase a policy of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance that insures our officers and directors against the cost of defense, settlement or payment of a judgment in some circumstances and insures us against our obligations to indemnify our officers and directors.

 

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

 

Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.

 

On January 8, 2021 and January 14, 2021, we issued to our sponsor 1 and 1,437,499 founder shares respectively for an aggregate purchase price of $25,001, or approximately $0.017 per share. Such securities were issued in connection with our organization pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. Our sponsor is an accredited investor for purposes of Rule 501 of Regulation D.

 

In addition, our sponsor has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 220,000 units (or 235,000 units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit for an aggregate purchase price of $2,200,000, or $2,350,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full. Each private placement unit will be identical to the units sold in this offering, except as described in this prospectus. The private placement units will be sold in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering, including the over-allotment option, as applicable. This purchase will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the completion of our initial public offering. This issuance will be made pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. No underwriting discounts or commissions were paid with respect to such sales.

 

Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.

 

  (a) Exhibits. The list of exhibits following the signature page of this registration statement is incorporated herein by reference.

 

  (b) Financial Statements. See page F-1 for an index to the financial statements and schedules included in the registration statement.

 

159

 

 

Item 17. Undertakings.

 

  (a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriter at the closing specified in the underwriting agreements, certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriter to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.

 

  (b) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

  (c) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:

 

  (1) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

 

  (2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

  (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

 

  (4) For the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser, if the registrant is subject to Rule 430C, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.

 

  (5) For the purpose of determining liability of a registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of an undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

 

  (i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

 

  (ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by an undersigned registrant;

 

  (iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

 

  (iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

 

160

 

 

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 ___ day of February2021.

 

  Model Performance Acquisition Corp.
   
  By: /s/ Mohamed Semary
    Name: Mohamed Semary
    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 on February  ___, 2020.

 

Name   Position
     
/s/ Mohamed Semary   Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
    (Principal Executive Officer)
     
/s/ Serena Shie   Chief Financial Officer
    (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
     

 

161

 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.   Description
1.1   Form of Underwriting Agreement.*
3.1   Memorandum and Articles of Association.*
3.2   Second Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association.*
3.3   Form of Third Amended and Restated Articles of Association.*
4.1   Specimen Unit Certificate.*
4.2   Specimen Class A Ordinary Share Certificate.*
4.3   Specimen Warrant Certificate.*
4.4   Specimen Right Certificate.*
4.5   Form of Warrant Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant.*
4.6   Form of Rights Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant.*
5.1   Opinion of Ogier, British Virgin Islands counsel to the Registrant.*
5.2   Opinion of Loeb & Loeb LLP, counsel to the Registrant.*
10.1   Promissory Note, dated as of January 13, 2021 issued to First Euro Investments Limited Company.*
10.2   Form of Letter Agreement among the Registrant and its officers, directors and First Euro Investments Limited Company.*
10.3   Form of Investment Management Trust Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant.*
10.4   Form of Registration Rights Agreement between the Registrant and certain security holders.*
10.5   Form of Securities Subscription Agreement, dated January 14, 2021, between the Registrant and First Euro Investments Limited Company *
10.6   Form of Private Placement Units Purchase Agreement between the Registrant and First Euro Investments Limited Company *
10.7   Form of Indemnity Agreement.*
10.8   Form of Administrative Services Agreement, by and between the Registrant and First Euro Investments Limited Company *
14   Form of Code of Ethics.*
23.1   Consent of Marcum LLP.**
23.2   Consent of Ogier (included on Exhibit 5.1).*
23.3   Consent of Loeb & Loeb LLP (included on Exhibit 5.2).*
24   Power of Attorney.*
99.1   Form of Audit Committee Charter.*
99.2   Form of Compensation Committee Charter.*
99.3   Form of Nominating Committee Charter*
99.4   Consent of Patrick Tsang.*
99.5   Consent of Joseph Chu.*
99.6   Consent of Brian Keng.*

 

* To be filed by amendment.

** Filed herewith.

 

162