UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): June 30, 2021

NORTHERN STAR INVESTMENT CORP. II

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

c/o Graubard Miller

The Chrysler Building

405 Lexington Avenue, 11th Floor

New York, NY 10174

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

(212) 818-8800

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

Not Applicable

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

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.  ☐

Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

As previously announced, Northern Star Investment Corp. II, a Delaware corporation (“Northern Star”), has entered into an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization (“Merger Agreement”) by and among Northern Star, NISC II-A Merger LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly-owned subsidiary of Northern Star, NISC II-B Merger LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly-owned subsidiary of Northern Star, Apex Clearing Holdings LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Apex”) and, solely for the purposes of Section 5.21 therein, PEAK6 Investments LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“PEAK6”). Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, the parties agreed to enter into a business combination transaction, as a result of which Apex will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Northern Star, with the members of Apex becoming stockholders of Northern Star.

Also as previously announced, in connection with the business combination, Northern Star entered into subscription agreements (the “Subscription Agreements”) with certain investors (the “PIPE Investors”), pursuant to which the PIPE Investors agreed to purchase, concurrently with the closing of the business combination, an aggregate of 45.0 million shares of Class A Common Stock in a private placement at a price of $10.00 per share, for an aggregate commitment of $450.0 million.

The Subscription Agreements were scheduled to terminate in accordance with their terms on June 30, 2021 and Northern Star had intended to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and the Subscription Agreements by such date. However, the registration statement on Form S-4 relating to the transactions has not yet been declared effective and accordingly the transactions have not been consummated. Accordingly, Northern Star approached the PIPE Investors to give them the opportunity to extend the termination date of the Subscription Agreements until August 31, 2021 (the “Extended Date”) by entering into an amendment to the Subscription Agreements, a form of which is attached as Exhibit 10.1 hereto and incorporated by reference herein. As a result of the foregoing, the Company has re-confirmed commitments from the PIPE Investors through the Extended Date of an aggregate of 41.0 million shares of Class A Common Stock at a price of $10.00 per share, for an updated aggregate commitment of $410.0 million. The foregoing amount, when funded substantially concurrent with the closing of the business combination, will satisfy the closing condition from the Merger Agreement for Northern Star to receive at least $300.0 million of proceeds from the PIPE Investors. Other than extending the termination date as indicated above, there were no changes to the terms of the Subscription Agreements as originally executed.

The information set forth in this Item 7.01, including the exhibit hereto, is intended to be furnished and shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”) or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, except as expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.

Additional Information

NORTHERN STAR AND APEX AND THEIR RESPECTIVE DIRECTORS, MANAGERS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, UNDER SEC RULES, MAY BE DEEMED TO BE PARTICIPANTS IN THE SOLICITATION OF PROXIES OF NORTHERN STAR’S STOCKHOLDERS IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED TRANSACTIONS. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS MAY OBTAIN MORE DETAILED INFORMATION REGARDING THE NAMES AND INTERESTS OF SUCH PERSONS IN THE PROPOSED TRANSACTIONS IN NORTHERN STAR’S FILINGS WITH THE SEC, INCLUDING THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-4 ORIGINALLY FILED BY NORTHERN STAR WITH THE SEC ON APRIL 8, 2021 IN CONNECTION WITH THE BUSINESS COMBINATION (THE “REGISTRATION STATEMENT”) AND IN NORTHERN STAR’S FINAL PROSPECTUS DATED JANUARY 25, 2021, FILED WITH THE SEC ON JANUARY 27, 2021 IN CONNECTION WITH ITS INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING.

INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF NORTHERN STAR AND APEX ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTIONS. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS WILL BE ABLE TO OBTAIN FREE COPIES OF THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS CONTAINING IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT NORTHERN STAR AND APEX THROUGH THE WEBSITE MAINTAINED BY THE SEC AT WWW.SEC.GOV. COPIES OF THE DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC BY NORTHERN STAR WHEN AND IF AVAILABLE, CAN BE OBTAINED FREE OF CHARGE ON NORTHERN STAR’S WEBSITE AT WWW.NORTHERNSTARIC2.COM OR BY DIRECTING A WRITTEN REQUEST TO NORTHERN STAR INVESTMENT CORP. II, C/O GRAUBARD MILLER, 405 LEXINGTON AVENUE, 11^TH FLOOR, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10174.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

THIS CURRENT REPORT AND THE EXHIBIT HERETO NOT A PROXY STATEMENT OR SOLICITATION OF A PROXY, CONSENT OR AUTHORIZATION WITH RESPECT TO ANY SECURITIES OR IN RESPECT OF THE PROPOSED TRANSACTIONS AND SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY THE SECURITIES OF NORTHERN STAR OR APEX, NOR SHALL THERE BE ANY SALE OF ANY SUCH SECURITIES IN ANY STATE OR JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFER, SOLICITATION, OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL PRIOR TO REGISTRATION OR QUALIFICATION UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF SUCH STATE OR JURISDICTION.

THIS CURRENT REPORT AND THE EXHIBIT HERETO INCLUDE “FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS”. ACTUAL RESULTS MAY DIFFER FROM EXPECTATIONS, ESTIMATES AND PROJECTIONS AND, CONSEQUENTLY, YOU SHOULD NOT RELY ON THESE FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS AS PREDICTIONS OF FUTURE EVENTS. WORDS SUCH AS “EXPECT,” “ESTIMATE,” “PROJECT,” “BUDGET,” “FORECAST,” “ANTICIPATE,” “INTEND,” “PLAN,” “MAY,” “WILL,” “COULD,” “SHOULD,” “BELIEVES,” “PREDICTS,” “POTENTIAL,” “CONTINUE,” AND SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS ARE INTENDED TO IDENTIFY SUCH FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS.

NEITHER NORTHERN STAR NOR APEX UNDERTAKE ANY OBLIGATION TO UPDATE OR REVISE ANY FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS, WHETHER AS A RESULT OF NEW INFORMATION, FUTURE EVENTS OR OTHERWISE, EXCEPT AS REQUIRED BY LAW. IMPORTANT FACTORS, AMONG OTHERS, THAT MAY AFFECT ACTUAL RESULTS INCLUDE APEX’S ABILITY TO EXECUTE ON ITS BUSINESS PLANS AND APEX’S ESTIMATES OF EXPENSES AND FUTURE REVENUES AND PROFITABILITY. OTHER FACTORS INCLUDE THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTIONS DO NOT CLOSE, INCLUDING DUE TO THE FAILURE TO RECEIVE REQUIRED SECURITY HOLDER APPROVALS, OR THE FAILURE OF OTHER CLOSING CONDITIONS.

THIS CURRENT REPORT AND THE EXHIBIT HERETO ARE NOT INTENDED TO BE ALL-INCLUSIVE OR TO CONTAIN ALL THE INFORMATION THAT A PERSON MAY DESIRE IN CONSIDERING AN INVESTMENT IN NORTHERN STAR AND IS NOT INTENDED TO FORM THE BASIS OF ANY INVESTMENT DECISION IN NORTHERN STAR.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THESE AND OTHER RISK FACTORS IS CONTAINED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND IN NORTHERN STAR’S OTHER FILINGS WITH THE SEC. ALL SUBSEQUENT WRITTEN AND ORAL FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS CONCERNING NORTHERN STAR AND APEX, THE PROPOSED TRANSACTIONS OR OTHER MATTERS AND ATTRIBUTABLE TO NORTHERN STAR AND APEX OR ANY PERSON ACTING ON THEIR BEHALF ARE EXPRESSLY QUALIFIED IN THEIR ENTIRETY BY THE CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS ABOVE AND THOSE INCLUDED IN NORTHERN STAR’S FILINGS WITH THE SEC. READERS ARE CAUTIONED NOT TO PLACE UNDUE RELIANCE UPON ANY FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS, WHICH SPEAK ONLY AS OF THE DATE MADE. NEITHER NORTHERN STAR NOR APEX UNDERTAKE OR ACCEPT ANY OBLIGATION OR UNDERTAKING TO RELEASE PUBLICLY ANY UPDATES OR REVISIONS TO ANY FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT TO REFLECT ANY CHANGE IN THEIR EXPECTATIONS OR ANY CHANGE IN EVENTS, CONDITIONS OR CIRCUMSTANCES ON WHICH ANY SUCH STATEMENT IS BASED, EXCEPT AS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits:

SIGNATURE

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