UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM
(Mark One)
For
the fiscal year ended
OR
For the transition period from _______ to _______
COMMISSION
FILE NUMBER
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| (State
or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S.
Employer Identification Number) |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code
PORTAGE
FINTECH ACQUISITION CORPORATION
280 Park Avenue, 29F East,
New York, NY 10017
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of Each Class | Trading Symbol: | Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered | ||
| The Stock Market LLC | ||||
| The Stock Market LLC | ||||
| The Stock Market LLC |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports) and (2)
has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to
Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the
registrant was required to submit such files).
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
| Large accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☐ |
| ☒ | Smaller reporting company | ||
| Emerging growth company |
If
an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying
with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐
If securities are registered pursuant to Securities Act Section 12(b), indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation
received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b).
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).
As
of June 30, 2023, the aggregate market value of the Registrant’s voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates was
$
As of April 16, 2024, the Registrant had of its Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value per share, and of its Class B ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value per share, outstanding.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
None.
Table of Contents
i
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or the Exchange Act. Some of the statements in this report may constitute “forward-looking statements” for purposes of the federal securities laws. 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, including with respect to our proposed business combination with RBio Energy Corporation (“RBio Energy”). 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,” “intend,” “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 report may include, for example, statements about:
| ● | our ability to complete our initial business combination, including the proposed business combination with RBio Energy; |
| ● | our expectations around the performance of RBio Energy or any other prospective target business or businesses; |
| ● | 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; |
| ● | our potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination; |
| ● | our pool of prospective target businesses if the proposed business combination with RBio Energy is not completed; |
| ● | the ability of our officers and directors to generate a number of potential business combination opportunities; |
| ● | our public securities’ potential liquidity and trading; |
| ● | the use of proceeds not held in the Trust Account (as described below) or available to us from interest income on the Trust Account balance; |
| ● | the Trust Account not being subject to claims of third parties; |
| ● | our financial performance; or |
| ● | the other risk and uncertainties discussed in “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” elsewhere in this Annual Report and in our other filings with the SEC, including in our preliminary prospectus/proxy statement to be included in a Registration Statement on Form S-4 that we will file with the SEC relating to the proposed business combination with RBio Energy. |
The forward-looking statements contained in this report 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.
ii
SUMMARY OF RISK FACTORS
The following is a summary of the principal risks described below in Part I, Item 1A “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We believe that the risks described in the “Risk Factors” section are material to investors, but other factors not presently known to us or that we currently believe are immaterial may also adversely affect us. The following summary should not be considered an exhaustive summary of the material risks facing us, and it should be read in conjunction with the “Risk Factors” section and the other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
| ● | We are a blank check company with no operating history and no revenues, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective. |
| ● | Although we are required to seek shareholder approval of any initial business combination, our Sponsor and management team 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 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. |
| ● | The requirement that we consummate an initial business combination by July 23, 2024 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 business combination 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 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and other events, and the status of debt and equity markets. |
| ● | We may not be able to consummate an initial business combination by July 23, 2024, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate. |
| ● | Our Sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors and their affiliates may elect to purchase public shares or public warrants, which may influence a vote on a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our Class A ordinary shares or public warrants. |
| ● | 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. |
| ● | The nominal purchase price paid by our Sponsor for the Founder Shares may result in significant dilution to the implied value of your public shares upon the consummation of our initial business combination. |
| ● | Our independent registered public accounting firm’s report contains an explanatory paragraph that expresses substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a “going concern.” |
| ● | The value of the Founder Shares following completion of our initial business combination is likely to be substantially higher than the nominal price paid for them, even if the trading price of our Class A ordinary shares at such time is substantially less than $10.00 per share. |
iii
| ● | 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. |
| ● | 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 consummated our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per public share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our Trust Account, and our warrants will expire worthless. |
| ● | If the net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and Private Placement not being held in the Trust Account are insufficient to allow us to operate for at least until July 23, 2024, it could limit the amount available to fund our search for a target business or businesses and our ability to complete our initial business combination, and we will depend on loans from our Sponsor, its affiliates or members of our management team to fund our search and to complete our initial business combination. |
| ● | Changes in the market for directors and officers liability insurance could make it more difficult and more expensive for us to negotiate and complete an initial business combination. |
| ● | We may engage the underwriters from the Initial Public Offering or one of their affiliates to provide additional services to us, which may include acting as financial advisor in connection with an initial business combination or as placement agent in connection with a related financing transaction. Such underwriters are entitled to receive deferred commissions that will be released from the trust only on a completion of an initial business combination. These financial incentives may cause such underwriters to have potential conflicts of interest in rendering any such additional services to us, including, for example, in connection with the sourcing and consummation of an initial business combination. |
| ● | If we conduct redemptions of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the proxy solicitation rules instead of 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. |
| ● | 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. |
| ● | Past performance by our management team or their respective affiliates may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in us or in the future performance of the business we may acquire. |
| ● | The other risks and uncertainties discussed in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. |
For risk factors related to RBio Energy and our proposed business combination, please review the Registration Statement on Form S-4 to be filed by RBio Energy, including the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus of the Company to be included therein, and the definitive proxy statement/prospectus to be filed by the Company.
iv
PART I
References in this report to “we,” “us,” “PC3,” or the “Company” refer to Perception Capital Corp. III. References to our “management” or our “management team” refer to our officers and directors, and references to the “Initial Sponsor” refer to PFTA I LP, an Ontario limited partnership. References to “New Sponsor” or “Sponsor” refer to Perception Capital Partners IIIA LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. References to our “initial shareholders” refer to the holders of our Founder Shares (as defined below).
ITEM 1. BUSINESS.
Introduction
We are a blank check company incorporated in the Cayman Islands on March 17, 2021. Effective October 11, 2023, the Company changed its name from “Portage Fintech Acquisition Corporation” in connection with a change in its primary sponsor, board of directors and management, as discussed below. The Company was formed for the purpose of effectuating a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses (the “Business Combination”). The Company is an early stage and emerging growth company and, as such, the Company is subject to all of the risks associated with early stage and emerging growth companies.
As of December 31, 2023, the Company had not yet commenced any operations. All activity for the period March 17, 2021 (inception) through December 31, 2023, relates to the Company’s formation, the initial public offering (the “Initial Public Offering”), which is described below. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after the completion of its initial Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company generates non-operating income in the form of interest income from the securities held in the Trust Account. The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year end.
The registration statement for the Initial Public Offering was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on July 20, 2021. On July 23, 2021, the Company consummated its Initial Public Offering of 24,000,000 units (the “Units” and, with respect to the Class A ordinary shares included in the Units being offered, the “Public Shares”), at $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $240.0 million.
The Company incurred offering costs in the Initial Public Offering totaling $14,355,016, consisting of $4,800,000 of underwriting fees, $8,400,000 of deferred underwriting fees, and $1,155,016 of other offering cost. The Company granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 3,600,000 Units at the Initial Public Offering price to cover over-allotments.
Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company consummated the private placement (“Private Placement”) of 6,333,334 warrants (each, a “Private Placement Warrant” and collectively, the “Private Placement Warrants”), at a price of $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant with the Sponsor, generating gross proceeds of $9,500,000.
Upon the closing of the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement, $240.0 million ($10.00 per Unit) of the net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and certain of the proceeds of the Private Placement were placed in a trust account (“Trust Account”) with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee and invested in United States “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”) having a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations, as determined by the Company, until the earlier of: (i) the completion of a Business Combination and (ii) the distribution of the Trust Account as described below. Per the trust amendment agreement dated July 27, 2023, the company has the authority to retain funds in an interest-bearing bank demand deposit account, where all trust funds were held as of December 31, 2023.
1
On August 3, 2021, the underwriters notified the Company of their intention to partially exercise the over-allotment option on August 5, 2021 (the “Over-Allotment”). As such, on August 5, 2021, the Company consummated the sale of an additional 1,911,379 Units, at $10.00 per Unit, and the sale of an additional 254,850 Private Placement Warrants, at $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant, generating total gross proceeds of $19,113,790 and $382,275, respectively. The underwriters forfeited the balance of the over-allotment option. A total of $19,113,790 of the net proceeds was deposited into the Trust Account, bringing the aggregate proceeds held in the Trust Account to $259,113,790. The Company incurred additional offering costs of $1,051,258 in connection with the Over-Allotment (of which $668,983 was for deferred underwriting fees).
On August 15, 2022, one of the underwriters, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (“Goldman Sachs”), waived all rights to the Deferred Discount (as defined in the underwriting agreement, dated July 20, 2021, among the Company, Goldman Sachs and BTIG, LLC). The Deferred Discount was for an amount of approximately $6.5 million and was owed upon consummation by the Company of an initial business combination.
The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and the sale of the Private Placement Warrants, although substantially all of the net proceeds, which are placed in the Trust Account, are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business Combination. The Company’s initial Business Combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance held in the Trust Account (less any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned on the Trust Account) at the time the Company signs a definitive agreement in connection with the initial Business Combination. However, the Company will only complete a Business Combination if the post-Business Combination 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.
The Company will provide its holders of the outstanding Public Shares (the “Public Shareholders”) with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares upon the completion of a Business Combination either (i) in connection with a shareholder meeting called to approve the Business Combination pursuant to the proxy solicitation rules of the SEC or (ii) by means of a tender offer. In connection with a proposed Business Combination, the Company will be required to seek shareholder approval of a Business Combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which shareholders may seek to redeem their shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against a Business Combination. The Company will proceed with a Business Combination only if the Company has net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon such consummation of a Business Combination and a majority of the outstanding shares voted are voted in favor of the Business Combination.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (the “Articles”) 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 Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to 15% or more of the Public Shares without the Company’s prior written consent.
The Public Shareholders will be entitled to redeem their shares for a pro rata portion of the amount then in the Trust Account (initially $10.00 per share, plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay its tax obligations). The per-share amount to be distributed to shareholders who redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions the Company will pay to the underwriters. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of a Business Combination with respect to the Company’s warrants. These Public Shares are recorded at a redemption value and classified as temporary equity upon the completion of the Initial Public Offering, in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.”
If the Company is not required to conduct redemptions pursuant to the proxy solicitation rules as described above, the Company will, pursuant to its Articles, offer such redemption pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC, and file tender offer documents containing substantially the same information as would be included in a proxy statement with the SEC prior to completing a Business Combination.
2
Extension
On July 21, 2023, the Company held an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders at which the Company’s shareholders approved two proposals to amend the Articles. The first such amendment (the “Extension Amendment”) extended the date by which the Company must (1) consummate a Business Combination, (2) cease its operations except for the purpose of winding up if it fails to complete a Business Combination, and (3) redeem all of its Public Shares from July 23, 2023 to July 23, 2024 or such earlier date as determined by our board of directors (the “Board”) to be in the best interests of the Company (the “Extension” and such date, the “Extended Date”). The second such amendment (the “Redemption Limitation Amendment” eliminated from the Articles the limitation that the Company shall not redeem Class A ordinary shares sold in the Initial Public Offering to the extent that such redemption would cause the Company’s net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001.
In connection with the vote to approve the Extension Amendment, holders of an aggregate of 22,001,009 Class A ordinary shares exercised their right to redeem their shares for cash at a redemption price of approximately $10.41 per share, for an aggregate redemption amount of approximately $229.1 million, leaving approximately $40.7 million in the Trust Account and 3,910,370 Class A ordinary shares outstanding after such redemption.
Change in Primary Sponsor, Board, and Management; Securities Purchase Agreement
On July 21, 2023, PFTA I LP, an Ontario limited partnership (the “Initial Sponsor”) sold 4,215,230 Class B ordinary shares and 4,392,123 Private Placement Warrants (defined below) to Perception Capital Partners IIIA LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “New Sponsor” or the “Sponsor”), pursuant to a Securities Purchase Agreement dated July 12, 2023 (the “Purchase Agreement”).
Effective as of July 21, 2023, each of Adam Felesky, Ajay Chowdhery, Paul Desmarais III, Steven Jay Freiberg, Stuart Charles Harvey, Jr., G. Thompson Hutton, Seraina Macia and Jason Michael Pate resigned from the Company’s board of directors in accordance with the terms of the Purchase Agreement. Each of Scott Honour, Rick Gaenzle, R. Rudolph Reinfrank, Thomas J. Abood and Karrie Willis were appointed to fill the vacancies left by the departing directors. Also on July 21, 2023, Rick Gaenzle replaced Adam Felesky as Chief Executive Officer, Corey Campbell replaced Ajay Chowdhery as Chief Financial Officer, and Tao Tan and Jim Sheridan joined the Company as Co-Presidents. On August 11, 2023, John Stanfield was appointed Chief Financial Officer of the Company and Corey Campbell ceased to serve in that position effective as of Mr. Stanfield’s appointment. On January 3, 2024, Mr. Sheridan resigned as Co-President of the Company.
Non-Redemption Agreements
On July 14, 2023, July 17, 2023, July 18, 2023 and July 19, 2023, the Company and the Initial Sponsor entered into non-redemption agreements (each, a “Non-Redemption Agreement”) with certain unaffiliated third parties in exchange for such holders agreeing either not to request redemption in connection with the Extension or to reverse any previously submitted redemption demand in connection with the Extension with respect to an aggregate of 2,166,667 Class A ordinary shares. In consideration of the Non-Redemption Agreements, immediately prior to, and substantially concurrently with, the closing of an initial Business Combination, (i) the New Sponsor (or its designees or transferees) has agreed to surrender and forfeit to the Company for no consideration an aggregate of approximately 0.6 million Class B ordinary shares held by the New Sponsor (the “Forfeited Shares”) and (ii) the Company shall issue to such holders a number of Class A ordinary shares equal to those underlying the Forfeited Shares.
Proposed Business Combination
Business Combination Agreement
On February 6, 2024, we entered into a business combination agreement (the “Business Combination Agreement”) with RBio Energy Holdings Corp., a Delaware corporation (“NewPubco”), RBio Merger Sub, a Cayman Islands exempted company and a wholly owned subsidiary of the NewPubco (“Merger Sub”) and RBio Energy.
3
Pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement, among other things, (i) the holders (whether one or more) of the common stock of RBio Energy (the “RBio Energy Stockholders”) will exchange all of their shares of common stock of RBio Energy (“RBio Common Stock”) for shares of common stock of NewPubco (the “Share Exchange”), as a result of which RBio Energy will become a direct wholly owned subsidiary of NewPubco, and (ii) Merger Sub will merge with and into PC3, with PC3 surviving such merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of NewPubco (the “Merger” and, together with the other transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement, the “Business Combination” and the closing of the Business Combination, the “Closing”).
The Business Combination is expected to be consummated after receipt of the required approvals by the shareholders of PC3 and stockholders of RBio Energy and the satisfaction or waiver of certain other customary conditions, as summarized below.
Commercial/Supply Agreement
RBio Energy plans to negotiate and execute a commercial supply and/or fulfillment agreement with a supplier or other vendor to produce the bioenergy, biofuels and biomaterials and, to the extent necessary and appropriate, lease, license or acquire certain of such supplier’s or other vendor’s assets (the “C/S Agreement,” together with any agreements, documents, certificates or instruments relating thereto or executed or delivered in connection therewith, the “C/S Documents,” and the transactions contemplated by the C/S Documents, the “C/S Business Combinations”), all on the terms and conditions to be agreed by, and subject to the approval of RBio Energy.
Sponsor Support Agreement
Concurrently with the execution of the Business Combination Agreement, the Sponsor, RBio Energy and the Company entered into the Sponsor Support Agreement, pursuant to which, among other things, (i) the Sponsor will vote its shares in favor of the Business Combination Agreement and the Business Combination, and any other proposal submitted for approval by our shareholders in connection with the Business Combination and against any action, agreement, transaction or proposal that would result in a breach of any covenant, representation or warranty or any other obligation or agreement of the Company under the Business Combination Agreement, (ii) the Sponsor will agree to not demand that we redeem the Sponsor’s Class B ordinary shares in connection with the Business Combination, and not to otherwise participate in any such redemption by tendering or submitting any of such shares for redemption, (iii) the Sponsor will waive certain anti-dilution provisions of its Class B ordinary shares set forth in the Articles, and any and all other anti-dilution rights, in connection with the Business Combination with respect to each Class B ordinary share held by the Sponsor, and (iv) at the Closing and upon the written notice of RBio Energy, the Sponsor will forfeit up to all of the Private Placement Warrants. Thereafter, in connection with any potential financing, the Sponsor will cause the Company to issue new warrants exercisable at the same price per share for up to the number of ordinary shares for which the Private Placement Warrants so forfeited were exercisable, to such persons as RBio Energy may direct in writing in its discretion prior to the Closing.
Nasdaq Delisting Notice
On February 6, 2024, we received a notice (the “Notice”) from the Listing Qualifications Department of Nasdaq stating that we had failed to hold an annual meeting of shareholders within 12 months after our fiscal year end, as required by Nasdaq Listing Rule 5620(a) (the “Annual Shareholders Meeting Rule”) and therefore were not in compliance with the Annual Shareholders Meeting Rule. The Notice stated that we had 45 calendar days, or until March 25, 2024, to submit a plan to regain compliance with the Annual Shareholders Meeting Rule. On March 19, 2024, we submitted to Nasdaq a plan to regain compliance with the Annual Shareholders Meeting Rule within the required timeframe. On April 15, 2024, Nasdaq accepted our plan and granted us an extension until June 30, 2024 to regain compliance with the Annual Shareholders Meeting Rule. We expect to hold an annual meeting of shareholders by such date and to regain compliance with the Annual Shareholders Meeting Rule, but there can be no assurance that we will be able to do so.
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. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and the private placement of the private placement warrants, the proceeds of the sale of our shares in connection with our initial business combination (pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into), shares issued to the owners of the target, debt issued to bank or other lenders or the owners of the target, or a combination of the foregoing. We may seek to complete our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, which would subject us to the numerous risks inherent in such companies and businesses.
4
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 or used for redemptions of our Class A ordinary shares, we may use the balance of the cash released to us from the Trust Account following the closing 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.
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 addition, if we target businesses with enterprise values that are greater than we could acquire with the net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, and, as a result, if the cash portion of the purchase price exceeds the amount available from the Trust Account, net of amounts needed to satisfy any redemptions by public shareholders, we may be required to seek additional financing to complete such proposed initial business combination. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, we would expect to complete such financing only simultaneously with the completion of our initial business combination. In the case of an initial business combination funded with assets other than the Trust Account assets, our proxy materials or tender offer documents disclosing the initial business combination would disclose the terms of the financing and, only if required by law, we would seek shareholder approval of such financing. There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds through the issuance of equity or equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into following consummation of the Initial Public Offering. 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. None of our Sponsor, officers, directors or shareholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our initial business combination.
Sources of Target Businesses
While we may have pursued an acquisition opportunity in any business, industry, sector or geographical location, we initially focused on industries that complemented our team’s background and capitalized on our ability to source and acquire a business in the FinTech or financial services ecosystem, including key verticals such as Wealth and Asset Management, Consumer and SME Finance, Insurance, Payments, Information Services and FinTech Infrastructure, that would benefit from our expertise in developing and executing value creation plans in those areas, thereby positioning a target company for compounding growth over the long-term, but we remained open to evaluating other potential targets. While our sourcing efforts were primarily concentrated in the United States, we have also leveraged our extensive global network to expand our pool of opportunities in several other geographies including Western Europe and Canada.
So long as our securities are then listed 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 the net assets held in the Trust Account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the interest earned on the Trust Account) at the time of signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. If our board 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 an independent valuation or appraisal firm with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. While we consider it unlikely that our board will not be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of a target business or businesses, it may be unable to do so if the board is less familiar or experienced with the target company’s business, there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of the company’s assets or prospects, including if such company is at an early stage of development, operations or growth, or if the anticipated transaction involves a complex financial analysis or other specialized skills and the board determines that outside expertise would be helpful or necessary in conducting such analysis. Since any opinion, if obtained, would merely state that the fair market value of the target business meets the 80% of the fair market value test, unless such opinion includes material information regarding the valuation of a target business or the consideration to be provided, it is not anticipated that copies of such opinion would be distributed to our shareholders. However, if required under applicable law, any proxy statement that we deliver to shareholders and file with the SEC in connection with a proposed transaction will include such opinion.
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We anticipate structuring our initial business combination so that the post-business combination 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-business combination 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-business combination 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-business combination 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-business combination company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination. 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-business combination company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of fair market value test. If the business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of fair market value test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses and we will treat the target businesses together as the initial business combination for purposes of a tender offer or for seeking shareholder approval, as applicable.
In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct an extensive due diligence review which may encompass, as applicable and among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspection of facilities and a review of financial and other information about the target and its industry. We will also utilize our management team’s operational and capital planning experience. If we determine to move forward with a particular target, we will proceed to structure and negotiate the terms of the business combination transaction.
The time required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete our initial business combination, and the costs associated with this process, are not currently ascertainable with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of, and negotiation with, a prospective target business with which our initial business combination is not ultimately completed will result in our incurring losses and will reduce the funds we can use to complete another business combination. The company will not pay any consulting fees to members of our management team, or their respective affiliates, for services rendered to or in connection with our initial business combination. In addition, we have agreed not to enter into a definitive agreement regarding an initial business combination without the prior consent of our Sponsor, such consent to be provided by the Sponsor in the form of vote(s) in favor of the business combination by those directors of the company that have been nominated by the Sponsor.
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 or any of our officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions that such 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.
Members of our management team and our independent directors directly or indirectly own Founder Shares and/or private placement warrants 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.
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Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have, additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities, including entities that are affiliates of our Sponsor, pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity 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, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. If these other entities decide to pursue any such opportunity, we may be precluded from pursuing the same. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our business combination. Our Articles provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, we renounce any interest or expectancy in or in being offered an opportunity to participate in any business combination opportunity: (i) which may be a corporate opportunity for both us and our Sponsor or its affiliates and any companies in which our Sponsor or its affiliates have invested about which any of our officers or directors acquires knowledge; or (ii) the presentation of which would breach an existing legal obligation of a director or officer to another entity, and we will waive any claim or cause of action we may have in respect thereof. In addition our Articles contain provisions to exculpate and indemnify, to the maximum extent permitted by law, such persons in respect of any liability, obligation or duty to the company that may arise as a consequence of such persons becoming aware of any business opportunity or failing to present such business opportunity.
In addition, our Sponsor, officers and directors may participate in, and our officers and directors have already participated in, the formation of other blank check companies prior to completion of our initial business combination, and our officers and directors may also become an officer or director of that other blank check company. As a result, our Sponsor, officers or directors could have conflicts of interest in determining whether to present business combination opportunities to us or to any other blank check company with which they may become or are involved. Under our administrative services and reimbursement agreement, we are required to indemnify our Sponsor and its affiliates for any claims made by the company or a third party and resulting liabilities in respect of any investment opportunities sourced by them and any liability arising with respect to their activities in connection with our affairs. Such indemnity will provide that the indemnified parties cannot access the funds held in our trust account. We do not currently expect that any such other blank check company would materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. In addition, our Sponsor, 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.
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 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 calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, if any, 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. 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. The redemption rights will include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our initial business combination with respect to our warrants. Further, we will not proceed with redeeming our public shares, even if a public shareholder has properly elected to redeem its shares, if a business combination does not close. Our Sponsor, each member of our management team and our advisors have entered into an agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any Founder Shares and public shares held by them in connection with (i) the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of the Initial Public Offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity.
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Conduct of Redemptions Pursuant to Tender Offer Rules
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 the number of public shares we are permitted to redeem. If public shareholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete such initial business combination. Upon the public announcement of our initial business combination, if we elect to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, we and our Sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase Class A ordinary shares in the open market, in order to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act.
Permitted Purchases and Other Business Combinations with Respect to Our Securities
If we conduct redemptions of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the proxy solicitation rules instead of pursuant to the tender offer rules, our Sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase public shares or warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. Additionally, at any time at or prior to our initial business combination, subject to applicable securities laws (including with respect to material nonpublic information), our Sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates may enter into transactions with investors and others to provide them with incentives to acquire public shares, vote their public shares in favor of our initial business combination or not redeem their public shares. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds in the Trust Account will be used to purchase public shares or warrants in such transactions. If they engage in such transactions, they will be restricted from making 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.
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 or submitted a proxy to vote against our initial business combination, such selling shareholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares and any proxy to vote against our initial business combination. 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 be required to comply with such rules.
The purpose of any such transaction could be to (i) vote in favor of the business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining shareholder approval of the business combination, (ii) reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrant holders for approval in connection with our initial business combination or (iii) 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. Any such purchases of our securities 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 or public warrants may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.
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Our Sponsor, officers, directors and/or their affiliates anticipate that they may identify the shareholders with whom our Sponsor, officers, directors or their affiliates may pursue privately negotiated transactions by either the shareholders contacting us directly or by our receipt of redemption requests submitted by shareholders (in the case of Class A ordinary shares) following our mailing of tender offer or proxy materials in connection with our initial business combination. To the extent that our Sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates enter into a private transaction, they would identify and contact only potential selling or redeeming shareholders who have expressed their election to redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the Trust Account or vote against our initial business combination, whether or not such shareholder has already submitted a proxy with respect to our initial business combination but only if such shares have not already been voted at the shareholder meeting related to our initial business combination. Our Sponsor, executive officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates will select which shareholders to purchase shares from based on the negotiated price and number of shares and any other factors that they may deem relevant, and will be restricted from purchasing shares if such purchases do not comply with Regulation M under the Exchange Act and the other federal securities laws.
Our Sponsor, officers, directors and/or their affiliates will be restricted from making purchases of shares if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) of, or Rule 10b-5 under, the Exchange Act. We expect any such purchases would be reported by such person pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements.
Limitation on Redemption Upon Completion of Our Initial Business Combination If We Seek Shareholder Approval
If we conduct redemptions of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the proxy solicitation rules instead of 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 the Initial Public Offering, which we refer to as “Excess Shares,” without our prior consent. 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 management to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public shareholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in the Initial Public Offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us, our Sponsor or our management at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our shareholders’ ability to redeem no more than 15% of the shares sold in the Initial Public Offering without our prior consent, 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.
Redemption of Public Shares and Liquidation If No Initial Business Combination
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that we will have until July 23, 2024, only 36 months from the closing of the Initial Public Offering, to consummate an initial business combination. If we have not consummated an initial business combination by July 23, 2024, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) to our obligations under Cayman 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 warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the 24-month time period. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, if we wind up for any other reason prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, we will follow the foregoing procedures with respect to the liquidation of the Trust Account as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, subject to applicable Cayman Islands law.
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Competition
In identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business for our initial business combination, we may encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including other blank check companies, private equity groups and leveraged buyout funds, public companies 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 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.
Employees
We currently have two executive officers. These individuals are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters but they intend to devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time they will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the stage of the business combination process we are in. We do not intend to have any full time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination.
Available Information
We are required to file Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q with the SEC on a regular basis, and are required to disclose certain material events (e.g., changes in corporate control, acquisitions or dispositions of a significant amount of assets other than in the ordinary course of business and bankruptcy) in a Current Report on Form 8-K. The SEC maintains an Internet website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. The SEC’s Internet website is located at http://www.sec.gov. In addition, the Company will provide copies of these documents without charge upon request from us in writing at 3109 W. 50th Street, #207, Minneapolis, MN 55410 or by telephone at (212) 380-5605.
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ITEM 1A. 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 Annual Report on Form 10-K, before making a decision to invest in our securities. 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.
For risk factors related to RBio Energy and our proposed business combination, please review the Registration Statement on Form S-4 to be filed by RBio Energy, including the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus of the Company to be included therein, and the definitive proxy statement/prospectus to be filed by the Company.
Risks Relating to Our Search for, Consummation of, or Inability to Consummate, a Business Combination, and Post-Business Combination Risks
We are a blank check 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 blank check company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands with no operating results. 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. We may be unable to complete our initial business combination, including the proposed business combination with RBio Energy. If we fail to complete our initial business combination, we will never generate any operating revenues.
Although we are required to seek shareholder approval of any initial business combination, our initial shareholders, Sponsor and management team have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public shareholders vote.
Our initial shareholders and Sponsor collectively own, on an as-converted basis, 60.9% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares. Our initial shareholders and management team and our advisors also may from time to time purchase Class A ordinary shares prior to our initial business combination. Under our Articles, we will complete our initial business combination only upon obtaining shareholder approval of such business combination by an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, unless a higher approval threshold is required under Cayman Islands law. A quorum for such meeting will be present if the holders of a majority of issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote at the meeting are represented in person or by proxy. Accordingly, the agreement by our Sponsor, the initial shareholders, and each member of our management team to vote in favor of our initial business combination will increase the likelihood that we will receive the requisite shareholder approval for such 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 to be less than $5,000,001 upon consummation of our initial business combination and payment of deferred underwriting commissions (so that we do not then become subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). 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 and payment of deferred underwriting commissions 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.
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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 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 large number of shares are submitted for redemption, we may need to restructure the transaction to reserve a greater portion of the cash in the Trust Account or arrange for additional 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 ordinary shares at the time of our 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. The amount of the deferred underwriting commissions payable to the underwriters will not be adjusted for any shares that are redeemed in connection with an initial business combination. The per-share amount we will distribute to shareholders who properly exercise their redemption rights will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commission and after such redemptions, the amount held in trust will continue to reflect our obligation to pay the entire deferred underwriting commissions.
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 funds in 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.
The requirement that we consummate an initial business combination by July 23, 2024 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 business combination 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 consummate an initial business combination by July 23, 2024. 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 time frame 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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We may not be able to consummate an initial business combination by July 23, 2024, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate.
We may not be able to find a suitable target business and consummate an initial business combination by July 23, 2024. Our ability to complete our initial business combination may be negatively impacted by general market conditions, volatility in the capital and debt markets and the other risks described herein. For example, the outbreak of COVID-19 the recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Hamas’ attack of Israel and the ensuing war, the increased rate of inflation in the United States and other events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases) may negatively impact businesses we may seek to acquire. If we have not consummated an initial business combination within such applicable 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 earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Our Articles provide that, if we wind up for any other reason prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, we will follow the foregoing procedures with respect to the liquidation of the Trust Account as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, subject to applicable Cayman Islands law. In either such case, our public shareholders may receive only $10.00 per public share, or less than $10.00 per public share, on the redemption of their shares, and our warrants will expire worthless.
Our Sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors and their affiliates may elect to purchase public shares or public warrants, which may influence a vote on a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our Class A ordinary shares or public warrants.
If we conduct redemptions of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the proxy solicitation rules instead of pursuant to the tender offer rules, our Sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase public shares or public warrants 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. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds in the Trust Account will be used to purchase public shares or public warrants in such transactions.
In the event that our Sponsor, directors, executive 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 purpose of any such transaction could be to (1) vote in favor of the business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining shareholder approval of the business combination, (2) reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrant holders for approval in connection with our initial business combination or (3) 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. Any such purchases of our securities 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 or public warrants may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements.
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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 proxy rules or tender offer 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 proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, such shareholder may not become aware of the opportunity to redeem its shares. In addition, the proxy solicitation or tender offer 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 redeem or tender public shares. In the event that a shareholder fails to comply with these procedures, its shares may not be redeemed.
The nominal purchase price paid by our Initial Sponsor for the Founder Shares may result in significant dilution to the implied value of your public shares upon the consummation of our initial business combination.
We offered our units at an offering price of $10.00 per unit, resulting in an initial value of $10.00 per public share. However, prior to the Initial Public Offering, our Initial Sponsor paid a nominal aggregate purchase price of $25,000 for the Founder Shares, or approximately $0.003 per share. As a result, the value of your public shares may be significantly diluted upon the consummation of our initial business combination, when the Founder Shares are converted into public shares. For example, the following table shows the dilutive effect of the Founder Shares on the implied value of the public shares upon the consummation of our initial business combination assuming that our equity value at that time is $41,678,895, which is the amount we would have for our initial business combination in the Trust Account as of December 31, 2023, assuming no additional interest is earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and no public shares are redeemed in connection with our initial business combination, and without taking into account any other potential impacts on our valuation at such time, such as the trading price of our public shares, the business combination transaction costs (including payment of $9,068,983 of deferred underwriting commissions), any equity issued or cash paid to the target’s sellers or other third parties, or the target’s business itself, including its assets, liabilities, management and prospects, as well as the value of our public and private warrants. At such valuation, each of our ordinary shares would have an implied value of $4.01 per share upon consummation of our initial business combination, which is a 59.9% decrease as compared to the initial implied value per public share of $10.00.
| Public shares | 3,910,370 | |||
| Founder shares | 6,477,845 | |||
| Total shares | 10,388,215 | |||
| Total funds in trust available for initial business combination as of December 31, 2023 | $ | 41,678,895 | ||
| Initial implied value per public share | $ | 10.00 | ||
| Implied value per share upon consummation of initial business combination | $ | 4.01 |
The value of the Founder Shares following completion of our initial business combination is likely to be substantially higher than the nominal price paid for them, even if the trading price of our Class A ordinary shares at such time is substantially less than $10.00 per share.
Upon the closing of the Initial Public Offering, our Initial Sponsor invested in us an aggregate of $9,907,275, comprised of the $25,000 purchase price for the Founder Shares and the $9,882,275 purchase price for the private placement warrants. Assuming a trading price of $10.00 per share upon consummation of our initial business combination, the 6,477,845 Founder Shares would have an aggregate implied value of $64,778,450. Even if the trading price of our ordinary shares were as low as $1.53 per share, and the private placement warrants are worthless, the value of the Founder Shares would be equal to the Initial Sponsor’s initial investment in us. As a result, our Sponsor is likely to be able to make a substantial profit on its investment in us at a time when our public shares have lost significant value. Accordingly, our management team, which owns interests in our Sponsor, may be more willing to pursue a business combination with a riskier or less-established target business than would be the case if our Sponsor had paid the same per share price for the Founder Shares as our public shareholders paid for their public shares.
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Our independent registered public accounting firm’s report contains an explanatory paragraph that expresses substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a “going concern.”
We may not have sufficient liquidity to meet our anticipated obligations over the next year from the issuance of these financial statements. In connection with our assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with ASC Topic 205-40 Presentation of Financial Statements—Going Concern, we have until July 23, 2024, or such earlier date as determined by our board of directors to consummate a business combination. It is uncertain that we will be able to consummate a business combination by this time. If a business combination is not consummated by this date, there will be a mandatory liquidation and subsequent dissolution of the company. Management has determined that the liquidity condition and mandatory liquidation, should a business combination not occur, and potential subsequent dissolution raises substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
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.
Our public shareholders will be entitled to receive funds from the Trust Account only upon the earliest to occur of: (i) our completion of an initial business combination, and then only in connection with those Class A ordinary shares that such shareholder properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations described herein, (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 (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by July 23, 2024 or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity, and (iii) the redemption of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination by July 23, 2024, subject to applicable law and as further described herein. Public shareholders who redeem their Class A ordinary shares in connection with a shareholder vote described in clause (ii) in the preceding sentence shall not be entitled to funds from the Trust Account upon the subsequent completion of an initial business combination or liquidation if we have not consummated an initial business combination by July 23, 2024, with respect to such Class A ordinary shares so redeemed. In no other circumstances will a public shareholder have any right or interest of any kind in the Trust Account. Holders of warrants will not have any right to the proceeds held in the Trust Account with respect to the warrants. Accordingly, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.
You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of many other blank check companies.
Since the net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement are intended to be used to complete an initial business combination with a target business that has not been selected, we may be deemed to be a “blank check” company under the United States securities laws. However, because we have net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 and have filed 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 that we will have a longer period of time to complete our initial business combination than do companies subject to Rule 419. Moreover, if the Initial Public 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.
As the number of special purpose acquisition companies evaluating targets increases, attractive targets may become scarcer and there may be more competition for attractive targets. This could increase the cost of our initial business combination and could even result in our inability to find a target or to consummate an initial business combination.
In recent years, the number of special purpose acquisition companies that have been formed has increased substantially. Many potential targets for special purpose acquisition companies have already entered into an initial business combination, and there are still many special purpose acquisition companies preparing for an initial public offering, as well as many such companies currently in registration. As a result, at times, fewer attractive targets may be available to consummate an initial business combination.
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In addition, because there are more special purpose acquisition companies seeking to enter into an initial business combination with available targets, the competition for available targets with attractive fundamentals or business models may increase, which could cause targets companies to demand improved financial terms. Attractive deals could also become scarcer for other reasons, such as economic or industry sector downturns, geopolitical tensions, or increases in the cost of additional capital needed to close business combinations or operate targets post-business combination. This could increase the cost of, delay or otherwise complicate or frustrate our ability to find and consummate an initial business combination, and may result in our inability to consummate an initial business combination on terms favorable to our investors altogether.
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 consummated our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per public share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our Trust Account, and our warrants 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 the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement, 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, we are obligated to offer holders of our public shares the right to redeem their shares for cash at the time of our initial business combination in conjunction with a shareholder vote or via a tender offer. Target companies will be aware that this may reduce 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 have not consummated our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per public share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our Trust Account and our warrants will expire worthless.
As the number of special purpose acquisition companies evaluating targets increases, attractive targets may become scarcer and there may be more competition for attractive targets. This could increase the cost of our initial business combination and could even result in our inability to find a target or to consummate an initial business combination.
In recent years, the number of special purpose acquisition companies that have been formed increased substantially. Many potential targets for special purpose acquisition companies have already entered into an initial business combination, and there are still other special purpose acquisition companies preparing for an initial public offering, as well as other such companies currently in registration. As a result, at times, fewer attractive targets may be available to consummate an initial business combination. In addition, because there are more special purpose acquisition companies seeking to enter into an initial business combination with available targets, the competition for available targets with attractive fundamentals or business models increased, which caused some targets companies to demand improved financial terms. Attractive deals could also become scarcer for other reasons, such as economic or industry sector downturns, geopolitical tensions, or increases in the cost of additional capital needed to close business combinations or operate targets post-business combination. This could increase the cost of, delay or otherwise complicate or frustrate our ability to find and consummate an initial business combination, and may result in our inability to consummate an initial business combination on terms favorable to our investors altogether.
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If the net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and Private Placement not being held in the Trust Account are insufficient to allow us to operate for at least until July 23, 2024, it could limit the amount available to fund our search for a target business or businesses and our ability to complete our initial business combination, and we will depend on loans from our Sponsor, its affiliates or members of our management team to fund our search and to complete our initial business combination.
The funds available to us outside of the Trust Account to fund our working capital requirements may not be sufficient to allow us to operate until at least July 23, 2024. We believe that the funds available to us outside of the Trust Account, together with funds available from loans from our Sponsor, its affiliates or members of our management team will be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least until July 23, 2024; however, we cannot assure you that our estimate is accurate, and our Sponsor, its affiliates or members of our management team are under no obligation to advance funds to us in such circumstances. 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 or investors 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 required to seek additional capital, we would need to borrow funds from our Sponsor, its affiliates, members of our management team or other third parties to operate or may be forced to liquidate. Neither our Sponsor, members of our management team nor their affiliates is under any obligation to us in such circumstances. Any such advances may be repaid only from funds held outside the Trust Account or from funds released to us upon completion of our initial business combination. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants of the post-business combination entity at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our Sponsor, its affiliates or members of our management team 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 have not consummated our initial business combination within the required time period 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 an estimated $10.00 per public share, or possibly less, on our redemption of our public shares, and our warrants will expire worthless.
Subsequent to our 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 the price of our securities, 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 identify all material issues with 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 holders who choose to retain their securities following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
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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 public 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 registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses and 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 have not consummated an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of the Initial Public Offering, 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 ten years following redemption. Accordingly, due to the claims of such creditors, the per-share redemption amount received by public shareholders could be less than the $10.00 per public share initially held in the Trust Account. Pursuant to the letter agreement, our Sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party (other than our independent auditors) 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 the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the Trust Account as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account, if less than $10.00 per public share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest that may be withdrawn to pay our tax obligations, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business that executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the Trust Account nor will it apply to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of the Initial Public 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. However, we have not asked our Sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our Sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and we believe that our Sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our Sponsor would be able to satisfy those 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. 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 and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the Trust Account as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account is less than $10.00 per public share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest that may be withdrawn to pay our tax obligations, 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 and subject to their fiduciary duties 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 public share.
We may not have sufficient funds to satisfy indemnification claims of our directors and executive officers, or of our Sponsor and its affiliates.
We have agreed to indemnify our officers and directors to the fullest extent permitted by law. Additionally, we have agreed under our administrative services and reimbursement agreement to indemnify our Sponsor and its affiliates for any claims made by the company or a third party and resulting liabilities in respect of any investment opportunities sourced by them and any liability arising with respect to their activities in connection with our affairs. However, our officers and directors and our Sponsor and its affiliates have agreed to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the Trust Account and to not seek recourse against the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever (except to the extent they are entitled to funds from the Trust Account due to their ownership of public shares). 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 and our Sponsor and its affiliates may discourage shareholders from bringing a lawsuit against our officers or directors for breach of their fiduciary duty, or against our Sponsor and its affiliates for activities in connection with our affairs. These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against our officers and directors and our Sponsor and its affiliates, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our shareholders. Furthermore, a shareholder’s investment may be adversely affected to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against our officers and directors pursuant to these indemnification provisions.
Changes in the market for directors and officers liability insurance could make it more difficult and more expensive for us to negotiate and complete an initial business combination.
In recent months, the market for directors and officers liability insurance for special purpose acquisition companies has changed in ways adverse to us and our management team. Fewer insurance companies are offering quotes for directors and officers liability coverage, the premiums charged for such policies have generally increased and the terms of such policies have generally become less favorable. These trends may continue into the future.
The increased cost and decreased availability of directors and officers liability insurance could make it more difficult and more expensive for us to negotiate an initial business combination. In order to obtain directors and officers liability insurance or modify its coverage as a result of becoming a public company, the post-business combination entity might need to incur greater expense, accept less favorable terms or both. However, any failure to obtain adequate directors and officers liability insurance could have an adverse impact on the post-business combination’s ability to attract and retain qualified officers and directors.
In addition, even after we were to complete an initial business combination, our directors and officers could still be subject to potential liability from claims arising from conduct alleged to have occurred prior to the initial business combination. As a result, in order to protect our directors and officers, the post-business combination entity may need to purchase additional insurance with respect to any such claims (“run-off insurance”). The need for run-off insurance would be an added expense for the post-business combination entity, and could interfere with or frustrate our ability to consummate an initial business combination on terms favorable to our investors.
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If, after we distribute the proceeds in the Trust Account to our public shareholders, we file a bankruptcy or winding-up petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or winding-up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, a bankruptcy or insolvency 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 or winding-up petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or winding-up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by shareholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy or insolvency laws as either a “preferential transfer” or a “fraudulent conveyance.” As a result, a bankruptcy or insolvency court could seek to recover some or 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 or winding-up petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or winding-up 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 or winding-up petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or winding-up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the Trust Account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy or insolvency 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.
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 that we are currently subject to. |
In order not to be regulated as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, unless we can qualify for an exclusion, we must ensure that we are engaged primarily in a business other than investing, reinvesting or trading of securities and that our activities do not include investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading “investment securities” constituting more than 40% of our assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis. Our business is to identify and complete a business combination and thereafter to operate the post-transaction business or assets for the long term. We do not plan to buy businesses or assets with a view to resale or profit from their resale. We do not plan to buy unrelated businesses or assets or to be a passive investor.
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We do not believe that our principal activities subject us to the Investment Company Act. To this end, the proceeds held in the Trust Account may 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 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Pursuant to the trust agreement, the trustee is not permitted to invest in other securities or assets. By restricting the investment of the proceeds to these instruments, and by having a business plan targeted at acquiring and growing businesses for the long term (rather than on buying and selling businesses in the manner of a merchant bank or private equity fund), we intend to avoid being deemed an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act. The Initial Public Offering is not intended for persons who are seeking a return on investments in government securities or investment securities. The Trust Account is intended as a holding place for funds pending the earliest to occur of either: (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 (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by July 23, 2024, or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity; or (iii) absent our completing an initial business combination by July 23, 2024, our return of the funds held in the Trust Account to our public shareholders as part of our redemption of the public shares. If we do not invest the proceeds as discussed above, we may be deemed to be subject to 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. As a result, unless we are able to modify our activities so that we would not be deemed an investment company, we would expect to abandon our efforts to complete a business combination and instead to liquidate. If we are required to liquidate, our stockholders would not be able to realize the benefits of owning stock in a successor operating business, including the potential appreciation in the value of our stock and warrants following such a transaction, and our warrants would expire worthless.
Changes in laws or regulations, or a failure to comply with any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination, 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, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination, and results of operations.
Our shareholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against us to the extent of distributions received by them upon redemption of their shares.
If we are forced to enter into an insolvent liquidation, any distributions received by shareholders could be viewed as an unlawful payment if it was proved that immediately following the date on which the distribution was made, we were unable to pay our debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. As a result, a liquidator could seek to recover some or all amounts received by our shareholders. Furthermore, our directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties to us or our creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, thereby exposing themselves and our company to claims, by paying public shareholders from the Trust Account prior to addressing the claims of creditors. We cannot assure you that claims will not be brought against us for these reasons. We and our directors and officers who knowingly and willfully authorized or permitted any distribution to be paid out of our share premium account while we were unable to pay our debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business would be guilty of an offence and may be liable for a fine of approximately $18,000.00 and imprisonment for five years in the Cayman Islands.
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We may not hold an annual general meeting until after the consummation of our initial business combination.
In accordance with the Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold a general meeting until 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 extraordinary general meetings to elect directors. Until we hold an annual general meeting, public shareholders may not be afforded the opportunity to elect directors and to discuss company affairs with management. Our board of directors is divided into three classes with only one class of directors being elected in each year and each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first general meeting) serving a three-year term.
Because we are neither limited to evaluating a target business in a particular industry, sector or geographic area nor have we selected 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 pursue business combination opportunities in any industry, sector or geographic area, except that we will not, under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, be permitted to effectuate our initial business combination solely with another blank check company or similar company with nominal operations. Because we have not yet selected 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 or a development stage 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 holders who choose to retain their securities following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
We may seek acquisition opportunities in industries or sectors which may or may not be outside of our management’s area of expertise.
We will consider a business combination outside of our management’s area of expertise if a business combination target is presented to us and we determine that such candidate offers an attractive acquisition opportunity for our company. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in any particular business combination target, we cannot assure you that we will adequately ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will not ultimately prove to be less favorable to investors than a direct investment, if an opportunity were available, in a business combination target. 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 Annual Report on Form 10-K 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 holders who choose to retain their securities following our initial business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
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Although we may pursue an acquisition opportunity in any industry, we initially focused on acquiring a business in the FinTech or financial services industries, which may be challenged by various factors.
Although we may pursue an acquisition opportunity in any industry, we initially focused on acquiring a business in the FinTech or financial services industries, but we remained open to evaluating other potential targets. These industries may be challenged by various factors, including rapid change, evidenced by quickly changing market conditions and/or participants, new competing products and/or services, short product life cycles and improvements in existing products. The ability of any business combination target to succeed will be dependent upon its ability to constantly evolve its business to ensure that its products keep pace with changing technologies and markets. In addition, any such target may be more susceptible to macroeconomic effects and industry downturns. If our business combination target is unable to adequately address the risks posed by the industry in which it operates, such target’s profitability and results of operation following the business combination could be negatively impacted.
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, 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 have not consummated our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per public share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our Trust Account and our warrants will expire worthless.
The prior investment track records of our management team, our Sponsor and their affiliates may not be available on publicly available sources or may be subject to confidentiality agreements.
As the prior investment track records of our management team, our Sponsor and their affiliates, including the investments and transactions in which they have participated in and businesses with which they have been associated with, are primarily private transactions, information regarding their involvement with such transactions may not be publicly available or is subject to confidentiality terms. This may limit the availability of information to our investors and potential target businesses pertaining to our team’s past track record which in turn may adversely affect our marketing efforts and ability to generate attractive business combination opportunities for our company.
We are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent accounting or investment banking 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 shareholders from a financial point of view.
Unless we complete our initial business combination with an affiliated entity, we are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent accounting firm or independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA that the price we are paying is fair to our shareholders from a financial point of view. If no opinion is obtained, our shareholders will be relying on the judgment of our board of directors, who will determine fair market value based on standards generally accepted by the financial community. Such standards used will be disclosed in our proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, related to our initial business combination.
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We may engage the underwriters from the Initial Public Offering or one of their affiliates to provide additional services to us, which may include acting as financial advisor in connection with an initial business combination or as placement agent in connection with a related financing transaction. Such underwriters are entitled to receive deferred commissions that will be released from the trust only on a completion of an initial business combination. These financial incentives may cause such underwriters to have potential conflicts of interest in rendering any such additional services to us, including, for example, in connection with the sourcing and consummation of an initial business combination.
We may engage the underwriters from the Initial Public Offering or one of their affiliates to provide additional services to us, including, for example, identifying potential targets, providing financial advisory services, acting as a placement agent in a private offering or arranging debt financing. We may pay such underwriters or their affiliates fair and reasonable fees or other compensation that would be determined at that time in an arm’s length negotiation. The underwriters from the Initial Public Offering are also entitled to receive deferred commissions that are conditioned on the completion of an initial business combination. The fact that such underwriters or their affiliates’ financial interests are tied to the consummation of a business combination transaction may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in providing any such additional services to us, including potential conflicts of interest in connection with the sourcing and consummation of an initial business combination.
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 GAAP, or international financial 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 (United States), 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.
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 have not consummated our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per public share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our Trust Account and our warrants 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 have not consummated our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per public share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our Trust Account and our warrants will expire worthless.
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Compliance obligations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may make it more difficult for us to effectuate a 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, 2022. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer and no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, will we 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 business 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.
We do not have a specified maximum redemption threshold. The absence of such a redemption threshold may make it possible for us to complete our initial business combination with which a substantial majority of our shareholders do not agree.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association do 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 to be less than $5,000,001 (so that we do not then become subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). 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 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.
In order to effectuate an initial business combination, blank check companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and other governing instruments, including their warrant agreements. 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 recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and governing instruments, including their warrant agreements. For example, blank check companies have amended the definition of business combination, increased redemption thresholds, extended the time to consummate an initial business combination and, with respect to their warrants, amended their warrant agreements to require the warrants to be exchanged for cash and/or other securities. Amending our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require at least a special resolution of our shareholders as a matter of Cayman Islands law, and amending our warrant agreement will require a vote of holders of at least 65% of the public warrants and, solely with respect to any amendment to the terms of the private placement warrants or any provision of the warrant agreement with respect to the private placement warrants, 65% of the number of the then outstanding private placement warrants. In addition, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association requires us to provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash if we propose an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete an initial business combination by July 23, 2024 or (B) with respect to any other provisions relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial business combination activity. To the extent any of such amendments would be deemed to fundamentally change the nature of any of the securities offered through this registration statement, we would register, or seek an exemption from registration for, the affected securities.
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Other than amendments relating to the appointment or removal of directors prior to our initial business combination (which require the approval by special resolution including the affirmative vote of a simple majority of our Class B ordinary shares), 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) may be amended with the approval of a special resolution, which is a lower amendment threshold than that of some other special purpose acquisition companies. It may be easier for us, therefore, to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association 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 the rights of a company’s shareholders and pre-initial business combination activity, without approval by a certain percentage of the company’s shareholders. In those companies, amendment of these provisions typically requires approval by between 90% and 100% of the company’s shareholders. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that any of its provisions related to pre-initial business combination activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and 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) may be amended if approved by special resolution, and corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our Trust Account may be amended if approved by holders of at least 65% of our ordinary shares; provided that the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association governing the appointment or removal of directors prior to our initial business combination may only be amended by a special resolution, which shall include the affirmative vote of a simple majority of our Class B ordinary shares. Our initial shareholders and their permitted transferees, if any, who collectively beneficially own, on an as-converted basis, 20% of our ordinary 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 special purpose acquisition 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.
Our Sponsor, each member of our management team and our advisors have agreed, pursuant to agreements with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by July 23, 2024 or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares or pre-initial 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 earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, if any, divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares. Our shareholders are not parties to, or third-party beneficiaries of, these agreements and, as a result, will not have the ability to pursue remedies against our Sponsor, any member of our management team or any of our advisors for any breach of these agreements. As a result, in the event of a breach, our shareholders would need to pursue a shareholder derivative action, subject to applicable law.
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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. If we have not consummated our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per public share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our Trust Account and our warrants will expire worthless.
Although we believe that the net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement will be sufficient to allow us to complete our initial business combination, because we have not yet selected any prospective target business we cannot ascertain the capital requirements for any particular transaction. If the net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement 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 initial business combination. We cannot assure you that such financing will be available on acceptable terms, if at all. The current economic environment may make it difficult for companies to obtain acquisition financing. 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. If we have not consummated our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per public share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of the Trust Account and our warrants will expire worthless. 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.
We may seek business combination opportunities with a high degree of complexity that require significant operational improvements, which could delay or prevent us from achieving our desired results.
We may seek business combination opportunities with large, highly complex companies that we believe would benefit from operational improvements. While we intend to implement such improvements, to the extent that our efforts are delayed or we are unable to achieve the desired improvements, the business combination may not be as successful as we anticipate.
To the extent we complete our initial business combination with a large complex business or entity with a complex operating structure, we may also be affected by numerous risks inherent in the operations of the business with which we combine, which could delay or prevent us from implementing our strategy. Although our management team will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business and its operations, we may not be able to properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors until we complete our business combination. If we are not able to achieve our desired operational improvements, or the improvements take longer to implement than anticipated, we may not achieve the gains that we anticipate. Furthermore, some of these risks and complexities may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks and complexities will adversely impact a target business. Such combination may not be as successful as a combination with a smaller, less complex organization.
We may have a limited ability to assess the management of a prospective target business and, as a result, may affect 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 business’s management, therefore, may prove to be incorrect and such management may lack the skills, qualifications or abilities we suspected. Should the target business’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 holders who choose to retain their securities following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
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Our management may not be able to maintain control of a target business after our initial business combination. Upon the loss of control of a target business, new management may not possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to profitably operate such business.
We may structure our initial business combination so that the post-business combination 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-business combination company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target business 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-business combination 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. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new Class A ordinary shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock, shares or other equity interests 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 Class A ordinary shares, our shareholders immediately prior to such transaction could own less than a majority of our outstanding Class A 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 shares than we initially acquired. Accordingly, this may make it more likely that our management will not be able to maintain control of the target business.
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 Annual Report on Form 10-K to issue any notes or other debt securities, or to otherwise incur outstanding debt following the Initial Public Offering, we may choose to incur substantial debt to complete our initial business combination. We and our officers 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 is payable on demand; |
| ● | our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt is outstanding; |
| ● | our inability to pay dividends on our Class A 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 Class A 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. |
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We may only be able to complete one business combination with the proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement, 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.
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 developments. Further, we would not be able to diversify our operations or benefit from the possible spreading of risks or offsetting of losses, unlike other entities which may have the resources to complete several business combinations in different industries or different areas of a single industry. Accordingly, the prospects for our success may be:
| ● | solely dependent upon the performance of a single business, property or asset, or |
| ● | dependent upon the development or market acceptance of a single or limited number of products, processes or services. |
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 (if there are multiple sellers) and the additional risks associated with the subsequent assimilation of the operations and services or products of the acquired companies in a single operating business. If we are unable to adequately address these risks, it could negatively impact our profitability and results of operations.
We may attempt to complete our initial business combination with a private company about which little information is available, which may result in a business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.
In pursuing our acquisition strategy, we may seek to effectuate our initial business combination with a privately held company. Very little public information generally exists about private companies, and we could be required to make our decision on whether to pursue a potential initial business combination on the basis of limited information, which may result in a business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.
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The current economic downturn may lead to increased difficulty in completing our initial business combination.
Our ability to consummate our initial business combination may depend, in part, on worldwide economic conditions. In recent months, we have observed increased economic uncertainty in the United States and abroad. Impacts of such economic weakness include:
| ● | falling overall demand for goods and services, leading to reduced profitability; |
| ● | reduced credit availability; |
| ● | higher borrowing costs; |
| ● | reduced liquidity; |
| ● | volatility in credit, equity and foreign exchange markets; and |
| ● | bankruptcies. |
These developments have led to inflation, higher interest rates, and uncertainty about business continuity, which may adversely affect the business of our potential target businesses and create difficulties in obtaining debt or equity financing for our initial business combination, as well as leading to an increase in the number of public stockholders exercising redemption rights in connection therewith.
Risks Relating to Our Securities
The securities in which we invest the funds held in the Trust Account could bear a negative rate of interest, which could reduce the value of the assets held in Trust such that the per-share redemption amount received by public shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share.
The proceeds held in the trust Account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act, which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. While short-term U.S. government treasury obligations currently yield a positive rate of interest, they have briefly yielded negative interest rates in recent years. Central banks in Europe and Japan pursued interest rates below zero in recent years, and the Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve has not ruled out the possibility that it may in the future adopt similar policies in the United States. In the event that we are unable to complete our initial business combination or make certain amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, our public shareholders are entitled to receive their pro-rata share of the proceeds held in the trust Account, plus any interest income, net of taxes paid or payable (less, in the case we are unable to complete our initial business combination, $100,000 of interest). Negative interest rates could reduce the value of the assets held in trust such that the per-share redemption amount received by public shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share.
If we conduct redemptions of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the proxy solicitation rules instead of 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 conduct redemptions of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the proxy solicitation rules instead of pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides 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 the Initial Public Offering, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares,” without our prior consent. 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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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.
Our securities are listed on the Nasdaq. On February 6, 2024, we received the Notice from the Listing Qualifications Department of Nasdaq stating that we are not in compliance with the Annual Shareholders Meeting Rule. The Notice stated that we had 45 calendar days, or until March 25, 2024, to submit a plan to regain compliance with the Annual Shareholders Meeting Rule. On March 19, 2024, we submitted to Nasdaq a plan to regain compliance with the Annual Shareholders Meeting Rule within the required timeframe. On April 15, 2024, Nasdaq accepted our plan and granted us an extension until June 30, 2024 to regain compliance with the Annual Shareholders Meeting Rule. We expect to hold an annual meeting of shareholders by such date to regain compliance with the Annual Shareholders Meeting Rule, but there can be no assurance that we will be able to do so.
We cannot assure you hat we will be able to regain compliance with the Annual Shareholders Meeting Rule or that our securities 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 share price levels. Generally, following our Initial Public Offering, we must maintain a minimum market capitalization (generally $50,000,000) and a minimum number of holders of our securities (generally 300 public holders).
Additionally, our units will not be traded after completion of our initial business combination and, in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to demonstrate compliance with the Nasdaq initial listing requirements, which are more rigorous than the Nasdaq continued listing requirements, in order to continue to maintain the listing of our securities on Nasdaq.
For instance, in order for our shares to be listed upon the consummation of our business combination, at such time our share price would generally be required to be at least $4.00 per share, our total market capitalization would be required to be at least $50.0 million, the aggregate market value of publicly held shares would be required to be at least $15.0 million and we would be required to have at least 300 round lot shareholders. We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet those listing requirements at that time. On February 6, 2024, we received a written notice from Nasdaq indicating that we had not yet held an annual meeting of shareholders within twelve months after our fiscal year end, and we therefore no longer comply with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5620(a). As a result, we may be subject to delisting if we fail to regain compliance with such Nasdaq listing rule.
If Nasdaq delists any of our securities from trading on its exchange and we are not able to list our securities on another national securities exchange, we expect such 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 are 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. |
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 our units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants are listed on Nasdaq, our units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants qualify as covered securities under the statute. Although the states are preempted from regulating the sale of covered 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 qualify as covered securities under the statute and we would be subject to regulation in each state in which we offer our securities.
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We may issue additional Class A ordinary shares 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 Founder 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 authorizes the issuance of up to 300,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, 30,000,000 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, and 1,000,000 preference shares, par value $0.0001 per share. As of April 16, 2024, there were 296,089,630 and 23,522,155 authorized but unissued Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares, respectively, available for issuance which amount does not take into account shares reserved for issuance upon exercise of outstanding warrants or shares issuable upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares. The Class B ordinary shares are automatically convertible into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination herein and in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Immediately after the Initial Public Offering, there were no preference shares issued and outstanding.
We may issue a substantial number of additional Class A ordinary shares 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 in connection with the redemption of our warrants or 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 as set forth therein. However, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide, among other things, that prior to or in connection with our initial business combination, we may not issue additional shares that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the Trust Account or (ii) vote on any initial business combination or on any other proposal presented to shareholders prior to or in connection with the completion of an initial business combination. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, like all provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, may be amended with a shareholder vote. The issuance of additional ordinary or preference shares:
| ● | may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in the Initial Public 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 Class A ordinary shares if preference shares are issued with rights senior to those afforded our Class A ordinary shares; |
| ● | could cause a change in control if a substantial number of Class A 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; |
| ● | may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our units, Class A ordinary shares and/or warrants; and |
| ● | may not result in adjustment to the exercise price of our warrants. |
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Unlike some other similarly structured blank check companies, our Sponsor will receive additional Class A ordinary shares if we issue shares to consummate an initial business combination.
The Founder Shares will automatically convert into our Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination at a ratio such that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all Founder Shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the sum of (i) the total number of ordinary shares issued and outstanding upon completion of the Initial Public Offering, plus (ii) the total number of Class A ordinary shares issued or deemed issued or issuable upon conversion or exercise of any equity-linked securities or rights issued or deemed issued, by the Company in connection with or in relation to the consummation of the initial business combination, excluding any Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities exercisable for or convertible into Class A ordinary shares issued, deemed issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any private placement warrants issued to our Sponsor, any of its affiliates or any members of our management team upon conversion of working capital loans. In no event will the Class B ordinary shares convert into Class A ordinary shares at a rate of less than one-to-one. This is different than some other similarly structured blank check companies in which the initial shareholders will only be issued an aggregate of 20% of the total number of shares to be outstanding prior to the initial business combination.
You will not be able to exercise your warrants unless we register and qualify the issuance of the underlying Class A ordinary shares or certain exemptions are available.
We registered the Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants issued as part of the units in the Initial Public Offering. In addition, under the terms of the warrant agreement, we have agreed that, as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 20 business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a post-effective amendment to the registration statement for the Initial Public Offering or a new registration statement covering the issuance of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants, and we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become effective within 60 business days after the closing of our initial business combination and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement and a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares until the warrants expire or are redeemed. 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, complete 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 in accordance with the above requirements, we will be required to permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis, in which case, the number of Class A ordinary shares that you will receive upon cashless exercise will be based on a formula subject to a maximum amount of shares equal to 0.361 Class A ordinary shares per warrant (subject to adjustment). 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 from registration is available. Notwithstanding the above, if our Class A ordinary shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that they satisfy the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, but we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. Exercising the warrants on a cashless basis could have the effect of reducing the potential “upside” of the holder’s investment in our Company because the warrant holder will hold a smaller number of Class A ordinary shares upon a cashless exercise of the warrants they hold. 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. There may be a circumstance where an exemption from registration exists for holders of our private placement warrants to exercise their warrants while a corresponding exemption does not exist for holders of the public warrants included as part of units sold in the Initial Public Offering. In such an instance, our Sponsor and its permitted transferees (which may include our directors and executive officers) would be able to exercise their warrants and sell the ordinary shares underlying their warrants while holders of our public warrants would not be able to exercise their warrants and sell the underlying ordinary shares. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying Class A ordinary shares for sale under all applicable state securities laws. As a result, we may redeem the warrants as set forth above even if the holders are otherwise unable to exercise their warrants.
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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 65% of the then-outstanding public warrants. As a result, the exercise price of your warrants could be increased, the exercise period could be shortened and the number of our Class A ordinary shares purchasable upon exercise of a warrant could be decreased, all without your approval.
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 for the purpose of (i) curing any ambiguity or correcting any mistake or defective provision, (ii) amending the provisions relating to cash dividends on ordinary shares as contemplated by and in accordance with the warrant agreement or (iii) adding or changing any provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under the warrant agreement as the parties to the warrant agreement may deem necessary or desirable and that the parties deem to not adversely affect the rights of the registered holders of the warrants, but requires the approval by the holders of at least 65% 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 65% of the then-outstanding public warrants approve of such amendment and, solely with respect to any amendment to the terms of the private placement warrants or any provision of the warrant agreement with respect to the private placement warrants, 65% of the number of the then outstanding private placement warrants. Although our ability to amend the terms of the public warrants with the consent of at least 65% 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, convert the warrants into cash, shorten the exercise period or decrease the number of Class A ordinary shares purchasable upon exercise of a warrant.
Our warrants are accounted for as a warrant liability and are recorded at fair value upon issuance with changes in fair value each period reported in earnings, which may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A ordinary shares or may make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination.
Following the consummation of the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement, we issued an aggregate of 15,225,310 warrants in connection with the Initial Public Offering (comprised of the 8,637,126 warrants included in the units and the 6,588,184 private placement warrants). We account for these as a warrant liability and record at fair value upon issuance with any changes in fair value each period reported in earnings as determined by us based upon a valuation report obtained from an independent third party valuation firm. The impact of changes in fair value on earnings may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A ordinary shares. In addition, potential targets may seek a SPAC that does not have warrants that are accounted for as a warrant liability, which may make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination with a target business.
Our warrant agreement designates the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by holders of our warrants, which could limit the ability of warrant holders to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with our company.
Our warrant agreement provides that, subject to applicable law, (i) any action, proceeding or claim against us arising out of or relating in any way to the warrant agreement, including under the Securities Act, will be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and (ii) that we irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. We will waive any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum.
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Notwithstanding the foregoing, these provisions of the warrant agreement will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any of our warrants shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the forum provisions in our warrant agreement. If any action, the subject matter of which is within the scope the forum provisions of the warrant agreement, is filed in a court other than a court of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (a “foreign action”) in the name of any holder of our warrants, such holder shall be deemed to have consented to: (x) the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in the State of New York in connection with any action brought in any such court to enforce the forum provisions (an “enforcement action”), and (y) having service of process made upon such warrant holder in any such enforcement action by service upon such warrant holder’s counsel in the foreign action as agent for such warrant holder.
This choice-of-forum provision may limit a warrant holder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with our company, which may discourage such lawsuits. Alternatively, if a court were to find this provision of our warrant agreement inapplicable or unenforceable with respect to one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and result in a diversion of the time and resources of our management and board of directors.
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 the outstanding public warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.01 per warrant, provided that the closing price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a warrant) for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading-day period ending on the third trading day prior to proper notice of such redemption and provided that certain other conditions are met. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. As a result, we may redeem the warrants as set forth above even if the holders are otherwise unable to exercise the warrants. Redemption of the outstanding warrants could force you to (i) exercise your warrants and pay the exercise price therefor at a time when it may be disadvantageous for you to do so, (ii) sell your warrants at the then-current market price when you might otherwise wish to hold your warrants or (iii) accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the outstanding warrants are called for redemption, we expect would be substantially less than the market value of your warrants.
In addition, we have the ability to redeem the outstanding public warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.10 per warrant upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption provided that the closing price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $10.00 per share (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a warrant as described under the heading “Description of Securities-Warrants-Public Shareholders’ Warrants-Anti-Dilution Adjustments”) for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading-day period ending on the third trading day prior to proper notice of such redemption and provided that certain other conditions are met, including that holders will be able to exercise their warrants prior to redemption for a number of Class A ordinary shares determined based on the redemption date and the fair market value of our Class A ordinary shares. The value received upon exercise of the warrants (1) may be less than the value the holders would have received if they had exercised their warrants at a later time where the underlying share price is higher and (2) may not compensate the holders for the value of the warrants, including because the number of ordinary shares received is capped at 0.361 Class A ordinary shares per warrant (subject to adjustment) irrespective of the remaining life of the warrants.
None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us as so long as they are held by our Sponsor or its permitted transferees.
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Our warrants 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.
We issued warrants to purchase 8,637,126 of our Class A ordinary shares as part of the units sold in the Initial Public Offering and, simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, we issued in a private placement an aggregate of 6,588,184 warrants, at $1.50 per warrant. In addition, if the Sponsor, its affiliates or a member of our management team makes any working capital loans, it may convert those loans into up to an additional 1,000,000 private placement warrants, at the price of $1.50 per warrant. We may also issue Class A ordinary shares in connection with our redemption of our warrants.
To the extent we issue ordinary shares for any reason, including to effectuate a business combination, the potential for the issuance of a substantial number of additional Class A ordinary shares upon exercise of these warrants could make us a less attractive acquisition vehicle to a target business. Such warrants, when exercised, 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 may make it more difficult to effectuate a business transaction or increase the cost of acquiring the target business.
Because each unit contains one-third 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-third of one redeemable warrant. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, no fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units, and only whole units will trade. 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. This is different from other offerings similar to ours whose units include one ordinary share and one whole 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 a business combination since the warrants will be exercisable in the aggregate for one-third of the number of shares compared to units that each contain a whole 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 a unit included a warrant to purchase one whole share.
A provision of our warrant agreement may make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination.
If (i) we issue additional Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination at a Newly Issued Price of less than $9.20 per Class A ordinary share, (ii) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of our initial business combination on the date of the consummation of our initial business combination (net of redemptions), and (iii) the Market Value of our Class A ordinary shares is below $9.20 per share, then the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, and the $10.00 per share redemption trigger price will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price. This may make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination with a target business.
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 contain provisions that may discourage unsolicited takeover proposals that shareholders may consider to be in their best interests. These provisions include a staggered board of directors, the ability of the board of directors to designate the terms of and issue new series of preference shares, and the fact that prior to the completion of our initial business combination only holders of our Class B ordinary shares, which are held by our initial shareholders (including our Sponsor), are entitled to vote on the appointment and removal of directors, 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.
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Because we are incorporated under the laws of the Cayman 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 an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process within the United States upon our directors or executive officers, or enforce judgments obtained in the United States courts against our directors or officers.
Our corporate affairs will be governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act (as the same may be supplemented or amended from time to time) and the common law of the Cayman Islands. We will also be subject to the federal securities laws of the United States. The rights of shareholders to take action against the directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands as well as from English common law, the decisions of whose courts are of persuasive authority, but are not binding on a court in the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under Cayman Islands law are different from what they would be under statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a different body of securities laws as compared to the United States, and certain states, such as Delaware, may have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholders derivative action in a Federal court of the United States.
We have been advised by Walkers, our Cayman Islands legal counsel, that the courts of the Cayman Islands are unlikely (i) to recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts of the United States predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or any state; and (ii) in original actions brought in the Cayman Islands, to impose liabilities against us predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or any state, so far as the liabilities imposed by those provisions are penal in nature. In those circumstances, although there is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, the courts of the Cayman Islands will recognize and enforce a foreign money judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits based on the principle that a judgment of a competent foreign court imposes upon the judgment debtor an obligation to pay the sum for which judgment has been given provided certain conditions are met. For a foreign judgment to be enforced in the Cayman Islands, such judgment must be final and conclusive and for a liquidated sum, and must not be in respect of taxes or a fine or penalty, inconsistent with a Cayman Islands judgment in respect of the same matter, impeachable on the grounds of fraud or obtained in a manner, or be of a kind the enforcement of which is, contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands (awards of punitive or multiple damages may well be held to be contrary to public policy). A Cayman Islands Court may stay enforcement proceedings if concurrent proceedings are being brought elsewhere.
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 United States company.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides that, except with respect to U.S. Actions (as defined below), the courts of the Cayman Islands will be the exclusive forum for certain disputes between us and our shareholders, which could limit our shareholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for complaints against us or our directors, officers or employees.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum (a) the federal courts of the United States will have exclusive jurisdiction to hear, settle and/or determine any dispute, controversy or claim arising under the provisions of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act (“U.S. Actions”) and (b) except for such U.S. Actions, the courts of the Cayman Islands shall have jurisdiction over any claim or dispute arising out of or in connection with the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or otherwise related in any way to each shareholder’s shareholding in the company, including but not limited to (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the company; (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee of the company to the company or the company’s shareholders; (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Companies Act of the Cayman Islands or the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association; or (iv) any action asserting a claim against the company concerning its internal affairs.
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This choice of forum provision may increase a shareholder’s cost and limit the shareholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for U.S. Actions or disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and other employees. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any of our shares or other securities, whether by transfer, sale, operation of law or otherwise, shall be deemed to have notice of and have irrevocably agreed and consented to these provisions. There is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce such provisions, and the enforceability of similar choice of forum provisions in other companies’ charter documents has been challenged in legal proceedings. It is possible that a court could find this type of provisions to be inapplicable or unenforceable, and if a court were to find this provision in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving the dispute in other jurisdictions, which could have adverse effect on our business and financial performance.
Since only holders of our Founder Shares have the right to vote on the appointment and removal of directors, Nasdaq may consider us to be a “controlled company” within the meaning of the Nasdaq rules and, as a result, we may qualify for exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements.
Only holders of our Founder Shares have the right to vote on the appointment and removal of directors. As a result, Nasdaq may consider us to be a “controlled company” within the meaning of the Nasdaq corporate governance standards. Under the Nasdaq corporate governance standards, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, group or another company is a “controlled company” and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements, including the requirements that:
| ● | we have a board that includes a majority of “independent directors,” as defined under the rules of Nasdaq; |
| ● | we have a compensation committee of our board that is comprised entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities; and |
| ● | we have a nominating and corporate governance committee of our board that is comprised entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities. |
We do not intend to utilize these exemptions and intend to comply with the corporate governance requirements of Nasdaq, subject to applicable phase-in rules. However, if we determine in the future to utilize some or all of these exemptions, you will not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the Nasdaq corporate governance requirements.
If we have not consummated an initial business combination by July 23, 2024, our public shareholders may be forced to wait beyond such 24 months before redemption from our Trust Account.
If we have not consummated an initial business combination by July 23, 2024, the proceeds then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares. Any redemption of public shareholders from the Trust Account will 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 wind up, 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 24 months from the closing of the Initial Public Offering 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, prior thereto, we consummate our initial business combination or amend certain provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, 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 do not complete our initial business combination and do not amend certain provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides that, if we wind up for any other reason prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, we will follow the foregoing procedures with respect to the liquidation of the Trust Account as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, subject to applicable Cayman Islands law.
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Holders of Class A ordinary shares will not be entitled to vote on any appointment or removal of directors we hold prior to our initial business combination.
Prior to our initial business combination, only holders of our Founder Shares will have the right to vote on the appointment and removal of directors. Holders of our public shares will not be entitled to vote on the appointment or removal of directors during such time. In addition, prior to our initial business combination, holders of a majority of our Founder Shares may remove a member of the board of directors for any reason. Accordingly, you may not have any say in the management of our company prior to the consummation of an initial business combination.
The warrants may become exercisable and redeemable for a security other than the Class A ordinary shares, and you will not have any information regarding such other security at this time.
In certain situations, including if we are not the surviving entity in our initial business combination, the warrants may become exercisable for a security other than the Class A ordinary shares. As a result, if the surviving company redeems your warrants for securities pursuant to the warrant agreement, you may receive a security in a company of which you do not have information at this time. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, the surviving company will be required to use commercially reasonable efforts to register the issuance of the security underlying the warrants within twenty business days of the closing of an initial business combination.
The grant of registration rights to our Sponsor 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 entered in connection with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, our Sponsor and its permitted transferees can demand that we register the resale of the Class A ordinary shares into which Founder Shares are convertible, the private placement warrants and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants, and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of such warrants. 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 securities that is expected when the securities owned by our Sponsor or its permitted transferees are registered for resale.
Risks Relating to our Sponsor and Management Team
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, director 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.
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Our key personnel may negotiate employment or consulting agreements with a target business in connection with a particular business combination, and a particular business combination may be conditioned on the retention or resignation of such key personnel. 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 our 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. Such negotiations also could make such key personnel’s retention or resignation a condition to any such agreement. The personal and financial interests of such individuals may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business. In addition, pursuant to an agreement entered into in connection with the Initial Public Offering, our Sponsor, upon and following consummation of an initial business combination, will be entitled to nominate three individuals for appointment to our board of directors, as long as the Sponsor holds any securities covered by the registration and shareholder rights agreement.
The officers and directors of an acquisition candidate may resign upon completion of our initial business combination. The loss 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 candidate’s 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.
Our executive 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 executive 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 executive officers is engaged in several other business endeavors for which he may be entitled to substantial compensation, and our executive 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 executive 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.
Our officers and directors presently have, and any of them in the future may have, additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities, including another blank check company, and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.
Following the completion of the Initial Public 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 or entities. Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have, additional fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities, pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity. 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 another entity prior to its presentation to us.
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In addition, our Sponsor, officers and directors may in the future become affiliated with other blank check companies that may have acquisition objectives that are similar to ours. 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 such other blank check companies, prior to its presentation to us, subject to our officers’ and directors’ fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, we renounce any interest or expectancy in or in being offered an opportunity to participate in any business combination opportunity: (i) which may be a corporate opportunity for both us and our Sponsor or its affiliates and any companies in which our Sponsor or its affiliates have invested about which any of our officers or directors acquires knowledge; or (ii) the presentation of which would breach an existing legal obligation of a director or officer to another entity, and we will waive any claim or cause of action we may have in respect thereof. In addition our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association contain provisions to exculpate and indemnify, to the maximum extent permitted by law, such persons in respect of any liability, obligation or duty to the Company that may arise as a consequence of such persons becoming aware of any business opportunity or failing to present such business opportunity.
Our executive 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, executive officers, security holders or affiliates (including affiliates of our Sponsor and their respective employees) 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 executive 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.
The personal and financial interests of our directors and officers may influence their motivation in timely identifying and selecting a target business and completing a business combination. Consequently, our directors’ and officers’ discretion in identifying and selecting a suitable target business may result in a conflict of interest when determining whether the terms, conditions and timing of a particular business combination are appropriate and in our best interest. If this were the case and the directors fail to act in accordance with their fiduciary duties owed to us as a matter of Cayman Islands law, we may have a claim against such individuals. However, we might not ultimately be successful in any claim we may make against them for such reason.
We may engage in a business combination with one or more target businesses that may be affiliated with our Sponsor, executive officers, directors or initial shareholders which may raise potential conflicts of interest.
In light of the involvement of our Sponsor, executive officers and directors with other entities, we may decide to acquire one or more businesses affiliated with our Sponsor, executive officers, directors or initial shareholders. Our directors also serve as officers and board members for other entities. Our Sponsor, officers and directors may sponsor, form or participate in other blank check companies similar to ours during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. 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 substantive 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 and guidelines for a business combination and such transaction was approved by a majority of our independent and disinterested directors. Despite our agreement to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA 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 Sponsor, executive officers, directors or initial shareholders, 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.
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We may engage our Sponsor or an affiliate of our Sponsor as an advisor or otherwise with respect to our business combinations and certain other transactions. Any salary or fee in connection with such engagement may be conditioned upon the completion of such transactions. This financial interest in the completion of such transactions may influence the advice such entity provides.
We may engage our Sponsor or an affiliate of our Sponsor as an advisor or otherwise in connection with our initial business combination and certain other transactions and pay such person or entity a salary or fee in an amount that constitutes a market standard for comparable transactions. Pursuant to any such engagement, such person or entity may earn its salary or fee upon closing of the initial business combination. The payment of such salary or fee would likely be conditioned upon the completion of the initial business combination. Therefore, such persons or entities may have additional financial interests in the completion of the initial business combination. These financial interests may influence the advice such entity provides us, which advice would contribute to our decision on whether to pursue a business combination with any particular target.
Since our Initial Sponsor, New Sponsor, executive officers and directors will lose their entire investment in us if our initial business combination is not completed (other than with respect to public shares they may acquire), a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination.
On March 22, 2021, the Initial Sponsor paid $25,000, or approximately $0.003 per share, to cover certain of our offering and formation costs in consideration of 7,187,500 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share. In April 2021, the Initial Sponsor transferred 25,000 Founder Shares to each of our independent directors and 10,000 Founder Shares to each of our advisors. On June 15, 2021, the Initial Sponsor surrendered an aggregate of 1,437,500 shares to us for no consideration. On July 20, 2021, the Initial Sponsor received an additional 1,150,000 Founder Shares resulting in an aggregate of 6,900,000 Founder Shares issued and outstanding. On July 21, 2023, the Initial Sponsor sold 4,215,230 Class B ordinary shares and 4,392,123 Private Placement Warrants to the New Sponsor, pursuant to the Purchase Agreement. Prior to the initial investment in the Company of $25,000 by the Initial Sponsor, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. The per share price of the Founder Shares was determined by dividing the amount contributed to the company by the number of Founder Shares issued. The number of Founder Shares outstanding was determined based on the total size of the Initial Public Offering of 25,911,379 units, and that such Founder Shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares after the Initial Public Offering. The Founder Shares will be worthless if we do not complete an initial business combination. In addition, the Initial Sponsor has, pursuant to a written agreement, purchased an aggregate of 6,588,184 warrants, each exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share at $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment, at a price of $1.50 per warrant ($9,882,275 in the aggregate), in a private placement that closed simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering. If we do not consummate an initial business combination by July 23, 2024, the warrants will expire worthless. The personal and financial interests of our executive 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. This risk may become more acute as the 36-month anniversary of the closing of the Initial Public Offering nears, which is the deadline for our consummation of an initial business combination.
Our initial shareholders (including the Initial Sponsor and the Sponsor control a substantial interest in us and thus may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a shareholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support.
As of April 16, 2024, our initial shareholders (including the Initial Sponsor and the Sponsor) collectively own, on an as-converted basis, 60.9% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares. Accordingly, our initial shareholders and Sponsor may exert a substantial influence on 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 significant corporate transactions, including our initial business combination. If our Sponsor, management team and initial shareholders purchase any additional Class A ordinary shares in the aftermarket or in privately negotiated transactions, this would increase their control. Neither our Sponsor nor the initial shareholders nor, to our knowledge, any of our officers or directors, have any current intention to purchase additional securities, other than as previously disclosed. 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, our board of directors, whose members were elected by our Sponsor, are divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of three years with only one class of directors being elected in each year. We may not hold a general meeting to elect new directors prior to the completion of our initial business combination, in which case all of the current directors will continue in office until at least the completion of the business combination. If there is an annual meeting, as a consequence of our “staggered” board of directors, only a minority of the board of directors will be considered for appointment and our Sponsor, because of its ownership position, will control the outcome, as only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors and to remove directors prior to our initial business combination. Accordingly, our Sponsor will continue to exert control at least until the completion of our initial business combination.
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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.
We are dependent upon our executive officers and directors and their loss could adversely affect our ability to operate.
Our operations are dependent upon a relatively small group of individuals and, in particular, our executive 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 executive 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 their 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 executive officers.
The unexpected loss of the services of one or more of our directors or executive officers could have a detrimental effect on us.
Risks Associated with Acquiring and Operating a Business in Foreign Countries
If we pursue a target company with operations or opportunities outside of the United States for our initial business combination, we may face additional burdens in connection with investigating, agreeing to and completing such initial business combination, and if we effect such initial business combination, we would be subject to a variety of additional risks that may negatively impact our operations.
If we pursue a target company with operations or opportunities outside of the United States for our initial business combination, we would be subject to risks associated with cross-border business combinations, including in connection with investigating, agreeing to and completing our initial business combination, conducting due diligence in a foreign jurisdiction, having such transaction approved by any local governments, regulators or agencies and changes in the purchase price based on fluctuations in foreign exchange rates.
If we effect our initial business combination with such a company, we would be subject to any special considerations or risks associated with companies operating in an international setting, including any of the following:
| ● | costs and difficulties inherent in managing cross-border business operations; |
| ● | rules and regulations regarding currency redemption; |
| ● | complex corporate withholding taxes on individuals; |
| ● | laws governing the manner in which future business combinations may be effected; |
| ● | exchange listing and/or delisting requirements; |
| ● | tariffs and trade barriers; |
| ● | regulations related to customs and import/export matters; |
| ● | local or regional economic policies and market conditions; |
| ● | unexpected changes in regulatory requirements; |
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| ● | longer payment cycles; |
| ● | tax issues, such as tax law changes and variations in tax laws as compared to the United States; |
| ● | currency fluctuations and exchange controls; |
| ● | rates of inflation; |
| ● | challenges in collecting accounts receivable; |
| ● | cultural and language differences; |
| ● | employment regulations; |
| ● | underdeveloped or unpredictable legal or regulatory systems; |
| ● | corruption; |
| ● | protection of intellectual property; |
| ● | social unrest, crime, strikes, riots and civil disturbances; |
| ● | regime changes and political upheaval; |
| ● | terrorist attacks, natural disasters and wars; and |
| ● | deterioration of political relations with the United States. |
We may not be able to adequately address these additional risks. If we were unable to do so, we may be unable to complete such initial business combination, or, if we complete such initial business combination, our operations might suffer, either of which may adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If our management following our initial business combination is unfamiliar with United States securities laws, they may have to expend time and resources becoming familiar with such laws, which could lead to various regulatory issues.
Following our initial business combination, our management may resign from their positions as officers or directors of the company and the management of the target business at the time of the business combination will remain in place. Management of the target business may not be familiar with United States securities laws. If new management is unfamiliar with 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.
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 any such country. Accordingly, our results of operations and prospects will be subject, to a significant extent, to the economic, political and social conditions and government 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. Economic growth could be 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.
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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.
We may reincorporate in another jurisdiction in connection with our initial business combination, and the laws of such jurisdiction may govern some or all of our future material agreements and we may not be able to enforce our legal rights.
In connection with our initial business combination, we may relocate the home jurisdiction of our business from the Cayman Islands to another jurisdiction. If we determine to do this, the laws of such jurisdiction may govern some or all of our future material agreements. The system of laws and the enforcement of existing laws in such jurisdiction may not be as certain in implementation and interpretation as in the United States. The inability to enforce or obtain a remedy under any of our future agreements could result in a significant loss of business, business opportunities or capital.
We are subject to changing law and regulations regarding regulatory matters, corporate governance and public disclosure that have increased both our costs and the risk of non-compliance.
We are subject to rules and regulations by various governing bodies, including, for example, the SEC, which are charged with the protection of investors and the oversight of companies whose securities are publicly traded, and to new and evolving regulatory measures under applicable law. Our efforts to comply with new and changing laws and regulations have resulted in and are likely to continue to result in, increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management time and attention from seeking a business combination target.
Moreover, because these laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance becomes available. This evolution may result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and additional costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to our disclosure and governance practices. If we fail to address and comply with these regulations and any subsequent changes, we may be subject to penalty and our business may be harmed.
General Risk Factors
Past performance by our management team or their respective affiliates may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in us or in the future performance of the business we may acquire.
Information regarding performance is presented for informational purposes only. Any past experience or performance of our management team and their respective affiliates is not a guarantee of either (i) our ability to successfully identify and execute a transaction or (ii) success with respect to any business combination that we may consummate. You should not rely on the historical record of our management team or their respective affiliates as indicative of the future performance of an investment in us or the returns we will, or are likely to, generate going forward.
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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 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 of our Class A ordinary shares or warrants, 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. 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, upon written request, 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 in all cases. We urge U.S. investors to consult their tax advisors regarding the possible application of the PFIC rules.
An investment in our securities may result in uncertain or adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences.
An investment in our securities may result in uncertain U.S. federal income tax consequences. For instance, because there are no authorities that directly address instruments similar to the units we issued in the Initial Public Offering, the allocation an investor makes with respect to the purchase price of a unit between the Class A ordinary shares and the one-third of a warrant to purchase one Class A ordinary share included in each unit could be challenged by the IRS or courts. Furthermore, the U.S. federal income tax consequences of a cashless exercise of warrants included in the units we issued the Initial Public Offering is unclear under current law. Finally, it is unclear whether the redemption rights with respect to our ordinary shares suspend the running of a U.S. Holder’s holding period for purposes of determining whether any gain or loss realized by such holder on the sale or exchange of Class A ordinary shares is long-term capital gain or loss and for determining whether any dividend we pay would be considered “qualified dividends” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Prospective investors are urged to consult their tax advisors with respect to these and other tax consequences when purchasing, holding or disposing of our securities.
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 or in another jurisdiction. The transaction may require a shareholder or warrant holder to recognize taxable income in the jurisdiction in which the shareholder or warrant holder 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 or warrant holders to pay such taxes. Shareholders or warrant holders may be subject to withholding taxes or other taxes with respect to their ownership of us after the reincorporation.
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We are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company within the meaning of the Securities Act, and if we take advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure requirements available to “emerging growth companies” or “smaller reporting 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 internal controls 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 Class A ordinary shares held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700 million as of any June 30 before that time, in which case we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the following December 31. 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 accounting standards used.
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 equals or exceeds $250 million as of the prior June 30, and (2) our annual revenues equaled or exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30. To the extent we take advantage of such reduced disclosure obligations, it may also make comparison of our financial statements with other public companies difficult or impossible.
We have identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. This material weakness could continue to adversely affect our ability to report our results of operations and financial condition accurately and in a timely manner.
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP. Our management is likewise required, on a quarterly basis, to evaluate the effectiveness of our internal controls and to disclose any changes and material weaknesses identified through such evaluation in those internal controls. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
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In connection with the audit of the balance sheet at July 23, 2021, and the preparation of the interim financial statements for the fiscal period ended September 30, 2021 and the audits for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2023, we identified a material weakness in our controls over financial reporting related to the Company’s classification of a portion of its Class A ordinary shares in permanent equity rather than temporary equity and the accounting for significant transactions that resulted in the incorrect recording of activity impacting warrant liabilities and offering costs occurred during the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2021. Specifically, the Company’s management has concluded that the Company’s control around the interpretation and accounting for certain complex features of the shares of Class A ordinary shares and warrants issued by the Company was not effectively designed or maintained. This material weakness resulted in the restatement of the Company’s balance sheet as of July 23, 2021. Additionally, this material weakness could result in a misstatement of the warrant liability, shares of Class A ordinary shares and related accounts and disclosures that would result in a material misstatement of the financial statements that would not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Additionally, in connection with the audit of the financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, management identified a material weakness in our controls over financial reporting due to identified immaterial errors in connection to additional paid-in capital and accumulated deficit. Overall, management has identified a material weakness in our internal controls related to the accounting for complex financial instruments.
In order to remediate the identified material weakness, we expanded and improved our review process for complex securities and related accounting standards. We plan to further improve this process by enhancing access to accounting literature, identification and consideration of third-party professionals with whom to consult regarding complex accounting applications and implementing additional layers of reviews in the financial close process. Based on these measures, management believes that the control deficiencies will be remediated in a timely manner as the revised controls will need to operate for a sufficient period of time for management to test that they are designed and operating effectively before the material weakness will be considered remediated. Should additional changes to the remediation plan be warranted, management will modify the planned measures accordingly. The elements of our remediation plan can only be accomplished over time, and we can offer no assurance that these initiatives will ultimately have the intended effects.
Other than the identified material weakness and steps taken to remediate the material weakness, there was no change in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period ended December 31, 2023, covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
We can give no assurance that any additional material weaknesses or restatement of financial results will not arise in the future due to a failure to implement and maintain adequate internal control over financial reporting or circumvention of these controls. In addition, even if we are successful in strengthening our controls and procedures, in the future those controls and procedures may not be adequate to prevent or identify irregularities or errors or to facilitate the fair presentation of our financial statements.
Changes in laws or regulations, or a failure to comply with any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination, 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, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination, and results of operations.
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS.
None.
ITEM 1C. CYBERSECURITY.
We are a special purpose acquisition company with no business operations. Since our IPO, our sole business activity has been identifying and evaluating suitable acquisition transaction candidates. Therefore, we do not consider that we face significant cybersecurity risk and have not adopted any cybersecurity risk management program or formal processes for assessing cybersecurity risk. Our board of directors is generally responsible for the oversight of risks from cybersecurity threats, if any. We have not encountered any cybersecurity incidents since our IPO.
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ITEM 2. PROPERTIES.
We currently utilize office space at 3109 W 50th St., #207, Minneapolis, MN 55410, from our Sponsor and the members of our management team as our executive offices. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.
As of December 31, 2023, to the knowledge of our management, there was no material litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding pending against us or any members of our management team in their capacity as such, and we and the members of our management team have not been subject to any such proceeding.
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES.
Not applicable.
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PART II
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES.
Market Information
Our units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants are listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “PFTAU,” “PFTA” and “PFTAW,” respectively.
Holders
As of April 11, 2024, there was 1 holder of record of our units and 1 holder of record of our Class A ordinary shares, and there were 10 holders of record of our Class B ordinary shares and 3 holders of record of our warrants. The number of holders of record does not include a substantially greater number of “street name” holders or beneficial holders whose units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants are held of record by banks, brokers and other financial institutions.
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 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. In addition, our board of directors is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any stock dividends in the foreseeable future. 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.
Use of Proceeds from our Initial Public Offering
On July 23, 2021, we consummated our Initial Public Offering of 24,000,000 Units, at $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $240.0 million. We granted the underwriter a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 3,600,000 Units to cover over-allotments. On August 5, 2021, the underwriters partially exercised the over-allotment option to purchase an additional 1,911,379 Units generating gross proceeds of approximately $19.1 million. The underwriters forfeited the balance of the option. The securities sold in the Initial Public Offering were registered under the Securities Act on registration statements on Form S-1 (Nos. 333-257185 and 333- 258062). The registration statement was declared effective on July 20, 2021.
ITEM 6. [RESERVED]
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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.
The following discussion and analysis of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our audited financial statements and the notes related thereto which are included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Certain information contained in the discussion and analysis set forth below includes forward-looking statements. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including those set forth under “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Overview
We are a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company on March 17, 2021 for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (the “Business Combination”). We intend to effectuate our Business Combination using cash from the proceeds of our Initial Public Offering and the sale of the Private Placement Warrants, our ordinary shares, debt or a combination of cash, shares and debt.
We expect to continue to incur significant costs in the pursuit of our acquisition plans. We cannot assure you that our plans to complete a Business Combination will be successful.
Recent Developments
Proposed Business Combination
Business Combination Agreement
On February 6, 2024, we entered into a business combination agreement (the “Business Combination Agreement”) with RBio Energy Holdings Corp., a Delaware corporation, RBio Merger Sub, a Cayman Islands exempted company and a wholly owned subsidiary of the NewPubco and RBio Energy.
Pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement, among other things, (i) the RBio Energy Stockholders will exchange all of their shares of RBio Common Stock for shares of common stock of NewPubco (the “Share Exchange”), as a result of which RBio Energy will become a direct wholly owned subsidiary of NewPubco, and (ii) Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company, with the Company surviving such merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of NewPubco.
The Business Combination is expected to be consummated after receipt of the required approvals by the shareholders of the Company and stockholders of RBio Energy and the satisfaction or waiver of certain other customary conditions, as summarized below.
Commercial/Supply Agreement
RBio Energy plans to negotiate and execute a commercial supply and/or fulfillment agreement with a supplier or other vendor to produce the bioenergy, biofuels and biomaterials and, to the extent necessary and appropriate, lease, license or acquire certain of such supplier’s or other vendor’s assets (the “C/S Agreement,” together with any agreements, documents, certificates or instruments relating thereto or executed or delivered in connection therewith, the “C/S Documents,” and the transactions contemplated by the C/S Documents, the “C/S Business Combinations”), all on the terms and conditions to be agreed by, and subject to the approval of RBio Energy.
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Sponsor Support Agreement
Concurrently with the execution of the Business Combination Agreement, the Sponsor, RBio Energy and the Company entered into the Sponsor Support Agreement, pursuant to which, among other things, (i) the Sponsor will vote its shares in favor of the Business Combination Agreement and the Business Combination, and any other proposal submitted for approval by our shareholders in connection with the Business Combination and against any action, agreement, transaction or proposal that would result in a breach of any covenant, representation or warranty or any other obligation or agreement of the Company under the Business Combination Agreement, (ii) the Sponsor will agree to not demand that we redeem the Sponsor’s Class B ordinary shares in connection with the Business Combination, and not to otherwise participate in any such redemption by tendering or submitting any of such shares for redemption, (iii) the Sponsor will waive certain anti-dilution provisions of its Class B ordinary shares set forth in the Articles, and any and all other anti-dilution rights, in connection with the Business Combination with respect to each Class B ordinary share held by the Sponsor, and (iv) at the Closing and upon the written notice of RBio Energy, the Sponsor will forfeit up to all of the Private Placement Warrants. Thereafter, in connection with any potential financing, the Sponsor will cause the Company to issue new warrants exercisable at the same price per share for up to the number of ordinary shares for which the Private Placement Warrants so forfeited were exercisable, to such persons as RBio Energy may direct in writing in its discretion prior to the Closing.
Change in Primary Sponsor, Board, and Management; Securities Purchase Agreement
On July 21, 2023, the Initial Sponsor sold 4,215,230 Class B ordinary shares and 4,392,123 Private Placement Warrants to the New Sponsor, pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.
Effective as of July 21, 2023, each of Adam Felesky, Ajay Chowdhery, Paul Desmarais III, Steven Jay Freiberg, Stuart Charles Harvey, Jr., G. Thompson Hutton, Seraina Macia and Jason Michael Pate resigned from the Company’s board of directors in accordance with the terms of the Purchase Agreement. Each of Scott Honour, Rick Gaenzle, R. Rudolph Reinfrank, Thomas J. Abood and Karrie Willis were appointed to fill the vacancies left by the departing directors. Also on July 21, 2023, Rick Gaenzle replaced Adam Felesky as Chief Executive Officer, Corey Campbell replaced Ajay Chowdhery as Chief Financial Officer, and Tao Tan and Jim Sheridan joined the Company as Co-Presidents. On August 11, 2023, John Stanfield was appointed Chief Financial Officer of the Company and Corey Campbell ceased to serve in that position effective as of Mr. Stanfield’s appointment. On January 3, 2024, Mr. Sheridan resigned as Co-President of the Company.
Extension of Initial Business Combination Deadline
On July 21, 2023, we held an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders in which our shareholders approved the Extension Amendment to extend the date by which we must complete an initial Business Combination from July 23, 2023 to July 23, 2024. In connection with the vote to approve the Extension Amendment, holders of an aggregate of 22,001,009 Class A ordinary shares exercised their right to redeem their shares cash at a redemption price of approximately $10.41 per share, for an aggregate redemption amount of approximately $229.1 million, leaving approximately $40.7 million in the Trust Account and 3,910,370 Class A ordinary shares outstanding after such redemption.
Non-Redemption Agreements
On July 14, 2023, July 17, 2023, July 18, 2023 and July 19, 2023, the Company and the Initial Sponsor entered into Non-Redemption Agreements with certain unaffiliated third parties in exchange for such holders agreeing either not to request redemption in connection with the Extension or to reverse any previously submitted redemption demand in connection with the Extension with respect to an aggregate of 2,166,667 Class A ordinary shares. In consideration of the Non-Redemption Agreements, immediately prior to, and substantially concurrently with, the closing of an initial Business Combination, (i) the New Sponsor (or its designees or transferees) has agreed to surrender and forfeit to the Company for no consideration an aggregate of approximately 0.6 million Class B ordinary shares held by the New Sponsor and (ii) the Company shall issue to such holders a number of Class A ordinary shares equal to those underlying the Forfeited Shares.
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Subscription Agreement
On August 1, 2023, the Company entered into a Subscription Agreement (the “Subscription Agreement”) with Polar Multi-Strategy Master Fund (the “Investor”) and the Sponsor, pursuant to which the parties agreed, among other things, that: (i) the Investor will make a cash contribution to Sponsor in an aggregate amount of $1,300,000 (the “Investor Capital Contribution”) as follows: (i) an initial tranche of $650,000, to be paid within five business days of the date of the Subscription Agreement, (ii) a second tranche of up to $325,000, to be paid following the Company’s announcement of executing an agreement for the Company’s initial business combination, and (iii) a third tranche of up to $325,000, to be paid after the Company files an initial registration statement with the SEC related to initial business combination. At the request of the Sponsor, the Investor may agree, in its sole discretion, to fund up to an additional $200,000 at any time; (ii) the Investor Capital Contribution will in turn be loaned by the Sponsor to the Company to cover working capital expenses (the “SPAC Loan”). The SPAC Loan will not accrue interest and will be repaid by the Company upon the closing of the Company’s initial business combination (the “De-SPAC Closing”). The Sponsor will pay to the Investor all repayments of the SPAC Loan the Sponsor has received within five business days of the date of receipt. The Investor may elect at the De-SPAC Closing to receive such payments in cash or shares of Class A common stock of the Company (“Class A common stock”) at a rate of one share of Class A common stock for each $10 of the Capital Contribution; (iii) in consideration of the Investor Capital Contribution, at the De-SPAC Closing the Company will issue to the Investor 0.9 shares of Class A Common Stock for each dollar of the Investor Capital Contribution funded by the Investor, which shares shall be subject to no transfer restrictions or any other lock-up provisions, earn outs, or other contingencies and shall be registered as part of any registration statement to be filed in connection with the De-SPAC Closing or, if no such registration statement is filed in connection with the De-SPAC Closing, pursuant to the first registration statement to be filed by the Company or the surviving entity following the De-SPAC Closing; and (iv) if the Company liquidates without consummating a De-SPAC, any amounts remaining in the Sponsor or the Company’s cash accounts, not including the Company’s trust account, will be paid to the Investor within five days of the liquidation.
Results of Operations
We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any operating revenues to date. Our only activities from inception through December 31, 2023 were organizational activities, those necessary to prepare for our Initial Public Offering, described below, and our search for a target company for a Business Combination. We do not expect to generate any operating revenues until after the completion of our Business Combination. We generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on investments held in the Trust Account. We incur expenses as a result of being a public company (for legal, financial reporting, accounting and auditing compliance), as well as for due diligence expenses in connection with searching for, and completing, a Business Combination.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, we had net income of $7,148,065, which consisted of $7,528,510 of investment income earned on the Trust Account, $1,218,025 of other income due to change in the fair value of the warrant liabilities, forgiveness of debt of $1,333,584, and $352,969 of reduction of deferred underwriter fees, offset by $3,285,023 of general and administrative expenses which is primarily composed of professional fees and D&O insurance expense.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, we had net income of $8,556,001, which consisted of $4,120,869 of investment income earned on the Trust Account, $6,857,978 of other income due to change in the fair value of the warrant liabilities and $298,484 of reduction of deferred underwriter fee payable, offset by $2,721,330 of general and administrative expenses.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
On July 23, 2021, we consummated the Initial Public Offering with the sale and issuance of 24,000,000 Units, generating gross proceeds of $240,000,000. Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, we consummated the sale of 6,333,334 Private Placement Warrants at a price of $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant in a private placement to our Sponsor, generating gross proceeds of $9,500,000. On August 3, 2021, the underwriters notified the Company of their intention to partially exercise their over-allotment option. As such, on August 5, 2021, the Company consummated the sale of an additional 1,911,379 Units, at $10.00 per Unit, and the sale of an additional 254,850 Private Placement Warrants, at $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant, generating total gross proceeds of $19,496,065.
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Following the Initial Public Offering, the sale of the Private Placement Warrants, and the exercise of the over-allotment option by the underwriters, a total of $259,113,790 ($10.00 per Unit) was placed in the Trust Account. We incurred $15,406,275 in Initial Public Offering related costs, including $5,182,276 of underwriting fees, $9,068,983 of deferred underwriting fees and $1,155,016 of other costs.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, cash used in operating activities was $2,165,762. Net income of $7,148,065 was affected by investment income earned on the Trust Account of $7,528,510, changes in the fair value of warrants liabilities of $1,218,025, forgiveness of debt of $1,333,584, and reduction of deferred underwriter fees of $352,969. Changes in operating assets and liabilities provided $1,119,261 of cash for operating activities.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, cash used in operating activities was $801,362. Net income of $8,556,001 was affected by reduction of deferred underwriter fee payable of $298,484, investment income earned on the Trust Account of $4,120,869, and changes in the fair value of warrants liabilities of $6,857,978. Changes in operating assets and liabilities provided $1,919,968 of cash for operating activities.
As of December 31, 2023, we had investments held in the Trust Account of $41,678,895. We intend to use the funds held in the Trust Account, including any amounts representing interest earned on the Trust Account (less taxes payable), to complete our Business Combination. To the extent that our share capital or debt is used, in whole or in part, as consideration to complete our 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. In connection with the vote to approve the Extension Amendment Proposal, holders Class A ordinary shares exercised their right to redeem their shares an aggregate redemption amount of approximately $229.1 million in cash. As a result, approximately $40.7 million remained in the Trust Account after the completion of those redemptions on July 21, 2023.
As of December 31, 2023, we had cash of $102,925. We intend to use the funds held outside the Trust Account 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, and structure, negotiate and complete a Business Combination.
In order to fund any working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the sponsors, or certain of our officers and directors or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete a Business Combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that a 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 $1,500,000 of such loans (“Working Capital Loans”) may be convertible into warrants upon consummation of the Business Combination at a price of $1.50 per warrant. The warrants would be identical to the Private Placement Warrants. There are no Working Capital Loans outstanding. On April 5, 2023, the Company issued a promissory note (the “Promissory Note”) to the Initial Sponsor, pursuant to which the Company may borrow up to $1,250,000 from the Initial Sponsor to fund the Company’s working capital expenses prior to completion of any potential initial Business Combination. Also on April 5, 2023, the Company made a draw on the Promissory Note of $1,250,000. The Promissory Note was non-interest bearing and payable on the earlier of July 23, 2023 and the date on which the Company consummates a Business Combination. On July 21, 2023, the Initial Sponsor cancelled and forgave the outstanding balance on the Promissory Note of $1,250,000 in connection with the closing under the Purchase Agreement.
On August 1, 2023, we entered into a Subscription Agreement with Investor and the Sponsor, pursuant to which the parties agreed, among other things, that: (i) the Investor will make a cash contribution to Sponsor in an aggregate amount of $1,300,000 (the “Investor Capital Contribution”) as follows: (i) an initial tranche of $650,000, to be paid within five business days of the date of the Subscription Agreement, (ii) a second tranche of up to $325,000, to be paid following the Company’s announcement of executing an agreement for the Company’s initial business combination, and (iii) a third tranche of up to $325,000, to be paid after the Company files an initial registration statement with the SEC related to initial business combination. At the request of the Sponsor, the Investor may agree, in its sole discretion, to fund up to an additional $200,000 at any time; (ii) the Investor Capital Contribution will in turn be loaned by the Sponsor to the Company to cover working capital expenses (the “SPAC Loan”). The SPAC Loan will not accrue interest and will be repaid by the Company upon the closing of the Company’s initial business combination. As of December 31, 2023, the Subscription Agreement liability is $650,000 and included on the balance sheet.
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Going Concern
In connection with the Company’s assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with Financial Accounting Standard Board’s (“FASB”) ASC Subtopic 205-40, “Presentation of Financial Statements - Going Concern,” the Company has until July 23, 2024 to consummate a Business Combination. It is uncertain whether the Company will be able to consummate a Business Combination by this time. If a Business Combination is not consummated by this date, there will be a mandatory liquidation and subsequent dissolution of the Company. Management has determined that the liquidity conditions and mandatory liquidation, should a Business Combination not occur, raises substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern through approximately one year from the date these financial statements were issued. Management intends to consummate a Business Combination prior to July 23, 2024. These financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recovery of the recorded assets or the classification of the liabilities that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.
Contractual Obligations
Pursuant to an administrative services agreement, we had agreed to pay the Initial Sponsor a total of $10,000 per month for office space, utilities, secretarial and administrative support services provided to members of our management team. Upon completion of the initial Business Combination or our liquidation, we would have ceased paying those monthly fees. In addition, until completion of our Business Combination or liquidation, we were required to reimburse the Initial Sponsor or its affiliates monthly for compensation expenses of employees dedicated to us (including the Chief Financial Officer) not to exceed $900,000 per year. We recognized $70,000 for administrative support services and approximately $444,000 for reimbursement of compensation expenses for the year ended December 31, 2023. We recognized approximately $120,000 for administrative support services and approximately $878,000 for reimbursement of compensation expenses for the year ended December 31, 2022. The administrative services agreement was terminated in connection with the closing under the Purchase Agreement on July 21, 2023.
The holders of Founder Shares, Private Placement Warrants, and securities that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans, if any, are entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement. These holders will be entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that we register such securities. In addition, these holders will have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the completion of the initial Business Combination. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
The underwriters are entitled to a deferred fee of three and half percent (3.50%) of the gross proceeds of the Initial Public Offering, or $9,068,983. On August 15, 2022, one of the underwriters, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (“Goldman Sachs”), waived its entitlement to the payment of any deferred fee to be paid under the terms of the underwriting agreement and is no longer serving in an advisor capacity. As a result of Goldman Sachs waiving all of its $6,529,668 of deferred underwriting fees, the deferred underwriting fee payable was $2,539,315 as of December 31, 2022. In June of 2023, the remaining underwriters waived their entitlement to the payment of any deferred fee to be paid under the terms of the underwriting agreement and is no longer serving in an advisor capacity. As a result, the Company recognized $352,969 of income and $2,186,346 was recorded to additional paid-in capital in relation to the reduction of the deferred underwriter fee. As of December 31, 2023, the deferred underwriting fee payable was $0.
On July 17, 2023, the Company entered into an engagement letter with J.V.B Financial Group, acting through its Cohen & Company Capital Markets division (“CCM”) to obtain capital markets advisory services in connection with seeking an extension for completing a business combination, capital market advisory services in connection with a possible business combination transaction with an unaffiliated third party (the “Target”) and to act as the Company’s placement agent in connection with raising capital. CCM would be entitled to an advisor fee of $2.0 million and a transaction fee of an amount equal to 5% of the sum of the gross proceeds raised from investors and received by the Company or Target plus proceeds released from the Trust Account with respect to any of the Class A ordinary shares that did not redeem such shares in connection with the extension or the business combination. If the gross proceeds raised from investors is $3,000,000 or less, the Company may elect to pay the portion of the fee related to the offering in the form of an equivalent dollar amount of Class A ordinary shares or equivalent equity of the post-business combination company, which shares shall be delivered four (4) business days following the closing of the sale transaction as determined by the Company. The shares, if issued, shall be duly authorized, validly issued, paid and non-assessable and shall be registered for resale under the Act, or otherwise freely tradeable, as of the delivery of the shares and will be delivered in book entry form in the name of and delivered to CCM (or its designee) four (4) business days following the closing of the transaction. In addition, up to 50% of the advisor fee may be paid in shares as described above in the case of gross proceeds raised from investors. Pursuant to the engagement letter, the advisor fee cannot be less than $1,000,000.
Critical Accounting Estimates
The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and income and expenses during the period reported. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. We have identified the following critical accounting policies:
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Warrant Liabilities
We evaluated the Public Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants in accordance with ASC 815-40, “Derivatives and Hedging — Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity” and concluded that a provision in the warrant agreement related to certain tender or exchange offers precludes the Warrants from being accounted for as components of equity. As the Warrants meet the definition of a derivative as contemplated in ASC 815, the Warrants are recorded as derivative liabilities on the balance sheets and measured at fair value at inception (on the date of the Initial Public Offering) and at each reporting date in accordance with ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurement”, with changes in fair value recognized in the statements of operations in the period of change.
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ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Not required for smaller reporting companies.
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
This information appears following Item 15 of this Annual Report and is included herein by reference.
ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
None.
ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial and accounting officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period ended December 31, 2023, as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act.
Disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in our Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Based on this evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that during the period covered by this report, our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of December 31, 2023, because of a material weakness in internal controls related to the accounting of complex financial instruments.
Management’s Report on Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting
As required by SEC rules and regulations implementing Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Our internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of our financial statements for external reporting purposes in accordance with GAAP. Our internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that:
| (1) | pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of our company, |
| (2) | provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP, and that our receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of our management and directors, and |
| (3) | provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements. |
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Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect errors or misstatements in our financial statements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree or compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. Management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting at December 31, 2023. In making these assessments, management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013). Based on our assessments and those criteria, management determined that we did not maintain effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023.
In connection with the audit of the balance sheet at July 23, 2021, and the preparation of the interim financial statements for the fiscal period ended September 30, 2021 and the audits for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2023, the Company identified a material weakness in our controls over financial reporting related to the Company’s classification of a portion of its Class A ordinary shares in permanent equity rather than temporary equity and the accounting for significant transactions that resulted in the incorrect recording of activity impacting warrant liabilities and offering costs occurred during the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2021. Additionally, in connection with the audit of the financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, management identified a material weakness in our controls over financial reporting due to identified immaterial errors in connection to additional paid-in capital and accumulated deficit. Overall, management has identified a material weakness in internal controls related to the accounting for complex financial instruments.
Management has implemented remediation steps to improve our internal control over financial reporting. Specifically, we expanded and improved our review process for complex securities and related accounting standards. We plan to further improve this process by enhancing access to accounting literature, identification and consideration of third-party professionals with whom to consult regarding complex accounting applications and implementing additional layers of reviews in the financial close process.
This Annual Report on Form 10-K does not include an attestation report of our independent registered public accounting firm due to our status as an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Other than the identified material weakness and steps taken to remediate the material weakness, there was no change in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period ended December 31, 2023, covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION.
None.
ITEM 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS.
Not applicable.
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PART III
ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE.
Directors and Executive Officers
Our directors and executive officers are as follows:
| Name | Age | Position | ||
| Rick Gaenzle | 58 | Chief Executive Officer and Director | ||
| John Stanfield | 42 | Chief Financial Officer | ||
| Tao Tan | 37 | President | ||
| Scott Honour | 57 | Chairman of the Board | ||
| R. Rudolph Reinfrank | 68 | Director | ||
| Thomas J. Abood | 59 | Director | ||
| Karrie Willis | 51 | Director |
Rick Gaenzle has been our Chief Executive Officer and a director since July 2023. Mr. Gaenzle has over 30 years of private equity investment and corporate finance experience; he is a co-founder and currently serves as a Managing Director of Gilbert Global Equity Capital, L.L.C., the principal investment advisor to Gilbert Global Equity Partners, L.P. and related entities, a $1.2 billion leveraged buyout and private equity fund. Mr. Gaenzle has spent the last 28 years at Gilbert Global and its predecessor entity, completing over 110 direct equity investments, co-investments and add-on acquisitions for portfolio companies. He also serves as the Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors of Perception Capital Corp. II. Previously, Mr. Gaenzle was a Principal of Soros Capital L.P., the principal venture capital and leveraged equity entity of the Quantum Group of Funds and a principal advisor to Quantum Industrial Holdings Ltd. Prior to joining Soros Capital, Mr. Gaenzle held various positions at PaineWebber Inc. Mr. Gaenzle currently serves as an Operating Partner of NPGand Chairman of Lake Street Homes, a single-family rental investment vehicle. Mr. Gaenzle previously served on the boards of CPM Holdings, Inc., True Temper Corp, Optical Capital Group, Inc., Birch Telecommunications, Inc., E-via S.p.A., Tinka-ServiCos de Consultoria, S.A., the LaserSharp Corporation and Sustainable Opportunities Acquisition Corp. (“SOAC”), where he also served as Chairman of the Audit Committee. Mr. Gaenzle holds a B.A. from Hartwick College and an M.B.A. from Fordham University.
John Stanfield has been our Chief Financial Officer since August 2023. Mr. Stanfield has significant experience with U.S. GAAP, finance, operations, and taxation demonstrated over several years and several billion dollars of enterprise value in the private equity and alternative asset industry. He has been a Certified Public Accountant since 2006, and has served as senior principal with Stanfield & Associates, a public accounting firm specializing in the private equity industry and international taxation, since 2011. Mr. Stanfield has also served as Chief Executive Officer at Aequum Capital, LLC, a tech-enabled commercial lender, since August 2023 and Chief Financial Officer at Welsbach Technology Metals Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq:WTMAU) since December 2021. He held the role of Co-President at Aequum from September 2021 to August 2023. Previously, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Lorem LLC, a provider of accounting services for special purpose acquisition companies, from May 2021 to September 2022, and as Chief Financial Officer at LQD Business Finance, a national fintech startup, from 2018 to September 2020. Mr. Stanfield holds a B.A. and an M.S.T. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and an M.S.A from DePaul University.
Tao Tan has been our President since July 2023. Mr. Tan is a Partner at Perception Capital Partners and President of Perception Capital Corp. IV, an affiliated special purpose acquisition company. Mr. Tan has nearly 15 years of experience across finance, strategy and business transformation. Prior to joining Perception, Mr. Tan was an officer and a senior advisor to multiple investing and operating entities. Until 2020, Mr. Tan was an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company’s New York office. At McKinsey, Mr. Tan led teams across the firm’s transformation and private equity & principal investor practices, where he drove comprehensive performance transformation and turnaround programs for companies with revenues ranging from $200 million to $25 billion across multiple industries and continents. Most recently, Mr. Tan helped found, launch and lead McKinsey’s SPAC service line, and served in a leadership role in McKinsey’s COVID-19 client response team. Prior to McKinsey, Mr. Tan was a Senior Associate at Rose Tech Ventures, where he led the firm’s first-round investment in JUMP Bikes, which was subsequently sold to Uber in 2018. Prior to Rose Tech Ventures, Mr. Tan served in investment banking and capital markets roles at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers. Mr. Tan is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and of the Economic Club of New York. Since October 2023, Mr. Tan has served as a director of Spectaire Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPEC) since October 2023, following its business combination with Perception Capital Corp. II, for which Mr. Tan served as Co-President until October 2023. Mr. Tan received his B.A. and his M.B.A, both with honors, from Columbia University in the City of New York, where he was an Erwin Wolfson Scholar and a Toigo Foundation Fellow.
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Scott Honour has served as Chairman of our board of directors since July 2023. Mr. Honour has over 30 years of private equity investment experience and has been involved in over 100 transactions totaling over $20 billion in transaction value. Mr. Honour is the Managing Partner of NPG, a private equity firm, which he co-founded in 2012. He also serves as Chairman of EVO, the Chairman of Perception Capital Corp. II and previously served as Chairman of Sustainable Opportunities Acquisition Corp., the first ESG focused SPAC. Prior to that, Mr. Honour was at The Gores Group, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm, for 10 years, serving as Senior Managing Director and as one of the firm’s top executives. Mr. Honour also served on the investment committee for The Gores Group. During his time at The Gores Group, the firm raised four funds, totaling $4 billion in aggregate, and made over 35 investments. Prior to joining The Gores Group, Mr. Honour was a Managing Director at UBS Investment Bank from 2000 to 2002 and was an investment banker at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette from 1991 to 2000. Mr. Honour began his career at Trammell Crow Company in 1988. Mr. Honour has served on the board of directors of several public and private companies, including Anthem Sports & Entertainment Inc., 1st Choice Delivery, United Language Group, Renters Warehouse, Real Dolmen (REM:BB) and Westwood One, Inc. (formerly Nasdaq: WWON), and is a co-founder of Titan CNG LLC and YapStone Inc. Mr. Honour also served on the boards of EVO Transportation & Energy Services (OTC: EVOA) from 2016 to 2022; Sustainable Opportunities Acquisition Corp. from 2020 to 2021; Appreciate Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: SFR) since 2015; Perception Capital Corp. IV since 2023 and Pineapple Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq: PEGY) since 2017. Mr. Honour has served as a director of Spectaire Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPEC) since November 2023, following its business combination with Perception Capital Corp. II, for which Mr. Honour served as chairman of the board from 2021 to November 2023. Mr. Honour earned a B.S. and B.A., cum laude, in Business Administration and Economics from Pepperdine University and an M.B.A. in Finance and Marketing from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
R. Rudolph Reinfrank has served on our board of directors since July 2023. Mr. Reinfrank is the Managing General Partner of Riverford Partners, LLC, a strategic advisory and investment firm which acts as an investor, board member and strategic advisor to growth companies and companies in transition. Prior to founding Riverford, Mr. Reinfrank was a co-founder and a Managing General Partner of Clarity Partners L.P., an $800 million private equity firm focused on media and communications, and a co-founder of Clarity China, L.P., a $220 million private equity partnership with investments in Greater China. Prior to joining Clarity, he was a co-founder and a Managing General Partner of Rader Reinfrank & Co., a private equity fund. His prior experience includes roles as an executive, investor, and advisor across a wide range of industries for the Roy E. Disney and Marvin Davis families. Mr. Reinfrank is a member of the board of directors of MidCap Financial Investment Corp. (formerly Apollo Investment Corporation), a registered investment company and publicly-traded financial services company. Mr. Reinfrank is also a member of the board of directors of Perception Capital Corp. II, Mount Logan Capital, a publicly traded Canadian based asset manager. Mr. Reinfrank was a Senior Advisor to Grafine Partners and an Operating Partner of Nile Capital Group, both private asset management firms. Until 2021, Mr. Reinfrank was a Senior Advisor to BC Partners, a private equity and credit firm. Until November 2018, Mr. Reinfrank was a member of the board of directors of Kayne Anderson Acquisition Corp., and chairman of its audit committee and a member of its compensation committee. Mr. Reinfrank earned a B.A. from Stanford University and an M.B.A from the UCLA Graduate School of Management.
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Thomas J. Abood has served on our board of directors since July 2023. Since January 2024, Mr. Abood is a founder, owner and President of Artom Residential Group LLC, a multi-family residential real estate development company. From September 2019 to September 2022, Mr. Abood was CEO and a director of EVO, a national trucking firm serving the USPS and other freight customers. Currently, he sits on the board of directors of Nelson Worldwide LLC, a national architecture, engineering and interior design firm, Perception Capital Corp. IV, and SBH Funds, a mutual fund complex sponsored by Segall Bryant and Hamill and since November 2023, BuilderFax, Inc. He previously served as a director of Perception Capital Corp. II until its business combination in October 2023. From 1994 to 2014, Mr. Abood was an owner and Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Dougherty Financial Group LLC. From 1988 to 1994, Mr. Abood was an associate with the law firm of Skadden Arps. Mr. Abood is past Chair of the Archdiocesan Finance Council and Corporate Board of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, past Chair of the board of directors and executive committee member of Citation Jet Pilots, Inc. owner pilot association, past Chair of the Board and director of MacPhail Center for Music, past Chair of the Board and governor of the University of St. Thomas School of Law, past Chair of the Board and director of the Minnesota Children’s Museum and past President and Governor of The Minikahda Club. Mr. Abood received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, cum laude and his B.B.A. from the University of Notre Dame, magna cum laude.
Karrie Willis has served on our board of directors since July 2023. Ms. Willis is the CFO of SMITH, a full-service digital agency with expertise in commerce, technology, custom architecture and software development. Prior to joining SMITH in 2020, Ms. Willis was the CFO of United Language Group, where she worked for four years. Currently, she is an independent board member and chair of the audit committee of Perception Capital Corp. II, as well as MSA Engineering, a board member and treasurer of The Heroes Journey and executive chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee of SMITH, where she also attends all board meetings and presents content as a non-board member. During Ms. Willis’ tenure at United Language Group, she attended all board meetings and presented content as a non-board member. Ms. Willis has over 25 years of experience in financial and board leadership in private, private-equity and family fund sponsored structures. She earned a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin LaCrosse and is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in Minnesota.
Change in Board and Management
Effective as of July 21, 2023, each of Adam Felesky, Ajay Chowdhery, Paul Desmarais III, Steven Jay Freiberg, Stuart Charles Harvey, Jr., G. Thompson Hutton, Seraina Macia and Jason Michael Pate resigned from the Company’s board of directors in accordance with the terms of the Purchase Agreement. Each of Scott Honour, Rick Gaenzle, R. Rudolph Reinfrank, Thomas J. Abood and Karrie Willis were appointed to fill the vacancies left by the departing directors. Also on July 21, 2023, Rick Gaenzle replaced Adam Felesky as Chief Executive Officer, Corey Campbell replaced Ajay Chowdhery as Chief Financial Officer, and Tao Tan and Jim Sheridan joined the Company as Co-Presidents. On August 11, 2023, John Stanfield was appointed Chief Financial Officers of the Company and Corey Campbell ceased to serve in that position effective as of Mr. Stanfield’s appointment. On January 3, 2024, Mr. Sheridan resigned as Co-President of the Company.
Number and Terms of Office of Officers and Directors
Our board of directors is divided into three classes, with only one class of directors being elected in each year, and with each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual meeting of shareholders) serving a three-year term. In accordance with the Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on Nasdaq. The term of office of the first class of directors, consisting of R. Rudolph Reinfrank and Thomas J. Abood, will expire at our first annual meeting of shareholders. The term of office of the second class of directors, consisting of Scott Honour and Karrie Willis, will expire at our second annual meeting of shareholders. The term of office of the third class of directors, consisting of Rick Gaenzle, will expire at our third annual meeting of shareholders.
Prior to the completion of an initial business combination, any vacancy on the board of directors may be filled by a nominee chosen by holders of a majority of our Founder Shares. In addition, prior to the completion of an initial business combination, holders of a majority of our Founder Shares may remove a member of the board of directors for any reason. Incumbent directors will also have the ability to appoint additional directors or to appoint replacement directors in the event of a vacancy.
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Pursuant to an amended and restated registration and shareholder rights agreement entered into on July 21, 2023, upon and following consummation of an initial business combination, the New Sponsor will be entitled to nominate three individuals for election to our board of directors, as long as the New Sponsor holds any securities covered by such agreement.
Our officers are appointed 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 one or more chairman of the board, chief executive officer, president, chief financial officer, vice presidents, secretary, treasurer and such other offices as may be determined by the board of directors.
Director Independence
Nasdaq listing standards require that a majority of our board of directors be independent. Our board of directors has determined that R. Rudolph Reinfrank, Thomas Abood and Karrie Willis are “independent directors” as defined in the Nasdaq listing standards. Our independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.
Board Committees
Audit Committee
We have an audit committee comprised of R. Rudolph Reinfrank, Thomas Abood, and Karrie Willis, with Mr. Reinfrank serving as the Chairperson of the audit committee. Our board of directors has determined that each of R. Rudolph Reinfrank, Thomas Abood, and Karrie Willis are independent under the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules. Each member of the audit committee is financially literate and our board of directors has determined that Mr. Reinfrank qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules.
We adopted an audit committee charter, which details the principal functions of the audit committee, including:
| ● | meeting with our independent registered public accounting firm regarding, among other issues, audits, and adequacy of our accounting and control systems; |
| ● | monitoring the independence of the independent registered public accounting firm; |
| ● | verifying the rotation of the lead (or coordinating) audit partner having primary responsibility for the audit and the audit partner responsible for reviewing the audit as required by law; |
| ● | inquiring and discussing with management our compliance with applicable laws and regulations; |
| ● | pre-approving all audit services and permitted non-audit services to be performed by our independent registered public accounting firm, including the fees and terms of the services to be performed; |
| ● | appointing or replacing the independent registered public accounting firm; |
| ● | determining the compensation and oversight of the work of the independent registered public accounting firm (including resolution of disagreements between management and the independent registered public accounting firm regarding financial reporting) for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or related work; |
| ● | establishing procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by us regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or reports which raise material issues regarding our financial statements or accounting policies; |
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| ● | monitoring compliance on a quarterly basis with the terms of the Initial Public Offering and, if any noncompliance is identified, immediately taking all action necessary to rectify such noncompliance or otherwise causing compliance with the terms of the Initial Public Offering; and |
| ● | reviewing and approving all payments made to our existing shareholders, executive officers or directors and their respective affiliates. Any payments made to members of our audit committee will be reviewed and approved by our board of directors, with the interested director or directors abstaining from such review and approval. |
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
We have adopted a nominating and corporate governance committee of the board of directors. The members of our nominating and corporate governance are R. Rudolph Reinfrank, Thomas Abood and Karrie Willis, with Mr. Reinfrank serving as Chairperson of the nominating committee. Our board of directors has determined that each member of the nominating committee is independent.
We adopted a nominating and corporate governance committee charter, which details the purpose and responsibilities of the nominating and corporate governance committee, including 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 are specified in the nominating and corporate governance 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
We have established a compensation committee of the board of directors. Thomas Abood, R. Rudolph Reinfrank and Karrie Willis serve as members of our compensation committee, with Mr. Abood serving as the Chairperson of the compensation committee. Under the Nasdaq listing standards, we are required to have a compensation committee composed entirely of independent directors. Our board of directors has determined that each member of the compensation committee is independent.
We have adopted a compensation committee charter, which details 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 and Chief Financial Officer, evaluating their performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration (if any) of such officers based on such evaluation; |
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| ● | reviewing and approving the compensation of all of our other Section 16 executive officers; |
| ● | reviewing our executive compensation policies and plans; |
| ● | implementing and administering our incentive compensation equity-based remuneration plans; |
| ● | assisting management in complying with our proxy statement and annual report disclosure requirements; |
| ● | approving all special perquisites, special cash payments and other special compensation and benefit arrangements for our executive officers and employees; |
| ● | 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 provides that the compensation committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser and is 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 the Nasdaq and the SEC.
Code of Ethics and Committee Charters
We adopted a Code of Ethics applicable to our directors, officers and employees. A copy of the Code of Ethics and the charters of the committees of our board of directors will be provided without charge upon request from us. If we make any amendments to our Code of Ethics other than technical, administrative or other non-substantive amendments, or grant any waiver, including any implicit waiver, from a provision of the Code of Ethics applicable to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer principal accounting officer or controller or persons performing similar functions requiring disclosure under applicable SEC or Nasdaq rules, we will disclose the nature of such amendment or waiver on our website. In addition, a copy of the code of ethics is posted on our website: www.perceptioncapitalpartners.com.
ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION.
Until the earlier of consummation of our initial business combination and our liquidation, we will (a) reimburse an affiliate of the New Sponsor for office space and secretarial, administrative and other services provided to us in the amount of $10,000 per month; and (b) reimburse the New Sponsor or any of its affiliates for any out-of-pocket expenses (or an allocable portion thereof), to the extent that any of them incurs expenses related to identifying, investigating, negotiating and completing an initial business combination (including any travel expenses). Our executive officers and directors, or 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 by us to the New Sponsor, executive officers or directors, or their affiliates. Any such payments prior to an initial business combination will be made using funds held outside the Trust Account. Other than quarterly audit committee review of such reimbursements, we do not have any additional controls in place governing our reimbursement payments to our directors and executive officers for their out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with our activities on our behalf in connection with identifying and consummating an initial business combination. Other than these payments and reimbursements, no compensation of any kind, including finder’s and consulting fees, will be paid by the Company to the New Sponsor, executive officers and directors, or their respective affiliates, prior to completion of our initial business combination.
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Effective as of August 11, 2023, we entered into a twelve-month consultant agreement with John Stanfield pursuant to which he agreed to serve as Chief Financial Officer of the Company in exchange for the ability to acquire 5 Class B Units of the New Sponsor, which will correspond to one half of one percent (0.5%) of our Class B ordinary shares held by the New Sponsor. The Company determined the value of the services performed will be recognized over the engagement period. As of December 31, 2023, the share-based compensation expense for this consultant agreement is considered de minimis.
After the completion of our initial business combination, directors or members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting or management fees from the combined company. All of these fees will be fully disclosed to shareholders, to the extent then known, in the proxy solicitation materials or tender offer materials furnished to our shareholders in connection with a proposed business combination. We have not established any limit on the amount of such fees that may be paid by the combined company to our directors or members of management. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of the proposed business combination, because the directors of the post-combination business will be responsible for determining executive officer and director compensation. Any compensation to be paid to our executive officers will be determined, or recommended to the board of directors for determination, either by a compensation committee constituted solely by independent directors or by a majority of the independent directors on our board of directors.
We do not intend to take any action to ensure that members of our management team maintain their positions with us after the consummation of our initial business combination, although it is possible that some or all of our executive officers and directors may negotiate employment or consulting arrangements to remain with us after our initial business combination. The existence or terms of any such employment or consulting arrangements to retain their positions with us may influence our management’s motivation in identifying or selecting a target business but we do not believe that the ability of our management to remain with us after the consummation of our initial business combination will be a determining factor in our decision to proceed with any potential business combination. We are not party to any agreements with our executive officers and directors that provide for benefits upon termination of employment.
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ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS.
The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our ordinary shares as of April 11, 2024, 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 executive officers and directors that beneficially owns ordinary shares; and |
| ● | all our executive officers and directors as a group. |
The following table is based on 10,388,215 ordinary shares of outstanding at April 11, 2024, of which 3,910,370 were Class A ordinary shares and 6,477,845 were Class B ordinary shares. Unless otherwise indicated, it is believed that all persons named in the table below have sole voting and investment power with respect to all ordinary shares beneficially owned by them. The table below does not include the shares of Class A ordinary shares underlying the Private Placement Warrants held by our Sponsor because these securities are not exercisable within 60 days of this Annual Report.
| Class B ordinary shares | Class A ordinary shares | |||||||||||||||||||
| Name and Address of Beneficial Owners(1) | Number of Shares Beneficially Owned | Approximate Percentage of Class(2) | Number of Shares Beneficially Owned | Approximate Percentage of Class | Approximate Percentage of Voting Control | |||||||||||||||
| Perception Capital Partners IIIA LLC (the New Sponsor)(3) | 4,215,230 | 66.7 | % | - | - | 40.6 | % | |||||||||||||
| Rick Gaenzle | - | - | - | - | - | |||||||||||||||
| John Stanfield | - | - | - | - | - | |||||||||||||||
| Tao Tan | - | - | - | - | - | |||||||||||||||
| Scott Honour | - | - | - | - | - | |||||||||||||||
| R. Rudolph Reinfrank | - | - | - | - | - | |||||||||||||||
| Thomas J. Abood | - | - | - | - | - | |||||||||||||||
| Karrie Willis | - | - | - | - | - | |||||||||||||||
| All officers and directors as a group (seven individuals) | - | - | - | - | - | |||||||||||||||
| Five Percent Holders | ||||||||||||||||||||
| PFTA I LP (the Initial Sponsor)(4) | 2,107,615 | 33.3 | % | - | - | 20.3 | % | |||||||||||||
| Periscope Capital Inc.(5) | - | - | 349,599 | (5) | 5.5 | % | 3.4 | % | ||||||||||||
| Dryden Capital, LLC(6) | - | - | 200,000 | (6) | 5.1 | % | 2.0 | % | ||||||||||||
| Polar Asset Management Partners Inc.(7) | - | - | 200,000 | (7) | 5.1 | % | 2.0 | % | ||||||||||||
| Fir Tree Capital Management LP(8) | 198,764 | (8) | 5.1 | % | 2.0 | % | ||||||||||||||
| * | Less than one percent. |
| (1) | Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each of our shareholders is 3109 W. 50th Street, #207, Minneapolis, MN 55410. |
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| (2) | Interests shown consist solely of Founder Shares, classified as Class B ordinary shares. Such shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination or earlier at the option of the holders thereof. | |
| (3) | Perception Capital Partners IIIA LLC, the New Sponsor, is the record holder of such shares. On July 21, 2023, the Initial Sponsor sold 4,215,230 Class B ordinary shares to the New Sponsor, pursuant to the Purchase Agreement. | |
| (4) | PFTA I LP, the Initial Sponsor, is the record holder of such shares. The Initial Sponsor is controlled by its general partner, PFTA I GP, Inc. (“PFTA GP”). PFTA GP is managed by a board of directors, comprised of three members, Adam Felesky, Sacha Haque and Stephan Klee. Each director has one vote, and the approval of a majority is required to approve any action of PFTA GP, in its individual capacity or its capacity as the general partner of the Initial Sponsor. Under the “rule of three”, if voting and dispositive decisions regarding an entity’s securities are made by three or more individuals, and a voting or dispositive decision requires the approval of a majority of those individuals, then none of the individuals is deemed a beneficial owner of the entity’s securities. This is the situation with regard to the Initial Sponsor. Based upon the foregoing analysis, no individual director of PFTA GP exercises voting or dispositive control over any of the securities held by PFTA GP or our Sponsor, even those in which he or she holds a direct pecuniary interest. Accordingly, none of them will be deemed to have or share beneficial ownership of such shares. | |
| (5) | Based solely on the Schedule 13G/A filed by Periscope Capital Inc. (“Periscope”) with the SEC on February 9, 2024. Periscope, which is the beneficial owner of 126,494 Class A ordinary shares, acts as investment manager of, and exercises investment discretion with respect to, certain private investment funds (each, a “Periscope Fund”) that collectively directly own 223,105 Class A ordinary shares. The business address of Periscope is 333 Bay Street, Suite 1240, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5H 2R2. | |
| (6) | Includes Class A ordinary shares beneficially held by Dryden Capital, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Dryden”), based solely on the Schedule 13G filed by Dryden with the SEC on February 13, 2024. The business address of Dryden is 777 Brickell Ave, Suite 500, Miami FL 33131. | |
| (7) | Includes Class A ordinary shares beneficially held by Polar Asset Management Partners Inc., a company incorporated under the laws of Ontario, Canada (“Polar”), which serves as the investment advisor to Polar Multi-Strategy Master Fund, a Cayman Islands exempted company (“PMSMF”) with respect to the Class A ordinary shares directly held by PMSMF, based solely on the Schedule 13G/A filed by Polar, with the SEC on February 9, 2024. The business address of Polar is 16 York Street, Suite 2900, Toronto, ON, Canada M5J 0E6. | |
| (8) | Includes Class A ordinary shares beneficially held by Fir Tree Capital Management LP, a Delaware limited partnership and investment adviser (“Fir Tree”), based solely on the Schedule 13G filed by Fir Tree with the SEC on February 14, 2024. The business address of Fir Tree is 500 5th Avenue, 9th Floor, New York, New York 10110. |
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ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE.
Founder Shares
On March 22, 2021, the Initial Sponsor paid $25,000, or approximately $0.003 per share, to cover certain offering costs in consideration for 7,187,500 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 (the “Founder Shares”). On April 30, 2021, the Initial Sponsor transferred an aggregate of 125,000 Founder Shares to five independent directors (each received 25,000 Founder Shares). On April 30, 2021, the Initial Sponsor transferred an aggregate of 30,000 Founder Shares to three advisors (each received 10,000 Founder Shares). On June 15, 2021, the Initial Sponsor surrendered an aggregate of 1,437,500 Class B ordinary shares for no consideration, which were cancelled, resulting in an aggregate of 5,750,000 Class B ordinary shares issued and outstanding. On July 20, 2021, the Initial Sponsor received an additional 1,150,000 Class B ordinary shares resulting in an aggregate of 6,900,000 Class B ordinary shares issued and outstanding. Up to 900,000 Founder Shares were subject to forfeiture by the Initial Sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option was exercised. On August 5, 2021, the underwriters partially exercised the over-allotment option to purchase an additional 1,911,379 Units; thus, 422,155 Class B ordinary shares were forfeited. As of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company had 6,477,845 of Class B ordinary shares issued and outstanding.
The sale or transfers of the Founders Shares to independent directors and advisors on April 30, 2021, as described above, is within the scope of ASC Topic 718, “Compensation-Stock Compensation” (“ASC 718”). Under ASC 718, stock-based compensation associated with equity-classified awards is measured at fair value upon the grant date. The Founders Shares were effectively sold or transferred subject to a performance condition (i.e., the occurrence of a Business Combination). Compensation expense related to the Founders Shares is recognized only when the performance condition is probable of occurrence under the applicable accounting literature in this circumstance. A Business Combination is not probable until it is completed. Stock-based compensation would be recognized at the date a Business Combination is considered probable in an amount equal to the number of Founders Shares times the grant date fair value per share (unless subsequently modified) less the amount initially received for the purchase of the Founders Shares. The fair value at the grant date is deemed to be de minimis. As of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company determined that a Business Combination was not considered probable because no Business Combination has been completed, and therefore, no stock-based compensation expense has been recognized.
Pursuant to the Letter Agreement, the Company’s sponsors and current and former officers, directors and certain advisors have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of its Founder Shares until the earlier to occur of: (A) one year after the completion of a Business Combination or (B) following the completion of an initial Business Combination, the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange or similar transaction that results in the Company’s shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the last sale price of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after the Business Combination, the Founder Shares will be released from the lock-up.
On July 21, 2023, the Initial Sponsor sold 4,215,230 Class B ordinary shares (“Transferred Shares”) and 4,392,123 Private Placement Warrants (“Transferred Warrants” and collectively with the Transferred Shares, the “Transferred Securities”) to the New Sponsor, pursuant to the Purchase Agreement dated July 12, 2023 for an aggregate purchase price of $1.00. Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, up to 650,000 Transferred Shares (the “Extension Shares”) may be assigned to or transferred by the Initial Sponsor to certain investors who have entered into non-redemption agreements and up to 1,457,615 Transferred Shares (the “Financing Shares”) may be assigned or transferred in Sponsors’ sole discretion in connection with obtaining additional bona fide financing for the Company prior to the Business Combination.
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Private Placement Warrants
Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Sponsor purchased an aggregate of 6,333,334 Private Placement Warrants at a price of $1.50 per warrant (for consideration of $9,500,000 in the aggregate). On August 5, 2021, simultaneously with the issuance and sale of the over-allotment units, the Company consummated the sale of an additional 254,850 Private Warrants at $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant, generating additional gross proceeds of $382,275.
Each Private Placement Warrant is identical to the warrants offered in the Initial Public Offering, except there will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to Private Placement Warrants, which will expire worthless if we do not consummate a Business Combination within the Combination Period.
Share Based Compensation
Effective as of August 11, 2023, the Company entered into a twelve-month consultant agreement with John Stanfield, pursuant to which he has agreed to serve as Chief Financial Officer of the Company in exchange for the ability to acquire 5 Class B Units of the Sponsor, which will correspond to one half of one percent (0.5%) of our Class B ordinary shares held by the Sponsor. The Company determined the value of the services performed will be recognized over the engagement period. As of December 31, 2023, the share-based compensation expense for this consultant agreement is considered de minimis.
Cancelled Promissory Note - Related Party
On March 22, 2021, the Initial Sponsor agreed to loan the Company an aggregate of up to $300,000 to cover expenses related to the Initial Public Offering pursuant to a promissory note (the “Note”). The Note is non-interest bearing, unsecured and due upon the earlier of (i) September 30, 2021 or (ii) the consummation of the Initial Public Offering. We borrowed approximately $181,000 under the Note. On August 31, 2021, we repaid the Note in full.
On April 5, 2023, the Company issued a promissory note (the “Promissory Note”) to the Initial Sponsor, pursuant to which the Company was entitled to borrow up to $1,250,000 from the Initial Sponsor to fund the Company’s working capital expenses prior to completion of any potential initial Business Combination. Also on April 5, 2023, the Company made a draw on the Promissory Note of $1,250,000. The Promissory Note was non-interest bearing and payable on the earlier of July 23, 2023 and the date on which the Company consummates a Business Combination. On July 21, 2023, the Initial Sponsor cancelled and forgave the Promissory Note in connection with the closing under the Purchase Agreement. As of December 31, 2023, there were no amounts outstanding under this Promissory Note.
Related Party Loans
In order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Company’s sponsors, one or more affiliate of the Company’s sponsors, or the Company’s officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds as may be required (the “Working Capital Loans”). Such Working Capital Loans would be evidenced by promissory notes. The notes would either be repaid upon consummation of a Business Combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $1,500,000 of notes may be converted upon consummation of a Business Combination into warrants at a price of $1.50 per warrant. The warrants will be identical to the Private Placement Warrants. In the event that a Business Combination does not close, the Company may use a portion of proceeds held outside the Trust Account to repay the Working Capital Loans, but no proceeds held in the Trust Account would be used to repay the Working Capita Loans. As of December 31, 2023, there were no amounts outstanding under the Working Capital Loans.
69
Registration Rights Agreement
Pursuant to a registration rights agreement originally entered into on July 21, 2021, the holders of the Founder Shares, Private Placement Warrants and any warrants that may be issued upon conversion of the Working Capital Loans (and in each case holders of their component securities, as applicable) are entitled to registration rights requiring the Company 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 the majority of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that the Company register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the consummation of a Business Combination and rights to require the Company to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 nder the Securities Act. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Administrative Services and Reimbursement Agreement
Pursuant to an administrative services and reimbursement agreement, on or prior to the closing of the Business Combination, the Company was obligated to reimburse the Initial Sponsor or its affiliates for formation and other pre-Initial Public Offering expenses incurred on the Company’s behalf not to exceed $900,000. Further, commencing on July 21, 2021 and until completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination or liquidation, the Company was required to (a) reimburse the Initial Sponsor or its affiliates up to an amount of $10,000 per month for office space and secretarial, administrative and other services and (b) reimburse the Initial Sponsor or its affiliates for any out-of-pocket expenses (or an allocable portion thereof), to the extent that any of them incurs expenses related to identifying, investigating, negotiating and completing an initial Business Combination (including any travel expenses). In addition, commencing on July 21, 2021 and until completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination or liquidation, the Company was required to reimburse the Initial Sponsor or its affiliates monthly for compensation expenses of employees dedicated to the Company (including the Chief Financial Officer) not to exceed $900,000 per year. Under the agreement, the Company was also required to Indemnify the Initial Sponsor and its affiliates for any claims made by the Company or a third party and resulting liabilities in respect of any investment opportunities sourced by them and any liability arising with respect to their activities in connection with the Company’s affairs. Such indemnity provides that the indemnified parties cannot access the funds held in the Trust Account.
The Company recognized approximately $514,000 and $998,000 in connection with such services for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, which is included in general and administrative expenses in the accompanying statements of operations. The Company owes the Sponsor approximately $0 and $741,000 for the period ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, for reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses which is included in accrued expenses on the balance sheets. The administrative services agreement was terminated in connection with the closing under the Purchase Agreement.
The Initial Sponsor had paid expenses on behalf of the Company prior to the Company’s Initial Public Offering in an amount of approximately $433,000, for which approximately $272,000 was related to offering costs. The Company repaid the amount to the Initial Sponsor on August 1, 2021. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, there were no amounts outstanding due to any sponsor for offering costs.
Underwriter’s Agreement
We granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to 3,600,000 additional Units to cover over-allotments at the Initial Public Offering price, less the underwriting discounts and commissions. On August 5, 2021, the underwriters partially exercised the over-allotment option to purchase an additional 1,911,379 Units and forfeited the option to exercise the remaining 1,688,621 Units.
The underwriters were paid a cash underwriting discount of 2.00% of the gross proceeds of the Initial Public Offering, or $5,182,275. In addition, the underwriters are entitled to a deferred fee of three and half percent (3.50%) of the gross proceeds of the Initial Public Offering, or $9,068,983.
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On August 15, 2022, one of the underwriters waived its entitlement to the payment of any deferred fee to be paid under the terms of the underwriting agreement and is no longer serving in an advisor capacity. As a result, the Company recognized $298,484 of income and $6,231,184 was recorded to additional paid-in capital in relation to the reduction of the deferred underwriter fee. In June of 2023, the remaining underwriters waived their entitlement to the payment of any deferred fee to be paid under the terms of the underwriting agreement and is no longer serving in an advisor capacity. As a result, the Company recognized $352,969 of income and $2,186,346 was recorded to additional paid-in capital in relation to the reduction of the deferred underwriter fee. As of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the deferred underwriting fee payable was $0 and $2,539,315, respectively.
Non-Redemption Agreements
On July 14, 2023, July 17, 2023, July 18, 2023 and July 19, 2023, the Company and the Initial Sponsor entered into non- redemption agreements (each, a “Non-Redemption Agreement”) with certain unaffiliated third parties (each, a “Holder,” and collectively, the “Holders”) in exchange for the Holder or Holders agreeing either not to request redemption in connection with the Extension (as defined below) or to reverse any previously submitted redemption demand in connection with the Extension with respect to an aggregate of 2,166,667 Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Class A ordinary shares”), of the Company sold in its initial public offering (the “IPO”) at the extraordinary general meeting called by the Company to, among other things, approve an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the date by which the Company must consummate an initial Business Combination from 24 months from the completion of the Company’s IPO to 36 months from the completion of the Company’s IPO or such earlier date as is determined by the board of directors of the Company to be in the best interests of the Company (the “Extension”). In consideration of the Non-Redemption Agreements, immediately prior to, and substantially concurrently with, the closing of an initial Business Combination, (i) the Sponsor (or its designees or transferees) has agreed to surrender and forfeit to the Company for no consideration an aggregate of approximately 0.6 million shares of the Company’s Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, held by the Sponsor (the “Forfeited Shares”) and (ii) the Company shall issue to the Holders a number of Class A ordinary shares equal to those underlying the Forfeited Shares.
The Non-Redemption Agreements are accounted for under Topic 5T which concludes that the fair value of the shares transferred will be recorded within equity upon the date the shares are granted to the holder, which is the date a business combination is consummated.
Subscription Agreement
On August 1, 2023, the Company entered into the Subscription Agreement with Polar Multi-Strategy Master Fund and the Sponsor, pursuant to which the parties agreed, among other things, that: (i) the Investor will make Investor Capital Contribution to Sponsor in an aggregate amount of $1,300,000 as follows: (i) an initial tranche of $650,000, to be paid within five business days of the date of the Subscription Agreement, (ii) a second tranche of up to $325,000, to be paid following the Company’s announcement of executing an agreement for the Company’s initial business combination, and (iii) a third tranche of up to $325,000, to be paid after the Company files an initial registration statement with the SEC related to initial business combination. At the request of the Sponsor, the Investor may agree, in its sole discretion, to fund up to an additional $200,000 at any time; (ii) the Investor Capital Contribution will in turn be loaned the SPAC Loan by the Sponsor to the Company to cover working capital expenses. The SPAC Loan will not accrue interest and will be repaid by the Company upon the De-SPAC Closing. The Sponsor will pay to the Investor all repayments of the SPAC Loan the Sponsor has received within five business days of the date of receipt. The Investor may elect at the De-SPAC Closing to receive such payments in cash or shares of Class A common stock at a rate of one share of Class A common stock for each $10 of the Capital Contribution; (iii) in consideration of the Investor Capital Contribution, at the De-SPAC Closing the Company will issue to the Investor 0.9 shares of Class A Common Stock for each dollar of the Investor Capital Contribution funded by the Investor, which shares shall be subject to no transfer restrictions or any other lock-up provisions, earn outs, or other contingencies and shall be registered as part of any registration statement to be filed in connection with the De-SPAC Closing or, if no such registration statement is filed in connection with the De-SPAC Closing, pursuant to the first registration statement to be filed by the Company or the surviving entity following the De-SPAC Closing; and (iv) if the Company liquidates without consummating a De-SPAC, any amounts remaining in the Sponsor or the Company’s cash accounts, not including the Company’s trust account, will be paid to the Investor within five days of the liquidation.
71
Policy for Approval of Related Party Transactions
The audit committee of our board of directors has adopted a charter, providing for the review, approval and/or ratification of “related party transactions,” which are those transactions required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K as promulgated by the SEC, by the audit committee. At its meetings, the audit committee shall be provided with the details of each new, existing, or proposed related party transaction, including the terms of the transaction, any contractual restrictions that the company has already committed to, the business purpose of the transaction, and the benefits of the transaction to the company and to the relevant related party. Any member of the committee who has an interest in the related party transaction under review by the committee shall abstain from voting on the approval of the related party transaction, but may, if so requested by the chairman of the committee, participate in some or all of the committee’s discussions of the related party transaction. Upon completion of its review of the related party transaction, the committee may determine to permit or to prohibit the related party transaction.
ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES.
The following is a summary of fees paid or to be paid to Marcum LLP, or Marcum, for services rendered.
Audit Fees. Audit fees consist of fees billed for professional services rendered for the audit of our year-end financial statements, review of our quarterly financial statements and services that are normally provided by Marcum in connection with regulatory filings. The aggregate fees billed by Marcum for professional services rendered for the audit of our annual financial statements, review of the financial information included in our Forms 10-Q for the respective periods and other required filings with the SEC for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, including services rendered in connection with our initial public offering, totaled approximately $117,643 and $77,250 respectively. The above amounts include interim procedures and audit fees, as well as attendance at audit committee meetings.
Audit-Related Fees. Audit-related services consist of fees billed for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to performance of the audit or review of our financial statements and are not reported under “Audit Fees.” These services include attest services that are not required by statute or regulation and consultations concerning financial accounting and reporting standards. We did not pay Marcum for consultations concerning financial accounting and reporting standards for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
Tax Fees. We did not pay Marcum for tax planning and tax advice for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
All Other Fees. We did not pay Marcum for other services for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
72
PART IV
ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES.
| (a) | The following documents are filed as part of this Form 10-K: |
| (1) | Financial Statements: |
| (2) | Financial Statement Schedules: |
None.
| (3) | Exhibits |
| Exhibit Number | Description |
73
| * | Filed herewith |
| ** | Furnished herewith |
| † | Management compensatory contract or arrangement. |
| + | Certain of the schedules to this Exhibit have been omitted in accordance with Regulation S-K Item 601(b)(2). The Registrant agrees to furnish supplementally a copy of all omitted schedules to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon its request. |
74
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
April 16, 2024
| PERCEPTION CAPITAL CORP. III | |||
| By: | /s/ Rick Gaenzle | ||
| Name: | Rick Gaenzle | ||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | ||
| (Principal Executive Officer) | |||
| By: | /s/ John Stanfield | ||
| Name: | John Stanfield | ||
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer | ||
| (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | |||
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated below.
| Name | Title | Date | ||
| /s/ Rick Gaenzle | Chief Executive Officer and Director | April 16, 2024 | ||
| Rick Gaenzle | (Principal Executive Officer) | |||
| /s/ John Stanfield | Chief Financial Officer | April 16, 2024 | ||
| John Stanfield | (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | |||
| /s/ Scott Honour | Chairman of the Board of Directors | April 16, 2024 | ||
| Scott Honour | ||||
| /s/ R. Rudolph Reinfrank | Director | April 16, 2024 | ||
| R. Rudolph Reinfrank | ||||
| /s/ Thomas J. Abood | Director | April 16, 2024 | ||
| Thomas J. Abood | ||||
| /s/ Karrie Willis | Director | April 16, 2024 | ||
| Karrie Willis |
75
PERCEPTION CAPITAL CORP. III
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
PERCEPTION CAPITAL CORP. III
(F/K/A PORTAGE FINTECH ACQUISITION CORPORATION)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB No. |
F-2 | |
| Financial Statements: | ||
| Balance Sheets | F-3 | |
| Statements of Operations | F-4 | |
| Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Deficit | F-5 | |
| Statements of Cash Flows | F-6 | |
| Notes to Financial Statements | F-7 to F-26 |
F-1
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of
Perception Capital Corp. III
(f/k/a Portage Fintech Acquisition Corporation)
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of Perception Capital Corp. III (f/k/a Portage Fintech Acquisition Corporation) (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the related statements of operations, changes in shareholders’ deficit and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2023, 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 December 31, 2023 and 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2023, 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 described in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company is a Special Purpose Acquisition Corporation that was formed for the purpose of effectuating a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities on or before July 23, 2024. The Company entered into a business combination agreement with a business combination target on February 6, 2024; however, the completion of this transaction is subject to the approval of the Company’s shareholders among other conditions. There is no assurance that the Company will obtain the necessary approvals, satisfy the required closing conditions, raise the additional capital it needs to fund its operations, and complete the transaction prior to July 23, 2024, if at all. The Company also has no approved plan in place to extend the business combination deadline and fund operations for any period of time after July 23, 2024, in the event that it is unable to complete a business combination by that date. These matters 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 Note 1. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that may be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.
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 audits. 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 audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits 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 audits 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 audits 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 audits 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 audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
| /s/ |
|
| Marcum LLP |
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2021.
April 16, 2024
F-2
PERCEPTION CAPITAL CORP. III
(F/K/A PORTAGE FINTECH ACQUISITION CORPORATION)
BALANCE SHEETS
| December 31, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | |||||||
| ASSETS | ||||||||
| Current assets | ||||||||
| Cash | $ | $ | ||||||
| Prepaid expenses | ||||||||
| Total current assets | ||||||||
| Investments held in Trust Account | ||||||||
| Total Assets | $ | $ | ||||||
| LIABILITIES, CLASS A ORDINARY SHARES SUBJECT TO POSSIBLE REDEMPTION AND SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT | ||||||||
| Current liabilities | ||||||||
| Accrued expenses | $ | $ | ||||||
| Total current liabilities | ||||||||
| Subscription agreement liability | ||||||||
| Warrant liabilities | ||||||||
| Deferred underwriting fee payable | ||||||||
| Total liabilities | ||||||||
| Commitments and Contingencies (Note 7) | ||||||||
| Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption; and shares at redemption value as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively | ||||||||
| Shareholders’ Deficit | ||||||||
| Preference shares, $ par value; shares authorized; issued or outstanding | ||||||||
| Class A ordinary shares, $ par value; shares authorized; shares issued or outstanding (excluding 3,910,370 and 25,911,379 shares subject to possible redemption) as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively | ||||||||
| Class B ordinary shares, $ par value; shares authorized; shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively | ||||||||
| Additional paid-in capital | ||||||||
| Accumulated deficit | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Total Shareholders’ Deficit | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| TOTAL LIABILITIES, CLASS A ORDINARY SHARES SUBJECT TO POSSIBLE REDEMPTION AND SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT | $ | $ | ||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
F-3
PERCEPTION CAPITAL CORP. III
(F/K/A PORTAGE FINTECH ACQUISITION CORPORATION)
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
| For the Year Ended December 31, 2023 | For the Year Ended December 31, 2022 | |||||||
| Operating expenses: | ||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | $ | $ | ||||||
| Loss from operations | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Other income: | ||||||||
| Change in fair value of warrant liabilities | ||||||||
| Other income attributable to derecognition of deferred underwriting fee allocated to offering costs | ||||||||
| Forgiveness of debt | ||||||||
| Investment income earned on Trust Account | ||||||||
| Total other income | ||||||||
| Net income | $ | $ | ||||||
| Weighted average Class A ordinary shares outstanding, basic and diluted | ||||||||
| Basic and diluted net income per ordinary share, Class A | $ | $ | ||||||
| Weighted average Class B ordinary shares outstanding, basic and diluted | ||||||||
| Basic and diluted net income per ordinary share, Class B | $ | $ | ||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
F-4
PERCEPTION CAPITAL CORP. III
(F/K/A PORTAGE FINTECH ACQUISITION CORPORATION)
STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT
Class A Ordinary Shares | Class B Ordinary Shares | Additional Paid-in | Accumulated | Total Shareholders’ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | Capital | Deficit | Deficit | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance – January 1, 2022 | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Reduction of deferred underwriter fees | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Remeasurement of Class A ordinary shares to redemption value | - | - | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Net income | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance – December 31, 2022 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Reduction of deferred underwriter fees | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt forgiven by initial sponsor PFTA I LP (Note 6) | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Remeasurement of Class A ordinary shares to redemption value | - | - | ( | ( | ) | ( | ) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Net income | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance – December 31, 2023 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
F-5
PERCEPTION CAPITAL CORP. III
(F/K/A PORTAGE FINTECH ACQUISITION CORPORATION)
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
| For the Year Ended December 31, 2023 | For the Year Ended December 31, 2022 | |||||||
| Cash Flows from Operating Activities: | ||||||||
| Net income | $ | $ | ||||||
| Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash used in operating activities: | ||||||||
| Investment income from Trust Account | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Reduction of deferred underwriter fee payable | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Change in fair value of warrant liabilities | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Forgiveness of debt | ( | ) | ||||||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | ||||||||
| Prepaid expenses | ||||||||
| Accrued expenses | ||||||||
| Net cash used in operating activities | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Cash Flows from Investing Activities: | ||||||||
| Cash withdrawn from Trust Account in connection with redemption | ||||||||
| Net cash provided by investing activities | ||||||||
| Cash Flows from Financing Activities: | ||||||||
| Proceeds from subscription agreement liability | ||||||||
| Proceeds from promissory note - related party | ||||||||
| Payments for redemptions of Class A ordinary shares | ( | ) | ||||||
| Net cash used in financing activities | ( | ) | ||||||
| Net Change in Cash | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Cash – Beginning | ||||||||
| Cash – Ending | $ | $ | ||||||
| Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities: | ||||||||
| Remeasurement of Class A ordinary shares to redemption value | $ | $ | ||||||
| Reduction of deferred underwriter fees | $ | $ | ||||||
| Debt forgiven by initial sponsor PFTA I LP | $ | $ | ||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
F-6
NOTE 1. DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION, BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND GOING CONCERN
Perception Capital Corp. III (the “Company”) is a blank check company incorporated in the Cayman Islands on March 17, 2021. Effective October 11, 2023, the Company changed its name from “Portage Fintech Acquisition Corporation.” The Company was formed for the purpose of effectuating a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses (the “Business Combination”). The Company is an early stage and emerging growth company and, as such, the Company is subject to all of the risks associated with early stage and emerging growth companies.
As of December 31, 2023, the Company had not yet commenced any operations. All activity for the period March 17, 2021 (inception) through December 31, 2023 relates to the Company’s formation, the initial public offering (the “Initial Public Offering”), which is described below, and subsequent to the Initial Public Offering, identifying a target company for a Business Combination. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after the completion of its initial Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company generates non-operating income in the form of interest income from the securities held in the Trust Account. The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year end.
The Company’s initial sponsor was PFTA I LP, an Ontario limited partnership (the “Initial Sponsor”). On July 21, 2023, the Initial Sponsor sold a portion of its Class B ordinary shares and Private Placement Warrants (defined below) to Perception Capital Partners IIIA LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Managing Sponsor”), pursuant to a Securities Purchase Agreement dated July 12, 2023 (the “Purchase Agreement”).
The registration statement for the Company’s Initial Public Offering was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the “SEC”) on July 20, 2021. On July 23, 2021, the Company consummated its Initial Public Offering of units (the “Units” and, with respect to the Class A ordinary shares included in the
Units being offered, the “Public Shares”), at $ per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $
The Company incurred offering costs in the Initial Public Offering totaling $
Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company consummated
the private placement (“Private Placement”) of warrants (each, a “Private Placement Warrant” and collectively, the “Private Placement
Warrants”), at a price of $ per Private Placement Warrant with the Initial Sponsor, generating gross proceeds
of $
Upon the closing of the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement, an amount
of $
On August 3, 2021, the underwriters notified the Company of their intention to partially exercise
the over-allotment option on August 5, 2021 (the “Over-Allotment”). As such, on August 5, 2021, the Company consummated the sale of an additional Units (the “Over-Allotment Units”), at $ per Unit, and the sale of an additional Private Placement Warrants, at $ per Private Placement Warrant, generating total gross proceeds of $
F-7
The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the
net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and the sale of the Private Placement
Warrants, although substantially all of the net proceeds, which are placed in the
Trust Account, are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business
Combination. The Company’s initial Business Combination must be with one or more target businesses that together
have a fair market value equal to at least
The Company will provide its holders of the outstanding Public Shares (the “Public
Shareholders”) with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares
upon the completion of a Business Combination either (i) in connection with a shareholder
meeting called to approve the Business Combination pursuant to the proxy solicitation
rules of the SEC or (ii) by means of a tender offer. In connection with a proposed
Business Combination, the Company will be required to seek shareholder approval of
a Business Combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which shareholders
may seek to redeem their shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against a
Business Combination. The Company will proceed with a Business Combination only if
the Company has net tangible assets of at least $
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (the “Articles”) 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 Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to 15% or more of the Public Shares without the Company’s prior written consent.
The Public Shareholders will be entitled to redeem their shares for a pro rata portion of the amount then in the Trust Account (initially $10.00 per share, plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay its tax obligations). The per-share amount to be distributed to shareholders who redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions the Company will pay to the underwriters. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of a Business Combination with respect to the Company’s warrants. These Public Shares are recorded at a redemption value and classified as temporary equity upon the completion of the Initial Public Offering, in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.”
If the Company is not required to conduct redemptions pursuant to the proxy solicitation rules as described above, the Company will, pursuant to its Articles, offer such redemption pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC, and file tender offer documents containing substantially the same information as would be included in a proxy statement with the SEC prior to completing a Business Combination.
Pursuant to an amended and restated letter agreement dated July 21, 2023 (the “Letter Agreement”), the Company’s sponsors and current and former officers, directors and certain advisors have agreed (a) to vote their Founder Shares (as defined in Note 8) and any Public Shares purchased during or after the Initial Public Offering in favor of a Business Combination, (b) not to redeem any shares (including the Founder Shares) into the right to receive cash from the Trust Account in connection with a shareholder vote to approve a Business Combination or a vote to amend the provisions of the Articles relating to shareholders’ rights of pre-Business Combination activity and (c) that the Founder Shares shall not participate in any liquidating distributions upon winding up if a Business Combination is not consummated. However, the above-listed parties to the Letter Agreement will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to any Public Shares purchased during or after the Initial Public Offering if the Company fails to complete its Business Combination.
F-8
On July 21, 2023, the Company held an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders (the “Meeting”).
At the Meeting, the Company’s shareholders approved two proposals to amend the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (the “Articles”). The
first such proposal (the “Extension Amendment” and, such proposal, the “Extension
Amendment Proposal”) sought to amend the Articles to extend the date by which the
Company must (1) consummate a Business Combination, (2) cease its operations except
for the purpose of winding up if it fails to complete a Business Combination, and
(3) redeem all of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares sold in the Company’s IPO, from 24 months from the closing of the IPO to 36 months from the closing of
the IPO or such earlier date as is determined by our board of directors (the “Board”)
to be in the best interests of the Company. The second such proposal (the “Redemption
Limitation Amendment” and such proposal, the “Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal”)
sought to eliminate from the Articles the limitation that the Company shall not redeem
Class A ordinary shares sold in the IPO to the extent that such redemption would cause
the Company’s net tangible assets to be less than $
In connection with the vote to approve the Extension Amendment Proposal, effective as of July 21, 2023, holders of Class A ordinary shares exercised their right to redeem their shares for cash at a redemption price of approximately $ per share, for an aggregate redemption amount of approximately $ million. As a result, approximately $ million remained in the Company’s trust account as of July 21, 2023 and Class A ordinary shares remained outstanding.
On October 11, 2023, the Company held an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders (the “Meeting”) at which shareholders approved changing the name of the Company from “Portage Fintech Acquisition Corporation” to “Perception Capital Corp. III” (the “Name Change”) and the amendment and restatement of the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to reflect the Name Change (the “Articles Amendment”). The Name Change and the Articles Amendment did not alter the voting powers or relative rights of the Company’s ordinary shares. The Articles Amendment was filed with the Cayman Islands Registrar of Companies on October 11, 2023.
If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination by July 23, 2024 (the “Combination Period”), the Company will (i) cease all operations except
for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but no more
than ten business days thereafter, redeem the Public Shares, at a per-share price,
payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account,
including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously
released to the Company to pay taxes (less up to $
Pursuant to the Letter Agreement, the Managing Sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to the Company if and to the extent any claims by a third party 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 the lesser of (i) $10.00 per Public Share and (ii) the actual amount per Public Share held in the Trust Account as of the date of liquidation of the Trust Account, if less than $10.00 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to monies held in the Trust Account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under the Company’s indemnity of the underwriters of the Initial Public Offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). However, the Company has not asked the Managing Sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor has the Company independently verified whether the Managing Sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that the Managing Sponsor’s only assets are securities of the Company. Therefore, the Company cannot assure its shareholders that the Managing Sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. Neither the Initial Sponsor nor any of the Company’s officers or directors will indemnify the Company for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses. The Company will seek to reduce the possibility that the Managing 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 the Company does business, execute agreements with the Company waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the Trust Account.
F-9
Going Concern, Liquidity and Management’s Plans
As of December 31, 2023, the Company had $
The Company has principally financed its operations from inception using proceeds from the sale of its equity securities to its shareholders prior to the Initial Public Offering and such amount of proceeds from the Private Placement that were placed in an account outside of the Trust Account for working capital purposes. Until the consummation of a Business Combination, the Company will be using the funds not held in the Trust Account for identifying and evaluating prospective acquisition candidates, performing due diligence on prospective target businesses, paying for travel expenditures, selecting the target business to acquire, and structuring, negotiating and consummating the Business Combination.
The Company may need to raise additional capital through loans or additional investments from its sponsors, shareholders, officers, directors, or third parties. The Company’s officers, directors and sponsors may, but are not obligated to (other than as described above), loan the Company funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion, to meet the Company’s working capital needs. Accordingly, the Company may not be able to obtain additional financing. If the Company is unable to raise additional capital, it may be required to take additional measures to conserve liquidity, which could include, but not necessarily be limited to, curtailing operations, suspending the pursuit of a potential transaction, and reducing overhead expenses. The Company cannot provide any assurance that new financing will be available to it on commercially acceptable terms, if at all.
In connection with the Company’s assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with Financial Accounting Standard Board’s (“FASB”) ASC Subtopic 205-40, “Presentation of Financial Statements - Going Concern,” the Company has until July 23, 2024 to consummate a Business Combination. It is uncertain whether the Company will be able to consummate a Business Combination by this time. If a Business Combination is not consummated by this date, there will be a mandatory liquidation and subsequent dissolution of the Company. Management has determined that the liquidity condition and mandatory liquidation, should a Business Combination not occur, raises substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern through approximately one year from the date these unaudited financial statements were issued. Management intends to consummate a Business Combination prior to July 23, 2024. These unaudited financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recovery of the recorded assets or the classification of the liabilities that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.
Risks and Uncertainties
Management continues to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry and has concluded that while it is reasonably possible that the virus could have a negative effect on the Company’s financial position, results of its operations and/or search for a target company, the specific impact is not readily determinable as of the date of these financial statements. These financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Various social and political circumstances in the U.S. and around the world (including wars and other forms of conflict, including rising trade tensions between the United States and China, and other uncertainties regarding actual and potential shifts in the U.S. and foreign, trade, economic and other policies with other countries, terrorist acts, security operations and catastrophic events such as fires, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes and global health epidemics), may also contribute to increased market volatility and economic uncertainties or deterioration in the U.S. and worldwide. Specifically, the rising conflict in the Middle East and between Russia and Ukraine, and resulting market volatilities could adversely affect the Company’s ability to complete a Business Combination. In response to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the U.S. and other countries have imposed sanctions or other restrictive actions against Russia. Any of the above factors, including sanctions, export controls, tariffs, trade wars and other governmental actions, could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s ability to complete a Business Combination and the value of the Company’s securities.
F-10
NOTE 2. REVISION OF PREVIOUSLY ISSUED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
In connection with the preparation of the Company’s financial statements as of December 31, 2023, management determined it should revise its previously reported financial statements for the periods ended September 30, 2022, December 31, 2022, March 31, 2023, June 30, 2023 and September 30, 2023 due to identified immaterial errors. The Company previously accounted for its remeasurement of Class A ordinary shares to redemption value against accumulated deficit, rather than accounting for the remeasurement against additional paid-in capital when there was a balance. As a result, additional paid-in capital was overstated and accumulated deficit was understated. The impact of the error affects the balance sheets and statements of changes in shareholders’ deficit for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, year ended December 31, 2022, three months ended March 31, 2023, three and six months ended June 30, 2023 and three and nine months ended September 30, 2023.
The revision had no impact on the Company’s cash position or amount held in the trust account.
The Company concluded that the impact of applying correction for these errors and misstatements on the aforementioned financial statements is not material.
The impact of the revision on the Company’s financial statements is reflected in the following tables:
| Unaudited Condensed Balance Sheet as of September 30, 2022 | As Reported | Adjustment | As Adjusted | |||||||||
| Additional Paid in Capital | ( |
) | ||||||||||
| (Accumulated Deficit) Retained Earnings | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||
| Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2022 | As Reported | Adjustment | As Adjusted | |||||||||
| Additional Paid in Capital | ( |
) | ||||||||||
| (Accumulated Deficit) Retained Earnings | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||
| Unaudited Condensed Balance Sheet as of March 31, 2023 | As Reported | Adjustment | As Adjusted | |||||||||
| Additional Paid in Capital | ( |
) | ||||||||||
| (Accumulated Deficit) Retained Earnings | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||
| Unaudited Condensed Balance Sheet as of June 30, 2023 | As Reported | Adjustment | As Adjusted | |||||||||
| Additional Paid in Capital | ( |
) | ||||||||||
| (Accumulated Deficit) Retained Earnings | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||
| Unaudited Condensed Balance Sheet as of September 30, 2023 | As Reported | Adjustment | As Adjusted | |||||||||
| Additional Paid in Capital | ( |
) | ||||||||||
| (Accumulated Deficit) Retained Earnings | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||
| Unaudited Condensed Statement of Changes in Shareholders’ Deficit for the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022 | As Reported | Adjustment | As Adjusted | |||||||||
| Additional Paid in Capital | ( |
) | ||||||||||
| (Accumulated Deficit) Retained Earnings | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||
| Statement of Changes in Shareholders’ Deficit for the Year Ended December 31, 2022 | As Reported | Adjustment | As Adjusted | |||||||||
| Additional Paid in Capital | ( |
) | ||||||||||
| (Accumulated Deficit) Retained Earnings | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||
| Unaudited Condensed Statement of Changes in Shareholders’ Deficit for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2023 | As Reported | Adjustment | As Adjusted | |||||||||
| Additional Paid in Capital | ( |
) | ||||||||||
| (Accumulated Deficit) Retained Earnings | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||
| Unaudited Condensed Statement of Changes in Shareholders’ Deficit for the Six Months Ended June 30, 2023 | As Reported | Adjustment | As Adjusted | |||||||||
| Additional Paid in Capital | ( |
) | ||||||||||
| (Accumulated Deficit) Retained Earnings | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||
| Unaudited Condensed Statement of Changes in Shareholders’ Deficit for the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023 | As Reported | Adjustment | As Adjusted | |||||||||
| Additional Paid in Capital | ( |
) | ||||||||||
| (Accumulated Deficit) Retained Earnings | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||
F-11
NOTE 3. SUMMARY OF 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 (“GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC.
Emerging Growth Company
The Company is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”), and it may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in its periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and 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 GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.
Making estimates requires management to exercise significant judgment. It is at least reasonably possible that the estimate of the effect of a condition, situation or set of circumstances that existed at the date of the financial statements, which management considered in formulating its estimate, could change in the near term due to one or future confirming events. Accordingly, the actual results could differ significantly from those estimates. One of the more significant accounting estimates included in these financial statements is the determination of the fair value of the warrant liabilities. Such estimates may be subject to change as more current information becomes available and, accordingly, the actual results could differ significantly from those estimates.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all short-term investments with an original maturity of three
months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. The Company did not have any
cash equivalents as of December 31, 2023 and 2022. The Company had $
F-12
Investments Held in Trust Account
On July 27, 2023, the Company liquidated the U.S. government treasury obligations or money market funds held in the Trust Account. The funds in the Trust Account are currently maintained in cash in an interest-bearing demand deposit account at a bank until the earlier of consummation of the Company’s initial Business Combination and liquidation. Prior to July 27, 2023, the Company’s portfolio of investments was comprised of U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act, with a maturity of 185 days or less, or investments in money market funds that invest in U.S. government securities and generally have a readily determinable fair value, or a combination thereof. When the Company’s investments held in the Trust Account are comprised of U.S. government securities, the investments are classified as “Trading Securities” in accordance with ASC 320 “Investments – Debt Securities”. When the Company’s investments held in the Trust Account are comprised of money market funds, the investments are recognized at fair value. Trading securities and investments in money market funds are presented on the balance sheets at fair value at the end of each reporting period. The change in fair value of these securities is included in investment income earned on Trust Account in the accompanying statements of operations. The estimated fair values of investments held in the Trust Account are determined using available market information. As of December 31, 2023 the Company had withdrawn a total of $ from the Trust Account solely to satisfy payment obligations in connection with the redemptions of Class A ordinary shares as discussed further in Note 1.
Warrant Liabilities
The Company evaluated the Public Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants (collectively, “Warrants”, which are discussed in Note 4 and Note 9) in accordance with ASC 815-40, “Derivatives and Hedging — Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity”, and concluded that a provision in the warrant agreement related to certain tender or exchange offers precludes the Warrants from being accounted for as components of equity. As the Warrants meet the definition of a derivative as contemplated in ASC 815, the Warrants are recorded as derivative liabilities on the balance sheets and measured at fair value at inception (on the date of the Initial Public Offering) and at each reporting date in accordance with ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurement”, with changes in fair value recognized in the statements of operations in the period of change.
The Company accounts for its Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption
in accordance with the guidance in ASC Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from
Equity.” Class A ordinary shares subject to mandatory redemption (if any) are classified
as liability instruments and are measured at fair value. Conditionally redeemable
Class A ordinary shares (including Class A ordinary shares that feature redemption
rights that are either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon
the occurrence of uncertain events not solely within the Company’s control) are classified as temporary equity. At all other times, Class A ordinary
shares are classified as shareholders’ equity. The Company’s Class A ordinary shares feature certain redemption rights that are considered to
be outside of the Company’s control and subject to the occurrence of uncertain future events. Accordingly, as
of December 31, 2023 and 2022, Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption are presented
as temporary equity, outside of the shareholders’ deficit section of the Company’s balance sheets. The Company recognizes changes in redemption value immediately as
they occur and adjusts the carrying value of redeemable ordinary shares to equal the
redemption value at the end of each reporting period. The dissolution expense of $
At December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Class A ordinary shares subject to redemption reflected in the balance sheets are reconciled in the following table:
| Change in Class A ordinary shares |
Change in redemption value | |||||||
| Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption at December 31, 2021 | $ | |||||||
| Add: | ||||||||
| Remeasurement of carrying value to redemption value | ||||||||
| Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption at December 31, 2022 | $ | |||||||
| Less: | ||||||||
| Redemptions | ( |
) | ( | ) | ||||
| Add: | ||||||||
| Remeasurement of carrying value to redemption value | ||||||||
| Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption at December 31, 2023 | $ | |||||||
F-13
Income Taxes
The Company complies with the accounting and reporting requirements of ASC Topic 740, “Income Taxes,” which requires an asset and liability approach to financial accounting and reporting for income taxes. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are computed for differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities that will result in future taxable or deductible amounts, based on enacted tax laws and rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.
ASC Topic 740 prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the
financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected
to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must
be more-likely-than-not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. The
Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits,
if any, as income tax expense. There were
There is currently no taxation imposed on income by the Government of the Cayman Islands. In accordance with Cayman Islands income tax regulations, income taxes are not levied on the Company. Consequently, income taxes are not reflected in the Company’s financial statements. The Company’s management does not expect that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will materially change over the next twelve months. In accordance with federal income tax regulations, income taxes are not levied on the Company, but rather on the individual owners. United States (“U.S.”) taxation would occur on the individual owners if certain tax elections are made by U.S. owners and the Company were treated as a passive foreign investment company. Additionally, U.S. taxation could occur to the Company itself if the Company is engaged in a U.S. trade or business. The Company is not expected to be treated as engaged in a U.S. trade or business at this time.
Net income per share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted-average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the period.
The contractual formula utilized to calculate the redemption amount approximates fair value. The Class A ordinary shares’ feature to redeem at fair value means that there is effectively only one class of shares. Changes in fair value are not considered a dividend for the purposes of the numerator in the earnings per share calculation. Net income per ordinary share is computed by dividing the pro rata net income between the Class A ordinary shares and the Class B ordinary shares by the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding for each of the periods.
The calculation of diluted income per ordinary share does not consider the effect of the warrants sold In the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement to purchase an aggregate of of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares since the exercise of the warrants is contingent upon the occurrence of future events and the inclusion of such warrants would be anti-dilutive.
The following table reflects the calculation of basic and diluted net income per ordinary share:
| For the Year Ended December 31, 2023 | For the Year Ended December 31, 2022 | |||||||||||||||
| Class A | Class B | Class A | Class B | |||||||||||||
| Basic and diluted net income per ordinary share | ||||||||||||||||
| Numerator: | ||||||||||||||||
| Allocation of net income | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
| Denominator: | ||||||||||||||||
| Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding | ||||||||||||||||
| Basic and diluted net income per ordinary share | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
F-14
Concentration of Credit Risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentration of credit
risk consist of a cash account in a financial institution, which at times may exceed
the Federal Depository Insurance Corporation coverage limit of $
Forgiveness of Debt
On July 5, 2023, Kirkland & Ellis LLP agreed to waive outstanding legal fees totaling $
On April 5, 2023, the Company issued a promissory note (the “Promissory Note”) to the Initial
Sponsor, pursuant to which the Company may borrow up to $
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities approximates the carrying amounts represented in the accompanying balance sheets, primarily due to their short-term nature, except for the warrants (see Note 10).
The Company applies ASC 820, which establishes a framework for measuring fair value and clarifies the definition of fair value within that framework. ASC 820 defines fair value as an exit price, which is the price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability in the Company’s principal or most advantageous market in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. The fair value hierarchy established in ASC 820 generally requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability and are developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs reflect the entity’s own assumptions based on market data and the entity’s judgments about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability and are to be developed based on the best information available in the circumstances.
Level 1 — Assets and liabilities with unadjusted, quoted prices listed on active market exchanges. Inputs to the fair value measurement are observable inputs, such as quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
Level 2 — Inputs to the fair value measurement are determined using prices for recently traded assets and liabilities with similar underlying terms, as well as direct or indirect observable inputs, such as interest rates and yield curves that are observable at commonly quoted intervals.
Level 3 — Inputs to the fair value measurement are unobservable inputs, such as estimates, assumptions, and valuation techniques when little or no market data exists for the assets or liabilities.
F-15
Offering Costs Associated with the Initial Public Offering
Offering costs consisted of legal, accounting and other expenses incurred through
the Initial Public Offering that were directly related to the Initial Public Offering.
Offering costs were allocated to the separable financial instruments issued in the
Initial Public Offering based on a relative fair value basis, compared to total proceeds
received. Offering costs associated with warrant liabilities were expensed as incurred
in the statements of operations. Offering costs associated with the Class A ordinary
shares issued were charged to temporary equity and warrants upon the completion of
the Initial Public Offering. Offering costs amounting to $ were charged to shareholders’ deficit upon the completion of the Initial Public Offering and $
Recently Issued Accounting Standards
In August 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2020-06, “Debt — Debt with Conversion and Other Options” (Subtopic 470-20) and “Derivatives and Hedging — Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity” (Subtopic 815-40) (“ASU 2020-06”) to simplify accounting for certain financial instruments. ASU 2020-06 eliminates the current models that require separation of beneficial conversion and cash conversion features from convertible instruments and simplifies the derivative scope exception guidance pertaining to equity classification of contracts in an entity’s own equity. The new standard also introduces additional disclosures for convertible debt and freestanding instruments that are indexed to and settled in an entity’s own equity. ASU 2020-06 amends the diluted earnings per share guidance, including the requirement to use the if-converted method for all convertible instruments. ASU 2020-06 is effective for the Company for the fiscal year beginning after December 15, 2023, including interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently assessing the impact, if any, that ASU 2020-06 would have on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures, which requires disaggregated information about a reporting entity’s effective tax rate reconciliation, as well as information related to income taxes paid to enhance the transparency and decision usefulness of income tax disclosures. This ASU will be effective for the annual period ending December 31, 2025. The Company is currently evaluating the timing and impacts of adoption of this ASU.
Management does not believe that any other recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting pronouncements, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.
NOTE 4. INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING
On July 23, 2021, the Company sold Units at $ per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $
Each Unit consists of one of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares, par value $ per share, and one-third of one redeemable warrant (“Public Warrant”). Each whole
Public Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Class A ordinary shares at an exercise
price of $
NOTE 5. PRIVATE PLACEMENT
Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Initial Sponsor
purchased an aggregate of Private Placement Warrants at a price of $ per warrant (for consideration of $9,500,000 in the aggregate). On August 5, 2021, simultaneously with the issuance and sale of the Over-Allotment Units, the
Company consummated the sale of an additional Private Placement Warrants at $ per Private Placement Warrant, generating additional gross proceeds of $
Each Private Placement Warrant is identical to the warrants offered in the Initial Public Offering, except there will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to Private Placement Warrants, which will expire worthless if we do not consummate a Business Combination within the Combination Period.
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NOTE 6. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Founder Shares
On March 22, 2021, the Initial Sponsor paid $
The sale or transfers of the Founders Shares to independent directors and advisors on April 30, 2021, as described above, is within the scope of ASC Topic 718, “Compensation-Stock Compensation” (“ASC 718”). Under ASC 718, stock-based compensation associated with equity-classified awards is measured at fair value upon the grant date. The Founders Shares were effectively sold or transferred subject to a performance condition (i.e., the occurrence of a Business Combination). Compensation expense related to the Founders Shares is recognized only when the performance condition is probable of occurrence under the applicable accounting literature in this circumstance. A Business Combination is not probable until it is completed. Stock-based compensation would be recognized at the date a Business Combination is considered probable in an amount equal to the number of Founders Shares times the grant date fair value per share (unless subsequently modified) less the amount initially received for the purchase of the Founders Shares. The fair value at the grant date is deemed to be de minimis. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company determined that a Business Combination was not considered probable because no Business Combination has been completed, and therefore, no stock-based compensation expense has been recognized.
Pursuant to the Letter Agreement, the Company’s sponsors and current and former officers, directors and certain advisors have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of its Founder Shares until the earlier to occur of: (A) one year after the completion of a Business Combination or (B) following the completion of an initial Business Combination, the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange or similar transaction that results in the Company’s shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the last sale price of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after the Business Combination, the Founder Shares will be released from the lock-up.
On July 21, 2023, the Initial Sponsor sold Class B ordinary shares (“Transferred Shares”) and Private Placement Warrants (“Transferred Warrants” and collectively with the Transferred Shares, the “Transferred Securities”) to the Managing Sponsor, pursuant to the Purchase Agreement dated July 12, 2023 for an aggregate purchase price of $1.00. Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, up to Transferred Shares (the “Extension Shares”) may be assigned to or transferred by the Initial Sponsor to certain investors who have entered into non-redemption agreements and up to Transferred Share (the “Financing Shares”) may be assigned or transferred in Managing Sponsors’ sole discretion in connection with obtaining additional bona fide financing for the Company prior to the Business Combination.
Share Based Compensation
Effective as of August 11, 2023, the Company entered into a twelve-month consultant agreement with John Stanfield, pursuant to which he has agreed to serve as Chief Financial Officer of the Company in exchange for the ability to acquire 5 Class B Units of the Managing Sponsor, which will correspond to one half of one percent (0.5%) of our Class B ordinary shares held by the Managing Sponsor. As of December 31, 2023, the share-based compensation expense for this consultant agreement is considered de minimis.
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Cancelled Promissory Note — Related Party
On March 22, 2021, the Initial Sponsor agreed to loan the Company an aggregate of up to $
On April 5, 2023, the Company issued a promissory note (the “Promissory Note”) to the Initial
Sponsor, pursuant to which the Company was entitled to borrow up to $
Related Party Loans
In order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the
Company’s sponsors, one or more affiliate of the Company’s sponsors, or the Company’s officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds as
may be required (the “Working Capital Loans”). Such Working Capital Loans would be
evidenced by promissory notes.
Administrative Services and Reimbursement Agreement
Pursuant to an administrative services and reimbursement agreement, on or prior to
the closing of the Business Combination, the Company was obligated to reimburse the
Initial Sponsor or its affiliates for formation and other pre-Initial Public Offering
expenses incurred on the Company’s behalf not to exceed $
The Company recognized
approximately $
The Initial Sponsor had paid expenses on behalf of the Company prior to the Company’s Initial Public Offering in an amount of approximately $
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NOTE 7. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Registration Rights
Pursuant to a registration rights agreement originally entered into on July 21, 2021, the holders of the Founder Shares, Private Placement Warrants and any warrants that may be issued upon conversion of the Working Capital Loans (and in each case holders of their component securities, as applicable) are entitled to registration rights requiring the Company 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 the majority of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that the Company register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the consummation of a Business Combination and rights to require the Company to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Underwriter’s Agreement
The Company granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to
The underwriters were paid a cash underwriting discount of
On August 15, 2022, one of the underwriters waived its entitlement to the payment of any deferred
fee to be paid under the terms of the underwriting agreement and is no longer serving
in an advisor capacity. As a result, the Company recognized $
Non-Redemption Agreements
On July 14, 2023, July 17, 2023, July 18, 2023 and July 19, 2023, the Company and the Initial Sponsor entered into non-redemption agreements (each, a “Non-Redemption Agreement”) with certain unaffiliated third parties (each, a “Holder,” and collectively, the “Holders”) in exchange for the Holder or Holders agreeing either not to request redemption in connection with the Extension (as defined below) or to reverse any previously submitted redemption demand in connection with the Extension with respect to an aggregate of Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Class A ordinary shares”), of the Company sold in its initial public offering (the “IPO”) at the extraordinary general meeting called by the Company to, among other things, approve an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the date by which the Company must consummate an initial Business Combination from 24 months from the completion of the Company’s IPO to 36 months from the completion of the Company’s IPO or such earlier date as is determined by the board of directors of the Company to be in the best interests of the Company (the “Extension”). In consideration of the Non-Redemption Agreements, immediately prior to, and substantially concurrently with, the closing of an initial Business Combination, (i) the Managing Sponsor (or its designees or transferees) has agreed to surrender and forfeit to the Company for no consideration an aggregate of approximately million shares of the Company’s Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, held by the Managing Sponsor (the “Forfeited Shares”) and (ii) the Company shall issue to the Holders a number of Class A ordinary shares equal to those underlying the Forfeited Shares.
The Non-Redemption Agreements are accounted for under Topic 5T which concludes that the fair value of the shares transferred will be recorded within equity upon the date the shares are granted to the holder, which is the date a business combination is consummated.
CCM Engagement
On July 17, 2023, the
Company entered into an engagement letter with J.V.B Financial Group, acting through its Cohen & Company
Capital Markets division (“CCM”) to obtain capital markets advisory services in connection with seeking an extension for
completing a business combination, capital market advisory services in connection with a possible business combination transaction
with an unaffiliated third party (the “Target”) and to act as the Company’s placement agent in connection with
raising capital. CCM would be entitled to an advisor fee of $
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Subscription Agreement
On August 1, 2023, the Company entered into a Subscription Agreement (the “Subscription Agreement”) with an investor (the “Investor”) and the Managing Sponsor pursuant to which the parties agreed to the following:
| ● | The Investor shall make a cash contribution to Managing Sponsor in an aggregate amount
of $ |
| ● | The Investor Capital Contribution will in turn be loaned by the Managing Sponsor to the Company to cover working capital expenses (the “SPAC Loan”). The SPAC Loan will not accrue interest and will be repaid by the Company upon the closing of the Company’s initial Business Combination (the “De-SPAC Closing”). The Managing Sponsor will pay to the Investor all repayments of the SPAC Loan the Managing Sponsor has received within five business days of the date of receipt. The Investor may elect at the De-SPAC Closing to receive such payments in cash or shares of Class A common stock of the Company (“Class A common stock”) at a rate of one share of Class A common stock for each $10 of the Investor Capital Contribution. |
| ● | In consideration of the Investor Capital Contribution, at the De-SPAC Closing the Company will issue to the Investor 0.9 shares of Class A Common Stock for each dollar of the Investor Capital Contribution funded by the Investor, which shares shall be subject to no transfer restrictions or any other lock-up provisions, earn outs, or other contingencies and shall be registered as part of any registration statement to be filed in connection with the De-SPAC Closing or, if no such registration statement is filed in connection with the De-SPAC Closing, pursuant to the first registration statement to be filed by the Company or the surviving entity following the De-SPAC Closing. |
| ● | If the Company liquidates without consummating a De-SPAC, any amounts remaining in the Managing Sponsor or the Company’s cash accounts, not including the Company’s trust account, will be paid to the Investor within five days of the liquidation. |
| ● | On the De-SPAC Closing, the Managing Sponsor will pay the Investor an amount equal
to the reasonable attorney fees incurred by the Investor in connection with the Subscription
Agreement not to exceed $ |
The Subscription Agreement is accounted for under ASC 470 which concludes that all
proceeds received from issuance will be recorded as a liability, at par value, on
the balance sheets. As of December 31, 2023, the Subscription Agreement liability is $
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NOTE 8. SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT
Preference Shares — The Company is authorized to issue preference shares of par value $ per share. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, there were preference shares issued or outstanding.
Class A Ordinary Shares — The Company is authorized to issue up to Class A ordinary shares, par value $ per share. Holders of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares are entitled to one vote for each share. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, there were Class A ordinary shares issued or outstanding (excluding and shares then subject to possible redemption).
Class B Ordinary Shares — The Company is authorized to issue up to Class B ordinary shares, par value $ per share. Holders of the Company’s Class B ordinary shares are entitled to one vote for each share. On March 22, 2021, the Initial Sponsor paid $
The Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of the Business Combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for share splits, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like. In the case that additional Class A ordinary shares, or equity linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts offered in the Initial Public Offering and related to the closing of a 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 outstanding Class B ordinary shares agree to waive such 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, on an as converted basis, 20% of the sum of the total number of all ordinary shares outstanding upon the completion of the Initial Public Offering plus all Class A ordinary shares and equity linked securities issued or deemed issued in connection with a Business Combination (excluding any shares or equity linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in a Business Combination, and any private placement-equivalent warrants issued to the Initial 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 Company may issue additional ordinary shares or preference shares to complete its Business Combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of its Business Combination.
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NOTE 9. WARRANT LIABILITIES
The Company accounts for the
Public Warrants may only be exercised for a whole number of shares. No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the Public Warrants. The Public Warrants will become exercisable 30 days after the consummation of a Business Combination. The Public Warrants will expire five years from the consummation of a Business Combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
The Company will not be obligated to deliver any Class A ordinary shares pursuant to the exercise of a Public Warrant and will have no obligation to settle such Public Warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the Public Warrants is then effective and a prospectus relating thereto is current, subject to the Company satisfying its obligations with respect to registration. No Public Warrant will be exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis, and the Company will not be obligated to issue any shares to holders seeking to exercise their Public 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 from registration is available.
The Company has agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 20 business days, after the closing of a Business Combination, it will use its commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a post-effective amendment to the registration statement for the Initial Public Offering or a new registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the Public Warrants. The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become effective within 60 business days after the closing of a Business Combination, and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement and a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares until the warrants expire or are redeemed, as specified in the warrant agreement. If a post-effective amendment or a new registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the 60th business day after the closing of a Business Combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when the Company will have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption.
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Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $. Once the warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the Warrants for redemption:
| ● | in whole and not in part; | |
| ● | at a price of $ |
|
| ● | upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption to each warrant holder; and | |
| ● | if, and only if, the reported last sale price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending three business days before the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. |
The Company will not redeem the warrants as described above unless an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is then effective and a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares is available throughout the 30-day redemption period. If and when the warrants become redeemable by the Company, the Company may exercise its redemption right even if the Company is unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws.
Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $10.00. Once the Warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the Warrants for redemption:
| ● | in whole and not in part; |
| ● | at a price of $0.10 per warrant upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption provided that holders will be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis prior to redemption and receive that number of shares determined by reference to an agreed table based on the redemption date and the “fair market value” of Class A ordinary shares; |
| ● | if, and only if, the closing price of Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $10.00 per share (as adjusted share splits, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within the 30-trading day period ending three trading days before the Company sends a notice of redemption to the warrant holders; and |
| ● | if the closing price of Class A ordinary shares 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 is less than $18.00 per share (as adjusted share splits, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like), the Private Placement Warrants must also be concurrently called for redemption on the same terms as the outstanding Public Warrants, as described above. |
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If and when the Public Warrants become redeemable by the Company, the Company may not exercise its redemption right if the issuance of Class A ordinary shares upon exercise of the warrants is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or the Company is unable to effect such registration or qualification.
The exercise price and number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants may be adjusted in certain circumstances including in the event of a share dividend, or recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. Additionally, in no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the Public Warrants. If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period and the Company liquidates the funds held in the Trust Account, holders of warrants will not receive any of such funds with respect to their warrants, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside of the Trust Account with the respect to such warrants. Accordingly, the warrants may expire worthless. If the Company calls the Public Warrants for redemption, management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise the Public Warrants to do so on a “cashless basis,” as described in the warrant agreement. The exercise price and number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the Public Warrants may be adjusted in certain circumstances including in the event of a share dividend, extraordinary dividend or recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period and the Company liquidates the funds held in the Trust Account, holders of warrants will not receive any of such funds with respect to their warrants, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside of the Trust Account with respect to such warrants. Accordingly, the warrants may expire worthless.
In addition, if (x) the Company issues additional Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of its initial Business Combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per Class A ordinary 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 sponsors or their affiliates, without taking into account any Founder Shares held by a sponsor or such 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 the funding of the Company’s initial Business Combination on the date of the consummation of such initial Business Combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which the Company consummates its initial Business Combination (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, the exercise price of the warrants will 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 above will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the greater of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.
The Private Placement Warrants are identical to the Public Warrants included in the Units sold in the Initial Public Offering, except that the Private Placement Warrants and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of a Business Combination, subject to certain limited exceptions. Additionally, the Private Placement Warrants will be exercisable on a cashless basis and will be non-redeemable so long as they are held by the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees. If the Private Placement Warrants are held by someone other than the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees, the Private Placement Warrants will be redeemable by the Company and exercisable by such holders on the same basis as the Public Warrants.
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NOTE 10. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
At December 31, 2023,
The following table presents information about the Company’s assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2023 and 2022, and indicates the fair value hierarchy of the valuation inputs the Company utilized to determine such fair value:
| Description | Level | December 31, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | ||||||||
| Assets: | |||||||||||
| Investments held in Trust Account(1) | 1 | $ | $ | ||||||||
| Liabilities: | |||||||||||
| Private Placement Warrants(2) | 2 | ||||||||||
| Public Warrants(2) | 2 | ||||||||||
| (1) | |
| (2) |
Warrants
The Warrants are accounted for as liabilities in accordance with ASC 815-40 and are presented within warrant liabilities on the balance sheets. The warrant liabilities are measured at fair value at inception and on a recurring basis, with changes in fair value presented within change in fair value of warrant liabilities in the statements of operations.
Subsequent Measurement
The Private Placement Warrants and the Public Warrants were initially valued using a Monte Carlo simulation model, which is considered to be a Level 3 fair value measurement. Inherent in an options pricing model are assumptions related to expected stock-price volatility, expected life, risk-free interest rate and dividend yield. The Company estimates the volatility of its ordinary shares based on historical volatility that matches the expected remaining life of the warrants. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury zero-coupon yield curve on the grant date for a maturity similar to the expected remaining life of the warrants. The expected life of the warrants is assumed to be equivalent to their remaining contractual term. The dividend rate is based on the historical rate, which the Company anticipates will remain at zero. The Monte Carlo simulation model was used for estimating the fair value of Public Warrants for periods where no observable traded price was available, using the same expected volatility as was used in measuring the fair value of the Private Placement Warrants. The subsequent measurements of the Public Warrants after the detachment of the Public Warrants from the Units is classified as Level 2 due to the use of an observable market quote in an active market for a similar asset in an active market. For periods subsequent to the detachment of the warrants from the Units, the close price of the Public Warrant price was used as the fair value as of each relevant date. The subsequent measurements of the Private Placement Warrants after the detachment of the Public Warrants from the Units are classified as Level 2 due to the use of an observable market quote for a similar asset in an active market.
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The key inputs into the Monte Carlo simulation model for the Private Placement Warrants and the Public Warrants were as follows:
| Input | July 23, 2021 (initial measurement) | |||
| Risk-free interest rate | % | |||
| Expected term (years) | ||||
| Expected volatility | % | |||
| Exercise price | $ | |||
The following table presents the changes in the fair value of Level 3 warrant liabilities:
Private Placement | Public Warrants | Warrant Liabilities | ||||||||||
| Fair value as of April 26, 2021 (inception) | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Initial measurement on July 23, 2021 | ||||||||||||
| Change in fair value as of December 31, 2021 | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||
| Transfer to Level 1 | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
| Transfer to Level 2 | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
| Fair value as of December 31, 2022 | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
Transfers to/from Levels 1, 2 and 3 are recognized at the end of the reporting period
in which a change in valuation technique or methodology occurs. The estimated fair
value of the Public Warrants transferred from a Level 3 measurement to a Level 2 fair
value measurement during the year ended December 31, 2022 was $
NOTE 11. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
Management of the Company evaluated events that have occurred after the balance sheet date of December 31, 2023 through the date these financial statements were issued. Based upon the review, other than noted below, management did not identify any recognized or non-recognized subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements.
On February 6, 2024, the Company (“PC3”) entered into a business combination agreement (the “Business Combination Agreement”) with RBio Energy Holdings Corp., a Delaware corporation (“NewPubco”), Perception RBio Merger Sub, a Cayman Islands exempted company and a wholly owned subsidiary of NewPubco (“Merger Sub”), and RBio Energy Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“RBio Energy”).
Pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement, among other things, (i) the holders (whether one or more) of the common stock of RBio Energy (the “RBio Energy Stockholders”) will exchange all of their shares of common stock of RBio Energy (“RBio Common Stock”) for shares of common stock of NewPubco (the “Share Exchange”), as a result of which RBio Energy will become a direct wholly owned subsidiary of NewPubco, and (ii) Merger Sub will merge with and into PC3, with PC3 surviving such merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of NewPubco (the “Merger” and, together with the other transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement, the “Transaction” and the closing of the Transaction, the “Closing”).
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