Attached files

file filename
EX-32.1 - EX-32.1 - Tastemaker Acquisition Corp.d71699dex321.htm
EX-31.3 - EX-31.3 - Tastemaker Acquisition Corp.d71699dex313.htm
EX-31.2 - EX-31.2 - Tastemaker Acquisition Corp.d71699dex312.htm
EX-31.1 - EX-31.1 - Tastemaker Acquisition Corp.d71699dex311.htm
EX-4.5 - EX-4.5 - Tastemaker Acquisition Corp.d71699dex45.htm
Table of Contents

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 10-K

 

 

 

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020

 

TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from         , 20        , to         , 20        .

Commission File Number 001-39858

 

 

Tastemaker Acquisition Corp.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   85-2478126
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
  (I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

501 Madison Avenue, Floor 12

New York, NY

  10019
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

(212) 616-9600

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

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

 

Title of each class

  

Trading
Symbol(s)

  

Name of each exchange
on which registered

Units, each consisting of one share of Class A common stock and one-half of one redeemable warrant    TMKRU    The Nasdaq Capital Market
Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share    TMKR    The Nasdaq Capital Market
Redeemable warrants    TMKRW    The Nasdaq Capital Market


Table of Contents

Securities registered pursuant to section 12(g) of the Act:

N/A

(Title of class)

N/A

(Title of class)

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.    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

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 (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

 

Large accelerated filer      Accelerated filer  
Non-accelerated filer      Smaller reporting company  
     Emerging growth company  

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

As of June 30, 2020, which would be the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, the registrant was not yet formed and its securities were not publicly traded. The registrant’s units began trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market on January 8, 2021 and the registrant’s Class A common stock and warrants began trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market on March 1, 2021.

As of March 24, 2021, there were 27,600,000 shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the registrant issued and outstanding. As of March 24, 2021, there were 6,900,000 shares of Class B common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, of the registrant issued and outstanding.

 

 

 


Table of Contents

Table of Contents

 

     Page  
Part I   

Item 1.

   Business      1  

Item 1A.

   Risk Factors      19  

Item 1B.

   Unresolved Staff Comments      20  

Item 2.

   Properties      20  

Item 3.

   Legal Proceedings      20  

Item 4.

   Mine Safety Disclosures      21  
Part II       

Item 5.

   Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities      22  

Item 6.

   Reserved      23  

Item 7.

   Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations      23  

Item 7A.

   Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk      27  

Item 8.

   Financial Statements and Supplementary Data      27  

Item 9.

   Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure      27  

Item 9A.

   Controls and Procedures      27  

Item 9B.

   Other Information      28  
Part III       

Item 10.

   Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance      29  

Item 11.

   Executive Compensation      34  

Item 12.

   Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters      35  

Item 13.

   Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence      37  

Item 14.

   Principal Accountant Fees and Services      40  

Item 15.

   Exhibit and Financial Statement Schedules      42  

Item 16.

   Form 10-K Summary      42  

 

1


Table of Contents

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

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

The forward-looking statements contained in this annual report are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following risks, uncertainties and other factors:

 

   

our ability to select an appropriate target business or businesses;

 

   

our ability to complete our initial business combination;

 

   

our expectations around the performance of the prospective target business or businesses;

 

   

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

 

   

our officers and directors allocating their time to other businesses and potentially having conflicts of interest with our business or in approving our initial business combination;

 

   

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

 

   

our pool of prospective target businesses;

 

   

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

 

   

our public securities’ potential liquidity and trading;

 

   

the lack of a market for our securities;

 

   

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

 

   

the trust account not being subject to claims of third parties; or

 

   

our financial performance.

For the complete list of risks relating to our operations, see the section titled “Risk Factors” contained in our prospectus dated January 7, 2021.

Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

Unless otherwise stated in this annual report, or the context otherwise requires, references to:

 

   

“anchor investor” are to a qualified institutional buyer who purchased Units in the IPO and membership interest in our sponsor pursuant to the letter agreement attached as Exhibit 10.1;

 

2


Table of Contents
   

“anchor founder shares” are to the founder shares purchased by the anchor investor;

 

   

“anchor warrants” are to the private placement warrants purchased by the anchor investor;

 

   

“common stock” are to our Class A common stock and our Class B common stock, collectively;

 

   

“company,” “our,” “we” or “us” are to Tastemaker Acquisition Corp.;

 

   

“equity-linked securities” are to any securities of our company that are convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, common stock of our company;

 

   

“Extension Period” refers to any extended time that the company has to consummate a business combination beyond 24 months as a result of a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation;

 

   

“founder shares” are to shares of our Class B common stock purchased by our sponsor in a private placement prior to our initial public offering and the shares of our Class A common stock issued upon the conversion thereof as described herein;

 

   

“Haymaker I” are to Haymaker Acquisition Corp.;

 

   

“Haymaker II” are to Haymaker Acquisition Corp. II;

 

   

“Haymaker III” are to Haymaker Acquisition Corp. III;

 

   

“initial stockholders” are to holders of our founder shares prior to our initial public offering;

 

   

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

 

   

“private placement warrants” are to the warrants issued to our sponsor in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of our initial public offering;

 

   

“public shares” are to shares of our Class A common stock sold as part of the units in our initial public offering (whether they were purchased in our initial public offering or thereafter in the open market);

 

   

“public stockholders” are to the holders of our public shares, including our initial stockholders and members of our management team to the extent our initial stockholders and/or members of our management team purchase public shares, provided that each initial stockholder’s and member of our management team’s status as a “public stockholder” shall only exist with respect to such public shares;

 

   

“public warrants” are to (1) our redeemable warrants sold as part of the units in our initial public offering (whether they were purchased in our initial public offering or thereafter in the open market) and (2) any private placement warrants or warrants issued upon conversion of working capital loans that are sold to third parties that are not initial purchasers or permitted transferees following the consummation of our initial business combination;

 

   

“specified future issuance” are to an issuance of a class of equity or equity-linked securities to certain purchasers, which may include affiliates of our management team, that we may determine to make in connection with financing our initial business combination;

 

   

“sponsor” are to Tastemaker Sponsor LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and an affiliate of certain members of our management team;

 

   

“warrants” are to our redeemable warrants, which includes the public warrants as well as the private placement warrants; and

 

   

“we,” “us,” “our,” “company,” or “our company” are to Tastemaker Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation.

 

3


Table of Contents

PART I

 

ITEM 1.

BUSINESS

Overview

We are an early stage blank check company incorporated as a Delaware corporation and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this annual report as our initial business combination. We have generated no operating revenues to date and we will not generate operating revenues until we consummate our initial business combination. While we may pursue an initial business combination target in any stage of its corporate evolution or in any industry, sector or geographic location, we are focusing our search in the restaurant, hospitality, and related technology and services sectors (the “Target Sectors”).

We intend to source initial business combination opportunities through our management team’s extensive network of restaurant, hospitality and related technology and service business owners, public and private company executives and board members, investment bankers, private equity and debt investors, high net worth families and their advisors, commercial bankers, attorneys, management consultants, accountants and other transaction intermediaries. We believe this approach, as well as our management team’s recognized track record of completing acquisitions across a variety of subsectors within the restaurant, hospitality and related technology and service sectors will provide meaningful opportunities to drive value creation for stockholders.

Our directors have significant experience with acquisitions, divestitures and corporate strategy and implementation, as well as the public markets, which we believe will meaningfully benefit us as we evaluate potential initial business combinations, as well as after completing an initial business combination, to the extent they remain on our board of directors following the completion of our initial business combination.

Our management team

Our management team, led by co-Chief Executive Officers Dave Pace and Andy Pforzheimer, with Greg Golkin as President and Chris Bradley as Chief Financial Officer, bring a unique combination of executive, operating, investing, financial and transactional experience across the Target Sectors. Messrs. Pace and Pforzheimer are highly experienced restaurant executives and operators, with strong track records driving growth and shareholder value with several of the nation’s leading brands. Messrs. Golkin and Bradley have extensive mergers and acquisitions, public and private capital markets, transaction structuring and strategy consulting experience. Mr. Bradley also has specific experience with special purpose acquisition companies as Chief Financial Officer of Haymaker I, Haymaker II, Haymaker III and AF Acquisition Corp.

We believe that our access to and affiliation with our independent directors represents a distinct competitive advantage, and that they provide extensive experience in business and financial matters. Companies and investment firms with a member of our management team in an executive, partner or board role have completed over 100 merger and acquisition, capital markets and private investing transactions since 2010.

Market opportunity

In 2019, the restaurant industry in the United States generated $864 billion in revenue from over one million locations employing 15 million people and is projected to grow to $1.2 trillion in revenue in 2030, representing a 5.7% compounded annual growth rate over the 60-year period between 1970 and 2030, according to the National Restaurant Association. Industry-wide revenue increased 46% from 2010 to 2019, and away-from-home eating represented 51% of “food dollars” in 2019, compared to 25% in the 1950s. However, the growth is not spread equally across the industry. Consumers are demanding convenience, experiences and higher quality options to replace the restaurant chains that have been a pillar of the industry for decades. Many of the large scale “legacy” chains, which built and defined the category, have seen a loss of market share to the new guard of restauranteurs who are embracing new consumer mindsets. It is our belief that this intersection of a massive industry with quickly shifting dynamics provides a ripe sector for investment.

 

1


Table of Contents

Technology is a major driver and supporter of these shifting dynamics, and we believe it will provide further acquisition opportunities for us to evaluate. Data, software and hardware have all become integral to creating competitive advantages in the restaurant and hospitality sectors, a trend members of our team have been watching for over a decade. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated these ongoing behavioral changes. Digital restaurant orders increased 138% in May 2020 compared to May 2019, with 48% of customers in May 2020 being new to digital ordering, according to NPD Group. However, delivery is only a small piece of the technology shift we believe is occurring in the restaurant industry. A few other high growth verticals include deep data analytics, automation and robotics, enhanced customer relationship management, advanced sensors, supply line blockchains, and the emerging application of voice technology in creating back-of-house efficiencies and improvements in guest experience.

In addition to opportunities created by new technologies, the pandemic has created volatility and opportunity in restaurant brands themselves, as well as the service providers supporting them. Some growth companies that were generating significant cash flow, as recently as early 2020, must now evaluate strategic alternatives due to the carrying costs of their businesses or covenants related to their debt financing. While we believe that brands built with pickup, delivery or drive thru concepts likely have faster short-term growth curves, there are also compelling brands in traditional dining categories that have capitalized, in recent years, on new trends in plant-based diets, casual bar-based dining and restaurant-as-experience. Some of these innovative brands are ready to enter the public markets but may be facing headwinds in their larger category. We believe that certain brands that navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic will be in a stronger competitive position in the future. We expect that, due to near-term external forces in the industry, real estate prices (the largest fixed cost in restaurants) will decrease, the labor market will loosen, and competition will be diminished. Given these dynamics, we believe now is the ideal time to seek out an acquisition, and our team is uniquely qualified to execute upon this opportunity.

Business strategy

Our acquisition and value creation strategy is to identify, acquire and, after our initial business combination, continue to build and expand a growth-oriented company in the Target Sectors that complements the experience of our management team and can benefit from our operational, finance and capital markets experience. Our business combination strategy will leverage the network of our management team for proprietary and other transaction sources where we believe a combination of our relationships, knowledge and experience could effect a positive transformation and expansion of existing businesses to significantly drive shareholder value.

We plan to utilize the networks and industry experience of the members of our management team and their affiliates in seeking an initial business combination and employing our business combination strategy. Over the course of their careers, the members of our management team and their affiliates have developed a broad network of contacts and corporate relationships that we believe will serve as a useful source of acquisition opportunities.

This network has been developed through us having:

 

   

extensive experience in both operating and investing in public and private companies in the Target Sectors;

 

   

track records in marketing and growing companies through driving profitable revenue and unit growth, optimizing unit economics, employing omni-channel business models, leveraging franchising, increasing brand awareness and customer engagement, and deploying technology;

 

   

longstanding relationships with a wide variety of potential sellers, including founders, financial sponsors and management teams of potential target companies; and

 

   

experience in sourcing, structuring, acquiring, operating, developing, growing, financing and selling businesses under varying economic and financial market conditions.

We expect these networks will provide our management team with a robust flow of acquisition opportunities. In addition, we anticipate that target business candidates will be brought to our attention from

 

2


Table of Contents

various unaffiliated sources, which may include investment market participants, private equity groups, investment banking firms, consultants, accounting firms and large business enterprises.

In addition, drawing on their extensive investing and operating experiences, our leadership and overall team anticipates tapping four major sources of deal flow:

 

   

directly identifying attractive growth-oriented companies and potentially undervalued opportunities through primary research into industries and companies;

 

   

receiving information from our relationships and contacts about potentially attractive situations;

 

   

contact from securities broker-dealers’ research, sales, trading or investment banking department offering or identifying businesses seeking a combination or added value that matches our strengths; or

 

   

inbound opportunities from a company or existing stakeholders seeking a combination, including sales, mergers and corporate divestitures.

Our acquisition criteria

Consistent with this strategy, we have identified the following general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses. We will use these criteria and guidelines in evaluating acquisition opportunities, but we may decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet these criteria and guidelines. We intend to acquire companies that we believe:

 

   

have strong and differentiated brands, strong unit economics and market share, exceptional management teams and significant growth prospects;

 

   

would benefit from our extensive networks and insights within the Target Sectors, and leverage our transaction and capital markets expertise;

 

   

are fundamentally sound companies that may benefit from capital and public company catalysts, or that may be currently underperforming their potential for various reasons and offer a compelling value;

 

   

can benefit from a strategic partnership with our management team to achieve long-term strategic success and operational excellence;

 

   

exhibit unrecognized value or other characteristics, desirable returns on capital, and a need for capital or recapitalization to achieve the given company’s growth strategy;

 

   

will offer an attractive risk-adjusted return for our shareholders; and

 

   

will have an expected enterprise value, at the time of our initial business combination, of approximately $400 million to $1 billion.

These criteria and guidelines are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular business combination may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general criteria and guidelines as well as other considerations, factors and criteria that our management may deem relevant. In the event that we decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet the above criteria and guidelines, we will disclose that the target business does not meet the above criteria and guidelines in our stockholder communications related to our initial business combination, which would be in the form of proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents that we would file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC.

Our acquisition process

In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review which may encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, inspection of facilities, as well as a review of financial and other information that will be made available to us. We will also utilize our operational and capital allocation experience.

 

3


Table of Contents

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

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

We currently do not have any specific transaction under consideration with a target business with which to consummate our initial business combination.

Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entities. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such opportunity to such entity. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability complete our business combination. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue.

Other than Messrs. Bradley and Heyer, our officers and independent directors have agreed not to become officers or directors of any other special purpose acquisition company with a class of securities registered or intended to be registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, until we have entered into a definitive agreement regarding our initial business combination or we have failed to complete our initial business combination by September 12, 2023. Messrs. Bradley and Heyer may become officers or directors of another special purpose acquisition company with a class of securities intended to be registered under the Exchange Act, even before we have entered into a definitive agreement regarding our initial business combination.

Initial business combination

Nasdaq rules require that we must complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the interest earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. The fair market value of our initial business combination will be determined by our board of directors based upon one or more standards generally accepted by the financial community, such as discounted cash flow valuation, a valuation based on trading multiples of comparable public businesses or a valuation based on the financial metrics of M&A transactions of comparable businesses. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of our initial business combination, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. While we consider it unlikely that our board of directors will not be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of a target’s assets or prospects. Additionally, pursuant to Nasdaq rules, any initial business combination must be approved by a majority of our independent directors.

 

4


Table of Contents

We do not intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination. Subject to this requirement, our management will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting one or more prospective target businesses, although we will not be permitted to effectuate our initial business combination with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations. We anticipate structuring our initial business combination either (i) in such a way so that the post-transaction company in which our public stockholders own shares will own or acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses, or (ii) in such a way so that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or stockholders. However, we will only complete an initial business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or the “Investment Company Act”. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our stockholders prior to the initial business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the initial business combination. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our stockholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be taken into account for purposes of Nasdaq’s 80% fair market value test. If the initial business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% fair market value test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the transactions and we will treat the target businesses together as the initial business combination for purposes of a tender offer or for seeking stockholder approval, as applicable.

Status as a public company

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

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

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive

 

5


Table of Contents

compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.

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

We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of our initial public offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period.

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

Financial position

As of December 31, 2020, the Company had $18,716 in cash and a work capital deficiency of $254,640. On January 12, 2021, the Company closed its initial public offering. As of March 22, 2021, the Company has $268,410,000 held in the trust account and $1,330,447 held outside the trust account available for a business combination (assuming no redemptions, after payment of up to $10,350,000 of deferred underwriting fees, and before fees and expenses associated with our initial business combination). As such, we offer a target business a variety of options such as creating a liquidity event for its owners, providing capital for the potential growth and expansion of its operations or strengthening its balance sheet by reducing its debt or leverage ratio. Because we are able to complete our initial business combination using our cash, debt or equity securities, or a combination of the foregoing, we have the flexibility to use the most efficient combination that will allow us to tailor the consideration to be paid to the target business to fit its needs and desires. However, we have not taken any steps to secure third-party financing and there can be no assurance it will be available to us.

Effecting our initial business combination

We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any operations until we consummate our initial business combination. We intend to complete our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, our capital stock, debt or a combination of these as the consideration to be paid in our initial business combination. We may seek to complete our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, which would subject us to the numerous risks inherent in such companies and businesses.

If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination or used for redemptions of our Class A common stock, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction company, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other assets, companies or for working capital.

 

6


Table of Contents

We may seek to raise additional funds through a private offering of debt or equity in connection with the completion of our initial business combination (which may include a specified future issuance), and we may complete our initial business combination using the proceeds of such offering or loans rather than using the amounts held in the trust account.

In the case of an initial business combination funded with assets other than the trust account assets, our tender offer documents or proxy materials disclosing the business combination would disclose the terms of the financing and, only if required by applicable law or we decide to do so for business or other reasons, we would seek stockholder approval of such financing. There are no prohibitions on our ability to raise funds privately, including pursuant to any specified future issuance, or through loans in connection with our initial business combination.

The time required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete our initial business combination, and the costs associated with this process, are not currently ascertainable with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of a prospective target business with which our business combination is not ultimately completed will result in our incurring losses and will reduce the funds we can use to complete another business combination.

Sources of target businesses

We expect to receive a number of proprietary transaction opportunities to originate as a result of the business relationships, direct outreach, and deal sourcing activities of our management team. In addition to the proprietary deal flow, we anticipate that target business candidates will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment banking firms, consultants, accounting firms, private equity groups, large business enterprises, and other market participants. These sources may also introduce us to target businesses in which they think we may be interested on an unsolicited basis, since many of these sources will have read this annual report and know what types of businesses we are targeting. Our management team, as well as some of their affiliates, may also bring to our attention target business candidates that they become aware of through their business contacts as a result of formal or informal inquiries or discussions they may have, as well as attending trade shows or conventions. Some of our officers and directors may enter into employment or consulting agreements with the post-transaction company following our initial business combination. The presence or absence of any such fees or arrangements will not be used as a criterion in our selection process of an acquisition candidate. In no event will our sponsor or any of our existing officers or directors, or any entity with which they are affiliated, be paid any finder’s fee, consulting fee or other compensation prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the completion of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). We may pay such financial consulting fee in the event such party or parties provide us with specific target company, industry, financial or market expertise, as well as insights, relationships, services or resources that we believe are necessary in order to assess, negotiate and consummate an initial business combination. The amount of any such financial consulting fee we pay will be based upon the prevailing market for similar services for comparable transactions at such time, and will be subject to the review of our audit committee pursuant to the audit committee’s policies and procedures relating to transactions that may present conflicts of interest.

We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a business combination target that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors or making the acquisition through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a business combination target that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context. If any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity that falls within the line of business of any entity to which he or she has pre-existing fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she may be required to present such business combination opportunity to such entity prior to presenting such business combination opportunity to us. Any such entity may co-invest with us in the target business at the time of our initial business combination, or we could raise additional proceeds to complete the acquisition by making a specified future issuance to any such entity.

 

7


Table of Contents

Lack of business diversification

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

 

   

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

 

   

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

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

Limited ability to evaluate the target’s management team

Although we closely scrutinize the management of a prospective target business when evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial business combination with that business, our assessment of the target business’ management may not prove to be correct. In addition, the future management may not have the necessary skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company. Furthermore, the future role of members of our management team, if any, in the target business cannot presently be stated with any certainty. While it is possible that one or more of our directors will remain associated in some capacity with us following our initial business combination, it is presently unknown if any of them will devote their full efforts to our affairs subsequent to our business combination. Moreover, we cannot assure you that members of our management team will have significant experience or knowledge relating to the operations of the particular target business. The determination as to whether any members of our management team will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial business combination.

Following our initial business combination, to the extent that we deem it necessary, we may seek to recruit additional managers to supplement the incumbent management team of the target business. We cannot assure you that we will have the ability to recruit additional managers, or that additional managers will have the requisite skills, knowledge or experience necessary to enhance the incumbent management.

 

8


Table of Contents

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

We may conduct redemptions without a stockholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC. However, we will seek stockholder approval if it is required by applicable law or stock exchange rule, or we may decide to seek stockholder approval for business or other reasons. Presented in the table below is a graphic explanation of the types of initial business combinations we may consider and whether stockholder approval is currently required under Delaware law for each such transaction.

 

Type of Transaction

   Whether
Stockholder
Approval is
Required

Purchase of assets

   No

Purchase of stock of target not involving a merger with the company

   No

Merger of target into a subsidiary of the company

   No

Merger of the company with a target

   Yes

Under Nasdaq’s listing rules, stockholder approval would be required for our initial business combination if, for example:

 

   

we issue shares of Class A common stock that will be equal to or in excess of 20% of the number of shares of our Class A common stock then outstanding;

 

   

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

 

   

the issuance or potential issuance of common stock will result in our undergoing a change of control.

The decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed business combination in those instances in which stockholder approval is not required by applicable law or stock exchange rules will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on business and legal reasons, which include a variety of factors, including, but not limited to:

 

   

the timing of the transaction, including in the event we determine stockholder approval would require additional time and there is either not enough time to seek stockholder approval or doing so would place the company at a disadvantage in the transaction or result in other additional burdens on the company;

 

   

the expected cost of holding a stockholder vote;

 

   

the risk that the stockholders would fail to approve the proposed business combination;

 

   

other time and budget constraints of the company; and

 

   

additional legal complexities of a proposed business combination that would be time-consuming and burdensome to present to stockholders.

Permitted purchases of, and other transactions with respect to, our securities

In the event we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, officers or their affiliates may purchase public shares or public warrants or a combination thereof in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. There is no limit on the number of securities such persons may purchase subject to compliance with applicable law and Nasdaq rules. Additionally, at any time at or prior to our initial business combination, subject to applicable securities laws (including with respect to material nonpublic information), our

 

9


Table of Contents

sponsor, directors, officers or their affiliates may enter into transactions with investors and others to provide them with incentives to acquire public shares, vote their public shares in favor of our initial business combination or not redeem their public shares. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such purchases or other transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such purchases or other transactions. None of the funds held in the trust account will be used to purchase public shares or warrants in such transactions. Such persons will be subject to restrictions in making any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. Such a purchase may include a contractual acknowledgement that such stockholder, although still the record holder of our shares, is no longer the beneficial owner thereof and therefore agrees not to exercise its redemption rights. We have adopted an insider trading policy which requires insiders to refrain from purchasing our securities during certain blackout periods and when they are in possession of any material non-public information and to clear all trades with our legal counsel prior to execution. We cannot currently determine whether our insiders will make such purchases pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan, as such purchases will be dependent upon several factors, including, but not limited to, the timing and size of such purchases. Depending on such circumstances, our insiders may either make such purchases pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan or determine that such a plan is not necessary.

In the event that our sponsor, directors, officers or their affiliates purchase public shares in privately negotiated transactions from public stockholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights or submitted a proxy to vote against our initial business combination, such selling stockholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares and any proxy to vote against our initial business combination. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will be required to comply with such rules.

The purpose of any such transaction could be to (i) vote such shares in favor of the initial business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the initial business combination, (ii) reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or to vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrant holders for approval in connection with our initial business combination or (iii) satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. Any such transactions may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible.

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

Our sponsor, officers, directors and/or their affiliates anticipate that they may identify the stockholders with whom our sponsor, officers, directors or their affiliates may pursue privately negotiated transactions by either the stockholders contacting us directly or by our receipt of redemption requests submitted by stockholders (in the case of public shares) following our mailing of proxy materials in connection with our initial business combination. To the extent that our sponsor, officers, directors or their affiliates enter into a private transaction, they would identify and contact only potential selling or redeeming stockholders who have expressed their election to redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the trust account or vote against our initial business combination. Our sponsor, officers, directors or their affiliates will be restricted from purchasing shares if such purchases comply with Regulation M under the Exchange Act and the other federal securities laws.

Any purchases by our sponsor, officers, directors and/or their affiliates who are affiliated purchasers under Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act will be restricted unless such purchases are made in compliance with Rule 10b-18, which is a safe harbor from liability for manipulation under Section 9(a)(2) and Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. Rule 10b-18 has certain technical requirements that must be complied with in order for the safe harbor to be available to the purchaser. Our sponsor, officers, directors and/or their affiliates will be restricted from making purchases of common stock if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act.

 

10


Table of Contents

Redemption rights for public stockholders upon completion of our initial business combination

We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of Class A common stock upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, net of taxes payable, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account, as of March 22, 2021, was $10.10 per public share. The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. The redemption rights will include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our initial business combination with respect to our warrants. Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination.

Manner of conducting redemptions

We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of Class A common stock upon the completion of our initial business combination either (i) in connection with a stockholder meeting called to approve the initial business combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed initial business combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would require us to seek stockholder approval under the law or stock exchange listing requirement. Under Nasdaq rules, asset acquisitions and stock purchases would not typically require stockholder approval while direct mergers with our company where we do not survive and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our outstanding common stock or seek to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation would require stockholder approval. If we structure an initial business combination with a target company in a manner that requires stockholder approval, we will not have discretion as to whether to seek a stockholder vote to approve the proposed initial business combination. We may conduct redemptions without a stockholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC unless stockholder approval is required by law or stock exchange listing requirements or we choose to seek stockholder approval for business or other legal reasons. So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, we will be required to comply with such rules.

If a stockholder vote is not required and we do not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation:

 

   

conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers, and

 

   

file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies.

Upon the public announcement of our initial business combination, we and our sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase shares of our Class A common stock in the open market if we elect to redeem our public shares through a tender offer, to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act.

In the event that we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on public stockholders not tendering more than a specified number of public

 

11


Table of Contents

shares which are not purchased by our sponsor, which number will be based on the requirement that we will only redeem our public shares so long as (after such redemption) our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are do not then become subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. If public stockholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete the initial business combination, and instead may search for an alternate business combination.

If, however, stockholder approval of the transaction is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement, or we decide to obtain stockholder approval for business or other reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation:

 

   

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

 

   

file proxy materials with the SEC.

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

If we seek stockholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted by the stockholders at a duly held stockholders meeting are voted to approve the business combination. A quorum for such meeting will consist of the holders present in person or by proxy of shares of outstanding capital stock of the Company representing a majority of the voting power of all outstanding shares of capital stock of the company entitled to vote at such meeting. Our sponsor, officers and directors will count toward this quorum and have agreed to vote any founder shares and any public shares held by them in favor of our initial business combination. For purposes of seeking approval of the majority of our outstanding shares of common stock voted, non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial business combination once a quorum is obtained. As a result, in addition to their founder shares, we would need 10,350,001, or 37.5 % (assuming all outstanding shares are voted), or 1,725,001, or 6.25% (assuming only the minimum number of shares representing a quorum are voted), of the 27,600,000 public shares sold in our initial public offering to be voted in favor of a transaction in order to have our initial business combination approved (in each case assuming the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised). In the event that our anchor investor votes its 7.2% of the public shares sold in the initial public offering in favor of an initial business combination, we would need only 8,370,001 or 30.3% of the 27,600,000 public shares sold in our initial public offering (assuming all outstanding shares are voted) to be voted in favor of a transaction in order to have our initial business combination approved. We would not need any additional public shares to be voted in favor of our initial business combination to have our initial business combination approved if the minimum number of shares representing a quorum are voted. The anchor investor’s interest in the anchor founder shares and anchor warrants may provide an incentive to vote its shares in favor of our initial business combination. We intend to give approximately 30 days (but not less than 10 days nor more than 60 days) prior written notice of any such meeting, if required, at which a vote shall be taken to approve our initial business combination. These quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreements of our sponsor, officers and directors, may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination. Each public stockholder may elect to redeem its public shares without voting, and if they do vote, irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we will only redeem our public shares so long as (after such redemption) our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are do not then become subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business

 

12


Table of Contents

combination. If public stockholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete the initial business combination, and instead may search for an alternate business combination. For example, the proposed business combination may require: (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash to be transferred to the target for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions in accordance with the terms of the proposed business combination. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all shares of Class A common stock that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the business combination or redeem any shares, and all shares of Class A common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and instead may search for an alternate business combination.

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

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in our initial public offering, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares,” without our prior consent. We believe this restriction will discourage stockholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to exercise their redemption rights against a proposed business combination as a means to force us or our management to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public stockholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in our initial public offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us or our management at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our stockholders’ ability to redeem to no more than 15% of the shares sold in our initial public offering, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of stockholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our initial business combination, particularly in connection with a business combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. However, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation does not restrict our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination.

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

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

There is a nominal cost associated with the above-referenced tendering process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC System. The transfer agent will typically charge the tendering

 

13


Table of Contents

broker a fee of approximately $80.00 and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the redeeming holder. However, this fee would be incurred regardless of whether or not we require holders seeking to exercise redemption rights to tender their shares. The need to deliver shares is a requirement of exercising redemption rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated.

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

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

If our initial proposed business combination is not completed, we may continue to try to complete a different business combination until January 12, 2023 or during any Extension Period.

Redemption of public shares and liquidation if no initial business combination

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we will have until January 12, 2023 to complete our initial business combination. If we have not completed our initial business combination by January 12, 2023 or during any Extension Period, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, net of taxes payable (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time period.

Our sponsor, officers and directors have waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination by January 12, 2023. However, if our sponsor, officers or directors acquire public shares after our initial public offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within such time period.

Our sponsor, officers, and directors have agreed, pursuant to a letter agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not completed our initial business combination prior to January 12, 2023 or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by January 12, 2023, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares of Class A common stock upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the

 

14


Table of Contents

aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares.

However, we will only redeem our public shares so long as (after such redemption) our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are do not then become subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. If public stockholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete the initial business combination, and instead may search for an alternate business combination.

We expect to use the amounts held outside the trust account ($1,330,447 as of March 22, 2021) to pay for all costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, as well as payments to any creditors, if we do not complete an initial business combination prior to January 12, 2023, although we cannot assure you that there will be sufficient funds for such purpose. However, if those funds are not sufficient to cover the costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, to the extent that there is any interest accrued in the trust account not required to pay taxes on interest income earned on the trust account balance, we may request the trustee to release to us an additional amount of up to $100,000 of such accrued interest to pay those costs and expenses.

If we were to expend all of the net proceeds of our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, other than the proceeds deposited in the trust account, and without taking into account interest, if any, earned on the trust account and any tax payments or expenses for the dissolution of the trust, the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders upon our dissolution would be $10.10. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could, however, become subject to the claims of our creditors which would have higher priority than the claims of our public stockholders. We cannot assure you that the actual per-share redemption amount received by stockholders will not be substantially less than $10.10. Under Section 281(b) of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or DGCL, our plan of dissolution must provide for all claims against us to be paid in full or make provision for payments to be made in full, as applicable, if there are sufficient assets. These claims must be paid or provided for before we make any distribution of our remaining assets to our stockholders. While we intend to pay such amounts, if any, we cannot assure you that we will have funds sufficient to pay or provide for all creditors’ claims.

Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest and claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public stockholders, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements or even if they execute such agreements that they would be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account including but not limited to fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain an advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management will perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will only enter into an agreement with a third party that has not executed a waiver if management believes that such third party’s engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative. Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third-party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where management is unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. Marcum LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm will not execute agreements with us waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, nor will the underwriters of our initial public offering.

In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the

 

15


Table of Contents

extent any claims by a third party (except for the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm) for services rendered or products sold to us, or by a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below (i) $10.10 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes. This liability will not apply with respect to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of our initial public offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, then our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. We have not independently verified whether our sponsor, which is a newly formed entity, has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the trust account, the funds available for our initial business combination and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.10 per public share. In such event, we may not be able to complete our initial business combination, and you would receive such lesser amount per public share in connection with any redemption of your public shares. None of our officers will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.

In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below (i) $10.10 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, due to reductions in value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its indemnification obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so if, for example, the cost of such legal action is deemed by the independent directors to be too high relative to the amount recoverable or if the independent directors determine that a favorable outcome is not likely. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations and we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that due to claims of creditors the actual value of the per-share redemption price will not be less than $10.10 per public share.

We will seek to reduce the possibility that our sponsor will have to indemnify the trust account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the trust account. Our sponsor will also not be liable as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of our initial public offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. We may have access to use the amounts held outside the trust account ($1,330,447 as of March 22, 2021) to pay any such potential claims but these amounts may be spend on expenses incurred as a result of being a public company or due diligence expenses on prospective business combination candidates. In the event that we liquidate and it is subsequently determined that the reserve for claims and liabilities is insufficient, stockholders who received funds from our trust account could be liable for claims made by creditors.

Under the DGCL, stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against a corporation to the extent of distributions received by them in a dissolution. The pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination within the required time period may be considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law. If the corporation complies with certain procedures set forth in Section 280 of the DGCL intended to ensure that it makes reasonable provision for all claims against it, including a 60-day notice period during which any third-party claims can be brought against the corporation, a 90-day period during which the corporation may reject any claims brought, and an additional 150-day waiting period before any liquidating

 

16


Table of Contents

distributions are made to stockholders, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution is limited to the lesser of such stockholder’s pro rata share of the claim or the amount distributed to the stockholder, and any liability of the stockholder would be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution.

Furthermore, if the pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination within the required time period, is not considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law and such redemption distribution is deemed to be unlawful, then pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL, the statute of limitations for claims of creditors could then be six years after the unlawful redemption distribution, instead of three years, as in the case of a liquidating distribution. If we have not completed our initial business combination within such time period or during any Extension Period, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, net of taxes payable (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Accordingly, it is our intention to redeem our public shares as soon as reasonably possible following the end of our acquisition period and, therefore, we do not intend to comply with those procedures. As such, our stockholders could potentially be liable for any claims to the extent of distributions received by them (but no more) and any liability of our stockholders may extend well beyond the third anniversary of such date.

Because we will not be complying with Section 280, Section 281(b) of the DGCL requires us to adopt a plan, based on facts known to us at such time that will provide for our payment of all existing and pending claims or claims that may be potentially brought against us within the subsequent 10 years. However, because we are a blank check company, rather than an operating company, and our operations will be limited to searching for prospective target businesses to acquire, the only likely claims to arise would be from our vendors (such as lawyers, investment bankers, etc.) or prospective target businesses. As described above, pursuant to the obligation contained in our underwriting agreement, we will seek to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account. As a result of this obligation, the claims that could be made against us are significantly limited and the likelihood that any claim that would result in any liability extending to the trust account is remote. Further, our sponsor may be liable only to the extent necessary to ensure that the amounts in the trust account are not reduced below (i) $10.10 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, due to reductions in value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest withdrawn to pay taxes. This liability will not apply with respect to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of our initial public offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. In the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims.

If we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy law, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our stockholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, we cannot assure you we will be able to return $10.10 per share to our public stockholders. Additionally, if we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by stockholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy laws as either a “preferential transfer” or a “fraudulent conveyance.” As a result, a bankruptcy court could seek to recover some or all amounts received by our stockholders. Furthermore, our board of directors may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our

 

17


Table of Contents

creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, thereby exposing itself and our company to claims of punitive damages, by paying public stockholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors. We cannot assure you that claims will not be brought against us for these reasons.

Our public stockholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only on the earliest of (a) the completion of our initial business combination and then, only in connection with those public shares that such stockholder has properly elected to redeem, subject to certain limitations, (b) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (i) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by January 12, 2023 or (ii) with respect to any other provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity and (c) the redemption of our public shares if we have not completed our business combination prior to January 12, 2023, subject to applicable law. Stockholders who do not exercise their rights to the funds in connection with an amendment to our certificate of incorporation would still have rights to the funds in connection with a subsequent business combination. In no other circumstances will a stockholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account. In the event we seek stockholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, a stockholder’s voting in connection with the business combination alone will not result in a stockholder’s redeeming its shares to us for an applicable pro rata share of the trust account. Such stockholder must have also exercised its redemption rights as described above. Holders of warrants will not have any rights of proceeds held in the trust account with respect to the warrants.

Competition

We expect to encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including private investors (which may be individuals or investment partnerships), other blank check companies and other entities, domestic and international, competing for the types of businesses we intend to acquire. Many of these individuals and entities are well-established and have extensive experience in identifying and effecting, directly or indirectly, acquisitions of companies operating in or providing services to various industries. Many of these competitors possess greater technical, human and other resources or more local industry knowledge than we do and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. While we believe there are numerous target businesses we could potentially acquire with the net proceeds of our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, our ability to compete with respect to the acquisition of certain target businesses that are sizable will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent competitive limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of certain target businesses.

Employees

We have five officers. These individuals are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters but they intend to devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time they will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the stage of the initial business combination process we are in. We do not intend to have any full time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination.

Periodic reporting and financial information

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

We will provide stockholders with audited financial statements of the prospective target business as part of the tender offer materials or proxy solicitation materials sent to stockholders to assist them in assessing the target business. In all likelihood, these financial statements will need to be prepared in accordance with GAAP and the

 

18


Table of Contents

historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with PCAOB standards. We cannot assure you that any particular target business selected by us as a potential acquisition candidate will have financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP and PCAOB standards or that the potential target business will be able to prepare its financial statements in accordance with GAAP and PCAOB standards. To the extent that this requirement cannot be met, we may not be able to acquire the proposed target business. While this may limit the pool of potential business combination candidates, we do not believe that this limitation will be material.

We will be required to evaluate our internal control procedures for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021 as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer, and no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, will we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirements on our internal control over financial reporting. A target business may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of their internal controls. The development of the internal controls of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such acquisition.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

As a smaller reporting company, we are not required to include risk factors in this annual report. However, below is a partial list of material risks, uncertainties and other factors that could have a material effect on the Company and its operations:

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

   

Our sponsor contributed $25,000, or approximately $0.004 per founder share, and, accordingly, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution from the purchase of our Class A common stock.

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

19


Table of Contents
   

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

 

   

We may not be able to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate, in which case our public stockholders may only receive $10.10 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire worthless.

 

   

If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, directors, officers or their affiliates may enter into certain transactions, including purchasing shares or warrants from the public, which may influence the outcome of a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our securities.

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

   

As the number of special purpose acquisition companies evaluating targets increases, attractive targets may become scarcer and there may be more competition for attractive targets. This could increase the cost of our initial business combination and could even result in our inability to find a target or to consummate an initial business combination.

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

   

Because of our limited resources and the significant competition for business combination opportunities, it may be more difficult for us to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.10 per share on our redemption of our public shares, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire worthless.

For the complete list of risks relating to our operations, see the section titled “Risk Factors” contained in our prospectus dated January 7, 2021.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

We currently maintain our executive offices at 501 Madison Avenue, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10022. Our executive offices are provided to us by our sponsor. Commencing on January 7, 2021, we have agreed to pay our sponsor a total of $10,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

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

 

20


Table of Contents

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

 

21


Table of Contents

PART II

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Market Information

Our units, Class A common stock and warrants are each traded on NASDAQ under the symbols “TMKRU,” “TMKR” and “TMKRW,” respectively. Our units commenced public trading on January 8, 2021, and our Class A common stock and warrants commenced separate public trading on March 1, 2021.

Holders

On March 24, 2021, there was 1 holder of record of our units, 1 holders of record of our Class A common stock, 1 holder of record of our Class B common stock and 2 holders of record of our warrants.

Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans

None.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

On January 12, 2021, simultaneous with the consummation of our initial public offering and the full exercise of the over-allotment option, we consummated the private placement of an aggregate of 8,700,000 private placement warrants to the sponsor at a price of $1.00 per private placement warrant, generating total proceeds of $8,700,000. The issuance was made pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.

The private placement warrants are identical to the warrants underlying the units sold in the initial public offering, except that the private placement warrants are not transferable, assignable or salable until after the completion of an initial business combination, subject to certain limited exceptions.

Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers

None.

Use of Proceeds from the Initial Public Offering

On January 12, 2021, the Company consummated its initial public offering (the “IPO”) of 27,600,000 units (the “Units”), including 3,600,000 Units issued pursuant to the exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option in full. Each Unit consists of one share of Class A common stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share (“Class A Common Stock”), and one-half of one redeemable warrant of the Company (“Warrant”), with each whole Warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one share of Class A Common Stock for $11.50 per share. The Units were sold at a price of $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds to the Company of $276,000,000.

A total of $276,000,000 of the proceeds from the IPO (which amount includes $10,350,000 of the underwriters’ deferred discount) and the sale of the Private Placement Warrants, was placed in a U.S.-based trust account at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee. The proceeds held in the trust account may be invested by the trustee only in U.S. government securities with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in U.S. government treasury obligations and meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

Substantially concurrently with the closing of the initial public offering, we consummated the private placement to our sponsor of 8,700,000 private placement warrants, at a price of $1.00 per private placement warrant, generating gross proceeds of $8.7 million.

 

22


Table of Contents

In connection with the initial public offering, we incurred offering costs of approximately $16.3 million (including deferred underwriting commissions of approximately $10.4 million). Other incurred offering costs consisted principally of preparation fees related to the initial public offering. After deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions (excluding the deferred portion, which amount will be payable upon consummation of the initial business combination, if consummated) and the initial public offering expenses, $278.8 million of the net proceeds from our initial public offering and certain of the proceeds from the private placement of the private placement warrants (or $10.00 per unit sold in the initial public offering) was placed in the trust account and is invested as described elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

There has been no material change in the planned use of the proceeds from the initial public offering and private placement as is described in our final prospectus related to the initial public offering. For a description of the planned use of the proceeds generated from the initial public offering and private placement, see “Item 1. Business”.

ITEM 6. RESERVED

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this annual 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 annual report, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend” and similar 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. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors detailed in our filings with the SEC.

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and the notes thereto contained elsewhere in this annual report. Certain information contained in the discussion and analysis set forth below includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties.

Overview

We are a newly organized blank check company incorporated as a Delaware corporation and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. We have not selected any specific business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. We intend to complete our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, our capital stock, debt or a combination of cash, stock and debt.

The issuance of additional shares of our stock in a business combination:

 

   

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

 

   

may subordinate the rights of holders of common stock if preferred stock is issued with rights senior to those afforded our common stock;

 

   

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

 

23


Table of Contents
   

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

 

   

may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our units, Class A common stock and/or warrants; and

 

   

may not result in adjustment to the exercise price of our warrants.

Similarly, if we issue debt securities or otherwise incur significant debt to bank or other lenders or owners of a target, it could result in:

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

   

our inability to pay dividends on our common stock;

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

   

limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, and execution of our strategy; and

 

   

other disadvantages compared to our competitors who have less debt.

As indicated in the accompanying financial statements as of December 31, 2020, we had deferred offering costs of $201,284. Further, we expect to continue to incur significant costs in the pursuit of our acquisition plans. We cannot assure you that our plans to raise capital or to complete our initial business combination will be successful.

Results of operations and known trends or future events

We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenues to date. Our only activities since inception have been organizational activities and those necessary to prepare for the IPO. We do not expect any operating revenues until after completion of our initial business combination. We will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on cash and cash equivalents after the IPO. We expect to incur increased expenses as a result of being a public company (for legal, financial reporting, accounting and auditing compliance), as well as for due diligence expenses. We expect our expenses to increase substantially after the closing of the IPO.

Liquidity and capital resources

Our liquidity needs have been satisfied prior to the completion of the initial public offering through a capital contribution from our sponsor of $25,000 and a loan to us of up to $300,000 by our sponsor under an

 

24


Table of Contents

unsecured promissory note. As of December 31, 2020, we have drawn down $195,000 under the unsecured promissory note. The promissory note was paid in full on January 12, 2021.

As of December 31, 2020, the Company had $18,716 in cash and a working capital deficiency of $254,640.

On January 12, 2021, we consummated the IPO of 27,600,000 Units at $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $276.0 million. Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, we consummated the sale of 8,700,000 Private Placement Warrants, at a purchase price of $1.00 per Private Placement Warrant, generating gross proceeds of approximately $8.7 million. Following the closing of the IPO, $276.0 million of the net proceeds of the sale of the Units and the Private Placement Warrants were placed in a trust account with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company. As of March 22, 2021, $1,330,447 was held outside the trust account. As a result, we believe we have sufficient cash to support our operations for at least one year from the issuance of these financial statements.

We intend to use substantially all of the funds held in the trust account, including any amounts representing interest earned on the trust account (less amounts released to us for taxes payable and deferred underwriting commissions) to complete our initial business combination. We may withdraw interest to pay taxes. We estimate our annual franchise tax obligations, based on the number of shares of our common stock authorized and outstanding after the completion of this offering, to be $200,000, which is the maximum amount of annual franchise taxes payable by us as a Delaware corporation per annum. Our annual income tax obligations will depend on the amount of interest and other income earned on the amounts held in the trust account. To the extent that our capital stock 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.

In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants, at a price of $1.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants. The terms of such loans by our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.

We do not believe we will need to raise additional funds following this offering in order to meet the expenditures required for operating our business and we believe that we have sufficient cash to fund operations from one year from this issuance of these financial statements. 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 business combination. Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing either to complete our business combination or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon completion of our business combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such business combination, which may include a specified future issuance. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account. In addition, following our initial business combination, if cash on hand is insufficient, we may need to obtain additional financing in order to meet our obligations.

 

25


Table of Contents

Off-balance sheet arrangements; commitments and contractual obligations

As of December 31, 2020, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements.

Other than the Sponsor loan in the amount of $195,000 which was repaid in full on January 12, 2021, we do not have any long-term debt, capital lease obligations, operating lease obligations or long-term liabilities as of December 31, 2020.

The underwriters are entitled to deferred fee of 3.75% of the gross proceeds of the IPO, or $10,350,000 million. The deferred fee will become payable to the underwriters from the amounts held in the trust account solely in the event that we complete our initial business combination.

COVID-19

In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus was reported to have surfaced in Wuhan, China, which has and is continuing to spread throughout China and other parts of the world, including the United States. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern.” On January 31, 2020, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II declared a public health emergency for the United States to aid the U.S. healthcare community in responding to COVID-19, and on March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization characterized the outbreak as a “pandemic”. The COVID-19 outbreak has adversely affected, and other events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases) that could adversely affect, the economies and financial markets worldwide, and the business of any potential target business with which we seek to consummate, or consummate, a business combination could be materially and adversely affected.

Furthermore, we may be unable to complete a business combination if continued concerns relating to COVID-19 continues to restrict travel, limit the ability to have meetings with potential investors or the target company’s personnel, vendors and services providers are unavailable to negotiate and consummate a transaction in a timely manner. The extent to which COVID-19 impacts our search for a business combination will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of COVID-19 and the actions to contain COVID-19 or treat its impact, among others. If the disruptions posed by COVID-19 or other events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases) continue for an extensive period of time, our ability to consummate a business combination, or the operations of a target business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination, may be materially adversely affected.

In addition, our ability to consummate a transaction may be dependent on the ability to raise equity and debt financing which may be impacted by COVID-19 and other events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases), including as a result of increased market volatility, decreased market liquidity in third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to us or at all.

Critical Accounting Policies

The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and income and expenses during the periods reported. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates.

Recent accounting standards

Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting pronouncements would have a material effect on our financial statements.

 

26


Table of Contents

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

Through December 31, 2020, our efforts have been limited to organizational activities, activities relating to our initial public offering and since the initial public offering, the search for a target business with which to consummate an initial business combination. We have engaged in limited operations and have not generated any revenues. We have not engaged in any hedging activities since our inception on August 10, 2020. We do not expect to engage in any hedging activities with respect to the market risk to which we are exposed.

As of December 31, 2020, we were not subject to any market or interest rate risk. The net proceeds of our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account have been invested in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Due to the short-term nature of these investments, we believe there will be no associated material exposure to interest rate risk.

 

ITEM 8.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

This information appears following Item 15 of this Report and is included herein by reference.

ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

None.

ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Disclosure controls are procedures that are designed with the objective of ensuring that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed under the Exchange Act, such as this annual report, is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time period specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls are also designed with the objective of ensuring that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including the chief executive officer and chief financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Our management evaluated, with the participation of our current chief executive officer and chief financial officer (our “Certifying Officers”), the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2020, pursuant to Rule 13a-15(b) under the Exchange Act. Based upon that evaluation, our Certifying Officers concluded that, as of December 31, 2020, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective.

We do not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures will prevent all errors and all instances of fraud. Disclosure controls and procedures, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the disclosure controls and procedures are met. Further, the design of disclosure controls and procedures must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all disclosure controls and procedures, no evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures can provide absolute assurance that we have detected all our control deficiencies and instances of fraud, if any. The design of disclosure controls and procedures also is based partly on certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions.

Management’s Report on Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting

This annual report does not include a report of management’s assessment regarding internal control over financial reporting or an attestation report of our independent registered public accounting firm due to a transition period established by the rules of the SEC for newly public companies.

 

27


Table of Contents

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Not applicable.

ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION

None.

 

28


Table of Contents

PART III

ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Officers and Directors

As of the date of this annual report, our officers and directors are as follows:

 

Name

   Age       

Title

David Pace

     61        Co-Chief Executive Officer and Director

Andrew Pforzheimer

     59        Co-Chief Executive Officer and Director

Gregory Golkin

     36        President and Director

Christopher Bradley

     43        Chief Financial Officer and Secretary

Daniel Fleischmann

     32        Chief Strategy Officer

Hal Rosser

     71        Director

Rick Federico

     66        Director

Starlette Johnson

     57        Director

Andrew Heyer

     63        Director

The experience of our directors and executive officers are as follows:

Dave Pace, our co-Chief Executive Officer and a Director, is a tenured restaurant executive and investor, with over 30 years of public company management experience spanning upscale, casual, fast casual and quick-service restaurant dining. Mr. Pace has served on the Board of Directors of casual dining chain, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers (NASDAQ: RRGB), since August 2019 and was named Board Chairman in November 2019. Previously, Mr. Pace served as President and CEO of Jamba, Inc. (NASDAQ: JMBA) from March 2016 to September 2018, after having served as a board member since 2012. During his tenure with Jamba, Mr. Pace led a turnaround that saw the completion of the company’s refranchising strategy and return to profitability, ultimately resulting in a sale to Roark Capital Group-owned Focus Brands, Inc. Prior to Jamba, Mr. Pace served in a variety of executive roles at Bloomin’ Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLMN), the most recent of which was President of Carrabba’s Italian Grill from 2014 to 2016. During his tenure at Bloomin’ Brands, Mr. Pace also served as Executive Vice President and Chief Resource Officer from 2010 to 2014, where he had responsibility for leading the company’s Real Estate & Restaurant Development and Human Resources teams, and oversaw the Fine Dining group. Earlier in his career, Mr. Pace held various management roles at Starbucks Corporation, Yum! Brands and PepsiCo. Mr. Pace received a B.S. from Cornell University. Mr. Pace is well qualified to serve on our board of directors because of his extensive management history and experience in identifying, investing in and building businesses in the restaurant and hospitality industries.

Andy Pforzheimer, our co-Chief Executive Officer and a Director, is a decorated restaurant executive and entrepreneur with over 40 years of experience with growth brands. Mr. Pforzheimer is the co-founder of the highly successful Barcelona and Bartaco brands, of which he was CEO for 22 years from 1996 to 2018. He led several private equity growth rounds before selling the brands to Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group (NYSE: DFRG) for $325 million in June 2018. Mr. Pforzheimer currently serves as an Independent Director and operating advisor for restaurant growth brands owned by L Catterton, Brentwood Associates and Rosser Capital Partners, and as a mentor to emerging-brand CEOs nationally. He is also a Director on the board of US Foods Holding Corp. (NYSE: USFD), the second-largest foodservice distributor in the world, Lead Director at Wisely, Inc., a restaurant technology company serving leading fast casual and full-service restaurant chains across the country, and a Director of Upward Projects, Hickory Tavern Restaurants, and Barcelona Restaurants LLC. Mr. Pforzheimer earned a B.A. from Harvard University. Mr. Pforzheimer is well qualified to serve on our board of directors because of his extensive executive, entrepreneurial and investment experience in the restaurant and restaurant technology industries.

Greg Golkin, our President and a Director, has been the Managing Partner at Kitchen Fund, a leading investor in growth restaurant brands, since 2016. At Kitchen Fund, Mr. Golkin leads a team in identifying

 

29


Table of Contents

investment opportunities, completing due diligence and closing transactions in segment-defining restaurant brands and hospitality technology. Kitchen Fund has completed 14 investments to date across two funds. Previously, Mr. Golkin founded Thinkbinder in 2011, an education technology business focused on distance learning and communication. As CEO, he successfully grew the business and sold the company to Echo360, a global leader in the space, where he then served as Head of Innovation from 2013 to 2016. Prior to Thinkbinder and Echo360, Mr. Golkin was an investor at Maverick Capital, where he covered small cap public market consumer businesses, with a focus on the shifting preferences in the food sector, and an investment banker on the Technology, Media and Telecom team at Goldman Sachs & Co. Mr. Golkin received a B.S. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. Mr. Golkin is well qualified to serve on our board of directors because of his extensive business, M&A, capital markets and investment experience in the food, retail, and technology industries.

Chris Bradley, our Chief Financial Officer, is a Managing Director at Mistral Equity Partners, where he has been since 2008. Mr. Bradley brings over 20 years of experience identifying acquisition candidates, due diligence experience including accounting and financial modeling acumen, and a background in deal structuring. He currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of AF Acquisition Corp., a blank check company that completed its $224 million initial public offering on March 23, 2021, and Haymaker III, a blank check company that completed its $317.5 million initial public offering on March 4, 2021. From 2019 until its business combination in December of 2020, Mr. Bradley served as the Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of Haymaker II. From 2017 until its business combination in March 2019, he was an officer of Haymaker I. In 2016, Mr. Bradley co-founded and has since served as a member of the board of directors of The Beacon Consumer Incubator Fund, a venture capital fund that invests in consumer technology companies. Mr. Bradley has also previously served on the board of directors of Creminelli Fine Meats, LLC, a privately held premium-priced charcuterie wholesaler, from 2016 to January 2020, The Lovesac Company, Inc. (NASDAQ: LOVE) from 2010 to 2018, Country Pure Foods from 2010 to 2014, Bout Time Wine LLC from 2014 to 2015 and Xpress Spa Group, Inc from 2012 to 2014. Mr. Bradley has also guided Mistral portfolio companies in an operational role and, through Mistral, served on the board of Jamba, Inc. (NASDAQ: JMBA) from 2009 to 2013. Prior to Mistral, Mr. Bradley served as an investment banker at Banc of America Securities from 2005 to 2006, a Manager in Burger King’s strategy group in 2004, and a Manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers management consulting practice from 1999 to 2004. Mr. Bradley earned an A.B. from the University of Chicago and an M.B.A. from The Harvard Business School.

Daniel Fleischmann, our Chief Strategy Officer, is a Vice President at Kitchen Fund, a leading investor in growth restaurant brands, since 2018. At Kitchen Fund, Mr. Fleischmann sources investment opportunities, conducts due diligence, and provides portfolio support to segment-defining restaurant brands and hospitality technology companies. Currently, Mr. Fleischmann serves on the board of Gregorys Coffee, a leading specialty coffee brand. Previously, Mr. Fleischmann was an investment banker at Moelis & Company in its M&A and Restructuring Group where he advised emerging consumer and hospitality businesses from 2017 to 2018. Prior to Moelis & Company, Mr. Fleischmann was in the Global Technology Investment Banking Group at RBC Capital Markets where he advised companies on strategic M&A and capital raise transactions from 2014 to 2017. Prior to 2014, Mr. Fleischmann was an M&A technology advisor at Ernst & Young. Mr. Fleischmann received a B.S. in Finance from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Hal Rosser, one of our directors, is the Founder and Managing Partner of Rosser Capital Partners, which was founded in 2011. Previously, Mr. Rosser was the co-founder of Bruckmann, Rosser, Sherrill & Co. LLC and served as its Managing Director from 1995 to 2010. During his 40 plus year investing career, Mr. Rosser has originated, evaluated, monitored and exited many consumer transactions, including 19 investments in the restaurant industry. Previous board positions include Au Bon Pain, Barteca Restaurant Group, Bravo Brio Restaurant Group, California Pizza Kitchen, DavCo Restaurants, Il Fornaio, Logan’s Roadhouse, McCormick & Schmick’s, Real Mex Restaurants and Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: RUTH). Mr. Rosser received his B.S. from Clarkson University and completed the Executive Development Program at

 

30


Table of Contents

Carnegie Mellon University. Mr. Rosser is well qualified to serve on our board of directors because of his extensive business and investment experience in the consumer and service industries.

Rick Federico, one of our directors, has over 40 years of experience in the restaurant sector. Mr. Federico is a member of the Board of Directors of Domino’s Pizza, Inc. (NYSE: DPZ) and RPT Realty (NYSE: RPT), a publicly-traded REIT. Previously, Mr. Federico served as the CEO or Co-CEO of P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Inc. from 1997 to 2015 and as Chairman from 1997 to 2019. Mr. Federico began his tenure at P.F. Chang’s as President in 1996, which is also when he joined the company’s Board. Prior to this, Mr. Federico served in various executive roles at Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT), including President of the Italian Concept division, which includes Macaroni Grill and Spageddies. Mr. Federico began his career in managerial positions at Steak & Ale and Bennigan’s, and co-founded Grady’s Goodtimes, which Brinker International acquired in 1989. Mr. Federico’s board experience includes Domino’s Pizza, Inc. (NYSE: DPZ), Jamba, Inc. (NASDAQ: JMBA), Prime Steak Concepts, P.F. Chang’s, and RPT Realty (NYSE: RPT). Mr. Federico received his B.A. from the University of Tennessee. Mr. Federico is well qualified to serve on our board of directors because of his extensive executive and investment experience in the restaurant industry.

Starlette Johnson is one of our directors. Ms. Johnson has served as an independent consultant to private equity funds, and to companies in the restaurant and hospitality industries since 2012 and served as the President and Director of Lucky Strike Entertainment a privately-held bowling and entertainment company from February 2019 to November 2020. In October of 2019, Ms. Johnson also joined the board of directors of privately held Jack’s Family Restaurants and serves on its Audit Committee. Additionally, in March 2021, Ms. Johnson joined the board of ARKO Corp. (NASDAQ: ARKO). Ms. Johnson brings three decades of restaurant and entertainment executive and board experience, with executive experience including President & CEO of Twin Peaks Holdings, Inc. from October 2015 to October 2016, President & COO of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: PLAY) from June 2006 to September 2010, and Executive Vice President & Chief Strategic Officer of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT) from May 1995 to November 2004. Ms. Johnson began her career in the finance department of PepsiCo’s KFC division. Ms. Johnson currently serves on the Board of Directors of Chuy’s Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: CHUY), Jack’s Family Restaurants, and a privately-held restaurant, with previous board experience including Bojangles’ Inc., Tuesday Morning Corporation (OTCPK: TUES.Q), Front Burner Restaurant Group, and Dave & Buster’s and SusieCakes, LLC. In addition, Ms. Johnson is a member of the advisory board for the Hospitality & Tourism Program at Virginia Tech and serves on the Pamplin College of Business Cabinet at Virginia Tech as well as on the Investment Committee for the Virginia Tech Foundation. Ms. Johnson received her B.S. in Finance from Virginia Tech and MBA from Duke University. Ms. Johnson is well qualified to serve on our board of directors because of her extensive managerial and operational experience in the restaurant and entertainment industries.

Andy Heyer, one of our directors, is the CEO and Founder of Mistral Equity Partners, a private equity fund that invests in the consumer industry. Mr. Heyer is a finance professional with over 40 years of experience investing in restaurants and other consumer and consumer-related products and services industries as well as a senior banker in leveraged finance during which time his clients included many large private equity firms. He has guided several public and private companies as a member of their board of directors. Mr. Heyer currently serves as President and Director of Haymaker III, which completed its $317.5 million initial public offering on March 4, 202, and as Director of AF Acquisition Corp., which completed its $224 million initial public offering on March 23, 2021. Prior to founding Mistral Equity Partners, Mr. Heyer served as a Founding Managing Partner of Trimaran Capital Partners, a $1.3 billion private equity fund. Mr. Heyer was formerly a vice chairman of CIBC World Markets Corp. and a co-head of the CIBC Argosy Merchant Banking Funds. Prior to joining CIBC World Markets Corp., Mr. Heyer was a founder and Managing Director of The Argosy Group L.P. Before Argosy, Mr. Heyer was a Managing Director at Drexel Burnham Lambert Incorporated and, previous to that, he worked at Shearson/American Express. Mr. Heyer currently serves on the board of directors of ARKO Corp. (NASDAQ: ARKO) and previously served as President of Haymaker II (NASDAQ: HYAC) until its business combination with ARKO Holdings Ltd. Mr. Heyer currently serves on the board of directors of OneSpaWorld Holdings Ltd. (NASDAQ: OSW) and previously served as Haymaker I’s President until consummation of its business combination with OneSpaWorld. He also serves on the board of The Lovesac Company (NASDAQ: LOVE) (where he serves as Chairman) as well as on the board of a private pet products company owned

 

31


Table of Contents

in part by Mistral Equity Partners, Worldwise, Inc. He also serves on the board of Accel Foods, an incubator and investor in early stage food and beverage companies. Formerly, Mr. Heyer has served on the boards of XpresSpa Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: XSPA), The Hain Celestial Group (NASDAQ: HAIN), Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS), Jamba, Inc. (NASDAQ: JMBA), El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: LOCO), and Reddy Ice Holdings, Inc. (OTC: RDDCP).

Number, Terms of Office, Actions and Election of Officers and Director

We have seven directors. Our board of directors is divided into three classes with only one class of directors being elected in each year and each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual meeting of stockholders) serving a three-year term. In accordance with Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on Nasdaq. The term of office of the first class of directors, consisting of Messrs. Rosser and Federico, will expire at our first annual meeting of stockholders. The term of office of the second class of directors, consisting of Ms. Johnson and Mr. Heyer, will expire at the second annual meeting of stockholders. The term of office of the third class of directors, consisting of Messrs. Golkin, Pace and Pforzheimer, will expire at the third annual meeting of stockholders. We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders until after we consummate our initial business combination.

Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B common stock will have the right to vote on the election of directors. Holders of our public shares will not be entitled to vote on the election of directors during such time. In addition, prior to the completion of our initial business combination, holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our Class B common stock may remove a member of the board of directors for any reason. These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may only be amended by a resolution passed by the holders of a majority of shares of our Class B common stock.

Our officers are appointed by the board of directors and serve at the discretion of the board of directors, rather than for specific terms of office. Our board of directors is authorized to appoint persons to the offices set forth in our bylaws as it deems appropriate. Our bylaws provide that our officers may consist of one or more Chairmen (or Vice Chairmen) of the Board, one or more Chief Executive Officers, a President, a Chief Financial Officer, Chief Technology Officer, Vice Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer and such other offices as may be determined by the board of directors.

Committees of the Board of Directors

Our board of directors has two standing committees: an audit committee and a compensation committee. Subject to phase-in rules and a limited exception, Nasdaq rules and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act require that the audit committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors, and Nasdaq rules require that the compensation committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors. Each committee will operate under a charter that will be approved by our board of directors and will have the composition and responsibilities described below. The charter of each committee is available on our website, tastemakeracq.com.

Audit Committee

We have established an audit committee of the board of directors. Ms. Johnson and Messrs. Federico and Rosser serve as members of our audit committee, and Ms. Johnson chairs the audit committee. Under Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have at least three members of the audit committee, all of whom must be independent. Ms. Johnson and Messrs. Federico and Rosser meet the independent director standard under Nasdaq listing standards and under Rule 10-A-3(b)(1) of the Exchange Act.

Each member of the audit committee is financially literate and our board of directors has determined that Ms. Johnson qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules.

 

32


Table of Contents

We have adopted an audit committee charter, which details the principal functions of the audit committee, including:

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

   

setting clear hiring policies for employees or former employees of the independent registered public accounting firm, including but not limited to, as required by applicable laws and regulations;

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

   

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

Compensation Committee

We have established a compensation committee of the board of directors. Messrs. Federico and Rosser serve as members of our compensation committee. Mr. Federico serves as chair of the compensation committee. Under Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have at least two members of the compensation committee, all of whom must be independent, subject to certain phase-in provisions. Messrs. Federico and Rosser meet the independent director standard under Nasdaq listing standards applicable to members of the compensation committee.

We have adopted a compensation committee charter, which details the purpose and responsibilities of the compensation committee, including:

 

   

reviewing and approving on an annual basis the corporate goals and objectives relevant to our co-Chief Executive Officers’ compensation, if any is paid by us, evaluating our co-Chief Executive Officers’ performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration (if any) of our co-Chief Executive Officers based on such evaluation;

 

   

reviewing and approving on an annual basis the compensation, if any is paid by us, of all of our other officers;

 

   

reviewing on an annual basis our executive compensation policies and plans;

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

33


Table of Contents
   

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

 

   

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

 

   

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

Notwithstanding the foregoing, as indicated above, other than the payment to our sponsor of $10,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support and reimbursement of expenses, no compensation of any kind, including finders, consulting or other similar fees, will be paid to any of our initial stockholders, officers, directors or any of their respective affiliates, prior to, or for any services they render in order to complete the consummation of our initial business combination. We may pay such financial consulting fee in the event such party or parties provide us with specific target company, industry, financial or market expertise, as well as insights, relationships, services or resources that we believe are necessary in order to assess, negotiate and consummate an initial business combination. The amount of any such financial consulting fee we pay will be based upon the prevailing market for similar services for comparable transactions at such time, and will be subject to the review of our audit committee pursuant to the audit committee’s policies and procedures relating to transactions that may present conflicts of interest. Accordingly, it is likely that prior to the consummation of an initial business combination, the compensation committee will only be responsible for the review and recommendation of any compensation arrangements to be entered into in connection with such initial business combination.

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

Director Nominations

We do not have a standing nominating committee though we intend to form a corporate governance and nominating committee as and when required to do so by law or Nasdaq rules. In accordance with Rule 5605 of the Nasdaq rules, a majority of the independent directors may recommend a director nominee for selection by the board of directors. The board of directors believes that the independent directors can satisfactorily carry out the responsibility of properly selecting or approving director nominees without the formation of a standing nominating committee. The directors who will participate in the consideration and recommendation of director nominees are Ms. Johnson and Messrs. Federico, Rosser and Heyer. In accordance with Rule 5605 of the Nasdaq rules, all such directors are independent. As there is no standing nominating committee, we do not have a nominating committee charter in place.

The board of directors will also consider director candidates recommended for nomination by our stockholders during such times as they are seeking proposed nominees to stand for election at the next annual meeting of stockholders (or, if applicable, a special meeting of stockholders). Our stockholders that wish to nominate a director for election to our board of directors should follow the procedures set forth in our bylaws.

We have not formally established any specific, minimum qualifications that must be met or skills that are necessary for directors to possess. In general, in identifying and evaluating nominees for director, the board of directors considers educational background, diversity of professional experience, knowledge of our business, integrity, professional reputation, independence, wisdom, and the ability to represent the best interests of our stockholders.

 

34


Table of Contents

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applicable to our directors, officers and employees. A copy of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics will be available for review by accessing our public filings at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. Any amendments to or waivers of certain provisions of our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics will be disclosed in a current report on Form 8-K.

ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

None of our officers or directors has received any cash compensation for services rendered to us. Other than the payment to our sponsor of $10,000 per month described elsewhere in this annual report, no compensation of any kind, including finder’s and consulting fees, will be paid by us to our sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates, for services rendered prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates.

After the completion of our initial business combination, directors or members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting or management fees from the combined company. All of these fees will be fully disclosed to stockholders, to the extent then known, in the tender offer materials or proxy solicitation materials furnished to our stockholders in connection with a proposed business combination. We have not established any limit on the amount of such fees that may be paid by the combined company to our directors or members of management. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of the proposed business combination, because the directors of the post-combination business will be responsible for determining officer and director compensation. Any compensation to be paid to our officers will be determined, or recommended to the board of directors for determination, either by a compensation committee constituted solely by independent directors or by a majority of the independent directors on our board of directors. We are not party to any agreements with our officers that provide for benefits upon termination of employment.

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

ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of March 24, 2021 by:

 

   

each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our outstanding shares of common stock;

 

   

each of our executive officers and directors that beneficially owns shares of our common stock; and

 

   

all our executive officers and directors as a group.

In the table below, percentage ownership is based on 34,500,000 shares of our common stock, consisting of (i) 27,600,000 shares of our Class A common stock, and (ii) 6,900,000 shares of our Class B common stock, issued and outstanding as of March 24, 2021. Voting power represents the combined voting power of shares of Class A common stock and shares of Class B common stock owned beneficially by such person. On all matters to be voted upon, the holders of the shares of Class A common stock and shares of Class B common stock vote together as a single class. Currently, all of the shares of Class B common stock are convertible into Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis. The table below does not include the Class A common stock underlying the private placement warrants held or to be held by our officers or sponsor because these securities are not exercisable within 60 days of this report.

 

35


Table of Contents

Unless otherwise indicated, we believe that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock beneficially owned by them.

 

Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1)

   Number of
Shares
Beneficially
Owned(2)
     Approximate
Percentage of
Outstanding
Common
Stock
 

Tastemaker Sponsor LLC (3)

     6,900,000        20.0

David Pace (3)

     6,900,000        20.0

Andrew Pforzheimer (3)

     6,900,000        20.0

Gregory Golkin (3)

     6,900,000        20.0

Christopher Bradley

     —          —    

Daniel Fleischmann

     —          —    

Hal Rosser

     —          —    

Rick Federico

     —          —    

Starlette Johnson

     —          —    

Andrew Heyer

     —          —    

All executive officers and directors as a group (nine individuals)

     6,900,000        20.0

Glazer Capital, LLC (5)

     1,980,000        5.7

 

(1)

Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each of the following entities or individuals is 501 Madison Avenue, 12th Floor, New York NY 10022.

(2)

Interests shown consist solely of founder shares, classified as shares of Class B common stock. The founder shares will convert into shares of Class A common stock at the time of our initial business combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment.

(3)

Our sponsor is the record holder of such shares. Dave Pace and Andy Pforzheimer, our co-Chief Executive Officers, and Greg Golkin, our President, are managing members of our sponsor. Consequently, Messrs. Pace, Pforzheimer and Golkin may be deemed to beneficially own the shares held by our sponsor and share voting and dispositive control over such securities. Each of Messrs. Pace, Pforzheimer and Golkin disclaims beneficial ownership of any shares other than to the extent he may have a pecuniary interest therein, directly or indirectly. Each of our other officers and directors are non-managing members of our sponsor.

(4)

Based on a Schedule 13G jointly filed with the SEC by Basso SPAC Fund LLC (“Basso SPAC”), Basso Management, LLC (“Basso Management”), Basso Capital Management, L.P. (“BCM”), Basso GP, LLC (“Basso GP”), and Howard I. Fischer on February 1, 2021 regarding shares of Class A common stock underlying units, each consisting of one share of Class A common stock and one-half of one redeemable warrant directly beneficially owned by Basso SPAC. Basso Management is the manager of Basso SPAC. BCM serves as the investment manager of Basso SPAC. Basso GP is the general partner of BCM. Mr. Fischer is the principal portfolio manager for Basso SPAC, the Chief Executive Officer and a Founding Managing Partner of BCM, and a member of each of Basso Management and Basso GP. Accordingly, each of Basso Management, BCM, Basso GP and Mr. Fischer may be deemed to indirectly beneficially own the shares reported on the Schedule 13G. The business address of each of Basso SPAC, Basso Management, BCM, Basso GP and Mr. Fischer is 1266 East Main Street, Fourth Floor, Stamford, CT 06902.

(5)

Based on a Schedule 13G jointly filed with the SEC by Glazer Capital, LLC and Paul J. Glazer on February 10, 2021. Glazer Capital, LLC. The shares reported on the Schedule 13G are held by certain funds and managed accounts to which Glazer Capital, LLC serves as investment manager. Mr. Glazer serves as the Managing Member of Glazer Capital, LLC. The business address of each of Glazer Capital, LLC and Mr. Glazer is 250 West 55th Street, Suite 30A, New York, NY 10019.

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

 

36


Table of Contents

Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants

The founder shares and private placement warrants and any shares of Class A common stock issued upon conversion or exercise thereof are subject to transfer restrictions pursuant to lock-up provisions in a letter agreement with us to be entered into by our sponsor, officers and directors. Those lock-up provisions provide that such securities are not transferable or saleable (i) in the case of the founder shares, until the earlier of (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination and (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the last reported sale price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property, and (ii) in the case of the private placement warrants, the warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans and the Class A common stock underlying such warrants, until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, except in each case (a) to our officers or directors, any affiliates or family members of any of our officers or directors, any members of our sponsor or any affiliate of the members of our sponsor, any affiliates of our sponsor or any employees of such affiliates, (b) in the case of an individual, transfers by gift to a member of the individual’s immediate family, to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of the individual’s immediate family or an affiliate of such person, or to a charitable organization; (c) in the case of an individual, transfers by virtue of laws of descent and distribution upon death of the individual; (d) in the case of an individual, transfers pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order; (e) transfers by private sales or transfers made in connection with the consummation of a business combination at prices no greater than the price at which the securities were originally purchased; (f) transfers in the event of our liquidation prior to the completion of our initial business combination; (g) transfers by virtue of the laws of the State of Delaware or our sponsor’s limited liability company agreement upon dissolution of our sponsor; or (h) to us for no value for cancellation in connection with the consummation of an initial business combination or forfeiture of founder shares by the initial stockholders for no consideration to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part; provided, however, that in the case of clauses (a) through (g) these permitted transferees must enter into a written agreement agreeing to be bound by these transfer restrictions and the other restrictions contained in the letter agreement and by the same agreements entered into by our sponsor with respect to such securities (including provisions relating to voting, the trust account and liquidation distributions).

Registration Rights

We have entered into a registration rights agreement with our sponsor with respect to the founder shares, private placement warrants, and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans and the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the foregoing and upon conversion of the founder shares. The holders of the founder shares, private placement warrants, and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans have registration rights to require us to register the sale of any of our securities held by them pursuant to a registration rights agreement signed on the effective date of our initial public offering. The holders of the majority of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form registration demands, that we register such securities for sale under the Securities Act. In addition, these holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights to include their securities in other registration statements filed subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination and rights to require us to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.

ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

In August 2020, our sponsor subscribed to purchase 5,750,000 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000. Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,000 by our sponsor, the company had no assets,

 

37


Table of Contents

tangible or intangible. On January 7, 2021, we effected a stock dividend of 1.2 shares for each share of Class B common stock outstanding, resulting in our initial stockholders holding an aggregate of 6,900,000 founder shares (up to 900,000 shares of which are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised). The number of founder shares issued was determined based on the expectation that such founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares upon completion of our initial public offering. The founder shares (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise thereof) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holder.

Our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 8,700,000 private placement warrants for a purchase price of $1.00 per warrant in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of our initial public offering. As such, our sponsor’s interest in our initial public offering is valued at $8,700,000. Each private placement warrant entitles the holder to purchase one share of our Class A common stock at $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment. The private placement warrants (including the warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans and the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of such warrants) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holder. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our founder shares or warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our business combination by January 12, 2023 or during any Extension Period.

“Our anchor investor, an unaffiliated qualified institutional buyer (who is also not affiliated with our sponsor or any member of our management team), purchased 2,980,000 units in our initial public offering. In addition, our sponsor entered into a letter agreement with the anchor investor pursuant to which the anchor investor purchased membership interests in our sponsor representing an indirect beneficial interest in 100,000 anchor founder shares and 100,000 anchor warrants for an aggregate purchase price of $200,000. The anchor founder shares and anchor warrants are the same in all material respects as the founder shares and private placement warrants held by our sponsor.

Pursuant to the letter agreement with our sponsor, the anchor investor has not been granted any material additional shareholder or other rights, and is only being issued membership interests in our sponsor with no right to control our sponsor or vote or dispose of the founder shares or private placement warrants, as applicable (which will continue to be held by our sponsor until following our initial business combination). Further, the anchor investor is not required to: (i) hold any units, shares of common stock or warrants it purchased in our initial public offering or thereafter for any amount of time, (ii) vote any shares of common stock it may beneficially own at the applicable time in favor of our business combination or (iii) refrain from exercising its right to redeem its shares of common stock included in the units purchased in our initial public offering at the time of our initial business combination. The purchases by the anchor investor of units in our initial public offering or our securities in the open market (or both) could potentially allow such investor to assert influence over our company, including with respect to our initial business combination. Additionally, as a result of the anchor founder shares and anchor warrants that the anchor investor may hold (directly or indirectly), it may have different interests with respect to a vote on an initial business combination than other public shareholders.

No assurances can be given as to the amount of our securities the anchor investor may retain or purchase following our initial public offering at any time prior to or upon the consummation of our initial business combination. In the event that the anchor investor votes our securities in favor of our initial business combination, a smaller portion of affirmative votes from the public shareholders would be required to approve our initial business combination.

If any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity that falls within the line of business of any entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such opportunity to such entity. Our officers and directors currently have certain relevant fiduciary duties or contractual obligations to other entities that may take priority over their duties to us.

 

38


Table of Contents

Other than the payment to our sponsor of $10,000 per month described below, no compensation of any kind, including finder’s and consulting fees, will be paid by us to our sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates, for services rendered prior to or in connection with the completion of an initial business combination. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, officers, directors or our or their affiliates and will determine which expenses and the amount of expenses that will be reimbursed. There is no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by such persons in connection with activities on our behalf.

Commencing on January 7, 2021, we have agreed to pay our sponsor a total of $10,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.

Prior to the closing of our initial public offering, our sponsor agreed to loan us up to $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of our initial public offering. This loan was non-interest bearing, unsecured and was due at the earlier of March 31, 2021 and the closing of our initial public offering. The value of our sponsor’s interest in this transaction corresponds to the principal amount outstanding under any such loan. As of December 31, 2020, $195,000 was outstanding under the note. The loan was repaid upon the closing of our initial public offering out of the offering proceeds not held in the trust account.

In addition, in order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. In the event that the initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants, at a price of $1.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants. The terms of such loans by our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.

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

Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive (i) their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not completed our initial business combination by January 12, 2023, or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity and (iii) their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination by January 12, 2023 or during any Extension Period, although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame. If we submit our initial

 

39


Table of Contents

business combination to our public stockholders for a vote, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted by the stockholders at a duly held stockholders meeting are voted to approve the initial business combination.

We have entered into a registration rights agreement with respect to the founder shares, private placement warrants, and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans (and their respective component securities) and the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the foregoing and upon conversion of the founder shares.

Related Person Transaction Policy

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

We have adopted a written policy relating to the approval of related person transactions. A “related person transaction” is a transaction or arrangement or series of transactions or arrangements in which we participate (whether or not we are a party) and a related person has a direct or indirect material interest in such transaction. Our audit committee will review and approve or ratify all relationships and related person transactions between us and (i) our directors or executive officers, (ii) any 5% record or beneficial owner of our common stock or (iii) any immediate family member of any person specified in (i) and (ii) above. The audit committee will review all related person transactions and, where the audit committee determines that such transactions are in our best interests, approve such transactions in advance of such transaction being given effect.

In the course of its review and approval or ratification of a related party transaction, the audit committee will, in its judgment, consider in light of the relevant facts and circumstances whether the transaction is, or is not inconsistent with, our best interests, including consideration of various factors enumerated in the policy.

Any member of the audit committee who is a related person with respect to a transaction under review will not be permitted to participate in the discussions or approval or ratification of the transaction. Our policy also includes certain exceptions for transactions that need not be reported and provides the audit committee with the discretion to pre-approve certain transactions.

Director Independence

Nasdaq listing standards require that a majority of our board of directors be independent. An “independent director” is defined generally as a person other than an officer or employee of the company or its subsidiaries or any other individual having a relationship which in the opinion of the company’s board of directors, would interfere with the director’s exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. Our board of directors has determined that Hal Rosser, Rick Federico, Starlette Johnson and Andy Heyer are “independent directors” as defined in Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules. Our independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.

ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES

The following is a summary of fees paid or to be paid to Marcum LLP, or Marcum, for services rendered.

 

     Year Ended
December 31, 2020
 

Audit Fees

   $ 57,500  

Audit Related Fees

   $    

Tax Fees

   $    

All Other Fees

   $    

Total

   $ 57,500  

 

40


Table of Contents

We were formed in August 2020, and therefore did not incur any such fees in 2019.

Audit Fees. Audit fees consist of fees billed for professional services rendered for the audit of our year-end financial statements and services that are normally provided by Marcum in connection with regulatory filings. The above amounts include interim procedures and audit fees, as well as attendance at audit committee meetings.

Audit-Related Fees. Audit-related services consist of fees billed for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to performance of the audit or review of our financial statements and are not reported under “Audit Fees.” These services include attest services that are not required by statute or regulation and consultations concerning financial accounting and reporting standards.

Tax Fees. Tax fees consist of fees billed for tax planning services and tax advice for the period from August 10, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020.

All Other Fees. We did not pay Marcum for other services for the period from August 10, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020.

Pre-Approval Policy

Our audit committee was formed upon the consummation of our initial public offering. As a result, the audit committee did not pre-approve all of the foregoing services, although any services rendered prior to the formation of our audit committee were approved by our board of directors. Since the formation of our audit committee, and on a going-forward basis, the audit committee has and will pre-approve all auditing services and permitted non-audit services to be performed for us by our auditors, including the fees and terms thereof (subject to the de minimis exceptions for non-audit services described in the Exchange Act which are approved by the audit committee prior to the completion of the audit).

 

41


Table of Contents

PART IV

ITEM 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

 

(a)

The following documents are filed as part of this report:

 

(1)

Financial Statements

[To be added by printer].

 

(2)

Financial Statements Schedules

All financial statements schedules are omitted because they are not applicable or the amounts are immaterial and not required, or the required information is presented in the financial statements and notes thereto beginning on page F-1 of this annual report.

 

(3)

Exhibits

We hereby file as part of this annual report the exhibits listed in the attached Exhibit Index. Exhibits which are incorporated herein by reference are available on the SEC website at www.sec.gov.

ITEM 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY

Not applicable.

 

42


Table of Contents

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit

  

Description

3.1

   Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 13, 2021).

3.2

   By Laws (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.3 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-249278) filed with the SEC on October 2, 2020).

4.1

   Specimen Unit Certificate (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Amendment No.  1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-249278) filed with the SEC on October 15, 2020).

4.2

   Specimen Class A Common Stock Certificate (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to Amendment No.  1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-249278) filed with the SEC on October 15, 2020).

4.3

   Specimen Warrant Certificate (included in Exhibit 4.4).

4.4

   Warrant Agreement dated January 7, 2021 by and between Continental Stock Transfer  & Trust Company, LLC and the Registrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 13, 2021).

4.5*

   Description of Registered Securities.

10.1

   Letter Agreement dated January  7, 2021 by and among the Registrant and its officers, directors and the Sponsor (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form  8-K filed with the SEC on January 13, 2021).

10.2

   Promissory Note, dated August 10, 2020, issued to the Sponsor (incorporated by reference to Exhibit  10.1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-249278) filed with the SEC on October 2, 2020).

10.3

   Investment Management Trust Agreement dated January 7, 2021 by and between Continental Stock Transfer  & Trust Company, LLC and the Registrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 13, 2021).

10.4

   Registration Rights Agreement dated January  7, 2021 by and between the Registrant and the Sponsor (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 13, 2021).

10.5

   Securities Subscription Agreement, dated August  10, 2020, between the Registrant and the Sponsor (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No.  333-249278) filed with the SEC on October 15, 2020).

10.6

   Private Placement Warrants Purchase Agreement dated January  7, 2021 between the Registrant and the Sponsor (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 13, 2021).

10.7

   Form of Indemnity Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to Amendment No.  1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-249278) filed with the SEC on October 15, 2020).

10.8

   Administrative Support Agreement dated January  7, 2021 by and between the Registrant and the Sponsor (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 13, 2021).

14

   Code of Ethics (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 14.1 to Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-249278) filed with the SEC on October 15, 2020).

 

43


Table of Contents

Exhibit

  

Description

 

31.1*

  

 

Certification of Co-Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

31.2*    Certification of Co-Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section  302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
31.3*    Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.1**    Certification by the Co-Chief Executive Officers and Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section  906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
99.1    Form of Agreement by and between the Anchor Investor and Tastemaker Sponsor, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.7 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-249278) filed with the SEC on January 6, 2021).
101.INS*    XBRL Instance Document.
101.SCH*    XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema.
101.CAL*    XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase.
101.LAB*    XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase.
101.PRE*    XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase.
101.DEF*    XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Document.

 

*

Filed herewith.

**

Furnished herewith.

 

 

44


Table of Contents


Table of Contents

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Shareholder and Board of Directors of

Tastemaker Acquisition Corp.

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Tastemaker Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2020, the related statements of operations, changes in stockholder’s deficit and cash flows for the period from August 10, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the period from August 10, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Basis for Opinion

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

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

Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

/s/ Marcum LLP

Marcum LLP

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2020.

New York, NY

March 29, 2021

 

F-2


Table of Contents

TASTEMAKER ACQUISITION CORP.

BALANCE SHEET

December 31, 2020

 

ASSETS

  

Current Assets:

  

Cash

   $ 18,716  
  

 

 

 

Total current assets

     18,716  

Deferred offering costs associated with proposed public offering

     172,970  
  

 

 

 

Total assets

   $ 191,686  
  

 

 

 

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S DEFICIT

  

Current liabilities

  

Sponsor note

   $ 195,000  

Franchise tax payable

     78,356  
  

 

 

 

Total current liabilities

     273,356  

Commitments and contingencies

  

Stockholder’s deficit:

  

Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding

     —    

Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding

     —    

Class B common stock, $0.0001 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized; 6,900,000 shares issued and outstanding(1)

     690  

Additional paid-in capital

     24,310  

Accumulated deficit

     (106,670
  

 

 

 

Total stockholder’s deficit

     (81,670
  

 

 

 

Total liabilities and stockholder’s deficit

   $ 191,686  
  

 

 

 

 

(1)

Includes an aggregate of 900,000 shares held by the sponsor that are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriter’s over-allotment is not exercised in full (see Note 5).

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements

 

F-3


Table of Contents

TASTEMAKER ACQUISITION CORP.

STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS

For the period from August 10, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020

 

Revenues

   $ —    

General and administrative expenses

     28,314  

Franchise tax expense

     78,356  
  

 

 

 

Net loss attributable to common shares

   $ (106,670
  

 

 

 

Weighted average number of shares outstanding:

  

Basic and diluted(1)

     6,000,000  
  

 

 

 

Net loss per common share:

  

Basic and diluted

   $ (0.02
  

 

 

 

 

(1)

Excludes an aggregate of 900,000 shares held by the sponsor that are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriter’s over-allotment is not exercised in full (see Note 5).

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements

 

F-4


Table of Contents

TASTEMAKER ACQUISITION CORP.

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDER’S DEFICIT

For the period from August 10, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020

 

     Class B
Common Stock(1)
     Additional
Paid-in

Capital
     Accumulated
Deficit
    Stockholder’s
Deficit
 
     Shares      Amount  

Balance-August 10, 2020

     —        $ —        $ —        $ —       $ —    

Sale of Class B common stock to Sponsor

     6,900,000        690        24,310        —         25,000  

Net loss

     —          —          —          (106,670     (106,670
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance-December 31, 2020

     6,900,000      $ 690      $ 24,310      $ (106,670   $ (81,670
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(1)

Includes an aggregate of 900,000 shares held by the sponsor that are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriter’s over-allotment is not exercised in full (see Note 5).

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements

 

F-5


Table of Contents

TASTEMAKER ACQUISITION CORP.

STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

For the period from August 10, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020

 

Cash Flows From Operating Activities

  

Net loss

   $ (106,670

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operations:

  

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

  

Franchise tax payable

     78,356  
  

 

 

 

Net cash used in operating activities

     (28,314
  

 

 

 

Cash flows from financing activities:

  

Proceeds from sale of Class B common stock to Sponsor

     25,000  

Proceeds from Sponsor note

     195,000  

Payment of offering costs

     (172,970
  

 

 

 

Net cash provided by financing activities

     47,030  
  

 

 

 

Net increase in cash

     18,716  

Cash at beginning of period

     —    
  

 

 

 

Cash at end of period

   $ 18,716  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements

 

F-6


Table of Contents

TASTEMAKER ACQUISITION CORP.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Note 1—Description of Organization and Business Operations

Organization and General

Tastemaker Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) was incorporated in Delaware on August 10, 2020. The Company was formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (the “Initial Business Combination”). The Company is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the “Securities Act,” as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”).

At December 31, 2020, the Company had not commenced any operations. All activity for the period from August 10, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020 relates to the Company’s formation and the proposed initial public offering (“Proposed Offering”) described below. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after completion of its Initial Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on cash and cash equivalents and permitted investments from the proceeds derived from the Proposed Offering. The Company has selected December 31st as its fiscal year end.

COVID-19

In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus was reported to have surfaced in Wuhan, China, which has and is continuing to spread throughout China and other parts of the world, including the United States. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern.” On January 31, 2020, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II declared a public health emergency for the United States to aid the U.S. healthcare community in responding to COVID-19, and on March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization characterized the outbreak as a “pandemic”. The COVID-19 outbreak has adversely affected, and other events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases) that could adversely affect, the economies and financial markets worldwide, and the business of any potential target business with which we seek to consummate, or consummate, a business combination could be materially and adversely affected.

Furthermore, we may be unable to complete a business combination if continued concerns relating to COVID-19 continues to restrict travel, limit the ability to have meetings with potential investors or the target company’s personnel, vendors and services providers are unavailable to negotiate and consummate a transaction in a timely manner. The extent to which COVID-19 impacts our search for a business combination will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of COVID-19 and the actions to contain COVID-19 or treat its impact, among others. If the disruptions posed by COVID-19 or other events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases) continue for an extensive period of time, our ability to consummate a business combination, or the operations of a target business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination, may be materially adversely affected.

In addition, our ability to consummate a transaction may be dependent on the ability to raise equity and debt financing which may be impacted by COVID-19 and other events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases), including as a result of increased market volatility, decreased market liquidity in third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to us or at all.

Sponsor and Proposed Financing

The Company’s sponsor is Tastemaker Sponsor, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”). The registration statement for the Company’s Initial Public Offering was declared effective on

 

F-7


Table of Contents

January 7, 2021. On January 12, 2021, the Company consummated its initial public offering of 27,600,000 units (the “Units”), including 3,600,000 Units issued pursuant to the exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option in full. Each Unit consists of one share of Class A common stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share (“Class A Common Stock”), and one-half of one redeemable warrant of the Company (“Warrant”), with each whole Warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one share of Class A Common Stock for $11.50 per share. The Units were sold at a price of $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds to the Company of $276.0 million.

Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company consummated the sale of 8,700,000 Private Placement Warrants, at a purchase price of $1.00 per Private Placement Warrant, generating gross proceeds of approximately $8.7 million. These entitle the holder to purchase one share of Class A common stock for $11.50 per share.

The Trust Account

Following the closing of the Initial Public Offering on January 12, 2021, $276.0 million of the net proceeds of the sale of the Units and the Private Placement Warrants were placed in a trust account (the “Trust Account”) with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company. The funds held in the Trust Account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of one hundred eighty (180) days or less or in money market funds that meet certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and that invest only in direct U.S. government obligations. Funds will remain in the Trust Account until the earlier of (i) the consummation of the Initial Business Combination or (ii) the distribution of the Trust Account proceeds as described below. The remaining proceeds outside the Trust Account may be used to pay for business, legal and accounting due diligence on prospective acquisitions and continuing general and administrative expenses.

The Company’s certificate of incorporation will provide that, other than the withdrawal of interest to pay taxes, if any, none of the funds held in the Trust Account will be released until the earlier of: (i) the completion of the Initial Business Combination; (ii) the redemption of any shares of Class A common stock included in the Units (the “Public Shares”) being sold in the Proposed Offering that have been properly tendered in connection with a stockholder vote to amend the Company’s certificate of incorporation to modify the substance or timing of its obligation to redeem 100% of such shares of Class A common stock if it does not complete the Initial Business Combination within 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Offering; and (i) the redemption of 100% of the shares of Class A common stock included in the Units being sold in the Proposed Offering if the Company is unable to complete an Initial Business Combination within 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Offering (subject to the requirements of law). The proceeds deposited in the Trust Account could become subject to the claims of the Company’s creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of the Company’s public stockholders.

Initial Business Combination

The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the Proposed Offering, although substantially all of the net proceeds of the Proposed Offering are intended to be generally applied toward consummating an Initial Business Combination. The Initial Business Combination must occur with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the assets held in the Trust Account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on income earned on the Trust Account) at the time of the agreement to enter into the Initial Business Combination. Furthermore, there is no assurance that the Company will be able to successfully effect an Initial Business Combination.

The Company, after signing a definitive agreement for an Initial Business Combination, will either (i) seek stockholder approval of the Initial Business Combination at a meeting called for such purpose in connection with which stockholders may seek to redeem their shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against the Initial Business Combination, for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account as of two business days prior to the consummation of the Initial Business Combination, including

 

F-8


Table of Contents

interest but less taxes payable, or (ii) provide stockholders with the opportunity to sell their Public Shares to the Company by means of a tender offer (and thereby avoid the need for a stockholder vote) for an amount in cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account as of two business days prior to the consummation of the Initial Business Combination, including interest but less taxes payable. The decision as to whether the Company will seek stockholder approval of the Initial Business Combination or will allow stockholders to sell their Public Shares in a tender offer will be made by the Company, solely in its discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would otherwise require the Company to seek stockholder approval, unless a vote is required by law or under NASDAQ rules. If the Company seeks stockholder approval, it will complete its Initial Business Combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the Initial Business Combination. However, in no event will the Company redeem its Public Shares in an amount that would cause its net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of the Initial Business Combination. In such case, the Company would not proceed with the redemption of its Public Shares and the related Initial Business Combination, and instead may search for an alternate Initial Business Combination.

If the Company seeks stockholder approval of a Business Combination and it does not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation will provide that a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% or more of the Public Shares, without the prior consent of the Company.

If the Company holds a stockholder vote or there is a tender offer for shares in connection with an Initial Business Combination, a public stockholder will have the right to redeem its shares for an amount in cash equal to its pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account as of two business days prior to the consummation of the Initial Business Combination, including interest but less taxes payable. As a result, such shares of Class A common stock will be recorded at redemption amount and classified as temporary equity upon the completion of the Proposed Offering, in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 480, “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.”

The Company will amend and restate its certificate of incorporation such that if the Company is unable to complete the Initial Business Combination within 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Offering, the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, subject to lawfully available funds therefor, redeem the Public Shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account (net of permitted withdrawals and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (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 stockholders and the Company’s board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to the Company’s obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. The Sponsor and the Company’s officers and directors will enter into a letter agreement with the Company, pursuant to which they will agree to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to any Founder Shares (as defined below) held by them if the Company fails to complete the Initial Business Combination within 24 months of the closing of the Proposed Offering. However, if the Sponsor or any of the Company’s directors, officers or affiliates acquire shares of Class A common stock in or after the Proposed Offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to such shares if the Company fails to complete the Initial Business Combination within the prescribed time period.

Liquidity

As of December 31, 2020, the Company had $18,716 in cash and a working capital deficiency of $254,640. On January 12, 2021, the Company closed its Initial Public Offering of 27,600,000 Units at $10.00 per Unit,

 

F-9


Table of Contents

generating gross proceeds of $276.0 million. Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company consummated the Private Placement of 8,8700, 000 Private Placement Warrants to the Sponsor at a purchase price of $1.00 per Private Placement Warrant, generating gross proceeds of approximately $8.7 million.

The Company’s liquidity needs prior to the consummation of the Initial Public Offering were satisfied through the proceeds of $25,000 from the sale of the Founder Shares and a loan of $300,000 under an unsecured and noninterest bearing promissory note (see Note 5). Subsequent from the consummation of the Initial Public Offering, the Company’s liquidity will be satisfied through the net proceeds from the consummation of the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement held outside of the Trust Account.

Based on the foregoing, management believes that the Company will have sufficient working capital and borrowing capacity to meet its needs through the earlier of the consummation of a Business Combination or one year from this filing. Over this time period, the Company will be using the funds held outside of the Trust Account for paying existing accounts payable and accrued liabilities, identifying and evaluating prospective initial Business Combination candidates, performing due diligence on prospective target businesses, paying for travel expenditures, selecting the target business to merge with or acquire, and structuring, negotiating and consummating the Business Combination. The Company does not believe it will need to raise additional funds in order to meet the expenditures required for operating the business. However, if the Company’s estimate 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, the Company may have insufficient funds available to operate the business prior to the Initial Business Combination. Moreover, the Company may need to obtain additional financing either to complete the Initial Business Combination or to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon completion of the Initial Business Combination, in which case the Company may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such Initial Business Combination.

There is no assurance that the Company’s plans to consummate an Initial Business Combination will be successful within the Combination Period. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The financial statements of the Company are presented in U.S. dollars in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulation of the Securities and Exchange Commission (‘SEC”).

Emerging Growth Company

Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such an election to opt out is irrevocable. 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 statement 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.

 

F-10


Table of Contents

Net Loss Per Common Share

Net loss per common share is computed by dividing net loss applicable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period, plus, to the extent dilutive, the incremental number of shares of common stock to settle warrants, as calculated using the treasury stock method.

As of December 31, 2020, the Company did not have any dilutive securities and other contracts that could, potentially, be exercised or converted into common stock and then share in the earnings of the Company under the treasury stock method. As a result, diluted loss per common share is the same as basic loss per common share for the period. The Company complies with accounting and disclosure requirements of ASC Topic 260, “Earnings Per Share.” Net loss per share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period, excluding `shares subject to forfeiture by the initial shareholders. Weighted average shares were reduced for the effect of an aggregate of 900,000 shares that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised by the underwriter (see Note 7).

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist of cash accounts in a financial institution, which, at times, may exceed the Federal Depository Insurance Coverage of $250,000. The Company has not experienced losses on these accounts and management believes the Company is not exposed to significant risks on such accounts.

Financial Instruments

The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under the FASB ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the balance sheet.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of 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 financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Deferred Offering Costs

The Company complies with the requirements of the FASB ASC 340-10-S99-1 and SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin Topic 5A—“Expenses of Offering.” As of December 31, 2020, we had $201,284 of deferred offering costs. The underwriter discount will be charged to capital upon completion of the Proposed Offering or charged to operations if the Proposed Offering is not completed.

Income Taxes

The Company follows the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes under FASB ASC Topic 740, “Income Taxes” (“ASC 740”). 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. As of December 31, 2020, the Company has an aggregate deferred tax assets of $22,401 and has recognized a full valuation allowance against the deferred tax assets. See Note 8 “Income taxes” for additional disclosures.

 

F-11


Table of Contents

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. There were no unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2020. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. The Company’s currently taxable income primarily consists of interest and dividends earned and unrealized gains on investments held in the Trust Account. The Company’s general and administrative costs are generally considered start-up costs and are not currently deductible.

No amounts were accrued for the payment of interest and penalties as of December 31, 2020. The Company is currently not aware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviation from its position. The Company is subject to income tax examinations by major taxing authorities since inception.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

The Company’s management does not believe that any 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

Pursuant to the Initial Public Offering, the Company sold 27,600,000 Units at a purchase price of $10.00 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one share of Class A common stock and one-half of one redeemable warrant (“Redeemable Warrant”). Each whole Redeemable Warrant is exercisable to purchase one share of Class A common stock and only whole warrants are exercisable. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the Units and only whole warrants will trade. The Redeemable Warrants will become exercisable on the later of 30 days after the completion of the Initial Business Combination or 12 months from the closing of the Initial Public Offering. Each whole Redeemable Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one share of Class A common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 (see Note 7).

Note 4—Private Placement

Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company consummated the sale of 8,700,000 Placement Warrants at a price of $1.00 per warrant in a private placement, generating gross proceeds of $8,700,000. Of this amount, the Sponsor purchased 8,700,000 Placement Warrants for $8,700,000. Each private placement warrant is exercisable to purchase one share of the Company’s Class A common stock at $11.50 per share. The Placement Warrants are identical to the warrants sold as part of the units in the Initial Public Offering, subject to limited exceptions. The Placement Warrants will become exercisable on the later of 30 days after the completion of the Initial Business Combination or 12 months from the closing of the Initial Public Offering. The proceeds from the Placement Warrants were added to the proceeds from the Initial Public Offering held in the Trust Account. If the Company does not complete the Initial Business Combination within 24 months from the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the proceeds from the sale of the Placement Warrants held in the Trust Account will be used to fund the redemption of the Company’s Public Shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law) and the Placement Warrants will expire worthless.

 

F-12


Table of Contents

Note 5—Related Party Transactions

Founder Shares

In August 2020, the Company issued an aggregate of 5,750,000 shares of Class B common stock to the Sponsor (“Founder Shares”) for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000. On January 7, 2021, the Company effected a 1.2 for 1 stock dividend for each share of Class B common stock outstanding, resulting in the Sponsor holding an aggregate of 6,900,000 Founder Shares. The Founder Shares will automatically convert into Class A common stock upon the consummation of the Initial Business Combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustments as described in Note 7. Holders of Founder Shares may also elect to convert their shares of Class B convertible common stock into an equal number of shares of Class A common stock, subject to adjustment as provided above, at any time.

The Initial Stockholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their Founder Shares until the earlier to occur of: (A) one year after the completion of the Initial Business Combination or (B) subsequent to the Initial Business Combination, (x) if the last sale price of the Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after the Initial Business Combination, or (y) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of the Company’s stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property.

Pursuant to the letter agreement, the Sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote any Founder Shares held by them and any Public Shares purchased during or after this offering (including in open market and privately negotiated transactions) in favor of the Initial Business Combination.

Related Party Loans

On August 10, 2020, 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 “Note”). This loan was non-interest bearing and payable on the earlier of March 31, 2021 or the completion of the Initial Public Offering. Through December 31, 2020, the Company had $195,000 borrowed under the Note and on January 12, 2021, the Company repaid the full $195,000 borrowed under the Sponsor Note.

In order to finance transaction costs in connection with the Initial Business Combination, the Sponsor, 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 (the “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 the Initial Business Combination, without interest, or, at the holder’s discretion, up to $1,500,000 of the Working Capital Loans may be converted into warrants at a price of $1.00 per warrant that would be identical to Placement Warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period.

Administrative Support Agreement

The Company entered into an agreement whereby, commencing on January 12, 2021 through the earlier of the consummation of the Initial Business Combination or the Company’s liquidation, the Company will pay the Sponsor a monthly fee of $10,000 for office space, utilities and administrative support.

Note 6—Commitments

Registration Rights

The holders of Founder Shares, Private Placement Warrants and Warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans, if any, will be entitled to registration rights (in the case of the Founder

 

F-13


Table of Contents

Shares, only after conversion of such shares to shares of Class A common stock) pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed on or before the date of the prospectus for the Proposed Offering. These holders will be entitled to certain demand and “piggyback” registration rights.

The holders of Founder Shares, Private Placement Warrants and Warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans will not be able to sell these securities until the termination of the applicable lock-up period for the securities to be registered. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.

Underwriting Agreement

The underwriters were paid a cash underwriting discount of two percent (2.0%) of the gross proceeds of the Initial Public Offering up to $276,000,000, or $5,520,000. In addition, the underwriters have earned an additional three and three-quarters percent (3.75%) on $276,000,000 of the gross proceeds of the Initial Public Offering, or $10,350,000 (“Deferred Underwriting Discount”) that will be paid upon consummation of the Company’s Initial Business Combination. On January 12, 2021, this commitment of $10,350,000 has been recorded as Deferred Underwriter Discount. The underwriting agreement provides that the deferred underwriting discount will be waived by the underwriter if the Company does not complete its Initial Business Combination.

Note 7—Stockholder’s Deficit

Preferred Stock The Company is authorized to issue 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock 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 December 31, 2020, there were no shares of preferred stock issued or outstanding.

Class A Common Stock — The Company is authorized to issue 100,000,000 shares of Class A common stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share. Holders of the Company’s Class A common stock are entitled to one vote for each share. As of December 31, 2020, there were no shares of Class A common stock issued and outstanding.

Class B Common Stock — The Company is authorized to issue 10,000,000 shares of Class B common stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share. The Company’s initial stockholders owned, on August 10, 2020, an aggregate of 5,750,000 shares of the Company’s Class B common stock. On January 12, 2021, the Company effected a 1.2 for 1 stock dividend for each share of Class B common stock outstanding, resulting in the Sponsor holding an aggregate of 6,900,000 Founder Shares. The shares of Class B common stock will automatically convert into shares of Class A common stock at the time of the Company’s Initial Business Combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as described herein. In the case that additional shares of Class A common stock, or equity-linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts offered in this prospectus and related to the closing of the Initial Business Combination, the ratio at which shares of Class B common stock shall convert into shares of Class A common stock will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Class B common stock agree to waive such adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of all shares of Class B common stock will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the sum of the total number of all shares of common stock outstanding upon completion of the Initial Public Offering plus all shares of Class A common stock and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued in connection with the Initial Business Combination (excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the Initial Business Combination and any private placement-equivalent warrants issued to the Company’s Sponsor or its affiliates upon conversion of loans made to us). As of December 31, 2020, there were 6,900,000 shares of Class B common stock issued and outstanding.

Holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock will vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders except as required by law.

 

F-14


Table of Contents

Warrants —

Redeemable Warrants

Each whole Redeemable Warrant is exercisable to purchase one share of Class A common stock and only whole warrants are exercisable. The Redeemable Warrants will become exercisable on the later of 30 days after the completion of the Initial Business Combination or 12 months from the closing of the Initial Public Offering. Each whole Redeemable Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one share of Class A common stock at an exercise price of $11.50.

Pursuant to the warrant agreement, a warrant holder may exercise its warrants only for a whole number of shares of Class A common stock. This means that only a whole warrant may be exercised at any given time by a warrant holder. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade requiring a purchase at least three units to receive or trade a whole warrant. The warrants will expire five years after the completion of the Initial Business Combination, at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.

If the shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants are not registered under the Securities Act within 60 business days following the Initial Business Combination, the Company will be required to permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis. However, no warrant will be exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis, and the Company will not be obligated to issue any shares to holders seeking to exercise their warrants, unless the issuance of the shares upon such exercise is registered or qualified under the securities laws of the state of the exercising holder, unless an exemption is available. In the event that the conditions in the immediately preceding sentence are not satisfied with respect to a warrant, the holder of such warrant will not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In no event will the Company be required to net cash settle any warrant. In the event that a registration statement is not effective for the exercised warrants, the purchaser of a unit containing such warrant will have paid the full purchase price for the unit solely for the share of Class A common stock underlying such unit.

The Company has agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days, after the closing of the Initial Business Combination, the Company will use its reasonable best efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement for the registration, under the Securities Act, of the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to cause the same to become effective within 60 business days following its Initial Business Combination and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement, and a current prospectus relating thereto, until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. Notwithstanding the above, if the Company’s Class A common stock is at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that it satisfies the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, the Company may, at its option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event the Company so elects, the Company will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, but the Company will be required to use its best efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available.

Once the warrants become exercisable, the Company may call the warrants for redemption:

 

   

in whole and not in part;

 

   

at a price of $0.01 per warrant;

 

   

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

 

   

if, and only if, the reported last sale price of the Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending three business days before the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant holders.

 

F-15


Table of Contents

In addition, if (x) the Company issues additional shares of Class A common stock 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 of Class A common stock (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 Sponsor or its affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by the Sponsor or such affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance) (the “Newly Issued Price”), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, inclusive of interest earned on equity held in trust, available for the funding of the Initial Business Combination on the date of the consummation of the Initial Business Combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of the Company’s common stock during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which the Initial Business Combination is consummated (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, and the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price described above will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.

Placement Warrants

The Sponsor purchased an aggregate of 8,700,000 Placement Warrants at a price of $1.00 per whole warrant in a private placement that occurred simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering. Each whole Placement Warrant is exercisable for one share of the Company’s Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share. The purchase price of the Placement Warrants was added to the proceeds from the Initial Public Offering and held in the Trust Account. If the Initial Business Combination is not completed within 24 months from the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the proceeds from the sale of the Placement Warrants held in the Trust Account will be used to fund the redemption of the Public Shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law) and the Placement Warrants will expire worthless. The Placement Warrants will be non-redeemable and exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by the Sponsor or its permitted transferees.

The Placement Warrants (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the Placement Warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or saleable until 30 days after the completion of the Initial Business Combination and they will not be redeemable so long as they are held by the Company’s Sponsor or its permitted transferees. Otherwise, the Placement Warrants have terms and provisions that are identical to those of the Redeemable Warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period. If the Placement Warrants are held by holders other than the Sponsor or its permitted transferees, the Placement Warrants will be redeemable by the Company and exercisable by the holders on the same basis the Redeemable Warrants.

If holders of the Placement Warrants elect to exercise them on a cashless basis, they would pay the exercise price by surrendering their warrants for that number of shares of Class A common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of Class A common stock underlying the warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the “fair market value” (defined below) by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” shall mean the average reported last sale price of the Class A common stock for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of warrant exercise is sent to the warrant agent. The reason that the Company has agreed that these warrants will be exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by the Sponsor, or its permitted transferees is because it is not known at this time whether they will be affiliated with us following the Initial Business Combination. If they remain affiliated with the Company, their ability to sell the Company’s securities in the open market will be significantly limited. The Company expects to have policies in place that prohibit insiders from selling the Company’s securities except during specific periods of time. Even during such periods of time when insiders will be permitted to sell the Company’s securities, an insider cannot trade in the Company’s securities if he or she is in possession of material non-public information. Accordingly, unlike public stockholders who could sell the shares of

 

F-16


Table of Contents

Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants freely in the open market, the insiders could be significantly restricted from doing so. As a result, the Company believes that allowing the holders to exercise such warrants on a cashless basis is appropriate.

The Company’s Sponsor has agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the Placement Warrants (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of any of these warrants) until the date that is 30 days after the date the Company completes its Initial Business Combination.

Note 8—Income Taxes

The Company’s taxable income primarily consists of interest income on the Trust Account. The Company’s general and administrative expenses are generally considered start-up costs and are not currently deductible. There was no income tax expense for the period from August 10, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020.

The income tax provision (benefit) consists of the following for the period from August 10, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020:

 

Current

  

Federal

   $
—  
 

State

     —    

Deferred

  

Federal

     (22,401

State

     —    

Valuation allowance

     22,401  
  

 

 

 

Income tax provision

   $ —    
  

 

 

 

The Company’s net deferred tax assets are as follows as of December 31, 2020:

 

Deferred tax assets:

  

Start-up/Organization costs

   $ 5,946  

Net operating loss carryforwards

     16,455  
  

 

 

 

Total deferred tax assets

     22,401  

Valuation allowance

     (22,401
  

 

 

 

Deferred tax asset, net of allowance

   $
—  
 
  

 

 

 

In assessing the realization of deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which temporary differences representing net future deductible amounts become deductible. Management considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax assets, projected future taxable income and tax planning strategies in making this assessment. After consideration of all of the information available, management believes that significant uncertainty exists with respect to future realization of the deferred tax assets and has therefore established a full valuation allowance.

There were no unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2020. No amounts were accrued for the payment of interest and penalties at December 31, 2020. The Company is currently not aware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviation from its position. The Company is subject to income tax examinations by major taxing authorities since inception.

 

F-17


Table of Contents

A reconciliation of the statutory federal income tax rate (benefit) to the Company’s effective tax rate (benefit) is as follows for the period from August 10, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020:

 

Statutory Federal income tax rate

     21.0

Change in Valuation Allowance

     (21.0 )% 
  

 

 

 

Income Taxes Benefit

     0.0
  

 

 

 

Note 9—Subsequent Events

The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date up to the date which the financial statements were issued. Other than as described elsewhere in the financial statements, the Company did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements.

 

F-18


Table of Contents

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) 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.

 

    Tastemaker Acquisition Corp.
Dated: March 29, 2021     By:  

/s/ David Pace

      David Pace
      Co-Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature    Title   Date

/s/ David Pace

   Co-Chief Executive Officer and Director   March 29, 2021
David Pace    (Principal Executive Officer)  

/s/ Andrew Pforzheimer

   Co-Chief Executive Officer and Director   March 29, 2021
Andrew Pforzheimer    (Principal Executive Officer)  

/s/ Christopher Bradley

   Chief Financial Officer   March 29, 2021
Christopher Bradley    (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)  

/s/ Gregory Golkin

   President and Director   March 29, 2021
Gregory Golkin     

/s/ Hal Rosser

   Director   March 29, 2021
Hal Rosser     

/s/ Rick Federico

   Director   March 29 , 2021
Rick Federico     

/s/ Starlette Johnson

   Director   March 29, 2021
Starlette Johnson     

/s/ Andrew Heyer

   Director   March 29, 2021
Andrew Heyer