UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
(Mark One)
For
the quarterly period ended
Commission
File Number
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
N/A | ||
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(IRS Employer Identification No.) |
Telephone:
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
N/A
(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
The Stock Market LLC | ||||
The Stock Market LLC | ||||
The Stock Market LLC |
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
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 ☐ No ☒
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 has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule
405 of Regulation S-T (Section 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or 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:
Large accelerated filer ☐ | Accelerated filer ☐ |
Smaller
reporting company | |
Emerging
growth company |
If
an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying
with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
As of May 10, 2023, there were of the registrant’s Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, and of the registrant’s Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, issued and outstanding.
PONO CAPITAL THREE, INC.
FORM 10-Q FOR THE QUARTER ENDED MARCH 31, 2023
Table of Contents
Page | ||
Part I. Financial Information | ||
Item 1. | Condensed Financial Statements as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022 and for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 (Unaudited) | |
Condensed Balance Sheets | 3 | |
Condensed Statements of Operations | 4 | |
Condensed Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit) | 5 | |
Condensed Statements of Cash Flows | 6 | |
Notes to Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements | 7 | |
Item 2. | Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations | 20 |
Item 3. | Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk | 24 |
Item 4. | Controls and Procedures | 24 |
Part II. Other Information | 25 | |
Item 1. | Legal Proceedings | 25 |
Item 1A. | Risk Factors | 25 |
Item 2. | Unregistered Sale of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds | 26 |
Item 3. | Defaults Upon Senior Securities | 27 |
Item 4. | Mine Safety Disclosures | 27 |
Item 5. | Other Information | 27 |
Item 6. | Exhibits | 27 |
2 |
PONO CAPITAL THREE, INC.
CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS
March 31, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | |||||||
(Unaudited) |
| |||||||
Assets: | ||||||||
Current assets: | ||||||||
Cash | $ | $ | ||||||
Prepaid expenses | ||||||||
Dividends receivable | ||||||||
Due from sponsor | ||||||||
Total current assets | ||||||||
Deferred offering costs | ||||||||
Marketable Securities held in Trust Account | ||||||||
Total Assets | $ | $ | ||||||
Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity (Deficit): | ||||||||
Current liabilities: | ||||||||
Accounts payable | $ | $ | ||||||
Accrued expenses | ||||||||
Accrued expenses - related party | ||||||||
Accrued offering costs | ||||||||
Promissory note - related party | ||||||||
Total current liabilities | ||||||||
Deferred underwriting fee payable | ||||||||
Total Liabilities | ||||||||
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 6) | ||||||||
Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption, $ par value, shares at redemption value of $ and $ per share as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively | ||||||||
Shareholders’ Equity (Deficit): | ||||||||
Preference shares, $ par value; shares authorized; shares issued and outstanding | ||||||||
Class A ordinary shares, $ par value; shares authorized; shares issued and outstanding (excluding shares subject to possible redemption) and shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively | ||||||||
Class B ordinary shares, $ par value; shares authorized; issued and outstanding | ||||||||
Additional paid-in capital | ||||||||
Subscription receivable | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Accumulated deficit | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Total Shareholders’ Equity (Deficit) | ( | ) | ||||||
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity (Deficit) | $ | $ |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed financial statements.
3 |
PONO CAPITAL THREE, INC.
CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(UNAUDITED)
Three
months ended March 31, 2023 | For the
Period From March 11, 2022 (inception) Through March 31, 2022 | |||||||
Operating and formation costs | $ | $ | ||||||
Loss from operations | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Other income | ||||||||
Interest income on investments held in Trust Account | ||||||||
Net income (loss) | $ | $ | ( | ) | ||||
Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding, Class A ordinary shares | ||||||||
Basic and diluted net income per share, Class A ordinary shares | $ | $ | ||||||
Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding, Class B ordinary shares | ||||||||
Basic and diluted net income per share, Class B ordinary shares | $ | $ |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed financial statements.
4 |
PONO CAPITAL THREE, INC.
CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)
(UNAUDITED)
THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2023
Class A Ordinary Shares | Class B Ordinary Shares | Additional Paid-in | Subscription | Accumulated | Total
Shareholders’ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | Capital | Receivable | Deficit | Equity (Deficit) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance January 1, 2023 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Issuance of Placement Units | — | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Issuance of Representative shares | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Proceeds allocated to Public Warrants | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Allocation of issuance costs | — | — | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Accretion redemption value of Class A ordinary shares | — | — | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net income | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance at March 31, 2023 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) |
FOR THE PERIOD FROM MARCH 11, 2022 (INCEPTION) THROUGH MARCH 31, 2022
Class A Ordinary Shares | Class B Ordinary Shares | Additional Paid-in | Subscription | Accumulated | Total Shareholders’ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | Capital | Receivable | Deficit | Deficit | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance at March 11, 2022 (inception) | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net loss | — | — | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance at March 31, 2022 | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed financial statements.
5 |
PONO CAPITAL THREE, INC.
CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(UNAUDITED)
Three
Months Ended March 31, 2023 | For the
Period From March 11, 2022 (inception) Through March 31, 2022 | |||||||
Cash Flows from Operating Activities: | ||||||||
Net income (loss) | $ | $ | ( | ) | ||||
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash used in operating activities: | ||||||||
Interest and dividend income on investments held in Trust Account | ( | ) | ||||||
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | ||||||||
Prepaid expenses | ( | ) | ||||||
Accounts payable | ||||||||
Accrued expenses | ||||||||
Accrued expenses - related party | ||||||||
Due from sponsor | ( | ) | ||||||
Net cash used in operating activities | ( | ) | ||||||
Cash Flows from Investing Activities: | ||||||||
Investment of cash in Trust Account | ( | ) | ||||||
Net cash used in investing activities | ( | ) | ||||||
Cash Flows from Financing Activities: | ||||||||
Proceeds from sale of Placement Units | ||||||||
Proceeds from sale of Units, net of underwriting discount paid | ||||||||
Repayment of Promissory note - related party | ( | ) | ||||||
Payment of offering costs | ( | ) | ||||||
Net cash provided by financing activities | ||||||||
Net Change in Cash | ||||||||
Cash - Beginning of period | ||||||||
Cash - End of period | $ | $ | ||||||
Non-cash investing and financing activities: | ||||||||
Accretion of Class A ordinary shares subject to redemption value | $ | $ | ||||||
Valuation of Representative Shares | $ | $ | ||||||
Offering costs included in Accrued offering costs | $ | $ | ||||||
Deferred underwriting fee payable | $ | $ |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed financial statements.
6 |
PONO CAPITAL THREE, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(UNAUDITED)
NOTE 1. DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION, BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND GOING CONCERN
Pono
Capital Three, Inc. (the “Company”) is a blank check company incorporated in Delaware on
As of March 31, 2023, the Company had not commenced any operations. All activity from inception through March 31, 2023 relates to the Company’s formation and initial public offering (“Initial Public Offering”), which is described below. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after the completion of a Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income from the proceeds derived from the Initial Public Offering. The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year end.
The
registration statement for the Company’s Initial Public Offering was declared effective on February 9, 2023. On February 14, 2023,
the Company consummated the Initial Public Offering of
Simultaneously
with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company consummated the sale of
Following
the closing of the Initial Public Offering on February 14, 2023, an amount of $
Transaction
costs related to the issuances described above amounted to $
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 Placement Units, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating
a Business Combination. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to complete a Business Combination successfully. The Company
must complete a Business Combination with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value of at least
7 |
PONO CAPITAL THREE, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(UNAUDITED)
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 or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether the Company will seek shareholder approval of a Business Combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by the Company, solely in its discretion. The Public Shareholders will be entitled to redeem their Public Shares for a pro rata portion of the amount then in the Trust Account (initially anticipated to be $ per Public 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). There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of a Business Combination with respect to the Company’s warrants. With the completion of the Initial Public Offering, the Public Shares subject to redemption are recorded at redemption value and classified as temporary equity in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity (“ASC 480”).
The
Company will proceed with a Business Combination if the Company has net tangible assets of at least $
If a shareholder vote is not required and the Company does not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other legal reasons, the Company will offer such redemption pursuant to the tender offer rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“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.
The Sponsor has agreed (a) to vote its Class B ordinary shares, the ordinary shares included in the Placement Units and the Public Shares purchased in the Initial Public Offering in favor of a Business Combination, (b) not to propose an amendment to the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association with respect to the Company’s pre-Business Combination activities prior to the consummation of a Business Combination unless the Company provides dissenting Public Shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Public Shares in conjunction with any such amendment; (c) not to redeem any shares (including the Class B ordinary shares) and Placement Units (including underlying securities) into the right to receive cash from the Trust Account in connection with a shareholder vote to approve a Business Combination (or to sell any shares in a tender offer in connection with a Business Combination if the Company does not seek shareholder approval in connection therewith) or a vote to amend the provisions of the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association relating to shareholders’ rights of pre-Business Combination activity and (d) that the Class B ordinary shares and Placement Units (including underlying securities) shall not participate in any liquidating distributions upon winding up if a Business Combination is not consummated. However, the Sponsor will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to any Public Shares purchased in the Initial Public Offering if the Company fails to complete its Business Combination.
8 |
PONO CAPITAL THREE, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(UNAUDITED)
The Sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to the Company, if and to the extent any claims by a vendor for services rendered or products sold to the Company, or a prospective target business with which the Company has discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amounts in the Trust Account to below $ per share, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the Trust Account and except as to any claims under the Company’s indemnity of the underwriter of the Initial Public Offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). In the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, the Sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. The Company will seek to reduce the possibility that the Sponsor will have to indemnify the Trust Account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers (except for the Company’s independent registered accounting firm), 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.
Going Concern and Liquidity
As
of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company had $
The accompanying unaudited condensed financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), which contemplates continuation of the Company as a going concern and the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company has incurred and expects to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of the Company’s financing and acquisition plans. Management plans to address this uncertainty with the successful closing of the Business Combination. The Company will have until February 14, 2024 (or up to August 14, 2024, as applicable) to consummate a Business Combination. If a Business Combination is not consummated by February 14, 2024, less than one year after the date these unaudited condensed financial statements are issued, there will be a mandatory liquidation and subsequent dissolution of the Company. Management has determined that the mandatory liquidation, should a Business Combination not occur, and potential subsequent dissolution, raises substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. No adjustments have been made to the carrying amounts of assets or liabilities should the Company be required to liquidate after February 14, 2024. The Company intends to complete the initial Business Combination before the mandatory liquidation date. However, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to consummate any Business Combination by February 14, 2024.
9 |
PONO CAPITAL THREE, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(UNAUDITED)
Risks and Uncertainties
Management continues to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry and has concluded that while it is reasonably possible that the virus could have a negative effect on the Company’s financial position, results of its operations and/or search for a target company, the specific impact is not readily determinable as of the date of these unaudited condensed financial statements. These unaudited condensed financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Additionally, as a result of the military action commenced in February 2022 by the Russian Federation and Belarus in the country of Ukraine and related economic sanctions, the Company’s ability to consummate a Business Combination, or the operations of a target business with which the Company ultimately consummates a Business Combination, may be materially and adversely affected. Further, the Company’s ability to consummate a transaction may be dependent on the ability to raise equity and debt financing which may be impacted by these events, including as a result of increased market volatility, or decreased market liquidity in third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to the Company or at all. The impact of this action and related sanctions on the world economy and the specific impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations and/or ability to consummate a Business Combination are not yet determinable. The unaudited condensed financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
NOTE 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying unaudited condensed 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. Certain information or footnote disclosures normally included in unaudited condensed financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC for interim financial reporting. Accordingly, they do not include all the information and footnotes necessary for a comprehensive presentation of financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited condensed financial statements include all adjustments, consisting of a normal recurring nature, which are necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, operating results and cash flows for the periods presented. The accompanying unaudited condensed financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s form 10-K as filed with the SEC on March 30, 2023. The interim results for three months ended March 31, 2023 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the period ending December 31, 2023 or for any future periods.
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 auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in its periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.
10 |
PONO CAPITAL THREE, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(UNAUDITED)
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 unaudited condensed 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 the unaudited condensed financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the Company’s 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 unaudited condensed financial statements and the reported amounts of 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 unaudited condensed financial statements, which management considered in formulating its estimate, could change in the near term due to one or more future confirming events. Accordingly, the actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash
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 March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022.
Investments Held in Trust Account
As
of March 31, 2023 the assets held in the Trust Account were held in money market funds, which were invested in U.S. Treasury securities.
All of the Company’s investments held in the Trust Account are classified as trading securities. Such trading securities are presented
on the unaudited condensed balance sheet at fair value at the end of each reporting period. Gains and losses resulting from the change
in fair value of investments held in Trust Account are included in interest and dividend income on investments held in Trust Account
in the accompanying unaudited condensed statement of operations. The estimated fair values of investments held in the Trust Account are
determined using available market information. The Company had $
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes under ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes (“ASC 740”). ASC 740 requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for both the expected impact of differences between the unaudited condensed financial statements and tax basis of assets and liabilities and for the expected future tax benefit to be derived from tax loss and tax credit carry forwards. ASC 740 additionally requires a valuation allowance to be established when it is more likely than not that all or a portion of deferred tax assets will not be realized.
11 |
PONO CAPITAL THREE, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(UNAUDITED)
ASC 740 also clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s unaudited condensed financial statements and prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement process for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more-likely-than-not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. ASC 740 also provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosure and transition. Based on the Company’s evaluation, it has been concluded that there are no significant uncertain tax positions requiring recognition in the Company’s unaudited condensed financial statements.
The
Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. There were
All
of the Class A ordinary shares sold as part of the Units in the Initial Public Offering contain a redemption feature which allows for
the redemption of such Public Shares in connection with the Company’s liquidation, if there is a shareholder vote or tender offer
in connection with the Business Combination and in connection with certain amendments to the Company’s Amended and Restated Articles
of Association. In accordance with ASC 480, conditionally redeemable Class A ordinary shares (including Class A ordinary shares that
feature redemption rights that are either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon the occurrence of uncertain
events not solely within the Company’s control) are classified as temporary equity. Ordinary liquidation events, which involve
the redemption and liquidation of all of the entity’s equity instruments, are excluded from the provisions of ASC 480. Although
the Company did not specify a maximum redemption threshold, its charter provides that currently, the Company will not redeem its Public
Shares in an amount that would cause its net tangible assets (shareholders’ equity) to be less than $
12 |
PONO CAPITAL THREE, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(UNAUDITED)
Gross proceeds | $ | |||
Less: | ||||
Proceeds allocated to Public Warrants | ( | ) | ||
Issuance costs allocated to Class A ordinary shares | ( | ) | ||
Plus: | ||||
Accretion of Class A ordinary shares subject to redemption to redemption amount | ||||
Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption | $ |
Offering Costs associated with the Initial Public Offering
The
Company complies with the requirements of ASC 340-10-S99-1 and SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin Topic 5A - Expenses of Offering.
Offering costs consist principally of professional and registration fees incurred through the balance sheet date that are related to
the Initial Public Offering. Offering costs directly attributable to the issuance of an equity contract to be classified in equity are
recorded as a reduction in equity. Offering costs for equity contracts that are classified as assets and liabilities are expensed immediately.
The Company incurred offering costs amounting to $
Net income per share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number ordinary shares outstanding for the period. Therefore, the income per share calculation allocates income shared pro rata between Class A and Class B ordinary shares. As a result, the calculated net income per share is the same for Class A and Class B ordinary shares. The calculation of diluted income per share does not consider the effect of the warrants issued in connection with the Initial Public Offering and Placement Warrants (as defined in Note 4) since the exercise of the warrants are contingent upon the occurrence of future events.
For the three months ended March 31, 2023 | For the
period from March 11, 2022 (inception) through March 31, 2022 | |||||||||||||||
Class A | Class B | Class A | Class B | |||||||||||||
Basic and diluted net income per share: | ||||||||||||||||
Numerator: | ||||||||||||||||
Net Income | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
Denominator: | ||||||||||||||||
Weighted Average Ordinary Shares | ||||||||||||||||
Basic and diluted net income per ordinary shares | $ | $ | $ | $ |
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 coverage of $
13 |
PONO CAPITAL THREE, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(UNAUDITED)
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement, approximates the carrying amounts represented in the accompanying balance sheets, primarily due to their short-term nature.
Derivative Financial Instruments
The Company evaluates its financial instruments to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives in accordance with ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC 815”). For derivative financial instruments that are accounted for as liabilities, the derivative instrument is initially recorded at its fair value on the grant date and is then re-valued at each reporting date, with changes in the fair value reported in the unaudited condensed statements of operations. For derivative instruments that are classified as equity, the derivative instruments are initially measured at fair value (or allocated value), and subsequent changes in fair value are not recognized as long as the contracts continue to be classified in equity.
Warrants
The Company accounts for warrants as either equity-classified or liability-classified instruments based on an assessment of the warrant’s specific terms and applicable authoritative guidance in ASC 480 and ASC 815. The assessment considers whether the warrants are freestanding financial instruments pursuant to ASC 480, meet the definition of a liability pursuant to ASC 480, and whether the warrants meet all of the requirements for equity classification under ASC 815, including whether the warrants are indexed to the Company’s own ordinary shares, among other conditions for equity classification. This assessment, which requires the use of professional judgment, is conducted at the time of warrant issuance and as of each subsequent quarterly period end date while the warrants are outstanding.
For issued or modified warrants that meet all of the criteria for equity classification, the warrants are required to be recorded as a component of additional paid-in capital at the time of issuance. For issued or modified warrants that do not meet all the criteria for equity classification, the warrants are required to be recorded as liabilities at their initial fair value on the date of issuance, and each balance sheet date thereafter. Changes in the estimated fair value of the warrants are recognized as a non-cash gain or loss on the unaudited condensed statements of operations.
The warrants are not precluded from equity classification, and are accounted for as such on the date of issuance, and will be on each condensed balance sheet date thereafter. As the warrants are equity classified, they are initially measured at fair value (or allocated value). Subsequent changes in fair value are not recognized as long as the warrants continue to be classified as equity.
Recent Accounting Standards
Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s unaudited condensed financial statements.
NOTE 3. INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING
The
registration statement for the Company’s Initial Public Offering was declared effective on February 9, 2023. On February 14, 2023,
the Company consummated the Initial Public Offering of
14 |
PONO CAPITAL THREE, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(UNAUDITED)
NOTE 4. PRIVATE PLACEMENT
Simultaneously
with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company consummated the sale of
NOTE 5. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Founder Shares
On
May 17, 2022, the Sponsor paid an aggregate of $
The Sponsor has agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the Class B ordinary shares (except to certain permitted transferees as disclosed herein) until, with respect to any of the Class B ordinary shares, the earlier of (i) six months after the date of the consummation of a Business Combination, or (ii) the date on which the closing price of the Company’s ordinary shares equals or exceeds $ per share (as adjusted for share splits, share dividends, reorganizations and recapitalizations) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after a Business Combination, with respect to the remaining any of the Class B ordinary shares, upon six months after the date of the consummation of a Business Combination, or earlier, in each case, if, subsequent to a Business Combination, the Company consummates a subsequent liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of the Company’s shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property.
Promissory Note - Related Party
On
April 25, 2022, the Sponsor agreed to loan the Company an aggregate of up to $
15 |
PONO CAPITAL THREE, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(UNAUDITED)
Administrative Support Agreement
The Company’s Sponsor has agreed, commencing from the date of the Initial Public Offering through the earlier of the Company’s consummation of a Business Combination and its liquidation, to make available to the Company certain general and administrative services, including office space, utilities and administrative services, as the Company may require from time to time. The Company has agreed to pay to Mehana Capital LLC, the Sponsor, $ per month for these services during the 12-month period to complete a Business Combination. For the three months ended March 31, 2023, and for the period from March 11, 2022 (inception) through March 31, 2022, the Company incurred expenses of $ and $ , respectively. As of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, $ and $ , respectively was accrued by the Company for expenses incurred under this agreement.
Related Party Loans
In
order to finance transaction costs in connection with the initial Business Combination, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor or
certain of the Company’s officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds as may be required. If the
Company completes the initial Business Combination, the Company will repay such loaned amounts. In the event that the initial Business
Combination does not close, the Company may use a portion of the working capital held outside the Trust Account to repay such loaned
amounts, including the repayment of loans from the Sponsor to pay for any amount deposited to pay for any extension of the time to complete
the initial Business Combination, but no proceeds from the Trust Account would be used for such repayment. Up to $
NOTE 6. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Registration and Shareholder Rights Agreement
The holders of the Founder Shares and Placement Units (including securities contained therein) and Units (including securities contained therein) that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans and extension loans, and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the Placement Warrants and any Class A ordinary shares and warrants (and underlying Class A ordinary shares) that may be issued upon conversion of the Units issued as part of the working capital loans and extension loans and Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of the Founder Shares, will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement signed prior on the effective date of the Initial Public Offering, requiring the Company to register such securities for resale (in the case of the Founder Shares, only after conversion to the Class A ordinary shares). The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to two demands, excluding short form demands, that the Company registers such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the completion of the initial Business Combination and rights to require the Company to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act.
16 |
PONO CAPITAL THREE, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(UNAUDITED)
Underwriting Agreement
Simultaneously
with the Initial Public Offering, the underwriters fully exercised the over-allotment option to purchase an additional
The
underwriters were paid a cash underwriting discount of $
Representative Shares
Upon closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company issued Class A ordinary shares to the underwriters. The underwriters have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell the Representative Shares until the completion of the initial Business Combination. In addition, the underwriters have agreed (i) to waive its redemption rights with respect to the Representative Shares in connection with the completion of the initial Business Combination and (ii) to waive its rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to the Representative Shares if the Company fails to complete its initial Business Combination within 12 months (or up to 18 months if the Company extends such period) from the closing of the Initial Public Offering.
The Representative Shares are subject to a lock-up for a period of 180 days immediately following the commencement of sales of the registration statement pursuant to Rule 5110(e)(1) of FINRA’s NASD Conduct Rules. Pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1), these securities may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated or the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of the securities by any person for a period of 180 days immediately following the effective date of the registration statement, nor may they be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated for a period of 180 days immediately following the commencement of sales of the Initial Public Offering except to any underwriter and selected dealer participating in the Initial Public Offering and their bona fide officers or partners, registered persons or affiliates or as otherwise permitted under Rule 5110(e)(2).
The
initial measurement of the fair value of the Representative Shares was determined using the market approach to value the subject interest.
Based on the indication of fair value using the market approach, the Company determined the fair value of the Representative Shares to
be $
Right of First Refusal
For a period beginning on the closing of the Initial Public Offering and ending 12 months from the closing of a Business Combination, the Company has granted EF Hutton a right of first refusal to act as lead-left book running manager and lead left manager for any and all future private or public equity, convertible and debt offerings during such period. In accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(3)(A)(i), such right of first refusal shall not have a duration of more than three years from the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
NOTE 7. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)
Preference shares — The Company is authorized to issue preference shares with a par value of $ per share, with such designations, voting and other rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Company’s board of directors. As of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, there were preference shares issued or outstanding.
17 |
PONO CAPITAL THREE, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(UNAUDITED)
Class
A ordinary shares — The Company is authorized to issue
Class B ordinary shares — The Company is authorized to issue Class B ordinary shares with a par value of $ per share. Holders of the Company’s Class B ordinary shares are entitled to one vote for each share. As of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, there were Class B Ordinary Shares issued and outstanding. Of the Class B ordinary shares outstanding, up to shares were subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option was not exercised in full or in part, so that the initial shareholders will collectively own % of the Company’s issued and outstanding ordinary shares after the Initial Public Offering. On February 14, 2023, the underwriters exercised the over-allotment option in full, so those shares are no longer subject to forfeiture.
Warrants
— As of March 31, 2023, there were
The Company has agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 20 business days after the closing of the initial Business Combination, the Company will use its best efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the Public Warrants, to cause such registration statement to become effective and to maintain a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares until the Public Warrants expire or are redeemed, as specified in the warrant agreement. If a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the Public Warrants is not effective by the 60th business day after the closing of the initial Business Combination, Public 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 Public Warrants on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act; provided that such exemption is available. If that exemption, or another exemption, is not available, holders will not be able to exercise their Public Warrants on a cashless basis.
Once the Public Warrants become exercisable, the Company may call the Public Warrants for redemption:
● | in whole and not in part; | |
● | at
a price of $ | |
● | upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption given after the Public Warrants become exercisable (the “30-day redemption period”) to each Public Warrant holder; and |
18 |
PONO CAPITAL THREE, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(UNAUDITED)
● | if,
and only if, the reported last sale price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds
$ |
If and when the Public Warrants become redeemable by the Company, the Company may not exercise the redemption right if the issuance of Class A ordinary shares upon exercise of the Public 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 Placement Warrants are identical to the Public Warrants except that, so long as they are held by the Sponsor or its permitted transferees, (i) they will not be redeemable by the Company, (ii) they (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of these Placement Warrants) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the Sponsor until 30 days after the completion of the initial Business Combination, (iii) they may be exercised by the holders on a cashless basis and (iv) the holders thereof (including with respect to Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of such Placement Warrants) are entitled to registration rights.
The
Company accounts for the
NOTE 8. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
The following table presents information about the Company’s financial assets that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of March 31, 2023, and indicates the fair value hierarchy of the valuation inputs the Company utilized to determine such fair value:
Description | Amount at Fair Value | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | ||||||||||||
March 31, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||
Assets | ||||||||||||||||
Investments held in Trust Account: | ||||||||||||||||
U.S. Treasury Securities | $ | $ | $ | $ |
As
of December 31, 2022, the Company had
NOTE 9. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the unaudited condensed balance sheet date up to the date that the unaudited condensed financial statements was issued. Based upon this review, the Company did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the condensed unaudited financial statements.
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ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
References in this report (the “Quarterly Report”) to “we,” “us” or the “Company” refer to Pono Capital Three, Inc. References to our “management” or our “management team” refer to our officers and directors, and references to the “Sponsor” refer to Mehana Capital LLC. The following discussion and analysis of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the unaudited condensed financial statements and the notes thereto contained elsewhere in this Quarterly Report. Certain information contained in the discussion and analysis set forth below includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties.
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This Quarterly Report includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) that are not historical facts, and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expected and projected. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this Quarterly Report including, without limitation, statements under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” regarding the Company’s financial position, business strategy and the plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this Quarterly Report, words such as “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “seek” and variations and similar words and expressions, as they relate to us or the Company’s management, identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to the Company’s management. A number of factors could cause actual events, performance or results to differ materially from the events, performance and results discussed in the forward-looking statements. For information identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, please refer to the Risk Factors section of the Company’s Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The Company’s securities filings can be accessed on the EDGAR section of the SEC’s website at sec.report. Except as expressly required by applicable securities law, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Overview
We are a blank check company incorporated in Delaware on March 11, 2022 (subsequently redomiciled in the Cayman Islands on October 14, 2022) formed for the purpose of entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. We have not selected any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of our initial public offering (the “Initial Public Offering”) and the sale of the private placement warrants, the proceeds of the sale of our shares in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the forward purchase agreements (or backstop agreements we may enter into or otherwise), 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 or other sources.
Results of Operations
We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenues to date. Our only activities for the period from March 11, 2022 (inception) through March 31, 2023 were organizational activities and those necessary to prepare for our Initial Public Offering, described below. We do not expect to generate any operating revenues until after the completion of our initial business combination. We will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on investments held in our trust account after the Initial Public Offering. 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.
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For the for the three months ended March 31, 2023, we had a net income of $499,414, which resulted from a unrealized gain on investments held in Trust Account of $629,683, offset by formation and operating costs of $130,269.
For the for the period from March 11, 2022 (inception) through March 31, 2022, we had a net loss of $338, which consisted of formation and operating costs of $338.
Liquidity, Capital Resources and Going Concern
For the three months ended March 31, 2023, net cash used in operating activities was $314,255, which was due to unrealized gain on investments in the Trust Account of $629,683, offset by our net income of $499,414, and changes in working capital of $183,196.
There were no cash flows from operating activities for the period from March 11, 2022 (inception) through March 31, 2022.
For the three months ended March 31, 2023, net cash used in investing activities was $117,875,000 which was primarily due to the investment of cash in the Trust Account.
There were no cash flows from investing activities for the period from March 11, 2022 (inception) through March 31, 2022.
For the three months ended March 31, 2023, net cash provided by financing activities was $118,622,577, which was due to the proceeds from sale of Placement Units of $5,653,750, proceeds from the sale of units, net of underwriting discount paid of $113,735,000, partially offset by the payment of offering costs of $466,173, and repayment of the Promissory Note of $300,000.
There were no cash flows from financing activities for the period from March 11, 2022 (inception) through March 31, 2022.
The registration statement for the Company’s Initial Public Offering was declared effective on February 9, 2023. On February 14, 2023, the Company consummated the Initial Public Offering of 11,500,000 units, (the “Units” and, with respect to the Class A ordinary shares included in the Units sold, the “Public Shares”), including 1,500,000 Units issued pursuant to the exercise of the underwriter’s over-allotment option in full, generating gross proceeds of $115,000,000, which is discussed in Note 3.
Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company consummated the sale of 565,375 units (the “Placement Units”) at a price of $10.00 per Placement Unit in a private placement to Mehana Capital LLC (the “Sponsor”), including 54,000 Placement Units issued pursuant to the exercise of the underwriter’s over-allotment option in full, generating gross proceeds of $5,653,750, which is described in Note 4.
Following the closing of the Initial Public Offering on February 14, 2023, an amount of $117,875,000 ($10.25 per Unit) from the net proceeds of the sale of the Units in the Initial Public Offering and the sale of the Placement Units was placed in a trust account.
We intend to use substantially all of the funds held in the trust account, including any amounts representing interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes (which interest shall be net of taxes payable and excluding deferred underwriting commissions) to complete our initial business combination. We may withdraw interest to pay our taxes, if any. Our annual income tax obligations will depend on the amount of interest and other income earned on the amounts held in the trust account. We expect the interest earned on the amount in the trust account will be sufficient to pay our taxes. We expect the only taxes payable by us out of the funds in the trust account will be income and franchise taxes, if any. To the extent that our ordinary shares or debt is used, in whole or in part, as consideration to complete our initial business combination, the remaining proceeds held in the trust account will be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business or businesses, make other acquisitions and pursue our growth strategies.
21 |
We do not believe we will need to raise additional funds following this offering in order to meet the expenditures required for operating our business. However, if our estimates of the costs of identifying a target business, undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating an initial business combination are less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may have insufficient funds available to operate our business prior to our initial business combination. Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing either to complete our initial business combination or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon completion of our initial business combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such business combination.
The accompanying unaudited condensed financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), which contemplates continuation of the Company as a going concern and the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company has incurred and expects to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of the Company’s financing and acquisition plans. Management plans to address this uncertainty with the successful closing of the Business Combination. The Company will have until February 14, 2024 (or up to August 14, 2024, as applicable) to consummate a Business Combination. If a Business Combination is not consummated by February 14, 2024, less than one year after the date these unaudited condensed financial statements are issued, there will be a mandatory liquidation and subsequent dissolution of the Company. Management has determined that the mandatory liquidation, should a Business Combination not occur, and potential subsequent dissolution, raises substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. No adjustments have been made to the carrying amounts of assets or liabilities should the Company be required to liquidate after February 14, 2024. The Company intends to complete the initial Business Combination before the mandatory liquidation date. However, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to consummate any Business Combination by February 14, 2024.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022.
Contractual Obligations
Registration Rights
The holders of the Founder Shares and Placement Units (including securities contained therein) and Units (including securities contained therein) that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans and extension loans, and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the Placement Warrants and any Class A ordinary shares and warrants (and underlying Class A ordinary shares) that may be issued upon conversion of the Units issued as part of the working capital loans and extension loans and Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of the Founder Shares, will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement signed prior on the effective date of the Initial Public Offering, requiring the Company to register such securities for resale (in the case of the Founder Shares, only after conversion to the Class A ordinary shares). The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to two demands, excluding short form demands, that the Company registers such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the completion of the initial Business Combination and rights to require the Company to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act.
Promissory Notes - Related Party
On April 25, 2022, the 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 “Promissory Note”). This loan is non-interest bearing and payable on the earlier of (i) March 31, 2023 or (ii) the date on which Company consummates the Initial Public Offering. Prior to the Initial Public Offering, the Company had borrowed $300,000 under the Promissory Note. On February 15, 2023, the Company repaid the outstanding balance under the Promissory Note of $300,000 that was borrowed prior to our initial public offering. As of March 31, 2023, there was no borrowings outstanding under the Promissory Note. The Company no longer has the ability to borrow under the Promissory Note.
22 |
Underwriters Agreement
Simultaneously with the Initial Public Offering, the underwriters fully exercised the over-allotment option to purchase an additional 1,500,000 Units at an offering price of $10.00 per Unit for an aggregate purchase price of $15,000,000.
The underwriters were paid a cash underwriting discount of $0.11 per Unit, or $1,265,000 in the aggregate, upon the closing of the Initial Public Offering. In addition, $0.30 per unit, or $3,450,000 in the aggregate will be payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions. The deferred fee will become payable to the underwriters from the amounts held in the Trust Account solely in the event that the Company completes a Business Combination, subject to the terms of the underwriting agreement.
Critical Accounting Policies
The preparation of unaudited condensed 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 unaudited condensed financial statements, and income and expenses during the periods reported. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. We have identified the following critical accounting policies:
Derivative Financial Instruments
The Company evaluates its financial instruments to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives in accordance with ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC 815”). For derivative financial instruments that are accounted for as liabilities, the derivative instrument is initially recorded at its fair value on the grant date and is then re-valued at each reporting date, with changes in the fair value reported in the unaudited condensed statements of operations. For derivative instruments that are classified as equity, the derivative instruments are initially measured at fair value (or allocated value), and subsequent changes in fair value are not recognized as long as the contracts continue to be classified in equity.
Ordinary Shares Subject to Possible Redemption
All of the Class A ordinary shares sold as part of the Units in the Initial Public Offering contain a redemption feature which allows for the redemption of such Public Shares in connection with the Company’s liquidation, if there is a shareholder vote or tender offer in connection with the Business Combination and in connection with certain amendments to the Company’s Amended and Restated Articles of Association. In accordance with ASC 480, conditionally redeemable Class A ordinary shares (including Class A ordinary shares that feature redemption rights that are either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon the occurrence of uncertain events not solely within the Company’s control) are classified as temporary equity. Ordinary liquidation events, which involve the redemption and liquidation of all of the entity’s equity instruments, are excluded from the provisions of ASC 480. Although the Company did not specify a maximum redemption threshold, its charter provides that currently, the Company will not redeem its Public Shares in an amount that would cause its net tangible assets (shareholders’ equity) to be less than $5,000,001. However, the threshold in its charter would not change the nature of the underlying shares as redeemable and thus Public Shares would be required to be disclosed outside of permanent equity. 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 ($10.25 per share) at the end of each reporting period. Such changes are reflected in additional paid-in capital, or in the absence of additional paid-in capital, in accumulated deficit.
Net Income Per Share
Net income per share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number ordinary shares outstanding for the period. The calculation of diluted income per share does not consider the effect of the warrants issued in connection with the Initial Public Offering and Placement Warrants since the exercise of the warrants are contingent upon the occurrence of future events.
Recent Accounting Standards
Management does not believe that any other recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s unaudited condensed financial statements.
23 |
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
As of March 31, 2023, we were not subject to any market or interest rate risk. Following the consummation of our Initial Public Offering, the net proceeds received into the Trust Accounts, have been invested in U.S. government treasury bills, notes or bonds with a maturity of 185 days or less or in certain money market funds that invest solely in US treasuries. Due to the short-term nature of these investments, we believe there will be no associated material exposure to interest rate risk.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures.
Disclosure controls and procedures are controls and other procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed or submitted under Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
As required by Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of March 31, 2023. Based upon their evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15 (e) and 15d-15 (e) under the Exchange Act) were effective.
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
There was no change in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) during the period from March 11, 2022 (inception) through December 31,2022 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
24 |
PART II - OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1. Legal Proceedings.
None.
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
Factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those in this Quarterly Report are any of the risks described in our final prospectus for the Initial Public Offering declared effective by the SEC on February 9, 2023. Any of these factors could result in a significant or material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition. Additional risk factors not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business or results of operations. As of the date of this Quarterly Report, other than as described below, there have been no material changes to the risk factors disclosed in our final prospectus of our Initial Public Offering filed with the SEC.
Our search for a Business Combination, and any target business with which we may ultimately consummate a Business Combination, may be materially adversely affected by the geopolitical conditions resulting from the recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia and subsequent sanctions against Russia, Belarus and related individuals and entities and the status of debt and equity markets, as well as protectionist legislation in our target markets.
United States and global markets are experiencing volatility and disruption following the escalation of geopolitical tensions and the recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022. In response to such invasion, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (“NATO”) deployed additional military forces to eastern Europe, and the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and other countries have announced various sanctions and restrictive actions against Russia, Belarus and related individuals and entities, including the removal of certain financial institutions from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) payment system. Certain countries, including the United States, have also provided and may continue to provide military aid or other assistance to Ukraine during the ongoing military conflict, increasing geopolitical tensions with Russia. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the resulting measures that have been taken, and could be taken in the future, by NATO, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and other countries have created global security concerns that could have a lasting impact on regional and global economies. Although the length and impact of the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine is highly unpredictable, the conflict could lead to market disruptions, including significant volatility in commodity prices, credit and capital markets, as well as supply chain interruptions. Additionally, Russian military actions and the resulting sanctions could adversely affect the global economy and financial markets and lead to instability and lack of liquidity in capital markets. In addition, the recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia, and the impact of sanctions against Russia and the potential for retaliatory acts from Russia, could result in increased cyber-attacks against U.S. companies. Further, our ability to consummate a transaction may be dependent on the ability to raise equity and debt financing which may be impacted by these events, including as a result of increased market volatility, or decreased market liquidity in third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to us or at all. The impact of this action and related sanctions on the world economy and the specific impact on our financial position, results of operations and/or ability to consummate a Business Combination are not yet determinable. The condensed financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Any of the abovementioned factors, or any other negative impact on the global economy, capital markets or other geopolitical conditions resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine and subsequent sanctions, could adversely affect our search for a Business Combination and any target business with which we may ultimately consummate a Business Combination. The extent and duration of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, resulting sanctions and any related market disruptions are impossible to predict, but could be substantial, particularly if current or new sanctions continue for an extended period of time or if geopolitical tensions result in expanded military operations on a global scale. Any such disruptions may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in the “Risk Factors” section of our final prospectus declared effective by the SEC on October 12, 2021. If these disruptions or other matters of global concern continue for an extensive period of time, our ability to consummate a Business Combination, or the operations of a target business with which we may ultimately consummate a Business Combination, may be materially adversely affected.
25 |
The risk factor disclosure in our final prospectus as set forth under the heading “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” is replaced in its entirety with the following risk factor:
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. 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.
On March 30, 2022, the SEC issued proposed rules relating to, among other items, disclosures in business combination transactions involving SPACs and private operating companies; the financial statement requirements applicable to transactions involving shell companies; the use of projections in SEC filings in connection with proposed business combination transactions; the potential liability of certain participants in proposed business combination transactions; and the extent to which special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”) could become subject to regulation under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, including a proposed rule that would provide SPACs a safe harbor from treatment as an investment company if they satisfy certain conditions that limit a SPAC’s duration, asset composition, business purpose and activities. These rules, if adopted, whether in the form proposed or in a revised form, may increase the costs of and the time needed to negotiate and complete an initial business combination, and may constrain the circumstances under which we could complete an initial business combination.
Item 2. Unregistered Sale of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds.
On May 17, 2022, we issued 2,875,000 founder shares to Mehana Capital LLC (the “Sponsor”) and on December 22, 2022, our Sponsor acquired an additional 2,060,622 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,206, or approximately $0.005 per share, pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.
On February 14, 2023, we consummated the Initial Public Offering of 11,500,000 units (the “Units”), including 1,500,000 Units issued pursuant to the exercise in full of the underwriter’s over-allotment option.. Each Unit consists of one Class A ordinary share of the Company, $0.0001 par value per share (the “Class A Ordinary Shares”) and one warrant of the Company (each, a “Warrant”), each whole Warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one Class A Ordinary Share at an exercise price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment, pursuant to the Company’s registration statements on Form S-1 (File No. 333-268283). The Units were sold at an offering price of $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $115,000,000.
As previously reported on a Form 8-K, on February 14, 2023, simultaneously with the consummation of the Initial Public Offering, the Company consummated the private placement (the “Private Placement”) of an aggregate of 565,375 units (“Private Placement Units”) at a price of $10.00 per Private Placement Unit, generating gross proceeds of $5,653,750.
A total of $117,875,000 was deposited in a trust account established for the benefit of the Company’s public shareholders, with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee.
For a description of the use of the proceeds generated in the Initial Public Offering, see Part I, Item 2 of this Quarterly Report.
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Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities.
None.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.
Not Applicable.
Item 5. Other Information.
None.
Item 6. Exhibits.
The following exhibits are filed as part of, or incorporated by reference into, this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
* | Filed herewith. |
** | Furnished. |
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
PONO CAPITAL THREE, INC. | ||
Date: May 15, 2023 | /s/ Davin Kazama | |
Name: | Davin Kazama | |
Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
(Principal Executive Officer) | ||
Date: May 15, 2023 | /s/ Gary Miyashiro | |
Name: | Gary Miyashiro | |
Title: | Chief Financial Officer | |
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
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