As of December 31, 2023, we had not yet commenced any operations. All activity from inception through December 31, 2023 relates to our formation, our IPO and our pursuit of a target company with which to effect our initial business combination. The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year end.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, we had net income of $2,729,602, which consisted of dividend income of $6,707,678 on marketable securities held in trust, offset by operating expenses of $1,670,440, a provision for income tax of $1,319,280, a $934,906 financing expense, and a $53,450 loss on the change in fair value of the warrant liability. In comparison, for the year ended December 31, 2022, we had net income of $18,132,948, which consisted of dividend income of $3,383,823 on marketable securities held in trust and a $16,668,950 gain on the change in fair value of the warrant liability, offset by operating expenses of $1,577,543 and a provision for income tax of $362,282. The provision for income taxes increased $956,998 as a result of the Company’s effective tax rate increasing from 1.96% as of December 31, 2022 to 32.58% as of December 31, 2023 largely due to changes in the fair value of warrant liabilities and the valuation allowance.
Results of Operations and Known Trends or Future Events
We did not commence operations until after the closing of our IPO in December 2021, and we have not engaged in any significant operations nor generated any operating revenues to date. 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. There has been no material adverse change in our financial condition since the date of our audited financial statements. We have incurred and expect to continue to incur increased expenses as a result of being a public company (for legal, financial reporting, accounting and auditing compliance), as well as for due diligence expenses.
Liquidity, Capital Resources and Going Concern
As of December 31, 2023, we had $2,171,553 in operating cash and a working capital deficit of $2,808,465, compared to $50,858 in operating cash and working capital of $929,527 as of December 31, 2022.
Until the completion of the initial public offering, our only source of liquidity was an initial purchase of founder shares by our sponsor for $25,000 and up to $350,000 in loans from our sponsor.
On December 14, 2021, we completed the initial public offering of 23,000,000 units, at $10.00 per unit, which included the full exercise by the underwriter of its over-allotment option in the amount of 3,000,000 units, generating gross proceeds of $230,000,000.
Simultaneously with the closing of the initial public offering, we completed the private sale of an aggregate of 11,700,000 private placement warrants to our sponsor at a purchase price of $1.00 per private placement warrants, generating gross proceeds to the Company of $11,700,000.
A total of $234,600,000 of the proceeds from the initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants was placed in a U.S.-based Trust Account at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee. In connection with the Special Meeting, the holders of 18,849,935 shares of Class A common stock properly exercised their right to redeem their shares for an aggregate redemption amount of $197,694,657, resulting in 4,150,065 shares of Class A common stock issued and outstanding and subject to possible redemption. Accordingly, at December 31, 2023, there were 8,350,065 shares of Class A common stock issued and outstanding, including 4,150,065 shares of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption. Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the “Trustee”) processed the redemptions and withdrew the $197,694,657 payable to the holders redeeming 18,849,935 shares of Class A common stock on July 7, 2023.
Transaction costs of the initial public offering amounted to $13,935,218, consisting of $4,600,000 of underwriting discount, $8,050,000 of deferred underwriting discount, and $1,285,218 of actual offering costs. Of these amounts, $13,325,704 was recorded to additional paid-in capital and $609,514 included in accumulated deficit as an allocation for public warrants and the private placement warrants. On August 22, 2022, the underwriter delivered a letter to the Company pursuant to which the underwriter waived its entitlement to the payment of the deferred underwriting fee.