As filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on November 10, 2022.
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
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FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
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Alkaid Acquisition Corp.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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Delaware | 6770 | 86-2702590 | ||
(State or other jurisdiction of | (Primary Standard Industrial | (I.R.S. Employer |
42 Broadway, 12th Floor
New York, NY 10004
Telephone: (646) 783-3012
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
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Greig Andrew Robert Charlton
Alkaid Acquisition Corp.
42 Broadway, 12th Floor
New York, NY 10004
Telephone: (646) 783-3012
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
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Copies to:
Giovanni Caruso, Esq. | Douglas Ellenoff, Esq. |
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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. ☐
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. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, 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.
Large accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | |||||
Non-accelerated filer | ☒ | Smaller reporting company | ☒ | |||||
Emerging growth company | ☒ |
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 to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of 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.
The information in this 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 prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities, and we are not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS | SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED NOVEMBER 10, 2022 |
$50,000,000
Alkaid Acquisition Corp.
5,000,000 Units
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Alkaid Acquisition Corp. is a blank check company formed for the purpose of entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. Our efforts to identify a target business will not be limited to a particular industry or geographic region, although we intend to focus on the Internet of Things (IoT), smart manufacturing, and renewable energy related industries. We affirmatively exclude as an initial business combination target any company of which financial statements are audited by an accounting firm that the United States Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) is unable to inspect for two consecutive years beginning in 2021 and any target company with China operations consolidated through a VIE structure. We do not have any specific business combination under consideration and we have not (nor has anyone on our behalf), directly or indirectly, contacted any prospective target business or had any substantive discussions, formal or otherwise, with respect to such a transaction with our company.
This is an initial public offering of our securities. Each unit that we are offering has a price of $10.00 and consists of one share of common stock, par value $0.0001, and one right to receive one-fifth (1/5) of a share of common stock upon the consummation of an initial business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus. We refer to the rights included in the units as “rights” or the “public rights.” We will not issue fractional shares. As a result, you must hold rights in multiples of 5 in order to receive shares for all of your rights upon closing of a business combination.
We have also granted Chardan Capital Markets, LLC, the representative of the underwriters (“Chardan”), a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 750,000 units (over and above the 5,000,000 units referred to above) solely to cover over-allotments, if any.
We will provide the holders of our outstanding shares of common stock that were sold as part of the units in this offering with the opportunity to redeem their shares of common stock upon the consummation 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, including interest (net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding shares of common stock that were sold as part of the units in this offering, which we refer to as our “public shares.”
(Prospectus cover continued on the following page.)
We are an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, and therefore will be subject to reduced reporting requirements.
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 24 of this prospectus 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 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.
Price to | Underwriting | Proceeds, | |||||||
Per Unit | $ | 10.00 | $ | 0.525 | $ | 9.475 | |||
Total | $ | 50,000,000 | $ | 2,625,000 | $ | 47,375,000 |
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(1) Includes $2,000,000, or $0.40 per unit, equal to 4.0% of the gross proceeds of this offering (or $2,300,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) payable to the underwriters as deferred underwriting discounts and commissions from the funds to be placed in the trust account described in this prospectus. The deferred underwriting discounts and commissions will be released to the underwriters upon consummation of an initial business combination, as described in this prospectus. If the business combination is not consummated, the underwriters will not be entitled to any interest accrued on the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions. See “Underwriting” for further information relating to the underwriters’ compensation.
Upon consummation of the offering, $10.15 per unit sold to the public in this offering (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option has been exercised in full or in part) will be deposited into a United States-based trust account at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee. Such amount includes $2,000,000, or $0.40 per unit (or $2,300,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), payable to the underwriters as deferred underwriting discounts and commissions. Except as described in this prospectus, these funds will not be released to us until the earlier of the completion of our initial business combination and our redemption of the shares of common stock sold in this offering upon our failure to consummate a business combination within the required period. We are not permitted to use the proceeds placed in the trust account and the interests earned thereon to pay any excise taxes or any other similar fees or taxes in nature that may be imposed on us pursuant to any current, pending or future rules or laws, including without limitation any excise tax due imposed under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 on any redemptions or stock buybacks by us.
The underwriters are offering the units on a firm commitment basis. Chardan, acting as the representative of the underwriters, expects to deliver the units to purchasers on or about __________, 2022.
Sole Book-Running Manager
Chardan
__________, 2022
(Prospectus cover continued from preceding page.)
We will have until 9 months (or 12 or 15 months, if we extend the time to complete a business combination as described in this prospectus) from the closing of this offering to consummate our initial business combination. If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within such time period, we will redeem 100% of our outstanding public shares for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the trust account, including a pro rata portion of any interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us or necessary to pay our taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay liquidation expenses), and then seek to liquidate and dissolve, as further described herein.
Our sponsor, Alkaid Investments LLC, which is controlled by Min Gan, has committed to purchase from us 262,500 units, or “private units,” at $10.00 per private unit, for a total purchase price of $2,625,000. The purchase will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. A portion of the proceeds we receive from the purchase will be placed in the trust account described below. Our sponsor has also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters, it will purchase from us at a price of $10.00 per private unit an additional number of private units (up to a maximum of 20,625 private units) pro rata with the amount of the over-allotment option exercised so that at least $10.15 per share sold to the public in this offering is held in trust regardless of whether the over-allotment option is exercised in full or in part. These additional private units will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of units resulting from the exercise of the over-allotment option.
There is presently no public market for our units, shares of common stock or rights. We have applied to have our units listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, or Nasdaq, under the symbol “ALKDU”. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq. The common stock and rights comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 45th day following the date of this prospectus unless Chardan informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our filing a Current Report on Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission containing an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds of this offering and issuing a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading as described in this prospectus, the shares of common stock and rights will be traded on Nasdaq under the symbols “ALKD” and “ALKDR,” respectively. We cannot assure you that our securities will continue to be listed on Nasdaq after this offering.
Although we currently do not have any People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) subsidiary or China operations, a majority of our officers and directors have significant ties to, and business experience in, mainland China and Hong Kong, which may make us a less attractive partner to certain potential non-China- or non-Hong Kong-based target businesses. Even if we can locate an appropriate candidate for our business combination, we may not be able to enter into a business combination agreement that is in our favor if our officers and directors are unfamiliar with the markets outside of China and due to the limited business combination period. These risks could significantly and negatively impact our search for a target business and/or the value of the securities we are registering for sale.
Since a majority of our directors and officers have significant ties to mainland China and Hong Kong, we may be subject to certain risks relating to regulatory oversight by the PRC government. In particular, changes in the policies, regulations, rules, and the enforcement of laws of the PRC government may be adopted quickly with little advance notice. The Chinese government may also intervene or influence our search for a target business or the completion of an initial business combination at any time because a majority of our directors and officers have significant ties to mainland China and Hong Kong. This could significantly and negatively impact our search for a target business and/or the value of the securities we are registering for sale.
Recently, the PRC government initiated a series of regulatory actions and statements to regulate business operations in China with little advance notice, including cracking down on illegal activities in the securities market, enhancing supervision over China-based companies listed overseas using a variable interest entity, or VIE, structure, adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity reviews and expanding the efforts in antimonopoly enforcement. For example, on July 6, 2021, the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued a document to crack down on illegal activities in the securities market and promote the high-quality development of the capital market, which, among other things, requires the relevant governmental authorities to strengthen cross-border oversight of law-enforcement and judicial cooperation, to enhance supervision over China-based companies listed overseas, and to establish and improve the system of extraterritorial application of the PRC securities laws. Also, on July 10, 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of China (“CAC”) issued a revised draft of the Measures for Cybersecurity Review for public comments, or the Revised Draft, which required that, among others, in addition to “operator of critical information infrastructure,” any “data processor” controlling personal information of no less than one million users (which to be further specified) which seeks to list in a foreign stock exchange should also be subject to cybersecurity review, and further elaborated the factors to be considered when assessing the national security risks of the relevant activities.
We do not believe that we are directly subject to these regulatory actions or statements nor do they have any impact on our ability to accept foreign investments, or list on a U.S. or other foreign exchange. As of the date of this prospectus, no relevant laws or regulations in the PRC or Hong Kong explicitly require us to seek approval from any PRC or Hong Kong governmental authorities for this offering, nor have we received any inquiry, notice, warning or sanctions regarding our planned overseas listing from any PRC or Hong Kong governmental authorities.
Nevertheless, the laws and regulations in the PRC are evolving, and their enactment timetable, interpretation and implementation involve significant uncertainties. To the extent any PRC laws and regulations become applicable to us, we may be subject to the risks and uncertainties associated with the legal system in the PRC, including with respect to the enforcement of laws and the possibility of changes of rules and regulations with little or no advance notice.
Pursuant to the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (“HFCAA”), the PCAOB issued a Determination Report on December 16, 2021 which found that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in: (1) mainland China of the People’s Republic of China because of a position taken by one or more authorities in mainland China; and (2) Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Region and dependency of the PRC, because of a position taken by one or more authorities in Hong Kong. In addition, the PCAOB’s report identified the specific registered public accounting firms which are subject to these determinations. Our registered public accounting firm, Friedman LLP, is headquartered in Manhattan, New York, with no branches or offices outside the United States, is an independent registered public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and is subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess Friedman LLP’s compliance with applicable professional standards and was not identified in this report as a firm subject to the PCAOB’s determination. The PCAOB currently has access to inspect the working papers of our auditor. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that we complete a business combination with a company, the auditor of which the PCAOB is not able to fully conduct inspections on, it could cause us to fail to be in compliance with U.S. securities laws and regulations, we could cease to be listed on a U.S. securities exchange, and U.S. trading of our shares could be prohibited under the HFCAA and Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act. See “Risk Factor — U.S. laws and regulations, including the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act and Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, may restrict or eliminate our ability to complete a business combination with certain companies.” In order to reduce or limit such risks, we affirmatively exclude as an initial business combination target any company which financial statements are audited by an accounting firm that the PCAOB is unable to inspect for two consecutive years beginning in 2021 or any target company that consolidates financial results of PRC operating entities through a variable interest entity (the “VIE”) structure in the PRC instead of direct holdings.
A majority of our executive officers and directors are located outside of the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process within the United States on those executive officers and directors, or enforce judgments obtained in the United States courts against those executive officers and directors, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States.
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You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized anyone to provide you with different information. We are not, and the underwriters are not, making an offer of these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted.
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This summary only highlights the more detailed information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. As this is a summary, it does not contain all of the information that you should consider in making an investment decision. You should read this entire prospectus carefully, including the information under “Risk Factors” and our financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, before investing.
Unless otherwise stated in this prospectus, references to:
• “we,” “us” or “our company” refer to Alkaid Acquisition Corp.;
• our “insiders” refer to our sponsor, officers, directors, and any holder of our insider shares;
• “Chardan” refers to Chardan Capital Markets, LLC, the representative of the underwriters;
• “insider shares” refer to the 1,437,500 shares of common stock held or controlled by our insiders (as defined below) prior to this offering, which include up to an aggregate of 187,500 shares of common stock subject to forfeiture by our insiders to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part;
• “private units” refer to the 262,500 units (or up to a maximum of 283,125 private units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) we are selling privately to Alkaid Investments LLC, our sponsor, upon consummation of this offering and the 50,000 units (or up to a maximum of 57,500 private units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) we will issue to Chardan upon consummation of the business combination;
• “private shares” refer to the shares underlying the private units;
• our “public shares” refer to shares of common stock which are being sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are purchased in this offering or thereafter in the open market) and references to “public stockholders” refer to the holders of our public shares, including our insiders to the extent our insiders purchase public shares, provided that their status as “public stockholders” shall only exist with respect to such public shares;
• our “rights” or “public rights” refer to the rights which are being sold as part of the units in this offering; and
• our “sponsor” refers to Alkaid Investments LLC, which is controlled by Min Gan.
Except as specifically provided otherwise, the information in this prospectus assumes that the underwriters will not exercise their over-allotment option.
Certain financial information contained in this prospectus has been rounded and, as a result, certain totals shown in this prospectus may not equal the arithmetic sum of the figures that should otherwise aggregate to those totals.
You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized anyone to provide you with different information. We are not, and the underwriters are not, making an offer of these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted.
General
We are a blank check company formed under the laws of the State of Delaware on March 11, 2021. We were formed for the purpose of entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. To date, our efforts have been limited to organizational activities as well as activities related to this offering. Our efforts to identify a prospective target business will not be limited to any particular industry or geographic region, although we intend to focus on the Internet of Things (IoT), smart manufacturing, and renewable energy related industries. We affirmatively exclude as an initial business combination target any company of which financial statements are audited by an accounting firm that the PCAOB is unable to inspect for two consecutive years beginning in 2021 and any target company with China operation consolidated through a VIE structure. We do not
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have any specific business combination under consideration and we have not (nor has anyone on our behalf), directly or indirectly, contacted any prospective target business or had any substantive discussions, formal or otherwise, with respect to such a transaction with our company.
Although we currently do not have any People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) subsidiary or China operations, a majority of our officers and directors have significant ties to, and business experience in, mainland China and Hong Kong, which may make us a less attractive partner to certain potential non-China- or non-Hong Kong-based target businesses. Even if we can locate an appropriate candidate for our business combination, we may not be able to enter into a business combination agreement that is in our favor if our officers and directors are unfamiliar with the markets outside of China and due to the limited business combination period. These risks could significantly and negatively impact our search for a target business and/or the value of the securities we are registering for sale.
Since a majority of our directors and officers have significant ties to mainland China and Hong Kong, we may be subject to certain risks relating to regulatory oversight by the PRC government. In particular, changes in the policies, regulations, rules, and the enforcement of laws of the PRC government may be adopted quickly with little advance notice. The Chinese government may also intervene or influence our search for a target business or the completion of an initial business combination at any time because a majority of our directors and officers have significant ties to mainland China and Hong Kong. This could significantly and negatively impact our search for a target business and/or the value of the securities we are registering for sale.
Since we are a Delaware company with offices in Manhattan, New York, and have no operations in China and our directors and officers are based outside of mainland China, we are not required to obtain permission from the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) or any other governmental agency in China for our offering. Moreover, our officers and directors are not covered by any Chinese permissions requirements since none of them is a citizen of or based in mainland China. Accordingly, as of the date of this prospectus, we have not applied or received any permission or approvals for this offering. If applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change and require us and/or our directors and officers to obtain such permissions or approvals in the future, these regulatory agencies (a) may impose fines and penalties on our officers and directors and (b) may also take actions requiring our directors and officers, or making it advisable for directors and officers, to terminate this offering before settlement and delivery of our units or delay our potential business combination and, therefore, we may have to liquidate the funds held in the trust account (in which case our rights may be worthless). Any uncertainties and/or negative publicity regarding such an approval requirement could have a material adverse effect on the trading price of our securities.
A majority of our executive officers and directors are located outside of the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process within the United States on those executive officers and directors, or enforce judgments obtained in the United States courts against those executive officers and directors, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States.
Background and Competitive Strengths
We will seek to capitalize on the experience and networks of the members of our management team and independent directors. Members of our team have extensive experience in sourcing and evaluating potential investment opportunities as well as deal negotiation, corporate finance, business operations and management, which we believe will give us distinct advantages in sourcing, structuring, and consummating a business combination. Furthermore, we believe that our team has a diverse and complementary set of skills which will make us an attractive partner to potential target businesses and bring value to the business following our initial business combination.
Leadership of an Experienced Management Team
Our management team is comprised of Mr. Greig Andrew Robert Charlton, our Chief Executive Officer; Mr. Michel Friedman, our Chief Financial Officer; Mr. Nat Y Chan, our Audit Committee Chair; and Messrs. Stefan Dodov and Daniel Peart, our Independent Directors.
Greig Andrew Robert Charlton has been our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman since January 2022. Mr. Charlton has over 10 years of experience in legal, corporate management, and entrepreneurship. Mr. Charlton has served as legal representative and managing director of You Bao Network Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd, a software development company, since November 2015; legal representative and Chairman of Chi Yan Business Consulting (Shanghai) Co.,
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Ltd, a consulting company, since November 2015; CEO and a board member of Two Four Seven Limited, an event and travel ticketing, entertainment IP creation, commercialization and production company, since December 2016; a director of 247Collective Ltd since June 2016; legal representative and managing director of Shanghai Di Mai Culture Communication Co., Ltd, an event planning company, since December 2018; a director of China Payments Service Ltd, a consulting company, since July 2019; a director of UShow Ltd, a media company based in the U.K., since September 2020; and legal representative and Chairman of Nian Jiu Jian Culture Development (Shanghai) Co., Ltd, an event planning company, since October 2021. Mr. Charlton received a Bachelor of Science in Anatomy and Physiology from University of Dundee in 2003.
Michel Friedman has been our Chief Financial Officer since January 2022. Mr. Friedman has over 20 years of experience in investments and corporate transactions. In August 2021, Mr. Friedman co-founded Reflect Ventures, which syndicates venture investments in high-potential startups across the world. Previously, Mr. Friedman was CFO and director of Xinhua Pictures, a leading enterprise of film and television, from 2018 to 2021. Prior to that, Mr. Friedman was Managing Director, Member of Investment Committee of Wanxin Culture and Technology Investment Fund, responsible for investment, financial analysis, and risk management, from 2017 to 2018. Prior to that, Mr. Friedman was a director at Shune River Capital, a boutique investment bank that focuses on cross-border transactions, from 2012 to 2017. Mr. Friedman received a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering from MIT in 1989, and EMBA Global Asia from Columbia Business School, London Business School and HKU Business School in 2014. Additionally, Mr. Friedman is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst.
Nat Y Chan has been our Independent Director since January 2022. Mr. Chan has over 20 years of experience in accountancy, investment, and business management. Since May 2014, Mr. Chan has served as CFO of Richemont Commercial Co. Ltd, a luxury goods supplier. Prior to that, Mr. Chan was Financial Controller, China from 2011 to 2013 and Financial Director, China from 2013 to 2014 at Burberry (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd, a global luxury brand. Prior to that, from July 2005 to September 2007, Mr. Chan was Financial Controller of Zegna Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, a luxury fashion house. Mr. Chan received an Executive MBA from Kellogg School, Northwestern University and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Business School in 2002, and a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Macquarie University in 1990. Mr. Chan is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and New Zealand and a CPA in Australia.
Stefan Dodov has been our Independent Director since January 2022. Since May 2020, Mr. Dodov has served as manager at BCC Global, an experts network and market research provider serving the world’s top investment firms, corporations and consulting firms. Previously, Mr. Dodov was a compliance advisor at AllBright Law Offices from December 2018 to May 2020, corporate counselor and client manager at Junzejun Law Firm from June 2018 to December 2018, and legal compliance consultant at Hawk Consulting from September 2016 to April 2018. Mr. Dodov received a Bachelor of Laws from Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in 2011, a Master of Laws from Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in 2015 and a Master of Laws from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 2016.
Daniel Peart has been our Independent Director since January 2022. Mr. Peart has served as Vice President — Supplier Technical Assistance and Purchasing at Jaguar Land Rover, a producer of luxury vehicles, since 2013. Mr. Peart received a bachelor’s degree in Product Design & Manufacturing Engineering from Loughborough University in 2007.
Acquisition Strategy and Industry Opportunity
Our management team intends to focus on potential acquisition targets with primary operations in and around the Internet of Things (IoT), smart manufacturing, and renewable energy related industries. We believe that each sector provides a rich backdrop for businesses to scale rapidly, and we expect to leverage our management team’s relationships with corporate executives, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and private equity firms to provide us with a substantial number of actionable opportunities that fit our acquisition criteria. We affirmatively exclude as an initial business combination target any company of which financial statements are audited by an accounting firm that the PCAOB is unable to inspect for two consecutive years beginning in 2021 and any target company with China operation consolidated through a VIE structure.
Our goal is to identify and acquire a business with untapped opportunity for building a public company. We intend to seek out potential targets that we believe have proven business models and attractive growth profiles based on their innovative approach to traditionally-managed industries. In addition, we believe a target business will benefit from our involvement, including through the potential strategic relationships we can introduce, as well as by assisting the target in areas such as intellectual property management, and corporate financing.
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Despite our focus, we may attempt to acquire an acquisition target in another industry, if an attractive acquisition opportunity is identified in such other industry prior to identifying an acquisition opportunity within our primary industry focus and we believe that such opportunity is in the best interest of our stockholders.
Internet of Things (IoT)
Internet of Things (IoT) is a critical component of Industry 4.0, a new phase in the industrial revolution that focuses heavily on interconnectivity, automation, machine learning, and real-time data. IoT has extensive application in a wide range of industries, such as monitoring products, home automation, smart energy, and more. According to MarketsandMarkets, the market size of IoT is expected to grow from approximately US$300 billion in 2021 to US$651 billion by 2028, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17%. Additionally, the global automotive IoT market is expected to reach US$542 billion by 2025 according to Meticulous Research. We believe there is a great opportunity to leverage our team’s network of resources to identify, negotiate, and complete a business combination within this industry.
Smart Manufacturing
We believe that the adoption of technology in traditionally-managed manufacturing markets is still in its infancy, and many systems and practices are outdated and lack the efficiencies critical for long-term success. With the advancement of computing and communication technology, smart manufacturing is developing rapidly in the context of Industry 4.0 to help combat these inefficiencies. According to Grand View Research, the global smart manufacturing market size is estimated to reach approximately US$590 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 12.4% from 2021 to 2028. We believe that this rapid growth has created enormous opportunities for value creation, and that we will be presented with a number of opportunities to acquire and merge with attractive companies that are at a commercial inflection point and are well positioned to make use of growth capital.
Renewable Energy
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), renewables will account for about 47% of the electricity market by 2040, up from 29% in 2021, which indicates that clean technology will become a major area for investment and adoption. Transformation of the energy ecosystem is being driven by the rapidly declining costs of solar and wind power, which are now the lowest cost forms of new energy on the grid and scaling rapidly. Furthermore, global commitments to reduce carbon emissions represent a strong tailwind for this industry; 197 countries have signed the Paris Accord and 1,500 corporations representing $11.4 trillion in revenue have made significant commitments to combat climate change. As such, we believe that the renewable energy sector offers a rare opportunity to invest in strong companies at a relatively early stage of the expected growth.
Investment Criteria
We have identified the following general criteria and guidelines as we evaluate prospective target companies.
• Large underpenetrated markets with favorable industry dynamics. We intend to actively look for suitable investment opportunities within the Internet of Things (IoT), smart manufacturing, and renewable energy related industries with an enterprise value of approximately $300 million to $600 million. We will prioritize targets that are already benefiting from or capitalizing on trends found within their respective sectors.
• Strong management team. The strength of the management team will be an important component in our review process. We will seek to partner with a visionary, experienced and professional management team that has demonstrated a track record of driving growth, strategic decision making and long-term value creation.
• Defensible market position with sustainable competitive advantage. We intend to favor targets that have a strong competitive advantage or are category leaders in their respective verticals. We will target companies that have strong intellectual property, technology, or brand equity within their respective sectors that can be further monetized on a global basis.
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• Benefit from being a public company. We intend to only acquire businesses that would benefit from being publicly traded in the United States, including access to broader sources of capital and expanded market awareness. This improved access to capital could allow the targets to accelerate growth, pursue new projects, retain and hire employees, and expand into new geographies or businesses.
While we intend to use these criteria in evaluating the attractiveness of potential business combination opportunities, we may ultimately decide to enter into an initial business combination with a target business that does not meet these criteria. In the event that we decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet the above criteria and guidelines, we will disclose that the target business does not meet the above criteria and guidelines in stockholder communications related to our initial business combination, which, as discussed in this prospectus, would be in the form of tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials that we would file with the SEC.
In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review that will encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspection of facilities, as well as the review of financial and other information which will be made available to us. We will also utilize our operational and capital allocation experience. Our acquisition criteria, due diligence processes, and value creation methods are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general guidelines as well as other considerations, factors, and criteria that our management may deem relevant.
Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets
We believe that the operational and transactional experience of our management team and their respective affiliates, and the relationships they have developed as a result of such experience, will provide us with a substantial number of potential business combination targets. These individuals and entities have developed a broad network of contacts and corporate relationships around the world. This network has grown through sourcing, acquiring and financing businesses, relationships with sellers, financing sources, and target management teams and experience in executing transactions under varying economic and financial market conditions. We believe that these networks of contacts and relationships will provide us important sources of investment opportunities. In addition, we anticipate that target business candidates may be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment market participants, private equity funds and large business enterprises seeking to divest noncore assets or divisions.
Our acquisition criteria, due diligence processes and value creation methods are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general guidelines as well as other considerations, factors and criteria that our management may deem relevant.
In the event that we decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet the above criteria and guidelines, we will disclose that the target business does not meet the above criteria in our stockholder communications related to our initial business combination, which, as discussed in this prospectus, would be in the form of tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials that we would file with the SEC.
Other Acquisition Considerations
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 a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers, or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent firm that commonly renders valuation opinions for the type of company we are seeking to acquire or an independent accounting firm that 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, we are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm, another independent firm that commonly renders valuation opinions for the type of company we are seeking to acquire, or from an independent accounting firm that the price we are paying for a target is fair to our company from a financial point of view. If no opinion is obtained, our stockholders will be relying on the business judgment of our board of directors, which will have significant discretion in choosing
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the standard used to establish the fair market value of the target or targets, and different methods of valuation may vary greatly in outcome from one another. Such standards used will be disclosed in our tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials, as applicable, related to our initial business combination.
Members of our management team may directly or indirectly own our common stock and/or private placement units 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.
Each of our directors and officers presently has, and in the future any of our directors and our officers may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present acquisition opportunities to such entity. Accordingly, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under Delaware law, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of an acquisition opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will need to honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such acquisition opportunity to such entity, and only present it to us if such entity rejects the opportunity. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under Delaware law, we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any officer or director 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. We do not believe, however, that any fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our directors or officers would materially undermine our ability to complete our business combination.
There is no restriction in the geographic location of targets we can pursue. We will seek to identify targets that are likely to provide attractive financial returns through business combinations. We have yet to determine a time frame, an investment amount or any other criteria, which would trigger our search for business opportunities outside of United States.
Initial Business Combination
Nasdaq rules require that our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance in the trust account (less any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent firm that commonly renders valuation opinions for the type of company we are seeking to acquire or an independent accounting firm. We do not intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination.
We will have until 9 months from the closing of this offering to consummate our initial business combination. In addition, if we anticipate that we may not be able to consummate our initial business combination within 9 months, our insiders or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, extend the period of time to consummate a business combination two times by an additional three months each time (for a total of up to 15 months to complete a business combination), provided that, pursuant to the terms of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the trust agreement to be entered into between us and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company on the date of this prospectus, the only way to extend the time available for us to consummate our initial business combination in the absence of a proxy statement, registration statement or similar filing is for our insiders or their affiliates or designees, upon five days’ advance notice prior to the applicable deadline, to deposit into the trust account $750,000, or $862,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full ($0.15 per share in either case, or an aggregate of $1,500,000, or $1,725,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full)), on or prior to the date of the applicable deadline. In the event that they elected to extend the time to complete a business combination and deposited the applicable amount of money into trust, the insiders would receive a non-interest bearing, unsecured promissory note equal to the amount of any such deposit that will not be repaid in the event that we are unable to close a business combination unless there are funds available outside the trust account to do so. Such notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, or, at the lender’s discretion, converted upon consummation of our business combination into additional private units at a price of $10.00 per unit. If we do not complete a business combination, we will repay
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such loans only from funds held outside of the trust account. Our stockholders have approved the issuance of the private units upon conversion of such notes, to the extent the holder wishes to so convert such notes at the time of the consummation of our initial business combination. In the event that we receive notice from our insiders five days prior to the applicable deadline of their intent to effect an extension, we intend to issue a press release announcing such intention at least three days prior to the applicable deadline. In addition, we intend to issue a press release the day after the applicable deadline announcing whether or not the funds had been timely deposited. Our insiders and their affiliates or designees are not obligated to fund the trust account to extend the time for us to complete our initial business combination. To the extent that some, but not all, of our insiders, decide to extend the period of time to consummate our initial business combination, such insiders (or their affiliates or designees) may deposit the entire amount required. If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within such time period, we will, as promptly as possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem 100% of our outstanding public shares for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the trust account, including a pro rata portion of any interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us or necessary to pay our taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay liquidation expenses), and then seek to liquidate and dissolve. However, we may not be able to distribute such amounts as a result of claims of creditors which may take priority over the claims of our public stockholders. In the event of our liquidation and subsequent dissolution, the public rights will expire and will be worthless.
We will either (1) seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination at a meeting called for such purpose, at which stockholders may seek to redeem their shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination, into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), or (2) provide our stockholders with the opportunity to sell their shares to us by means of a tender offer (and thereby avoid the need for a stockholder vote) for an amount equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), in each case subject to the limitations described herein. The decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of our proposed business combination or 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. Any tender offer documents used in connection with a business combination will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules.
Pursuant to the Nasdaq listing rules, our initial business combination must occur with one or more target businesses having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting discounts and commissions and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account), which we refer to as the 80% test, at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial business combination. We are not required to obtain an opinion from an unaffiliated third party that the target business we select has a fair market value in excess of at least 80% of the balance of the trust account unless our board of directors cannot make such determination on its own. If we are no longer listed on Nasdaq, we will not be required to satisfy the 80% test.
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 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, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise owns 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, or the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our stockholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination transaction. 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 our 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.
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Prior to or on 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.
Potential Conflicts
Members of our management team will directly or indirectly own our securities 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 officers and directors have agreed to present to us all target business opportunities that have a fair market value of at least 80% of the assets held in the trust account, subject to any fiduciary or contractual obligations they may have. As more fully discussed in “Management — Conflicts of Interest,” if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of an initial business combination opportunity that might be attractive to any entity to which he has fiduciary or contractual obligations, he may be required to present such initial business combination opportunity to such entity prior to presenting such initial business combination opportunity to us. For more information on the relevant pre-existing fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our management team, see the section titled “Management — Conflicts of Interest.”
Emerging Growth Company Status and Other Information
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 until we are no longer an “emerging growth company.”
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 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 $1.00 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period. References herein to “emerging growth company” shall have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act.
Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 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, 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 end of that year’s second fiscal quarter.
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Private Placements
In January 2022, we sold an aggregate of 1,437,500 shares of our common stock to certain of our insiders, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as the “insider shares,” for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.017 per share. The 1,437,500 insider shares held or controlled by our insiders include an aggregate of up to 187,500 shares subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part, so that our insiders will collectively own or control 20.0% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering (excluding the sale of the private units and assuming our insiders do not purchase units in this offering). None of our insiders has indicated any intention to purchase public units in this offering.
The insider shares are identical to the shares of common stock included in the units being sold in this offering. However, our insiders have agreed (A) to vote their insider shares, private shares and any public shares acquired in or after this offering in favor of any proposed business combination, (B) not to propose, or vote in favor of, an amendment to our certificate of incorporation that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 9 months (or up to 15 months, if we extend the time to complete a business combination as described in this prospectus) from the closing of this offering, 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, net of taxes payable, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, (C) not to redeem any shares (including the insider shares and the private shares) to receive cash from the trust account in connection with a stockholder vote to approve our proposed initial business combination (or sell any shares they hold to us in a tender offer in connection with a proposed initial business combination) or a vote to amend the provisions of our certificate of incorporation relating to the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 9 months (or up to 15 months, as applicable), from the closing of this offering, and (D) that the insider shares and private shares shall not be entitled to be redeemed for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the trust account if a business combination is not consummated.
On the date of this prospectus, the insider shares will be placed into an escrow account maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as escrow agent. Subject to certain limited exceptions, 50% of these shares will not be transferred, assigned, sold or released from escrow until the earlier of six months after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination and the date on which the closing price of our common stock equals or exceeds $12.50 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations and recapitalizations) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after the consummation of our initial business combination and the remaining 50% of the insider shares will not be transferred, assigned, sold or released from escrow until six months after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination, or earlier, in either case, if, subsequent to our initial business combination, we complete a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property. The limited exceptions referred to above include (1) transfers among the insiders, to our officers, directors, advisors and employees, (2) transfers to an insider’s affiliates or its members upon its liquidation, (3) transfers to relatives and trusts for estate planning purposes, (4) transfers by virtue of the laws of descent and distribution upon death, (5) transfers pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order, (6) private sales made at prices no greater than the price at which the securities were originally purchased or (7) transfers to us for cancellation in connection with the consummation of an initial business combination, in each case (except for clause 7) where the transferee agrees to the terms of the escrow agreement and forfeiture, as the case may be, as well as the other applicable restrictions and agreements of the holders of the insider shares.
Our sponsor has committed to purchase from us 262,500 private units at $10.00 per private unit, for a total purchase price of $2,625,000. The purchase will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. A portion of the proceeds we receive from the purchase will be placed in the trust account described below. Our sponsor has also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters, it will purchase from us at a price of $10.00 per private unit an additional number of private units (up to a maximum of 20,625 private units) pro rata with the amount of the over-allotment option exercised so that at least $10.15 per share sold to the public in this offering is held in trust regardless of whether the over-allotment option is exercised in full or in part. These additional private units will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of units resulting from the exercise of the over-allotment option.
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The private units are identical to the units sold in this offering. Furthermore, the holders of such private units have agreed (A) to vote their private shares (and in the case of our sponsor, any public shares acquired in or after this offering) in favor of any proposed business combination, (B) not to propose, or vote in favor of, an amendment to our certificate of incorporation that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 9 months (or up to 15 months, if we extend the time to complete a business combination as described in this prospectus) from the closing of this offering, 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 earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income tax obligations (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay liquidation expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, (C) not to redeem any shares (including the private shares) to receive cash from the trust account in connection with a stockholder vote to approve our proposed initial business combination (or sell any shares they hold to us in a tender offer in connection with a proposed initial business combination) or a vote to amend the provisions of our certificate of incorporation relating to the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 9 months (or up to 15 months, if we extend the time to complete a business combination as described in this prospectus) from the closing of this offering, and (D) that the private shares shall not be entitled to be redeemed for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the trust account if a business combination is not consummated. Additionally, our insiders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private units or underlying securities (except to transferees that agree to the same terms and restrictions described above) until the completion of our initial business combination.
Corporate Information
Our executive office is located at 42 Broadway, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10004. Our telephone number is (646) 783-3012.
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The Offering
In making your decision on 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 24 of this prospectus.
Securities offered | 5,000,000 units, at $10.00 per unit, each unit consisting of one share of common stock and one right. Each right entitles the holder thereof to receive one-fifth (1/5) of a share of common stock upon consummation of our initial business combination. | |
Proposed Nasdaq symbols | We anticipate the units, and the shares of common stock and rights, once they begin separate trading, will be listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “ALKDU,” “ALKD” and “ALKDR,” respectively. | |
Trading commencement and separate trading of common stock and rights | The units will begin trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. Each of the shares of common stock and rights may trade separately on the 45th day after the date of this prospectus unless Chardan determines that an earlier date is acceptable. In no event will Chardan allow separate trading of the shares of common stock and rights until we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds at the closing of this offering. Once the shares of common stock and rights commence separate trading, holders will have the option to continue to hold units or separate their units into the component pieces. Holders will need to have their brokers contact our transfer agent in order to separate the units into shares of common stock and rights. We will file a Current Report on Form 8-K with the SEC, including an audited balance sheet, promptly following the closing of this offering, which is anticipated to take place two business days from the date the units commence trading. The audited balance sheet will reflect our receipt of the proceeds from the exercise of the over-allotment option if the over-allotment option is exercised on the date of this prospectus. If the over-allotment option is exercised after the date of this prospectus, we will file an amendment to the Current Report on Form 8-K or a new Current Report Form 8-K to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the over-allotment option. We will also include in the Form 8-K, or amendment thereto, or in a subsequent Form 8-K, information indicating if Chardan has allowed separate trading of the shares of common stock and rights prior to the 45th day after the date of this prospectus. |
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Units: | ||
Number outstanding before this | 0 | |
Number outstanding after this offering and sale of private units | 5,262,500(1) | |
Shares of common stock: | ||
Number outstanding before this | 1,437,500(2) | |
Number to be outstanding after this offering and sale of private units | 6,512,500(3) | |
Rights included as part of units: | ||
Number outstanding before this offering and the private placement |
| |
Number to be outstanding after this offering and sale of private units |
| |
Terms of Rights: | Except in cases where we are not the surviving company in a business combination, each holder of a public right will automatically receive one-fifth (1/5) of one share of common stock upon consummation of our initial business combination. In the event we will not be the surviving company upon completion of our 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-fifth (1/5) of one share underlying each right upon consummation of the business combination. We 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 the Delaware General Corporation Law. As a result, you must hold rights in multiples of 5 in order to receive shares for all of your rights upon closing of a business combination. If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the required time period and we 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. |
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(1) Assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised. Does not include securities underlying the representative’s unit purchase option.
(2) This number includes an aggregate of up to 187,500 shares of common stock held by our insiders that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised by the underwriters in full.
(3) Assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised and an aggregate of 187,500 shares of common stock held by our insiders have been forfeited. If the over-allotment option is exercised in full, there will be a total of 7,470,625 shares of common stock issued and outstanding. Does not include securities underlying the representative’s unit purchase option.
(4) Assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised. Does not include securities underlying the representative’s unit purchase option.
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Private units | Our sponsor has committed to purchase from us 262,500 private units (or 283,125 private units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per private unit (for a total purchase price of $2,625,000, or $2,831,250 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Each private unit is identical to the units offered by this prospectus, except as described below. A portion of the proceeds we receive from this purchase will be added to the proceeds from this offering to pay for the expenses of this offering and to be held in the trust account. If we do not complete our initial business combination within 9 months (or up to 15 months if our time to complete a business combination is extended as described herein) from the closing of this offering, the proceeds of the sale of the private units will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law) and the private units will be worthless. | |
Transfer restrictions on private units | The private units and their component securities will not be transferable, assignable or salable until the completion of our initial business combination. Following such period, the private units (including the private shares and private rights) will be transferable, assignable or salable, except that the private units (including the private shares and private rights) will not trade. | |
Representative’s Unit Purchase Option | We will sell to Chardan and/or its designees, at the time of the closing of this offering, for an aggregate of $100.00, an option (the “UPO”) to purchase 150,000 units (or 172,500 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full). The units issuable upon exercise of the UPO are identical to those offered by this prospectus. The UPO will be exercisable at any time, in whole or in part, commencing on the later of the close of the business combination and six months from the date of this prospectus, at a price of $11.50 per unit. The UPO may not be exercised after five years from the commencement of sales of this offering. | |
Representative’s Units | We will issue to Chardan and/or its designees, at the time of the closing of our initial business combination, 50,000 private units (or up to 57,500 private units, depending on the extent to which the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option) (the “Representative Units”). The Representative’s Units will be identical to the public units, except as described herein. The Representative Units issued to Chardan will be subject to the lock-up and registration rights limitations imposed by FINRA Rule 5110. | |
Offering proceeds to be held in the trust account | $50,750,000 (or $58,362,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) of the net proceeds of this offering and the proceeds we will receive from the sale of the private units, or $10.15 per unit sold to the public in this offering, will be placed in a trust account in the U.S. at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee pursuant to an agreement to be signed on the date of this prospectus. These proceeds include $2,000,000 (or $2,300,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in deferred underwriting discounts and commissions which will be paid to the underwriters upon the closing of a business combination. The remainder of the net proceeds of this offering will not be held in the trust account. |
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Except as set forth below, the proceeds held in the trust account will not be released until the earlier of: (1) the completion of our initial business combination within the required time period and (2) our redemption of 100% of the outstanding public shares if we have not completed a business combination in the required time period. Therefore, unless and until our initial business combination is consummated, the proceeds held in the trust account will not be available for our use for any expenses related to this offering or expenses which we may incur related to the investigation and selection of a target business and the negotiation of an agreement in connection with our initial business combination. | ||
Notwithstanding the foregoing, there can be released to us from the trust account any interest earned on the funds in the trust account that we need to pay our income tax or other tax obligations. With these exceptions, expenses incurred by us may be paid prior to a business combination only from the net proceeds of this offering not held in the trust account (estimated to initially be $750,000); provided, however, that in order to meet our working capital needs following the consummation of this offering if the funds not held in the trust account are insufficient, our insiders, officers and directors or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion. Each loan would be evidenced by a promissory note. The notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $500,000 of the notes may be converted upon consummation of our business combination into private units at a price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued units which consist of 50,000 shares of common stock and rights to receive 10,000 shares of common stock if $500,000 of notes were so converted). If we do not complete a business combination, the loans would be repaid out of funds not held in the trust account, and only to the extent available. | ||
Limited payments to insiders | There will be no fees, reimbursements or other cash payments paid to our insiders, officers, directors or their affiliates prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the consummation of a business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is) other than: | |
• repayment at the closing of this offering of non-interest bearing loans up to an aggregate amount of $200,000 made by Alkaid Investments LLC, our sponsor; • payment of $10,000 per month to the sponsor (subject to deferral as described herein) for office space, utilities, secretarial and administrative support services; • reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by insiders, officers, directors or any of its or their affiliates in connection with certain activities on our behalf, such as identifying and investigating possible business targets and business combinations; and |
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• repayment of loans which may be made by our insiders, officers, directors or any of its or their affiliates to finance transaction costs in connection with an initial business combination, the terms of which have not been determined. | ||
There is no limit on the amount of out-of-pocket expenses reimbursable by us; provided, however, that to the extent such expenses exceed the available proceeds not deposited in the trust account and the interest income earned on the amounts held in the trust account that may be released to us, such expenses would not be reimbursed by us unless we consummate an initial business combination. We have no policy which prohibits our insiders or any member of our management team from negotiating the reimbursement of such expenses by a target business. Our audit committee will review and approve all reimbursements and payments made to any insider or member of our management team, or our or their respective affiliates, and any reimbursements and payments made to members of our audit committee will be reviewed and approved by our board of directors, with any interested director abstaining from such review and approval. | ||
Stockholder approval of, or tender offer in connection with, initial business combination |
|
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Our insiders, officers and directors, have agreed (i) to vote their insider shares, private shares and any public shares purchased in or after this offering in favor of any proposed business combination and (ii) not to redeem any shares (including the insider shares and the private shares) in connection with a stockholder vote to approve, or sell their shares to us in any tender offer in connection with, a proposed initial business combination. As a result, if we sought stockholder approval of a proposed transaction we could need as little as 115,626 of our public shares (or approximately 2.3% of our public shares) to be voted in favor of the transaction in order to have such transaction approved (assuming that only a quorum was present at the meeting, that the over-allotment option is not exercised, and that the insiders do not purchase any units in this offering or units or shares in the after-market) in addition to the shares held by our insiders, officers and directors. None of our officers, directors, insiders, or their affiliates has indicated any intention to purchase units in this offering or any units or shares of common stock in the open market or in private transactions (other than the private units). However, if a significant number of stockholders vote, or indicate an intention to vote, against a proposed business combination, our officers, directors, insiders, or their affiliates could make such purchases in the open market or in private transactions in order to influence the vote. There is no limit on the amount of shares that may be purchased by the insiders. Any purchases would be made in compliance with federal securities laws, including the fact that all material information will be made public prior to such purchase, and no purchases would be made if such purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act, which are rules designed to stop potential manipulation of a company’s stock. | ||
Tendering share certificates in |
| |
We may require public stockholders wishing to exercise redemption rights, whether they are a record holder or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender the certificates they are seeking to redeem to our transfer agent or to deliver the shares they are seeking to redeem to the transfer agent electronically using Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option, at any time at or prior to the vote on the business combination. There is a nominal cost associated with this tendering process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC System. The transfer agent will typically charge a nominal tendering broker fee 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 to deliver their shares prior to the vote on the business combination in order to exercise redemption rights. This is because a holder would need to deliver shares to exercise redemption rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated. However, in the event we require stockholders to deliver their shares prior to the vote on the proposed business combination and the proposed business combination is not consummated, this may result in an increased cost to stockholders. |
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Under Delaware law, we may be required to give a minimum of only ten days’ notice for each general meeting. As a result, if we require public stockholders who wish to redeem their shares of common stock to receive a pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account to comply with the foregoing delivery requirements, holders may not have sufficient time to receive the notice and deliver their shares for redemption. Accordingly, investors may not be able to exercise their redemption rights and may be forced to retain our securities when they otherwise would not want to. | ||
If we require public stockholders who wish to redeem their shares of common stock to comply with specific delivery requirements for redemption described above and such proposed business combination is not consummated, we will promptly return such certificates to the tendering public stockholders. | ||
Liquidation if no business combination | If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 9 months from the closing of this offering (or 15 months from the closing of this offering if extended as described in this prospectus), 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 100% of the outstanding public shares for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the trust account (net of interest that may be used by us to pay franchise and income tax obligations) which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining holders of common stock and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject (in the case of (ii) and (iii) above) to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. However, if we anticipate that we may not be able to consummate our initial business combination within 9 months, our insiders or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, extend the period of time to consummate a business combination two times by an additional three months each time (for a total of up to 15 months to complete a business combination). The only way to extend the time available for us to consummate our initial business combination in the absence of a proxy statement, registration statement or similar filing is for our insiders or their affiliates or designees, upon five days’ advance notice prior to the applicable deadline, to deposit into the trust account $750,000, or $862,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full ($0.15 per share in either case, or an aggregate of $1,500,000, or $1,725,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full)), on or prior to the date of the applicable deadline. In the event that they elected to extend the time to complete a business combination and deposited the applicable amount of money into trust, the insiders would receive a non-interest bearing, unsecured promissory note equal to the amount of any such deposit that will not be repaid in the event that we are unable to close a business combination unless there are funds available outside the trust account to do so. Such notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, or, at the lender’s discretion, converted upon consummation of our business combination into additional private units at a price of $10.00 per unit. If we do not complete a business combination, we will repay such loans only from funds held outside of the trust account. Our stockholders have approved the issuance of the private units upon conversion of such notes, |
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to the extent the holder wishes to so convert such notes at the time of the consummation of our initial business combination. In the event that we receive notice from our insiders five days prior to the applicable deadline of their intent to effect an extension, we intend to issue a press release announcing such intention at least three days prior to the applicable deadline. In addition, we intend to issue a press release the day after the applicable deadline announcing whether or not the funds had been timely deposited. Our insiders and their affiliates or designees are not obligated to fund the trust account to extend the time for us to complete our initial business combination. To the extent that some, but not all, of our insiders, decide to extend the period of time to consummate our initial business combination, such insiders (or their affiliates or designees) may deposit the entire amount required. In the event that they elected to extend the time to complete a business combination and deposited the applicable amount of money into trust, the insiders would receive a non-interest bearing, unsecured promissory note equal to the amount of any such deposit that will not be repaid in the event that we are unable to close a business combination unless there are funds available outside the trust account to do so. Such notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, or, at the lender’s discretion, converted upon consummation of our business combination into additional private units at a price of $10.00 per unit. If we do not complete a business combination, we will repay such loans only from funds held outside of the trust account. Our stockholders have approved the issuance of the private units upon conversion of such notes, to the extent the holder wishes to so convert such notes at the time of the consummation of our initial business combination. In the event that we receive notice from our insiders five days prior to the applicable deadline of their intent to effect an extension, we intend to issue a press release announcing such intention at least three days prior to the applicable deadline. | ||
In connection with our redemption of 100% of our outstanding public shares, each holder will receive an amount equal to (1) the number of public shares being redeemed by such public holder divided by the total number of public shares multiplied by (2) the amount then in the trust account (initially $10.15 per share), which includes the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions, plus a pro rata portion of any interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us or necessary to pay our taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay liquidation expenses) (subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors). Holders of rights will receive no proceeds in connection with the liquidation with respect to such rights, which will expire worthless. | ||
The proceeds deposited in the trust account could, however, become subject to claims of our creditors that are in preference to the claims of our stockholders. We may not have funds sufficient to pay or provide for all creditors’ claims. Although we will seek to have all third parties (including any vendors or other entities we engage after this offering) and any prospective target businesses enter into valid and enforceable agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements. There is also no guarantee that the third parties would not challenge the enforceability of these waivers and bring claims against the trust account for monies owed them. In addition, if we are forced to file a bankruptcy case or an involuntary bankruptcy case 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 |
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our bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our stockholders. Therefore, the actual per-share redemption price may be less than $10.15. | ||
The holders of the insider shares and private units will not participate in any redemption with respect to such securities. | ||
If we are unable to conclude our initial business combination and we expend all of the net proceeds of this offering not deposited in the trust account, without taking into account any interest earned on the trust account, we expect that the initial per-share redemption price will be approximately $10.15. | ||
We will pay the costs of any liquidation following the redemptions from our remaining assets outside of the trust account. If such funds are insufficient, our sponsor has agreed to pay the funds necessary to complete such liquidation (currently anticipated to be no more than approximately $100,000) and has agreed not to seek repayment for such expenses. | ||
The underwriters have agreed to waive their rights to the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions held in the trust account in the event we do not consummate a business combination within 9 months from the closing of this offering (or 12 or 15 months, as applicable) 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. | ||
Indemnity | Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party (excluding our independent registered public accounting firm) 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) $10.15 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 $10.15 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case 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. In the event an excise tax and/or any other similar fees or taxes in nature are levied or imposed on us pursuant to any current, pending or future rule(s) or law(s), including without limitation any excise tax imposed under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 in relation to a redemption of securities as described in the registration statement or otherwise, and such tax or fee has not been paid by us to the applicable regulatory authority on or prior to the due date for such a tax or fee, our sponsor agrees to promptly (but in any event sufficiently prior to the due date for such tax or fee to assure timely payment thereof) either directly pay such tax or fee on behalf of us or advance to us such funds as necessary and appropriate to allow us to pay such tax or fee timely. Our sponsor agrees not to seek recourse for such expenses from the trust account. However, the sponsor may not be able to satisfy its indemnification obligations, as we have not required it to retain any assets to provide for its indemnification obligations, nor have we taken any further steps to ensure that it will be able to satisfy any indemnification obligations that arise. |
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Risks
We are a newly formed company that has conducted no operations and has generated no revenues. Until we complete our initial business combination, we will have no operations and will generate no operating revenues. In making your decision whether to invest in our securities, you should take into account not only the background of our management team, but also the special risks we face as a blank check company. This offering is not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act. Accordingly, you will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings. For additional information concerning how Rule 419 blank check offerings differ from this offering, please see “Proposed Business — Comparison to offerings of blank check companies subject to Rule 419.” You should carefully consider these and the other risks set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors.” You should carefully consider all of the information in this prospectus before making an investment.
Summary of Risk Factors
An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. 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 and operating results. 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:
• We are a newly formed company with no operating history and no revenues, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective. Due to a majority of our directors and officers having significant ties to, or business experience in, mainland China and/or Hong Kong, we may be a less attractive partner to certain potential non-China- or non-Hong Kong-based target businesses.
• Given the Chinese government’s potential oversight and discretion over the conduct of our directors’ and officers’ search for a target company, the Chinese government may intervene or influence our operations at any time, which could result in a material change in our search for a target business and/or the value of the securities we are registering. Changes in the policies, regulations, rules, and the enforcement of laws of the PRC government may be adopted quickly with little advance notice and could have a significant impact upon our ability to operate.
• The Chinese government has indicated its intent to intervene in or influence a PRC company’s business operations at any time or to exert more oversight and control over offerings conducted overseas and foreign investment in China-based issuers. This could result in a material change in a PRC company’s business operations post-business combination and/or the value of its securities. Additionally, governmental and regulatory interference could significantly limit or completely hinder a target company’s ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors post business combination and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
• We may not be able to complete our initial business combination within 9 months (or up to 15 months, if we extend the time to complete a business combination as described in this prospectus) after the closing of this offering, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, we would redeem our public shares for a pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account, and we would liquidate. In such event, our rights would expire worthless.
• Our public stockholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed initial business combination, which means we may complete our initial business combination even though a majority of our public stockholders do not support such a combination.
• Your only opportunity to affect your investment decision regarding a potential business combination may be limited to the exercise of your right to redeem your shares from us for cash.
• If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public stockholders vote.
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• The ability of a large number of our public stockholders to exercise their redemption rights may not allow us to effectuate the most desirable business combination or optimize our capital structure.
• The requirement that we complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame after the closing of this offering may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating a business combination and may limit the time we have in which 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.
• 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 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and other events and the status of debt and equity markets.
• If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may elect to purchase shares in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions, which may influence the vote on the business combination and may make it difficult for us to maintain the listing of our shares of common stock on a national securities exchange following consummation of such business combination.
• We may issue additional shares of common stock to complete a business combination, which would dilute the interests of our stockholders. Similarly, we may issue notes or other debt securities, or otherwise incur substantial indebtedness, to complete a business combination, which may affect our leverage and financial condition and thus negatively impact the value of our stockholders’ investment in us.
• If a stockholders 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.
• You will not have any rights or interests in funds from the trust account, except under certain limited circumstances. Therefore, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or rights, potentially at a loss.
• Nasdaq 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• We may have a limited ability to assess the management of a prospective target business and, as a result, may effect our initial business combination with a target business whose management may not have the skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company.
• If we effect a business combination with a company located outside of the United States, we would be subject to additional risks relating to the impact of foreign laws, currency risk, tariffs and trade barriers, tax risks, less developed corporate governance standards, and investors may have difficulty in enforcing judgments against us.
• We are an emerging growth company and 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, this could make our securities less attractive to investors and may make it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies.
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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. You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of many other blank check companies, such as Rule 419.
• 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.
• 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 have not completed our initial business combination within the required time period, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.15 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on our redemption of their shares, and our rights will expire worthless.
• If the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units not being held in the trust account are insufficient to allow us to operate for at least the prescribed time frame following the closing of this offering, it could limit the amount of cash available to fund our search for a target business or businesses and complete our initial business combination, and we will depend on loans from our sponsor or management team to fund our search and to complete our initial business combination.
• Past performance by our management team, our advisors and their respective affiliates, including investments and transactions in which they have participated and businesses with which they have been associated, may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in the company.
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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 are presented.
June 30, 2022 | ||||||
Actual | As Adjusted | |||||
Balance Sheet Data: |
|
| ||||
Working capital (deficit)(1) | $ | (127,457 | ) | 49,516,643 | ||
Total assets | $ | 251,543 |
| 51,516,643 | ||
Total liabilities(2) | $ | 235,000 |
| 2,000,000 | ||
Value of common stock subject to possible redemption/tender(3) | $ | — |
| 43,364,327 | ||
Stockholders’ equity | $ | 16,543 |
| 6,152,316 |
____________
(1) The “as adjusted” working capital amount includes the $50,750,000 to be held in the trust account, plus $750,000 in cash held outside the trust account, less $2,000,000 of total liabilities, plus $16,543 of actual stockholders’ equity at June 30, 2022, plus $100 for the sale of the unit purchase option.
(2) The “as adjusted” total liabilities of $2,000,000 represent deferred underwriting discounts and commissions which are not due until an initial business combination is consummated, for which we have until 9 months from the closing of this offering to consummate (or up to 15 months if our time to complete a business combination is extended as described herein). The amount does not include 50,000 private units (or up to 57,500 private units of the over-allotment option is exercised) to be issued to the underwriter if we close a business combination as deferred underwriting discounts and commissions.
(3) The “as adjusted” value of common stock which may be redeemed for cash equals the “as adjusted” total assets of $51,516,643 less the “as adjusted” total liabilities of $2,000,000 less the “as adjusted” stockholders’ equity of $6,152,316. The amount represents net proceeds allocated to the public common stock less the allocated transaction costs related to this offering. The shares of common stock offered to the public contain redemption rights that make them redeemable by our public stockholders. Accordingly, they are classified within temporary equity in accordance with the guidance provided in ASC 480-10-S99-3A and will be subsequently accredited at redemption value.
The “as adjusted” column gives effect to the sale of the units we are offering (assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised), including the application of the related gross proceeds and the payment of the estimated remaining costs from such sale and the repayment of the accrued and other liabilities required to be repaid.
If our initial business combination is not consummated, the trust account, less amounts we are permitted to withdraw as described in this prospectus, will be distributed solely to our public stockholders. The actual deferred offering costs of $144,000 at June 30, 2022 will be reclassified as a charge to additional paid-in capital from the gross proceeds in connection with the consummation of the offering. Any additional offering costs will also be charged to additional paid-in capital.
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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 Associated with Our Search for, and Consummation of or Inability to Consummate a Business Combination
We are a newly formed company with no operating history and no revenues, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective. Due to a majority of our directors and officers having significant ties to, and business experience in, mainland China and/or Hong Kong, we may be a less attractive partner to certain potential non-China- or non-Hong Kong-based target businesses.
We are a newly formed blank check company with no operating results to date. Therefore, our ability to commence operations is dependent upon obtaining financing through the public offering of our securities. Since we do not have an operating history, you will have no basis upon which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective, which is to acquire an operating business. We have not conducted any discussions and we have no plans, arrangements or understandings with any prospective acquisition candidates. We will not generate any revenues until, at the earliest, after the consummation of a business combination. Because a majority of our officers and directors have significant ties to, and business experience in, mainland China and Hong Kong, it may be more difficult to find an attractive target business, and we may be a less attractive partner to certain potential non-China- or non-Hong Kong-based target businesses.
Given the Chinese government’s potential oversight and discretion over the conduct of our directors’ and officers’ search for a target company, the Chinese government may intervene or influence our operations at any time, which could result in a material change in our search for a target business and/or the value of the securities we are registering. Changes in the policies, regulations, rules, and the enforcement of laws of the PRC government may be adopted quickly with little advance notice and could have a significant impact upon our ability to operate.
Although our offices are located in Manhattan, New York, a majority of our directors and officers have significant ties to mainland China and Hong Kong. We may be subject to certain risks relating to regulatory oversight by the PRC government. This may significantly limit our ability to search for candidates for our initial business combination. In particular, changes in the policies, regulations, rules, and the enforcement of laws of the PRC government may be adopted quickly with little advance notice. The Chinese government may also intervene or influence our search for a target business or the completion of an initial business combination at any time because a majority of our directors and officers have significant ties to mainland China and Hong Kong. This could significantly and negatively impact our search for a target business and/or the value of the securities we are registering for sale. Based on our understanding of the current PRC laws and regulations, our company is not required to obtain any prior permission from any PRC governmental authorities for this offering. Moreover, our officers and directors are not covered by any Chinese permissions requirements since none of them is a citizen of or based in mainland China. Accordingly, as of the date of this prospectus, we have not applied or received any permission or approvals for this offering and our search for an initial business combination target company post offering. If applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change and require us and/or our directors and officers to obtain such permissions or approvals in the future, Chinese regulatory agencies (a) may impose fines and penalties on our officers and directors and (b) may also take actions requiring our directors and officers, or making it advisable for our directors and officers, to terminate this offering before settlement and delivery of our units or delay our potential business combination and, therefore, we may have to liquidate the funds held in the trust account (in which case our rights may be worthless). Any uncertainties and/or negative publicity regarding such an approval requirement could have a material adverse effect on the trading price of our securities.
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The Chinese government has indicated its intent to intervene in or influence a PRC company’s business operations at any time or to exert more oversight and control over offerings conducted overseas and foreign investment in China-based issuers. This could result in a material change in a PRC company’s business operations post business combination and/or the value of its securities. Additionally, governmental and regulatory interference could significantly limit or completely hinder a target company’s ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors post business combination and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
Statements by the Chinese government in 2021 have indicated an intent to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investments in China-based issuers. The PRC has proposed new rules in 2021 that would require companies collecting or holding large amounts of data to undergo a cybersecurity review prior to listing in foreign countries, a move that would significantly tighten oversight over large China-based internet companies. On November 14, 2021, the CAC publicly solicited opinion on the Regulation on Network Data Security Management (Consultation Draft), which stipulated that data processors that undertake data processing activities using internet networks within China are required to apply for cybersecurity review if it conducts data processing activities that will or may have an impact on China’s national security. The review is mandatory if the data processor controls more than 1 million users’ personal information and intends to be listed in a foreign country, or if the data processor seeks to be listed in Hong Kong. As of the date of this prospectus, the Draft Regulation on Network Data Security Management has not been formally adopted. On December 28, 2021, the CAC, jointly with 12 departments under the State Council, implemented the Measures for Cybersecurity Review, which became effective on February 15, 2022. According to the Measures for Cybersecurity Review, operators of critical information infrastructure purchasing network products and services, and data processors carrying out data processing activities that affect or may affect China’s national security, are required to conduct a cybersecurity review. Operators, including operators of critical information infrastructure and data processors, who control more than 1 million users’ personal information must report to the Cyber Security Review Office for a cybersecurity review if it intends to be listed in a foreign country.
On June 10, 2021, the Standing Committee of the PRC National People’s Congress, or SCNPC, promulgated the PRC Data Security Law, which took effect in September 2021. The PRC Data Security Law imposes data security and privacy obligations on entities and individuals carrying out data activities, and introduces a data classification and hierarchical protection system based on the importance of data in economic and social development, and the degree of harm it will cause to national security, public interests, or legitimate rights and interests of individuals or organizations when such data is tampered with, destroyed, leaked, illegally acquired or used. The PRC Data Security Law also provides for a national security review procedure for data activities that may affect national security and imposes export restrictions on certain data an information. On August 20, 2021, the SCNPC adopted the Personal Information Protection Law, which took effect as of November 1, 2021. The Personal Information Protection Law includes the basic rules for personal information processing, the rules for cross-border provision of personal information, the rights of individuals in personal information processing activities, the obligations of personal information processors, and the responsibilities for collection, processing, and use of personal information.
As we are a Delaware company with offices in Manhattan, New York, and have no operations in China and our directors and officers are based outside of mainland China, based on our understanding of currently applicable PRC laws and regulations, our registered public offering in the U.S. is not subject to the review or prior approval of the CAC or the CSRC and their oversight will not impact our officers and directors or their search for a target company. Further, we currently believe that the regulations or policies that have been issued by the CAC to date are not applicable to our officers and directors. However, uncertainties still exist, however, due to the possibility that laws, regulations, or policies in the PRC could change rapidly in the future. Any future action by the PRC government expanding the categories of industries, persons and companies whose foreign securities offerings are subject to review by the CSRC or the CAC could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and could cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
Since none of our officers and directors has engaged in data activities or the processing of personal information in China, we believe our officers and directors are in full compliance with the regulations and policies that have been issued by the CAC to date. Our potential target may, or its customers, vendors or business partners may, collect or generate data in China. Given the PRC authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and applying the relevant cybersecurity and data laws and regulations, there is a risk that any potential target business of ours may be subject to cybersecurity review or other regulatory actions even though it is not based or located in and does not conduct its
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principal business operations in China. To avoid such risk, we may avoid completing an initial business combination with such a target business and instead pursue other opportunities, which may limit the pool of attractive targets. As a result, our search for a target company may be adversely affected.
We may not be able to complete an initial business combination with a U.S. target company since such initial business combination may be subject to U.S. foreign investment regulations and review by a U.S. government entity such as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), or ultimately prohibited.
Our sponsor, Alkaid Investments LLC, is controlled by Min Gan, who is a permanent resident of and based in mainland China. We are therefore considered a “foreign person” under the regulations administered by CFIUS and will continue to be considered as such in the future for so long as our sponsor has the ability to exercise control over us for purposes of CFIUS’s regulations. As such, an initial business combination with a U.S. business may be subject to CFIUS review, the scope of which was expanded by the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2018 (“FIRRMA”), to include certain non-passive, non-controlling investments in sensitive U.S. businesses and certain acquisitions of real estate even with no underlying U.S. business. FIRRMA, and subsequent implementing regulations that are now in force, also subjects certain categories of investments to mandatory filings. If our potential initial business combination with a U.S. business falls within CFIUS’s jurisdiction, we may determine that we are required to make a mandatory filing or that we will submit a voluntary notice to CFIUS, or to proceed with the initial business combination without notifying CFIUS and risk CFIUS intervention, before or after closing the initial business combination. CFIUS may decide to block or delay our initial business combination, impose conditions to mitigate national security concerns with respect to such initial business combination or order us to divest all or a portion of a U.S. business of the combined company without first obtaining CFIUS clearance, which may limit the attractiveness of or prevent us from pursuing certain initial business combination opportunities that we believe would otherwise be beneficial to us and our shareholders. As a result, the pool of potential targets with which we could complete an initial business combination may be limited and we may be adversely affected in terms of competing with other special purpose acquisition companies which do not have similar foreign ownership issues.
Moreover, the process of government review, whether by the CFIUS or otherwise, could be lengthy and we have limited time to complete our initial business combination. If we cannot complete our initial business combination within 9 months (or up to 15 months, if we extend the time to complete a business combination as described in this prospectus) because the review process drags on beyond such timeframe or because our initial business combination is ultimately prohibited by CFIUS or another U.S. government entity, we may be required to liquidate. If we liquidate, our public shareholders may only receive $10.15 per share (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), and our rights will expire worthless. This will also cause you to lose the investment opportunity in a target company and the chance of realizing future gains on your investment through any price appreciation in the combined company.
Our public stockholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed business combination.
We will either (1) seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which public stockholders may seek to redeem their shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination, into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), or (2) provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to sell their shares to us by means of a tender offer (and thereby avoid the need for a stockholder vote) for an amount equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), in each case subject to the limitations described elsewhere in this prospectus. Accordingly, it is possible that we will consummate our initial business combination even if holders of a majority of our public shares do not approve of the business combination. The decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed 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. For instance, Nasdaq rules currently allow us to engage in a tender offer in lieu of a stockholder meeting but would still require us to obtain stockholder approval if we were seeking to issue more than 20% of our outstanding shares to a target business as consideration in any business combination. Therefore, if we were structuring a business combination that required us to issue more than 20% of our outstanding shares, we would seek stockholder approval of such business combination instead of conducting a tender offer.
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You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of blank check companies.
Since the net proceeds of this offering are intended to be used to complete our 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, since our securities will be listed on a national securities exchange, we are exempt from rules promulgated by the SEC to protect investors of blank check companies such as Rule 419. Accordingly, investors will not be afforded the benefits or protections of those rules which would, for example, completely restrict the transferability of our securities, require us to complete our initial business combination within 15 months of the closing of this offering and restrict the use of interest earned on the funds held in the trust account. Because we are not subject to Rule 419, our units will be immediately tradable, we will be entitled to withdraw amounts from the funds held in the trust account prior to the completion of our initial business combination and we may have a longer period of time to complete such a business combination than we would if we were subject to such rule.
If we determine to amend certain agreements made by our management team, many of the disclosures contained in this prospectus regarding those agreements would no longer apply.
We could seek to amend certain agreements with our management team disclosed in this prospectus without the approval of our stockholders, although we have no current intention to do so. For example, restrictions on our executives relating to the voting of securities owned by them, the agreement of our management team to remain with us until the closing of a business combination, the obligation of our management team to not propose certain changes to our organizational documents or the obligation of the management team and its affiliates to not receive any compensation in connection with a business combination could be modified without obtaining stockholder approval. Although stockholders would not be given the opportunity to redeem their shares in connection with such changes, in no event would we be able to modify the redemption or liquidation rights of our stockholders without permitting our stockholders the right to redeem their shares in connection with any such change. We will not agree to any such changes unless we believed that such changes were in the best interests of our stockholders (for example, if such a modification were necessary to complete a business combination).
If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates may elect to purchase shares in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions, which may influence the vote on the business combination and may make it difficult for us to maintain the listing of our shares of common stock on a national securities exchange following consummation of such 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 sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination, although they are under no obligation to do so. The price per share paid in any such transaction will not exceed the amount per share a public stockholder would receive if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our initial business combination. Any shares acquired from public stockholders described above would not be voted in favor of approving the business combination transaction. Such a purchase will 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 purpose of such purchases could be 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. This may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible.
If such arrangements or agreements are entered into, we will file a Current Report on Form 8-K prior to the stockholder meeting called to approve the initial business combination to disclose any arrangements entered into or significant purchases made by any of the aforementioned persons. Any such report will include (i) the amount of our common stock purchased and the purchase price; (ii) the purpose of such purchases; (iii) the impact of such purchases on the likelihood that the business combination transaction will be approved; (iv) the identities of security holders who sold shares (if not purchased in the open market) or the nature of the sellers; and (v) the number of our common stock for which we have received redemption requests.
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Entering into any such incentive arrangements may have a depressive effect on our common stock. For example, as a result of these arrangements, an investor or holder may have the ability to effectively purchase shares at a price lower than market and may therefore be more likely to sell the shares such holder owns, either prior to or immediately after the stockholder meeting. In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our common stock and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, possibly making it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange following consummation of the business combination.
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 tendering its shares, such shares may not be redeemed.
We will comply with the tender offer rules or proxy 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 tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, such stockholder may not become aware of the opportunity to redeem its shares. In addition, the tender offer documents or proxy materials, 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 redeem public shares. In the event that a stockholder fails to comply with these procedures, its shares may not be redeemed. See “Proposed Business — Business Strategy — Tendering share certificates in connection with a tender offer or redemption rights.”
We may issue shares of our capital stock to complete our initial business combination, which would reduce the equity interest of our stockholders and likely cause a change in control of our ownership.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will authorize the issuance of up to 20,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and 1,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share. Immediately after this offering and the purchase of the private units (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option), there will be 12,195,000 authorized but unissued shares of common stock available for issuance (after appropriate reservation for the issuance of the shares underlying the private units and public and private rights and the issuance of the securities underlying the representative’s unit purchase option and the Representative Units). Although we have no commitment as of the date of this offering, we may issue a substantial number of additional shares of common stock or shares of preferred stock, or a combination of common stock and preferred stock, to complete our initial business combination. The issuance of additional shares of common stock or preferred stock:
• may significantly reduce the equity interest of investors in this offering;
• may subordinate the rights of holders of shares of common stock if we issue shares of preferred stock with rights senior to those afforded to our shares of common stock;
• may cause a change in control if a substantial number of shares of 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
• may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our shares of common stock.
We may issue notes or other debt securities, or otherwise incur substantial debt, to complete a 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, we may choose to incur substantial debt to complete our business combination. However, the incurrence of debt could have a variety of negative effects, including:
• default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after our 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;
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• our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt security is payable on demand;
• 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; and
• limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, execution of our strategy and other purposes and other disadvantages compared to our competitors who have less debt.
We may be limited to the funds held outside of the trust account to fund our search for target businesses, to pay our tax obligations and to complete our initial business combination.
Of the net proceeds of this offering, $750,000 is anticipated to be available to us initially outside the trust account to fund our working capital requirements. Especially if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, we may not have sufficient funds available with which to structure, negotiate or close our initial business combination. In such event, we would need to borrow funds from our insiders, officers, or directors to operate or may be forced to liquidate. Our insiders, officers and directors are under no obligation to loan us any funds. If we are unable to obtain the funds necessary, we may be forced to cease searching for a target business and may be unable to complete our initial business combination.
We may not have sufficient working capital to cover our operating expenses.
Following the consummation of this offering, the amounts available to us to pay our operating expenses will consist only of the approximately $750,000 initially held outside of the trust account and any interest earned on the funds in the trust account remaining after interest is released to pay our income or other tax obligations. Therefore, if our expenses exceed our estimates, we will not have sufficient funds outside the trust account to cover our expenses. In such event, we would need to borrow funds from our insiders, officers, or directors or from third parties to continue to operate. However, our insiders, officers and directors, and third parties are under no obligation to loan us any funds. If we are unable to obtain the necessary funds, we may be forced to cease searching for a target business and liquidate without completing our initial business combination.
Reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by our insiders, officers, directors or any of their affiliates in connection with certain activities on our behalf, such as identifying and investigating possible business targets and business combinations, could reduce the funds available to us to consummate a business combination. In addition, an indemnification claim by one or more of our officers and directors in the event that any of them are sued in their capacity as an officer or director could also reduce the funds available to us outside of the trust account.
We may reimburse our insiders, officers, directors or any of their affiliates for out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with certain activities on our behalf, such as identifying and investigating possible business targets and business combinations. There is no limit on the amount of out-of-pocket expenses reimbursable by us; provided, that, to the extent such expenses exceed the available proceeds not deposited in the trust account, such expenses would not be reimbursed by us unless we consummate an initial business combination. In addition, pursuant to our certificate of incorporation and Delaware law, we may be required to indemnify our officers and directors in the event that any of them are sued in their capacity as an officer or director. We will also enter into agreements with our officers and directors to provide contractual indemnification in addition to the indemnification provided for in our certificate of incorporation and under Delaware law. In the event that we reimburse our insiders, officers, directors or any of their affiliates for out-of-pocket expenses prior to the consummation of a business combination or are required to indemnify any of our officers or directors pursuant to our certificate of incorporation, Delaware law, or the indemnity agreements that we will enter into with them, we would use funds available to us outside of the trust account for our working capital requirements. Any reduction in the funds available to us could have a material adverse effect on our ability to locate and investigate prospective target businesses and to structure, negotiate, conduct due diligence in connection with or consummate our initial business combination.
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If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption price received by stockholders may be less than approximately $10.15.
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 (excluding our independent registered public accounting firm), 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 execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management will perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will only enter into an agreement with a third-party that has not executed a waiver if management believes that such third-party’s engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative.
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 consummate an initial business combination within 9 months (or up to 15 months, as applicable) from the closing of this offering, 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 $10.15 per public 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 an exhibit 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 (excluding our independent registered public accounting firm) 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) $10.15 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 $10.15 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case 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 we 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.
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) $10.15 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 $10.15 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case less taxes payable, 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 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 $10.15 per share.
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Our stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against us to the extent of distributions received by them.
If we have not completed our initial business combination within 9 months (or up to 15 months, as applicable) 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 ten business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the outstanding public shares for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the trust account (net of interest used to pay taxes) which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining holders of common stock and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject (in the case of (ii) and (iii) above) to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. We may not 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 well beyond the third anniversary of the date of distribution. Accordingly, third parties may seek to recover from our stockholders amounts owed to them by us.
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 the members of our board of directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties to our creditors, thereby exposing the members of our board of directors and us 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.
We may only be able to complete one business combination with the proceeds of this offering, which will cause us to be solely dependent on a single business which may have a limited number of products or services.
It is likely we will consummate our initial business combination with a single target business, although we have the ability to simultaneously consummate our initial business combination with several target businesses. By consummating a 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 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:
• solely dependent upon the performance of a single business, or
• dependent upon the development or market acceptance of a single or limited number of products, processes or services.
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This lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory developments, 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.
Alternatively, if we determine to simultaneously consummate our initial business combination with several businesses and such businesses 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 the 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 target 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.
Your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination will be limited to the exercise of your right to redeem your shares from us for cash, unless we seek stockholder approval of the 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 one or more target businesses. Since our Board of Directors may complete a business combination without seeking stockholder approval, public stockholders may not have the right or opportunity to vote on the business combination, unless we seek such stockholder approval. 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 within the period of time (which will be at least 20 business days) set forth in our tender offer documents mailed to our public stockholders in which we describe our initial business combination.
The ability of a large number of our public stockholders to exercise their redemption rights may not allow us to effectuate 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 public stockholders may exercise their redemption rights, and, therefore, we 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 substantially all of our cash to pay the purchase price, or requires us to have a minimum amount of cash at closing, the redemption threshold may be further limited. Alternatively, we may need to arrange third party financing to help fund our business combination in case a larger percentage of stockholders exercises its redemption rights than we expect. If the acquisition involves the issuance of our shares as consideration, we may be required to issue a higher percentage of our shares to the target or its stockholders to make up for the failure to satisfy a minimum cash requirement. Raising additional funds to cover any shortfall may involve dilutive equity financing or incurring indebtedness at higher than desirable levels. The above considerations may limit our ability to effectuate the most attractive business combination available to us or optimize our capital structure.
We may be unable to consummate an initial business combination if a target business requires that we have a certain amount of cash at closing, in which case public stockholders may have to remain stockholders of our company and wait until our redemption of the public shares to receive a pro rata share of the trust account or attempt to sell their shares in the open market.
A potential target may make it a closing condition to our initial business combination that we have a certain amount of cash available at the time of closing. If the number of our public stockholders electing to exercise their redemption rights has the effect of reducing the amount of money available to us to consummate an initial business combination below such minimum amount required by the target business and we are not able to locate an alternative source of funding, we will not be able to consummate such initial business combination and we may not be able to locate another suitable target within the applicable time period, if at all. In that case, public stockholders may have to remain stockholders of our company and wait the full 9 months (or up to 15 months, as applicable) in order to be able to receive a portion of the trust account, or attempt to sell their shares in the open market prior to such time, in which case they may receive less than they would have in a liquidation of the trust account.
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We may require public stockholders who wish to redeem their shares of common stock in connection with a vote of stockholders on a proposed business combination to comply with specific requirements for redemption that may make it more difficult for them to exercise their redemption rights prior to the deadline for exercising their rights.
In connection with any stockholder meeting called to approve a proposed initial business combination, each public stockholder will have the right, regardless of whether he or she is voting for or against such proposed business combination, to demand that we redeem his or her shares of common stock into a share of the trust account. We may require public stockholders seeking to redeem their shares in connection with a stockholder vote on a proposed business combination, whether they are a record holder or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option, at least two business days on the initial business combination (a tender of shares is always required in connection with a tender offer). In order to obtain a physical stock certificate, a stockholder’s broker and/or clearing broker, DTC and our transfer agent will need to act to facilitate this request. It is our understanding that stockholders should generally allot at least two weeks to obtain physical certificates from the transfer agent. However, because we do not have any control over this process or over the brokers or DTC, it may take significantly longer than two weeks to obtain a physical stock certificate. While we have been advised that it takes a short time to deliver shares through the DWAC System, this may not be the case. Under Delaware law and our bylaws, we are required to provide at least 10 days advance notice of any stockholder meeting, which would be the minimum amount of time a public stockholder would have to determine whether to exercise redemption rights. Accordingly, if it takes longer than we anticipate for stockholders to deliver their shares, stockholders who wish to redeem may be unable to meet the deadline for exercising their redemption rights and thus may be unable to redeem their shares.
If we require public stockholders who wish to redeem their shares of common stock to comply with the delivery requirements discussed above for conversion, such redeeming stockholders may be unable to sell their securities when they wish to in the event that the proposed business combination is not approved.
If we require public stockholders who wish to redeem their shares of common stock to comply with the delivery requirements discussed above for redemption and such proposed business combination is not consummated, we will promptly return such certificates to the tendering public stockholders. Accordingly, investors who attempted to redeem their shares in such a circumstance will be unable to sell their securities after the failed business combination until we have returned their securities to them. The market price for our shares of common stock may decline during this time and you may not be able to sell your securities when you wish to, even while other stockholders that did not seek redemption may be able to sell their securities.
Our ability to consummate an attractive business combination may be impacted by the market for initial public offerings.
Our efforts to identify a prospective target business will not be limited to a particular industry or geographic region, although the Company intends to focus on the Internet of Things (IoT), smart manufacturing, and renewable energy related industries. We affirmatively exclude as an initial business combination target any company of which financial statements are audited by an accounting firm that the PCAOB is unable to inspect for two consecutive years beginning in 2021 and any target company with China operation consolidated through a VIE structure. If the market for initial public offerings is limited, we believe there will be a greater number of attractive target businesses open to consummating an initial business combination with us as a means to achieve publicly held status. Alternatively, if the market for initial public offerings is robust, we believe that there will be fewer attractive target businesses amenable to consummating an initial business combination with us to become a public reporting company. Accordingly, during periods with strong public offering markets, it may be more difficult for us to complete an initial business combination.
We may be unable to obtain additional financing, if required, to complete our initial business combination or to fund the operations and growth of the target business, which could compel us to restructure or abandon a particular business combination.
Although we believe that the net proceeds of this offering will be sufficient to allow us to consummate a business combination, because we have not yet identified any prospective target business, the capital requirements for any particular transaction remain to be determined. If the net proceeds of this offering prove to be insufficient, either because of the size of the business combination, the depletion of the available net proceeds in search of a target
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business, the obligation to repurchase for cash a significant number of shares from stockholders who elect redemption in connection with our initial business combination or the terms of negotiated transactions to purchase shares in connection with our initial business combination, or other reasons, we will be required to seek additional financing. Such financing may not be available on acceptable terms, if at all. To the extent that additional financing proves to be unavailable when needed to consummate a particular business combination, we would be compelled to either restructure the transaction or abandon that particular business combination and seek an alternative target business candidate. In addition, if we consummate a business combination, we may require additional 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 officers, directors or stockholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our initial business combination.
Our insiders, officers and directors, will control a substantial interest in us and thus may influence certain actions requiring a stockholder vote.
Upon consummation of our offering and sale of the private units, our insiders, officers and directors, will collectively beneficially own approximately 23.2% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering and assuming the over-allotment option has not been exercised and an aggregate of 187,500 insider shares have been forfeited as a result thereof). None of our insiders, officers, directors or their affiliates has committed to purchase units in this offering or any units or shares from persons in the open market or in private transactions. In addition, our insiders, officers, directors, or their affiliates could determine in the future to make such purchases in the open market or in private transactions, to the extent permitted by law, in order to influence the vote. In connection with any vote for a proposed business combination, our insiders, officers, and directors have agreed to vote the shares of common stock owned by them immediately before this offering as well as the private shares and any shares of common stock acquired in this offering or in the aftermarket in favor of such proposed business combination, and therefore will have a significant influence on the vote.
We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders until after the consummation of our initial business combination.
In accordance with Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on Nasdaq. Under Section 211(b) of the Delaware General Corporation Law, 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. It is unlikely that there will be 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 Delaware General Corporation Law, 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 Delaware General Corporation Law.
If we are deemed to be an investment company, 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:
• restrictions on the nature of our investments; and
• restrictions on the issuance of securities,
each of which may make it difficult for us to complete our business combination.
In addition, we may have imposed upon us certain burdensome requirements, including:
• registration as an investment company;
• adoption of a specific form of corporate structure; and
• reporting, record keeping, voting, proxy and disclosure requirements and other rules and regulations.
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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 United States “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act having a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in U.S. government treasury obligations and meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act. 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 (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to offer redemption rights in connection with any proposed initial business combination or certain amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation prior thereto or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 9 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 15 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination); or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; or (iii) absent an initial business combination within 9 months, from the closing of this offering (or up to 15 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination), our return of the funds held in the trust account to our public stockholders as part of our redemption of the public shares. Stockholders who do not exercise their redemption rights in connection with an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation would still be able to exercise their redemption rights in connection with a subsequent business combination.
We are aware of litigation against certain special purpose acquisition companies asserting that notwithstanding the foregoing, those special purpose acquisition companies should be considered investment companies. Although we believe that these claims are without merit, we cannot guarantee that we will not be deemed to be an investment company and thus 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 $10.15 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our rights will expire worthless.
On March 30, 2022, the SEC issued proposed rules relating to, among other matters, the extent to which SPACs could become subject to regulation under the Investment Company Act. The SEC’s proposed rule under the Investment Company Act would provide a safe harbor for SPACs from the definition of “investment company” under Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act, provided that they satisfy certain conditions that limit a SPAC’s duration, asset composition, business purpose and activities. The duration component of the proposed safe harbor rule would require a SPAC to file a report on Form 8-K with the Commission announcing that it has entered into an agreement with the target company (or companies) to engage in an initial business combination no later than 18 months after the effective date of the SPAC’s registration statement for its initial public offering. The SPAC would then be required to complete its initial business combination no later than 24 months after the effective date of its registration statement for its initial public offering. Although that proposed safe harbor rule has not yet been adopted, the SEC has indicated that are serious questions concerning the applicability of the Investment Company Act to a SPAC that does not complete its initial business combination within the proposed time frame set forth in the proposed safe harbor rule.
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The proposed safe harbor rule has not yet been adopted, and one or more elements of the proposed safe harbor rule may not be adopted or may be adopted in a revised form. Nevertheless, we intend to comply with the terms of the proposed safe harbor rule, including the duration component of that rule, when and if adopted. As a result, we do not believe that the SEC would deem us to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act. However, if we were deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, compliance with these additional regulatory burdens would require additional expenses for which we have not allotted funds and could increase the costs and time needed to complete a business combination or impair our ability to complete a business combination. If we have not completed our initial business combination within the required time period, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.15 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our rights will expire worthless.
The requirement that we complete our initial business combination within 9 months from the closing of this offering (or 12 or 15 months if we have extended the period of time as described in this prospectus) may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating our initial business combination.
We have 9 months from the closing of this offering to complete our initial business combination (or 12 or 15 months if we have extended the period of time as described in this prospectus). Any potential target business with which we enter into negotiations concerning a business combination will be aware of this requirement. Consequently, such target business may obtain leverage over us in negotiating a business combination, knowing that if we do not complete a business combination with that particular target business, we may be unable to complete a business combination with any other target business. This risk will increase as we get closer to the time limit referenced above.
We may not obtain a fairness opinion with respect to the target business that we seek to consummate our initial business combination with and therefore you may be relying solely on the judgment of our board of directors in approving a proposed business combination.
We will only be required to obtain a fairness opinion with respect to the target business that we seek to consummate our initial business combination with if it is an entity that is affiliated with any of our insiders, officers, or directors. In all other instances, we will have no obligation to obtain an opinion. 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 tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials, as applicable, related to our initial business combination.
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 $10.15 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on our redemption, and our rights will expire worthless.
We expect to encounter intense 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 identifying and effecting, directly or indirectly, acquisitions of companies operating in or providing services to various industries. Many of these competitors possess greater technical, human and other resources or more local industry knowledge than we do 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 units, 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, if we are obligated to pay cash for the common stock redeemed and, in the event we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, we make purchases of our common stock, potentially reducing the resources available to us for our initial business combination. Any of these obligations may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating a business combination.
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 9 months (or up to 15 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time); 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
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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 designed to keep target businesses from “shopping” around for transactions with other companies on terms more favorable to such target businesses) with respect to a particular proposed business combination, although we do not have any current intention to do so. If we entered into a letter of intent 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.
If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.15 per share (or less in certain circumstances) on the liquidation of our trust account and our rights will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.15 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 $10.15 per share” and other risk factors herein.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has had an immediate and material adverse effect on financial and business conditions worldwide in a manner that could materially and adversely affect the business and prospects of potential targets for our initial business combination. These circumstances could reduce the number of attractive targets for our initial business combination, increase the cost of our initial business combination and delay or prevent us from completing our initial business combination.
On February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation launched an invasion of Ukraine that has continued to escalate without any resolution of the invasion foreseeable in the near future with the short and long-term impact on financial and business conditions worldwide, remaining highly uncertain. The United States has been joined by the European Union, Canada and other countries across the globe in imposing new and stricter sanctions against the Russian Federation in a manner that has resulted in higher energy prices and higher prices for raw materials and goods and services and disruptions to supply and distribution chains in a manner that has contributed to higher inflation. The United States, the European Union, Canada and other countries across the globe may impose additional sanctions against the Russian Federation as the conflict continues to escalate. The impact of the sanctions also includes disruptions to financial markets, an inability to complete financial or banking transactions, restrictions on travel and an inability to service existing or new customers in a timely manner in the affected areas of Europe. Many multinational corporations have exceeded what is required by the newer and stricter sanctions in reducing or terminating their business ties to the Russian Federation. The Russian Federation could resort to cyberattacks and other action that impact businesses across Europe including those without any direct business ties to the Russian Federation. These circumstances, combined with the active conflict involving Russia, remain a substantial source of uncertainty. This uncertainty may impact our ability to identify a target and if a target is identified to close a business combination.
Recent increases in inflation in the United States and elsewhere could make it more difficult for us to consummate a business combination.
Recent increases in inflation in the United Stated and elsewhere may be leading to increased price volatility in publicly traded securities, including ours, and may lead to other national, regional and international economic disruptions, any of which could make it more difficult for us to consummate a business combination.
We may be subject to the excise tax included in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 in the event of a liquidation or in connection with redemptions of our common stock after December 31, 2022.
On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which, among other things, imposes a 1% excise tax on any domestic corporation that repurchases its stock after December 31, 2022 (the “Excise Tax”). The Excise Tax is imposed on the fair market value of the repurchased stock, with certain exceptions. Because we are a Delaware corporation and our securities will trade on Nasdaq following the date of this prospectus, we will be a “covered corporation” within the meaning of the Inflation Reduction Act following this offering. While not free from doubt, absent any further guidance from Congress, the Excise Tax may apply to any redemptions of our common stock after December 31, 2022, including redemptions in connection with an initial business combination, unless an exemption is available. Issuances of securities in connection with our initial business combination transaction (including any PIPE transaction at the time of our initial business combination) are expected to reduce the amount of the Excise Tax in connection with redemptions occurring in the same calendar year, but the number of securities
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redeemed may exceed the number of securities issued. Consequently, the Excise Tax may make a transaction with us less appealing to potential business combination targets. Further, the application of the Excise Tax in the event of a liquidation is uncertain. Nonetheless, we are not permitted to use the proceeds placed in the trust account and the interests earned thereon to pay any excise taxes or any other similar fees or taxes in nature that may be imposed on us pursuant to any current, pending or future rules or laws, including without limitation any excise tax due imposed under the Inflation Reduction Act on any redemptions or stock buybacks by us.
Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 will require substantial financial and management resources and may increase the time and costs of completing an initial business combination.
Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, requires that we evaluate and report on our system of internal control and may require that we have such system of internal control audited. If we fail to maintain the adequacy of our internal control, we could be subject to regulatory scrutiny, civil or criminal penalties and/or stockholder litigation. Any inability to provide reliable financial reports could harm our business. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act also requires that our independent registered public accounting firm report on management’s evaluation of our system of internal control, although as an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act, we may take advantage of an exemption to this requirement. A target company may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of their internal control. 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 initial business combination.
Because we must furnish our stockholders with target business financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles or international financial reporting standards, we may lose the ability to complete an otherwise advantageous initial business combination with some prospective target businesses.
The federal proxy rules require that a proxy statement with respect to a vote on a business combination meeting certain financial significance tests include historical and/or pro forma financial statement disclosure in periodic reports. 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, or GAAP, or international financial reporting standards, or IFRS as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board or the IASB, 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), or PCAOB. We will include the same financial statement disclosure in connection with any tender offer documents we use, whether or not they are required under the tender offer rules. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may consummate our 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 are subject to changing laws and regulations regarding regulatory matters, corporate governance and public disclosure that have increased both our costs and the risk of non-compliance.
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 and results of operations.
On March 30, 2022, the SEC issued proposed rules relating to, among other items, enhancing disclosures in business combination transactions involving SPACs and private operating companies; amending the financial statement requirements applicable to transactions involving shell companies; effectively limiting the use of projections in SEC filings in connection with proposed business combination transactions; increasing the potential liability of certain participants in proposed business combination transactions; and the extent to which SPACs could become subject to regulation under the Investment Company Act. These rules, if adopted, whether in the form proposed or in revised form, may materially adversely affect our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination and may increase the costs and time related thereto.
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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.
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 seeking targets for their initial business combination, as well as many such companies currently in registration with the SEC. As a result, at times, fewer attractive targets may be available, and it may require more time, more effort and more resources to identify a suitable target and 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. 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.
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.
The market for directors and officers liability insurance for special purpose acquisition companies has become more difficult and expensive over the last few years. The premiums charged for such policies have generally increased and the terms of such policies have generally become less favorable. There can be no assurance that these trends will not continue.
The increased cost and decreased availability of directors and officers liability insurance could make it more difficult and more expensive for us to negotiate 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, accept less favorable terms or both. However, 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, even after we were to complete an initial business combination, our directors and officers could still be subject to potential liability from claims arising from conduct alleged to have occurred prior to the initial business combination. As a result, in order to protect our directors and officers, the post-business combination entity will likely 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.
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 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the status of debt and equity markets.
The outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus has resulted in a widespread health crisis that has adversely affected the economies and financial markets worldwide. We may be unable to complete a business combination if continued concerns relating to COVID-19 restrict travel, limit the ability to have meetings with potential investors, if the target company’s personnel, vendors and service providers are unavailable to negotiate and consummate a transaction in a timely manner, or if COVID-19 causes a prolonged economic downturn. 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 duration, spread, severity, and any recurrence of COVID-19 including through any new variant strains of the underlying virus; the effectiveness, availability, and public acceptance of vaccines; and the duration and scope of pandemic-related government restrictions on commercial
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and other activities, 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 a transaction may be dependent on the ability to raise equity and debt financing which may be impacted by COVID-19 and other events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases), including as a result of increased market volatility, decreased market liquidity in third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to us or at all.
We may engage our underwriters or one of 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.
We may engage 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 transactions. We may pay our 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 our underwriters or any of their affiliates and no fees or other compensation for such services will be paid to our underwriters or any of their 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 underwriter compensation in connection with this offering. The underwriters are also entitled to receive deferred commissions and the Representative Units that are conditioned on the 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.
Risks Relating to the Post-Business Combination Company
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 share price, 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 surface all material issues that may be present inside 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 post-combination debt financing.
Accordingly, any stockholders who choose to remain stockholders following the 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.
Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination and to be successful thereafter will be highly dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel, some of whom may join us following our initial business combination. While we intend to closely scrutinize any individuals we engage after our initial business combination, our assessment of these individuals may not prove to be correct.
Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination is dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel. We believe that our success depends on the continued service of our key personnel, at least until we have consummated our initial business combination. None of our officers are required to commit any specified amount of time to our affairs (although we expect them to devote approximately 10 hours per week to our business) and, accordingly, they will have
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conflicts of interest in allocating management time among various business activities, including identifying potential business combinations and monitoring the related due diligence. If our officers’ and directors’ other business affairs require them to devote more substantial amounts of time to their other business activities, it could limit their ability to devote time to our affairs and could have a negative impact on our ability to consummate our initial business combination.
The role of our key personnel after our initial business combination, however, remains to be determined. Although some of our key personnel serve in senior management or advisory positions following our initial business combination, it is likely that most, if not all, of the management of the target business will remain in place. These individuals may be unfamiliar with the requirements of operating a public company which could cause us to have to expend time and resources helping them become familiar with such requirements. This could be expensive and time-consuming and could lead to various regulatory issues which may adversely affect our operations.
Since we have not yet selected a particular industry or target business with which to complete our initial business combination, we are unable to currently ascertain the merits or risks of the industry or business in which we may ultimately operate.
Although we intend to focus our search on target businesses operating in the Internet of Things (IoT), smart manufacturing, and renewable energy related industries, we may consummate our initial business combination with a target business in any industry we choose and are not limited to any particular industry, type of business or geographic region. We affirmatively exclude as an initial business combination target any company of which financial statements are audited by an accounting firm that the United States PCAOB is unable to inspect for two consecutive years beginning in 2021 and any target company with China operation consolidated through a VIE structure. Accordingly, there is no current basis for you to evaluate the possible merits or risks of the particular industry in which we may ultimately operate or the target business which we may ultimately consummate our initial business combination. To the extent we complete our initial business combination with a financially unstable company or an entity in its development stage, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business operations of those entities. If we complete our initial business combination with an entity in an industry characterized by a high level of risk, we may be affected by the currently unascertainable risks of that industry. We may not properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. An investment in our shares may not ultimately prove to be more favorable to investors in this offering than a direct investment, if an opportunity were available, in a target business.
Our management may not be able to maintain control of a target business after our initial business combination. 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.
We may structure our initial business combination such that the post-transaction company owns 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, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise owns 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 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our stockholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination transaction. 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. In addition, other minority stockholders may subsequently combine their holdings resulting in a single person or group obtaining a larger share of the company’s 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 may reincorporate in another jurisdiction in connection with our initial business combination and such reincorporation may result in taxes imposed on stockholders.
We may, in connection with our initial business combination and subject to requisite stockholder approval under the Delaware General Corporation Law, reincorporate in the jurisdiction in which the target company or business is located. The transaction may require a stockholder to recognize taxable income in the jurisdiction in which the
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stockholder is a tax resident or in which its members are resident if it is a tax transparent entity. We do not intend to make any cash distributions to stockholders to pay such taxes. Stockholders may be subject to withholding taxes or other taxes with respect to their ownership of us after the reincorporation.
Risks Relating to Our Management Team
Our officers and directors may not have significant experience or knowledge regarding the jurisdiction or industry of the target business we may seek to consummate our initial business combination with.
We may consummate a business combination with a target business in any geographic location or industry we choose. Our officers and directors may not have enough experience or sufficient knowledge relating to the jurisdiction of the target or its industry to make an informed decision regarding our initial business combination.
Our key personnel may negotiate employment or consulting agreements with a target business in connection with a particular business combination. These agreements may provide for them to receive compensation 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 company after the completion of our business combination only if they are able to negotiate employment or consulting agreements in connection with the business combination. Such negotiations would take place simultaneously with the negotiation of the 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 business combination. The personal and financial interests of such individuals may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business.
Our insiders, officers, directors and their affiliates may be owed reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses which may cause them to have conflicts of interest in determining whether a particular business combination is most advantageous.
Our insiders, officers, directors and their affiliates may incur out-of-pocket expenses in connection with certain activities on our behalf, such as identifying and investigating possible business targets and combinations. We have no policy that would prohibit these individuals and their affiliates from negotiating the reimbursement of such expenses by a target business. As a result, the personal and financial interests of such individuals may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business.
Members of our management team may have affiliations with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us and accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.
Members of our management team may have affiliations with companies, including companies that are engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us. Our directors and officers may continue to be involved in the formation of other special purpose acquisition companies in the future. Accordingly, they may participate in transactions and have obligations that may be in conflict or competition with our consummation of our initial business combination. As a result, a potential target business may be presented by our management team to another entity prior to its presentation to us and we may not be afforded the opportunity to engage in a transaction with such target business. For a more detailed description of the potential conflicts of interest of our management, see the section titled “Management — Conflicts of Interest.”
We may engage in a business combination with one or more target businesses that have relationships with entities that may be affiliated with our executive officers, directors, or insiders, which may raise potential conflicts of interest.
In light of the involvement of our insiders, officers and directors with other entities, we may decide to acquire one or more businesses affiliated with our insiders, officers and directors. Our directors also serve as officers and board members for other entities, including, without limitation, those described under “Management — Conflicts of Interest.” Our insiders, officers and directors are not currently aware of any specific opportunities for us to complete our business combination with any entities with which they are affiliated, and there have been no preliminary discussions
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concerning a 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 a business combination as set forth in “Proposed Business — Effecting Our Initial Business Combination — Selection of a Target Business and Structuring of Our Initial Business Combination,” such transaction was approved by a majority of our disinterested and independent directors (if we have any at that time), and we obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that the business combination is fair to our unaffiliated stockholders from a financial point of view. Despite our agreement to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm regarding the fairness to our company from a financial point of view of a business combination with one or more domestic or international businesses affiliated with our officers, directors or insiders, potential conflicts of interest still may exist and, as a result, the terms of the business combination may not be as advantageous to our public stockholders as they would be absent any conflicts of interest.
The shares beneficially owned by our insiders, officers, and directors will not participate in a redemption and, therefore, our insiders, officers, and directors may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is appropriate for our initial business combination.
Our insiders have waived their right to redeem their insider shares and private shares in connection with a business combination and their redemption rights with respect to their insider shares and private shares if we are unable to consummate our initial business combination. Accordingly, these securities will be worthless if we do not consummate our initial business combination. 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 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 we are unable to consummate a business combination, any loans made by our insiders, officers, directors or their affiliates would not be repaid, resulting in a potential conflict of interest in determining whether a potential transaction is in our stockholders’ best interest.
In order to meet our working capital needs following the consummation of this offering, our insiders, officers, directors or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion. The loans would be non-interest bearing and would be payable at the consummation of a business combination. If we fail to consummate a business combination within the required time period, the loans would not be repaid. Consequently, our directors and officers may have a conflict of interest in determining whether the terms, conditions and timing of a particular business combination are appropriate and in our stockholders’ best interest.
Members of our management team and board of directors have significant experience as founders, board members, officers, executives or employees of other companies. Certain of those persons have been, may be, or may become, involved in litigation, investigations or other proceedings, including related to those companies or otherwise. The defense or prosecution of these matters could be time-consuming and could divert our management’s attention, and 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 founders, board members, officers, executives or employees of other companies. As a result of their involvement and positions in these companies, certain of those persons have been, may be or may in the future become involved in litigation, investigations or other proceedings, including relating to the business affairs of such companies, transactions entered into by such companies, or otherwise. Individual members of our management team and board of directors also may become involved in litigation, investigations or other proceedings involving claims or allegations related to or as a result of their personal conduct, either in their capacity as a corporate officer or director or otherwise, and may be personally named in such actions and potentially subject to personal liability. Any such liability may or may not be covered by insurance and/or indemnification, depending on the facts and circumstances. The defense or prosecution of these matters could be time-consuming. Any litigation, investigations or other proceedings and the potential outcomes of such actions may divert the attention and resources of our management team and board of directors 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.
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We may enter into agreements with consultants or financial advisers that provide for the payment of fees upon the consummation of our initial business combination, and, therefore, such consultants or financial advisers may have conflicts of interest.
We may enter into agreements with consultants or financial advisers that provide for the payment of fees upon the consummation of our initial business combination. If we pay consultants or financial advisers fees that are tied to the consummation of our initial business combination, they may have conflicts of interest when providing services to us, and their interests in such fees may influence their advice with respect to a potential business combination. For example, if a consultant’s or financial advisor’s fee is based on the size of the transaction, then they may be influenced to present us with larger transactions that may have lower growth opportunities or long-term value versus smaller transactions that may have greater growth opportunities or provide greater value to our stockholders. Similarly, consultants whose fees are based on consummation of a business combination may be influenced to present potential business combinations to us regardless of whether they provide longer-term value for our stockholders. While we will endeavor to structure agreements with consultants and financial advisors to minimize the possibility and extent of these conflicts of interest, we cannot assure you that we will be able to do so and that we will not be impacted by the adverse influences they create.
The nominal purchase price paid by our sponsor for the insider shares may result in significant dilution to the implied value of your public shares upon the consummation of our initial business combination.
We are offering our units at an offering price of $10.00 per unit and the amount in our trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.15 per public share, implying an initial value of $10.00 per public share. However, prior to this offering, our sponsor paid a nominal aggregate purchase price of $25,000 for the insider shares, or approximately $0.017 per share. As a result, the value of your public shares may be significantly diluted upon the consummation of our initial business combination. For example, the following table shows the dilutive effect of the insider shares on the implied value of the public shares upon the consummation of our initial business combination, assuming that our equity value at that time is $48,750,000, which is the amount we would have for our initial business combination in the trust account after payment of $2,000,000 of deferred underwriting commissions, assuming the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised, no interest is earned on the funds held in the trust account, and no public shares are redeemed in connection with our initial business combination, and without taking into account any other potential impacts on our valuation at such time, such as the trading price of our public shares, the business combination transaction costs, any equity issued or cash paid to the target’s sellers or other third parties, or the target’s business itself, including its assets, liabilities, management and prospects. At such valuation, each of our shares of common stock would have an implied value of $7.49 per share upon consummation of our initial business combination, which would be a 25.1% decrease as compared to the initial implied value per public share of $10.00 (the price per unit in this offering, assuming no value to the public rights).
Public shares |
| 5,000,000 | |
Insider shares and private shares |
| 1,512,500 | |
Total shares |
| 6,512,500 | |
Total funds in trust available for initial business combination (less deferred underwriting commissions) | $ | 48,750,000 | |
Initial implied value per public share | $ | 10.00 | |
Implied value per share upon consummation of initial business combination | $ | 7.49 |
The value of the insider shares following completion of our initial business combination is likely to be substantially higher than the nominal price paid for them, even if the trading price of our common stock at such time is substantially less than $10.00 per share.
Upon the closing of this offering, assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option, our insiders will have invested in us an aggregate of $2,650,000, comprised of the $25,000 purchase price for the insider shares and the $2,625,000 purchase price for the private units. Assuming a trading price of $10.00 per share upon consummation of our initial business combination, the 1,512,500 insider shares and private shares would have an aggregate implied value of $15,125,000. Even if the trading price of our common stock was as low as $1.75 per share, and the private rights were worthless, the value of the insider shares and private shares would be equal to the insiders’ initial investment in us. As a result, our insiders are likely to be able to recoup their investment in us and make a substantial profit on that investment, even if our public shares have lost significant value. Accordingly, our management team, which owns
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insider shares and/or interests in our sponsor, may have an economic incentive that differs from that of the public stockholders to pursue and consummate an initial business combination rather than to liquidate and to return all of the cash in the trust to the public stockholders, even if that business combination were with a riskier or less-established target business. For the foregoing reasons, you should consider our management team’s financial incentive to complete an initial business combination when evaluating whether to redeem your shares prior to or in connection with the initial business combination.
Risks Relating to Our Securities
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 rights, potentially at a loss.
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 tendered 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 redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 9 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 15 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity and (iii) the redemption of all of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 9 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 15 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by the full amount of time), subject to applicable law and as further described herein. In no other circumstances will a public stockholder have any right or interest of any kind in the trust account. Accordingly, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or rights, potentially at a loss.
Holders of rights will not have redemption rights.
If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the required time period and we redeem the funds held in the trust account, the rights will expire and holders will not receive any of the amounts held in the trust account in exchange for such rights.
We have no obligation to net cash settle the rights.
In no event will we have any obligation to net cash settle the rights. Accordingly, the rights may expire worthless.
Our rights 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 rights, which could limit the ability of rights holders to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with our company.
Our and rights 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 rights 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 (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 rights 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 or any compliant asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act against us or any of our directors, officers, other employees or agents. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any of our rights shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the forum provisions in our rights agreement. If any action, the subject matter of which is within the scope the forum provisions of the rights 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 rights, such holder shall be deemed to have consented to: (x) the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in
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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 rights holder in any such enforcement action by service upon such rights holder’s counsel in the foreign action as agent for such rights holder.
This choice-of-forum provision may limit a rights holder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with our company, including by increasing the cost of such lawsuits to a rights holder, which may discourage such lawsuits. Alternatively, if a court were to find this provision of our rights 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 issue our shares to investors in connection with our initial business combination at a price that is less than the prevailing market price of our shares at that time.
In connection with our initial business combination, we may issue shares to investors in private placement transactions (so-called PIPE transactions) at a price of $10.00 per share or less or which approximates the per-share amounts in our trust account at such time, which is generally approximately $10.15. The purpose of such issuances will be to enable us to provide sufficient liquidity to the post-business combination entity. The price of the shares we issue may therefore be less, and potentially significantly less, than the market price for our shares at such time.
Nasdaq may delist our securities from quotation on its exchange, which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.
We anticipate that our securities will be listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, a national securities exchange, upon consummation of this offering. Although, after giving effect to this offering, we meet on a pro forma basis the minimum initial listing standards of Nasdaq, which generally only requires that we meet certain requirements relating to stockholders’ equity, market capitalization, aggregate market value of publicly held shares and distribution requirements, we cannot assure you that our securities will continue to be listed on Nasdaq in the future prior to an initial business combination. Additionally, in connection with our initial business combination, it is likely that Nasdaq will require us to file a new initial listing application and meet its initial listing requirements as opposed to its more lenient continued listing requirements. We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet those initial listing requirements at that time.
If Nasdaq delists our securities from trading on its exchange, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:
• a limited availability of market quotations for our securities;
• reduced liquidity with respect to our securities;
• a determination that our shares are a “penny stock,” which will require brokers trading in our shares to adhere to more stringent rules, possibly resulting in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our shares;
• a limited amount of news and analyst coverage for our company; and
• a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future.
Our insiders paid an aggregate of $25,000, or approximately $0.017 per share, for the insider shares and, accordingly, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution from the purchase of our shares of common stock.
The difference between the public offering price per share and the pro forma net tangible book value per share after this offering constitutes the dilution to the investors in this offering. Our insiders acquired their insider shares at a nominal price, significantly contributing to this dilution. Upon consummation of this offering, you and the other new investors will incur an immediate and substantial dilution of approximately 59.0% or $3.42 per share (the difference between the public offering price per share of $8.33 (including the shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of rights) and the pro forma net tangible book value per share of $4.91 per share). This is because investors in this offering will be contributing approximately 95.0% of the total amount paid to us for our outstanding securities after this offering
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but will only own approximately 79.3% of our outstanding securities (including the shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of rights). Accordingly, the per-share purchase price you will be paying substantially exceeds our per share net tangible book value.
Our unit purchase option and rights may have an adverse effect on the market price of our shares of common stock and make it more difficult to effect a business combination.
We will be issuing rights that will result in the issuance of up to 1,000,000 shares of common stock as part of the units offered by this prospectus and private rights that will result in the issuance of an additional 52,500 shares of common stock. We will also issue a unit purchase option to purchase 150,000 units to the representative of the underwriters which, if exercised, will result in the issuance of 180,000 shares of common stock (which includes 30,000 shares underlying rights). In addition, we will issue to Chardan and/or its designees, at the time of the closing of our initial business combination, 50,000 private units (assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised) that will result in the issuance of up to 60,000 shares of common stock (which includes 10,000 shares underlying rights). The potential for the issuance of a substantial number of additional shares upon exercise or conversion of the foregoing securities could make us a less attractive acquisition vehicle in the eyes of a target business. Such securities, when exercised or converted, will increase the number of issued and outstanding shares of common stock and reduce the value of the shares issued to complete the business combination. Accordingly, these securities may make it more difficult to effectuate a business combination or increase the cost of acquiring the target business. Additionally, the sale, or even the possibility of sale, of the shares underlying these securities could have an adverse effect on the market price for our securities or on our ability to obtain future financing. If and to the extent these securities are exercised or converted, you may experience dilution to your holdings.
If our insiders or Chardan exercise their registration rights, it may have an adverse effect on the market price of our shares of common stock and the existence of these rights may make it more difficult to effect our initial business combination.
Our insiders are entitled to make a demand that we register the resale of the insider shares at any time commencing three months prior to the date on which their shares may be released from escrow. Additionally, the purchasers of the private units and our insiders, officers and directors are entitled to demand that we register the resale of the 262,500 shares of common stock (or 283,125 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) underlying the private units and the 52,500 shares of common stock (or 56,625 shares of common stock if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) underlying the private rights and any securities our insiders, officers, directors or their affiliates may be issued in payment of working capital loans made to us at any time after we consummate a business combination. In addition, Chardan may demand that we register the securities underlying the unit purchase option and the Representative Units. The presence of these additional shares of common stock trading in the public market may have an adverse effect on the market price of our securities. In addition, the existence of these rights may make it more difficult to effectuate our initial business combination or increase the cost of consummating our initial business combination with the target business, as the stockholders of the target business may be discouraged from entering into a business combination with us or will request a higher price for their securities because of the potential effect the exercise of such rights may have on the trading market for our shares of common stock.
The determination of the offering price of our units and the size of this offering 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 rights 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 common stock and rights underlying the units, include:
• the history of other similarly structured blank check companies;
• prior offerings of those companies;
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• our prospects for consummating an initial business combination with an operating business at attractive values;
• our capital structure;
• securities exchange listing requirements;
• market demand;
• expected liquidity of our securities;
• general conditions of the securities markets at the time of the offering; and
• other factors as were deemed relevant.
However, although these factors were considered, the determination of our offering price is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities for an operating company in a particular industry since we have no historical operations or financial results to compare them to.
Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws 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 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 the ability of the board of directors to designate the terms of and issue new series of preferred shares, which may make more difficult the removal of management 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 more difficult the removal of management and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities.
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 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.
Investors may not appropriately allocate a tax basis to the components of the unit.
Because investors in this offering will be investing in units comprised of one share of common stock and one right, investors will need to allocate a tax basis to each item in proportion to their values at the time of the investment. We are not required to provide any guidance as to the proper allocation of tax basis. Failure to properly allocate a tax basis could result in adverse tax consequences to an investor.
Risks Associated with Acquiring and Operating a Business Outside of the United States
We may effect a business combination with a company located outside of the United States and if we do, we would be subject to a variety of additional risks that may negatively affect our business and financial results.
If we consummate a business combination with a target business located outside of the United States, we would be subject to any special considerations or risks associated with companies operating in the target business’s governing jurisdiction, including any of the following:
• rules and regulations or currency redemption or corporate withholding taxes on individuals;
• tariffs and trade barriers;
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• regulations related to customs and import/export matters;
• longer payment cycles than in the United States;
• inflation;
• economic policies and market conditions;
• unexpected changes in regulatory requirements;
• challenges in managing and staffing international operations;
• tax issues, such as tax law changes and variations in tax laws as compared to the United States;
• currency fluctuations and exchange controls;
• challenges in collecting accounts receivable;
• cultural and language differences;
• protection of intellectual property;
• employment regulations;
• crime, strikes, riots, civil disturbances, terrorist attacks and wars; and
• deterioration of political relations with the U.S.
We cannot assure you that we would be able to adequately address these additional risks. If we were unable to do so, our operations might suffer.
If we effect our initial business combination with a company located outside of the United States, trading in our securities could be negatively impacted.
If we effect our initial business combination with a company located outside of the United States, we would be subject to positions taken by governmental and self-regulatory authorities in foreign jurisdictions. Such positions could negatively impact trading in our securities. For instance, if the PCAOB was unable to inspect or investigate completely the auditor of the target company following consummation of a business combination for certain periods of time because of a position taken by an authority in a foreign jurisdiction, it could cause trading in our securities to be prohibited under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act and as a result an exchange may determine to delist our securities. The time period we might have to rectify the foregoing could be limited by governmental actions such as the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act which was proposed by the U.S. Senate and which, if enacted, would decrease the number of non-inspection years from three years to two, thereby reducing the time period before our securities might be prohibited from trading or delisted following a business combination.
U.S. laws and regulations, including the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act and Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, may restrict or eliminate our ability to complete a business combination with certain companies.
Future developments in U.S. laws may restrict our ability or willingness to complete certain business combinations with companies. For instance, the recently enacted Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (the “HFCAA”) would restrict our ability to consummate a business combination with a target business unless that business met certain standards of the PCAOB and would require delisting of a company from U.S. national securities exchanges if the PCAOB is unable to inspect its public accounting firm for three consecutive years. The HFCAA also requires public companies to disclose, among other things, whether they are owned or controlled by a foreign government, specifically, those based in China. Furthermore, on June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (the “AHFCAA”), which, if signed into law, would amend the HFCAA and require the SEC to prohibit an issuer’s securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years instead of three consecutive years.
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The documentation we may be required to submit to the SEC proving certain beneficial ownership requirements and establishing that we are not owned or controlled by a foreign government in the event that we use a foreign public accounting firm not subject to inspection by the PCAOB or where the PCAOB is unable to completely inspect or investigate our accounting practices or financial statements because of a position taken by an authority in the foreign jurisdiction could be onerous and time-consuming to prepare. HFCAA mandates the SEC to identify issuers of SEC-registered securities whose audited financial reports are prepared by an accounting firm that the PCAOB is unable to inspect due to restrictions imposed by an authority in the foreign jurisdiction where the audits are performed. If such identified issuer’s auditor cannot be inspected by the PCAOB for three consecutive years, the trading of such issuer’s securities on any U.S. national securities exchanges, as well as any over-the-counter trading in the U.S., will be prohibited.
On March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirements of the HFCAA. We will be required to comply with these rules if the SEC identifies us as having a “non-inspection” year under a process to be subsequently established by the SEC. On June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed a bill which, if passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and signed into law, would reduce the number of consecutive non-inspection years required for triggering the prohibitions under the HFCAA from three years to two.
On November 5, 2021, the SEC approved the PCAOB’s Rule 6100, Board Determinations Under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act. Rule 6100 provides a framework for the PCAOB to use when determining, as contemplated under the HFCAA, whether it is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms located in a foreign jurisdiction because of a position taken by one or more authorities in that jurisdiction.
On December 2, 2021, the SEC issued amendments to finalize rules implementing the submission and disclosure requirements in the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act. The rules apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in foreign jurisdictions.
On December 16, 2021, the PCAOB issued a report on its determinations that it was unable to inspect or investigate completely PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and in Hong Kong, because of positions taken by Chinese authorities in those jurisdictions. The PCAOB made its determinations pursuant to PCAOB Rule 6100, which provides a framework for how the PCAOB fulfills its responsibilities under the HFCAA. The report further listed in its Appendix A and Appendix B, Registered Public Accounting Firms Subject to the Mainland China Determination and Registered Public Accounting Firms Subject to the Hong Kong Determination, respectively. Our auditor Friedman LLP is headquartered in Manhattan, New York, and was not identified in this report as a firm subject to the PCAOB’s determination. In any event, we will not undertake an initial business combination with any entity that has as its auditor one that is listed in the PCAOB report. In addition, we affirmatively exclude as an initial business combination target any company which financial statements are audited by an accounting firm that the PCAOB is unable to inspect for two consecutive years beginning in 2021 or any target company that consolidates financial results of PRC operating entities through a VIE structure in the PRC instead of direct holdings.
In the event that we complete a business combination with a company with substantial operations in a foreign jurisdiction and any of the legislative actions or regulatory changes discussed above were to proceed in ways that are detrimental to issuers based in that jurisdiction, it could cause us to fail to be in compliance with U.S. securities laws and regulations, we could cease to be listed on a U.S. securities exchange, and U.S. trading of our shares could be prohibited. Any of these actions, or uncertainties in the market about the possibility of such actions, could adversely affect our prospects to successfully complete a business combination, our access to the U.S. capital markets and the price of our shares.
Other developments in U.S. laws and regulatory environment, including but not limited to executive orders such as Executive Order (E.O.) 13959, “Addressing the Threat from Securities Investments That Finance Communist Chinese Military Companies,” may further restrict our ability to complete a business combination with certain businesses.
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Because a majority of our executive officers and directors are located outside the United States, you may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through the U.S. federal or state courts may be limited.
A majority of our executive officers and directors are located outside of the United States and are nationals or residents of jurisdictions other than the United States, and all or a substantial portion of their assets are located outside of the United States. Greig Andrew Robert Charlton, our Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, is a permanent resident of the United Kingdom; Nat Y Chan, our independent director, is a permanent resident of Australia; Stefan Dodov, our independent director, is a permanent resident of the Republic of North Macedonia; and Daniel Peart, our independent director, is a permanent resident of the United Kingdom.
As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process within the United States upon these persons, or to enforce judgments obtained in U.S. courts against them, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States. A judgment of a United States court for civil liabilities predicated upon the federal securities laws of the United States may not be enforceable in or recognized by the courts of the jurisdictions where certain of our directors and officers reside, and the judicial recognition process may be time-consuming. It may be difficult for you to enforce judgments obtained in U.S. courts based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws against our officers and directors who do not reside in the United States or have substantial assets located in the United States.
In particular, our sponsor, Alkaid Investments LLC, is controlled by Min Gan, who is a permanent resident of and based in mainland China. The People’s Republic of China (including Hong Kong and Macau) does not have treaties providing for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments of courts with the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and many other jurisdictions. As a result, it may be difficult and prohibitively expensive for investors to effect service of process upon those persons in China, or enforce judgments obtained from non-China jurisdictions against those persons in China. In addition, there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the PRC would recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts against such persons predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state of the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process within the United States on those persons residing in China, or enforce judgments obtained in the United States courts against those persons residing in China. Shareholder claims that are common in the United States, including securities law class actions and fraud claims, generally are difficult to pursue as a matter of law or practicality in China. For example, in China, there are significant legal and other obstacles to obtaining information needed for shareholder investigations or litigation outside of China or otherwise with respect to foreign entities. Although the local authorities in China may establish a regulatory cooperation mechanism with the securities regulatory authorities of another country or region to implement cross-border supervision and administration, such regulatory cooperation with the securities regulatory authorities in the United States has not been efficient in the absence of mutual and practical cooperation mechanism. Accordingly, without the consent of the competent PRC securities regulators or other relevant authorities, it could be extremely expensive.
We have appointed Legalinc Corporate Services Inc., 651 N Broad St Ste 206, Middletown, DE 19709-6402 as our registered agent to receive service of process with respect to any action brought against us in the state or federal courts of the United States in connection with this offering under the securities laws of the United States.
Because of the costs and difficulties inherent in managing cross-border operations, our results of operations may be negatively affected.
Managing a business, operations, personnel or assets in another country is challenging and costly. Any management that we may have (whether based abroad or in the U.S.) may be inexperienced in cross-border business practices and unaware of significant differences in accounting rules, legal regimes and labor practices. Even with a seasoned and experienced management team, the costs and difficulties inherent in managing cross border operations, personnel and assets can be significant (and much higher than in a purely domestic business) and may negatively affect our financial and operational performance.
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If social unrest, war, acts of terrorism, regime changes, changes in laws and regulations, political upheaval, or policy changes or enactments occur in a country in which we may operate after we effect our initial business combination, it may result in a negative effect on our business.
Civil unrest, terrorist attacks and other acts of violence or war may negatively affect the markets in which we may operate our business following our business combination and also adversely affect the worldwide financial markets. In addition, the countries we will focus on have from time to time experienced civil unrest and hostilities among or between neighboring countries.
Any such hostilities and tensions may result in investor concern about stability in the region, which may adversely affect the value of our equity shares and the trading price of our securities following our business combination. Events of this nature in the future, as well as social and civil unrest, could influence the economy in which our business target operates, and could have an adverse effect on our business, including the value of equity shares and the trading price of our securities following our business combination.
Many countries have difficult and unpredictable legal systems and underdeveloped laws and regulations that are unclear and subject to corruption and inexperience, which may adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.
Our ability to seek and enforce legal protections, including with respect to intellectual property and other property rights, or to defend ourselves with regard to legal actions taken against us in a given country, may be difficult or impossible, which could adversely impact our operations, assets or financial condition. Rules and regulations in many countries are often ambiguous or open to differing interpretation by responsible individuals and agencies at the municipal, state, regional and federal levels.
The attitudes and actions of such individuals and agencies are often difficult to predict and inconsistent. Delay with respect to the enforcement of particular rules and regulations, including those relating to customs, tax, environmental and labor, could cause serious disruption to operations abroad and negatively affect our results.
If we effect a business combination with a company located outside of the United States, the laws applicable to such company will likely govern all of our material agreements and we may not be able to enforce our legal rights.
If we effect a business combination with a company located outside of the United States, the laws of the country in which such company operates will govern almost all of the material agreements relating to its operations. We cannot assure you that the target business will be able to enforce any of its material agreements or that remedies will be available in this new jurisdiction.
The system of laws and the enforcement of existing laws in such jurisdiction may not be as certain in implementation and interpretation as in the United States. The inability to enforce or obtain a remedy under any of our future agreements could result in a significant loss of business, business opportunities or capital.
If we acquire a company located outside of the United States, it is likely that substantially all of our assets would be located outside of the United States and some of our officers and directors might reside outside of the United States. As a result, it may not be possible for investors in the United States to enforce their legal rights, to effect service of process upon our directors or officers or to enforce judgments of United States courts predicated upon civil liabilities and criminal penalties of our directors and officers under Federal securities laws.
If relations between the United States and foreign governments deteriorate, it could cause potential target businesses or their goods and services to become less attractive.
The relationship between the United States and foreign governments could be subject to sudden fluctuation and periodic tension. For instance, the United States may announce its intention to impose quotas on certain imports. Such import quotas may adversely affect political relations between the two countries and result in retaliatory countermeasures by the foreign government in industries that may affect our ultimate target business.
Changes in political conditions in foreign countries and changes in the state of U.S. relations with such countries are difficult to predict and could adversely affect our operations or cause potential target businesses or their goods and services to become less attractive. Because we are not limited to any specific industry, there is no basis for investors in
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this offering to evaluate the possible extent of any impact on our ultimate operations if relations are strained between the United States and a foreign country in which we acquire a target business or move our principal manufacturing or service operations.
Currency policies may harm a target business’ ability to succeed in the international markets.
In the event we acquire a non-U.S. target, all revenues and income would likely be received in a foreign currency, the dollar equivalent of our net assets and distributions, if any, could be adversely affected by reductions in the value of the local currency. The value of the currencies in our target regions fluctuate and are affected by, among other things, changes in political and economic conditions.
Any change in the relative value of such currency against our reporting currency may affect the attractiveness of any target business or, following consummation of our initial business combination, our financial condition and results of operations. If a currency appreciates in value against the dollar prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, the cost of a target business as measured in dollars will increase, which may make it less likely that we can consummate such transaction.
General Risk Factors
Past performance by our management team and their respective affiliates may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in us.
Information regarding performance by, or businesses associated with, our management team and their affiliates is presented for informational purposes only. Past performance by our management team, including their affiliates’ past performance, is not a guarantee either (i) of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate or (ii) that we will be able to locate a suitable candidate for our initial business combination. You should not rely on the historical record of our management team and their affiliates as indicative of our future performance. Additionally, in the course of their respective careers, members of our management team have been involved in businesses and deals that were unsuccessful.
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 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.
We are an emerging growth company within the meaning of the Securities Act, and if we take advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure requirements available to emerging growth 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 common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of any December 31 before that time, in which case we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the following June 30. We cannot predict whether investors will find our securities less attractive because we will rely on
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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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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
The statements contained in this prospectus that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management’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. Forward-looking statements in this prospectus may include, for example, statements about our:
• ability to complete our initial business combination;
• success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our officers, key employees or directors following our initial business combination;
• 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, as a result of which they would then receive expense reimbursements;
• potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination;
• pool of prospective target businesses;
• the ability of our officers and directors to generate a number of potential investment opportunities;
• potential change in control if we acquire one or more target businesses for stock;
• the potential liquidity and trading of our securities;
• the lack of a market for our securities;
• use of proceeds not held in the trust account or available to us from interest income on the trust account balance; or
• financial performance following this offering.
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. Future developments affecting us may not 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, those factors described under the heading “Risk Factors.” 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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We estimate that the net proceeds of this offering, in addition to the funds we will receive from the sale of the private units, will be used as set forth in the following table:
Without | Over- | ||||||
Gross proceeds |
|
|
| ||||
From offering | $ | 50,000,000 | $ | 57,500,000 |
| ||
From sale of private units |
| 2,625,000 |
| 2,831,250 |
| ||
Total gross proceeds |
| 52,625,000 |
| 60,331,250 |
| ||
Offering expenses(1) |
|
|
| ||||
Non-contingent underwriting discounts and commissions (1.25% of gross proceeds from offering, which excludes the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions of up to 4.0% of gross proceeds from offering)(2)(3) |
| 625,000 |
| 718,750 |
| ||
Initial Trustees fee |
| 6,500 |
| 6,500 |
| ||
Legal fees and expenses |
| 275,000 |
| 275,000 |
| ||
Printing and engraving expenses |
| 30,000 |
| 30,000 |
| ||
Accounting fees and expenses |
| 45,000 |
| 45,000 |
| ||
Nasdaq listing fees |
| 75,000 |
| 75,000 |
| ||
SEC Registration fees |
| 7,866 |
| 7,866 |
| ||
FINRA filing fee |
| 11,207 |
| 11,207 |
| ||
Miscellaneous |
| 49,427 |
| 49,427 |
| ||
Total offering expenses (excluding deferred underwriting discounts and commissions) | $ | 1,125,000 | $ | 1,218,750 |
| ||
Net proceeds |
|
|
| ||||
Held in the trust account(4) | $ | 50,750,000 | $ | 58,362,500 |
| ||
Not held in the trust account | $ | 750,000 | $ | 750,000 |
| ||
Net proceeds (not including deferred underwriting discounts and commissions) | $ | 51,500,000 | $ | 59,112,500 |
| ||
|
|
| |||||
Use of net proceeds not held in the trust account(5)(6) |
|
|
| ||||
Legal, accounting and other third party expenses attendant to the search for target businesses and to the due diligence investigation, structuring and negotiation of our initial business combination | $ | 150,000 |
| 20.0 | % | ||
Due diligence of prospective target businesses by officers, directors and other insiders |
| 70,000 |
| 9.3 | % | ||
Legal and accounting fees relating to SEC reporting obligations |
| 60,000 |
| 8.0 | % | ||
Administrative services fees (for up to 9 months) |
| 90,000 |
| 12.0 | % | ||
D&O insurance |
| 250,000 |
| 33.4 | % | ||
Working capital to cover office space and other miscellaneous expenses, taxes, liquidation obligations, reserves and for general corporate purposes |
| 130,000 |
| 17.3 | % | ||
Total | $ | 750,000 |
| 100.0 | % |
____________
(1) A portion of the offering expenses, including the SEC registration fee, the FINRA filing fee, the non-refundable portion of the Nasdaq listing fee and a portion of the legal and audit fees, have been paid from the funds we received as loans from our sponsor. These funds will be repaid out of the proceeds of this offering available to us. If we determine not to proceed with the offering, such amounts would not be repaid.
(2) No discounts or commissions will be paid with respect to the purchase of the private units.
(3) The deferred underwriting discounts and commissions in an amount up to 4.0% of the gross proceeds raised in this offering will be payable to the underwriters upon the consummation of our initial business combination and will be held in the trust account until the consummation of such initial business combination.
(4) The funds held in the trust account may, but need not, be used to pay our expenses relating to completing our initial business combination, including deferred underwriting discounts and commissions payable to Chardan in an amount of up to 4.0% of the total gross proceeds raised in the offering described below.
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(5) The amount of proceeds not held in the trust account will remain constant at approximately $750,000 even if the over-allotment option is exercised.
(6) These expenses are estimates only. 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 that business combination. We do not anticipate any change in the categories of 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 be deducted from our excess working capital.
Our sponsor has committed to purchase from us 262,500 private units at $10.00 per private unit, for a total purchase price of $2,625,000. The purchase will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. A portion of the proceeds we receive from the purchase will be placed in the trust account described below. Our sponsor has also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters, it will purchase from us at a price of $10.00 per private unit an additional number of private units (up to a maximum of 20,625 private units) pro rata with the amount of the over-allotment option exercised so that at least $10.15 per share sold to the public in this offering is held in trust regardless of whether the over-allotment option is exercised in full or in part. These additional private units will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of units resulting from the exercise of the over-allotment option.
$50,750,000 (or $58,362,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, of net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units will be placed in a trust account in the U.S. at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as trustee. The funds held in the trust account will be invested only in United States government treasury bills, bonds or notes having a maturity of 185 days or less, or in money market funds meeting the applicable conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act and that invest solely in U.S. treasuries, so that we are not deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our income or other tax obligations, the proceeds will not be released from the trust account until the earlier of the completion of a business combination or our liquidation. We are not permitted to use the proceeds placed in the trust account and the interests earned thereon to pay any excise taxes or any other similar fees or taxes in nature that may be imposed on us pursuant to any current, pending or future rules or laws, including without limitation any excise tax due imposed under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 on any redemptions or stock buybacks by us. The proceeds held in the trust account may be used as consideration to pay the sellers of a target business with which we complete our initial business combination to the extent not used to pay redeeming stockholders. Any amounts not paid as consideration to the sellers of the target business may be used to finance operations of the target business.
The payment to our sponsor, Alkaid Investments LLC, of a monthly fee of $10,000 is for general and administrative services including office space, utilities, secretarial and administrative support. However, pursuant to the terms of such agreement, our sponsor agreed to defer the payment of such monthly fee. Any such unpaid amount will accrue without interest and be due and payable no later than the date of the consummation of our initial business combination. This arrangement is being agreed to by our sponsor for our benefit. We believe that the fee charged by our sponsor is at least as favorable as we could have obtained from an unaffiliated person. This arrangement will terminate upon completion of our initial business combination or the distribution of the trust account to our public stockholders. Other than the $10,000 per month administrative fee, no compensation of any kind (including finder’s fees, consulting fees or other similar compensation) will be paid to our insiders, members of our management team or any of our or their respective affiliates, for services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). However, such individuals will receive reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them in connection with activities on our behalf, such as identifying potential target businesses, performing business due diligence on suitable target businesses and business combinations as well as traveling to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses to examine their operations. Since the role of present management after our initial business combination is uncertain, we have no ability to determine what remuneration, if any, will be paid to those persons after our initial business combination.
Regardless of whether the over-allotment option is exercised in full, the net proceeds from this offering available to us out of trust for our working capital requirements in searching for our initial business combination will be approximately $750,000. We intend to use the excess working capital available for miscellaneous expenses such as paying fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business and for director and officer liability insurance premiums,
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with the balance being held in reserve in the event due diligence, legal, accounting and other expenses of structuring and negotiating business combinations exceed our estimates, as well as for reimbursement of any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by our insiders, officers and directors in connection with activities on our behalf as described below.
The allocation of the net proceeds available to us outside of the trust account, along with the interest earned on the funds held in the trust account available to us, represents our best estimate of the intended uses of these funds. In the event that our assumptions prove to be inaccurate, we may reallocate some of such proceeds within the above described categories. If our estimate of the costs of undertaking due diligence and negotiating our initial business combination is less than the actual amount necessary to do so, or the amount of interest available to us from the trust account is insufficient as a result of the current low interest rate environment, we may be required to raise additional capital, the amount, availability and cost of which is currently unascertainable. In this event, we could seek such additional capital through loans or additional investments from our insiders, members of our management team or third parties, but our insiders, members of our management team or third parties are not under any obligation to advance funds to, or invest in, us.
We will likely use substantially all of the net proceeds of this offering, including the funds held in the trust account, in connection with our initial business combination and to pay our expenses relating thereto, including the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions payable to Chardan in an amount equal to 4.0% of the total gross proceeds raised in the offering upon consummation of our initial business combination. To the extent that our capital stock is used in whole or in part as consideration to effect our initial business combination, the proceeds held in the trust account which are not used to consummate a business combination will be disbursed to the combined company and will, along with any other net proceeds not expended, be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business. Such working capital funds could be used in a variety of ways including continuing or expanding the target business’ operations, for strategic acquisitions and for marketing, research and development of existing or new products.
To the extent we are unable to consummate a business combination, we will pay the costs of liquidation from our remaining assets outside of the trust account plus up to $100,000 of interest earned on the funds held in the trust account. If such funds are insufficient, our sponsor has agreed to pay the funds necessary to complete such liquidation (currently anticipated to be no more than $100,000) and has agreed not to seek repayment of such expenses.
As of June 30, 2022, Alkaid Investments LLC, our sponsor, loaned us $195,000 to pay formation and a portion of the expenses of this offering. The loan is payable without interest on the date on which we consummate our initial public offering. If we determine not to proceed with the offering, such amounts would not be repaid.
In order to meet our working capital needs following the consummation of this offering until completion of an initial business combination, our insiders, officers and directors or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion. The notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $500,000 of the notes may be converted upon consummation of our business combination into private units at a price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued units which consist of 50,000 shares of common stock and rights to receive 10,000 shares of common stock if $500,000 of notes were so converted). If we do not complete our initial business combination, the loans would be repaid out of funds not held in the trust account, and only to the extent available. These notes would be in addition to any notes we issued in exchange for the funds necessary to extend our life.
A public stockholder will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only in the event of (1) our redemption of 100% of the outstanding public shares if we have not completed a business combination in the required time period, (2) if that public stockholder elects to redeem public shares in connection with a stockholder vote or (3) if that public stockholder sells shares to us in any tender offer in connection with a proposed business combination. In no other circumstances will a public stockholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account.
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We have not paid any cash dividends on our shares of 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 subsequent to the completion of our initial business combination 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 dividends subsequent to our initial business combination will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time. It is the present intention of our board of directors to retain all earnings, if any, for use in our business operations and, accordingly, our board of directors does not anticipate declaring any dividends in the foreseeable future. In addition, our board of directors is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any stock dividends in the foreseeable future, except if we increase the size of the offering, including pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, in which case we will effect a stock dividend immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain our insiders’ ownership at an aggregate of 20.0% of our issued and outstanding shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering (excluding ownership of the private units). 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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The difference between the public offering price per share and the pro forma net tangible book value per share after this offering constitutes the dilution to investors in this offering. 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 shares of common stock which may be converted into cash), by the number of outstanding shares of common stock.
At June 30, 2022, our net tangible book value was a deficit of $127,457, or approximately $(0.10) per share assuming the underwriters do not exercise any portion of the over-allotment option and the forfeiture of 187,500 insider shares. For purposes of the dilution calculation, in order to present the maximum estimated dilution as a result of this offering, we have assumed (i) the issuance of 0.20 of a share for each right outstanding, as such issuance will occur upon a business combination without the payment of additional consideration and (ii) the number of shares included in the units offered hereby will be deemed to be 6,000,000 (consisting of 5,000,000 shares included in the units we are offering by this prospectus and 1,000,000 shares for the outstanding rights), and the price per share in this offering will be deemed to be $8.33. After giving effect to the sale of 6,000,000 shares of common stock included in the units we are offering by this prospectus, the deduction of underwriting discounts and estimated expenses of this offering, the sale of 315,000 shares of common stock (consisting of 262,500 shares of common stock included in the private units and 52,500 shares for the outstanding rights) included in the private units, our pro forma net tangible book value on June 30, 2022 would have been $6,152,316 or $2.40 per share, representing an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $2.50 per share to the insiders and an immediate dilution of 71.2% per share or $5.93 to new investors not exercising their redemption/tender rights. For purposes of presentation, our pro forma net tangible book value after this offering is $43,364,327 less than it otherwise would have been because if we effect a business combination, the ability of public stockholders to exercise redemption rights or sell their shares to us in any tender offer may result in the redemption or tender of up to 5,000,000 shares sold in this offering.
The following table illustrates the dilution to the new investors on a per-share basis:
Public offering price |
|
| $ | 8.33 |
| |||
Net tangible book value before this offering | $ | (0.10 | ) |
|
| |||
Increase attributable to new investors and private sales |
| 2.50 |
|
|
| |||
Pro forma net tangible book value after this offering |
|
|
| 2.40 |
| |||
Dilution to new investors |
|
| $ | 5.93 |
| |||
Percentage of dilution to new investors |
|
|
| 71.2 | % |
The following table sets forth information with respect to our insiders and the new investors:
Shares Purchased | Total Consideration | Average Price Per Share | ||||||||||||
Number | Percentage | Amount | Percentage | |||||||||||
Insiders(1) | 1,250,000 | 16.52 | % | $ | 25,000 | 0.05 | % | $ | 0.02 | |||||
Shares underlying private unit(2) | 315,000 | 4.16 | % | $ | 2,625,000 | 4.98 | % | $ | 8.33 | |||||
New investors(3) | 6,000,000 | 79.32 | % | $ | 50,000,000 | 94.97 | % | $ | 8.33 | |||||
7,565,000 | 100.00 | % | $ | 52,650,000 | 100.00 | % |
|
____________
(1) Assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised and an aggregate of 187,500 insider shares held by our insiders have been forfeited as a result thereof.
(2) Assumes the issuance of an additional 52,500 public shares (56,625 shares if over-allotment option is exercised) underlying the private rights.
(3) Assumes the issuance of an additional 1,000,000 public shares (1,150,000 shares if over-allotment option is exercised) underlying the public rights.
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The pro forma net tangible book value per share after the offering is calculated as follows:
Numerator:(1) |
|
| ||
Net tangible book value before the offering | $ | (127,457 | ) | |
Deferred offering costs | $ | 144,000 |
| |
Net proceeds from this offering and private placement of private units(1)(2) | $ | 51,500,000 |
| |
Proceeds from unit purchase option | $ | 100 |
| |
Less: Deferred underwriting discounts and commissions(3) | $ | (2,000,000 | ) | |
Less: Proceeds held in trust subject to redemption/tender | $ | (43,364,327 | ) | |
$ | 6,152,316 |
| ||
Denominator |
|
| ||
Shares of common stock outstanding prior to this offering(1) |
| 1,250,000 |
| |
Shares of common stock to be sold in this offering |
| 5,000,000 |
| |
Shares of common stock to be sold in private placement |
| 262,500 |
| |
Shares of common stock underlying the rights to be sold in this offering |
| 1,000,000 |
| |
Shares of common stock underlying the rights to be sold in private placement |
| 52,500 |
| |
Less: Shares subject to redemption/tender |
| (5,000,000 | ) | |
| 2,565,000 |
|
____________
(1) Assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised and an aggregate of 187,500 shares of common stock held by our insiders have been forfeited by us as a result thereof.
(2) Expenses applied against gross proceeds include offering expenses of $500,000 and underwriting commissions of $625,000 (or $718,750 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) (excluding the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions). See “Use of Proceeds.”
(3) Deferred underwriting discounts and commission of 4.0%. The amount does not include 50,000 private units (or up to 57,500 private units of the over-allotment option is exercised) to be issued to the underwriter if we close a business combination as deferred underwriting discounts and commissions.
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The following table sets forth our capitalization at June 30, 2022 and as adjusted to give effect to the sale of our units offered by this prospectus and the private units and the application of the estimated net proceeds derived from the sale of such securities:
As of June 30, 2022 | ||||||||
Actual | As Adjusted(1) | |||||||
Promissory note – related party(2) | $ | 195,000 |
| $ | — |
| ||
Deferred underwriting discounts and commissions payable |
| — |
|
| 2,000,000 |
| ||
Accrued offering expenses |
| 40,000 |
|
| — |
| ||
Shares of common stock, $0.0001 par value, none and 5,000,000 shares are subject to possible redemption/tender, respectively(3) |
| — |
|
| 43,364,327 |
| ||
Shares of common stock, $0.0001 par value; 5,000,000 shares authorized, 1,437,500 shares issued and outstanding, actual; 20,000,000 shares authorized, 1,512,500 shares issued and outstanding(4) (excluding 5,000,000 shares subject to possible redemption/tender), as adjusted |
| 144 |
|
| 151 |
| ||
Additional paid in capital |
| 24,856 |
|
| 6,160,622 |
| ||
Accumulated deficit |
| (8,457 | ) |
| (8,457 | ) | ||
Total stockholders’ equity |
| 16,543 |
|
| 6,152,316 |
| ||
Total capitalization(5) | $ | 211,543 |
| $ | 51,516,643 |
|
____________
(1) Includes the $2,625,000 in aggregate we will receive from the sale of the private units.
(2) As of June 30, 2022, our sponsor loaned to us an aggregate of $195,000 which was used to pay formation and a portion of the expenses of this offering. The loan is payable without interest on the date on which we consummate our initial public offering.
(3) Represents net of proceeds allocated to the public common stock less the allocated transaction costs related to this offering. The shares of public common stock contain redemption rights that make them redeemable by our public stockholders. Accordingly, they are classified within temporary equity in accordance with the guidance provided in ASC 480-10-S99-3A and will be subsequently accredited at redemption value.
(4) Assumes the over-allotment option has not been exercised and an aggregate of 187,500 insider shares have been forfeited by our insiders as a result thereof. Includes 262,500 shares underlying the private units purchased by Alkaid Investments LLC concurrent with this offering.
(5) Derived by adding deferred underwriting discounts and commissions payable, total stockholders’ equity and the value of shares of common stock subject to possible conversion.
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
We were formed on March 11, 2021 for the purpose of entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more target businesses. Our efforts to identify a prospective target business will not be limited to any particular industry or geographic region, although we intend to focus on the Internet of Things (IoT), smart manufacturing, and renewable energy related industries. We affirmatively exclude as an initial business combination target any company of which financial statements are audited by an accounting firm that the PCAOB is unable to inspect for two consecutive years beginning in 2021 and any target company with China operation consolidated through a VIE structure. We intend to utilize cash derived from the proceeds of this offering and the private placement of the private units, our securities, debt or a combination of cash, securities and debt, in effecting our initial business combination. The issuance of additional shares of common stock or preferred stock in our initial business combination:
• may significantly dilute the equity interest of our investors in this offering who would not have pre-emption rights in respect of any such issuance;
• may subordinate the rights of holders of shares of common stock if we issue shares of preferred stock with rights senior to those afforded to our shares of common stock;
• will likely cause a change in control if a substantial number of our shares of common stock are issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and most likely will also result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors; and
• may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our securities.
Similarly, if we issue debt securities, it could result in:
• default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after our initial business combination are insufficient to pay our debt obligations;
• acceleration of our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we have made all principal and interest payments when due if the debt security contains covenants that required the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves and we breach any such covenant without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant;
• our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt security is payable on demand;
• our inability to obtain additional financing, if necessary, if the debt security contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain additional financing while such security is outstanding; and
• limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, execution of our strategy and other purposes and other disadvantages compared to our competitors who have less debt.
We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenues to date. Our entire activity since inception has been to prepare for our proposed fundraising through an offering of our equity securities.
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 for due diligence expenses. We expect our expenses to increase substantially after the closing of this offering.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
As indicated in the accompanying financial statements, at June 30, 2022, we had $107,543 in cash and a working capital deficit (current assets less current liabilities, excluding deferred offering costs) of $127,457. Further, we have incurred and expect to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of our financing and acquisition plans. Management’s plans to address this uncertainty through this offering are discussed above. Our plans to raise capital or to consummate our initial business combination may not be successful. These factors, among others, raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
Our liquidity needs have been satisfied to date through receipt of approximately $25,000 from the sale of the insider shares and loans from the sponsor in the aggregate principal amount of $195,000 that is more fully described below. Our deferred offering costs through June 30, 2022 have been $144,000. We estimate that the net proceeds from (1) the sale of the units in this offering, after deducting offering expenses of approximately $500,000 and underwriting discounts and commissions (excluding the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions) of $625,000 (or $718,750 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) and (2) the sale of the private units for an aggregate purchase price of $2,625,000 (or $2,831,250 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), will be $51,500,000 (or $59,112,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full). Of this amount, $50,750,000 (or $58,362,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be held in the trust account. The remaining approximately $750,000 will not be held in the trust account.
We intend to use substantially all of the net proceeds of this offering, including the funds held in the trust account, in connection with our initial business combination and to pay our expenses relating thereto, including deferred underwriting discounts and commissions payable to Chardan in an amount equal to 4.0% of the total gross proceeds raised in the offering upon consummation of our initial business combination. To the extent that our capital stock is used in whole or in part as consideration to effect our initial business combination, the remaining proceeds held in the trust account as well as any other net proceeds not expended will be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business. Such working capital funds could be used in a variety of ways including continuing or expanding the target business’ operations, for strategic acquisitions and for marketing, research and development of existing or new products. Such funds could also be used to repay any operating expenses or finders’ fees which we had incurred prior to the completion of our initial business combination if the funds available to us outside of the trust account were insufficient to cover such expenses.
Over the next 9 months (or 12 or 15 months as applicable) (assuming a business combination is not consummated prior thereto), we will be using the funds held outside of the trust account for identifying and evaluating prospective acquisition candidates, performing business due diligence on prospective target businesses, traveling to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses, reviewing corporate documents and material agreements of prospective target businesses, selecting the target business to acquire and structuring, negotiating and consummating the business combination. Out of the funds available outside the trust account, we anticipate that we will incur approximately:
• $150,000 of expenses for the search for target businesses and for the legal, accounting and other third-party expenses attendant to the due diligence investigations, structuring and negotiating of a business combination;
• $70,000 of expenses for the due diligence and investigation of a target business by our officers, directors and other insiders;
• $60,000 of expenses in legal and accounting fees relating to our SEC reporting obligations; and;
• $90,000 for administrative services fees;
• $250,000 of expenses for D&O insurance; and
• $130,000 for general working capital that will be used for office space and other miscellaneous expenses, taxes, liquidation obligations, reserves and for general corporate purposes.
If our estimates of the costs of undertaking due diligence and negotiating our initial business combination are less than the actual amount necessary to do so, or the amount of interest available to us from the trust account is less than we expect as a result of the current interest rate environment, we may have insufficient funds available to operate our
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business prior to our initial business combination. Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing either to consummate our initial business combination or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon consummation of our initial business combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such business combination. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, we would only consummate such financing simultaneously with the consummation of our initial business combination. Following our initial business combination, if cash on hand is insufficient, we may need to obtain additional financing in order to meet our obligations.
Related Party Transactions
As of June 30, 2022, our sponsor, Alkaid Investments LLC, which is controlled by Min Gan, loaned to us an aggregate of $195,000 on a non-interest bearing basis for payment of offering expenses on our behalf. The loans will be repaid out of the proceeds of this offering not being placed in the trust account.
We will enter into an administrative services agreement pursuant to which we will pay our sponsor a total of $10,000 per month (subject to deferral as described herein) for office space, utilities, secretarial and administrative support services. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.
Our sponsor has committed to purchase from us 262,500 private units at $10.00 per private unit, for a total purchase price of $2,625,000. The purchase will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. A portion of the proceeds we receive from the purchase will be placed in the trust account described below. Our sponsor has also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters, it will purchase from us at a price of $10.00 per private unit an additional number of private units (up to a maximum of 20,625 private units) pro rata with the amount of the over-allotment option exercised so that at least $10.15 per share sold to the public in this offering is held in trust regardless of whether the over-allotment option is exercised in full or in part. These additional private units will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of units resulting from the exercise of the over-allotment option.
If needed to finance transaction costs in connection with searching for a target business or consummating an intended initial business combination, our insiders, officers, directors, or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. 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 proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Such loans would be evidenced by promissory notes. The notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $500,000 of the notes may be converted upon consummation of our business combination into private units at a price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued units which consist of 50,000 shares of common stock and rights to receive 10,000 shares of common stock if $500,000 of notes were so converted). We believe the purchase price of these units will approximate the fair value of such units when issued.
Controls and Procedures
We are not currently required to maintain an effective system of internal control 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, 2023. As of the date of this prospectus, we have not completed an assessment, nor has our independent registered public accounting firm tested our systems of internal control. We expect to assess the internal control 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 control. A target business may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding the adequacy of internal control. 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;
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• 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 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.
When required by Section 404 and once our management’s report on internal control is complete, we will retain our independent registered public accounting firm to audit and render an opinion on such report. This independent registered public accounting firm may identify additional issues concerning a target business’s internal control while performing its 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 units 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 of 1940 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.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements; Commitments and Contractual Obligations; Quarterly Results
As of the date of this prospectus, 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 such, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective dates.
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Introduction
We are a blank check company formed under the laws of the State of Delaware on March 11, 2021. We were formed for the purpose of entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. To date, our efforts have been limited to organizational activities as well as activities related to this offering. Our efforts to identify a prospective target business will not be limited to any particular industry or geographic region, although we intend to focus on the Internet of Things (IoT), smart manufacturing, and renewable energy related industries. We affirmatively exclude as an initial business combination target any company of which financial statements are audited by an accounting firm that the PCAOB is unable to inspect for two consecutive years beginning in 2021 and any target company with China operation consolidated through a VIE structure. We do not have any specific business combination under consideration and we have not (nor has anyone on our behalf), directly or indirectly, contacted any prospective target business or had any substantive discussions, formal or otherwise, with respect to such a transaction with our company.
Although we currently do not have any People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) subsidiary or China operations, a majority of our officers and directors have significant ties to, and business experience in, mainland China and Hong Kong, which may make us a less attractive partner to certain potential non-China- or non-Hong Kong-based target businesses. Even if we can locate an appropriate candidate for our business combination, we may not be able to enter into a business combination agreement that is in our favor if our officers and directors are unfamiliar with the markets outside of China and due to the limited business combination period. These risks could significantly and negatively impact our search for a target business and/or the value of the securities we are registering for sale.
Since a majority of our directors and officers have significant ties to mainland China and Hong Kong, we may be subject to certain risks relating to regulatory oversight by the PRC government. In particular, changes in the policies, regulations, rules, and the enforcement of laws of the PRC government may be adopted quickly with little advance notice. The Chinese government may also intervene or influence our search for a target business or the completion of an initial business combination at any time because a majority of our directors and officers have significant ties to mainland China and Hong Kong. This could significantly and negatively impact our search for a target business and/or the value of the securities we are registering for sale.
Since we are a Delaware company with offices in Manhattan, New York, and have no operations in China and our directors and officers are based outside of mainland China, we are not required to obtain permission from the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) or any other governmental agency in China for our offering. Moreover, our officers and directors are not covered by any Chinese permissions requirements since none of them is a citizen of or based in mainland China. Accordingly, as of the date of this prospectus, we have not applied or received any permission or approvals for this offering. If applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change and require us and/or our directors and officers to obtain such permissions or approvals in the future, these regulatory agencies (a) may impose fines and penalties on our officers and directors and (b) may also take actions requiring our directors and officers, or making it advisable for directors and officers, to terminate this offering before settlement and delivery of our units or delay our potential business combination and, therefore, we may have to liquidate the funds held in the trust account (in which case our rights may be worthless). Any uncertainties and/or negative publicity regarding such an approval requirement could have a material adverse effect on the trading price of our securities.
A majority of our executive officers and directors are located outside of the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process within the United States on those executive officers and directors, or enforce judgments obtained in the United States courts against those executive officers and directors, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States.
Background and Competitive Strengths
We will seek to capitalize on the experience and networks of the members of our management team and independent directors. Members of our team have extensive experience in sourcing and evaluating potential investment opportunities as well as deal negotiation, corporate finance, business operations and management, which we believe will give us
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distinct advantages in sourcing, structuring, and consummating a business combination. Furthermore, we believe that our team has a diverse and complementary set of skills which will make us an attractive partner to potential target businesses and bring value to the business following our initial business combination.
Leadership of an Experienced Management Team
Our management team is comprised of Mr. Greig Andrew Robert Charlton, our Chief Executive Officer; Mr. Michel Friedman, our Chief Financial Officer; Mr. Nat Y Chan, our Audit Committee Chair; and Messrs. Stefan Dodov and Daniel Peart, our Independent Directors.
Greig Andrew Robert Charlton has been our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman since January 2022. Mr. Charlton has over 10 years of experience in legal, corporate management, and entrepreneurship. Mr. Charlton has served as legal representative and managing director of You Bao Network Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd, a software development company, since November 2015; legal representative and Chairman of Chi Yan Business Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Ltd, a consulting company, since November 2015; CEO and a board member of Two Four Seven Limited, an event and travel ticketing, entertainment IP creation, commercialization and production company, since December 2016; a director of 247Collective Ltd since June 2016; legal representative and managing director of Shanghai Di Mai Culture Communication Co., Ltd, an event planning company, since December 2018; a director of China Payments Service Ltd, a consulting company, since July 2019; a director of UShow Ltd, a media company based in the U.K., since September 2020; and legal representative and Chairman of Nian Jiu Jian Culture Development (Shanghai) Co., Ltd, an event planning company, since October 2021. Mr. Charlton received a Bachelor of Science in Anatomy and Physiology from University of Dundee in 2003.
Michel Friedman has been our Chief Financial Officer since January 2022. Mr. Friedman has over 20 years of experience in investments and corporate transactions. In August 2021, Mr. Friedman co-founded Reflect Ventures, which syndicates venture investments in high-potential startups across the world. Previously, Mr. Friedman was CFO and director of Xinhua Pictures, a leading enterprise of film and television, from 2018 to 2021. Prior to that, Mr. Friedman was Managing Director, Member of Investment Committee of Wanxin Culture and Technology Investment Fund, responsible for investment, financial analysis, and risk management, from 2017 to 2018. Prior to that, Mr. Friedman was a director at Shune River Capital, a boutique investment bank that focuses on cross-border transactions, from 2012 to 2017. Mr. Friedman received a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering from MIT in 1989, and EMBA Global Asia from Columbia Business School, London Business School and HKU Business School in 2014. Additionally, Mr. Friedman is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst.
Nat Y Chan has been our Independent Director since January 2022. Mr. Chan has over 20 years of experience in accountancy, investment, and business management. Since May 2014, Mr. Chan has served as CFO of Richemont Commercial Co. Ltd, a luxury goods supplier. Prior to that, Mr. Chan was Financial Controller, China from 2011 to 2013 and Financial Director, China from 2013 to 2014 at Burberry (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd, a global luxury brand. Prior to that, from July 2005 to September 2007, Mr. Chan was Financial Controller of Zegna Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, a luxury fashion house. Mr. Chan received an Executive MBA from Kellogg School, Northwestern University and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Business School in 2002, and a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Macquarie University in 1990. Mr. Chan is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and New Zealand and a CPA in Australia.
Stefan Dodov has been our Independent Director since January 2022. Since May 2020, Mr. Dodov has served as manager at BCC Global, an experts network and market research provider serving the world’s top investment firms, corporations and consulting firms. Previously, Mr. Dodov was a compliance advisor at AllBright Law Offices from December 2018 to May 2020, corporate counselor and client manager at Junzejun Law Firm from June 2018 to December 2018, and legal compliance consultant at Hawk Consulting from September 2016 to April 2018. Mr. Dodov received a Bachelor of Laws from Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in 2011, a Master of Laws from Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in 2015 and a Master of Laws from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 2016.
Daniel Peart has been our Independent Director since January 2022. Mr. Peart has served as Vice President — Supplier Technical Assistance and Purchasing at Jaguar Land Rover, a producer of luxury vehicles, since 2013. Mr. Peart received a bachelor’s degree in Product Design & Manufacturing Engineering from Loughborough University in 2007.
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Acquisition Strategy and Industry Opportunity
Our management team intends to focus on potential acquisition targets with primary operations in and around the Internet of Things (IoT), smart manufacturing, and renewable energy related industries. We believe that each sector provides a rich backdrop for businesses to scale rapidly, and we expect to leverage our management team’s relationships with corporate executives, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and private equity firms to provide us with a substantial number of actionable opportunities that fit our acquisition criteria. We affirmatively exclude as an initial business combination target any company of which financial statements are audited by an accounting firm that the PCAOB is unable to inspect for two consecutive years beginning in 2021 and any target company with China operation consolidated through a VIE structure.
Our goal is to identify and acquire a business with untapped opportunity for building a public company. We intend to seek out potential targets that we believe have proven business models and attractive growth profiles based on their innovative approach to traditionally-managed industries. In addition, we believe a target business will benefit from our involvement, including through the potential strategic relationships we can introduce, as well as by assisting the target in areas such as intellectual property management, and corporate financing.
Despite our focus, we may attempt to acquire an acquisition target in another industry, if an attractive acquisition opportunity is identified in such other industry prior to identifying an acquisition opportunity within our primary industry focus and we believe that such opportunity is in the best interest of our stockholders.
Internet of Things (IoT)
Internet of Things (IoT) is a critical component of Industry 4.0, a new phase in the industrial revolution that focuses heavily on interconnectivity, automation, machine learning, and real-time data. IoT has extensive application in a wide range of industries, such as monitoring products, home automation, smart energy, and more. According to MarketsandMarkets, the market size of IoT is expected to grow from approximately US$300 billion in 2021 to US$651 billion by 2028, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17%. Additionally, the global automotive IoT market is expected to reach US$542 billion by 2025 according to Meticulous Research. We believe there is a great opportunity to leverage our team’s network of resources to identify, negotiate, and complete a business combination within this industry.
Smart Manufacturing
We believe that the adoption of technology in traditionally-managed manufacturing markets is still in its infancy, and many systems and practices are outdated and lack the efficiencies critical for long-term success. With the advancement of computing and communication technology, smart manufacturing is developing rapidly in the context of Industry 4.0 to help combat these inefficiencies. According to Grand View Research, the global smart manufacturing market size is estimated to reach approximately US$590 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 12.4% from 2021 to 2028. We believe that this rapid growth has created enormous opportunities for value creation, and that we will be presented with a number of opportunities to acquire and merge with attractive companies that are at a commercial inflection point and are well positioned to make use of growth capital.
Renewable Energy
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), renewables will account for about 47% of the electricity market by 2040, up from 29% in 2021, which indicates that clean technology will become a major area for investment and adoption. Transformation of the energy ecosystem is being driven by the rapidly declining costs of solar and wind power, which are now the lowest cost forms of new energy on the grid and scaling rapidly. Furthermore, global commitments to reduce carbon emissions represent a strong tailwind for this industry; 197 countries have signed the Paris Accord and 1,500 corporations representing $11.4 trillion in revenue have made significant commitments to combat climate change. As such, we believe that the renewable energy sector offers a rare opportunity to invest in strong companies at a relatively early stage of the expected growth.
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Investment Criteria
We have identified the following general criteria and guidelines as we evaluate prospective target companies.
• Large underpenetrated markets with favorable industry dynamics. We intend to actively look for suitable investment opportunities within the Internet of Things (IoT), smart manufacturing, and renewable energy related industries with an enterprise value of approximately $300 million to $600 million. We will prioritize targets that are already benefiting from or capitalizing on trends found within their respective sectors.
• Strong management team. The strength of the management team will be an important component in our review process. We will seek to partner with a visionary, experienced and professional management team that has demonstrated a track record of driving growth, strategic decision making and long-term value creation.
• Defensible market position with sustainable competitive advantage. We intend to favor targets that have a strong competitive advantage or are category leaders in their respective verticals. We will target companies that have strong intellectual property, technology, or brand equity within their respective sectors that can be further monetized on a global basis.
• Benefit from being a public company. We intend to only acquire businesses that would benefit from being publicly traded in the United States, including access to broader sources of capital and expanded market awareness. This improved access to capital could allow the targets to accelerate growth, pursue new projects, retain and hire employees, and expand into new geographies or businesses.
While we intend to use these criteria in evaluating the attractiveness of potential business combination opportunities, we may ultimately decide to enter into an initial business combination with a target business that does not meet these criteria. In the event that we decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet the above criteria and guidelines, we will disclose that the target business does not meet the above criteria and guidelines in stockholder communications related to our initial business combination, which, as discussed in this prospectus, would be in the form of tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials that we would file with the SEC.
In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review that will encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspection of facilities, as well as the review of financial and other information which will be made available to us. We will also utilize our operational and capital allocation experience. Our acquisition criteria, due diligence processes, and value creation methods are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general guidelines as well as other considerations, factors, and criteria that our management may deem relevant.
Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets
We believe that the operational and transactional experience of our management team and their respective affiliates, and the relationships they have developed as a result of such experience, will provide us with a substantial number of potential business combination targets. These individuals and entities have developed a broad network of contacts and corporate relationships around the world. This network has grown through sourcing, acquiring and financing businesses, relationships with sellers, financing sources, and target management teams and experience in executing transactions under varying economic and financial market conditions. We believe that these networks of contacts and relationships will provide us important sources of investment opportunities. In addition, we anticipate that target business candidates may be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment market participants, private equity funds and large business enterprises seeking to divest noncore assets or divisions.
Our acquisition criteria, due diligence processes and value creation methods are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general guidelines as well as other considerations, factors and criteria that our management may deem relevant. In the event that we decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet the above criteria and guidelines, we will disclose that the target business does not meet the above criteria in our stockholder communications related to our initial business combination, which, as discussed in this prospectus, would be in the form of tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials that we would file with the SEC.
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Other Acquisition Considerations
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 a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers, or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent firm that commonly renders valuation opinions for the type of company we are seeking to acquire or an independent accounting firm that 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, we are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm, another independent firm that commonly renders valuation opinions for the type of company we are seeking to acquire, or from an independent accounting firm that the price we are paying for a target is fair to our company from a financial point of view. If no opinion is obtained, our stockholders will be relying on the business judgment of our board of directors, which will have significant discretion in choosing the standard used to establish the fair market value of the target or targets, and different methods of valuation may vary greatly in outcome from one another. Such standards used will be disclosed in our tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials, as applicable, related to our initial business combination.
Members of our management team may directly or indirectly own our common stock and/or private placement units 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.
Each of our directors and officers presently has, and in the future any of our directors and our officers may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present acquisition opportunities to such entity. Accordingly, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under Delaware law, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of an acquisition opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will need to honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such acquisition opportunity to such entity, and only present it to us if such entity rejects the opportunity. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under Delaware law, we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any officer or director 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. We do not believe, however, that any fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our directors or officers would materially undermine our ability to complete our business combination.
There is no restriction in the geographic location of targets we can pursue. We will seek to identify targets that are likely to provide attractive financial returns through business combinations. We have yet to determine a time frame, an investment amount or any other criteria, which would trigger our search for business opportunities outside of United States.
Initial Business Combination
General
We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any substantive commercial business for an indefinite period of time following this offering. We intend to utilize cash derived from the proceeds of this offering and the private placement of private units, our capital stock, debt or a combination of these in effecting our initial business combination. Although substantially all of the net proceeds of this offering and the private placement of private units are intended to be applied generally toward effecting a business combination as described in this prospectus, the proceeds are not otherwise being designated for any more specific purposes. Accordingly, investors in this offering are investing without first having an opportunity to evaluate the specific merits or risks of any one or more business combinations. Our initial business combination may involve the acquisition of, or merger with, a company which does not need substantial additional capital but which desires to establish a public trading market for its shares. In the alternative, we may seek to consummate a business combination with a company that may be financially unstable or
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in its early stages of development or growth. While we may seek to effect simultaneous business combinations with more than one target business, we will probably have the ability, as a result of our limited resources, to effect only a single business combination.
We Have Not Identified a Target Business
To date, we have not selected any target business on which to concentrate our search for a business combination. None of our officers, directors, insiders and other affiliates has engaged in discussions on our behalf with representatives of other companies regarding the possibility of a potential merger, share exchange, asset acquisition or other similar business combination with us, nor have we, nor any of our agents or affiliates, been approached by any candidates (or representatives of any candidates) with respect to a possible business combination with our company.
Subject to the limitations that a target business have a fair market value of at least 80% of the balance in the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting discounts and commissions and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination, as described below in more detail, we will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting a prospective acquisition candidate. We have not established any other specific attributes or criteria (financial or otherwise) for prospective target businesses. Accordingly, there is no basis for investors in this offering to evaluate the possible merits or risks of the target business with which we may ultimately complete a business combination. To the extent we effect a business combination with a company or an entity in its early stage of development or growth, including entities without established records of sales or earnings, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business and operations of early stage or potential emerging growth companies. 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.
Sources of Target Businesses
While we have not yet identified any initial business combination candidates, we believe based on our management’s business knowledge and past experience that there are numerous business combination candidates. We anticipate that target business candidates will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment bankers, venture capital funds, private equity funds, leveraged buyout funds, management buyout funds and other members of the financial community. Target businesses may be brought to our attention by such unaffiliated sources as a result of being solicited by us through 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 their 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 or conventions.
We may engage professional firms or other individuals that specialize in business acquisitions or mergers in the future, in which event we may pay a finder’s fee, consulting fee or other compensation to be determined in an arm’s length negotiation based on the terms of the transaction. In no event, however, will our insiders or any of the members of our management team be paid any finder’s fee, consulting fee or other compensation prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the consummation of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). We have no present intention to enter into a business combination with a target business that is affiliated with any of our officers, directors or insiders. However, we are not restricted from entering into any such transactions and may do so if (1) such transaction is approved by a majority of our disinterested and independent directors (if we have any at that time) and (2) we obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that the business combination is fair to our unaffiliated stockholders from a financial point of view. As of the date of this prospectus, there are no affiliated entities that we would consider as a business combination target.
Selection of a Target Business and Structuring of Our Initial Business Combination
Subject to our management team’s fiduciary duties and the limitation that one or more target businesses have an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting discounts and commissions and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination, as described below in more detail, our management will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting a prospective target business. Additionally, there is no limitation on our ability to raise funds privately or through loans in connection with our initial business combination. We have not established any specific attributes or criteria (financial or otherwise) for prospective target businesses.
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Accordingly, there is no basis for investors in this offering to evaluate the possible merits or risks of the target business with which we may ultimately complete a business combination. To the extent we effect our initial business combination with a financially unstable company or an entity in its early stage of development or growth, including entities without established records of sales or earnings, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business and operations of financially unstable and early stage or potential emerging growth companies. The valuation of a financially unstable company or early stage company can be more complicated than the calculation of a mature, stable company, and any valuation we make on such a company would be based, in part, on its prospects and how successful we believe the business will be once the company matures or is stabilized. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we may not properly ascertain or assess all significant risk factors. In evaluating a prospective target business, our management may consider a variety of factors, including one or more of the following:
• financial condition and results of operation;
• growth potential;
• brand recognition and potential;
• return on equity or invested capital;
• market capitalization or enterprise value;
• experience and skill of management and availability of additional personnel;
• capital requirements;
• competitive position;
• barriers to entry;
• stage of development of the products, processes or services;
• existing distribution and potential for expansion;
• degree of current or potential market acceptance of the products, processes or services;
• proprietary aspects of products and the extent of intellectual property or other protection for products or formulas;
• impact of regulation on the business;
• regulatory environment of the industry;
• costs associated with effecting the business combination;
• industry leadership, sustainability of market share and attractiveness of market industries in which a target business participates; and
• macro competitive dynamics in the industry within which the company competes.
These criteria are not intended to be exhaustive. Our management may not consider any of the above criteria in evaluating a prospective target business. The retention of our officers and directors following the completion of any business combination will not be a material consideration in our evaluation of a prospective target business.
Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular business combination will be based, to the extent relevant, on the above factors as well as other considerations deemed relevant by our management in effecting a business combination consistent with our business objective. In evaluating a prospective target business, we will conduct an extensive due diligence review which will encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and inspection of facilities, as well as review of financial and other information which is made available to us. This due diligence review will be conducted either by our management or by unaffiliated third parties we may engage, although we have no current intention to engage any such third parties.
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The time and costs required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete our initial business combination remain to be determined. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of a prospective target business with which a business combination is not ultimately completed will result in a loss to us and reduce the amount of capital available to otherwise complete a business combination.
Fair Market Value of Target Business
Pursuant to Nasdaq listing rules, our initial business combination must occur with one or more target businesses having an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the value of the funds in the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting discounts and commissions and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account), which we refer to as the 80% test, at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination, although we may structure a business combination with one or more target businesses whose fair market value significantly exceeds 80% of the trust account balance. If we are no longer listed on Nasdaq, we will not be required to satisfy the 80% test.
We currently anticipate structuring a business combination to acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure a business combination where we merge directly with the target business or where we acquire 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, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise owns 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 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our stockholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination transaction. 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% test. In order to consummate such an acquisition, we may issue a significant amount of our debt or equity securities to the sellers of such businesses and/or seek to raise additional funds through a private offering of debt or equity securities. Since we have no specific business combination under consideration, we have not entered into any such fund raising arrangement and have no current intention of doing so. The fair market value of the target will be determined by our board of directors based upon one or more standards generally accepted by the financial community (such as actual and potential sales, earnings, cash flow and/or book value). We are not required to obtain an opinion from an unaffiliated third party that the target business we select has a fair market value in excess of at least 80% of the balance of the trust account unless our board of directors cannot make such determination on its own. The board of directors, in light of its fiduciary obligation to stockholders, would be required to determine whether it is capable of valuing the target company based on the experience of its members in valuing companies and whether the board was actually able to reach a determination of value with respect to the particular target company.
Lack of Business Diversification
For an indefinite period of time after consummation 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 consummating our initial business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may:
• 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
• result in our dependency upon the performance of a single operating business or the development or market acceptance of a single or limited number of products, processes or services.
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Limited Ability to Evaluate the Target Business’ Management Team
Although we intend to scrutinize the management team of a prospective target business when evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial business combination, our assessment of the target business’ management team may not prove to be correct. In addition, the future management team may not have the necessary skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company. Furthermore, the future role of our officers and directors, if any, in the target business following our initial business combination remains to be determined. While it is possible that some of our key personnel will remain associated in senior management or advisory positions with us following our initial business combination, it is unlikely that they will devote their full time efforts to our affairs subsequent to our initial business combination. Moreover, they would only be able to remain with the company after the consummation of our initial business combination if they are able to negotiate employment or consulting agreements in connection with the business combination. Such negotiations would take place simultaneously with the negotiation of the business combination and could provide for them to receive compensation in the form of cash payments and/or our securities for services they would render to the company after the consummation of the business combination. While the personal and financial interests of our key personnel may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business, their ability to remain with the company after the consummation 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. Additionally, our officers and directors may not have significant experience or knowledge relating to the operations of the particular target business.
Following our initial business combination, we may seek to recruit additional managers to supplement the incumbent management of the target business. We may not have the ability to recruit additional managers, or that any such additional managers we do recruit will have the requisite skills, knowledge or experience necessary to enhance the incumbent management.
Stockholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve an Initial Business Combination
In connection with any proposed business combination, we will either (1) seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which public stockholders may seek to redeem their public shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination, into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable) or (2) provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to sell their public shares to us by means of a tender offer (and thereby avoid the need for a stockholder vote) for an amount equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), in each case subject to the limitations described herein. Notwithstanding the foregoing, our insiders have agreed, pursuant to written letter agreements with us, not to redeem any public shares held by them into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account. If we determine to engage in a tender offer, such tender offer will be structured so that each stockholder may tender any or all of his, her or its public shares rather than some pro rata portion of his, her or its shares. The decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed business combination or will allow stockholders to sell their shares to us in a tender offer will be made by us 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. If we so choose and we are legally permitted to do so, we have the flexibility to avoid a stockholder vote and allow our stockholders to sell their shares pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act which regulate issuer tender offers. In that case, we will file tender offer documents with the SEC which will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules. If we seek stockholder approval, we will consummate our initial business combination only if a majority of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the business combination.
Our insiders and our officers and directors have agreed (1) to vote any shares of common stock owned by them in favor of any proposed business combination, (2) not to redeem any shares of common stock in connection with a stockholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination and (3) not sell any shares of common stock in any tender in connection with a proposed initial business combination. As a result, if we sought stockholder approval of a proposed transaction, we would need only 115,626 of our public shares (or approximately 2.3% of our public shares) to be voted in favor of the transaction in order to have such transaction approved (assuming that only a quorum was present at the meeting, that the over-allotment option is not exercised, and that the insiders do not purchase any units in this offering or units or shares in the after-market) in addition to the shares held by our insiders, officers and directors.
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None of our officers, directors, insiders or their affiliates has indicated any intention to purchase units or shares of common stock in this offering or from persons in the open market or in private transactions. However, if we hold a meeting to approve a proposed business combination and a significant number of stockholders vote, or indicate an intention to vote, against such proposed business combination, our officers, directors, insiders, or their affiliates could make such purchases in the open market or in private transactions in order to influence the vote. Notwithstanding the foregoing, our officers, directors, insiders, and 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, which are rules designed to stop potential manipulation of a company’s stock.
Tendering share certificates in connection with a tender offer or redemption rights
At any meeting called to approve an initial business combination, public stockholders may seek to redeem their public shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination, into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, less any taxes then due but not yet paid. Notwithstanding the foregoing, our insiders have agreed, pursuant to written letter agreements with us, not to redeem any public shares held by them into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account. If we hold a meeting to approve an initial business combination, a holder will always have the ability to vote against a proposed business combination and not seek redemption of his, her or its shares.
Alternatively, if we engage in a tender offer, each public stockholder will be provided the opportunity to sell his, her or its public shares to us in such tender offer. The tender offer rules require us to hold the tender offer open for at least 20 business days. Accordingly, this is the minimum amount of time we would need to provide holders to determine whether they want to sell their public shares to us in the tender offer or remain an investor in our company.
Our insiders, officers, and directors will not have redemption rights with respect to any shares of common stock owned by them, directly or indirectly, whether acquired prior to this offering or purchased by them in this offering or in the aftermarket.
We may also require public stockholders, whether they are a record holder or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates (if any) to our transfer agent or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option, at any time at or prior to the vote on the business combination. The proxy solicitation materials that we will furnish to stockholders in connection with the vote for any proposed business combination will indicate whether we are requiring stockholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. Accordingly, a stockholder would have from the time our proxy statement is mailed through the vote on the business combination to deliver his shares if he wishes to seek to exercise his redemption rights. Under Delaware law and our bylaws, we are required to provide at least 10 days’ advance notice of any stockholder meeting, which would be the minimum amount of time a stockholder would have to determine whether to exercise redemption rights. As a result, if we require public stockholders who wish to redeem their shares of common stock to receive a pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account to comply with the foregoing delivery requirements, holders may not have sufficient time to receive the notice and deliver their shares for redemption. Accordingly, investors may not be able to exercise their redemption rights and may be forced to retain our securities when they otherwise would not want to.
There is a nominal cost associated with this tendering process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC System. The transfer agent will typically charge a nominal tendering broker fee 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. The need to deliver shares is a requirement of exercising redemption rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated. However, in the event we require stockholders seeking to exercise redemption rights to deliver their shares prior to the consummation of the proposed business combination and the proposed business combination is not consummated, this may result in an increased cost to stockholders.
Any request to redeem or tender such shares once made, may be withdrawn at any time up to the vote on the proposed business combination or expiration of the tender offer. Furthermore, if a holder of a public share delivered his, her or its certificate in connection with an election of their redemption or tender and subsequently decides prior to the vote on the business combination or the expiration of the tender offer not to elect to exercise such rights, he, she or it may simply request that the transfer agent return the certificate (physically or electronically).
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If the initial business combination is not approved or completed for any reason, then our public stockholders who elected to exercise their redemption or tender 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 shares delivered by public holders.
Automatic Liquidation of Trust Account if No Business Combination
If we do not complete a business combination within 9 months (or 12 or 15 months from the closing of this offering) from the closing of this, 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 100% of the outstanding public shares and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject (in the case of (ii) and (iii) above) to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. the However, if we anticipate that we may not be able to consummate our initial business combination within 9 months, our insiders or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, extend the period of time to consummate a business combination two times by an additional three months each time (for a total of up to 15 months to complete a business combination), provided that, pursuant to the terms of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the trust agreement to be entered into between us and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company on the date of this prospectus, the only way to extend the time available for us to consummate our initial business combination in the absence of a proxy statement, registration statement or similar filing is for our insiders or their affiliates or designees, upon five days’ advance notice prior to the applicable deadline, to deposit into the trust account $750,000, or $862,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($0.15 per share in either case, or an aggregate of $1,500,000, or $1,725,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full)), on or prior to the date of the applicable deadline. In the event that they elected to extend the time to and deposited the applicable amount of money into trust, the insiders will receive a non-interest bearing, unsecured promissory note equal to the amount of any such deposit that will not be repaid in the event that we are unable to close a business combination unless there are funds available outside the trust account to do so. Such notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, or, at the lender’s discretion, converted upon consummation of our business combination into additional private units at a price of $10.00 per unit. If we do not complete a business combination, we will repay such loans only from funds held outside of the trust account. Our stockholders have approved the issuance of the private units upon conversion of such notes, to the extent the holder wishes to so convert such notes at the time of the consummation of our initial business combination. In the event that we receive notice from our insiders five days prior to the applicable deadline of their intent to effect an extension, we intend to issue a press release announcing such intention at least three days prior to the applicable deadline. In addition, we intend to issue a press release the day after the applicable deadline announcing whether or not the funds had been timely deposited. Our insiders and their affiliates or designees are not obligated to fund the trust account to extend the time for us to complete our initial business combination. To the extent that some, but not all, of our insiders, decide to extend the period of time to consummate our initial business combination, such insiders (or their affiliates or designees) may deposit the entire amount required. If we do extend the period of time to consummate our initial business combination as described above, we would follow the same liquidation procedures described above if we do not complete a business combination by the end of the extended period. At such time, the rights will expire and holders of rights will receive nothing upon a liquidation with respect to such rights, and the rights will be worthless.
Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, 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 100% of our outstanding public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination within the required time period may be considered a liquidation distribution under Delaware law. If the corporation complies with certain procedures set forth in Section 280 of the Delaware General Corporation Law 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 redemptions are made to stockholders, any liability of stockholders with respect to a redemption 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 100% of our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination within the required time period is not considered a liquidation distribution under Delaware law and such redemption distribution is deemed
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to be unlawful, then pursuant to Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, 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 liquidation distribution. It is our intention to redeem our public shares as soon as reasonably possible following the 9th month (or up to 15th month, if extended) from the closing of this offering and, therefore, we do not intend to comply with the above 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 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, Section 281(b) of the Delaware General Corporation Law 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 seeking to complete an initial business combination, the only likely claims to arise would be from our vendors (such as lawyers, investment bankers, etc.) or prospective target businesses.
We will seek to have all third parties (including any vendors or other entities we engage after this offering) and any prospective target businesses enter into valid and enforceable agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind they may have in or to any monies held in the trust account. The underwriters in this offering will execute such a waiver agreement.
As a result, the claims that could be made against us will be limited, thereby lessening the likelihood that any claim would result in any liability extending to the trust. We therefore believe that any necessary provision for creditors will be reduced and should not have a significant impact on our ability to distribute the funds in the trust account to our public stockholders. Nevertheless, there is no guarantee that vendors, service providers and prospective target businesses will execute such agreements. In the event that a potential contracted party was to refuse to execute such a waiver, we will execute an agreement with that entity only if our management first determines that we would be unable to obtain, on a reasonable basis, substantially similar services or opportunities from another entity willing to execute such a waiver. Examples of instances where we may engage a third party that refused to execute a waiver would be the engagement of a third party consultant who cannot sign such an agreement due to regulatory restrictions, such as our auditors who are unable to sign due to independence requirements, or whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or a situation in which management does not believe it would be able to find a provider of required services willing to provide the waiver. There is also no guarantee that, even if they execute such agreements with us, they will not seek recourse against the trust account. Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party (excluding our independent registered public accounting firm) 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) $10.15 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 $10.15 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case 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. In the event an excise tax and/or any other similar fees or taxes in nature are levied or imposed on us pursuant to any current, pending or future rule(s) or law(s), including without limitation any excise tax imposed under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 in relation to a redemption of securities as described in the registration statement or otherwise, and such tax or fee has not been paid by us to the applicable regulatory authority on or prior to the due date for such a tax or fee, our sponsor agrees to promptly (but in any event sufficiently prior to the due date for such tax or fee to assure timely payment thereof) either directly pay such tax or fee on behalf of us or advance to us such funds as necessary and appropriate to allow us to pay such tax or fee timely. Our sponsor agrees not to seek recourse for such expenses from the trust account. However, the sponsor may not be able to satisfy its indemnification obligations, as we have not required it to retain any assets to provide for its indemnification obligations, nor have we taken any further steps to ensure that it will be able to satisfy any indemnification obligations that arise. Moreover, our sponsor will not be liable to our public stockholders and instead will only have liability to us. As a result, if we liquidate, the per-share distribution from the trust account could be less than approximately $10.15 (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) due to claims or potential claims of creditors. We will distribute to all of our public stockholders, in proportion to their respective equity interests, an aggregate sum equal to the amount then held in the trust account, inclusive of any interest not previously released to us, subject to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors as described below.
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If we are unable to consummate an initial business combination and are forced to redeem 100% of our outstanding public shares for a portion of the funds held in the trust account, we anticipate notifying the trustee of the trust account to begin liquidating such assets promptly after such date and anticipate it will take no more than 10 business days to effectuate the redemption of our public shares. Our insiders have waived their rights to participate in any redemption with respect to their insider shares. We will pay the costs of any subsequent liquidation from our remaining assets outside of the trust account and from the interest income on the balance of the trust account (net income and other tax obligations) that may be released to us to fund our working capital requirements. If such funds are insufficient, our sponsor has agreed to pay the funds necessary to complete such liquidation (currently anticipated to be no more than approximately $100,000) and has agreed not to seek repayment of such expenses. Each holder of public shares will receive a full pro rata portion of the amount then in the trust account, plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us or necessary to pay our taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay liquidation expenses). The proceeds deposited in the trust account could, however, become subject to claims of our creditors that are in preference to the claims of public stockholders.
Our public stockholders shall be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only in the event of our failure to complete our initial business combination in the required time period or if the stockholders seek to have us redeem their respective shares of common stock upon a business combination which is actually completed by us. In no other circumstances shall a stockholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account.
If we are forced to file a bankruptcy case or an involuntary bankruptcy case is filed against us which 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 redemption amount received by public stockholders may be less than $10.15.
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. Claims may be brought against us for these reasons.
Certificate of Incorporation
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will contain certain requirements and restrictions relating to this offering that will apply to us until the consummation of our initial business combination. If we hold a stockholder vote to amend any provisions of our certificate of incorporation relating to stockholder’s rights or pre-business combination activity (including the substance or timing within which we have to complete a business combination), we will 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 earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income tax obligations (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay liquidation expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, in connection with any such vote. Our insiders have agreed to waive any redemption rights with respect to any insider shares, private shares and any public shares they may hold in connection with any vote to amend our certificate of incorporation. Specifically, our certificate of incorporation provides, among other things, that:
• prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, we shall either (1) seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which public stockholders may seek to redeem their shares of common stock, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination, into a portion of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, or (2) provide our stockholders with the opportunity to sell their shares to us by means of a tender offer (and thereby avoid the need for a stockholder vote) for an amount equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, in each case subject to the limitations described herein;
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• if our initial business combination is not consummated within 9 months of the closing of this offering (or up to 15 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail elsewhere in this prospectus), then our existence will terminate and we will distribute all amounts in the trust account to all of our public holders of shares of common stock;
• upon the consummation of this offering, $50,750,000, or $58,362,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, shall be placed into the trust account;
• we may not consummate any other business combination, merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar transaction prior to our initial business combination; and
• 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 or (ii) vote on any initial business combination.
Potential Revisions to Agreements with Insiders
Each of our insiders has entered into letter agreements with us pursuant to which each of them has agreed to do certain things relating to us and our activities prior to a business combination. We could seek to amend these letter agreements without the approval of stockholders, although we have no intention to do so. In particular:
• Restrictions relating to liquidating the trust account if we failed to consummate a business combination in the time-frames specified above could be amended, but only if we allowed all stockholders to redeem their shares in connection with such amendment;
• Restrictions relating to our insiders being required to vote in favor of a business combination or against any amendments to our organizational documents could be amended to allow our insiders to vote on a transaction as they wished;
• The requirement of members of the management team to remain our officer or director until the closing of a business combination could be amended to allow persons to resign from their positions with us if, for example, the current management team was having difficulty locating a target business and another management team had a potential target business;
• The restrictions on transfer of our securities could be amended to allow transfer to third parties who were not members of our original management team;
• The obligation of our management team to not propose amendments to our organizational documents could be amended to allow them to propose such changes to our stockholders;
• The obligation of insiders to not receive any compensation in connection with a business combination could be modified in order to allow them to receive such compensation; and
• The requirement to obtain a valuation for any target business affiliated with our insiders, in the event it was too expensive to do so.
Except as specified above, stockholders would not be required to be given the opportunity to redeem their shares in connection with such changes. Such changes could result in:
• Our having an extended period of time to consummate a business combination (although with less in trust as a certain number of our stockholders would certainly redeem their shares in connection with any such extension);
• Our insiders being able to vote against a business combination or in favor of changes to our organizational documents;
• Our operations being controlled by a new management team that our stockholders did not elect to invest with;
• Our insiders receiving compensation in connection with a business combination; and
• Our insiders closing a transaction with one of their affiliates without receiving an independent valuation of such business.
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We will not agree to any such changes unless we believed that such changes were in the best interests of our stockholders (for example, if we believed such a modification were necessary to complete a business combination). Each of our officers and directors have fiduciary obligations to us requiring that they act in our best interests and the best interests of our stockholders.
Competition
In identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business for our initial business combination, we may encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including other blank check companies, private equity groups and leveraged buyout funds, and operating businesses seeking strategic acquisitions. Many of these entities are well established and have significant experience identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Moreover, many of these competitors possess greater financial, technical, human and other resources than us. 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 acquisition of a target business. Furthermore, the requirement that we acquire a target business or businesses having a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting discounts and commissions and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of the agreement to enter into the business combination, and our obligation to pay cash in connection with our public stockholders who exercise their redemption rights, may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses. Any of these factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating our initial business combination.
Facilities
We currently maintain our principal executive offices at 42 Broadway, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10004. The cost for this space is included in the $10,000 per month fee that we will pay to Alkaid Investments LLC. We consider our current office space, combined with the other office space otherwise available to our executive officers, adequate for our current operations.
Employees
We have two executive officers. They are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters and intend to devote only as much time as they deem necessary to our affairs. The amount of time they will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for the business combination and the stage of the business combination process the company is in. Accordingly, once management locates a suitable target business to acquire, they will spend more time investigating such target business and negotiating and processing the business combination (and consequently spend more time to our affairs) than they would prior to locating a suitable target business. We presently expect our executive officers to devote such amount of time as they reasonably believe is necessary to our business (which could range from only a few hours a week while we are trying to locate a potential target business to a majority of their time as we move into serious negotiations with a target business for a business combination). We do not intend to have any full time employees prior to the consummation of a business combination.
Periodic Reporting and Audited Financial Statements
We will register our units, common stock and rights 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 report 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 any proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents sent to stockholders to assist them in assessing the target business. These financial statements will need to be prepared in accordance with or reconciled to United States GAAP or IFRS as issued by the IASB. A particular target business identified by us as a potential business combination candidate may not have the necessary financial statements. To the extent that this requirement cannot be met, we may not be able to consummate our initial business combination with the proposed target business.
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We may be required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act to have our internal control over financial reporting audited for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023. A target company may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding the adequacy of their internal control over financial reporting. The development of the internal control over financial reporting of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such initial business combination.
We are an emerging growth company as defined in the JOBS Act and will remain such for up to five years. However, if our non-convertible debt issued within a three-year period or our total revenues exceed $1.07 billion or the market value of our shares of common stock that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million on the last day of the second fiscal quarter of any given fiscal year, we would cease to be an emerging growth company as of the following fiscal year. As an emerging growth company, we have elected, under Section 107(b) of the JOBS Act, to 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.
Legal Proceedings
There is no material litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding currently pending against us or any of our officers or directors in their capacity as such, and we and our officers and directors have not been subject to any such proceeding in the 12 months preceding the date of this prospectus.
Comparison to Offerings 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.
Terms of the Offering | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering | |||
Escrow of offering proceeds | $50,750,000 of the net offering proceeds and proceeds from the sale of the private units will be deposited into a trust account in the U.S. at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee. | $43,987,500 of the offering proceeds would be required to 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. | ||
Investment of net proceeds | $50,750,000 of net offering proceeds and proceeds from the sale of the private units held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury bills, bonds or notes with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting the applicable 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 U.S. | ||
Limitation on fair value or net assets of target business | Our initial business combination must occur with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting discounts and commissions and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial business combination. | The fair value or net assets of a target business must represent at least 80% of the maximum offering proceeds. |
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Terms of the Offering | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering | |||
Trading of securities issued | The units may commence trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. The common stock and rights comprising the units will begin to trade separately on the 45th day after the date of this prospectus unless Chardan informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading (based upon, among other things, its assessment of the relative strengths of the securities markets and small capitalization companies in general, and the trading pattern of, and demand for, our securities in particular), provided we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K, which includes an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the proceeds of this offering. | No trading of the units or the underlying securities would be permitted until the completion of a business combination. During this period, the securities would be held in the escrow or trust account. | ||
Election to remain an investor | We will either (i) give our stockholders the opportunity to vote on the business combination or (ii) provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to sell their shares of our common stock for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, less taxes. If we hold a meeting to approve a proposed business combination, we will send each stockholder a proxy statement containing information required by the SEC. Alternatively, if we do not hold a meeting and instead conduct a tender offer, we will conduct such tender offer in accordance with 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 as we would have included in a proxy statement. Under Delaware law and our bylaws, we must provide at least 10 days advance notice of any meeting of stockholders. Accordingly, this is the minimum amount of time we would need to provide holders to determine whether to exercise their rights to redeem their shares into cash or to remain an investor in our company. | 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 he, she or it elects to remain a stockholder of the company or require the return of his, her or 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 the Offering | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering | |||
Business combination deadline | Pursuant to our certificate of incorporation, if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 9 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 15 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail elsewhere in this prospectus), 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 100% of the outstanding public shares which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject (in the case of (ii) and (iii) above) to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. | If an acquisition has not been completed within 15 months after the effective date of the company’s registration statement, funds held in the trust or escrow account are returned to investors. | ||
Interest earned on the funds in the trust account | There can be released to us, from time to time any interest earned on the funds in the trust account that we may need to pay our tax obligations. The remaining interest earned on the funds in the trust account will not be released until the earlier of the completion of a business combination and our entry into liquidation upon failure to effect a business combination within the allotted time. | 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. | ||
Release of funds | Except for interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our tax obligations, the proceeds held in the trust account will not be released until the earlier of the completion of a business combination (in which case, the proceeds released to us will be net of the funds used to pay redeeming or tendering stockholders, as the trustee will directly send the appropriate portion of the amount held in trust to the redeeming or tendering stockholders at the time of the business combination) and the liquidation of our trust account upon failure to effect a business combination within the allotted time. | 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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Directors and Executive Officers
Our officers and directors are as follows:
Name | Age | Position | ||
Greig Andrew Robert Charlton | 42 | Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of the Board | ||
Michel Friedman | 54 | Chief Financial Officer and Director | ||
Nat Y Chan | 55 | Independent Director | ||
Stefan Dodov | 33 | Independent Director | ||
Daniel Peart | 39 | Independent Director |
Greig Andrew Robert Charlton has been our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman since January 2022. Mr. Charlton has over 10 years of experience in legal, corporate management, and entrepreneurship. Mr. Charlton has served as legal representative and managing director of You Bao Network Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd, a software development company, since November 2015; legal representative and Chairman of Chi Yan Business Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Ltd, a consulting company, since November 2015; CEO and a board member of Two Four Seven Limited, an event and travel ticketing, entertainment IP creation, commercialization and production company, since December 2016; a director of 247Collective Ltd since June 2016; legal representative and managing director of Shanghai Di Mai Culture Communication Co., Ltd, an event planning company, since December 2018; a director of China Payments Service Ltd, a consulting company, since July 2019; a director of UShow Ltd, a media company based in the U.K., since September 2020; and legal representative and Chairman of Nian Jiu Jian Culture Development (Shanghai) Co., Ltd, an event planning company, since October 2021. Mr. Charlton received a Bachelor of Science in Anatomy and Physiology from University of Dundee in 2003. We believe Mr. Charlton is qualified to serve on our board of directors based on his extensive legal, entrepreneurial, and management experience.
Michel Friedman has been our Chief Financial Officer since January 2022. Mr. Friedman has over 20 years of experience in investments and corporate transactions. In August 2021, Mr. Friedman co-founded Reflect Ventures, which syndicates venture investments in high-potential startups across the world. Previously, Mr. Friedman was CFO and director of Xinhua Pictures, a leading enterprise of film and television, from 2018 to 2021. Prior to that, Mr. Friedman was Managing Director, Member of Investment Committee of Wanxin Culture and Technology Investment Fund, responsible for investment, financial analysis, and risk management, from 2017 to 2018. Prior to that, Mr. Friedman was a director at Shune River Capital, a boutique investment bank that focuses on cross-border transactions, from 2012 to 2017. Mr. Friedman received a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering from MIT in 1989, and EMBA Global Asia from Columbia Business School, London Business School and HKU Business School in 2014. Additionally, Mr. Friedman is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst. We believe Mr. Friedman is qualified to serve on our board of directors based on his extensive financial, management, and transaction experience.
Nat Y Chan has been our Independent Director since January 2022. Mr. Chan has over 20 years of experience in accountancy, investment, and business management. Since May 2014, Mr. Chan has served as CFO of Richemont Commercial Co. Ltd, a luxury goods supplier. Prior to that, Mr. Chan was Financial Controller, China from 2011 to 2013 and Financial Director, China from 2013 to 2014 at Burberry (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd, a global luxury brand. Prior to that, from July 2005 to September 2007, Mr. Chan was Financial Controller of Zegna Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, a luxury fashion house. Mr. Chan received an Executive MBA from Kellogg School, Northwestern University and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Business School in 2002, and a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Macquarie University in 1990. Mr. Chan is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and New Zealand and a CPA in Australia. We believe Mr. Chan is qualified to serve on our board of directors based on his extensive financial, management, and accounting experience.
Stefan Dodov has been our Independent Director since January 2022. Since May 2020, Mr. Dodov has served as manager at BCC Global, an experts network and market research provider serving the world’s top investment firms, corporations and consulting firms. Previously, Mr. Dodov was a compliance advisor at AllBright Law Offices from December 2018 to May 2020, corporate counselor and client manager at Junzejun Law Firm from June 2018 to December 2018, and legal compliance consultant at Hawk Consulting from September 2016 to April 2018. Mr. Dodov received a Bachelor of Laws from Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in 2011, a Master of Laws from Ss. Cyril and
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Methodius University in 2015 and a Master of Laws from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 2016. We believe Mr. Dodov is qualified to serve on our board of directors based on his international legal and compliance experience.
Daniel Peart has been our Independent Director since January 2022. Mr. Peart has served as Vice President — Supplier Technical Assistance and Purchasing at Jaguar Land Rover, a producer of luxury vehicles, since 2013. Mr. Peart received a bachelor’s degree in Product Design & Manufacturing Engineering from Loughborough University in 2007. We believe Mr. Peart is qualified to serve on our board of directors based on his business and operational experience.
Number and Terms of Office of Officers and Directors
We will have five directors upon completion of this offering. Each member of our board of directors will be elected at our annual meetings. In accordance with Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on Nasdaq.
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 Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, President, Vice Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer and such other offices as may be determined by the board of directors.
Executive Compensation
No executive officer has received any cash compensation for services rendered to us. Other than the monthly administrative expenses of $10,000 as described in the prospectus, no compensation of any kind, including finders, consulting or other similar fees, will be paid to any of our existing stockholders, including our directors, or any of their respective affiliates, prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the consummation of a business combination. However, such 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. There is no limit on the amount of these out-of-pocket expenses and there will be no review of the reasonableness of the expenses by anyone other than our board of directors and audit committee, which includes persons who may seek reimbursement, or a court of competent jurisdiction if such reimbursement is challenged.
After the completion of our initial business combination, directors or members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting, management or other fees from the combined company. All of these fees will be fully disclosed to stockholders, to the extent then known, in the tender offer materials or proxy solicitation materials furnished to our stockholders in connection with a proposed business combination. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time, because the directors of the post-combination business will be responsible for determining executive officer and director compensation. Any compensation to be paid to our executive officers will be determined by a compensation committee constituted solely of independent 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 executive officers and directors may negotiate employment or consulting arrangements to remain with us after the 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 executive officers and directors that provide for benefits upon termination of employment.
Director Independence
Nasdaq requires that a majority of our board must be composed of “independent directors.” Currently, Nat Y Chan, Stefan Dodov and Daniel Peart would each be considered an “independent director” under the Nasdaq listing rules, which 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 independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.
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We will only enter into a business combination if it is approved by a majority of our independent directors. Additionally, we will only enter into transactions with our officers and directors and their respective affiliates that are on terms no less favorable to us than could be obtained from independent parties. Any related-party transactions must also be approved by our audit committee and a majority of disinterested independent directors.
Audit Committee
Under the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have three members of the audit committee all of whom must be independent. Effective as of the date of this prospectus, we have established an audit committee of the board of directors, which will consist of Nat Y Chan, Stefan Dodov and Daniel Peart, each of whom is an independent director under Nasdaq’s listing standards. Nat Y Chan is the Chairperson of the audit committee. The audit committee’s duties, which are specified in our Audit Committee Charter, include, but are not limited to:
• reviewing and discussing with management and the independent auditor the annual audited financial statements, and recommending to the board whether the audited financial statements should be included in our Form 10-K;
• discussing with management and the independent auditor significant financial reporting issues and judgments made in connection with the preparation of our financial statements;
• discussing with management major risk assessment and risk management policies;
• monitoring the independence of the independent auditor;
• verifying the rotation of the lead (or coordinating) audit partner having primary responsibility for the audit and the audit partner responsible for reviewing the audit as required by law;
• reviewing and approving all related-party transactions;
• inquiring and discussing with management our compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
• pre-approving all audit services and permitted non-audit services to be performed by our independent auditor, including the fees and terms of the services to be performed;
• appointing or replacing the independent auditor;
• determining the compensation and oversight of the work of the independent auditor (including resolution of disagreements between management and the independent auditor regarding financial reporting) for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or related work;
• establishing procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by us regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or reports which raise material issues regarding our financial statements or accounting policies; and
• approving reimbursement of expenses incurred by our management team in identifying potential target businesses.
Financial Experts on Audit Committee
The audit committee will at all times be composed exclusively of “independent directors” who are “financially literate” as defined under the Nasdaq listing standards. The Nasdaq listing standards define “financially literate” as being able to read and understand fundamental financial statements, including a company’s balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement.
In addition, we must certify to Nasdaq that the committee has, and will continue to have, at least one member who has past employment experience in finance or accounting, requisite professional certification in accounting, or other comparable experience or background that results in the individual’s financial sophistication. The board of directors has determined that Nat Y Chan qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert,” as defined under rules and regulations of the SEC.
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Nominating Committee
Effective as of the date of this prospectus, we have established a corporate governance and nominating committee (the “nominating committee”) of the board of directors, which will consist of Nat Y Chan, Stefan Dodov and Daniel Peart, each of whom is an independent director under Nasdaq’s listing standards. Nat Y Chan is the Chairperson of the nominating committee. The nominating committee is responsible for overseeing the selection of persons to be nominated to serve on our board of directors and ensure the Company has and follows appropriate corporate governance practices and standards. The nominating committee considers persons identified by its members, management, stockholders, investment bankers and others.
Guidelines for Selecting Director Nominees
The guidelines for selecting nominees, which are specified in the Nominating Committee Charter, generally provide that persons to be nominated:
• should have demonstrated notable or significant achievements in business, education or public service;
• should possess the requisite intelligence, education and experience to make a significant contribution to the board of directors and bring a range of skills, diverse perspectives and backgrounds to its deliberations; and
• should have the highest ethical standards, a strong sense of professionalism and intense dedication to serving the interests of the stockholders
The nominating committee will consider a number of qualifications relating to management and leadership experience, background and integrity and professionalism in evaluating a person’s candidacy for membership on the board of directors. The nominating committee may require certain skills or attributes, such as financial or accounting experience, to meet specific board needs that arise from time to time and will also consider the overall experience and makeup of its members to obtain a broad and diverse mix of board members. The nominating committee does not distinguish among nominees recommended by stockholders and other persons.
Compensation Committee
Effective as of the date of this prospectus, we will establish a compensation committee of the board of directors, which will consist of Nat Y Chan, Stefan Dodov and Daniel Peart, each of whom is an independent director under Nasdaq’s listing standards. Nat Y Chan is the Chairperson of the compensation committee. The compensation committee’s duties, which are specified in our Compensation Committee Charter, include, but are not limited to:
• reviewing and approving on an annual basis the corporate goals and objectives relevant to our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer’s compensation, evaluating our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer’s performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration (if any) of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer based on such evaluation;
• reviewing and approving the compensation of all of our other executive officers;
• reviewing 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 executive officers and employees;
• producing a report on executive compensation to be included in our annual proxy statement; and
• reviewing, evaluating and recommending changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration for directors.
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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 Nasdaq and the SEC.
Code of Ethics
Effective upon consummation of this offering, we will adopt a code of ethics that applies to all of our executive officers, directors and employees. The code of ethics codifies the business and ethical principles that govern all aspects of our business.
Conflicts of Interest
Investors should be aware of the following potential conflicts of interest:
• None of our officers and directors is required to commit their full time to our affairs and, accordingly, they may have conflicts of interest in allocating their 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 our company as well as the other entities with which they are affiliated. Our officers and directors may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.
• Our officers and directors may in the future become affiliated with entities, including other blank check companies, engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by our company.
• Unless we consummate our initial business combination, our officers, directors and insiders will not receive reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them to the extent that such expenses exceed the amount of available proceeds not deposited in the trust account and the amount of interest income from the trust account that may be released to us as working capital.
• The insider shares beneficially owned by our officers and directors will be released from escrow only if our initial business combination is successfully completed. Additionally, if we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the required time frame, our officers and directors will not be entitled to receive any amounts held in the trust account with respect to any of their insider shares or private units. Furthermore, our insiders (and/or their designees) have agreed that the private units will not be sold or transferred by them until after we have completed our initial business combination. For the foregoing reasons, our board may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effect our initial business combination.
• We have agreed to sell to Chardan and/or its designees, at the time of the closing of this offering, for $100, an option to purchase a total of 150,000 units (or 172,500 units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) exercisable, in whole or in part, at $11.50 per unit, commencing on the later of the consummation of a business combination and six months from the date of this prospectus. The units issuable upon exercise of the purchase option are identical to those offered by this prospectus. As a result, the purchase option will be worthless unless we consummate our initial business combination.
• We will issue to Chardan and/or its designees, at the time of the closing of our initial business combination, 50,000 private units (or up to 57,500 private units, depending on the extent to which the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option) (the “Representative Units”). As a result, Chardan will not be entitled to such Representative Units unless we consummate our initial business combination.
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 the corporation 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 certificate of incorporation provides that the doctrine of corporate opportunity will not apply with respect to any of our officers or directors in circumstances where the application of the doctrine would conflict with any fiduciary duties or contractual obligations they may have. In order to minimize potential conflicts of interest which may arise from multiple affiliations, our officers and directors (other than our independent directors) have agreed to present to us for our consideration, prior to presentation to any other person or entity, any suitable opportunity to acquire a target business, until the earlier of: (1) our consummation of an initial business combination and (2) 9 months (or up to 15 months, as applicable) from the date of this prospectus. This agreement is, however, subject to any pre-existing fiduciary and contractual obligations such officer or director may from time to time have to another entity. Accordingly, if any of them becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has pre-existing fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present 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 the pre-existing fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers and directors will materially undermine our ability to complete our business combination because in most cases the affiliated companies are closely held entities controlled by the officer or director or the nature of the affiliated company’s business is such that it is unlikely that a conflict will arise.
The following table summarizes the current pre-existing fiduciary or contractual obligations of our officers and directors:
Name of Individual | Name of Affiliated Company | Entity’s Business | Affiliation | |||
Greig Andrew Robert Charlton | Nian Jiu Jian Culture Development (Shanghai) Co., Ltd | Event Planning | Chairman | |||
Shanghai Di Mai Culture Communication Co., Ltd | Event Planning | Managing Director | ||||
Two Four Seven Limited | Event and travel ticketing, entertainment IP creation, commercialization and production | CEO | ||||
Chi Yan Business Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Ltd | Consulting | Chairman | ||||
You Bao Network Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd | Software Development | Managing Director | ||||
China Payments Services Ltd | Consulting | Director | ||||
UShow Ltd | Event Planning | Director | ||||
247Collective Ltd | Event Planning | Director | ||||
Michel Friedman | Reflect Ventures | Investment | Founder | |||
Nat Y Chan | Richemont Commercial Co. Ltd | Luxury Merchandise | CFO | |||
Stefan Dodov | BCC Global | Market Research | Chief Legal and Compliance Officer | |||
Daniel Peart | Jaguar Land Rover | Car Maker | Purchasing Vice President |
Our insiders have agreed to vote any shares of common stock held by them in favor of our initial business combination. In addition, they have agreed to waive their respective rights to receive any amounts held in the trust account with respect to their insider shares and private shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the required time frame. If they purchase shares of common stock in this offering or in the open market, however, they would be entitled to receive their pro rata share of the amounts held in the trust account if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the required time frame, but have agreed not to redeem such shares in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination.
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All ongoing and future transactions between us and any of our officers and directors or their respective affiliates will be on terms believed by us to be no less favorable to us than are available from unaffiliated third parties. Such transactions will require prior approval by our audit committee and a majority of our uninterested “independent” directors, or the members of our board who do not have an interest in the transaction, in either case who had access, at our expense, to our attorneys or independent legal counsel. We will not enter into any such transaction unless our audit committee and a majority of our disinterested “independent” directors determine that the terms of such transaction are no less favorable to us than those that would be available to us with respect to such a transaction from unaffiliated third parties.
To further minimize conflicts of interest, we have agreed not to consummate our initial business combination with an entity that is affiliated with any of our officers, directors or insiders, unless we have obtained (i) an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that the business combination is fair to our unaffiliated stockholders from a financial point of view and (ii) the approval of a majority of our disinterested and independent directors (if we have any at that time). Furthermore, in no event will our insiders or any of the members of our management team be paid any finder’s fee, consulting fee or other similar compensation prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the consummation of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is).
Limitation on Liability and Indemnification of Directors and Officers
Our certificate of incorporation provides that our directors and officers 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 certificate of incorporation provides that our directors will not be personally liable for monetary damages to us 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.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, as set forth in our certificate of incorporation, such indemnification will not extend to any claims our insiders may make to us to cover any loss that they may sustain as a result of their agreement to pay debts and obligations to target businesses or vendors or other entities that are owed money by us for services rendered or contracted for or products sold to us as described elsewhere in this prospectus.
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 indemnification. We will purchase a policy of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance that insures our directors and officers against the cost of defense, settlement or payment of a judgment in some circumstances and insures us against our obligations to indemnify the directors and officers.
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 directors and officers, 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 directors and officers pursuant to these provisions. We believe that these provisions, the insurance and the indemnity agreements are necessary to attract and retain talented and experienced directors and officers.
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.
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The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our shares of common stock as of the date of this prospectus and upon completion of the sale of our shares of common stock included in the units offered by this prospectus (assuming none of the individuals listed purchase 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 officers and directors; and
• all of our current officers and directors 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 of beneficial ownership of any shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of rights as the rights are not convertible within 60 days of the date of this prospectus.
Prior to Offering and | After Offering | |||||||||
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1) | Amount and | Approximate | Amount and | Approximate | ||||||
Alkaid Investments LLC(3) | 1,312,500 | 91.3 | % | 1,387,500 | 21.3 | % | ||||
Greig Andrew Robert Charlton(3) | 35,000 | 2.5 | % | 35,000 | * |
| ||||
Michel Friedman | 25,000 | 1.7 | % | 25,000 | * |
| ||||
Nat Y Chan | 25,000 | 1.7 | % | 25,000 | * |
| ||||
Stefan Dodov | 20,000 | 1.4 | % | 20,000 | * |
| ||||
Daniel Peart | 20,000 | 1.4 | % | 20,000 | * |
| ||||
All current directors and executive officers as a group (six individuals) | 1,437,500 | 100.0 | % | 1,512,500 | 23.2 | % |
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* Less than 1%.
(1) Unless otherwise indicated, the business address of each of the individuals is c/o Alkaid Acquisition Corp., 42 Broadway, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10004.
(2) Assumes no exercise of the over-allotment option and, therefore, an aggregate of 187,500 shares of common stock held by our insiders are forfeited.
(3) Alkaid Investments LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, our sponsor, is controlled by Min Gan.
Immediately after this offering, our insiders will beneficially own approximately 23.2% of the then issued and outstanding shares of common stock (assuming that the over-allotment option is not exercised and that the insiders do not purchase any units in this offering or units or shares in the after-market). Because of the ownership block held by our insiders, such individuals may be able to effectively exercise influence over all matters requiring approval by our stockholders, including the election of directors and approval of significant corporate transactions other than approval of our initial business combination.
If the underwriters do not exercise all or a portion of the over-allotment option, an aggregate of up to 187,500 insider shares will be forfeited in amounts as determined amongst the holders of such insider shares and not proportional to their ownership percentages in our shares of common stock. Only a number of shares necessary to maintain our insiders’ collective 20.0% ownership interest (excluding the private units) in our shares of common stock after giving effect to the offering and the exercise, if any, of the underwriters’ over-allotment option will be forfeited.
All of the insider shares outstanding prior to the date of this prospectus will be placed in escrow with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as escrow agent. Subject to certain limited exceptions, 50% of these shares will not be transferred, assigned, sold or released from escrow until the earlier of six months after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination and the date the closing price of our common stock equals or exceeds $12.50 per share
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(as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations and recapitalizations) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after our initial business combination and the remaining 50% of the insider shares will not be transferred, assigned, sold or released from escrow until six months after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination or earlier in either case if, subsequent to our initial business combination, we complete a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property. Up to 187,500 of the insider shares may also be released from escrow earlier than this date for cancellation if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full as described above.
During the escrow period, the holders of these shares will not be able to sell or transfer their securities except (1) transfers among the insiders, to our officers, directors, advisors and employees, (2) transfers to an insider’s affiliates or its members upon its liquidation, (3) transfers to relatives and trusts for estate planning purposes, (4) transfers by virtue of the laws of descent and distribution upon death, (5) transfers pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order, (6) private sales made at prices no greater than the price at which the securities were originally purchased or (7) transfers to us for cancellation in connection with the consummation of an initial business combination, in each case (except for clause 7) where the transferee agrees to the terms of the escrow agreement and forfeiture, as the case may be, as well as the other applicable restrictions and agreements of the holders of the insider shares. If dividends are declared and payable in shares of common stock, such dividends will also be placed in escrow. If we are unable to effect a business combination and liquidate, there will be no liquidation distribution with respect to the insider shares.
Our sponsor has committed to purchase from us 262,500 private units at $10.00 per private unit, for a total purchase price of $2,625,000. The purchase will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. A portion of the proceeds we receive from the purchase will be placed in the trust account described below. Our sponsor has also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters, it will purchase from us at a price of $10.00 per private unit an additional number of private units (up to a maximum of 20,625 private units) pro rata with the amount of the over-allotment option exercised so that at least $10.15 per share sold to the public in this offering is held in trust regardless of whether the over-allotment option is exercised in full or in part. These additional private units will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of units resulting from the exercise of the over-allotment option.
The private units are identical to the units sold in this offering. Furthermore, our insiders agreed (A) to vote their insider shares, private shares and any public shares acquired in or after this offering in favor of any proposed business combination, (B) not to propose, or vote in favor of, an amendment to our certificate of incorporation that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 9 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 15 months, as applicable), 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 earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income tax obligations (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay liquidation expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, (C) not to redeem any shares (including the insider shares and the private shares) to receive cash from the trust account in connection with a stockholder vote to approve our proposed initial business combination (or sell any shares they hold to us in a tender offer in connection with a proposed initial business combination) or a vote to amend the provisions of our certificate of incorporation relating to the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 9 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 15 months, as applicable), and (D) that the insider shares and private shares shall not be entitled to be redeemed for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the trust account if a business combination is not consummated. Additionally, our insiders (and/or its designees) have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private units or underlying securities (except to transferees that agree to the same terms and restrictions agreed to by the insiders) until the completion of our initial business combination.
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In order to meet our working capital needs following the consummation of this offering, our insiders, officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion. Each loan would be evidenced by a promissory note. The notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $500,000 of the notes may be converted upon consummation of our business combination into private units at a price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued units which consist of 50,000 shares of common stock and rights to receive 10,000 shares of common stock if $500,000 of notes were so converted). Our stockholders have approved the issuance of the private units upon conversion of such notes, to the extent the holder wishes to so convert such notes at the time of the consummation of our initial business combination. If we do not complete a business combination, any outstanding loans from our insiders, officers and directors or their affiliates, will be repaid only from amounts remaining outside our trust account, if any.
Our sponsor and our executive officers and directors are deemed to be our “promoters,” as that term is defined under the federal securities laws.
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In January 2022, we sold an aggregate of 1,437,500 shares of our common stock for $25,000, or approximately $0.017 per share, to our insiders.
If the underwriters do not exercise all or a portion of their over-allotment option, our insiders will forfeit up to an aggregate of 187,500 insider shares in proportion to the portion of the over-allotment option that was not exercised. If such shares are forfeited, we will record the forfeited shares as treasury stock and simultaneously retire the shares. Upon receipt, such forfeited shares would then be immediately cancelled which would result in the retirement of the treasury shares and a corresponding charge to additional paid-in capital.
If the underwriters determine the size of the offering should be increased (including pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act) or decreased, a share dividend or a contribution back to capital, as applicable, would be effectuated in order to maintain our insiders’ ownership at a percentage of the number of shares of common stock to be sold in this offering. Our insiders may purchase from us at a price of $10.00 per unit the number of private units that is necessary to maintain in the trust account an amount equal to $10.15 per share sold to the public in this offering.
Our sponsor, Alkaid Investments LLC, which is controlled by Min Gan, has committed to purchase from us 262,500 private units at $10.00 per private unit, for a total purchase price of $2,625,000. The purchase will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. A portion of the proceeds we receive from the purchase will be placed in the trust account described below. Our sponsor has also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters, it will purchase from us at a price of $10.00 per private unit an additional number of private units (up to a maximum of 20,625 private units) pro rata with the amount of the over-allotment option exercised so that at least $10.15 per share sold to the public in this offering is held in trust regardless of whether the over-allotment option is exercised in full or in part. These additional private units will be purchased in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the purchase of units resulting from the exercise of the over-allotment option. The purchase price for the private units including those that may be purchased if the over-allotment option is exercised will be delivered to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, who will also be acting as escrow agent in connection with the private sale of private units, at least 24 hours prior to the date of this prospectus to hold in a non-interest bearing account until we consummate this offering. Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company will deposit the purchase price into the trust account simultaneously with the consummation of the offering or the over-allotment option, as the case may be. The private units are identical to the units sold in this offering. Furthermore, our insiders agreed (A) to vote their private shares and any public shares acquired in or after this offering in favor of any proposed business combination, (B) not to propose, or vote in favor of, an amendment to our certificate of incorporation that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 9 months from the closing of this offering (or 12 or 15 months, as applicable), 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 earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income tax obligations (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay liquidation expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, (C) not to redeem any shares (including the private shares) to receive cash from the trust account in connection with a stockholder vote to approve our proposed initial business combination (or sell any shares they hold to us in a tender offer in connection with a proposed initial business combination) or a vote to amend the provisions of our certificate of incorporation relating to the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 9 months from the closing of this offering (or 12 or 15 months, as applicable), and (D) that the private shares shall not be entitled to be redeemed for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the trust account if a business combination is not consummated. Additionally, our insiders (and/or their designees) have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private units or underlying securities (except to transferees that agree to the same terms and restrictions agreed to by the insiders) until the completion of our initial business combination.
In order to meet our working capital needs following the consummation of this offering, our insiders, officers, and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion. Each loan would be evidenced by a promissory note. The notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $500,000 of the notes may be converted upon consummation of our business combination into private units at a price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued units which consist of
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50,000 shares of common stock and rights to receive 10,000 shares of common stock if $500,000 of notes were so converted). Our stockholders have approved the issuance of the private units upon conversion of such notes, to the extent the holder wishes to so convert such notes at the time of the consummation of our initial business combination. If we do not complete a business combination, any outstanding loans from our insiders, officers and directors or their affiliates, will be repaid only from amounts remaining outside our trust account, if any.
The holders of our insider shares issued and outstanding on the date of this prospectus, as well as the holders of the private units (and underlying securities) and any shares our insiders, officers, directors, or their affiliates may be issued in payment of working capital loans made to us, will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to an agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering. The holders of a majority of these securities are entitled to make up to two demands that we register such securities. The holders of the majority of the insider shares can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time commencing three months prior to the date on which these shares of common stock are to be released from escrow. The holders of a majority of the private units or shares issued in payment of working capital loans made to us can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time after we consummate a business combination. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our consummation of our initial business combination. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
As of June 30, 2022, our sponsor had loaned to us $195,000, which was used to pay formation expenses and a portion of the expenses of this offering. The loan is payable without interest on the date on which we consummate our initial public offering. We intend to repay this loan from the proceeds of this offering not being placed in the trust account. If we determine not to proceed with the offering, such amounts would not be repaid.
No compensation or fees of any kind, including finder’s fees, consulting fees, or other similar compensation, will be paid to our insiders or any of the members of our management team, for services rendered to us prior to, or in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). However, such individuals will receive reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them in connection with activities on our behalf, such as identifying potential target businesses, performing business due diligence on suitable target businesses and business combinations as well as traveling to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses to examine their operations. There is no limit on the amount of out-of-pocket expenses reimbursable by us; provided, however, that to the extent such expenses exceed the available proceeds not deposited in the trust account and the interest income earned on the amounts held in the trust account, such expenses would not be reimbursed by us unless we consummate an initial business combination.
All ongoing and future transactions between us and any of our officers and directors or their respective affiliates will be on terms believed by us to be no less favorable to us than are available from unaffiliated third parties. Such transactions will require prior approval by our audit committee and a majority of our uninterested independent directors, in either case who had access, at our expense, to our attorneys or independent legal counsel. We will not enter into any such transaction unless our audit committee and a majority of our disinterested independent directors determine that the terms of such transaction are no less favorable to us than those that would be available to us with respect to such a transaction from unaffiliated third parties.
Related Party Policy
Our Code of Ethics requires us to avoid, wherever possible, all related party transactions that could result in actual or potential conflicts of interests, except under guidelines approved by the board of directors (or the audit committee). Related-party transactions are defined as transactions in which (1) the aggregate amount involved will or may be expected to exceed $120,000 in any calendar year, (2) we or any of our subsidiaries is a participant, and (3) any (a) executive officer, director or nominee for election as a director, (b) greater than 5% beneficial owner of our shares of common stock, or (c) immediate family member, of the persons referred to in clauses (a) and (b), has or will have a direct or indirect material interest (other than solely as a result of being a director or a less than 10% beneficial owner of another entity). A conflict of interest situation can arise when a person takes actions or has interests that may make it difficult to perform his or her work objectively and effectively. Conflicts of interest may also arise if a person, or a member of his or her family, receives improper personal benefits as a result of his or her position.
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We also require each of our directors and executive officers to annually complete a directors’ and officers’ questionnaire that elicits information about related party transactions.
Our audit committee, pursuant to its written charter, will be responsible for reviewing and approving related-party transactions to the extent we enter into such transactions. All ongoing and future transactions between us and any of our officers and directors or their respective affiliates will be on terms believed by us to be no less favorable to us than are available from unaffiliated third parties. Such transactions will require prior approval by our audit committee and a majority of our uninterested “independent” directors, or the members of our board who do not have an interest in the transaction, in either case who had access, at our expense, to our attorneys or independent legal counsel. We will not enter into any such transaction unless our audit committee and a majority of our disinterested “independent” directors determine that the terms of such transaction are no less favorable to us than those that would be available to us with respect to such a transaction from unaffiliated third parties.
These procedures are intended to determine whether any such related party transaction impairs the independence of a director or presents a conflict of interest on the part of a director, employee or officer.
To further minimize potential conflicts of interest, we have agreed not to consummate a business combination with an entity which is affiliated with any of our insiders unless we obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that the business combination is fair to our unaffiliated stockholders from a financial point of view. Furthermore, in no event will any of our existing officers, directors or insiders, or any entity with which they are affiliated, be paid any finder’s fee, consulting fee or other compensation prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the consummation of a business combination.
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General
Our certificate of incorporation currently authorizes the issuance of 5,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001. We expect to file an amended and restated certificate of incorporation prior to the completion of this offering to increase the number of authorized shares to 20,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001, and to authorize 1,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock, $0.0001 par value. As of the date of this prospectus, 1,437,500 shares of common stock are outstanding, held by four stockholders of record. No shares of preferred stock are currently authorized, issued or outstanding. The following description summarizes all of the material terms of our securities. Because it is only a summary, it may not contain all the information that is important to you. For a complete description you should refer to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, bylaws, and the forms of rights agreement, which are filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
Public Units
Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one share of common stock and one right. Each right entitles the holder thereof to receive one-fifth (1/5) of a share of common stock upon consummation of our initial business combination. We will not issue fractional shares. As a result, you must hold rights in multiples of 5 in order to receive shares for all of your rights upon closing of a business combination.
The common stock and rights comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 45th day after the date of this prospectus unless Chardan determines that an earlier date is acceptable (based upon, among other things, its assessment of the relative strengths of the securities markets and small capitalization companies in general, and the trading pattern of, and demand for, our securities in particular), 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 common stock and rights commence separate trading, holders will have the option to continue to hold units or separate their units into the component pieces. Holders will need to have their brokers contact our transfer agent in order to separate the units into shares of common stock and rights.
In no event will the common stock and rights be traded separately until we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds 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 is anticipated to take place two business days from the date the units commence trading. 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
Our holders of record of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by stockholders. In connection with any vote held to approve our initial business combination, our insiders, officers, and directors, have agreed to vote their respective shares of common stock owned by them immediately prior to this offering, including both the insider shares and the private shares, and any shares acquired in this offering or following this offering in the open market, in favor of the proposed business combination.
If a stockholder vote is held, we will consummate our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the business combination.
Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, if we do not consummate our initial business combination within 9 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 15 months from the closing of this offering if extended, as described elsewhere in this prospectus), 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 100% of the outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders
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(including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject (in the case of (ii) and (iii) above) to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Our insiders have agreed to waive their rights to share in any distribution with respect to their insider shares and private shares, 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 period.
Our stockholders have no conversion, preemptive or other subscription rights and there are no sinking fund or redemption provisions applicable to the shares of common stock, except that public stockholders have the right to sell their shares to us in any tender offer or have their shares of common stock redeemed to cash equal to their pro rata share of the trust account if they vote on the proposed business combination and the business combination is completed. If we hold a stockholder vote to amend any provisions of our certificate of incorporation relating to stockholder’s rights or pre-business combination activity (including the substance or timing within which we have to complete a business combination), we will 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 earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income tax obligations (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay liquidation expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, in connection with any such vote. In either of such events, redeeming stockholders would be paid their pro rata portion of the trust account promptly following consummation of the business combination or the approval of the amendment to the certificate of incorporation. Public stockholders who sell or redeem their stock into their share of the trust account still have the right to convert the rights that they received as part of the units. If the business combination is not consummated or the amendment is not approved, stockholders will not be paid such amounts.
Insider Shares
The insider shares are identical to the shares of common stock included in the units being sold in this offering, and our insiders have the same stockholder rights as public stockholders, except that (i) the insider shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below and (ii) our insiders have agreed (A) to vote their insider shares, private shares and any public shares acquired in or after this offering in favor of any proposed business combination, (B) not to propose, or vote in favor of, an amendment to our certificate of incorporation that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 9 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 15 months, if we extend the time to complete a business combination as described in this prospectus), 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, net of taxes payable, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, (C) not to redeem any shares (including the insider shares and the private shares) to receive cash from the trust account in connection with a stockholder vote to approve our proposed initial business combination (or sell any shares they hold to us in a tender offer in connection with a proposed initial business combination) or a vote to amend the provisions of our certificate of incorporation relating to the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 9 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 15 months, as applicable), and (D) that the insider shares and private shares shall not be entitled to be redeemed for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the trust account if a business combination is not consummated.
On the date of this prospectus, the insider shares will be placed into an escrow account maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as escrow agent. Subject to certain limited exceptions, 50% of these shares will not be transferred, assigned, sold or released from escrow until the earlier of six months after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination and the date on which the closing price of our common stock equals or exceeds $12.50 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations and recapitalizations) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after the consummation of our initial business combination and the remaining 50% of the insider shares will not be transferred, assigned, sold or released from escrow until six months after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination, or earlier, in either case, if, subsequent to our initial business combination, we complete a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property. The limited exceptions referred to above include (1) transfers among the
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insiders, to our officers, directors, advisors and employees, (2) transfers to an insider’s affiliates or its members upon its liquidation, (3) transfers to relatives and trusts for estate planning purposes, (4) transfers by virtue of the laws of descent and distribution upon death, (5) transfers pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order, (6) private sales made at prices no greater than the price at which the securities were originally purchased or (7) transfers to us for cancellation in connection with the consummation of an initial business combination, in each case (except for clause 7) where the transferee agrees to the terms of the escrow agreement and forfeiture, as the case may be, as well as the other applicable restrictions and agreements of the holders of the insider shares.
Preferred Stock
No shares of preferred stock are being issued or registered in this offering. Accordingly, our board of directors is empowered, without stockholder approval, to issue preferred stock with dividend, liquidation, conversion, voting or other rights which could adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of common stock. However, the underwriting agreement prohibits us, prior to a business combination, from issuing preferred stock which participates in any manner in the proceeds of the trust account, or which votes as a class with the common stock on our initial business combination. We may issue some or all of the preferred stock to effect our initial business combination. In addition, the preferred stock could be utilized as a method of discouraging, delaying or preventing a change in control of us. Although we do not currently intend to issue any shares of preferred stock, we reserve the right to do so in the future.
Rights
Except in cases where we are not the surviving company in a business combination, each holder of a right will automatically receive one-fifth (1/5) of a share of common stock upon consummation of our initial business combination, even if the holder of a public right converted all shares of common stock held by him, her or it in connection with the initial business combination or an amendment to our certificate of incorporation with respect to our pre-business combination activities. In the event we will not be the surviving company upon completion of our 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-fifth (1/5) of a share underlying each right upon consummation of the business combination. No additional consideration will be required to be paid by a holder of rights in order to receive his, her or its additional shares of common stock upon consummation of an initial business combination. The shares issuable upon exchange of the rights will be freely tradable (except to the extent held by affiliates of ours). If we enter into a definitive agreement for a business combination in which we will not be the surviving entity, the definitive agreement will provide for the holders of rights to receive the same per share consideration the holders of the common stock will receive in the transaction on an as-converted into common stock basis.
We 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 the Delaware General Corporation Law. As a result, you must hold rights in multiples of 5 in order to receive shares for all of your rights upon closing of a business combination. If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the required time period and we liquidate the funds held in the trust account, holders of rights will not receive any of such funds with respect to their rights, nor will they receive any distribution from our assets held outside of the trust account with respect to such rights, and the rights will expire worthless. Further, there are no contractual penalties for failure to deliver securities to the holders of the rights upon consummation of an initial business combination. Additionally, in no event will we be required to net cash settle the rights. Accordingly, the rights may expire worthless.
Unit Purchase Option
We have agreed to sell to Chardan an option to purchase up to a total of 150,000 units (or 172,500 units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at $11.50 per unit. The units issuable upon exercise of this option are identical to those offered by this prospectus. For a more complete description of the unit purchase option, see the section below entitled “Underwriting — Unit Purchase Option.”
Representative Units
We will issue to Chardan and/or its designees, at the time of the closing of our initial business combination, 50,000 private units (or up to 57,500 private units, depending on the extent to which the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option) (the “Representative Units”). The Representative’s Units will be identical to the public units, except as described herein.
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The Representative Units issued to Chardan will be subject to the lock-up and registration rights limitations imposed by FINRA Rule 5110.
Dividends
We have not paid any cash dividends on our shares of common stock to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of a 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 a business combination. The payment of any dividends subsequent to a business combination will be within the discretion of our then board of directors. It is the present intention of our board of directors to retain all earnings, if any, for use in our business operations and, accordingly, our board does not anticipate declaring any dividends in the foreseeable future.
Our Transfer Agent and Rights Agent
The transfer agent for our shares of common stock and rights agent for our rights is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company.
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:
• a stockholder who owns 10% or more of our outstanding voting stock (otherwise known as an “interested stockholder”);
• an affiliate of an interested stockholder; or
• 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:
• our board of directors approves the transaction that made the stockholder an “interested stockholder,” prior to the date of the transaction;
• 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
• on or subsequent to the date of the transaction, the 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.
Exclusive Forum For Certain Lawsuits
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require that, unless the company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for any stockholder (including a beneficial owner) to bring (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the company, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee of the company to the company or the company’s stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against the company, its directors, officers or employees arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law or our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or the bylaws, or (iv) any action asserting a claim against the company, its directors, officers or employees governed by the internal affairs doctrine, except for, as to each of (i) through (iv) above, (a) any claim as to which the Court of Chancery 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), which is vested in the exclusive
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jurisdiction of a court or forum other than the Court of Chancery, or for which the Court of Chancery does not have subject matter jurisdiction, and (b) any action or claim arising under the Exchange Act or Securities Act of 1933, as amended. This provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with the company and its directors, officers, or other employees.
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 or by our chairman or chief executive officer.
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 delivered to 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 scheduled date of the annual meeting of stockholders. 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.
Authorized but unissued shares
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.
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ENFORCEABILITY OF CIVIL LIABILITIES
A majority of our directors and officers are located outside of the United States and are nationals or residents of jurisdictions other than the United States, and all or a substantial portion of their assets are located outside of the United States. Greig Andrew Robert Charlton, our Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, is a permanent resident of the United Kingdom; Nat Y Chan, our independent director, is a permanent resident of Australia; Stefan Dodov, our independent director, is a permanent resident of the Republic of North Macedonia; and Daniel Peart, our independent director, is a permanent resident of the United Kingdom. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process within the United States upon these persons, or to enforce judgments obtained in U.S. courts against them, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States. A judgment of a United States court for civil liabilities predicated upon the federal securities laws of the United States may not be enforceable in or recognized by the courts of the jurisdictions where certain of our directors and officers reside, and the judicial recognition process may be time-consuming. It may be difficult for you to enforce judgments obtained in U.S. courts based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws against our officers and directors who do not reside in the United States or have substantial assets located in the United States.
In particular, our sponsor, Alkaid Investments LLC, is controlled by Min Gan, who is a permanent resident of and based in mainland China. The People’s Republic of China (including Hong Kong and Macau) does not have treaties providing for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments of courts with the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and many other jurisdictions. As a result, it may be difficult and prohibitively expensive for investors to effect service of process upon those persons in China, or enforce judgments obtained from non-China jurisdictions against those persons in China. In addition, there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the PRC would recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts against such persons predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state of the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process within the United States on those persons residing in China, or enforce judgments obtained in the United States courts against those persons residing in China. Shareholder claims that are common in the United States, including securities law class actions and fraud claims, generally are difficult to pursue as a matter of law or practicality in China. For example, in China, there are significant legal and other obstacles to obtaining information needed for shareholder investigations or litigation outside of China or otherwise with respect to foreign entities. Although the local authorities in China may establish a regulatory cooperation mechanism with the securities regulatory authorities of another country or region to implement cross-border supervision and administration, such regulatory cooperation with the securities regulatory authorities in the United States has not been efficient in the absence of mutual and practical cooperation mechanism. Accordingly, without the consent of the competent PRC securities regulators or other relevant authorities, it could be extremely expensive.
We have appointed Legalinc Corporate Services Inc., 651 N Broad St Ste 206, Middletown, DE 19709-6402 as our registered agent to receive service of process with respect to any action brought against us in the state or federal courts of the United States in connection with this offering under the securities laws of the United States.
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SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE
Immediately after this offering, we will have 6,512,500 shares of common stock outstanding, or 7,470,625 shares of common stock if the over-allotment option is exercised in full. Of these shares, the 5,000,000 shares of common stock sold in this offering, or 5,750,000 shares of common stock if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, 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 shares and all 262,500 (or 283,125 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) private units are restricted securities under Rule 144, in that they were issued in private transactions not involving a public offering.
Rule 144
A person who has beneficially owned restricted shares of common stock for at least six months would be entitled to sell their shares provided that (1) 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 (2) we are subject to the Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements for at least three months before the sale. Persons who have beneficially owned restricted shares of common stock for at least six months but who are our affiliates at the time of, or 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 a number of shares that does not exceed the greater of either of the following:
• 1% of the number of shares then outstanding, which will equal 65,125 shares of common stock immediately after this offering (or 74,706 shares of common stock if the over-allotment option is exercised in full); and
• the average weekly trading volume of the shares of common stock during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale.
Sales 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:
• the issuer of the securities that was formerly a shell company has ceased to be a shell company;
• the issuer of the securities is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act;
• the issuer of the securities has filed all Exchange Act reports and material 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 Form 8-K reports; and
• 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, it is likely that pursuant to Rule 144, our insiders will be able to sell their insider shares and private units freely without registration one year after we have completed our initial business combination assuming they are not an affiliate of ours at that time.
Registration Rights
The holders of our insider shares issued and outstanding on the date of this prospectus, as well as the holders of the private units, the securities underlying the unit purchase option and any shares our insiders, officers, directors or their affiliates may be issued in payment of working capital loans made to us (and any shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the underlying the private rights), will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to an agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering. The holders of a majority of these securities are entitled to make up to two demands (or one demand with respect to the securities underlying the unit purchase option) that we register such securities. The holders of the majority of the insider shares can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time commencing three months prior to the date on which these shares of common stock are to be released from
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escrow. The holders of a majority of the private units and units issued in payment of working capital loans made to us can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time commencing on the date that we consummate our initial business combination. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our consummation of our initial business combination. Furthermore, notwithstanding the foregoing, pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110, Chardan may not exercise its demand and “piggyback” registration rights after five and seven years, respectively, after the commencement of sales of this offering and may not exercise its demand rights on more than one occasion. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
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Chardan Capital Markets, LLC is acting as the underwriter, the sole book-running manager of the offering and as the representative of the underwriters named below. Subject to the terms and conditions of the underwriting agreement, the underwriters, through the representative Chardan Capital Markets, LLC, have severally agreed to purchase from us on a firm commitment basis the following respective number of units at a public offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions set forth on the cover page of this prospectus:
Underwriter | Number of | |
Chardan Capital Markets, LLC | ||
| ||
Total | 5,000,000 |
A copy of the form of underwriting agreement has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
Listing of our Securities
We expect our units, common stock and rights to be listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “ALKDU,” “ALKD” and “ALKDR,” respectively. We anticipate that our units will be listed on Nasdaq on or promptly after the effective date of the registration statement. Following the date the shares of our common stock and rights are eligible to trade separately, we anticipate that the shares of our common stock and rights will be listed separately and as a unit on Nasdaq. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq or that they will continue to be listed on Nasdaq after this offering.
Pricing of this Offering
We have been advised by the representative that the underwriters propose to offer the units to the public at the offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.
Prior to this offering there has been no public market for our securities. The public offering price of the units was negotiated between us and the representative of the underwriters. Factors considered in determining the prices and terms of the units include:
• the history of other similarly structured blank check companies;
• prior offerings of those companies;
• our prospects for consummating our initial business combination with an operating business at attractive values;
• our capital structure;
• securities exchange listing requirements;
• market demand;
• expected liquidity of our securities; and
• general conditions of the securities markets at the time of the offering.
However, although these factors were considered, the determination of our offering price is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities for an operating company in a particular industry since the underwriters are unable to compare our financial results and prospects with those of public companies operating in the same industry.
Over-allotment Option
We have granted the underwriters an option to purchase up to 750,000 additional units at the initial public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. The underwriters may exercise this option solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments, if any, made in connection with this offering. The underwriters have 45 days from the date of this prospectus to exercise this option. If the underwriters exercise this option, they will each purchase additional units approximately in proportion to the amounts specified in the table above.
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Commissions and Discounts
The following table shows the public offering price, underwriting discount to be paid by us to the underwriters and the proceeds, before expenses, to us. This information assumes either no exercise or full exercise by the representative of the underwriters of its over-allotment option.
Per Unit | Without | With | |||||||
Public offering price | $ | 10.00 | $ | 50,000,000 | $ | 57,500,000 | |||
Discount(1) | $ | 0.525 | $ | 2,625,000 | $ | 3,018,750 | |||
Proceeds before expenses(2) | $ | 9.475 | $ | 47,375,000 | $ | 54,481,250 |
____________
(1) Includes $2,000,000, or $0.40 per unit, equal to 4.0% of the gross proceeds of this offering (or $2,300,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) payable to the underwriters as deferred underwriting discounts and commissions from the funds to be placed in the trust account described in this prospectus. The deferred underwriting discounts and commissions will be released to the underwriters upon consummation of an initial business combination, as described in this prospectus. If the business combination is not consummated, the underwriters will not be entitled to any interest accrued on the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions.
(2) The offering expenses are estimated at approximately $500,000.
The underwriting agreement will provide that following the completion of this offering, the obligations of the underwriters with respect to this offering will be deemed to be satisfied and the underwriters are not bound by any commitment or obligation to offer or sell to the public any of our securities or of any target business in an initial business combination or otherwise solicit holders of our securities or any target business in an initial business combination to approve the business combination.
In addition to the underwriting discount, we have agreed to pay for the out-of-pocket expenses of the underwriters up to an aggregate of $100,000 (which includes a $40,000 advance), including, but not limited to, FINRA-related fees of the underwriters’ legal counsel and certain diligence and other fees, and reimbursement for background checks on our directors and executive officers.
No discounts or commissions will be paid on the sale of the private units.
Representative Units
We will issue to Chardan and/or its designees, at the time of the closing of our initial business combination, 50,000 private units (or up to 57,500 private units, depending on the extent to which the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option) (the “Representative Units”). The Representative’s Units will be identical to the public units, except as described herein.
The Representative Units issued to Chardan have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to a lock-up for a period of 180 days immediately following the commencement of sales in this offering (if issued within the applicable regulatory period). Pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1), the Representative Units and underlying securities may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated, or be subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative or put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of the securities except to any underwriters and selected dealers participating in the offering and their officers or partners, registered persons or affiliates. Chardan has been granted one demand and unlimited “piggy back” rights for periods of five and seven years, respectively, from the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part with respect to registration under the Securities Act of the securities underlying the Representative Units. We will bear all fees and expenses attendant to registering the securities, other than underwriting commissions which will be paid for by the holders themselves.
Unit Purchase Option
We have agreed to sell to Chardan Capital Markets, LLC (and/or its designees), at the time of the closing of this offering, for an aggregate of $100.00, an option to purchase 150,000 units (or 172,500 units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) exercisable, in whole or in part, at $11.50 per unit (or an aggregate exercise price of $1,725,000, or $1,983,750 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) commencing on the later of the consummation of a business combination and six months from the date of this prospectus. The units issuable upon exercise of the purchase option are identical to those offered by this prospectus. The purchase option may be exercised for cash or on a cashless basis,
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at the holder’s option, and the purchase option may not be exercised more than five years from the commencement of sales of this offering. The option and the underlying securities that may be issued upon exercise of the option, have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to a lock-up for a period of 180 days immediately following the commencement of sales in this offering. Pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1), these securities may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated, or be subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative or put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of the securities except to any underwriters and selected dealers participating in the offering and their officers or partners, registered persons or affiliates. The option grants to holders one demand and unlimited “piggy back” rights for periods of five and seven years, respectively, from the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part with respect to the registration under the Securities Act of the securities directly and indirectly issuable upon exercise of the option. We will bear all fees and expenses attendant to registering the securities, other than underwriting commissions which will be paid for by the holders themselves. The exercise price and number of units issuable upon exercise of the option may be adjusted in certain circumstances including in the event of a stock dividend, or our recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. However, the option will not be adjusted for issuances of shares of common stock at a price below its exercise price.
Right of First Refusal
Subject to certain conditions, we granted Chardan, for a period of 18 months after the date of the consummation of our business combination, but no longer than 36 months after the closing of this offering, a right of first refusal to act as book-running manager, with at least 30% of the economics, for any and all future public and private equity and debt offerings by us or any of our successors or subsidiaries. In accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(6)(A), such right of first refusal shall not have a duration of more than three years from the commencement of sales of this offering.
Regulatory Restrictions on Purchase of Securities
Rules of the SEC may limit the ability of the underwriters to bid for or purchase our units before the distribution of the units is completed. However, the underwriters may engage in the following activities in accordance with the rules:
• Stabilizing Transactions. The underwriters may make bids or purchases solely for the purpose of preventing or retarding a decline in the price of our units, as long as stabilizing bids do not exceed the offering price of $10.00 and the underwriters comply with all other applicable rules.
• Over-Allotments and Syndicate Coverage Transactions. The underwriters may create a short position in our units by selling more of our units than are set forth on the cover page of this prospectus up to the amount of the over-allotment option. This is known as a covered short position. The underwriters may also create a short position in our units by selling more of our units than are set forth on the cover page of this prospectus and the units allowed by the over-allotment option. This is known as a naked short position. If the underwriters create a short position during the offering, the representative may engage in syndicate covering transactions by purchasing our units in the open market. The representative may also elect to reduce any short position by exercising all or part of the over-allotment option. Determining what method to use in reducing the short position depends on how the units trade in the aftermarket following the offering. If the unit price drops following the offering, the short position is usually covered with shares purchased by the underwriters in the aftermarket. However, the underwriters may cover a short position by exercising the over-allotment option even if the unit price drops following the offering. If the unit price rises after the offering, then the over-allotment option is used to cover the short position. If the short position is more than the over-allotment option, the naked short must be covered by purchases in the aftermarket, which could be at prices above the offering price.
• Penalty Bids. The representative may reclaim a selling concession from a syndicate member when the units originally sold by the syndicate member are purchased in a stabilizing or syndicate covering transaction to cover syndicate short positions.
Stabilization and syndicate covering transactions may cause the price of our securities to be higher than they would be in the absence of these transactions. The imposition of a penalty bid might also have an effect on the prices of our securities if it discourages resales of our securities.
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Neither we nor the underwriters make any representation or prediction as to the effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of our securities. These transactions may occur on Nasdaq, in the over-the-counter market or on any trading market. If any of these transactions are commenced, they may be discontinued without notice at any time.
Other Terms
Except as set forth above, we are not under any contractual obligation to engage any of the underwriters to provide any services for us after this offering, and have no present intent to do so. However, any of the underwriters may, among other things, introduce us to potential target businesses or assist us in raising additional capital, as needs may arise in the future. If any underwriter provides services to us after this offering, we may pay the underwriter fair and reasonable fees that would be determined at that time in an arm’s length negotiation; provided that no agreement will be entered into with the underwriter and no fees for such services will be paid to the underwriter prior to the date which is 60 days after the date of this prospectus, unless such payment would not be deemed underwriter’s compensation in connection with this offering.
Indemnification
We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters against some liabilities, including civil liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments the underwriters may be required to make in this respect.
Resale Restrictions
We intend to distribute our securities in the Province of Ontario, Canada (the “Canadian Offering Jurisdiction”) by way of a private placement and exempt from the requirement that we prepare and file a prospectus with the securities regulatory authorities in such Canadian Offering Jurisdiction. Any resale of our securities in Canada must be made under applicable securities laws that will vary depending on the relevant jurisdiction, and which may require resales to be made under available statutory exemptions or under a discretionary exemption granted by the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authority. Canadian resale restrictions in some circumstances may apply to resales of interests made outside of Canada. Canadian purchasers are advised to seek legal advice prior to any resale of our securities. We may never be a “reporting issuer”, as such term is defined under applicable Canadian securities legislation, in any province or territory of Canada in which our securities will be offered and there currently is no public market for any of the securities in Canada, and one may never develop. Canadian investors are advised that we have no intention to file a prospectus or similar document with any securities regulatory authority in Canada qualifying the resale of the securities to the public in any province or territory in Canada.
Representations of Purchasers
A Canadian purchaser will be required to represent to us and the dealer from whom the purchase confirmation is received that:
• the purchaser is entitled under applicable provincial securities laws to purchase our securities without the benefit of a prospectus qualified under those securities laws;
• where required by law, that the purchaser is purchasing as principal and not as agent;
• the purchaser has reviewed the text above under Resale Restrictions; and
• the purchaser acknowledges and consents to the provision of specified information concerning its purchase of our securities to the regulatory authority that by law is entitled to collect the information.
Rights of Action — Ontario Purchasers Only
Under Ontario securities legislation, certain purchasers who purchase a security offered by this prospectus during the period of distribution will have a statutory right of action for damages, or while still the owner of our securities, for rescission against us in the event that this prospectus contains a misrepresentation without regard to whether the purchaser relied on the misrepresentation. The right of action for damages is exercisable not later than the earlier of 180 days from the date the purchaser first had knowledge of the facts giving rise to the cause of action and three years from the date on which payment is made for our securities. The right of action for rescission is exercisable not later
109
than 180 days from the date on which payment is made for our securities. If a purchaser elects to exercise the right of action for rescission, the purchaser will have no right of action for damages against us. In no case will the amount recoverable in any action exceed the price at which our securities were offered to the purchaser and if the purchaser is shown to have purchased the securities with knowledge of the misrepresentation, we will have no liability. In the case of an action for damages, we will not be liable for all or any portion of the damages that are proven to not represent the depreciation in value of our securities as a result of the misrepresentation relied upon. These rights are in addition to, and without derogation from, any other rights or remedies available at law to an Ontario purchaser. The foregoing is a summary of the rights available to an Ontario purchaser. Ontario purchasers should refer to the complete text of the relevant statutory provisions.
Enforcement of Legal Rights
All of our directors and officers as well as the experts named herein are located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible for Canadian purchasers to effect service of process within Canada upon us or those persons. All of our assets and the assets of those persons are located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible to satisfy a judgment against us or those persons in Canada or to enforce a judgment obtained in Canadian courts against us or those persons outside of Canada.
Collection of Personal Information
If a Canadian purchaser is resident in or otherwise subject to the securities laws of the Province of Ontario, the Purchaser authorizes the indirect collection of personal information pertaining to the Canadian purchaser by the Ontario Securities Commission (the “OSC”) and each Canadian purchaser will be required to acknowledge and agree that the Canadian purchaser has been notified by us (i) of the delivery to the OSC of personal information pertaining to the Canadian purchaser, including, without limitation, the full name, residential address and telephone number of the Canadian purchaser, the number and type of securities purchased and the total purchase price paid in respect of the securities, (ii) that this information is being collected indirectly by the OSC under the authority granted to it in securities legislation, (iii) that this information is being collected for the purposes of the administration and enforcement of the securities legislation of Ontario, and (iv) that the title, business address and business telephone number of the public official in Ontario who can answer questions about the OSC’s indirect collection of the information is the Administrative Assistant to the Director of Corporate Finance, the Ontario Securities Commission, Suite 1903, Box 5520, Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 3S8, Telephone: (416) 593-8086, Facsimile: (416) 593-8252.
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Loeb & Loeb LLP, New York, New York, is acting as counsel in connection with the registration of our securities under the Securities Act, and as such, will pass upon the validity of the securities offered in this prospectus. In connection with this offering, Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, New York, New York, is acting as counsel to the underwriters.
The financial statements of Alkaid Acquisition Corp. as of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, and for the periods from January 1, 2022 through March 31, 2022 and March 11, 2021 (inception) through December 31, 2021 appearing in this prospectus have been audited by Friedman LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon (which contains an explanatory paragraph relating to substantial doubt about the ability of Alkaid Acquisition Corp. 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 upon such report given on the authority of such firm 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, which includes exhibits, schedules and amendments, under the Securities Act, with respect to this offering of our securities. Although this prospectus, which forms a part of the registration statement, contains all material information included in the registration statement, parts of the registration statement have been omitted as permitted by rules and regulations of the SEC. We refer you to the registration statement and its exhibits for further information about us, our securities and this offering. The SEC maintains a web site at http://www.sec.gov which contains the Form S-1 and other reports, proxy and information statements and information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.
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ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
PAGE | ||
Financial Statements (Unaudited): | ||
F-2 | ||
F-3 | ||
F-4 | ||
F-5 | ||
F-6 | ||
Financial Statements: | ||
F-16 | ||
F-17 | ||
F-18 | ||
F-19 | ||
F-20 | ||
F-21 |
F-1
ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
UNAUDITED BALANCE SHEETS
June 30, | December 31, | |||||||
Assets: |
|
|
|
| ||||
Current asset – cash | $ | 107,543 |
| $ | 4,904 |
| ||
Deferred offering costs |
| 144,000 |
|
| — |
| ||
Total Assets | $ | 251,543 |
| $ | 4,904 |
| ||
|
|
|
| |||||
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit) |
|
|
|
| ||||
Current Liabilities |
|
|
|
| ||||
Accrued offering costs and expenses | $ | 40,000 |
| $ | — |
| ||
Due to related party |
| — |
|
| 8,699 |
| ||
Promissory note – related party |
| 195,000 |
|
| — |
| ||
Total Current Liabilities |
| 235,000 |
|
| 8,699 |
| ||
|
|
|
| |||||
Commitments and Contingencies |
|
|
|
| ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit) |
|
|
|
| ||||
Common stock, $0.0001 par value; 5,000,000 shares authorized; 1,437,500 |
| 144 |
|
| — |
| ||
Additional paid-in capital |
| 24,856 |
|
| — |
| ||
Accumulated deficit |
| (8,457 | ) |
| (3,795 | ) | ||
Total Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit) |
| 16,543 |
|
| (3,795 | ) | ||
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit) | $ | 251,543 |
| $ | 4,904 |
|
____________
(1) Includes up to 187,500 shares of common stock subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part (see Note 5).
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited financial statements.
F-2
ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
UNAUDITED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
| For the | For the | ||||||||||||||
2022 | 2021 | |||||||||||||||
Formation and operating costs | $ | 5 |
| $ | 300 |
| $ | 4,437 |
| $ | 3,699 |
| ||||
Franchise tax expense |
| — |
|
| — |
|
| 225 |
|
| — |
| ||||
Net loss | $ | (5 | ) | $ | (300 | ) | $ | (4,662 | ) | $ | (3,699 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||
Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding(1) |
| 1,250,000 |
|
| — |
|
| 1,187,500 |
|
| — |
| ||||
Basic and diluted net loss per share | $ | (0.000 | ) |
| — |
| $ | (0.004 | ) |
| — |
|
____________
(1) Excludes up to 187,500 shares of common stock subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part (see Note 5).
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited financial statements.
F-3
ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
UNAUDITED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)
FOR THE PERIOD FROM JANUARY 1, 2022 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2022
| Additional |
| Total | |||||||||||||
Shares | Amount | |||||||||||||||
Balance as of January 1, 2022 | — |
| — |
| — |
| (3,795 | ) |
| (3,795 | ) | |||||
Common stock issued to initial stockholders(1) | 1,437,500 |
| 144 |
| 24,856 |
| — |
|
| 25,000 |
| |||||
Net loss | — |
| — |
| — |
| (4,657 | ) |
| (4,657 | ) | |||||
Balance as of March 31, 2022 | 1,437,500 | $ | 144 | $ | 24,856 | $ | (8,452 | ) | $ | 16,548 |
| |||||
Net loss | — |
| — |
| — |
| (5 | ) |
| (5 | ) | |||||
Balance as of June 30, 2022 | 1,437,500 | $ | 144 | $ | 24,856 | $ | (8,457 | ) | $ | 16,543 |
|
FOR THE PERIOD FROM MARCH 11, 2021 (INCEPTION) THROUGH JUNE 30, 2021
| Additional |
| Total | |||||||||||||
Shares | Amount | |||||||||||||||
Balance as of March 11, 2021 (inception) | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — |
| $ | — |
| |||||
Net loss | — |
| — |
| — |
| (3,399 | ) |
| (3,399 | ) | |||||
Balance as of March 31, 2021 | — | $ | — | $ |
| $ | (3,399 | ) | $ | (3,399 | ) | |||||
Net loss | — |
| — |
| — |
| (300 | ) |
| (300 | ) | |||||
Balance as of June 30, 2021 | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | (3,699 | ) | $ | (3,699 | ) |
____________
(1) Includes up to 187,500 shares of common stock subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part (see Note 5).
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited financial statements.
F-4
ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
UNAUDITED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
For the | For the | |||||||
Cash Flows from Operating Activities: |
|
|
|
| ||||
Net loss | $ | (4,662 | ) | $ | (3,699 | ) | ||
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: |
|
|
|
| ||||
Accounts payable and accrued expenses |
| 40,000 |
|
| — |
| ||
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities |
| 35,338 |
|
| (3,699 | ) | ||
|
|
|
| |||||
Cash Flows from Financing Activities: |
|
|
|
| ||||
Proceeds from issuance of insider shares to the initial stockholders | $ | 25,000 |
| $ | — |
| ||
Advances from a related party |
| (8,699 | ) |
| 3,699 |
| ||
Proceeds from issuance of promissory note to related party |
| 195,000 |
|
| — |
| ||
Payment of offering costs |
| (144,000 | ) |
| — |
| ||
Net cash provided by financing activities |
| 67,301 |
|
| 3,699 |
| ||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net change in cash |
| 102,639 |
|
| — |
| ||
Cash, beginning of the period |
| 4,904 |
|
| — |
| ||
Cash, end of the period | $ | 107,543 |
| $ | — |
| ||
Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information: |
|
|
|
| ||||
Advances from a related party transferred to promissory note – related party | $ | 8,699 |
| $ | — |
| ||
Deferred offering costs in accrued offering costs and expenses | $ | 40,000 |
| $ | — |
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited financial statements.
F-5
ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 1 — Description of Organization and Business Operations
Alkaid Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) is a newly organized blank check company incorporated as a Delaware corporation on March 11, 2021. The Company was formed 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 (“Business Combination”). The Company is not limited to a particular industry or geographic region for purposes of consummating a Business Combination.
As of June 30, 2022, the Company had not commenced any operations. All activities through June 30, 2022 are related to the Company’s formation and the proposed initial public offering (“Proposed Public Offering”), which are described below. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after the completion of a Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income from the proceeds derived from the Proposed Public Offering. The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year end.
The Company’s sponsor is Alkaid Investments 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 of 5,000,000 units (or 5,750,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) each consisting one share of common stock and one right (the “Units” and, with respect to the shares of common stock included in the Units being offered, the “Public Shares”) at $10.00 per unit, which is discussed in Note 3, and the sale of 262,500 units (or 283,125 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (the “Private Units”) at a price of $10.00 per Private Unit in a private placement to the Sponsor that will close simultaneously with the Proposed Public Offering (see Note 4).
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 Units, 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 a Business Combination having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the assets held in the Trust Account (as defined below) (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned on the Trust Account) at the time of the agreement to enter into an initial Business Combination. The Company will only complete a 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 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 $10.15 per Unit sold in the Proposed Public Offering, including the proceeds from the sale of the Private Units, net of the underwriters’ fees and expenses described herein and other accountable expenses, will be placed in trust (the “Trust Fund”) and will be invested only in U.S. government treasury bills, bonds or notes with a maturity of 180 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and which invest solely in U.S. Treasuries. The Trust Fund will be deposited into a trust account (“Trust Account”) in the U.S. at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee, to be released only in the event of either: (i) the consummation of a Business Combination or (ii) the Company’s failure to complete a Business Combination within the applicable period of time.
The Company will provide its holders of the outstanding Public Shares (the “Public Stockholders”) with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares upon the completion of a Business Combination either (i) 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 in the Trust Account (initially anticipated to be $10.15 per Public Share, plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay its franchise and income tax obligations (less certain amount of interest to pay dissolution expenses)). The Public Shares subject to redemption will be recorded at a redemption value and classified as temporary equity upon the completion of the Proposed Public Offering in accordance with the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.”
F-6
ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 1 — Description of Organization and Business Operations (cont.)
If the Company seeks stockholder approval, the Company will proceed with a Business Combination if a majority of the shares voted are voted in favor of the Business Combination. If a stockholder vote is not required by law and the Company does not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other legal 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 Company’s Sponsor and any of the Company’s officers or directors that may hold Insider Shares (as defined in Note 5) (the “Initial Stockholders”) have agreed (a) to vote their Insider Shares, Private Shares (as defined in Note 4) and any Public Shares purchased during or after the Proposed Public Offering in favor of approving a Business Combination and (b) not to convert any shares (including the Insider Shares) in connection with a stockholder vote to approve, or sell the shares to the Company in any tender offer in connection with, a proposed Business Combination.
If the Company seeks stockholder approval of a Business Combination and it does not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides 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 20% or more of the Public Shares, without the prior consent of the Company.
The Initial Stockholders have agreed (a) to waive their redemption rights with respect to the Insider Shares, Private Shares and Public Shares held by them in connection with the completion of a Business Combination and (b) not to propose, or vote in favor of, an amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation that would affect the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to redeem 100% of its Public Shares if the Company does not complete a Business Combination, unless the Company provides the public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their Public Shares in conjunction with any such amendment.
The Company will have until 9 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering to consummate a Business Combination. In addition, if the Company anticipates that it may not be able to consummate initial business combination within 9 months, the Company’s insiders or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, extend the period of time to consummate a business combination two times by an additional three months each time (for a total of 15 months to complete a business combination) (the “Combination Period”). In order to extend the time available for the Company to consummate a Business Combination, the Sponsor or its affiliate or designees must deposit into the Trust Account $750,000, or $862,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($0.15 per Public Share in either case or an aggregate of $1,500,000, or $1,725,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full)), on or prior to the date of the applicable deadline.
If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within 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 (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less certain amount 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), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Company’s remaining stockholders and the Company’s board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, 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.
F-7
ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 1 — Description of Organization and Business Operations (cont.)
The Sponsor has agreed to waive its liquidation rights with respect to the Insider Shares and Private Shares if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period. However, if the Sponsor acquires Public Shares in or after the Proposed Public Offering, such Public Shares will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period. The underwriters have agreed to waive their rights to their deferred underwriting commission (see Note 6) held in the Trust Account in the event the Company does not complete a Business Combination within in 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 assets remaining available for distribution will be less than $10.15.
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 (excluding 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 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) $10.15 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 $10.15 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case 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 Proposed Public Offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, the Sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third party claims.
Going Concern Consideration
At June 30, 2022, the Company had $107,543 in cash and working capital deficit (current assets less current liabilities, excluding deferred offering costs) of $127,457. The Company has incurred and expects to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of its financing and acquisition plans. These conditions 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. Management plans to address this uncertainty through a Proposed Public Offering as discussed in Note 3. There is no assurance that the Company’s plans to raise capital or to consummate a Business Combination will be successful within the Combination Period. On January 10, 2022, the Sponsor agreed to loan the Company up to an aggregate amount of $200,000 as discussed in Note 5 to be used, in part, for transaction costs incurred in connection with the Proposed Public Offering. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying financial statements are presented in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC.
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.
F-8
ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (cont.)
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 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
In preparing these financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP, the Company’s management makes 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 expenses during the reporting period.
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 statements, 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 did not have any cash equivalents as of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively.
Deferred Offering Costs
Deferred offering costs consist of legal, underwriting fees and other costs incurred through the balance sheet date that are directly related to the Proposed Public Offering and that will be charged to stockholders’ 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.
Income Taxes
The Company follows the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes under ASC 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.
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. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. There were no unrecognized tax benefits and no amounts accrued for interest and penalties as of June 30, 2022 and
F-9
ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (cont.)
December 31, 2021, respectively. 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 Company has identified the United States as its only “major” tax jurisdiction.
The Company may be subject to potential examination by federal and state taxing authorities in the areas of income taxes. These potential examinations may include questioning the timing and amount of deductions, the nexus of income among various tax jurisdictions and compliance with federal and state tax laws. The Company’s management does not expect that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will materially change over the next twelve months.
The provision for income taxes was deemed to be immaterial the periods from January 1, 2022 to June 30, 2022 and March 11, 2021 (inception) to June 30, 2021.
Net Loss Per Share
Net loss per share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period, excluding shares of common stock subject to forfeiture by the Initial Stockholders. Weighted average shares were reduced for the effect of an aggregate of 187,500 shares of common stock that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full by the underwriters (see Note 5). At June 30, 2022 and December 31, 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.
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 Depository Insurance Coverage of $250,000. The Company is not exposed to significant risks on such account as of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under ASC 825, “Financial Instruments,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the accompanying balance sheet, primarily due to their short-term nature.
Common Stock Subject to Possible Redemption
The Company accounts for its common stock subject to possible redemption in accordance with the guidance in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.” Common stock subject to mandatory redemption is classified as a liability instrument and is measured at fair value. Conditionally redeemable common stock (including common stock that feature redemption rights that is either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon the occurrence of uncertain events not solely within the Company’s control) is classified as temporary equity. At all other times, common stock is classified as stockholders’ equity. The Company’s common stock features certain redemption rights that are considered to be outside of the Company’s control and subject to occurrence of uncertain future events. Accordingly, common stock subject to possible redemption is presented at redemption value as temporary equity, outside of the stockholders’ equity section of the Company’s balance sheet.
The Company has made a policy election in accordance with ASC 480-10-S99-3A and recognizes changes in redemption value in additional paid-in capital (or accumulated deficit in the absence of additional paid-in capital) over an expected 12-month period leading up to a Business Combination.
F-10
ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (cont.)
Related Parties
Parties, which can be a corporation or individual, are considered to be related if the Company has the ability, directly or indirectly, to control the other party or exercise significant influence over the other party in making financial and operational decisions. Companies are also considered to be related if they are subject to common control or common significant influence.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting pronouncements, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.
Note 3 — Proposed Public Offering
Pursuant to the Proposed Public Offering, the Company intends to offer for sale 5,000,000 Units (or 5,750,000 Units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one share of common stock, one right (“Public Right”). Each Public Right will convert into one-fifth (1/5) of one share of common stock upon the consummation of a Business Combination.
Note 4 — Private Placement
The Sponsor has agreed to purchase 262,500 Private Units (or 283,125 Private Units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per Private Unit for an aggregate purchase price of $2,625,000, or $2,831,250 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. Each Private Unit will consist of one share of common stock (“Private Share”) and one right (“Private Right”). Each Private Right will convert into one-fifth (1/5) of one share of common stock upon the consummation of a Business Combination.
The proceeds from the Private Units 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, the proceeds from the sale of the Private Units will be used to fund the redemption of the Public Shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law), and the Private Units and all underlying securities will expire worthless.
Note 5 — Related Party Transactions
Insider Shares
On January 10, 2022, the Company issued 1,437,500 shares of common stock to the Initial Stockholders (the “Insider Shares”) for an aggregated consideration of $25,000, or approximately $0.017 per share.
As of June 30, 2022, there were 1,437,500 Insider Shares issued and outstanding, among which, up to 187,500 shares subject to forfeiture by the Initial Stockholders to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full, so that the Initial Stockholders will collectively own 20% of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares after the Proposed Public Offering (assuming the Initial Stockholders do not purchase any Public Shares in the Proposed Public Offering and excluding the Private Units).
The Initial Stockholders have agreed, subject to certain limited exceptions, not to transfer, assign or sell any of their Insider Shares until, with respect to 50% of the Insider Shares, the earlier of six months after the consummation of a Business Combination and the date on which the closing price of the common stock equals or exceeds $12.50 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 commencing after a Business Combination and, with respect to the remaining 50% of the Insider Shares, until the six months after the consummation of a Business Combination, or earlier, in either case, if,
F-11
ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 5 — Related Party Transactions (cont.)
subsequent to a Business Combination, the Company completes a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of the Company’s stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property.
Promissory Note — Related Party
On January 10, 2022, the Sponsor agreed to loan the Company up to an aggregate amount of $200,000 to be used, in part, for transaction costs incurred in connection with the Proposed Public Offering (the “Promissory Note”). From March 11, 2021 through December 31, 2021, the Sponsor advanced $8,699 to use for the formation costs during the period which was subsequently transferred to the Promissory Note on January 10, 2022. As of June 30, 2022, $195,000 were outstanding under the Promissory Note. The Promissory Note is unsecured, interest-free and due on the closing of the Proposed Public Offering.
Related Party Loans
In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with searching for a target business or consummating an intended initial business combination, the initial stockholders, officers, directors or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. In the event that the initial business combination does not close, the Company may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts, but no proceeds from the Trust Account would be used for such repayment. Such loans would be evidenced by promissory notes. The notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $500,000 of the notes may be converted upon consummation of the Company’s business combination into private units at a price of $10.00 per unit. The purchase price of these units will approximate the fair value of such units when issued. However, if it is determined, at the time of issuance, that the fair value of such units exceeds the purchase price, the Company would record compensation expense for the excess of the fair value of the units on the day of issuance over the purchase price in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 718 — Compensation — Stock Compensation.
As of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the Company had no borrowings under the working capital loans.
Administrative Services Agreement
The Company intends to enter into an agreement, commencing on the effective date of the Proposed Public Offering through the earlier of the Company’s consummation of a Business Combination and its liquidation, to pay the Sponsor a total of $10,000 per month for office space, utilities, secretarial and administrative support. However, pursuant to the terms of such agreement, the Sponsor agreed to defer the payment of such monthly fee. Any such unpaid amount will accrue without interest and be due and payable no later than the date of the consummation of initial Business Combination.
Note 6 — Commitments and Contingency
Risks and Uncertainties
Management is currently evaluating 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 future financial position, results of its operations and/or search for a target company, there has not been a significant impact as of the date of these financial statements. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the future outcome of this uncertainty.
F-12
ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 6 — Commitments and Contingency (cont.)
Registration Rights
The holders of the Insider Shares issued and outstanding on the date of this prospectus, as well as the holders of the private units and any shares of the Company’s insiders, officers, directors or their affiliates may be issued in payment of working capital loans and extension loans made to the Company (and any shares of common stock issuable upon the conversion of the underlying the private rights), as well as holders of the securities underlying the Unit Purchase Option, will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to an agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering. The holders of a majority of these securities are entitled to make up to two demands (or one demand with respect to the securities underlying the Unit Purchase Option) that we register such securities. The holders of the majority of the Insider Shares can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time commencing three months prior to the date on which these shares of common stock are to be released from escrow. The holders of a majority of the private units and units issued in payment of working capital loans made to us can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time commencing on the date that the Company consummate an initial business combination. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the consummation of an initial business combination. Furthermore, notwithstanding the foregoing, pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110 Chardan may not exercise its demand and “piggyback” registration rights after five and seven years, respectively, after the commencement of sales of this offering and may not exercise its demand rights on more than one occasion. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Underwriting Agreement
The Company will grant the underwriters a 45-day option from the date of this prospectus to purchase up to 750,000 additional Units to cover over-allotments, if any, at the Proposed Public Offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions.
The underwriters will be entitled to a cash underwriting discount of 1.25% of the gross proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering, or $625,000 (or $718,750 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full). In addition, the underwriters will be entitled to a deferred fee of 4.0% of the gross proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering, or $2,000,000 (or $2,300,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), which will be paid upon the closing of a Business Combination from the amounts held in the Trust Account, subject to the terms of the underwriting agreement.
Representative Units
The Company will issue to Chardan Capital Markets LLC (“Chardan”) and/or its designees, at the time of the closing of the Business Combination, 50,000 Private Units (or up to 57,500 Private Units, depending on the extent to which the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option) (the “Representative Units”).
The Representative Units issued to Chardan will be subject to the lock-up and registration rights limitations imposed by FINRA Rule 5110.
Unit Purchase Option
The Company has agreed to sell Chardan (and/or its designees), at the time of the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, for $100, an option (the “Unit Purchase Option”) to purchase 150,000 units (or 172,500 units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) exercisable at $11.50 per Unit (or an aggregate exercise price of $1,725,000, or $1,983,750 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) commencing on the later of six months from the effective date of the registration statement related to the Proposed Public Offering and the consummation of a Business Combination. The Unit Purchase Option may be exercised for cash or on a cashless basis, at the holder’s option, and expires five years from the effective date of the registration statement related to the Proposed Public Offering. The Units issuable upon exercise of the Unit Purchase Option are identical to those offered in the Proposed Public Offering.
F-13
ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 6 — Commitments and Contingency (cont.)
The Company intends to account for the Unit Purchase Option, inclusive of the receipt of $100 cash payment, as an expense of the Proposed Public Offering resulting in a charge directly to stockholders’ equity. The Unit Purchase Option and such units purchased pursuant to the Unit Purchase Option, as well as the common stock underlying such units, the rights included in such units, and the shares of common stock that are issuable for the rights included in such units, have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to a 180-day lock-up pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1). The Unit Purchase Option grants to holders demand and “piggy back” rights for periods of five and seven years, respectively, from the effective date of the registration statement with respect to the registration under the Securities Act of the securities directly and indirectly issuable upon exercise of the Unit Purchase Option. The Company will bear all fees and expenses attendant to registering the securities, other than underwriting commissions which will be paid for by the holders themselves. The exercise price and number of units issuable upon exercise of the Unit Purchase Option may be adjusted in certain circumstances including in the event of a stock dividend, or the Company’s recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. However, the option will not be adjusted for issuances of common stock at a price below its exercise price.
Right of First Refusal
The Company has granted Chardan a right of first refusal, for a period of 18 months after the date of the consummation of a Business Combination, but no longer than 36 months after the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, to act as book-running manager, with at least 30% of the economics, for any and all future public and private equity and debt offerings by the Company or any of its successors or subsidiaries during such period.
Note 7 — Stockholders’ Equity
Common Stock — The Company will be authorized to issue 20,000,000 shares of common stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share. Holders of the common stock are entitled to one vote for each share. At June 30, 2022, there were 1,437,500 shares of common stock issued and outstanding, of which an aggregate of up to 187,500 shares are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full, so that the initial stockholders will own 20% of the issued and outstanding shares after the Proposed Public Offering (assuming the initial stockholders do not purchase any public units in the Proposed Public Offering and excluding the Private Shares underlying the Private Units). At December 31, 2021, there were zero shares of common stock issued and outstanding.
Rights — Each holder of a right will receive one-fifth (1/5) of one share of common stock upon consummation of a Business Combination, even if the holder of such right redeemed all shares held by it in connection with a Business Combination. No fractional shares will be issued upon conversion of the rights. No additional consideration will be required to be paid by a holder of rights in order to receive its additional shares upon consummation of a Business Combination, as the consideration related thereto has been included in the Unit purchase price paid for by investors in the Initial Public Offering. If the Company enters into a definitive agreement for a Business Combination in which the Company will not be the surviving entity, the definitive agreement will provide for the holders of rights to receive the same per share consideration the holders of the common stock will receive in the transaction on an as-converted into common stock basis and each holder of a right will be required to affirmatively covert its rights in order to receive one-fifth (1/5) share underlying each right (without paying additional consideration). The shares issuable upon conversion of the rights will be freely tradable (except to the extent held by affiliates of the Company).
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 rights will not receive any of such funds with respect to their rights, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside of the Trust Account with respect to such rights, and the rights will expire worthless. Further, there are no contractual penalties for failure to deliver securities to the holders of the rights upon consummation of a Business Combination. Additionally, in no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the rights. Accordingly, holders of the rights might not receive the shares of common stock underlying the rights.
F-14
ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 8 — Subsequent Events
The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date up to October 6, 2022, the date that the financial statements were reissued. Based on the review, management identified the following material subsequent events occurred in August 2022 that required disclosure in the financial statements:
1) Increased the conversion ratio for each Public Right upon the consummation of a Business Combination from one-tenth (1/10) of one share of common stock to one-fifth (1/5) of one share of common stock.
2) Eliminated the redeemable warrant component in both the Public Units and Private Units.
3) Increased the required deposit amount into the Trust Account for each term extension to $0.15 per Public Share from $0.10 per Public Share.
4) Increased the amount to be held in the Trust Account from $10.10 per Public Share to $10.15 per Public Share.
5) Increased the number of Private Units to be purchased from 237,500 to 262,500 Private Units (or 283,125 Private Units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per Private Unit for an aggregate purchase price of $2,625,000 (or $2,831,250 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full).
F-15
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Directors and Stockholder of
Alkaid Acquisition Corp
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of Alkaid Acquisition Corp (the “Company”) as of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the related statements of operations, changes in stockholder’s Equity (deficit) and cash flows for the periods from January 1, 2022 through March 31, 2022 and March 11, 2021 (inception) through December 31, 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 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the periods from January 1, 2022 through March 31, 2022 and from March 11, 2021 (inception) through December 31, 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 discussed in Note 1 to the financial statements, its business plan is dependent on the completion of a financing and the Company’s cash and working capital as of March 31, 2022 are not sufficient to complete its planned activities. 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 audits. 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 audits 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 audits 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 audits 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/ Friedman LLP
Friedman LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2022.
New York, NY
May 20, 2022, except for Notes 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8 which are dated October 6, 2022
F-16
ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
BALANCE SHEETS
March 31, | December 31, | |||||||
Assets: |
|
|
|
| ||||
Current asset – cash | $ | 136,548 |
| $ | 4,904 |
| ||
Deferred offering costs |
| 75,000 |
|
| — |
| ||
Total Assets | $ | 211,548 |
| $ | 4,904 |
| ||
Liabilities and Stockholder’s Equity (Deficit) |
|
|
|
| ||||
Current Liabilities |
|
|
|
| ||||
Accrued offering costs and expenses | $ | 65,000 |
| $ | — |
| ||
Due to related party |
| — |
|
| 8,699 |
| ||
Promissory note – related party |
| 130,000 |
|
| — |
| ||
Total current liabilities |
| 195,000 |
|
| 8,699 |
| ||
Commitments and Contingencies |
|
|
|
| ||||
Stockholder’s Equity (Deficit) |
|
|
|
| ||||
Common stock, $0.0001 par value; 5,000,000 shares authorized; 1,437,500 and 0 shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively(1) |
| 144 |
|
| — |
| ||
Additional paid-in capital |
| 24,856 |
|
| — |
| ||
Accumulated deficit |
| (8,452 | ) |
| (3,795 | ) | ||
Total stockholder’s equity (deficit) |
| 16,548 |
|
| (3,795 | ) | ||
Total Liabilities and Stockholder’s Equity (Deficit) | $ | 211,548 |
| $ | 4,904 |
|
____________
(1) Includes up to 187,500 shares of common stock subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part (see Note 5).
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-17
ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
For the | For the | |||||||
Formation costs | $ | 4,657 |
| $ | 3,795 |
| ||
Net loss | $ | (4,657 | ) | $ | (3,795 | ) | ||
Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding(1) |
| 1,123,596 |
|
| — |
| ||
Basic and diluted net loss per share | $ | — |
| $ | — |
|
____________
(1) Excludes up to 187,500 shares of common stock subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part (see Note 5).
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-18
ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY(DEFICIT)
FOR THE PERIOD FROM JANUARY 1, 2022 THROUGH MARCH 31, 2022
| Additional | Accumulated | Total | |||||||||||||
Shares | Amount | |||||||||||||||
Balance as of January 1, 2022 | — |
| — |
| — |
| (3,795 | ) |
| (3,795 | ) | |||||
Common stock issued to initial stockholders(1) | 1,437,500 |
| 144 |
| 24,856 |
| — |
|
| 25,000 |
| |||||
Net loss | — |
| — |
| — |
| (4,657 | ) |
| (4,657 | ) | |||||
Balance as of March 31, 2022 | 1,437,500 | $ | 144 | $ | 24,856 | $ | (8,452 | ) | $ | 16,548 |
|
FOR THE PERIOD FROM MARCH 11, 2021 (INCEPTION) THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2021
| Additional | Accumulated | Total | |||||||||||||
Shares | Amount | |||||||||||||||
Balance as of March 11, 2021 (inception) | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — |
| $ | — |
| |||||
Net loss | — |
| — |
| — |
| (3,795 | ) |
| (3,795 | ) | |||||
Balance as of December 31, 2021 | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | (3,795 | ) | $ | (3,795 | ) |
____________
(1) Includes up to 187,500 shares of common stock subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part (see Note 5).
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-19
ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
For the | For the | |||||||
Cash flows from operating activities: |
|
|
|
| ||||
Net loss | $ | (4,657 | ) | $ | (3,795 | ) | ||
Net cash used in operating activities |
| (4,657 | ) |
| (3,795 | ) | ||
Cash Flows from Financing Activities: |
|
|
|
| ||||
Proceeds from issuance of insider shares to the initial stockholders | $ | 25,000 |
|
| — |
| ||
Advances from a related party |
| (3,699 | ) |
| 8,699 |
| ||
Proceeds from issuance of promissory note to related party |
| 125,000 |
|
| — |
| ||
Payment of offering costs |
| (10,000 | ) |
| — |
| ||
Net cash provided by financing activities |
| 136,301 |
|
| 4,904 |
| ||
Net change in cash |
| 131,644 |
|
| 4,904 |
| ||
Cash, beginning of the period |
| 4,904 |
|
| — |
| ||
Cash, end of the period | $ | 136,548 |
| $ | 4,904 |
| ||
Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information: |
|
|
|
| ||||
Advances from a related party transferred to promissory note – related party |
| 8,699 |
|
| — |
| ||
Deferred offering costs in accrued offering costs and expenses | $ | 65,000 |
| $ | — |
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-20
ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 1 — Description of Organization and Business Operations
Alkaid Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) is a newly organized blank check company incorporated as a Delaware corporation on March 11, 2021. The Company was formed 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 (“Business Combination”). The Company is not limited to a particular industry or geographic region for purposes of consummating a Business Combination.
As of March 31, 2022, the Company had not commenced any operations. All activities through March 31, 2022 are related to the Company’s formation and the proposed initial public offering (“Proposed Public Offering”), which are described below. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after the completion of a Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income from the proceeds derived from the Proposed Public Offering. The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year end.
The Company’s sponsor is Alkaid Investments 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 of 5,000,000 units (or 5,750,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) each consisting one share of common stock and one right (the “Units” and, with respect to the shares of common stock included in the Units being offered, the “Public Shares”) at $10.00 per unit, which is discussed in Note 3, and the sale of 262,500 units (or 283,125 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (the “Private Units”) at a price of $10.00 per Private Unit in a private placement to the Sponsor that will close simultaneously with the Proposed Public Offering (see Note 4).
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 Units, 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 a Business Combination having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the assets held in the Trust Account (as defined below) (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned on the Trust Account) at the time of the agreement to enter into an initial Business Combination. The Company will only complete a 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 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 $10.15 per Unit sold in the Proposed Public Offering, including the proceeds from the sale of the Private Units, net of the underwriters’ fees and expenses described herein and other accountable expenses, will be placed in trust (the “Trust Fund”) and will be invested only in U.S. government treasury bills, bonds or notes with a maturity of 180 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and which invest solely in U.S. Treasuries. The Trust Fund will be deposited into a trust account (“Trust Account”) in the U.S. at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee, to be released only in the event of either: (i) the consummation of a Business Combination or (ii) the Company’s failure to complete a Business Combination within the applicable period of time.
The Company will provide its holders of the outstanding Public Shares (the “Public Stockholders”) with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares upon the completion of a Business Combination either (i) 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 in the Trust Account (initially anticipated to be $10.15 per Public Share, plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay its franchise and income tax obligations (less certain amount of interest to pay dissolution expenses)). The Public Shares subject to redemption will be recorded at a redemption value and classified as temporary equity upon the completion of the Proposed Public Offering in accordance with the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.”
F-21
ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 1 — Description of Organization and Business Operations (cont.)
If the Company seeks stockholder approval, the Company will proceed with a Business Combination if a majority of the shares voted are voted in favor of the Business Combination. If a stockholder vote is not required by law and the Company does not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other legal 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 Company’s Sponsor and any of the Company’s officers or directors that may hold Insider Shares (as defined in Note 5) (the “Initial Stockholders”) have agreed (a) to vote their Insider Shares, Private Shares (as defined in Note 4) and any Public Shares purchased during or after the Proposed Public Offering in favor of approving a Business Combination and (b) not to convert any shares (including the Insider Shares) in connection with a stockholder vote to approve, or sell the shares to the Company in any tender offer in connection with, a proposed Business Combination.
If the Company seeks stockholder approval of a Business Combination and it does not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides 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 20% or more of the Public Shares, without the prior consent of the Company.
The Initial Stockholders have agreed (a) to waive their redemption rights with respect to the Insider Shares, Private Shares and Public Shares held by them in connection with the completion of a Business Combination and (b) not to propose, or vote in favor of, an amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation that would affect the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to redeem 100% of its Public Shares if the Company does not complete a Business Combination, unless the Company provides the public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their Public Shares in conjunction with any such amendment.
The Company will have until 9 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering to consummate a Business Combination. In addition, if the Company anticipates that it may not be able to consummate initial business combination within 9 months, the Company’s insiders or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, extend the period of time to consummate a business combination two times by an additional three months each time (for a total of 15 months to complete a business combination) (the “Combination Period”). In order to extend the time available for the Company to consummate a Business Combination, the Sponsor or its affiliate or designees must deposit into the Trust Account $750,000, or $862,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($0.15 per Public Share in either case or an aggregate of $1,500,000, or $1,725,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full)), on or prior to the date of the applicable deadline.
If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within 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 (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less certain amount 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), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Company’s remaining stockholders and the Company’s board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, 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.
F-22
ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 1 — Description of Organization and Business Operations (cont.)
The Sponsor has agreed to waive its liquidation rights with respect to the Insider Shares and Private Shares if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period. However, if the Sponsor acquires Public Shares in or after the Proposed Public Offering, such Public Shares will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period. The underwriters have agreed to waive their rights to their deferred underwriting commission (see Note 6) held in the Trust Account in the event the Company does not complete a Business Combination within in 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 assets remaining available for distribution will be less than $10.15.
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 (excluding 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 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) $10.15 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 $10.15 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case 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 Proposed Public Offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, the Sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third party claims.
Going Concern Consideration
At March 31, 2022, the Company had $136,548 in cash and working capital deficit (current assets less current liabilities, excluding deferred offering costs) of $58,452. The Company has incurred and expects to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of its financing and acquisition plans. These conditions 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. Management plans to address this uncertainty through a Proposed Public Offering as discussed in Note 3. There is no assurance that the Company’s plans to raise capital or to consummate a Business Combination will be successful within the Combination Period. On January 10, 2022, the Sponsor agreed to loan the Company up to an aggregate amount of $200,000 as discussed in Note 5 to be used, in part, for transaction costs incurred in connection with the Proposed Public Offering. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying financial statements are presented in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC.
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.
F-23
ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (cont.)
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 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
In preparing these financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP, the Company’s management makes 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 expenses during the reporting period.
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 statements, 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 did not have any cash equivalents as of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively.
Deferred Offering Costs
Deferred offering costs consist of legal, underwriting fees and other costs incurred through the balance sheet date that are directly related to the Proposed Public Offering and that will be charged to stockholders’ 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.
Income Taxes
The Company follows the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes under ASC 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.
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. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. There were no unrecognized tax benefits and no amounts accrued for interest and penalties as of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively.
F-24
ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (cont.)
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 Company has identified the United States as its only “major” tax jurisdiction.
The Company may be subject to potential examination by federal and state taxing authorities in the areas of income taxes. These potential examinations may include questioning the timing and amount of deductions, the nexus of income among various tax jurisdictions and compliance with federal and state tax laws. The Company’s management does not expect that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will materially change over the next twelve months.
The provision for income taxes was deemed to be immaterial the periods from January 1, 2022 to March 31, 2022 and March 11, 2021 (inception) to December 31, 2021.
Net Loss Per Share
Net loss per share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period, excluding shares of common stock subject to forfeiture by the Initial Stockholders. Weighted average shares were reduced for the effect of an aggregate of 187,500 shares of common stock that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full by the underwriters (see Note 5). At March 31, 2022 and December 31, 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.
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 Depository Insurance Coverage of $250,000. The Company is not exposed to significant risks on such account as of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under ASC 825, “Financial Instruments,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the accompanying balance sheet, primarily due to their short-term nature.
Common Stock Subject to Possible Redemption
The Company accounts for its common stock subject to possible redemption in accordance with the guidance in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.” Common stock subject to mandatory redemption is classified as a liability instrument and is measured at fair value. Conditionally redeemable common stock (including common stock that feature redemption rights that is either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon the occurrence of uncertain events not solely within the Company’s control) is classified as temporary equity. At all other times, common stock is classified as stockholders’ equity. The Company’s common stock features certain redemption rights that are considered to be outside of the Company’s control and subject to occurrence of uncertain future events. Accordingly, common stock subject to possible redemption is presented at redemption value as temporary equity, outside of the stockholders’ equity section of the Company’s balance sheet.
The Company has made a policy election in accordance with ASC 480-10-S99-3A and recognizes changes in redemption value in additional paid-in capital (or accumulated deficit in the absence of additional paid-in capital) over an expected 12-month period leading up to a Business Combination.
F-25
ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (cont.)
Related Parties
Parties, which can be a corporation or individual, are considered to be related if the Company has the ability, directly or indirectly, to control the other party or exercise significant influence over the other party in making financial and operational decisions. Companies are also considered to be related if they are subject to common control or common significant influence.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting pronouncements, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.
Note 3 — Proposed Public Offering
Pursuant to the Proposed Public Offering, the Company intends to offer for sale 5,000,000 Units (or 5,750,000 Units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one share of common stock, one right (“Public Right”). Each Public Right will convert into one-fifth (1/5) of one share of common stock upon the consummation of a Business Combination.
Note 4 — Private Placement
The Sponsor has agreed to purchase 262,500 Private Units (or 283,125 Private Units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per Private Unit for an aggregate purchase price of $2,625,000, or $2,831,250 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. Each Private Unit will consist of one share of common stock (“Private Share”) and one right (“Private Right”). Each Private Right will convert into one-fifth (1/5) of one share of common stock upon the consummation of a Business Combination. The proceeds from the Private Units 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, the proceeds from the sale of the Private Units will be used to fund the redemption of the Public Shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law), and the Private Units and all underlying securities will expire worthless.
Note 5 — Related Party Transactions
Insider Shares
On January 10, 2022, the Company issued 1,437,500 shares of common stock to the Initial Stockholders (the “Insider Shares”) for an aggregated consideration of $25,000, or approximately $0.017 per share.
As of March 31, 2022, there were 1,437,500 Insider Shares issued and outstanding, among which, up to 187,500 shares subject to forfeiture by the Initial Stockholders to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full, so that the Initial Stockholders will collectively own 20% of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares after the Proposed Public Offering (assuming the Initial Stockholders do not purchase any Public Shares in the Proposed Public Offering and excluding the Private Units).
The Initial Stockholders have agreed, subject to certain limited exceptions, not to transfer, assign or sell any of their Insider Shares until, with respect to 50% of the Insider Shares, the earlier of six months after the consummation of a Business Combination and the date on which the closing price of the common stock equals or exceeds $12.50 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 commencing after a Business Combination and, with respect to the remaining 50% of the Insider Shares, until the six months after the consummation of a Business Combination, or earlier, in either case, if, subsequent to a Business Combination, the Company completes a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of the Company’s stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property.
F-26
ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 5 — Related Party Transactions (cont.)
Promissory Note — Related Party
On January 10, 2022, the Sponsor agreed to loan the Company up to an aggregate amount of $200,000 to be used, in part, for transaction costs incurred in connection with the Proposed Public Offering (the “Promissory Note”). From March 11, 2021 through December 31, 2021, the Sponsor advanced $8,699 to use for the formation costs during the period which was subsequently transferred to the Promissory Note on January 10, 2022. As of March 31, 2022, $130,000 were outstanding under the Promissory Note. The Promissory Note is unsecured, interest-free and due on the closing of the Proposed Public Offering.
Related Party Loans
In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with searching for a target business or consummating an intended initial business combination, the initial stockholders, officers, directors or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. In the event that the initial business combination does not close, the Company may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts, but no proceeds from the Trust Account would be used for such repayment. Such loans would be evidenced by promissory notes. The notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $500,000 of the notes may be converted upon consummation of the Company’s business combination into private units at a price of $10.00 per unit. The purchase price of these units will approximate the fair value of such units when issued. However, if it is determined, at the time of issuance, that the fair value of such units exceeds the purchase price, the Company would record compensation expense for the excess of the fair value of the units on the day of issuance over the purchase price in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 718 — Compensation — Stock Compensation.
As of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the Company had no borrowings under the working capital loans.
Administrative Services Agreement
The Company intends to enter into an agreement, commencing on the effective date of the Proposed Public Offering through the earlier of the Company’s consummation of a Business Combination and its liquidation, to pay the Sponsor a total of $10,000 per month for office space, utilities, secretarial and administrative support. However, pursuant to the terms of such agreement, the Sponsor agreed to defer the payment of such monthly fee. Any such unpaid amount will accrue without interest and be due and payable no later than the date of the consummation of initial Business Combination.
Note 6 — Commitments and Contingency
Risks and Uncertainties
Management is currently evaluating 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 future financial position, results of its operations and/or search for a target company, there has not been a significant impact as of the date of these financial statements. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the future outcome of this uncertainty.
Registration Rights
The holders of the Insider Shares issued and outstanding on the date of this prospectus, as well as the holders of the private units and any shares of the Company’s insiders, officers, directors or their affiliates may be issued in payment of working capital loans and extension loans made to the Company (and any shares of common stock issuable upon the conversion of the underlying the private rights), as well as holders of the securities underlying the Unit Purchase Option, will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to an agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering. The holders of a majority of these securities are entitled to make up to two demands (or one demand with respect to the securities underlying the Unit Purchase Option) that we register such securities. The holders of the majority of the Insider Shares
F-27
ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 6 — Commitments and Contingency (cont.)
can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time commencing three months prior to the date on which these shares of common stock are to be released from escrow. The holders of a majority of the private units and units issued in payment of working capital loans made to us can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time commencing on the date that the Company consummate an initial business combination. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the consummation of an initial business combination. Furthermore, notwithstanding the foregoing, pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110 Chardan may not exercise its demand and “piggyback” registration rights after five and seven years, respectively, after the commencement of sales of this offering and may not exercise its demand rights on more than one occasion. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Underwriting Agreement
The Company will grant the underwriters a 45-day option from the date of this prospectus to purchase up to 750,000 additional Units to cover over-allotments, if any, at the Proposed Public Offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions.
The underwriters will be entitled to a cash underwriting discount of 1.25% of the gross proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering, or $625,000 (or $718,750 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full). In addition, the underwriters will be entitled to a deferred fee of 4.0% of the gross proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering, or $2,000,000 (or $2,300,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), which will be paid upon the closing of a Business Combination from the amounts held in the Trust Account, subject to the terms of the underwriting agreement.
Representative Units
The Company will issue to Chardan Capital Markets LLC (“Chardan”) and/or its designees, at the time of the closing of the Business Combination, 50,000 Private Units (or up to 57,500 Private Units, depending on the extent to which the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option) (the “Representative Units”).
The Representative Units issued to Chardan will be subject to the lock-up and registration rights limitations imposed by FINRA Rule 5110.
Unit Purchase Option
The Company has agreed to sell Chardan (and/or its designees), at the time of the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, for $100, an option (the “Unit Purchase Option”) to purchase 150,000 units (or 172,500 units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) exercisable at $11.50 per Unit (or an aggregate exercise price of $1,725,000, or $1,983,750 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) commencing on the later of six months from the effective date of the registration statement related to the Proposed Public Offering and the consummation of a Business Combination. The Unit Purchase Option may be exercised for cash or on a cashless basis, at the holder’s option, and expires five years from the effective date of the registration statement related to the Proposed Public Offering. The Units issuable upon exercise of the Unit Purchase Option are identical to those offered in the Proposed Public Offering. The Company intends to account for the Unit Purchase Option, inclusive of the receipt of $100 cash payment, as an expense of the Proposed Public Offering resulting in a charge directly to stockholders’ equity. The Unit Purchase Option and such units purchased pursuant to the Unit Purchase Option, as well as the common stock underlying such units, the rights included in such units, and the shares of common stock that are issuable for the rights included in such units, have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to a 180-day lock-up pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1). The Unit Purchase Option grants to holders demand and “piggy back” rights for periods of five and seven years, respectively, from the effective date of the registration statement with respect to the registration under the Securities Act of the securities directly and indirectly issuable upon exercise of the Unit Purchase Option. The Company will bear all fees and expenses attendant to registering the securities, other than underwriting commissions which will be paid for by the holders themselves. The exercise price and number of units issuable upon exercise of the Unit Purchase Option may be adjusted in certain circumstances including in the event of a stock dividend, or the Company’s recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. However, the option will not be adjusted for issuances of common stock at a price below its exercise price.
F-28
ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 6 — Commitments and Contingency (cont.)
Right of First Refusal
The Company has granted Chardan a right of first refusal, for a period of 18 months after the date of the consummation of a Business Combination, but no longer than 36 months after the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, to act as book-running manager, with at least 30% of the economics, for any and all future public and private equity and debt offerings by the Company or any of its successors or subsidiaries during such period.
Note 7 — Stockholders’ Equity
Common Stock — The Company will be authorized to issue 20,000,000 shares of common stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share. Holders of the common stock are entitled to one vote for each share. At March 31, 2022, there were 1,437,500 shares of common stock issued and outstanding, of which an aggregate of up to 187,500 shares are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full, so that the initial stockholders will own 20% of the issued and outstanding shares after the Proposed Public Offering (assuming the initial stockholders do not purchase any public units in the Proposed Public Offering and excluding the Private Shares underlying the Private Units). At December 31, 2021, there were zero shares of common stock issued and outstanding.
Rights — Each holder of a right will receive one-fifth (1/5) of one share of common stock upon consummation of a Business Combination, even if the holder of such right redeemed all shares held by it in connection with a Business Combination. No fractional shares will be issued upon conversion of the rights. No additional consideration will be required to be paid by a holder of rights in order to receive its additional shares upon consummation of a Business Combination, as the consideration related thereto has been included in the Unit purchase price paid for by investors in the Initial Public Offering. If the Company enters into a definitive agreement for a Business Combination in which the Company will not be the surviving entity, the definitive agreement will provide for the holders of rights to receive the same per share consideration the holders of the common stock will receive in the transaction on an as-converted into common stock basis and each holder of a right will be required to affirmatively covert its rights in order to receive one-fifth (1/5) share underlying each right (without paying additional consideration). The shares issuable upon conversion of the rights will be freely tradable (except to the extent held by affiliates of the Company).
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 rights will not receive any of such funds with respect to their rights, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside of the Trust Account with respect to such rights, and the rights will expire worthless. Further, there are no contractual penalties for failure to deliver securities to the holders of the rights upon consummation of a Business Combination. Additionally, in no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the rights. Accordingly, holders of the rights might not receive the shares of common stock underlying the rights.
Note 8 — Subsequent Events
The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date up to October 6, 2022, the date that the financial statements were reissued. Based on the review, management identified the following material subsequent events occurred in June 2022 and August 2022 that required disclosure in the financial statements:
1) Reduced up-front underwriting discount to 1.25% from 2.25% and increased deferred underwriting discount to 4.0% from 2.75% (see Note 6).
2) Eliminated the business combination marketing agreement to engage Chardan as an advisor in connection with the Business Combination and pay Chardan a fee for such services in an amount equal to, in the aggregate, 1.25% of the gross proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering, including any proceeds from the full or partial exercise of the over-allotment option.
3) Eliminated underwriters’ reimbursement of certain offering expenses not to exceed $575,000.
F-29
ALKAID ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 8 — Subsequent Events (cont.)
4) Increased the conversion ratio for each Public Right upon the consummation of a Business Combination from one-tenth (1/10) of one share of common stock to one-fifth (1/5) of one share of common stock.
5) Eliminated the redeemable warrant component in both the Public Units and Private Units.
6) Increased the required deposit amount into the Trust Account for each term extension to $0.15 per Public Share from $0.10 per Public Share.
7) Increased the amount to be held in the Trust Account from $10.10 per Public Share to $10.15 per Public Share.
8) Increased the number of Private Units to be purchased from 237,500 to 262,500 Private Units (or 283,125 Private Units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per Private Unit for an aggregate purchase price of $2,625,000 (or $2,831,250 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full).
F-30
$50,000,000
Alkaid Acquisition Corp.
5,000,000 Units
_______________________________________________
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
_______________________________________________
Sole Book-Running Manager
Chardan
, 2022
Until __________, 2022 (25 days after the date of this prospectus), all dealers that buy, sell or trade our shares of common stock, 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 their unsold allotments or subscriptions.
No dealer, salesperson or any other person is authorized to give any information or make any representations in connection with this offering other than those contained in this prospectus and, if given or made, the information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by us. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security other than the securities offered by this prospectus, or an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities by anyone in any jurisdiction in which the offer or solicitation is not authorized or is unlawful.
PART II
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:
Initial Trustees fee | $ | 6,500 | |
Legal fees and expenses |
| 275,000 | |
Printing and engraving expenses |
| 30,000 | |
Accounting fees and expenses |
| 45,000 | |
Nasdaq listing fees |
| 75,000 | |
SEC Registration fees |
| 7,866 | |
FINRA filing fee |
| 11,207 | |
Miscellaneous(1) |
| 49,427 | |
Total | $ | 500,000 |
Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Our certificate of incorporation provides that all directors, officers, employees and agents of the registrant shall be entitled to be indemnified by us to the fullest extent permitted by Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law.
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 (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
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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.
(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.
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(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 bylaw, 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 certificate of incorporation, will provide 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 unless they violated their duty of loyalty to the Company or its stockholders, acted in bad faith, knowingly or intentionally violated the law, authorized unlawful payments of dividends, unlawful stock purchases or unlawful redemptions, or derived improper personal benefit from their actions as directors. The effect of this provision of our 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 certificate of incorporation, the liability of 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 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 certificate of incorporation will also 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, again