Hennessy Capital Investment Corp. VII (HVII)
Filed: 27 Jan 25, 5:13pm
Exhibit 99.1
HENNESSY CAPITAL INVESTMENT CORP. VII
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENT
| Page | |
| Financial Statement of Hennessy Capital Investment Corp. VII: | |
| Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | F-2 |
| Balance Sheet as of January 21, 2025 | F-3 |
| Notes to Financial Statement | F-4 |
| F-1 |
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of
Hennessy Capital Investment Corp. VII
Opinion on the Financial Statement
We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Hennessy Capital Investment Corp. VII (the “Company”) as of January 21, 2025 and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statement”). In our opinion, the financial statement presents fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of January 21, 2025, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
This financial statement is the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statement based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the “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 statement is 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 statement, 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 statement. 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 statement. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ WithumSmith+Brown, PC
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2024.
New York, New York
January 27, 2025
| F-2 |
HENNESSY CAPITAL INVESTMENT CORP. VII
BALANCE SHEET
JANUARY 21, 2025
| Assets | ||||
| Current assets | ||||
| Cash | $ | 2,336,378 | ||
| Prepaid expenses | 28,329 | |||
| Short-term prepaid insurance | 82,500 | |||
| Total current assets | 2,447,207 | |||
| Long-term prepaid insurance | 20,625 | |||
| Cash held in Trust Account | 190,000,000 | |||
| Total Assets | $ | 192,467,832 | ||
| Liabilities, Class A Ordinary Shares Subject to Possible Redemption, and Shareholders’ Deficit | ||||
| Current Liabilities | ||||
| Accrued offering costs | $ | 100,000 | ||
| Accrued expenses | 7,500 | |||
| Total current liabilities | 107,500 | |||
| Deferred legal fees | 600,000 | |||
| Deferred underwriting fee | 7,600,000 | |||
| Total Liabilities | 8,307,500 | |||
| Commitments and Contingencies (Note 6) | ||||
| Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption, 19,000,000 shares at redemption value of $10.00 per share | 190,000,000 | |||
| Shareholders’ Deficit | ||||
| Preference shares, $0.0001 par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding | — | |||
| Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value; 200,000,000 shares authorized; 690,000 shares issued and outstanding (excluding 19,000,000 shares subject to possible redemption) | 69 | |||
| Class B ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value; 20,000,000 shares authorized; 6,333,333 shares issued and outstanding | 633 | |||
| Additional paid-in capital | — | |||
| Accumulated deficit | (5,840,370 | ) | ||
| Total Shareholders’ Deficit | (5,839,668 | ) | ||
| Total Liabilities, Class A Ordinary Shares Subject to Possible Redemption, and Shareholders’ Deficit | $ | 192,467,832 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statement.
| F-3 |
HENNESSY CAPITAL INVESTMENT CORP. VII
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENT
JANUARY 21, 2025
Note 1 — Organization and Business Operations
Hennessy Capital Investment Corp. VII (the “Company”) is a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company on September 27, 2024. The Company was incorporated for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more businesses (the “Business Combination”). The Company has not selected any specific Business Combination target and the Company has not, nor has anyone on its behalf, engaged in any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any Business Combination target with respect to an initial Business Combination with the Company.
As of January 21, 2025, the Company had not commenced any operations. All activity for the period from September 27, 2024 (inception) through January 21, 2025 relates to the Company’s formation and the initial public offering (the “Initial Public Offering”), as 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 investments from the proceeds derived from the Initial Public Offering. The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year end.
The registration statement for the Company’s Initial Public Offering was declared effective on January 16, 2025. On January 21, 2025, the Company consummated the Initial Public Offering of 19,000,000 units (the “Units”), which includes the partial exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment option in the amount of 1,500,000 Units, at $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $190,000,000, which is described in Note 3. Each Unit consists of one Class A ordinary share and one right to receive one-twelfth (1/12) of one Class A ordinary share upon the consummation of an initial Business Combination (“Share Right”).
Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company consummated the sale of an aggregate of 690,000 private placement units (the “Private Placement Units”) at a price of $10.00 per Private Placement Unit, generating gross proceeds of $6,900,000 million, which is described in Note 4. Of the 690,000 Private Placement Units, 500,000 Private Placement Units were purchased by HC VII Sponsor LLC, the Company’s sponsor (the “Sponsor”), and an aggregate of 190,000 Private Placement Units were purchased by the underwriters of the Initial Public Offering (collectively, the “Underwriters”): Cohen & Company Capital Markets, a division of J.V.B Financial Group, LLC (133,000); Clear Street LLC (28,500); and Loop Capital Markets LLC (28,500). The Private Placement Units are identical to the Units sold in the Initial Public Offering, except that (i) the Private Placement Units (and the Class A ordinary shares and Share Rights underlying the Private Placement Units and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of the Share Rights) may not be transferred, assigned or sold, subject to certain limited exceptions, until 30 days after the completion of the initial Business Combination and (ii) the holders of the Private Placement Units are entitled to certain registration rights in respect thereof (and with respect to the Class A ordinary shares and Share Rights underlying such Private Placement Units and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of the Share Rights).
Transaction costs amounted to $12,656,782, consisting of $3,800,000 of cash underwriting fee, $7,600,000 of deferred underwriting fee and $1,256,782 of other offering costs.
The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement Units, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be generally applied toward consummating a Business Combination (less deferred underwriting commissions).
The Company’s Business Combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net balance in the Trust Account (as defined below) (excluding the amount of deferred underwriting discounts held and taxes payable on the income earned on the Trust Account) at the time of the signing an agreement to enter into a 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 outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). There is no assurance that the Company will be able to successfully effect a Business Combination.
| F-4 |
HENNESSY CAPITAL INVESTMENT CORP. VII
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENT
JANUARY 21, 2025
Following the closing of the Initial Public Offering on January 21, 2025, an amount of $190,000,000 ($10.00 per Unit) from the net proceeds of the sale of the Units, and a portion of the net proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Units, was placed in the trust account (“Trust Account”), located in the United States, with Odyssey Transfer and Trust Company acting as trustee. The funds 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, and/or (ii) deposited in an interest-bearing demand deposit account at a U.S.-chartered commercial bank with consolidated assets of $50 billion or more. To mitigate the risk that the Company might be deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, which risk increases the longer that the Company holds investments in the Trust Account, the Company may, at any time (based on the management team’s ongoing assessment of all factors related to the Company’s potential status under the Investment Company Act), instruct the trustee to liquidate the investments held in the Trust Account and instead to hold the funds in the Trust Account in cash or in an interest bearing account until the earlier of consummation of the initial Business Combination or liquidation of the Company. Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account that may be released to the Company to fund its working capital requirements, subject to an annual limit of 5.0%, and to pay its taxes, other than excise taxes, if any, (“permitted withdrawals”) and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses, the proceeds from the Initial Public Offering and the sale of the Private Placement Units will not be released from the Trust Account until the earliest of (i) the completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination, (ii) the redemption of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares sold as part of the Units in the Initial Public Offering (the “public shares”) if the Company is unable to complete the initial Business Combination within 24 months from the closing of the Initial Public Offering or by such earlier liquidation date as the Company’s board of directors may approve (the “Completion Window”), subject to applicable law, or (iii) the redemption of the Company’s public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to amend the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to (A) modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemption in connection with the initial Business Combination or to redeem 100% of the Company’s public shares if the Company has not consummated an initial Business Combination within the Completion Window or (B) with respect to any other provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial Business Combination activity. The proceeds deposited in the Trust Account could become subject to the claims of the Company’s creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of the Company’s public shareholders.
The Company will provide the Company’s public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of the initial Business Combination either in connection with a general meeting called to approve the initial Business Combination or by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether the Company will seek shareholder approval of a proposed initial Business Combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by the Company, solely in its discretion. The public shareholders will be entitled to redeem their shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial Business Combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account (less permitted withdrawals), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations.
The ordinary shares subject to redemption were recorded at a redemption value and classified as temporary equity upon the completion of the Initial Public Offering, in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480, “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.”
| F-5 |
HENNESSY CAPITAL INVESTMENT CORP. VII
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENT
JANUARY 21, 2025
The Company will have only the duration of the Completion Window to complete the initial Business Combination. However, if the Company is unable to complete its initial Business Combination within the Completion Window, the Company will 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 (less the amount of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will constitute full and complete payment for the public shares and completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation or other distributions, if any), subject to the Company’s obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and subject to the other requirements of applicable law.
The Sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with the Company, pursuant to which they have agreed to (i) waive their redemption rights with respect to their Class B ordinary shares of the Company (“founder shares”), private placement shares and public shares in connection with the completion of the initial Business Combination; (ii) waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and private placement shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association; (iii) waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to their founder shares and private placement shares if the Company fails to complete the initial Business Combination within the Completion Window, although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to any public shares they hold if the Company fails to complete the initial Business Combination within the Completion Window and to liquidating distributions from assets outside the Trust Account; and (iv) vote any founder shares or private placement shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after the Initial Public Offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions, aside from shares they may purchase in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), which would not be voted in favor of approving the Business Combination) in favor of the initial Business Combination.
The Company’s Sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to the Company if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to the Company, or a prospective target business with which the Company has entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or other 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 the Company’s indemnity of the underwriters of the Initial Public Offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). However, the Company has not asked the Sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor has the Company independently verified whether the Sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and the Company believes that the Sponsor’s only assets are securities of the Company. Therefore, the Company cannot assure that the Sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations.
| F-6 |
HENNESSY CAPITAL INVESTMENT CORP. VII
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENT
JANUARY 21, 2025
Note 2 — Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying financial statement is presented in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (the “U.S. GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).
Emerging Growth Company Status
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 auditor 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 shareholder 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 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 election to opt out is irrevocable. The Company has elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of the Company’s financial statement with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of the financial statement in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires 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 statement.
Making estimates requires management to exercise significant judgment. It is at least reasonably possible that the estimate of the effect of a condition, situation or set of circumstances that existed at the date of the financial statement, which management considered in formulating its estimate, could change in the near term due to one or more future confirming events. Accordingly, the actual results could differ significantly from those estimates.
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 had $2,336,378 in cash and no cash equivalents as of January 21, 2025.
Cash Held in Trust Account
As of January 21, 2025, the assets held in the Trust Account, amounting to $190,000,000, were held in cash.
Concentration of Credit Risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist of a cash account in a financial institution, which, at times, may exceed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation coverage limit of $250,000. Any loss incurred or a lack of access to such funds could have a significant adverse impact on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
| F-7 |
HENNESSY CAPITAL INVESTMENT CORP. VII
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENT
JANUARY 21, 2025
Offering Costs
The Company complies with the requirements of the ASC 340-10-S99 and SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) Topic 5A — “Expenses of Offering.” Offering costs consist principally of professional and registration fees that are related to the Initial Public Offering. FASB ASC 470-20, “Debt with Conversion and Other Options,” addresses the allocation of proceeds from the issuance of convertible debt into its equity and debt components. The Company applies this guidance to allocate Initial Public Offering proceeds from the Units between Class A ordinary shares and Share Rights, using the residual method by allocating Initial Public Offering proceeds first to assigned value of the rights and then to the Class A ordinary shares. Offering costs allocated to the Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption were charged to temporary equity and offering costs allocated to the share rights included in the Public and Private Placement Units were charged to shareholders’ deficit as the share rights included in the Public and Private Placement Units, after management’s evaluation, were accounted for under equity treatment.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under FASB ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the balance sheet, primarily due to their short-term nature.
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes under ASC Topic 740, “Income Taxes,” which requires an asset and liability approach to financial accounting and reporting for income taxes. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are computed for differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities that will result in future taxable or deductible amounts, based on enacted tax laws and rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.
ASC Topic 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. The Company’s management determined that the Cayman Islands is the Company’s major tax jurisdiction. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. As of January 21, 2025 there were no unrecognized tax benefits and no amounts accrued for interest and penalties. 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 considered to be an exempted Cayman Islands company with no connection to any other taxable jurisdiction and is presently not subject to income taxes or income tax filing requirements in the Cayman Islands or the United States. As such, the Company’s tax provision was zero for the period presented.
| F-8 |
HENNESSY CAPITAL INVESTMENT CORP. VII
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENT
JANUARY 21, 2025
Share Rights
The Company accounted for the share rights issued in connection with the Initial Public Offering and the private placement in accordance with the guidance contained in FASB ASC Topic 815, “Derivatives and Hedging”. Accordingly, the Company evaluated and classified the share rights under equity treatment at its assigned value.
Class A Shares Subject to Possible Redemption
The public shares contain a redemption feature which allows for the redemption of such public shares in connection with the Company’s liquidation, or if there is a shareholder vote or tender offer in connection with the Company’s initial Business Combination. In accordance with ASC 480-10-S99, the Company classifies public shares subject to redemption outside of permanent equity as the redemption provisions are not solely within the control of the Company. The Company recognizes changes in redemption value immediately as they occur and will adjust the carrying value of redeemable shares to equal the redemption value at the end of each reporting period. Immediately upon the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company recognized the accretion from initial book value to redemption value. The change in the carrying value of redeemable shares will result in charges against additional paid-in capital (to the extent available) and accumulated deficit. Accordingly, as of January 21, 2025, Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption are presented at redemption value as temporary equity, outside of the shareholders’ deficit section of the Company’s balance sheet. As of January 21, 2025, the Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption reflected in the balance sheet are reconciled in the following table:
| Gross proceeds | $ | 190,000,000 | ||
| Less: | ||||
| Proceeds allocated to Share Rights | (1,577,000 | ) | ||
| Class A ordinary shares issuance costs | (12,508,055 | ) | ||
| Plus: | ||||
| Remeasurement of carrying value to redemption value | 14,085,055 | |||
| Class A Ordinary Shares subject to possible redemption, January 21, 2025 | $ | 190,000,000 |
Share-Based Compensation
The Company records share-based compensation in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, “Compensation-Share Compensation” (“ASC 718”), guidance to account for its share-based compensation. It defines a fair value-based method of accounting for an employee share option or similar equity instrument. The Company recognizes all forms of share-based payments at their fair value on the grant date, which are based on the estimated number of awards that are ultimately expected to vest. Share-based payments are valued using a Black-Scholes option pricing model. Grants of share-based payment awards issued to non-employees for services rendered have been recorded at the fair value of the share-based payment, which is the more readily determinable value. The grants are amortized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service periods, which is generally the vesting period. If an award is granted, but vesting does not occur, any previously recognized compensation cost is reversed in the period related to the termination of service. Share-based compensation expenses are included in costs and operating expenses depending on the nature of the services provided in the statement of operations.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statement.
Note 3 — Initial Public Offering
Pursuant to the Initial Public Offering, on January 21, 2025, the Company sold 19,000,000 Units, which includes the partial exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment option in the amount of 1,500,000 Units, at a purchase price of $10.00 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one Class A ordinary share and one right entitling the holder thereof to receive one-twelfth (1/12) of one Class A ordinary share upon the consummation of an initial Business Combination (“Share Rights”).
Note 4 — Private Placement
Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Sponsor and the underwriters purchased an aggregate of 690,000 Private Placement Units, each Private Placement Unit consisting of one Class A ordinary share and one right to receive one-twelfth (1/12) of one Class A ordinary share upon the consummation of an initial Business Combination (“Share Rights”), at a price of $10.00 per Private Placement Unit, or $6,900,000 in the aggregate, in a private placement. Of the 690,000 Private Placement Units, 500,000 Private Placement Units were purchased by the Sponsor, and an aggregate of 190,000 Private Placement Units were purchased by the Underwriters: Cohen & Company Capital Markets, a division of J.V.B Financial Group, LLC (133,000); Clear Street LLC (28,500); and Loop Capital Markets LLC (28,500).
The Private Placement Units are identical to the Units sold in the Initial Public Offering except that, so long as they are held by the Sponsor, the underwriters or their permitted transferees, the Private Placement Units (including their component securities) (i) may not (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of the underlying Share Rights), subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holders until 30 days after the completion of the initial Business Combination and (ii) will be entitled to registration rights.
| F-9 |
HENNESSY CAPITAL INVESTMENT CORP. VII
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENT
JANUARY 21, 2025
The Sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with the Company, pursuant to which they have agreed to (i) waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares, private placement shares and public shares in connection with the completion of the initial Business Combination; (ii) waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and private placement shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemption in connection with the initial Business Combination or to redeem 100% of the public shares if the Company has not consummated an initial Business Combination within the Completion Window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial Business Combination activity; (iii) waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to their founder shares and private placement shares if the Company fails to complete the initial Business Combination within the Completion Window, although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to any public shares they hold if the Company fails to complete the initial Business Combination within the Completion Window and to liquidating distributions from assets outside the Trust Account; and (iv) vote any founder shares or private placement shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after the Initial Public Offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions, aside from shares they may purchase in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act, which would not be voted in favor of approving the Business Combination) in favor of the initial Business Combination.
Note 5 — Related Party Transactions
Founder Shares
On October 8, 2024, the Sponsor made a capital contribution of $25,000, or approximately $0.004 per share, for which the Company issued 5,750,000 founder shares to the Sponsor. On January 10, 2025, the Company issued an additional 958,333 founder shares (up to 125,000 shares of which are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised) for no additional consideration, resulting in the Sponsor holding a total of 6,708,333 founder shares (up to 875,000 of which are subject to forfeiture by the holders thereof depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ option to purchase additional Units is exercised). All share and per share data has been retrospectively presented. On January 21, 2025, the underwriters partially exercised their over-allotment option and forfeited the unexercised balance. As a result of the partial exercise and the subsequent forfeiture of the over-allotment option by the underwriters, 500,000 founder shares are no longer subject to forfeiture and 375,000 founder shares were forfeited, resulting in the Sponsor (after giving effect to the founder share transfers described below) holding 5,203,333 founder shares.
On December 1, 2024 and January 1, 2025, the Sponsor transferred 250,000 and 750,000 founder shares to each of Nicholas Geeza, the Company’s Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Secretary, and Thomas Hennessy, the Company’s President and Chief Operating Officer (COO), respectively. The founder shares were transferred for total consideration of $0.004 per share, or $1,000 and $3,000, respectively, due to the Sponsor. On December 19, 2024, the Sponsor transferred an aggregate of 130,000 founder shares to its independent directors, for total consideration of $0.004 per share, or $520, due to the Sponsor. The founder shares are automatically forfeited if the holder of such founder shares is no longer providing services to the Company prior to the initial Business Combination. The sale of the founder shares to the Company’s CFO, COO, and its independent directors, are in the scope of FASB ASC Topic 718, “Compensation-Stock Compensation” (“ASC 718”). Under ASC 718, stock-based compensation associated with equity-classified awards is measured at fair value upon the grant date. The fair value of the 1,130,000 shares granted to the Company’s CFO, COO, and its independent directors were $1,118,700 or $0.99 per share. The founder shares were granted subject to a performance condition (i.e., providing services through Business Combination). Compensation expense related to the founder shares is recognized only when the performance condition is probable of occurrence under the applicable accounting literature in this circumstance.
The Company’s initial shareholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares and any Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion thereof until the earlier to occur of (i) 180 days after the completion of the initial Business Combination or (ii) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction after the initial Business Combination that results in all of the Company’s shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property. Any permitted transferees will be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of the Company’s initial shareholders with respect to any founder shares (the “Lock-up”).
Working Capital Loans
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 (the “Working Capital Loans”). If the Company completes a Business Combination, the Company would repay the Working Capital Loans. In the event that a Business Combination does not close, the Company may use a portion of the working capital held outside the Trust Account to repay the Working Capital Loans but no proceeds from the Trust Account would be used to repay the Working Capital Loans. Up to $2,500,000 of such Working Capital Loans may be convertible into Private Placement Units of the post Business Combination entity at a price of $10.00 per Unit at the option of the lender. As of January 21, 2025, no such Working Capital Loans were outstanding.
Administrative Services Agreement
The Company entered into an agreement with the Sponsor, commencing on January 17, 2025 through the earlier of the Company’s consummation of a Business Combination and its liquidation, to pay an aggregate of $15,000 per month for office space, utilities, and secretarial and administrative support services.
The Company entered into an agreement with the CFO, commencing on January 17, 2025, to pay an aggregate of $10,000 per month for services prior to the consummation of the initial Business Combination or until the Company’s liquidation.
| F-10 |
HENNESSY CAPITAL INVESTMENT CORP. VII
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENT
JANUARY 21, 2025
Note 6 — Commitments and Contingencies
Risks and Uncertainties
The United States and global markets are experiencing volatility and disruption following the geopolitical instability resulting from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Israel-Hamas conflict. In response to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (“NATO”) deployed additional military forces to eastern Europe, and the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and other countries have announced various sanctions and restrictive actions against Russia, Belarus and related individuals and entities, including the removal of certain financial institutions from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) payment system. Certain countries, including the United States, have also provided and may continue to provide military aid or other assistance to Ukraine and to Israel, increasing geopolitical tensions among a number of nations. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the Israel-Hamas conflict and the resulting measures that have been taken, and could be taken in the future, by NATO, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Israel and its neighboring states and other countries have created global security concerns that could have a lasting impact on regional and global economies. Although the length and impact of the ongoing conflicts are highly unpredictable, they could lead to market disruptions, including significant volatility in commodity prices, credit and capital markets, as well as supply chain interruptions and increased cyber-attacks against U.S. companies. Additionally, any resulting sanctions could adversely affect the global economy and financial markets and lead to instability and lack of liquidity in capital markets.
Any of the above mentioned factors, or any other negative impact on the global economy, capital markets or other geopolitical conditions resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas conflict and subsequent sanctions or related actions, could adversely affect the Company’s search for an initial Business Combination and any target business with which the Company may ultimately consummate an initial Business Combination.
Registration Rights
The holders of the founder shares, Private Placement Units and the Class A ordinary shares underlying such Private Placement Units and Share Rights and Private Placement Units that may be issued upon conversion of the Working Capital Loans will have registration rights to require the Company to register a sale of any of the Company’s securities held by them and any other securities of the Company acquired by them prior to the consummation of the initial Business Combination pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of the Initial Public Offering. The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that the Company registers such securities. In addition, the holders have certain piggyback registration rights with respect to registration 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 had a 45-day option from the date of the Initial Public Offering to purchase up to an additional 2,625,000 Units to cover over-allotments, if any. On January 21, 2025, the underwriters partially exercised their over-allotment option in the amount of 1,500,000 Units and forfeited the remaining unexercised balance of 1,125,000 Units.
The underwriters were entitled to a cash underwriting discount of $0.20 per Unit, or $3,800,000 in the aggregate, paid to the underwriters in cash at the closing of the Initial Public Offering. Additionally, the underwriters are entitled to a deferred underwriting discount of up to $0.40 per Unit, or up to $7,600,000 in the aggregate (subject to reduction based on the funds remaining in the Trust Account after giving effect to the public shares that are redeemed in connection with an initial Business Combination), payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions on amounts remaining in the Trust Account after all redemptions by public shareholders have been met. The deferred underwriting discount will become payable to the underwriters from the amounts held in the Trust Account solely in the event the Company completes its Initial Business Combination.
Deferred Legal Fees
As of January 21, 2025, the Company had a total deferred legal fee of $600,000, all of which was related to the Initial Public Offering to be paid to the Company’s legal advisors upon consummation of the Business Combination. As the settlement or liquidation of amounts of deferred legal fees are not reasonably expected to require the use of current assets or require the creation of current liabilities, the amount is classified as a non-current liability in the accompanying balance sheet as of January 21, 2025.
| F-11 |
HENNESSY CAPITAL INVESTMENT CORP. VII
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENT
JANUARY 21, 2025
Note 7 — Shareholders’ Deficit
Preference Shares — The Company is authorized to issue a total of 1,000,000 preference shares at par value of $0.0001 each. As of January 21, 2025, there were no preference shares issued or outstanding.
Class A Ordinary Shares — The Company is authorized to issue a total of 200,000,000 Class A ordinary shares at par value of $0.0001 each. As of January 21, 2025, there were 690,000 Class A ordinary shares issued and outstanding, excluding 19,000,000 shares subject to possible redemption.
Class B Ordinary Shares — The Company is authorized to issue a total of 20,000,000 Class B ordinary shares at par value of $0.0001 each. As of January 21, 2025, there were 6,333,333 Class B ordinary shares issued and outstanding.
The founder shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of the initial Business Combination or earlier at the option of the holder on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional Class A ordinary shares, or any other equity-linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts sold in the Initial Public Offering and related to or in connection with the closing of the initial Business Combination, the ratio at which Class B ordinary shares convert into Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the outstanding Class B ordinary shares agree to waive such adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all Class B ordinary shares will equal, in the aggregate, 25% of the sum of (i) the total number of all Class A ordinary shares outstanding upon the completion of the Initial Public Offering (including any Class A ordinary shares issued pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment option and excluding the Class A ordinary shares underlying the Private Placement Units issued to the Sponsor and the underwriters), plus (ii) all Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued, in connection with the closing of the initial Business Combination (excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial Business Combination and any private placement-equivalent shares issued to the Sponsor or any of its affiliates or to the Company’s officers or directors upon conversion of Working Capital Loans) minus (iii) any redemptions of Class A ordinary shares by public shareholders in connection with an initial Business Combination; provided that such conversion of founder shares will never occur on a less than one-for-one basis.
Holders of record of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by shareholders. Unless specified in the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or as required by the Companies Act or stock exchange rules, an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law and the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, which requires the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company is generally required to approve any matter voted on by the Company’s shareholders. Approval of certain actions require a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, which (except as specified below) requires the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting, and pursuant to the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, such actions include amending the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and approving a statutory merger or consolidation with another company. There is no cumulative voting with respect to the appointment of directors, meaning, following the Company’s initial Business Combination, the holders of more than 50% of the ordinary shares voted for the appointment of directors can elect all of the directors. Prior to the consummation of the initial Business Combination, only holders of the Class B ordinary shares will (i) have the right to vote on the appointment and removal of directors and (ii) be entitled to vote on continuing the Company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (including any special resolution required to amend the constitutional documents or to adopt new constitutional documents, in each case, as a result of approving a transfer by way of continuation in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands). Holders of the Class A ordinary shares will not be entitled to vote on these matters during such time. These provisions of the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may only be amended if approved by a special resolution passed by the affirmative vote of at least 90% (or, where such amendment is proposed in respect of the consummation of the initial Business Combination, two-thirds) of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the Company.
Rights — Except in cases where the Company is not the surviving company in a Business Combination, each holder of a right will automatically receive one-twelfth (1/12) of one Class A ordinary share upon consummation of the initial Business Combination. The Company will not issue fractional shares in connection with an exchange of rights. Fractional shares will either be rounded down to the nearest whole share or otherwise addressed in accordance with the applicable provisions of Cayman law. In the event the Company is not the surviving company upon completion of the initial Business Combination, each holder of a right will be required to affirmatively convert his, her or its rights in order to receive the one-twelfth (1/12) of one Class A ordinary share underlying each right upon consummation of the Business Combination. If the Company is unable to complete the initial Business Combination within the required time period and the Company will redeem the public shares for the funds held in the Trust Account, holders of rights will not receive any of such funds for their rights and the rights will expire worthless.
| F-12 |
Note 8 — Fair Value Measurements
The fair value of the Company’s financial assets and liabilities reflects management’s estimate of amounts that the Company would have received in connection with the sale of the assets or paid in connection with the transfer of the liabilities in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. In connection with measuring the fair value of its assets and liabilities, the Company seeks to maximize the use of observable inputs (market data obtained from independent sources) and to minimize the use of unobservable inputs (internal assumptions about how market participants would price assets and liabilities). The following fair value hierarchy is used to classify assets and liabilities based on the observable inputs and unobservable inputs used in order to value the assets and liabilities:
| Level 1: | Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. An active market for an asset or liability is a market in which transactions for the asset or liability occur with sufficient frequency and volume to provide pricing information on an ongoing basis. | |
| Level 2: | Observable inputs other than Level 1 inputs. Examples of Level 2 inputs include quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities and quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in markets that are not active. | |
| Level 3: | Unobservable inputs based on assessment of the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. |
The fair value of the Share Rights issued in the Initial Public Offering is $1,577,000, or $0.083 per Share Right. The Share Rights issued in the Initial Public Offering have been classified within shareholders’ deficit and will not require remeasurement after issuance. The following table presents the quantitative information regarding market assumptions used in the valuation of the Share Rights issued in the Initial Public Offering:
| January 21, 2025 | ||||
| Underlying share price | $ | 9.91 | ||
| Pre-adjusted value per share right | $ | 0.83 | ||
| Market adjustment(1) | 10.0 | % | ||
| Fair Value per share right | $ | 0.083 | ||
| (1) | Market adjustment reflects additional factors not fully captured by low volatility selection, which may include likelihood of Business Combination occurring, market perception of lack of available or suitable targets, or possible post-acquisition decline of stock price prior to beginning of the exercise period. The adjustment is determined by comparing traded right prices to simulated model outputs. The market adjustment was determined by calibrating traded Share Rights prices as of the valuation dates. |
Note 9 — Subsequent Events
The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date through the date that the financial statement was issued. Based upon this review, the Company did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statement.
| F-13 |