SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED SEPTEMBER 25, 2020
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
$300,000,000
Qell Acquisition Corp.
30,000,000 Units
Qell Acquisition Corp. is a newly incorporated blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company and incorporated for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities, which we refer to as our initial business combination. We have not selected any business combination partner and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination partner.
This is the initial public offering of our securities. Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one Class A ordinary share and one-third of one redeemable warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment, terms and limitations as described herein. The underwriters have a 45-day option from the date of this prospectus to purchase up to 4,500,000 additional units to cover over-allotments, if any.
We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations as described herein. If we do not consummate an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will redeem 100% of the public shares for cash, subject to applicable law and certain conditions as described herein.
Our sponsor, Qell Partners LLC, has agreed to purchase 6,000,000 warrants (or 6,600,000 warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), at a price of $1.50 per warrant in a private placement to occur concurrently with the closing of this offering for an aggregate purchase price of $9,000,000 (or $9,900,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Each private warrant is identical to the public warrants sold in this offering, subject to certain limited exceptions as described in this prospectus.
Our initial shareholders currently own 25,000 ordinary shares which will be designated into 8,625,000 Class B ordinary shares (up to 1,125,000 of which will be subject to forfeiture) prior to the consummation of this offering. These shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination as described herein. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will be entitled to vote on the appointment of directors.
Currently, there is no public market for our securities. We intend to apply to have our units listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”), under the symbol “QELL.U” We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq. We expect the Class A ordinary shares and warrants comprising the units to begin separate trading on Nasdaq under the symbols “QELL” and “QELL WS,” respectively, on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Barclays Capital Inc. inform us of their decision to permit earlier separate trading and we have satisfied certain conditions described herein.
The PIMCO private funds have expressed an intent to purchase, or to have one or more of their respective affiliates purchase, up to an aggregate of 2,970,000 units in this offering at the public offering price.
We are an “emerging growth company” and “smaller reporting company” under applicable federal securities laws and will be subject to reduced public company reporting requirements. Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page
34 for a discussion of information that should be considered in connection with an investment in our securities. Investors will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings.
Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (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.
| | | Per unit | | | Total | |
Public offering price | | | | $ | 10.00 | | | | | $ | 300,000,000 | | |
Underwriting discounts and commissions(1) | | | | $ | 0.55 | | | | | $ | 16,500,000 | | |
Proceeds, before expenses, to us | | | | $ | 9.45 | | | | | $ | 283,500,000 | | |
(1) Includes $0.35 per unit, or $10,500,000 in the aggregate (or $12,075,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions to be placed in a trust account located in the United States as described herein and released to the underwriters only upon the consummation of an initial business combination. See also “Underwriting” 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, $300.0 million, or $345.0 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 located in the United States with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee.
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 , 2020.
Joint Book-Running Managers
, 2020