The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
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PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS | | SUBJECT TO COMPLETION | | DATED FEBRUARY 15, 2019 |
CRESCENT ACQUISITION CORP
$250,000,000
25,000,000 Units
Crescent Acquisition Corp is a blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to as our initial business combination. We have not identified any 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.
This is an initial public offering of our securities. Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one share of our Class A common stock and one-half of one redeemable 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 whole share, subject to adjustment as provided herein, and warrants may be exercised only for a whole number of shares of Class A common stock. The warrants will become exercisable on the later of 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination and 12 months from the closing of this offering, and will expire five years after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation, as described in this prospectus. We have also granted the underwriters a 45-day option from the date of this prospectus to purchase up to an additional 3,750,000 units to cover over-allotments, if any.
We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of our 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 described below 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 franchise and income taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding shares of Class A common stock that were sold as part of the units in this offering, which we refer to collectively as our public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. 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, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law and certain conditions as further described herein.
Our sponsor, CFI Sponsor LLC, has committed to purchase an aggregate of 7,000,000 warrants (or 7,750,000 warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $1.00 per warrant ($7,000,000 in the aggregate, or $7,750,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), each exercisable to purchase one share of our Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering.
Our sponsor owns 7,187,500 shares of Class F common stock (up to 937,500 of which are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised). The shares of Class F common stock will automatically convert into shares of Class A common stock at the time of our initial business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as provided herein. On all matters submitted to a vote of our stockholders, holders of the Class F common stock and holders of the Class A common stock will vote together as a single class, with each share of common stock entitling the holder to one vote.
We plan to enter into a forward purchase agreement pursuant to which Crescent Capital Group LP (“Crescent”), in its capacity as investment advisor on behalf of one or more investment funds or accounts managed by Crescent and its affiliates (referred to in this prospectus as the Crescent Funds), will commit on behalf of the Crescent Funds, to purchase, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in such agreement, including obtaining fund level approvals by the relevant investment committee and/or other governing body of such funds, an aggregate of 5,000,000 units (the “forward purchase units”), consisting of one share of Class A common stock (the “forward purchase shares”) and one-third of one warrant to purchase one share of Class A common stock (the “forward purchase warrants”), for $10.00 per unit, or an aggregate amount of $50,000,000, in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of our initial business combination. The forward purchase warrants will have the same terms as the private placement warrants so long as they are held by a Crescent Fund Purchaser or its permitted transferees, and the forward purchase shares will be identical to the shares of Class A common stock included in the units being sold in this offering, except the forward purchase shares will be subject to transfer restrictions and certain registration rights, as described herein. Any forward purchase warrant held by a holder other than a Crescent Fund Purchaser or its permitted transferees will have the same terms as the warrants included in the units being sold in this offering.
Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our units, Class A common stock or warrants. We intend to apply to list our units on The Nasdaq Capital Market, or Nasdaq, under the symbol “CRSAU” on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq. The Class A common stock and warrants constituting the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated inform us of their decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our satisfaction of certain conditions. Once the securities constituting the units begin separate trading, we expect that the Class A common stock and warrants will be listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “CRSA” and “CRSAW,” respectively.
We are an “emerging growth company” under applicable federal securities laws and will be subject to reduced public company reporting requirements. Investing in our securities involves risks. See “Risk Factors” on page 32. Investors will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings.
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| | Per Unit | | | Total | |
Public offering price | | $ | 10.00 | | | $ | 250,000,000 | |
Underwriting discounts and commissions(1) | | $ | 0.55 | | | $ | 13,750,000 | |
Proceeds, before expenses, to us | | $ | 9.45 | | | $ | 236,250,000 | |
(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. Does not include certain fees and expenses payable to the underwriters in connection with this offering. See also “Underwriting” beginning on page 147 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 U.S.-based trust account with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, and $2.0 million will be available to pay fees and expenses in connection with the closing of this offering and for working capital following this offering.
The underwriters are offering the units for sale on a firm commitment basis. Delivery of the units will be made on or about , 2019.
Neither the SEC 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.
Joint Book-Running Managers
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Credit Suisse | | | | BofA Merrill Lynch |
Co-Manager
I-Bankers Securities, Inc.
The date of this prospectus is , 2019