UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): January 20, 2021

AUTHENTIC EQUITY ACQUISITION CORP.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(646) 374-0919
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation to the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 or in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

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. ☐

On January 20, 2021, Authentic Equity Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) consummated its initial public offering (the “IPO”) of 23,000,000 units (the “Units”), including the exercise in full of the underwriters’ option to purchase an additional 3,000,000 Units at the IPO price to cover over-allotments. Each Unit consists of one Class A ordinary share, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Class A Ordinary Shares”), and one-half of one redeemable warrant. The Units were sold at a price of $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds to the Company of $230,000,000. Substantially concurrently with the consummation of the IPO, the Company (a) consummated a private placement with Authentic Equity Sponsor LLC of 6,600,000 private placement warrants, each exercisable to purchase one Class A Ordinary Share, subject to adjustment (the “Private Placement”), generating gross proceeds to the Company of $5,775,500, and (b) pursuant to that certain Forward Purchase Agreement, dated January 14, 2021 (the “Forward Purchase Agreement”), sold to General Electric Pension Trust (“GEPT”) for $824,500 certain rights to purchase a specified number of the Company’s units, with each unit consisting of one Class A Ordinary Share and 0.425 of one warrant to purchase one Class A Ordinary Share at $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment, for a purchase price of $10.00 per unit, private placement warrants and Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company. The net proceeds from the IPO and certain of the proceeds from the Private Placement, $230,000,000 in the aggregate, were placed in a trust account established for the benefit of the Company’s public shareholders and the underwriters of the IPO with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee.

Except for the withdrawal of interest income (if any) to pay our income taxes, if any, none of the funds held in trust will be released from the trust account until the earliest of: (i) the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of the IPO, subject to applicable law, and (iii) the redemption of our public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A Ordinary Shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of the IPO or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A Ordinary Shares.

An audited balance sheet as of January 20, 2021 reflecting receipt of the gross proceeds from the IPO, including the over-allotment option, the Private Placement and the Forward Purchase Agreement, has been issued by the Company and is included as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

Dated: January 26, 2021

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