EX-99.1 2 legatomerger3_ex99-1.htm EXHIBIT 99.1

 

Exhibit 99.1

 

Legato Merger Corp. III

 

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENT

 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm   F-2
Balance Sheet   F-3
Notes to Financial Statements   F-4

 

F-1

 

 

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of

Legato Merger Corp III:

 

Opinion on the Financial Statement

We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Legato Merger Corp III (the “Company”) as of February 8, 2024, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statement”). In our opinion, the financial statement presents fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of February 8, 2024, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

Basis for Opinion

This financial statement is the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statement based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

 

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statement is free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

 

Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statement, 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 statement. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statement. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2023.

 

/s/ WithumSmith+Brown, PC

 

New York, New York

February 14, 2024

 

PCAOB Number 100

 

F-2

 

 

Legato Merger Corp. III
Balance Sheet

February 8, 2024

 

ASSETS        
         
Current Assets        
Cash   $ 2,072,217  
Prepaid expense     400,960  
Total current assets     2,473,177  
Cash held in Trust Account     201,250,000  
Total assets   $ 203,723,177  
         
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT        
         
Current liabilities:        
Accounts payable and accrued expenses   $ 40,280  
Total current liabilities     40,280  
Deferred underwriting commissions     7,043,750  
Total liabilities     7,084,030  
         
Commitments and contingencies        
Ordinary shares subject to possible redemption, $0.0001 par value; 200,000,000 shares authorized, 20,125,000 shares at redemption value at $10.00 per share     201,250,000  
         
Shareholders’ deficit:        
Preference shares, $0.0001 par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding     -  
Ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value; 200,000,000 shares authorized, 5,674,375 non-redeemable shares issued and outstanding (excluding 20,125,000 shares subject to possible redemption)     568  
Additional paid-in capital     -  
Accumulated deficit     (4,611,421 )
Total shareholders’ deficit     (4,610,853 )
Total liabilities and shareholders’ deficit   $ 203,723,177  

 

 
(1)This number includes an aggregate of 656,250 shares of common stock subject to forfeiture by the initial stockholders to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option was not exercised in full. The underwriters fully exercised their over-allotment option on February 6, 2024; as a result, the 656,250 shares were no longer subject to forfeiture.

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of this financial statement.

 

F-3

 

 

Legato Merger Corp. III

Notes to Financial Statements

February 8, 2024

 

Note 1 — Organization and Plan of Business Operations

 

Legato Merger Corp. III (the “Company”) was incorporated as an exempted company in the Cayman Islands on November 6, 2023 with the objective to acquire, through a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination, one or more businesses or entities (a “Business Combination”).

 

The Company is not limited to a particular industry or sector for purposes of consummating a Business Combination, although the Company intends to initially focus on target businesses in the infrastructure, engineering and construction, industrial and renewables industries. 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 February 8, 2024, the Company had not yet commenced operations. All activity through February 8, 2024 relates to the Company’s formation and the initial public offering (the “Initial Public Offering”), which is described below. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after the completion of an initial Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income from certain of the proceeds derived from the Initial Public Offering. The Company has selected November 30 as its fiscal year end.

 

The registration statement for the Company’s Initial Public Offering was declared effective on February 5, 2024. On February 8, 2024 the Company consummated the Initial Public Offering of 20,125,000 units (which included 2,625,000 units subject to the underwriters’ over-allotment option which was exercised in full on February 6, 2024) at $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $201,250,000 which is described in Note 3.

 

Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company consummated the sale of 555,625 units, at a price of $10.00 per unit in a private placement to certain holders of the Company’s founder shares (“Initial Shareholders”) and the underwriters in the Initial Public Offering, generating gross proceeds of $5,556,250 (“Private Units”), which is described in Note 4.

 

Transaction costs amounted to $11,669,262, consisting of $4,025,000 in underwriting fees, up to $7,043,750 of deferred underwriting fees and $600,512 of other offering costs. In addition, as of February 8, 2024, cash of $2,072,217 was held outside of the Trust Account (as defined below) and is available for the payment of offering costs and for working capital purposes.

 

Following the closing of the Initial Public Offering on February 8, 2024, $201,250,000 ($10.00 per Unit) from the net proceeds of the sale of the Units in the Initial Public Offering and the sale of the Private Units was placed in a trust account (the “Trust Account”) and will be invested in U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“Investment Company Act”), with a maturity of 185 days or less, or in any open-ended investment company that holds itself out as a money market fund selected by the Company meeting the conditions of Rule 2a-7 of the Investment Company Act, as determined by the Company, until the earlier of: (i) the consummation of the Company’s initial Business Combination (ii) the redemption of any ordinary shares included in the Units being sold in the Initial Public Offering (“Public Shares”) that have been properly tendered in connection with a shareholder vote to amend the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to modify the substance or timing of its obligation to redeem 100% of such ordinary shares if it does not complete the initial Business Combination within 24 months from the closing of the Initial Public Offering (or 27 months from the closing of the Initial Public Offering if the Company has executed a letter of intent, agreement in principle or definitive agreement for an initial Business Combination within 24 months from the closing of the Initial Public Offering) (“Combination Period”); and (iii) the Company’s failure to consummate a Business Combination within the prescribed time. Placing funds in the Trust Account may not protect those funds from third party claims against the Company.

 

F-4

 

 

The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of its Initial Public Offering and Private Units, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business Combination. Pursuant to the NYSE listing rules, the Company’s initial Business Combination must be with a target business or businesses whose collective fair market value is at least equal to 80% of the balance in the Trust Account at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for such Business Combination (net of amounts previously disbursed to management for tax obligations and working capital purposes and excluding the amount of deferred underwriting fees held in the Trust Account), although this may entail simultaneous acquisitions of several target businesses. The Company intends to 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. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to successfully effect a Business Combination.

 

The Company will provide its 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 on deposit in the Trust Account (initially $10.00 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 and trust administration expenses). There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of a Business Combination with respect to the Company’s warrants.

 

If the Company seeks shareholder approval of a Business Combination, the Company’s officers, directors and initial shareholders (the “Insiders”) have agreed, subject to applicable securities laws, to vote their Founder Shares (as defined in Note 5), the ordinary shares included in the Private Units (the “Private Shares”) and any Public Shares held by them in favor of approving a Business Combination. Additionally, each public shareholder may elect to redeem their Public Shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed Business Combination or do not vote at all.

 

The Company will also provide its public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares in connection with any shareholder vote to approve an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association that would affect the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to redeem 100% of Public Shares if it does not complete an initial Business Combination within the Combination Period. The shareholders will be entitled to redeem their shares for a pro rata portion of the amount then on deposit 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 and trust administration expenses). There will be no redemption rights with respect to the Company’s warrants in connection with such a shareholder vote to approve such an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association.

 

The Company will have until the expiration of the Combination Period to consummate its initial Business Combination. If the Company is unable to consummate a Business Combination within the Combination Period and shareholders do not otherwise extend the Combination Period by approving an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purposes 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 any interest earned on the Trust Account not previously released to the Company to pay its tax obligations and trust administration expenses, and up to $100,000 of interest to pay liquidation and dissolution expenses, divided by the number of then outstanding Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and; (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Company’s remaining shareholders and the Company’s board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) to the Company’s obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to the Company’s warrants, which will expire worthless if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination.

 

F-5

 

 

The Insiders have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any Founder Shares and Private Shares, as applicable, (i) in connection with the consummation of a Business Combination, (ii) in connection with a shareholder vote to amend the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemption as provided therein, and (iii) if the Company fails to consummate a Business Combination within the Combination Period. The Insiders have also agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any Public Shares held by them in connection with the consummation of a Business Combination and in connection with a shareholder vote to amend the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association as described above. However, the Insiders will be entitled to liquidation rights with respect to Public Shares if the Company fails to consummate a Business Combination and liquidates the Trust Account. In the event of such distribution, it is possible that the per share value of the residual assets remaining available for distribution (including Trust Account assets) will be less than the public offering price per Unit in the Initial Public Offering. Placing funds in the Trust Account may not protect those funds from third party claims against the Company. Although the Company will seek to have all vendors, service providers (except the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses or other entities it engages, execute agreements with the Company waiving any claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the Trust Account, there is no guarantee that such persons will execute such agreements. Crescendo Advisors, LLC, an entity affiliated with Mr. Rosenfeld, the Company’s Chief SPAC Officer, has agreed that it will be liable to ensure that the proceeds in the trust account are not reduced below $10.00 per share by the claims of target businesses or claims of vendors or other entities that are owed money by the Company for services rendered or contracted for or products sold to the Company. However, the Company has not independently verified whether Crescendo Advisors LLC has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations, the Company has not asked it to reserve for such obligations and the Company does not believe it has any significant liquid assets.

 

Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

 

Basis of Presentation

 

The accompanying financial statement is presented in accordance 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 of 1933, as amended (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 the financial statement 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 statement.

 

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 statement, which management considered in formulating its estimate, could change in the near term due to one or more future confirming events. Accordingly, the actual results could differ significantly from those estimates.

 

F-6

 

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

The company considers all short-term investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be a cash equivalent. The Company has $2,072,217 cash and no cash equivalents as of February 8, 2024.

 

Cash held in Trust Account

 

At February 8, 2024, the assets held in the Trust Account were held in cash.

 

Ordinary shares subject to possible redemption

 

As discussed in Note 1, all of the 20,125,000 Public Shares sold as parts of the Units in the Initial Public Offering contain a redemption feature. In accordance with the Accounting Standards Codification 480-10-S99-3A “Classification and Measurement of Redeemable Securities”, redemption provisions not solely within the control of the Company require the security to be classified outside of permanent 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. The Company classified all of the Public Shares as redeemable. Immediately upon the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company recognized the accretion from initial book value to redemption amount value. The change in the carrying value of redeemable ordinary shares resulted in charges against additional paid-in capital and accumulated deficit.

 

As of February 8, 2024, the ordinary shares reflected on the balance sheet are reconciled in the following table:

 

    As of
February 8,
2024
 
Gross Proceeds   $ 201,250,000  
Less:        
Fair Value of Public Warrants at issuance     (1,308,125 )
Ordinary share issuance costs     (11,669,262 )
Plus:        
Accretion of carrying value to redemption value     12,977,387  
Ordinary shares subject to possible redemption   $ 201,250,000  

 

Offering Costs

 

The Company complies with the requirements of the ASC 340-10-S99 and SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) Topic 5A — “Expenses of Offering.” Deferred offering costs consist principally of professional and registration fees that are related to the Initial Public Offering. Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) ASC 470-20, “Debt with Conversion and Other Options,” addresses the allocation of proceeds from the issuance of convertible debt into its equity and debt components. The Company applies this guidance to allocate Initial Public Offering proceeds from the Units between ordinary shares and warrants, using the residual method by allocating Initial Public Offering proceeds first to assigned value of the warrants and then to the ordinary shares. Offering costs allocated to the ordinary shares were charged to temporary equity and offering costs allocated to the Public and Private Placement Warrants were charged to shareholder’s equity, as Public and Private Placement Warrants, after management’s evaluation, are accounted for under equity treatment.

 

Income Taxes

 

The Company follows the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes under ASC 740, “Income Taxes.” Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statements carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases.

 

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that included the enactment date. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.

 

F-7

 

 

ASC 740 prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. There were no unrecognized tax benefits and no amounts accrued for interest and penalties as of February 8, 2024. The Company is currently not aware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals, or material deviation from its position.

 

There is currently no taxation imposed on income by the Government of the 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.

 

Concentration of Credit Risk

 

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations 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 $250,000. The Company has not experienced losses on this account and management believes the Company is not exposed to significant risks on such account.

 

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

 
The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurement,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the balance sheet, primarily due to their short-term nature.

 

Warrant Instruments

 

The Company accounts for warrants as either equity-classified or liability-classified instruments based on an assessment of the instruments’ specific terms and applicable authoritative guidance in ASC 480 and ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC 815”). The assessment considers whether the instruments are freestanding financial instruments pursuant to ASC 480, meet the definition of a liability pursuant to ASC 480, and whether the instruments meet all of the requirements for equity classification under ASC 815, including whether the instruments are indexed to the Company’s own common shares and whether the instrument holders could potentially require “net cash settlement” in a circumstance outside of the Company’s control, 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 instruments are outstanding. Upon further review of the warrant agreement, management concluded that the warrants issued pursuant to the warrant agreement qualify for equity accounting treatment.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

In August 2020, the FASB issued 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)”: Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity (“ASU 2020-06”), which simplifies accounting for convertible instruments by removing major separation models required under current GAAP. The ASU also removes certain settlement conditions that a required for equity-linked contracts to qualify for the derivative scope exception, and it simplifies the diluted earnings per share calculation in certain areas. The Company adopted ASU 2020-06 on November 6, 2023 (inception) using a modified retrospective method for transition. Adoption of the ASU did not impact the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

 

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 3 — Initial Public Offering

 

In connection with the Initial Public Offering, on February 8, 2024, the Company sold 20,125,000 Units (including 2,625,000 Units subject to the underwriters’ over-allotment option), at a purchase price of $10.00 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one ordinary share and one-half of one redeemable warrant (“Public Warrant”). Each whole Public Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one ordinary share at an exercise price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment (see Note 7).

 

F-8

 

 

Note 4 — Private Placement

 

Simultaneously with the Initial Public Offering, the Insiders and underwriters in the Initial Public Offering purchased an aggregate of 555,625 Private Units, at $10.00 per Private Unit for a total purchase price of $5,556,250. Each Private Unit consists of one ordinary share or “private share,” and one-half of one warrant or “private warrant”. The proceeds from the Private Units were added to the proceeds from the Initial Public Offering held in the Trust Account. If the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the required time period, the proceeds from the sale of the Private Units will be used to fund the redemption of the Public Shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law) and the private warrants will expire worthless. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to the private warrants.

 

Note 5 — Related Party Transactions

 

Founders Shares

 

In November 2023, the Company issued an aggregate of 5,031,250 ordinary shares (the “Founder Shares”) for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, to cover legal expenses of the Company. The Founder Shares included an aggregate of up to 656,250 shares subject to forfeiture by the holders to the extent that the over-allotment in the Initial Public Offering is not exercised in full or in part, so that the holders will collectively own 20% of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares after the Initial Public Offering (assuming the holders do not purchase any Public Shares in the Initial Public Offering and excluding the Representative Founder Shares (as defined in Note 7) and private shares). On February 6, 2024, the underwriters exercised the over-allotment option in full and accordingly none of the Founder Shares continue to be subject to forfeiture.

 

The holders of the Founder Shares have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the Founder Shares (except to certain permitted transferees) until (i) the earlier of 180 days after the completion of a Business Combination and the date on which the closing price of the ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.50 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, reorganizations and recapitalizations) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after a Business Combination and (ii) if, subsequent to a Business Combination, the Company completes a 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.

 

Administrative Service Fee

 

The Company presently occupies office space provided by an entity controlled by Crescendo Advisors II, LLC. Such entity agreed that until the Company consummates a Business Combination, it will make such office space, as well as general and administrative services including utilities and administrative support, available to the Company as may be required by the Company from time to time. The Company will agree to pay an aggregate of $20,000 per month to Crescendo Advisors II, LLC, an entity controlled by a related party for such services commencing on the effective date of the Initial Public Offering. The company incurred and paid the affiliate $15,172 as of February 8, 2024.

 

Note — Related Party

 

On November 15, 2023, Eric Rosenfeld, the Company’s Chief SPAC Officer, loaned $50,000 to the Company. The loan was evidenced by a promissory note. The note was non-interest bearing, unsecured and due at the earlier of (i) December 31, 2024, (ii) the closing of the Initial Public Offering or (iii) the date on which the Company determined not to proceed with the Initial Public Offering.

 

On December 13, 2023, Mr. Rosenfeld loaned to the Company an aggregate of $46,784.59 to cover additional expenses of the Initial Public Offering. The loan was evidenced by a promissory note. The loan was non-interest bearing, unsecured and was due at the earlier of December 31, 2024, the closing of the Initial Public Offering or the determination by the Company not to proceed with the Initial Public Offering.

 

On January 5, 2024, Mr. Rosenfeld loaned to the Company $50,000 to cover additional expenses of the Initial Public Offering. The loan was evidenced by a promissory note. The loan was non-interest bearing, unsecured and was due at the earlier of December 31, 2024, the closing of the Initial Public Offering or the determination by the Company not to proceed with the Initial Public Offering.

 

F-9

 

 

At February 8, 2024, the note balance of $146,784.59 outstanding under these promissory notes were settled and borrowings under the note are no longer available.

 

Working Capital Loans

 

In order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Initial Shareholders, the Company’s officers and directors or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds from time to time or at any time, as may be required (“Working Capital Loans”). Each Working Capital Loan would be evidenced by a promissory note. The Working Capital Loans would either be paid upon consummation of a Business Combination, without interest. In the event that a Business Combination does not close, the Company may use a portion of the proceeds held outside the Trust Account to repay the Working Capital Loans, but no proceeds held in the Trust Account would be used to repay the Working Capital Loans. As of February 8, 2024, no Working Capital Loans were outstanding.

 

Note 6 — Commitments and Contingencies

 

Registration Rights

 

The holders of the Founder Shares, Representative Founder Shares and the Private Units and any units that may be issued in payment of Working Capital Loans made to Company are entitled to registration rights pursuant to an agreement signed on the effective date of the Initial Public Offering. The holders of a majority of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands that the Company register such securities. The holders of the majority of the Founder Shares can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time commencing three months prior to the date on which the transfer restrictions applicable to these ordinary shares cease. The holders of a majority of the Representative Shares, Private Units and units issued in payment of Working Capital Loans (or underlying securities) can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time after the Company consummates a business combination. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, the underwriters may only make a demand on one occasion and only during the five-year period beginning on the effective date of the Proposed Public Offering. In addition, the holders have certain “piggyback” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the consummation of a Business Combination; provided, however, that the underwriters may participate in a “piggyback” registration only during the seven-year period beginning on the effective date of the Proposed Public Offering. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.

 

Underwriting Agreement

 

The Company granted the underwriters a 45-day option from the date of Initial Public Offering to purchase up to 2,625,000 additional Units to cover over-allotments, if any, at the Initial Public Offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions. The underwriters exercised the over-allotment option in full on February 6, 2024.

 

The underwriters were paid a cash underwriting discount of 2.00% of the gross proceeds of the Initial Public Offering, or $4,025,000 upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering.

 

BTIG will also be entitled to a deferred underwriting commission of up to 3.5% of the gross proceeds of the Proposed Offering, or up to $7,043,750. The deferred underwriting commission will be placed in the Trust Account upon consummation of the Proposed Public Offering and will be released to BTIG only on completion of an initial Business Combination. The deferred commissions will be payable as follows: $0.10 per share sold in the Proposed Public Offering shall be paid to BTIG in cash on the closing of the Business Combination, (ii) up to $0.15 per share sold in the Proposed Public Offering shall be paid to BTIG in cash, based on the percentage of funds remaining in the Trust Account after redemptions of public shares and (iii) $0.10 per share sold in the Proposed Public Offering shall be paid to BTIG in cash or shares (valued at $10.00 per share), at the Company’s sole option (the “Allocable Amount”), provided that the Company has the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to reallocate any portion of the Allocable Amount to third parties not participating in the Proposed Public Offering (but who are members of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) that assist the Company in consummating the initial Business Combination.

 

The underwriters have agreed to make a payment to the Company in an amount equal to $1,509,375 to reimburse the Company for certain expenses in connection with the Initial Public Offering and for expenses to be incurred by the Company following the Initial Public Offering as a public company.

 

F-10

 

 

Note 7 — Shareholders’ Equity

 

Preference Shares

 

The Company is authorized to issue 1,000,000 preference shares with a par value of $0.0001 per share with such designation, rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Company’s board of directors. As of February 8, 2024, there are no preference shares issued or outstanding.

 

Ordinary Shares

 

The Company is authorized to issue 200,000,000 ordinary shares with a par value of $0.0001 per share. As of February 8, 2024, there were 5,031,250 Founder Shares issued and outstanding, 87,500 Representative Founder Shares issued and outstanding and 17,500,000 Public Shares issued and outstanding.

 

All of the Founder Shares will be subject to transfer restrictions until the earlier of 180 days after the date of the consummation of an initial Business Combination and the date on which the closing price of the ordinary shares exceeds $12.50 per share for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period following the consummation of an initial Business Combination, or earlier if, subsequent to the Company’s initial 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.

 

Representative Founder Shares

 

The Company has issued to the designees of BTIG 87,500 ordinary shares (the “Representative Founder Shares”) for a nominal consideration. The Company accounted for the Representative Founder Shares as an offering cost of the Initial Public Offering, with a corresponding credit to shareholders’ equity. The Company estimated the fair value of Representative Founder Shares to be $500 based upon the price of the Founder Shares issued to the holders of such shares. The holders of the Representative Founder Shares have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any such shares until the completion of a Business Combination. In addition, the holders have agreed (i) to waive their redemption rights with respect to such shares in connection with the completion of a Business Combination and (ii) to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to such shares if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period.

 

The Representative Founder Shares have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to a lock-up for a period of 180 days immediately following the effective date of the registration statement related to the Proposed Offering pursuant to Rule 5110(e)(1) of FINRA’s NASD Conduct Rules. Pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1), these securities will not be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of the securities by any person for a period of 180 days immediately following the effective date of the registration statement related to the Proposed Public Offering, nor may they be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated for a period of 180 days immediately following the effective date of the registration statement related to the Proposed Public Offering except to any underwriter and selected dealer participating in the Proposed Public Offering and their bona fide officers or partners.

 

Warrants

 

As of February 8, 2024 the Company had 10,062,500 Public Warrants and 277,813 Private Placement Warrants outstanding. The Public Warrants and Private Placement Warrants are identical except as described below. Warrants may only be exercised for a whole number of shares. No fractional Warrants will be issued upon separation of the Units and only whole Warrants will trade. The Warrants will become exercisable 30 days after the completion of a Business Combination; provided that the Company has an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available and such shares are registered, qualified or exempt from registration under the securities, or blue sky, laws of the state of residence of the holder (or the Company permits holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis under the circumstances specified in the warrant agreement). The Company agreed that as soon as practicable after the closing of a Business Combination, the Company will use its best efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement covering the issuance of the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants, and use its best efforts to cause the same to become effective as soon as possible and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement and a current prospectus relating to those shares until the Warrants expire or are redeemed.

 

F-11

 

 

The Warrants have an exercise price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustments, and will expire five years after the completion of a Business Combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation. In addition, if (x) the Company issues additional shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of the initial Business Combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per share (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by the Company’s board of directors, and in the case of any such issuance to the Company’s initial shareholders or their affiliates, without taking into account any founders’ shares held by them 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 initial Business Combination on the date of the completion of the initial Business Combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of the 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.

 

The Private Placement Warrants are identical to the Public Warrants underlying the Units sold in the Initial Public Offering, except that the Private Placement Warrants will not be transferable, assignable or salable until after the completion of a Business Combination, subject to certain limited exceptions.

 

Redemption of Warrants: Once the Warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the outstanding warrants:

 

  - in whole and not in part;
     
  - at a price of $0.01 per warrant;
     
  - upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption to each warrant holder; and
     
  - if, and only if, the last reported sale price of the ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted) for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading day period commencing once the Warrants become exercisable and 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 ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants is effective and a current prospectus relating to those of shares is available throughout the 30-day redemption period or the Company has elected to require the exercise of the warrants on a “cashless basis”.

 

Note 8 — Public Warrant Measurements

 

The public warrants were valued using a Black Scholes Model. The public warrants have been classified within shareholders’ deficit and will not require remeasurement after issuance. The following table presents the quantitative information regarding market assumptions used in the valuation of the public warrants:

 

   February 8,
2024
 
Market price of public stock  $9.935 
Term (years)   3.25 
Risk-free rate   4.198%
Volatility   2.22%

 

Note 9 — Subsequent Events

 

The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date up to the date that the financial statement was issued. The Company did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statement.

 

F-12