Attached files
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 9, 2021.
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Activate Permanent Capital Corp.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization) |
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6770
(Primary Standard Industrial
Classification Code Number) |
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86-2891423
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number) |
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50 California Street, Suite 680
San Francisco, CA 94111
(610) 574-9069
San Francisco, CA 94111
(610) 574-9069
(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)
Timothy G. Healy
Chief Executive Officer
c/o Activate Permanent Capital Corp.
50 California Street, Suite 680
San Francisco, CA 94111
(610) 574-9069
Chief Executive Officer
c/o Activate Permanent Capital Corp.
50 California Street, Suite 680
San Francisco, CA 94111
(610) 574-9069
(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent For Service)
Copies to:
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Sarah K. Morgan
Daniel B. Spelkin Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. 1001 Fannin Street, Suite 2500 Houston, TX 77002 (713) 758-2222 |
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Sarah K. Solum
Pamela L. Marcogliese Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP 2710 Sand Hill Road Menlo Park, CA 94025 (650) 618-9250 |
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Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 check the following box. ☐
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same
offering. ☐
offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same
offering. ☐
offering. ☐
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):
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Large accelerated filer
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Accelerated filer
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Non-accelerated filer
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Smaller reporting company
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Emerging growth company
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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 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
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Title of Each Class of Security Being Registered
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Amount Being
Registered |
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Proposed
Maximum Offering Price per Security(1) |
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Proposed
Maximum Aggregate Offering Price(1) |
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Amount of
Registration Fee |
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Units, each consisting of one share of Class A common
stock, $0.0001 par value, and one-third of one redeemable warrant(2) |
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28,750,000 Units
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| | | | $ | 10.00 | | | | | | $ | 287,500,000 | | | | | | $ | 31,366.25 | | |
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Shares of Class A common stock included as part of the units(3)
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28,750,000 Shares
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| | | | | — | | | | | | | — | | | | | | | — (4) | | |
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Redeemable warrants included as part of the units(3)
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9,583,333 Warrants
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| | | | | — | | | | | | | — | | | | | | | — (4) | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | $ | 287,500,000 | | | | | | $ | 31,366.25 | | |
(1)
Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee.
(2)
Includes 3,750,000 units, consisting of 3,750,000 shares of Class A common stock and 1,250,000 redeemable warrants, which may be issued upon exercise of a 45-day option granted to the underwriters to cover over-allotments, if any.
(3)
Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act, there are also being registered an indeterminable number of additional securities as may be issued to prevent dilution resulting from stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions.
(4)
No fee pursuant to Rule 457(g) under the Securities Act.
The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
stock and public warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless BofA Securities, Inc. and Citigroup Global Markets, Inc., the representatives of the underwriters, inform us of their decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our satisfaction of certain conditions as described further herein. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, we expect that the Class A common stock and public warrants will be listed on the NYSE under the symbols “APCC” and “APCC.WS,” respectively.
We are an “emerging growth company” and a smaller reporting company under applicable federal securities laws and will be subject to reduced public company reporting requirements.
Investing in our securities involves risks that are described in the “Risk Factors” section beginning on page 45 of this prospectus. Investors will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings.
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PER UNIT
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TOTAL
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Public offering price
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| | | $ | 10.00 | | | | | $ | 250,000,000 | | |
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Underwriting discounts and commissions(1)
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| | | $ | 0.55 | | | | | $ | 13,750,000 | | |
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Proceeds, before expenses, to us
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| | | $ | 9.45 | | | | | $ | 236,250,000 | | |
(1)
$0.20 per unit, or $5,000,000 in the aggregate (or $5,750,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), is payable upon the closing of this offering. Includes $0.35 per unit, or $8,750,000 (or up to $10,062,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in the aggregate payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions to be placed in a trust account located in the United States as described herein. These deferred commissions will be released to the underwriters only on completion of an initial business combination, as described in this prospectus. See the section of this prospectus entitled “Underwriting” beginning on page 181 for a description of compensation and other items of value payable to the underwriters.
Of the proceeds we receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants described in this prospectus, $250.0 million, or $287.5 million if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($10.00 per unit in either case), will be deposited into a trust account in the United States at Bank of America, N.A., with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, and $8.5 million (including $5.0 million in underwriting discounts and commissions payable upon the closing of this offering), or $9.25 million (including $5.75 million in underwriting discounts and commissions payable upon the closing of this offering) if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, will be available to pay fees and expenses in connection with the closing of this offering and for working capital following the closing of this offering.
The underwriters are offering the units for sale on a firm commitment basis. The underwriters expect to deliver the units to the purchasers on or about , 2021.
Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
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Citigroup
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Nomura
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The date of this prospectus is , 2021
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Page
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| | | | | F-1 | | | |
Until , 2021 (the 25th day after the date of this prospectus) all dealers that effect transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers’ obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to unsold allotments or subscriptions.
We are responsible for the information contained in this prospectus. We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized anyone to provide you with different information, and neither we nor the underwriters take responsibility for any other information others may give to you. We are not, and the underwriters are not, making an offer to sell securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of this prospectus.
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SUMMARY
This summary only highlights the more detailed information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. You should read this entire prospectus carefully, including the information under the section of this prospectus entitled “Risk Factors,” our financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus before investing. Unless otherwise stated in this prospectus, or the context otherwise requires, references to:
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“BofA” are to BofA Securities, Inc., a book-running manager of this offering;
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“Citi” are to Citigroup Global Markets, Inc., a book-running manager of this offering;
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“common stock” are to our Class A common stock and our Class B common stock, collectively;
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“founder shares” are to shares of our Class B common stock held by our initial stockholders prior to this offering, and the shares of our Class A common stock issued upon the conversion thereof as provided herein;
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“initial stockholders” are to our sponsor and any other holders of our founder shares prior to this offering (or their permitted transferees);
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“letter agreement” are to the letter agreement, the form of which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part;
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“management” or our “management team” are to our officers and directors;
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“private placement warrants” are to the warrants issued to our sponsor in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of this offering and to any warrants issued upon conversion of working capital loans;
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“public shares” are to shares of our Class A common stock sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are purchased in this offering or thereafter in the open market);
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“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;
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“public warrants” are to our redeemable warrants sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are purchased in this offering or thereafter in the open market);
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“sponsor” are to APCC Sponsor LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. Our sponsor is controlled by its managing member, Activate Capital GP, LLC, an affiliate of Activate Capital and owned by Activate Capital, members of our management team and other members of our board of directors;
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“trust account” are to the trust account in the United States at Bank of America, N.A., with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, into which we will deposit certain proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants;
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“trust agreement” are to the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account, the form of which is filed as Exhibit 10.4 to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part;
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“warrants” are to the public warrants as well as the private placement warrants; and
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“we,” “us,” “Company” or “our company” are to Activate Permanent Capital Corp.
Unless we tell you otherwise, the information in this prospectus assumes that the underwriters will not exercise their over-allotment option and the corresponding forfeiture of 937,500 founder shares.
General
We are a blank check company incorporated as a Delaware corporation, Activate Permanent Capital Corp., (also referred to as “Activate Permanent Capital” or “APCC”), whose business purpose is to
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effect a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to herein as our initial business combination. 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 with respect to an initial business combination with us.
We believe that enabling tomorrow’s sustainable economy will involve the transformation of four large, core markets: Energy & Power, Transportation & Mobility, Food & Agriculture, and Industrial Information Technology & Systems, which collectively make up more than 87% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions (“GHG”). Important new sectors are emerging from this transformation: Energy Transition, Smart Mobility, Sustainable Food Chain and Intelligent Automation. Our goal is to capitalize on our team’s significant investment and operating experience in these sectors to find and acquire a high growth company providing business model innovation, technology, services, or solutions to advance the global digital and sustainability transition occurring in the largest industrial and consumer markets.
We believe that the global economy continues to place unsustainable demands on the world’s resources and sustainable, efficient technologies and business models are emerging as a key component of corporate competitiveness across industrial and commercial markets. In addition, the emergence of “big data,” ubiquitous mobile connectivity, modern analytics, and industrial automation have created unprecedented access, visibility, tracking, and optimization across our target core markets. Companies, cities, and industrial ecosystems are undergoing a transition to a 21st century sustainable and digital paradigm. We believe this transition from the analog industrial past to the modern digital age will lead to vibrant company formation and sizable and differentiated businesses.
The APCC Team is established and well-connected in that it includes our management, our board of directors, and advisory board (the “APCC Team”). We believe that the APCC Team’s long-standing history of investing in, operating, and advising companies that are at the forefront of innovation, technology and services in our target markets provides us with a strong competitive advantage. Collectively, the APCC Team has over 100 years of investment and operating experience in these markets, and several members are recognized as pioneers of energy transition and clean technology. While there are a significant number of companies participating in this global transformation, we intend to focus on those that have scalable business models. The APCC Team’s decades of deep experience with sustainability businesses and innovation differentiate us and will help us identify target companies that combine a focus on sustainable impact with the potential to achieve favorable risk-adjusted returns.
The APCC Team
Our executive management is comprised of clean energy operators and executives who have spent their entire professional careers in the energy innovation and sustainability economies. Notably, our management has built and operated companies spanning the venture creation cycle, from inception and privately held, to initial public offering (“IPO”) and publicly-traded for over a decade. Our Chief Executive Officer, Timothy Healy, founded and led EnerNOC, a company whose energy management business model was called the “killer app of the smart grid” by Greentech Media, until its sale in 2017. Our Chief Financial Officer, Jacob Susman, began his energy innovation career at AES Corporation and Goldman Sachs and then founded and led OwnEnergy, one of the only venture capital-backed wind development companies at the time, and Mr. Susman was also one of few such developers at the time to sell such a venture to a large, multinational renewables company. We believe our management possesses an ability to recognize patterns within the sustainability industry that comes from operating within the industry from the earliest days of its origins. We believe we know how to capitalize and grow businesses to become long-term market leaders.
In addition, our management team is affiliated with Activate Capital, an experienced and well-known manager of venture and growth capital funds. Activate Capital follows a thesis that smart, efficient infrastructure and industrial systems will be the foundation of tomorrow’s built economy. The firm was founded in 2017 by Raj Atluru, Anup Jacob, and our Chair, David Lincoln, who throughout their careers have collectively overseen the investment of over $1 billion in more than 75 companies as founders or partners in leading energy and cleantech investment firms including SilverLake Kraftwerk, Virgin Green Fund, EnerTech Capital, TPG Aqua, (an affiliate of TPG Capital), Element Partners, and Draper Fisher Jurvetson
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and were involved in the public exit (or announced public exit) of twelve of these investments. Activate has raised one active fund, Activate Capital Fund I and is in the process of raising a second fund, Activate Capital Fund II. Activate Capital Fund I has generated a 43% gross internal rate of return, representing estimated unrealized value and exclusive of fund level fees (“Gross IRR”), during the period from its first capital investment in January 2018 to March 31, 2021, and has generated a 2.1x multiple of invested capital (“MOIC”) on $139.4 million of invested capital as of March 31, 2021.1 The companies in which Activate Capital Fund I has invested capital have in the aggregate raised in excess of $1.5 billion in equity capital. Two of Activate Capital’s investments, Stem, Inc. and Volta Industries, Inc., recently announced their pending combinations with special purpose acquisition companies on December 4, 2020 and February 8, 2021, respectively, and Stem, Inc. completed its business combination on April 28, 2021.
What sets the APCC Team apart is its experience investing in and building businesses that endure through changes in regulatory frameworks, dynamic economic environments, and shifting capital markets. The APCC Team has an extensive network in sustainability: the former management teams associated with the APCC Team and the portfolio companies in which Activate Capital invested are now operating executives at scores of companies in the cleantech and sustainability fields. Our Chair and management team have invested in or managed businesses in the sustainability sector that have cumulatively employed over 100,000 employees and over 100 executives and have generated over $3 billion in cumulative revenues. Members of the APCC Team have served and continue to serve as chief executive officers (“CEOs”), advisors and board members of numerous clean economy companies. Our management and board members have also helped launch or found, or served on the boards of leading industry associations including the Advanced Energy Economy (“AEE”), the Northeast Clean Energy Council (“NECEC”), the CleanTech Leaders Roundtable (“CTLR”), the American Clean Power Association (“ACPA”) and its predecessor, American Wind Energy Association (“AWEA”), the American Council on Renewable Energy (“ACORE”), the National Venture Capital Association (“NVCA”), and the Renewable Energy Buyers’ Alliance (“REBA”), among others.
We have also assembled a diverse Board of Directors with senior-executive expertise in operations and management, services, and finance across a broad range of relevant business contexts, namely: public utilities; energy software; federal and state regulatory policy; energy financing; venture capital and innovation; grid modernization; energy project development; energy efficiency; transportation, logistics and mobility; food safety, supply and distribution; buildings technologies; and local, regional, and federal sustainability efforts. Our Advisory Board also contributes expertise in transportation, logistics and mobility, renewable energy and sustainability infrastructure, food and agriculture, and business model innovation. Together, our boards provide a broad base of experience, expertise, and networks across a key set of sectors and industries. These boards share with our management team an interest in building and scaling successful sustainability companies towards a vision of a clean, connected and healthy planet.
We believe the businesses the APCC Team and Activate Capital have built and backed have already been responsible for mitigating carbon emissions from power generation and industry, and have reduced water use and waste. We value the importance of impact measurement and reporting. As such, our screening and diligence processes will give consideration to the potential positive climate impact of possible business combination targets.
Our Management Team
Our management team consists of Tim Healy, our Chief Executive Officer, and Jake Susman, our Chief Financial Officer, who will be supported by the resources of Activate Capital, as well as our Board of Directors and Advisory Board, as further described below.
1 This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not represent the actual return to any investor in Activate Capital Fund I. Past performance of Activate Capital Fund I is not indicative of its future results and you should not rely on the information relating to Activate Capital Fund I (which is an investment fund that has invested in multiple portfolio companies) as indicative of the future performance of Activate Permanent Capital Corp. (which is a blank check company whose strategy is as described elsewhere in this prospectus) or of an investment in Activate Permanent Capital Corp.
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Tim Healy
Timothy “Tim” Healy has served as our Chief Executive Officer and as a member of our board of directors since inception in March 2021. Tim is an experienced Executive Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and entrepreneur, with a demonstrated history scaling businesses in the information technology, energy, and managed services industries. He has experience in public markets leadership, innovation, entrepreneurship, mentorship, finance, clean tech, distributed energy, battery storage, energy services, energy blockchain, energy service companies (“ESCOs”), energy savings performance contracting (“ESPC”), global energy markets, regulatory policy, and mergers and acquisitions. Tim currently serves as a board member of Powin, a grid scale battery storage integrator, a position he has held since April 2021, and as a board member of Micatu, Inc., a company providing optical sensor products for the electrical grid and industrial customers, a position he has held since June 2021. He also serves as an advisor to LO3 Energy, a company using blockchain-based applications to account for how local distributed energy resources can be generated, stored, bought, sold and used, a position he has held since May 2021. Tim currently serves as a strategic advisor to Dynamo Energy Hub, a global network focused on sustainability and cleantech, a position he has held since February 2021, and inBalance, a startup with technology and services for predicting energy pricing through renewable forecasting, a position he has held since August 2020. Tim also serves as an executive advisor to Trilantic Capital Partners, a private equity firm, a position he has held since January 2021, and Packetized Energy, a software solutions company focused on clean electric power, a position he has held since October 2020. From July 2020 to January 2021, Tim served as an executive advisor to Kepler Energy, a Blackstone portfolio company formed to develop energy projects at colleges and universities and other large energy-use campuses. Prior to joining Kepler Energy as an advisor, he was an executive advisor to The Blackstone Group Inc’s (“Blackstone”) energy group from March 2018 to January 2021. Additionally, from March 2019 to November 2020, Tim served as Chief Executive Officer of P3 Energy, a Blackstone portfolio company formed to develop a college green energy project in the New England region.
From January 2001 to August 2017, Tim served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of EnerNOC Inc. (“EnerNOC”), a company that he co-founded and a provider of demand response solutions and energy intelligence software. As Chief Executive Officer, he led the company through its initial public offering and until its sale to Enel in August 2017. Prior to EnerNOC, Tim worked in the Energy Technology Laboratory for Northern Power Systems, and held positions with Merrill Lynch, International Fuel Cells (then a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation), and the venture capital firm Commonwealth Capital Ventures. Earlier in his career, he co-founded affinity marketing company Student Advantage in 1992 that went public (NASDAQ: STAD) and was eventually purchased by higher education services company CBORD, an independent business unit of Roper Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: ROP).
Tim has served on numerous private and public company as well as association and non-governmental organization (“NGO”) boards over his career. Tim was a founding Board member of the AEE and the NECEC, where he served for the last thirteen years, and was appointed to the Mayor of Boston’s Green Ribbon Commission in 2015. He is currently in his eleventh year serving on the Board of Trustees for the New England Aquarium. From October 2018 to September 2020, Tim served as a board member of Veregy, an energy efficiency solutions company. Tim also served on the board of directors of Genability, a software company licensing its databases of electricity tariffs and rate engine for use with third-party products, from February 2014 to July 2017, and WeSpire, an employment engagement platform, from August 2014 to July 2017. He formerly served on TechNet’s Executive Committee for over six years, and on the Boards of Advisors of several privately held sustainability firms.
Tim graduated from Dartmouth College with a B.A. in Government modified with Economics, and received an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.
Jake Susman
Jacob “Jake” Susman has served as our Chief Financial Officer and as a member of our board of directors since inception in March 2021. Jake has been involved in investing in and operating energy innovation businesses, and developing and originating renewable energy businesses and projects since 1999. From December 2020 to the present, Jake has been an investor and advisor to companies in the sustainable infrastructure space, and a private investor in emerging clean economy companies. In June 2019, Jake was one of four partners who founded Mission Driven Capital Partners, a growth capital fund targeting investments
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in corporate sustainability, and he served as a partner until it merged into Goldman Sachs in December 2020. In March 2007, Jake founded OwnEnergy, Inc., a specialist wind development firm targeting the industry’s mid-market. He served as Chief Executive Officer from founding in March 2007 until its sale to EDF Renewables in August 2015. Following the sale of OwnEnergy, Jake served as Vice President and Head of Origination for EDF Renewables from August 2015 to June 2019, where he was the executive leader of customer-facing activities in its U.S. Grid Scale Power business, with a primary focus on originating long-term power contracts with corporate and utility customers. From August 2004 to March 2007, he worked for Goldman Sachs as an investor, with a focus on renewable energy investments such as Horizon Wind Energy. Earlier in his career, from November 1999 to March 2002, Jake was a Project Manager in Spain for AES Corporation, a global power company, where he focused on the development of large-scale power plants. Prior to that, Jake was a corporate banker with CoreStates from September 1997 to September 1999.
Jake served for five years on the Board of AWEA (now ACPA), including two years on its Executive Committee. He also served as a member of the board of REBA and ACORE. He is the co-founder of CTLR. In 2010, Jake was named to Crain’s New York “40 Under 40”, and in 2012, he was named an Ernst & Young (“E&Y”) Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist. In 2013, Greentech Media named Jake one of New York’s Top 10 Cleantech Leaders.
Jake graduated from the University of Colorado with a B.S. in Finance, and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Our Board of Directors
Our efforts to seek a suitable business combination target will be complemented and augmented by the expertise and network of relationships of our Board of Directors, each of whom has extensive experience in business and financial matters. Following the consummation of this offering, our board of directors will consist of our Chair, David Lincoln, John Woolard, Katie McGinty, April Salas, and Tom King.
David Lincoln
David has served as our Chair and a member of our board of directors since inception in March 2021. David has been a prominent investor in venture and growth equity for over 25 years and has founded and led multiple firms in the energy and clean technology sectors. David is a Managing Director of Activate Capital, an affiliate of our sponsor and a growth equity investment firm dedicated to growth technology companies in sustainable energy, transportation, and industrial innovation, which he co-founded in May 2017. David is also a General Partner of Element Partners, a series of funds dedicated to a broad range of investments in sustainable innovation and clean technology, which he founded in September 2004. From August 1996 until June 2005, David was a co-founder and Managing Director of EnerTech Capital, a venture capital firm focused on investing specifically in the deregulation and transition of the global electric markets. Previously, David served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Deven Resources, Inc., a private equity firm dedicated to the acquisition and development of energy properties, from 1991 to 1996; was a partner with CMS Companies, a Philadelphia-based investment and financial services firm, from 1984 to 1991; and began his career at UGI Corporation, a diversified energy and utility holding company in Valley Forge, PA, from 1981 to 1984.
David has served on numerous private and public boards over his career including current Activate Capital investments Parsable, Inc., and Element Analytics, and previous investments, including AquaVenture Holdings (NYSE: WAAS), a provider of water management services, from August 2017 to April 2020; 212 Resources, a technology company focused on providing water management solutions to the oil and gas industry, from May 2011 to May 2017; Petra Systems, a provider of solar and “smart city” technologies and services, from 2007 to February 2021; Intellon Corporation, a semiconductor company specializing in powerline communications, from September 1999 to December 2004; Capstone Turbine (NASDAQ: CPST), a gas to electric micro-turbine manufacturer, from November 1997 to June 2000; FuelQuest, an e-marketplace platform and service offering for petroleum marketers, from October 2002 to December 2004; VerticalNet, Inc. (NASDAQ: VERT), a provider of supply management solutions, from May 1998 to February 1999; and Environmental Drilling Solutions, a provider of solids control services used in oil and gas operations, from April 2012 to April 2014, among others.
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David has also been an active participant helping to shape federal policy for the venture capital and growth equity industry. As a board member of the NVCA, David chaired NVCA’s Energy & Cleantech Committee and worked with policymakers to promote capital formation for technology companies focused on U.S. energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. In addition, as the Chair of NVCA’s Growth Equity Group from 2014 to 2015, David worked with industry participants, research firms and policymakers to establish and benchmark growth equity as a distinct asset class within private equity. David is also active as a former executive committee board member with City Year of Philadelphia.
David graduated from Colgate University with a B.A., with honors, in Geology, and received an M.S. in Energy Management and Policy from the University of Pennsylvania.
John Woolard
John Woolard will be appointed as a member of our board of directors in connection with the consummation of this offering. John has more than 20 years of experience as an executive in the energy technology sector and brings experience in developing clean energy projects, a technological background and understanding of software and grid modernization solutions. Currently, John is the Chief Executive Officer of Meridian Clean Energy, LLC, a position he has held since January 2021. From March 2018 to January 2021, John served as Chief Executive Officer of Meridian Energy Partners, its predecessor. From October 2016 to March 2018, John served as an advisor to Activate Capital and began the work that ultimately led to the founding of Meridian Energy Partners. From July 2014 to October 2016, John served as the Vice President of Energy at Google, where he focused on Google’s global energy strategy through investment in new technology and energy projects. Previously John served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of BrightSource Energy, Inc., from 2006 to 2013, where he led the development, construction, and commissioning of over $2.2 billion of solar power plants. John co-founded energy management software company Silicon Energy in 1997, and served as the President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman as he led its growth through the acquisition by Itron in 2003. He then served as Vice President and General Manager of the Energy Management Solutions Group at Itron through 2005. John is currently a member of the board of directors of PG&E Corporation, a position he has held since October 2019. John is also an operating partner at Activate Capital.
John previously served as a Senior Fellow at World Resources Institute and is a Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute. John also previously served as a member of the board of directors of the University of California, Berkeley, Energy & Climate Initiative, a position he held from June 2016 to February 2018.
John graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in Economics and received an M.B.A. from the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley, as well as an M.A. in Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia.
Katie McGinty
Kathleen “Katie” McGinty will be appointed as a member of our board of directors in connection with the consummation of this offering. Katie is Vice President & Chief Sustainability, Government and Regulatory Affairs Officer for Johnson Controls International plc (“JCI”), a leading energy efficiency and buildings technology company, where she has served in such capacity since May 2019. Katie helps drive JCI’s sustainability performance, including recognition as one of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations and a AAA MSCI Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) Rating, and government policies encouraging smart buildings and energy efficiency. Prior to joining JCI, Katie served as Senior Vice President, Oceans of the Environmental Defense Fund from July 2018 to May 2019. From March 2017 to February 2018, Katie was a partner at Militia Hill Ventures, a position she took after running for the U.S. Senate from August 2015 to November 2016. Katie has over 25 years of public and private sector experience. A recognized innovator in clean energy and environmental protection, Ms. McGinty champions technology development, sustainability, and creative policies to solve tough environmental problems. Her public sector career includes serving as Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and as Deputy Director of Environment to Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore from 1993 to 1998, as Pennsylvania Secretary of Environmental Protection from 2003 to 2008, and as Chair of the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority from 2004 to 2008.
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Katie has served on numerous private and public company as well as association and NGO boards over her career. She currently serves on the boards of the Alliance to Save Energy, the Carnegie Mellon Scott Institute for Energy Innovation, the Delaware River Port Authority, the Energy Futures Initiative, and FS Energy & Power Fund. Previously, she served on the boards of Iberdrola, NRG Energy, Inc., ECORE, and Weston Solutions. She also served as a Senior Visiting Fellow at The Energy and Resources Institute in New Delhi, India and is the proud recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, including honorary doctorates from Muhlenberg University, Dickinson College, and Clarion State University. She is the Woman of Conservation Lifetime Achievement Awardee of PennFuture, “Global Leader for Tomorrow” (World Economic Forum), “Business Leader of the Year” (Woman’s Network for a Sustainable Future), the “Ansel Adams Award” of the National Wildlife Federation, and “Woman of the Year” (Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment).
Katie graduated from St. Joseph’s University with a B.S. in Chemistry, and received a J.D. from Columbia University.
April Salas
April Salas will be appointed as a member of our board of directors in connection with the consummation of this offering. April brings nearly 20 years of public and private sector experience in global and domestic energy markets, rooted in energy systems analysis. She currently serves as Executive Director of the Revers Center for Energy at Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business, a position she has held since June 2016. Mrs. Salas also serves as the Chief Sustainability Officer of the town of Hanover, New Hampshire’s first city to join the Sierra Club’s Ready for 100 program, where she has led portfolio strategy for deploying power, thermal and transportation-related procurement to help Hanover reach its 2030 and 2050 targets since April 2018. In addition, Mrs. Salas is the Chief Operating Officer of Re:Public, a map-based application helping users understand and mitigate risk, a position she has held since March 2020. She is also a Board Director of 3Degrees Group, a position she has held since February 2021.
April has held various senior positions within the U.S. Department of Energy, and prior to joining the Revers Center, she directed the White House’s Quadrennial Energy Review Task Force Secretariat under President Obama from September 2015 to June 2016, in conjunction with the Secretary of Energy and the White House’s Domestic Policy Council and Office of Science and Technology Policy. April has also served as Chief of Planning and Analysis for all federal energy emergency responses with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) from August 2013 to September 2015 and held various roles working with the United Nations (“UN”) and United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (“UNESCO”) as well as in energy finance consulting.
April graduated from the College of William and Mary with a B.A., and she received an M.B.A. from Cornell University, as well as an M.B.A. in International Business from Queen’s University’s Smith School of Business, an M.A. in International Affairs, Conflict Resolution, and Civil Society Development from the American University of Paris, and an M.A. in International Security and Economics from L’Institut Catholique de Paris.
Tom King
Thomas “Tom” King will be appointed as a member of our board of directors in connection with the consummation of this offering. Tom is the Board Chair of three dynamic utility services contractor holding companies: Entregado Group, Inc., Allied Power Group, & Contract Land Staff, positions he has held since November 2017. With over 30 years in utility infrastructure management, Tom serves as strategic advisor to each company’s management team, crystalizing the vision, identifying opportunities to leverage scale, and promoting continued growth. Previously, Tom led two of the nation’s largest utilities, serving as Chief Executive Officer for PG&E from August 2003 to July 2007 and then National Grid U.S. from July 2007 to April 2015. Prior to PG&E, he served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Kinder Morgan Energy Partners from January 1996 to September 1998.
Tom has served on numerous private and public boards over his career. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Puget Sound Energy, a position he has held since July 2019, and serves as an Executive Partner at AEA Investors, a leading global private investment firm with approximately $10 billion
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assets under management, where he has served in such capacity since March 2017. He previously served on the Board of Directors of Peak Reliability from June 2017 to December 2020 and EnergySaavy from June 2015 to May 2019. Prior to that, Tom was a Senior Advisor with IFM Investors from November 2015 to April 2019.
Tom graduated from Louisiana State University with a B.S. in Business Administration and Management.
Our Advisory Board
Scott Jacobs
Scott is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Generate Capital, a leading sustainable infrastructure platform delivering affordable, reliable resource solutions to companies, communities, and cities. Prior to co-founding Generate in January 2014, Scott served as Associate Principal at McKinsey & Company from September 2007 to February 2012, where he co-founded its global Clean Technologies Practice, advising companies, institutional investors, NGOs, and governments around the world on the economic imperatives of resource productivity and climate solutions. Scott was also co-founder and managing director of EFW Partners, a global investor in energy, food and water, from September 2012 to December 2018. Prior to that, Scott spent over a decade in technology and venture capital, helping start and grow a number of companies. He also served as General Manager of PolyServe, a software company, from 2004 to 2005.
Scott has dedicated much of his professional life to the “resource revolution” and is a regular writer, keynote speaker, and conference panelist on the topics of thematic investing and risk management, climate- and resource-related innovation, and building values-based and people-centric businesses. Scott also serves on the board of directors of JUST Goods, a position he has held since November 2014.
Scott graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College with a B.A., and received his M.B.A. with high distinction from Harvard Business School, where he was named a George F. Baker Scholar.
Emily Kirsch
Emily Kirsch is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Powerhouse, an innovation firm, and Managing Director of Powerhouse Ventures, its affiliated venture fund, founded in 2013 and 2018, respectively. Powerhouse partners with corporations and investors to help them engage with cutting-edge startups, tap into proprietary market insights, and lead the next century of clean technology innovation. Powerhouse Ventures backs founding teams building innovative software to rapidly transform global energy and mobility systems. Emily is also the host of the podcast “Watt it Takes,” which tells the stories of entrepreneurs who are building a carbon-free future.
Emily serves on the board of Station A, is a board observer at Recurrent Auto, and serves on the investor advisory board of the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority. Prior to leading Powerhouse and Powerhouse Ventures, Emily worked in local, state, and national climate policy.
Emily graduated with honors from San Francisco State University with a B.A. in Sustainable Urban Development and is the recipient of the Entrepreneurship Award from C3E, a partnership between the United States Department of Energy, Stanford, and MIT to highlight women’s leadership in clean energy. In 2019, Emily was selected as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. Emily’s work has been cited in Bloomberg, The Guardian, TechCrunch, The Huffington Post, and The New York Times.
Kristin Groos Richmond
Kristin Groos Richmond is Chief Executive Officer of Revolution Foods, a leading provider of healthy prepared meals and citywide wellness for students, families, and communities across the United States, which she co-founded in 2005. Under her leadership, Revolution Foods has designed, produced, and distributed over 475 million healthy, chef-crafted and culturally relevant meals (approximately 75 million since the COVID-19 pandemic began) to our most vulnerable communities in over 500 cities across the nation. Revolution Foods is a benefit corporation and leader in structuring large public-private partnerships that
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promote health outcomes across cities. With over 1,500 employees, Revolution Foods was recognized three years in a row by Fortune as one of the top 100 highest-growth inner city job creators in the United States.
Prior to founding Revolution Foods, Kristin co-founded the Kenya Community Center for Learning and worked in investment banking. She was also the Vice President of Resources for Indispensible Schools and Educators (RISE). Kristin was a member of the White House Council for Community Solutions and is on the Dean’s Advisory Council at University of California Berkeley. She is a Pahara-Aspen Fellow, an Ashoka Fellow and a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum. Kristin is on the Board of Directors of Generate Capital, a leading clean energy investment company and sustainable infrastructure operator. Most recently, Kristin was recognized as one of Inc.’s Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs of 2020.
Kristin graudated from Boston College with a B.S. and received an M.B.A. from the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley.
Kari Novatney
Kari currently serves as General Manager of Strategy, Business Development & 3rd Party Enablement on the Enterprise Connectivity team at Ford Motors, and has held this position since July 2020. Prior to her current role at Ford, from April 2019 to July 2020, Kari served as Chief Operating Officer of Ford Pass, Ford’s mobile owner application, as well as Chief Operating Officer of Chariot from April 2018 to March 2019, Ford’s investment in an app-based commuter shuttle service, with 10 domestic markets plus London. An experienced operations leader for consumer-oriented, quality-focused brands, Kari has held general and operations management positions at Sony and Disney, while also serving as VP of People Operations at JustAnswer from February 2016 to March 2018 and Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Ridemakerz from June 2010 to July 2014. Kari serves on the board of Alto, a premium ride-hailing start-up, based in Houston. Also in mobility, Kari served as a consultant in the early 2000s for NAVTEQ (now HERE Technologies) on their CA-based intelligent transportation initiatives.
Kari graduated from Stanford University with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering.
Activate Capital
Activate Capital is a leading late-stage venture and growth equity investor focused exclusively on high growth companies leading the transformation and digitization of the energy, mobility, and industrial markets. Activate Capital was co-founded in 2017 by Raj Atluru, Anup Jacob and David Lincoln (collectively, the “Activate Principals”) with a focus on and commitment to ESG investing and a vision of a clean, connected, intelligent and sustainable future. The Activate Principals are highly experienced investment professionals with proven track records who have co-invested and worked together over the last two decades. The Activate Principals collectively have more than 80 years of relevant investment experience, and possess a combination of financial, technical, and operational expertise.
Throughout their investment careers, the Activate Principals have overseen the investment of over $1 billion in equity in more than 75 companies. Each of the Activate Principals have been investing in energy and industrial innovation for over 20 years. With this experience and our combined network of industry contacts and industry thought leaders, we believe Activate Capital can provide specialized insights to the APCC Team into the major technology and market trends impacting our target markets and industries. Select recent relevant investments include Stem, Inc., Volta Charging, Flexe, Generate Capital, Posigen, Voltus, Aquaventure Holdings (NYSE: WAAS), Passport Labs, Inc., Parsable, Inc., and Ridecell.
Market Opportunity
We believe the sustainability sector is vastly underutilizing the public equity markets, as evidenced by the limited number of IPOs in the sector. For example, in the clean technology industry, one of the sustainability sector’s core markets, there were approximately 21 IPOs in the United States between 2000 and 2020. Comparatively, there were over 700 technology IPOs during this period. Further, while there are 28 publicly traded technology companies on the NYSE and NASDAQ with market capitalizations greater
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than $100 billion, only two companies in our four core markets, Tesla, Inc. and Uber Technologies, Inc., leaders in the mobility and energy transition subsectors of sustainability, have achieved sizable brand recognition and a comparable valuation.
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (“IRENA”), the world needs to invest $131 trillion by 2050 and $57 trillion by 2030, in order to avoid catastrophic impacts to the climate. Within the energy sector in North America alone, this has been estimated by IRENA to require over $500 billion in investments in “Energy Transition,” annually, until 2050. We believe we are positioned to help unlock public equity markets as a financing source for sustainability companies to help accelerate this Energy Transition.
The global economy continues to place strong demands on the world’s resources. Sustainable and efficient technologies are emerging as a key component of corporate competitiveness and as a way to relieve the pressure on the world’s resources across all industrial and commercial markets. Cleaner and efficient production and consumption of these resources are driven by not only corporations seeking improved profitability and mitigating climate risks, but also by deeper consumer awareness of environmental impacts of the products and services they consume. While the earlier part of this century has focused on scientific advancements in limited fields with high research and development costs, today’s innovation landscape offers a broader range of business models and engineering breakthroughs with the promise of creating value on the tailwinds of sustainability and industrial digitization.
Sustainable technologies and innovations address every aspect of the manufacturing and industrial life cycle: from the sourcing and acquisition of raw materials, through the optimization and efficient management of resources, to their ultimate recycling or disposal. These traditionally industrial markets are undergoing a fundamental digital transformation.
Energy Transition
The transition away from traditional fossil-based systems of energy production and consumption to sustainable and renewable sources is one of the largest global megatrends. This paradigm shift disrupting the global energy landscape is driving several important trends in our energy mix: decarbonization, decentralization, digitization, and democratization.
Decarbonization is in its early stages and has the ability to radically change our environment and our daily lives with the support of sufficient capital. Paris Agreement goals aim to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius and to bring CO2 emissions closer to net zero by 2050. Adverse climate impacts and increasing global pressure on sustainability are driving corporations, nations, states, and municipalities to create aggressive carbon reduction goals and legislators to enact policies in support of these goals. In large part because of these pressures and resulting initiatives, energy supply from zero marginal cost renewable resources is outpacing growth from traditional, carbon emitting resources.
Decentralization of our energy system is occurring from growth in energy generated from smaller scale, lower carbon-emitting resources at sites closer to where that energy is used. In addition, new systems, controls, and information technologies required to manage this transformation are emerging to ensure the transformation from a large, centralized energy system to distributed energy systems can be reliable, resilient, and secure.
Digitization underpins how these new systems operate to measure and monitor machine behavior of distributed energy resources and automate the use and supply of energy in real -time. Our daily lives are increasingly automated, digitized, and connected, with energy markets and systems hardly immune from this shift from analog to digital.
Democratization of energy systems and markets is turning formerly passive energy consumers into energy market participants, who control and choose how they buy and use different forms of energy to power their homes, buildings, and other energy intensive devices and products. Energy customers are pro-actively engaging in demand-side energy management activity, with increasing focus on big data and analytics, to increase their energy stability and resiliency, reduce their operating costs, and achieve sustainability goals.
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The International Energy Agency (“IEA”) estimates that $69 trillion of capital investment is required through 2040 across the global energy ecosystem to deliver on key sustainability objectives. Governmental initiatives are further enhancing the backdrop for Energy Transition including the proposed Biden Administration infrastructure plan, which includes $174 billion for electric vehicles, $100 billion for digital infrastructure, and $100 billion for power infrastructure.
Past investment is already demonstrating progress in the Energy Transition as evidenced by:
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total installed wind and solar capacity is on course to surpass natural gas in 2023 and coal in 2024;
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levelized cost of energy (“LCOE”) of utility-scale wind energy fell by 71% from 2009 to 2020, while LCOE of utility-scale solar energy fell by 90% over the same period;
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the steep decline in residential solar costs from $7 per watt to $2 per watt over 10 years which has enabled solar energy to achieve cost parity with fossil fuel generation;
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the decline in price of lithium-ion storage batteries by approximately 85% from 2010 to 2018 and the expected decline further to $94/kWh by 2024;
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the increase in US electric storage capacity by 10x over the last decade;
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the expectation that smart meter penetration in North America will reach 81% by 2024; and
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the fact that renewables account for almost 80% of new generation capacity in the U.S.
These paradigm shifts in the energy landscape are creating investment opportunities across a vast array of energy products and services. We may evaluate opportunities in the following areas:
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energy efficiency, including building optimization, retrofits and commissioning services, energy-efficient building products, software, and services; energy metering and management systems; facilities management systems; and heating, ventilation, air–conditioning (HVAC) and refrigeration equipment and services;
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energy data, information, and services providers including energy infrastructure financing and technology platforms;
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energy storage, including technologies used to store electricity or to complement onsite solar generation or wind energy projects, as well as hardware and software for managing energy storage systems; and companies in the business of energy storage project development, system integration and design;
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distributed energy and demand response, including technologies and services to optimize the use of distributed generation systems and to provide market access services to end users of energy;
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solar energy development, equipment, and services;
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microgrids with distributed energy resources that can provide power and energy services to a specific set of customers isolated from or connected to the grid; and
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utility software and services companies and technologies for managing the electricity grid or microgrids and related energy infrastructure.
Smart Mobility
Just as our energy systems are transitioning away from fossil-fuels and towards more distributed forms of infrastructure, so too are the world’s mobility and logistics sectors reconfiguring for the 21st century. Driven by at least three fundamental shifts—the electrification of transportation modalities, the rapid adoption of eCommerce, and the overlay of digital technologies on traditional assets—our transportation, mobility and logistics sectors are in the middle of a generational shift, which we believe will yield significant opportunities for investment.
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Electrification of Transportation
New electric vehicle sales are set to increase significantly from approximately two million in 2019 (or approximately 3% of global car sales) to more than 245 million by 2030, according to IEA forecasts. While many traditional automotive original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”) have announced their intent to transition new vehicle sales away from combustion engines, the electric vehicle value chain will require new types of technologies, manufacturers, and suppliers to scale the industry. Additionally, the shift to electric vehicles will require significant investment in charging infrastructure for both consumer vehicles and commercial fleets. Governments—recognizing the important role transportation will play in mitigating the climate crisis—are promoting policies and regulations to accelerate this shift, just as businesses are also responding to changing demand. As an example, the Biden administration has recently earmarked funding for 500,000 public charging stations in its proposed infrastructure package. The shift towards electric vehicles is not constrained to traditional vehicle types, as improvements in electric powertrain and the decline in the cost of lithium have given rise to various micro-mobility formats, such as bikes and scooters, in many major U.S. and European cities.
Rise of eCommerce
Internet commerce, or “eCommerce,” penetration as a percentage of total retail sales has more than tripled over the past decade from approximately 6% to approximately 15.8% in 2019, and more than 21% by the end of 2020, according to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce. This shift in consumer behavior has placed an enormous amount of stress on traditional supply chain infrastructure as sellers and logistics companies are confronted with ever increasing demand for high-velocity fulfillment and delivery. Even in categories with comparatively low digital penetration rates, like grocery, incumbent retailers are being forced to respond with new solutions that require fundamentally different technology platforms and capabilities.
Overlay of Digital Technologies
The extension of digital technologies to the edge of application is the driving force behind mobility disruption. The ubiquity of edge computing, proliferation of new types of sensors, innovative data architectures and machine learning at scale are combining to enable not only new technology categories—like autonomous vehicles and fulfillment robotics—but new types of business models as well. Profitable micro-mobility, shared and electric commercial vehicle fleets, autonomous ride hail or delivery, and dynamic supply chains are all enabled through the integration of a wide range of data, communications and networking technologies that have collectively become cheap and reliable.
Against this backdrop, we have identified several focus areas across the broader mobility and logistics market with mature technologies, established business models, and meaningful companies of scale. We may evaluate opportunities in any of the following areas:
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electric vehicle value chain including electric-first OEMs or advanced battery or powertrain technologies;
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electric vehicle charging infrastructure including vehicle-to-grid intelligent fleet management solutions;
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autonomous vehicle (“AV”) value chain including commercial AV platforms or advanced components, such as light detection and ranging (or “lidar”) or connected car technologies;
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urban mobility solutions including micro-mobility, dynamic public transit or electric air-taxis;
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digital warehouse and transportation marketplaces;
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predictive logistics platforms for ocean, air and trucking freight management; and
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last-mile delivery solutions including drones or other autonomous robotic solutions.
Sustainable Food Chain
The global food and grocery retail value chain represents an over $10 trillion market opportunity and is also critically important in terms of social and environmental impact. Over the coming decades, as
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the world’s population expands and incomes continue to rise, McKinsey estimates that global caloric intake will increase by 70%. Meanwhile, the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) estimates that as much as 30 to 40% of the total U.S. food supply goes to waste. This increased demand for food—and the system’s inability to make efficient use—is placing enormous stress on key resources including land, water, and energy. According to a 2020 report from Our World in Data, the resource intensity of the food supply is staggering:
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Food accounts for more than a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions;
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Agricultural production requires half the world’s habitable land and at least two-thirds of its freshwater withdrawals;
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More than two-thirds of global ocean and freshwater pollution is caused by agriculture; and
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Almost 95% of all mammalian biomass (excluding humans) is livestock.
The report concludes: “Food, therefore, lies at the heart of trying to tackle climate change, reducing water stress, pollution, restoring lands back to forests or grasslands, and protecting the world’s wildlife.” Farmers, manufacturers, distributors, and consumers are increasingly aware of these realities, and we believe the food value-chain is at the beginning of a long-shift towards adopting more efficient and sustainable solutions to feeding the world’s 7.8 billion inhabitants.
The emerging solution set includes a wide range of technologies which address issues beginning all the way upstream from seed inputs and field efficiency and continue downstream to in-store grocery technology and last-mile delivery. We may evaluate opportunities in the following areas:
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seed formulations or biological substitutes for chemical pesticides or field nutrition;
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bio-engineered foods including plant-based meats, seafood, and dairy substitutes;
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field automation technologies including data collection, monitoring, analytics, and robotics which increase crop yields and/or reduce resource intensity;
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controlled-environment agriculture and vertical farming technologies;
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big data technologies for traceability and prediction to eliminate waste and/or increase throughput; and
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grocery fulfillment technologies including in-store fulfillment and “dark store” eCommerce delivery.
Intelligent Automation
Industrial process environments are undergoing a rapid transformation in response to pressures facing many western economies. Global competition, rising demand for efficiency, increasingly stringent safety requirements, and aging workforces have combined to push companies to adopt new technologies to automate, digitize and optimize their operations. Consider the following:
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worldwide spending on digital transformation is expected to reach $2.3 trillion by 2023;
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the total number of “internet of things” (“IoT”) connected devices is set to grow from 17.7 billion in 2020 to 36.8 billion by 2025;
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3.5 billion 5G subscriptions are forecasted by 2026, accounting for nearly 50% of mobile data traffic and 60% of the global population;
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ARK Invest predicts the average selling price (“ASP”) for industrial robots will decline $50,000 per unit in 2010 to $13,000 per unit by 2025, while sales will quadruple to 1.6 million units annually;
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the cost to train a computer vision neural network has decreased 100x since 2018 AI capabilities are multiplying as models are trained with 10x more computing power each year; and
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62% of organizations implementing IoT projects expect to use digital twins, including to monitor, evaluate, and optimize their manufacturing and other industrial processes.
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As costs continue to decline across this class of digital technologies, not only are adoption rates accelerating but new types of applications are enabled—from real-time edge analytics, to AI (artificial intelligence)-based prediction and augmented or virtual reality overlay of real and digital assets. We believe this presents significant investable opportunity and we may evaluate opportunities in the following areas:
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collaborative, autonomous robotics;
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intelligent supply-chain platforms and marketplaces;
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warehouse automation;
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augmented reality, 3D data capture and digital twin models;
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next-generation digital manufacturing platforms; and
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industrial cybersecurity.
Our Strategy and Approach
Our acquisition and value creation strategy is to identify and complete a business combination with a company operating in one of the sectors we have described in this prospectus. The APCC Team has an extensive network of relationships that enables us to work effectively with a broad set of companies, consultants, associations, and other entities in the rapidly growing and digitizing sustainability ecosystem. This network includes senior executives, investment bankers, venture capital firms, and various investment professionals, as well as the owners of private businesses. We believe the APCC Team’s years of experience and deep network of relationships should allow us to identify a wide range of attractive opportunities.
Activate Capital brings a decades-long and tested approach to investing in the industrial innovation and sustainability sectors, and we intend to leverage that model to identify and acquire a compelling target in the sustainability industry. Activate Capital’s theme-based investment process typically begins with an ongoing analysis of the problems or opportunities companies face in our target industries. These problems and opportunities are typically caused by significant technological, resource, or environmental inflection points in selected sectors which could include shocks to the supply chain, new environmental regulations, shifting consumer demands for sustainable products, or a significant new innovation. Once problems or opportunities have been identified, APCC will seek to understand the related dynamics such as: source and magnitude of the issue, alternative solutions, competing capital budget items, and size of the business opportunity. From this analysis, we will identify the most promising markets and potential technology solutions to solve problems or pursue opportunities.
This market analysis is an ongoing process and forms the basis of the investment thesis for most targeted sectors. This market insight enables us to perform more directed and informed scouting for potential business combination targets. We will rely on multiple sources for deal flow, including the networks of the APCC Team, to source potential business combination targets and to develop themes and identify leading companies within them for a potential business combination.
We intend to primarily utilize a proactive approach to deal sourcing. While we expect our reputations, networks, and experience will give the APCC Team access to broad deal flow, we believe that a targeted approach to finding potential business combination targets produces a higher quality and more differentiated opportunity set.
We expect to initiate contact with companies working in target areas identified through the above-referenced market mapping analysis. We will use the resources of our network to identify opportunities with those markets. In more than two decades of investing and operating companies at the forefront of the sustainability sector, we have developed extensive relationships with specialized consultants, research analysts, intermediaries, business development executives at major corporations, and research leaders in universities and national labs. Our objective is to lead and drive opportunities, and we place high value on having been able to review promising current-day opportunities early in their evolution. We value the prior long-term relationships we maintain with hundreds of executives, founders and investors in the innovation economy, as well as relationships forged from previous investment and operating activities of our APCC Team.
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More broadly, the investment community recognizes that sustainability is no longer a niche industry but instrumental in financing the modern economy and is an essential part of our vision and approach to investing and building successful, sustainable businesses. Health and safety are clearly back in focus with COVID-19 affecting nearly every facet of the economy. And while transportation and industrial activity accounted for 72% of energy use in 2019, they also represented 65% of GHG emissions in 2019 according to the United States Energy Information Administration (“EIA”), which has driven a significant increase in sustainability investing. U.S. sustainable public funds witnessed a record $51.1 billion of net inflows during 2020, representing approximately 24% of all flows into U.S. stock and bond funds. Furthermore, of the world’s 250 largest companies, over 90% report on ESG and these disclosure practices are becoming standardized with the use of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board and the Global Reporting Initiative. As such, ESG is on the minds of many participants in our network, across the economy. We expect this will result in a range of additional sustainability-focused investing opportunities beyond just the sectors listed above.
Our Acquisition Criteria
Consistent with our investment philosophy and strategy, we plan to identify high-quality businesses run by exceptional teams. We have identified the following general criteria and guidelines that we believe are critical to evaluating prospective companies within our targeted sub-sectors:
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large addressable market with substantial growth opportunity;
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compelling, commercial value proposition;
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lower technology risk;
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sustainable competitive advantage and/or high barriers to entry;
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experienced and entrepreneurial management teams;
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profitable or a path to profitability; and
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clear evidence of positive environmental or other ESG impact.
These criteria and guidelines are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination may or may not be based, to the extent relevant, on these general criteria and guidelines as well as other considerations, factors, criteria and guidelines that our management may deem relevant.
Impact Objectives
Although the APCC Team is seeking to find and acquire a high-growth, market-leading company with the potential to deliver exceptional stockholder value, we believe that long term success of any company will be defined by the dual objective of building stockholder value while simultaneously producing positive outcomes for the planet.
In evaluating target company opportunities, we will develop frameworks for assessing the positive environmental, public health, safety, and social impacts that a target company might achieve. We will also seek to be accessible to, and engage with, relevant stakeholders on ESG topics regularly and consistently during the search period.
Once a business combination has occurred, we will work with the target’s management team towards the achievement of positive environmental, public health, safety, and social outcomes. We will also confer with the eventual target’s management team on ESG measurement and reporting best practices. Lastly, we will work with the target to implement compensation and other policies that define and incentivize behavior to achieve best-of-breed policies and procedures around ESG.
Our Acquisition Process
Our acquisition philosophy is rooted in several core tenets, consistent with those that have been utilized by Activate Capital and the APCC Principals as they evaluate potential business combination targets:
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identifying and developing macro themes affecting the target markets that we expect to benefit from market acceleration, technology adoption and innovative business models;
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leveraging Activate Capital’s leadership position and reach and the personal networks of the APCC Principals to access high quality deal flow;
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sourcing market-leading companies providing technology-based solutions to real-world challenges and opportunities that are impactful and economically important to end-users;
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screening for capital efficient, high-growth businesses with the potential to address multiple markets;
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considering environmental and other ESG issues associated with target companies when assessing their impact and evaluating whether to pursue a particular business combination target; and
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aiming to create value post-combination by bringing firm resources and relevant network experience to strengthen management teams, accelerate growth, and improve operations.
In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct an extensive due diligence review which will encompass, as applicable and among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspection of facilities, and a review of financial and other information about the target and its industry.
We are not prohibited from pursuing our initial business combination with a business combination target that is affiliated with our sponsor, our directors or our officers or from making the acquisition through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, directors, officers or their affiliates. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a business combination target that is affiliated with our sponsor, our directors or our officers, we, or a committee of independent directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.
Each of our directors and officers will, directly or indirectly, own founder shares and/or private placement warrants following this 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, such directors and officers may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such directors and officers was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.
Certain of our directors and officers currently have, and any of them in the future may have, additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to another entity pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity subject to his or her fiduciary duties. If any of our directors or officers becomes aware of a business combination opportunity that falls within the line of business of any entity to which he or she has then-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. Our directors and officers affiliated with Activate Capital may in particular have conflicts with funds affiliated with Activate Capital, and/or other funds or investment vehicles formed by Activate Capital in the future.
No members of our management team or board of directors have any obligation to present us with any opportunity for a potential business combination of which they become aware, unless presented to such member specifically in his or her capacity as an officer or a director of the company. Members of our management team may be required to present potential business combinations to other entities to whom they have fiduciary duties before they present such opportunities to us. Any knowledge or presentation of such opportunities may therefore present conflicts of interest. Members of our Advisory Board do not have any obligation to present us with any opportunity for a potential business combination of which they become aware in any capacity.
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In addition, Activate Capital or its affiliates and members of our management team and board of directors may sponsor other blank check companies similar to ours during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination, and may participate in such blank check companies, or other blank check companies. These relationships may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an acquisition target.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide 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, and to the extent the director or officer is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation.
Initial Business Combination
NYSE rules require that we must consummate an initial business combination with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the trust account (net of amounts disbursed to management for working capital purposes, if permitted, and excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting commissions). Our board of directors will make the determination as to the fair market value of our initial business combination. We refer to this as the 80% of net assets test. 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. Our stockholders may not be provided with a copy of such opinion nor will they be able to rely on such opinion. 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.
We anticipate structuring our initial business combination 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. We may, however, structure our initial business combination such that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business for the post-acquisition company to meet certain objectives of the target management team or stockholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires an interest in the target or assets 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 valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test. If the initial business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses and we will treat the target businesses together as the initial business combination for the purposes of a tender offer or for seeking stockholder approval, as applicable.
The net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants released to us from the trust account upon the closing of our initial business combination may be used as consideration to pay the sellers of a target business with which we complete our initial business combination. If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt securities, or not all of the funds released from the trust
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account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination or used for redemption of our public shares, we may use the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account following the closing for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction businesses, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital. In addition, we may be required to obtain additional financing in connection with the closing of our initial business combination to be used following the closing for general corporate purposes as described above. There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds through the issuance of equity or equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into following consummation of this offering. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, we would only complete such financing simultaneously with the completion of our initial business combination. At this time, we are not a party to any arrangement or understanding with any third party with respect to raising any additional funds through the sale of securities or otherwise. None of our sponsors, officers, directors or stockholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our initial business combination. We may also obtain financing prior to the closing of our initial business combination to fund our working capital needs and transaction costs in connection with our search for and completion of our initial business combination. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that, following this offering and prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, we will be prohibited from issuing additional securities that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote as a class with our public shares (a) on any initial business combination or (b) to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (x) extend the time we have to consummate a business combination beyond 24 months from the closing of this offering or (y) amend the foregoing provisions, unless (in connection with any such amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation) we offer our public stockholders the opportunity to redeem their public shares.
Corporate Information
Our offices are located at 50 California Street, Suite 680, San Francisco, California 94111, and our telephone number is (610) 574-9069.
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, 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 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 this 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 Class A common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter, 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. References herein to “emerging growth company” shall have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act.
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Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Rule 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, and (2) our annual revenues exceed $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.
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THE OFFERING
In deciding whether to invest in our securities, you should take into account not only the backgrounds of the members of our management team, but also the special risks we face as a blank check company and the fact that this offering is not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act. You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings. You should carefully consider these and the other risks set forth in the section below entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 45 of this prospectus.
Securities offered
25,000,000(1) units, at $10.00 per unit, each unit consisting of:
•
one share of Class A common stock; and
•
one-third of one public warrant.
Proposed NYSE symbols
Units: “APCC.U”
Class A Common Stock: “APCC”
Warrants: “APCC.WS”
Trading commencement and separation of Class A common stock and public warrants
The units are expected to begin trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. We expect the Class A common stock and public warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless the representatives inform us of their decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the shares of Class A common stock and public warrants commence separate trading, holders will have the option to continue to hold units or separate their units into the component securities. Holders will need to have their brokers contact our transfer agent in order to separate the units into shares of Class A common stock and public warrants. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least three units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant.
In no event will the Class A common stock and public warrants be traded separately until we have filed a Current Report on Form 8-K with the SEC containing an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds at the closing of this offering. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering, which closing is anticipated to take place three business days from the date of this prospectus. If the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.
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Units:
Number outstanding before this offering
0
Number outstanding after this offering
25,000,000(1)
Common stock:
Number outstanding before this offering
7,187,500 shares of Class B common stock(2)
Number outstanding after this offering
31,250,000 shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock(1)(3)
Warrants:
Number of private placement warrants to be sold in a private placement simultaneously with this offering
5,666,667(1)
Number of warrants to be outstanding after this offering and the private placement
14,000,000(1)
Exercisability
Each whole warrant offered in this offering is exercisable to purchase one share of our Class A common stock, subject to adjustment as described herein. Only whole warrants are exercisable.
No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade.
We structured each unit to contain one-third of one warrant, with each whole warrant exercisable for one share of Class A common stock, as compared to units issued by some other similar blank check companies that contain one whole warrant exercisable for one share, in order to reduce the dilutive effect of the warrants upon completion of our initial business combination as compared to units that each contain one warrant exercisable for one share, thus making us, we believe, a more attractive business combination partner for target businesses.
Exercise price
$11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described herein. In addition, if (x) in connection with the closing of the initial business combination, we issue additional shares of common stock or securities of ours or any of our subsidiaries which are convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for, equity securities of ours or such subsidiary, including any securities issued by us or any of our subsidiaries which are pledged to secure any obligation of any holder to purchase equity securities of ours or any of our subsidiaries, at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per share of common stock, with such issue price or effective issue price
(1)
Assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option and the forfeiture by our sponsor of an aggregate of 937,500 founder shares.
(2)
Includes up to an aggregate of 937,500 shares that are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised.
(3)
Comprised of 25,000,000 shares of Class A common stock and 6,250,000 shares of Class B common stock. The Class B common stock is convertible into shares of our Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as described herein adjacent to the caption “Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution rights.”
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to be determined in good faith by the Board (and in the case of any such issuance to the Sponsor or its affiliates, without taking into account any shares of common stock of ours issued prior to the offering and 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, and interest thereon, available for the funding of the initial business combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of our common stock during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which we consummate our initial business combination (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, (i) the warrant price shall be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price and (ii) the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price shall be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.
Exercise period
The warrants will become exercisable on the later of:
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30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, and
•
12 months from the closing of this offering;
provided, in each case, that we have an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the public warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available (or we permit holders to exercise their public warrants on a cashless basis under the circumstances specified in the public warrant agreement) and such shares are registered, qualified or exempt from registration under the securities, or blue sky, laws of the state of residence of the holder.
We are not registering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants at this time. However, we have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our best efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement covering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the public warrants, to cause such registration statement to become effective and to maintain a current prospectus relating to those shares of Class A common stock until the public warrants expire or are redeemed, as specified in the public warrant agreement.
If a registration statement covering the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the public warrants is not effective by the 60th business day after the closing of our initial business combination, warrantholders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we will have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise public warrants on a “cashless
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basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption.
Notwithstanding the above, if our common stock is at the time of any exercise of a public 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, we may, at our 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 we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, and in the event we do not so elect, we will use our best efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available.
The warrants will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, five years after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation. On the exercise of any warrant, the warrant exercise price will be paid directly to us and not placed in the trust account.
Redemption of public warrants
Once the public warrants become exercisable, we may redeem the outstanding public warrants for cash:
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in whole and not in part;
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at a price of $0.01 per public warrant;
•
upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption, which we refer to as the 30-day redemption period; and
•
if, and only if, the reported closing price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which we send the notice of redemption to the warrantholders.
We will not redeem the public warrants unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the public warrants is effective and a current prospectus relating to those shares of Class A common stock is available throughout the 30-day redemption period. If and when the public warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of shares of common stock upon exercise of the public warrants is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or we are unable to effect such registration or qualification. We will use our best efforts to register or qualify such shares of common stock under the blue sky laws of the state of residence in those states in which the public warrants were offered by us in this offering.
If we call the public warrants for redemption as described above, we will have the option to require all holders that wish
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to exercise such warrants to do so on a “cashless basis.” In determining whether to require all holders to exercise their public warrants on a “cashless basis,” we will consider, among other factors, our cash position, the number of public warrants that are outstanding and the dilutive effect on our stockholders of issuing the maximum number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of our public warrants. In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the 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 by (y) the fair market value.
The “fair market value” means the 10-day average closing price as of the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of the warrants. The “10-day average closing price” means, as of any date, the average last reported sale price of the Class A common stock as reported during the 10 trading day period ending on the trading day prior to such date. “Last reported sale price” means the last reported sale price of the shares of Class A common stock on the date prior to the date on which notice of exercise of the warrant is sent to the warrant agent. Please see “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Stockholders’ Warrants” for additional information.
None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us.
Founder shares
In March 2021, 7,187,500 founder shares were issued to our sponsor in exchange for a capital contribution of $25,000, or approximately $0.003 per share. Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,000 by our sponsor, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. The per share price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash contributed to the company by the number of founder shares issued.
The number of founder shares issued and outstanding was determined based on the expectation that the founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares after this offering. As such, our initial stockholders will collectively own 20% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering). None of our sponsor, officers or directors have expressed an intention to purchase any units in this offering. Up to an aggregate 937,500 founder shares will be subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised so that our initial stockholders will maintain ownership of 20% of our common stock after this offering. We will effect a stock dividend or share contribution prior to this offering should the size of the offering change, in order to maintain such ownership percentage.
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The founder shares are identical to the shares of Class A common stock included in the units being sold in this offering, except that:
•
the founder shares are shares of our Class B common stock that automatically convert into shares of our Class A common stock at the time of our initial business combination, subject to adjustment pursuant to certain anti-dilution rights as described herein;
•
the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below;
•
the founder shares are entitled to registration rights;
•
our sponsor, officers and directors will not be entitled to (i) redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares 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 provide for the redemption of our public shares in connection with an initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, or (iii) rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, 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;
•
our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they 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 our initial business combination.
If we submit our initial 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 are voted in favor of the initial business combination. As a result of the agreement of our sponsor, officers and directors to vote their shares in favor of our initial business combination, in addition to our initial stockholders’ founder shares, we would need only 9,375,001, or 37.5% (assuming all outstanding shares are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised) of the 25,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an
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initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved.
Transfer restrictions on founder shares
Our 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 our initial business combination or (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the reported closing 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 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 (except as described herein under the section of this prospectus entitled “Principal Stockholders—Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants”). Any permitted transferees will be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our initial stockholders with respect to any founder shares. We refer to such transfer restrictions throughout this prospectus as the lock-up.
Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution rights
The founder shares are shares of Class B common stock that will automatically convert into shares of our Class A common stock at the time of our initial business combination, subject to adjustment pursuant to certain anti-dilution rights, as described herein. In the case that additional shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities are issued or deemed issued in connection with our initial business combination, the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of all founder shares 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 the completion of this offering, plus the total number of shares of Class A common stock issued, or deemed issued or issuable upon conversion or exercise of any equity-linked securities or rights issued or deemed issued, by the Company in connection with or in relation to the consummation of the initial business combination, excluding any shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities exercisable for or convertible into shares of Class A common stock issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any private placement-equivalent warrants issued to our sponsor, officers or directors upon conversion of working capital loans; provided that such conversion of founder shares will never occur on a less than one for one basis.
Voting rights
Holders of record of the Class A common stock and holders of record of the Class B common stock will vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of our stockholders, with each share of common stock entitling the holder to one vote except as required by law.
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Private placement warrants
Our sponsor has committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase an aggregate of 5,666,667 private placement warrants (or 6,166,667 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), each exercisable to purchase one share of our Class A common stock at $11.50 per share, at a price of $1.50 per warrant ($8,500,000 in the aggregate or $9,250,000 in the aggregate if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the private placement warrants will be added to the proceeds from this offering to be held in the trust account such that, at the time of closing, $250.0 million (or $287.5 million if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full) will be held in the trust account. If we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, the portion of the proceeds from the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law) and the private placement warrants will expire worthless.
The private placement warrants will not be redeemable by us and will be exercisable on a cashless basis.
Transfer restrictions on private placement warrants
The private placement warrants (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination (except as described under the section of this prospectus entitled “Principal Stockholders—Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants”).
Cashless exercise of private placement warrants
If holders of private placement warrants elect to exercise them on a cashless basis, they would pay the exercise price by surrendering their warrants in exchange for a number of shares of Class A common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of (A) the number of shares of Class A common stock underlying the warrants and (B) the excess of the “10-day average closing price” as of the date prior to the date on which notice of exercise is sent or given to the warrant agent, less the warrant exercise price by (y) the 10-day average closing price. The “10-day average closing price” means, as of any date, the average last reported sale price of the Class A common stock as reported during the 10 trading day period ending on the trading day prior to such date. “Last reported sale price” means the last reported sale price of the shares of Class A common stock on the date prior to the date on which notice of exercise of the warrant is sent to the warrant agent. The reason that we have 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 an initial business
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combination. If they remain affiliated with us, their ability to sell our securities in the open market will be significantly limited. We expect to have policies in place that prohibit insiders from selling our securities except during specific periods of time. Even during such periods of time when insiders will be permitted to sell our securities, an insider cannot trade in our securities if he or she is in possession of material nonpublic information. Accordingly, unlike public stockholders who could sell the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the public warrants freely in the open market, the insiders could be significantly restricted from doing so. As a result, we believe that allowing the holders to exercise such warrants on a cashless basis is appropriate.
Proceeds to be held in trust account
NYSE rules provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants be deposited in a trust account. Of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, $250,000,000, or $10.00 per unit ($287,500,000, or $10.00 per unit, if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be placed into a trust account in the United States at Bank of America, N.A. with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, and $8,500,000 (including $5,000,000 in underwriting discounts and commissions), or $9,250,000 (including $5,750,000 in underwriting discounts and commissions) if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, will be used to pay expenses in connection with the closing of this offering and for working capital following this offering.
These proceeds include $8,750,000 (or $10,062,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in deferred underwriting commissions.
Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our taxes, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of (a) the completion of our initial business combination, (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 provide for the redemption of our public shares in connection with an initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (ii) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, and (c) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could become subject to the claims of
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our creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of our public stockholders.
Anticipated expenses and funding sources
Unless and until we complete our initial business combination, no proceeds held in the trust account will be available for our use, except the withdrawal of interest to pay our taxes and/or to redeem our public shares in connection with an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as described above. The proceeds held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government securities 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 that invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. We will disclose in each quarterly and annual report filed with the SEC prior to our initial business combination whether the proceeds deposited in the trust account are invested in U.S. government treasury obligations or money market funds or a combination thereof. Based upon current interest rates, we expect the trust account to generate approximately $250,000 of interest annually assuming an interest rate of 0.1% per year; however, we can provide no assurances regarding this amount. Unless and until we complete our initial business combination, we may pay our expenses only from:
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the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants not held in the trust account, which will be approximately $2,750,000 in working capital after the payment of approximately $750,000 in expenses relating to this offering (excluding underwriting discounts and commissions); and
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any loans or additional investments from our sponsor, or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors, although they are under no obligation to advance funds or invest in us, and provided that any such loans will not have any claim on the proceeds held in the trust account unless such proceeds are released to us upon completion of our initial business combination. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants, at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender.
Conditions to completing our initial business combination
NYSE rules require that we must consummate an initial business combination with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the trust account (net of amounts disbursed to management for working capital purposes, if permitted, and excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting commissions). Our board of directors will make the determination as to the fair market value of our initial business combination. 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
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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.
We anticipate structuring our initial business combination 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. However, we may structure our initial business combination 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, or for other reasons. 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. 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 the NYSE’s 80% of net assets test. If the initial business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the transactions and we will treat the target businesses together as our initial business combination for purposes of seeking stockholder approval or conducting a tender offer, as applicable.
Permitted purchases of public shares and public warrants by our affiliates
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 sponsor, initial stockholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase public shares or public warrants in privately-negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. There is
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no limit on the number of shares or warrants our initial stockholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase in such transactions, subject to compliance with applicable law and NYSE rules. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. If they engage in such transactions, they will not make any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. Subsequent to the consummation of this offering, we will adopt an insider trading policy which will require insiders to: (i) refrain from purchasing our securities during certain blackout periods when they are in possession of any material non-public information and (ii) clear all trades of company securities with a compliance officer prior to execution. We cannot currently determine whether our insiders will make such purchases pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan, as it 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. 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 comply with such rules. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements. None of the funds held in the trust account will be used to purchase shares or public warrants in such transactions prior to completion of our initial business combination. See “Proposed Business—Permitted Purchases of Our Securities” for a description of how our sponsor, initial stockholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates will select which stockholders to purchase securities from in any private transaction. Our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates will not make any purchases if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act.
The purpose of any such purchases of shares could be to vote such shares in favor of the initial business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the initial business combination or to 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. The purpose of any such purchases of public warrants could be to reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or to vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrantholders for approval in connection with our initial
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business combination. Any such purchases of our securities 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 shares of Class A common stock or warrants may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.
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 public shares 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 as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share. The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our initial business combination with respect to our public warrants. Our sponsor, officers and directors will not be entitled to redemption rights with respect to any founder shares held by them and any public shares they may acquire during or after this offering in connection with the completion of our initial business combination or otherwise.
Manner of conducting redemptions
We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares 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) without a stockholder vote 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 applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements. 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. So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on the NYSE, we will be required to comply with the NYSE’s stockholder approval rules.
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The requirement that we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares by one of the two methods listed above will be contained in provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and will apply whether or not we maintain our registration under the Exchange Act or our listing on the NYSE. Such provisions may be amended if approved by holders of 65% of our common stock entitled to vote thereon.
If we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares in connection with a stockholder meeting, we will:
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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
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file proxy materials with the SEC.
If we seek stockholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the initial 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 initial stockholders will count towards this quorum and, pursuant to the letter agreement, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote their founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions) 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 our initial stockholders’ founder shares, we would need only 9,375,001, or 37.5% (assuming all outstanding shares are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised) of the 25,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved. We intend to give 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 initial stockholders, may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination. Each public stockholder may elect to redeem its public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction or whether they were a stockholder on the record date for the stockholder meeting held to approve the proposed transaction.
If a stockholder vote is not required and we do not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will:
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conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers, and
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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.
In the event 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 shares, 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 deferred underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement that 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.
Upon the public announcement of our initial business combination, if we elect to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, we or 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, in order to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act.
We intend to require our public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to, at the holder’s option, either deliver their stock certificates to our transfer agent or deliver their shares to our transfer agent electronically using the Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) system, prior to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. In the case of proxy materials, this date may be up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination. In addition, if we conduct redemptions in connection with a stockholder vote, we intend to require a public stockholder seeking redemption of its public shares to also submit a written request for redemption to our transfer agent two business days prior to the vote in which the name of the beneficial owner of such shares is included. The proxy materials or tender offer
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documents, 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. We believe that this will allow our transfer agent to efficiently process any redemptions without the need for further communication or action from the redeeming public stockholders, which could delay redemptions and result in additional administrative cost. If the proposed initial business combination is not approved and we continue to search for a target company, we will promptly return any certificates or shares delivered by public stockholders who elected to redeem their shares.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide 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 deferred underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not 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. For example, the proposed initial 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 initial 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 initial business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the initial business combination or redeem any shares, and all shares of Class A common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof.
Limitation on redemption rights of stockholders holding more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering if we hold stockholder vote
Notwithstanding the foregoing redemption rights, 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 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 Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering, without our prior consent. We believe the restriction described above will discourage stockholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to redeem their shares as a means to force us or our
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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 this offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights against an initial business combination 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 this 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 an initial 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, we would not be restricting our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including all shares held by those stockholders that hold more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering) for or against our initial business combination.
Redemption rights in connection with proposed amendments to our certificate of incorporation
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that any of its provisions related to pre-business combination activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of this offering and the private placement of warrants into the trust account and not release such amounts except in specified circumstances, and to provide redemption rights to public stockholders as described herein) may be amended if approved by holders of 65% of our common stock entitled to vote thereon, and corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account may be amended if approved by holders of 65% of our common stock entitled to vote thereon. In all other instances, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may be amended by holders of a majority of our outstanding common stock entitled to vote thereon, subject to applicable provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”) or applicable stock exchange rules. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we may not issue additional shares of capital stock that would entitle the holders thereof to receive funds from the trust account or vote on any initial business combination or on matters related to our pre-initial business combination activity. Our initial stockholders, who will collectively beneficially own 20% of our outstanding shares of common stock upon the closing of this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering), will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and/or trust agreement and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. Our sponsor, executive officers, and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written 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
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obligation to provide for the redemption of our public shares in connection with an initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of Class A common stock upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the 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. Our sponsor, officers and directors will not be entitled to 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.
Release of funds in trust account on closing of our initial business combination
On the completion of our initial business combination, the funds held in the trust account will be used to pay amounts due to any public stockholders who exercise their redemption rights as described above under “Redemption rights for public stockholders upon completion of our initial business combination.” We will use the remaining funds to pay the underwriters their deferred underwriting commissions, to pay all or a portion of the consideration payable to the target or owners of the target of our initial business combination and to pay other expenses associated with our initial business combination. If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt securities, 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 redemption of our public shares, we may use the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account following the closing for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of post-transaction businesses, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital.
Redemption of public shares and distribution and liquidation if no initial business combination
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we will have only 24 months from the closing of this offering to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within such 24-month 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 (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay
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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, liquidate and dissolve, 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 public warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the 24-month time period.
Our sponsor, officers and directors will not be entitled 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 within 24 months from the closing of this offering. However, if our initial stockholders acquire public shares in or after this 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 the allotted 24-month time period. The underwriters have agreed to waive their rights to their deferred underwriting commission held in the trust account in the event we do not complete our initial business combination and subsequently liquidate and, in such event, such amounts will be included with the funds held in the trust account that will be available to fund the redemption of our public shares.
Limited payments to insiders
There will be no finder’s fees, reimbursement, consulting fee, non-cash payments, monies in respect of any payment of a loan or other compensation paid by us to our sponsor, officers or directors, or any affiliate of our sponsor or officers, prior to, or in connection with any services rendered in order to effectuate, the consummation of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). However, the following payments may be made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates, none of which will be made from the proceeds of this offering held in the trust account prior to the completion of our initial business combination:
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repayment of up to an aggregate of up to $300,000 in loans made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses;
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reimbursement for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support and other services made available to us by our sponsor or an affiliate thereof, in an amount equal to $40,000 per month, for up to 24 months;
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reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating, negotiating and completing an initial business combination; and
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repayment of loans which may be made by our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, the terms of which have not been determined nor have any written agreements been executed with respect thereto. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants, at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period. The terms of such working capital loans by our sponsor or its affiliates, or our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans.
Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates.
Audit Committee
We will establish and maintain an audit committee to, among other things, monitor compliance with the terms described above and the other terms relating to this offering. If any noncompliance is identified, then the audit committee will be charged with the responsibility to immediately take all action necessary to rectify such noncompliance or otherwise to cause compliance with the terms of this offering. For more information, see the section of this prospectus entitled “Management—Committees of the Board of Directors—Audit Committee.”
Conflicts of Interest
Certain of our directors and officers currently have, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to another entity pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity subject to his or her fiduciary duties. If any of our directors or officers becomes aware of a business combination opportunity that falls within the line of business of any entity to which he or she has then-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. See “Risk Factors—Certain of our officers and directors are now, and all of them may in the future become, affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating their time and determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.
Indemnity
Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or similar agreement or business combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share and (ii) the
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actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, if less than $10.00 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable; provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the trust account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable), nor will it apply to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, we have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations, and believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties, including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
We have agreed to indemnify our sponsor, its affiliates and their respective present and former officers and directors to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law from any claims made by us or a third party in respect of any investment opportunities sourced by them or any liability arising with respect to their activities in connection with our affairs, to the extent that such indemnification, hold harmless and exoneration obligations with respect to such matters are not expressly covered by a separate written agreement between us and any such party. Such indemnity will provide that the indemnified parties cannot access the funds held in our trust account.
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Summary Risk Factors
An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. As this is a summary, it does not contain all of the risks that you should consider in making an investment decision. The occurrence of one or more of the events or circumstances described in the section titled “Risk Factors,” alone or in combination with other events or circumstances, may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. Such risks include, but are not limited to:
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Our public stockholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed initial business combination, and even if we hold a vote, holders of our founder shares will participate in such vote, which means we may complete our initial business combination even though a majority of our public stockholders do not support such a combination.
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Your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination will be limited to the exercise of your redemption rights, unless we seek stockholder approval of the initial business combination.
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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 receive only $10.00 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire worthless.
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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 the overall health of debt and equity markets.
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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.
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We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders until after the consummation of our initial business combination, which could delay the opportunity for our stockholders to elect directors.
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Because we are not limited to a particular industry, sector or any specific target businesses with which to pursue our initial business combination, you will be unable to ascertain the merits or risks of any particular target business’s operations.
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Although we have identified general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses, we may enter into our initial business combination with a target that does not meet such criteria and guidelines, and as a result, the target business with which we enter into our initial business combination may not have attributes entirely consistent with our general criteria and guidelines.
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We may seek business combination opportunities with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of revenue, cash flow or earnings, which could subject us to volatile revenues, cash flows or earnings or difficulty in retaining key personnel.
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Transactions in connection with or in anticipation of our initial business combination and our structure thereafter may not be tax-efficient to our stockholders and warrantholders. As a result of our business combination, our tax obligations and the tax obligations of our stockholders and warrantholders may be more complex, burdensome and uncertain.
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Changes in the market for directors and officers liability insurance could make it more difficult and more expensive for us to negotiate and complete an initial business combination.
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Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination and to be successful thereafter will be totally dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel, some of whom may join us
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following our initial business combination. The loss of key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.
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Since our sponsor, officers and directors will lose their entire investment in us if our initial business combination is not completed (except with respect to any public shares they may hold), a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination.
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We may engage in an initial business combination with one or more target businesses that have relationships with entities that may be affiliated with our sponsor, officers, directors or existing holders that may raise potential conflicts of interest.
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Our management may not be able to maintain control of a target business after our initial business combination.
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Past performance by our management team and their respective affiliates may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in the company.
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We are not registering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants under the Securities Act or any state securities laws at this time, and such registration may not be in place when an investor desires to exercise warrants, thus precluding such investor from being able to exercise its warrants except on a cashless basis. If the issuance of the shares upon exercise of warrants is not registered, qualified or exempt from registration or qualification, the holder of such warrant will not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless.
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We may amend the terms of the warrants in a manner that may be adverse to holders of public warrants with the approval by the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding public warrants. As a result, the exercise price of your warrants could be increased, the exercise period could be shortened and the number of shares of our Class A common stock purchasable upon exercise of a warrant could be decreased, all without your approval.
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We may redeem your unexpired warrants prior to their exercise at a time that is disadvantageous to you, thereby making your warrants worthless.
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An investment in our securities, and certain subsequent transactions with respect to our securities, may result in uncertain or adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences for an investor.
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We are a blank check company with no operating history and no revenues, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.
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Changes in laws or regulations, or a failure to comply with any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination and results of operations.
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The other risks and uncertainties discussed in “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus.
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SUMMARY FINANCIAL DATA
The following table summarizes the relevant financial data for our business and should be read with our financial statements, which are included in this prospectus. We have not had any significant operations to date, so only balance sheet data is presented.
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June 30, 2021
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Actual
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As Adjusted
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| Balance Sheet Data: | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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Total assets
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| | | $ | 505,116 | | | | | $ | 252,716,209 | | |
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Total liabilities
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| | | $ | 538,907 | | | | | $ | 8,750,000 | | |
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Value of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption
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| | | $ | — | | | | | $ | 238,966,200 | | |
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Stockholder's equity (deficit)
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| | | $ | (33,791) | | | | | $ | 5,000,009 | | |
The “as adjusted” information gives effect to the sale of our units in this offering, the sale of the private placement shares, and the application of the estimated net proceeds derived from the sale of such securities, assuming no exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment option and the corresponding forfeiture of 937,500 founder shares by our sponsor. The “as adjusted” total assets amount includes the $250,000,000 held in the trust account for the benefit of our public stockholders, which amount will be available to us only upon the completion of our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering. The “as adjusted” liabilities includes $8,750,000 of deferred underwriting commission. The underwriters will not be entitled to any interest accrued on the deferred underwriting discounts and commission.
If no business combination is completed within 24 months from the closing of this offering, the proceeds 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 (less $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares. Our sponsor, directors, director nominees and officers will not be entitled 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 within such time period.
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
AND RISK FACTOR SUMMARY
AND RISK FACTOR SUMMARY
Some of the statements contained in this prospectus 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 prospectus 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:
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our being a company with no operating history and no revenues;
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our ability to select an appropriate target business or businesses;
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our ability to complete our initial business combination;
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our expectations around the performance of a prospective target business or businesses;
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our success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our officers, key employees or directors following our initial business combination;
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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;
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our potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination;
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our pool of prospective target businesses;
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our ability to consummate an initial business combination due to the continued uncertainty resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic;
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the ability of our officers and directors to generate a number of potential business combination opportunities;
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our public securities’ potential liquidity and trading;
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the lack of a market for our securities;
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the use of proceeds not held in the trust account or available to us from interest income on the trust account balance;
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the trust account not being subject to claims of third parties;
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our financial performance following this offering;
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the potential tax consequences of investing in our securities; and
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the other risks and uncertainties discussed in “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus.
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.
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RISK FACTORS
An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully all of the risks described below, together with the other information contained in this prospectus, before making a decision to invest in our units. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition and operating results may be materially adversely affected. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
Risks Relating to our Search for, Consummation of, or Inability to Consummate, a Business Combination and Post-Business-Combination Risks
Our public stockholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed initial business combination, and even if we hold a vote, holders of our founder shares will participate in such vote, which means we may complete our initial business combination even though a majority of our public stockholders do not support such a combination.
We may choose not to hold a stockholder vote to approve our initial business combination unless the initial business combination would require stockholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements. In such case, the decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed initial business combination or will allow stockholders to sell their shares to us in 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 otherwise require us to seek stockholder approval. Even if we seek stockholder approval, the holders of our founder shares will participate in the vote on such approval. Accordingly, we may complete our initial business combination even if holders of a majority of our outstanding public shares do not approve of the initial business combination we complete. Please see the section of this prospectus entitled “Proposed Business—Stockholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve Our Initial Business Combination” for additional information.
If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial stockholders have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public stockholders vote.
Pursuant to a letter agreement, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote their founder shares, as well as any public shares purchased during or after this offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions), in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, in addition to our initial stockholders’ founder shares, we would need only 9,375,001, or 37.5% (assuming all outstanding shares are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised) of the 25,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved. Our initial stockholders will own shares representing 20% of our outstanding shares of common stock immediately following the completion of this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering). Accordingly, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, the agreement by our initial stockholders to vote in favor of our initial business combination will increase the likelihood that we will receive the requisite stockholder approval for such initial business combination.
Your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination will be limited to the exercise of your redemption rights, unless we seek stockholder approval of the initial business combination.
At the time of your investment in us, you will not be provided with an opportunity to evaluate the specific merits or risks of our initial business combination. Accordingly, if we do not seek stockholder approval, your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination may be limited to exercising your redemption rights in connection with the closing of our initial 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 an agreement for an initial business combination with a target.
We may seek to enter into an initial business combination agreement with a prospective target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. If too many
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public stockholders exercise their redemption rights, we would not be able to meet such closing condition and, as a result, would not be able to proceed with the initial business combination. Furthermore, we will only redeem our public shares so long as (after such redemption) our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 as described above upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of deferred underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement that may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. Consequently, if accepting all properly submitted redemption requests would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 or such greater amount necessary to satisfy a closing condition, each as described above, we would not proceed with such redemption and the related business combination and may instead search for an alternate business combination. Prospective targets will be aware of these risks and, thus, may be reluctant to enter into an initial business combination agreement with us.
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.
At the time we enter into an agreement for our initial business combination, we will not know how many stockholders may exercise their redemption rights, and therefore will need to structure the transaction based on our expectations as to the number of shares that will be submitted for redemption. If our initial business combination agreement requires us to use a portion of the cash in the trust account to pay the purchase price, or requires us to have a minimum amount of cash at closing, we will need to reserve a portion of the cash in the trust account to meet such requirements, or arrange for third-party financing. In addition, if a larger number of shares are submitted for redemption than we initially expected, we may need to restructure the transaction to reserve a greater portion of the cash in the trust account or arrange for third-party financing. Raising additional third-party financing may involve dilutive equity issuances or the incurrence of indebtedness at higher than desirable levels. Furthermore, this dilution would increase to the extent that the anti-dilution provision of the Class B common stock results in the issuance of Class A shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the Class B common stock at the time of our business combination. The above considerations may limit our ability to complete the most desirable business combination available to us or optimize our capital structure. The amount of the deferred underwriting commissions payable to the underwriters is not required to be adjusted for any shares that are redeemed in connection with an initial business combination. The per-share amount we will distribute to stockholders who properly exercise their redemption rights will not be reduced by deferred underwriting commissions and after such redemptions, the per-share value of shares held by non-redeeming stockholders will reflect our obligation to pay the deferred underwriting commissions.
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.
If our initial business combination agreement requires us to use a portion of the cash in the trust account to pay the purchase price, or requires us to have a minimum amount of cash at closing, the probability that our initial business combination would be unsuccessful is increased. If our initial business combination is unsuccessful, you would not receive your pro rata portion of the trust account until we liquidate the trust account. If you are in need of immediate liquidity, you could attempt to sell your stock in the open market; however, at such time, our stock may trade at a discount to the pro rata amount per share in the trust account. In either situation, you may suffer a material loss on your investment or lose the benefit of funds expected in connection with your exercise of redemption rights until we liquidate or you are able to sell your stock in the open market.
The requirement that we complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating an initial business combination and may decrease our ability 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.
Any potential target business with which we enter into negotiations concerning an initial business combination will be aware that we must complete our initial business combination within 24 months from
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the closing of this offering. Consequently, such target business may have leverage over us in negotiating an initial business combination, knowing that if we do not complete our initial business combination with that particular target business, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination with any target business. This risk will increase as we get closer to the timeframe described above. In addition, we may have limited time to conduct due diligence and may enter into our initial business combination on terms that we would have rejected upon a more comprehensive investigation.
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 receive only $10.00 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire worthless.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we must complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering. We may not be able to find a suitable target business and complete our initial business combination within such time period. Our ability to complete our initial business combination may be negatively impacted by general market conditions, political considerations, volatility in the capital and debt markets and the other risks described herein. If we have not completed our initial business combination within such time period, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 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 (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, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. In such case, our public stockholders may receive only $10.00 per share, and our warrants will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.00 per share on the redemption of their shares. See “—If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors below.
Members of our management team and board of directors have significant experience as board members, officers or executives of other companies. As a result, certain of those persons have been, may be, or may become, involved in proceedings, investigations and litigation relating to the business affairs of the companies with which they were, are, or may in the future be, affiliated. This may have an adverse effect on us, which may impede our ability to consummate an initial business combination.
During the course of their careers, members of our management team and board of directors have had significant experience as board members, officers or executives of other companies. As a result of their involvement and positions in these companies, certain persons were, are now, or may in the future become, involved in litigation, investigations or other proceedings relating to the business affairs of such companies or transactions entered into by such companies. Any such litigation, investigations or other proceedings may divert our management team’s and board’s attention and resources away from identifying and selecting a target business or businesses for our initial business combination and may negatively affect our reputation, which may impede our ability to complete an initial business combination.
Members of our management team and affiliated companies have been, and may in the future be, subject to significant media coverage and involved in civil disputes or governmental investigations unrelated to our business.
Members of our management team have been and intend to be involved in a wide variety of businesses. Such involvement has, and may, lead to significant media coverage and public awareness. In addition, members of our management team and affiliated companies have been, and may in the future be, involved in civil disputes or governmental investigations unrelated to our business. Any such media coverage, public awareness, disputes or investigations may be detrimental to our reputation and could negatively
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affect our ability to identify and complete an initial business combination and may have an adverse effect on the price of our securities.
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 the overall health of debt and equity markets.
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 resulted, and a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases could result, in a widespread health crisis that has adversely affected, in the case of COVID-19, and could adversely affect, in the case of future outbreaks of infectious diseases, the economies and financial markets worldwide, and the business of any potential target business with which we 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 continue 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 matters of global concern continue for an extensive period of time, our ability to consummate a business combination, or the operations of a target business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination, may be materially adversely affected.
In addition, our ability to consummate an initial business combination may be dependent on our ability to raise equity and debt financing, which may be adversely impacted by COVID-19 and other events, including as a result of increased market volatility, decreased market liquidity and third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to us or at all. Finally, the outbreak of COVID-19 may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this “Risk Factors” section.
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.
In recent years, the number of special purpose acquisition companies that have been formed has increased substantially. Many potential targets for special purpose acquisition companies have already entered into an initial business combination, and there are still many special purpose acquisition companies preparing for an initial public offering, as well as many such companies currently in registration. As a result, fewer attractive targets may be available to consummate an initial business combination.
In addition, because there are more special purpose acquisition companies seeking to enter into an initial business combination with available targets, the competition for available targets with attractive fundamentals or business models may increase, which could cause target companies to demand improved financial terms. Attractive deals could also become scarcer for other reasons, such as economic or industry sector downturns, geopolitical tensions, or increases in the cost of additional capital needed to close business combinations or operate targets post-business combination. This could increase the cost of, delay or otherwise complicate or frustrate our ability to find and consummate an initial business combination, and may result in our inability to consummate an initial business combination on terms favorable to our investors altogether.
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If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates may elect to purchase shares or warrants from public holders, which may influence a vote on a proposed initial business combination and reduce the public “float” of our Class A common stock or public warrants.
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 sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase 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, although they are under no obligation to do so. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase shares or public warrants in such transactions. See “Proposed Business—Permitted Purchases of Our Securities” for a description of how our sponsor, initial stockholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates will select which stockholders to purchase securities from in any private transaction.
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. In the event that our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates purchase shares in privately-negotiated transactions from public stockholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights, such selling stockholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares. The price per share paid in any such transactions may be different than the amount per share a public stockholder would receive if such public stockholder elected to redeem its shares in connection with our initial business combination. The purpose of such purchases could be to vote such shares in favor of the initial business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the initial business combination, or to 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. The purpose of any such purchases of public warrants could be to reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or to vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the public warrantholders for approval in connection with our initial business combination. Any such purchases of our securities may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements.
In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our Class A common stock or public 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.
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 submitting or tendering its shares, such shares may not be redeemed.
We will comply with the proxy rules or tender offer rules, as applicable, when conducting redemptions in connection with our initial business combination. Despite our compliance with these rules, if a stockholder fails to receive our proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, such stockholder may not become aware of the opportunity to redeem its shares. In addition, proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will describe the various procedures that must be complied with in order to validly tender or submit public shares for redemption. For example, we intend to require our public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to, at the holder’s option, either deliver their stock certificates to our transfer agent, or to deliver their shares to our transfer agent electronically prior to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. In the case of proxy materials, this date may be up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination. In addition, if we conduct redemptions in connection with a stockholder vote, we intend to require a public stockholder seeking redemption of its public shares to also submit a written request for redemption to our transfer agent two business days prior to the vote in
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which the name of the beneficial owner of such shares is included. In the event that a stockholder fails to comply with these or any other procedures disclosed in the proxy or tender offer materials, as applicable, its shares may not be redeemed. See the section of this prospectus entitled “Proposed Business—Submitting Stock Certificates in Connection with Redemption Rights.”
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 public warrants, potentially at a loss.
Our public stockholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earliest to occur of: (i) our completion of an initial business combination, and then only in connection with those shares of Class A common stock that such stockholder properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations described herein, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (A) modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide for the redemption of our public shares in connection with an initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, and (iii) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law and as further described herein. In addition, if our plan to redeem our public shares if we are unable to complete an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering is not completed for any reason, compliance with Delaware law may require that we submit a plan of dissolution to our then-existing stockholders for approval prior to the distribution of the proceeds held in our trust account. In that case, public stockholders may be forced to wait beyond 24 months from the closing of this offering before they receive funds from our trust account. In no other circumstances will a public stockholder have any right or interest of any kind in the trust account. Holders of public warrants will not have any right to the proceeds held in the trust account with respect to the warrants. Accordingly, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or public warrants, potentially at a loss.
You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of many other blank check companies.
Since the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants are intended to be used to complete an initial business combination with a target business that has not been identified, we may be deemed to be a “blank check” company under the U.S. securities laws. However, because we will have net tangible assets in excess of $5,000,000 upon the successful completion of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants and will file a Current Report on Form 8-K, including an audited balance sheet demonstrating this fact, we are exempt from rules promulgated by the SEC to protect investors in blank check companies, such as Rule 419. Accordingly, investors will not be afforded the benefits or protections of those rules. Among other things, this means our units will be immediately tradable and we will have a longer period of time to complete our initial business combination than companies subject to Rule 419. Moreover, if this offering were subject to Rule 419, that rule would prohibit the release of any interest earned on funds held in the trust account to us unless and until the funds in the trust account were released to us in connection with our completion of an initial business combination. For a more detailed comparison of our offering to offerings that comply with Rule 419, please see the section of this prospectus entitled “Proposed Business—Comparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419.”
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 $10.00 per share on our redemption of our public shares, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire worthless.
We expect to encounter 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
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identifying and effecting, directly or indirectly, acquisitions of companies operating in or providing services to various industries. Many of these competitors possess similar or greater technical, human and other resources to ours, 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 this 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. Furthermore, because we are obligated to pay cash for the shares of Class A common stock which our public stockholders redeem in connection with our initial business combination, target companies will be aware that this may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination. Any of these obligations may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating an initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.00 per share upon our liquidation. See “—If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors below.
If the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants not being held in the trust account are insufficient to allow us to operate for at least the next 24 months, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination, in which case our public stockholders may only receive $10.00 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire worthless.
The funds available to us outside of the trust account may not be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the next 24 months following the closing of this offering, assuming that our initial business combination is not completed during that time. We believe that, upon the closing of this offering, the funds available to us outside of the trust account will be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the next 24 months; however, we cannot assure you that our estimate is accurate. Of the funds available to us, we could use a portion of the funds available to us to pay fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business. We could also use a portion of the funds as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision (a provision in letters of intent or merger agreements designed to keep target businesses from “shopping” around for transactions with other companies or investors on terms more favorable to such target businesses) with respect to a particular proposed initial business combination, although we do not have any current intention to do so. If we entered into a letter of intent or merger agreement where we paid for the right to receive exclusivity from a target business and were subsequently required to forfeit such funds (whether as a result of our breach or otherwise), we might not have sufficient funds to continue searching for, or conduct due diligence with respect to, a target business. Of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, only approximately $2,750,000 will be available to us initially outside the trust account to fund our working capital requirements. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $750,000, we may fund such excess with funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $750,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount. If we are required to seek additional capital, we would need to borrow funds from our sponsor, management team or other third parties to operate or may be forced to liquidate. None of our sponsor, or any affiliate of our sponsor or any of our officers and directors is under any obligation to advance funds to us in such circumstances. Any such advances would be repaid only from funds held outside the trust account or from funds released to us upon completion of our initial business combination. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into private placement-equivalent warrants at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek advances or 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. If we are unable to obtain these loans, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.00 per share upon our
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liquidation. See “—If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors below.
Subsequent to the completion of our initial business combination, we may be required to take write-downs or write-offs, restructuring and impairment or other charges that could have a significant negative effect on our financial condition, results of operations and our stock price, and which could cause you to lose some or all of your investment.
Even if we conduct extensive due diligence on a target business with which we combine, we cannot assure you that this diligence will identify all material issues that may be present within a particular target business, that it would be possible to uncover all material issues through a customary amount of due diligence, or that factors outside of the target business and outside of our control will not later arise. As a result of these factors, we may be forced to later write-down or write-off assets, restructure our operations or incur impairment or other charges that could result in our reporting losses. Even if our due diligence successfully identifies certain risks, unexpected risks may arise and previously known risks may materialize in a manner not consistent with our preliminary risk analysis. Even though these charges may be non-cash items and not have an immediate impact on our liquidity, the fact that we report charges of this nature could contribute to negative market perceptions about us or our securities. In addition, charges of this nature may cause us to violate net worth or other covenants to which we may be subject as a result of assuming pre-existing debt held by a target business or by virtue of our obtaining debt financing to partially finance the initial business combination or thereafter. Accordingly, any stockholders who choose to remain stockholders following the initial business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their shares. Such stockholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share.
Our placing of funds in the trust account may not protect those funds from third-party claims against us. 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 or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public stockholders, such parties may not execute such agreements, or even if they execute such agreements, they may not 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 advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third party refuses to enter into an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management will consider whether competitive alternatives are reasonably available to us, and will only enter into an agreement with such third party if our management believes that such third party’s engagement would be in our best interests under the circumstances. Marcum LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, and the underwriters of the offering, will not execute agreements with us waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account.
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. 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. Upon redemption of our public shares, if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed timeframe, or upon the exercise of a redemption right in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to provide for payment of claims of creditors that were not waived that may be brought against us within the 10 years following redemption. Accordingly, the per-share redemption amount received by public stockholders could be less than the $10.00 per share initially held in the trust account, due to claims of such creditors. Pursuant to the letter agreement, the form of which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party for
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services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or similar agreement or business combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, if less than $10.00 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable; provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the trust account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, we have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations, and believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. 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 $10.00 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 share in connection with any redemption of your public shares. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties, including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
Our directors may decide not to enforce the indemnification obligations of our sponsor, resulting in a reduction in the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public stockholders.
In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per share and (ii) the actual amount per share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account if less than $10.00 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest, which may be withdrawn to pay our taxes, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its 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 and subject to their fiduciary duties, may choose not to do so in any particular instance 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. If our independent directors choose not to enforce these indemnification obligations, the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public stockholders may be reduced below $10.00 per share.
We may not have sufficient funds to satisfy indemnification claims of our directors and executive officers.
We have agreed to indemnify our officers and directors to the fullest extent permitted by law. However, our officers and directors have agreed to waive (and any other persons who may become an officer or director prior to the initial business combination will also be required to waive) any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the trust account and not to seek recourse against the trust account for any reason whatsoever. Accordingly, any indemnification provided will be able to be satisfied by us only if (i) we have sufficient funds outside of the trust account or (ii) we consummate an initial business combination. Our obligation to indemnify our officers and directors may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against our officers or directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against our officers and directors, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our stockholders. Furthermore, a stockholder’s investment may be adversely affected to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against our officers and directors pursuant to these indemnification provisions.
Management has determined that there is substantial doubt about the company’s ability to continue as a “going concern.”
As of June 30, 2021, we had $0 in cash and a working capital deficit of approximately $539,000. Further, we have incurred and expect to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of our financing and
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acquisition plans. Management’s plans to address this need for capital through this offering are discussed in the section of this prospectus titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” We cannot assure you that our plans to raise capital or to consummate an initial business combination will be successful. These factors, among others, raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statements contained elsewhere in this prospectus do not include any adjustments that might result from our inability to consummate this offering or our inability to continue as a going concern.
If, after we distribute the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, a bankruptcy court may seek to recover such proceeds, and we and our board may be exposed to claims of punitive damages.
If, after we distribute the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, 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 all amounts received by our stockholders. In addition, our board of directors may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our creditors and/or having acted in bad faith, thereby exposing itself and us to claims of punitive damages, by paying public stockholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors.
If, before distributing the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the claims of creditors in such proceeding may have priority over the claims of our stockholders and the per-share amount that would otherwise be received by our stockholders in connection with our liquidation may be reduced.
If, before distributing the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, 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, the per-share amount that would otherwise be received by our stockholders in connection with our liquidation may be reduced.
Our stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against us to the extent of distributions received by them upon redemption of their shares.
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 24 months from the closing of this offering may be considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law. If a 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 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. However, it is our intention to redeem our public shares as soon as reasonably possible following the 24th month from the closing of this offering in the event we do not complete our initial business combination and, therefore, we do not intend to comply with the foregoing procedures.
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 10 years following our dissolution. 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
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arise would be from our vendors (such as lawyers, investment bankers, etc.) or prospective target businesses. If our plan of distribution complies with Section 281(b) of the DGCL, 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 likely be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution. We cannot assure you that we will properly assess all claims that may be potentially brought against us. 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 beyond the third anniversary of such date.
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 24 months from the closing of this offering is not considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law and such redemption distribution is deemed to be unlawful (potentially due to the imposition of legal proceedings that a party may bring or due to other circumstances that are currently unknown), 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.
We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders until after the consummation of our initial business combination, which could delay the opportunity for our stockholders to elect directors.
We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders until after we consummate a business combination (unless required by NYSE), and thus may not be in compliance with Section 211(b) of the DGCL, which requires an annual meeting of stockholders be held for the purposes of electing directors in accordance with a company’s bylaws unless such election is made by written consent in lieu of such a meeting. Therefore, if our stockholders want us to hold an annual meeting prior to our consummation of a business combination, they may attempt to force us to hold one by submitting an application to the Delaware Court of Chancery in accordance with Section 211(c) of the DGCL.
Because we are not limited to a particular industry, sector or any specific target businesses with which to pursue our initial business combination, you will be unable to ascertain the merits or risks of any particular target business’s operations.
Although we expect to focus our search for a suitable initial business combination with companies in the sustainability sector which facilitate a circular economy via the energy transition away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energies, food chain continuity and alternative sourcing, as well as greenhouse gas and plastic waste removal, we may complete a business combination with an operating company in any industry or sector. However, we will not, under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, be permitted to effectuate our business combination solely with another blank check company or similar company with nominal operations. Because we have not yet selected or approached any specific target business with respect to a business combination, there is no basis to evaluate the possible merits or risks of any particular target business’s operations, results of operations, cash flows, liquidity, financial condition or prospects. To the extent we complete our business combination, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business operations with which we combine. For example, if we combine with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of revenues or earnings, we may be affected by the risks inherent in the business and operations of a financially unstable or a development stage entity. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors or that we will have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will ultimately prove to be more favorable to investors than a direct investment, if such opportunity were available, in a business combination target. Accordingly, any stockholders who choose to remain stockholders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such stockholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
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Because we are neither limited to evaluating a target business in a particular industry sector nor have we selected any specific target businesses with which to pursue our initial business combination, you will be unable to ascertain the merits or risks of any particular target business’s operations.
We may pursue business combination opportunities in any sector, except that we will not, under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, be permitted to effectuate our initial business combination solely with another blank check company or similar company with nominal operations. Because we have not yet selected or approached any specific target business with respect to a business combination, there is no basis to evaluate the possible merits or risks of any particular target business’s operations, results of operations, cash flows, liquidity, financial condition or prospects. To the extent we complete our initial business combination, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business operations with which we combine. For example, if we combine with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of sales or earnings, we may be affected by the risks inherent in the business and operations of a financially unstable or a development stage entity. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors or that we will have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will ultimately prove to be more favorable to investors than a direct investment, if such opportunity were available, in a business combination target. Accordingly, any holders who choose to retain their securities following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
We may seek acquisition opportunities in industries or sectors which may or may not be outside of our management’s area of expertise.
We will consider a business combination outside of our management’s area of expertise if a business combination target is presented to us and we determine that such candidate offers an attractive acquisition opportunity for our company. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in any particular business combination target, we cannot assure you that we will adequately ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will not ultimately prove to be less favorable to investors in this offering than a direct investment, if an opportunity were available, in a business combination target. In the event we elect to pursue an acquisition outside of the areas of our management’s expertise, our management’s expertise may not be directly applicable to its evaluation or operation, and the information contained in this prospectus regarding the areas of our management’s expertise would not be relevant to an understanding of the business that we elect to acquire. As a result, our management may not be able to adequately ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. Accordingly, any holders who choose to retain their securities following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
Although we have identified general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses, we may enter into our initial business combination with a target that does not meet such criteria and guidelines, and as a result, the target business with which we enter into our initial business combination may not have attributes entirely consistent with our general criteria and guidelines.
Although we have identified general criteria and guidelines for evaluating prospective target businesses, it is possible that a target business with which we enter into our initial business combination will not have all of these positive attributes. If we complete our initial business combination with a target that does not meet some or all of these guidelines, such combination may not be as successful as a combination with a business that does meet all of our general criteria and guidelines. In addition, if we announce a prospective business combination with a target that does not meet our general criteria and guidelines, a greater number of stockholders may exercise their redemption rights, which may make it difficult for us to meet any closing condition with a target business that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. In addition, if stockholder approval of the transaction is required by law, or we decide to obtain stockholder approval for business or other reasons, it may be more difficult for us to attain stockholder approval of our initial business combination if the target business does not meet our general criteria and
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guidelines. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances as described herein, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.00 per share on the redemption of their shares. See “—If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors herein.
We may seek business combination opportunities with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of revenue, cash flow or earnings, which could subject us to volatile revenues, cash flows or earnings or difficulty in retaining key personnel.
To the extent we complete our initial business combination with an early stage company, a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of revenues or earnings, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the operations of the business with which we combine. These risks include investing in a business without a proven business model or with limited historic financial data, volatile revenues or earnings, intense competition and difficulties in obtaining and retaining key personnel. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we may not be able to properly ascertain or assess all of the relevant risk factors and we may not have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business.
We are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, and consequently, you may have no assurance from an independent source that the price we are paying for the target(s) of our initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.
Unless we complete our initial business combination with an affiliated entity or our board of directors cannot independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses (including with the assistance of financial advisors), we are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions that the price we are paying is fair to our company from a financial point of view. If no opinion is obtained, our stockholders will be relying on the judgment of our board of directors, who will determine fair market value based on standards generally accepted by the financial community. Such standards used will be disclosed in our proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, related to our initial business combination.
Because we must furnish our stockholders with target business financial statements, we may lose the ability to complete an otherwise advantageous initial business combination with some prospective target businesses.
The federal proxy rules require that the proxy statement with respect to the vote on an initial business combination include historical and pro forma financial statement disclosure. We will include the same financial statement disclosure in connection with our tender offer documents, whether or not they are required under the tender offer rules. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with, or be reconciled to, accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) or international financial reporting standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IFRS”) depending on the circumstances and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”). These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may acquire because some targets may be unable to provide such financial statements in time for us to disclose such statements in accordance with federal proxy rules and complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame.
Compliance obligations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may make it more difficult for us to effectuate our initial business combination, require substantial financial and management resources, and increase the time and costs of completing an initial business combination.
Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we evaluate and report on our system of internal controls beginning with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2022.
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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 requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. Further, for as long as we remain an emerging growth company, we will not be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. The fact that we are a blank check company makes compliance with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act particularly burdensome on us as compared to other public companies because a target company with which we seek to complete our initial business combination may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of its internal controls. The development of the internal control of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such business combination.
We may engage one or more of our underwriters or their respective affiliates to provide additional services to us after this offering, which may include acting as financial advisor in connection with an initial business combination or as placement agent in connection with a related financing transaction. Our underwriters are entitled to receive deferred commissions that will be released from the trust only on a completion of an initial business combination. These financial incentives may cause them to have potential conflicts of interest in rendering any such additional services to us after this offering, including, for example, in connection with the sourcing and consummation of an initial business combination.
We may engage one or more of our underwriters or one of their respective affiliates to provide additional services to us after this offering, including, for example, identifying potential targets, providing financial advisory services, acting as a placement agent in a private offering or arranging debt financing. We may pay such underwriter or its affiliate fair and reasonable fees or other compensation that would be determined at that time in an arm’s length negotiation; provided that no agreement will be entered into with any of the underwriters or their respective affiliates and no fees or other compensation for such services will be paid to any of the underwriters or their respective affiliates prior to the date that is 60 days from the date of this prospectus, unless the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) determines that such payment would not be deemed underwriters’ compensation in connection with this offering. The underwriters are also entitled to receive deferred commissions that are conditioned on the completion of an initial business combination. The underwriters’ or their respective affiliates’ financial interests tied to the consummation of a business combination transaction may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in providing any such additional services to us, including potential conflicts of interest in connection with the sourcing and consummation of an initial business combination.
We do not have a specified maximum redemption threshold. The absence of such a redemption threshold may make it possible for us to complete an initial business combination with which a substantial majority of our stockholders do not agree.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will not provide a specified maximum redemption threshold, except 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 deferred underwriters’ fees and commissions (such that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement that may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. As a result, we may be able to complete our initial business combination even though a substantial majority of our public stockholders do not agree with the transaction and have redeemed their shares or, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, have entered into privately-negotiated agreements to sell their shares to our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates. 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 initial business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the initial business combination or redeem any shares, all shares of Class A common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate business combination.
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In order to effectuate an initial business combination, blank check companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and other governing instruments, including their warrant agreements. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or governing instruments in a manner that will make it easier for us to complete our initial business combination that our stockholders may not support.
In order to effectuate an initial business combination, blank check companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and modified governing instruments, including their warrant agreements. For example, blank check companies have amended the definition of business combination, increased redemption thresholds, changed industry focus and extended the time to consummate an initial business combination and, with respect to their warrants, amended their warrant agreements to require the warrants to be exchanged for cash and/or other securities. Amending our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require the approval of holders of 65% of our common stock, and amending our warrant agreement will require a vote of holders of at least a majority of the public warrants and, solely with respect to any amendment to the terms of the private placement warrants or any provision of our warrant agreement with respect to the private placement warrants, a majority of the number of the then outstanding private placement warrants. In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require us to provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash if we propose an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (A) modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide for the redemption of our public shares in connection with an initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity. To the extent any such amendments would be deemed to fundamentally change the nature of any securities offered through this registration statement, we would register, or seek an exemption from registration for, the affected securities. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our charter or governing instruments or extend the time to consummate an initial business combination in order to effectuate our initial business combination.
The provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that relate to our pre-business combination activity (and corresponding provisions of the agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account), including an amendment to permit us to withdraw funds from the trust account such that the per share amount investors will receive upon any redemption or liquidation is substantially reduced or eliminated, may be amended with the approval of holders of 65% of our common stock, which is a lower amendment threshold than that of some other blank check companies. It may be easier for us, therefore, to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the trust agreement to facilitate the completion of an initial business combination that some of our stockholders may not support.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that any of its provisions related to pre-initial business combination activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of this offering and the private placement of warrants into the trust account and not release such amounts except in specified circumstances, and to provide redemption rights to public stockholders as described herein and including to permit us to withdraw funds from the trust account such that the per share amount investors will receive upon any redemption or liquidation is substantially reduced or eliminated) may be amended if approved by holders of 65% of our common stock entitled to vote thereon, and corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account may be amended if approved by holders of 65% of our common stock entitled to vote thereon. In all other instances, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may be amended by holders of a majority of our outstanding common stock entitled to vote thereon, subject to applicable provisions of the DGCL or applicable stock exchange rules. We may not issue additional securities that can vote on amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Our initial stockholders, who will collectively beneficially own up to 20% of our common stock upon the closing of this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering), will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and/or trust agreement and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. As a result, we may be able to amend the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, which govern our pre-initial business combination behavior more easily than some other blank check companies, and this may increase
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our ability to complete an initial business combination with which you do not agree. Our stockholders may pursue remedies against us for any breach of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation.
Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (A) modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide for the redemption of our public shares in connection with an initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of Class A common stock upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (including interest, net of taxes), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. These agreements are contained in a letter agreement that we have entered into with our sponsor, officers and directors. Our stockholders are not parties to, or third-party beneficiaries of, these agreements and, as a result, will not have the ability to pursue remedies against our sponsor, officers or directors for any breach of these agreements. As a result, in the event of a breach, our stockholders would need to pursue a stockholder derivative action, subject to applicable law.
We may be unable to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination or to fund the operations and growth of a target business, which could compel us to restructure or abandon a particular business combination.
We have not selected any specific business combination target but intend to target businesses with enterprise values that are greater than we could acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants. As a result, if the cash portion of the purchase price exceeds the amount available from the trust account, net of amounts needed to satisfy any redemption by public stockholders, we may be required to seek additional financing to complete such proposed initial business combination. We cannot assure you that such financing will be available on acceptable terms, if at all. To the extent that additional financing proves to be unavailable when needed to complete our initial business combination, we would be compelled to either restructure the transaction or abandon that particular business combination and seek an alternative target business candidate. Further, we may be required to obtain additional financing in connection with the closing of our initial business combination for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction businesses, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, or to fund the purchase of other companies. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. In addition, even if we do not need additional financing to complete our initial business combination, we may require such financing to fund the operations or growth of the target business. The failure to secure additional financing could have a material adverse effect on the continued development or growth of the target business. None of our sponsor, officers, directors or stockholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may only receive approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account, and our warrants will expire worthless. Furthermore, as described in the risk factor entitled “—If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share,” under certain circumstances our public stockholders may receive less than $10.00 per share upon the liquidation of the trust account.
Our initial stockholders may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a stockholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support.
Upon the closing of this offering, our initial stockholders will own shares representing 20% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering). Accordingly, they may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a stockholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support, including amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and approval of major corporate transactions. If our initial stockholders purchase any units
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in this offering or if our initial stockholders purchase any additional shares of common stock in the aftermarket or in privately-negotiated transactions, this would increase their control. Factors that would be considered in making such additional purchases would include consideration of the current trading price of our Class A common stock. In addition, our board of directors, whose members were elected by our initial stockholders, is and will be divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of three years with only one class of directors being elected in each year. We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders to elect new directors prior to the completion of our initial business combination, in which case all of the current directors will continue in office until at least the completion of the initial business combination. If there is an annual meeting, as a consequence of our “staggered” board of directors, only a minority of the board of directors will be considered for election and our initial stockholders, because of their ownership position, will have considerable influence regarding the outcome. Accordingly, our initial stockholders will continue to exert control at least until the completion of our initial business combination.
Resources could be wasted in researching business combinations that are not completed, which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.
We anticipate that the investigation of each specific target business and the negotiation, drafting and execution of relevant agreements, disclosure documents and other instruments will require substantial management time and attention and substantial costs for accountants, attorneys, consultants and others. If we decide not to complete a specific initial business combination, the costs incurred up to that point for the proposed transaction likely would not be recoverable. Furthermore, if we reach an agreement relating to a specific target business, we may fail to complete our initial business combination for any number of reasons, including those beyond our control. Any such event will result in a loss to us of the related costs incurred, which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.00 per share on the redemption of their shares. See “—If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors herein.
Our key personnel may negotiate employment or consulting agreements as well as reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses, if any, with a target business in connection with a particular business combination. These agreements may provide for them to receive compensation or reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses, if any, following our initial business combination and as a result, may cause them to have conflicts of interest in determining whether a particular business combination is the most advantageous.
Our key personnel may be able to remain with the combined company after the completion of our initial business combination only if they are able to negotiate employment or consulting agreements in connection with the initial business combination. Additionally, they may negotiate reimbursement of any out-of-pocket expenses incurred on our behalf prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, should they choose to do so. Such negotiations would take place simultaneously with the negotiation of the initial business combination and could provide for such individuals to receive compensation in the form of cash payments and/or our securities for services they would render to us after the completion of the initial business combination, or as reimbursement for such out-of-pocket expenses. The personal and financial interests of such individuals may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business. However, we believe the ability of such individuals to remain with us after the completion of our initial business combination will not be the determining factor in our decision as to whether or not we will proceed with any potential business combination. There is no certainty, however, that any of our key personnel will remain with us after the completion of our initial business combination. We cannot assure you that any of our key personnel will remain in senior management or advisory positions with us. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with us will be made at the time of our initial business combination.
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We may have a limited ability to assess the management of a prospective target business and, as a result, may affect our initial business combination with a target business whose management may not have the skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company, which could, in turn, negatively impact the value of our stockholders’ investment in us.
When evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial business combination with a prospective target business, our ability to assess the target business’s management may be limited due to a lack of time, resources or information. Our assessment of the capabilities of the target’s management, therefore, may prove to be incorrect and such management may lack the skills, qualifications or abilities we suspected. Should the target’s management not possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to manage a public company, the operations and profitability of the post-combination business may be negatively impacted. Accordingly, any stockholders who choose to remain stockholders following the initial business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their shares. Such stockholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
If we effect our initial business combination with a company with operations or opportunities outside of the United States, we may face additional burdens in connection with investigating, agreeing to and completing such an initial business combination, and if we effect such initial business combination, we would be subject to a variety of additional risks that may negatively impact our operations.
If we effect our initial business combination with a company with operations or opportunities outside of the United States, we would be subject to special considerations or risks associated with companies operating in an international setting, including any of the following:
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higher costs and difficulties inherent in executing cross-border transactions, managing cross-border business operations and complying with different commercial and legal requirements of overseas markets;
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rules and regulations regarding currency redemption;
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laws governing the manner in which future business combinations may be effected;
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tariffs and trade barriers;
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regulations related to customs and import/export matters;
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longer payment cycles and challenges in collecting accounts receivable;
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tax issues, including limits on our ability to change our tax residence from the United States, complex withholding or other tax regimes which may apply (including on payment on our securities) in connection with our business combination or to our structure following our business combination, variations in tax laws as compared to the United States, and potential changes in the applicable tax laws in the United States and/or relevant non-U.S. jurisdictions;
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currency fluctuations and exchange controls;
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rates of inflation;
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cultural and language differences;
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employment regulations;
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changes in industry, regulatory or environmental standards within the jurisdictions where we operate;
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crime, strikes, riots, civil disturbances, terrorist attacks, natural disasters and wars;
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deterioration of political relations with the United States; and
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government appropriations of assets.
We may not be able to adequately address these additional risks. If we were unable to do so, our operations might suffer, which may adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.
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We may issue notes or other debt securities, or otherwise incur substantial debt, to complete an initial business combination, which may adversely affect our leverage and financial condition and thus negatively impact the value of our stockholders’ investment in us.
Although we have no commitments as of the date of this prospectus to issue any notes or other debt securities, or to otherwise incur outstanding debt following this offering, we may choose to incur substantial debt to complete our initial business combination. We have agreed that we will not incur any indebtedness unless we have obtained from the lender a waiver of any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to the monies held in the trust account. As such, no issuance of debt will affect the per-share amount available for redemption from the trust account. Nevertheless, the incurrence of debt could have a variety of negative effects, including:
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default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after an initial business combination are insufficient to repay our debt obligations;
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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;
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our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt security is payable on demand;
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our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt security contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt security is outstanding;
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our inability to pay dividends on our common stock;
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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;
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limitations on our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and in the industry in which we operate;
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increased vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions and adverse changes in government regulation;
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limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, and execution of our strategy; and
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other disadvantages compared to our competitors who have less debt.
We may be able to complete only one business combination with the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, which will cause us to be solely dependent on a single business, which may have a limited number of products or services and limited operating activities. This lack of diversification may negatively impact our operating results and profitability.
Of the net proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, $250,000,000 (or $287,500,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be available to complete our initial business combination and pay related fees and expenses (which includes up to $8,750,000, or up to $10,062,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, for the payment of deferred underwriting commissions being held in the trust account).
We may effectuate 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 effectuate 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
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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. Accordingly, the prospects for our success may be:
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solely dependent upon the performance of a single business, property or asset, or
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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 risks, 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.
We may attempt to simultaneously complete business combinations with multiple prospective targets, which may hinder our ability to complete our initial business combination and give rise to increased costs and risks that could negatively impact our operations and profitability.
If we determine to simultaneously acquire several businesses that are owned by different sellers, we will need for each of such sellers to agree that our purchase of its business is contingent on the simultaneous closings of the other business combinations, which may make it more difficult for us, and delay our ability, to complete our initial business combination. We do not, however, intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination. With multiple business combinations, we could also face additional risks, including additional burdens and costs with respect to possible multiple negotiations and due diligence investigations (if there are multiple sellers) and the additional risks associated with the subsequent assimilation of the operations and services or products of the acquired companies in a single operating business. If we are unable to adequately address these risks, it could negatively impact our profitability and results of operations.
We may attempt to complete our initial business combination with a private company about which little information is available, which may result in an initial business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.
In pursuing our initial business combination strategy, we may seek to effectuate our initial business combination with a privately-held company. Very little public information generally exists about private companies, and we could be required to make our decision on whether to pursue a potential initial business combination on the basis of limited information, which may result in an initial business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.
Transactions in connection with or in anticipation of our initial business combination and our structure thereafter may not be tax-efficient to our stockholders and warrantholders. As a result of our business combination, our tax obligations and the tax obligations of our stockholders and warrantholders may be more complex, burdensome and uncertain.
Although we will attempt to structure transactions in connection with our initial business combination in a tax-efficient manner, tax structuring considerations are complex, the relevant facts and law are uncertain and may change, and we may prioritize commercial and other considerations over tax considerations. For example, in anticipation of or as a result of our initial business combination and subject to requisite stockholder approval, we may enter into one or more transactions that require stockholders and/or warrantholders to recognize gain or income for tax purposes or otherwise increase their tax burden. We do not intend to make any cash distributions to stockholders or warrantholders to pay taxes in connection with our business combination or thereafter. Accordingly, a stockholder or a warrantholder may be required to satisfy any liability resulting from any such transactions with cash from its own funds or by selling all or a portion of such holder’s shares or warrants. In addition, we may effect a business combination with a target company in another jurisdiction or reincorporate in a different jurisdiction (including, but not limited to, the jurisdiction in which the target company or business is located). As a result, stockholders and warrantholders may be subject to additional income, withholding or other taxes with respect to their ownership of us after our initial business combination.
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Furthermore, we may effect a business combination with a target company that has business operations outside of the United States and, possibly, business operations in multiple jurisdictions. If we effect any such transaction, we could be subject to significant income, withholding and other tax obligations in a number of jurisdictions with respect to income, operations and subsidiaries related to those jurisdictions. In addition, holders of our securities could become subject to withholding or other non-United States tax obligations. Due to the complexity of tax obligations and filings in many jurisdictions, we may have a heightened risk related to audits or examinations by taxing authorities. This additional complexity and risk could have an adverse effect on our after-tax profitability and financial condition.
Changes in the market for directors and officers liability insurance could make it more difficult and more expensive for us to negotiate and complete an initial business combination.
In recent months, the market for directors and officers liability insurance for special purpose acquisition companies has changed in ways adverse to us and our management team. Fewer insurance companies are offering quotes for directors and officers liability coverage, the premiums charged for such policies have generally increased and the terms of such policies have generally become less favorable. These trends may continue into the future.
The increased cost and decreased availability of directors and officers liability insurance could make it more difficult and more expensive for us to negotiate and complete an initial business combination. In order to obtain directors and officers liability insurance or modify its coverage as a result of becoming a public company, the post-business combination entity might need to incur greater expense and/or accept less favorable terms. Furthermore, any failure to obtain adequate directors and officers liability insurance could have an adverse impact on the post-business combination’s ability to attract and retain qualified officers and directors.
In addition, after completion of any initial business combination, our directors and officers could be subject to potential liability from claims arising from conduct alleged to have occurred prior to such initial business combination. As a result, in order to protect our directors and officers, the post-business combination entity may need to purchase additional insurance with respect to any such claims (“run-off insurance”). The need for run-off insurance would be an added expense for the post-business combination entity and could interfere with or frustrate our ability to consummate an initial business combination on terms favorable to our investors.
Risks Relating to our Sponsor, Management Team and Board of Directors
Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination and to be successful thereafter will be totally dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel, some of whom may join us following our initial business combination. The loss of key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.
Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination is dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel. The role of our key personnel in the target business, however, cannot presently be ascertained. Although some of our key personnel may remain with the target business in senior management or advisory positions following our initial business combination, it is likely that some or all of the management of the target business will remain in place. While we intend to closely scrutinize any individuals we engage after our initial business combination, we cannot assure you that our assessment of these individuals will prove to be correct. These individuals may be unfamiliar with the requirements of operating a company regulated by the SEC, which could cause us to have to expend time and resources helping them become familiar with such requirements. In addition, the officers and directors of an initial business combination candidate may resign upon completion of our initial business combination. The departure of an initial business combination target’s key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business. The role of an initial business combination candidate’s key personnel upon the completion of our initial business combination cannot be ascertained at this time. Although we contemplate that certain members of an initial business combination candidate’s management team will remain associated with the initial business combination candidate following our initial business combination,
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it is possible that members of the management of an initial business combination candidate will not wish to remain in place. The loss of key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.
We are dependent upon our officers and directors and their departure could adversely affect our ability to operate.
Our operations are dependent upon a relatively small group of individuals and, in particular, our officers and directors. We believe that our success depends on the continued service of our executive officers and directors, at least until we have completed our initial business combination. In addition, our officers and directors are not required to commit any specified amount of time to our affairs and, accordingly, will have conflicts of interest in allocating management time among various their business activities, including identifying potential business combinations and monitoring the related due diligence, negotiations and other activities. We do not have an employment agreement with, or key-man insurance on the life of, any of our directors or officers. The unexpected loss of the services of one or more of our directors or officers could have a detrimental effect on us.
Since our sponsor, officers and directors will lose their entire investment in us if our initial business combination is not completed (except with respect to any public shares they may hold), a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination.
Our sponsor is controlled by its managing member, Activate Capital GP, LLC, an affiliate of Activate Capital, and owned by Activate Capital, members of our management team and other members of our board of directors. In March 2021, 7,187,500 founder shares were issued to our sponsor in exchange for a capital contribution of $25,000, or approximately $0.003 per share. Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,000 by our sponsor, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. The per share price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash contributed to the company by the number of founder shares issued. The number of founder shares issued was determined based on the expectation that such founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares after this offering. Our sponsor will forfeit up to 937,500 founder shares depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised. In addition, our sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 5,666,667 (or 6,166,667 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) private placement warrants, each exercisable for one share of our Class A common stock at $11.50 per share, for a purchase price of $8,500,000 (or $9,250,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), or $1.50 per warrant, that will also be worthless if we do not complete an initial business combination. Holders of founder shares have agreed (A) to vote any shares owned by them in favor of any proposed initial business combination and (B) not to redeem any founder shares in connection with a stockholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination or in connection with a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. In addition, we may obtain loans from our sponsor, affiliates of our sponsor or an officer or director. The personal and financial interests of our officers and directors may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business combination, completing an initial business combination and influencing the operation of the business following the initial business combination.
Since our sponsor paid only approximately $0.003 per share for the founder shares, certain of our officers and directors could potentially make a substantial profit even if we acquire a target business that subsequently declines in value.
In March 2021, 7,187,500 founder shares were issued to our sponsor in exchange for a capital contribution of $25,000, or approximately $0.003 per share. Certain of our officers and directors have a significant economic interest in our sponsor. As a result, the low acquisition cost of the founder shares creates an economic incentive whereby our officers and directors could potentially make a substantial profit even if we acquire a target business that subsequently declines in value and is unprofitable for public investors.
Our officers and directors will allocate their time to other businesses thereby causing conflicts of interest in their determination as to how much time to devote to our affairs. This conflict of interest could have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Our officers and directors are not required to, and will not, commit their full time to our affairs, which may result in a conflict of interest in allocating their time between our operations and our search for
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an initial business combination and their other businesses. Each of our officers is engaged in other business endeavors for which he may be entitled to substantial compensation and our officers are not obligated to contribute any specific number of hours per week to our affairs. Our independent directors may also serve as officers or board members for other entities. If our officers’ and directors’ other business affairs require them to devote substantial amounts of time to such affairs in excess of their current commitment levels, it could limit their ability to devote time to our affairs which may have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination. For a complete discussion of our officers’ and directors’ other business affairs, please see the section of this prospectus entitled “Management—Directors and Officers.”
Certain of our officers and directors are now, and all of them may in the future become, affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating their time and determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.
Following the completion of this offering and until we consummate our initial business combination, we intend to engage in the business of identifying and combining with one or more businesses. Our sponsor and officers and directors are, and may in the future become, affiliated with entities (such as operating companies or investment vehicles) that are engaged in a similar business. Accordingly, they may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented. Our directors and officers affiliated with Activate Capital may in particular have conflicts with funds affiliated with Activate Capital, and/or other funds or investment vehicles formed by Activate Capital in the future. While these other funds and investment vehicles are not expected to pursue investment objectives identical to ours, in certain circumstances investment objectives may overlap and these conflicts may not be resolved in our favor; a potential target business may be presented to another entity prior to its presentation to us, subject to their fiduciary duties under applicable law. In addition, our officers and directors may become an officer or director 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.
Accordingly, our officers and directors may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented. These conflicts may not be resolved in our favor and a potential target business may be presented to another entity prior to its presentation to us. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide 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, and to the extent the director or officer is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation.
For a complete discussion of our officers’ and directors’ business Conflict of Interests and the potential conflicts of interest that you should be aware of, please see the sections of this prospectus entitled “Management—Officers, Directors and Director Nominees,” “Management—Conflicts of Interest” and “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions.”
Our officers, directors, security holders and their respective affiliates may have competitive pecuniary interests that conflict with our interests.
We have not adopted a policy that expressly prohibits our directors, officers, security holders or affiliates from having a direct or indirect pecuniary or financial interest in any investment to be acquired or disposed of by us or in any transaction to which we are a party or have an interest. In fact, we may enter into an initial business combination with a target business that is affiliated with our sponsor, our directors or officers. We do not have a policy that expressly prohibits any such persons from engaging for their own account in business activities of the types conducted by us. Accordingly, such persons or entities may have a conflict between their interests and ours.
The personal and financial interests of our directors and officers may influence their motivation in timely identifying and selecting a target business and completing a business combination. Consequently, our directors’ and officers’ discretion in identifying and selecting a suitable target business may result in a
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conflict of interest when determining whether the terms, conditions and timing of a particular business combination are appropriate and in our stockholders’ best interest. If this were the case, it would be a breach of their fiduciary duties to us as a matter of Delaware law and we or our stockholders might have a claim against such individuals for infringing on our stockholders’ rights. However, we might not ultimately be successful in any claim we may make against them for such reason.
We may engage in an initial business combination with one or more target businesses that have relationships with entities that may be affiliated with our sponsor, officers, directors or existing holders that may raise potential conflicts of interest.
In light of the involvement of our sponsor, officers and directors with other entities, we may decide to acquire one or more businesses affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors. Our directors also serve as officers and board members for other entities, including, without limitation, those described under the section of this prospectus entitled “Management—Conflicts of Interest.” Such entities may compete with us for business combination opportunities. Our sponsor, officers and directors are not currently aware of any specific opportunities for us to complete our initial business combination with any entities with which they are affiliated, and there have been no substantive discussions concerning an initial business combination with any such entity or entities. Although we will not be specifically focusing on, or targeting, any transaction with any affiliated entities, we would pursue such a transaction if we determined that such affiliated entity met our criteria for an initial business combination as set forth in the section of this prospectus entitled “Proposed Business—Selection of a Target Business and Structuring of our Initial Business Combination” and such transaction was approved by a majority of our disinterested directors. Despite our agreement to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, regarding the fairness to the Company and our stockholders from a financial point of view of an initial business combination with one or more domestic or international businesses affiliated with our officers, directors or existing holders, potential conflicts of interest still may exist and, as a result, the terms of the initial business combination may not be as advantageous to our public stockholders as they would be absent any conflicts of interest. These risks may become more acute as the 24-month deadline for the completion of our initial business combination.
Our management may not be able to maintain control of a target business after our initial business combination.
We may structure an initial business combination so that the post-transaction company in which our public stockholders own shares will own less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business, but we will only complete such 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 us not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. We will not consider any transaction that does not meet such criteria. Even if the post-transaction company owns 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 business combination 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 of Class A common stock in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares of common stock, our stockholders immediately prior to such transaction could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares of common stock subsequent to such transaction. In addition, other minority stockholders may subsequently combine their holdings resulting in a single person or group obtaining a larger share of our stock than we initially acquired. Accordingly, this may make it more likely that our management will not be able to maintain our control of the target business. We cannot provide assurance that, upon loss of control of a target business, new management will possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to profitably operate such business.
Past performance by our management team and their respective affiliates may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in the company.
Information regarding performance by our management team and their respective affiliates, including businesses with which they have been associated, including entities affiliated with Activate
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Capital, is presented for informational purposes only. Past performance by our management team and their respective affiliates is not a guarantee either that we will be able to identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination or of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate. You should not rely on the historical record of our management team or their affiliates or any related investment’s performance as indicative of our future performance, of an investment in the company, or the returns the company will or is likely to generate going forward.
Risks Relating to our Securities
The securities in which we invest the funds held in the trust account could bear a negative rate of interest, which could reduce the value of the assets held in trust such that the per-share redemption amount received by public stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share.
The proceeds held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations 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. While short-term U.S. government treasury obligations currently yield a positive rate of interest, they have briefly yielded negative interest rates in recent years. Central banks in Europe and Japan pursued interest rates below zero in recent years, and the Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve has not ruled out the possibility that it may in the future adopt similar policies in the United States. In the event that we are unable to complete our initial business combination or make certain amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our public stockholders are entitled to receive their pro rata share of the proceeds held in the trust account, plus any interest income, net of taxes paid or payable (less, in the case we are unable to complete our initial business combination, $100,000 of interest). Negative interest rates could reduce the value of the assets held in trust such that the per-share redemption amount received by public stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share.
If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we may be required to institute burdensome compliance requirements and our activities may be restricted, which may make it difficult for us to complete our initial business combination.
If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, our activities may be restricted, including:
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restrictions on the nature of our investments; and
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restrictions on the issuance of securities, each of which may make it difficult for us to complete our initial business combination.
In addition, we may have imposed upon us burdensome requirements, including:
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registration as an investment company;
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adoption of a specific form of corporate structure; and
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reporting, record keeping, voting, proxy and disclosure requirements and other rules and regulations.
In order not to be regulated as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, unless we can qualify for an exclusion, we must ensure that we are engaged primarily in a business other than investing, reinvesting or trading in securities and that our activities do not include investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading “investment securities” constituting more than 40% of our total assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis. Our business will be to identify and complete an initial business combination and thereafter to operate the post-transaction business or assets for the long term. We do not plan to buy businesses or assets with a view to resale or profit from their resale. We do not plan to buy unrelated businesses or assets or to be a passive investor.
We do not believe that our anticipated principal activities will subject us to the Investment Company Act. To this end, the proceeds held in the trust account may only be invested in U.S. “government securities,” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act, having a maturity of 185 days or
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less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act, which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Pursuant to the trust agreement, the trustee is not permitted to invest in other securities or assets. By restricting the investment of the proceeds to these instruments, and by having a business plan targeted at acquiring and growing businesses for the long term (rather than on buying and selling businesses in the manner of a merchant bank or private equity fund), we intend to avoid being deemed an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act. This offering is not intended for persons who are seeking a return on investments in government securities or investment securities. The trust account is intended as a holding place for funds pending the earliest to occur of: (i) the completion of our initial business combination; (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (A) modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide for the redemption of our public shares in connection with an initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; or (iii) absent an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, our return of the funds held in the trust account to our public stockholders as part of our redemption of the public shares. If we do not invest the proceeds as discussed above, we may be deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act. If we were deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act, compliance with these additional regulatory burdens would require additional expenses for which we have not allotted funds and may hinder our ability to complete an initial business combination or may result in our liquidation. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances described herein, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.
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.
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 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 Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering without our prior consent, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares.” However, we would not be restricting our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination. Your inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce your influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination and you could suffer a material loss on your investment in us if you sell Excess Shares in open market transactions. Additionally, you will not receive redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares if we complete our initial business combination. And as a result, you will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 15% and, in order to dispose of such shares, would be required to sell your stock in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.
The NYSE 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.
We have applied to have our units listed on the NYSE. We expect that our units will be listed on the NYSE on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. Following the date the shares of our Class A common stock and public warrants are eligible to trade separately, we anticipate that the shares of our Class A common stock and public warrants will be separately listed on the NYSE. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on the NYSE. Although after giving effect to this offering we expect to meet, on a pro forma basis, the minimum initial listing standards set forth in the NYSE listing standards, we cannot assure you that our securities will be, or will continue to be, listed on the NYSE in the future or prior to our initial business combination. In order to continue listing our securities on the NYSE prior to our initial business combination, we must maintain certain financial, distribution and stock price levels.
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Generally, we must maintain a minimum number of holders of our securities (400 public holders). Additionally, in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to demonstrate compliance with NYSE’s initial listing requirements, which are more rigorous than NYSE’s continued listing requirements, in order to continue to maintain the listing of our securities on NYSE. For instance, our stock price would generally be required to be at least $4 per share. We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet those initial listing requirements at that time. If the NYSE delists our securities from trading on its exchange and we are not able to list our securities on another national securities exchange, we expect our securities could be quoted on an over-the-counter market. If this were to occur, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:
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a limited availability of market quotations for our securities;
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reduced liquidity for our securities;
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a determination that our Class A common stock is a “penny stock” which will require brokers trading in our Class A common stock to adhere to more stringent rules and possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our securities;
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a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and
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a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future.
The National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, which is a federal statute, prevents or preempts the states from regulating the sale of certain securities, which are referred to as “covered securities.” Because we expect that our units and eventually our Class A common stock and public warrants will be listed on the NYSE, our units, Class A common stock and public warrants will be covered securities. Although the states are preempted from regulating the sale of our securities, the federal statute does allow the states to investigate companies if there is a suspicion of fraud, and, if there is a finding of fraudulent activity, then the states can regulate or bar the sale of covered securities in a particular case. While we are not aware of a state having used these powers to prohibit or restrict the sale of securities issued by blank check companies, other than the State of Idaho, certain state securities regulators view blank check companies unfavorably and might use these powers, or threaten to use these powers, to hinder the sale of securities of blank check companies in their states. Further, if we were no longer listed on the NYSE, our securities would not be covered securities and we would be subject to regulation in each state in which we offer our securities, including in connection with our initial business combination.
We may issue additional shares of Class A common stock or preferred stock to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination. We may also issue shares of Class A common stock upon the conversion of the Class B common stock at a ratio greater than one-to-one at the time of our initial business combination as a result of the anti-dilution provisions contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Any such issuances would dilute the interest of our stockholders and likely present other risks.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will authorize the issuance of up to 200,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, 20,000,000 shares of Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share. Immediately after this offering, there will be 175,000,000 and 13,750,000 (assuming, in each case, that the underwriters have not exercised their over-allotment option) authorized but unissued shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock, respectively, available for issuance, which amount does not take into account the shares of Class A common stock reserved for issuance upon exercise of outstanding warrants or the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of Class B common stock. Immediately after the consummation of this offering, there will be no shares of preferred stock issued and outstanding. Shares of Class B common stock are convertible into shares of our Class A common stock initially at a one-for-one ratio but subject to adjustment as set forth herein, including in certain circumstances in which we issue Class A common stock or equity-linked securities related to our initial business combination.
We may issue a substantial number of additional shares of Class A common stock or preferred stock to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of
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our initial business combination (although our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we may not issue additional shares of capital stock that would entitle the holders thereof to receive funds from the trust account or vote on any initial business combination or on matters related to our pre-initial business combination activity). We may also issue shares of Class A common stock upon conversion of the Class B common stock at a ratio greater than one-to-one at the time of our initial business combination as a result of the anti-dilution provisions contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. However, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide, among other things, that prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional shares of capital stock that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account, (ii) vote on any initial business combination or (iii) vote on matters related to our pre-initial business combination activity. These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, like all provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, may be amended with the approval of our stockholders. However, our executive officers, directors and director nominees have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (A) modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide for the redemption of our public shares in connection with an initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of common stock upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the 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.
The issuance of additional shares of common or preferred stock:
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may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in this offering;
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may subordinate the rights of holders of common stock if preferred stock is issued with rights senior to those afforded our common stock;
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could cause a change of control if a substantial number of shares of our common stock are 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; and
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may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our units, Class A common stock and/or public warrants.
We are not registering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants under the Securities Act or any state securities laws at this time, and such registration may not be in place when an investor desires to exercise warrants, thus precluding such investor from being able to exercise its warrants except on a cashless basis. If the issuance of the shares upon exercise of warrants is not registered, qualified or exempt from registration or qualification, the holder of such warrant will not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless.
We are not registering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants under the Securities Act or any state securities laws at this time. However, under the terms of the warrant agreements, we have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our 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 and thereafter will use our best efforts to cause the same to become effective within 60 business days following our initial business combination and to maintain a current prospectus relating to the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants, until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreements. We cannot assure you that we will be able to do so if, for example, any facts or events arise which represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement or prospectus, the financial statements contained or incorporated by reference therein are not current or correct or the SEC issues a stop order. If the shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants are not registered under the Securities Act, we will be required to permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis. However, no warrant will be exercisable for cash
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or on a cashless basis, and we 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, or an exemption from registration is available. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a registration statement covering the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective within a specified period following the consummation of our initial business combination, warrantholders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a “cashless basis” pursuant to the exemption provided by Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act; provided that such exemption is available. If that exemption, or another exemption, is not available, holders will not be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis. In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant, or issue securities or other compensation in exchange for the warrants in the event that we are unable to register or qualify the shares underlying the warrants under applicable state securities laws and there is no exemption available. If the issuance of the shares upon exercise of the warrants is not so registered or qualified or exempt from registration or qualification, the holder of such warrant will not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In such event, holders who acquired their warrants as part of a purchase of units will have paid the full unit purchase price solely for the shares of Class A common stock included in the units. If and when the public warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of shares of common stock upon exercise of the public warrants is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or we are unable to effect such registration or qualification. We will use our best efforts to register or qualify such shares of common stock under the blue sky laws of the state of residence in those states in which the public warrants were initially offered by us in this offering. However, there may be instances in which holders of our public warrants may be unable to exercise such public warrants but holders of our private warrants may be able to exercise such private warrants.
If you exercise your public warrants on a “cashless basis,” you will receive fewer shares of Class A common stock from such exercise than if you were to exercise such warrants for cash.
Under the following circumstances, the exercise of the public warrants may be required or permitted to be made on a cashless basis: (i) If a registration statement covering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the 60th business day after the closing of our initial business combination, warrantholders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption; (ii) if our 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, we may, at our 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 we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement; and in the event we do not so elect, we will use our best efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available; and (iii) if we call the public warrants for redemption under certain circumstances described in the warrant agreement. In the event of an exercise on a cashless basis, a holder would pay the warrant exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of shares of Class A common stock calculated under the applicable provision in the warrant agreement. As a result, you would receive fewer shares of Class A common stock from such exercise than if you were to exercise such warrants for cash.
The grant of registration rights to our initial stockholders may make it more difficult to complete our initial business combination, and the future exercise of such rights may adversely affect the market price of our Class A common stock.
Pursuant to an agreement to be entered into concurrently with the issuance and sale of the securities in this offering, our initial stockholders and their permitted transferees can demand that we register the resale of private placement warrants, the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the founder shares and the private placement warrants held, or to be held, by them and holders of warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans may demand that we register the resale of such warrants or the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of such warrants. We will bear the cost of registering these securities. The registration and availability of such a significant number of
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securities for trading in the public market may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A common stock. In addition, the existence of the registration rights may make our initial business combination more costly or difficult to conclude. This is because the stockholders of the target business may increase the equity stake they seek in the combined entity or ask for more cash consideration to offset the negative impact on the market price of our Class A common stock that is expected when the securities owned by our initial stockholders or holders of working capital loans or their respective permitted transferees are registered for resale.
Our letter agreement with our sponsor, director nominees, and officers may be amended without stockholder approval.
Our letter agreement with our sponsor, directors, director nominees, and officers contains provisions relating to transfer restrictions of our founder shares and sponsor warrants and indemnification of the trust account. This letter agreement may be amended without stockholder approval (although releasing the parties from the restriction not to transfer our founder shares for 180 days following the date of this prospectus will require the prior written consent of the underwriters). While we do not expect our board of directors to approve any amendment to this agreement prior to our initial business combination, it may be possible that our board of directors, in exercising its business judgment and subject to its fiduciary duties, chooses to approve one or more amendments to this agreement. Any such amendments to the letter agreement would not require approval from our stockholders and may have an adverse effect on the value of an investment in our securities.
Our sponsor contributed an aggregate of $25,000, or approximately $0.003 per founder share (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option), and, accordingly, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution from the purchase of our Class A common stock to the benefit of our sponsor and certain of our directors and officers.
The difference between the public offering price per share (allocating all of the unit purchase price to the Class A common stock and none to the public warrant included) and the pro forma net tangible book value per share of our Class A common stock after this offering constitutes the dilution to you and the other investors in this offering. Our sponsor acquired the founder shares at a nominal price, significantly contributing to this dilution. Upon the closing of this offering, and assuming no value is ascribed to the public warrants included, you and the other public stockholders will incur an immediate and substantial dilution of approximately 93.2% (or $9.32 per share, assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option), the difference between the pro forma net tangible book value per share of $0.68 and the initial offering price of $10.00 per unit. In addition, because of the anti-dilution rights of the founder shares, any equity or equity-linked securities issued in connection with our initial business combination would be disproportionately dilutive to our Class A common stock. Moreover, although we are of the view that our sponsor, directors and officers paid fair value for the founder shares, there is no assurance that a taxing authority would agree with us, and if a taxing authority were to successfully assert otherwise, we may be subject to material withholding and other tax liabilities that could adversely affect our financial condition.
We may amend the terms of the public warrants in a manner that may be adverse to holders of public warrants with the approval by the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding public warrants. As a result, the exercise price of your warrants could be increased, the exercise period could be shortened and the number of shares of our Class A common stock purchasable upon exercise of a warrant could be decreased, all without your approval.
Our public warrants will be issued in registered form under a public warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The public warrant agreement provides that the terms of the public warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, but requires the approval by the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding public warrants to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of public warrants. Accordingly, we may amend the terms of the public warrants in a manner adverse to a holder of public warrants if holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding public warrants approve of such amendment. Although our ability to amend the terms of the public warrants with the consent of at least a majority of the then outstanding public warrants is unlimited, examples of
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such amendments could be amendments to, among other things, increase the exercise price of the warrants, convert the warrants into cash or stock, shorten the exercise period or decrease the number of shares of our Class A common stock purchasable upon exercise of a warrant.
Our public warrant agreement will designate the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by holders of our public warrants, which could limit the ability of warrant holders to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with our company.
Our public warrant agreement will provide that, subject to applicable law, (i) any action, proceeding or claim against us arising out of or relating in any way to the public warrant agreement, including under the Securities Act, will be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and (ii) that we irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. We will waive any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, these provisions of the public warrant agreement will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any of our public warrants shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the forum provisions in our public warrant agreement. Investors cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. If any action, the subject matter of which is within the scope the forum provisions of the public warrant agreement, is filed in a court other than a court of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (a “foreign action”) in the name of any holder of our warrants, such holder shall be deemed to have consented to: (x) the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in the State of New York in connection with any action brought in any such court to enforce the forum provisions (an “enforcement action”), and (y) having service of process made upon such warrant holder in any such enforcement action by service upon such warrant holder’s counsel in the foreign action as agent for such warrant holder.
This choice-of-forum provision may limit a warrant holder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with our company, which may discourage such lawsuits. Warrantholders who are unable to bring their claims in the judicial forum of their choosing may be required to incur additional costs in pursuit of actions which are the subject of our choice-of-forum provision. Alternatively, if a court were to find this provision of our public warrant agreement inapplicable or unenforceable with respect to one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and result in a diversion of the time and resources of our management and board of directors.
We may redeem your unexpired public warrants prior to their exercise at a time that is disadvantageous to you, thereby making your public warrants worthless.
We have the ability to redeem outstanding public warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.01 per warrant; provided that the last reported sale price of our Class A common stock has been at least $18.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading-day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which we give proper notice of such redemption to the warrant holders and provided certain other conditions are met. If and when the public warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of shares of common stock upon exercise of the public warrants is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or we are unable to effect such registration or qualification. We will use our best efforts to register or qualify such shares of common stock under the blue sky laws of the state of residence in those states in which the public warrants were initially offered by us in this offering. Redemption of the outstanding public warrants could force you (i) to exercise your public warrants and pay the exercise price therefor at a time when it may be disadvantageous for you to do so, (ii) to sell your public warrants at the then-current market
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price when you might otherwise wish to hold your public warrants or (iii) to accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the outstanding public warrants are called for redemption, is likely to be substantially less than the market value of your public warrants.
None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us.
Our warrants and founder shares may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A common stock and make it more difficult to effectuate our initial business combination.
We will be issuing warrants to purchase 8,333,333 shares of our Class A common stock (or up to 9,583,333 shares of Class A common stock if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) as part of the units offered by this prospectus and, simultaneously with the closing of this offering, we will be issuing in a private placement warrants to purchase an aggregate of 5,666,667 (or up to 6,166,667 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) shares of Class A common stock at $11.50 per share. Our initial stockholders currently own an aggregate of 7,187,500 founder shares, 937,500 of which are subject to forfeiture if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised. The founder shares are convertible into shares of Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as set forth herein. In addition, if our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors make any working capital loans, up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be converted into warrants, at the price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. Such warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period.
To the extent we issue shares of Class A common stock to effectuate an initial business combination, the potential for the issuance of a substantial number of additional shares of Class A common stock upon exercise of these warrants and conversion rights could make us a less attractive business combination vehicle to a target business. Any such issuance will increase the number of issued and outstanding shares of our Class A common stock and reduce the value of the shares of Class A common stock issued to complete the initial business combination. Therefore, our warrants and founder shares may make it more difficult to effectuate an initial business combination or increase the cost of acquiring the target business.
The private placement warrants are identical to the warrants sold as part of the units in this offering except that (i) they will not be redeemable by us, (ii) they (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of these warrants) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by our sponsor until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, (iii) they may be exercised by the holders on a cashless basis and (iv) the holders thereof (including with respect to shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of such warrants) are entitled to registration rights.
Because each unit contains one-third of one public warrant and only a whole warrant may be exercised, the units may be worth less than units of other blank check companies.
Each unit contains one-third of one public warrant. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least three units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant. This is different from other offerings similar to ours whose units include one share of common stock and one warrant to purchase one share. We have established the components of the units in this way in order to reduce the dilutive effect of the warrants upon completion of an initial business combination since the warrants will be exercisable in the aggregate for one-third of the number of shares compared to units that each contain a warrant to purchase one share, thus making us, we believe, a more attractive business combination partner for target businesses. Nevertheless, this unit structure may cause our units to be worth less than if they included a public warrant to purchase one share.
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A provision of our warrant agreement may make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination.
Unlike some other blank check companies, if
(i)
we issue additional shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination at a Newly Issued Price of less than $9.20 per share,
(ii)
the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of our initial business combination on the date of the consummation of our initial business combination (net of redemptions), and
(iii)
the Market Value is below $9.20 per share,
then the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted to be equal to 115% of the higher of the fair market value and the Newly Issued Price, and the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price. This may make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination with a target business.
The determination of the offering price of our units, the size of this offering and terms of the units is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities and size of an offering of an operating company in a particular industry. You may have less assurance, therefore, that the offering price of our units properly reflects the value of such units than you would have in a typical offering of an operating company.
Prior to this offering there has been no public market for any of our securities. The public offering price of the units and the terms of the warrants were negotiated between us and the underwriters. In determining the size of this offering, management held customary organizational meetings with representatives of the underwriters, both prior to our inception and thereafter, with respect to the state of capital markets, generally, and the amount the underwriters believed they reasonably could raise on our behalf. Factors considered in determining the size of this offering, prices and terms of the units, including the Class A common stock and public warrants underlying the units, include:
•
the history and prospects of companies whose principal business is the acquisition of other companies;
•
prior offerings of those companies;
•
our prospects for acquiring an operating business;
•
a review of debt to equity ratios in leveraged transactions;
•
our capital structure;
•
an assessment of our management and their experience in identifying operating companies;
•
general conditions of the securities markets at the time of this offering; and
•
other factors as were deemed relevant.
Although these factors were considered, the determination of our offering size, price and terms of the units is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities of an operating company in a particular industry since we have no historical operations or financial results.
There is currently no market for our securities and a market for our securities may not develop, which would adversely affect the liquidity and price of our securities.
There is currently no market for our securities. Stockholders therefore have no access to information about prior market history on which to base their investment decision. Following this offering, the price of our securities may vary significantly due to one or more potential business combinations and general market
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or economic conditions. Furthermore, an active trading market for our securities may never develop or, if developed, it may not be sustained. You may be unable to sell your securities unless a market can be established and sustained.
Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and Delaware law may inhibit a takeover of us, which could limit the price investors might be willing to pay in the future for our Class A common stock and could entrench management.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains provisions that may discourage unsolicited takeover proposals that stockholders may consider to be in their best interests. These provisions include a staggered board of directors and the ability of the board of directors to designate the terms of and issue new series of preferred shares, which may make the removal of management more difficult and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities.
We are also subject to anti-takeover provisions under Delaware law, which could delay or prevent a change of control. Together these provisions may make the removal of management more difficult and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that derivative actions brought in our name, actions against our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders for breach of fiduciary duty and certain other actions may be brought only in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware and, if brought outside of Delaware, the stockholder bringing the suit will, subject to certain exceptions, be deemed to have consented to service of process on such stockholder’s counsel, which may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that derivative actions brought in our name, actions against our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders for breach of fiduciary duty and certain other actions may be brought only in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware and, if brought outside of Delaware, the stockholder bringing the suit will be deemed to have consented to service of process on such stockholder’s counsel except any action (A) as to which the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery within ten days following such determination), (B) which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than the Court of Chancery or (C) for which the Court of Chancery does not have subject matter jurisdiction. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the forum provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. This choice of forum provision may limit or make more costly a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or any of our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders, which may discourage lawsuits with respect to such claims. Alternatively, if a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, operating results and financial condition.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that the exclusive forum provision will be applicable to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, subject to certain exceptions. Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. As a result, the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. We note, however, that there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce this provision and that investors cannot waive
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compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for state and federal courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.
An investment in our securities, and certain subsequent transactions with respect to our securities, may result in uncertain or adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences for an investor.
An investment in our securities, and certain subsequent transactions with respect to our securities, may result in uncertain or adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences for an investor. For instance, because there is no authority that directly addresses the U.S. federal income tax implications of instruments similar to the units we are issuing in this offering, the allocation an investor makes of the purchase price of a unit between the share of our Class A common stock and the partial warrant to purchase Class A common stock included in each unit could be challenged by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). Furthermore, the U.S. federal income tax consequences of a cashless exercise of public warrants is unclear under current law. Additionally, it is unclear whether the redemption rights with respect to our shares of Class A common stock suspend the running of a U.S. Holder’s holding period for purposes of determining whether any gain or loss realized by such holder on the sale or exchange of Class A common stock is long-term capital gain or loss and for determining whether any dividend we pay would be eligible for favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment. See “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” below for a summary of the principal U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in our securities. Each prospective investor is urged to consult and rely solely upon its own tax advisors with respect to these and other tax consequences when purchasing, holding or disposing of our securities.
Whether a redemption of Class A common stock will be treated as a sale of such Class A common stock for U.S. federal income tax purposes will depend on a stockholder’s specific facts.
The U.S. federal income tax treatment of a redemption of Class A common stock will depend on whether the redemption qualifies as a sale of such Class A common stock under Section 302(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), which will depend largely on the total number of shares of our stock treated as held by the stockholder electing to redeem Class A common stock (including any shares of stock constructively owned by the holder as a result of owning private placement warrants or public warrants or otherwise) relative to all of the shares of our stock outstanding both before and after the redemption. If such redemption is not treated as a sale of Class A common stock for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the redemption will instead be treated as a corporate distribution of cash from us. For more information about the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the redemption of Class A common stock, see the section entitled “—Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations—Considerations for U.S. Holders—Redemption or Repurchase of Class A Common Stock for Cash” or “—Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations—Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders—Redemption or Repurchase of Class A Common Stock for Cash,” as applicable.
General Risk Factors
We are a blank check company with no operating history and no revenues, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.
We are a blank check company with no operating results, and we will not commence operations until obtaining funding through this offering. Because we lack an operating history, you have no basis upon which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective of completing our initial business combination with one or more target businesses. We have no plans, arrangements or understandings with any prospective target business concerning an initial business combination and may be unable to complete our initial business combination. If we fail to complete our initial business combination, we will never generate any operating revenues.
Cyber incidents or attacks directed at us could result in information theft, data corruption, operational disruption and/or financial loss.
We depend on digital technologies, including information systems, infrastructure and cloud applications and services, including those of third parties with which we may deal. Sophisticated and
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deliberate attacks on, or security breaches in, our systems or infrastructure, or the systems or infrastructure of third parties or the cloud, could lead to corruption or misappropriation of our assets, proprietary information and sensitive or confidential data. As an early stage company without significant investments in data security protection, we may not be sufficiently protected against such occurrences. We may not have sufficient resources to adequately protect against, or to investigate and remediate any vulnerability to, cyber incidents. It is possible that any of these occurrences, or a combination of them, could have adverse consequences on our business and lead to financial loss.
Changes in laws or regulations, or a failure to comply with any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination and results of operations.
We are subject to laws and regulations enacted by national, regional and local governments. In particular, we will be required to comply with certain SEC and other legal requirements. Compliance with, and monitoring of, applicable laws and regulations may be difficult, time consuming and costly.
Those laws and regulations and their interpretation and application may also change from time to time and those changes could have a material adverse effect on our business, investments and results of operations. In addition, a failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations, as interpreted and applied, could have a material adverse effect on our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination and results of operations.
We are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company within the meaning of the Securities Act, and if we take advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure requirements available to emerging growth companies and smaller reporting companies, this could make our securities less attractive to investors and may make it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies.
We are an “emerging growth company” within the meaning of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act, and we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. As a result, our stockholders may not have access to certain information they may deem important. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years, although circumstances could cause us to lose that status earlier, including if the market value of our Class A common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of any June 30 before that time, in which case we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the following December 31. We cannot predict whether investors will find our securities less attractive because we will rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result of our reliance on these exemptions, the trading prices of our securities may be lower than they otherwise would be, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the trading prices of our securities may be more volatile.
Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such an election to opt out is irrevocable. We have 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, we, 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 our financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
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Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Rule 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 the prior June 30th, 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 prior June 30th. To the extent we take advantage of such reduced disclosure obligations, it may also make comparison of our financial statements with other public companies difficult or impossible.
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USE OF PROCEEDS
We are offering 25,000,000 units at an offering price of $10.00 per unit. We estimate that the net proceeds of this offering together with the funds we will receive from the sale of the private placement warrants will be used as set forth in the following table.
| | | |
Without
Over-Allotment Option |
| |
Over-Allotment
Option Fully Exercised |
| ||||||
| Gross proceeds | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
Gross proceeds from units offered to public(1)
|
| | | $ | 250,000,000 | | | | | $ | 287,500,000 | | |
|
Gross proceeds from private placement warrants offered in the private placement
|
| | | | 8,500,000 | | | | | | 9,250,000 | | |
|
Total gross proceeds
|
| | | $ | 258,500,000 | | | | | $ | 296,750,000 | | |
| Offering expenses(2) | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
Underwriting commissions (2% of gross proceeds from units offered to public, excluding deferred portion)(3)
|
| | | $ | 5,000,000 | | | | | $ | 5,750,000 | | |
|
Legal fees and expenses
|
| | | | 350,000 | | | | | | 350,000 | | |
|
Accounting fees and expenses
|
| | | | 80,000 | | | | | | 80,000 | | |
|
SEC/FINRA Expenses
|
| | | | 74,991 | | | | | | 74,991 | | |
|
Travel and road show
|
| | | | 25,000 | | | | | | 25,000 | | |
|
NYSE listing and filing fees
|
| | | | 85,000 | | | | | | 85,000 | | |
|
Printing and engraving expenses
|
| | | | 40,000 | | | | | | 40,000 | | |
|
Miscellaneous
|
| | | | 95,009 | | | | | | 95,009 | | |
|
Total offering expenses (excluding underwriting commissions)
|
| | | $ | 750,000 | | | | | $ | 750,000 | | |
|
Proceeds after offering expenses
|
| | | $ | 252,750,000 | | | | | $ | 290,250,000 | | |
|
Held in trust account(3)
|
| | | $ | 250,000,000 | | | | | $ | 287,500,000 | | |
|
% of public offering size
|
| | | | 100% | | | | | | 100% | | |
|
Not held in trust account
|
| | | $ | 2,750,000 | | | | | $ | 2,750,000 | | |
The following table shows the estimated use of the approximately $2,750,000 of net proceeds not held in the trust account.(4)
| | | |
Amount
|
| |
% of Total
|
| ||||||
|
Legal, accounting, due diligence, travel, and other expenses in connection with any
business combination(5) |
| | | $ | 250,000 | | | | | | 9.09% | | |
|
Legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting obligations
|
| | | | 125,000 | | | | | | 4.55% | | |
|
Director and Officer liability insurance premiums
|
| | | | 1,250,000 | | | | | | 45.45% | | |
|
Payment for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support and other services ($40,000 per month for up to 24 months)(6)
|
| | | | 960,000 | | | | | | 34.91% | | |
|
NYSE continued listing fees
|
| | | | 85,000 | | | | | | 3.09% | | |
|
Working capital to cover miscellaneous expenses (including taxes)
|
| | | | 80,000 | | | | | | 2.91% | | |
|
Total
|
| | | $ | 2,750,000 | | | | | | 100.00% | | |
(1)
Includes amounts payable to public stockholders who properly redeem their shares in connection with our successful completion of our initial business combination. Includes gross proceeds from this offering of $250,000,000 (or $287,500,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full).
(2)
A portion of the offering expenses will be paid from the proceeds of loans from our sponsor of up to an aggregate of $300,000 as described in this prospectus. To date, we have borrowed approximately
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$128,000 under the promissory note with our sponsor (of up to $300,000 available to us) to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. These amounts will be repaid upon completion of this offering out of the offering proceeds that has been allocated for the payment of offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions). In the event that offering expenses are more than as set forth in this table, they will be repaid using a portion of the $2,750,000 of offering proceeds not held in the trust account and set aside for post-closing working capital expenses. In the event that offering expenses are less than set forth in this table, any such amounts will be used for post-closing working capital expenses.
(3)
The underwriters have agreed to defer underwriting commissions equal to 3.5% of the gross proceeds of this offering. Upon completion of our initial business combination, $8,750,000, which constitutes the underwriter’s deferred commissions (or $10,062,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be paid to the underwriters from the funds held in the trust account, and the remaining funds, less amounts released to the trustee to pay redeeming stockholders, will be released to us and can be used to pay all or a portion of the purchase price of the business or businesses with which our initial business combination occurs or for general corporate purposes, including payment of principal or interest on indebtedness incurred in connection with our initial business combination, to fund the purchases of other companies or for working capital. The underwriters will not be entitled to any interest accrued on the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions.
(4)
These expenses are estimates only and do not include interest which may be available to us from the trust account. Our actual expenditures for some or all of these items may differ from the estimates set forth herein. For example, we may incur greater legal and accounting expenses than our current estimates in connection with negotiating and structuring our initial business combination based upon the level of complexity of such business combination. In the event we identify an initial business combination target in a specific industry subject to specific regulations, we may incur additional expenses associated with legal due diligence and the engagement of special legal counsel. In addition, our staffing needs may vary and as a result, we may engage a number of consultants to assist with legal and financial due diligence. We do not anticipate any change in our intended use of proceeds, other than fluctuations among the current categories of allocated expenses, which fluctuations, to the extent they exceed current estimates for any specific category of expenses, would not be available for our expenses.
(5)
Includes estimated amounts that may also be used in connection with our initial business combination to fund a “no shop” provision and commitment fees for financing.
(6)
The substantial majority of these amounts will reimburse our sponsor or an affiliate thereof for payments in respect of their services to the sponsor to Mr. Susman, our Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, and a full-time investment associate dedicated to managing the sponsor’s investment in the Company.
We may increase or decrease the total number of units sold to the public in this offering. If we decide to proceed with an offering that results in an increase in the total number of units sold to the public, we would have additional proceeds from the offering available to pursue an acquisition. If we proceed with an offering that results in a decrease in the total number of shares sold to the public, we would have reduced proceeds from the offering available to pursue an acquisition. Such an increase or decrease may impact the size of the initial business combination we may pursue. In addition, the proceeds held in trust would correspondingly increase or decrease such that 100% of the gross proceeds from this offering will be held in trust. The underwriter’s option to purchase additional units to cover over-allotments and the amount of private placement warrants that our sponsor will purchase will also correspondingly increase or decrease. We would issue additional founder shares in the event we increase the total number of units sold in this offering and our sponsor would forfeit founder shares it holds in the event we decrease the total number of units sold in this offering 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 this offering; the total number of shares of Class A common stock issued or deemed issued or issuable upon conversion or exercise of any equity-linked securities or rights issued or deemed issued by the Company in connection with or in relation to the consummation of the initial business combination, excluding any shares
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of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities exercisable for or convertible into shares of Class A common stock issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination; and any private placement-equivalent warrants issued to our sponsor, officers or directors upon conversion of working capital loans.
Of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, $250,000,000 (or $287,500,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), including $8,750,000 (or $10,062,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) of deferred underwriting commissions, will be placed in a trust account in the United States at Bank of America, N.A., with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, and will be invested only 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. We estimate that the interest earned on the trust account will be approximately $250,000 per year, assuming an interest rate of 0.1% per year; however, we can provide no assurance regarding this amount. Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our taxes, the proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants will not be released from the trust account until the earliest to occur of: (a) the completion of our initial business combination, (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 provide for the redemption of our public shares in connection with an initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (ii) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, and (c) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law.
The net proceeds released to us from the trust account upon the closing of our initial business combination may be used as consideration to pay the sellers of a target business with which we complete our initial business combination. If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt securities, 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 redemption of our public shares, we may use the balance of the cash released from the trust account following the closing 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 companies or for working capital. There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds through the issuance of equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop arrangements we may enter into following consummation of this offering. However, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that, following this offering and prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, we will be prohibited from issuing additional securities that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote as a class with our public shares (a) on any initial business combination or (b) to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (x) extend the time we have to consummate a business combination beyond 24 months from the closing of this offering or (y) amend the foregoing provisions, unless (in connection with any such amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation) we offer our public stockholders the opportunity to redeem their public shares.
We believe that amounts not held in trust will be sufficient to pay the costs and expenses to which such proceeds are allocated. This belief is based on the fact that while we may begin preliminary due diligence of a target business in connection with an indication of interest, we intend to undertake in-depth due diligence, depending on the circumstances of the relevant prospective business combination, only after we have negotiated and signed a letter of intent or other preliminary agreement that addresses the terms of an initial business combination. However, if our estimate of the costs of undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating an initial business combination is less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may be required to raise additional capital, the amount, availability and cost of which is currently unascertainable. If we are required to seek additional capital, we could seek such additional capital through loans or additional investments from our sponsor, members of our management team or their affiliates, but such persons are not under any obligation to advance funds to, or invest in, us.
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Commencing on the date of this prospectus, we have agreed to reimburse our sponsor or an affiliate thereof in an amount equal to $40,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support and other services made available to us, of which the substantial majority will be to reimburse our sponsor or an affiliate thereof for payments in respect of their services to the sponsor to Mr. Susman, our Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, and a full-time investment associate dedicated to managing the sponsor’s investment in the Company. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.
Prior to the closing of this offering, our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to an aggregate of $300,000 under an unsecured promissory note to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. To date, we have borrowed approximately $128,000 under the promissory note with our sponsor to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. These loans are non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of September 18, 2021 or the closing of this offering. The loan will be repaid upon the closing of this offering out of offering proceeds not held in the trust account.
In addition, in order to 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 would repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. Otherwise, such loans would be repaid only out of funds held outside the trust account. 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 to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants, at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period. 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 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 deferred underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) and the agreement for our initial business combination may require as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. If too many public stockholders exercise their redemption rights so that we cannot satisfy the net tangible asset requirement or any net worth or cash requirements, we would not proceed with the redemption of our public shares or the initial business combination, and instead may search for an alternate business combination.
A public stockholder will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earliest to occur of: (i) our completion of an initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (A) modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide for the redemption of our public shares in connection with an initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, and (iii) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months following the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law and as further described herein and any limitations (including, but not limited to, cash requirements) created by the terms of the proposed initial business combination. In no other circumstances will a public stockholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account.
Our sponsor, officers and directors will not be entitled to 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. In addition, our sponsor, officers and directors will not be entitled 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 within the prescribed time frame. However, if our sponsor or any of our officers, directors or affiliates acquires public shares in or after this 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 the prescribed time frame.
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DIVIDEND POLICY
We have not paid any cash dividends on our common stock to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of our initial business combination. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition subsequent to completion of our initial business combination. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to our initial business combination will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time. If we increase or decrease the size of the offering we will effect a stock dividend or a share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B common stock immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of our initial stockholders at 20% of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering. Further, if we incur any indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.
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DILUTION
The difference between the public offering price per share of Class A common stock, assuming no value is attributed to the public warrants we are offering pursuant to this prospectus or the private placement warrants, and the pro forma net tangible book value per share of our Class A common stock after this offering constitutes the dilution to investors in this offering. Such calculation does not reflect any dilution associated with the sale and exercise of warrants, including the private placement warrants, which would cause the actual dilution to the public stockholders to be higher, particularly where a cashless exercise is utilized. Net tangible book value per share is determined by dividing our net tangible book value, which is our total tangible assets less total liabilities (including the value of Class A common stock which may be redeemed for cash), by the number of outstanding shares of our Class A common stock.
At June 30, 2021, our net tangible book value was a deficit of $(538,907), or approximately $(0.07) per share of common stock. After giving effect to the sale of 25,000,000 shares of Class A common stock included in the units we are offering by this prospectus (or 28,750,000 shares of Class A common stock if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), the sale of the private placement warrants and the deduction of underwriting commissions and estimated expenses of this offering, our pro forma net tangible book value at June 30, 2021 would have been $5,000,009 or approximately $0.68 per share (or $5,000,009, or $0.59 per share if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), representing an immediate increase in net tangible book value (as decreased by the value of 23,896,620 shares of Class A common stock that may be redeemed for cash, or 27,515,370 shares of Class A common stock if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) of $0.75 per share (or $0.66 per share if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) to our initial stockholders as of the date of this prospectus and immediate dilution to public stockholders from this offering will be $9.32 per share (or $9.41 per share if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full).
The following table illustrates the dilution to the public stockholders on a per-share basis, assuming no value is attributed to the public warrants or the private placement warrants:
| | | |
Without Over-
allotment |
| |
Exercise of
over-allotment option in full |
| ||||||
|
Public offering price
|
| | | $ | 10.00 | | | | | $ | 10.00 | | |
|
Net tangible book deficit before this offering
|
| | | $ | (0.07) | | | | | $ | (0.07) | | |
|
Increase attributable to public stockholders
|
| | | $ | 0.75 | | | | | $ | 0.66 | | |
|
Pro forma net tangible book value after this offering and the sale of the private
placement warrants |
| | | $ | 0.68 | | | | | $ | 0.59 | | |
|
Dilution to public stockholders
|
| | | $ | 9.32 | | | | | $ | 9.41 | | |
|
Percentage of dilution to public stockholders
|
| | | | 93.2% | | | | | | 94.1% | | |
For purposes of presentation, we have reduced our pro forma net tangible book value after this offering (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option) by $238,966,200 because holders of up to approximately 95.6% of our public shares may redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account at a per share redemption price equal to the amount in the trust account as set forth in our tender offer or proxy materials (initially anticipated to be the aggregate amount held in trust two days prior to the commencement of our tender offer or stockholders’ meeting, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes), divided by the number of shares of Class A common stock sold in this offering.
The following table sets forth information with respect to our initial stockholders and the public stockholders:
| | | |
Shares Purchased
|
| |
Total Consideration
|
| |
Average Price
Per Share |
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| | | |
Number
|
| |
Percentage
|
| |
Amount
|
| |
Percentage
|
| ||||||||||||||||||
|
Initial Stockholders(1)
|
| | | | 6,250,000 | | | | | | 20.000% | | | | | $ | 25,000 | | | | | | 00.01% | | | | | $ | 0.004 | | |
|
Public Stockholders
|
| | | | 25,000,000 | | | | | | 80.000% | | | | | | 250,000,000 | | | | | | 99.99% | | | | | $ | 10.000 | | |
| | | | | | 31,250,000 | | | | | | 100.000% | | | | | $ | 250,025,000 | | | | | | 100.00% | | | | | | | | |
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(1)
Assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option and the corresponding forfeiture of an aggregate of 937,500 shares of Class B common stock held by our sponsor and conversion of Class B common stock into Class A common stock on a one for-one basis. The dilution to public stockholders would increase to the extent that the anti-dilution provisions of the Class B common shares result in the issuance of Class A common shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon such conversion.
The pro forma net tangible book value per share after this offering is calculated as follows:
| | | |
Without
Over-allotment |
| |
With
Over-allotment |
| ||||||
| Numerator: | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
Net tangible book deficit before this offering
|
| | | $ | (538,907) | | | | | $ | (538,907) | | |
|
Net proceeds from this offering and sale of the private placement
warrants(1) |
| | | | 252,750,000 | | | | | | 290,250,000 | | |
|
Plus: Offering costs accrued for or paid in advance, excluded from tangible book value
|
| | | | 505,116 | | | | | | 505,116 | | |
|
Less: Deferred underwriting commissions
|
| | | | (8,750,000) | | | | | | (10,062,500) | | |
|
Less: Proceeds held in trust subject to redemption(2)
|
| | | | (238,966,200) | | | | | | (275,153,700) | | |
| | | | | $ | 5,000,009 | | | | | $ | 5,000,009 | | |
| | | |
Without
Over-allotment |
| |
With
Over-allotment |
| ||||||
| Denominator: | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
Shares of Class B common stock outstanding prior to this offering
|
| | | | 7,187,500 | | | | | | 7,187,500 | | |
|
Shares of Class B common stock forfeited if over-allotment is not exercised
|
| | | | (937,500) | | | | | | — | | |
|
Shares of Class A common stock included in the units offered
|
| | | | 25,000,000 | | | | | | 28,750,000 | | |
|
Less: Shares of Class A common stock subject to redemption
|
| | | | (23,896,620) | | | | | | (27,515,370) | | |
| | | | | | 7,353,380 | | | | | | 8,422,130 | | |
(1)
Expenses applied against gross proceeds include offering expenses of $750,000 and underwriting commissions of $5,000,000 (or $5,750,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (excluding deferred underwriting fees). See “Use of Proceeds.”
(2)
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 sponsor, initial stockholders, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares or public warrants’ in privately-negotiated transactions or in the open market, either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. In the event of any such purchases of our shares prior to the completion of our initial business combination, the number of shares of Class A common stock subject to redemption will be reduced by the amount of any such purchases, increasing the pro forma net tangible book value per share. See “Proposed Business—Effecting Our Initial Business Combination” and “Proposed Business—Permitted Purchases of Our Securities.”
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CAPITALIZATION
The following table sets forth our capitalization at June 30, 2021, and as adjusted to give effect to the sale of our units in this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants and the application of the estimated net proceeds derived from the sale of such securities, assuming no exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment option and the corresponding forfeiture of 937,500 founder shares by our sponsor:
| | | |
June 30, 2021
|
| |||||||||
| | | |
Actual
|
| |
As
Adjusted |
| ||||||
|
Note payable to related party(1)
|
| | | $ | 127,775 | | | | | $ | — | | |
|
Deferred underwriting commissions
|
| | | | — | | | | | | 8,750,000 | | |
|
Class A common stock subject to possible redemption; -0- and 23,896,620 shares, actual and as adjusted, respectively(2)
|
| | | | — | | | | | | 238,966,200 | | |
|
Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value, 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding, actual and as adjusted
|
| | | | — | | | | | | — | | |
|
Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value, 200,000,000 and 250,000,000 shares authorized, actual and as adjusted, respectively; -0- and 1,103,380 shares issued and outstanding (excluding -0- and 23,896,620 shares subject to possible redemption), actual and as adjusted, respectively
|
| | | | — | | | | | | 110 | | |
|
Class B common stock, $0.0001 par value, 20,000,000 shares authorized; 7,187,500 and 6,250,000 shares issued and outstanding, actual and as adjusted, respectively(3)
|
| | | | 719 | | | | | | 625 | | |
|
Additional paid-in capital
|
| | | | 24,281 | | | | | | 5,058,065 | | |
|
Accumulated deficit
|
| | | | (58,791) | | | | | | (58,791) | | |
|
Total stockholders’ equity (deficit)
|
| | | $ | (33,791) | | | | | $ | 5,000,009 | | |
|
Total capitalization
|
| | | $ | 93,984 | | | | | $ | 252,716,209 | | |
(1)
Our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to an aggregate of $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. The “as adjusted” information gives effect to the repayment of any loans made under this note out of the proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants. To date, we have borrowed approximately $128,000 under the promissory note with our sponsor to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering.
(2)
Upon the completion of our initial business combination, we will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares 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 interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, subject to the limitations described herein whereby our net tangible assets will be maintained at a minimum of $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination and any limitations (including, but not limited to, cash requirements) created by the terms of the proposed initial business combination.
(3)
Actual share amount is prior to any forfeiture of founder shares by our sponsor and as adjusted amount assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL
CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Overview
We are a blank check company whose business purpose is to effect 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 with respect to an initial business combination with us. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the private placement of the private placement warrants, the proceeds of the sale of our shares in connection with our initial business combination (pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into following the consummation of this offering or otherwise), shares issued to the owners of the target, debt issued to bank or other lenders or the owners of the target, or a combination of the foregoing.
The issuance of additional shares in connection with an initial business combination to the owners of the target or other investors:
•
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 our common stock if preferred stock is issued with rights senior to those afforded our common stock;
•
could cause a change in 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;
•
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; and
•
may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our Class A common stock and/or public warrants.
Similarly, if we issue debt securities or otherwise incur significant debt to bank or other lenders or the 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 and 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;
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•
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, at June 30, 2021, we had no cash and a working capital deficit of approximately $539,000. We will rely on loans from our sponsor for operating costs until the close of this offering. Further, we expect to incur significant costs in the pursuit of our initial business combination 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 this offering. Following this offering, we will not generate 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 this offering. There has been no significant change in our financial or trading position and no material adverse change has occurred since the date of our audited financial statements. After this offering, 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 expenses as we conduct due diligence on prospective business combination candidates. We expect our expenses to increase substantially after the closing of this offering.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our liquidity needs will be satisfied prior to the completion of this offering through up to an aggregate of $300,000 in loans available from our sponsor under an unsecured promissory note. As of June 30, 2021, we had borrowed approximately $128,000 under such promissory note. We estimate that the net proceeds from (i) the sale of the units in this offering, after deducting offering expenses of approximately $750,000, underwriting commissions of $5,000,000 ($5,750,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (excluding deferred underwriting commissions of $8,750,000 (or $10,062,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full)), and (ii) the sale of the private placement warrants for a purchase price of $8,500,000 (or $9,250,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), will be $252,750,000 (or $290,250,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full). Of this amount, $250,000,000 (or $287,500,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be held in the trust account, which includes $8,750,000 (or $10,062,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) of deferred underwriting commissions. The proceeds held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations 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. The remaining approximately $2,750,000 will not be held in the trust account. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $750,000, we may fund such excess with funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $750,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.
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 taxes paid 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, which we may pay from funds from this offering held outside of the trust account or from interest earned on the funds held in our trust account and released to us for this purpose. Our annual income tax obligations will depend on the amount of interest and other
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income earned on the amounts held in the trust account. We expect the interest earned on the amount in the trust account will be sufficient to pay our taxes. 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.
Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we will have available to us the approximately $2,750,000 of proceeds held outside the trust account. We will use these funds to, among other expenditures described herein, identify and evaluate target businesses, perform business due diligence on prospective target businesses, travel to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses or their representatives or owners, review corporate documents and material agreements of prospective target businesses, and structure, negotiate and complete an initial business combination.
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 would repay such loaned amounts. 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 $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period. The terms of such loans by our sponsor, 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 expect our primary liquidity requirements prior to our completion of a business combination to include approximately $1,250,000 for director and officer liability insurance premiums; $250,000 for legal, accounting, due diligence, travel and other expenses associated with structuring, negotiating and documenting a business combination; $960,000 for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support and other services made available to us by our sponsor or an affiliate thereof; $85,000 for NYSE continued listing fees; $125,000 for legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting requirements; and approximately $80,000 for working capital that will be used for miscellaneous expenses and reserves.
These amounts are estimates and may differ materially from our actual expenses. In addition, we could use a portion of the funds not being placed in trust to pay commitment fees for financing, fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business or as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision (a provision designed to keep target businesses from “shopping” around for transactions with other companies or investors on terms more favorable to such target businesses) with respect to a particular proposed initial business combination, although we do not have any current intention to do so.
If we entered into an agreement where we paid for the right to receive exclusivity from a target business, the amount that would be used as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision would be determined based on the terms of the specific business combination and the amount of our available funds at the time. Our forfeiture of such funds (whether as a result of our breach or otherwise) could result in our not having sufficient funds to continue searching for, or conducting due diligence with respect to, prospective target businesses.
We do not believe we will need to raise additional funds following this offering in order to meet the expenditures required for operating our business. However, if our estimates of the costs of identifying a target business, undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating an initial business combination are less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may have insufficient funds available to operate our business prior to our initial business combination. Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing either to complete our initial business combination or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon completion of our initial business combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such business combination. In addition, we intend to target businesses with enterprise values that are greater than we could acquire with the net proceeds of this
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offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, and, as a result, if the cash portion of the purchase price exceeds the amount available from the trust account, net of amounts needed to satisfy any redemptions by public stockholders, we may be required to seek additional financing to complete such proposed initial business combination. We may also obtain financing prior to the closing of our initial business combination to fund our working capital needs and transaction costs in connection with our search for and completion of our initial business combination. There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds through the issuance of equity or equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into following consummation of this offering. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, we would only complete such financing simultaneously with the completion of our initial business combination. 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. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that, following this offering and prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, we will be prohibited from issuing additional securities that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote as a class with our public shares (a) on any initial business combination or (b) to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (x) extend the time we have to consummate a business combination beyond 24 months from the closing of this offering or (y) amend the foregoing provisions, unless (in connection with any such amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation) we offer our public stockholders the opportunity to redeem their public shares.
Controls and Procedures
We are not currently required to maintain an effective system of internal controls as defined by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We will be required to comply with the internal control requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022. Only in the event that we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer and no longer an emerging growth company would we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement. Further, for as long as we remain an emerging growth company as defined in the JOBS Act, we intend 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 independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement.
Prior to the closing of this offering, we have not completed an assessment, nor has our independent registered public accounting firm tested our systems, of internal controls. We expect to assess the internal controls of our target business or businesses prior to the completion of our initial business combination and, if necessary, to implement and test additional controls as we may determine are necessary in order to state that we maintain an effective system of internal controls. A target business may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding the adequacy of internal controls. Many small and mid-sized target businesses we may consider for our initial business combination may have internal controls that need improvement in areas such as:
•
staffing for financial, accounting and external reporting areas, including segregation of duties;
•
reconciliation of accounts;
•
proper recording of expenses and liabilities in the period to which they relate;
•
evidence of internal review and approval of accounting transactions;
•
documentation of processes, assumptions and conclusions underlying significant estimates; and
•
documentation of accounting policies and procedures.
Because it will take time, management involvement and perhaps outside resources to determine what internal control improvements are necessary for us to meet regulatory requirements and market expectations for our operation of a target business, we may incur significant expense in meeting our public
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reporting responsibilities, particularly in the areas of designing, enhancing, or remediating internal and disclosure controls. Doing so effectively may also take longer than we expect, thus increasing our exposure to financial fraud or erroneous financing reporting.
Once our management’s report on internal controls is complete, we will retain our independent registered public accounting firm to audit and render an opinion on such report when required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The independent registered public accounting firm may identify additional issues concerning a target business’s internal controls while performing their audit of internal control over financial reporting.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
The net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account will be 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.
Related Party Transactions
In March 2021, 7,187,500 founder shares were issued to our sponsor in exchange for a capital contribution of $25,000, or approximately $0.003 per share. 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 this offering. The per share purchase price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash contributed to the Company by the aggregate number of founder shares issued. If we increase or decrease the size of the offering, we will effect a stock dividend or a share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B common stock immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of our initial stockholders at 20% of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering. Up to 937,500 founder shares are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised.
Commencing on the date of this prospectus, we have agreed to reimburse our sponsor or an affiliate thereof an amount equal to $40,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support and other services made available to us, of which the substantial majority will be to reimburse our sponsor or an affiliate thereof for payments in respect of their services to the sponsor to Mr. Susman, our Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, and a full-time investment associate dedicated to managing the sponsor’s investment in the Company. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.
Our sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates, will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made 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.
Prior to the consummation of this offering, our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to an aggregate of $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. As of June 30, 2021, we had borrowed approximately $128,000 under the promissory note with our sponsor to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. This loan is non-interest bearing, unsecured and is due at the earlier of September 18, 2021 or the closing of this offering. The loan will be repaid upon the closing of this offering out of the $3,500,000 of offering proceeds not held in the trust account and allocated for the payment of offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions) and working capital.
In addition, in order to 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
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not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. 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 $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. Such warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period. 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.
Our sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 5,666,667 private placement warrants (or 6,166,667 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $1.50 per warrant ($8,500,000 in the aggregate or $9,250,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Each private placement warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of our Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share. Our sponsor will be permitted to transfer the private placement warrants held by it to certain permitted transferees, including our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with or related to them, but the transferees receiving such securities will be subject to the same agreements with respect to such securities as our sponsor. Otherwise, these warrants will not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. The private placement warrants will be non-redeemable. The private placement warrants may also be exercised by our sponsor and its permitted transferees for cash or on a cashless basis. Otherwise, the private placement warrants have terms and provisions that are identical to those of the warrants being sold as part of the units in this offering, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period.
Pursuant to a registration rights agreement we will enter into with our initial stockholders on or prior to the closing of this offering, we may be required to register certain securities for sale under the Securities Act. These holders, and holders of warrants issued upon conversion of working capital loans, if any, are entitled under the registration rights agreement to make up to three demands that we register certain of our securities held by them for sale under the Securities Act and to have the securities covered thereby registered for resale pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. In addition, these holders have the right to include their securities in other registration statements filed by us. We will bear the costs and expenses of filing any such registration statements. See the section of this prospectus entitled “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions.”
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements; Commitments and Contractual Obligations; Quarterly Results
As of June 30, 2021, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of Regulation S-K and did not have any commitments or contractual obligations. No unaudited quarterly operating data is included in this prospectus, as we have conducted no operations to date.
JOBS Act
On April 5, 2012, the JOBS Act was signed into law. The JOBS Act contains provisions that, among other things, relax certain reporting requirements for qualifying public companies. We will qualify as an “emerging growth company” and under the JOBS Act will be allowed to comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements based on the effective date for private (not publicly-traded) companies. We are electing to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards, and as a result, we may not comply with new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for non-emerging growth companies. As a result, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.
Additionally, we are in the process of evaluating the benefits of relying on the other reduced reporting requirements provided by the JOBS Act. Subject to certain conditions set forth in the JOBS Act, if, as an “emerging growth company,” we choose to rely on such exemptions we may not be required to, among
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other things, (i) provide an independent registered public accounting firm’s attestation report on our system of internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act, (ii) provide all of the compensation disclosure that may be required of non-emerging growth public companies under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, (iii) comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the PCAOB regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the report of independent registered public accounting firm providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements (auditor discussion and analysis) and (iv) disclose certain executive compensation related items such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the CEO’s compensation to median employee compensation. These exemptions will apply for a period of five years following the completion of this offering or until we are no longer an emerging growth company, whichever is earlier.
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PROPOSED BUSINESS
Overview
We are a blank check company incorporated as a Delaware corporation, Activate Permanent Capital Corp., (also referred to as “Activate Permanent Capital” or “APCC”), whose business purpose is to effect a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to herein as our initial business combination. 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 with respect to an initial business combination with us.
We believe that enabling tomorrow’s sustainable economy will involve the transformation of four large, core markets: Energy & Power, Transportation & Mobility, Food & Agriculture, and Industrial IT & Systems, which collectively make up more than 87% of all U.S. GHG. Important new sectors are emerging from this transformation: Energy Transition, Smart Mobility, Sustainable Food Chain and Intelligent Automation. Our goal is to capitalize on our team’s significant investment and operating experience in these sectors to find and acquire a high growth company providing business model innovation, technology, services, or solutions to advance the global digital and sustainability transition occurring in the largest industrial and consumer markets.
We believe that the global economy continues to place unsustainable demands on the world’s resources and sustainable, efficient technologies and business models are emerging as a key component of corporate competitiveness across industrial and commercial markets. In addition, the emergence of “big data,” ubiquitous mobile connectivity, modern analytics, and industrial automation have created unprecedented access, visibility, tracking, and optimization across our target core markets. Companies, cities, and industrial ecosystems are undergoing a transition to a 21st century sustainable and digital paradigm. We believe this transition from the analog industrial past to the modern digital age will lead to vibrant company formation and sizable and differentiated businesses.
The APCC Team is established and well-connected in that it includes our management, our board of directors, and advisory board (the “APCC Team”). We believe that the APCC Team’s long-standing history of investing in, operating, and advising companies that are at the forefront of innovation, technology and services in our target markets provides us with a strong competitive advantage. Collectively, the APCC Team has over 100 years of investment and operating experience in these markets, and several members are recognized as pioneers of energy transition and clean technology. While there are a significant number of companies participating in this global transformation, we intend to focus on those that have scalable business models. The APCC Team’s decades of deep experience with sustainability businesses and innovation differentiate us and will help us identify target companies that combine a focus on sustainable impact with the potential to achieve favorable risk-adjusted returns.
The APCC Team
Our executive management is comprised of clean energy operators and executives who have spent their entire professional careers in the energy innovation and sustainability economies. Notably, our management has built and operated companies spanning the venture creation cycle, from inception and privately held, to IPO and publicly-traded for over a decade. Our Chief Executive Officer, Timothy Healy, founded and led EnerNOC, a company whose energy management business model was called the “killer app of the smart grid” by Greentech Media, until its sale in 2017. Our Chief Financial Officer, Jacob Susman, began his energy innovation career at AES Corporation and Goldman Sachs and then founded and led OwnEnergy, one of the only venture capital-backed wind development companies at the time, and Mr. Susman was also one of few such developers at the time to sell such a venture to a large, multinational renewables company. We believe our management possesses an ability to recognize patterns within the sustainability industry that comes from operating within the industry from the earliest days of its origins. We believe we know how to capitalize and grow businesses to become long-term market leaders.
In addition, our management team is affiliated with Activate Capital, an experienced and well-known manager of venture and growth capital funds. Activate Capital follows a thesis that smart, efficient
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infrastructure and industrial systems will be the foundation of tomorrow’s built economy. The firm was founded in 2017 by Raj Atluru, Anup Jacob, and our Chair, David Lincoln, who throughout their careers have collectively overseen the investment of over $1 billion in more than 75 companies as founders or partners in leading energy and cleantech investment firms including SilverLake Kraftwerk, Virgin Green Fund, EnerTech Capital, TPG Aqua, (an affiliate of TPG Capital), Element Partners, and Draper Fisher Jurvetson and were involved in the public exit (or announced public exit) of twelve of these investments. Activate has raised one active fund, Activate Capital Fund I and is in the process of raising a second fund, Activate Capital Fund II. Activate Capital Fund I has generated a 43% Gross IRR, during the period from its first capital investment in January 2018 to March 31, 2021, and has generated a 2.1x MOIC on $139.4 million of invested capital as of March 31, 2021.2 The companies in which Activate Capital Fund I has invested capital have in the aggregate raised in excess of $1.5 billion in equity capital. Two of Activate Capital’s investments, Stem, Inc. and Volta Industries, Inc., recently announced their pending combinations with special purpose acquisition companies on December 4, 2020 and February 8, 2021, respectively, and Stem, Inc. completed its business combination on April 28, 2021.
What sets the APCC Team apart is its experience investing in and building businesses that endure through changes in regulatory frameworks, dynamic economic environments, and shifting capital markets. The APCC Team has an extensive network in sustainability: the former management teams associated with the APCC Team and the portfolio companies in which Activate Capital invested are now operating executives at scores of companies in the cleantech and sustainability fields. Our Chair and management team have invested in or managed businesses in the sustainability sector that have cumulatively employed over 100,000 employees and over 100 executives and have generated over $3 billion in cumulative revenues. Members of the APCC Team have served and continue to serve as CEOs, advisors and board members of numerous clean economy companies. Our management and board members have also helped launch or found, or served on the boards of leading industry associations including the AEE, NECEC, CTLR, ACPA and its predecessor, AWEA, ACORE, NVCA, and REBA, among others.
We have also assembled a diverse Board of Directors with senior-executive expertise in operations and management, services, and finance across a broad range of relevant business contexts, namely: public utilities; energy software; federal and state regulatory policy; energy financing; venture capital and innovation; grid modernization; energy project development; energy efficiency; transportation, logistics and mobility; food safety, supply and distribution; buildings technologies; and local, regional, and federal sustainability efforts. Our Advisory Board also contributes expertise in transportation, logistics and mobility, renewable energy and sustainability infrastructure, food and agriculture, and business model innovation . Together, our boards provide a broad base of experience, expertise, and networks across a key set of sectors and industries. These boards share with our management team an interest in building and scaling successful sustainability companies towards a vision of a clean, connected and healthy planet.
We believe the businesses the APCC Team and Activate Capital have built and backed have already been responsible for mitigating carbon emissions from power generation and industry, and have reduced water use and waste. We value the importance of impact measurement and reporting. As such, our screening and diligence processes will give consideration to the potential positive climate impact of possible business combination targets.
Our Management Team
Our management team consists of Tim Healy, our Chief Executive Officer, and Jake Susman, our Chief Financial Officer, who will be supported by the resources of Activate Capital, as well as our Board of Directors and Advisory Board, as further described below.
2 This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not represent the actual return to any investor in Activate Capital Fund I. Past performance of Activate Capital Fund I is not indicative of its future results and you should not rely on the information relating to Activate Capital Fund I (which is an investment fund that has invested in multiple portfolio companies) as indicative of the future performance of Activate Permanent Capital Corp. (which is a blank check company whose strategy is as described elsewhere in this prospectus) or of an investment in Activate Permanent Capital Corp.
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Tim Healy
Tim Healy has served as our Chief Executive Officer and as a member of our board of directors since inception in March 2021. Tim is an experienced Executive Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and entrepreneur, with a demonstrated history scaling businesses in the information technology, energy, and managed services industries. He has experience in public markets leadership, innovation, entrepreneurship, mentorship, finance, clean tech, distributed energy, battery storage, energy services, energy blockchain, ESCOs, ESPC, global energy markets, regulatory policy, and mergers and acquisitions.
Tim currently serves as a board member of Powin, a grid scale battery storage integrator, a position he has held since April 2021, and as a board member of Micatu, Inc., a company providing optical sensor products for the electrical grid and industrial customers, a position he has held since June 2021. He also serves as an advisor to LO3 Energy, a company using blockchain-based applications to account for how local distributed energy resources can be generated, stored, bought, sold and used, a position he has held since May 2021. Tim currently serves as a strategic advisor to Dynamo Energy Hub, a global network focused on sustainability and cleantech, a position he has held since February 2021, and inBalance, a startup with technology and services for predicting energy pricing through renewable forecasting, a position he has held since August 2020. Tim also serves as an executive advisor to Trilantic Capital Partners, a private equity firm, a position he has held since January 2021, and Packetized Energy, a software solutions company focused on clean electric power, a position he has held since October 2020. From July 2020 to January 2021, Tim served as an executive advisor to Kepler Energy, a Blackstone portfolio company formed to develop energy projects at colleges and universities and other large energy-use campuses. Prior to joining Kepler Energy as an advisor, he was an executive advisor to Blackstone’s energy group from March 2018 to January 2021. Additionally, from March 2019 to November 2020, Tim served as Chief Executive Officer of P3 Energy, a Blackstone portfolio company formed to develop a college green energy project in the New England region.
From January 2001 to August 2017, Tim served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of EnerNOC, a company that he co-founded and a provider of demand response solutions and energy intelligence software. As Chief Executive Officer, he led the company through its initial public offering and until its sale to Enel in August 2017. Prior to EnerNOC, Tim worked in the Energy Technology Laboratory for Northern Power Systems, and held positions with Merrill Lynch, International Fuel Cells (then a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation), and the venture capital firm Commonwealth Capital Ventures. Earlier in his career, he co-founded affinity marketing company Student Advantage in 1992 that went public (NASDAQ: STAD) and was eventually purchased by higher education services company CBORD, an independent business unit of Roper Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: ROP).
Tim has served on numerous private and public company as well as association and NGO boards over his career. Tim was a founding Board member of the AEE and the NECEC, where he served for the last thirteen years, and was appointed to the Mayor of Boston’s Green Ribbon Commission in 2015. He is currently in his eleventh year serving on the Board of Trustees for the New England Aquarium. From October 2018 to September 2020, Tim served as a board member of Veregy, an energy efficiency solutions company. Tim also served on the board of directors of Genability, a software company licensing its databases of electricity tariffs and rate engine for use with third-party products, from February 2014 to July 2017, and WeSpire, an employment engagement platform, from August 2014 to July 2017. He formerly served on TechNet’s Executive Committee for over six years, and on the Board of Advisors of several privately held sustainability firms.
Tim graduated from Dartmouth College with a B.A. in Government modified with Economics, and received an M.B.A. from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.
Jake Susman
Jake Susman has served as our Chief Financial Officer and as a member of our board of directors since inception in March 2021. Jake has been involved in investing in and operating energy innovation businesses, and developing and originating renewable energy businesses and projects since 1999. From December 2020 to the present, Jake has been an investor and advisor to companies in the sustainable infrastructure space, and a private investor in emerging clean economy companies. In June 2019, Jake was
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one of four partners who founded Mission Driven Capital Partners, a growth capital fund targeting investments in corporate sustainability, and he served as a partner until it merged into Goldman Sachs in December 2020. In March 2007, Jake founded OwnEnergy, Inc., a specialist wind development firm targeting the industry’s mid-market. He served as Chief Executive Officer from founding in March 2007 until its sale to EDF Renewables in August 2015. Following the sale of OwnEnergy, Jake served as Vice President and Head of Origination for EDF Renewables from August 2015 to June 2019, where he was the executive leader of customer-facing activities in its U.S. Grid Scale Power business, with a primary focus on originating long-term power contracts with corporate and utility customers. From August 2004 to March 2007, he worked for Goldman Sachs as an investor, with a focus on renewable energy investments such as Horizon Wind Energy. Earlier in his career, from November 1999 to March 2002, Jake was a Project Manager in Spain for AES Corporation, a global power company, where he focused on the development of large-scale power plants. Prior to that, Jake was a corporate banker with CoreStates from September 1997 to September 1999.
Jake served for five years on the Board of the AWEA (now ACPA), including two years on its Executive Committee. He also served as a member of the board of REBA and ACORE. He is the co-founder of the CTLR. In 2010, Jake was named to Crain’s New York “40 Under 40”, and in 2012, he was named an E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist. In 2013, Greentech Media named Jake one of New York’s Top 10 Cleantech Leaders.
Jake graduated from the University of Colorado with a B.S. in Finance, and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Our Board of Directors
Our efforts to seek a suitable business combination target will be complemented and augmented by the expertise and network of relationships of our Board of Directors, each of whom has extensive experience in business and financial matters. Following the consummation of this offering, our board of directors will consist of our Chair, David Lincoln, John Woolard, Katie McGinty, April Salas, and Tom King.
David Lincoln
David has served as our Chair and a member of our board of directors since inception in March 2021. David has been a prominent investor in venture and growth equity for over 25 years and has founded and led multiple firms in the energy and clean technology sectors. David is a Managing Director of Activate Capital, an affiliate of our sponsor and a growth equity investment firm dedicated to growth technology companies in sustainable energy, transportation, and industrial innovation, which he co-founded in May 2017. David is also a General Partner of Element Partners, a series of funds dedicated to a broad range of investments in sustainable innovation and clean technology, which he founded in September 2004. From August 1996 until June 2005, David was a co-founder and Managing Director of EnerTech Capital, a venture capital firm focused on investing specifically in the deregulation and transition of the global electric markets. Previously, David served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Deven Resources, Inc., a private equity firm dedicated to the acquisition and development of energy properties, from 1991 to 1996; was a partner with CMS Companies, a Philadelphia-based investment and financial services firm, from 1984 to 1991; and began his career at UGI Corporation, a diversified energy and utility holding company in Valley Forge, PA, from 1981 to 1984.
David has served on numerous private and public boards over his career including current Activate Capital investments Parsable, Inc., and Element Analytics, and previous investments, including AquaVenture Holdings (NYSE: WAAS), a provider of water management services, from August 2017 to April 2020; 212 Resources, a technology company focused on providing water management solutions to the oil and gas industry, from May 2011 to May 2017; Petra Systems, a provider of solar and “smart city” technologies and services, from 2007 to February 2021; Intellon Corporation, a semiconductor company specializing in powerline communications, from September 1999 to December 2004; Capstone Turbine (NASDAQ: CPST), a gas to electric micro-turbine manufacturer, from November 1997 to June 2000; FuelQuest, an e-marketplace platform and service offering for petroleum marketers, from October 2002 to December 2004; VerticalNet, Inc. (NASDAQ: VERT), a provider of supply management solutions, from May 1998 to February 1999; and Environmental Drilling Solutions, a provider of solids control services used in oil and gas operations, from April 2012 to April 2014, among others.
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David has also been an active participant helping to shape federal policy for the venture capital and growth equity industry. As a board member of the NVCA, David chaired NVCA’s Energy & Cleantech Committee and worked with policymakers to promote capital formation for technology companies focused on U.S. energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. In addition, as the Chair of NVCA’s Growth Equity Group from 2014 to 2015, David worked with industry participants, research firms and policymakers to establish and benchmark growth equity as a distinct asset class within private equity. David is also active as a former executive committee board member with City Year of Philadelphia.
David graduated from Colgate University with a B.A., with honors, in Geology, and received an M.S. in Energy Management and Policy from the University of Pennsylvania.
John Woolard
John Woolard will be appointed as a member of our board of directors in connection with the consummation of this offering. John has more than 20 years of experience as an executive in the energy technology sector and brings experience in developing clean energy projects, a technological background and understanding of software and grid modernization solutions. Currently, John is the Chief Executive Officer of Meridian Clean Energy, LLC, a position he has held since January 2021. From March 2018 to January 2021, John served as Chief Executive Officer of Meridian Energy Partners, its predecessor. From October 2016 to March 2018, John served as an advisor to Activate Capital and began the work that ultimately led to the founding of Meridian Energy Partners. From July 2014 to October 2016, John served as the Vice President of Energy at Google, where he focused on Google’s global energy strategy through investment in new technology and energy projects. Previously John served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of BrightSource Energy, Inc., from 2006 to 2013, where he led the development, construction, and commissioning of over $2.2 billion of solar power plants. John co-founded energy management software company Silicon Energy in 1997, and served as the President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman as he led its growth through the acquisition by Itron in 2003. He then served as Vice President and General Manager of the Energy Management Solutions Group at Itron through 2005. John is currently a member of the board of directors of PG&E Corporation, a position he has held since October 2019. John is also an operating partner at Activate Capital.
John previously served as a Senior Fellow at World Resources Institute and is a Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute. John also previously served as a member of the board of directors of the University of California, Berkeley, Energy & Climate Initiative, a position he held from June 2016 to February 2018.
John graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in Economics and received an M.B.A. from the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley, as well as an M.A. in Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia.
Katie McGinty
Kathleen “Katie” McGinty will be appointed as a member of our board of directors in connection with the consummation of this offering. Katie is Vice President & Chief Sustainability, Government and Regulatory Affairs Officer for JCI, a leading energy efficiency and buildings technology company, where she has served in such capacity since May 2019. Katie helps drive JCI’s sustainability performance, including recognition as one of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations and a AAA MSCI ESG Rating, and government policies encouraging smart buildings and energy efficiency. Prior to joining JCI, Katie served as Senior Vice President, Oceans of the Environmental Defense Fund from July 2018 to May 2019. From March 2017 to February 2018, Katie was a partner at Militia Hill Ventures, a position she took after running for the U.S. Senate from August 2015 to November 2016. Katie has over 25 years of public and private sector experience. A recognized innovator in clean energy and environmental protection, Ms. McGinty champions technology development, sustainability, and creative policies to solve tough environmental problems. Her public sector career includes serving as Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and as Deputy Director of Environment to Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore from 1993 to 1998, as Pennsylvania Secretary of Environmental Protection from 2003 to 2008, and as Chair of the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority from 2004 to 2008.
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Katie has served on numerous private and public company as well as association and NGO boards over her career. She currently serves on the boards of the Alliance to Save Energy, the Carnegie Mellon Scott Institute for Energy Innovation, the Delaware River Port Authority, the Energy Futures Initiative, and FS Energy & Power Fund. Previously, she served on the boards of Iberdrola, NRG Energy, Inc., ECORE, and Weston Solutions. She also served as a Senior Visiting Fellow at The Energy and Resources Institute in New Delhi, India and is the proud recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, including honorary doctorates from Muhlenberg University, Dickinson College, and Clarion State University. She is the Woman of Conservation Lifetime Achievement Awardee of PennFuture, “Global Leader for Tomorrow” (World Economic Forum), “Business Leader of the Year” (Woman’s Network for a Sustainable Future), the “Ansel Adams Award” of the National Wildlife Federation, and “Woman of the Year” (Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment).
Katie graduated from St. Joseph’s University with a B.S. in Chemistry, and received a J.D. from Columbia University.
April Salas
April Salas will be appointed as a member of our board of directors in connection with the consummation of this offering. April brings nearly 20 years of public and private sector experience in global and domestic energy markets, rooted in energy systems analysis. She currently serves as Executive Director of the Revers Center for Energy at Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business, a position she has held since June 2016. Mrs. Salas also serves as the Chief Sustainability Officer of the town of Hanover, New Hampshire’s first city to join the Sierra Club’s Ready for 100 program, where she has led portfolio strategy for deploying power, thermal and transportation-related procurement to help Hanover reach its 2030 and 2050 targets since April 2018. In addition, Mrs. Salas is the Chief Operating Officer of Re:Public, a map-based application helping users understand and mitigate risk, a position she has held since March 2020. She is also a Board Director of 3Degrees Group, a position she has held since February 2021.
April has held various senior positions within the U.S. Department of Energy, and prior to joining the Revers Center, she directed the White House’s Quadrennial Energy Review Task Force Secretariat under President Obama from September 2015 to June 2016, in conjunction with the Secretary of Energy and the White House’s Domestic Policy Council and Office of Science and Technology Policy. April has also served as Chief of Planning and Analysis for all federal energy emergency responses with FEMA from August 2013 to September 2015 and held various roles working with the UN and UNESCO as well as in energy finance consulting.
April graduated from the College of William and Mary with a B.A., and she received an M.B.A. from Cornell University, as well as an M.B.A. in International Business from Queen’s University’s Smith School of Business, an M.A. in International Affairs, Conflict Resolution, and Civil Society Development from the American University of Paris, and a M.A. in International Security and Economics from L’Institut Catholique de Paris.
Tom King
Tom King will be appointed as a member of our board of directors in connection with the consummation of this offering. Tom is the Board Chair of three dynamic utility services contractor holding companies: Entregado Group, Inc., Allied Power Group, & Contract Land Staff, positions he has held since November 2017. With over 30 years in utility infrastructure management, Tom serves as strategic advisor to each company’s management team, crystalizing the vision, identifying opportunities to leverage scale, and promoting continued growth. Previously, Tom led two of the nation’s largest utilities, serving as Chief Executive Officer for PG&E from August 2003 to July 2007 and then National Grid U.S. from July 2007 to April 2015. Prior to PG&E, he served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Kinder Morgan Energy Partners from January 1996 to September 1998.
Tom has served on numerous private and public boards over his career. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Puget Sound Energy, a position he has held since July 2019, and serves as an Executive Partner at AEA Investors, a leading global private investment firm with approximately $10 billion assets under management, where he has served in such capacity since March 2017. He previously served
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on the Board of Directors of Peak Reliability from June 2017 to December 2020 and EnergySaavy from June 2015 to May 2019. Prior to that, Tom was a Senior Advisor with IFM Investors from November 2015 to April 2019.
Tom graduated from Louisiana State University with a B.S. in Business Administration and Management.
Our Advisory Board
Scott Jacobs
Scott is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Generate Capital, a leading sustainable infrastructure platform delivering affordable, reliable resource solutions to companies, communities, and cities. Prior to co-founding Generate in January 2014, Scott served as Associate Principal at McKinsey & Company from September 2007 to February 2012, where he co-founded its global Clean Technologies Practice, advising companies, institutional investors, NGOs, and governments around the world on the economic imperatives of resource productivity and climate solutions. Scott was also co-founder and managing director of EFW Partners, a global investor in energy, food and water, from September 2012 to December 2018. Prior to that, Scott spent over a decade in technology and venture capital, helping start and grow a number of companies. He also served as General Manager of PolyServe, a software company, from 2004 to 2005.
Scott has dedicated much of his professional life to the “resource revolution” and is a regular writer, keynote speaker, and conference panelist on the topics of thematic investing and risk management, climate- and resource-related innovation, and building values-based and people-centric businesses. Scott also serves on the board of directors of JUST Goods, a position he has held since November 2014.
Scott graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College with a B.A., and received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, where he was named a George F. Baker Scholar.
Emily Kirsch
Emily Kirsch is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Powerhouse, an innovation firm, and Managing Director of Powerhouse Ventures, its affiliated venture fund, founded in 2013 and 2018, respectively. Powerhouse partners with corporations and investors to help them engage with cutting-edge startups, tap into proprietary market insights, and lead the next century of clean technology innovation. Powerhouse Ventures backs founding teams building innovative software to rapidly transform global energy and mobility systems. Emily is also the host of the podcast “Watt it Takes,” which tells the stories of entrepreneurs who are building a carbon-free future.
Emily serves on the board of Station A, is a board observer at Recurrent Auto, and serves on the investor advisory board of the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority. Prior to leading Powerhouse and Powerhouse Ventures, Emily worked in local, state, and national climate policy.
Emily graduated with honors from San Francisco State University with a B.A. in Sustainable Urban Development and is the recipient of the Entrepreneurship Award from C3E, a partnership between the United States Department of Energy, Stanford, and MIT to highlight women’s leadership in clean energy. In 2019, Emily was selected as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. Emily’s work has been cited in Bloomberg, The Guardian, TechCrunch, The Huffington Post, and The New York Times.
Kristin Groos Richmond
Kristin Groos Richmond is Chief Executive Officer of Revolution Foods, a leading provider of healthy prepared meals and citywide wellness for students, families, and communities across the United States, which she co-founded in 2005. Under her leadership, Revolution Foods has designed, produced, and distributed over 475 million healthy, chef-crafted and culturally relevant meals (approximately 75 million since the COVID-19 pandemic began) to our most vulnerable communities in over 500 cities across the nation. Revolution Foods is a benefit corporation and leader in structuring large public-private partnerships that
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promote health outcomes across cities. With over 1,500 employees, Revolution Foods was recognized three years in a row by Fortune as one of the top 100 highest-growth inner city job creators in the United States.
Prior to founding Revolution Foods, Kristin co-founded the Kenya Community Center for Learning and worked in investment banking. She was also the Vice President of Resources for Indispensible Schools and Educators (RISE). Kristin was a member of the White House Council for Community Solutions and is on the Dean’s Advisory Council at University of California Berkeley. She is a Pahara-Aspen Fellow, an Ashoka Fellow and a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum. Kristin is on the Board of Directors of Generate Capital, a leading clean energy investment company and sustainable infrastructure operator. Most recently, Kristin was recognized as one of Inc.’s Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs of 2020.
Kristin graduated from Boston College with a B.S. and received an M.B.A. from the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley.
Kari Novatney
Kari currently serves as General Manager of Strategy, Business Development & 3rd Party Enablement on the Enterprise Connectivity team at Ford Motors, and has held this position since July 2020. Prior to her current role at Ford, from April 2019 to July 2020, Kari served as Chief Operating Officer of Ford Pass, Ford’s mobile owner application, as well as Chief Operating Officer of Chariot from April 2018 to March 2019, Ford’s investment in an app-based commuter shuttle service, with 10 domestic markets plus London. An experienced operations leader for consumer-oriented, quality-focused brands, Kari has held general and operations management positions at Sony and Disney, while also serving as VP of People Operations at JustAnswer from February 2016 to March 2018 and Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Ridemakerz from June 2010 to July 2014. Kari serves on the board of Alto, a premium ride-hailing start-up, based in Houston. Also in mobility, Kari served as a consultant in the early 2000s for NAVTEQ (now HERE Technologies) on their CA-based intelligent transportation initiatives.
Kari graduated from Stanford University with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering.
Activate Capital
Activate Capital is a leading late-stage venture and growth equity investor focused exclusively on high growth companies leading the transformation and digitization of the energy, mobility, and industrial markets. Activate Capital was co-founded in 2017 by Raj Atluru, Anup Jacob and David Lincoln (collectively, the “Activate Principals”) with a focus on and commitment to ESG investing and a vision of a clean, connected, intelligent and sustainable future. The Activate Principals are highly experienced investment professionals with proven track records who have co-invested and worked together over the last two decades. The Activate Principals collectively have more than 80 years of relevant investment experience, and possess a combination of financial, technical, and operational expertise.
Throughout their investment careers, the Activate Principals have overseen the investment of over $1 billion in equity in more than 75 companies. Each of the Activate Principals have been investing in energy and industrial innovation for over 20 years. With this experience and our combined network of industry contacts and industry thought leaders, we believe Activate Capital can provide specialized insights to the APCC Team into the major technology and market trends impacting our target markets and industries. Select recent relevant investments include Stem, Inc., Volta Charging, Flexe, Generate Capital, Posigen, Voltus, Aquaventure Holdings (NYSE: WAAS), Passport Labs, Inc., Parsable, Inc., and Ridecell.
Market Opportunity
We believe the sustainability sector is vastly underutilizing the public equity markets, as evidenced by the limited number of IPOs in the sector. For example, in the clean technology industry, one of the sustainability sector’s core markets, there were approximately 21 IPOs in the United States between 2000 and 2020. Comparatively, there were over 700 technology IPOs during this period. Further, while there are 28 publicly traded technology companies on the NYSE and NASDAQ with market capitalizations greater
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than $100 billion, only two companies in our four core markets, Tesla, Inc. and Uber Technologies, Inc., leaders in the mobility and energy transition subsectors of sustainability, have achieved sizable brand recognition and a comparable valuation.
According to IRENA, the world needs to invest $131 trillion by 2050 and $57 trillion by 2030, in order to avoid catastrophic impacts to the climate. Within the energy sector in North America alone, this has been estimated by IRENA to require over $500 billion in investments in “Energy Transition,” annually, until 2050. We believe we are positioned to help unlock public equity markets as a financing source for sustainability companies to help accelerate this Energy Transition.
The global economy continues to place strong demands on the world’s resources. Sustainable and efficient technologies are emerging as a key component of corporate competitiveness and as a way to relieve the pressure on the world’s resources across all industrial and commercial markets. Cleaner and efficient production and consumption of these resources are driven by not only corporations seeking improved profitability and mitigating climate risks, but also by deeper consumer awareness of environmental impacts of the products and services they consume. While the earlier part of this century has focused on scientific advancements in limited fields with high research and development costs, today’s innovation landscape offers a broader range of business models and engineering breakthroughs with the promise of creating value on the tailwinds of sustainability and industrial digitization.
Sustainable technologies and innovations address every aspect of the manufacturing and industrial life cycle: from the sourcing and acquisition of raw materials, through the optimization and efficient management of resources, to their ultimate recycling or disposal. These traditionally industrial markets are undergoing a fundamental digital transformation.
Energy Transition
The transition away from traditional fossil-based systems of energy production and consumption to sustainable and renewable sources is one of the largest global megatrends. This paradigm shift disrupting the global energy landscape is driving several important trends in our energy mix: decarbonization, decentralization, digitization, and democratization.
Decarbonization is in its early stages and has the ability to radically change our environment and our daily lives with the support of sufficient capital. Paris Agreement goals aim to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius and to bring CO2 emissions closer to net zero by 2050. Adverse climate impacts and increasing global pressure on sustainability are driving corporations, nations, states, and municipalities to create aggressive carbon reduction goals and legislators to enact policies in support of these goals. In large part because of these pressures and resulting initiatives, energy supply from zero marginal cost renewable resources is outpacing growth from traditional, carbon emitting resources.
Decentralization of our energy system is occurring from growth in energy generated from smaller scale, lower carbon-emitting resources at sites closer to where that energy is used. In addition, new systems, controls, and information technologies required to manage this transformation are emerging to ensure the transformation from a large, centralized energy system to distributed energy systems can be reliable, resilient, and secure.
Digitization underpins how these new systems operate to measure and monitor machine behavior of distributed energy resources and automate the use and supply of energy in real-time. Our daily lives are increasingly automated, digitized, and connected, with energy markets and systems hardly immune from this shift from analog to digital.
Democratization of energy systems and markets is turning formerly passive energy consumers into energy market participants, who control and choose how they buy and use different forms of energy to power their homes, buildings, and other energy intensive devices and products. Energy customers are pro-actively engaging in demand-side energy management activity, with increasing focus on big data and analytics, to increase their energy stability and resiliency, reduce their operating costs, and achieve sustainability goals.
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The IEA estimates that $69 trillion of capital investment is required through 2040 across the global energy ecosystem to deliver on key sustainability objectives. Governmental initiatives are further enhancing the backdrop for Energy Transition including the proposed Biden Administration infrastructure plan, which includes $174 billion for electric vehicles, $100 billion for digital infrastructure, and $100 billion for power infrastructure.
Past investment is already demonstrating progress in the Energy Transition as evidenced by:
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total installed wind and solar capacity is on course to surpass natural gas in 2023 and coal in 2024;
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LCOE of utility-scale wind energy fell by 71% from 2009 to 2020, while LCOE of utility-scale solar energy fell by 90% over the same period;
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the steep decline in residential solar costs from $7 per watt to $2 per watt over 10 years which has enabled solar energy to achieve cost parity with fossil fuel generation;
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the decline in price of lithium-ion storage batteries by approximately 85% from 2010 to 2018 and the expected decline further to $94/kWh by 2024;
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the increase in US electric storage capacity by 10x over the last decade;
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the expectation that smart meter penetration in North America will reach 81% by 2024; and
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the fact that renewables account for almost 80% of new generation capacity in the U.S.
These paradigm shifts in the energy landscape are creating investment opportunities across a vast array of energy products and services. We may evaluate opportunities in the following areas:
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energy efficiency, including building optimization, retrofits and commissioning services, energy-efficient building products, software, and services; energy metering and management systems; facilities management systems; and heating, ventilation, air–conditioning (HVAC) and refrigeration equipment and services;
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energy data, information, and services providers including energy infrastructure financing and technology platforms;
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energy storage, including technologies used to store electricity or to complement onsite solar generation or wind energy projects, as well as hardware and software for managing energy storage systems; and companies in the business of energy storage project development, system integration and design;
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distributed energy and demand response, including technologies and services to optimize the use of distributed generation systems and to provide market access services to end users of energy;
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solar energy development, equipment, and services;
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microgrids with distributed energy resources that can provide power and energy services to a specific set of customers isolated from or connected to the grid; and
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utility software and services companies and technologies for managing the electricity grid or microgrids and related energy infrastructure.
Smart Mobility
Just as our energy systems are transitioning away from fossil-fuels and towards more distributed forms of infrastructure, so too are the world’s mobility and logistics sectors reconfiguring for the 21st century. Driven by at least three fundamental shifts—the electrification of transportation modalities, the rapid adoption of eCommerce, and the overlay of digital technologies on traditional assets—our transportation, mobility and logistics sectors are in the middle of a generational shift, which we believe will yield significant opportunities for investment.
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Electrification of Transportation
New electric vehicle sales are set to increase significantly from approximately two million in 2019 (or approximately 3% of global car sales) to more than 245 million by 2030, according to IEA forecasts. While many traditional automotive OEMs have announced their intent to transition new vehicle sales away from combustion engines, the electric vehicle value chain will require new types of technologies, manufacturers, and suppliers to scale the industry. Additionally, the shift to electric vehicles will require significant investment in charging infrastructure for both consumer vehicles and commercial fleets. Governments—recognizing the important role transportation will play in mitigating the climate crisis—are promoting policies and regulations to accelerate this shift, just as businesses are also responding to changing demand. As an example, the Biden administration has recently earmarked funding for 500,000 public charging stations in its proposed infrastructure package. The shift towards electric vehicles is not constrained to traditional vehicle types, as improvements in electric powertrain and the decline in the cost of lithium have given rise to various micro-mobility formats, such as bikes and scooters, in many major U.S. and European cities.
Rise of eCommerce
Internet commerce, or “eCommerce,” penetration as a percentage of total retail sales has more than tripled over the past decade from approximately 6% to approximately 15.8% in 2019, and more than 21% by the end of 2020, according to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce. This shift in consumer behavior has placed an enormous amount of stress on traditional supply chain infrastructure as sellers and logistics companies are confronted with ever increasing demand for high-velocity fulfillment and delivery. Even in categories with comparatively low digital penetration rates, like grocery, incumbent retailers are being forced to respond with new solutions that require fundamentally different technology platforms and capabilities.
Overlay of Digital Technologies
The extension of digital technologies to the edge of application is the driving force behind mobility disruption. The ubiquity of edge computing, proliferation of new types of sensors, innovative data architectures and machine learning at scale are combining to enable not only new technology categories—like autonomous vehicles and fulfillment robotics—but new types of business models as well. Profitable micro-mobility, shared and electric commercial vehicle fleets, autonomous ride hail or delivery, and dynamic supply chains are all enabled through the integration of a wide range of data, communications and networking technologies that have collectively become cheap and reliable.
Against this backdrop, we have identified several focus areas across the broader mobility and logistics market with mature technologies, established business models, and meaningful companies of scale. We may evaluate opportunities in any of the following areas:
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electric vehicle value chain including electric-first OEMs or advanced battery or powertrain technologies;
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electric vehicle charging infrastructure including vehicle-to-grid intelligent fleet management solutions;
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AV value chain including commercial AV platforms or advanced components, such as lidar or connected car technologies;
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urban mobility solutions including micro-mobility, dynamic public transit or electric air-taxis;
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digital warehouse and transportation marketplaces;
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predictive logistics platforms for ocean, air and trucking freight management; and
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last-mile delivery solutions including drones or other autonomous robotic solutions.
Sustainable Food Chain
The global food and grocery retail value chain represents an over $10 trillion market opportunity and is also critically important in terms of social and environmental impact. Over the coming decades, as
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the world’s population expands and incomes continue to rise, McKinsey estimates that global caloric intake will increase by 70%. Meanwhile, the USDA estimates that as much as 30 to 40% of the total U.S. food supply goes to waste. This increased demand for food—and the system’s inability to make efficient use—is placing enormous stress on key resources including land, water, and energy. According to a 2020 report from Our World in Data, the resource intensity of the food supply is staggering:
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Food accounts for more than a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions;
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Agricultural production requires half the world’s habitable land and at least two-thirds of its freshwater withdrawals;
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More than two-thirds of global ocean and freshwater pollution is caused by agriculture; and
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Almost 95% of all mammalian biomass (excluding humans) is livestock.
The report concludes: “Food, therefore, lies at the heart of trying to tackle climate change, reducing water stress, pollution, restoring lands back to forests or grasslands, and protecting the world’s wildlife.” Farmers, manufacturers, distributors, and consumers are increasingly aware of these realities, and we believe the food value-chain is at the beginning of a long-shift towards adopting more efficient and sustainable solutions to feeding the world’s 7.8 billion inhabitants.
The emerging solution set includes a wide range of technologies which address issues beginning all the way upstream from seed inputs and field efficiency and continue downstream to in-store grocery technology and last-mile delivery. We may evaluate opportunities in the following areas:
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seed formulations or biological substitutes for chemical pesticides or field nutrition;
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bio-engineered foods including plant-based meats, seafood, and dairy substitutes;
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field automation technologies including data collection, monitoring, analytics, and robotics which increase crop yields and/or reduce resource intensity;
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controlled-environment agriculture and vertical farming technologies;
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big data technologies for traceability and prediction to eliminate waste and/or increase throughput; and
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grocery fulfillment technologies including in-store fulfillment and “dark store” eCommerce delivery.
Intelligent Automation
Industrial process environments are undergoing a rapid transformation in response to pressures facing many western economies. Global competition, rising demand for efficiency, increasingly stringent safety requirements, and aging workforces have combined to push companies to adopt new technologies to automate, digitize and optimize their operations. Consider the following:
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worldwide spending on digital transformation is expected to reach $2.3 trillion by 2023;
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the total number of IoT connected devices is set to grow from 17.7 billion in 2020 to 36.8 billion by 2025;
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3.5 billion 5G subscriptions are forecasted by 2026, accounting for nearly 50% of mobile data traffic and 60% of the global population;
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ARK Invest predicts the ASP for industrial robots will decline $50,000 per unit in 2010 to $13,000 per unit by 2025, while sales will quadruple to 1.6 million units annually;
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the cost to train a computer vision neural network has decreased 100x since 2018 AI capabilities are multiplying as models are trained with 10x more computing power each year; and
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62% of organizations implementing IoT projects expect to use digital twins, including to monitor, evaluate, and optimize their manufacturing and other industrial processes.
As costs continue to decline across this class of digital technologies, not only are adoption rates accelerating but new types of applications are enabled—from real-time edge analytics, to AI-based prediction
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and augmented or virtual reality overlay of real and digital assets. We believe this presents significant investable opportunity and we may evaluate opportunities in the following areas:
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collaborative, autonomous robotics;
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intelligent supply-chain platforms and marketplaces;
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warehouse automation;
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augmented reality, 3D data capture and digital twin models;
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next-generation digital manufacturing platforms; and
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industrial cybersecurity.
Our Strategy and Approach
Our acquisition and value creation strategy is to identify and complete a business combination with a company operating in one of the sectors we have described in this prospectus. The APCC Team has an extensive network of relationships that enables us to work effectively with a broad set of companies, consultants, associations, and other entities in the rapidly growing and digitizing sustainability ecosystem. This network includes senior executives, investment bankers, venture capital firms, and various investment professionals, as well as the owners of private businesses. We believe the APCC Team’s years of experience and deep network of relationships should allow us to identify a wide range of attractive opportunities.
Activate Capital brings a decades-long and tested approach to investing in the industrial innovation and sustainability sectors, and we intend to leverage that model to identify and acquire a compelling target in the sustainability industry. Activate Capital’s theme-based investment process typically begins with an ongoing analysis of the problems or opportunities companies face in our target industries. These problems and opportunities are typically caused by significant technological, resource, or environmental inflection points in selected sectors which could include shocks to the supply chain, new environmental regulations, shifting consumer demands for sustainable products, or a significant new innovation. Once problems or opportunities have been identified, APCC will seek to understand the related dynamics such as: source and magnitude of the issue, alternative solutions, competing capital budget items, and size of the business opportunity. From this analysis, we will identify the most promising markets and potential technology solutions to solve problems or pursue opportunities.
This market analysis is an ongoing process and forms the basis of the investment thesis for most targeted sectors. This market insight enables us to perform more directed and informed scouting for potential business combination targets. We will rely on multiple sources for deal flow, including the networks of the APCC Team, to source potential business combination targets and to develop themes and identify leading companies within them for a potential business combination.
We intend to primarily utilize a proactive approach to deal sourcing. While we expect our reputations, networks, and experience will give the APCC Team access to broad deal flow, we believe that a targeted approach to finding potential business combination targets produces a higher quality and more differentiated opportunity set.
We expect to initiate contact with companies working in target areas identified through the above-referenced market mapping analysis. We will use the resources of our network to identify opportunities with those markets. In more than two decades of investing and operating companies at the forefront of the sustainability sector, we have developed extensive relationships with specialized consultants, research analysts, intermediaries, business development executives at major corporations, and research leaders in universities and national labs. Our objective is to lead and drive opportunities, and we place high value on having been able to review promising current-day opportunities early in their evolution. We value the prior long-term relationships we maintain with hundreds of executives, founders and investors in the innovation economy, as well as relationships forged from previous investment and operating activities of our APCC Team.
More broadly, the investment community recognizes that sustainability is no longer a niche industry but instrumental in financing the modern economy and is an essential part of our vision and approach to investing and building successful, sustainable businesses. Health and safety are clearly back in
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focus with COVID-19 affecting nearly every facet of the economy. And while transportation and industrial activity accounted for 72% of energy use in 2019, they also represented 65% of GHG emissions in 2019 according to the EIA, which has driven a significant increase in sustainability investing. U.S. sustainable public funds witnessed a record $51.1 billion of net inflows during 2020, representing approximately 24% of all flows into U.S. stock and bond funds. Furthermore, of the world’s 250 largest companies, over 90% report on ESG and these disclosure practices are becoming standardized with the use of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board and the Global Reporting Initiative. As such, ESG is on the minds of many participants in our network, across the economy. We expect this will result in a range of additional sustainability-focused investing opportunities beyond just the sectors listed above.
Our Acquisition Criteria
Consistent with our investment philosophy and strategy, we plan to identify high-quality businesses run by exceptional teams. We have identified the following general criteria and guidelines that we believe are critical to evaluating prospective companies within our targeted sub-sectors:
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large addressable market with substantial growth opportunity;
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compelling, commercial value proposition;
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lower technology risk;
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sustainable competitive advantage and/or high barriers to entry;
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experienced and entrepreneurial management teams;
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profitable or a path to profitability; and
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clear evidence of positive environmental or other ESG impact.
These criteria and guidelines are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination may or may not be based, to the extent relevant, on these general criteria and guidelines as well as other considerations, factors, criteria and guidelines that our management may deem relevant.
Impact Objectives
Although the APCC Team is seeking to find and acquire a high-growth, market-leading company with the potential to deliver exceptional stockholder value, we believe that long term success of any company will be defined by the dual objective of building stockholder value while simultaneously producing positive outcomes for the planet.
In evaluating target company opportunities, we will develop frameworks for assessing the positive environmental, public health, safety, and social impacts that a target company might achieve. We will also seek to be accessible to, and engage with, relevant stakeholders on ESG topics regularly and consistently during the search period.
Once a business combination has occurred, we will work with the target’s management team towards the achievement of positive environmental, public health, safety, and social outcomes. We will also confer with the eventual target’s management team on ESG measurement and reporting best practices. Lastly, we will work with the target to implement compensation and other policies that define and incentivize behavior to achieve best-of-breed policies and procedures around ESG.
Our Acquisition Process
Our acquisition philosophy is rooted in several core tenets, consistent with those that have been utilized by Activate Capital and the APCC Principals as they evaluate potential business combination targets:
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identifying and developing macro themes affecting the target markets that we expect to benefit from market acceleration, technology adoption and innovative business models;
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leveraging Activate Capital’s leadership position and reach and the personal networks of the APCC Principals to access high quality deal flow;
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sourcing market-leading companies providing technology-based solutions to real-world challenges and opportunities that are impactful and economically important to end-users;
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screening for capital efficient, high-growth businesses with the potential to address multiple markets;
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considering environmental and other ESG issues associated with target companies when assessing their impact and evaluating whether to pursue a particular business combination target; and
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aiming to create value post-combination by bringing firm resources and relevant network experience to strengthen management teams, accelerate growth, and improve operations.
In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct an extensive due diligence review which will encompass, as applicable and among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspection of facilities, and a review of financial and other information about the target and its industry.
We are not prohibited from pursuing our initial business combination with a business combination target that is affiliated with our sponsor, our directors or our officers or from making the acquisition through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, directors, officers or their affiliates. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a business combination target that is affiliated with our sponsor, our directors or our officers, we, or a committee of independent directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.
Each of our directors and officers will, directly or indirectly, own founder shares and/or private placement warrants following this 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, such directors and officers may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such directors and officers was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.
Certain of our directors and officers currently have, and any of them in the future may have, additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to another entity pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity subject to his or her fiduciary duties. If any of our directors or officers becomes aware of a business combination opportunity that falls within the line of business of any entity to which he or she has then-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. Our directors and officers affiliated with Activate Capital may in particular have conflicts with funds affiliated with Activate Capital, and/or other funds or investment vehicles formed by Activate Capital in the future.
No members of our management team or board of directors have any obligation to present us with any opportunity for a potential business combination of which they become aware, unless presented to such member specifically in his or her capacity as an officer or a director of the company. Members of our management team may be required to present potential business combinations to other entities to whom they have fiduciary duties before they present such opportunities to us. Any knowledge or presentation of such opportunities may therefore present conflicts of interest. Members of our Advisory Board do not have any obligation to present us with any opportunity for a potential business combination of which they become aware in any capacity.
In addition, Activate Capital or its affiliates and members of our management team and board of directors may sponsor other blank check companies similar to ours during the period in which we are
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seeking an initial business combination, and may participate in such blank check companies, or other blank check companies. These relationships may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an acquisition target.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide 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, and to the extent the director or officer is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation.
Initial Business Combination
NYSE rules require that we must consummate an initial business combination with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the trust account (net of amounts disbursed to management for working capital purposes, if permitted, and excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting commissions). Our board of directors will make the determination as to the fair market value of our initial business combination. We refer to this as the 80% of net assets test. 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. Our stockholders may not be provided with a copy of such opinion nor will they be able to rely on such opinion. 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.
We anticipate structuring our initial business combination 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. We may, however, structure our initial business combination such that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business for the post-acquisition company to meet certain objectives of the target management team or stockholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires an interest in the target or assets 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 valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test. If the initial business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses and we will treat the target businesses together as the initial business combination for the purposes of a tender offer or for seeking stockholder approval, as applicable.
The net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants released to us from the trust account upon the closing of our initial business combination may be used as consideration to pay the sellers of a target business with which we complete our initial business combination. If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt securities, 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 redemption of our public shares, we may use the balance of the cash released to us from the trust
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account following the closing for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction businesses, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital. In addition, we may be required to obtain additional financing in connection with the closing of our initial business combination to be used following the closing for general corporate purposes as described above. There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds through the issuance of equity or equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into following consummation of this offering. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, we would only complete such financing simultaneously with the completion of our initial business combination. At this time, we are not a party to any arrangement or understanding with any third party with respect to raising any additional funds through the sale of securities or otherwise. None of our sponsors, officers, directors or stockholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our initial business combination. We may also obtain financing prior to the closing of our initial business combination to fund our working capital needs and transaction costs in connection with our search for and completion of our initial business combination. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that, following this offering and prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, we will be prohibited from issuing additional securities that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote as a class with our public shares (a) on any initial business combination or (b) to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (x) extend the time we have to consummate a business combination beyond 24 months from the closing of this offering or (y) amend the foregoing provisions, unless (in connection with any such amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation) we offer our public stockholders the opportunity to redeem their public shares.
Sourcing of Potential Initial Business Combination Targets
Our management team and sponsor have developed a broad network of contacts and corporate relationships. This network has been developed through their experience in sourcing, acquiring, operating, developing, growing, financing and selling businesses; reputations for integrity and fair dealing with sellers, capital providers and target management teams; and experience in executing transactions under varying economic and financial market conditions. This network has provided our management team and sponsor with a flow of referrals that have resulted in numerous transactions. We believe that the network of contacts and relationships of our management team and sponsor will provide us with an important source of business combination opportunities. In addition, we anticipate that target business candidates will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment banking firms, private equity firms, consultants, accounting firms and other business enterprises.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, executive officers or directors, or completing the initial business combination through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, executive officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a target that is affiliated with our sponsor, executive 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 commonly renders valuation opinions, stating that our initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.
As more fully discussed in “Management—Conflicts of Interest,” if any of our executive 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-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. Certain of our executive officers currently have certain relevant fiduciary duties or contractual obligations that may take priority over their duties to us. We believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers and directors will not materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Our Business Combination Process
In evaluating prospective business combinations, we expect to conduct a due diligence review process that will encompass, among other things, a review of historical and projected financial and operating
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data, meetings with management and their advisors and, as applicable, on-site inspection of facilities and assets, discussion with customers and suppliers, legal reviews and other reviews as we deem appropriate. We will also utilize the expertise of our management team and board of directors in analyzing companies and evaluating operating projections, financial projections and determining the appropriate return expectations given the risk profile of the target business.
Members of our management team will directly or indirectly own our common stock and warrants following this 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 was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.
Our sponsor and members of our management team are, in the ordinary course of business, continuously made aware of potential acquisition or investment opportunities, one or more of which we may desire to pursue for an initial business combination. We have not, however, 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 with respect to an initial business combination with us.
In addition, certain of our officers and directors presently have, and any of them in the future are expected to have additional, fiduciary and contractual duties to other entities. As a result, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he, she or it has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, then, subject to their fiduciary duties under applicable law, he, she or it will need to honor such fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity, before we can pursue such opportunity. If these other entities decide to pursue any such opportunity, we may be precluded from pursuing the same. However, we do not expect these duties to materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination because we do not currently anticipate meaningful overlap of investment objectives. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide 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, and to the extent the director or officer is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation.
Our sponsor, officers and directors may sponsor, form or participate in other blank check companies similar to ours during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. Any such companies may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an acquisition target, particularly in the event there is overlap among investment mandates. In addition, our sponsor, officers and directors, are not required to commit any specified amount of time to our affairs, and, accordingly, will have conflicts of interest in allocating management time among various business activities, including identifying potential business combinations and monitoring the related due diligence.
Our Management Team
Members of our management team 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 that any member of our management team will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the current stage of the initial business combination process.
We believe our management team’s operating and transaction experience and relationships with companies will provide us with a substantial number of potential business combination targets. Over the course of their careers, the members of our management team have developed a broad network of contacts and corporate relationships. This network has grown through the activities of our management team sourcing, acquiring and financing businesses, our management team’s relationships with sellers, financing sources and target management teams and the experience of our management team in executing transactions
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under varying economic and financial market conditions. See the section of this prospectus entitled “Management” for a more complete description of our management team’s experience.
Status as a Public Company
We believe our structure will make us an attractive business combination partner to target businesses. As a public company, we offer a target business an alternative to the traditional initial public offering through a merger or other business combination with us. Following an initial business combination, we believe the target business would have greater access to capital and additional means of creating management incentives that are better aligned with stockholders’ interests than it would as a private company. A target business can further benefit by augmenting its profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented employees. In a business combination transaction with us, the owners of the target business may, for example, exchange their shares of stock in the target business for our shares of Class A common stock (or shares of a new holding company) or for a combination of our shares of Class A common 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 expeditious and cost-effective method to becoming a public company than the typical initial public offering. The typical initial public offering process takes a significantly longer period of time than the typical business combination transaction process, and there are significant expenses and market and other uncertainties in the initial public offering process, including underwriting discounts and commissions, marketing and road show efforts that may not be present to the same extent in connection with an initial business combination with us.
Furthermore, once a proposed initial 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. Following an initial business combination, we believe the target business would then have greater access to capital and an additional means of providing management incentives consistent with stockholders’ interests and the ability to use its shares as currency for acquisitions. Being a public company can offer further benefits by augmenting a company’s profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented employees.
While we believe that our structure and our management team’s backgrounds will make us an attractive business partner, some potential target businesses may view our status as a blank check company, such as our lack of an operating history and our ability to seek stockholder approval of any proposed initial business combination, negatively.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by 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 independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirements of Section 404 of 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 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 this 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
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the market value of our Class A 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.
Financial Position
With funds available for an initial business combination initially in the amount of $241,250,000, after payment of $8,750,000 of deferred underwriting fees (or $277,437,500 after payment of up to $10,062,500 of deferred underwriting fees if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), in each case before fees and expenses associated with our initial business combination, 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 for an indefinite period of time following this offering. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the private placement of the private placement warrants, the proceeds of the sale of our shares in connection with our initial business combination (pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into following the consummation of this offering or otherwise), shares issued to the owners of the target, debt issued to bank or other lenders or the owners of the target, or a combination of the foregoing. 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 securities, 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 redemption of our public shares, we may use the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account following the closing 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 companies or for working capital.
We may seek to raise additional funds through a private offering of debt or equity securities in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, and we may effectuate our initial business combination using the proceeds of such offering rather than using the amounts held in the trust account. In addition, we intend to target businesses with enterprise values that are greater than we could acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, and, as a result, if the cash portion of the purchase price exceeds the amount available from the trust account, net of amounts needed to satisfy any redemptions by public stockholders, we may be required to seek additional financing to complete such proposed initial business combination. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, we would expect to complete such financing only simultaneously with the completion of our initial business combination. In the case of an initial business combination funded with assets other than the trust account assets, our proxy materials or tender offer documents disclosing the initial business combination would disclose the terms of the financing and, only if required by law, we would seek stockholder approval of such financing. There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds through the issuance of equity or equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into following consummation of this offering. At this time, we are not a party to any arrangement or understanding with any third party with respect to raising any additional funds through the sale of securities or otherwise. None of our sponsor, officers, directors or stockholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our initial business combination. Our amended and
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restated certificate of incorporation will provide that, following this offering and prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, we will be prohibited from issuing additional securities that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote as a class with our public shares (a) on any initial business combination or (b) to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (x) extend the time we have to consummate a business combination beyond 24 months from the closing of this offering or (y) amend the foregoing provisions, unless (in connection with any such amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation) we offer our public stockholders the opportunity to redeem their public shares.
Sources of Target Businesses
We anticipate that target business candidates will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment bankers and investment professionals. Target businesses may be brought to our attention by such unaffiliated sources as a result of being solicited by us by calls or mailings. 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 prospectus and know what types of businesses we are targeting. Our officers and directors, as well as our sponsor and its 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, conferences or conventions. In addition, we expect to receive a number of proprietary deal flow opportunities that would not otherwise necessarily be available to us as a result of the business relationships of our officers and directors and our sponsor and their respective industry and business contacts as well as their affiliates. While we do not presently anticipate engaging the services of professional firms or other individuals that specialize in business acquisitions on any formal basis, we may engage these firms or other individuals in the future, in which event we may pay a finder’s fee, consulting fee, advisory fee or other compensation to be determined in an arm’s length negotiation based on the terms of the transaction. We will engage a finder only to the extent our management determines that the use of a finder may bring opportunities to us that may not otherwise be available to us or if finders approach us on an unsolicited basis with a potential transaction that our management determines is in our best interest to pursue. Payment of finder’s fees is customarily tied to completion of a transaction, in which case any such fee will be paid out of the funds held in the trust account. In no event, however, will our sponsor or any of our existing officers or directors, or any entity with which our sponsor or officers are affiliated, be paid any finder’s fee, reimbursement, consulting fee, monies in respect of any payment of a loan or other compensation by the Company prior to, or in connection with any services rendered 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). Although none of our sponsor, executive officers or directors, or any of their respective affiliates will be allowed to receive any compensation, finder’s fees or consulting fees from a prospective business combination target in connection with a contemplated initial business combination, we do not have a policy that prohibits our sponsor, executive officers or directors, or any of their respective affiliates from negotiating for the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses by a target business. We have agreed to reimburse our sponsor or an affiliate thereof a total of $40,000 per month for office space, utilities, and secretarial and administrative support and other services made available to us, of which the substantial majority will be to reimburse our sponsor or an affiliate thereof for payments in respect of their services to the sponsor to Mr. Susman, our Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, and a full-time investment associate dedicated to managing the sponsor’s investment in the Company and have also agreed to reimburse our sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination. 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 initial business combination candidate.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with an initial business combination target that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors or making the initial business combination 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 an initial 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
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entity that commonly renders valuation opinions that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. Potential target companies with whom we may engage in discussions after the closing of the offering may have had prior discussions with other blank check companies, bankers in the industry and/or other professional advisors including blank check companies with which our executive officers or board of directors were affiliated. Subsequent to the closing of this offering, we may pursue transactions with such potential targets (i) if such other blank check companies are no longer pursuing transactions with such potential targets, (ii) if we become aware that such potential targets are interested in a potential initial business combination with us and (iii) if we believe such transactions would be attractive to our stockholders.
As more fully discussed in the section of this prospectus entitled “Management—Conflicts of Interest,” if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of an initial business combination opportunity that falls within the line of business of any entity to which he or she has then-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. Our officers and directors currently have certain relevant fiduciary duties or contractual obligations that may take priority over their duties to us.
Selection of a Target Business and Structuring of our Initial Business Combination
NYSE rules require that we must consummate an initial business combination with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the trust account (net of amounts disbursed to management for working capital purposes, if permitted, and excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting commissions). 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 mergers and acquisitions (“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 (including with the assistance of financial advisors), 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. 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.
In any case, we will only complete an initial business combination in which we own or acquire 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquire a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. If we own or acquire less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses, the portion of such business or businesses that are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company is what will be taken into account for purposes of the NYSE’s 80% of net assets test. There is no basis for investors in this offering to evaluate the possible merits or risks of any target business with which we may complete our initial business combination.
To the extent we effect our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in such company or business. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all significant risk factors.
In evaluating a prospective business target, we expect to conduct a due diligence review, which may encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent ownership, management and employees, document reviews, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspection of facilities, as well as a review of financial and other information that will be made available to us.
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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, and negotiation with, a prospective target business with which our initial 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.
Lack of Business Diversification
For an indefinite period of time after the completion of our initial business combination, the prospects for our success may depend entirely on the future performance of a single business. Unlike other entities that have the resources to complete business combinations with multiple entities in one or several industries, it is probable that we will not have the resources to diversify our operations and mitigate the risks of being in a single line of business. By completing our initial business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may:
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subject us to negative economic, competitive and regulatory developments, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact on the particular industry in which we operate after our initial business combination, and
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cause us to depend on the marketing and sale of a single product or limited number of products or services.
Limited Ability to Evaluate the Target’s Management Team
Although we intend to 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. The determination as to whether any of the members of our management team will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial business combination. 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 unlikely that any of them will devote their full efforts to our affairs subsequent to our initial 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.
We cannot assure you that any of our key personnel will remain in senior management or advisory positions with the combined company. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial business combination.
Following our initial business combination, we may seek to recruit additional managers to supplement the incumbent management 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.
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 law or applicable stock exchange rule, or we may decide to seek stockholder approval for business or other legal 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.
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Type of Transaction
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Whether
Stockholder Approval is Required |
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Purchase of assets
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| | | | No | | |
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Type of Transaction
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Whether
Stockholder Approval is Required |
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Purchase of stock of target not involving a merger with the company
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| | | | No | | |
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Merger of target into a subsidiary of the company
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| | | | No | | |
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Merger of the company with a target
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| | | | Yes | | |
Under the NYSE’s listing rules, stockholder approval would be required for our initial business combination if, for example:
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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;
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any of our directors, officers or substantial security holders (as defined by the NYSE rules) has a 5% or greater interest, directly or indirectly, in the target business or assets to be acquired and if the number of shares of common stock to be issued, or if the number of shares of common stock into which the securities may be convertible or exercisable, exceeds either (a) 1% of the number of shares of common stock or 1% of the voting power outstanding before the issuance in the case of any of our directors and officers or (b) 5% of the number of shares of common stock or 5% of the voting power outstanding before the issuance in the case of any substantial security holders; or
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the issuance or potential issuance of common stock will result in our undergoing a change of control.
Permitted Purchases of Our Securities
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 sponsor, initial stockholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase public shares or public warrants 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 shares or warrants our initial stockholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase in such transactions, subject to compliance with applicable law and NYSE rules. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. If they engage in such transactions, they will not make any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. 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 comply with such rules. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements. None of the funds held in the trust account will be used to purchase shares or public warrants in such transactions prior to completion of our initial business combination.
Subsequent to the consummation of this offering, we will adopt an insider trading policy which will require insiders to: (i) refrain from purchasing our securities during certain blackout periods when they are in possession of any material non-public information and (ii) clear all trades of company securities with a compliance officer prior to execution. We cannot currently determine whether our insiders will make such purchases pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan, as it 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.
The purpose of any such purchases of shares could be to vote such shares in favor of the initial business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the initial business combination or to 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,
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where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. The purpose of any such purchases of public warrants could be to reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or to vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrantholders for approval in connection with our initial business combination. Any such purchases of our securities 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 shares of Class A common stock or warrants may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.
Our sponsor, officers, directors and/or any of their affiliates anticipate that they may identify the stockholders with whom our sponsor, officers, directors or their affiliates may pursue privately-negotiated purchases by either the stockholders contacting us directly or by our receipt of redemption requests tendered by stockholders following our mailing of proxy materials in connection with our initial business combination. To the extent that our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates enter into a private purchase, they would identify and contact only potential selling 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, whether or not such stockholder has already submitted a proxy with respect to our initial business combination. Such persons would select the stockholders from whom to acquire shares based on the number of shares available, the negotiated price per share and such other factors as any such person may deem relevant at the time of purchase. The price per share paid in any such transaction may be different than the amount per share a public stockholder would receive if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our initial business combination. Our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates will only purchase 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 made only to the extent such purchases are able to be 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 not make purchases of common stock if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchases are subject to such reporting requirements.
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 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, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be approximately $10.00 per public share. The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. Our sponsor, officers and directors will not be entitled to 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 public shares 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) without a stockholder vote 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 applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements.
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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. So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on the NYSE, we will be required to comply with the NYSE’s stockholder approval rules.
The requirement that we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares by one of the two methods listed above will be contained in provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and will apply whether or not we maintain our registration under the Exchange Act or our listing on the NYSE. Such provisions may be amended if approved by holders of 65% of our common stock entitled to vote thereon.
If we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares in connection with a stockholder meeting, we will:
•
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.
If we seek stockholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the initial 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 initial stockholders will count towards this quorum and, pursuant to the letter agreement, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote their founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions) 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 our initial stockholders’ founder shares, we would need only 9,375,001, or 37.5% (assuming all outstanding shares are voted and the over- allotment option is not exercised) of the 25,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved. We intend to give 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 initial stockholders, may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination. Each public stockholder may elect to redeem its public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction or whether they were a stockholder on the record date for the stockholder meeting held to approve the proposed transaction.
If a stockholder vote is not required and we do not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will:
•
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.
In the event 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 shares, 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
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of deferred underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement that 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.
Upon the public announcement of our initial business combination, if we elect to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, we or 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, in order to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act.
We intend to require our public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to, at the holder’s option, either deliver their stock certificates to our transfer agent or deliver their shares to our transfer agent electronically using the Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) system, prior to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. In the case of proxy materials, this date may be up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination. In addition, if we conduct redemptions in connection with a stockholder vote, we intend to require a public stockholder seeking redemption of its public shares to also submit a written request for redemption to our transfer agent two business days prior to the vote in which the name of the beneficial owner of such shares is included. The proxy materials or tender offer documents, 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. We believe that this will allow our transfer agent to efficiently process any redemptions without the need for further communication or action from the redeeming public stockholders, which could delay redemptions and result in additional administrative cost. If the proposed initial business combination is not approved and we continue to search for a target company, we will promptly return any certificates or shares delivered by public stockholders who elected to redeem their shares.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide 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 deferred underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not 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. For example, the proposed initial 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 initial 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 initial business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the initial business combination or redeem any shares, and all shares of Class A common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof.
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 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 Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares.” Such restriction shall also be applicable to our affiliates. 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 initial 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
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holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this 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 no more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering without our prior consent, 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 an initial 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, we would not be restricting our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination.
Delivering Stock Certificates in Connection with the Exercise of Redemption Rights
As described above, we intend to require our public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to, at the holder’s option, either deliver their stock certificates to our transfer agent or deliver their shares to our transfer agent electronically using the Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) system, prior to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. In the case of proxy materials, this date may be up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination. In addition, if we conduct redemptions in connection with a stockholder vote, we intend to require a public stockholder seeking redemption of its public shares to also submit a written request for redemption to our transfer agent two business days prior to the vote in which the name of the beneficial owner of such shares is included. The proxy materials or tender offer documents, 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. Accordingly, a public stockholder would have up to two business days prior to the vote on the initial business combination if we distribute proxy materials, or from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, as applicable, to submit or tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. In the event that a stockholder fails to comply with these or any other procedures disclosed in the proxy or tender offer materials, as applicable, its shares may not be redeemed. 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 process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC system. The transfer agent will typically charge the broker submitting or tendering shares 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 submit or 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 proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. 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 initial business combination is not completed, we may continue to try to complete an initial business combination with a different target until 24 months from the closing of this offering.
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Redemption of Public Shares and Liquidation if no Initial Business Combination
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we will have only 24 months from the closing of this offering to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within such 24-month period, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 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 (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, liquidate and dissolve, 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 24-month time period.
Our sponsor, officers and directors will not be entitled 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 within 24 months from the closing of this offering. However, if our sponsor, officers or directors acquire public shares in or after this 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 the allotted 24-month time period.
Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (A) modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide for the redemption of our public shares in connection with an initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of Class A common stock upon approval of any such amendment 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, 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 deferred underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). If this optional redemption right is exercised with respect to an excessive number of public shares such that we cannot satisfy the net tangible asset requirement (described above), we would not proceed with the amendment or the related redemption of our public shares at such time.
We expect that all costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, as well as payments to any creditors, will be funded from amounts remaining out of the approximately $2,750,000 of proceeds held outside the trust account, although we cannot assure you that there will be sufficient funds for such purpose. We will depend on sufficient interest being earned on the proceeds held in the trust account to pay any tax obligations we may owe. 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 this 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, the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders upon our dissolution would be approximately $10.00. 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 $10.00. Under Section 281(b) of the DGCL, our plan of dissolution must
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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 or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public stockholders, such parties may not execute such agreements or even if they execute such agreements, they may not 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 advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third party refuses to enter into an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management will consider whether competitive alternatives are reasonably available to the Company, and will only enter into an agreement with such third party if our management believes that such third party’s engagement would be in the best interests of the Company under the circumstances. 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, and the underwriters of the offering will not execute agreements with us waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account.
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. Upon redemption of our public shares, if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed timeframe, or upon the exercise of a redemption right in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to provide for payment of claims of creditors that were not waived that may be brought against us within the 10 years following redemption. Accordingly, the per-share redemption amount received by public stockholders could be less than the $10.00 per share initially held in the trust account, due to claims of such creditors. Pursuant to the letter agreement, the form of which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or similar agreement or business combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, if less than $10.00 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable; provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the trust account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, we have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy their indemnity obligations, and believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. 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 $10.00 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 share in connection with any redemption of your public shares. None of our officers or directors 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) $10.00 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 our 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
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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, and believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. 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 $10.00 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 (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses or 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 this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. We will have access to up to approximately $2,750,000 from the proceeds of this offering with which to pay any such potential claims (including costs and expenses incurred in connection with our liquidation, currently estimated to be no more than approximately $100,000). 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. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $750,000, we may fund such excess with funds from the funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $750,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.
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 24 months from the closing of this offering 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 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 24 months from the closing of this offering is not considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law and such redemption distribution is deemed to be unlawful (potentially due to the imposition of legal proceedings that a party may bring or due to other circumstances that are currently unknown), 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 are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 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 (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, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and
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the requirements of other applicable law. Accordingly, it is our intention to redeem our public shares as soon as reasonably possible following our 24th month 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 (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses or 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) $10.00 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 released to us to pay our taxes and will not be liable as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this 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 $10.00 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 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 upon the earlier to occur of: (i) the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend any provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (A) modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide for the redemption of our public shares in connection with an initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, and (iii) the redemption of all of our public shares if we are unable to complete our business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law. 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 initial 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. These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, like all provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, may be amended with a stockholder vote.
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Comparison of Redemption or Purchase Prices in Connection with Our Initial Business Combination and if We Fail to Complete Our Initial Business Combination
The following table compares the redemptions and other permitted purchases of public shares that may take place in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering.
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Redemptions in Connection with
our Initial Business Combination |
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Other Permitted Purchases of
Public Shares by us or our Affiliates |
| |
Redemptions if we fail to
Complete an Initial Business Combination |
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|
Calculation of redemption price
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| | Redemptions at the time of our initial business combination may be made pursuant to a tender offer or in connection with a stockholder vote. The same whether we conduct redemptions pursuant to a tender offer or in connection with a stockholder vote. In either case, our public stockholders may redeem their public shares for cash equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination (which is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share), including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitation that no redemptions will take place, if all of the redemptions would cause our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination and any limitations (including, but not limited to, cash requirements) agreed to in connection with the negotiation of terms of a | | | If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares in privately-negotiated transactions or in the open market prior to or following completion of our initial business combination. There is no limit to the prices that our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may pay in these transactions. Such purchases will be made only to the extent such purchases are able to be 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. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase shares in such transactions. | | | If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will redeem 100% of the public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount, then on deposit in the trust account (which is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share including, interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses)), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. | |
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| | | |
Redemptions in Connection with
our Initial Business Combination |
| |
Other Permitted Purchases of
Public Shares by us or our Affiliates |
| |
Redemptions if we fail to
Complete an Initial Business Combination |
|
| | | | proposed initial business combination. | | | | | | | |
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Impact to remaining stockholders
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| | The redemptions in connection with our initial business combination will reduce the book value per share for our remaining stockholders, who will bear the burden of the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable. | | | If the permitted purchases described above are made there would be no impact to our remaining stockholders because the purchase price would not be paid by us. | | | The redemption of our public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination will reduce the book value per share for the shares held by our initial stockholders, who will be our only remaining stockholders after such redemptions. | |
Comparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419
The following table compares the terms of this offering to the terms of an offering by a blank check company subject to the provisions of Rule 419. This comparison assumes that the gross proceeds, underwriting commissions and underwriting expenses of our offering would be identical to those of an offering undertaken by a company subject to Rule 419, and that the underwriters will not exercise their over-allotment option. None of the provisions of Rule 419 apply to our offering.
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Terms of our Offering
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Terms under a Rule 419 Offering
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Escrow of offering proceeds
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| | $250,000,000 of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants will be deposited into a trust account in the United States at Bank of America, N.A., with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee. | | | Approximately $212,625,000 of the offering proceeds would be deposited into either an escrow account with an insured depositary institution or in a separate bank account established by a broker-dealer in which the broker-dealer acts as trustee for persons having the beneficial interests in the account. | |
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Investment of net proceeds
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| | $250,000,000 of the net offering proceeds and the sale of the private placement warrants held in trust will be invested only 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. | | | Proceeds could be invested only in specified securities such as a money market fund meeting conditions of the Investment Company Act or in securities that are direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed as to principal or interest by, the United States. | |
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Receipt of interest on escrowed funds
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| | Interest on proceeds from the trust account to be paid to redeeming stockholders is reduced by (i) any taxes paid or payable, and (ii) in the event of our liquidation for failure to complete our initial business | | | Interest on funds in escrow account would be held for the sole benefit of investors, unless and only after the funds held in escrow were released to us in connection with our completion of a business combination. | |
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| | | |
Terms of our Offering
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Terms under a Rule 419 Offering
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| | | | combination within the allotted time, up to $100,000 of net interest that may be released to us should we have no or insufficient working capital to fund the costs and expenses of our dissolution and liquidation. | | | | |
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Limitation on fair value or net assets of target business
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| | NYSE rules require that we must consummate an initial business combination with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the trust account (net of amounts disbursed to management for working capital purposes, if permitted, and excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting commissions). | | | The fair value or net assets of a target business must represent at least 80% of the maximum offering proceeds. | |
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Trading of securities issued
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| | We expect the units will begin trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. The Class A common stock and public warrants will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless the representatives inform us of their decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering, which closing is anticipated to take place three business days from the date of this prospectus. If the over-allotment option is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, an additional Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the over-allotment option. | | | No trading of the units or the underlying Class A common stock and public warrants would be permitted until the completion of a business combination. During this period, the securities would be held in the escrow or trust account. | |
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Exercise of the warrants
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| | The warrants cannot be exercised until the later of 30 days after the completion of our initial business | | | The warrants could be exercised prior to the completion of a business combination, but | |
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| | | |
Terms of our Offering
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Terms under a Rule 419 Offering
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| | | | combination and 12 months from the closing of this offering. | | | securities received and cash paid in connection with the exercise would be deposited in the escrow or trust account. | |
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Election to remain an investor
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| | We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares 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 our initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein. We may not be required by law to hold a stockholder vote. 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. If we are not required by law and do not otherwise decide to hold a stockholder vote, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC and file tender offer documents with the SEC which will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules. In the event 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 | | | A prospectus containing information pertaining to the business combination required by the SEC would be sent to each investor. Each investor would be given the opportunity to notify the company in writing, within a period of no less than 20 business days and no more than 45 business days from the effective date of a post-effective amendment to the company’s registration statement, to decide if it elects to remain a stockholder of the company or require the return of its investment. If the company has not received the notification by the end of the 45th business day, funds and interest or dividends, if any, held in the trust or escrow account are automatically returned to the stockholder. Unless a sufficient number of investors elect to remain investors, all funds on deposit in the escrow account must be returned to all of the investors and none of the securities are issued. | |
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| | | |
Terms of our Offering
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Terms under a Rule 419 Offering
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| | | | our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. If, however, we hold a stockholder vote, we will, like many blank check companies, offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules. If we seek stockholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the initial business combination. Additionally, each public stockholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction. 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. | | | | |
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Business combination deadline
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| | If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem 100% of 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 (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 | | | If a business combination has not been completed within 18 months after the effective date of our registration statement, funds held in the trust or escrow account are returned to investors. | |
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| | | |
Terms of our Offering
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Terms under a Rule 419 Offering
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| | | | 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, liquidate and dissolve, 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. | | | | |
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Limitation on redemption rights of stockholders holding more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering if we hold a stockholder vote
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| | 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 will provide that a public stockholder (including our affiliates), 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 seeking redemption rights with respect to Excess Shares (more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering). Our public stockholders’ inability to redeem Excess Shares will reduce their influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination and they could suffer a material loss on their investment in us if they sell any Excess Shares in open market transactions. | | | Many blank check companies provide no restrictions on the ability of stockholders to redeem shares based on the number of shares held by such stockholders in connection with an initial business combination. | |
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Tendering stock certificates in connection with a tender offer or redemption rights
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| | We intend to require our public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to, at the holder’s option, either deliver their stock certificates to | | | In order to perfect redemption rights in connection with their business combinations, holders could vote against a proposed initial business combination and check a box on the proxy card indicating such holders were | |
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| | | |
Terms of our Offering
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Terms under a Rule 419 Offering
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| | | | our transfer agent or deliver their shares to our transfer agent electronically using the Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) system, prior to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. In the case of proxy materials, this date may be up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination. In addition, if we conduct redemptions in connection with a stockholder vote, we intend to require a public stockholder seeking redemption of its public shares to also submit a written request for redemption to our transfer agent two business days prior to the vote in which the name of the beneficial owner of such shares is included. The proxy materials or tender offer documents, 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. Accordingly, a public stockholder would have up to two business days prior to the vote on the initial business combination if we distribute proxy materials, or from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, as applicable, to submit or tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. | | | seeking to exercise their redemption rights. After the business combination was approved, the Company would contact such stockholders to arrange for them to deliver their certificate to verify ownership. | |
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Release of funds
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| | Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our tax obligations, the proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account will not be released from the trust account until the earliest to occur of: | | | The proceeds held in the escrow account are not released until the earlier of the completion of a business combination or the failure to effect a business combination within the allotted time. | |
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| | | |
Terms of our Offering
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Terms under a Rule 419 Offering
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| | | | (i) the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (A) modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide for the redemption of our public shares in connection with an initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, and (iii) the redemption of 100% of our public shares if we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the required time frame (subject to the requirements of applicable law). On the completion of our initial business combination, all amounts held in the trust account will be released to us, less amounts released to a separate account controlled by the trustee for disbursal to redeeming stockholders. We will use these funds to pay amounts due to any public stockholders who exercise their redemption rights as described above under “Redemption rights for public stockholders upon completion of our initial business combination,” to pay the underwriters their deferred underwriting commissions, to pay all or a portion of the consideration payable to the target or owners of the target of our initial business combination and to pay other expenses associated with our initial business combination. | | | | |
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Competition
In identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business for our initial business combination, we may encounter competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including other blank check companies, private equity groups and leveraged buyout funds, public companies and operating businesses seeking strategic business combinations. Many of these entities are well established and have extensive experience identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Moreover, many of these competitors possess greater financial, technical, human and other resources than we do. Our ability to acquire larger target businesses will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the initial business combination of a target business. Furthermore, our obligation to pay cash in connection with our public stockholders who exercise their redemption rights may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination and our outstanding warrants, and the future dilution they potentially represent, may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses. Either of these factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating an initial business combination.
Facilities
Our executive offices are located at 50 California Street, Suite 680, San Francisco, California 94111, and our telephone number is (610) 574-9069. The cost for our use of this space is included in the $40,000 per month we will reimburse our sponsor or an affiliate thereof for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support and other services made available to us. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.
Employees
We currently have two 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.
Periodic Reporting and Financial Information
We will register 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 proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents 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, or reconciled to, GAAP or IFRS, depending on the circumstances, and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential targets we may conduct an initial business combination with because some targets may be unable to provide such statements in time for us to disclose such statements in accordance with federal proxy rules and complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame. We cannot assure you that any particular target business identified by us as a potential business combination candidate will have financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP or that the potential target business will be able to prepare its financial statements in accordance with the requirements outlined above. To the extent that these requirements 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, 2022 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 have our internal control procedures audited. A target company may not be in compliance with the
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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 business combination. Prior to the date of this prospectus, we will file a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Exchange Act. As a result, we will be subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act. We have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent to the consummation of our initial business combination.
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 this 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 shares of Class A common stock that are 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 during the prior three-year period.
Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Rule 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, and (2) our annual revenues exceed $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.
Legal Proceedings
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.
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MANAGEMENT
Officers, Directors and Director Nominees
Upon completion of this offering, our directors and officers will be as follows:
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Name
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Age
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Position
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David Lincoln
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64
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| | Chair | |
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Tim Healy
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52
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| | Chief Executive Officer and Director | |
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Jake Susman
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47
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| | Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Director | |
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John Woolard
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56
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| | Director Nominee | |
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Katie McGinty
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57
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| | Director Nominee | |
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April Salas
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40
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| | Director Nominee | |
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Tom King
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59
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| | Director Nominee | |
David Lincoln has served as our Chair and a member of our board of directors since inception in March 2021. David has been a prominent investor in venture and growth equity for over 25 years and has founded and led multiple firms in the energy and clean technology sectors. David is a Managing Director of Activate Capital, an affiliate of our sponsor and a growth equity investment firm dedicated to growth technology companies in sustainable energy, transportation, and industrial innovation, which he co-founded in May 2017. David is also a General Partner of Element Partners, a series of funds dedicated to a broad range of investments in sustainable innovation and clean technology, which he founded in September 2004. From August 1996 until June 2005, David was a co-founder and Managing Director of EnerTech Capital, a venture capital firm focused on investing specifically in the deregulation and transition of the global electric markets. Previously, David served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Deven Resources, Inc., a private equity firm dedicated to the acquisition and development of energy properties, from 1991 to 1996; was a partner with CMS Companies, a Philadelphia-based investment and financial services firm, from 1984 to 1991; and began his career at UGI Corporation, a diversified energy and utility holding company in Valley Forge, PA, from 1981 to 1984.
David has served on numerous private and public boards over his career including current Activate Capital investments Parsable, Inc., and Element Analytics, and previous investments, including AquaVenture Holdings (NYSE: WAAS), a provider of water management services, from August 2017 to April 2020; 212 Resources, a technology company focused on providing water management solutions to the oil and gas industry, from May 2011 to May 2017; Petra Systems, a provider of solar and “smart city” technologies and services, from 2007 to February 2021; Intellon Corporation, a semiconductor company specializing in powerline communications, from September 1999 to December 2004; Capstone Turbine (NASDAQ: CPST), a gas to electric micro-turbine manufacturer, from November 1997 to June 2000; FuelQuest, an e-marketplace platform and service offering for petroleum marketers, from October 2002 to December 2004; VerticalNet, Inc. (NASDAQ: VERT), a provider of supply management solutions, from May 1998 to February 1999; and Environmental Drilling Solutions, a provider of solids control services used in oil and gas operations, from April 2012 to April 2014, among others.
David has also been an active participant helping to shape federal policy for the venture capital and growth equity industry. As a board member of the NVCA, David chaired NVCA’s Energy & Cleantech Committee and worked with policymakers to promote capital formation for technology companies focused on U.S. energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. In addition, as the Chair of NVCA’s Growth Equity Group from 2014 to 2015, David worked with industry participants, research firms and policymakers to establish and benchmark growth equity as a distinct asset class within private equity. David is also active as a former executive committee board member with City Year of Philadelphia.
David holds a BA with honors in Geology from Colgate University, and an MS in Energy Management and Policy from the University of Pennsylvania. We believe that David’s experience in investing in the energy and clean technology sectors will bring valuable insights and makes him well-suited to serve on our board of directors.
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Tim Healy has served as our Chief Executive Officer and as a member of our board of directors since inception in March 2021. Tim is an experienced Executive Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and entrepreneur, with a demonstrated history scaling businesses in the information technology, energy, and managed services industries. He has experience in public markets leadership, innovation, entrepreneurship, mentorship, finance, clean tech, distributed energy, battery storage, energy services, ESCOs, ESPC, global energy markets, regulatory policy, and mergers and acquisitions.
Tim currently serves as a board member of Powin, a grid scale battery storage integrator, a position he has held since April 2021, and as a board member of Micatu, Inc., a company providing optical sensor products for the electrical grid and industrial customers, a position he has held since June 2021. He also serves as an advisor to LO3 Energy, a company using blockchain-based applications to account for how local distributed energy resources can be generated, stored, bought, sold and used, a position he has held since May 2021. Tim currently serves as a strategic advisor to Dynamo Energy Hub, a global network focused on sustainability and cleantech, a position he has held since February 2021, and inBalance, a startup with technology and services for predicting energy pricing through renewable forecasting, a position he has held since August 2020. Tim also serves as an executive advisor to Trilantic Capital Partners, a private equity firm, a position he has held since January 2021, and Packetized Energy, a software solutions company focused on clean electric power, a position he has held since October 2020. From July 2020 to January 2021, Tim served as an executive advisor to Kepler Energy, a Blackstone portfolio company formed to develop energy projects at colleges and universities and other large energy-use campuses. Prior to joining Kepler Energy as an advisor, he was an executive advisor to Blackstone’s energy group from March 2018 to January 2021. Additionally, from March 2019 to November 2020, Tim served as Chief Executive Officer of P3 Energy, a Blackstone portfolio company formed to develop a college green energy project in the New England region.
From January 2001 to August 2017, Tim served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of EnerNOC, a company that he co-founded and a provider of demand response solutions and energy intelligence software. As Chief Executive Officer, he led the company through its initial public offering and until its sale to Enel in August 2017. Prior to EnerNOC, Tim worked in the Energy Technology Laboratory for Northern Power Systems, and held positions with Merrill Lynch, International Fuel Cells (then a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation), and the venture capital firm Commonwealth Capital Ventures. Earlier in his career, he co-founded affinity marketing company Student Advantage in 1992 that went public (NASDAQ: STAD) and was eventually purchased by higher education services company CBORD, an independent business unit of Roper Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: ROP).
Tim has served on numerous private and public company as well as association and NGO boards over his career. Tim was a founding Board member of the AEE and the NECEC, where he served for the last thirteen years, and was appointed to the Mayor of Boston’s Green Ribbon Commission in 2015. He is currently in his eleventh year serving on the Board of Trustees for the New England Aquarium. From October 2018 to September 2020, Tim served as a board member of Veregy, an energy efficiency solutions company. Tim also served on the board of directors of Genability, a software company licensing its databases of electricity tariffs and rate engine for use with third-party products, from February 2014 to July 2017, and WeSpire, an employment engagement platform, from August 2014 to July 2017. He formerly served on TechNet’s Executive Committee for over six years, and on the Board of Advisors of several privately held sustainability firms.
Tim graduated from Dartmouth College with a B.A. in Government modified with Economics, and received an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. We believe Tim’s public company experience and history in the energy and sustainability industries makes him well-suited to serve on our board of directors.
Jake Susman has served as our Chief Financial Officer and as a member of our board of directors since inception in March 2021. Jake has been involved in investing in and operating energy innovation businesses, and developing and originating renewable energy businesses and projects since 1999. From December 2020 to the present, Jake has been an investor and advisor to companies in the sustainable infrastructure space, and a private investor in emerging clean economy companies. In June 2019, Jake was one of four partners who founded Mission Driven Capital Partners, a growth capital fund targeting investments in corporate sustainability, and he served as a partner until it merged into Goldman Sachs in
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December 2020. In March 2007, Jake founded OwnEnergy, Inc., a specialist wind development firm targeting the industry’s mid-market. He served as Chief Executive Officer from founding in March 2007 until its sale to EDF Renewables in August 2015. Following the sale of OwnEnergy, Jake served as Vice President and Head of Origination for EDF Renewables from August 2015 to June 2019, where he was the executive leader of customer-facing activities in its U.S. Grid Scale Power business, with a primary focus on originating long-term power contracts with corporate and utility customers. From August 2004 to March 2007, he worked for Goldman Sachs as an investor, with a focus on renewable energy investments such as Horizon Wind Energy. Earlier in his career, from November 1999 to March 2002, Jake was a Project Manager in Spain for AES Corporation, a global power company, where he focused on the development of large-scale power plants. Prior to that, Jake was a corporate banker with CoreStates from September 1997 to September 1999.
Jake served for five years on the Board of AWEA (now ACPA), including two years on its Executive Committee. He also served as a member of the board of REBA and ACORE. He is the co-founder of CTLR. In 2010, Jake was named to Crain’s New York “40 Under 40”, and in 2012, he was named an E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist. In 2013, Greentech Media named Jake one of New York’s Top 10 Cleantech Leaders.
Jake graduated from the University of Colorado with a B.S. in Finance, and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. We believe Jake’s experience in renewable energy investments and green infrastructure makes him well-suited to serve on our board of directors.
John Woolard will be appointed as a member of our board of directors in connection with the consummation of this offering. John has more than 20 years of experience as an executive in the energy technology sector and brings experience in developing clean energy projects, a technological background and understanding of software and grid modernization solutions. Currently, John is the Chief Executive Officer of Meridian Clean Energy, LLC, a position he has held since January 2021. From March 2018 to January 2021, John served as Chief Executive Officer of Meridian Energy Partners, its predecessor. From October 2016 to March 2018, John served as an advisor to Activate Capital and began the work that ultimately led to the founding of Meridian Energy Partners. From July 2014 to October 2016, John served as the Vice President of Energy at Google, where he focused on Google’s global energy strategy through investment in new technology and energy projects. Previously John served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of BrightSource Energy, Inc., from 2006 to 2013, where he led the development, construction, and commissioning of over $2.2 billion of solar power plants. John co-founded energy management software company Silicon Energy in 1997, and served as the President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman as he led its growth through the acquisition by Itron in 2003. He then served as Vice President and General Manager of the Energy Management Solutions Group at Itron through 2005. John is currently a member of the board of directors of PG&E Corporation, a position he has held since October 2019. John is also an operating partner at Activate Capital.
John previously served as a Senior Fellow at World Resources Institute and is a Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute. John also previously served as a member of the board of directors of the University of California, Berkeley, Energy & Climate Initiative, a position he held from June 2016 to February 2018.
John graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in Economics and received an M.B.A. from the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley, as well as an M.A. in Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia. We believe John’s clean energy expertise makes him well-suited to serve on our board of directors.
Katie McGinty will be appointed as a member of our board of directors in connection with the consummation of this offering. Katie is Vice President & Chief Sustainability, Government and Regulatory Affairs Officer for Johnson Controls International plc (“JCI”), a leading energy efficiency and buildings technology company, where she has served in such capacity since May 2019. Katie helps drive JCI’s sustainability performance, including recognition as one of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations and a AAA MSCI ESG Rating, and government policies encouraging smart buildings and energy efficiency. Prior to joining JCI, Katie served as Senior Vice President, Oceans of the Environmental Defense Fund from July 2018 to May 2019. From March 2017 to February 2018, Katie was a partner at Militia Hill Ventures, a position she took after running for the U.S. Senate from August 2015 to November 2016. Katie has over
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25 years of public and private sector experience. A recognized innovator in clean energy and environmental protection, Ms. McGinty champions technology development, sustainability, and creative policies to solve tough environmental problems. Her public sector career includes serving as Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and as Deputy Director of Environment to Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore from 1993 to 1998, as Pennsylvania Secretary of Environmental Protection from 2003 to 2008, and as Chair of the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority from 2004 to 2008.
Katie has served on numerous private and public company as well as association and NGO boards over her career. She currently serves on the boards of the Alliance to Save Energy, the Carnegie Mellon Scott Institute for Energy Innovation, the Delaware River Port Authority, the Energy Futures Initiative, and FS Energy & Power Fund. Previously, she served on the boards of Iberdrola, NRG Energy, Inc., ECORE, and Weston Solutions. She also served as a Senior Visiting Fellow at The Energy and Resources Institute in New Delhi, India and is the proud recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, including honorary doctorates from Muhlenberg University, Dickinson College, and Clarion State University. She is the Woman of Conservation Lifetime Achievement Awardee of PennFuture, “Global Leader for Tomorrow” (World Economic Forum), “Business Leader of the Year” (Woman’s Network for a Sustainable Future), the “Ansel Adams Award” of the National Wildlife Federation, and “Woman of the Year” (Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment).
Katie graduated from St. Joseph’s University with a B.S. in Chemistry, and received a J.D. from Columbia University. We believe Katie’s experience both in sustainability focused business roles and as a policymaker make her well-suited to serve on our board of directors.
April Salas will be appointed as a member of our board of directors in connection with the consummation of this offering. April brings nearly 20 years of public and private sector experience in global and domestic energy markets, rooted in energy systems analysis. She currently serves as Executive Director of the Revers Center for Energy at Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business, a position she has held since June 2016. Mrs. Salas also serves as the Chief Sustainability Officer of the town of Hanover, New Hampshire’s first city to join the Sierra Club’s Ready for 100 program, where she has led portfolio strategy for deploying power, thermal and transportation-related procurement to help Hanover reach its 2030 and 2050 targets since April 2018. In addition, Mrs. Salas is the Chief Operating Officer of Re:Public, a map-based application helping users understand and mitigate risk, a position she has held since March 2020. She is also a Board Director of 3Degrees Group, a position she has held since February 2021.
April has held various senior positions within the U.S. Department of Energy, and prior to joining the Revers Center, she directed the White House’s Quadrennial Energy Review Task Force Secretariat under President Obama from September 2015 to June 2016, in conjunction with the Secretary of Energy and the White House’s Domestic Policy Council and Office of Science and Technology Policy. April has also served as Chief of Planning and Analysis for all federal energy emergency responses with FEMA from August 2013 to September 2015 and held various roles working with the UN and UNESCO as well as in energy finance consulting.
April graduated from the College of William and Mary with a B.A., and she received an MBA from Cornell University, as well as an M.B.A. in International Business from Queen’s University’s Smith School of Business, an M.A. in International Affairs, Conflict Resolution, and Civil Society Development from the American University of Paris, and an M.A. in International Security and Economics from L’Institut Catholique de Paris. We believe April’s expertise in energy and sustainability make her well-suited to serve on our board of directors.
Tom King will be appointed as a member of our board of directors in connection with the consummation of this offering. Tom is the Board Chair of three dynamic utility services contractor holding companies: Entregado Group, Inc., Allied Power Group, & Contract Land Staff, positions he has held since November 2017. With over 30 years in utility infrastructure management, Tom serves as strategic advisor to each company’s management team, crystalizing the vision, identifying opportunities to leverage scale, and promoting continued growth. Previously, Tom led two of the nation’s largest utilities, serving as Chief Executive Officer for PG&E from August 2003 to July 2007 and then National Grid U.S. from July 2007 to April 2015. Prior to PG&E, he served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Kinder Morgan Energy Partners from January 1996 to September 1998.
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Tom has served on numerous private and public boards over his career. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Puget Sound Energy, a position he has held since July 2019, and serves as an Executive Partner at AEA Investors, a leading global private investment firm with approximately $10 billion assets under management, where he has served in such capacity since March 2017. He previously served on the Board of Directors of Peak Reliability from June 2017 to December 2020 and EnergySaavy from June 2015 to May 2019. Prior to that, Tom was a Senior Advisor with IFM Investors from November 2015 to April 2019.
Tom graduated from Louisiana State University with a B.S. in Business Administration and Management. We believe that Tom’s experience in the utility sector will bring valuable insights and makes him well-suited to serve on our board of directors.
Number and Terms of Office of Officers and Directors
We will have 7 directors upon completion of this offering. Our board of directors will be 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 NYSE corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until one full year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on the NYSE.
The term of office of the first class of directors, consisting of John Woolard and April Salas, will expire at our first annual meeting of stockholders. The term of office of the second class of directors, consisting of Jake Susman and Katie McGinty, will expire at the second annual meeting of stockholders. The term of office of the third class of directors, consisting of David Lincoln, Tim Healy and Tom King, will expire at the third annual meeting of stockholders.
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 a Chair or Co-Chairs of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, President, Vice Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Secretaries and such other offices as may be determined by the board of directors.
Director Independence
NYSE 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 Mr. Woolard, Ms. McGinty, Ms. Salas and Mr. King are “independent directors” as defined in the NYSE listing standards and applicable SEC rules. Our independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.
Officer and Director Compensation
None of our officers has received any cash compensation for services rendered to us. Other than the $40,000 per month, for up to 24 months, payable to our sponsor or an affiliate thereof pursuant to the Administrative Support Agreement in reimbursement for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support and other services made available to us, of which the substantial majority will be to reimburse our sponsor or an affiliate thereof for payments in respect of their services to the sponsor to Mr. Susman, our Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, and a full-time investment associate dedicated to managing the sponsor's investment in the Company, no compensation of any kind, including any finder’s fee, reimbursement, consulting fee or monies in respect of any payment of a loan, will be paid by us to our officers and directors prior to, or in connection with any services rendered in order to effectuate, the consummation of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). However, these individuals will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on
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suitable business combinations. We do not have a policy that prohibits our sponsor, executive officers or directors, or any of their respective affiliates, from negotiating for the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses by a target business. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates. Any such payments prior to an initial business combination will be made using funds held outside the trust account. Other than quarterly audit committee review of such payments, we do not expect to have any additional controls in place governing our reimbursement payments to our directors and executive officers for their out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with identifying and consummating an initial business combination.
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 proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents furnished to our stockholders in connection with a proposed initial 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 initial 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 do not intend to take any action to ensure that members of our management team maintain their positions with us after the consummation of our initial business combination, although it is possible that some or all of our officers and directors may negotiate employment or consulting arrangements to remain with us after our initial business combination. The existence or terms of any such employment or consulting arrangements to retain their positions with us may influence our management’s motivation in identifying or selecting a target business but we do not believe that the ability of our management to remain with us after the consummation of our initial business combination will be a determining factor in our decision to proceed with any potential business combination. We are not party to any agreements with our officers and directors that provide for benefits upon termination of employment.
Committees of the Board of Directors
Our board of directors will have three standing committees: an audit committee, a compensation committee and a nominating and corporate governance committee. Subject to phase-in rules and a limited exception, NYSE 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 NYSE rules require that the compensation committee and nominating and corporate governance committee of a listed company each be comprised solely of independent directors.
Audit Committee
Prior to the consummation of this offering, we will establish an audit committee of our board of directors. April Salas, Katie McGinty and Tom King will serve as members of our audit committee, and Tom King will chair the audit committee.
Under the NYSE 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. Each of April Salas, Katie McGinty and Tom King meet the independent director standard under NYSE 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 Tom King qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules.
We will adopt an audit committee charter, which will detail 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;
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•
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
Prior to the consummation of this offering, we will establish a compensation committee of our board of directors. April Salas, Katie McGinty, Tom King and John Woolard will serve as members of our compensation committee. Under the NYSE 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. April Salas, Katie McGinty and Tom King are independent, and April Salas will chair the compensation committee.
We will adopt a compensation committee charter, which will detail the principal functions of the compensation committee, including:
•
reviewing and approving on an annual basis the corporate goals and objectives relevant to our Chief Executive Officer’s compensation, if any is paid by us, evaluating our Chief Executive Officer’s performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration (if any) of our Chief Executive Officer 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;
•
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
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•
reviewing, evaluating and recommending changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration for directors.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, as indicated above, other than the $40,000 per month, for up to 24 months, payable to our sponsor or an affiliate thereof pursuant to the Administrative Support Agreement in reimbursement for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support and other services made available to us, of which the substantial majority will be to reimburse our sponsor or an affiliate thereof for payments in respect of their services to the sponsor to Mr. Susman, our Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, and a full-time investment associate dedicated to managing the sponsor's investment in the Company, and the reimbursement of any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf, no compensation of any kind, including finders, consulting or other similar fees, will be paid to any of our existing stockholders, officers, directors or any of their respective affiliates, prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate the consummation of an initial business combination. 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 will also provide 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 the NYSE and the SEC.
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
Prior to the consummation of this offering, we will establish a nominating and corporate governance committee. The members of our nominating and corporate governance will be April Salas, Katie McGinty, Tom King and John Woolard. Katie McGinty will serve as chair of the nominating and corporate governance committee.
The primary purposes of our nominating and corporate governance committee will be to assist the board in:
•
identifying, screening and reviewing individuals qualified to serve as directors and recommending to the board of directors candidates for nomination for election at the annual meeting of stockholders or to fill vacancies on the board of directors;
•
developing and recommending to the board of directors and overseeing implementation of our corporate governance guidelines;
•
coordinating and overseeing the annual self-evaluation of the board of directors, its committees, individual directors and management in the governance of the company; and
•
reviewing on a regular basis our overall corporate governance and recommending improvements as and when necessary.
The nominating and corporate governance committee will be governed by a charter that complies with the rules of the NYSE.
Director Nominations
Our nominating and corporate governance committee will recommend to the board of directors candidates for nomination for election at the annual meeting of the stockholders. 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.
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Code of Ethics
Prior to the consummation of this offering, we will have adopted a Code of Ethics applicable to our directors, officers and employees. We will file a copy of our Code of Ethics and our audit and compensation committee charters as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. You will be able to review these documents by accessing our public filings at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. In addition, a copy of the Code of Ethics will be provided without charge upon request from us. We intend to disclose any amendments to or waivers of certain provisions of our Code of Ethics in a Current Report on Form 8-K. See the section of this prospectus entitled “Where You Can Find Additional Information.”
Corporate Governance Guidelines
Our board of directors will adopt corporate governance guidelines in accordance with the corporate governance rules of the NYSE that serve as a flexible framework within which our board of directors and its committees operate. These guidelines will cover a number of areas including board membership criteria and director qualifications, director responsibilities, board agenda, roles of the chair of the board, chief executive officer and presiding director, meetings of independent directors, committee responsibilities and assignments, board member access to management and independent advisors, director communications with third parties, director compensation, director orientation and continuing education, evaluation of senior management and management succession planning. A copy of our corporate governance guidelines will be posted on our website.
Conflicts of Interest
Affiliates of our management team may compete with us for business combination opportunities. If these entities decide to pursue any such opportunity, we may be precluded from procuring such opportunities. In addition, investment ideas generated within affiliates of our management team may be suitable for both us and for another entity and may be directed to such entity rather than to us. Members of our management team who are also employed by such entities have no obligation to present us with any opportunity for a potential business combination of which they become aware, unless presented to such member solely in his or her capacity as an officer of the company. Members of our management team, in their capacities as employees or principals of their affiliates or in their other endeavors, currently are required to present certain investment opportunities and potential business combinations to the various related entities described above, or third parties, before they present such opportunities to us.
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. 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 to present the opportunity to such entity, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such opportunity to such entity. We believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will not materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination, as we believe any such opportunities presented would be smaller than what we are interested in, or to entities that are not themselves in the business of engaging in business combinations. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide 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, and to the extent the director or officer is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation.
In addition, members of our management team or their affiliates may sponsor other blank check companies similar to ours during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination, and members of our management team may participate in such blank check companies. These relationships may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an acquisition target. However, we do not believe that any potential conflicts would materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
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Potential investors should also be aware of the following other potential conflicts of interest:
•
None of our officers or directors is required to commit his or her full time to our affairs and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating his or her time among various business activities.
•
In the course of their other business activities, our officers and directors may become aware of investment and business opportunities which may be appropriate for presentation to us, as well as the other entities with which they are affiliated. Our management may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.
•
Our initial stockholders will not be entitled to redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination. Additionally, our initial stockholders will not be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares held by them if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within 24 months after the closing of this offering. If we do not complete our initial business combination within such applicable time period, the proceeds of the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares, and the private placement warrants will expire worthless. With certain limited exceptions, the founder shares will not be transferable, assignable by our sponsor until the earlier of: (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination or (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the reported closing 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. With certain limited exceptions, the private placement warrants and the Class A common stock underlying such warrants, will not be transferable, assignable or saleable by our sponsor or its permitted transferees until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. Since our sponsor and officers and directors will directly or indirectly own common stock and warrants following this offering, our officers and directors 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.
•
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 was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.
•
Our sponsor, officers or directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a business combination and financing arrangements as we may obtain loans from our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or any of our officers or directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. Such warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period.
The conflicts described above may not be resolved in our favor.
In general, officers and directors of a corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware are required to present business opportunities to a corporation if:
•
the corporation could financially undertake the opportunity;
•
the opportunity is within the corporation’s line of business; and
•
it would not be fair to our company and its stockholders for the opportunity not to be brought to the attention of the corporation.
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Accordingly, as a result of multiple business affiliations, our officers and directors may have similar legal obligations relating to presenting business opportunities meeting the above-listed criteria to multiple entities. Furthermore, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide 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, and to the extent the director or officer is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation.
Below is a table summarizing the entities to which our officers, directors and director nominees currently have fiduciary duties or contractual obligations:
|
Individual(1)
|
| |
Entity
|
| |
Entity’s Business
|
| |
Affiliation
|
|
|
David Lincoln
|
| | Activate Capital | | | Investments | | | Managing Director and Founder | |
| | | | Element Partners | | | Investments | | | Managing Partner and Founder | |
| | | |
Parsable, Inc.
Element Analytics
|
| |
Technology
Technology
|
| |
Director
Director
|
|
|
Tim Healy
|
| | Dynamo Energy Hub | | | Energy | | | Strategic Advisor | |
| | | | inBalance | | | Energy Technology | | | Strategic Advisor | |
| | | | LO3 Energy | | | Energy | | | Strategic Advisor | |
| | | | Trilantic Capital Partners | | | Investments | | | Executive Advisor | |
| | | | Packetized Energy | | | Energy Technology | | | Executive Advisor | |
| | | | Activate Capital | | | Investments | | | Advisor | |
|
Jake Susman
|
| | Activate Capital | | | Investments | | | Advisor | |
|
John Woolard
|
| | Meridian Clean Energy, LLC | | | Power Generation | | |
Chief Executive Officer
|
|
| | | | Activate Capital | | | Investments | | | Operating Partner | |
|
Katie McGinty
|
| | Johnson Controls International plc | | | Technology | | | Vice President and Chief Sustainability, Government and Regulatory Affairs Officer | |
|
April Salas
|
| | Re:Public | | | Risk Management | | |
Chief Operating Officer
|
|
|
Tom King
|
| | Entegrado Group, Inc. | | | Utility Services | | | Board Chair | |
| | | | Allied Power Group | | | Utility Services | | | Board Chair | |
| | | | Contract Land Staff | | | Utility Services | | | Board Chair | |
| | | | AEA Investors | | | Investments | | | Executive Partner | |
(1)
Each of the entities listed in this table has priority and preference relative to us with respect to the performance by each individual listed in this table of his obligations and the presentation by each such individual of business opportunities.
Accordingly, if any of the above executive officers, directors or director nominees becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for any of the above entities to which he has current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he will honor his fiduciary or contractual obligations to present
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such business combination opportunity to such entity, and only present it to us if such entity rejects the opportunity. We do not believe, however, that any of the foregoing fiduciary duties or contractual obligations will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with such a company, we, or a committee of independent directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.
Our officers and directors may become an officer or director 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.
In the event that we submit our initial business combination to our public stockholders for a vote, pursuant to the letter agreement, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote any founder shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after the offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination.
Limitation on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that our officers and directors will be indemnified by us to the fullest extent authorized by Delaware law, as it now exists or may in the future be amended. In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that our directors will not be personally liable for monetary damages to us or our stockholders for breaches of their fiduciary duty as directors, unless they violated their duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders, acted in bad faith, knowingly or intentionally violated the law, authorized unlawful payments of dividends, unlawful stock purchases or unlawful redemptions, or derived an improper personal benefit from their actions as directors.
We will enter into agreements with our officers and directors to provide contractual indemnification in addition to the indemnification provided for in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Our bylaws also will permit us to secure insurance on behalf of any officer, director or employee for any liability arising out of his or her actions, regardless of whether Delaware law would permit such indemnification. We will purchase a policy of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance that insures our officers and directors against the cost of defense, settlement or payment of a judgment in some circumstances and insures us against our obligations to indemnify our officers and directors. Except with respect to any public shares they may acquire in this offering or thereafter (in the event we do not consummate an initial business combination), our officers and directors have agreed to waive (and any other persons who may become an officer or director prior to the initial business combination will also be required to waive) any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the trust account, and not to seek recourse against the trust account for any reason whatsoever, including with respect to such indemnification.
These provisions may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against our directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against officers and directors, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our stockholders. Furthermore, a stockholder’s investment may be adversely affected to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against officers and directors pursuant to these indemnification provisions.
We believe that these provisions, the directors’ and officers’ liability insurance and the indemnity agreements are necessary to attract and retain talented and experienced officers and directors.
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PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS
The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of the date of this prospectus, and as adjusted to reflect the sale of our common stock included in the units offered by this prospectus, and assuming no purchase of units in this offering, 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, directors and director nominees; and
•
all our executive officers, directors and director nominees as a group.
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. The following table does not reflect record or beneficial ownership of the private placement warrants as these warrants are not exercisable within 60 days of the date of this prospectus.
In March 2021, 7,187,500 founder shares were issued to our sponsor in exchange for a capital contribution of $25,000, or approximately $0.003 per share. The following table presents the number of shares and percentage of our common stock owned by our initial stockholders before and after this offering. The post-offering numbers and percentages presented assume that the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option, that our sponsor forfeits an aggregate 937,500 founder shares, and that there are 31,250,000 shares of our common stock, consisting of (i) 25,000,000 shares of our Class A common stock and (ii) 6,250,000 shares of our Class B common stock, issued and outstanding after this offering.
| | | |
Before Offering
|
| |
After Offering
|
| ||||||
|
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1)
|
| |
Number of
Shares Beneficially Owned(2) |
| |
Approximate
Percentage of Outstanding Common Stock |
| |
Number
of Shares Beneficially Owned(2) |
| |
Approximate
Percentage of Outstanding Common Stock |
|
|
APCC Sponsor LLC(3)
|
| |
7,187,500
|
| |
100.0%
|
| |
6,250,000
|
| |
20.0%
|
|
|
David Lincoln
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
Tim Healy
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
Jake Susman
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
John Woolard
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
Katie McGinty
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
April Salas
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
Tom King
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
All executive officers, directors and director nominees as a group (7 individuals)
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
(1)
Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each of the beneficial owners is 50 California Street, Suite 680, San Francisco, CA 94111.
(2)
Interests shown consist solely of founder shares, classified as shares of Class B common stock. Such shares are convertible into shares of Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment, as described in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities.”
(3)
Our sponsor is the record holder of such shares. Our sponsor is controlled by its managing member, Activate Capital GP, LLC, an affiliate of Activate Capital, and owned by Activate Capital, members of our management team and other members of our board of directors.
Immediately after this offering, our initial stockholders will beneficially own 20% of the then-issued and outstanding shares of our common stock (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering). If we increase or decrease the size of the offering, we will effect a stock dividend or a share contribution back to capital, or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B common stock immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of our initial stockholders at 20% of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock upon the
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consummation of this offering. Because of this ownership block, our initial stockholders may be able to effectively influence the outcome of all matters requiring approval by our stockholders, including the election of directors, amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and approval of significant corporate transactions, including approval of our initial business combination.
The holders of the founder shares have agreed (A) to vote any shares owned by them in favor of any proposed initial business combination and (B) not to redeem any shares in connection with a stockholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination or in connection with a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation.
Our sponsor and our executive officers and directors are deemed to be our “promoters” as such term is defined under the federal securities laws.
Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants
The founder shares, private placement warrants and any shares of Class A common stock issued upon conversion or exercise thereof are each 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 salable (i) in the case of the founder shares, until the earlier of (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination or (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the reported closing 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 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 affiliates of our sponsor, (b) in the case of an individual, by gift to a member of one of the members of the individual’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of one of the individual’s immediate family, an affiliate of such person or to a charitable organization; (c) in the case of an individual, by virtue of laws of descent and distribution upon death of the individual; (d) in the case of an individual, pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order; (e) by private sales or transfers made in connection with any forward purchase agreement or similar arrangement or in connection with the consummation of an initial business combination at prices no greater than the price at which the shares or warrants were originally purchased; (f) in the event of our liquidation prior to the completion of our initial business combination; or (g) by virtue of the laws of Delaware or the organizational documents of our sponsor upon dissolution of our sponsor; provided, however, that in the case of clauses (a) through (e) or (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 described elsewhere in this prospectus).
Registration Rights
The holders of (i) the founder shares, which were issued in a private placement prior to the closing of this offering, (ii) private placement warrants, which will be issued in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of this offering and the shares of Class A common stock underlying such private placement warrants and (iii) private placement warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans (and the securities underlying such securities) will have registration rights to require us to register a sale of any of our securities held by them pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering. These holders of these securities will be 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 will have “piggy-back” registration rights to include their securities in other registration statements filed by us, subject to certain limitations. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
In March 2021, 7,187,500 founder shares were issued to our sponsor in exchange for a capital contribution of $25,000, or approximately $0.003 per share. 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 this offering. If we increase or decrease the size of the offering we will effect a stock dividend or a share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B common stock immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of our initial stockholders at 20% of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering. Up to 937,500 founder shares are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. 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 has committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase an aggregate of 5,666,667 (or 6,166,667 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) private placement warrants for a purchase price of $1.50 per warrant in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. As such, our sponsor’s interest in this transaction is valued at between $8,500,000 and $9,250,000, depending on the number of private placement warrants purchased. Each private placement warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of our Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share. The private placement warrants (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.
Commencing on the date of this prospectus, we have agreed to pay our sponsor or an affiliate thereof, a total of $40,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support and other services, of which the substantial majority will be to reimburse our sponsor or an affiliate thereof for payments in respect of their services to the sponsor to Mr. Susman, our Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, and a full-time investment associate dedicated to managing the sponsor's investment in the Company. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.
No compensation of any kind, including any finder’s fee, reimbursement, consulting fee or monies in respect of any payment of a loan, will be paid by us to our sponsor, officers and directors, or any affiliate of our sponsor or officers, prior to, or in connection with any services rendered in order to effectuate, the consummation of an initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). However, these individuals will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. We do not have a policy that prohibits our sponsor, executive officers or directors, or any of their respective affiliates, from negotiating for the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses by a target business. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers, directors or our or any of 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.
Prior to the consummation of this offering, our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to an aggregate of $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. As of June 30, 2021, we had borrowed approximately $128,000 under the promissory note with our sponsor to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. This loan is non-interest bearing, unsecured and is due at the earlier of September 18, 2021 or the closing of this offering. The loan will be repaid upon the closing of this offering out of the $3,500,000 of offering proceeds not held in the trust account and allocated for the payment of offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions) and working capital. The value of our sponsor’s interest in this transaction corresponds to the principal amount outstanding under any such loan.
In addition, in order to 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 an initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. 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
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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 $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period. 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 have agreed to indemnify our sponsor, its affiliates and their respective present and former officers and directors to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law from any claims made by us or a third party in respect of any investment opportunities sourced by them or any liability arising with respect to their activities in connection with our affairs, to the extent that such indemnification, hold harmless and exoneration obligations with respect to such matters are not expressly covered by a separate written agreement between us and any such party. Such indemnity will provide that the indemnified parties cannot access the funds held in our trust account.
After our initial business combination, members of our management team who remain with us 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 proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, furnished to our stockholders. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of distribution of such proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, as it will be up to the directors of the post-combination business to determine executive and director compensation.
We will enter into a registration rights agreement with respect to the private placement warrants, the warrants issuable upon conversion of working capital loans (if any) and the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the foregoing and upon conversion of the founder shares, which is described under the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities—Registration Rights.”
Policy for Approval of Related Party Transactions
The audit committee of our board of directors will adopt a policy setting forth the policies and procedures for its review and approval or ratification of “related party transactions.” A “related party transaction” is any consummated or proposed transaction or series of transactions: (i) in which the company was or is to be a participant; (ii) the amount of which exceeds (or is reasonably expected to exceed) $120,000 in the aggregate over the duration of the transaction (without regard to profit or loss); and (iii) in which a “related party” had, has or will have a direct or indirect material interest. “Related parties” under this policy will include: (i) our directors, nominees for director or executive officers; (ii) any record or beneficial owner of more than 5% of any class of our voting securities; (iii) any immediate family member of any of the foregoing if the foregoing person is a natural person; and (iv) any other person who maybe a “related person” pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act. Pursuant to the policy, the audit committee will consider (i) the relevant facts and circumstances of each related party transaction, including if the transaction is on terms comparable to those that could be obtained in arm’s-length dealings with an unrelated third party, (ii) the extent of the related party’s interest in the transaction, (iii) whether the transaction contravenes our code of ethics or other policies, (iv) whether the audit committee believes the relationship underlying the transaction to be in the best interests of the company and its stockholders and (v) the effect that the transaction may have on a director’s status as an independent member of the board and on his or her eligibility to serve on the board’s committees. Management will present to the audit committee each proposed related party transaction, including all relevant facts and circumstances relating thereto. Under the policy, we may consummate related party transactions only if our audit committee approves or ratifies the transaction in accordance with the guidelines set forth in the policy. The policy will not permit any director or executive officer to participate in the discussion of, or decision concerning, a related person transaction in which he or she is the related party.
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DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES
Pursuant to our certificate of incorporation, our authorized capital stock consists of 200,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value, 20,000,000 shares of Class B common stock, $0.0001 par value, and 1,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock, $0.0001 par value. The following description summarizes the material terms of our capital stock. Because it is only a summary, it may not contain all the information that is important to you.
Units
Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one share of Class A common stock and one-third of one public warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of our Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus. Only whole warrants are exercisable. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade.
We expect the Class A common stock and public warrants will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless the representatives inform us of their decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the shares of Class A common stock and public warrants commence separate trading, holders will have the option to continue to hold units or separate their units into the component securities. Holders will need to have their brokers contact our transfer agent in order to separate the units into shares of Class A common stock and public warrants.
In no event will the Class A common stock and public warrants be traded separately until we have filed a Current Report on Form 8-K with the SEC, which includes an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds at the closing of this offering. We will file a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes this audited balance sheet upon the completion of this offering, which closing is anticipated to take place three business days after the date of this prospectus. If the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.
Common Stock
Upon the closing of this offering, 31,250,000 shares of our common stock will be outstanding (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option and the corresponding forfeiture of 937,500 founder shares by our sponsor), consisting of:
•
25,000,000 shares of our Class A common stock underlying the units being offered in this offering; and
•
6,250,000 shares of Class B common stock held by our initial stockholders.
If we increase or decrease the size of the offering we will effect a stock dividend or a share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B common stock immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of our initial stockholders at 20% of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering.
Common stockholders of record are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by stockholders. Holders of record of the Class A common stock and holders of record of the Class B common stock will vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of our stockholders, with each share of common stock entitling the holder to one vote except as required by law. Unless specified in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or bylaws, or as required by applicable provisions of the DGCL or applicable stock exchange rules, the affirmative vote of a majority of our shares of common stock that are voted is required to approve any such matter voted on by our stockholders. Our board of directors will be divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for
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a term of three years with only one class of directors being elected in each year. There is no cumulative voting with respect to the election of directors, with the result that the holders of more than 50% of the shares voted for the election of directors can elect all of the directors. Our stockholders are entitled to receive ratable dividends when, as and if declared by the board of directors out of funds legally available therefor.
Because our amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes the issuance of up to 200,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, if we were to enter into an initial business combination, we may (depending on the terms of such an initial business combination) be required to increase the number of shares of Class A common stock which we are authorized to issue at the same time as our stockholders vote on the initial business combination to the extent we seek stockholder approval in connection with our initial business combination.
In accordance with NYSE corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until no later than one year after our first full fiscal year end following our listing on the NYSE. Under Section 211(b) of the DGCL, we are, however, required to hold an annual meeting of stockholders for the purposes of electing directors in accordance with our bylaws, unless such election is made by written consent in lieu of such a meeting. We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders to elect new directors prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, and thus we may not be in compliance with Section 211(b) of the DGCL, which requires an annual meeting. Therefore, if our stockholders want us to hold an annual meeting prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, they may attempt to force us to hold one by submitting an application to the Delaware Court of Chancery in accordance with Section 211(c) of the DGCL.
We will provide our stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares 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 as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be approximately $10.00 per public share. The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. Our sponsor, officers and directors will not be entitled to 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. We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares 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) without a stockholder vote by means of a tender offer. If we seek stockholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the initial 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. If we conduct redemptions by means of a tender offer, the tender offer documents will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules.
If we seek stockholder approval, the participation of our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or any of their affiliates in privately negotiated transactions (as described in this prospectus), if any, could result in the approval of our initial business combination even if a majority of our public stockholders vote, or indicate their intention to vote, against such 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. 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 initial stockholders, may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination.
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
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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 Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares of common stock sold in this offering, which we refer to as the Excess Shares. However, we would not be restricting our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination. Our stockholders’ inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce their influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination, and such stockholders could suffer a material loss in their investment if they sell such Excess Shares on the open market. Additionally, such stockholders will not receive redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares if we complete the initial business combination. And, as a result, such stockholders will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 15% and, in order to dispose such shares would be required to sell their stock in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.
If we seek stockholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, pursuant to a letter agreement, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote their founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination.
As a result, in addition to our initial stockholders’ founder shares, we would need only 9,375,001, or 37.5% (assuming all outstanding shares are voted and the over- allotment option is not exercised) of the 25,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved. Additionally, each public stockholder may elect to redeem its public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction or whether they were a stockholder on the record date for the stockholder meeting held to approve the proposed transaction (subject to the limitation described in the preceding paragraph).
Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but no more than 10 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 and not previously released to us to pay our taxes (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, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Our sponsor, officers and directors will not be entitled 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 within 24 months from the closing of this offering. However, if our initial stockholders acquire public shares in or after this 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 the prescribed time period.
In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company after an initial business combination, our stockholders are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining available for distribution to them after payment of liabilities and after provision is made for each class of stock, if any, having preference over the common stock. Our stockholders have no preemptive or other subscription rights. There are no sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock, except that we will provide our stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which will be net of taxes paid by us) upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein.
Founder Shares
The founder shares are identical to the shares of Class A common stock included in the units being sold in this offering, and holders of founder shares have the same stockholder rights as public stockholders, except that (i) the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail
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below, (ii) our sponsor, officers and directors will not be entitled to (A) 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, (B) redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (x) modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide for the redemption of our public shares in connection with an initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (y) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, or (C) liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, 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 such time period, (iii) the founder shares are shares of our Class B common stock that will automatically convert into shares of our Class A common stock at the time of our initial business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment pursuant to certain anti-dilution rights as described herein and (iv) are entitled to registration rights. If we submit our initial business combination to our public stockholders for a vote, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed (and its permitted transferees will agree) pursuant to the letter agreement 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 our initial business combination.
In the case that additional shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities are issued or deemed issued in connection with our initial business combination, the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of all founder shares 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 the completion of this offering, plus the total number of shares of Class A common stock issued, or deemed issued or issuable upon conversion or exercise of any equity-linked securities or rights issued or deemed issued, by the Company in connection with or in relation to the consummation of the initial business combination, excluding any shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities exercisable for or convertible into shares of Class A common stock issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any private placement-equivalent warrants issued to our sponsor, officers or directors upon conversion of working capital loans; provided that such conversion of founder shares will never occur on a less than one for one basis. We cannot determine at this time whether a majority of the holders of our Class B common stock at the time of any future issuance would agree to waive such adjustment to the conversion ratio. They may waive such adjustment due to (but not limited to) the following: (i) closing conditions that are part of the agreement for our initial business combination; (ii) negotiation with Class A stockholders on structuring an initial business combination; or (iii) negotiation with parties providing financing that would trigger the anti-dilution provisions of the Class B common stock. If such adjustment is not waived, the issuance would not reduce the percentage ownership of holders of our Class B common stock, but would reduce the percentage ownership of holders of our Class A common stock. If such adjustment is waived, the issuance would reduce the percentage ownership of holders of both classes of our common stock. The term “equity-linked securities” refers to any debt or equity securities that are convertible, exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Class A common stock issued in a financing transaction in connection with our initial business combination, including but not limited to a private placement of equity or debt. Securities could be “deemed issued” for purposes of the conversion rate adjustment if such shares are issuable upon the conversion or exercise of convertible securities, warrants or similar securities.
With certain limited exceptions, the founder shares are not transferable, assignable or salable (except to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with our sponsor, each of whom will be subject to the same transfer restrictions) until the earlier of (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination or (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the reported closing 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, following the completion of our initial business combination, 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.
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Preferred Stock
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that shares of preferred stock may be issued from time to time in one or more series. Our board of directors will be authorized to fix the voting rights, if any, designations, powers, preferences, the relative, participating, optional or other special rights and any qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, applicable to the shares of each series. Our board of directors will be able to, without stockholder approval, issue preferred stock with voting and other rights that could adversely affect the voting power and other rights of the holders of the common stock and could have anti-takeover effects. The ability of our board of directors to issue preferred stock without stockholder approval could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change of control of us or the removal of existing management. We have no preferred stock outstanding at the date hereof. Although we do not currently intend to issue any shares of preferred stock, we cannot assure you that we will not do so in the future. No shares of preferred stock are being issued or registered in this offering.
Warrants
Public Stockholders’ Warrants
Each whole warrant entitles the registered holder to purchase one share of our Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as discussed below, at any time commencing on the later of 12 months from the closing of this offering and 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. Pursuant to the public warrant agreement, a warrantholder may exercise its public warrants only for a whole number of shares of Class A common stock. This means only a whole warrant may be exercised at a given time by a warrantholder. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least three units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant. The warrants will expire five years after the completion of our initial business combination, at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
We will not be obligated to deliver any shares of Class A common stock pursuant to the exercise of a public warrant and will have no obligation to settle such warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to the shares of Class A common stock underlying the warrants is then effective and a current prospectus relating thereto is current, subject to our satisfying our obligations described below with respect to registration. No public warrant will be exercisable and we will not be obligated to issue shares of Class A common stock upon exercise of a warrant unless Class A common stock issuable upon such warrant exercise has been registered, qualified or deemed to be exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the registered holder of the public warrants. In the event that the conditions in the two immediately preceding sentences are not satisfied with respect to a public 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 we be required to net cash settle any public warrant. In the event that a registration statement is not effective for the exercised public warrants, the purchaser of a unit containing such warrant, if not cash settled, will have paid the full purchase price for the unit solely for the share of Class A common stock underlying such unit.
We are not registering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants at this time. However, we have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our best efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement registering the issuance of the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the public warrants, to cause such registration statement to become effective and to maintain a current prospectus relating to those shares of Class A common stock until the public warrants expire or are redeemed, as specified in the public warrant agreement. If a registration statement covering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the public warrants is not effective by the 60th business day after the closing of our initial business combination or within a specified period following the consummation of our initial business combination, warrantholders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise public warrants on a “cashless basis” pursuant to the exemption provided by Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act; provided that such exemption is available. If that exemption, or another exemption, is not available, holders will not be able to exercise their public warrants on a cashless basis.
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Redemption of public warrants.
Once the public warrants become exercisable, we may call the public warrants for redemption for cash:
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in whole and not in part;
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at a price of $0.01 per warrant;
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upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption (the “30-day redemption period”) to each warrantholder; and
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if, and only if, the reported closing price of the Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending three business days before we send the notice of redemption to the warrantholders.
If and when the public warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of shares of common stock upon exercise of the public warrants is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or we are unable to effect such registration or qualification. We will use our best efforts to register or qualify such shares of common stock under the blue sky laws of the state of residence in those states in which the public warrants were initially offered by us in this offering.
We have established the last of the redemption criteria discussed above to prevent a redemption call unless there is at the time of the call a significant premium to the warrant exercise price. If the foregoing conditions are satisfied and we issue a notice of redemption of the public warrants, each warrantholder will be entitled to exercise its public warrants prior to the scheduled redemption date. However, the price of the Class A common stock may fall below the $18.00 redemption trigger price (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like), as well as the $11.50 warrant exercise price after the redemption notice is issued.
If we call the public warrants for redemption as described above, we will have the option to require any holder that wishes to exercise its public warrant to do so on a “cashless basis.” In determining whether to require all holders to exercise their public warrants on a “cashless basis,” we will consider, among other factors, our cash position, the number of public warrants that are outstanding and the dilutive effect on our stockholders of issuing the maximum number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of our public warrants. If we take advantage of this option, all holders of public warrants would pay the exercise price by surrendering their public 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” means the 10-day average closing price as of the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of the warrants. If we take advantage of this option, the notice of redemption will contain the information necessary to calculate the number of shares of Class A common stock to be received upon exercise of the warrants, including the “fair market value” in such case. Requiring a cashless exercise in this manner will reduce the number of shares to be issued and thereby lessen the dilutive effect of a warrant redemption. We believe this feature is an attractive option to us if we do not need the cash from the exercise of the warrants after our initial business combination. If we call our warrants for redemption and we do not take advantage of this option, our sponsor and its permitted transferees would still be entitled to exercise their private placement warrants for cash or on a cashless basis using the same formula described above that other warrantholders would have been required to use had all warrantholders been required to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis, as described in more detail below.
Redemption Procedures
A holder of a public warrant may notify us in writing in the event it elects to be subject to a requirement that such holder will not have the right to exercise such warrant, to the extent that after giving effect to such exercise, such person (together with such person’s affiliates), to the warrant agent’s actual
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knowledge, would beneficially own in excess of 9.8% (or such other amount as a holder may specify) of the shares of Class A common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise.
Anti-Dilution Adjustments
If the number of outstanding shares of Class A common stock is increased by a stock dividend payable in shares of Class A common stock, or by a split-up of shares of Class A common stock or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such stock dividend, split-up or similar event, the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable on exercise of each public warrant will be increased in proportion to such increase in the outstanding shares of Class A common stock. A rights offering to holders of Class A common stock entitling holders to purchase shares of Class A common stock at a price less than the fair market value will be deemed a stock dividend of a number of shares of Class A common stock equal to the product of (i) the number of shares of Class A common stock actually sold in such rights offering (or issuable under any other equity securities sold in such rights offering that are convertible into or exercisable for Class A common stock) and (ii) one minus the quotient of (x) the price per share of Class A common stock paid in such rights offering divided by (y) the fair market value. For these purposes if the rights offering is for securities convertible into or exercisable for Class A common stock, in determining the price payable for Class A common stock, there will be taken into account any consideration received for such rights, as well as any additional amount payable upon exercise or conversion “10-day average closing price” shall mean, as of any date, the average last reported sale price of the Class A common stock as reported during the 10 trading day period ending on the trading day prior to such date. “Fair market value” means the 10-day average closing price as of the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of the warrants. “10-day average closing price” shall mean, as of any date, the average last reported sale price of the Class A common stock as reported during the 10 trading day period ending on the trading day prior to such date. “Last reported sale price” means the last reported sale price of the shares of Class A common stock on the date prior to the date on which notice of exercise of the warrant is sent to the warrant agent. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, no shares of Class A common stock shall be issued at less than their par value.
In addition, if we, at any time while the public warrants are outstanding and unexpired, pay a dividend or make a distribution in cash, securities or other assets to the holders of Class A common stock on account of such shares of Class A common stock (or other shares of our capital stock into which the warrants are convertible), other than (a) as described above, (b) certain ordinary cash dividends, (c) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Class A common stock in connection with a proposed initial business combination, (d) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Class A common stock in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (i) modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide for the redemption of our public shares in connection with an initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (ii) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, or (e) in connection with the redemption of our public shares upon our failure to complete our initial business combination, then the warrant exercise price will be decreased, effective immediately after the effective date of such event, by the amount of cash and/or the fair market value of any securities or other assets paid on each share of Class A common stock in respect of such event.
If the number of outstanding shares of our Class A common stock is decreased by a consolidation, combination, reverse stock split or reclassification of shares of Class A common stock or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such consolidation, combination, reverse stock split, reclassification or similar event, the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable on exercise of each public warrant will be decreased in proportion to such decrease in outstanding shares of Class A common stock.
Whenever the number of shares of Class A common stock purchasable upon the exercise of the public warrants is adjusted, as described above, the warrant exercise price will be adjusted by multiplying the warrant exercise price immediately prior to such adjustment by a fraction (x) the numerator of which will be the number of shares of Class A common stock purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants immediately prior to such adjustment, and (y) the denominator of which will be the number of shares of Class A common stock so purchasable immediately thereafter.
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In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding shares of Class A common stock (other than those described above or that solely affects the par value of such shares of Class A common stock), or in the case of any merger or consolidation of us with or into another corporation (other than a consolidation or merger in which we are the continuing corporation and that does not result in any reclassification or reorganization of our outstanding shares of Class A common stock), or in the case of any sale or conveyance to another corporation or entity of the assets or other property of us as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in connection with which we are dissolved, the holders of the warrants will thereafter have the right to purchase and receive, upon the basis and upon the terms and conditions specified in the public warrants and in lieu of the shares of our Class A common stock immediately theretofore purchasable and receivable upon the exercise of the rights represented thereby, the kind and amount of shares of stock or other securities or property (including cash) receivable upon such reclassification, reorganization, merger or consolidation, or upon a dissolution following any such sale or transfer, that the holder of the warrants would have received if such holder had exercised their public warrants immediately prior to such event. If less than 70% of the consideration receivable by the holders of Class A common stock in such a transaction is payable in the form of Class A common stock in the successor entity that is listed for trading on a national securities exchange or is quoted in an established over-the-counter market, or is to be so listed for trading or quoted immediately following such event, and if the registered holder of the public warrant properly exercises the public warrant within 30 days following public disclosure of such transaction, the warrant exercise price will be reduced as specified in the public warrant agreement based on the Black-Scholes value (as defined in the public warrant agreement) of the warrant. The purpose of such exercise price reduction is to provide additional value to holders of the public warrants when an extraordinary transaction occurs during the exercise period of the public warrants pursuant to which the holders of the warrants otherwise do not receive the full potential value of the public warrants. This formula is to compensate the warrant holder for the loss of the option value portion of the warrant due to the requirement that the warrant holder exercise the warrant within 30 days of the event. The Black-Scholes model is an accepted pricing model for estimating fair market value where no quoted market price for an instrument is available.
The public warrants will be issued in registered form under a public warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. You should review a copy of the public warrant agreement, which will be filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, for a complete description of the terms and conditions applicable to the public warrants. The public warrant agreement provides that the terms of the public warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any mistake, including to conform the provisions of the public warrant agreement to the description of the terms of the public warrants and the public warrant agreement set forth in this prospectus, or to correct any defective provision, but requires the approval by the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding public warrants to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of public warrants.
The public warrants may be exercised upon surrender of the warrant certificate on or prior to the expiration date at the offices of the warrant agent, with the exercise form on the reverse side of the warrant certificate completed and executed as indicated, accompanied by full payment of the exercise price (or on a cashless basis, if applicable), by certified or official bank check payable to us, for the number of public warrants being exercised. The warrantholders do not have the rights or privileges of holders of Class A common stock or any voting rights until they exercise their public warrants and receive shares of Class A common stock. After the issuance of shares of Class A common stock upon exercise of the public warrants, each holder will be entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters to be voted on by stockholders.
No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the warrants. If, upon exercise of the warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number of shares of Class A common stock to be issued to the warrantholder. As a result, warrantholders not purchasing an even number of warrants must sell any odd number of warrants in order to obtain full value from the fractional interests that will not be issued.
In addition, if (x) in connection with the closing of the initial business combination, we issue additional shares of common stock or securities of ours or any of our subsidiaries which are convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for, equity securities of ours or such subsidiary, including any securities
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issued by us or any of our subsidiaries which are pledged to secure any obligation of any holder to purchase equity securities of ours or any of our subsidiaries, at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per share of common stock, with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by the Board (and in the case of any such issuance to the Sponsor or its affiliates, without taking into account any shares of common stock of ours issued prior to the offering and 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, and interest thereon, available for the funding of the initial business combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of our common stock during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which we consummate our initial business combination (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, (i) the warrant price shall be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the fair market value and the Newly Issued Price and (ii) the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price shall be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.
We have agreed that, subject to applicable law, any action, proceeding or claim against us arising out of or relating in any way to the public warrant agreement will be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and we irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction will be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. See “Risk Factors—Our public warrant agreement will designate the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by holders of our public warrants, which could limit the ability of warrant holders to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with our company.” This provision applies to claims under the Securities Act but does not apply to claims under the Exchange Act or any claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum.
Private Placement Warrants
The private placement warrants (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination (except, among other limited exceptions as described under the section of this prospectus entitled “Principal Stockholders—Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants,” to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with our sponsor) and they will not be redeemable by us. Except as described below, the private placement warrants have terms and provisions that are identical to those of the public warrants in this paragraph and being sold as part of the units in this offering, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period.
If holders of the private placement warrants elect to exercise them on a cashless basis, they would pay the exercise price by surrendering their warrants in exchange for a number of shares of Class A common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of (A) the number of shares of Class A common stock underlying the warrants and (B) the excess of the “10-day average closing price” as of the date prior to the date on which notice of exercise is sent or given to the warrant agent, less the warrant exercise price by (y) the 10-day average closing price. The “10-day average closing price” means, as of any date, the average last reported sale price of the Class A common stock as reported during the 10 trading day period ending on the trading day prior to such date. “Last reported sale price” means the last reported sale price of the shares of Class A common stock on the date prior to the date on which notice of exercise of the warrant is sent to the warrant agent. The reason that we have 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 an initial business combination. If they remain affiliated with us, their ability to sell our securities in the open market will be significantly limited. We expect to have policies in place that prohibit insiders from selling our securities except during specific periods of time. Even during such periods of time when insiders will be permitted to sell our securities, an insider cannot trade in our securities if he or she is in possession of material non-public information. Accordingly, unlike public stockholders who could exercise their warrants sell the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants freely in the open market, the insiders could be significantly
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restricted from doing so. As a result, we believe that allowing the holders to exercise such warrants on a cashless basis is appropriate.
In order to 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. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. Such warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period. The terms of such working capital loans by our sponsor or their affiliates, or our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans.
Our sponsor has agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private 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 we complete our initial business combination, except that, among other limited exceptions as described under the section of this prospectus entitled “Principal Stockholders—Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants” made to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with our sponsor.
Dividends
We have not paid any cash dividends on our common stock to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of an initial business combination. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial conditions subsequent to completion of an initial business combination. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to an initial business combination will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time. If we increase or decrease the size of this offering we will effect a stock dividend or a share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B common stock immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of our initial stockholders at 20% of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering. Further, if we incur any indebtedness, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.
Our Transfer Agent and Warrant Agent
The transfer agent for our common stock and warrant agent for our warrants is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company. We have agreed to indemnify Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company in its roles as transfer agent and warrant agent, its agents and each of its stockholders, directors, officers and employees against all claims and losses that may arise out of acts performed or omitted for its activities in that capacity, except for any liability due to any gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of the indemnified person or entity.
Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains certain requirements and restrictions relating to this offering that will apply to us until the completion of our initial business combination. These provisions cannot be amended without the approval of the holders of 65% of our common stock. Our initial stockholders, who will collectively beneficially own 20% of our common stock upon the closing of this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering), will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. Specifically, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide, among other things, that:
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if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter subject to lawfully available funds therefor, redeem 100% of 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
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pay our taxes (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, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law;
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prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional shares of capital stock that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account, (ii) vote on any initial business combination or (iii) vote on matters related to our pre-initial business combination activity;
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although we do not intend to enter into an initial business combination with a target business that is affiliated with our sponsor, our directors or our officers, we are not prohibited from doing so. In the event we enter into such a transaction, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view;
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if a stockholder vote on our initial business combination is not required by law and we do not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will offer to redeem our public shares pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, and will file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination, which contain substantially the same financial and other information about our initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act; whether or not we maintain our registration under the our Exchange Act or our listing on the NYSE, we will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares by one of the two methods listed above;
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so long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on the NYSE, NYSE rules require that we must consummate an initial business combination with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the trust account (net of amounts disbursed to management for working capital purposes, if permitted, and excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting commissions);
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if our stockholders approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to (A) modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide for the redemption of our public shares in connection with an initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, we will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of Class A common stock upon such approval 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, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares; and
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we will not effectuate our initial business combination with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations.
In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide 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 deferred underwriters’ fees and commissions.
Certain Anti-Takeover Provisions of Delaware Law and our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws
We will be subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the DGCL regulating corporate takeovers upon completion of this offering. This statute prevents certain Delaware corporations, under certain circumstances, from engaging in a “business combination” with:
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a stockholder who owns 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock (otherwise known as an “interested stockholder”);
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an affiliate of an interested stockholder; or
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an associate of an interested stockholder, for three years following the date that the stockholder became an interested stockholder.
A “business combination” includes a merger or sale of more than 10% of our assets. However, the above provisions of Section 203 do not apply if:
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our board of directors approves the transaction that made the stockholder an “interested stockholder,” prior to the date of the transaction;
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after the completion of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, that stockholder owned at least 85% of our voting stock outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, other than statutorily excluded shares of common stock; or
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on or subsequent to the date of the transaction, the initial business combination is approved by our board of directors and authorized at a meeting of our stockholders, and not by written consent, by an affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock not owned by the interested stockholder.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that our board of directors will be classified into three classes of directors. As a result, in most circumstances, a person can gain control of our board of directors only by successfully engaging in a proxy contest at two or more annual meetings.
Our authorized but unissued common stock and preferred stock are available for future issuances without stockholder approval and could be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes, including future offerings to raise additional capital, acquisitions and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued and unreserved common stock and preferred stock could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise.
Exclusive forum for certain lawsuits
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that derivative actions brought in our name, actions against directors, officers and employees for breach of fiduciary duty and certain other actions may be brought only in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware, except any action (A) as to which the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery within ten days following such determination), (B) which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than the Court of Chancery or (C) for which the Court of Chancery does not have subject matter jurisdiction. If an action is brought outside of Delaware, the stockholder bringing the suit will be deemed to have consented to service of process on such stockholder’s counsel. Although we believe this provision benefits us by providing increased consistency in the application of law in the types of lawsuits to which it applies, a court may determine that this provision is unenforceable, and to the extent it is enforceable, the provision may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors and officers.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that the exclusive forum provision will be applicable to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, subject to certain exceptions. Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. As a result, the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. We note, however, that there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce this provision and that investors cannot waive
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compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for state and federal courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.
Special meeting of stockholders
Our bylaws provide that special meetings of our stockholders may be called only by a majority vote of our board of directors, by our Chief Executive Officer or by the Chair or a Co-Chair of the board of directors.
Advance notice requirements for stockholder proposals and director nominations
Our bylaws provide that stockholders seeking to bring business before our annual meeting of stockholders, or to nominate candidates for election as directors at our annual meeting of stockholders, must provide timely notice of their intent in writing. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice will need to be received by our secretary at our principal executive offices not later than the close of business on the 90th day nor earlier than the opening of business on the 120th day prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of stockholders. Pursuant to Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act, proposals seeking inclusion in our annual proxy statement must comply with the notice periods contained therein. Our bylaws also specify certain requirements as to the form and content of a stockholders’ meeting. These provisions may preclude our stockholders from bringing matters before our annual meeting of stockholders or from making nominations for directors at our annual meeting of stockholders.
Action by written consent
Subsequent to the consummation of the offering, any action required or permitted to be taken by our common stockholders must be effected by a duly called annual or special meeting of such stockholders and may not be effected by written consent of the stockholders other than with respect to our Class B common stock.
Classified Board of Directors
Our board of directors will initially be divided into three classes, Class I, Class II and Class III, with members of each class serving staggered three-year terms. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that the authorized number of directors may be changed only by resolution of the board of directors. Subject to the terms of any preferred stock, any or all of the directors may be removed from office at any time, but only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the voting power of all then outstanding shares of our capital stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class. Any vacancy on our board of directors, including a vacancy resulting from an enlargement of our board of directors, may be filled only by vote of a majority of our directors then in office.
Class B Common Stock Consent Right
For so long as any shares of Class B common stock remain outstanding, we may not, without the prior vote or written consent of the holders of a majority of the shares of Class B common stock then outstanding, voting separately as a single class, amend, alter or repeal any provision of our certificate of incorporation, whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise, if such amendment, alteration or repeal would alter or change the powers, preferences or relative, participating, optional or other or special rights of the Class B common stock. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the holders of Class B common stock may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by the holders of the outstanding Class B common stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares of Class B common stock were present and voted.
Securities Eligible for Future Sale
Immediately after the consummation of this offering (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option) we will have 31,250,000 (or 35,937,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is
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exercised in full) shares of common stock outstanding. Of these shares, the 25,000,000 shares (or 28,750,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) sold in this offering will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, except for any shares purchased by one of our affiliates within the meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act. All of the remaining 6,250,000 (or 7,187,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) founder shares and all 5,666,667 (or 6,166,667 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) private placement warrants are restricted securities under Rule 144, in that they were issued in private transactions not involving a public offering, and the shares of Class B common stock and private placement warrants are subject to transfer restrictions as set forth elsewhere in this prospectus. These restricted securities will be entitled to registration rights as more fully described below under “—Registration Rights.”
Rule 144
Pursuant to Rule 144, a person who has beneficially owned restricted shares of our common stock or warrants for at least six months would be entitled to sell their securities; provided that (i) such person is not deemed to have been one of our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale and (ii) we are subject to the Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements for at least three months before the sale and have filed all required reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the 12 months (or such shorter period as we were required to file reports) preceding the sale.
Persons who have beneficially owned restricted shares of our common stock or warrants for at least six months but who are our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale, would be subject to additional restrictions, by which such person would be entitled to sell within any three-month period only a number of securities that does not exceed the greater of:
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1% of the total number of shares of Class A common stock then outstanding, which will equal 250,000 shares immediately after this offering (or 287,500 if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full); or
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the average weekly reported trading volume of the Class A common stock during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale.
Sales by our affiliates under Rule 144 are also limited by manner of sale provisions and notice requirements and to the availability of current public information about us.
Restrictions on the Use of Rule 144 by Shell Companies or Former Shell Companies
Rule 144 is not available for the resale of securities initially issued by shell companies (other than business combination related shell companies) or issuers that have been at any time previously a shell company. However, Rule 144 also includes an important exception to this prohibition if the following conditions are met:
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the issuer of the securities that was formerly a shell company has ceased to be a shell company;
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the issuer of the securities is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act;
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the issuer of the securities has filed all Exchange Act reports and materials required to be filed, as applicable, during the preceding 12 months (or such shorter period that the issuer was required to file such reports and materials), other than Current Reports on Form 8-K; and
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at least one year has elapsed from the time that the issuer filed current Form 10 type information with the SEC reflecting its status as an entity that is not a shell company.
As a result, our initial stockholders will be able to sell their founder shares and private placement warrants, as applicable, pursuant to Rule 144 without registration one year after we have completed our initial business combination.
Registration Rights
The holders of (i) the founder shares, which were issued in a private placement prior to the closing of this offering, (ii) private placement warrants, which will be issued in a private placement simultaneously
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with the closing of this offering and the shares of Class A common stock underlying such private placement warrants and (iii) private placement warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans (and their underlying securities) will have registration rights to require us to register a sale of any of our securities held by them pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering. These holders of these securities will be 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 will have “piggy-back” registration rights to include their securities in other registration statements filed by us, subject to certain limitations. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Listing of Securities
We have applied to list our units, Class A common stock and public warrants on the NYSE under the symbols “APCC.U,” “APCC” and “APCC WS,” respectively. We expect that our units will be listed on the NYSE on or promptly after the effective date of the registration statement. Following the date the shares of our Class A common stock and public warrants are eligible to trade separately, we anticipate that the shares of our Class A common stock and public warrants will be listed separately and as a unit on the NYSE. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on the NYSE.
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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
The following is a discussion of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations related to the acquisition, ownership and disposition by U.S. Holders (as defined below) and Non-U.S. Holders (as defined below) of our units, shares of our Class A common stock and warrants, which we refer to collectively as our securities. Although not entirely clear, we intend to treat, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the holder of a unit as the owner of two separate securities (i.e., the one share of Class A common stock and the fraction of one public warrant that are the components of the unit). See “—Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit” below. This disclosure assumes this treatment is appropriate, in which case the discussion below with respect to actual holders of our Class A common stock and warrants should also apply to holders of units. This discussion applies only to our securities that are held as a capital asset for U.S. federal income tax purposes (generally property held for investment) and is applicable only to holders who purchased units in this offering.
This discussion is based on the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), U.S. Treasury regulations, administrative rulings and judicial decisions, all as in effect on the date hereof, and all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. We cannot assure you that a change in law will not significantly alter the tax considerations that we describe in this summary. We have not sought any ruling from the IRS or formal written opinion from our tax advisors with respect to the statements made and the positions or conclusions described in the following summary. Such statements, positions and conclusions are not free from doubt, and there can be no assurance that your tax advisor, the IRS or a court will agree with such statements and conclusions.
This summary does not address the Medicare tax on certain net investment income, U.S. federal estate or gift tax laws, any state, local or non-U.S. tax laws, any tax treaties or any other tax law other than U.S. federal income tax law. Furthermore, this discussion does not address all U.S. federal income tax considerations that may be relevant to a particular holder in light of the holder’s circumstances or that may be relevant to certain categories of investors that may be subject to special rules, such as:
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our founders, sponsor, officers or directors or other holders of our Class B common stock or private placement warrants;
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banks, insurance companies or other financial institutions;
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tax-exempt or governmental organizations;
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“qualified foreign pension funds” as defined in Section 897(l)(2) of the Code (or any entities all of the interests of which are held by a qualified foreign pension fund);
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dealers in securities or foreign currencies;
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U.S. Holders (as defined below) whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar;
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traders in securities that use the mark-to-market method of accounting for U.S. federal income tax purposes;
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“controlled foreign corporations,” “passive foreign investment companies” and corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax;
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entities or arrangements treated as partnerships or pass-through entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes or holders of interests therein;
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persons deemed to sell our securities under the constructive sale provisions of the Code;
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persons that acquired our securities through the exercise of employee stock options or otherwise as compensation or through a tax-qualified retirement plan;
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persons that actually or constructively own five percent or more of any class of our shares;
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persons that hold our securities as part of a straddle, appreciated financial position, synthetic security, hedge, conversion transaction or other integrated investment or risk reduction transaction; and
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certain former citizens or long-term residents of the United States.
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PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CONSULT WITH AND RELY SOLELY UPON THEIR TAX ADVISORS WITH RESPECT TO THE APPLICATION OF THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAWS (INCLUDING ANY POTENTIAL FUTURE CHANGES THERETO) TO THEIR PARTICULAR SITUATION, AS WELL AS ANY TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE PURCHASE, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR SECURITIES ARISING UNDER ANY OTHER TAX LAWS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE U.S. FEDERAL ESTATE OR GIFT TAX LAWS OR UNDER THE LAWS OF ANY STATE, LOCAL, NON-U.S. OR OTHER TAXING JURISDICTION OR UNDER ANY APPLICABLE INCOME TAX TREATY.
Personal Holding Company Status
We could be subject to additional U.S. federal income tax on a portion of our income if we are determined to be a personal holding company or “PHC” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If we are or were to become a PHC in a given taxable year, we would be subject to an additional PHC tax, currently 20%, on our undistributed PHC income, which generally includes our taxable income during such year, subject to certain adjustments.
A U.S. corporation generally will be classified as a PHC for U.S. federal income tax purposes in a given taxable year if (i) at any time during the last half of such taxable year, five or fewer individuals (without regard to their citizenship or residency and including as individuals for this purpose certain entities such as certain tax-exempt organizations, pension funds and charitable trusts) own or are deemed to own (pursuant to certain constructive ownership rules) more than 50% of the stock of the corporation by value and (ii) at least 60% of the corporation’s adjusted ordinary gross income, as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes, for such taxable year consists of PHC income (which includes, among other things, dividends, interest, certain royalties, annuities and, under certain circumstances, rents). Depending on the date and size of our initial business combination, at least 60% of our adjusted ordinary gross income may consist of PHC income as discussed above. In addition, depending on the concentration of our stock in the hands of individuals, including the members of our sponsor and certain tax-exempt organizations, pension funds and charitable trusts, more than 50% of our stock may be owned or deemed owned (pursuant to the constructive ownership rules) by five or fewer such persons during the last half of a taxable year. Thus, there can be no assurance that we are not and will not be a PHC in the future.
Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit
No statutory, administrative or judicial authority directly addresses the treatment of our units or instruments similar to our units for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, therefore, that treatment is not entirely clear. We intend to treat, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the acquisition of a unit as the acquisition of the one share of our Class A common stock and the fraction of one public warrant that are the components of the unit and, by purchasing a unit, you will agree to adopt such treatment for U.S. federal income tax purposes. This discussion assumes that the characterization of the units described above is respected for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
As a result, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, each holder of a unit must allocate the purchase price paid by such holder for such unit between the one share of our Class A common stock and the fraction of one public warrant based on the relative fair market value of each at the time of issuance. Under U.S. federal income tax law, each investor must make its own determination of such value based on all the relevant facts and circumstances. Therefore, each investor is strongly urged to consult with and rely solely upon its own tax advisor regarding the determination of value for these purposes. The purchase price allocated to each share of our Class A common stock and the fraction of one public warrant should be the stockholder’s tax basis in such share or fraction of one public warrant, as the case may be. In addition, any disposition of a unit should be treated, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as a disposition of the share of our Class A common stock and the fraction of one public warrant that make up the unit, and the amount realized on the disposition should be allocated between the share of our Class A common stock and the fraction of one public warrant based on their relative fair market values at the time of disposition. The separation of shares of our Class A common stock and public warrants constituting units should not be a taxable event for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
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The foregoing treatment of our Class A common stock and warrants and a holder’s purchase price allocation are not binding on the IRS or the courts, and because there is no authority that directly addresses the U.S. federal income tax implications of instruments that are similar to the units, there can be no assurance that your tax advisor, the IRS or the courts will agree with the characterization described above or the discussion below. Accordingly, each prospective investor is urged to consult with and rely solely upon its own tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of an investment in a unit (including any potential alternative characterizations of a unit).
U.S. Holder and Non-U.S. Holder Defined
A “U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner of our units, shares of our Class A common stock or warrants that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is:
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an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States;
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a corporation (or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia;
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an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source; or
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a trust (A) the administration of which is subject to the primary supervision of a U.S. court and which has one or more “United States persons” (within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code) who have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (B) that has made a valid election under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations to be treated as a United States person.
A “Non-U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner of our units, shares of our Class A common stock or warrants that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, an individual, corporation, estate or trust, in each case that is not a U.S. Holder.
If a partnership (including an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds our units, shares of our Class A common stock or warrants, the tax treatment of a partner in such partnership might depend upon the status of the partner or the partnership, upon the activities of the partnership and upon certain determinations made at the partnership or partner level. Accordingly, we urge partnerships (including entities or arrangements treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes) considering the purchase of our securities to consult with and rely solely upon their tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income and other tax considerations of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our securities by such partnership, including any tax considerations to its partners.
Considerations for U.S. Holders
This section applies to you if you are a U.S. Holder.
Tax Characterization of Distributions with Respect to Class A Common Stock
If we pay distributions of cash or other property to U.S. Holders of shares of our Class A common stock, such distributions generally will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles and will be treated as described under “—Considerations for U.S. Holders—Distributions Treated as Dividends.” Distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits will be treated as a non-taxable return of capital to the extent of the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in our Class A common stock, that will be applied against and reduce (but not below zero) the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in our Class A common stock. Any remaining portion of the distribution will be treated as gain from the sale or exchange of our Class A common stock and will be treated as described under “—Considerations for U.S. Holders—Gain or Loss on Sale or Other Taxable Exchange or Disposition of Class A Common Stock and Warrants” below.
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Possible Constructive Distributions with Respect to Warrants
The terms of the warrants provide for an adjustment to the number of shares of our Class A common stock for which warrants may be exercised or to the exercise price of the warrants in certain events, as discussed in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Stockholders’ Warrants.” An adjustment which has the effect of preventing dilution generally is not taxable. U.S. Holders of warrants would, however, be treated as receiving a constructive distribution from us if, for example, the adjustment increases the warrantholders’ proportionate interest in our assets or earnings and profits (e.g., through an increase in the number of shares of common stock that would be obtained upon exercise or through a decrease in the exercise price of the warrant) as a result of a distribution of cash or other property to the holders of shares of our common stock. Any such constructive distribution would be treated in the same manner as if U.S. Holders of warrants received a cash distribution from us generally equal to the fair market value of the increased interest and would be taxed in a manner similar to distributions to holders of our Class A common stock described herein. See “—Considerations for U.S. Holders—Tax Characterization of Distributions with Respect to Class A Common Stock” above. For certain information reporting purposes, we are required to determine the date and amount of any such constructive distributions. Proposed U.S. Treasury regulations, which we may rely on prior to the issuance of final regulations, specify how the date and amount of constructive distributions are determined.
Distributions Treated as Dividends
Any portion of a distribution that is treated as a dividend paid to a U.S. Holder that is treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes generally will qualify for the dividends received deduction if the requisite holding period is satisfied. With certain exceptions (including, but not limited to, dividends treated as investment income for purposes of investment interest deduction limitations), and provided certain holding period requirements are met, any portion of a distribution that is treated as a dividend paid to a non-corporate U.S. Holder generally will constitute a “qualified dividend” that will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the lower applicable long-term capital gains rate. It is unclear whether the redemption rights with respect to the Class A common stock described in this prospectus may be deemed to be a limitation of a stockholder’s risk of loss and suspend the running of the applicable holding period of such shares for this purpose during the period in which the U.S. Holder has redemption rights with respect to the Class A common stock (i.e., the period prior to the consummation of our initial business combination). If the applicable holding period requirements are not satisfied, a corporate U.S. Holder may not be able to qualify for the dividends received deduction and would have taxable income equal to the entire dividend amount, and a non-corporate U.S. Holder may be subject to tax on the dividend at regular ordinary income tax rates instead of the preferential income tax rate that applies to qualified dividend income. U.S. Holders should consult with and rely solely upon their tax advisors regarding the availability of the dividends received deduction or the lower preferential income tax rate for qualified dividend income, as the case may be, for any dividends paid with respect to our Class A common stock.
Gain or Loss on Sale or Other Taxable Exchange or Disposition of Class A Common Stock and Warrants
Upon a sale or other taxable disposition of our Class A common stock or warrants (which in general would include a redemption of our Class A common stock or warrants that is treated as a sale of such securities as described below, including as a result of a dissolution and liquidation in the event we do not consummate an initial business combination within the required time period), a U.S. Holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized and the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis with respect to its Class A common stock or warrants. Generally, the amount of gain or loss recognized by a U.S. Holder will be an amount equal to the difference between (i) the sum of the amount of cash and the fair market value of any property received in such disposition (or, if the Class A common stock or warrants are held as part of units at the time of the disposition, the portion of the amount realized on such disposition that is allocated to the Class A common stock or the warrants based upon the then-fair market values of the Class A common stock and the warrants included in the units) and (ii) the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in the relevant Class A common stock or warrants. A U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its Class A common stock or warrants generally will equal the U.S. Holder’s acquisition cost (that is, as discussed above, the portion of the purchase price of a unit allocated to a share of our Class A common stock or fraction of one public warrant or, as discussed below, the U.S. Holder’s initial basis for
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our Class A common stock received upon exercise of warrants) less, in the case of a share of our Class A common stock, any prior distributions treated as a return of capital, as discussed above.
Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A common stock or warrants, as applicable, so disposed of exceeds one year. It is unclear, however, whether the redemption rights with respect to the Class A common stock described in this prospectus may be deemed to be a limitation of a stockholder’s risk of loss and suspend the running of the applicable holding period of such stock for this purpose during the period in which the U.S. Holder has redemption rights with respect to the Class A common stock (i.e., the period prior to the consummation of our initial business combination). If the one-year holding period is not satisfied, any gain on a sale or other taxable disposition of the Class A common stock or warrants, as applicable, would be subject to short-term capital gain treatment and would be taxed at regular ordinary income tax rates. Long-term capital gains recognized by non-corporate U.S. Holders may be eligible to be taxed at reduced rates. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.
Redemption or Repurchase of Class A Common Stock for Cash
In the event that a U.S. Holder’s Class A common stock is redeemed pursuant to the redemption provisions described in this prospectus under the section entitled “Description of Securities—Common Stock” or if we repurchase a U.S. Holder’s Class A common stock in an open market transaction (generally referred to herein as a “redemption”), the treatment of the redemption for U.S. federal income tax purposes will depend on whether it qualifies as a sale of the Class A common stock under Section 302 of the Code. If the redemption qualifies as a sale of Class A common stock, the U.S. Holder will be treated as described under “—Considerations for U.S. Holders—Gain or Loss on Sale or Other Taxable Exchange or Disposition of Class A Common Stock and Warrants” above. If the redemption does not qualify as a sale of Class A common stock, the U.S. Holder will be treated as receiving a distribution from us with the tax consequences described above under “—Considerations for U.S. Holders—Tax Characterization of Distributions with Respect to Class A Common Stock.”
Whether a redemption qualifies for sale treatment will depend largely on the total number of shares of our stock treated as held by the U.S. Holder (including any stock constructively owned by the U.S. Holder as a result of owning warrants or otherwise) relative to all of our shares outstanding both before and after the redemption. The redemption of our Class A common stock generally will be treated as a sale of Class A common stock (rather than as a distribution from us) if the redemption satisfies one of the following tests (which we refer to as the “redemption sale tests”): (i) it is “substantially disproportionate” with respect to the U.S. Holder, (ii) it results in a “complete termination” of the U.S. Holder’s interest in us, or (iii) it is “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” with respect to the U.S. Holder. In determining whether any of the redemption sale tests is satisfied, a U.S. Holder takes into account not only stock actually owned by the U.S. Holder, but also shares of our stock that are “constructively” owned by it. A U.S. Holder may constructively own (i) stock owned by certain related individuals or entities in which the U.S. Holder has an interest or that have an interest in such U.S. Holder and (ii) any stock the U.S. Holder has a right to acquire by exercise of an option, which would generally include the Class A common stock which could be acquired pursuant to the exercise of the warrants.
In order to meet the “substantially disproportionate” test, the percentage of our outstanding voting stock actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder immediately following the redemption of our Class A common stock must, among other requirements, be less than 80% of the percentage of our outstanding voting stock actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder immediately before the redemption. Prior to our initial business combination, the Class A common stock may not be treated as voting stock for this purpose and, consequently, this substantially disproportionate test may not be applicable. There will be a “complete termination” of a U.S. Holder’s interest if either (i) all of the shares of our stock both actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder are redeemed or (ii) all of the shares of our stock actually owned by the U.S. Holder are redeemed, the U.S. Holder is eligible to waive and effectively waives in accordance with specific rules the constructive attribution of stock owned by certain family members, and the U.S. Holder does not constructively own any other shares of our stock (including as a result of owning warrants). The redemption of our Class A common stock will not be “essentially equivalent to a dividend” if a U.S. Holder’s redemption results in a “meaningful reduction” of the U.S. Holder’s proportionate interest
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in us. Whether the redemption will result in a meaningful reduction in a U.S. Holder’s proportionate interest in us will depend on the particular facts and circumstances, but the IRS has indicated in a published ruling that even a small reduction in the proportionate interest of a small minority stockholder in a publicly held corporation who exercises no control over corporate affairs may constitute such a “meaningful reduction.”
If none of the redemption sale tests is satisfied, the redemption will be treated as a distribution from us and the tax considerations will be as described under “—Considerations for U.S. Holders—Tax Characterization of Distributions with Respect to Class A Common Stock” above. After the application of those rules, any remaining tax basis of the U.S. Holder in the redeemed Class A common stock will be added to the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its remaining stock or, if it has none, to the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its warrants or possibly in other shares of our stock constructively owned by it.
Cash Exercise of a Warrant
A U.S. Holder generally will not recognize gain or loss on the acquisition of Class A common stock upon exercise of a warrant for cash. The U.S. Holder’s tax basis in our Class A common stock received upon exercise of the warrant generally will be an amount equal to the sum of the U.S. Holder’s initial investment in the warrant (i.e., the portion of the U.S. Holder’s purchase price for a unit that is allocated to the warrant, as described above under “—Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit”) and the exercise price of such warrant. It is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A common stock received upon exercise of the warrant will commence on the date of exercise of the warrant or the immediately following date. In either case, the holding period will not include the period during which the U.S. Holder held the warrant.
Cashless Exercise of a Warrant
The tax characterization of a cashless exercise of a warrant is not clear under current tax law. Due to the absence of authority on the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a cashless exercise, there can be no assurance which, if any, of the alternative tax characterizations and resultant tax consequences would be adopted by the IRS or upheld by a court of law. Accordingly, U.S. Holders should consult with and rely solely upon their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of a cashless exercise.
A cashless exercise could potentially be characterized as any of the following for U.S. federal income tax purposes: (i) not a realization event and thus tax-deferred, (ii) a realization event that qualifies as a tax-deferred “recapitalization,” or (iii) a taxable realization event. While not free from doubt, we intend to treat any cashless exercise of a warrant occurring after our giving notice of an intention to redeem the warrant for cash as described in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Stockholders’ Warrants” as if we redeemed such warrant for shares in a cashless exchange qualifying as a tax-deferred recapitalization. However, there is some uncertainty regarding our intended tax treatment, and it is possible that a cashless exercise could be characterized differently. Accordingly, the tax consequences of all three characterizations are generally described below. U.S. Holders should consult with and rely solely upon their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of a cashless exercise.
If a cashless exercise were characterized as either not a realization event or as a realization event that qualifies as a recapitalization, the U.S. Holder would not recognize any gain or loss on the exchange of warrants for shares of Class A common stock. A U.S. Holder’s basis in the Class A common stock received would generally equal the holder’s basis in the exchanged warrants. If the cashless exercise were not a realization event, it is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period in the Class A common stock would be treated as commencing on the date of exchange of the warrants or on the immediately following date, but the holding period would not include the period during which the U.S. Holder held the warrants. On the other hand, if the cashless exercise were characterized as a realization event that qualifies as a recapitalization, the holding period of the Class A common stock would include the holding period of the warrants exercised therefor.
If the cashless exercise were treated as a realization event that does not qualify as a recapitalization, however, the cashless exercise could be treated in whole or in part as a taxable exchange in which gain or loss would be recognized by the U.S. Holder. For example, a portion of the warrants to be exercised on a
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cashless basis could be deemed to have been surrendered in payment of the exercise price of the remaining portion of such warrants, which would be deemed to be exercised. In such a case, a U.S. Holder would effectively be deemed to have sold a number of warrants having an aggregate value equal to the exercise price of the remaining warrants deemed exercised. The U.S. Holder would recognize capital gain or loss in an amount generally equal to the difference between the value of the portion of the warrants deemed sold and its adjusted tax basis in such warrants (generally in the manner described above under “—Considerations for U.S. Holders—Gain or Loss on Sale or Other Taxable Exchange or Disposition of Class A Common Stock and Warrants”), and the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the Class A common stock received would generally equal the sum of the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the remaining warrants deemed exercised and the exercise price of such warrants. It is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A common stock would commence on the date of exercise of the warrants or on the date following the date of exercise of the warrants, but the holding period would not include the period during which the U.S. Holder held the warrants.
Redemption or Repurchase of Warrants for Cash
If we redeem warrants for cash pursuant to the redemption provisions described in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Stockholders’ Warrants” or if we repurchase warrants in an open market transaction, such redemption or repurchase generally will be treated as a taxable disposition to the U.S. Holder, taxed as described above under “—Considerations for U.S. Holders—Gain or Loss on Sale or Other Taxable Exchange or Disposition of Class A Common Stock and Warrants.”
Expiration of a Warrant
If a warrant is allowed to expire unexercised, a U.S. Holder generally will recognize a capital loss equal to such holder’s tax basis in the warrant (i.e., the portion of the U.S. Holder’s purchase price for a unit that is allocated to the warrant, as described above under “—Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit”). The deductibility of capital losses is subject to certain limitations.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
Information reporting requirements generally will apply to dividends paid to a U.S. Holder and to the proceeds from the sale or other disposition of our securities unless the U.S. Holder is an exempt recipient and provides any necessary certification of exempt status. Backup withholding may apply to such payments if the U.S. Holder fails to provide a taxpayer identification number or a certification of exempt status or has been notified by the IRS that it is subject to backup withholding (and such notification has not been withdrawn).
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Rather, the U.S. federal income tax liability (if any) of persons subject to backup withholding will be reduced by the amount of tax withheld. If backup withholding results in an overpayment of taxes, a refund generally may be obtained, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.
Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders
This section applies to you if you are a Non-U.S. Holder. The tax characterization of the transactions described herein and the resultant tax consequences to Non-U.S. Holders are generally similar to those for U.S. Holders, except as described below.
Tax Characterization of Distributions with Respect to Class A Common Stock
The determination of the extent to which a distribution will be treated as a dividend, return of capital or gain from the sale of stock is generally the same for Non-U.S. Holders as that described in “—Considerations for U.S. Holders—Tax Characterization of Distributions with Respect to Class A Common Stock.” To the extent a distribution constitutes gain from the sale of our Class A common stock, see “—Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders—Gain or Loss on Sale or Other Taxable Exchange or
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Disposition of Class A Common Stock and Warrants” below, and to the extent such distribution constitutes a dividend, see “—Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders—Distributions Treated as Dividends.”
Possible Constructive Distributions with Respect to Warrants
The determination for Non-U.S. Holders of whether a constructive distribution from us has occurred as a result of an adjustment to the number of shares of our Class A common stock for which warrants may be exercised or to the exercise price of the warrants in certain events (as discussed in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Stockholders’ Warrants”) is generally the same as the determination for U.S. Holders as described in “—Considerations for U.S. Holders—Possible Constructive Distributions with Respect to Warrants.” To the extent such adjustment is treated as a constructive distribution, see “—Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders—Tax Characterization of Distributions with Respect to Class A Common Stock” for the consequences of such characterization.
Distributions Treated as Dividends
Subject to the withholding requirements under FATCA (as defined below) and other than with respect to effectively connected dividends, each of which is discussed below, any distribution treated as a dividend paid to a Non-U.S. Holder on our Class A common stock generally will be subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% of the gross amount of the distribution (unless an applicable income tax treaty provides for a lower rate). To receive the benefit of a reduced treaty rate, a Non-U.S. Holder must provide the applicable withholding agent with an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E (or other applicable or successor form) certifying qualification for the reduced rate. In the case of any constructive dividend, it is possible that this tax would be withheld from any amount owed to a Non-U.S. Holder by the applicable withholding agent, including cash distributions on other property or sale proceeds from warrants or other property subsequently paid or credited to such holder.
Any portion of a distribution that is treated as a dividend paid to a Non-U.S. Holder that is effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, that is treated as attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States) generally will be taxed on a net income basis at the rates and in the manner generally applicable to United States persons. Such effectively connected dividends will not be subject to U.S. withholding tax if the Non-U.S. Holder satisfies certain certification requirements by providing the applicable withholding agent with a properly executed IRS Form W-8ECI certifying eligibility for exemption. If the Non-U.S. Holder is a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it may also be subject to a branch profits tax (at a 30% rate or such lower rate as specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on its effectively connected earnings and profits (as adjusted for certain items), which will include effectively connected dividends.
Gain or Loss on Sale or Other Taxable Exchange or Disposition of Class A Common Stock and Warrants
Subject to the discussion below under “—Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders—Information Reporting and Backup Withholding,” a Non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax on any gain realized upon the sale or other disposition of our Class A common stock or our warrants (including a redemption of our Class A common stock as a result of a dissolution and liquidation in the event we do not consummate an initial business combination within the required time period), unless:
•
the Non-U.S. Holder is an individual who is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the calendar year in which the sale or disposition occurs and certain other conditions are met;
•
such gain is effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is treated as attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States); or
•
our Class A common stock and warrants constitute United States real property interests by reason of our status as a “United States real property holding corporation” (a “USRPHC”) for
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U.S. federal income tax purposes and, as a result, such gain is treated as effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States.
A Non-U.S. Holder described in the first bullet point above will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate as specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on the amount of such gain, which generally may be offset by U.S. source capital losses.
A Non-U.S. Holder whose gain is described in the second bullet point above or, subject to the exceptions described in the next paragraph, the third bullet point above, generally will be taxed on a net income basis at the rates and in the manner generally applicable to United States persons unless an applicable income tax treaty provides otherwise. If the Non-U.S. Holder is a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes whose gain is described in the second bullet point above, such gain would also be included in its effectively connected earnings and profits (as adjusted for certain items), which may be subject to a branch profits tax (at a 30% rate or such lower rate as provided under an applicable income tax treaty).
Generally, a corporation is a USRPHC if the fair market value of its United States real property interests equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market value of its worldwide real property interests and its other assets used or held for use in a trade or business, as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Although we do not believe we currently are a USRPHC, we cannot determine whether we will be a USRPHC in the future until we complete an initial business combination. If we were to become a USRPHC, as long as our Class A common stock is or continues to be “regularly traded on an established securities market” (within the meaning of the U.S. Treasury regulations, referred to herein as “regularly traded”), a Non-U.S. Holder that actually or constructively owns, or owned at any time during the shorter of the five-year period ending on the date of the disposition or the Non-U.S. Holder’s holding period for the applicable security, (i) more than 5% of our Class A common stock or (ii) more than 5% of the warrants, provided the warrants are considered to be regularly traded, as applicable, will be treated as disposing of a United States real property interest and will be taxable on gain realized on the disposition thereof as a result of our status as a USRPHC. It is unclear how a Non-U.S. Holder’s ownership of warrants will affect the determination of whether such Non-U.S. Holder owns more than 5% of our Class A common stock. In addition, special rules may apply in the case of a disposition of warrants if our Class A common stock is considered to be regularly traded, but such warrants are not considered to be regularly traded. We can provide no assurance as to our future status as a USRPHC or as to whether our Class A common stock or warrants will be treated as regularly traded. If we were to become a USRPHC and our Class A common stock were not considered to be regularly traded on an established securities market, a Non-U.S. Holder (regardless of the percentage of our securities owned) would be treated as disposing of a United States real property interest and would be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a taxable disposition of our Class A common stock, units, and warrants (as described in the preceding paragraph), and a 15% withholding tax would apply to the gross proceeds from any such disposition.
Non-U.S. Holders are encouraged to consult with and rely solely upon their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences related to ownership in a USRPHC.
Redemption or Repurchase of Class A Common Stock for Cash
The characterization for U.S. federal income tax purposes of the redemption of a Non-U.S. Holder’s Class A common stock pursuant to the redemption provisions described in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities—Common Stock” or our repurchase of a Non-U.S. Holder’s Class A common stock in an open market transaction generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax characterization of such a redemption or repurchase of a U.S. Holder’s Class A common stock, as described under “—Considerations for U.S. Holders—Redemption or Repurchase of Class A Common Stock for Cash” above, and the consequences of the redemption or repurchase to the Non-U.S. Holder will correspond to that described above in “—Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders—Distributions Treated as Dividends” and “—Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders—Gain or Loss on Sale or Other Taxable Exchange or Disposition of Class A Common Stock and Warrants” accordingly. It is possible that because the applicable withholding agent may not be able to determine the proper characterization of a redemption of a Non-U.S. Holder’s Class A common stock at the time a Non-U.S. Holder is redeemed, the withholding agent might treat the redemption as a dividend subject to withholding tax even if another characterization would otherwise apply.
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Exercise or Redemption of a Warrant
The U.S. federal income tax characterization of a Non-U.S. Holder’s exercise of a warrant generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax characterization of the exercise of a warrant by a U.S. Holder, as described under “—Considerations for U.S. Holders—Cash Exercise of a Warrant” or “—Considerations for U.S. Holders—Cashless Exercise of a Warrant” above, as the case may be. To the extent a cashless exercise is characterized as a taxable exchange, the consequences would be similar to those described above in “—Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders—Gain or Loss on Sale or Other Taxable Exchange or Disposition of Class A Common Stock and Warrants.” The U.S. federal income tax treatment for a Non-U.S. Holder of a redemption of warrants for cash described in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Stockholders’ Warrants” (or if we purchase warrants in an open market transaction) generally will correspond to that described above in “—Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders—Gain or Loss on Sale or Other Taxable Exchange or Disposition of Class A Common Stock and Warrants.”
Expiration of a Warrant
The U.S. federal income tax characterization of the expiration of a warrant held by a Non-U.S. Holder generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax characterization of the expiration of a warrant by a U.S. Holder, as described above in “—Considerations for U.S. Holders—Expiration of a Warrant.”
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
Any dividends paid to a Non-U.S. Holder must be reported annually to the IRS and to the Non-U.S. Holder. Copies of these information returns may be made available to the tax authorities in the country in which the Non-U.S. Holder resides or is established. Payments of dividends to a Non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to backup withholding if the Non-U.S. Holder establishes an exemption by properly certifying its non-U.S. status on an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E (or other applicable or successor form).
Payments of the proceeds from a sale or other disposition by a Non-U.S. Holder of our units, Class A common stock and warrants effected by or through a U.S. office of a broker generally will be subject to information reporting and backup withholding (at the applicable rate) unless the Non-U.S. Holder establishes an exemption by properly certifying its non-U.S. status on an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E (or other applicable or successor form) and certain other conditions are met. Information reporting and backup withholding generally will not apply to any payment of the proceeds from a sale or other disposition of our units, Class A common stock and warrants effected outside the United States by a non-U.S. office of a broker. However, unless such broker has documentary evidence in its records that the Non-U.S. Holder is not a United States person and certain other conditions are met, or the Non-U.S. Holder otherwise establishes an exemption, information reporting will apply to a payment of the proceeds of the disposition of our common stock effected outside the United States by such a broker if it has certain relationships within the United States.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Rather, the U.S. federal income tax liability (if any) of persons subject to backup withholding will be reduced by the amount of tax withheld. If backup withholding results in an overpayment of taxes, a refund generally may be obtained, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.
Additional Withholding Requirements under FATCA
Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code, and the U.S. Treasury regulations and administrative guidance issued thereunder (“FATCA”), impose a 30% withholding tax on any dividends (including constructive dividends) on our securities and, subject to the proposed U.S. Treasury regulations discussed below, on proceeds from sales or other dispositions of our securities, if paid to a “foreign financial institution” or a “non-financial foreign entity” (each as defined in the Code) (including, in some cases, when such foreign financial institution or non-financial foreign entity is acting as an intermediary), unless (i) in the case of a foreign financial institution, such institution enters into an agreement with the U.S. government to
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withhold on certain payments, and to collect and provide to the U.S. tax authorities substantial information regarding U.S. account holders of such institution (which includes certain equity and debt holders of such institution, as well as certain account holders that are non-U.S. entities with U.S. owners), (ii) in the case of a non-financial foreign entity, such entity certifies that it does not have any “substantial United States owners” (as defined in the Code) or provides the applicable withholding agent with a certification identifying the direct and indirect substantial United States owners of the entity (in either case, generally on an IRS Form W-8BEN-E), or (iii) the foreign financial institution or non-financial foreign entity otherwise qualifies for an exemption from these rules and provides appropriate documentation (such as an IRS Form W-8BEN-E). Foreign financial institutions located in jurisdictions that have an intergovernmental agreement with the United States governing these rules may be subject to different rules. Under certain circumstances, a holder might be eligible for refunds or credits of such taxes. While gross proceeds from a sale or other disposition of our securities paid after January 1, 2019 would have originally been subject to withholding under FATCA, proposed U.S. Treasury regulations provide that such payments of gross proceeds do not constitute withholdable payments. Taxpayers may generally rely on these proposed U.S. Treasury regulations until they are revoked or final U.S. Treasury regulations are issued. Prospective investors are encouraged to consult with and rely solely upon their own tax advisors regarding the effects of FATCA on an investment in our units, Class A common stock or warrants.
INVESTORS CONSIDERING THE PURCHASE OF OUR SECURITIES ARE URGED TO CONSULT WITH AND RELY SOLELY UPON THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS REGARDING THE APPLICATION OF THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAWS TO THEIR PARTICULAR SITUATIONS AND THE APPLICABILITY AND EFFECT OF ANY OTHER TAX LAWS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, U.S. FEDERAL ESTATE AND GIFT TAX LAWS AND ANY STATE, LOCAL OR NON-U.S. TAX LAWS AND TAX TREATIES.
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UNDERWRITING
BofA Securities, Inc. and Citigroup Global Markets, Inc. are acting as representatives of each of the underwriters named below. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in an underwriting agreement among us and the underwriters, we have agreed to sell to the underwriters, and each of the underwriters has agreed, severally and not jointly, to purchase from us, the number of units set forth opposite its name below.
|
Underwriter
|
| |
Number of
Units |
| |||
|
BofA Securities, Inc.
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| | | | | | |
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Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.
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| | | | | | |
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Nomura Securities International, Inc.
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| | | | | | |
|
Total
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| | | | 25,000,000 | | |
Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the underwriting agreement, the underwriters have agreed to purchase all of the units sold under the underwriting agreement if any of these units are purchased, other than those units covered by the over-allotment option described below.
We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments the underwriters may be required to make in respect of those liabilities.
The underwriters are offering the units, subject to prior sale, when, as and if issued to and accepted by them, subject to approval of legal matters by their counsel, including the validity of the units, and other conditions contained in the underwriting agreement, such as the receipt by the underwriters of officer’s certificates and legal opinions. The underwriters reserve the right to withdraw, cancel or modify offers to the public and to reject orders in whole or in part.
Commission and Discounts
The representatives have advised us that they propose initially to offer the units to the public at the public offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus and to dealers at that price less a concession not in excess of $ per unit. The underwriters may offer and sell units to the public through one or more of their respective affiliates or other registered broker-dealers or selling agents. After the initial offering, the public offering price, concession or any other term of the offering may be changed.
The following table shows the public offering price, underwriting discount and proceeds before expenses to us. The information assumes either no exercise or full exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional shares.
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Per Unit(1)
|
| |
Total(1)
|
| ||||||||||||||||||
| | | |
Without
Over-allotment |
| |
With
Over-allotment |
| |
Without
Over-allotment |
| |
With
Over-allotment |
| ||||||||||||
|
Public offering price
|
| | | $ | 10.00 | | | | | $ | 10.00 | | | | | $ | 250,000,000 | | | | | $ | 287,500,000 | | |
|
Underwriting Discounts and Commissions
|
| | | $ | 0.55 | | | | | $ | 0.55 | | | | | $ | 13,750,000 | | | | | $ | 15,812,500 | | |
|
Proceeds, before expenses, to us
|
| | | $ | 9.45 | | | | | $ | 9.45 | | | | | $ | 236,250,000 | | | | | $ | 271,687,500 | | |
(1)
Includes $0.35 per unit, or $8,750,000 (or up to $10,062,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in the aggregate, payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions to be placed in a trust account located in the United States as described herein. The deferred commissions will be released to the underwriters only on completion of an initial business combination.
We estimate expenses payable by us in connection with this offering, other than the underwriting discounts and commissions referred to above, will be approximately $750,000. We have agreed to pay for FINRA-related fees and expenses of the underwriters’ legal counsel, not to exceed $25,000.
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Option to Purchase Additional Shares
We have granted an option to the underwriters, exercisable for 45 days after the date of this prospectus, to purchase up to 3,750,000 additional units at the public offering price, less the underwriting discount.
No Sales of Similar Securities
We, our initial stockholders and our directors and officers have agreed that we will not offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, without the prior written consent of the representatives for a period of 180 days after the date of this prospectus, any units, warrants, shares of common stock or any other securities convertible into, or exercisable, or exchangeable for, shares of Class A common stock; provided, however, that we may (1) issue and sell the private placement warrants; (2) issue and sell the additional units to cover our underwriter’s over-allotment option (if any); (3) register with the SEC pursuant to an agreement to be entered into concurrently with the issuance and sale of the securities in this offering, the resale of the private placement warrants and the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and conversion of the founder shares; and (4) issue securities in connection with our initial business combination. However, the foregoing shall not apply to the forfeiture by our sponsor of any founder shares pursuant to their terms or any transfer of founder shares to any current or future independent director of the company (as long as such current or future independent director transferee is subject to the letter agreement, filed herewith, or executes an agreement substantially identical to the letter agreement, as applicable to directors and officers at the time of such transfer; and as long as, to the extent any Section 16 reporting obligation is triggered as a result of such transfer, any related Section 16 filing includes a practical explanation as to the nature of the transfer). The representatives in their sole discretion may release any of the securities subject to these lock-up agreements at any time without notice.
Pursuant to a letter agreement with us, our initial stockholders, directors and officers 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 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, stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our public stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property (except with respect to permitted transferees as described herein under “Permitted Stockholders—Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants”). Any permitted transferees would be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our initial stockholders with respect to any founder shares.
The private placement warrants (including the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination (except with respect to permitted transferees as described herein under “Principal Stockholders—Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants”).
New York Stock Exchange Listing
We expect our units to be approved for listing on the NYSE, under the symbol “APCC.U” and, once the shares of Class A common stock and warrants begin separate trading, to have our shares of Class A common stock and warrants listed on the NYSE under the symbols “APCC” and “APCC.WS,” respectively.
Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our securities. Consequently, the initial public offering price for the units was determined by negotiations between us and the underwriters.
The determination of our per unit offering price was more arbitrary than would typically be the case if we were an operating company. Among the factors considered in determining the initial public offering price were:
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the history and prospects of companies whose principal business is the acquisition of other companies;
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•
prior offerings of those companies;
•
our management;
•
our capital structure; and
•
currently prevailing general conditions in equity securities markets, including current market valuations of publicly traded companies considered comparable to our company.
We cannot assure you, however, that the price at which the units, Class A common stock or warrants will sell in the public market after this offering will not be lower than the initial public offering price or that an active trading market in our units, Class A common stock or warrants will develop and continue after this offering.
The underwriters do not expect to sell more than 5% of the units in the aggregate to accounts over which they exercise discretionary authority.
If we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, the trustee and the underwriters have agreed that: (1) they will forfeit any rights or claims to their deferred underwriting discounts and commissions, including any accrued interest thereon, then in the trust account; and (2) the deferred underwriter’s discounts and commissions will be distributed on a pro rata basis, together with any accrued interest thereon (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) to the public stockholders.
Price Stabilization and Short Positions
Until the distribution of the units is completed, SEC rules may limit the underwriters and selling group members from bidding for and purchasing our securities. However, the underwriters may engage in transactions that stabilize the price of the units, such as bids or purchases to peg, fix or maintain that price.
In connection with the offering, the underwriters may purchase and sell our units in the open market. These transactions may include short sales, purchases on the open market to cover positions created by short sales and stabilizing transactions. Short sales involve the sale by the underwriters of a greater number of units than it is required to purchase in the offering. “Covered” short sales are sales made in an amount not greater than the underwriter’s option to purchase additional units described above. The underwriters may close out any covered short position by either exercising its option to purchase additional units or purchasing units in the open market. In determining the source of units to close out the covered short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of units available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which it may purchase units through the option granted to it. “Naked” short sales are sales in excess of such option. The underwriters must close out any naked short position by purchasing units in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the units in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in the offering. Stabilizing transactions consist of various bids for or purchases of units made by the underwriters in the open market prior to the completion of the offering.
Similar to other purchase transactions, the underwriters’ purchases to cover the syndicate short sales may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of the units or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the units. As a result, the price of the units may be higher than the price that might otherwise exist in the open market. The underwriters may conduct these transactions on the New York Stock Exchange, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise.
Neither we nor the underwriters make any representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of the units. In addition, neither we nor the underwriters make any representation that the underwriters will engage in these transactions or that these transactions, once commenced, will not be discontinued without notice.
Electronic Distribution
In connection with the offering, certain of the underwriters or securities dealers may distribute prospectuses by electronic means, such as e-mail.
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Other Relationships
We are not under any contractual obligation to engage the underwriters to provide any services for us after this offering, but we may do so at our discretion. However, the firms acting as the underwriters (or their affiliates) may introduce us to potential target businesses, act as sell-side M&A advisor for any of them, provide financial advisory services to us in connection with a business combination or assist us in raising additional capital in the future, including by acting as a placement agent in a private offering or underwriting or arranging debt financing. If the underwriters or their affiliates provide services to us after this offering, we may pay the underwriters or their affiliates fair and reasonable fees or other compensation that would be determined at that time in an arm’s length negotiation; provided that no agreement will be entered into with the underwriters or their affiliates and no fees for such services will be paid to the underwriters or their affiliates prior to the date that is 60 days from the date of this prospectus, unless FINRA determines that such payment would not be deemed underwriter’s compensation, or such payment is otherwise excluded from such characterization under applicable FINRA rules, in connection with this offering, and we may pay the underwriters of this offering or any entity with which it is affiliated, a finder’s fee or other compensation for services rendered to us in connection with the completion of a business combination. Any fees we may pay the underwriters or their affiliates for services rendered to us after this offering may be contingent on the completion of a business combination and may be paid in consideration other than cash. The underwriters or their affiliates that provide these services to us may have a potential conflict of interest given that the underwriters are entitled to the deferred portion of the underwriting compensation for this offering only if an initial business combination is completed within the specified timeframe.
The underwriters and their affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include sales and trading, commercial and investment banking, advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, market making, brokerage and other financial and non-financial activities and services. The underwriters and their affiliates have engaged in, and may in the future engage in, investment banking and other commercial dealings in the ordinary course of business with us or our affiliates. The underwriters and/or their affiliates have received, or may in the future receive, customary fees and commissions for these transactions.
In addition, in the ordinary course of their business activities, the underwriters and their affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for its own account and for the accounts of its customers. Such investments and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of ours or our affiliates. The underwriters and their affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or financial instruments and may hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.
Selling Restrictions
Notice of Prospective Investors in Canada
The units may be sold only to purchasers purchasing, or deemed to be purchasing, as principal that are accredited investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario), and are permitted clients, as defined in National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations. Any resale of the units must be made in accordance with an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the prospectus requirements of applicable securities laws.
Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if this prospectus (including any amendment thereto) contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory. The purchaser should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.
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Pursuant to section 3A.3 (or, in the case of securities issued or guaranteed by the government of a non-Canadian jurisdiction, section 3A.4) of National Instrument 33-105 Underwriting Conflicts (NI 33‑105), the underwriters are not required to comply with the disclosure requirements of NI 33-105 regarding underwriter conflicts of interest in connection with this offering.
Notice to Prospective in Australia
No placement document, prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document has been lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (“ASIC”), in relation to the offering. This prospectus does not constitute a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document under the Corporations Act 2001 (the “Corporations Act”), and does not purport to include the information required for a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document under the Corporations Act.
Any offer in Australia of the units may only be made to persons (the “Exempt Investors”) who are “sophisticated investors” (within the meaning of section 708(8) of the Corporations Act), “professional investors” (within the meaning of section 708(11) of the Corporations Act) or otherwise pursuant to one or more exemptions contained in section 708 of the Corporations Act so that it is lawful to offer the units without disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act.
The units applied for by Exempt Investors in Australia must not be offered for sale in Australia in the period of 12 months after the date of allotment under the offering, except in circumstances where disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act would not be required pursuant to an exemption under section 708 of the Corporations Act or otherwise or where the offer is pursuant to a disclosure document which complies with Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act. Any person acquiring units must observe such Australian on-sale restrictions.
This prospectus contains general information only and does not take account of the investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any particular person. It does not contain any securities recommendations or financial product advice. Before making an investment decision, investors need to consider whether the information in this prospectus is appropriate to their needs, objectives and circumstances, and, if necessary, seek expert advice on those matters.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the European Economic Area
In relation to each member state of the European Economic Area (each a “Relevant State”), no units have been offered or will be offered pursuant to the offering to the public in that Relevant State prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the units which has been approved by the competent authority in that Relevant State or, where appropriate, approved in another Relevant State and notified to the competent authority in that Relevant State, all in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation), except that offers of units may be made to the public in that Relevant State at any time under the following exemptions under the Prospectus Regulation:
•
to any legal entity which is a “qualified investor” as defined under Article 2 of the Prospectus Regulation;
•
to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under Article 2 of the Prospectus Regulation) subject to obtaining the prior consent of the underwriters for any such offer; or
•
in any other circumstances falling within Article 1(4) of the Prospectus Regulation,
provided that no such offer of securities shall require us or the underwriters to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the Prospectus Regulation.
Each person in a Relevant State who initially acquires any units or to whom any offer is made will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed to and with us and the underwriters that it is a qualified investor within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation.
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In the case of any units being offered to a financial intermediary as that term is used in Article 5(1) of the Prospectus Regulation, each such financial intermediary will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed that the units acquired by it in the offer have not been acquired on a non-discretionary basis on behalf of, nor have they been acquired with a view to their offer or resale to, persons in circumstances which may give rise to an offer to the public other than their offer or resale in a Relevant State to qualified investors, in circumstances in which the prior consent of the underwriters has been obtained to each such proposed offer or resale.
The company, the sponsor, the underwriters and its affiliates will rely upon the truth and accuracy of the foregoing representations, acknowledgements and agreements.
For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to any securities in any Relevant State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase any securities and the expression “Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129.
The above selling restriction is in addition to any other selling restrictions set out below.
In connection with the offering, the underwriters are not acting for anyone other than the company and will not be responsible to anyone other than the company for providing the protections afforded to its clients nor for providing advice in relation to the offering.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the Dubai International Financial Centre
This prospectus relates to an Exempt Offer in accordance with the Offered Securities Rules of the Dubai Financial Services Authority (“DFSA”). This prospectus is intended for distribution only to persons of a type specified in the Offered Securities Rules of the DFSA. It must not be delivered to, or relied on by, any other person. The DFSA has no responsibility for reviewing or verifying any documents in connection with Exempt Offers. The DFSA has not approved this prospectus nor taken steps to verify the information set forth herein and has no responsibility for the prospectus. The units to which this prospectus relates may be illiquid and/or subject to restrictions on their resale. Prospective purchasers of the units offered should conduct their own due diligence on the units. If you do not understand the contents of this prospectus you should consult an authorized financial advisor.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Hong Kong
The units have not been offered or sold and will not be offered or sold in Hong Kong, by means of any document, other than (a) to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571) of Hong Kong and any rules made under that Ordinance; or (b) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” as defined in the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32) of Hong Kong or which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of that Ordinance. No advertisement, invitation or document relating to the units has been or may be issued or has been or may be in the possession of any person for the purposes of issue, whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere, which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public of Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to units which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance and any rules made under that Ordinance.
Israel
This document does not constitute a prospectus under the Israeli Securities Law, 5728-1968 (the “Israel Securities Law”), and has not been filed with or approved by the Israel Securities Authority. In Israel, this prospectus is being distributed only to, and is directed only at, and any offer of the units is directed only at, (i) a limited number of persons in accordance with the Israeli Securities Law and (ii) investors listed in the first addendum (the “Addendum”), to the Israeli Securities Law, consisting primarily of joint investment in trust funds, provident funds, insurance companies, banks, portfolio managers, investment advisors, members of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, underwriters, venture capital funds, entities with equity in excess of NIS 50 million and “qualified individuals,” each as defined in the Addendum (as it may be
186
amended from time to time), collectively referred to as qualified investors (in each case, purchasing for their own account or, where permitted under the Addendum, for the accounts of their clients who are investors listed in the Addendum). Qualified investors are required to submit written confirmation that they fall within the scope of the Addendum, are aware of the meaning of same and agree to it.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Japan
The units have not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan (Law No. 25 of 1948, as amended) and, accordingly, will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in Japan, or for the benefit of any Japanese Person or to others for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to any Japanese Person, except in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines promulgated by relevant Japanese governmental or regulatory authorities in effect at the relevant time. For the purposes of this paragraph, “Japanese Person” shall mean any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Singapore
This prospectus has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, the units were not offered or sold or caused to be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase and will not be offered or sold or caused to be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, and this prospectus or any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the units, has not been circulated or distributed, nor will it be circulated or distributed, whether directly or indirectly, to any person in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor (as defined in Section 4A of the Securities and Futures Act (Chapter 289) of Singapore, as modified or amended from time to time (the “SFA”)) pursuant to Section 274 of the SFA, (ii) to a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA) pursuant to Section 275(1) of the SFA, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A) of the SFA, and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA, or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA.
Where the units are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is:
•
a corporation (which is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA)) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor; or
•
a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary of the trust is an individual who is an accredited investor,
securities or securities-based derivatives contracts (each term as defined in Section 2(1) of the SFA) of that corporation or the beneficiaries’ rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferred within six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the units pursuant to an offer made under Section 275 of the SFA except:
•
to an institutional investor or to a relevant person, or to any person arising from an offer referred to in Section 275(1A) or Section 276(4)(i)(B) of the SFA;
•
where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer;
•
where the transfer is by operation of law; or
•
as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Switzerland
The units may not be publicly offered in Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (“SIX”) or on any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. This document has been prepared without regard to the disclosure standards for issuance prospectuses under art. 652a or art. 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or the disclosure standards for listing prospectuses under art. 27 ff. of the SIX Listing Rules or the listing rules of any other stock exchange or regulated trading
187
facility in Switzerland. Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the units or the offering may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.
Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the offering, the Company, the units have been or will be filed with or approved by any Swiss regulatory authority. In particular, this document will not be filed with, and the offer of units will not be supervised by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA, and the offer of units has not been and will not be authorized under the Swiss Federal Act on Collective Investment Schemes (“CISA”). The investor protection afforded to acquirers of interests in collective investment schemes under the CISA does not extend to acquirers of units.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the United Kingdom
No units have been offered or will be offered pursuant to the offering to the public in the United Kingdom prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the units which has been approved by the Financial Conduct Authority or is to be treated as if it had been approved by the Financial Conduct Authority in accordance with the transitional provisions in Article 74 (transitional provisions) of the Prospectus Amendment etc (EU Exit) Regulations 2019/1234, except that the units may be offered to the public in the United Kingdom at any time:
•
to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation;
•
to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the underwriters for any such offer; or
•
in any other circumstances falling within Section 86 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (“FSMA”),
provided that no such offer of the units shall require the company, sponsor or the underwriters to publish a prospectus pursuant to Section 85 of the FSMA or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the UK Prospectus Regulation.
Notwithstanding the above, each person in the UK who initially acquires any units or to whom any offer is made will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed to and with the Company and the underwriters that it is a qualified investor within the meaning of the UK Prospectus Regulation.
In the case of any units being offered to a financial intermediary as that term is used in Article 5(1) of the UK Prospectus Regulation, each such financial intermediary will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed that the units acquired by it in the offer have not been acquired on a non-discretionary basis on behalf of, nor have they been acquired with a view to their offer or resale to, persons in circumstances which may give rise to an offer to the public other than their offer or resale in the UK to qualified investors, in circumstances in which the prior consent of the underwriters has been obtained to each such proposed offer or resale.
The company, the underwriters and their affiliates will rely upon the truth and accuracy of the foregoing representations, acknowledgements and agreements.
For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to the units in the United Kingdom means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any units to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any units and the expression “UK Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.
In connection with the offering, the underwriters are not acting for anyone other than the company and will not be responsible to anyone other than the company for providing the protections afforded to its clients nor for providing advice in relation to the offering.
This document is for distribution only to persons who (i) have professional experience in matters relating to investments and who qualify as investment professionals within the meaning of Article 19(5) of
188
the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (as amended, the “Financial Promotion Order”), (ii) are persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) (“high net worth companies, unincorporated associations etc.”) of the Financial Promotion Order, (iii) are outside the United Kingdom, or (iv) are persons to whom an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended (“FSMA”)) in connection with the issue or sale of any securities may otherwise lawfully be communicated or caused to be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”). This document is directed only at relevant persons and must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not relevant persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this document relates is available only to relevant persons and will be engaged in only with relevant persons.
189
LEGAL MATTERS
Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., Houston, Texas, has passed upon the validity of the securities offered hereby on behalf of us. Certain legal matters will be passed upon on behalf of the underwriters by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP, Menlo Park, California.
EXPERTS
The financial statements of Activate Permanent Capital Corp. as of March 22, 2021 and for the period from March 16, 2021 (inception) through March 22, 2021 appearing in this prospectus have been audited by Marcum LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon (which contains an explanatory paragraph relating to substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern as described in Note 1 to the financial statements), appearing elsewhere in this prospectus, and are included in reliance on the report of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act with respect to the securities we are offering by this prospectus. This prospectus does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement. For further information about us and our securities, you should refer to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed with the registration statement. Whenever we make reference in this prospectus to any of our contracts, agreements or other documents, the references are materially complete but may not include a description of all aspects of such contracts, agreements or other documents, and you should refer to the exhibits attached to the registration statement for copies of the actual contract, agreement or other document.
Upon completion of this offering, we will be subject to the information requirements of the Exchange Act and will file annual, quarterly and current event reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You can read our SEC filings, including the registration statement, over the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
190
ACTIVATE PERMANENT CAPITAL CORP.
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
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Page
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| | | | | F-2 | | | |
| | | | | F-3 | | | |
| | | | | F-4 | | | |
| | | | | F-5 | | | |
| | | | | F-6 | | | |
| | | | | F-7 | | | |
F-1
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Stockholder and Board of Directors of
Activate Permanent Capital Corp.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Activate Permanent Capital Corp. (the “Company”) as of March 22, 2021, the related statements of operations, changes in stockholder’s equity and cash flows for the period from March 16, 2021 (inception) through March 22, 2021, 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 March 22, 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the period from March 16, 2021 (inception) through March 22, 2021, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Explanatory Paragraph—Going Concern
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As more fully described in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company’s ability to execute its business plan is dependent upon its completion of the proposed initial public offering described in Note 3 to the financial statements. The Company has a working capital deficiency and lacks the financial resources it needs to sustain operations for a reasonable period of time, which is considered to be one year from the issuance date of the financial statements. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are also described in Notes 1 and 3. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
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 2021.
Melville, NY
April 26, 2021, except for Note 2, Note 4 and Note 6 as to which the date is July 9, 2021.
April 26, 2021, except for Note 2, Note 4 and Note 6 as to which the date is July 9, 2021.
F-2
ACTIVATE PERMANENT CAPITAL CORP.
Balance Sheets
| | | |
June 30, 2021
|
| |
March 22, 2021
|
| ||||||
| | | |
(unaudited)
|
| |
(audited)
|
| ||||||
| Assets: | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
Deferred offering costs associated with proposed public offering
|
| | | $ | 505,116 | | | | | $ | 25,000 | | |
|
Total assets
|
| | | $ | 505,116 | | | | | $ | 25,000 | | |
| Liabilities and Stockholder’s Equity (Deficit): | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Current liabilities: | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
Accounts payable
|
| | | $ | — | | | | | $ | 416 | | |
|
Accrued expenses
|
| | | | 353,000 | | | | | | — | | |
|
Franchise tax payable
|
| | | | 58,132 | | | | | | — | | |
|
Note payable – related party
|
| | | | 127,775 | | | | | | — | | |
|
Total current liabilities
|
| | | | 538,907 | | | | | | 416 | | |
| Commitments and Contingencies (Note 5) | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Stockholder’s Equity (Deficit): | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding
|
| | | | — | | | | | | — | | |
|
Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value; 200,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding
|
| | | | — | | | | | | — | | |
|
Class B common stock, $0.0001 par value; 20,000,000 shares authorized; 7,187,500 shares issued and outstanding(1)
|
| | | | 719 | | | | | | 719 | | |
|
Additional paid-in capital
|
| | | | 24,281 | | | | | | 24,281 | | |
|
Accumulated deficit
|
| | | | (58,791) | | | | | | (416) | | |
|
Total stockholder’s equity (deficit)
|
| | | | (33,791) | | | | | | 24,584 | | |
|
Total Liabilities and Stockholder’s Equity (Deficit)
|
| | | $ | 505,116 | | | | | $ | 25,000 | | |
(1)
This number includes up to 937,500 shares of Class B common stock subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriters.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-3
ACTIVATE PERMANENT CAPITAL CORP.
Statements of Operations
| | | |
For the period from March 16, 2021 (inception) through
|
| |||||||||
| | | |
June 30, 2021
|
| |
March 22, 2021
|
| ||||||
| | | |
(unaudited)
|
| |
(audited)
|
| ||||||
|
General and administrative expenses
|
| | | $ | 659 | | | | | $ | 416 | | |
|
Franchise tax expenses
|
| | | | 58,132 | | | | | | — | | |
|
Net loss
|
| | | $ | (58,791) | | | | | $ | (416) | | |
|
Weighted average shares outstanding, basic and diluted(1)
|
| | | | 6,250,000 | | | | | | 6,250,000 | | |
|
Basic and diluted net loss per share
|
| | | $ | (0.01) | | | | | $ | (0.00) | | |
(1)
This number excludes an aggregate of up to 937,500 shares of Class B common stock subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriters.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-4
ACTIVATE PERMANENT CAPITAL CORP.
Statement of Changes in Stockholder’s Equity (Deficit)
For the period from March 16, 2021 (inception) through June 30, 2021
For the period from March 16, 2021 (inception) through June 30, 2021
| | | |
Common Stock
|
| |
Additional Paid-In
Capital |
| |
Accumulated
Deficit |
| |
Total
Stockholder’s Equity (Deficit) |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | | |
Class A
|
| |
Class B
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | | |
Shares
|
| |
Amount
|
| |
Shares
|
| |
Amount
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Balance – March 16, 2021
(inception) |
| | | | — | | | | | $ | — | | | | | | — | | | | | $ | — | | | | | $ | — | | | | | $ | — | | | | | $ | — | | |
|
Issuance of Class B common stock to Sponsor(1)
|
| | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | | 7,187,500 | | | | | | 719 | | | | | | 24,281 | | | | | | — | | | | | | 25,000 | | |
|
Net loss
|
| | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | | (416) | | | | | | (416) | | |
|
Balance – March 22, 2021
|
| | | | — | | | | | $ | — | | | | | | 7,187,500 | | | | | $ | 719 | | | | | $ | 24,281 | | | | | $ | (416) | | | | | $ | 24,584 | | |
|
Net loss (unaudited)
|
| | |
|
—
|
| | | |
|
—
|
| | | |
|
—
|
| | | |
|
—
|
| | | |
|
—
|
| | | | | (58,375) | | | | | | (58,375) | | |
|
Balance – June 30, 2021 (unaudited)
|
| | | | — | | | | | $ | — | | | | | | 7,187,500 | | | | | $ | 719 | | | | | $ | 24,281 | | | | | $ | (58,791) | | | | | $ | (33,791) | | |
(1)
This number includes up to 937,500 shares of Class B common stock subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriters.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-5
ACTIVATE PERMANENT CAPITAL CORP.
Statements of Cash Flows
| | | |
For the period from March 16, 2021 (inception) through
|
| |||||||||
| | | |
June 30, 2021
|
| |
March 22, 2021
|
| ||||||
| | | |
(unaudited)
|
| |
(audited)
|
| ||||||
| Cash Flows from Operating Activities: | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
Net loss
|
| | | $ | (58,791) | | | | | $ | (416) | | |
|
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash from operating activities:
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
General and administrative expenses paid by related party
under promissory note |
| | | | 659 | | | | | | — | | |
| Changes in operating liabilities: | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
Accounts payable
|
| | | | | | | | | | 416 | | |
|
Franchise tax payable
|
| | | | 58,132 | | | | | | | | |
|
Net cash used in operating activities
|
| | | | — | | | | | | — | | |
|
Net increase in cash
|
| | | | — | | | | | | — | | |
|
Cash – beginning of the period
|
| | | | — | | | | | | — | | |
|
Cash – end of the period
|
| | | $ | — | | | | | $ | — | | |
| Supplemental disclosure of noncash activities: | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
Deferred offering costs paid by Sponsor in exchange for Class B common stock
|
| | | $ | 25,000 | | | | | $ | 25,000 | | |
|
Deferred offering costs included in accrued expenses
|
| | | $ | 353,000 | | | | | $ | — | | |
|
Deferred offering costs paid by related party under promissory note
|
| | | $ | 127,116 | | | | | $ | — | | |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-6
ACTIVATE PERMANENT CAPITAL CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 1—Description of Organization, Business Operations and Going Concern
Activate Permanent Capital Corp. (the “Company”) is a blank check company incorporated in Delaware on March 16, 2021, 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 “Business Combination”). The Company is an emerging growth company and, as such, the Company is subject to all of the risks associated with emerging growth companies.
As of June 30, 2021, the Company had not commenced any operations. All activity for the period from March 16, 2021 (inception) through June 30, 2021 relates to the Company’s formation and the proposed initial public offering described below. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after the 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 from the proceeds derived from the Proposed Public Offering (as defined below). The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year end.
The Company’s sponsor is APCC Sponsor LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”). The Company’s ability to commence operations is contingent upon obtaining adequate financial resources through a proposed public offering (the “Proposed Public Offering”) of 25,000,000 units (each, a “Unit” and collectively, the “Units”) at $10.00 per Unit (or 28,750,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), which is discussed in Note 3, and the sale of 5,666,667 warrants (or 6,166,667 warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (each, a “Private Placement Warrant” and collectively, the “Private Placement Warrants”), at a price of $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant in a private placement to the Sponsor that will close simultaneously with the Proposed Public Offering.
The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering and the sale of the Private Placement Warrants, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business Combination. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to complete a Business Combination successfully. The Company must complete one or more initial Business Combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the net assets held in the Trust Account (as defined below) (net of amounts disbursed to management for working capital purposes, if permitted, and excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting commissions) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial Business Combination. However, the Company will only complete a Business Combination if the post-business combination company owns or acquires 50% or more of the 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 (the “Investment Company Act”). Upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, management has agreed that an amount equal to at least $10.00 per Unit sold in the Proposed Public Offering, including the proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Warrants to the Sponsor, will be held in a trust account (“Trust Account”) located in the United States with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, and invested only in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in U.S. Treasuries and meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act, as determined by the Company, until the earlier of: (i) the completion of a Business Combination and (ii) the distribution of the Trust Account as described below.
The Company will provide the holders (the “Public Stockholders”) of the Company’s outstanding shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, sold in the Proposed Public Offering (the “Public Shares”) with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares upon the completion of a Business Combination either in connection with a stockholder meeting called to approve the Business Combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether the Company will seek stockholder approval of a Business Combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by the Company, solely in its discretion. The Public Stockholders will be entitled to redeem their Public Shares for a pro rata portion of the amount then held in the Trust Account (initially anticipated to be $10.00 per Public Share). The per-share
F-7
ACTIVATE PERMANENT CAPITAL CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
Note 1—Description of Organization, Business Operations and Going Concern (Continued)
amount to be distributed to Public Stockholders who redeem their Public Shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions the Company will pay to the underwriters (as discussed in Note 5). These Public Shares will be recorded at a redemption value and classified as temporary equity upon the completion of the Proposed Public Offering in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.” The Company will proceed with a Business Combination if a majority of the shares voted are voted in favor of the Business Combination. The Company will not redeem the Public Shares in an amount that would cause its net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001. If a stockholder vote is not required by law and the Company does not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other reasons, the Company will, pursuant to its amended and restated certificate of incorporation (the “Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation”), conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing a Business Combination. If, however, stockholder approval of the transaction is required by law, or the Company decides to obtain stockholder approval for business or legal reasons, the Company will offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. Additionally, each Public Stockholder may elect to redeem their Public Shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction. If the Company seeks stockholder approval in connection with a Business Combination, the Initial Stockholders (as defined below) have agreed to vote their Founder Shares (as defined below in Note 4) and any Public Shares purchased during or after the Proposed Public Offering in favor of a Business Combination. In addition, the Initial Stockholders have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their Founder Shares and Public Shares in connection with the completion of a Business Combination.
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.
The Sponsor and the Company’s officers and directors (the “Initial Stockholders”) will agree not to propose an amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to redeem 100% of the Public Shares if the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period (as defined below) or with respect to any other material provisions relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial Business Combination activity, unless the Company provides the Public Stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their Public Shares in conjunction with any such amendment.
If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering (the “Combination Period”), 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, 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 the Company to pay its taxes (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 the remaining stockholders and the board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, 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 Initial Stockholders will agree to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to the Founder Shares if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination
F-8
ACTIVATE PERMANENT CAPITAL CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
Note 1—Description of Organization, Business Operations and Going Concern (Continued)
within the Combination Period. However, if the Initial Stockholders acquire Public Shares in or after the Proposed Public Offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to such Public Shares if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period. The underwriters have agreed to waive their rights to the deferred underwriting commission (see Note 5) held in the Trust Account in the event the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period and, in such event, such amounts will be included with the other funds held in the Trust Account that will be available to fund the redemption of the Public Shares. In the event of such distribution, it is possible that the per share value of the residual assets remaining available for distribution (including Trust Account assets) will be only $10.00. In order to protect the amounts held in the Trust Account, the Sponsor has agreed to be liable to the Company if and to the extent any claims by a third party (except for the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm) for services rendered or products sold to the Company, or a prospective target business with which the Company has entered into a letter of intent, confidentiality or other similar agreement or business combination agreement (a “Target”), reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per Public Share and (ii) the actual amount per Public Share held in the Trust Account as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account, if less than $10.00 per Public Share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or Target that executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the Trust Account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under the Company’s indemnity of the underwriters of the Proposed Public Offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Company will seek to reduce the possibility that the Sponsor will have to indemnify the Trust Account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers (other than the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses or other entities with which the Company does business, execute agreements with the Company waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the Trust Account.
Going Concern Consideration
As of June 30, 2021, the Company had no cash and a working capital deficit of approximately $539,000. Further, the Company has incurred and expects to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of its financing and acquisition plans. Management’s plans to address this need for capital through the Proposed Public Offering. The Company cannot assure that its plans to raise capital or to consummate an initial Business Combination will be successful. In addition, management is currently evaluating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on the Company’s financial position, results its operations and/or search for a target company.
These factors, among others, raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from its inability to consummate the Proposed Public Offering or its inability to continue as a going concern.
Risks and Uncertainties
Management continues to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry and has concluded that while it is reasonably possible that the virus could have a negative effect on the Company’s financial position, results of its operations and/or search for a target company, the specific impact is not readily determinable as of the date of these financial statements. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Note 2—Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC.
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ACTIVATE PERMANENT CAPITAL CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
Note 2—Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)
The accompanying unaudited financial statements as of June 30, 2021 and for the period from March 16, 2021 (inception) through June 30, 2021 in the opinion of management, include all adjustments (consisting of normal accruals) considered for a fair presentation. Operating results for the period from March 16, 2021 (inception) through June 30, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the period ending December 31, 2021, or for any future period.
Emerging Growth Company
The Company is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”), and it may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in its periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.
Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth 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 statements with another public company that is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company that has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. 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 expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under FASB ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the balance sheets, primarily due to their short-term nature.
Deferred Offering Costs Associated with the Proposed Public Offering
Deferred offering costs consist of legal fees incurred through the balance sheet date that are directly related to the Proposed Public Offering and that will be charged to stockholder’s equity upon the completion of the Proposed Public Offering. Should the Proposed Public Offering prove to be unsuccessful, these deferred costs, as well as additional expenses to be incurred, will be charged to operations.
F-10
ACTIVATE PERMANENT CAPITAL CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
Note 2—Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)
Net Loss Per Share
The Company complies with accounting and disclosure requirements of FASB ASC Topic 260, “Earnings Per Share.” Net loss per share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of shares of Class B common stock outstanding during the period, excluding common stock subject to forfeiture. Weighted average shares at June 30, 2021 and March 22, 2021 were reduced for the effect of an aggregate of 937,500 shares of Class B common stock that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriters (see Note 6). At June 30, 2021 and March 22, 2021, the Company did not have any dilutive securities and other contracts that could, potentially, be exercised or converted into shares of common stock and then share in the earnings of the Company. As a result, diluted loss per share is the same as basic loss per share for the period presented.
Income Taxes
The Company follows the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes under FASB ASC Topic 740, “Income Taxes.” Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statements carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that included the enactment date. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized. Deferred tax assets were deemed to be de minimus as of June 30, 2021 and March 22, 2021.
FASB 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 June 30, 2021 and March 22, 2021. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. No amounts were accrued for the payment of interest and penalties as of June 30, 2021 and March 22, 2021. 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.
The provision for income taxes was deemed to be de minimis for the period from March 16, 2021 (inception) through June 30, 2021.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all short-term investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. The Company did not have any cash or cash equivalents as of June 30, 2021 and March 22, 2021.
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 limit 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.
F-11
ACTIVATE PERMANENT CAPITAL CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
Note 2—Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
The Company’s management does not believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards if currently adopted would have a material effect on the accompanying financial statements.
Note 3—Proposed Public Offering
Pursuant to the Proposed Public Offering, the Company intends to offer for sale up to 25,000,000 Units (or 28,750,000 Units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a purchase price of $10.00 per Unit. Each Unit will consist of one share of Class A common stock and one-third of one redeemable warrant (each, a “Public Warrant”). Each whole Public Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment (see Note 6).
The Company will grant the underwriters a 45-day option from the date of the final prospectus relating to the Proposed Public Offering to purchase up to 3,750,000 additional Units to cover over-allotments, if any, at the Proposed Public Offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions.
Note 4—Related Party Transactions
Founder Shares
On March 22, 2021, the Sponsor purchased 7,187,500 shares of the Company’s Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Founder Shares”), for an aggregate price of $25,000. The Initial Stockholders have agreed to forfeit up to 937,500 Founder Shares to the extent that the over-allotment option is not exercised in full by the underwriters. The forfeiture will be adjusted to the extent that the over-allotment option is not exercised in full by the underwriters so that the Founder Shares will represent 20.0% of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares after the Proposed Public Offering.
The Initial Stockholders will agree, subject to limited exceptions, not to transfer, assign or sell any of the 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 reported closing price of 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, capital stock exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of the stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property. Any permitted transferees will be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of the Initial Stockholders with respect to any Founder Shares.
Private Placement Warrants
The Sponsor will agree to purchase an aggregate of 5,666,667 Private Placement Warrants (or 6,166,667 Private Placement Warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), at a price of $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant ($8.5 million in the aggregate, or approximately $9.3 million if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of the Proposed Public Offering.
Each whole Private Placement Warrant is exercisable for one whole share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Warrants to the Sponsor will be added to the proceeds from the Proposed Public Offering to be held in the Trust Account. If the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period,
F-12
ACTIVATE PERMANENT CAPITAL CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
Note 4—Related Party Transactions (Continued)
the Private Placement Warrants will expire worthless. The Private Placement Warrants will be non-redeemable for cash and exercisable on a cashless basis.
Related Party Loans
On March 22, 2021, the Sponsor agreed to loan the Company an aggregate of up to $300,000 to cover expenses related to the Proposed Public Offering pursuant to a promissory note (the “Note”). This loan is non-interest bearing and payable on the earlier of September 18, 2021, or the completion of the Proposed Public Offering. As of June 30, 2021 and March 22, 2021, the Company borrowed approximately $128,000 and $0 under the Note, respectively.
In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor, or certain of the Company’s officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds as may be required (“Working Capital Loans”). If the Company completes a Business Combination, the Company would repay the Working Capital Loans out of the proceeds of the Trust Account released to the Company. Otherwise, the Working Capital Loans would be repaid only out of funds held outside the Trust Account. In the event that a Business Combination does not close, the Company may use a portion of proceeds held outside the Trust Account to repay the Working Capital Loans but no proceeds held in the Trust Account would be used to repay the Working Capital Loans. Except for the foregoing, the terms of such Working Capital Loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. The Working Capital Loans would either be repaid upon consummation of a Business Combination or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $1.5 million of such Working Capital Loans may be convertible into warrants of the post Business Combination entity at a price of $1.50 per warrant. The warrants would be identical to the Private Placement Warrants. As of June 30, 2021 and March 22, 2021, the Company had no borrowings under the Working Capital Loans.
Administrative Services Agreement
The Company will enter into an agreement that will provide that, commencing on the effective date of the prospectus through the earlier of consummation of the initial Business Combination and the Company’s liquidation, the Company will pay an affiliate of the Sponsor a total of $40,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support and other services.
The Sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates, will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on the Company’s behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable Business Combinations. The audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to the Sponsor, officers, directors 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 the Company’s behalf.
Note 5—Commitments and Contingencies
Registration Rights
The holders of Founder Shares, Private Placement Warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans, if any, (and any shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans) will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering. The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that the Company register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration
F-13
ACTIVATE PERMANENT CAPITAL CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
Note 5—Commitments and Contingencies (Continued)
statements filed subsequent to the completion of the initial Business Combination. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Underwriting Agreement
The underwriters will be entitled to an underwriting discount of $0.20 per Unit, or $5.0 million in the aggregate (or approximately $5.8 million in the aggregate if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), payable upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. In addition, the underwriters will be entitled to a deferred fee of $0.35 per Unit, or approximately $8.8 million in the aggregate (or approximately $10.1 million in the aggregate if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full). The deferred fee will become payable to the underwriters from the amounts held in the Trust Account solely in the event that the Company completes a Business Combination, subject to the terms of the underwriting agreement.
Note 6—Stockholder’s Equity
Preferred Stock — The Company is authorized to issue 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, with such designations, voting and other rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Company’s board of directors. As of June 30, 2021 and March 22, 2021, there were no shares of preferred stock issued or outstanding.
Class A Common Stock — The Company is authorized to issue 200,000,000 shares of Class A common stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share. As of June 30, 2021 and March 22, 2021, there were no shares of Class A common stock issued or outstanding.
Class B Common Stock — The Company is authorized to issue 20,000,000 shares of Class B common stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share. On March 22, 2021, the Company issued 7,187,500 shares of Class B common stock. Of the 7,187,500 shares of Class B common stock outstanding, up to 937,500 shares are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part, so that the Initial Stockholders will collectively own 20% of the Company’s issued and outstanding common stock after the Proposed Public Offering.
Holders of Class A common stock and holders of Class B common stock will vote together as a single class on all other matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders except as required by law.
The Class B common stock will automatically convert into Class A common stock at the time of the initial Business Combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment pursuant to certain anti-dilution rights, as described herein. In the case that additional shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities are issued or deemed issued in connection with the initial Business Combination, the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of all 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 the completion of the Proposed Public Offering, plus the total number of shares of Class A common stock issued, or deemed issued or issuable upon conversion or exercise of any equity-linked securities or rights issued or deemed issued, by the Company in connection with or in relation to the consummation of the initial Business Combination, excluding any shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities exercisable for or convertible into shares of Class A common stock issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial Business Combination and any private placement-equivalent warrants issued to the Sponsor, officers or directors upon conversion of Working Capital Loans; provided that such conversion of Class B common stock will never occur on a less than one-for-one basis.
Warrants — As of June 30, 2021 and March 22, 2021, there were no warrants outstanding. The Company will account for the 14,000,000 warrants to be issued in connection with the Proposed Public Offering (including 8,333,333 Public Warrants and 5,666,667 Private Placement Warrants, assuming the
F-14
ACTIVATE PERMANENT CAPITAL CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
Note 6—Stockholder’s Equity (Continued)
underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised) in accordance with the guidance contained in ASC 815-40. Such guidance provides that the warrants described above are not precluded from equity classification. Equity-classified contracts are initially measured at fair value (or allocated value). Subsequent changes in fair value are not recognized as long as the contracts continue to be classified inequity.
Public Warrants may only be exercised for a whole number of shares. No fractional Public Warrants will be issued upon separation of the Units and only whole Public Warrants will trade. The Public Warrants will become exercisable on the later of (a) 30 days after the completion of a Business Combination or (b) 12 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering; provided in each case that the Company has an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the Public Warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available (or the Company permits holders to exercise their Public Warrants on a cashless basis and such cashless exercise is exempt from registration under the Securities Act). 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, it will use its commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC and have an effective registration statement covering the shares of the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and to maintain a current prospectus relating to those shares of the Class A common stock until the warrants expire or are redeemed. If a registration statement covering the shares of the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the 60th business day after the closing of the initial Business Combination, warrant-holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when the Company will have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption.
The warrants have an exercise price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustments, and will expire five years after the completion of a Business Combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation. In addition, if (x) in connection with the closing of the initial Business Combination, the Company issues additional shares of Common Stock or securities of the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiaries which are convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for, equity securities of the Company or such subsidiary, including any securities issued by the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiaries which are pledged to secure any obligation of any holder to purchase equity securities of the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiaries, at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per share of Common Stock, with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by the Board (and in the case of any such issuance to the Sponsor or its affiliates, without taking into account any shares of common stock of the Company issued prior to the Offering and 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, and interest thereon, available for the funding of the initial Business Combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of our common stock during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which we consummate our initial business combination (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, (i) the Warrant Price shall be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the fair market value and the Newly Issued Price and (ii) the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price shall be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the and the Newly Issued Price.
The Private Placement Warrants are identical to the Public Warrants, except that the Private Placement Warrants will be non-redeemable and may be exercised by the holder on a “cashless basis.”
Redemption of Public Warrants
Once the Public Warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the outstanding Public Warrants for cash:
•
in whole and not in part;
•
at a price of $0.01 per Public Warrant;
F-15
ACTIVATE PERMANENT CAPITAL CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
Note 6—Stockholder’s Equity (Continued)
•
upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption; and
•
if, and only if, the last reported sale price (the “closing price”) of Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant-holders.
The Company will not redeem the Public Warrants as described above unless an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the Public Warrants is effective and a current prospectus relating to those shares of Class A common stock is available throughout the 30-day redemption period. Any such exercise would not be on a “cashless” basis and would require the exercising holder to pay the exercise price for each Public Warrant being exercised.
In no event will the Company be required to net cash settle any warrant. If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period and the Company liquidates the funds held in the Trust Account, holders of warrants will not receive any of such funds with respect to their warrants, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside of the Trust Account with the respect to such warrants. Accordingly, the warrants may expire worthless.
Note 7—Subsequent Events
The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the date that the financial statements were available to be issued. Based on this review, the Company did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements.
F-16
25,000,000 Units
Activate Permanent Capital Corp.
P R E L I M I N A R Y P R O S P E C T U S
BofA Securities
Citigroup
Nomura
, 2021
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.
The estimated expenses payable by us in connection with the offering described in this registration statement (other than the underwriting discount and commissions) will be as follows:
| |
SEC/FINRA expenses
|
| | | $ | 74,991 | | |
| |
Accounting fees and expenses
|
| | | | 80,000 | | |
| |
Printing and engraving expenses
|
| | | | 40,000 | | |
| |
Travel and road show expenses
|
| | | | 25,000 | | |
| |
Directors & officers liability insurance premiums(1)
|
| | | | 1,250,000 | | |
| |
Legal fees and expenses
|
| | | | 350,000 | | |
| |
NYSE listing and filing fees
|
| | | | 85,000 | | |
| |
Miscellaneous
|
| | | | 95,009 | | |
| |
Total
|
| | | $ | 2,000,000 | | |
(1)
This amount represents the approximate amount of annual director and officer liability insurance premiums the registrant anticipates paying following the completion of its initial public offering and until it completes an initial business combination.
Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and officers.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that all of our directors, officers, employees and agents shall be entitled to be indemnified by us to the fullest extent permitted by Section 145 of the DGCL. Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law concerning indemnification of officers, directors, employees and agents is set forth below.
Section 145. Indemnification of officers, directors, employees and agents; insurance.
(a)
A corporation shall have power to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the person’s conduct was unlawful. The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that the person’s conduct was unlawful.
(b)
A corporation shall have power to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against expenses
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(including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.
(c)
To the extent that a present or former director or officer of a corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in subsections (a) and (b) of this section, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, such person shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection therewith.
(d)
Any indemnification under subsections (a) and (b) of this section (unless ordered by a court) shall be made by the corporation only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of the present or former director, officer, employee or agent is proper in the circumstances because the person has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in subsections (a) and (b) of this section. Such determination shall be made, with respect to a person who is a director or officer at the time of such determination, (1) by a majority vote of the directors who are not parties to such action, suit or proceeding, even though less than a quorum, or (2) by a committee of such directors designated by majority vote of such directors, even though less than a quorum, or (3) if there are no such directors, or if such directors so direct, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion, or (4) by the stockholders.
(e)
Expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by an officer or director in defending any civil, criminal, administrative or investigative action, suit or proceeding may be paid by the corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such director or officer to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified by the corporation as authorized in this section. Such expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by former officers and directors or other employees and agents may be so paid upon such terms and conditions, if any, as the corporation deems appropriate.
(f)
The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, the other subsections of this section shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in such person’s official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office. A right to indemnification or to advancement of expenses arising under a provision of the certificate of incorporation or a bylaw shall not be eliminated or impaired by an amendment to such provision after the occurrence of the act or omission that is the subject of the civil, criminal, administrative or investigative action, suit or proceeding for which indemnification or advancement of expenses is sought, unless the provision in effect at the time of such act or omission explicitly authorizes such elimination or impairment after such action or omission has occurred.
(g)
A corporation shall have power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of such person’s status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under this section.
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(h)
For purposes of this section, references to “the corporation” shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, and employees or agents, so that any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, shall stand in the same position under this section with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as such person would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.
(i)
For purposes of this section, references to “other enterprises” shall include employee benefit plans; references to “fines” shall include any excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to any employee benefit plan; and references to “serving at the request of the corporation” shall include any service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee or agent with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries; and a person who acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan shall be deemed to have acted in a manner “not opposed to the best interests of the corporation” as referred to in this section.
(j)
The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this section shall, unless otherwise provided when authorized or ratified, continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.
(k)
The Court of Chancery is hereby vested with exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine all actions for advancement of expenses or indemnification brought under this section or under any by law, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise. The Court of Chancery may summarily determine a corporation’s obligation to advance expenses (including attorneys’ fees).
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers, and controlling persons pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, we have been advised that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person in a successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, we will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to the court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
In accordance with Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, provides that no director shall be personally liable to us or any of our stockholders for monetary damages resulting from breaches of their fiduciary duty as directors, except to the extent such limitation on or exemption from liability is not permitted under the DGCL. The effect of this provision of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation is to eliminate our rights and those of our stockholders (through stockholders’ derivative suits on our behalf) to recover monetary damages against a director for breach of the fiduciary duty of care as a director, including breaches resulting from negligent or grossly negligent behavior, except, as restricted by Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL. However, this provision does not limit or eliminate our rights or the rights of any stockholder to seek non-monetary relief, such as an injunction or rescission, in the event of a breach of a director’s duty of care.
If the DGCL is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the liability of directors, then, in accordance with our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, the liability of
II-3
our directors to us or our stockholders will be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent authorized by the DGCL, as so amended. Any repeal or amendment of provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation limiting or eliminating the liability of directors, whether by our stockholders or by changes in law, or the adoption of any other provisions inconsistent therewith, will (unless otherwise required by law) be prospective only, except to the extent such amendment or change in law permits us to further limit or eliminate the liability of directors on a retroactive basis.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation also will provide that we will, to the fullest extent authorized or permitted by applicable law, indemnify our current and former officers and directors, as well as those persons who, while directors or officers of our corporation, are or were serving as directors, officers, employees or agents of another entity, trust or other enterprise, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan, in connection with any threatened, pending or completed proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, against all expense, liability and loss (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes and penalties and amounts paid in settlement) reasonably incurred or suffered by any such person in connection with any such proceeding.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a person eligible for indemnification pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation indemnifies us in connection with a proceeding initiated by such person only if such proceeding was authorized by our board of directors, except for proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification.
The right to indemnification which will be conferred by our amended and restated certificate of incorporation is a contract right that includes the right to be paid by us the expenses incurred in defending or otherwise participating in any proceeding referenced above in advance of its final disposition, provided, however, that if the DGCL requires, an advancement of expenses incurred by our officer or director (solely in the capacity as an officer or director of our corporation) will be made only upon delivery to us of an undertaking, by or on behalf of such officer or director, to repay all amounts so advanced if it is ultimately determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified for such expenses under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or otherwise.
The rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses will not be deemed exclusive of any other rights which any person covered by our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may have or hereafter acquire under law, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our bylaws, an agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise.
Any repeal or amendment of provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation affecting indemnification rights, whether by our stockholders or by changes in law, or the adoption of any other provisions inconsistent therewith, will (unless otherwise required by law) be prospective only, except to the extent such amendment or change in law permits us to provide broader indemnification rights on a retroactive basis, and will not in any way diminish or adversely affect any right or protection existing at the time of such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation permits us, to the extent and in the manner authorized or permitted by law, to indemnify and to advance expenses to persons other that those specifically covered by our amended and restated certificate of incorporation.
Our bylaws, which we intend to adopt immediately prior to the closing of this offering, include the provisions relating to advancement of expenses and indemnification rights consistent with those which will be set forth in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. In addition, our bylaws provide for a right of indemnity to bring a suit in the event a claim for indemnification or advancement of expenses is not paid in full by us within a specified period of time. Our bylaws also permit us to purchase and maintain insurance, at our expense, to protect us and/or any director, officer, employee or agent of our corporation or another entity, trust or other enterprise against any expense, liability or loss, whether or not we would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under the DGCL.
Any repeal or amendment of provisions of our bylaws affecting indemnification rights, whether by our board of directors, stockholders or by changes in applicable law, or the adoption of any other provisions inconsistent therewith, will (unless otherwise required by law) be prospective only, except to the extent
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such amendment or change in law permits us to provide broader indemnification rights on a retroactive basis, and will not in any way diminish or adversely affect any right or protection existing thereunder with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision.
We will enter into indemnification agreements with each of our officers and directors, a form of which is to be filed as an exhibit to this Registration Statement. These agreements will require us to indemnify these individuals to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law against liabilities that may arise by reason of their service to us, and to advance expenses incurred as a result of any proceeding against them as to which they could be indemnified.
Pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement to be filed as Exhibit 1.1 to this Registration Statement, we have agreed to indemnify the underwriters and the underwriters have agreed to indemnify us against certain civil liabilities that may be incurred in connection with this offering, including certain liabilities under the Securities Act.
Pursuant to the Letter Agreement filed as Exhibit 10.1 to this Registration Statement, we have agreed to indemnify our sponsor, its affiliates and their respective present and former officers and directors to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law from any claims made by us or a third party in respect of any investment opportunities sourced by them or any liability arising with respect to their activities in connection with our affairs, to the extent that such indemnification, hold harmless and exoneration obligations with respect to such matters are not expressly covered by a separate written agreement between us and any such party. Such indemnity will provide that the indemnified parties cannot access the funds held in our trust account.
Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.
In March 2021, our sponsor purchased 7,187,500 founder shares (up to an aggregate of 937,500 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 the founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares of common stock upon completion of this offering. Such securities were issued in connection with our organization pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. Our sponsor is an accredited investor for purposes of Rule 501 of Regulation D.
In addition, our sponsor has committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase from us an aggregate of 5,666,667 warrants (or 6,166,667 warrants if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $1.50 per warrant ($8,500,000 in the aggregate, or $9,250,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full). This purchase will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the completion of our initial public offering. This issuance will be made pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.
Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
(a)
Exhibits. The list of exhibits preceding the signature page of this registration statement is incorporated herein by reference.
(b)
Financial Statements. See page F-1 for an index to the financial statements and schedules included in the registration statement.
Item 17. Undertakings.
(a)
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriters at the closing specified in the underwriting agreements, certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriters to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.
(b)
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the
II-5
Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
(c)
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:
(1)
For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.
(2)
For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(3)
For the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 of any purchaser, if the registrant is subject to Rule 430C, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.
(4)
For the purpose of determining liability of a registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of an undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(i)
any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
(ii)
any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by an undersigned registrant;
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(iii)
the portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
(iv)
any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
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EXHIBIT INDEX
| |
Exhibit
|
| |
Description
|
|
| | 1.1 | | | | |
| | 3.1 | | | | |
| | 3.2 | | | | |
| | 3.3 | | | | |
| | 4.1 | | | | |
| | 4.2 | | | | |
| | 4.3 | | | Specimen Public Warrant Certificate (included in Exhibit 4.5)* | |
| | 4.4 | | | | |
| | 4.5 | | | Form of Public Warrant Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC and the Registrant* | |
| | 4.6 | | | | |
| | 5.1 | | | | |
| | 10.1 | | | | |
| | 10.2 | | | | |
| | 10.3 | | | | |
| | 10.4 | | | | |
| | 10.5 | | | | |
| | 10.6 | | | | |
| | 10.7 | | | | |
| | 10.8 | | | | |
| | 23.1 | | | | |
| | 23.2 | | | | |
| | 24.1 | | | Power of Attorney* (contained on the signature page of this registration statement). | |
| | 99.1 | | | | |
| | 99.2 | | | | |
| | 99.3 | | | | |
| | 99.4 | | | Consent of Thomas King as director nominee* | |
*
Filed herewith
**
To be filed by amendment
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Boston, State of Massachusetts, on the 9th day of July 2021.
| | | | | ACTIVATE PERMANENT CAPITAL CORP. | | |||
| | | | | By: | | |
/s/ Timothy G. Healy
Timothy G. Healy
Chief Executive Officer and Director |
|
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each of the undersigned constitutes and appoints each of Timothy G. Healy and Jacob Susman, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for such person and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign this Registration Statement on Form S-1 (including all pre-effective and post-effective amendments and registration statements filed pursuant to Rule 462 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended), and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming that any such attorney-in-fact and agent, or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| |
Name
|
| |
Position
|
| |
Date
|
|
| |
/s/ Timothy G. Healy
Timothy G. Healy
|
| |
Chief Executive Officer and Director
(principal executive officer) |
| |
July 9, 2021
|
|
| |
/s/ Jacob Susman
Jacob Susman
|
| |
Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Director
(principal financial and accounting officer) |
| |
July 9, 2021
|
|
| |
/s/ David Lincoln
David Lincoln
|
| |
Chair of the Board
|
| |
July 9, 2021
|
|
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