As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on November 24, 2021.
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
AMENDMENT NO. 1
TO
FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Financial Strategies Acquisition Corp.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware | | 6770 | | 85-1792560 |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | | (Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) | | (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
2626 Cole Avenue, Suite 300
Dallas, Texas 75204
Telephone: (214) 949-1677
(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)
Jamie Khurshid
2626 Cole Avenue, Suite 300
Dallas, Texas 75204
Telephone: (214) 949-1677
(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent For Service)
Copies to:
Matthew L. Fry, Esq. Haynes and Boone, LLP 2323 Victory Avenue, Suite 700 Dallas, Texas 75219 Tel: (214) 651-5000 | | Ralph De Martino Cavas Pavri Schiff Hardin LLP 901 K. St. NW Washington, DC 20001 Tel: (202) 778-6400 |
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, a 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. (Check one):
Large accelerated filer | | ¨ | | Accelerated filer | | ¨ |
Non-accelerated filer | | x | | Smaller reporting company | | x |
| | | | Emerging growth company | | x |
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 pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ¨
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
TITLE OF EACH CLASS OF SECURITY BEING REGISTERED | | AMOUNT BEING REGISTERED | | | PROPOSED MAXIMUM OFFERING PRICE PER SECURITY(1) | | | PROPOSED MAXIMUM AGGREGATE OFFERING PRICE(1) | | | AMOUNT OF REGISTRATION FEE | |
Units, each consisting of one share of Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value, one Right entitling the holder to receive one-tenth (1/10) of one share of Class A common stock and one redeemable Warrant entitling the holder to purchase one share of Class A common stock(2) | | | 10,005,000 | | | $ | 10.00 | | | $ | 100,050,000 | | | $ | 9,274.64 | |
Shares of Class A common stock included as part of the Units(3) | | | 10,005,000 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | (4) |
Redeemable Warrants included as part of the Units(3) | | | 10,005,000 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | (4) |
Rights included as part of the Units(3) | | | 10,005,000 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | (4) |
Shares of Class A common stock underlying the Rights included as part of the Units(3) | | | 1,000,500 | | | $ | 10.00 | | | $ | 10,005,000 | | | $ | 927.46 | |
Representative’s shares of Class A common stock(3) | | | 373,750 | | | $ | 10.00 | | | $ | 3,737,500 | | | $ | 346.47 | |
Representative’s Warrants | | | 800,400 | | | $ | 12.00 | | | $ | 9,604,800 | | | $ | 890.36 | |
Total | | | | | | | | | | $ | 123,397,300 | | | $ | 11,438.93 | (5) |
(1) | Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee. |
(2) | Includes 1,305,000 units, consisting of 1,305,000 shares of Class A common stock, 1,305,000 rights and 1,305,000 redeemable warrants, which may be issued upon exercise of a 30-day option granted to the underwriters to cover over-allotments, if any. |
(3) | Pursuant to Rule 416, there are also being registered an indeterminable number of additional securities as may be issued to prevent dilution resulting from stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions. |
(4) (5) | Filing fee included with the Units. The Registrant previously paid a registration fee of $8,758.88 in connection with the previous filing of the registration statement. |
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, as amended, 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 it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS | SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED November 24, 2021 |
$87,000,000
Financial Strategies Acquisition Corp.
8,700,000 Units
Financial Strategies Acquisition Corp. is a newly organized blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to as our initial business combination. While we may pursue an initial business combination target in any business, industry or geographical location, we intend to focus our search on businesses in the financial services industry. We have not selected any specific business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target.
We are an “emerging growth company” under applicable federal securities laws and will be subject to reduced public company reporting requirements. Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 28 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.
| | PER UNIT | | | TOTAL | |
Public offering price | | $ | 10.00 | | | $ | 87,000,000 | |
Underwriting discounts and commissions(1) | | $ | 0.25 | | | $ | 2,175,000 | |
Proceeds, before expenses, to Financial Strategies Acquisition Corp. | | $ | 9.75 | | | $ | 84,825,000 | |
(1) | Excludes $0.35 per unit, or $3,045,000 (or up to $3,501,750 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in the aggregate payable to I-Bankers for marketing services relating to our initial business combination to be placed in a trust account located in the United States and released to I-Bankers only on the completion of an initial business combination. The underwriters will receive compensation in addition to the underwriting discount. See the section of this prospectus entitled “Underwriting” beginning on page 149 for a description of compensation and other items of value payable to the underwriters. |
Of the proceeds we receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement units described in this prospectus, $87,870,000 or $101,050,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($10.10 per unit in either case), subject to increase of up to an additional approximately $0.20 per unit in the event that one, or both, of our co-sponsors elects to extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus, will be deposited into a trust account in the United States, with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee.
This is an initial public offering of our securities. Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one share of our Class A common stock, one redeemable warrant and one right, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as “rights.” Each right entitles the holder thereof to receive one-tenth (1/10) of one share of Class A common stock upon the consummation of an initial business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus. We will not issue fractional shares. As a result, you must have ten (10) rights to receive a share at the closing of the business combination. Every warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of our Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus. The warrants will become exercisable on the later of 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination or 12 months from the closing of this offering, and will expire five years after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation, as described in this prospectus. The underwriters have a 30-day option from the date of this prospectus to purchase up to an additional 1,305,000 units to cover over-allotments, if any. We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of our Class A common stock upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein.
We have 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus) to consummate our initial business combination. 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, in order to extend the time available for us to consummate our initial business combination, our co-sponsors or their affiliates or designees, upon five days’ advance notice prior to the applicable deadline, must deposit into the trust account for each three-month extension, $870,000, or $1,000,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($0.10 per unit in either case), on or prior to the date of the applicable deadline. If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within the above time period, we will distribute the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, net of taxes payable, and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay liquidation expenses, pro rata to our public stockholders by way of the redemption of their shares and to cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up of our affairs, as further described herein. In such event, the warrants and the rights will expire and be worthless.
Our co-sponsors, FSC Sponsor LLC and Celtic Sponsor VII LLC, an affiliate of Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd., (which we refer to as our “co-sponsors” throughout this prospectus), our anchor investors (as defined below) and I-Bankers Securities, Inc. (“I-Bankers”) have agreed to purchase an aggregate of 459,275 units (or 504,950 units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $4,592,750 (or $5,049,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Of such amount, 200,000 units will be purchased by FSC Sponsor LLC, 50,000 units will be purchased by Celtic Sponsor VII LLC, 50,000 units will be purchased by Sea Otter Securities Group LLC, 25,000 units will be purchased by Sixth Borough Capital Fund LP (and 25,000 units will be purchased by certain members of its general partner), 25,000 units will be purchased by Eagle Point Credit Management LLC, 25,000 units will be purchased by Greentree Financial Group Inc., and 59,275 units will be purchased by I-Bankers, in each case assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option. If the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised, I-Bankers has agreed to purchase an additional 45,675 units in the private placement. The private placement units are identical to the units sold in this offering, subject to certain limited exceptions as described in this prospectus.
Our initial stockholders own an aggregate of 2,501,250 shares of our Class B common stock (up to 326,250 shares of which are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised), which will automatically convert into shares of Class A common stock at the time of our initial business combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, as described herein.
Currently, there is no public market for our units, Class A common stock, warrants or rights. We have applied to list our units on The Nasdaq Global Market, or Nasdaq, under the symbol “FXCOU”. We expect that our units will be listed on The Nasdaq Global Market on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq. We expect the Class A common stock, warrants and rights comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless I-Bankers Securities, Inc., the representative of the underwriters, informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our satisfaction of certain conditions. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, we expect that the Class A common stock, warrants and rights will be listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “FXCO,” “FXCOW,” and “FXCOR” respectively. At the time that the Class A common stock, warrants and rights comprising the units begin separate trading, holders will hold the separate securities and no longer hold units (without any action needing to be taken by the holders), and the units will no longer trade.
The underwriters are offering the units for sale on a firm commitment basis. The underwriters expect to deliver the units to the purchasers on or about , 2021.
Sole Book-Running Manager
I-Bankers Securities, Inc.
, 2021
TABLE OF CONTENTS
We are responsible for the information contained in this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information, and we take no responsibility for any other information others may give to you. We are not, and the underwriters are not, making an offer to sell securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of this prospectus.
SUMMARY
This summary only highlights the more detailed information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. You should read this entire prospectus carefully, including the information under the section of this prospectus entitled “Risk Factors” and our financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, before investing.
Unless otherwise stated in this prospectus, or the context otherwise requires, references to:
| • | “anchor investors” are to Eagle Point Credit Management LLC, Greentree Financial Group Inc., Sea Otter Securities Group LLC and Sixth Borough Capital Fund LP (and certain members of its general partner); |
| • | “common stock” are to our Class A common stock and our Class B common stock, collectively; |
| • | our “co-sponsors” are to FSC Sponsor LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and Celtic Sponsor VII LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and an affiliate of Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd.; |
| • | “founder shares” are to shares of our Class B common stock initially purchased by our initial stockholders in a private placement prior to this offering, and the shares of our Class A common stock issuable upon the conversion thereof as provided herein; |
| • | “initial stockholders” are to our co-sponsors, anchor investors, Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd., Caliente Management, LLC, Frio Investments, LLC, and any other holders of our founder shares prior to this offering (or their permitted transferees); |
| • | “I-Bankers” are to I-Bankers Securities, Inc., the representative of the underwriters in this offering; |
| • | “management” or our “management team” are to our officers and directors; |
| • | “private placement rights” are to the rights included within the private placement units being purchased by our co-sponsors, anchor investors and I-Bankers and in the private placement; |
| • | “private placement shares” are to the shares of our common stock included within the private placement units being purchased by our co-sponsors, anchor investors and I-Bankers and in the private placement; |
| • | “private placement units” are to the units issued to our co-sponsors, anchor investors and I-Bankers and an in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of this offering, each private placement unit consisting of one private placement share, one private placement right and one private placement warrant; |
| • | “private placement warrants” are to the warrants included within the private placement units being purchased by our co-sponsors, anchor investors and I-Bankers in the private placement; |
| • | “public rights” are to the rights sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are subscribed for in this offering or thereafter in the open market); |
| • | “public shares” are to shares of our Class A common stock sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are purchased in this offering or thereafter in the open market); |
| • | “public stockholders” are to the holders of our public shares, including our initial stockholders and management team to the extent our initial stockholders and/or members of our management team purchase public shares, provided that each initial stockholder’s and member of our management team’s status as a “public stockholder” shall only exist with respect to such public shares; |
| • | “public warrants” are to our redeemable warrants sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are purchased in this offering or thereafter in the open market), to the private placement warrants if held by third parties other than one of our co-sponsors, anchor investors or the underwriters (or permitted transferees), and to any private placement warrants issued upon conversion of working capital loans that are sold to third parties that are not initial stockholders, anchor investors, or executive officers or directors (or permitted transferees), in each case, following the consummation of our initial business combination; |
| • | “representative’s shares” are to the 325,000 shares of our Class A common stock (or up to 373,750 shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) to be issued to the representative of the underwriters and/or its designees upon the closing of this offering; |
| • | “representative’s warrants” are to the warrants, exercisable for 696,000 shares of Class A common Stock (or up to 800,400 shares of Class A common Stock if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) to be issued to the representative of the underwriters and/or its designees upon the closing of this offering; |
| • | “rights” are to the rights, which includes the public rights as well as the private placement rights; |
| • | “warrants” are to our redeemable warrants, which includes the public warrants as well as the private placement warrants; and |
| • | “we,” “us,” “company” or “our company” are to Financial Strategies Acquisition Corp. |
On September 21, 2021, the Company effected a 7-for-10 reverse stock split of all issued and outstanding shares of our Class B common stock which reduced the number of issued and outstanding shares of Class B common stock from 2,875,000 shares to 2,012,500 shares. On October 13, 2021 the Company effected a 7.2-for-7 forward stock split of all issued and outstanding shares of our Class B common stock which increased the number of issued and outstanding shares of Class B common stock from 2,012,500 shares to 2,070,000 shares. On November 23, 2021 the Company effected a 87-for-72 forward stock split of all issued and outstanding shares of our Class B common stock which increased the number of issued and outstanding shares of Class B common stock from 2,070,000 shares to 2,501,250 shares. Unless otherwise indicated, all share and per share information contained herein has been adjusted to give effect to such stock splits.
Unless we tell you otherwise, the information in this prospectus assumes that the underwriters will not exercise their over-allotment option.
Our Company
We are a newly organized blank check company incorporated on July 1, 2020 as a Delaware corporation and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. We have not selected any specific business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. While we may pursue an acquisition opportunity in any industry or sector, we intend to focus our efforts on identifying businesses in the FinTech and financial services industries with an equity value of approximately $300 million to $500 million.
FinTech is in the beginning stages of transforming the global financial and investment business. There has been a rise in the level of sophistication and interconnectivity between innovative technology and financial services providers, and we expect this trend to continue and accelerate. We believe that there are many potential targets within the financial services space that could become attractive public companies. These potential targets exhibit a broad range of business models and financial characteristics that range from very high growth and innovative companies to more mature businesses with established markets, recurring revenues and strong cash flows.
We believe that our executives and board have considerable experience, talent and expertise in the global financial services and financial technologies sectors, which collectively will offer us an advantage in searching for and acquiring an attractive company with significant value for our shareholders.
Mr. Khurshid, our Chief Executive Officer, is a London based senior financial markets expert, with a career spanning over two decades as an investment banker with Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs, the Royal Bank of Scotland and as a senior partner with Cinnober Financial Technology, the world’s leading independent exchange and clearing house technology provider. Cinnober Financial Technology was a global provider of financial technology, primarily to exchanges and clearinghouses, that was acquired by Nasdaq in January 2019. Mr. Khurshid was selected by the Financial News in London as one of the top 40 under 40 in European trading and technology (2014) and ranked in the ‘Exchange invest’ Top 1000 most influential people in global financial markets. Mr. Khurshid is joined by Mr. Rzepka, our Chief Financial Officer, who has a twenty-year corporate career, serving as CFO and finance director in privately held companies as well as local subsidiaries of publicly listed international corporations. They are joined by Jeffrey Peel, our Chairman, who has extensive international experience in technology markets with a strong focus on software for financial markets. Mr. Peel has run his own advisory firm (Quadriga Consulting Ltd) since January 2002 and has worked with dozens of technology firms on growth, market expansion and channel development.
Initial Business Combination
Nasdaq rules require that we must complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding taxes payable on the interest earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. Our board of directors will make the determination as to the fair market value of our initial business combination. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of our initial business combination, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA or an independent accounting firm with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. While we consider it unlikely that our board of directors will not be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of a target’s assets or prospects. Additionally, pursuant to Nasdaq rules, any initial business combination must be approved by a majority of our independent directors.
We will have until 12 months from the closing of this offering to consummate our initial business combination. However, if we anticipate that we may not be able to consummate our initial business combination within 12 months, we may, by resolution of our board if requested by our co-sponsors, extend the period of time to consummate a business combination up to two times, each by an additional three months (for a total of up to 18 months to complete a business combination), subject to the co-sponsors depositing additional funds into the trust account as set out below. 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, in order to extend the time available for us to consummate our initial business combination, our co-sponsors or their affiliates or designees, upon five days advance notice prior to the applicable deadline, must deposit into the trust account for each three-month extension, $870,000, or $1,000,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($0.10 per unit in either case), on or prior to the date of the applicable deadline, up to an aggregate of $1,740,000 (or $2,001,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), or approximately $0.20 per share. In the event that we receive notice from one, or both, of our co-sponsors five days prior to the applicable deadline of its wish for us 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 co-sponsors 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. If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within the applicable time period, we will, promptly but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the public shares for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the trust account and promptly following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. In such event, the warrants and rights will be worthless.
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 taken into account for purposes of Nasdaq’s 80% of net assets test. If the 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 transactions and we will treat the target businesses together as the initial business combination for purposes of a tender offer or for seeking stockholder approval, as applicable.
Our Business Combination Process
In evaluating prospective business combinations, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review process that will encompass, among other things, a review of historical and projected financial and operating data, meetings with management and their advisors (if applicable), on-site inspection of facilities and assets, discussion with customers and suppliers, legal reviews and other reviews as we deem appropriate.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our co-sponsors, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our co-sponsors, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA or an independent accounting firm that our initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.
Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations to present the opportunity to such entity, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such opportunity to such entity. We believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will not materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer 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, and to the extent the director or officer is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation.
Corporate Information
Our executive offices are located at 2626 Cole Avenue, Suite 300, Dallas, Texas 75204, and our telephone number is (214) 949-1677.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (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.
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 Class A common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period. References herein to emerging growth company will have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act.
Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Rule 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 the prior June 30th, 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 prior June 30th.
THE OFFERING
In deciding 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 of this prospectus entitled “Risk Factors.”
Securities offered | | 8,700,000 units, at $10.00 per unit, each unit consisting of: |
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| | • | one share of Class A common stock; |
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| | • | one redeemable warrant, with each warrant exercisable for one share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share; and |
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| | • | one right to receive one-tenth (1/10) of one share of Class A common stock upon the consummation of an initial business combination. |
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Proposed Nasdaq symbols | | Units: “FXCOU” |
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| | Class A common stock: “FXCO” |
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| | Warrants: “FXCOW” |
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| | Rights: “FXCOR” |
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Trading commencement and separation of Class A common stock, warrants and rights | | The units will begin trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. We expect the Class A common stock, warrants and rights comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless I-Bankers informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, 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. At the time that the Class A common stock, warrants and rights comprising the units begin separate trading, holders will hold the separate securities and no longer hold units (without any action needing to be taken by the holders), and the units will no longer trade. |
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Separate trading of the Class A common stock and warrants is prohibited until we have filed a Current Report on Form 8-K | | In no event will the Class A common stock, warrants and rights be traded separately until we have filed a Current Report on Form 8-K with the SEC containing an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds at the closing of this offering. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering, which is anticipated to take place three business days from the date of this prospectus. 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. |
Units: | | |
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Number outstanding before this offering | | 0 |
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Number outstanding after this offering | | 9,159,275(1) |
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Common stock: | | |
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Number outstanding before this offering | | 2,501,250 shares of Class B common stock(2) |
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Number outstanding after this offering | | 11,659,275 shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock(1)(3) |
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Rights: | | |
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Number outstanding before this offering | | 0 |
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Number outstanding after this offering | | 9,159,275(1)(5) |
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Warrants: | | |
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Number outstanding before this offering | | 0 |
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Number of private placement warrants to be sold in a private placement simultaneously with this offering | | 459,275(1) |
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Number of warrants to be outstanding after this offering and the private placement | | 9,855,275 (1)(4) |
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Exercisability | | Each warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of Class A common stock. |
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Exercise price | | $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described herein. In addition, if (x) we issue additional shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per share of Class A common stock (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by our board of directors and, in the case of any such issuance to our co-sponsors or their affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by our co-sponsors or their affiliates, prior to such issuance) (the “Newly Issued Price”), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of our initial business combination on the date of the consummation of our initial business combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of our common stock during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which we consummate our initial business combination (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, and the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price described below under “Redemption of warrants” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price. |
(1) | Assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option and the forfeiture by our initial stockholders of 326,250 founder shares. Our co-sponsors, anchor investors and I-Bankers have agreed to purchase an aggregate of 459,275 private placement units (or 504,950 units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $4,592,750 (or $5,049,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full). Each private placement unit will be identical to the units sold in this offering, except as described in this prospectus. The private placement units are not subject to forfeiture but will be subject to transfer restrictions as described in “Principal Stockholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units (including securities contained therein).” |
(2) | Includes up to 326,250 shares that are subject to forfeiture by our initial stockholders depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. |
(3) | Comprised of 8,700,000 shares of Class A common stock included in the units to be sold in this offering, 459,275 shares of Class A common stock included in the private placement units to be sold in the private placement, 325,000 shares of Class A common stock issuable to I-Bankers and/or its designees, and 2,175,000 shares of Class B common stock (or founder shares). The Class B common stock is convertible into shares of our Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as described below adjacent to the caption “Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution rights.” |
(4) | Comprised of 8,700,000 public warrants included in the units to be sold in this offering, 459,275 private placement warrants included in the private placement units to be sold in the private placement and 696,000 representative’s warrants to be issued to I-Bankers upon closing of this offering. |
(5) | Assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option. Comprised of 8,700,000 public rights included in the units to be sold in this offering and 459,275 private placement rights included in the private placement units to be sold in the private placement. |
Exercise period | | The warrants will become exercisable on the later of: |
| | • | 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, or |
| | • | 12 months from the closing of this offering; |
| | provided in each case that we have an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available (or we permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis under the circumstances specified in the warrant agreement). |
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| | We are not registering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants at this time. However, we have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our best efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement covering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants, to cause such registration statement to become effective and to maintain a current prospectus relating to those shares of Class A common stock until the warrants expire or are redeemed, as specified in the warrant agreement. If a registration statement covering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective within 60 days after the closing of our initial business combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we will have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption. |
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| | Notwithstanding the above, if our Class A common stock is at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that it satisfies the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, and in the event we do not so elect, we will use our best efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. |
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| | The warrants will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, five years after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation. On the exercise of any warrant, the warrant exercise price will be paid directly to us and not placed in the trust account. |
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Redemption of warrants | | Once the warrants become exercisable, we may redeem the outstanding warrants (excluding the private placement warrants but including any outstanding representative’s warrants): |
| | • | in whole and not in part; |
| | • | at a price of $0.01 per warrant; |
| | • | upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption, which we refer to as the 30-day redemption period; and |
| | • | if, and only if, the last sale price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 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 ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. |
| | We will not redeem the warrants unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is effective and a current prospectus relating to those shares of Class A common stock is available throughout the 30-day redemption period, except if the warrants may be exercised on a cashless basis and such cashless exercise is exempt from registration under the Securities Act. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of shares of common stock upon exercise of the warrants is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or we are unable to effect such registration or qualification. We will use our best efforts to register or qualify such shares of common stock under the blue sky laws of the state of residence in those states in which the warrants were offered by us in this offering. |
| | If we call the warrants for redemption as described above, our management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise warrants to do so on a “cashless basis.” In determining whether to require all holders to exercise their warrants on a “cashless basis,” our management will consider, among other factors, our cash position, the number of warrants that are outstanding and the dilutive effect on our stockholders of issuing the maximum number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of our warrants. In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of shares of Class A common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of Class A common stock underlying the warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the “fair market value” (defined below) by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” shall mean the average reported last sale price of the Class A common stock for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. |
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| | Please see the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Redeemable Warrants — Public Stockholders’ Warrants” for additional information. |
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| | None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us so long as they are held by our co-sponsors, anchor investors, or I-Bankers, or any of their permitted transferees. |
Accounting for the public warrants and the private warrants | | The public warrants that are to be issued in this offering and the private placement warrants that are to be issued concurrently with this offering will be accounted for outside of stockholders’ equity and included in our financial statements as a current liability measured at the estimated fair value of the total outstanding public warrants and private placement warrants. In addition, at each reporting period (1) the accounting treatment of the warrants will be re-evaluated for proper accounting treatment as a liability or equity and (2) the fair value of the liability of the public warrants and the private placement warrants will be remeasured and the change in the fair value of the liability will be recognized in our statement of operations. If the classification changes as a result of events during the period, the warrants will be reclassified as of the date of the event that causes the reclassification. |
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Founder shares | | On October 23, 2020, our initial stockholders purchased 2,501,250 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.01 per share. The per share purchase price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash contributed to the company by the aggregate number of founder shares issued. The number of founder shares issued was determined based on the expectation that the founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares after this offering (not including the private placement shares and the shares of Class A common stock issuable to I-Bankers). As such, our initial stockholders will collectively own 20% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering (not including the private placement shares and the shares of Class A common stock issuable to I-Bankers and assuming our initial stockholders do not purchase any units in this offering). Neither of our co-sponsors nor any of our officers or directors have expressed an intention to purchase any units in this offering. Prior to the effectiveness of this registration statement, FSC Sponsor LLC intends to transfer an aggregate of 1,310,037.5 of its founder shares amongst certain of our initial stockholders, including Celtic Sponsor VII LLC, Caliente Management, LLC, Frio Investments, LLC, Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd., and each of the anchor investors. Up to 326,250 founder shares will be subject to forfeiture by certain of our initial stockholders (which founder shares subject to forfeiture are comprised of 101,087 shares held by FSC Sponsor LLC, 26,087 shares held by Celtic Sponsor VII LLC, 109,071 shares held by Celtic Asset & Equity Partners Ltd., 11,092 shares held by Frio Investments, LLC, 48,913 shares held by Caliente Management, LLC, and 30,000 shares held by Sea Otter Securities Group LLC) depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised so that our initial stockholders will maintain ownership of 20% of our common stock after this offering (not including the private placement shares and the shares of Class A common stock issuable to I-Bankers). We will effect a stock dividend or share contribution prior to this offering should the size of the offering change, in order to maintain such ownership percentage. |
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| | The founder shares are identical to the shares of Class A common stock included in the units being sold in this offering, except that: |
| | • | the founder shares are shares of Class B common stock that automatically convert into shares of our Class A common stock at the time of our initial business combination, or at any time prior thereto at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment pursuant to certain anti-dilution rights, as described herein; |
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| | • | the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below; |
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| | • | our initial stockholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to (i) waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to 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 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity and (iii) waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus), 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 frame; |
| | • pursuant to the letter agreement, our initial stockholders, officers and directors have agreed to vote any founder shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after this offering (including in open market and privately negotiated transactions), and I-Bankers has agreed to vote the representative’s shares in favor of our initial business combination. If we submit our initial business combination to our public stockholders for a vote, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the initial business combination. As a result, in addition to our initial stockholders’ founder shares, the private placement shares and the representative’s shares, we would need only 2,870,363, or 32.99%, of the 8,700,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination (assuming all outstanding shares are voted) in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised), or, assuming that only a quorum is present at the meeting, no public shares would need to be voted in favor of an initial business combination, in order to have our initial business combination approved; and |
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| | • the founder shares are entitled to registration rights. |
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Transfer restrictions on founder shares | | Our initial stockholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares until the earlier to occur of (i) one year after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination and (ii) the date on which we consummate a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of Class A common stock for cash, securities or other property (except as described herein under the section of this prospectus entitled “Principal Stockholders — Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units”). Any permitted transferees will be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our initial stockholders with respect to any founder shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the closing price of our shares of Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing 150 days after our initial business combination, the founder shares will no longer be subject to such transfer restrictions. We refer to such transfer restrictions throughout this prospectus as the lock-up. |
Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution rights | | The shares of Class B common stock will automatically convert into shares of our Class A common stock at the time of our initial business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional shares of Class A common stock, or equity-linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts offered in this prospectus and related to the closing of the initial business combination, the ratio at which shares of Class B common stock shall convert into shares of Class A common stock will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Class B common stock agree to waive such adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of all shares of Class B common stock will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the sum of the total number of all shares of common stock outstanding upon the completion of this offering (not including the private placement shares and the shares of Class A common Stock issuable to I-Bankers) plus all shares of Class A common stock and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued in connection with the initial business combination (excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination or any private placement-equivalent units issued to our co-sponsors, their affiliates or certain of our officers and directors upon conversion of working capital loans made to us). Holders of founder shares may also elect to convert their shares of Class B common stock into an equal number of shares of Class A common stock, subject to adjustment as provided above, at any time. The term “equity-linked securities” refers to any debt or equity securities that are convertible, exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Class A common stock issued in a financing transaction in connection with our initial business combination, including but not limited to a private placement of equity or debt. Securities could be “deemed issued” for purposes of the conversion rate adjustment if such shares are issuable upon the conversion or exercise of convertible securities, warrants or similar securities. |
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Voting rights | | Holders of the Class A common stock and holders of the Class B common stock will vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of our stockholders, with each share of common stock entitling the holder to one vote. |
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Terms of the rights | | Each holder of a right will receive one-tenth (1/10) of one share of Class A common stock upon consummation of our initial business combination. In the event we will not be the survivor 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-tenth (1/10) share underlying each right (without paying any additional consideration) upon consummation of the 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 for their rights, and the rights will expire worthless. No fractional shares will be issued upon conversion of any rights. Any fractional shares will be rounded down to the nearest whole share, and any rounding down and extinguishment may be done with or without any in lieu cash payment or other compensation being made to the holder of the relevant rights. As a result, you must have ten rights to receive a share of Class A common stock at the closing of the initial business combination. |
Private placement units | | Our co-sponsors, anchor investors and I-Bankers have agreed to purchase an aggregate of 459,275 units (or 504,950 units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $4,592,750 (or $5,049,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Of such amount, 200,000 units will be purchased by FSC Sponsor LLC, 50,000 units will be purchased by Celtic Sponsor VII LLC, 50,000 units will be purchased by Sea Otter Securities Group LLC, 25,000 units will be purchased by Sixth Borough Capital Fund LP (and 25,000 units will be purchased by certain members of its general partner), 25,000 units will be purchased by Eagle Point Credit Management LLC, 25,000 units will be purchased by Greentree Financial Group Inc., and 59,275 units will be purchased by I-Bankers, in each case assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option. If the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised, I-Bankers has agreed to purchase an additional 45,675 units in the private placement. Each private placement unit is identical to the units offered by this prospectus except as described below. A portion of the purchase price of the private placement units will be added to the proceeds from this offering to be held in the trust account such that at the time of closing $87,870,000 (or $101,050,500 if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full) will be held in the trust account. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to the founder shares, private placement shares, private placement warrants or private placement rights, which private placement warrants and private placement rights will expire worthless if we do not consummate a business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus). Our initial stockholders and I-Bankers have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their placement shares and representative’s shares (i) in connection with the consummation of a business combination, (ii) in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or certain amendments to our charter prior thereto, to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus). However, our initial stockholders and I-Bankers will be entitled to redemption rights with respect to any public shares held by them if we fail to consummate a business combination or liquidate within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus). |
Transfer restrictions on private placement units and underlying securities | | The private placement units (including the securities underlying the private placement units) will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination (except as described under the section of this prospectus entitled “Principal Stockholders — Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units”). Following such period, the private placement units (including the securities underlying the private placement units) will be transferable, assignable or salable, except that the private placement warrants and the private placement rights will not trade. |
Redeemability and exercise of placement warrants | | The private placement warrants will be non-redeemable and exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by the co-sponsors, the underwriters or their permitted transferees. If the private placement warrants are held by holders other than the co-sponsors, anchor investors, I-Bankers or any of their permitted transferees, the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us and exercisable by the holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the units being sold in this offering. In addition, for as long as the private placement warrants are held by the underwriters or their designees or affiliates, they may not be exercised after five years from the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. If holders of private placement warrants elect to exercise them on a cashless basis, they would pay the exercise price by surrendering their warrants for that number of shares of Class A common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of Class A common stock underlying the warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the “fair market value” (defined below) by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” shall mean the average reported last sale price of the Class A common stock for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of warrant exercise is sent to the warrant agent. The reason that we have agreed that these warrants will be exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by the co-sponsors or their permitted transferees is because it is not known at this time whether they will be affiliated with us following an initial business combination. If they remain affiliated with us, their ability to sell our securities in the open market will be significantly limited. We expect to have policies in place that prohibit insiders from selling our securities except during specific periods of time. Even during such periods of time when insiders will be permitted to sell our securities, an insider cannot trade in our securities if he or she is in possession of material non-public information. Accordingly, unlike public stockholders who could sell the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants freely in the open market, the insiders could be significantly restricted from doing so. As a result, we believe that allowing the holders to exercise such warrants on a cashless basis is appropriate. |
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Proceeds to be held in trust account | | Nasdaq rules provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement units be deposited in a trust account. Of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, $87,870,000, or $10.10 per unit ($101,050,500, or $10.10 per unit, if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be placed into a trust account in the United States, with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, subject to increase of up to an additional approximately $0.20 per unit in the event that one, or both, of our co-sponsors elects to extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus. |
| | Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our franchise and income tax obligations (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), the proceeds from this offering and $3,045,000 of the proceeds from the sale of the private placement units (or $3,501,750 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of (a) the completion of our initial business combination, (b) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (i) to 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 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity, and (c) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus), subject to applicable law. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could become subject to the claims of our creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of our public stockholders. |
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Ability to extend time to complete business combination | | If we anticipate that we may not be able to consummate our initial business combination within 12 months, we may, by resolution of our board if requested by one, or both, of our co-sponsors, extend the period of time to consummate a business combination up to two times, each by an additional three months (for a total of up to 18 months to complete a business combination), subject to the co-sponsors depositing additional funds into the trust account as set out below. 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, in order to extend the time available for us to consummate our initial business combination, our co-sponsors or their affiliates or designees, upon five days advance notice prior to the applicable deadline, must deposit into the trust account for each three-month extension, $870,000, or $1,000,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($0.10 per unit in either case) on or prior to the date of the applicable deadline, up to an aggregate of $1,740,000 (or $2,001,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), or approximately $0.20 per share. Any such payments would be made in the form of a loan. The terms of the promissory note to be issued in connection with any such loans have not yet been negotiated. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. If we do not complete a business combination, we will not repay such loans. Furthermore, the letter agreement with our initial stockholders contains a provision pursuant to which our co-sponsors have agreed to waive their right to be repaid for such loans in the event that we do not complete a business combination. Our co-sponsors 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. |
Anticipated expenses and funding sources | | Except as described above with respect to the payment of taxes, unless and until we complete our initial business combination, no proceeds held in the trust account will be available for our use. The proceeds held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government securities with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. We will disclose in each quarterly and annual report filed with the SEC prior to our initial business combination whether the proceeds deposited in the trust account are invested in U.S. government treasury obligations or money market funds or a combination thereof. Based upon current interest rates, we expect the trust account to generate approximately $439,350 of interest annually assuming an interest rate of 0.5% per year; however, we can provide no assurances regarding this amount. Unless and until we complete our initial business combination, we may pay our expenses only from: |
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| | • the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units not held in the trust account, which will be approximately $250,000 in working capital after the payment of approximately $1,297,750 in expenses relating to this offering; and |
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| | • any loans or additional investments from our co-sponsors, members of our management team or their affiliates or other third parties, although they are under no obligation to advance funds or invest in us, and provided that any such loans will not have any claim on the proceeds held in the trust account unless such proceeds are released to us upon completion of an initial business combination. |
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Conditions to completing our initial business combination | | Nasdaq rules require that we must complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding taxes payable on the interest earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. Our board of directors will make the determination as to the fair market value of our initial business combination. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of our initial business combination, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA or an independent accounting firm with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. While we consider it unlikely that our board of directors will not be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of a target’s assets or prospects. There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds privately, or through loans in connection with our initial business combination. |
| | We anticipate structuring our initial business combination either (i) in such a way 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, or (ii) in such a way so that the post-transaction company owns or acquires 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. However, we will only complete an initial 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. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our stockholders prior to the initial business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the initial business combination. 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 taken into account for purposes of Nasdaq’s 80% of net assets test. If the 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 transactions and we will treat the target businesses together as the initial business combination for purposes of a tender offer or for seeking stockholder approval, as applicable. |
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Permitted purchases of public shares, public warrants and public rights by our affiliates | | 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 co-sponsors, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares, public warrants or public rights in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. There is no limit on the number of securities our initial stockholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase in such transactions, subject to compliance with applicable law and Nasdaq rules. However, apart from the purchase of the private placement units, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. If they engage in such transactions, they will not make any such purchases when they are in possession of any material nonpublic information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will comply with such rules. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements. None of the funds held in the trust account will be used to purchase shares, public warrants or public rights in such transactions prior to completion of our initial business combination. See “Proposed Business — Permitted purchases of our securities” for a description of how our co-sponsors, directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates will select which stockholders to purchase securities from in any private transaction. |
| | The purpose of any such purchases of shares could be to vote such shares in favor of the initial business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the initial business combination or 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. The purpose of any such purchases of public warrants or public rights could be to reduce the number of public warrants or public rights outstanding or to vote such public warrants or public rights on any matters submitted to the warrant holders or rights holders for approval in connection with our initial business combination. Any such purchases of our securities may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our shares of Class A common stock or warrants may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange. |
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Redemption rights for public stockholders upon completion of our initial business combination | | We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.10 per unit. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our initial business combination with respect to our warrants or rights. Our initial stockholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares or private placement shares held by them and any public shares they may acquire during or after this offering in connection with the completion of our initial business combination or otherwise. I-Bankers has entered into a letter agreement with us pursuant to which it has agreed to waive its redemption rights with respect to any representative’s shares held by it in connection with the completion of our initial business combination or otherwise. |
| | We may require our public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the tender offer documents or proxy materials mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using the Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option. The tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring public stockholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. |
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Manner of conducting redemptions | | We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination either (i) in connection with a stockholder meeting called to approve the initial business combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed initial business combination or conduct 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 require us to seek stockholder approval under the law or stock exchange listing requirements. Under Nasdaq rules, asset acquisitions and stock purchases would not typically require stockholder approval while direct mergers with our company where we do not survive and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our outstanding common stock or seek to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation would require stockholder approval. We may conduct redemptions without a stockholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC unless stockholder approval is required by law or stock exchange listing requirements or we choose to seek stockholder approval for business or other legal reasons. So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, we will be required to comply with such rules. |
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| | If a stockholder vote is not required and we do not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation: |
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| | • conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers, and |
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| | • file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies. |
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| | Such provisions may be amended if approved by holders of 65% of our common stock entitled to vote thereon. |
| | Whether or not we maintain our registration under the Exchange Act or our listing on Nasdaq, we will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares by one of the two methods listed above. Upon the public announcement of our initial business combination, if we elect to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, we or our co-sponsors will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase shares of our Class A common stock in the open market, in order to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act. |
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| | In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on public stockholders not tendering more than a specified number of public shares, which number will be based on the requirement that we will only redeem our public shares so long as (after such redemption) our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. If public stockholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete the initial business combination. |
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| | If, however, stockholder approval of the transaction is required by law or stock exchange listing requirements, or we decide to obtain stockholder approval for business or other legal reasons, we will: |
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| | • conduct the redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies, and not pursuant to the tender offer rules, and |
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| | • file proxy materials with the SEC. |
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| | If we seek stockholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the initial business combination. A quorum for such meeting will consist of the holders present in person or by proxy of shares of outstanding capital stock of the company representing a majority of the voting power of all outstanding shares of capital stock of the company entitled to vote at such meeting. |
| | Our initial stockholders will count towards this quorum and, pursuant to the letter agreement, our initial stockholders, officers and directors have agreed to vote their founder shares, private placement shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering (including in open market and privately negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination. Pursuant to the letter agreement, I-Bankers has agreed to vote its representative’s shares in favor of our initial business combination. For purposes of seeking approval of the majority of our outstanding shares of common stock voted, broker non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial business combination once a quorum is obtained. As a result, in addition to our initial stockholders’ founder shares, the private placement shares and the representative’s shares, we would need only 2,870,363, or 32.99%, of the 8,700,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination (assuming all outstanding shares are voted) in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised), or, assuming that only a quorum is present at the meeting, no public shares would need to be voted in favor of an initial business combination, in order to have our initial business combination approved. We intend to give approximately 30 days (but not less than 10 days nor more than 60 days) prior written notice of any such meeting, if required, at which a vote shall be taken to approve our initial business combination. These quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreements of our initial stockholders, may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination. Each public stockholder may elect to redeem its public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction. |
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| | We may require our public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the tender offer documents mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically. We believe that this will allow our transfer agent to efficiently process any redemptions without the need for further communication or action from the redeeming public stockholders, which could delay redemptions and result in additional administrative cost. If the proposed initial business combination is not approved and we continue to search for a target company, we will promptly return any certificates delivered, or shares tendered electronically, by public stockholders who elected to redeem their shares. |
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| | Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we will only redeem our public shares so long as (after such redemption) our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. For example, the proposed initial business combination may require: (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash to be transferred to the target for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions in accordance with the terms of the proposed initial business combination. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all shares of Class A common stock that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed initial business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the initial business combination or redeem any shares, and all shares of Class A common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof. |
Limitation on redemption rights of stockholders holding 15% or more of the shares sold in this offering if we hold stockholder vote | | Notwithstanding the foregoing redemption rights, 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 amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide 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 Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering, without our prior consent. We believe the restriction described above will discourage stockholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to redeem their shares as a means to force us or our management to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public stockholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights against an initial business combination if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us or our management at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our stockholders’ ability to redeem to no more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of stockholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our initial business combination, particularly in connection with an initial business combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. However, we would not be restricting our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including all shares held by those stockholders that hold more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering) for or against our initial business combination. |
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Redemption rights in connection with proposed amendments to our certificate of incorporation | | Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that any of its provisions related to pre-business combination activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of this offering and the private placement of units into the trust account and not release such amounts except in specified circumstances, and to provide redemption rights to public stockholders as described herein) may be amended if approved by holders of 65% of our common stock entitled to vote thereon, and corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account may be amended if approved by holders of 65% of our common stock entitled to vote thereon. In all other instances, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may be amended by holders of a majority of our outstanding common stock entitled to vote thereon, subject to applicable provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or DGCL, or applicable stock exchange rules. Under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, we may not issue additional securities that can vote on amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or on our initial business combination or that would entitle holders thereof to receive funds from the trust account. Our initial stockholders, who will collectively beneficially own 20% of our common stock upon the closing of this offering (not including the private placement shares and the shares of Class A common Stock issuable to I-Bankers and assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering), will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and/or trust agreement and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. Our initial stockholders, executive officers and directors and I-Bankers have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (i) to 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 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of Class A 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 (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. Our initial stockholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares, private placement shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. I-Bankers has entered into a letter agreement with us pursuant to which it has agreed to waive its redemption rights with respect to any representative’s shares held by it in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. |
Release of funds in trust account on closing of our initial business combination | | On the completion of our initial business combination, the funds held in the trust account will be used to pay amounts due to any public stockholders who exercise their redemption rights as described above under “Redemption rights for public stockholders upon completion of our initial business combination.” We will use the remaining funds to pay all or a portion of the consideration payable to the target or owners of the target of our initial business combination and to pay other expenses associated with our initial business combination, including the fee payable to I-Bankers pursuant to the Business Combination Marketing Agreement described under “Underwriting—Business Combination Marketing Agreement,” which fee we refer to throughout this prospectus as the Marketing Fee. If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt securities, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of post-transaction businesses, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital. |
Redemption of public shares and distribution and liquidation if no initial business combination | | Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we will have only 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus) to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within such 12-month period (or up to 18-month period), 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 the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, 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 our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants or rights, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the 12-month period (or up to 18-month period). |
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| | Our initial stockholders, officers, directors and I-Bankers have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares, private placement shares or representative’s shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus). However, if our initial stockholders or I-Bankers acquire public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the allotted 12-month time period (or up to 18-month time period). |
Limited payments to insiders | | There will be no finder’s fees, reimbursement, consulting fee, non-cash payments, monies in respect of any payment of a loan or other compensation paid by us to our initial stockholders, officers or directors, or any affiliate of our initial stockholders or officers prior to, or in connection with any services rendered in order to effectuate, the consummation of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). However, the following payments will be made to our initial stockholders, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates, none of which will be made from the proceeds of this offering held in the trust account prior to the completion of our initial business combination: |
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| | • Repayment upon consummation of the initial business combination of up to $250,000 in loans made to us by Emil Assentato, of which $250,000 has been drawn upon, and $200,000 in loans made to us by FSC Sponsor LLC, to cover offering-related and organizational expenses; |
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| | • Payment to Celtic of $15,000 per month, for up to 12 months, for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support; |
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| | • Reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination; and |
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| | • Repayment of loans which may be made by our co-sponsors or their affiliates or certain of our officers and directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, the terms of which have not been determined nor have any written agreements been executed with respect thereto. Up to $1,500,000 of such working capital loans may be convertible into private placement-equivalent units at a price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued 150,000 units if $1,500,000 of notes were so converted), at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private placement units. The terms of such working capital loans by our co-sponsors or their affiliates, or our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. |
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| | Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our initial stockholders, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates. |
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Audit Committee | | We will establish and maintain an audit committee, which will be composed entirely of independent directors to, among other things, monitor compliance with the terms described above and the other terms relating to this offering. If any noncompliance is identified, then the audit committee will be charged with the responsibility to immediately take all action necessary to rectify such noncompliance or otherwise to cause compliance with the terms of this offering. For more information, see the section of this prospectus entitled “Management — Committees of the Board of Directors — Audit Committee.” |
Indemnity | | Our co-sponsors have agreed that they will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party 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) $10.10 per unit 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 $10.10 per unit due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the trust account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, we have not asked our co-sponsors to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our co-sponsors have sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that our co-sponsors’ only assets are securities of our company. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our co-sponsors 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. |
Summary of Risk Factors
Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including those highlighted in the section title “Risk Factors,” that represent challenges that we face in connection with the successful implementation of our strategy. 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 adversely affect our ability to effect a business combination, and may have an adverse effect on our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. Such risks include, but are not limited to:
| • | newly formed company without an operating history; |
| • | our ability to continue as a “going concern;” |
| • | delay in receiving distributions from the trust account; |
| • | lack of opportunity to vote on our proposed business combination; |
| • | lack of protections afforded to investors of blank check companies; |
| • | deviation from acquisition criteria; |
| • | issuance of equity and/or debt securities to complete a business combination; |
| • | lack of working capital; |
| • | third-party claims reducing the per-share redemption price; |
| • | negative interest rate for securities in which we invest the funds held in the trust account; |
| • | our stockholders being held liable for claims by third parties against us; |
| • | failure to enforce our co-sponsors’ indemnification obligations; |
| • | warrant holders limited to exercising warrants only on a “cashless basis;” |
| • | the ability of warrant holders to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with our company; |
| • | dependence on key personnel; |
| • | conflicts of interest of our co-sponsors, officers and directors and I-Bankers Securities; |
| • | the delisting of our securities by Nasdaq; |
| • | dependence on a single target business with a limited number of products or services; |
| • | our stockholders’ inability to vote or redeem their shares in connection with our extensions; |
| • | shares being redeemed and warrants and rights becoming worthless; |
| • | our competitors with advantages over us in seeking business combinations; |
| • | ability to obtain additional financing; |
| • | our initial stockholders controlling a substantial interest in us; |
| • | the adverse effect of warrants and rights on the market price of our common stock; |
| • | disadvantageous timing for redeeming warrants; |
| • | the adverse effect of registration rights on the market price of our common stock; |
| • | impact of COVID-19 and related risks; |
| • | business combination with a company located in a foreign jurisdiction; |
| • | changes in laws or regulations; tax consequences to business combinations; and |
| • | exclusive forum provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. |
SUMMARY FINANCIAL DATA
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, and accordingly only balance sheet data is presented.
| | September 30, 2021 | |
| | Without Over-Allotment | | | With Over-Allotment | |
Balance Sheet Data: | | Actual (unaudited) | | | As Adjusted (unaudited) | | | Actual (unaudited) | | | As Adjusted (unaudited) | |
Working capital(1) | | $ | 184,934 | | | | 88,615,000 | | | | 184,934 | | | | 101,795,500 | |
Total assets(1) | | $ | 475,000 | | | | 88,615,000 | | | | 475,000 | | | | 101,795,500 | |
Total liabilities(2) | | $ | 455,000 | | | | (12,673,053 | ) | | | 455,000 | | | | (12,694,622 | ) |
Value of common stock subject to possible conversion/tender(3) | | $ | - | | | | 87,870,000 | | | | - | | | | 101,050,500 | |
Stockholders’ equity(4) | | $ | 20,000 | | | | (11,657,987 | ) | | | 20,000 | | | | (11,679,596 | ) |
(1) | The “As Adjusted” figures include $87,870,000 (or $100,050,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) in cash held in trust from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, $250,000 in cash held out of the trust account, $184,934 in cash as of September 30, 2021, deferred offering costs of $290,066 paid for in advance, and $20,000 of stockholders’ equity as of September 30, 2021. |
(2) | The “as adjusted” total liabilities calculation includes $450,000 in promissory notes and an unsecured loan of $5,000 from Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd.; $3,045,000 in fees for marketing services relating to our initial business combination and $9,173,053 in deferred warrant liabilities, assuming the underwriter’s over-allotment option is not exercised; and $3,501,750 in fees for marketing services relating to our initial business combination and $10,525,099 in derivative warrant liabilities, assuming the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised. |
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(3) | The “as adjusted” calculation equals the “as adjusted” total assets, less the “as adjusted” total liabilities, less the value of shares of common stock that may be redeemed in connection with our initial business combination (approximately $10.10 per share), which is set to approximate the minimum net tangible assets threshold of at least $5,000,001 upon consummation of our initial business combination. |
(4) | Excludes 8,700,000 shares of common stock which are subject to redemption in connection with our initial business combination (approximately $10.10 per share), assuming the underwriter’s over-allotment option is not exercised. |
The “As Adjusted” information gives effect to the sale of the units we are offering, 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 such that we have at least $5,000,001 of net tangible assets prior to or upon consummation of this offering and upon consummation of our initial business combination.
If no business combination is completed within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus), the proceeds then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares. Our co-sponsors, initial stockholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares and I-Bankers has entered into a letter agreement with us pursuant to which it has agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to its representative’s shares, if we fail to complete our initial business combination within such 12-month time period (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus).
RISK FACTORS
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 Relating to our Search for, Consummation of, or Inability to Consummate, a Business Combination and Post-Business Combination Risks
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 recent coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
The significant outbreak of COVID-19 has resulted in a widespread health crisis that could adversely affect the economies and financial markets worldwide, and the business of any potential target business with which we consummate a business combination could be materially and adversely affected. 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 or the target company’s personnel, vendors and services providers are unavailable to negotiate and consummate a transaction in a timely manner. 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 severity of COVID-19 and the actions to contain COVID-19 or treat its impact, 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.
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.
We are a newly formed company with no operating results, and we will not commence operations until obtaining funding through this offering. Because we lack an operating history, you have no basis upon which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective of completing our initial business combination with one or more target businesses. We have no plans, arrangements or understandings with any prospective target business concerning an initial business combination and may be unable to complete our initial business combination. If we fail to complete our initial business combination, we will never generate any operating revenues.
Our independent registered public accounting firm’s report contains an explanatory paragraph that expresses substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a “going concern.”
As of September 30, 2021, we had $184,934 in cash. 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 need for capital through this offering are discussed in the section of this prospectus titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” We cannot assure you that our plans to raise capital or to consummate an initial business combination will be successful. These factors, among others, raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statements contained elsewhere in this prospectus do not include any adjustments that might result from our inability to consummate this offering or our inability to continue as a going concern.
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.
We may choose not to hold a stockholder vote to approve our initial business combination unless the initial business combination would require stockholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements or if we decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other legal reasons. Except as required by law, the decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed initial 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. Accordingly, we may complete our initial business combination even if holders of a majority of our public shares do not approve of the initial business combination we complete. Please see the section of this prospectus entitled “Proposed Business — Stockholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve Our Initial Business Combination” for additional information.
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 initial 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 our initial business combination. Since our board of directors may complete an initial business combination without seeking stockholder approval, public stockholders may not have the right or opportunity to vote on the initial business combination, unless we seek such stockholder vote. 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 our public stockholders to redeem their shares for cash may make our financial condition unattractive to potential business combination targets, which may make it difficult for us to enter into an initial business combination with a target.
We may seek to enter into an initial business combination agreement with a prospective target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. If too many public stockholders exercise their redemption rights, we would not be able to meet such closing condition and, as a result, would not be able to proceed with the initial business combination. Furthermore, we will only redeem our public shares so long as (after such redemption) our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. Consequently, if accepting all properly submitted redemption requests would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 or such greater amount necessary to satisfy a closing condition as described above, we would not proceed with such redemption and the related business combination and may instead search for an alternate business combination. Prospective targets will be aware of these risks and, thus, may be reluctant to enter into an initial business combination with us.
The ability of our public stockholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares may not allow us to complete 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 stockholders may exercise their redemption rights, and therefore 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 a portion of the cash in the trust account to pay the purchase price, or requires us to have a minimum amount of cash at closing, we will need to reserve a portion of the cash in the trust account to meet such requirements, or arrange for third party financing. In addition, if a larger number of shares are submitted for redemption than we initially expected, we may need to restructure the transaction to reserve a greater portion of the cash in the trust account or arrange for third party financing. Raising additional third party financing may involve dilutive equity issuances or the incurrence of indebtedness at higher than desirable levels. Furthermore, this dilution would increase to the extent that the anti-dilution provision of the Class B common stock result in the issuance of Class A shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the Class B common stock at the time of our business combination. The above considerations may limit our ability to complete the most desirable business combination available to us or optimize our capital structure.
The ability of our public stockholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares could increase the probability that our initial business combination would be unsuccessful and that you would have to wait for liquidation in order to redeem your stock.
If our initial business combination agreement requires us to use a portion of the cash in the trust account to pay the purchase price, or requires us to have a minimum amount of cash at closing, the probability that our initial business combination would be unsuccessful is increased. If our initial business combination is unsuccessful, you would not receive your pro rata portion of the trust account until we liquidate the trust account. If you are in need of immediate liquidity, you could attempt to sell your stock in the open market; however, at such time our stock may trade at a discount to the pro rata amount per share in the trust account. In either situation, you may suffer a material loss on your investment or lose the benefit of funds expected in connection with our redemption until we liquidate or you are able to sell your stock in the open market.
The requirement that we complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating an initial business combination and may decrease our ability to conduct due diligence on potential business combination targets 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.
Any potential target business with which we enter into negotiations concerning an initial business combination will be aware that we must complete our initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus). Consequently, such target business may obtain leverage over us in negotiating an initial business combination, knowing that if we do not complete our initial business combination with that particular target business, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination with any target business. This risk will increase as we get closer to the timeframe described above. In addition, we may have limited time to conduct due diligence and may enter into our initial business combination on terms that we would have rejected upon a more comprehensive investigation.
We may not be able to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate, in which case our public stockholders may only receive $10.10 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants and rights will expire worthless.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we must complete our initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus). We may not be able to find a suitable target business and complete our initial business combination within such time period. If we have not completed our initial business combination within such time period, 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 the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, 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 our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. In such case, our public stockholders may only receive $10.10 per share, and our warrants and rights will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.10 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 $10.10 per share” and other risk factors below.
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. 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 targets 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.
Our co-sponsors may decide not to extend the term we have to consummate our initial business combination, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate, and the warrants and rights will be worthless.
We will have until 12 months from the closing of this offering to consummate our initial business combination. However, if we anticipate that we may not be able to consummate our initial business combination within 12 months, we may, by resolution of our board if requested by one, or both, of our co-sponsors, extend the period of time to consummate a business combination up to two times, each by an additional three months (for a total of up to 18 months to complete a business combination), subject to the co-sponsors depositing additional funds into the trust account as set out below. In order for the time available for us to consummate our initial business combination to be extended, our co-sponsors or their affiliates or designees must deposit into the trust account for each three month extension $870,000 or $1,000,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($0.10 per unit in either case) on or prior to the date of the applicable deadline, up to an aggregate of $1,740,000 (or $2,001,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), or approximately $0.20 per unit. Any such payments would be made in the form of a loan. The terms of the promissory note to be issued in connection with any such loans have not yet been negotiated. Consequently, such loans might not be made on the terms described in this prospectus. Our co-sponsors 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. If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within the applicable time period, we will, promptly but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the trust account and promptly following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. In such event, the warrants and the rights will be worthless.
If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our co-sponsors, directors, officers and their affiliates may elect to purchase shares, warrants or rights from public stockholders, which may influence a vote on a proposed initial business combination and reduce the public “float” of our Class A common stock.
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 co-sponsors, directors, officers or their affiliates may purchase shares, public warrants or public rights or a combination thereof in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination, although they are under no obligation to do so. However, apart from the purchase of the private placement units, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase shares, public warrants or public rights in such transactions.
Such a purchase may 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 co-sponsors, directors, officers 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 vote such shares in favor of the initial business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the initial business combination, or 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. The purpose of any such purchases of public warrants and public rights could be to reduce the number of public warrants and public rights outstanding or to vote such warrants and rights on any matters submitted to the warrant holders or right holders, as applicable, for approval in connection with our initial business combination. Any such purchases of our securities may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements.
In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our Class A common stock, public warrants or public rights and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, possibly making it difficult to obtain or maintain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.
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, proxy materials or tender offer documents, 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. For example, we may require our public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the tender offer documents mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically. In the event that a stockholder fails to comply with these or any other procedures, its shares may not be redeemed. See the section of this prospectus entitled “Proposed Business — Redemption Rights for Public Stockholders upon Completion of our Initial Business Combination — Tendering Stock Certificates in Connection with a Tender Offer or Redemption Rights.”
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 $10.10 per share on our redemption of our public shares, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants and 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 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 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, because we are obligated to pay cash for the shares of Class A common stock which our public stockholders redeem in connection with our initial business combination, target companies will be aware that this may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination. This may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating an initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.10 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants and rights will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.10 per share upon our liquidation. 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 $10.10 per share” and other risk factors below.
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 next 12 months, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination, in which case our public stockholders may only receive $10.10 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants and rights will expire worthless.
The funds available to us outside of the trust account may not be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the next 12 months, assuming that our initial business combination is not completed during that time. 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 12 months; 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 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 or merger agreements 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 initial business combination, although we do not have any current intention to do so. If we entered into a letter of intent or merger agreement 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 $10.10 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants and rights will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.10 per share upon our liquidation. 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 $10.10 per share” and other risk factors below.
If the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units not being held in the trust account are insufficient, it could limit the amount 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 co-sponsors or management team to fund our search for an initial business combination, to pay our franchise and income taxes and to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to obtain these loans, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination.
Of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, only approximately $250,000, for a total of $720,000 after including funds loaned to us by our co-sponsors and Mr. Assentato, will be available to us initially outside the trust account to fund our working capital requirements. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $1,297,750, we may fund such excess with funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. The amount held in the trust account will not be impacted as a result of such increase or decrease. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $1,297,750, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount. If we are required to seek additional capital, we would need to borrow funds from our co-sponsors, management team or other third parties to operate or may be forced to liquidate. None of our co-sponsors, members of our management team nor any of their affiliates is under any obligation to advance funds to us in such circumstances. Any such advances would be repaid only from funds held outside the trust account or from funds released to us upon completion of our initial business combination. Up to $1,500,000 of such working capital loans may be convertible into private placement-equivalent units at a price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued 150,000 units if $1,500,000 of notes were so converted), at the option of the lender. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our co-sponsors or their affiliates as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account. If we are unable to obtain these loans, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account. Consequently, our public stockholders may only receive approximately $10.10 per share on our redemption of our public shares, and our warrants and rights will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.10 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 $10.10 per share” and other risk factors below.
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 stock 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 debt financing to partially finance the initial business combination. Accordingly, any stockholders who choose to remain stockholders following the initial 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 unless they are able to successfully claim that the reduction was due to the breach by our officers or directors of a duty of care or other fiduciary duty owed to them, or if they are able to successfully bring a private claim under securities laws that the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, relating to the initial business combination constituted an actionable material misstatement or omission.
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 $10.10 per share.
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, 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. Grant Thornton, our independent registered public accounting firm, and the underwriters of the offering, will not execute agreements with us waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account.
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 complete our initial business combination within the prescribed timeframe, 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 $10.10 per 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 Exhibit 10.1 to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, our co-sponsors have agreed that they will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party 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) $10.10 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 $10.10 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the trust account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, we have not asked our co-sponsors to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our co-sponsors have sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that our co-sponsors’ only assets are securities of our company. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our co-sponsors 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. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the trust account, we may not be able to complete our initial business combination, and you would receive such lesser amount per share in connection with any redemption of your public shares.
Our directors may decide not to enforce the indemnification obligations of our co-sponsors, 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) $10.10 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 $10.10 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, and our co-sponsors assert that they are unable to satisfy their obligations or that they have no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our co-sponsors to enforce such indemnification obligations.
While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our co-sponsors to enforce their 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, for example, the cost of such legal action is deemed by the independent directors to be too high relative to the amount recoverable or if the independent directors determine that a favorable outcome is not likely. 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 $10.10 per share.
We may not have sufficient funds to satisfy indemnification claims of our directors and executive officers.
We have agreed to indemnify our officers and directors to the fullest extent permitted by law. However, our officers and directors have agreed to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the trust account and to not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason whatsoever. Accordingly, any indemnification provided will be able to be satisfied by us only if (i) we have sufficient funds outside of the trust account or (ii) we consummate an initial business combination. Our obligation to indemnify our officers and directors may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against our officers or directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against our officers and directors, 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 our officers and directors pursuant to these indemnification provisions.
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 we and our board may be exposed 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.
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.
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 initial business combination. |
In addition, we may have imposed upon us 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. |
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 meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. 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 redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus) 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 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus), our return of the funds held in the trust account to our public stockholders as part of our redemption of the public shares. If we do not invest the proceeds as discussed above, we may be deemed to be 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 $10.10 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants and rights will expire worthless.
Changes in laws or regulations, or a failure to comply with any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination and results of operations.
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, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination and results of operations.
Our stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against us to the extent of distributions received by them upon redemption of their shares.
Under the DGCL, 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 our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus) may be considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law. If a corporation complies with certain procedures set forth in Section 280 of the DGCL 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 liquidating distributions are made to stockholders, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution 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. However, it is our intention to redeem our public shares as soon as reasonably possible following the 12th month (or up to the 18th month) from the closing of this offering in the event we do not complete our initial business combination and, therefore, we do not intend to comply with the foregoing procedures.
Because we will not be complying with Section 280, Section 281(b) of the DGCL 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 10 years following our dissolution. However, because we are a blank check company, rather than an operating company, and our operations will be limited to searching for prospective target businesses to acquire, the only likely claims to arise would be from our vendors (such as lawyers, investment bankers, etc.) or prospective target businesses. If our plan of distribution complies with Section 281(b) of the DGCL, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution 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 likely be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution. We cannot assure you that we will 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 beyond the third anniversary of such date. Furthermore, if the pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus) is not considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law and such redemption distribution is deemed to be unlawful (potentially due to the imposition of legal proceedings that a party may bring or due to other circumstances that are currently unknown), then pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL, 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 liquidating distribution.
We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders until after the consummation of our initial business combination, which could delay the opportunity for our stockholders to elect directors.
In accordance with Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until no later than one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on Nasdaq. Under Section 211(b) of the DGCL, 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. We may not hold 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 DGCL, 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 DGCL.
Because we are neither limited to evaluating a target business in a particular industry sector nor have we selected any specific target businesses with which to pursue our initial business combination, you will be unable to ascertain the merits or risks of any particular target business’s operations.
We intend to focus our search on businesses in the financial services industry, except that we will not, under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, be permitted to effectuate our initial business combination with another blank check company or similar company with nominal operations. Because we have not yet selected or approached any specific target business with respect to a business combination, there is no basis to evaluate the possible merits or risks of any particular target business’s operations, results of operations, cash flows, liquidity, financial condition or prospects. To the extent we complete our initial business combination, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business operations with which we combine. For example, if we combine with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of sales or earnings, we may be affected by the risks inherent in the business and operations of a financially unstable or a development stage entity. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors or that we will have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will ultimately prove to be more favorable to investors than a direct investment, if such opportunity were available, in a business combination target. Accordingly, any stockholders who choose to remain stockholders following our initial business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such stockholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value unless they are able to successfully claim that the reduction was due to the breach by our officers or directors of a duty of care or other fiduciary duty owed to them, or if they are able to successfully bring a private claim under securities laws that the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, relating to the business combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission.
We may seek business combination opportunities in industries or sectors which may or may not be outside of our management’s area of expertise.
Although we intend to focus our search on businesses in the financial services industry, we will consider an initial business combination outside of our management’s area of expertise if an initial business combination candidate is presented to us and we determine that such candidate offers an attractive business combination opportunity for our company or we are unable to identify a suitable candidate in this sector after having expanded a reasonable amount of time and effort in an attempt to do so. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in any particular business combination candidate, we cannot assure you that we will adequately ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will not ultimately prove to be less favorable to investors in this offering than a direct investment, if an opportunity were available, in an initial business combination candidate. In the event we elect to pursue a business combination outside of the areas of our management’s expertise, our management’s expertise may not be directly applicable to its evaluation or operation, and the information contained in this prospectus regarding the areas of our management’s expertise would not be relevant to an understanding of the business that we elect to acquire. As a result, our management may not be able to adequately ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. Accordingly, any stockholders who choose to remain stockholders following our initial 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.
Although we have identified general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses, we may enter into our initial business combination with a target that does not meet such criteria and guidelines, and as a result, the target business with which we enter into our initial business combination may not have attributes entirely consistent with our general criteria and guidelines.
Although we have identified general criteria and guidelines for evaluating prospective target businesses, it is possible that a target business with which we enter into our initial business combination will not have all of these positive attributes. If we complete our initial business combination with a target that does not meet some or all of these guidelines, such combination may not be as successful as a combination with a business that does meet all of our general criteria and guidelines. In addition, if we announce a prospective business combination with a target that does not meet our general criteria and guidelines, a greater number of stockholders may exercise their redemption rights, which may make it difficult for us to meet any closing condition with a target business that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. In addition, if stockholder approval of the transaction is required by law, or we decide to obtain stockholder approval for business or other legal reasons, it may be more difficult for us to attain stockholder approval of our initial business combination if the target business does not meet our general criteria and guidelines. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.10 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants and rights will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.10 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 $10.10 per share” and other risk factors below.
We may seek business combination opportunities with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of revenue, cash flow or earnings, which could subject us to volatile revenues, cash flows or earnings or difficulty in retaining key personnel.
To the extent we complete our initial business combination with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of revenues or earnings, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the operations of the business with which we combine. These risks include volatile revenues or earnings and difficulties in obtaining and retaining key personnel. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we may not be able to properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors and we may not have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business.
We are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or from an independent accounting firm, and consequently, you may have no assurance from an independent source that the price we are paying for the business 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 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 that is a member of FINRA or from an independent accounting firm that the price we are paying is fair to our company from a financial point of view. 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 proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, related to our initial business combination.
We may be unable to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination or to fund the operations and growth of a target business, which could compel us to restructure or abandon a particular business combination.
We have not selected any specific business combination target, but intend to target businesses larger than we could acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units. As a result, we may be required to seek additional financing to complete such proposed initial business combination. We cannot assure you that such financing will be available on acceptable terms, if at all. To the extent that additional financing proves to be unavailable when needed to complete our initial business combination, we would be compelled to either restructure the transaction or abandon that particular business combination and seek an alternative target business candidate. Further, the amount of additional financing we may be required to obtain could increase as a result of future growth capital needs for any particular transaction, the depletion of the available net proceeds in search of a target business, the obligation to repurchase for cash a significant number of shares from stockholders who elect redemption in connection with our initial business combination and/or the terms of negotiated transactions to purchase shares in connection with our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.10 per share plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income taxes on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants and rights will expire worthless. In addition, even if we do not need additional financing to complete our initial business combination, we may require such 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. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may only receive approximately $10.10 per share on the liquidation of our trust account, and our warrants and rights will expire worthless. Furthermore, as described in the risk factor entitled “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 $10.10 per share,” under certain circumstances our public stockholders may receive less than $10.10 per share upon the liquidation of the trust account.
Resources could be wasted in researching business combinations that are not completed, which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.10 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants and rights will expire worthless.
We anticipate that the investigation of each specific target business and the negotiation, drafting and execution of relevant agreements, disclosure documents and other instruments will require substantial management time and attention and substantial costs for accountants, attorneys, consultants and others. If we decide not to complete a specific initial business combination, the costs incurred up to that point for the proposed transaction likely would not be recoverable. Furthermore, if we reach an agreement relating to a specific target business, we may fail to complete our initial business combination for any number of reasons including those beyond our control. Any such event will result in a loss to us of the related costs incurred which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.10 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants and rights will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.10 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 $10.10 per share” and other risk factors below.
We may issue notes or other debt securities, or otherwise incur substantial debt, to complete an initial 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 following this offering, we may choose to incur substantial debt to complete our initial business combination. We have agreed that we will not incur any indebtedness unless we have obtained from the lender a waiver of any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to the monies held in the trust account. As such, no issuance of debt will affect the per-share amount available for redemption from the trust account. Nevertheless, the incurrence of debt could have a variety of negative effects, including:
| • | default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after an 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; |
| • | 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; |
| • | our inability to pay dividends on our common stock; |
| • | using a substantial portion of our cash flow to pay principal and interest on our debt, which will reduce the funds available for dividends on our common stock if declared, our ability to pay expenses, make capital expenditures and acquisitions, and fund other general corporate purposes; |
| • | limitations on our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and in the industry in which we operate; |
| • | increased vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions and adverse changes in government regulation; |
| • | limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, and execution of our strategy; and |
| • | other disadvantages compared to our competitors who have less debt. |
We may only be able to complete one business combination with the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, which will cause us to be solely dependent on a single business which may have a limited number of services and limited operating activities. This lack of diversification may negatively impact our operating results and profitability.
Of the net proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement units, $88,120,000 (or $101,300,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be available to complete our initial business combination and pay related fees and expenses.
We may effectuate our initial business combination with a single target business or multiple target businesses simultaneously or within a short period of time. However, we may not be able to effectuate our initial business combination with more than one target business because of various factors, including the existence of complex accounting issues and the requirement that we prepare and file pro forma financial statements with the SEC that present operating results and the financial condition of several target businesses as if they had been operated on a combined basis. By completing our initial 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. In addition, we intend to focus our search for an initial business combination in a single industry. Accordingly, the prospects for our success may be:
| • | solely dependent upon the performance of a single business, property or asset, or |
| • | dependent upon the development or market acceptance of a single or limited number of products, processes or services. |
This lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory risks, 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.
We may attempt to simultaneously complete business combinations with multiple prospective targets, which may hinder our ability to complete our initial business combination and give rise to increased costs and risks that could negatively impact our operations and profitability.
If we determine to simultaneously acquire several businesses that 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 our initial business combination. We do not, however, intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial 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 acquired 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.
We may attempt to complete our initial business combination with a private company about which little information is available, which may result in an initial business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.
In pursuing our initial business combination strategy, we may seek to effectuate our initial business combination with a privately held company. Very little public information generally exists about private companies, and we could be required to make our decision on whether to pursue a potential initial business combination on the basis of limited information, which may result in an initial business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.
Our management may not be able to maintain control of a target business after our initial business combination.
We may structure an initial business combination so that the post-transaction company in which our public stockholders own shares will own less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business, but we will only complete such 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 us not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. We will not consider any transaction that does not meet such criteria. Even if the post-transaction company owns 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our stockholders prior to the initial business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post business combination company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the initial business combination. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares of Class A common stock in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of a target.
In this case, we would acquire a 100% interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares of common stock, our stockholders immediately prior to such transaction could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares of common stock subsequent to such transaction. 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 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 do not have a specified maximum redemption threshold. The absence of such a redemption threshold may make it possible for us to complete an initial business combination with which a substantial majority of our stockholders do not agree.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will not provide a specified maximum redemption threshold, except that we will only redeem our public shares so long as (after such redemption) our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of underwriters’ fees and commissions (such that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. As a result, we may be able to complete our initial business combination even though a substantial majority of our public stockholders do not agree with the transaction and have redeemed their shares or, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, have entered into privately negotiated agreements to sell their shares to our co-sponsors, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all shares of Class A common stock that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed initial business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the initial business combination or redeem any shares, all shares of Class A common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate business combination.
In order to effectuate an initial business combination, blank check companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and other governing instruments, including their warrant agreements. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or governing instruments in a manner that will make it easier for us to complete our initial business combination that our stockholders may not support.
In order to effectuate an initial business combination, blank check companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and modified governing instruments, including their warrant agreements. For example, blank check companies have amended the definition of business combination, increased redemption thresholds and extended the time to consummate an initial business combination and, with respect to their warrants, amended their warrant agreements to require the warrants to be exchanged for cash and/or other securities. Amending our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require the approval of holders of 65% of our common stock, and amending our warrant agreement will require a vote of holders of at least 65% of the public warrants. In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation requires us to provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash if we propose an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to 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 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity. To the extent any such amendments would be deemed to fundamentally change the nature of any securities offered through this registration statement, we would register, or seek an exemption from registration for, the affected securities. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our charter or governing instruments or extend the time to consummate an initial business combination in order to effectuate our initial business combination.
The provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that relate to our pre-business combination activity (and corresponding provisions of the agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account), including an amendment to permit us to withdraw funds from the trust account such that the per share amount investors will receive upon any redemption or liquidation is substantially reduced or eliminated, may be amended with the approval of holders of 65% of our common stock, which is a lower amendment threshold than that of some other blank check companies. It may be easier for us, therefore, to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the trust agreement to facilitate the completion of an initial business combination that some of our stockholders may not support.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that any of its provisions related to pre-initial business combination activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of this offering and the private placement of units into the trust account and not release such amounts except in specified circumstances, and to provide redemption rights to public stockholders as described herein and including to permit us to withdraw funds from the trust account such that the per share amount investors will receive upon any redemption or liquidation is substantially reduced or eliminated) may be amended if approved by holders of 65% of our common stock entitled to vote thereon, and corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account may be amended if approved by holders of 65% of our common stock entitled to vote thereon. In all other instances, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may be amended by holders of a majority of our outstanding common stock entitled to vote thereon, subject to applicable provisions of the DGCL or applicable stock exchange rules. We may not issue additional securities that can vote on amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Our initial stockholders, who will collectively beneficially own up to 20% of our common stock upon the closing of this offering (not including the private placement shares and the shares of Class A common Stock issuable to I-Bankers and assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering), will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and/or trust agreement and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. As a result, we may be able to amend the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation which govern our pre-initial business combination behavior more easily than some other blank check companies, and this may increase our ability to complete an initial business combination with which you do not agree. Our stockholders may pursue remedies against us for any breach of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation.
Our initial stockholders, officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (i) to 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 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of Class A 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, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. These agreements are contained in a letter agreement that we have entered into with our initial stockholders, officers and directors. Our stockholders are not parties to, or third-party beneficiaries of, these agreements and, as a result, will not have the ability to pursue remedies against our initial stockholders, officers or directors for any breach of these agreements. As a result, in the event of a breach, our stockholders would need to pursue a stockholder derivative action, subject to applicable law.
Compliance obligations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may make it more difficult for us to effectuate our initial business combination, require substantial financial and management resources, and increase the time and costs of completing an initial business combination.
Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we evaluate and report on our system of internal controls beginning with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2022. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer, and no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, will we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. Further, for as long as we remain an emerging growth company, we will not be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. The fact that we are a blank check company makes compliance with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act particularly burdensome on us as compared to other public companies because a target company with which we seek to complete our initial business combination may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of its internal controls. 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 business combination.
Risks Relating to our Co-sponsors and Management Team
Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination and to be successful thereafter will be totally dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel, some of whom may join us following our initial business combination. The loss of key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.
Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination is dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel. The role of our key personnel in the target business, however, cannot presently be ascertained. Although some of our key personnel may remain with the target business in senior management or advisory positions following our initial business combination, it is likely that some or all of the management of the target business will remain in place. While we intend to closely scrutinize any individuals we employ after our initial business combination, we cannot assure you that our assessment of these individuals will prove to be correct. These individuals may be unfamiliar with the requirements of operating a company regulated by the SEC, which could cause us to have to expend time and resources helping them become familiar with such requirements. In addition, the officers and directors of an initial business combination candidate may resign upon completion of our initial business combination. The departure of an initial business combination target’s key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business. The role of an initial business combination candidate’s key personnel upon the completion of our initial business combination cannot be ascertained at this time. Although we contemplate that certain members of an initial business combination candidate’s management team will remain associated with the initial business combination candidate following our initial business combination, it is possible that members of the management of an initial business combination candidate will not wish to remain in place. The loss of key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.
We are dependent upon our executive officers and directors and their departure could adversely affect our ability to operate.
Our operations are dependent upon a relatively small group of individuals and, in particular, our executive officers and directors. We believe that our success depends on the continued service of our executive officers and directors, at least until we have completed our initial business combination. We do not have an employment agreement with, or key-man insurance on the life of, any of our directors or executive officers. The unexpected loss of the services of one or more of our directors or executive officers could have a detrimental effect on us.
Past performance by our management team may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in the Company.
Past performance by our management team 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’s performance as indicative of our future performance of an investment in the company or the returns the company will, or is likely to, generate going forward.
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 initial business combination only if they are able to negotiate employment or consulting agreements in connection with the initial business combination. Such negotiations would take place simultaneously with the negotiation of the initial 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 initial business combination. The personal and financial interests of such individuals may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business. However, we believe the ability of such individuals to remain with us after the completion 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. There is no certainty, however, that any of our key personnel will remain with us after the completion of our initial business combination. We cannot assure you that any of our key personnel will remain in senior management or advisory positions with us. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with us will be made at the time of our 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, which could, in turn, negatively impact the value of our stockholders’ investment in us.
When evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial business combination with a prospective target business, our ability to assess the target business’s management may be limited due to a lack of time, resources or information. Our assessment of the capabilities of the target’s management, therefore, may prove to be incorrect and such management may lack the skills, qualifications or abilities we suspected. Should the target’s management not possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to manage a public company, the operations and profitability of the post-combination business may be negatively impacted. Accordingly, any stockholders who choose to remain stockholders following the initial 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 officers and directors will allocate their time to other businesses thereby causing conflicts of interest in their determination as to how much time to devote to our affairs. This conflict of interest could have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Our officers and directors are not required to, and will not, commit their full time to our affairs, which may result in a conflict of interest in allocating their time between our operations and our search for an initial business combination and their other businesses. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination. Each of our officers is engaged in other business endeavors for which he may be entitled to substantial compensation and our officers are not obligated to contribute any specific number of hours per week to our affairs. Our independent directors may also serve as officers or board members for other entities. If our officers’ and directors’ other business affairs require them to devote substantial amounts of time to such affairs in excess of their current commitment levels, it could limit their ability to devote time to our affairs which may have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination. For a complete discussion of our officers’ and directors’ other business affairs, please see the section of this prospectus entitled “Management — Directors and Officers.”
Certain of our officers and directors are now, and all of them may in the future become, affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating their time and determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.
Following the completion of this offering and until we consummate our initial business combination, we intend to engage in the business of identifying and combining with one or more businesses. Our co-sponsors and officers and directors are, and may in the future become, affiliated with entities (such as operating companies or investment vehicles) that are engaged in a similar business. In particular, our co-sponsors and officers and directors may participate in the formation of, or become an officer or director of, other special purpose acquisition companies with a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act before we have entered into a definitive agreement regarding our initial business combination or we have failed to complete our initial business combination within 12 months after the closing of this offering.
Our officers and directors also may become aware of business opportunities which may be appropriate for presentation to us and the other entities to which they owe certain fiduciary or contractual duties.
Accordingly, they may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented. These conflicts may not be resolved in our favor and a potential target business may be presented to another entity prior to its presentation to us. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer 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, and to the extent the director or officer is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation.
For a complete discussion of our officers’ and directors’ business affiliations and the potential conflicts of interest that you should be aware of, please see the sections of this prospectus entitled “Management — Directors and Officers,” “Management — Conflicts of Interest” and “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions.”
Our officers, directors, security holders and their respective affiliates may have competitive pecuniary interests that conflict with our interests.
We have not adopted a policy that expressly prohibits our directors, officers, security holders or affiliates from having a direct or indirect pecuniary or financial interest in any investment to be acquired or disposed of by us or in any transaction to which we are a party or have an interest. In fact, we may enter into an initial business combination with a target business that is affiliated with our co-sponsors, our directors or officers, although we do not intend to do so. We do not have a policy that expressly prohibits any such persons from engaging for their own account in business activities of the types conducted by us. Accordingly, such persons or entities may have a conflict between their interests and ours.
We may engage in an initial business combination with one or more target businesses that have relationships with entities that may be affiliated with our co-sponsors, officers, directors or existing holders which may raise potential conflicts of interest.
In light of the involvement of our co-sponsors, officers and directors with other entities, we may decide to acquire one or more businesses affiliated with our co-sponsors, officers or directors. Our directors also serve as officers and board members for other entities, including, without limitation, those described under the section of this prospectus entitled “Management — Conflicts of Interest.” Such entities may compete with us for business combination opportunities. Our co-sponsors, officers and directors are not currently aware of any specific opportunities for us to complete our initial business combination with any entities with which they are affiliated, and there have been no preliminary discussions concerning an initial 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 an initial business combination as set forth in the section of this prospectus entitled “Proposed Business — Selection of a Target Business and Structuring of our Initial Business Combination” and such transaction was approved by a majority of our disinterested directors. Despite our agreement to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA, or from an independent accounting firm, regarding the fairness to our stockholders from a financial point of view of an initial business combination with one or more domestic or international businesses affiliated with our officers, directors or existing holders, potential conflicts of interest still may exist and, as a result, the terms of the initial business combination may not be as advantageous to our public stockholders as they would be absent any conflicts of interest.
Since our initial stockholders, officers and directors will lose their entire investment in us if our initial business combination is not completed, a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination.
On October 23, 2020, our initial stockholders purchased an aggregate of 2,501,250 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.01 per share (up to 326,250 shares of which are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised). The number of founder shares issued was determined based on the expectation that such founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares after this offering (not including the private placement shares and the shares of Class A common Stock issuable to I-Bankers). Prior to the effectiveness of this registration statement, FSC Sponsor LLC intends to transfer an aggregate of 1,310,037.5 of its founder shares amongst certain of our initial stockholders, including Celtic Sponsor VII LLC, Caliente Management, LLC, Frio Investments, LLC, Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd., and each of the anchor investors. The founder shares will be worthless if we do not complete an initial business combination. In addition, our co-sponsors, anchor investors and I-Bankers have agreed to purchase an aggregate of 459,275 private placement units (or 504,950 units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $4,592,750, or $5,049,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full. Each private placement unit consists of one share of Class A common stock, one warrant exercisable to purchase one share of common stock at $11.50 per share, and one right to receive one-tenth of one share of Class A common stock upon our initial business combination. These securities will also be worthless if we do not complete an initial business combination. Holders of founder shares have agreed (A) to vote any shares owned by them in favor of any proposed initial business combination and (B) not to redeem any founder shares in connection with a stockholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination or in connection with a tender offer. In addition, we may obtain loans from our co-sponsors, affiliates of our co-sponsors or an officer or director. The personal and financial interests of our officers and directors may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business combination, completing an initial business combination and influencing the operation of the business following the initial business combination.
Our initial stockholders may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a stockholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support.
Upon the closing of this offering, our initial stockholders will own shares representing 23% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock (including the shares of Class A common stock underlying the private placement units and assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering, and excluding the representative’s shares). Accordingly, they may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a stockholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support, including amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and approval of major corporate transactions. If our initial stockholders purchase any units in this offering or if our initial stockholders purchase any additional shares of common stock in the aftermarket or in privately negotiated transactions, this would increase their control. Factors that would be considered in making such additional purchases would include consideration of the current trading price of our Class A common stock. In addition, our board of directors, whose members were elected by our initial stockholders, is and will be divided into two classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of two years with only one class of directors being elected in each year. We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders to elect new directors prior to the completion of our initial business combination, in which case all of the current directors will continue in office until at least the completion of the initial business combination. If there is an annual meeting, as a consequence of our “staggered” board of directors, only a minority of the board of directors will be considered for election and our initial stockholders, because of their ownership position, will have considerable influence regarding the outcome. Accordingly, our initial stockholders will continue to exert control at least until the completion of our initial business combination.
Risks Relating to our Securities
The securities in which we invest the funds held in the trust account could bear a negative rate of interest, which could reduce the value of the assets held in trust such that the per-share redemption amount received by public stockholders may be less than $10.10 per share.
The proceeds held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act, which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. While short-term U.S. government treasury obligations currently yield a positive rate of interest, they have briefly yielded negative interest rates in recent years. Central banks in Europe and Japan pursued interest rates below zero in recent years, and the Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve has not ruled out the possibility that it may in the future adopt similar policies in the United States. In the event that we are unable to complete our initial business combination or make certain amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our public stockholders are entitled to receive their pro-rata share of the proceeds held in the trust account, plus any interest income, net of taxes paid or payable (less, in the case we are unable to complete our initial business combination, $100,000 of interest). Negative interest rates could reduce the value of the assets held in trust such that the per-share redemption amount received by public stockholders may be less than $10.10 per share.
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.
We have applied to have our units listed on Nasdaq. We expect that our units will be listed on Nasdaq on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. Following the date the shares of our Class A common stock, warrants, and rights are eligible to trade separately, we anticipate that the shares of our Class A common stock, warrants and rights will be separately listed on Nasdaq. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq. Although after giving effect to this offering we expect to meet, on a pro forma basis, the minimum initial listing standards set forth in the Nasdaq listing standards, we cannot assure you that our securities will be, or will continue to be, listed on Nasdaq in the future or prior to our initial business combination. In order to continue listing our securities on the Nasdaq Global Market prior to our initial business combination, we must maintain certain financial, distribution and stock price levels. Generally, we must maintain a minimum amount of publicly held shares (generally 750,000), maintain a minimum amount of market value of listed securities (generally $50,000,000), and a minimum number of holders of our securities (generally 400 public holders), among other requirements. Additionally, in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to demonstrate compliance with Nasdaq’s initial listing requirements, which are more rigorous than Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements, in order to continue to maintain the listing of our securities on Nasdaq. For instance, in order to list our securities on the Nasdaq Global Market under the market value standard, our stock price would generally be required to be at least $4.00 per share, the market value of our listed securities would generally be required to be at least $75.0 million and we would be required to have a minimum of 400 round lot holders of our securities. Alternatively, in order to list our securities on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the equity standard, our stock price would generally be required to be at least $4.00 per share, our stockholders’ equity would generally be required to be at least $5.0 million and we would be required to have a minimum of 300 round lot holders of our securities. 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 and we are not able to list our securities on another national securities exchange, we expect our securities could be quoted on an over-the-counter market. If this were to occur, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:
| • | a limited availability of market quotations for our securities; |
| • | reduced liquidity for our securities; |
| • | a determination that our Class A common stock is a “penny stock” which will require brokers trading in our Class A common stock to adhere to more stringent rules and possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our securities; |
| • | a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and |
| • | a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future. |
The National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, which is a federal statute, prevents or preempts the states from regulating the sale of certain securities, which are referred to as “covered securities.” Because we expect that our units and eventually our Class A common stock, warrants and rights will be listed on Nasdaq, our units, Class A common stock, warrants and rights will be covered securities. Although the states are preempted from regulating the sale of our securities, the federal statute does allow the states to investigate companies if there is a suspicion of fraud, and, if there is a finding of fraudulent activity, then the states can regulate or bar the sale of covered securities in a particular case. While we are not aware of a state having used these powers to prohibit or restrict the sale of securities issued by blank check companies, other than the State of Idaho, certain state securities regulators view blank check companies unfavorably and might use these powers, or threaten to use these powers, to hinder the sale of securities of blank check companies in their states. Further, if we were no longer listed on Nasdaq, our securities would not be covered securities and we would be subject to regulation in each state in which we offer our securities, including in connection with our initial business combination.
If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, and if you or a “group” of stockholders are deemed to hold in excess of 15% of our Class A common stock, you will lose the ability to redeem all such shares in excess of 15% of our Class A common stock.
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 amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide 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 Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering without our prior consent, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares.” However, we would not be restricting our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination. Your inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce your influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination and you could suffer a material loss on your investment in us if you sell Excess Shares in open market transactions. Additionally, you will not receive redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares if we complete our initial business combination. And as a result, you will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 15% and, in order to dispose of such shares, would be required to sell your stock in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.
Our initial stockholders paid an aggregate of $25,000 for the founder shares, and, accordingly, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution from the purchase of our Class B common stock.
The difference between the public offering price per share (allocating all of the unit purchase price to the Class A common stock and none to the warrants and rights included in the unit) and the pro forma net tangible book value per share of our Class A common stock after this offering constitutes the dilution to you and the other investors in this offering. Our initial stockholders acquired the founder shares at a nominal price, significantly contributing to this dilution. Upon the closing of this offering, and assuming no value is ascribed to the warrants or rights included in the units, you and the other public stockholders will incur an immediate and substantial dilution of approximately 120.1% (or $12.01 per share, assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option), the difference between the pro forma net tangible book value per share and the initial offering price per unit. In addition, because of the anti-dilution rights of the founder shares, any equity or equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued in connection with our initial business combination would be disproportionately dilutive to our Class A common stock.
We may issue additional common stock or preferred stock to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination. We may also issue shares of Class A common stock upon the conversion of the Class B common stock at a ratio greater than one-to-one at the time of our initial business combination as a result of the anti-dilution provisions contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Any such issuances would dilute the interest of our stockholders and likely present other risks.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes the issuance of up to 100,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, 10,000,000 shares of Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share. Immediately after this offering, there will be 90,515,725 and 7,825,000 (assuming, in each case, that the underwriters have not exercised their over-allotment option) authorized but unissued shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock, respectively, available for issuance, which amount does not take into account the shares of Class A common stock reserved for issuance upon exercise of outstanding warrants, exercise of the representative’s warrants, conversion of outstanding rights or issuable upon conversion of Class B common stock. Immediately after the consummation of this offering, there will be no shares of preferred stock issued and outstanding. Shares of Class B common stock are convertible into shares of our Class A common stock initially at a one-for-one ratio but subject to adjustment as set forth herein, including in certain circumstances in which we issue Class A common stock or equity-linked securities related to our initial business combination. Shares of Class B common stock are also convertible at the option of the holder at any time.
We may issue a substantial number of additional shares of common or preferred stock to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination (although our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we may not issue securities that can vote with common stockholders on matters related to our pre-initial business combination activity). We may also issue shares of Class A common stock upon conversion of the Class B common stock at a ratio greater than one-to-one at the time of our initial business combination as a result of the anti-dilution provisions contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. However, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide, among other things, that 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. These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, like all provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, may be amended with the approval of our stockholders. However, our executive officers, directors and director nominees have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to 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 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, 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 (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares.
The issuance of additional shares of common or preferred stock:
| • | may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in this offering; |
| • | may subordinate the rights of holders of common stock if preferred stock is issued with rights senior to those afforded our common stock; |
| • | could cause a change of control if a substantial number of shares of our 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 units, Class A common stock, warrants and/or rights. |
We are not registering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants under the Securities Act or any state securities laws at this time, and such registration may not be in place when an investor desires to exercise warrants, thus precluding such investor from being able to exercise its warrants except on a cashless basis. If the issuance of the shares upon exercise of warrants is not registered, qualified or exempt from registration or qualification, the holder of such warrant will not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless.
We are not registering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants under the Securities Act or any state securities laws at this time. However, under the terms of the warrant agreement, we have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our best efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement for the registration under the Securities Act of the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and thereafter will use our best efforts to cause the same to become effective within 60 days following our initial business combination and to maintain a current prospectus relating to the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants, until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. We cannot assure you that we will be able to do so if, for example, any facts or events arise which represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement or prospectus, the financial statements contained or incorporated by reference therein are not current or correct or the SEC issues a stop order. If the shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants are not registered under the Securities Act, we will be required to permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis. However, no warrant will be exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis, and we will not be obligated to issue any shares to holders seeking to exercise their warrants, unless the issuance of the shares upon such exercise is registered or qualified under the securities laws of the state of the exercising holder, or an exemption from registration is available. Notwithstanding the above, if our Class A common stock is at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that it satisfies the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, and in the event we do not so elect, we will use our best efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant, or issue securities or other compensation in exchange for the warrants in the event that we are unable to register or qualify the shares underlying the warrants under applicable state securities laws and there is no exemption available. If the issuance of the shares upon exercise of the warrants is not so registered or qualified or exempt from registration or qualification, the holder of such warrant will not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In such event, holders who acquired their warrants as part of a purchase of units will have paid the full unit purchase price solely for the shares of Class A common stock included in the units. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of shares of common stock upon exercise of the warrants is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or we are unable to effect such registration or qualification. We will use our best efforts to register or qualify such shares of common stock under the blue sky laws of the state of residence in those states in which the warrants were offered by us in this offering. However, there may be instances in which holders of our public warrants may be unable to exercise such public warrants but holders of our private placement warrants may be able to exercise such private placement warrants.
The grant of registration rights to our initial stockholders may make it more difficult to complete our initial business combination, and the future exercise of such rights may adversely affect the market price of our Class A common stock.
Pursuant to an agreement to be entered into concurrently with the issuance and sale of the securities in this offering, our initial stockholders and their permitted transferees can demand that we register the private placement units, the private placement warrants, the private placement rights, the shares of Class A common stock contained in the private placement units, issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants and upon conversion of the private placement rights and the founder shares held, or to be held, by them and holders of securities that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans may demand that we register such units and the warrants and the rights contained in such units or the Class A common stock contained in such units and issuable upon exercise of such warrants or exercise of such rights. In addition, the representative of the underwriters can make such demand with respect to up to 696,000 shares of Class A common stock (or up to 800,400 shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) underlying the warrants being issued. We will bear the cost of registering these securities. The registration and availability of such a significant number of securities for trading in the public market may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A common stock. In addition, the existence of the registration rights may make our initial business combination more costly or difficult to conclude. This is because the stockholders of the target business may increase the equity stake they seek in the combined entity or ask for more cash consideration to offset the negative impact on the market price of our Class A common stock that is expected when the securities owned by our initial stockholders or holders of working capital loans or their respective permitted transferees are registered.
We may amend the terms of the warrants in a manner that may be adverse to holders of public warrants with the approval by the holders of at least 65% of the then outstanding public warrants. As a result, the exercise price of your warrants could be increased, the exercise period could be shortened and the number of shares of our Class A common stock purchasable upon exercise of a warrant could be decreased, all without your approval.
Our warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, but requires the approval by the holders of at least 65% of the then outstanding public warrants to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of public warrants. Accordingly, we may amend the terms of the public warrants in a manner adverse to a holder if holders of at least 65% of the then outstanding public warrants approve of such amendment. Although our ability to amend the terms of the public warrants with the consent of at least 65% of the then outstanding public warrants is unlimited, examples of such amendments could be amendments to, among other things, increase the exercise price of the warrants, convert the warrants into cash or stock, shorten the exercise period or decrease the number of shares of our Class A common stock purchasable upon exercise of a warrant.
We may amend the terms of our rights in a way that may be adverse to holders with the approval by the holders of a majority of the then outstanding rights.
Our rights will be issued in registered form under a rights agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as rights agent, and us. The rights agreement provides that the terms of the rights may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision. The rights agreement requires the approval by the holders of a majority of the then outstanding rights in order to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders.
Our warrants are expected to be accounted for as derivative liabilities and will be recorded at fair value upon issuance with changes in fair value each period reported in earnings, which may have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock or may make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination.
We will be issuing 8,700,000 warrants (or up to 10,005,000 warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) as part of the units offered by this prospectus and, simultaneously with the closing of this offering, we will be issuing in a private placement, units which will have 459,275 underlying warrants (or up to 504,950 underlying warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full). We expect to account for both the warrants underlying the units offered by this prospectus and the private placement warrants as a warrant liability, and will record at fair value upon issuance any changes in fair value each period reported in earnings as determined by us based, in part, upon a valuation report obtained from its independent third party valuation firm. The impact of changes in fair value on earnings may have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock. In addition, potential targets may seek a special purpose acquisition company that does not have warrants that are accounted for as a liability, which may make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination with a target business.
Each of our warrant agreement and 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 warrants and holders of our rights, which could limit the ability of warrant holders and right holders to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with our company.
Each of our warrant agreement and rights agreement will provide that, subject to applicable law, (i) any action, proceeding or claim against us or the warrant agent arising out of or relating in any way to the warrant agreement or rights agreement, as applicable, including under the Securities Act, shall 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 and the warrant agent irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. We and the warrant agent will waive any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, this exclusive forum provision shall not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act, any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction or any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act against us or any of our directors, officers, other employees or agents. Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. In addition, stockholders cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.
This choice-of-forum provision may limit a warrant or right holder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with our company, which may discourage such lawsuits. Alternatively, if a court were to find this provision of our warrant agreement or 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 redeem your unexpired warrants prior to their exercise at a time that is disadvantageous to you, thereby making your warrants worthless.
We have the ability to redeem outstanding warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.01 per warrant, provided that the last reported sales price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 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 ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which we give proper notice of such redemption and provided certain other conditions are met. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of shares of common stock upon exercise of the warrants is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or we are unable to effect such registration or qualification. We will use our best efforts to register or qualify such shares of common stock under the blue sky laws of the state of residence in those states in which the warrants were offered by us in this offering. Redemption of the outstanding warrants could force you (i) to exercise your warrants and pay the exercise price therefor at a time when it may be disadvantageous for you to do so, (ii) to sell your warrants at the then-current market price when you might otherwise wish to hold your warrants or (iii) to accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the outstanding warrants are called for redemption, is likely to be substantially less than the market value of your warrants. None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us so long as they are held by the co-sponsors, anchor investors, I-Bankers or any of their permitted transferees.
Our rights, warrants and founder shares may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A common stock and make it more difficult to effectuate our initial business combination.
We will be issuing rights convertible into 870,000 shares of our Class A common stock (or up to 1,000,500 shares of Class A common stock if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) and warrants to purchase 8,700,000 shares of our Class A common stock (or up to 10,005,000 shares of Class A common stock if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) as part of the units offered by this prospectus and, simultaneously with the closing of this offering, we will be issuing in a private placement, private placement rights convertible into 45,927 shares of our Class A common stock (or up to 50,495 shares of Class A common stock if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), private placement warrants to purchase an aggregate of 459,275 shares of Class A common stock (or up to 504,950 shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), and we will be issuing to the representative of the underwriters, warrants, exercisable for 696,000 shares of Class A common Stock (or up to 800,400 shares of Class A common Stock if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full). Our initial stockholders currently own an aggregate of 2,501,250 founder shares. The founder shares are convertible into shares of Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as set forth herein. In addition, if our co-sponsors or their affiliates, or any of our officers or directors, makes any working capital loans, up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be converted into private placement-equivalent units at a price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued 150,000 units if $1,500,000 of notes were so converted), at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private placement units.
To the extent we issue shares of Class A common stock to effectuate an initial business combination, the potential for the issuance of a substantial number of additional shares of Class A common stock upon conversion of these rights or exercise of these warrants could make us a less attractive business combination vehicle to a target business. Any such issuance will increase the number of issued and outstanding shares of our Class A common stock and reduce the value of the shares of Class A common stock issued to complete the initial business combination. Therefore, our rights, warrants and founder shares may make it more difficult to effectuate an initial business combination or increase the cost of acquiring the target business.
The private placement warrants are identical to the warrants sold as part of the units in this offering except that, so long as they are held by our co-sponsors or their permitted transferees, (i) they will not be redeemable by us, (ii) they (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of these warrants) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by our co-sponsors until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination and (iii) they may be exercised by the holders on a cashless basis.
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, warrants, and rights, potentially at a loss.
Our public stockholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earliest to occur of: (i) our completion of an initial business combination, and then only in connection with those shares of Class A common stock that such stockholder properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations described herein, (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 redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity and (iii) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete an initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus), 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. Holders of warrants and rights will not have any right to the proceeds held in the trust account with respect to the warrants and rights. Accordingly, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares, warrants or rights, potentially at a loss.
If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial stockholders have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public stockholders vote.
Pursuant to the letter agreement, our initial stockholders, officers and directors have agreed to vote their founder shares, private placement shares, as well as any public shares purchased during or after this offering (including in open market and privately negotiated transactions), in favor of our initial business combination. I-Bankers has entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which it has agreed to vote its representative’s shares in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, in addition to our initial stockholders’ founder shares, the private placement shares and the representative’s shares, we would need only 2,870,363, or 32.99%, of the 8,700,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination (assuming all outstanding shares are voted) in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised), or, assuming that only a quorum is present at the meeting, no public shares would need to be voted in favor of an initial business combination, in order to have our initial business combination approved. Our initial stockholders will own shares representing 20% of our outstanding shares of common stock immediately following the completion of this offering (not including the private placement shares and the shares of Class A common stock issuable to I-Bankers). Accordingly, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, the agreement by our initial stockholders to vote in favor of our initial business combination will increase the likelihood that we will receive the requisite stockholder approval for such initial business combination.
The exercise price for the public warrants is higher than in some similar blank check company offerings in the past, and, accordingly, the warrants are more likely to expire worthless.
The exercise price of the public warrants is higher than some similar blank check companies in the past. Historically, the exercise price of a warrant was generally a fraction of the purchase price of the units in the initial public offering. The exercise price for our public warrants is $11.50 per share. As a result, the warrants are less likely to ever be in the money and more likely to expire worthless.
If you exercise your public warrants on a “cashless basis,” you will receive fewer shares of Class A common stock from such exercise than if you were to exercise such warrants for cash.
There are circumstances in which the exercise of the public warrants may be required or permitted to be made on a cashless basis. First, if a registration statement covering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the 60th day after the closing of our initial business combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a cashless basis in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption. Second, if our Class A common stock is at any time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that it satisfies the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a cashless basis in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, and in the event we do not so elect, we will use our best efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. Third, if we call the public warrants for redemption, our management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise warrants to do so on a cashless basis. In the event of an exercise on a cashless basis, a holder would pay the warrant exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of shares of Class A common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of Class A common stock underlying the warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the “fair market value” (as defined in the next sentence) by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” is the average reported last sale price of the Class A common stock for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of exercise is received by the warrant agent or on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants, as applicable. As a result, you would receive fewer shares of Class A common stock from such exercise than if you were to exercise such warrants for cash.
A provision of our warrant agreement may make it more difficult for use to consummate an initial business combination.
Unlike some other blank check companies, if
| (i) | we issue additional shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination at a Newly Issued Price of less than $9.20 per share; |
| (ii) | the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of our initial business combination on the date of the consummation of our initial business combination (net of redemptions), and |
| (iii) | the Market Value is below $9.20 per share, |
then the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, and the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price. This may make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination with a target business.
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 warrants and 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 Class A common stock and warrants and rights underlying the units, include:
| • | the history and prospects of companies whose principal business is the acquisition of other companies; |
| • | prior offerings of those companies; |
| • | our prospects for acquiring an operating business; |
| • | a review of debt to equity ratios in leveraged transactions; |
| • | an assessment of our management and their experience in identifying operating companies; |
| • | general conditions of the securities markets at the time of this offering; and |
| • | other factors as were deemed relevant. |
Although these factors were considered, the determination of our offering price is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities of an operating company in a particular industry since we have no historical operations or financial results.
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.
Because we must furnish our stockholders with target business financial statements, 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 an initial business combination meeting certain financial significance tests include historical and/or pro forma financial statement disclosure in periodic reports. We will include the same financial statement disclosure in connection with our tender offer documents, whether or not they are required under the tender offer rules. 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 as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, or IFRS, 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. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may acquire because some targets may be unable to provide such financial 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.
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.
In recent months, the market for directors and officers liability insurance for special purpose acquisition companies has changed. Fewer insurance companies are offering quotes for directors and officers liability coverage, 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 entity’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 may need to purchase additional insurance with respect to any such claims (“run-off insurance”). The need for runoff 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.
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 Class A common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of any June 30 before that time, in which case we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the following December 31. We cannot predict whether investors will find our securities less attractive because we will rely on 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 accountant standards used. Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Rule 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 the prior June 30th, 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 prior June 30th. To the extent we take advantage of such reduced disclosure obligations, it may also make comparison of our financial statements with other public companies difficult or impossible.
You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of many other blank check companies.
Since the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units are intended to be used to complete an initial business combination with a target business that has not been identified, we may be deemed to be a “blank check” company under the United States securities laws. However, because we will have net tangible assets in excess of $5,000,000 upon the successful completion of this offering and the sale of the private placement units and will file a Current Report on Form 8-K, including an audited balance sheet demonstrating this fact, we are exempt from rules promulgated by the SEC to protect investors in blank check companies, such as Rule 419.
Accordingly, investors will not be afforded the benefits or protections of those rules. Among other things, this means our units will be immediately tradable and we will have a longer period of time to complete our initial business combination than do companies subject to Rule 419. Moreover, if this offering were subject to Rule 419, that rule would prohibit the release of any interest earned on funds held in the trust account to us unless and until the funds in the trust account were released to us in connection with our completion of an initial business combination. For a more detailed comparison of our offering to offerings that comply with Rule 419, please see the section of this prospectus entitled “Proposed Business — Comparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419.”
Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation 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 Class A common stock and could entrench management.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will contain provisions that may discourage unsolicited takeover proposals that stockholders may consider to be in their best interests. These provisions include a staggered board of directors and the ability of the board of directors to designate the terms of and issue new series of preferred shares, which may make the removal of management more difficult 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 the removal of management more difficult and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities.
An investment in this offering may result in uncertain or adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences.
An investment in this offering may result in uncertain U.S. federal income tax consequences. For instance, because there are no authorities that directly address instruments similar to the units we are issuing in this offering, the allocation an investor makes with respect to the purchase price of a unit among the share of Class A common stock, one right and one warrant to purchase one share of Class A common stock included in each unit could be challenged by the IRS or the courts. Furthermore, the U.S. federal income tax consequences of a cashless exercise of warrants included in the units we are issuing in this offering is unclear under current law. It is also unclear whether the redemption rights with respect to our shares of Class A common stock suspend the running of a U.S. holder’s holding period for purposes of determining whether any gain or loss realized by such holder on the sale or exchange of Class A common stock is long-term capital gain or loss and for determining whether any dividend we pay would be considered “qualified dividends” for federal income tax purposes. See the section titled “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” for a summary of certain material U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in our securities. Prospective investors are urged to consult their tax advisors with respect to these and other tax consequences when purchasing, holding or disposing of our securities.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that derivative actions brought in our name, actions against our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders for breach of fiduciary duty and other similar actions may be brought only in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware and, if brought outside of Delaware, the stockholder bringing the suit will be deemed to have consented to service of process on such stockholder’s counsel, which may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery in 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 Corporation, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation, its directors, officers or employees arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law or the Corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws or (iv) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation, its directors, officers or employees governed by the internal affairs doctrine, except for, as to each of (i) through (iv) above, 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 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. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this exclusive forum provision shall not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.
Additionally, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act against us or any of our directors, officers, other employees or agents. Section 22 of the Securities Act, however, created concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. Accordingly, there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce these exclusive forum provisions, and the enforceability of similar choice of forum provisions in other companies’ charter documents has been challenged in legal proceedings. While the Delaware courts have determined that such exclusive forum provisions are facially valid, a stockholder may nevertheless seek to bring a claim in a venue other than those designated in the exclusive forum provisions, and there can be no assurance that such provisions will be enforced by a court in those other jurisdictions. Furthermore, stockholders cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.
This choice-of-forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with our company or its directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits. Alternatively, if a court were to find this provision of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation 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.
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements in this prospectus may constitute “forward-looking statements” for purposes of the federal securities laws. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management team’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 select an appropriate target business or businesses; |
| • | our ability to complete our initial business combination; |
| • | our expectations around the performance of the prospective target business or businesses; |
| • | our success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our officers, key employees or directors following our initial business combination; |
| • | our 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; |
| • | our potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination; |
| • | our pool of prospective target businesses; |
| • | the ability of our officers and directors to generate a number of potential acquisition opportunities; |
| • | our public securities’ potential liquidity and trading; |
| • | the lack of a market for our securities; |
| • | the use of proceeds not held in the trust account or available to us from interest income on the trust account balance; |
| • | the trust account not being subject to claims of third parties; or |
| • | our 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. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will 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 section of this prospectus entitled “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.
USE OF PROCEEDS
We are offering 8,700,000 units at an offering price of $10.00 per unit. We estimate that the net proceeds of this offering together with the funds we will receive from the sale of the private placement units will be used as set forth in the following table.
| | WITHOUT OVER-ALLOTMENT OPTION | | | OVER-ALLOTMENT OPTION FULLY EXERCISED | |
Gross proceeds | | | | | | | | |
Gross proceeds from units offered to public | | $ | 87,000,000 | | | $ | 100,050,000 | |
Gross proceeds from private placement units offered in the private placement to our co-sponsors, anchor investors and I-Bankers | | | 4,592,750 | | | | 5,049,500 | |
Total gross proceeds(1) | | $ | 91,592,750 | | | $ | 105,099,500 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Offering expenses(2) | | | | | | | | |
Underwriting commissions (2.5% of gross proceeds from units offered to public, other than units sold pursuant to the underwriters’ overallotment option)(3) | | $ | 2,175,000 | | | $ | 2,501,250 | |
Legal fees and expenses | | | 350,000 | | | | 350,000 | |
Accounting fees and expenses | | | 40,000 | | | | 40,000 | |
SEC/FINRA Expenses | | | 30,983 | | | | 30,983 | |
Travel and road show | | | 25,000 | | | | 25,000 | |
Nasdaq listing and filing fees | | | 85,000 | | | | 85,000 | |
Printing and engraving expenses | | | 40,000 | | | | 40,000 | |
Director and Officer liability insurance premiums | | | 650,000 | | | | 650,000 | |
Miscellaneous | | | 76,767 | | | | 76,767 | |
Total offering expenses (excluding underwriting commissions) | | $ | 1,297,750 | | | $ | 1,297,750 | |
Proceeds after offering expenses | | $ | 88,120,000 | | | $ | 101,300,500 | |
Held in trust account(3) | | $ | 87,870,000 | | | $ | 101,050,500 | |
% of public offering size | | | 101.0 | % | | | 101.0 | % |
Not held in trust account | | $ | 250,000 | | | $ | 250,000 | |
The following table shows the use of the approximately $250,000 of net proceeds not held in the trust account, including the use of $184,934 in cash as of September 30, 2021 and $290,066 in deferred offering expenses financed from the proceeds of promissory notes from our co-sponsor, FSC Sponsor LLC and Mr. Assentato.(4)
| | AMOUNT | | | % OF TOTAL | |
Legal, accounting, due diligence, travel, and other expenses in connection with any business combination(5) | | $ | 350,000 | | | | 48.3 | % |
Legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting obligations | | | 100,000 | | | | 13.8 | % |
Payment for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support ($15,000 per month for up to 12 months) | | | 180,000 | | | | 24.8 | % |
Nasdaq continued listing | | | 50,000 | | | | 6.9 | % |
Working capital to cover miscellaneous expenses (including taxes net of anticipated interest income) | | | 45,000 | | | | 6.2 | % |
Total | | $ | 725,000 | | | | 100.0 | % |
(1) | Includes gross proceeds from this offering, including the funds held in trust of $87,870,000 (or $101,050,500 if the underwriters’ overallotment option is exercised in full), which amounts from the trust account would be payable to public stockholders who redeem their shares in connection with the successful completion of our initial business combination. |
(2) | A portion of the offering expenses will be paid from the proceeds of loans in the amount of $450,000, comprised of a $200,000 unsecured promissory note from our co-sponsor, FSC Sponsor LLC, and a convertible loan of $250,000 from an investor in FSC Sponsor LLC, Mr. Assentato, under an unsecured promissory note of which $250,000 has been drawn upon. This convertible note will, at the election of the holder, be repaid on the date of the initial business combination, or converted into warrants, which shall be identical to the private placement warrants, in an amount equal to the principal balance of this note at a price of $1.00 per warrant. In the event that offering expenses are more than as set forth in this table, they will be repaid using a portion of the $250,000 of offering proceeds not held in the trust account and set aside for post-closing working capital expenses. In the event that offering expenses are less than set forth in this table, any such amounts will be used for post-closing working capital expenses. |
(3) | Upon completion of our initial business combination, the funds held in the trust account, less amounts released to the trustee to pay redeeming stockholders, will be released to us and can be used to pay all or a portion of the purchase price of the business or businesses with which our initial business combination occurs, to pay the Marketing Fee of $3,045,000 (or $3,501,750 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) or for general corporate purposes, including payment of principal or interest on indebtedness incurred in connection with our initial business combination, to fund the purchases of other companies or for working capital. |
(4) | The funds available post offering and not held in the trust account are increased by the $184,934 in cash and the $290,066 in deferred offering expenses financed from the proceeds of the two promissory notes issued to Mr. Assentato and FSC Sponsor LLC totaling $450,000 which amount supplements the net proceeds set forth in the Use of Proceeds for an estimated $725,000 in funds available outside of the trust account following the closing of the offering. The expenses set forth in this table are estimates only and do not include interest which may be available to us from the trust account. 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 such business combination. In the event we identify an initial business combination target in a specific industry subject to specific regulations, we may incur additional expenses associated with legal due diligence and the engagement of special legal counsel. In addition, our staffing needs may vary and as a result, we may engage a number of consultants to assist with legal and financial due diligence. Furthermore, expenses may be greater than estimated if we extend the time to complete our initial business combination past the initial 12 months. Other than as stated above, we do not anticipate any change in 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 not be available for our expenses. |
(5) | Includes estimated amounts that may also be used in connection with our initial business combination to fund a “no shop” provision and commitment fees for financing. |
Of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, $87,870,000 (or $101,050,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be placed in a trust account in the United States, with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, subject to increase in the event that one, or both, of our co-sponsors elects to extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, and will be invested only 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 which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations.
We estimate that the interest earned on the trust account will be approximately $439,350 per year, assuming an interest rate of 0.5% per year; however, we can provide no assurance regarding this amount. Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our franchise and income tax obligations (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), the proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement units will not be released from the trust account until the earliest to occur of: (a) the completion of our initial business combination, (b) 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 redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, and (c) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus), subject to applicable law.
The net proceeds held in the trust account may be used as consideration to pay the sellers of a target business with which we ultimately complete our initial business combination. If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt securities, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination, we may apply the balance of the cash released from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction company, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital. There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds privately or through loans in connection with our initial business combination.
We believe that amounts not held in trust will be sufficient to pay the costs and expenses to which such proceeds are allocated. This belief is based on the fact that while we may begin preliminary due diligence of a target business in connection with an indication of interest, we intend to undertake in-depth due diligence, depending on the circumstances of the relevant prospective business combination, only after we have negotiated and signed a letter of intent or other preliminary agreement that addresses the terms of an initial business combination. However, if our estimate of the costs of undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating an initial business combination is less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may be required to raise additional capital, the amount, availability and cost of which is currently unascertainable. If we are required to seek additional capital, we could seek such additional capital through loans or additional investments from our co-sponsors, members of our management team or their affiliates, but such persons are not under any obligation to advance funds to, or invest in, us.
Commencing on the date of this prospectus, we have agreed to pay Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd. a total of $15,000 per month for a period of 12 months for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support. Upon the earlier of the elapse of 12 months or the completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.
Prior to the closing of this offering, our co-sponsor, FSC Sponsor LLC, loaned us $200,000 under an unsecured promissory note effective as of November 30, 2020 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. The note is non-interest bearing and payable on the date of the initial business combination. In addition, an investor in FSC Sponsor LLC, Emil Assentato, agreed to loan us up to an additional $250,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering, with $250,000 withdrawn as of September 30, 2021. This convertible loan is non-interest bearing, unsecured, and will, at the election of the holder, be repaid on the date of the initial business combination, or converted into warrants, which shall be identical to the private placement warrants, in an amount equal to the principal balance of this note at a price of $1.00 per warrant. The value of the respective interests of our co-sponsor and Mr. Assentato in this transaction corresponds to the principal amount outstanding under any such loan.
In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our co-sponsors or an affiliate of our co-sponsors or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. Otherwise, such loans would be repaid only out of funds held outside the trust account. In the event that our 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 to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $1,500,000 of such working capital loans may be convertible into private placement-equivalent units at a price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued 150,000 units if $1,500,000 of notes were so converted) at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private placement units. The terms of such working capital loans by our co-sponsors or their affiliates, or our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our co-sponsors or an affiliate of our co-sponsors as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.
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 initial stockholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares, public warrants or public warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. There is no limit on the number of shares our initial stockholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase in such transactions, subject to compliance with applicable law and Nasdaq rules. However, apart from the purchase of the private placement units, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. If they engage in such transactions, they will not make any such purchases when they are in possession of any material nonpublic information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will comply with such rules. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements. None of the funds held in the trust account will be used to purchase shares, public warrants or public rights in such transactions prior to completion of our initial business combination. See “Proposed Business — Permitted purchases of our securities” for a description of how our initial stockholders, directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates will select which stockholders to purchase securities from in any private transaction.
The purpose of any such purchases of shares could be to vote such shares in favor of the initial business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the initial business combination or 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. The purpose of any such purchases of public warrants could be to reduce the number of public warrants and/or public rights outstanding or to vote such warrants and/or public rights on any matters submitted to the warrant holders and/or rights holders for approval in connection with our initial business combination. Any such purchases of our securities may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our shares of Class A common stock or warrants may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.
We will only redeem our public shares so long as (after such redemption) our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) and the agreement for our initial business combination may require as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. If too many public stockholders exercise their redemption rights so that we cannot satisfy the net tangible asset requirement or any net worth or cash requirements, we would not proceed with the redemption of our public shares or the initial business combination, and instead may search for an alternate business combination.
A public stockholder will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earliest to occur of: (i) our completion of an 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 redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, and (iii) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 18 months following the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law and as further described herein and any limitations (including but not limited to cash requirements) created by the terms of the proposed initial business combination. In no other circumstances will a public stockholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account.
Our initial stockholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares, private placement shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. I-Bankers has entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which it has agreed to waive its redemption rights with respect its representative’s shares held by it in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. In addition, our co-sponsors, initial stockholders, officers and directors have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares and private placement shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame. However, if our co-sponsors or any of our initial stockholders, officers, directors or affiliates acquires public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame.
DIVIDEND POLICY
We have not paid any cash dividends on our 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 in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition subsequent to completion of our initial business combination. If we increase or decrease the size of the offering we will effect a stock dividend or a share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B common stock immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of our initial stockholders at 20.0% of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering (not including the private placement shares and the shares of Class A common Stock issuable to I-Bankers). 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.
DILUTION
The difference between the public offering price per share of Class A common stock, assuming no value is attributed to the warrants and rights included in the units we are offering pursuant to this prospectus or the private placement warrants or private placement rights, and the pro forma net tangible book value per share of our Class A common stock after this offering constitutes the dilution to investors in this offering. Such calculation does not reflect any dilution associated with the sale and exercise of warrants, including the private placement warrants, which would cause the actual dilution to the public stockholders to be higher, particularly where a cashless exercise is utilized. 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 Class A common stock which may be redeemed for cash), by the number of outstanding shares of our Class A common stock.
At September 30, 2021, our net tangible book value was $20,000, or approximately a net tangible book value of $0.01 per share of common stock. 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 one-tenth (1/10) 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 to be issued in the units offered hereby will be deemed to be 9,570,000 (consisting of 8,700,000 shares included in the units we are offering by this prospectus and 870,000 shares underlying the rights), and the price per share in this offering will be deemed to be $9.09. After giving effect to the Founder Shares and the sale of 8,700,000 shares of Class A common stock included in the units we are offering by this prospectus (or 10,005,000 shares of Class A common stock if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), the sale of the private placement units, the issuance of the representative’s shares and the deduction of underwriting commissions and estimated expenses of this offering, our pro forma net tangible book value at September 30, 2021 would have been ($11,657,987) or approximately ($3.01) per share (or ($13,466,783) or approximately ($3.04) per share if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), representing an immediate increase in net tangible book value (as decreased by the value of the 8,700,000 shares of Class A common stock that may be redeemed for cash, or 10,005,000 shares of Class A common stock if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) of ($3.02) per share (or ($3.05) per share if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) to our initial stockholders as of the date of this prospectus and dilution to public stockholders from this offering will be $12.10 per share (or $12.13 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full).
The following table illustrates the dilution to the public stockholders on a per-share basis, assuming no value is attributed to the warrants and the rights included in the units or in the private placement units:
| | NO EXERCISE OF OVER-ALLOTMENT OPTION | | | EXERCISE OF OVER-ALLOTMENT OPTION IN FULL | |
Public offering price | | $ | 9.09 | | | $ | 9.09 | |
Net tangible book value before this offering | | $ | 0.01 | | | $ | 0.01 | |
Increase attributable to public stockholders and sale of the private placement units | | $ | (3.02 | ) | | $ | (3.05 | ) |
Pro forma net tangible book value after this offering | | $ | (3.01 | ) | | $ | (3.04 | ) |
Dilution to public stockholders | | $ | 12.10 | | | $ | 12.13 | |
Percentage of dilution to public stockholders | | | 121.0 | % | | | 121.3 | % |
For purposes of presentation, we have reduced our pro forma net tangible book value after this offering (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option) by $87,870,000 because holders of up to approximately 100% of our public shares may redeem their shares at $10.10 per share for a pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account at a per share redemption price equal to the amount in the trust account as set forth in our tender offer or proxy materials (initially anticipated to be the aggregate amount held in trust two days prior to the commencement of our tender offer or stockholders meeting, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income taxes), divided by the number of shares of Class A common stock sold in this offering.
The following table sets forth information with respect to our initial stockholders and the public stockholders:
| | SHARES PURCHASED | | | TOTAL CONSIDERATION | | | AVERAGE PRICE | |
| | NUMBER | | | PERCENTAGE | | | AMOUNT | | | PERCENTAGE | | | PER SHARE | |
Initial Stockholders(1) | | | 2,175,000 | | | | 17.36 | % | | $ | 25,000 | | | | 0.03 | % | | $ | 0.01 | |
Representative’s shares | | | 325,000 | | | | 2.59 | % | | | 3,250 | | | | 0.00 | % | | $ | 0.01 | |
Private placement shares | | | 459,275 | | | | 3.67 | % | | | 4,592,750 | | | | 5.01 | % | | $ | 10.00 | |
Public Stockholders(2) | | | 9,570,000 | | | | 76.38 | % | | | 87,000,000 | | | | 94.96 | % | | $ | 9.09 | |
| | | 12,529,275 | | | | 100 | % | | $ | 91,617,750 | | | | 100 | % | | | | |
(1) | Assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option and the corresponding forfeiture of an aggregate of 326,250 shares of Class B common stock held by our initial stockholders. |
| |
(2) | Assumes the issuance of an additional 870,000 shares underlying the rights included in the public units. |
The pro forma net tangible book value per share after the offering is calculated as follows:
| | WITHOUT OVER-ALLOTMENT | | | WITH OVER-ALLOTMENT | |
Numerator: | | | | | | | | |
Net tangible book value before this offering | | $ | 20,000 | | | $ | 20,000 | |
Net proceeds from this offering and sale of the private placement units, net of expenses | | | 88,120,000 | | | | 101,300,500 | |
Plus: Offering costs accrued for and paid in advance, excluded from tangible book value before this offering | | | 290,066 | | | | 290,066 | |
Less: Derivative warrant liabilities | | | (9,173,053 | ) | | | (10,525,099 | ) |
Less: Fees for marketing services relating to our initial business combination | | | (3,045,000 | ) | | | (3,501,750 | ) |
Less: Proceeds held in trust subject to conversion/tender | | | (87,870,000 | ) | | | (101,050,500 | ) |
| | $ | (11,657,987 | ) | | $ | (13,466,783 | ) |
| | WITHOUT OVER-ALLOTMENT | | | WITH OVER-ALLOTMENT | |
Denominator: | | | | | | | | |
Shares of common stock outstanding prior to this offering, not including representative’s shares | | | 2,175,000 | | | | 2,501,250 | |
Shares of common stock included in the units offered(1) | | | 9,570,000 | | | | 11,005,500 | |
Representative’s shares | | | 325,000 | | | | 373,750 | |
Private placement shares, with rights exercised(2) | | | 505,202 | | | | 555,445 | |
Less: Shares subject to redemption | | | (8,700,000 | ) | | | (10,005,000 | ) |
| | | 3,875,202 | | | | 4,430,945 | |
(1) | Assumes the issuance of an additional 870,000 shares underlying the rights included in the public units without the over-allotment, and an additional 1,000,500 shares underlying the rights with the over-allotment. |
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(2) | Assumes the issuance of an additional 45,927 shares underlying the rights included in the private placement units without the over-allotment, and an additional 50,495 shares underlying the rights included in the private placement units with the over-allotment. |
CAPITALIZATION
The following table sets forth our capitalization at September 30, 2021 and as adjusted to give effect to the sale of our units and the private securities and the application of the estimated net proceeds derived from the sale of such securities:
| | ACTUAL | | | AS ADJUSTED(1) | |
Promissory notes – related parties(2) | | $ | 450,000 | | | $ | 450,000 | |
Unsecured loans from Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd. | | | 5,000 | | | | 5,000 | |
Fees for marketing services relating to our initial business combination | | | | | | | 3,045,000 | |
Derivative warrant liabilities(3) | | | | | | | 9,173,053 | |
Class A common stock, subject to redemption, 8,700,000 shares which are subject to possible redemption/tender, actual and as adjusted, respectively(4) | | | — | | | | 87,870,000 | |
Common Stock Par Value $0.0001 | | | 207 | | | | 216 | |
Additional paid-in capital | | | 24,799 | | | | | |
Accumulated deficit | | | (5,000 | ) | | | (11,657,771 | ) |
Total stockholders’ equity (deficit) | | | 20,000 | | | | (11,657,987 | ) |
Total capitalization | | $ | 475,000 | | | $ | 88,885,066 | |
(1) | The as adjusted figures assume that the over-allotment option has not been exercised, and as a consequence, an aggregate of 326,250 founder shares held by the existing stockholders have been forfeited. The proceeds of the sale of such shares will not be deposited into the trust account, the shares will not be eligible for redemption from the trust account nor will they be eligible to vote upon the initial business combination. Includes 325,000 shares issuable to I-Bankers, the representative of the underwriters in this offering, upon consummation of this offering. |
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(2) | FSC Sponsor LLC has loaned us $200,000 under an unsecured promissory note effective as of November 30, 2020 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. The note is non-interest bearing and payable on the date of the initial business combination. In addition, an investor in FSC Sponsor LLC, Emil Assentato, may loan us up to an aggregate of $250,000 under an unsecured convertible promissory note to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. The note, dated July 8, 2020, is non-interest bearing and payable on the date of the initial business combination or convertible into warrants of equivalent value, which shall be identical to the private placement warrants, or failing this on the abandonment of this offering. As of September 30, 2021, we have borrowed $250,000 under this convertible promissory note. |
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(3) | We will account for the 9,159,275 warrants to be issued in connection with this offering, including the 8,700,000 warrants included in the public units and 459,275 private placement warrants, assuming the underwriter’s over-allotment option is not exercised, in accordance with the guidance contained in Accounting Standards Codification 815-40. Such guidance provides that because the warrants do not meet the criteria for equity treatment, each warrant must be recorded as a liability. Accordingly, we will classify each warrant as a liability at its fair value. This liability is subject to revaluation at each balance sheet date. With each such re-measurement, the warrant liability will be adjusted to fair value, with the change in fair value recognized in our statement of operations. The warrants are also subject to re-evaluation of the proper classification and accounting treatment at each reporting period. |
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(4) | Upon the completion of our initial business combination, we will provide our stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income taxes, subject to the limitations described herein. The “as adjusted amount of common stock, subject to redemption” equals the “as adjusted” total assets of $73,465,000 less the “as adjusted total stockholders’ equity. The value of common stock that may be redeemed is equal to $10.10 per share (which is the assumed redemption price) multiplied by 8,700,000 shares of common stock, which is the maximum number of shares of common stock that may be redeemed for a $10.10 per share and still maintain $5,000,001 of net tangible assets. All of the 8,700,000 shares of Class A common stock sold as part of the units in the offering contain a redemption feature which allows for the redemption of such public shares in connection with our liquidation, if there is a stockholder vote or tender offer in connection with our initial business combination and in connection with certain amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. In accordance with SEC and its guidance on redeemable equity instruments, which has been codified in ASC 480-10-S99, redemption provisions not solely within the control of a company require common stock subject to redemption to be classified outside of permanent equity. Given that the 8,700,000 shares of Class A common stock sold as part of the units in the offering will be issued with other freestanding instruments (i.e., public warrants), the initial carrying value of Class A common stock classified as temporary equity will be the allocated proceeds determined in accordance with ASC 470-20. Our Class A common stock is subject to ASC 480-10-S99. If it is probable that the equity instrument will become redeemable, we have the option to either (i) accrete changes in the redemption value over the period from the date of issuance (or from the date that it becomes probable that the instrument will become redeemable, if later) to the earliest redemption date of the instrument or (ii) recognize changes in the redemption value immediately as they occur and adjust the carrying amount of the instrument to equal the redemption value at the end of each reporting period. We have elected to recognize the changes immediately. The accretion or remeasurement will be treated as a deemed dividend (i.e., a reduction to retained earnings, or in absence of retained earnings, additional paid-in capital). |
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Overview
We are a blank check company incorporated as a Delaware corporation and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. We have not selected any specific business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the private placement of the units, the proceeds of the sale of our shares in connection with our initial business combination (including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into following the consummation of this offering or otherwise), shares issued to the owners of the target, debt issued to bank or other lenders or the owners of the target, or a combination of the foregoing.
The issuance of additional shares in connection with an initial business combination to the owners of the target or other investors:
| • | may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in this offering, which dilution would increase if the anti-dilution provisions in the Class B common stock resulted in the issuance of Class A shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the Class B common stock; |
| • | may subordinate the rights of holders of our common stock if preferred stock is issued with rights senior to those afforded our common stock; |
| • | could cause a change in control if a substantial number of shares of our common stock is 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; |
| • | may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of us by diluting the stock ownership or voting rights of a person seeking to obtain control of us; and |
| • | may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our Class A common stock, warrants and/or rights. |
Similarly, if we issue debt securities or otherwise incur significant debt to bank or other lenders or the owners of a target, it could result in:
| • | default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after an 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; |
| • | 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; |
| • | our inability to pay dividends on our common stock; |
| • | using a substantial portion of our cash flow to pay principal and interest on our debt, which will reduce the funds available for dividends on our common stock if declared, our ability to pay expenses, make capital expenditures and acquisitions, and fund other general corporate purposes; |
| • | limitations on our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and in the industry in which we operate; |
| • | increased vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions and adverse changes in government regulation; |
| • | limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, and execution of our strategy; and |
| • | other purposes and other disadvantages compared to our competitors who have less debt. |
As indicated in the accompanying financial statements, at September 30, 2021, we had $184,934 in cash and $290,066 in deferred offering costs. Further, we expect to continue to incur significant costs in the pursuit of our initial business combination plans. We cannot assure you that our plans to raise capital or to complete our initial business combination will be successful.
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 expenses as we conduct due diligence on prospective business combination candidates. We expect our expenses to increase substantially after the closing of this offering.
Operating Expenses and Deferred Operating Costs
We had operating expenses of $5,000 from the period of inception on July 1, 2020 through September 30, 2021. Operating expenses were primarily due to fees in the amount of $5,000. During the period from July 1, 2020 (inception) through September 30, 2021 we incurred deferred offering costs of $237,255.
We expect our operating expenses will significantly increase immediately prior to and after the initial public offering, and for post offering acquisition activities. However, our operating expenses are difficult to predict due to the uncertainty of a business combination, and it may be necessary to continuously raise additional capital to sustain operations.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As indicated in the accompanying financial statements, at September 30, 2021, we had $184,934 in cash. We have incurred and expect to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of our financing and acquisition plans. We cannot assure you that our plans to raise capital or to consummate an initial business combination will be successful. These factors, among others, raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
Our liquidity needs have been satisfied prior to the completion of this offering through a capital contribution from our initial stockholders of $25,000 for the founder shares, and loans of $450,000 comprised of a $200,000 unsecured promissory note from our co-sponsor, FSC Sponsor LLC, and a convertible loan of $250,000 from an investor in FSC Sponsor LLC, Mr. Assentato, under an unsecured promissory note of which $250,000 has been drawn upon. We estimate that the net proceeds from (i) the sale of the units in this offering, after deducting offering expenses of approximately $1,297,750 ($290,066 of which have been prepaid with the proceeds from the notes), underwriting commissions of $2,175,000 ($2,501,250 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), and (ii) the sale of the private placement units for a purchase price of $4,592,750 (or $5,049,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), will be $88,120,000 (or $101,300,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full). Of this amount, $87,870,000 (or $101,050,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be held in the trust account and, when combined with our cash on hand and prepaid offering expenses, would amount to approximately $725,000 in cash outside of the trust account following this offering. The proceeds held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. The remaining approximately $250,000 will not be held in the trust account. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $1,297,750, we may fund such excess with funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $1,297,750 the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.
We intend to use substantially all of the funds held in the trust account, including any amounts representing interest earned on the trust account to complete our initial business combination. We may withdraw interest to pay franchise and income taxes. We estimate our annual franchise tax obligations, based on the number of shares of our common stock authorized and outstanding after the completion of this offering, to be $200,000, which is the maximum amount of annual franchise taxes payable by us as a Delaware corporation per annum, which we may pay from funds from this offering held outside of the trust account or from interest earned on the funds held in our trust account and released to us for this purpose. Our annual income tax obligations will depend on the amount of interest and other income earned on the amounts held in the trust account. We expect the interest earned on the amount in the trust account will be sufficient to pay our income taxes. To the extent that our capital stock or debt is used, in whole or in part, as consideration to complete our initial business combination, the remaining proceeds held in the trust account will be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business or businesses, make other acquisitions and pursue our growth strategies.
Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we will have available to us the approximately $725,000 of proceeds held outside the trust account. We will use these funds to identify and evaluate target businesses, perform business due diligence on prospective target businesses, travel to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses or their representatives or owners, review corporate documents and material agreements of prospective target businesses, and structure, negotiate and complete an initial business combination.
In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our co-sponsors or an affiliate of our co-sponsors or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that our 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. Up to $1,500,000 of such working capital loans may be convertible into private placement-equivalent units at a price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued 150,000 units if $1,500,000 of notes were so converted), at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private placement units. The terms of such working capital loans by our co-sponsors or their affiliates, or our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our co-sponsors or an affiliate of our co-sponsors as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.
We expect our primary liquidity requirements during that period to include approximately $350,000 for legal, accounting, due diligence, travel and other expenses associated with structuring, negotiating and documenting successful business combinations; $100,000 for legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting requirements; $50,000 for Nasdaq continued listing fees; $180,000 for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support; and approximately $20,000 for working capital that will be used for miscellaneous expenses and reserves (including taxes net of anticipated interest income).
These amounts are estimates and may differ materially from our actual expenses. In addition, we could use a portion of the funds not being placed in trust to pay commitment fees for financing, fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business or as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision (a provision 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 initial business combination, although we do not have any current intention to do so. If we entered into an agreement where we paid for the right to receive exclusivity from a target business, the amount that would be used as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision would be determined based on the terms of the specific business combination and the amount of our available funds at the time. Our forfeiture of such funds (whether as a result of our breach or otherwise) could result in our not having sufficient funds to continue searching for, or conducting due diligence with respect to, prospective target businesses.
We do not believe we will need to raise additional funds following this offering in order to meet the expenditures required for operating our business. However, if our estimates of the costs of identifying a target business, undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating an initial business combination are less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may have insufficient funds available to operate our business prior to our initial business combination. Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing either to complete our initial business combination or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon completion of our initial business combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such business combination. In addition, we intend to target businesses larger than we could acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, and may as a result be required to seek additional financing to complete such proposed initial business combination. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, we would only complete such financing simultaneously with the completion of our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account. In addition, following our initial business combination, if cash on hand is insufficient, we may need to obtain additional financing in order to meet our obligations.
Controls and Procedures
We are not currently required to comply with 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, 2022. Only in the event that we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer would we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement. Further, for as long as we remain an emerging growth company as defined in the JOBS Act, we intend 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 independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement.
Prior to the closing of this offering, we have not completed an assessment, nor has our independent registered public accounting firm tested our systems, of internal controls. We expect to assess the internal controls 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 controls. A target business may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding the adequacy of internal controls. Many small and mid-sized 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;
• 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.
Once our management’s report on internal controls is complete, we will retain our independent registered public accounting firm to audit and render an opinion on such report when required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The independent registered public accounting firm may identify additional issues concerning a target business’s internal controls while performing their 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 placement 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 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.
Related Party Transactions
On October 23, 2020, our initial stockholders purchased an aggregate of 2,501,250 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.01 per share. Prior to the effectiveness of this registration statement, FSC Sponsor LLC intends to transfer an aggregate of 1,310,037.5 of its founder shares to certain of our initial stockholders, including Celtic Sponsor VII LLC, Caliente Management, LLC, Frio Investments, LLC, Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd. and each of the anchor investors. Up to 326,250 shares of the founder shares will be subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. The number of founder shares issued was determined based on the expectation that such founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares upon completion of this offering (not including the private placement shares and the shares of Class A common stock issuable to I-Bankers. The per share purchase price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash contributed to the company by the aggregate number of founder shares issued. If we increase or decrease the size of the offering we will effect a stock dividend or a share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B common stock immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of our initial stockholders at 20.0% of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering (not including the private placement shares and the shares of Class A common Stock issuable to I-Bankers).
Our co-sponsors, anchor investors and I-Bankers and have committed to purchase from us an aggregate of 459,275 private placement units (or 504,950 private placement units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at $10.00 per unit. These purchases will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering and the over-allotment option, as applicable. All of the proceeds we receive from the purchase of the private placement units will be placed in the trust account described below. The private placement units will be identical to the units sold in this offering except that the private placement warrants, so long as they are held by our co-sponsors, initial stockholders or their permitted transferees, (i) will not be redeemable by us, (ii) may not (including the securities underlying the units), subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holders until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, (iii) may be exercised by the holders on a cashless basis and (iv) will be entitled to registration rights. The holders will be permitted to transfer the private placement units held by them to certain permitted transferees, including our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with or related to them, but the transferees receiving such securities will be subject to the same agreements with respect to such securities as our co-sponsors.
Commencing on the date of this prospectus, we have agreed to pay Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd., a total of $15,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support for 12 months. Upon the earlier of the elapse of 12 months or the completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.
Our co-sponsors, officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates, 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. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our co-sponsors, officers, directors or our or their affiliates and will determine which expenses and the amount of expenses that will be reimbursed. There is no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by such persons in connection with activities on our behalf.
Prior to the consummation of this offering, we received $450,000 in funds from two convertible promissory notes to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. These loans are non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due upon completion of our initial business combination.
In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our co-sponsors or an affiliate of our co-sponsors or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that our 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. Up to $1,500,000 of such working capital loans may be convertible into private placement- equivalent units at a price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued 150,000 units if $1,500,000 of notes were so converted), at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private placement units. The terms of such working capital loans by our co-sponsors or their affiliates, or our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our co-sponsors or an affiliate of our co-sponsors as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.
Pursuant to a registration rights agreement we will enter into with our initial stockholders on or prior to the closing of this offering, we may be required to register certain securities for sale under the Securities Act. These holders, and holders of units issued upon conversion of working capital loans, if any, are entitled under the registration rights agreement to make up to three demands that we register certain of our securities held by them for sale under the Securities Act and to have the securities covered thereby registered for resale pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. In addition, these holders have the right to include their securities in other registration statements filed by us. We will bear the costs and expenses of filing any such registration statements. See the section of this prospectus entitled “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions.”
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements; Commitments and Contractual Obligations; Quarterly Results
As of September 30, 2021, 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 a result, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.
Additionally, we are in the process of evaluating the benefits of relying on the other reduced reporting requirements provided by the JOBS Act. Subject to certain conditions set forth in the JOBS Act, if, as an “emerging growth company”, we choose to rely on such exemptions we may not be required to, among other things, (i) provide an independent registered public accounting firm’s attestation report on our system of internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404, (ii) provide all of the compensation disclosure that may be required of non-emerging growth public companies under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, (iii) comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the PCAOB regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the report of independent registered public accounting firm providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements (auditor discussion and analysis), and (iv) disclose certain executive compensation related items such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the CEO’s compensation to median employee compensation. These exemptions will apply for a period of five years following the completion of this offering or until we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” whichever is earlier.
PROPOSED BUSINESS
We are a newly organized blank check company formed as a Delaware corporation for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. Throughout this prospectus, we will refer to this as our initial business combination.
We intend to concentrate our efforts on identifying businesses in FinTech, or the financial technology and financial services sector. with an equity value of approximately $300 million to $500 million or more, with a particular emphasis on companies that have profitability, with unique financial products or technologies to exploit growing foreign demand for cutting edge, real-time access to the global financial markets for trading in equities, foreign exchange and futures. These acquisitions may include, but are not limited to, financial services and financial technology companies, as well as technologies which may be exploited for the development of global financial services. This acquisition philosophy involves looking for established financial firms with a strong technology base, for profitable and growing firms with experienced management teams, and for firms and management teams that desire a public company presence on NASDAQ for access to the U.S. capital markets.
There has been a rise in the level of sophistication and interconnectivity between innovative technology and financial services providers, and we expect this trend to continue and accelerate. We believe that there are many potential targets within the financial services space that could become attractive public companies. These potential targets exhibit a broad range of business models and financial characteristics that range from very high growth and innovative companies to more mature businesses with established franchises, recurring revenues and strong cash flows.
According to a report published by KPMG in February 2020, global FinTech investment hit a near record $135.7 billion in 2019. FinTech companies exist across many industries within financial services, including banking technology, payment and financial transaction processing, capital markets, wealth management, insurance, and financial management systems. Investment in financial services technology, which is sometimes referred to as “fintech,” has gone through a metamorphosis in recent years. We believe that FinTech companies have proven to be successful with multiple business models and strategic objectives. The objective of FinTech companies can range from improving the efficiency of traditional financial services companies, to introducing new products and creating new markets, to those focused on disrupting traditional financial services companies with competitive products. FinTech is impacting the financial services sector broadly in the following aspect:
| • | FinTech companies tend to take away the revenues of traditional financial institutions and force them to be more competitive and vibrant; |
| • | Technology disrupts the logic of traditional financial institutions and empowers them to adjust their strategic direction; |
| • | Electronic channel services occupy the entrance, driving traditional financial institutions to achieve full channel integration and coordination; |
| • | Innovations in FinTech companies have sprung up, inspiring traditional financial institutions to innovate their business models; |
| • | Business innovation drives management innovation, forcing traditional financial institutions to reform their organizational model and information technology (“IT”) architecture. |
Consistent with our industry focus, we intend to target FinTech and financial services businesses that have strong management teams, demonstrated organic growth, and differentiated products or services. We believe that the extensive networks of our management team and board of directors will deliver access to a broad spectrum of opportunities across the financial services landscape. In addition to any potential business candidates we may identify on our own, we anticipate that other target business candidates will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment market participants, private equity funds and large business enterprises seeking to divest non-core assets or divisions.
We are not, however, required to complete our initial business combination with a FinTech or financial services business and, as a result, we may pursue a business combination outside of that industry. We will seek to acquire established businesses that we believe are fundamentally sound but potentially in need of financial, operational, strategic or managerial redirection to maximize value. We may also look at earlier stage companies that exhibit the potential to change the industries in which they are participating and which will offer the potential of sustained high levels of revenue and earnings growth.
Our Management Team
We will seek to capitalize on the financial technology, financial services, capital markets, and mergers and acquisition experience and relationships of our executives, namely, Jamie Khurshid, our Chief Executive Officer, Horst Rzepka, our Chief Financial Officer, and members of our Board of Directors, to identify, evaluate, and acquire a target business. In addition, the management team will be aided by Celtic Asset & Equity Partners Ltd., our consultants.
Jamie Khurshid serves as our Chief Executive Officer and as a member of our board of directors. Mr. Khurshid is a London based senior financial markets expert, with a career spanning over two decades as an investment banker with Credit Suisse from September 1998 to June 2008, with Goldman Sachs from June 2008 to May 2010, with the Royal Bank of Scotland from May 2008 until June 2013, and subsequently from July 2013 to July 2014 as a senior partner with Cinnober Financial Technology, the world’s leading independent exchange and clearing house technology provider. Cinnober Financial Technology was a global provider of financial technology, primarily to exchanges and clearinghouses, that was acquired by Nasdaq in January 2019. Mr. Khurshid played an important role in the development of European regulatory transparency in financial markets and is known for setting up two consortium ventures, first with IHS Markit, a London based financial information services group, for the creation of Markit “Boat” from September 2006 to September 2007 where he was responsible for the negotiation and acquisition of Boat Services Ltd., Europe’s longest running independent regulatory and transparency services vehicle since the introduction of MiFID in 2007, and the London Stock Exchange Group’s (LSEG) Turquoise MTF from April 2007 to April 2008. Turquoise operates a Multilateral Trading Facility (MTF) majority owned by London Stock Exchange Group in partnership with the user community. With a single connection, members can trade shares, depository receipts, ETFs, and European Rights Issues of 19 European countries with an Open Access model (supporting interoperability and preferred clearing models) that allows members to choose among 4 CCPs to clear these trades. Members include banks, brokers, specialist trading firms and retail intermediaries. Most recently, Mr. Khurshid is recognized for defining and successfully delivering the first voluntary transparency regime for the global bullion market on behalf of the London Bullion Market Association, authorized by the Bank of England with oversight from the UK FCA. Mr. Khurshid was selected by the Financial News in London as one of the top 40 under 40 in European trading and technology (2014) and ranked in the ‘Exchange invest’ Top 1000 most influential people in global financial markets. He has served since July 2018 as a board advisor for Quantum Technology Solutions in London, an information technology, financial services, platform for algorithm trading, execution systems, and regulatory and risk compliance. He is the cofounder of Digital RFQ, one of Europe’s leading digital asset execution service providing global counterparts with unique access to global liquidity and a suite of institutional products and services. Digital RFQ offers over-the-counter trading services with access to large liquidity pools, trading for single or multiple currencies. This secure exchange platform, backed by proprietary technology, delivers counterparties institutional-grade access to digital asset markets globally. DRFQ has become an industry benchmark for security, transparency and know your customer, anti-money-laundering compliance. Mr. Khurshid graduated from the University of Reading (United Kingdom) with a B.S. in Environmental Science with honors in 1997.
Horst Rzepka serves as our Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Rzepka has held numerous senior finance positions in his twenty-year corporate career, serving as CFO and finance director in privately held companies as well as local subsidiaries of publicly listed national and international corporations in the global telecommunications industry. Mr. Rzepka has served with Switzerland based Sunrise Communications, A.G., Lebara Mobile GmbH, TelCommunication Services, A.G. (formerly Tele2) and COLT Telecom, A.G. He was a co-founder and the CFO of Ortel Mobile Switzerland GmbH from November 2012 until the company was acquired by Sunrise Communications, A.G., the second largest Swiss telecom provider, in June 2013. He subsequently served as Director of Finance for Sunrise, and as CFO of YOL Communications GmbH and YOL Services, A.G., subsidiaries of Sunrise from July 2013 until June 2017. Mr. Rzepka has a broad experience in corporate finance, business and financial planning, systems and process implementation and contract negotiation. He has orchestrated multiple M+A transactions as buyer and vendor with subsequent business integrations and has been involved in numerous startups and restructurings. While having spent most of his corporate career in the Telecom industry, more recently as a financial consultant for SME’s, startups and boutique business ventures, he has been operating in a wider range of traditional and new industries, focusing on new technologies. Mr. Rzepka graduated from the University of Zurich with an M.B.A. in 1992.
Jeffrey Peel will serve as one of our independent directors as of the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms part and as our Chairman of the board of directors. Jeffrey Peel has extensive international experience in technology markets – with a strong focus on software for financial markets. Mr. Peel has run his own advisory firm (Quadriga Consulting Ltd) since November 2003 and has worked with dozens of technology firms on growth, market expansion and channel development. He has undertaken several interim roles for early to mid-stage technology vendors. His most recent interim role (from December 2017 until December 2020) was as software sector specialist for the UK government’s Department for International Trade (DIT) – where he worked with dozens of software firms investing in the UK market and developing R&D centers there. He was the only software specialist for the USA, Australia and New Zealand markets and helped secure hundreds of millions of dollars of foreign direct investment. At DIT, Mr. Peel was the subject matter expert on blockchain technology and developed close working relationships with companies developing blockchain enabled decentralized systems – for use in several vertical markets such as banking, commercial real estate, energy brokering, and rare earth element provenance. From August 2014 until February 2015, Mr. Peel has also completed interim assignments with PwC (where he helped launch PwC’s MyFinancepartner ‘digital accounting’ platform for mid-market firms) and Aepona, the telecoms-software firm (acquired by Intel) that revolutionized API-enabled application development for carrier networks. He also authored a book on Customer Relationship Management (Butterworth Heinemann). Prior to starting his own firm, Mr. Peel was CMO for Amacis, a CRM software firm (now part of Oracle), from January 2000 until December 2002. He was also Head of Marketing Strategy at UK based BICC Data Networks – acquired by NYSE-quoted 3Com from January 1989 until November 1992. Mr. Peel has a degree in Economics and post-graduate qualifications in commercial law and marketing research.
James Duncan Needham will serve as one of our independent directors as of the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms part. Mr. Needham has more than seventeen years of experience in corporate finance and capital markets. He is currently head of strategy for the MERJ Exchange, Ltd. (Seychelles), where he has served since March 2019. MERJ is a technology led operator of digital market infrastructure comprising exchange, clearing system and securities depository. During his time at MERJ, the company has successfully completed the world’s first digital IPO and been recognized as the fastest growing stock exchange in both 2019 and 2020. Prior to joining MERJ, Mr. Needham spent over fifteen years working in both primary and secondary capital markets in London. During this time, the industry leading teams he established were responsible for originating and executing over $35 billion in equity derivative business. The early years of his career were shaped in the investment banking divisions of Morgan Stanley Dean Witter and Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein where he primarily focused on equity and equity linked capital markets. In 2017 he began studying blockchain technology, in particular asset tokenization, and in May 2018 he participated in the first cohort of the Blockchain Strategy Programme developed by the University of Oxford, Said Business School. He is a co-founder of the Oxford Blockchain Foundation (OXBC), a student led organization for the acceleration of projects developed by alumni. He brings a significant network of operators, founders and investors from financial markets and the technology sector. Mr. Needham graduated with an L.L.B. (Honors, Law) from the University of Durham in the United Kingdom in 1999.
Stefan Nolte serves as one of our independent directors. Mr. Nolte has been serving as the managing partner of Shanda Consult of Nicosia, Cyprus, an international business consulting firm he founded in November 2009, responsible for compliance with the auspices of CySEC, the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission. Shanda Consult has a wide range of partners in the European Union, in the Mediterranean and in the Middle East, and offers an integrated range of business and advisory services designed to facilitate cross-border industrial investments, and to improve competitiveness and performance. From December 1999 to February 2006, Mr. Nolte was the managing director of the European Business Bank Ltd. in Cyprus, an investment bank with activities primarily in the Middle East, South East Asia and the Far East. He has served as the president of the Cyprus Germany Business Association since June 2016, and as a member of the board of the Cyprus Kuwait Business Association since May 2015. Since 1984, Mr. Nolte built up his practical experience in business, investment consultancy and project management in many countries including Turkey, Morocco, Malta, Iran, Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and China. During his years in Turkey, Mr. Nolte established the Izmir Branch of the Turkish Foundation for Medium Size Enterprises (TOSYÖV), and he acted as its general coordinator from 1993 to 1995. Mr. Nolte obtained a finance degree from the University of Istanbul in 1988. FinTech is in the beginning stages of transforming the global financial and investment business. We believe that our executives and board have considerable experience, talent and expertise in the global financial services and financial technologies sectors, which collectively will offer us an advantage in searching for and acquiring an attractive company with significant value for our shareholders.
The past performance of our management team or advisor or their respective affiliates 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 identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination. No member of our management team has had management experience with special purpose acquisition corporations in the past. You should not rely on the historical record of our management team’s or consultants’ or their respective affiliates’ performance as indicative of our future performance.
Business Strategy
We currently intend to concentrate our efforts in identifying businesses in the financial services industry with an equity value of approximately $300 million to $500 million or more, with particular emphasis on businesses that are providing or changing technology to exploit growing foreign demand for cutting edge, real-time access to United States financial markets for trading in equities, foreign exchange and futures.
Over the past several years, there has been a rise in the level of sophistication and interconnectivity between innovative technology and financial services providers, and we expect this trend to continue and accelerate. We believe that there are many potential targets within the financial services space that could become attractive public companies. These potential targets exhibit a broad range of business models and financial characteristics that range from very high growth innovative companies to more mature businesses with established franchises, recurring revenues and strong cash flows.
There has been significant disruption and change in the delivery of financial services in recent years, including, among others:
| • | Payments processing for consumers and businesses; |
| • | Wealth management (robo advisors); |
| • | Exchanges and trading platforms; |
| • | Big data moving to the cloud, APIs, data security; and |
| • | Digital assets and blockchain technology. |
With increased adoption of technology solutions by both consumers and businesses, we believe that the sector is poised for continued growth in both overall market size and penetration. Key industry characteristics include long-term organic growth, attractive competitive dynamics and further consolidation opportunities. Key business characteristics include high barriers to entry, low risk of technological obsolescence and public market-ready scale. Key financial metrics include organic revenue growth, recurring revenues and strong cash flow conversion.
We do not intend to limit our search to one segment of the financial services ecosystem, but will instead target a wide variety of companies that deliver a solution or product to the financial services end-market. We believe that our extensive experience and demonstrated success in advising and investing in businesses in this industry provides us with a unique set of capabilities that will be utilized in generating stockholder returns.
We will seek to acquire established businesses that we believe are fundamentally sound but potentially in need of financial, operational, strategic or managerial improvements to maximize value. We will also look at earlier stage companies that exhibit the potential to change the industries in which they participate and which offer the potential of sustained high levels of revenue growth. Consistent with our industry focus, we intend to target financial services businesses that have strong management teams, demonstrated organic growth, and differentiated products or services. Opportunities range from high-growth, customer facing technologies in payments, lending and digital assets to more mature, high-margin, stable businesses which may be engaged in lending, asset management, or providing critical processing and support to established financial services firms.
We believe that the wide networks of our management team and advisor will deliver access to a broad spectrum of opportunities across the financial services landscape. In addition to any potential business candidates we may identify on our own, we anticipate that other target business candidates will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment market participants, private equity funds and large business enterprises seeking to divest non-core assets or divisions.
Upon completion of this offering, the members of our management team and our advisor will communicate with their networks of relationships to articulate the parameters for our search for a target company and a potential business combination and begin the process of pursuing and reviewing potential opportunities.
Acquisition Criteria
Consistent with our business strategy, we have identified the following general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses. We will use these criteria and guidelines in evaluating acquisition opportunities, but we may decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet these criteria and guidelines. We expect that no individual criterion will entirely determine a decision to pursue a particular opportunity. We intend to seek to acquire companies that we believe:
| • | are fundamentally sound companies that can enhance stockholder value through a combination with us, and offer an attractive risk-adjusted return for our stockholders; |
| • | have strong, experienced management teams, or provide a platform to assemble an effective management team with a track record of driving growth and profitability; |
| • | are at an inflection point, such as requiring additional management expertise, are able to innovate through new operational techniques, or where we believe we can drive improved financial performance; |
| • | can benefit from the application and exploitation of financial service technologies; |
| • | have a history of, or potential for, strong, stable free cash flow generation, with predictable and recurring revenue streams; |
| • | can grow both organically and where we believe our ability to source proprietary opportunities and execute transactions will help the business grow through additional acquisitions; |
| • | have a leading or niche market position and that demonstrate advantages when compared to their competitors, which may help to create barriers to entry against new competitors; |
| • | can benefit from being a publicly traded company, with access to broader capital markets, to achieve the company’s growth strategy; and |
| • | exhibit unrecognized value or other characteristics that we believe can be enhanced based on our analysis and due diligence review. |
These criteria 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 team and advisors 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 proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents that we would file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
We may need to obtain additional financing either to complete our initial business combination or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon completion of our initial business combination. We intend to acquire a company with an enterprise value significantly above the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units. Depending on the size of the transaction or the number of public shares we become obligated to redeem, we may potentially utilize several additional financing sources, including but not limited to the issuance of additional securities to the sellers of a target business, debt issued by banks or other lenders or the owners of the target, a private placement to raise additional funds, or a combination of the foregoing. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account. In addition, following our initial business combination, if cash on hand is insufficient to meet our obligations or our working capital needs, we may need to obtain additional financing.
Competitive Strengths
We believe we have the following competitive strengths:
| • | Management Operating and Investing Experience. Our directors and executive officers have significant experience in the financial services and financial technology industries. We believe that this breadth of experience provides us with a competitive advantage in evaluating businesses and acquisition opportunities in our target industry. |
| • | Established Deal Sourcing Network. As a result of their extensive experience in the financial services industry, our management team members have developed a broad array of contacts in the industry. We believe that these contacts will be important in generating acquisition opportunities for us. |
| • | Strong Financial Position and Flexibility. With a trust account initially in the amount of $87,870,000 and a public market for our common stock, we offer a target business a variety of options to facilitate a future business transaction and fund the growth and expansion of business operations. Because we are able to consummate an initial business transaction using our capital stock, debt, cash or a combination of the foregoing, we have the flexibility to design an acquisition structure to address the needs of the parties. We have not, however, taken any steps to secure third party financing and expect to do so only in connection with the consummation of our initial business transaction. Accordingly, our flexibility in structuring an initial business transaction may be constrained by our ability to arrange third-party financing, if required. |
| • | Status as a Public Company. We believe our structure will make us an attractive business transaction partner to prospective target businesses. As an existing public company, we will offer a target business an alternative to the traditional initial public offering through a merger or other business transaction with us. In this situation, the owners of the target business would exchange their shares of stock in the target business for shares of our stock. Once public, we believe the target business would have greater access to capital and additional means of creating management incentives that are better aligned with stockholders’ interests than it would as a private company. We believe that being a public company can also augment a company’s profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid it in attracting and retaining talented employees. |
Initial Business Combination
Nasdaq rules require that we must complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding taxes payable on the interest earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. Our board of directors will make the determination as to the fair market value of our initial business combination. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of our initial business combination, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA or an independent accounting firm with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. While we consider it unlikely that our board of directors will not be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of a target’s assets or prospects. Additionally, pursuant to Nasdaq rules, any initial business combination must be approved by a majority of our independent directors.
We anticipate structuring our initial business combination either (i) in such a way 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, or (ii) in such a way so that the post-transaction company owns or acquires 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. However, we will only complete an initial 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. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our stockholders prior to the initial business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the initial business combination. 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 taken into account for purposes of Nasdaq’s 80% of net assets test. If the 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 transactions and we will treat the target businesses together as the initial business combination for purposes of a tender offer or for seeking stockholder approval, as applicable.
Our Business Combination Process
In evaluating prospective business combinations, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review process that will encompass, among other things, a review of historical and projected financial and operating data, meetings with management and their advisors (if applicable), on-site inspection of facilities and assets, discussion with customers and suppliers, legal reviews and other reviews as we deem appropriate.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our co-sponsors or our officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our co-sponsors, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA or an independent accounting firm that our initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.
Our officers and directors will indirectly own founder shares and/or private placement units following this offering. Because of this ownership, our co-sponsors and our officers and directors 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 were to be included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.
We have not selected any specific business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target.
Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such opportunity to such entity. We believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will not materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer 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, and to the extent the director or officer is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation.
Our Management Team
Members of our management team are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters but they intend to devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time that any member of our management team will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the current stage of the business combination process.
We believe our management team’s operating and transaction experience and relationships with companies will provide us with a substantial number of potential business combination targets. Over the course of their careers, the members of our management team have developed a broad network of contacts and corporate relationships in various industries. This network has grown through the activities of our management team sourcing, acquiring and financing businesses, our management team’s relationships with sellers, financing sources and target management teams and the experience of our management team in executing transactions under varying economic and financial market conditions. See the section of this prospectus entitled “Management” for a more complete description of our management team’s experience.
Status as a Public Company
We believe our structure will make us an attractive business combination partner to target businesses. As a public company, we offer a target business an alternative to the traditional initial public offering through a merger or other business combination with us. Following an initial business combination, we believe the target business would have greater access to capital and additional means of creating management incentives that are better aligned with stockholders’ interests than it would as a private company. A target business can further benefit by augmenting its profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented employees. In a business combination transaction with us, the owners of the target business may, for example, exchange their shares of stock in the target business for our shares of Class A common stock (or shares of a new holding company) or for a combination of our shares of Class A common stock and cash, allowing us to tailor the consideration to the specific needs of the sellers.
Although there are various costs and obligations associated with being a public company, we believe target businesses will find this method a more expeditious and cost effective method to becoming a public company than the typical initial public offering. The typical initial public offering process takes a significantly longer period of time than the typical business combination transaction process, and there are significant expenses in the initial public offering process, including underwriting discounts and commissions, marketing and road show efforts that may not be present to the same extent in connection with an initial business combination with us.
Furthermore, once a proposed initial business combination is completed, the target business will have effectively become public, whereas an initial public offering is always subject to the underwriters’ ability to complete the offering, as well as general market conditions, which could delay or prevent the offering from occurring or could have negative valuation consequences. Following an initial business combination, we believe the target business would then have greater access to capital and an additional means of providing management incentives consistent with stockholders’ interests and the ability to use its shares as currency for acquisitions. Being a public company can offer further benefits by augmenting a company’s profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented employees.
While we believe that our structure and our management team’s backgrounds will make us an attractive business partner, some potential target businesses may view our status as a blank check company, such as our lack of an operating history and our ability to seek stockholder approval of any proposed initial business combination, negatively.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by 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 independent registered public accounting firm 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 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.
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 Class A common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period.
Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Rule 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 the prior June 30th, 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 prior June 30th.
Financial Position
With funds available for an initial business combination initially in the amount of $85,075,000, after payment of $3,045,000 of Marketing Fee payable to I-Bankers (or $97,798,750 after payment of up to $3,501,750 of Marketing Fee if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), in each case before fees and expenses associated with our initial business combination, together with the Marketing Fee, we offer a target business a variety of options such as creating a liquidity event for its owners, providing capital for the potential growth and expansion of its operations or strengthening its balance sheet by reducing its debt or leverage ratio. Because we are able to complete our initial business combination using our cash, debt or equity securities, or a combination of the foregoing, we have the flexibility to use the most efficient combination that will allow us to tailor the consideration to be paid to the target business to fit its needs and desires. However, we have not taken any steps to secure third party financing and there can be no assurance it will be available to us.
Effecting Our Initial Business Combination
We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any operations for an indefinite period of time following this offering. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the private placement of the units, the proceeds of the sale of our shares in connection with our initial business combination (including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into following the consummation of this offering or otherwise), shares issued to the owners of the target, debt issued to bank or other lenders or the owners of the target, or a combination of the foregoing. We may seek to complete our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, which would subject us to the numerous risks inherent in such companies and businesses.
If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt securities, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination or used for redemptions of our Class A common stock, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction company, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital.
We may seek to raise additional funds through a private offering of debt or equity securities in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, and we may effectuate our initial business combination using the proceeds of such offering rather than using the amounts held in the trust account. In addition, we intend to target businesses larger than we could acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, and may as a result be required to seek additional financing to complete such proposed initial business combination. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, we would expect to complete such financing only simultaneously with the completion of our initial business combination. In the case of an initial business combination funded with assets other than the trust account assets, our proxy materials or tender offer documents disclosing the initial business combination would disclose the terms of the financing and, only if required by law, we would seek stockholder approval of such financing. There are no prohibitions on our ability to raise funds privately, or through loans in connection with our initial business combination. At this time, we are not a party to any arrangement or understanding with any third party with respect to raising any additional funds through the sale of securities or otherwise.
Sources of Target Businesses
We anticipate that target business candidates will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment bankers and investment professionals. Target businesses may be brought to our attention by such unaffiliated sources as a result of being solicited by us by 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 our co-sponsors and 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. In addition, we expect to receive a number of proprietary deal flow opportunities that would not otherwise necessarily be available to us as a result of the business relationships of our officers and directors and our co-sponsors and their affiliates. While we do not presently anticipate engaging the services of professional firms or other individuals that specialize in business acquisitions on any formal basis, we may engage these firms or other individuals in the future, in which event we may pay a finder’s fee, consulting fee, advisory fee or other compensation to be determined in an arm’s length negotiation based on the terms of the transaction. We will engage a finder only to the extent our management determines that the use of a finder may bring opportunities to us that may not otherwise be available to us or if finders approach us on an unsolicited basis with a potential transaction that our management determines is in our best interest to pursue. Payment of finder’s fees is customarily tied to completion of a transaction, in which case any such fee will be paid out of the funds held in the trust account. In no event, however, will our co-sponsors or any of our existing officers or directors, or any entity with which our co-sponsors or officers are affiliated, be paid any finder’s fee, reimbursement, consulting fee, monies in respect of any payment of a loan or other compensation by the company prior to, or in connection with any services rendered for any services they render in order to effectuate, the completion of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). None of our co-sponsors, executive officers or directors, or any of their respective affiliates, will be allowed to receive any compensation, finder’s fees or consulting fees from a prospective business combination target in connection with a contemplated initial business combination. We have agreed to pay Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd. a total of $15,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support for 12 months and to reimburse our co-sponsors for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination. Some of our officers and directors may enter into employment or consulting agreements with the post-transaction company following our initial business combination. The presence or absence of any such fees or arrangements will not be used as a criterion in our selection process of an initial business combination candidate.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with an initial business combination target that is affiliated with our co-sponsors, officers or directors or making the initial business combination through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our co-sponsors, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with an initial business combination target that is affiliated with our co-sponsors, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA or an independent accounting firm that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.
As more fully discussed in the section of this prospectus entitled “Management — Conflicts of Interest,” if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of an initial business combination opportunity that falls within the line of business of any entity to which he or she has pre-existing fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she may be required to present such business combination opportunity to such entity prior to presenting such business combination opportunity to us. Our officers and directors currently have certain relevant fiduciary duties or contractual obligations that may take priority over their duties to us.
Selection of a Target Business and Structuring of our Initial Business Combination
Nasdaq rules require that we must complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding taxes payable on the interest earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. The fair market value of our initial business combination will be determined by our board of directors based upon one or more standards generally accepted by the financial community, such as discounted cash flow valuation, a valuation based on trading multiples of comparable public businesses or a valuation based on the financial metrics of M&A transactions of comparable businesses. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of our initial business combination, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA or an independent accounting firm with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. While we consider it unlikely that our board of directors will not be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of a target’s assets or prospects. We do not intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination. Subject to this requirement, our management will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting one or more prospective target businesses, although we will not be permitted to effectuate our initial business combination with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations.
In any case, we will only complete an initial business combination in which we own or acquire 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquire a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. If we own or acquire less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses, the portion of such business or businesses that are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company is what will be taken into account for purposes of Nasdaq’s 80% of net assets test. There is no basis for investors in this offering to evaluate the possible merits or risks of any target business with which we may ultimately complete our initial business combination.
To the extent we effect our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in such company or business. 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.
In evaluating a prospective business target, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review, which may encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspection of facilities, as well as a review of financial and other information that will be made available to us.
The time required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete our initial business combination, and the costs associated with this process, are not currently ascertainable with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of a prospective target business with which our initial business combination is not ultimately completed will result in our incurring losses and will reduce the funds we can use to complete another business combination.
Lack of Business Diversification
For an indefinite period of time after the completion 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. In addition, we intend to focus our search for an initial business combination in a single industry. By completing 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 |
| • | cause us to depend on the marketing and sale of a single product or limited number of products or services. |
Limited Ability to Evaluate the Target’s Management Team
Although we intend to closely scrutinize the management of a prospective target business when evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial business combination with that business, our assessment of the target business’ management may not prove to be correct. In addition, the future management may not have the necessary skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company. Furthermore, the future role of members of our management team, if any, in the target business cannot presently be stated with any certainty. The determination as to whether any of the members of our management team will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial business combination. While it is possible that one or more of our directors will remain associated in some capacity with us following our initial business combination, it is unlikely that any of them will devote their full efforts to our affairs subsequent to our initial business combination. Moreover, we cannot assure you that members of our management team will have significant experience or knowledge relating to the operations of the particular target business.
We cannot assure you that any of our key personnel will remain in senior management or advisory positions with the combined company. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial business combination.
Following an initial business combination, we may seek to recruit additional managers to supplement the incumbent management of the target business. We cannot assure you that we will have the ability to recruit additional managers, or that additional managers will have the requisite skills, knowledge or experience necessary to enhance the incumbent management.
Stockholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve Our Initial Business Combination
We may conduct redemptions without a stockholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC. However, we will seek stockholder approval if it is required by law or applicable stock exchange rule, or we may decide to seek stockholder approval for business or other legal reasons. Presented in the table below is a graphic explanation of the types of initial business combinations we may consider and whether stockholder approval is currently required under Delaware law for each such transaction.
TYPE OF TRANSACTION | | WHETHER STOCKHOLDER APPROVAL IS REQUIRED |
Purchase of assets | | No |
Purchase of stock of target not involving a merger with the company | | No |
Merger of target into a subsidiary of the company | | No |
Merger of the company with a target | | Yes |
Under Nasdaq’s listing rules, stockholder approval would be required for our initial business combination if, for example:
| • | we issue shares of Class A common stock that will be equal to or in excess of 20% of the number of shares of our Class A common stock then outstanding; |
| • | any of our directors, officers or substantial stockholders (as defined by Nasdaq rules) has a 5% or greater interest (or such persons collectively have a 10% or greater interest), directly or indirectly, in the target business or assets to be acquired or otherwise and the present or potential issuance of common stock could result in an increase in outstanding common shares or voting power of 5% or more; or |
| • | the issuance or potential issuance of common stock will result in our undergoing a change of control. |
Ability to Extend Time to Complete Business Combination
We will have until 12 months from the closing of this offering to consummate our initial business combination. However, if we anticipate that we may not be able to consummate our initial business combination within 12 months, we may, by resolution of our board if requested by one, or both, of our co-sponsors, extend the period of time to consummate a business combination up to two times, each by an additional three months (for a total of up to 18 months to complete a business combination), subject to the co-sponsors depositing additional funds into the trust account as set out below. 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, in order to extend the time available for us to consummate our initial business combination, our co-sponsors or their affiliates or designees, upon five days advance notice prior to the applicable deadline, must deposit into the trust account for each three-month extension, $870,000, or $1,000,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($0.10 per share in either case) on or prior to the date of the applicable deadline, up to an aggregate of $1,740,000 (or $2,001,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), or approximately $0.20 per share. In the event that we receive notice from one, or both, of our co-sponsors five days prior to the applicable deadline of its wish for us 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 co-sponsors 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.
Permitted Purchases of our Securities
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 initial stockholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares, public warrants or public rights in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. There is no limit on the number of shares our initial stockholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase in such transactions, subject to compliance with applicable law and Nasdaq rules. However, apart from the purchase of the private placement units, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. If they engage in such transactions, they will not make any such purchases when they are in possession of any material nonpublic information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will comply with such rules. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements. None of the funds held in the trust account will be used to purchase shares, public warrants or public rights in such transactions prior to completion of our initial business combination.
The purpose of any such purchases of shares could be to vote such shares in favor of the initial business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the initial business combination or 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. The purpose of any such purchases of public warrants or public rights could be to reduce the number of public warrants or public rights outstanding or to vote such warrants or rights on any matters submitted to the warrant holders or rights holders for approval in connection with our initial business combination. Any such purchases of our securities may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our shares of Class A common stock, warrants or rights may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.
Our co-sponsors, initial stockholders, officers, directors and/or their affiliates anticipate that they may identify the stockholders with whom our co-sponsors, initial stockholders, officers, directors or their affiliates may pursue privately negotiated purchases by either the stockholders contacting us directly or by our receipt of redemption requests submitted by stockholders following our mailing of proxy materials in connection with our initial business combination. To the extent that our co-sponsors, officers, directors, or their affiliates enter into a private purchase, they would identify and contact only potential selling stockholders who have expressed their election to redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the trust account or vote against our initial business combination, whether or not such stockholder has already submitted a proxy with respect to our initial business combination. Our co-sponsors, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates will only purchase shares if such purchases comply with Regulation M under the Exchange Act and the other federal securities laws.
Any purchases by our co-sponsors, initial stockholders, officers, directors and/or their affiliates who are affiliated purchasers under Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act will only be made to the extent such purchases are able to be made in compliance with Rule 10b-18, which is a safe harbor from liability for manipulation under Section 9(a)(2) and Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. Rule 10b-18 has certain technical requirements that must be complied with in order for the safe harbor to be available to the purchaser. Our co-sponsors, officers, directors and/or 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. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchases are subject to such reporting requirements.
Redemption Rights for Public Stockholders upon Completion of our Initial Business Combination
We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of Class A common stock upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be approximately $10.10 per public share. Our initial stockholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares, private placement shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. I-Bankers has entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which it has agreed to waive its redemption rights with respect to any representative’s shares held by it in connection with the completion of our initial business combination.
Manner of Conducting Redemptions
We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of Class A common stock upon the completion of our initial business combination either (i) in connection with a stockholder meeting called to approve the initial business combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed initial business combination or conduct 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 require us to seek stockholder approval under the law or stock exchange listing requirement. Under Nasdaq rules, asset acquisitions and stock purchases would not typically require stockholder approval while direct mergers with our company where we do not survive and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our outstanding common stock or seek to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation would require stockholder approval. If we structure an initial business combination with a target company in a manner that requires stockholder approval, we will not have discretion as to whether to seek a stockholder vote to approve the proposed initial business combination. We may conduct redemptions without a stockholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC unless stockholder approval is required by law or stock exchange listing requirements or we choose to seek stockholder approval for business or other legal reasons. So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, we will be required to comply with such rules.
If a stockholder vote is not required and we do not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation:
| • | conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers, and |
| • | file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies. |
Upon the public announcement of our initial business combination, we or our co-sponsors will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase shares of our Class A common stock in the open market if we elect to redeem our public shares through a tender offer, to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act.
In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on public stockholders not tendering more than a specified number of public shares which are not purchased by our co-sponsors, which number will be based on the requirement that we will only redeem our public shares so long as (after such redemption) our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. If public stockholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete the initial business combination.
If, however, stockholder approval of the transaction is required by law or stock exchange listing requirement, or we decide to obtain stockholder approval for business or other legal reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation:
| • | conduct the redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies, and not pursuant to the tender offer rules, and |
| • | file proxy materials with the SEC. |
In the event that we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, we will distribute proxy materials and, in connection therewith, provide our public stockholders with the redemption rights described above upon completion of the initial business combination.
If we seek stockholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the initial business combination. A quorum for such meeting will consist of the holders present in person or by proxy of shares of outstanding capital stock of the company representing a majority of the voting power of all outstanding shares of capital stock of the company entitled to vote at such meeting. Our initial stockholders will count toward this quorum and pursuant to the letter agreement, our initial stockholders, officers and directors have agreed to vote their founder shares, private placement shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering (including in open market and privately negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination. I-Bankers has entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which it has agreed to vote its representative’s shares in favor of our initial business combination. For purposes of seeking approval of the majority of our outstanding shares of common stock voted, non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial business combination once a quorum is obtained. As a result, in addition to our initial stockholders’ founder shares, the private placement shares, and the representative’s shares we would need only 2,870,363, or 32.99%, of the 8,700,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination (assuming all outstanding shares are voted) in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised), or, assuming that only a quorum is present at the meeting, no public shares would need to be voted in favor of an initial business combination, in order to have our initial business combination approved. We intend to give approximately 30 days (but not less than 10 days nor more than 60 days) prior written notice of any such meeting, if required, at which a vote shall be taken to approve our initial business combination. These quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreements of our initial stockholders, may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination. Each public stockholder may elect to redeem its public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we will only redeem our public shares so long as (after such redemption) our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. For example, the proposed initial business combination may require: (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash to be transferred to the target for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions in accordance with the terms of the proposed initial business combination. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all shares of Class A common stock that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed initial business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the initial business combination or redeem any shares, and all shares of Class A common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof.
Limitation on Redemption upon Completion of our Initial Business Combination if we Seek Stockholder Approval
Notwithstanding the foregoing, 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 amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide 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 Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares.” Such restriction shall also be applicable to our affiliates. We believe this restriction will discourage stockholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to exercise their redemption rights against a proposed initial business combination as a means to force us or our management to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public stockholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us or our management at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our stockholders’ ability to redeem no more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering without our prior consent, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of stockholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our initial business combination, particularly in connection with an initial business combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. However, we would not be restricting our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination.
Tendering Stock Certificates in Connection with a Tender Offer or Redemption Rights
We may require our public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the tender offer documents or proxy materials mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using the Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option. The tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring public stockholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. Accordingly, a public stockholder would have from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, or up to two days prior to the vote on the initial business combination if we distribute proxy materials, as applicable, to tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. Given the relatively short exercise period, it is advisable for stockholders to use electronic delivery of their public shares.
There is a nominal cost associated with the above-referenced tendering process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC System. The transfer agent will typically charge the tendering broker $80.00 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 to tender their shares. The need to deliver shares is a requirement of exercising redemption rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated.
The foregoing is different from the procedures used by many blank check companies. In order to perfect redemption rights in connection with their business combinations, many blank check companies would distribute proxy materials for the stockholders’ vote on an initial business combination, and a holder could simply vote against a proposed initial business combination and check a box on the proxy card indicating such holder was seeking to exercise his or her redemption rights. After the initial business combination was approved, the company would contact such stockholder to arrange for him or her to deliver his or her certificate to verify ownership. As a result, the stockholder then had an “option window” after the completion of the initial business combination during which he or she could monitor the price of the company’s stock in the market. If the price rose above the redemption price, he or she could sell his or her shares in the open market before actually delivering his or her shares to the company for cancellation. As a result, the redemption rights, to which stockholders were aware they needed to commit before the stockholder meeting, would become “option” rights surviving past the completion of the initial business combination until the redeeming holder delivered its certificate. The requirement for physical or electronic delivery prior to the meeting ensures that a redeeming holder’s election to redeem is irrevocable once the initial business combination is approved.
Any request to redeem such shares, once made, may be withdrawn at any time up to the date set forth in the tender offer materials or the date of the stockholder meeting set forth in our proxy materials, as applicable. Furthermore, if a holder of a public share delivered its certificate in connection with an election of redemption rights and subsequently decides prior to the applicable date not to elect to exercise such rights, such holder may simply request that the transfer agent return the certificate (physically or electronically). It is anticipated that the funds to be distributed to holders of our public shares electing to redeem their shares will be distributed promptly after the completion of our initial business combination.
If our initial business combination is not approved or completed for any reason, then our public stockholders who elected to exercise their redemption 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 certificates delivered by public holders who elected to redeem their shares.
If our initial proposed initial business combination is not completed, we may continue to try to complete an initial business combination with a different target until 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus).
Redemption of Public Shares and Liquidation if no Initial Business Combination
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we will have only 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus) to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within such 12-month period (or up to 18-month period), 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 the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, 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 our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants or rights, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the 12-month period (or up to 18-month period).
Our initial stockholders, officers, directors and I-Bankers have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which the initial stockholders, officers and directors have waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares and private placement shares held by them, and pursuant to which I-Bankers has waived its rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any representative’s shares held by it, if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus). However, if our initial stockholders officers or directors acquire public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the allotted 12-month period (or up to 18-month period).
Our initial stockholders, officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (i) to 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 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of Class A 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 taxes divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. However, we will only redeem our public shares so long as (after such redemption) our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of underwriters’ fees and commissions (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). If this optional redemption right is exercised with respect to an excessive number of public shares such that we cannot satisfy the net tangible asset requirement (described above), we would not proceed with the amendment or the related redemption of our public shares at such time.
We expect that all costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, as well as payments to any creditors, will be funded from amounts remaining out of the approximately $725,000 of proceeds held outside the trust account, although we cannot assure you that there will be sufficient funds for such purpose. We will depend on sufficient interest being earned on the proceeds held in the trust account to pay any franchise and income tax obligations we may owe. However, if those funds are not sufficient to cover the costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, to the extent that there is any interest accrued in the trust account not required to pay franchise and income taxes on interest income earned on the trust account balance, we may request the trustee to release to us an additional amount of up to $100,000 of such accrued interest to pay those costs and expenses.
If we were to expend all of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, other than the proceeds deposited in the trust account, and without taking into account interest, if any, earned on the trust account, the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders upon our dissolution would be approximately $10.10. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could, however, become subject to the claims of our creditors which would have higher priority than the claims of our public stockholders. We cannot assure you that the actual per-share redemption amount received by stockholders will not be substantially less than $10.10. Under Section 281(b) of the DGCL, our plan of dissolution must provide for all claims against us to be paid in full or make provision for payments to be made in full, as applicable, if there are sufficient assets. These claims must be paid or provided for before we make any distribution of our remaining assets to our stockholders. While we intend to pay such amounts, if any, we cannot assure you that we will have funds sufficient to pay or provide for all creditors’ claims.
Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses or 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, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements or even if they execute such agreements that they would 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 an 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. Grant Thornton, our independent registered public accounting firm, and the underwriters of the offering, will not execute agreements with us waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account.
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. Each of our co-sponsors has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party 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) $10.10 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 $10.10 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the trust account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, we have not asked our co-sponsors to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our co-sponsors have sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that our co-sponsors’ only assets are securities of our company. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our co-sponsors 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.
In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below (i) $10.10 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, due to reductions in value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, and one or both of our co-sponsors asserts that it is unable to satisfy its indemnification 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 co-sponsors to enforce such indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our co-sponsors to enforce their indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so if, for example, the cost of such legal action is deemed by the independent directors to be too high relative to the amount recoverable or if the independent directors determine that a favorable outcome is not likely. We have not asked our co-sponsors to reserve for such indemnification obligations and we cannot assure you that our co-sponsors would be able to satisfy those obligations. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that due to claims of creditors the actual value of the per-share redemption price will not be less than $10.10 per public share.
We will seek to reduce the possibility that our co-sponsors will have to indemnify the trust account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses or other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the trust account. Our co-sponsors will also not be liable as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. We will have access to up to approximately $725,000 from the proceeds of this offering and from cash received from the two promissory notes with which to pay any such potential claims (including costs and expenses incurred in connection with our liquidation, currently estimated to be no more than approximately $100,000). In the event that we liquidate and it is subsequently determined that the reserve for claims and liabilities is insufficient, stockholders who received funds from our trust account could be liable for claims made by creditors. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $1,297,750, we may fund such excess with funds from the funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $1,297,750, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.
Under the DGCL, 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 our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus) may be considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law. If the corporation complies with certain procedures set forth in Section 280 of the DGCL 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 liquidating distributions are made to stockholders, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution 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 our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus), is not considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law and such redemption distribution is deemed to be unlawful (potentially due to the imposition of legal proceedings that a party may bring or due to other circumstances that are currently unknown), then pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL, 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 liquidating distribution. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail 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 the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, 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 our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Accordingly, it is our intention to redeem our public shares as soon as reasonably possible following our 12th month (or up to 18th month) and, therefore, we do not intend to comply with those 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, Section 281(b) of the DGCL 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 searching for prospective target businesses to acquire, the only likely claims to arise would be from our vendors (such as lawyers, investment bankers, etc.) or prospective target businesses. As described above, pursuant to the obligation contained in our underwriting agreement, we will seek to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses or 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. As a result of this obligation, the claims that could be made against us are significantly limited and the likelihood that any claim that would result in any liability extending to the trust account is remote. Further, our co-sponsors may be liable only to the extent necessary to ensure that the amounts in the trust account are not reduced below (i) $10.10 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, due to reductions in value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest withdrawn to pay taxes and will not be liable as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. In the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our co-sponsors will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims.
If 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, we cannot assure you we will be able to return $10.10 per share to our public stockholders. Additionally, if 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 some or all amounts received by our stockholders. Furthermore, our board of directors may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, thereby exposing itself and our company to claims of punitive damages, by paying public stockholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors. We cannot assure you that claims will not be brought against us for these reasons.
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 any provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to 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 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, and (iii) the redemption of all of our public shares if we are unable to complete our business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus), subject to applicable law. In no other circumstances will a stockholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account. In the event we seek stockholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, a stockholder’s voting in connection with the initial business combination alone will not result in a stockholder’s redeeming its shares to us for an applicable pro rata share of the trust account. Such stockholder must have also exercised its redemption rights as described above. These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, like all provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, may be amended with a stockholder vote.
Comparison of This Offering to Those 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 OUR OFFERING | | TERMS UNDER A RULE 419 OFFERING |
Escrow of offering proceeds | | $87,870,000 of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units will be deposited into a trust account in the United States, with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee. | | Approximately $76,207,500 of the offering proceeds would 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 | | $87,870,000 of the net offering proceeds and the sale of the private placement units held in trust will be invested only 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 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 United States. |
Receipt of interest on escrowed funds | | Interest on proceeds from the trust account to be paid to stockholders is reduced by (i) any income or franchise taxes paid or payable, and (ii) in the event of our liquidation for failure to complete our initial business combination within the allotted time, up to $100,000 of net interest that may be released to us should we have no or insufficient working capital to fund the costs and expenses of our dissolution and liquidation. | | 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. |
Limitation on fair value or net assets of target business | | Nasdaq rules require that we must complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding 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. |
| | TERMS OF OUR OFFERING | | TERMS UNDER A RULE 419 OFFERING |
Trading of securities issued | | We expect the units will begin trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. The Class A common stock, warrants and rights comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless I-Bankers informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, 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. At the time that the Class A common stock, warrants and rights comprising the units begin separate trading, holders will hold the separate securities and no longer hold units (without any action needing to be taken by the holders), and the units will no longer trade. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering, which is anticipated to take place three business days from the date of this prospectus. If the over-allotment option is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, an additional Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the over-allotment option. | | No trading of the units or the underlying Class A common stock and warrants would be permitted until the completion of a business combination. During this period, the securities would be held in the escrow or trust account. |
Exercise of the warrants | | The warrants cannot be exercised until the later of 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination or 12 months from the closing of this offering. | | The warrants could be exercised prior to the completion of a business combination, but securities received and cash paid in connection with the exercise would be deposited in the escrow or trust account. |
Election to remain an investor | | We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income taxes, upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein. We may not be required by law to hold a stockholder vote. We intend to give approximately 30 days (but not less than 10 days nor more than 60 days) prior written notice of any such meeting, if required, at which a vote shall be taken to approve our initial business combination. | | 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 it elects to remain a stockholder of the company or require the return of 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. |
| | If we are not required by law and do not otherwise decide to hold a stockholder vote, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, conduct the redemptions pursuant to 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 and the redemption rights as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules. In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. If, however, we hold a stockholder vote, we will, like many blank check companies, offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules. If we seek stockholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the initial business combination. Additionally, each public stockholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction. A quorum for such meeting will consist of the holders present in person or by proxy of shares of outstanding capital stock of the company representing a majority of the voting power of all outstanding shares of capital stock of the company entitled to vote at such meeting. | | |
| | TERMS OF OUR OFFERING | | TERMS UNDER A RULE 419 OFFERING |
Business combination deadline | | If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail 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 public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, 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 our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. | | If a business combination has not been completed within 18 months after the effective date of the company’s registration statement, funds held in the trust or escrow account are returned to investors. |
Limitation on redemption rights of stockholders holding more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering if we hold a stockholder vote | | 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 amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that a public stockholder (including our affiliates), 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 Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to Excess Shares (more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering). Our public stockholders’ inability to redeem Excess Shares will reduce their influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination and they could suffer a material loss on their investment in us if they sell any Excess Shares in open market transactions. | | Many blank check companies provide no restrictions on the ability of stockholders to redeem shares based on the number of shares held by such stockholders in connection with an initial business combination. |
| | TERMS OF OUR OFFERING | | TERMS UNDER A RULE 419 OFFERING |
Tendering stock certificates in connection with a tender offer or redemption rights | | We may require our public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the tender offer documents mailed to such holders or up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using The Depository Trust Company’s DWAC System, at the holder’s option. The tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring public stockholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. Accordingly, a public stockholder would have from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, or up to two days prior to the vote on the initial business combination if we distribute proxy materials, as applicable, to tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. | | In order to perfect redemption rights in connection with their business combinations, holders could vote against a proposed initial business combination and check a box on the proxy card indicating such holders were seeking to exercise their redemption rights. After the business combination was approved, the company would contact such stockholders to arrange for them to deliver their certificate to verify ownership. |
Release of funds | | Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our franchise and income tax obligations, the proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement units held in the trust account will not be released from the trust account until 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 redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus) | | 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. |
| | TERMS OF OUR OFFERING | | TERMS UNDER A RULE 419 OFFERING |
| | or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity and (iii) the redemption of 100% of our public shares if we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the required time frame (subject to the requirements of applicable law). On the completion of our initial business combination, all amounts held in the trust account will be released to us, less amounts released to a separate account controlled by the trustee for disbursal to redeeming stockholders. We will use these funds to pay amounts due to any public stockholders who exercise their redemption rights as described above under “Redemption rights for public stockholders upon completion of our initial business combination,” to pay the underwriters their Marketing Fee, to pay all or a portion of the consideration payable to the target or owners of the target of our initial business combination and to pay other expenses associated with our initial business combination. | | |
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 business combinations. Many of these entities are well established and have extensive experience identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Moreover, many of these competitors possess greater financial, technical, human and other resources than we do. 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 initial business combination of a target business. Furthermore, our obligation to pay cash in connection with our public stockholders who exercise their redemption rights may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination and our outstanding warrants and rights, and the future dilution they potentially represent, may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses. Either of these factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating an initial business combination.
Facilities
Our executive offices are located at 2626 Cole Avenue, Suite 300, Dallas, Texas 75204, and our telephone number is (214) 949-1677. Our executive offices are provided to us by an affiliate of our co-sponsor. Commencing on the date of this prospectus, we have agreed to pay Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd. a total of $15,000 per month for a period of 12 months for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.
Employees
We currently have two officers. These individuals are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters but they intend to devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time they will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the stage of the initial business combination process we are in. We do not intend to have any full time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination.
Periodic Reporting and Financial Information
We will register our units, Class A common stock, warrants 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 reports 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 the tender offer materials or proxy solicitation materials sent to stockholders to assist them in assessing the target business. In all likelihood, these financial statements will need to be prepared in accordance with, or reconciled to, GAAP, or IFRS, depending on the circumstances, and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential targets we may conduct an 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 cannot assure you that any particular target business identified by us as a potential business combination candidate will have financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP or that the potential target business will be able to prepare its financial statements in accordance with the requirements outlined above. To the extent that these requirements cannot be met, we may not be able to acquire the proposed target business. While this may limit the pool of potential business combination candidates, we do not believe that this limitation will be material.
We will be required to evaluate our internal control procedures for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021 as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer, and no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, will we be required to have our internal control procedures audited. A target company may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of their internal controls. The development of the internal controls of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such business combination. Prior to 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.
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 shares of Class A common stock that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period.
Legal Proceedings
There is no material litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding currently pending against us or any members of our management team in their capacity as such.
MANAGEMENT
Officers, Directors and Director Nominees
Our officers, directors and director nominees are as follows:
NAME | | AGE | | POSITION |
Jamie Khurshid | | 45 | | Chief Executive Officer, Director |
Horst Rzepka | | 54 | | Chief Financial Officer, Director Nominee* |
Jeffrey Peel | | 59 | | Chairman, Independent Director Nominee* |
Stefan Nolte | | 59 | | Independent Director |
James Needham | | 44 | | Independent Director Nominee* |
* This individual has indicated his assent to occupy such position on the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
Jamie Khurshid serves as our Chief Executive Officer and a member of our board of directors. Mr. Khurshid is a London based senior financial markets expert, with a career spanning over two decades as an investment banker with Credit Suisse from September 1998 to June 2008, with Goldman Sachs from June 2008 to May 2010, with the Royal Bank of Scotland from May 2008 until June 2013, and subsequently from July 2013 to July 2014 as a senior partner with Cinnober Financial Technology, the world’s leading independent exchange and clearing house technology provider. Cinnober Financial Technology was a global provider of financial technology, primarily to exchanges and clearinghouses, that was acquired by Nasdaq in January 2019. Mr. Khurshid played an important role in the development of European regulatory transparency in financial markets and is known for setting up two consortium ventures, first with IHS Markit, a London based financial information services group, for the creation of Markit “Boat” from September 2006 to September 2007 where he was responsible for the negotiation and acquisition of Boat Services Ltd., Europe’s longest running independent regulatory and transparency services vehicle since the introduction of MiFID in 2007, and the London Stock Exchange Group’s (LSEG) Turquoise MTF from April 2007 to April 2008. Turquoise operates a Multilateral Trading Facility (MTF) majority owned by London Stock Exchange Group in partnership with the user community. With a single connection, members can trade shares, depository receipts, ETFs, and European Rights Issues of 19 European countries with an Open Access model (supporting interoperability and preferred clearing models) that allows members to choose among 4 CCPs to clear these trades. Members include banks, brokers, specialist trading firms and retail intermediaries. Most recently, Mr. Khurshid is recognized for defining and successfully delivering the first voluntary transparency regime for the global bullion market on behalf of the London Bullion Market Association, authorized by the Bank of England with oversight from the UK FCA. Mr. Khurshid was selected by the Financial News in London as one of the top 40 under 40 in European trading and technology (2014) and ranked in the ‘Exchange invest’ Top 1000 most influential people in global financial markets. He has served since July 2018 as a board advisor for Quantum Technology Solutions in London, an information technology, financial services, platform for algorithm trading, execution systems, and regulatory and risk compliance. He is the cofounder of Digital RFQ, one of Europe’s leading digital asset execution service providing global counterparts with unique access to global liquidity and a suite of institutional products and services. Digital RFQ offers over-the-counter OTC trading services with access to large liquidity pools, trading for single or multiple currencies. This secure exchange platform, backed by proprietary technology, delivers counterparties institutional-grade access to digital asset markets globally. DRFQ has become an industry benchmark for security, transparency and know your customer, anti-money-laundering compliance. Mr. Khurshid graduated from the University of Reading (United Kingdom) with a B.S. in Environmental Science with honors in 1997. We believe Mr. Khurshid’s extensive knowledge of the capital markets and financial technology expertise makes him well-qualified to serve on our board of directors.
Horst Rzepka, who serves as our Chief Financial Officer and will be one of our directors as of the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms part, has held numerous senior finance positions in his twenty-five-year corporate career, serving as CFO and finance director in privately held companies as well as local subsidiaries of publicly listed national and international corporations in the global telecommunications industry. Mr. Rzepka has served with Lebara GmbH, TelCommunication Services AG (formerly Tele2 Switzerland), COLT Telecom AG, RSL Com Schweiz AG, Unisource AG and Unisource Carrier Services AG and AT&T GIS Switzerland (formerly NCR Switzerland). He was a co-owner and the CFO of Ortel Mobile Switzerland GmbH from November 2012 until the company was acquired by Sunrise Communications AG, the second largest Swiss telecom provider, in June 2013. He subsequently served as Director of Finance for Sunrise Communications AG, and as CFO of YOL Communications GmbH and YOL Services AG, two subsidiaries of Sunrise Communications from July 2013 until June 2017. Mr. Rzepka has a broad experience in corporate finance, business and financial planning, systems and process implementation and contract negotiation. He has orchestrated multiple M&A transactions as buyer and vendor with subsequent business integrations and has been involved in numerous startups and restructurings. While having spent most of his corporate career in the Telecom industry, most recently as a financial consultant for SME’s, startups and boutique business ventures, he has operated in a wide range of traditional and new industries, focusing on new technologies. Mr. Rzepka graduated from the University of Zurich with an M.B.A. in 1992.
Jeffrey Peel will serve as an independent director and as our Chairman of the board of directors as of the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Jeffrey Peel has extensive international experience in technology markets – with a strong focus on software for financial markets. He has run his own advisory firm (Quadriga Consulting Ltd) since January 2002 and has worked with dozens of technology firms on growth, market expansion and channel development. He has undertaken several interim roles for early to mid-stage technology vendors. His most recent interim role (from December 2017 until December 2020) was as software sector specialist for the UK government’s Department for International Trade (DIT) – where he worked with dozens of software firms investing in the UK market and developing R&D centers there. He was the only software specialist for the USA, Australia and New Zealand markets and helped secure hundreds of £millions of foreign direct investment. At DIT, Jeff was the subject matter expert on blockchain technology and developed close working relationships with companies developing blockchain enabled decentralized systems – for use in several vertical markets such as banking, commercial real estate, energy brokering, and rare earth element provenance. From August 2014 until February 2015, Jeff has also completed interim assignments with PwC (where he helped launch PwC’s MyFinancepartner ‘digital accounting’ platform for mid-market firms) and Aepona, the telecoms-software firm (acquired by Intel) that revolutionized API-enabled application development for carrier networks. He also authored a book on Customer Relationship Management (Butterworth Heinemann). Prior to starting his own firm , Jeff was CMO for Amacis, a CRM software firm (now part of Oracle), from December 2002 until December 2002. He was also Head of Marketing Strategy at UK based BICC Data Networks – acquired by NYSE-quoted 3Com from January 1989 until November 1992. Jeff has a degree in Economics and post-graduate qualifications in commercial law and marketing research. Mr. Peel has over 30 years of corporate finance experience We believe Mr. Peel’s extensive corporate finance experience, including his experience with DIT, makes him well-qualified to serve on our board of directors.
James Duncan Needham will serve as one of our independent directors as of the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms part. Mr. Needham is currently head of strategy for the MERJ Exchange, Ltd. (Seychelles), where he has served since March 2019. MERJ is a technology led operator of digital market infrastructure comprising exchange, clearing system and securities depository. During his time at MERJ, the company has successfully completed the world’s first digital IPO and been recognized as one of the fastest growing stock exchanges in both 2019 and 2020. Prior to joining MERJ, Mr. Needham spent over fifteen years working in both primary and secondary capital markets in London. During this time, the industry leading teams he established were responsible for originating and executing over $35 billion in equity derivative business. The early years of his career were shaped in the investment banking divisions of Morgan Stanley Dean Witter and Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein where he primarily focused on equity and equity linked capital markets. In 2017 he began studying blockchain technology, in particular asset tokenization, and in May 2018 he participated in the first cohort of the Blockchain Strategy Programme developed by the University of Oxford, Said Business School. He is a co-founder of the Oxford Blockchain Foundation (OXBC), a student led organization for the acceleration of projects developed by alumni. He brings a significant network of operators, founders and investors from financial markets and the technology sector. Mr. Needham graduated with an L.L.B. (Honors, Law) from the University of Durham in the United Kingdom in 1999. We believe Mr. Needham’s capital markets expertise together with his leadership experience makes him well-qualified to serve on our board of directors.
Stefan Nolte serves as one of our independent directors. Mr. Nolte has been serving as the managing partner of Shanda Consult of Nicosia, Cyprus, an international business consulting firm he founded in November 2009, responsible for compliance with the auspices of CySEC, the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission. Shanda Consult has a wide range of partners in the European Union, in the Mediterranean and in the Middle East, and offers an integrated range of business and advisory services designed to facilitate cross-border industrial investments, and to improve competitiveness and performance. From December 1999 to February 2006, Mr. Nolte was the managing director of the European Business Bank Ltd. In Cyprus, an investment bank with activities primarily in the Middle East, South East Asia and the Far East. He has served as the president of the Cyprus Germany Business Association since June 2016, and as a member of the board of the Cyprus Kuwait Business Association since May 2015. Since 1984, Mr. Nolte built up his practical experience in business, investment consultancy and project management in many countries including Turkey, Morocco, Malta, Iran, Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and China. During his years in Turkey, Mr. Nolte established the Izmir Branch of the Turkish Foundation for Medium Size Enterprises (TOSYÖV), and he acted as its general coordinator from 1993 to 1995. Mr. Nolte obtained a finance degree from the University of Istanbul in 1988. We believe Mr. Nolte’s investment experience and expertise, particularly in cross-border industrial investments, together with his extensive knowledge of the capital markets, makes him well-qualified to serve on our board of directors.
Number and Terms of Office of Officers and Directors
We will have five directors upon completion of this offering. Our board of directors will be divided into two classes with only one class of directors being elected in each year and each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual meeting of stockholders) serving a two-year term. 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. The term of office of the first class of directors, consisting of Messrs. Rzepka, Needham and Nolte, will expire at our first annual meeting of stockholders. The term of office of the second class of directors, consisting of Messrs. Peel and Khurshid will expire at the second annual meeting of stockholders.
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, Assistant Secretaries and such other offices as may be determined by the board of directors.
Nasdaq listing standards require that a majority of our board of directors be independent. An “independent director” 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 board of directors has determined that Messrs. Peel, Needham and Nolte are “independent directors” as defined in the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules. Our independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.
Officer and Director Compensation
None of our officers has received any cash compensation for services rendered to us. Commencing on the date of this prospectus, we have agreed to pay Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd., our consultant, a total of $15,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees. No compensation of any kind, including any finder’s fee, reimbursement, consulting fee or monies in respect of any payment of a loan, will be paid by us to our co-sponsors, officers and directors, or any affiliate of our co-sponsors or officers, prior to, or in connection with any services rendered in order to effectuate, the consummation of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). However, these 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. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our co-sponsors, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates. Any such payments prior to an initial business combination will be made using funds held outside the trust account. Other than quarterly audit committee review of such payments, we do not expect to have any additional controls in place governing our reimbursement payments to our directors and executive officers for their out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with identifying and consummating an initial business combination.
After the completion of our initial business combination, directors or members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting or management 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 initial business combination. We have not established any limit on the amount of such fees that may be paid by the combined company to our directors or members of management. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of the proposed initial business combination, because the directors of the post-combination business will be responsible for determining officer and director compensation. Any compensation to be paid to our officers will be determined, or recommended to the board of directors for determination, either by a compensation committee constituted solely by independent directors or by a majority of the independent directors on our board of 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 officers and directors may negotiate employment or consulting arrangements to remain with us after our 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 officers and directors that provide for benefits upon termination of employment.
Committees of the Board of Directors
Our board of directors will have two standing committees: an audit committee and a compensation committee. Subject to phase-in rules and a limited exception, Nasdaq rules and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act require that the audit committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors, and Nasdaq rules require that the compensation committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors.
Audit Committee
Prior to the consummation of this offering, we will establish an audit committee of the board of directors. Messrs. Peel, Needham and Nolte will serve as members of our audit committee, and Mr. Nolte will chair the audit committee. Under the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have at least three members of the audit committee, all of whom must be independent. Each of Messrs. Peel, Needham and Nolte meet the independent director standard under Nasdaq listing standards and under Rule 10-A-3(b)(1) of the Exchange Act.
Each member of the audit committee is financially literate and our board of directors has determined that Mr. Stefan Nolte qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules.
We will adopt an audit committee charter, which will detail the principal functions of the audit committee, including:
| • | the appointment, compensation, retention, replacement, and oversight of the work of the independent registered public accounting firm engaged by us; |
| • | pre-approving all audit and permitted non-audit services to be provided by the independent registered public accounting firm engaged by us, and establishing pre-approval policies and procedures; |
| • | setting clear hiring policies for employees or former employees of the independent registered public accounting firm, including but not limited to, as required by applicable laws and regulations; |
| • | setting clear policies for audit partner rotation in compliance with applicable laws and regulations; |
| • | obtaining and reviewing a report, at least annually, from the independent registered public accounting firm describing (i) the independent registered public accounting firm’s internal quality-control procedures, (ii) any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality-control review, or peer review, of the audit firm, or by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities within the preceding five years respecting one or more independent audits carried out by the firm and any steps taken to deal with such issues and (iii) all relationships between the independent registered public accounting firm and us to assess the independent registered public accounting firm’s independence; |
| • | reviewing and approving any related party transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC prior to us entering into such transaction; and |
| • | reviewing with management, the independent registered public accounting firm, and our legal advisors, as appropriate, any legal, regulatory or compliance matters, including any correspondence with regulators or government agencies and any employee complaints or published reports that raise material issues regarding our financial statements or accounting policies and any significant changes in accounting standards or rules promulgated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the SEC or other regulatory authorities. |
Compensation Committee
Prior to the consummation of this offering, we will establish a compensation committee of the board of directors. Messrs. Peel, Needham and Nolte will serve as members of our compensation committee. Under the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have at least two members of the compensation committee, all of whom must be independent. Messrs. Peel, Needham and Nolte are independent, and Mr. Peel will chair the compensation committee.
We will adopt a compensation committee charter, which will detail the principal functions of the compensation committee, including:
| • | reviewing and approving on an annual basis the corporate goals and objectives relevant to our Chief Executive Officers’ compensation, if any is paid by us, evaluating our Chief Executive Officer’s performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration (if any) of our Chief Executive Officer based on such evaluation; |
| • | reviewing and approving on an annual basis the compensation, if any is paid by us, of all of our other officers; |
| • | reviewing on an annual basis 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 officers and employees; |
| • | if required, 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. |
Notwithstanding the foregoing, as indicated above, other than the payment to Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd. Of $15,000 per month, for up to 12 months, for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support and reimbursement of expenses, no compensation of any kind, including finders, consulting or other similar fees, will be paid to any of our existing stockholders, officers, directors or any of their respective affiliates, prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate the consummation of an initial business combination. Accordingly, it is likely that prior to the consummation of an initial business combination, the compensation committee will only be responsible for the review and recommendation of any compensation arrangements to be entered into in connection with such initial business combination.
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.
Director Nominations
We do not have a standing nominating committee though we intend to form a corporate governance and nominating committee as and when required to do so by law or Nasdaq rules. In accordance with Rule 5605 of the Nasdaq rules, a majority of the independent directors may recommend a director nominee for selection by the board of directors.
The board of directors believes that the independent directors can satisfactorily carry out the responsibility of properly selecting or approving director nominees without the formation of a standing nominating committee. The directors who will participate in the consideration and recommendation of director nominees are Messrs. Peel, Needham and Nolte. In accordance with Rule 5605 of the Nasdaq rules, all such directors are independent. As there is no standing nominating committee, we do not have a nominating committee charter in place.
The board of directors will also consider director candidates recommended for nomination by our stockholders during such times as they are seeking proposed nominees to stand for election at the next annual meeting of stockholders (or, if applicable, a special meeting of stockholders). Our stockholders that wish to nominate a director for election to our board of directors should follow the procedures set forth in our bylaws.
We have not formally established any specific, minimum qualifications that must be met or skills that are necessary for directors to possess. In general, in identifying and evaluating nominees for director, the board of directors considers educational background, diversity of professional experience, knowledge of our business, integrity, professional reputation, independence, wisdom, and the ability to represent the best interests of our stockholders.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
None of our officers currently serves, or in the past year has served, as a member of the compensation committee of any entity that has one or more officers serving on our board of directors.
Code of Ethics
Prior to the consummation of this offering, we will have adopted a Code of Ethics applicable to our directors, officers and employees. We will file a copy of our Code of Ethics and our audit and compensation committee charters as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. You will be able to review these documents by accessing our public filings at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. In addition, a copy of the Code of Ethics will be provided without charge upon request from us. We intend to disclose any amendments to or waivers of certain provisions of our Code of Ethics in a Current Report on Form 8-K. See the section of this prospectus entitled “Where You Can Find Additional Information.”
Conflicts of Interest
Members of our management team do not have any obligation to present us with any opportunity for a potential business combination of which they become aware, unless presented to such member solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of the company. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer 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, and to the extent the director or officer is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation.
Potential investors should also be aware of the following other potential conflicts of interest:
| • | None of our officers or directors is required to commit his or her full time to our affairs and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating his or her 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 us as well as the other entities with which they are affiliated. Our management may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented. |
| • | Our initial stockholders have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares, private placement shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination. Additionally, our initial stockholders have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and private placement shares held by them if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within 12 months (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination). If we do not complete our initial business combination within such applicable time period, the proceeds of the sale of the private placement units held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares, and the private placement warrants and the private placement rights (and the underlying securities) will expire worthless. Our initial stockholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares until the earlier to occur of (i) one year after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination or (ii) the date on which we consummate a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of Class A common stock for cash, securities or other property (except as described herein under the section of this prospectus entitled “Principal Stockholders — Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units”). Any permitted transferees will be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our initial stockholders with respect to any founder shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the closing price of our shares of Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing 150 days after our initial business combination, the founder shares will no longer be subject to such transfer restrictions. With certain limited exceptions, the private placement units and the Class A common stock underlying such units, will not be transferable, assignable or saleable by our co-sponsors or their permitted transferees until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. Since our co-sponsors and officers and directors may directly or indirectly own common stock, warrants and rights following this offering, our officers and directors 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. |
| • | 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 co-sponsors, officers or directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a business combination and financing arrangements as we may obtain loans from our co-sponsors or an affiliate of our co-sponsors or any of our officers or directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination. Up to $1,500,000 of such working capital loans may be convertible into private placement-equivalent units at a price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued 150,000 units if $1,500,000 of notes were so converted), at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private placement units. |
| • | Our executive officers and directors are not restricted from participating in the formation of, or become an officer or director of, any other special purpose acquisition company with a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act, until we have entered into definitive agreement regarding our initial business combination or we have failed to complete our initial business combination within 12 months (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination). |
The conflicts described above may not be resolved in our favor.
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 our company and its stockholders for the opportunity not to be brought to the attention of the corporation. |
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 amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer 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, and to the extent the director or officer is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation.
Below is a table summarizing the entities to which our executive officers, directors and director nominees currently have fiduciary duties or contractual obligations:
NAME OF INDIVIDUAL | | NAME OF AFFILIATED COMPANY | | AFFILIATION |
Jamie Khurshid | | Digital RFQ Ltd. (U.K.) | | Director |
| | Jacobi Asset Management (U.K.) | | Director |
| | Jacobi Investment Funds PCC Ltd., (U.K.) | | Director |
| | Match Financial Ltd. (U.K.) | | Director |
| | Match Fintech Ltd., (U.K.) | | Director |
| | Nukkleus Inc. | | COO |
| | One Cycle Ltd. | | Director |
| | PK Asset Management Ltd. | | Director |
| | | | |
Horst Rzepka | | Martini Willis Enterprises, A.G. (Switzerland) | | Director, CFO |
| | Treternity Management A.G. (Switzerland) | | Chairman, Director, CFO |
| | LeoPagno GmbH (Switzerland) | | Director, CFO |
| | RAETI Fintech Acquisition Inc | | Director, CFO |
| | | | |
Jeffrey Peel | | Quadriga Consulting Ltd | | Director |
| | | | |
James Needham | | JHMN London Ltd., (U.K.) | | Director |
| | | | |
Stefan Nolte | | Shanda Consult | | Managing Partner |
| | Hanseatic Comptoir Alliance | | Director |
| | CreditSense Solutions Ltd. | | Director |
| | Hesas Ltd. | | Director |
| | Family Style Management Ltd. | | Director |
| | Solid Ground Investments Ltd. | | Director |
| | Euroserv Ltd. | | Director |
| | Liemeta Ltd. | | Director |
Accordingly, if any of the above executive officers, directors or director nominees becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for any of the above entities to which he or she has current 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 are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our co-sponsors, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with such a company, we, or a committee of independent directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA, or from an independent accounting firm, that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.
In the event that we submit our initial business combination to our public stockholders for a vote, pursuant to the letter agreement, our co-sponsors, officers and directors have agreed to vote any founder shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after the offering (including in open market and privately negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination and I-Bankers has agreed to vote any representative’s shares held by them in favor of our initial business combination.
Limitation on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that our officers and directors 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 amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that our directors will not be personally liable for monetary damages to us or our stockholders 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.
We will enter into agreements with our officers and directors to provide contractual indemnification in addition to the indemnification provided for in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. 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 such indemnification. We will purchase a policy of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance that insures our officers and directors against the cost of defense, settlement or payment of a judgment in some circumstances and insures us against our obligations to indemnify our officers and directors.
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 officers and directors, 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 officers and directors pursuant to these indemnification provisions.
We believe that these provisions, the directors’ and officers’ liability insurance and the indemnity agreements are necessary to attract and retain talented and experienced officers and directors.
PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS
The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of the date of this prospectus, and as adjusted to reflect the sale of our common stock included in the units offered by this prospectus, and assuming no purchase of 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 executive officers, directors and director nominees that beneficially owns shares of our common stock; and |
| • | all our executive officers, directors and director nominees 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 or beneficial ownership of the private placement warrants or the private placement rights as these warrants and rights are not exercisable within 60 days of the date of this prospectus.
On October 23, 2020, our initial stockholders purchased 2,501,250 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.011 per share (up to 326,250 shares of which are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised). In addition, our co-sponsors, anchor investors and I-Bankers have committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase an aggregate of 459,275 private placement units for a purchase price of $10.00 per unit in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering (assuming the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option). Prior to the effectiveness of this registration statement, FSC Sponsor LLC intends to transfer an aggregate of 1,310,037.5 of its founder shares to our certain of our initial stockholders, including Celtic Sponsor VII LLC, Caliente Management, LLC, Frio Investments, LLC, Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd., and each of the anchor investors. The following table presents the number of shares and percentage of our common stock, on a post-split basis, owned by our initial stockholders before and after this offering, and does not reflect the beneficial ownership of the shares underlying the warrants or rights included in the units offered by this prospectus or the shares underlying the private placement warrants or the private placement rights, as these warrants and rights are not exercisable within 60 days of the date of this prospectus.
The post-offering numbers and percentages presented assume that the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option, that our initial stockholders forfeit 326,250 founder shares, and that there are 11,659,275 shares of our common stock, consisting of (i) 9,484,275 shares of our Class A common stock (including 8,700,000 public shares, 459,275 private placement shares and 325,000 shares of Class A common stock issued to I-Bankers and/or its designees) and (ii) 2,175,000 shares of our Class B common stock, issued and outstanding after this offering.
| | BEFORE OFFERING | | | AFTER OFFERING | |
NAME AND ADDRESS OF BENEFICIAL OWNER(1) | | NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED(2) | | | APPROXIMATE PERCENTAGE OF OUTSTANDING COMMON STOCK | | | NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED(2)(4) | | | APPROXIMATE PERCENTAGE OF OUTSTANDING COMMON STOCK | |
Jamie Khurshid | | | - | | | | -- | % | | | - | | | | -- | % |
Horst Rzepka | | | - | | | | -- | | | | - | | | | -- | |
Jeffrey Peel | | | - | | | | -- | | | | - | | | | -- | |
James Needham | | | - | | | | -- | | | | - | | | | -- | |
Stefan Nolte | | | - | | | | -- | | | | - | | | | -- | |
All executive officers, directors and director nominees as a group (5 individuals) | | | - | | | | -- | % | | | - | | | | -- | % |
Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd.(3) (5) | | | 616,212 | | | | 24.6 | % | | | 531,054 | | | | 4.6 | % |
FSC Sponsor LLC(3) (6) | | | 775,000 | | | | 30.1 | % | | | 873,913 | | | | 7.5 | % |
Frio Investments, LLC(3) | | | 85,038 | | | | 3.4 | % | | | 73,946 | | | | * | % |
Caliente Management, LLC(3) | | | 375,000 | | | | 15.0 | % | | | 326,087 | | | | 2.8 | % |
Sea Otter Securities Group LLC(7) | | | 230,000 | | | | 9.2 | % | | | 250,000 | | | | 2.1 | % |
Eagle Point Credit Management LLC(8) | | | 105,000 | | | | 4.2 | % | | | 130,000 | | | | 1.1 | % |
Greentree Financial Group Inc. (9) | | | 105,000 | | | | 4.2 | % | | | 130,000 | | | | 1.1 | % |
* Less than 1%
(1) | Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each of the following entities or individuals is c/o Financial Strategies Acquisition Corp., 2626 Cole Avenue, Suite 300, Dallas, Texas 75204. |
(2) | Interests shown consist of founder shares, classified as shares of Class B common stock before the offering, and private placement shares after the offering. Founder shares are convertible into shares of Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment, as described in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities.” |
(3) | Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd., is the managing member of our co-sponsor, FSC Sponsor LLC, as well as the managing member of Frio Investments, LLC and Caliente Management, LLC and may be deemed to have beneficial ownership of the common stock held directly by such entities. Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd. disclaims any beneficial ownership of the reported shares other than to the extent of any pecuniary interest it may have therein, directly or indirectly. The members of Caliente Management, LLC are as follows: Jamie Khurshid, Horst Rzepka, Jeffrey Peel, James Needham and Stefan Nolte. |
(4) | Assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option and the forfeiture of 326,250 founder shares. |
(5) | Represents shares held exclusively by Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd. Alexander V. Schinzing, is the managing member of Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd. and may be deemed to have beneficial ownership of the common stock held directly by Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd. Mr. Schinzing disclaims any beneficial ownership of the reported shares other than to the extent of any pecuniary interest he may have therein, directly or indirectly. Mr. Schinzing is also the managing member of Celtic Sponsor VII LLC, one of our co-sponsors. Includes 416,212 shares held exclusively by Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd. prior to the offering, or assuming the over-allotment is not exercised, 307,141 shares held exclusively by Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd. following the offering, 200,000 shares held by Celtic Sponsor VII LLC prior to the offering, or assuming the over-allotment is not exercised, 173,913 shares held by Celtic Sponsor VII LLC following the offering, and 50,000 shares underlying the private placement units to be purchased by Celtic Sponsor VII LLC in the private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Excludes founder shares held by FSC Sponsor LLC, Frio Investments, LLC and Caliente Management, LLC. |
(6) | Includes 775,000 shares held by FSC Sponsor LLC prior to the offering, or assuming the over-allotment is not exercised, 673,913 shares held by FSC Sponsor LLC following the offering, and 200,000 shares underlying the private placement units to be purchased by FSC Sponsor LLC in the private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Includes 75,000 founder shares held by FSC Sponsor LLC which shall be transferrable to Sunset Advisors LLC upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the exercise of Sunset Advisors LLC’s conversion option under the $250,000 convertible promissory note dated November 23, 2020 between FSC Sponsor LLC and Sunset Advisors LLC. |
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(7) | Includes 230,000 shares held by Sea Otter Securities Group LLC prior to the offering, and assuming the over-allotment is not exercised, 200,000 shares held by Sea Otter Securities Group LLC following the offering, and 50,000 shares underlying the private placement units to be purchased by Sea Otter Securities Group LLC in the private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Peter Smith, Peter Wisniewski and Nick Fahey may be deemed to have voting and investment power over the shares held by Sea Otter Securities Group LLC. The business address for Sea Otter Securities Group LLC is 107 Grand Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10013. |
| |
(8) | Includes 105,000 shares held by Eagle Point Credit Management LLC prior to the offering and 25,000 shares underlying the private placement units to be purchased by Eagle Point Credit Management LLC in the private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Tom Majewski may be deemed to have voting and investment power over the shares held by Eagle Point Credit Management LLC. The business address for Eagle Point Credit Management LLC is 600 Steamboat Road, Suite 202, Greenwich, CT 06830. |
| |
(9) | Includes 105,000 shares held by Greentree Financial Group Inc. prior to the offering and 25,000 shares underlying the private placement units to be purchased by Greentree Financial Group Inc. in the private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Robert C. Cottone and Michael Bongiovanni may be deemed to have voting and investment power over the shares held by Greentree Financial Group Inc. The business address for Greentree Financial Group Inc. is 7951 SW 6th Street, Suite 216, Plantation, FL 33324. |
Immediately after this offering, our initial stockholders will beneficially own 20% of the then-issued and outstanding shares of our common stock (not including the private placement shares and the shares of Class A common Stock issuable to I-Bankers and assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering). Neither our co-sponsors nor any of our officers or directors have expressed an intention to purchase any units in this offering. If we increase or decrease the size of the offering, we will effect a stock dividend or a share contribution back to capital, or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B common stock immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of our initial stockholders at 20.0% of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering (not including the private placement shares and the shares of Class A common Stock issuable to I-Bankers). Because of this ownership block, our initial stockholders may be able to effectively influence the outcome of all matters requiring approval by our stockholders, including the election of directors, amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and approval of significant corporate transactions, including approval of our initial business combination.
The holders of the founder shares have agreed (A) to vote any shares owned by them in favor of any proposed initial business combination and (B) not to redeem any shares in connection with a stockholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination or in connection with a tender offer.
Our co-sponsors, Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd., and our executive officers and directors are deemed to be our “promoters” as such term is defined under the federal securities laws.
Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units
The founder shares, private placement units, and any shares of Class A common stock issued upon conversion or exercise thereof are each subject to transfer restrictions pursuant to lock-up provisions in a letter agreement with us to be entered into by our initial stockholders, I-Bankers and our officers and directors. Our initial stockholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares until the earlier to occur of (i) one year after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination or (ii) the date on which we consummate a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of Class A common stock for cash, securities or other property (except as described herein under the section of this prospectus entitled “Principal Stockholders — Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units”). Any permitted transferees will be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our initial stockholders with respect to any founder shares. Our co-sponsors, anchor investors, I-Bankers have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private placement units and underlying securities (except to certain permitted transferees) until after the completion of our initial business combination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the closing price of our shares of Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing 150 days after our initial business combination, the founder shares will no longer be subject to such transfer restrictions. In addition, the lock-up provisions of the insider letter provide that the founder shares, the private placement rights and the private placement warrants, and any shares of Class A common stock issued upon conversion or exercise thereof are not transferable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. However, any such securities may be transferred or sold (a) to our officers or directors, any affiliates or family members of any of our officers or directors, any members of our initial stockholders or any affiliates of our initial stockholders or I-Bankers (b) in the case of an individual, by gift to a member of the individual’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of one of the individual’s immediate family, an affiliate of such person or to a charitable organization; (c) in the case of an individual, by virtue of laws of descent and distribution upon death of the individual; (d) in the case of an individual, pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order; (e) by private sales or transfers made in connection with the consummation of an initial business combination at prices no greater than the price at which the securities were originally purchased; (f) in the event of our liquidation prior to the completion of our initial business combination; (g) by virtue of the laws of Delaware or the limited liability company agreement or bylaws, as applicable, of our initial stockholders or I-Bankers upon dissolution of any of our initial stockholders or I-Bankers; or (h) in the event of our liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange, reorganization 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 subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination; provided, however, that in the case of clauses (a) through (e) or (g) these permitted transferees must enter into a written agreement agreeing to be bound by these transfer restrictions and the other restrictions contained in the letter agreements, and by the same agreements entered into by our initial stockholders and I-Bankers with respect to such securities (including provisions relating to voting, the trust account and liquidation distributions described elsewhere in this prospectus).
Registration Rights
The holders of the founder shares, private placement units (including securities contained therein), representative's warrants, shares of Class A common stock underlying the representative’s warrants, and units that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans (including securities contained therein) will have registration rights to require us to register a sale of any of our securities held by them pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering. These holders will be entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form registration demands, that we register such securities for sale under the Securities Act. In addition, these holders will have “piggy-back” registration rights to include their securities in other registration statements filed by us. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the underwriters may not exercise their demand and “piggyback” registration rights after five and seven years, respectively, after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and may not exercise their demand rights on more than one occasion.
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
On October 23, 2020, we issued an aggregate of 2,501,250 founder shares to our initial stockholders for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000 in cash, or approximately $0.011 per share resulting in our initial stockholders holding an aggregate of 2,070,000 founder shares (up to 326,250 shares of which are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised). The number of founder shares issued was determined based on the expectation that such founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares upon completion of this offering (not including the private placement shares and the shares of Class A common Stock issuable to I-Bankers). If we increase or decrease the size of the offering we will effect a stock dividend or a share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B common stock immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of our initial stockholders at 20.0% of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering (not including the private placement shares and the shares of Class A common Stock issuable to I-Bankers). Up to 326,250 founder shares are subject to forfeiture by our initial stockholders depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. The founder shares (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise thereof) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holder.
Prior to the effectiveness of this registration statement, FSC Sponsor LLC intends to transfer an aggregate of 1,310,037.5 of its founder shares to certain of our initial stockholders, including Celtic Sponsor VII LLC, Caliente Management, LLC, Frio Investments, LLC, Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd., and each of the anchor investors.
Our co-sponsors, anchor investors and I-Bankers have agreed to purchase an aggregate of 459,275 units (or 504,950 units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $4,592,750 (or $5,049,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Of such amount, 200,000 units will be purchased by FSC Sponsor LLC, 50,000 units will be purchased by Celtic Sponsor VII LLC, 50,000 units will be purchased by Sea Otter Securities Group LLC, 25,000 units will be purchased by Sixth Borough Capital Fund LP (and 25,000 units will be purchased by certain members of its general partner), 25,000 units will be purchased by Eagle Point Credit Management LLC, 25,000 units will be purchased by Greentree Financial Group Inc., and 59,275 units will be purchased by I-Bankers, in each case assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option. If the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised, I-Bankers has agreed to purchase an additional 45,675 units in the private placement. The private placement units will be identical to the units sold in this offering except that the private placement warrants included in the private placement units, so long as they are held by our co-sponsors, anchor investors, I-Bankers or any of their permitted transferees, (i) will not be redeemable by us, (ii) may not (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of these warrants), subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holders until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, (iii) may be exercised by the holders on a cashless basis and (iv) will be entitled to registration rights. The private placement units (including the shares of Class A common stock underlying the private placement units) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holder until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to the founder shares, placement shares or placement warrants, which will expire worthless if we do not consummate a business combination within 12 months (or up to 18 months if we extend the time period we have to consummate an initial business combination by the full amount) from the closing of this offering.
As more fully discussed in the section of this prospectus entitled “Management — Conflicts of Interest,” if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of an initial business combination opportunity that falls within the line of business of any entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such other entity. Our officers and directors currently have certain relevant fiduciary duties or contractual obligations that may take priority over their duties to us.
Commencing on the date of this prospectus, we have agreed to pay Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd., a total of $15,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support for 12 months. Upon the earlier of the elapse of 12 months or the completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.
Other than the foregoing, no compensation of any kind, including any finder’s fee, reimbursement, consulting fee or monies in respect of any payment of a loan, will be paid by us to our co-sponsors, officers and directors, or any affiliate of our co-sponsors or officers, prior to, or in connection with any services rendered in order to effectuate, the consummation of an initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). However, these 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. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our co-sponsors, officers, directors or our or their affiliates and will determine which expenses and the amount of expenses that will be reimbursed. There is no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by such persons in connection with activities on our behalf.
Prior to the closing of this offering, our co-sponsor, FSC Sponsor LLC, loaned us $200,000 under an unsecured promissory note effective as of November 30, 2020 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. The note is non-interest bearing and payable on the date of the initial business combination. In addition, an investor in FSC Sponsor LLC, Emil Assentato, loaned us up to an additional $250,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering, with $250,000 withdrawn as of September 30, 2021. This convertible loan is non-interest bearing, unsecured, and will, at the election of the holder, be repaid on the date of the initial business combination, or converted into warrants, which shall be identical to the private placement warrants, in an amount equal to the principal balance of this note at a price of $1.00 per warrant. The value of Mr. Assentato’s interest in this transaction corresponds to the principal amount outstanding under any such loan.
In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our co-sponsors or their affiliates or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete an initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. 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. Up to $1,500,000 of such working capital loans may be convertible into private placement-equivalent units at a price of $10.00 per unit, at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private placement units. The terms of such working capital loans by our co-sponsors or their affiliates, or our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our co-sponsors or their affiliates as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.
After our initial business combination, members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting, management or other fees from the combined company with any and all amounts being fully disclosed to our stockholders, to the extent then known, in the tender offer or proxy solicitation materials, as applicable, furnished to our stockholders. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of distribution of such tender offer materials or at the time of a stockholder meeting held to consider our initial business combination, as applicable, as it will be up to the directors of the post-combination business to determine executive and director compensation.
We will enter into a registration rights agreement with respect to the private placement units, the representative’s warrants, the securities issuable upon conversion of working capital loans (if any) and the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise or conversion of the foregoing and upon conversion of the founder shares, which is described under the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Registration Rights.”
Related Party Transactions Policy
We have not yet adopted a formal policy for the review, approval or ratification of related party transactions. Accordingly, the transactions discussed above were not reviewed, approved or ratified in accordance with any such policy.
Prior to the consummation of this offering, we will adopt a code of ethics requiring us to avoid, wherever possible, all conflicts of interests, except under guidelines or resolutions approved by our board of directors (or the appropriate committee of our board) or as disclosed in our public filings with the SEC. Under our code of ethics, conflict of interest situations will include any financial transaction, arrangement or relationship (including any indebtedness or guarantee of indebtedness) involving the company. A form of the code of ethics that we plan to adopt prior to the consummation of this offering is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
In addition, our audit committee, pursuant to a written charter that we will adopt prior to the consummation of this offering, will be responsible for reviewing and approving related party transactions to the extent that we enter into such transactions. An affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the audit committee present at a meeting at which a quorum is present will be required in order to approve a related party transaction. A majority of the members of the entire audit committee will constitute a quorum. Without a meeting, the unanimous written consent of all of the members of the audit committee will be required to approve a related party transaction. A form of the audit committee charter that we plan to adopt prior to the consummation of this offering is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. We also require each of our directors and executive officers to complete a directors’ and officers’ questionnaire that elicits information about related party transactions.
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 conflicts of interest, we have agreed not to consummate an initial business combination with an entity that is affiliated with any of our co-sponsors, officers or directors unless we, or a committee of independent directors, have obtained an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA or an independent accounting firm that our initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. Furthermore, no finder’s fees, reimbursements, consulting fee, monies in respect of any payment of a loan or other compensation will be paid by us to our co-sponsors, officers or directors, or any affiliate of our co-sponsors or officers, for services rendered to us prior to, or in connection with any services rendered in order to effectuate, the consummation of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). However, the following payments will be made to our co-sponsors, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates, none of which will be made from the proceeds of this offering held in the trust account prior to the completion of our initial business combination:
| • | Repayment upon consummation of the initial business combination of up to $250,000 in loans made to us by Emil Assentato, of which $250,000 has been drawn upon, and $200,000 in loans made to us by FSC Sponsor LLC, to cover offering-related and organizational expenses; |
| • | Payment to Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd. of $15,000 per month, for up to 12 months, for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support; |
| • | Reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination; and |
| • | Repayment of loans which may be made by our co-sponsors or their affiliates or certain of our officers and directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, the terms of which have not been determined nor have any written agreements been executed with respect thereto. Up to $1,500,000 of such working capital loans may be convertible into private placement-equivalent units at a price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued 150,000 units if $1,500,000 of notes were so converted), at the option of the lender. |
Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our co-sponsors, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates.
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES
Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our authorized capital stock consists of 100,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value, 20,000,000 shares of Class B common stock, $0.0001 par value, and 1,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock, $0.0001 par value. The following description summarizes the material terms of our capital stock. Because it is only a summary, it may not contain all the information that is important to you.
Units
Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one share of Class A common stock, one redeemable warrant and one right. Each warrant entitles the holder to purchase one share of Class A common stock at $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus. Each right entitles the holder to receive one-tenth (1/10) of a share of Class A common stock. We expect the Class A common stock and warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the closing of this offering unless I-Bankers informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, 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. At the time that the common stock, warrants and rights comprising the units begin separate trading, holders will hold the separate securities and no longer hold units (without any action needing to be taken by the holders), and the units will no longer trade.
In no event will the Class A common stock, warrants 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 at the closing 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 three business days after the date of this prospectus. 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
Upon the closing of this offering, 11,659,275 shares of our common stock will be outstanding (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option and the corresponding forfeiture of 326,250 founder shares by our co-sponsors), consisting of:
| • | 8,700,000 shares of our Class A common stock underlying the units being offered in this offering; |
| • | 459,275 private placement shares; |
| • | 325,000 representative’s shares of our Class A common stock issuable to I-Bankers and/or its designees; and |
| • | 2,175,000 shares of Class B common stock held by our initial stockholders. |
Our co-sponsors, anchor investors, and I-Bankers have agreed to purchase an aggregate of 459,275 private placement units (or 504,950 private placement units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per private placement unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $4,592,750, or $5,049,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full. If we increase or decrease the size of the offering we will effect a stock dividend or a share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B common stock immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of our initial stockholders at 20.0% of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering (not including the private placement shares and the shares of Class A common Stock issuable to I-Bankers).
Common stockholders of record are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by stockholders. Holders of the Class A common stock and holders of the Class B common stock will vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of our stockholders, except as required by law. Unless specified in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or bylaws, or as required by applicable provisions of the DGCL or applicable stock exchange rules, the affirmative vote of a majority of our shares of common stock that are voted is required to approve any such matter voted on by our stockholders. Our board of directors will be divided into two classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of two years with only one class of directors being elected in each year. There is no cumulative voting with respect to the election of directors, with the result that the holders of more than 50% of the shares voted for the election of directors can elect all of the directors. Our stockholders are entitled to receive ratable dividends when, as and if declared by the board of directors out of funds legally available therefor.
Because our amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes the issuance of up to 100,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, if we were to enter into an initial business combination, we may (depending on the terms of such an initial business combination) be required to increase the number of shares of Class A common stock which we are authorized to issue at the same time as our stockholders vote on the initial business combination to the extent we seek stockholder approval in connection with our initial business combination.
In accordance with Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until no later than one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on Nasdaq. Under Section 211(b) of the DGCL, 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. We may not hold 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 DGCL, 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 DGCL.
We will provide our stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be approximately $10.10 per public share. Our initial stockholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares, private placement shares and any public shares held by them, and I-Bankers has agreed to waive its redemption rights with respect to any representative’s shares held by them, in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. Unlike many blank check companies that hold stockholder votes and conduct proxy solicitations in conjunction with their initial business combinations and provide for related redemptions of public shares for cash upon completion of such initial business combinations even when a vote is not required by law, if a stockholder vote is not required by law and we do not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC, and file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require these tender offer documents to contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules. If, however, a stockholder approval of the transaction is required by law, or we decide to obtain stockholder approval for business or other legal reasons, we will, like many blank check companies, offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. If we seek stockholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the initial business combination. A quorum for such meeting will consist of the holders present in person or by proxy of shares of outstanding capital stock of the company representing a majority of the voting power of all outstanding shares of capital stock of the company entitled to vote at such meeting.
However, the participation of our co-sponsors, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates in privately-negotiated transactions (as described in this prospectus), if any, could result in the approval of our initial business combination even if a majority of our public stockholders vote, or indicate their intention to vote, against such business combination. For purposes of seeking approval of the majority of our outstanding shares of common stock voted, non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial business combination once a quorum is obtained. We intend to give approximately 30 days (but not less than 10 days nor more than 60 days) prior written notice of any such meeting, if required, at which a vote shall be taken to approve our initial business combination. These quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreements of our initial stockholders, may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial 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 amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide 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 Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares of common stock sold in this offering, which we refer to as the Excess Shares. However, we would not be restricting our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination. Our stockholders’ inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce their influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination, and such stockholders could suffer a material loss in their investment if they sell such Excess Shares on the open market. Additionally, such stockholders will not receive redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares if we complete the initial business combination. And, as a result, such stockholders will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 15% and, in order to dispose such shares would be required to sell their stock in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.
If we seek stockholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, pursuant to the letter agreement our initial stockholders, officers and directors have agreed to vote their founder shares, private placement shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering (including in open market and privately negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, in addition to our initial stockholders’ founder shares, the private placement shares and the representative’s shares, we would need only 2,870,363, or 32.99%, of the 8,700,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination (assuming all outstanding shares are voted) in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised), or, assuming that only a quorum is present at the meeting, no public shares would need to be voted in favor of an initial business combination, in order to have our initial business combination approved. Additionally, each public stockholder may elect to redeem its public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction (subject to the limitation described in the preceding paragraph).
Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus), we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but no more than ten business days thereafter subject to lawfully available funds therefor, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, 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 our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Our co-sponsors, initial stockholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares and private placement shares held by them and I-Bankers has agreed to waive its rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any representative’s shares held by it, if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus). However, if our initial stockholders acquire public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time period.
In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the company after an initial business combination, our stockholders are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining available for distribution to them after payment of liabilities and after provision is made for each class of stock, if any, having preference over the common stock. Our stockholders have no preemptive or other subscription rights. There are no sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock, except that we will provide our stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein.
Founder Shares and Private Placement Shares
The founder shares and private placement shares are identical to the shares of Class A common stock included in the units being sold in this offering, and holders of founder shares have the same stockholder rights as public stockholders, except that (i) the founder shares and private placement shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below, (ii) our co-sponsors, initial stockholders, officers, directors and I-Bankers, solely with respect to its representative’s shares, have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed (A) to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares, private placement shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, (B) to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares, private placement shares and public shares in connection with a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (x) to 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 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (y) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity and (C) to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares and private placement shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus), 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 such time period, (iii) the founder shares are shares of our Class B common stock that will automatically convert into shares of our Class A common stock at the time of our initial business combination, or at any time prior thereto at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as described herein, and (iv) are entitled to registration rights. If we submit our initial business combination to our public stockholders for a vote, our initial stockholders, officers, directors and I-Bankers, solely with respect to its representative’s shares, have agreed pursuant to the letter agreement to vote any founder shares and private placement shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after this offering (including in open market and privately negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination.
The shares of Class B common stock will automatically convert into shares of Class A common stock at the time of our initial business combination on a one-for-one basis (subject to adjustment for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like), and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional shares of Class A common stock, or equity-linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts offered in this prospectus and related to the closing of the initial business combination, the ratio at which shares of Class B common stock shall convert into shares of Class A common stock will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Class B common stock agree to waive such adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of all shares of Class B common stock will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the sum of the total number of all shares of common stock outstanding upon completion of this offering (not including the private placement shares and the shares of Class A common Stock issuable to I-Bankers) plus all shares of Class A common stock and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued in connection with the initial business combination (excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination, any private placement-equivalent securities issued to our co-sponsors or their affiliates upon conversion of loans made to us). We cannot determine at this time whether a majority of the holders of our Class B common stock at the time of any future issuance would agree to waive such adjustment to the conversion ratio. They may waive such adjustment due to (but not limited to) the following: (i) closing conditions which are part of the agreement for our initial business combination; (ii) negotiation with Class A stockholders on structuring an initial business combination; or (iii) negotiation with parties providing financing which would trigger the anti-dilution provisions of the Class B common stock. If such adjustment is not waived, the issuance would not reduce the percentage ownership of holders of our Class B common stock, but would reduce the percentage ownership of holders of our Class A common stock. If such adjustment is waived, the issuance would reduce the percentage ownership of holders of both classes of our common stock. Holders of founder shares may also elect to convert their shares of Class B common stock into an equal number of shares of Class A common stock, subject to adjustment as provided above, at any time. The term “equity-linked securities” refers to any debt or equity securities that are convertible, exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Class A common stock issues in a financing transaction in connection with our initial business combination, including but not limited to a private placement of equity or debt. Securities could be “deemed issued” for purposes of the conversion rate adjustment if such shares are issuable upon the conversion or exercise of convertible securities, warrants or similar securities.
Our initial stockholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares until the earlier to occur of (i) one year after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination or (ii) the date on which we consummate a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of Class A common stock for cash, securities or other property (except as described herein under the section of this prospectus entitled “Principal Stockholders — Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units”). Any permitted transferees will be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our initial stockholders with respect to any founder shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the closing price of our shares of Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing 150 days after our initial business combination, the founder shares will no longer be subject to such transfer restrictions.
Preferred Stock
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that shares of preferred stock may be issued from time to time in one or more series. Our board of directors will be authorized to fix the voting rights, if any, designations, powers, preferences, the relative, participating, optional or other special rights and any qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, applicable to the shares of each series. Our board of directors will be able to, without stockholder approval, issue preferred stock with voting and other rights that could adversely affect the voting power and other rights of the holders of the common stock and could have anti-takeover effects. The ability of our board of directors to issue preferred stock without stockholder approval could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change of control of us or the removal of existing management. We have no preferred stock outstanding at the date hereof. Although we do not currently intend to issue any shares of preferred stock, we cannot assure you that we will not do so in the future. No shares of preferred stock are being issued or registered in this offering.
Rights
Each right represents the right to receive one-tenth (1/10) of one share of common stock upon the consummation of our initial business combination, so each holder of 10 rights will receive one share of common stock upon consummation of our initial business combination, whether or not we will be the surviving entity and even if the holder of such right redeemed all common stock held by him, her or it in connection with the initial business combination or an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation with respect to our pre-business combination activities. No fractional shares will be issued upon conversion of any rights, so holders must hold rights in denominations of 10 in order to receive a share of our common stock at the closing of our initial 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 common stock upon consummation of an initial business combination as the consideration related thereto has been included in the unit purchase price paid for by investors in this offering. The shares issuable upon exchange of the rights will be freely tradable (except to the extent held by affiliates of ours).
As soon as practicable upon the occurrence of our initial business combination, we will direct holders of the rights to return their rights certificates to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, in its capacity as rights agent. Upon receipt of the rights certificate, in a business combination in which we will be the surviving entity, we will issue to the registered holder of such rights the number of full shares of our common stock to which the holder is entitled.
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, and each holder of a right will be required to affirmatively convert his, her or its rights in order to receive the one-twentieth (1/10) share underlying each right (without paying any additional consideration) upon consummation of the business combination. More specifically, the right holder will be required to indicate his, her or its election to convert the rights into underlying shares as well as to return the original rights certificates to us.
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.
Promptly upon the consummation of our initial business combination, we will direct registered holders of the rights to return their rights to our rights agent. Upon receipt of the rights, the rights agent will issue to the registered holder of such right(s) the number of full shares of common stock to which he, she or it is entitled. We will notify registered holders of the rights to deliver their rights to the rights agent promptly upon consummation of such business combination and have been informed by the rights agent that the process of exchanging their rights for common stock should take no more than a matter of days. The foregoing exchange of rights is solely ministerial in nature and is not intended to provide us with any means of avoiding our obligation to issue the shares underlying the rights upon consummation of our initial business combination. Other than confirming that the rights delivered by a registered holder are valid, we will have no ability to avoid delivery of the shares underlying the rights. Nevertheless, 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, you might not receive the shares of Class A common stock underlying the rights and the rights may expire worthless.
We will not issue any fractional shares upon conversions of the rights once the units separate, and no cash will be payable in lieu thereof. As a result, a holder must have 10 rights to receive one share of common stock at the closing of the initial business combination. In the event that any holder would otherwise be entitled to any fractional share upon exchange of his, her or its rights, we will reserve the option, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, to deal with any such fractional entitlement at the relevant time as we see fit, which would include the rounding down of any entitlement to receive common stock to the nearest whole share (and in effect extinguishing any fractional entitlement), or the holder being entitled to hold any remaining fractional entitlement (without any share being issued) and to aggregate the same with any future fractional entitlement to receive shares in the company until the holder is entitled to receive a whole number. Any rounding down and extinguishment may be done with or without any in lieu cash payment or other compensation being made to the holder of the relevant rights, such that value received on exchange of the rights may be considered less than the value that the holder would otherwise expect to receive. All holders of rights shall be treated in the same manner with respect to the issuance of shares upon conversions of the rights.
We have agreed that, subject to applicable law, 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 we irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction will be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. See “Risk Factors — Each of our warrant agreement and 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 warrants and holders of our rights, which could limit the ability of warrant holders and rights holders to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with our company.” This provision applies to claims under the Securities Act but does not apply to claims under the Exchange Act or any claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum.
Redeemable Warrants
Public Stockholders’ Warrants
Each warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as discussed below, at any time commencing on the later of 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. The warrants will expire five years after the completion of our initial business combination, at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
We will not be obligated to deliver any shares of Class A common stock pursuant to the exercise of a warrant and will have no obligation to settle such warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to the shares of Class A common stock underlying the warrants is then effective and a prospectus relating thereto is current, subject to our satisfying our obligations described below with respect to registration. No warrant will be exercisable and we will not be obligated to issue shares of Class A common stock upon exercise of a warrant unless Class A common stock issuable upon such warrant exercise has been registered, qualified or deemed to be exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the registered holder of the warrants. In the event that the conditions in the two immediately preceding sentences are not satisfied with respect to a warrant, the holder of such warrant will not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant. In the event that a registration statement is not effective for the exercised warrants, the purchaser of a unit containing such warrant will have paid the full purchase price for the unit solely for the share of Class A common stock underlying such unit.
We are not registering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants at this time. However, we have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our best efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement covering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants, to cause such registration statement to become effective and to maintain a current prospectus relating to those shares of Class A common stock until the warrants expire or are redeemed, as specified in the warrant agreement. If a registration statement covering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the 60th day after the closing of our initial business combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we will have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption. Notwithstanding the above, if our Class A common stock is at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that it satisfies the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, and in the event we do not so elect, we will use our best efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available.
Once the warrants become exercisable, we may call the warrants for redemption (excluding the private placement warrants but including any outstanding representative’s warrants):
• in whole and not in part;
• at a price of $0.01 per warrant;
• upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption (the “30-day redemption period”) to each warrant holder; and
• if, and only if, the reported last sale price of the Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 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 ending three business days before we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders.
If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of shares of common stock upon exercise of the warrants is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or we are unable to effect such registration or qualification. We will use our best efforts to register or qualify such shares of common stock under the blue sky laws of the state of residence in those states in which the warrants were offered by us in this offering.
We have established the last of the redemption criterion discussed above to prevent a redemption call unless there is at the time of the call a significant premium to the warrant exercise price. If the foregoing conditions are satisfied and we issue a notice of redemption of the warrants, each warrant holder will be entitled to exercise its warrant prior to the scheduled redemption date. However, the price of the Class A common stock may fall below the $18.00 redemption trigger price (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) as well as the $11.50 warrant exercise price after the redemption notice is issued.
If we call the warrants for redemption as described above, our management will have the option to require any holder that wishes to exercise its warrant to do so on a “cashless basis.” In determining whether to require all holders to exercise their warrants on a “cashless basis,” our management will consider, among other factors, our cash position, the number of warrants that are outstanding and the dilutive effect on our stockholders of issuing the maximum number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of our warrants. If our management takes advantage of this option, all holders of warrants would pay the exercise price by surrendering their warrants for that number of shares of Class A common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of Class A common stock underlying the warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the “fair market value” (defined below) by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” shall mean the average reported last sale price of the Class A common stock for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. If our management takes advantage of this option, the notice of redemption will contain the information necessary to calculate the number of shares of Class A common stock to be received upon exercise of the warrants, including the “fair market value” in such case. Requiring a cashless exercise in this manner will reduce the number of shares to be issued and thereby lessen the dilutive effect of a warrant redemption. We believe this feature is an attractive option to us if we do not need the cash from the exercise of the warrants after our initial business combination. If we call our warrants for redemption and our management does not take advantage of this option, our co-sponsors and their permitted transferees would still be entitled to exercise their private placement warrants for cash or on a cashless basis using the same formula described above that other warrant holders would have been required to use had all warrant holders been required to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis, as described in more detail below.
A holder of a warrant may notify us in writing in the event it elects to be subject to a requirement that such holder will not have the right to exercise such warrant, to the extent that after giving effect to such exercise, such person (together with such person’s affiliates), to the warrant agent’s actual knowledge, would beneficially own in excess of 4.9% or 9.8% (or such other amount as a holder may specify) of the shares of Class A common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise.
If the number of outstanding shares of Class A common stock is increased by a stock dividend payable in shares of Class A common stock, or by a split-up of shares of Class A common stock or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such stock dividend, split-up or similar event, the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable on exercise of each warrant will be increased in proportion to such increase in the outstanding shares of Class A common stock. A rights offering to holders of Class A common stock entitling holders to purchase shares of Class A common stock at a price less than the fair market value will be deemed a stock dividend of a number of shares of Class A common stock equal to the product of (i) the number of shares of Class A common stock actually sold in such rights offering (or issuable under any other equity securities sold in such rights offering that are convertible into or exercisable for Class A common stock) and (ii) one (1) minus the quotient of (x) the price per share of Class A common stock paid in such rights offering divided by (y) the fair market value. For these purposes (i) if the rights offering is for securities convertible into or exercisable for Class A common stock, in determining the price payable for Class A common stock, there will be taken into account any consideration received for such rights, as well as any additional amount payable upon exercise or conversion and (ii) fair market value means the volume weighted average price of Class A common stock as reported during the ten (10) trading day period ending on the trading day prior to the first date on which the shares of Class A common stock trade on the applicable exchange or in the applicable market, regular way, without the right to receive such rights.
In addition, if we, at any time while the warrants are outstanding and unexpired, pay a dividend or make a distribution in cash, securities or other assets to the holders of Class A common stock on account of such shares of Class A common stock (or other shares of our capital stock into which the warrants are convertible), other than (a) as described above, (b) certain ordinary cash dividends, (c) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Class A common stock in connection with a proposed initial business combination, (d) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Class A common stock in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (i) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our Class A common stock if we do not complete our initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, or (e) in connection with the redemption of our public shares upon our failure to complete our initial business combination, then the warrant exercise price will be decreased, effective immediately after the effective date of such event, by the amount of cash and/or the fair market value of any securities or other assets paid on each share of Class A common stock in respect of such event.
If the number of outstanding shares of our Class A common stock is decreased by a consolidation, combination, reverse stock split or reclassification of shares of Class A common stock or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such consolidation, combination, reverse stock split, reclassification or similar event, the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable on exercise of each warrant will be decreased in proportion to such decrease in outstanding shares of Class A common stock.
Whenever the number of shares of Class A common stock purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants is adjusted, as described above, the warrant exercise price will be adjusted by multiplying the warrant exercise price immediately prior to such adjustment by a fraction (x) the numerator of which will be the number of shares of Class A common stock purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants immediately prior to such adjustment, and (y) the denominator of which will be the number of shares of Class A common stock so purchasable immediately thereafter.
In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding shares of Class A common stock (other than those described above or that solely affects the par value of such shares of Class A common stock), or in the case of any merger or consolidation of us with or into another corporation (other than a consolidation or merger in which we are the continuing corporation and that does not result in any reclassification or reorganization of our outstanding shares of Class A common stock), or in the case of any sale or conveyance to another corporation or entity of the assets or other property of us as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in connection with which we are dissolved, the holders of the warrants will thereafter have the right to purchase and receive, upon the basis and upon the terms and conditions specified in the warrants and in lieu of the shares of our Class A common stock immediately theretofore purchasable and receivable upon the exercise of the rights represented thereby, the kind and amount of shares of stock or other securities or property (including cash) receivable upon such reclassification, reorganization, merger or consolidation, or upon a dissolution following any such sale or transfer, that the holder of the warrants would have received if such holder had exercised their warrants immediately prior to such event. If less than 70% of the consideration receivable by the holders of Class A common stock in such a transaction is payable in the form of common stock in the successor entity that is listed for trading on a national securities exchange or is quoted in an established over-the-counter market, or is to be so listed for trading or quoted immediately following such event, and if the registered holder of the warrant properly exercises the warrant within thirty days following public disclosure of such transaction, the warrant exercise price will be reduced as specified in the warrant agreement based on the Black-Scholes value (as defined in the warrant agreement) of the warrant. The purpose of such exercise price reduction is to provide additional value to holders of the warrants when an extraordinary transaction occurs during the exercise period of the warrants pursuant to which the holders of the warrants otherwise do not receive the full potential value of the warrants in order to determine and realize the option value component of the warrant. This formula is to compensate the warrant holder for the loss of the option value portion of the warrant due to the requirement that the warrant holder exercise the warrant within 30 days of the event. The Black-Scholes model is an accepted pricing model for estimating fair market value where no quoted market price for an instrument is available.
The warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. You should review a copy of the warrant agreement, which will be filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, for a complete description of the terms and conditions applicable to the warrants. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, but requires the approval by the holders of at least 65% of the then outstanding public warrants to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of public warrants.
The warrants may be exercised upon surrender of the warrant certificate on or prior to the expiration date at the offices of the warrant agent, with the exercise form on the reverse side of the warrant certificate completed and executed as indicated, accompanied by full payment of the exercise price (or on a cashless basis, if applicable), by certified or official bank check payable to us, for the number of warrants being exercised. The warrant holders do not have the rights or privileges of holders of Class A common stock and any voting rights until they exercise their warrants and receive shares of Class A common stock. After the issuance of shares of Class A common stock upon exercise of the warrants, each holder will be entitled to one (1) vote for each share held of record on all matters to be voted on by stockholders.
In addition, if (x) we issue additional shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination at a Newly Issued Price of less than $9.20 per share of Class A common stock (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by our board of directors and, in the case of any such issuance to our co-sponsors or their affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by our co-sponsors or such affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of our initial business combination on the date of the consummation of our initial business combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the Market Value is below $9.20 per share, the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, and the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price described above will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.
Private Placement Warrants
The private placement warrants (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination (except, among other limited exceptions as described under the section of this prospectus entitled “Principal Stockholders — Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units,” to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with our co-sponsors or the underwriters) and they will not be redeemable by us so long as they are held by our co-sponsors, anchor investors, I-Bankers or any of their permitted transferees. Our co-sponsors, anchor investors, I-Bankers, and any of their permitted transferees, have the option to exercise the private placement warrants on a cashless basis. Except as described below, the private placement warrants have terms and provisions that are identical to those of the warrants being sold as part of the units in this offering, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period. If the private placement warrants are held by holders other than our co-sponsors, anchor investors, I-Bankers or any of their permitted transferees, the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us and exercisable by the holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the units being sold in this offering.
If holders of the private placement warrants elect to exercise them on a cashless basis, they would pay the exercise price by surrendering their warrants for that number of shares of Class A common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of Class A common stock underlying the warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the “fair market value” (defined below) by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” shall mean the average reported last sale price of the Class A common stock for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of warrant exercise is sent to the warrant agent. The reason that we have agreed that these warrants will be exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by our co-sponsors, the underwriters or their permitted transferees is because it is not known at this time whether they will be affiliated with us following an initial business combination. If they remain affiliated with us, their ability to sell our securities in the open market will be significantly limited. We expect to have policies in place that prohibit insiders from selling our securities except during specific periods of time. Even during such periods of time when insiders will be permitted to sell our securities, an insider cannot trade in our securities if he or she is in possession of material non-public information. Accordingly, unlike public stockholders who could sell the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants freely in the open market, the insiders could be significantly restricted from doing so. As a result, we believe that allowing the holders to exercise such warrants on a cashless basis is appropriate.
In order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our co-sponsors or their affiliates or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. Up to $1,500,000 of such working capital loans may be convertible into private placement-equivalent units at a price of $10.00 per unit (which, for example, would result in the holders being issued 150,000 units if $1,500,000 of notes were so converted), at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private placement units. The terms of such working capital loans by our co-sponsors or their affiliates, or our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans.
In addition, holders of our private placement warrants are entitled to certain registration rights.
Our co-sponsors, anchor investors and I-Bankers have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private placement warrants (including the underlying securities and the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of any of the private placement warrants) until the date that is 30 days after the date we complete our initial business combination, except that, among other limited exceptions as described under the section of this prospectus entitled “Principal Stockholders — Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units” made to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with our co-sponsors.
Representative’s Warrants
We have agreed to grant to I-Bankers (and/or its designees) 696,000 warrants (or 800,400 warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) exercisable at $12.00 per share (or an aggregate exercise price of $8,352,000 (or $9,604,800 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full)) upon the closing of this offering. The warrants may be exercised for cash or on a cashless basis, at the holder’s option, at any time during the period commencing on the later of the first anniversary of the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and the closing of our initial business combination and terminating on the fifth anniversary of the commencement date of sales in this offering. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, I-Bankers has agreed that neither it nor its designees will be permitted to exercise the warrants after the five-year anniversary of the commencement date of sales in this offering. The warrants and such shares purchased pursuant to the warrants have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to a lock-up for a period of 180 days immediately following the commencement date of sales in this offering pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1). Pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1), these securities may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated or the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of the securities by any person for a period of 180 days immediately following the commencement of sales in this offering except to any underwriter and selected dealer participating in the offering and their officers, partners, registered persons or affiliates. The warrants grant to holders certain registration rights with respect to the registration under the Securities Act of the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants. The exercise price and number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants may be adjusted in certain circumstances including in the event of a share dividend, or our recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. However, the warrants will not be adjusted for issuances of shares of Class A common stock at a price below its exercise price. We will have no obligation to net cash settle the exercise of the warrants. The holder of the warrants will not be entitled to exercise the warrants for cash unless a registration statement covering the securities underlying the warrants is effective or an exemption from registration is available.
Dividends
We have not paid any cash dividends on our common stock to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of an initial 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 conditions subsequent to completion of an initial business combination. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to an initial business combination will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time. If we increase or decrease the size of the offering we will effect a stock dividend or a share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B common stock immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of our initial stockholders at 20.0% of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering (not including the private placement shares and the shares of Class A common Stock issuable to I-Bankers). Further, if we incur any indebtedness, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.
Our Transfer Agent, Rights Agent and Warrant Agent
The transfer agent for our common stock, rights agent for our rights and the warrant agent for our warrants is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company. We have agreed to indemnify Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company in its roles as transfer agent, rights agent and warrant agent, its agents and each of its stockholders, directors, officers and employees against all claims and losses that may arise out of acts performed or omitted for its activities in that capacity, except for any liability due to any gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of the indemnified person or entity.
Our Amended and Restated 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 completion of our initial business combination. These provisions cannot be amended without the approval of the holders of 65% of our common stock. Our initial stockholders, who will collectively beneficially own 20% of our common stock upon the closing of this offering (not including the private placement shares and the shares of Class A common Stock issuable to I-Bankers and assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering), will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. Specifically, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides, among other things, that:
| • | If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail 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 subject to lawfully available funds therefor, redeem 100% of the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, 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 our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law; |
| • | 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; |
| • | Although we do not intend to enter into an initial business combination with a target business that is affiliated with our co-sponsors, our directors or our officers, we are not prohibited from doing so. In the event we enter into such a transaction, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA or an independent accounting firm that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view; |
| • | If a stockholder vote on our initial business combination is not required by law and we do not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will offer to redeem our public shares pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, and will file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about our initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act; whether or not we maintain our registration under the our Exchange Act or our listing on Nasdaq, we will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares by one of the two methods listed above; |
| • | So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, Nasdaq rules require that we must complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the trust account (excluding taxes payable on the interest earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination; |
| • | If our stockholders approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (i) to 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 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity, we will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of Class A common stock upon such approval at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares; and |
| • | We will not effectuate our initial business combination with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations. |
In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we will only redeem our public shares so long as (after such redemption) our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination and after payment of underwriters’ fees and commissions.
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 15% 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 initial 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. |
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that our board of directors will be classified into two classes of directors. As a result, in most circumstances, a person can gain control of our board only by successfully engaging in a proxy contest at two or more annual meetings.
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.
Exclusive forum for certain lawsuits
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that unless we consent 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 Corporation, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation, its directors, officers or employees arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law or the Corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws or (iv) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation, its directors, officers or employees governed by the internal affairs doctrine, except for, as to each of (i) through (iv) above, 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 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. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this exclusive forum provision shall not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. Additionally, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act against us or any of our directors, officers, other employees or agents. Section 22 of the Securities Act, however, created concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. Accordingly, there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce these exclusive forum provisions, and the enforceability of similar choice of forum provisions in other companies’ charter documents has been challenged in legal proceedings. While the Delaware courts have determined that such exclusive forum provisions are facially valid, a stockholder may nevertheless seek to bring a claim in a venue other than those designated in the exclusive forum provisions, and there can be no assurance that such provisions will be enforced by a court in those other jurisdictions. Although we believe this provision benefits us by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware law in the types of lawsuits to which it applies, the provision may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors and officers. Furthermore, the enforceability of choice of forum provisions in other companies’ certificates of incorporation has been challenged in legal proceedings, and it is possible that a court could find these types of provisions to be inapplicable or unenforceable.
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, by our Chief Executive Officer or by our Chairman.
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 received by the company secretary at our principal executive offices not later than the close of business on the 52nd day nor earlier than the opening of business on the 120th day prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of stockholders. Pursuant to Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act, proposals seeking inclusion in our annual proxy statement must comply with the notice periods contained therein. 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.
Action by written consent
Subsequent to the consummation of the offering, any action required or permitted to be taken by our common stockholders must be effected by a duly called annual or special meeting of such stockholders and may not be effected by written consent of the stockholders other than with respect to our Class B common stock.
Classified Board of Directors
Our board of directors will initially be divided into two classes, Class I and Class II, with members of each class serving staggered two-year terms. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that the authorized number of directors may be changed only by resolution of the board of directors. Subject to the terms of any preferred stock, any or all of the directors may be removed from office at any time, but only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the voting power of all then outstanding shares of our capital stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class. Any vacancy on our board of directors, including a vacancy resulting from an enlargement of our board of directors, may be filled only by vote of a majority of our directors then in office.
Class B Common Stock Consent Right
For so long as any shares of Class B common stock remain outstanding, we may not, without the prior vote or written consent of the holders of a majority of the shares of Class B common stock then outstanding, voting separately as a single class, amend, alter or repeal any provision our certificate of incorporation, whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise, if such amendment, alteration or repeal would alter or change the powers, preferences or relative, participating, optional or other or special rights of the Class B common stock. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the holders of Class B common stock may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by the holders of the outstanding Class B common stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares of Class B common stock were present and voted.
Securities Eligible for Future Sale
Immediately after the consummation of this offering (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option) we will have 11,659,275 (or 13,384,950 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) shares of common stock outstanding. Of these shares, the 8,700,000 shares (or 10,005,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) sold in this offering 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. Of the remaining shares, 2,175,000 (or 2,501,250 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) shares of Class B common stock, 459,275 (or 504,950 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) private placement shares are restricted securities under Rule 144, in that they were issued in private transactions not involving a public offering. In addition, the shares of Class B common stock, and the securities underlying the foregoing and 325,000 (or 373,750 if the underwriters’ over-allotment opinion is exercised in full) shares of Class A common stock issuable to I-Bankers and/or its designees, are subject to transfer restrictions as set forth elsewhere in this prospectus. These restricted securities will be entitled to registration rights as more fully described below under “— Registration Rights.”
Rule 144
Pursuant to Rule 144, a person who has beneficially owned restricted shares of our common stock, warrants or rights for at least six months would be entitled to sell their securities provided that (i) 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 (ii) we are subject to the Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements for at least three months before the sale and have filed all required reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the 12 months (or such shorter period as we were required to file reports) preceding the sale.
Persons who have beneficially owned restricted shares of our common stock, warrants or rights for at least six months but who are our affiliates at the time of, or at 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 only a number of securities that does not exceed the greater of:
| • | 1% of the total number of shares of Class A common stock then outstanding, which will equal 94,842 shares immediately after this offering (or 108,837 if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full); or |
| • | the average weekly reported trading volume of the common stock during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale. |
Sales by our affiliates 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 materials 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 Current Reports on Form 8-K; 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, our initial stockholders will be able to sell their founder shares and private placement units (including component securities contained therein), and the securities underlying the foregoing, as applicable, pursuant to Rule 144 without registration one year after we have completed our initial business combination.
Registration Rights
The holders of the founder shares (and any shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of the founder shares), private placement units (including securities contained therein), representative’s warrants (and any shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of the representative’s warrants) and units that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loan (including securities contained therein) will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering, requiring us to register such securities for resale (in the case of the founder shares, only after conversion to our Class A common stock). The holders of the majority of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that we register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination and rights to require us to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. However, the registration rights agreement provides that we will not permit any registration statement filed under the Securities Act to become effective until termination of the applicable lock-up period as described here. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the underwriters may not exercise their demand and “piggyback” registration rights after five (5) and seven (7) years after the commencement date of sales in this offering and may not exercise their demand rights on more than one occasion. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Listing of Securities
We have applied to list our units, Class A common stock, warrants, and rights on Nasdaq under the symbols “FXCOU,” “FXCO,” “FXCOW,” and “FXCOR,” respectively. We expect that our units and rights will be listed on Nasdaq on or promptly after the effective date of the registration statement. Following the date that the shares of our Class A common stock, warrants and rights are eligible to trade separately, we anticipate that the shares of our Class A common stock, warrants and rights will be listed separately. At the time that the common stock, warrants and rights comprising the units begin separate trading, holders will hold the separate securities and no longer hold units (without any action needing to be taken by the holders), and the units will no longer trade. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq.
MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
The following discussion summarizes certain U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our units (each consisting of one share of our Class A common stock, one redeemable warrant to acquire one share of our Class A common stock and one right to receive one-tenth of one share of our Class A common stock) that are purchased in this offering by U.S. Holders (as defined below) and Non-U.S. Holders (as defined below). Because the components of a unit are generally separable at the option of the holder, the holder of a unit generally should be treated, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as the owner of the underlying share of our Class A common stock, the one warrant and one right components of the unit. As a result, the discussion below with respect to holders of shares of our Class A common stock, warrants and rights should also apply to holders of units (as the deemed owners of the underlying common stock, warrants and rights that constitute the units).
This discussion is limited to certain U.S. federal income tax considerations to beneficial owners of our securities who are initial purchasers of a unit pursuant to this offering and hold the unit and each component of the unit as capital assets within the meaning of Section 1221(a) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) (generally, property held for investment). This discussion assumes that the shares of our Class A common stock, warrants and rights will trade separately and that any distributions made (or deemed made) by us on the shares of our Class A common stock and any consideration received (or deemed received) by a holder in consideration for the sale or other disposition of our securities will be in U.S. dollars. This discussion is a summary only and does not consider all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to the acquisition, ownership and disposition of a unit by a prospective investor in light of its particular circumstances or that is subject to special rules under the U.S. federal income tax laws, including, but not limited to:
| • | our co-sponsors, officers, directors or other holders of our Class B common stock or private placement warrants; |
| • | banks and other financial institutions or financial services entities; |
| • | retirement plans, individual retirement accounts or other tax-deferred accounts; |
| • | taxpayers that are subject to the mark-to-market tax accounting rules; |
| • | S-corporations, partnerships or other flow-through entities and investors therein; |
| • | governments or agencies or instrumentalities thereof; |
| • | regulated investment companies; |
| • | real estate investment trusts; |
| • | passive foreign investment companies; |
| • | controlled foreign corporations; |
| • | qualified foreign pension funds; |
| • | expatriates or former long-term residents of the United States; |
| • | persons that actually or constructively own five percent or more of our voting shares; |
| • | persons that acquired our securities pursuant to an exercise of employee share options, in connection with employee share incentive plans or otherwise as compensation or in connection with services; |
| • | persons required for U.S. federal income tax purposes to conform the timing of income accruals to their financial statements under Section 451 of the Code; |
| • | persons subject to the alternative minimum tax; |
| • | persons that hold our securities as part of a straddle, constructive sale, hedging, conversion or other integrated or similar transaction; or |
| • | U.S. Holders (as defined below) whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar. |
The discussion below is based upon current provisions of the Code, applicable U.S. Treasury regulations promulgated under the Code (“Treasury Regulations”), judicial decisions and administrative rulings of the IRS, all as in effect on the date hereof, and all of which are subject to differing interpretations or change, possibly on a retroactive basis. Any such differing interpretations or change could alter the U.S. federal income tax consequences discussed below. Furthermore, this discussion does not address any aspect of U.S. federal non-income tax laws, such as gift, estate or Medicare contribution tax laws, or state, local or non-U.S. tax laws.
We have not sought, and will not seek, a ruling from the IRS as to any U.S. federal income tax consequence described herein. The IRS may disagree with the discussion herein, and its determination may be upheld by a court. Moreover, there can be no assurance that future legislation, regulations, administrative rulings or court decisions will not adversely affect the accuracy of the statements in this discussion.
As used herein, the term “U.S. Holder” means a beneficial owner of units, shares of our Class A common stock, warrants or rights that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes: (i) an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States, (ii) a corporation (or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) that is created or organized (or treated as created or organized) in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia, (iii) an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source or (iv) a trust if (A) a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of the trust and one or more United States persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust, or (B) it has in effect a valid election under Treasury Regulations to be treated as a United States person.
This discussion does not consider the tax treatment of partnerships or other pass-through entities (including branches) or persons who hold our securities through such entities. If a partnership (or other entity or arrangement classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) is the beneficial owner of our securities, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner in the partnership generally will depend on the status of the partner and the activities of the partner and the partnership. If you are a partner or a partnership holding our securities, we urge you to consult your own tax advisor.
THIS DISCUSSION IS ONLY A SUMMARY OF CERTAIN U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACQUISITION, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR UNITS. EACH PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR IN OUR UNITS IS URGED TO CONSULT ITS OWN TAX ADVISOR WITH RESPECT TO THE PARTICULAR TAX CONSEQUENCES TO SUCH INVESTOR OF THE ACQUISITION, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR UNITS, INCLUDING THE APPLICABILITY AND EFFECT OF ANY STATE, LOCAL, AND NON-UNITED STATES TAX LAWS
Personal Holding Company Status
We could be subject to a second level of U.S. federal income tax on a portion of our income if we are determined to be a personal holding company (a “PHC”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A U.S. corporation generally will be classified as a PHC for U.S. federal income tax purposes in a given taxable year if (i) at any time during the last half of such taxable year, five or fewer individuals (without regard to their citizenship or residency and including as individuals for this purpose certain entities such as certain tax-exempt organizations, pension funds and charitable trusts) own or are deemed to own (pursuant to certain constructive ownership rules) more than 50% of the stock of the corporation by value and (ii) at least 60% of the corporation’s adjusted ordinary gross income, as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes, for such taxable year consists of PHC income (which includes, among other things, dividends, interest, certain royalties, annuities and, under certain circumstances, rents).
Depending on the date and size of our initial business combination, it is possible that at least 60% of our adjusted ordinary gross income may consist of PHC income as discussed above. In addition, depending on the concentration of our stock in the hands of individuals, including the members of our co-sponsors and certain tax-exempt organizations, pension funds and charitable trusts, it is possible that more than 50% of our stock may be owned or deemed owned (pursuant to the constructive ownership rules) by such persons during the last half of a taxable year. Thus, no assurance can be given that we will not be a PHC following this offering or in the future. If we are or were to become a PHC in a given taxable year, we would be subject to an additional PHC tax, currently 20%, on our undistributed PHC income, which generally includes our taxable income, subject to certain adjustments.
Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit
No statutory, administrative or judicial authority directly addresses the treatment of a unit or instruments similar to a unit for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and therefore, that treatment is not entirely clear. The acquisition of a unit should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as the acquisition of one share of our Class A common stock, one right to receive one-tenth of one share of our Class A common stock and one warrant, with each warrant exercisable to acquire one share of our Class A common stock, and we intend to treat the acquisition of a unit in this manner. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, each holder of a unit must allocate the purchase price paid by such holder for such unit among the one share of our Class A common stock, the one right and the one warrant based on the relative fair market value of each at the time of issuance. Under U.S. federal income tax law, each investor must make its own determination of such value based on all the relevant facts and circumstances. Therefore, we strongly urge each investor to consult its tax advisor regarding the determination of value for these purposes. The price allocated to each share of our Class A common stock, one right and one warrant should constitute the holder’s initial tax basis in such share and warrant, respectively. Any disposition of a unit should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a disposition of the share of our Class A common stock, right and warrant comprising the unit, and the amount realized on the disposition should be allocated among the share of our Class A common stock, the right and the warrant based on their respective relative fair market values at the time of disposition. The separation of the share of our Class A common stock, the right and the warrant should not be a taxable event for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
The foregoing treatment of the shares of our Class A common stock, warrants and rights and a holder’s purchase price allocation are not binding on the IRS or the courts. Because there are no authorities that directly address instruments that are similar to the units, no assurance can be given that the IRS or the courts will agree with the characterization described above or the discussion below. Accordingly, each prospective investor is urged to consult its tax advisor regarding the tax consequences of an investment in a unit (including alternative characterizations of a unit). The balance of this discussion assumes that the characterization of the units described above is respected for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
U.S. Holders
Taxation of Distributions
If we pay distributions in cash or other property (other than certain distributions of our stock or rights to acquire our stock) to U.S. Holders of our Class A common stock, such distributions will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. Distributions in excess of current and accumulated earnings and profits will constitute a return of capital that will be applied against and reduce (but not below zero) the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in our shares of our Class A common stock. Any remaining excess will be treated as gain realized on the sale or other disposition of the shares of our Class A common stock and will be treated as described under “U.S. Holders — Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Our Class A Common Stock and Warrants” below.
Dividends we pay to a corporate U.S. Holder generally will qualify for the dividends received deduction if certain holding period requirements are met. With certain exceptions (including, but not limited to, dividends treated as investment income for purposes of investment interest deduction limitations), and provided certain holding period requirements are met, dividends we pay to a non-corporate U.S. Holder will generally be taxed as qualified dividend income at the preferential tax rate for long-term capital gains. It is unclear whether the redemption rights with respect to the shares of our Class A common stock described in this prospectus may prevent a U.S. Holder from satisfying the applicable holding period requirements with respect to the dividends received deduction or the preferential tax rate on qualified dividend income, as the case may be. If the holding period requirements are not met, then a corporation may not be able to qualify for the dividends received deduction and would have taxable income equal to the entire dividend amount, and non-corporate holders may be subject to tax on such dividend at regular ordinary income tax rates instead of the preferential rate that applies to qualified dividend income.
Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Our Securities
A U.S. Holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss on a sale or other taxable disposition of our shares of Class A common stock, warrants or rights (including on our dissolution and liquidation if we do not complete an initial business combination within the required time period). Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder’s holding period for such shares of our Class A common stock, warrants or rights exceeds one year. Long-term capital gains recognized by a non-corporate U.S. Holder are currently eligible to be taxed preferential rates. It is unclear, however, whether certain redemption rights described in this prospectus may suspend the running of the applicable holding period for this purpose. If the running of the holding period for the Class A common stock is suspended, then non-corporate U.S. Holders may not be able to satisfy the one-year holding period requirement for long-term capital gain treatment, in which case any gain on a sale or taxable disposition of the shares would be subject to short-term capital gain treatment and would be taxed at regular ordinary income tax rates. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.
The amount of gain or loss recognized on a sale or other taxable disposition generally will be equal to the difference between (i) the sum of the amount of cash and the fair market value of any property received in such disposition (or, if the shares of our Class A common stock, warrants or rights are held as part of units at the time of the disposition, the portion of the amount realized on such disposition that is allocated to the shares of our Class A common stock, warrants or rights based upon the then relative fair market values of the shares of our Class A common stock, warrants and rights included in the units) and (ii) the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its shares of our Class A common stock, warrants or rights so disposed of. A U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its shares of our Class A common stock, warrants and rights generally will equal the U.S. Holder’s acquisition cost (that is, the portion of the purchase price of a unit allocated to a share of our Class A common stock, warrant, or right as described above under “— Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit”) reduced, in the case of a share of our Class A common stock, by any prior distributions treated as a return of capital. See “U.S. Holders — Exercise, Lapse or Redemption of a Warrant” below for a discussion regarding a U.S. Holder’s tax basis in a share of our Class A common stock acquired pursuant to the exercise of a warrant. See “U.S. Holders — Acquisition of Common Stock Pursuant to the Rights” below for a discussion regarding a U.S. Holder’s tax basis in a share of our Class A common stock acquired pursuant to the rights.
Redemption of Our Class A Common Stock
In the event that a U.S. Holder’s shares of our Class A common stock are redeemed pursuant to the redemption provisions described in this prospectus under “Description of Securities — Common Stock” or if we purchase a U.S. Holder’s shares of our Class A common stock in an open market transaction (each referred to herein as a “redemption”), the treatment of the redemption for U.S. federal income tax purposes will depend on whether it qualifies as a sale or exchange of the shares of our Class A common stock under Section 302 of the Code. If the redemption qualifies as a sale or exchange of the shares of our Class A common stock under the tests described below, the U.S. Holder will be treated as described under “U.S. Holders — Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Our Class A Common Stock and Warrants” above. If the redemption does not qualify as a sale or exchange of the shares of our Class A common stock, the U.S. Holder will be treated as receiving a corporate distribution with the tax consequences described above under “U.S. Holders — Taxation of Distributions.” Whether a redemption qualifies for sale or exchange treatment will depend largely on the total number of our shares treated as held by the U.S. Holder (including any shares constructively owned by the U.S. Holder as described in the following paragraph) relative to all of our shares outstanding both before and after such redemption. The redemption of our Class A common stock generally will be treated as a sale or exchange of the shares of our Class A common stock (rather than as a corporate distribution) if, within the meaning of Section 302 of the Code, such redemption (i) is “substantially disproportionate” with respect to the U.S. Holder, (ii) results in a “complete termination” of the U.S. Holder’s interest in us or (iii) is “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” with respect to the U.S. Holder.
In determining whether any of the foregoing tests are satisfied, a U.S. Holder must take into account not only shares of our stock actually owned by the U.S. Holder, but also shares of our stock that are constructively owned by it. A U.S. Holder may constructively own, in addition to stock owned directly, stock owned by certain related individuals and entities in which the U.S. Holder has an interest or that have an interest in such U.S. Holder, as well as any stock the U.S. Holder has a right to acquire by exercise of an option, which would generally include shares of our Class A common stock which could be acquired pursuant to the exercise of the warrants and possibly the rights. In order to meet the “substantially disproportionate” test, the percentage of our outstanding voting shares actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder immediately following the redemption of shares of our Class A common stock must, among other requirements, be less than 80% of the percentage of our outstanding voting stock actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder immediately before the redemption. Prior to our initial business combination, the shares of our Class A common stock may not be treated as voting shares for this purpose and, consequently, this substantially disproportionate test may not be applicable. There will be a complete termination of a U.S. Holder’s interest if either (i) all of our shares actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder are redeemed or (ii) all of our shares actually owned by the U.S. Holder are redeemed and the U.S. Holder is eligible to waive, and effectively waives in accordance with specific rules, the attribution of shares owned by certain family members and the U.S. Holder does not constructively own any other shares of our stock. The redemption of the shares of our Class A common stock will not be essentially equivalent to a dividend with respect to a U.S. Holder if it results in a “meaningful reduction” of the U.S. Holder’s proportionate interest in us. Whether the redemption will result in a meaningful reduction in a U.S. Holder’s proportionate interest in us will depend on the particular facts and circumstances. However, the IRS has indicated in a published ruling that even a small reduction in the proportionate interest of a small minority stockholder in a publicly-held corporation who exercises no control over corporate affairs may constitute such a “meaningful reduction.” A U.S. Holder should consult with its own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of a redemption.
If none of the foregoing tests are satisfied, then the redemption will be treated as a corporate distribution and the tax effects will be as described under “U.S. Holders — Taxation of Distributions” above. After the application of those rules, any remaining tax basis of the U.S. Holder in the redeemed shares of our Class A common stock will be added to the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its remaining shares, or, if it has none, to the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its warrants or possibly in other stock constructively owned by it.
Exercise, Lapse or Redemption of a Warrant
Except as discussed below with respect to the cashless exercise of a warrant, a U.S. Holder generally will not recognize gain or loss upon the acquisition of a share of our Class A common stock on the exercise of a warrant for cash. A U.S. Holder’s initial tax basis in a share of our Class A common stock received upon exercise of the warrant generally will equal the sum of the U.S. Holder’s initial investment in the warrant (that is, the portion of the U.S. Holder’s purchase price for the units that is allocated to the warrant, as described above under “— Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit”) and the exercise price of such warrant. It is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period for the share of our Class A common stock received upon exercise of the warrants will commence on the date of exercise of the warrant or the day following the date of exercise of the warrant; in either case, the holding period will not include the period during which the U.S. Holder held the warrant. If a warrant is allowed to lapse unexercised, a U.S. Holder generally will recognize a capital loss equal to such holder’s tax basis in the warrant.
The tax consequences of a cashless exercise of a warrant are not clear under current law. A cashless exercise may not be taxable, either because the exercise is not a realization event or because the exercise is treated as a “recapitalization” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In either situation, a U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the shares of our Class A common stock received generally would equal the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the warrants exercised therefor. If the cashless exercise were not a realization event, it is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period for the shares of our Class A common stock will commence on the date of exercise of the warrant or the day following the date of exercise of the warrant. If the cashless exercise were treated as a recapitalization, the holding period of the shares of our Class A common stock would include the holding period of the warrants exercised therefor.
It is also possible that a cashless exercise could be treated in whole or in part as a taxable exchange in which gain or loss would be recognized. In such event, a U.S. Holder could be deemed to have surrendered a number of warrants having an aggregate value (as measured by the excess of the fair market value of our Class A common stock over the exercise price of the warrants) equal to the exercise price for the total number of warrants to be exercised (i.e., the warrants underlying the number of shares of our Class A common stock actually received by the U.S. Holder pursuant to the cashless exercise). The U.S. Holder would recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the value of the warrants deemed surrendered and the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in such warrants. Such gain or loss would be long-term or short-term, depending on the U.S. Holder’s holding period in the warrants deemed surrendered. In this case, a U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the Class A common stock received would equal the sum of the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the warrants exercised and the exercise price of such warrants. It is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A common stock would commence on the date following the date of exercise or on the date of exercise of the warrant; in either case, the holding period would not include the period during which the U.S. Holder held the warrant.
Alternative characterizations are also possible (including as a taxable exchange of all of the warrants surrendered by the U.S. Holder for shares of our Class A common stock received upon exercise). Due to the absence of authority on the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a cashless exercise, including when a U.S. Holder’s holding period would commence with respect to the Class A common stock received, there can be no assurance which, if any, of the alternative tax consequences and holding periods described above would be adopted by the IRS or a court of law. Accordingly, U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of a cashless exercise.
If we redeem warrants for cash pursuant to the redemption provisions described in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Stockholders’ Warrants” or if we purchase warrants in an open market transaction, such redemption or purchase generally will be treated as a taxable disposition to the U.S. Holder, taxed as described above under “U.S. Holders — Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Our Class A Common Stock and Warrants.”
Acquisition of Common Stock Pursuant to the Rights
In general, a U.S. Holder should not recognize gain or loss upon the acquisition of common stock pursuant to the rights. The tax basis of the common stock acquired pursuant to the rights should be equal to such U.S. Holder’s tax basis in such rights. The holding period of such common stock should begin on the day after the receipt of such common stock pursuant to such rights. The tax treatment of a right that expires worthless is unclear. U.S. Holders of rights should consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax treatment of any losses that result if the rights expire worthless.
Possible Constructive Distributions
The terms of each warrant provide for an adjustment to the number of shares of our Class A common stock for which the warrant may be exercised or to the exercise price of the warrant in certain events, as discussed in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Stockholders’ Warrants.” Depending on the circumstances, such adjustments may be treated as constructive distributions. An adjustment which has the effect of preventing dilution pursuant to a bona fide reasonable adjustment formula generally is not taxable. The U.S. Holders of the warrants would, however, be treated as receiving a constructive distribution from us if, for example, the adjustment increases the warrant holders’ proportionate interest in our assets or earnings and profits (e.g., through an increase in the number of shares of our Class A common stock that would be obtained upon exercise or through a decrease to the exercise price) as a result of a taxable distribution of cash or other property to the holders of shares of our Class A common stock. Any such constructive distribution would generally be subject to tax as described under “U.S. Holders — Taxation of Distributions” above in the same manner as if the U.S. Holders of the warrants received a cash distribution from us equal to the fair market value of such increased interest resulting from the adjustment.
Non-U.S. Holders
This section applies to “Non-U.S. Holders.” As used herein, the term “Non-U.S. Holder” means a beneficial owner of our units, Class A common stock, warrants or rights that is not a U.S. Holder and is not a partnership or other entity classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, but such term generally does not include an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of disposition. If you are such an individual, you should consult your tax advisor regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership or sale or other disposition of our securities.
Taxation of Distributions
In general, any distributions (including constructive distributions) we make to a Non-U.S. Holder of shares of our Class A common stock, to the extent paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles), will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Provided such dividends are not effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (or, if required pursuant to an applicable income tax treaty, are not attributable to a permanent establishment of fixed base maintained by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States), we will be required to withhold tax from the gross amount of the dividend at a rate of 30%, unless such Non-U.S. Holder is eligible for a reduced rate of withholding tax under an applicable income tax treaty and provides proper certification of its eligibility for such reduced rate (usually on an IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, as applicable). In the case of any constructive dividend, it is possible that this tax would be withheld from any amount owed to a Non-U.S. Holder by the applicable withholding agent, including cash distributions on other property or sale proceeds from warrants or other property subsequently paid or credited to such holder. Any distribution not constituting a dividend will be treated first as reducing (but not below zero) the Non-U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its shares of our Class A common stock and, to the extent such distribution exceeds the Non-U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis, as gain realized from the sale or other disposition of the shares of our Class A common stock, which will be treated as described under “Non-U.S. Holders — Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Our Securities” below. In addition, if we determine that we are or are likely to be classified as a “United States real property holding corporation” (see “Non-U.S. Holders — Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Our Securities” below), we will withhold 15% of any distribution that exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits, including a distribution in redemption of shares of our Class A common stock. See also “Non-U.S. Holders — Possible Constructive Distributions” for potential U.S. federal tax consequences with respect to constructive distributions.
Dividends that we pay to a Non-U.S. Holder that are effectively connected with such Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if a tax treaty applies, are attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States) will not be subject to U.S. withholding tax, provided such Non-U.S. Holder complies with certain certification and disclosure requirements (usually by providing an IRS Form W-8ECI). Instead, the effectively connected dividends will be subject to regular U.S. federal income tax as if the Non-U.S. Holder were a U.S. resident, unless an applicable income tax treaty provides otherwise. A Non-U.S. Holder that is a foreign corporation receiving effectively connected dividends may also be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” imposed at a rate of 30% (or a lower treaty rate).
Exercise, Lapse or Redemption of a Warrant; Acquisition of Common Stock Pursuant to the Rights.
The U.S. federal income tax treatment of a Non-U.S. Holder’s exercise of a warrant, the lapse of a warrant held by a Non-U.S. Holder, or the acquisition of common stock pursuant to the rights generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a U.S. Holder, as described under “U.S. Holders — Exercise, Lapse or Redemption of a Warrant; Acquisition of Common Stock Pursuant to the Rights” above, although to the extent a cashless exercise results in a taxable exchange, the consequences would be similar to those described below under “Non-U.S. Holders — Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Our Securities.” The U.S. federal income tax treatment for a Non-U.S. Holder of a redemption of warrants for cash (or if we purchase warrants in an open market transaction) would be similar to that described below in “Non-U.S. Holders — Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Our Securities.”
Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Our Securities
Subject to the discussion of FATCA and backup withholding below, a Non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax in respect of gain recognized on a sale, taxable exchange or other taxable disposition of shares of our Class A common stock (including upon a dissolution and liquidation if we do not complete an initial business combination within the required time period), warrants (including an expiration or redemption of our warrants) or rights, in each case without regard to whether such securities were held as part of a unit, unless:
| • | the gain is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business by the Non-U.S. Holder within the United States (and, under certain income tax treaties, is attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States); or |
| • | we are or have been a “United States real property holding corporation” for U.S. federal income tax purposes at any time during the shorter of the five-year period ending on the date of disposition or the period that the Non-U.S. Holder held our Class A common stock, and, in the case where shares of our Class A common stock are regularly traded on an established securities market, the Non-U.S. Holder has owned, directly or constructively, more than 5% of our Class A common stock at any time within the shorter of the five-year period preceding the disposition or such Non-U.S. Holder’s holding period for the shares of our Class A common stock. There can be no assurance that our Class A common stock will be treated as regularly traded on an established securities market for this purpose. These rules may be modified for Non-U.S. Holders of warrants or rights. If we are or have been a “United States real property holding corporation” and you own warrants or rights, you are urged to consult your own tax advisor regarding the application of these rules. |
Unless an applicable treaty provides otherwise, gain described in the first bullet point above will generally be subject to tax at the applicable U.S. federal income tax rates as if the Non-U.S. Holder were a U.S. resident. Any gains described in the first bullet point above of a Non-U.S. Holder that is a foreign corporation may also be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” at a 30% rate (or lower treaty rate).
If the second bullet point above applies to a Non-U.S. Holder, gain recognized by such holder on the sale, exchange or other disposition of our Class A common stock, warrants or rights will generally be subject to tax at applicable U.S. federal income tax rates as if the Non-U.S. Holder were a U.S. resident. In addition, a buyer of our Class A common stock, warrants or rights from such holder may be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 15% of the amount realized upon such disposition. We cannot determine whether we will be a United States real property holding corporation in the future until we complete an initial business combination. In general, we would be classified as a United States real property holding corporation if the fair market value of our “United States real property interests” equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market value of our worldwide real property interests plus our other assets used or held for use in a trade or business, as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Redemption of Our Class A Common Stock
The characterization for U.S. federal income tax purposes of the redemption of a Non-U.S. Holder’s shares of our Class A common stock pursuant to the redemption provisions described in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Common Stock” will generally correspond to the U.S. federal income tax characterization of such a redemption of a U.S. Holder’s shares of our Class A common stock, as described under “U.S. Holders — Redemption of Our Class A Common Stock” above, and the consequences of the redemption to the Non-U.S. Holder will be as described above under “Non-U.S. Holders — Taxation of Distributions” and “Non-U.S. Holders — Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Our Securities,” as applicable.
Possible Constructive Distributions
The terms of each warrant provide for an adjustment to the number of shares of our Class A common stock for which the warrant may be exercised or to the exercise price of the warrant in certain events, as discussed in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Stockholders’ Warrants.” Depending on the circumstances, such adjustments may be treated as constructive distributions. An adjustment which has the effect of preventing dilution pursuant to a bona fide reasonable adjustment formula generally is not taxable. The Non-U.S. Holders of the warrants would, however, be treated as receiving a constructive distribution from us if, for example, the adjustment increases the warrant holders’ proportionate interest in our assets or earnings and profits (e.g., through an increase in the number of shares of our Class A common stock that would be obtained upon exercise or through a decrease to the exercise price) as a result of a taxable distribution of cash or other property to the holders of shares of our Class A common stock. Any such constructive distribution would generally be taxed as described under “Non-U.S. Holders — Taxation of Distributions” above, in the same manner as if the Non-U.S. Holders of the warrants received a cash distribution from us equal to the fair market value of such increased interest resulting from the adjustment.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
Dividend payments (including constructive dividends) with respect to our Class A common stock and proceeds from the sale, exchange or redemption of shares of our Class A common stock or warrants may be subject to information reporting to the IRS and possible United States backup withholding. Backup withholding will not apply, however, to payments made to a U.S. Holder who furnishes a correct taxpayer identification number and makes other required certifications, or who is otherwise exempt from backup withholding and establishes such exempt status. Payments made to a Non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to backup withholding if the Non-U.S. Holder provides certification of its foreign status, under penalties of perjury, on a duly executed applicable IRS Form W-8 or by otherwise establishing an exemption.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules may be credited against a holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, and a holder generally may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing the appropriate claim for refund with the IRS and furnishing any required information. All holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the application of information reporting and backup withholding to them.
FATCA Withholding Taxes
Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations and administrative guidance promulgated thereunder (commonly referred to as the “Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act” or “FATCA”) generally impose withholding of 30% in certain circumstances on payments of dividends (including constructive dividends) and, subject to the proposed Treasury Regulations discussed below, on proceeds from sales or other disposition of our securities paid to “foreign financial institutions” (which is broadly defined for this purpose and includes investment vehicles) and certain other non-U.S. entities unless various U.S. information reporting and due diligence requirements (relating to ownership by U.S. persons of interests in or accounts with those entities) have been satisfied or an exemption applies (typically certified as to by the delivery of a properly completed IRS Form W-8BEN-E). If FATCA withholding is imposed, a beneficial owner that is not a foreign financial institution will be entitled to a refund of any amounts withheld by filing a U.S. federal income tax return (which may entail significant administrative burden). Foreign financial institutions located in jurisdictions that have an intergovernmental agreement with the United States governing FATCA may be subject to different rules. Similarly, dividends and, subject to the proposed Treasury Regulations discussed below, proceeds from sales or other disposition in respect of our units held by an investor that is a non-financial non-U.S. entity that does not qualify under certain exceptions generally will be subject to withholding at a rate of 30%, unless such entity either (i) certifies to us or the applicable withholding agent that such entity does not have any “substantial United States owners” or (ii) provides certain information regarding the entity’s “substantial United States owners,” which will in turn be provided to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The U.S. Department of the Treasury has proposed regulations which eliminate the federal withholding tax of 30% applicable to the gross proceeds of a sale or other disposition of our securities. Withholding agents may rely on the proposed Treasury Regulations until final regulations are issued. Prospective investors should consult their tax advisors regarding the possible effects of FATCA on their investment in our securities.
THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX DISCUSSION SET FORTH ABOVE IS INCLUDED FOR GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY AND MAY NOT BE APPLICABLE DEPENDING UPON A HOLDER’S PARTICULAR SITUATION. HOLDERS ARE URGED TO CONSULT THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS WITH RESPECT TO THE TAX CONSEQUENCES TO THEM OF THE ACQUISITION, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR CLASS A COMMON STOCK, RIGHTS AND WARRANTS, INCLUDING THE TAX CONSEQUENCES UNDER STATE, LOCAL, ESTATE, NON-U.S. AND OTHER TAX LAWS AND TAX TREATIES AND THE POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF CHANGES IN U.S. OR OTHER TAX LAWS.
UNDERWRITING
We are offering our securities described in this prospectus through the underwriters named below. I-Bankers Securities, Inc. (“I-Bankers” or the “Representative”) is acting as the sole book-running manager of the offering and as the representative of the underwriters named below. We have entered into an underwriting agreement with the Representative. Subject to the terms and conditions of the underwriting agreement, the underwriters, through the Representative, have each severally agreed to purchase from us, on a firm commitment basis, the number of units listed next to its name in the following table at the public offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions set forth on the cover page of this prospectus:
Underwriter | | Number of Units | |
I-Bankers Securities, Inc. | | | | |
| | | | |
Total | | | 8,700,000 | |
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
Our units will be listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “FXCOU”. Following the date that the Class A common stock, warrants and rights are eligible to trade separately, we anticipate that the Class A common stock, warrants and rights will be listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “FXCO,” “FXCOW,” and “FXCOR” respectively. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing or 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. They may allow some dealers concessions not in excess of $ per unit and the dealers may also allow a concession not in excess of $ per unit to other dealers.
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; |
| • | securities exchange listing requirements; |
| • | 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 1,080,000 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 30 days from the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. If the underwriters exercise this option, they will each purchase additional units approximately in proportion to the amounts specified in the table above.
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 Over- allotment | | | With Over- allotment | |
Public offering price | | $ | 10.00 | | | $ | 87,000,000 | | | $ | 100,050,000 | |
Discount(1) | | $ | 0.25 | | | $ | 2,175,000 | | | $ | 2,501,250 | |
Proceeds before expenses(2) | | $ | 9.75 | | | $ | 84,825,000 | | | $ | 97,548,750 | |
(1) | Such proceeds exclude $0.35 per unit, or $3,045,000 in the aggregate (or $3,501,750 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (subject to adjustment as described in more detail in this prospectus), payable to I-Bankers for marketing services relating to our initial business combination, to be placed in a trust account located in the United States and released to I-Bankers only on the completion of an initial business combination. For more information, see “Business Combination Marketing Agreement” below. |
(2) | The offering expenses are estimated at approximately $1,297,750. |
In addition to the underwriting discount, we have agreed to pay to the underwriters for travel, lodging and other “road show” expenses, expenses of the underwriters’ legal counsel and certain diligence and other fees, which such fees and expenses are capped at an aggregate of $150,000, including an advance of $45,000. Any unused portion of the advance will be returned to us.
No discounts or commissions will be paid on the sale of the private placement securities.
Business Combination Marketing Agreement
We have engaged I-Bankers in connection with our business combination to assist us in holding meetings with our stockholders to discuss the potential business combination and the target business’ attributes, introduce us to potential investors that are interested in purchasing our securities in connection with our initial business combination, assist us in obtaining stockholder approval for the business combination and assist us with our press releases and public filings in connection with the business combination. The scope of engagement excludes identifying and/or evaluating possible acquisition candidates. Pursuant to our agreement with I-Bankers, the marketing fee payable to I-Bankers will be 3.5% of the gross proceeds of this offering.
Representative’s Shares
We have agreed to issue to I-Bankers (and/or its designees) 325,000 shares (or 373,750 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) of Class A common stock upon the consummation of this offering. I-Bankers (and/or its designees) has agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any such shares without our prior written consent until the completion of our initial business combination. In addition, I-Bankers (and/or its designees) has agreed (i) to vote such shares in favor of any proposed business combination, (ii) to waive its redemption rights with respect to such shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and (iii) to waive its rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, as described in more detail in this prospectus).
The shares have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to a lock-up for a period of 180 days immediately following the commencement date of sales in this offering pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110€(1). Pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1), these securities may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated or the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of the securities by any person for a period of 180 days immediately following the commencement of sales in this offering except to any underwriter and selected dealer participating in the offering and their officers, partners, registered persons or affiliates.
Representative’s Warrants
We have agreed to grant to I-Bankers (and/or its designees) 696,000 warrants (or 800,400 warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) exercisable at $12.00 per share (or an aggregate exercise price of $8,352,000 (or $9,604,800 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full)) upon the closing of this offering. The warrants may be exercised for cash or on a cashless basis, at the holder’s option, at any time during the period commencing on the later of the first anniversary of the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and the closing of our initial business combination and terminating on the fifth anniversary of the commencement date of sales in this offering. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, I-Bankers has agreed that neither it nor its designees will be permitted to exercise the warrants after the five-year anniversary of the commencement date of sales in this offering. The warrants and such shares purchased pursuant to the warrants have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to a lock-up for a period of 180 days immediately following the commencement date of sales in this offering pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1). Pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1), these securities may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated or the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of the securities by any person for a period of 180 days immediately following the commencement of sales in this offering except to any underwriter and selected dealer participating in the offering and their officers, partners, registered persons or affiliates. The warrants grant to holders certain registration rights with respect to the registration under the Securities Act of the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants. The exercise price and number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants may be adjusted in certain circumstances including in the event of a share dividend, or our recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. However, the warrants will not be adjusted for issuances of shares of Class A common stock at a price below its exercise price. We will have no obligation to net cash settle the exercise of the warrants. The holder of the warrants will not be entitled to exercise the warrants for cash unless a registration statement covering the securities underlying the warrants is effective or an exemption from registration is available.
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.
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 90 days after the date of this prospectus, unless FINRA determines that 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.
Selling Restrictions
Canada
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 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.
British Virgin Islands
No offer or invitation to subscribe for units may be made to the public in the British Virgin Islands.
Switzerland
The units may not be publicly offered in Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange, or SIX, or on any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. This prospectus has been prepared without regard to the disclosure standards for issuance prospectuses under art. 652a or art. 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or the disclosure standards for listing prospectuses under art. 27 ff. of the SIX Listing Rules or the listing rules of any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. Neither this prospectus nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the units or the offering may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.
Neither this prospectus nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the offering, the company or the securities have been or will be filed with or approved by any Swiss regulatory authority. In particular, this prospectus will not be filed with, and the offer of securities will not be supervised by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA, or FINMA, and the offer of securities has not been and will not be authorized under the Swiss Federal Act on Collective Investment Schemes, or CISA. The investor protection afforded to acquirers of interests in collective investment schemes under the CISA does not extend to acquirers of units.
Italy
This prospectus has not been submitted to the Commissione Nazionale per le Società e la Borsa, the Italian Securities Exchange Commission (“CONSOB”), for clearance and will not be subject to formal review or clearance by CONSOB.
Accordingly, the units may not be offered, and copies of this prospectus or any other document relating to the units may not be distributed in Italy except:
| (a) | to “qualified investors” (investitori qualificati), as defined pursuant to Article 34-ter, first paragraph, letter b), of CONSOB regulation No. 11971 of May 14, 1999, as amended, concerning issuers (“Regulation No. 11971”), but excluding (i) small and medium enterprises and natural persons indicated in Regulation No. 11971 that have not been included in the register of qualified investors, (ii) management companies and financial intermediaries authorized to manage individual portfolios on behalf of third parties and (iii) fiduciary companies managing portfolio investments regulated by Article 60, paragraph 4 of Legislative Decree No. 415 of July 23, 1996; or |
| (b) | in other circumstances that are exempt from the rules on public offers pursuant to Article 100 of the Legislative Decree No. 58 of February 24, 1998, as amended (the “Italian Financial Act”), and its implementing CONSOB regulations, including Regulation No. 11971. |
Any such offer, sale or delivery of the units offered hereby or distribution of copies of this Prospectus, or any other document relating to the offering in the Republic of Italy must be in compliance with the selling restrictions under
| (i) | made by soggetti abilitati (including investment firms (imprese di investimento), banks or financial intermediaries, as defined by Article 1, first paragraph, letter r), of the Italian Financial Act), to the extent duly authorized to engage in the offering and/or underwriting and/or purchase of financial instruments in the Republic of Italy in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Italian Financial Act, CONSOB Regulation 16190 of October 29, 2007, as amended, Legislative Decree No. 385 of September 1, 1993, as amended (the “Italian Banking Act”) and any other applicable laws and regulations; and |
| (ii) | in compliance with any other applicable requirements or limitations which may be imposed by CONSOB, the Bank of Italy or any other Italian regulatory authority. |
Any investor purchasing the units offered hereby is solely responsible for ensuring that any offer or resale of the units it purchased occurs in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
In accordance with Article 100-bis of the Italian Financial Act, the subsequent resale on the secondary market in the Republic of Italy of the units offered hereby (which were part of an offer made pursuant to an exemption from the obligation to publish a prospectus) constitutes a distinct and autonomous offer that must be made in compliance with the public offer and prospectus requirement rules provided under the Italian Financial Act and the Regulation No. 11971 unless an exemption applies. Failure to comply with such rules may result in the subsequent resale of such units being declared null and void and the intermediary transferring the units may be liable for any damage suffered by the investors.
LEGAL MATTERS
Haynes and Boone, LLP, Dallas, Texas, 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. Schiff Hardin LLP, Washington, D.C. advised the underwriters in connection with the offering of the securities.
EXPERTS
The audited financial statements included in this prospectus and elsewhere in the registration statement have been so included in reliance upon the report of Grant Thornton LLP, independent registered public accountants, upon the authority of said 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 under the Securities Act with respect to the securities we are offering by this prospectus. This prospectus does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement. For further information about us and our securities, you should refer to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed with the registration statement. Whenever we make reference in this prospectus to any of our contracts, agreements or other documents, the references are materially complete but may not include a description of all aspects of such contracts, agreements or other documents, and you should refer to the exhibits attached to the registration statement for copies of the actual contract, agreement or other document.
Upon completion of this offering, we will be subject to the information requirements of the Exchange Act and will file annual, quarterly and current event reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You can read our SEC filings, including the registration statement, over the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
FINANCIAL STRATEGIES ACQUISITION CORP.
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Board of Directors and Stockholders
Financial Strategies Acquisition Corp.
Opinion on the financial statements
We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Financial Strategies Acquisition Corp. (a Delaware corporation) (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2020, the related statements of operations, changes in stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for the period from July 1, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020, 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 December 31, 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the period from July 1, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
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, the Company has no present revenue, its business plan is dependent on the completion of a financing transaction and the Company’s cash and working capital as of December 31, 2020 is not sufficient to complete its planned activities for the upcoming year. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans regarding these matters are also described in Notes 3 and 4. 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 audit. 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 U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB and in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. 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 audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures include examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ GRANT THORNTON LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2020.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
October 21, 2021 (except for the stock split described in Notes 1 and 4 and the effects thereof, as to which the date is November 24, 2021)
FINANCIAL STRATEGIES ACQUISITION CORP.
BALANCE SHEETS
| | September 30, 2021 (Unaudited) | | | December 31, 2020 (Audited) | |
Assets | | | | | | | | |
Cash | | $ | 184,934 | | | $ | 296,500 | |
Deferred offering expenses | | | 290,066 | | | | 173,500 | |
Total Assets | | $ | 475,000 | | | $ | 470,000 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity | | | | | | | | |
Current liabilities | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
Notes payable | | $ | 450,000 | | | $ | 450,000 | |
Unsecured loan from Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd.(1) | | | 5,000 | | | | - | |
Total Current Liabilities | | | 455,000 | | | | 450,000 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Stockholders' Equity | | | | | | | | |
Preferred stock, $.0001 Par value, 1,000,000 shares authorized, none issued and outstanding | | | - | | | | - | |
Common Stock, $.0001 Par value, 110,000,000 shares authorized, 2,501,250 shares issued and outstanding (2) | | | 207 | | | | 207 | |
Additional paid-in capital | | | 24,793 | | | | 24,793 | |
Accumulated deficit | | | (5,000 | ) | | | (5,000 | ) |
Total Stockholders' Equity | | | 20,000 | | | | 20,000 | |
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity | | $ | 475,000 | | | $ | 470,000 | |
| (1) | Financial Strategies Acquisition Corp. has agreed to repay Celtic Asset & Equity Partners Ltd. $5,000 on the closing date of this IPO from an unsecured loan made by Celtic on January 29, 2021. |
| | |
| (2) | Includes up to 326,250 shares subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriters. |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
FINANCIAL STRATEGIES ACQUISITION CORP.
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
| | Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021 (Unaudited) | | | For the period from July 1, 2020 (Inception) through December 31, 2020 (Audited) | |
Operational expenses | | $ | - | | | $ | (5,000 | ) |
Net Loss | | $ | - | | | $ | (5,000 | ) |
Weighted average shares outstanding, basic and diluted(1) | | | 2,501,250 | | | | 2,501,250 | |
Basic and diluted net loss per share | | $ | - | | | $ | (0.002 | ) |
| (1) | This number includes an aggregate of up to 326,250 shares subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment is not exercised in full. |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
FINANCIAL STRATEGIES ACQUISITION CORP.
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
| | Common Stock(1) | | | Par Value of Stock | | | Additional Paid in capital | | | Accumulated Deficit | | | Total Stockholders' Equity | |
Balance as of July 1, 2020 (Inception) | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | |
Issuance of common stock to co-sponsors and Founders(1) | | | 2,070,000 | | | $ | 207 | | | $ | 24,793 | | | | | | | $ | 25,000 | |
Accumulated deficit | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | $ | (5,000 | ) | | $ | (5,000 | ) |
Balance as of December 31, 2020 (Audited) | | | 2,070,000 | | | $ | 207 | | | $ | 24,793 | | | $ | (5,000 | ) | | $ | 20,000 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Balance as of September 30, 2021 (Unaudited) | | | 2,070,000 | | | $ | 207 | | | $ | 24,793 | | | $ | (5,000 | ) | | $ | 20,000 | |
| (1) | This number includes an aggregate of up to 326,250 shares subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters' over-allotment is not exercised in full. |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
FINANCIAL STRATEGIES ACQUISITION CORP.
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
| | Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021 (Unaudited) | | | For the period from July 1, 2020 (Inception) through December 31, 2020 (Audited) | |
Cash Flows from Operating Activities: | | | | | | | | |
Net Loss | | $ | - | | | $ | (5,000 | ) |
Net cash (used in) operating activities | | $ | - | | | $ | (5,000 | ) |
Cash Flows from Financing Activities | | | | | | | | |
Proceeds from issuance of common stock to co-sponsors | | | - | | | | 25,000 | |
Proceeds from promissory notes issued to co-sponsors and from unsecured loans(1) | | | 5,000 | | | | 450,000 | |
Payment of offering costs | | | (116,566 | ) | | | (173,500 | ) |
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities | | $ | (111,566 | ) | | $ | 301,500 | |
Net Change in Cash | | | (111,566 | ) | | | 296,500 | |
Cash – Beginning | | | 296,500 | | | | - | |
Cash – Ending | | $ | 184,934 | | | $ | 296,500 | |
| (1) | Financial Strategies Acquisition Corp. has agreed to repay Celtic Asset & Equity Partners Ltd. $5,000 on the closing date of this IPO from an unsecured loan made by Celtic on January 29, 2021. |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
FINANCIAL STRATEGIES ACQUISITION CORP.
Notes to Condensed Financial Statements
Note 1 — Organization and Business Operations
Financial Strategies Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) is a newly incorporated blank check company incorporated on July 1, 2020, under the laws of Delaware 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 (a “Business Combination”). The Company has not selected any potential business combination target, and the Company has not, nor has anyone on its behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any potential business combination target with respect to an initial business combination with the Company. While we may pursue an initial business combination target in any stage of its corporate evolution or in any industry, sector or geographic region, we currently intend to concentrate our efforts in identifying a business the financial technology services sector.
On September 21, 2021, the Company effected a 7-for-10 reverse stock split of all issued and outstanding shares of our Class B common stock, which reduced the number of issued and outstanding shares of Class B common stock from 2,875,000 shares to 2,012,500 shares. On October 13, 2021 the Company effected a 7.2-for-7 stock split of all issued and outstanding shares of our Class B common stock, which increased the number of issued and outstanding shares of Class B common stock from 2,012,500 shares to 2,070,000 shares. On November 23, 2021, the Company effected a 87-for-72 forward stock split of all issued and outstanding shares of our Class B common stock, which increased the number of issued and outstanding shares of Class B common stock from 2,070,000 shares to 2,501,250. Unless otherwise indicated, all share and per share information contained herein has been adjusted to give effect to such stock splits.
As of September 30, 2021, the Company had not yet commenced any operations. All activity through September 30, 2021 relates to the Company’s formation and the Proposed Public Offering (as defined below). The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year end.
Going Concern Consideration
As of September 30, 2021, the Company had $184,934 in cash, with deferred offering costs of $116,566 for the first nine months ended September 30, 2021. In comparison, the Company had $296,500 in cash at the year ended December 31, 2020 with deferred offering costs of $173,500. Since inception on July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020, the Company experienced an accumulated deficit of ($5,000), with net cash provided by financing activities of $301,500.
The Company has incurred and expects to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of its financing and acquisition plans. In connection with the Company’s assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-15, “Disclosures of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern”, as of September 30, 2021, the Company does not have sufficient liquidity to meet its current obligations. Management plans to address this uncertainty through a Proposed Offering and Private Placement of Units as discussed in Note 4. 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. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Note 2 — 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.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires the Company’s management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents.
Net Loss per Common Share
The Company complies with accounting and disclosure requirements Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 260, “Earnings per Share.” Net loss per common share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of common shares issued and outstanding for the period, excluding common shares subject to forfeiture. Weighted average shares were reduced for the effect of an aggregate of 326,250 common shares that are subject to forfeiture by the co-sponsors if the over-allotment option is not exercised by the underwriters. As of September 30, 2021, the Company did not have any dilutive securities and other contracts that could, potentially, be exercised or converted into common shares and then share in the earnings (loss) of the Company. As a result, diluted loss per common share is the same as basic loss per common share for the periods.
Deferred offering costs
Deferred offering costs consist of underwriting, legal, accounting and other expenses incurred through the balance sheet date that are directly related to the Proposed Offering and that will be charged to stockholders’ equity upon the completion of the Proposed Offering. Should the Proposed Offering prove to be unsuccessful, these deferred costs, as well as additional expenses incurred, will be charged to operations. At September 30, 2021 deferred offering costs were $116,566 for the first nine month ended September 30, 2021, as compared with $173,500 in deferred offering costs for the period beginning at inception on July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
Concentration of credit risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentration of credit risk consist of a cash account in a financial institution which, at times may exceed the Federal Depository Insurance Corporation coverage limit of $250,000. At year-end December 31, 2020 and as of the nine month ended September 30, 2021, the Company had not experienced losses on this account and management believes the Company is not exposed to significant risks on such account.
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.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the accompanying balance sheets, primarily due to their short-term nature.
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes under ASC 740 Income Taxes (“ASC 740”). ASC 740 requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for both the expected impact of differences between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities and for the expected future tax benefit to be derived from tax loss and tax credit carry forwards. ASC 740 additionally requires a valuation allowance to be established when it is more likely than not that all or a portion of deferred tax assets will not be realized.
ASC 740 also clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements and prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement process for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position 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. ASC 740 also provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim period, disclosure and transition. Based on the Company’s evaluation, it has been concluded that there are no significant uncertain tax positions requiring recognition in the Company’s financial statements. Since the Company was incorporated on July 1, 2020, the evaluation was performed for upcoming 2021 tax year which will be the only period subject to examination. The Company believes that its income tax positions and deductions would be sustained on audit and does not anticipate any adjustments that would result in a material changes to its financial position. The Company’s policy for recording interest and penalties associated with audits is to record such items as a component of income tax expense.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.
Note 3 — Related Party Transactions
The Company follows subtopic 850-10 of the FASB Accounting Standards Codification for the identification of related parties and disclosure of related party transactions.
Founder Shares
In 2020, our co-sponsor, FSC Sponsor LLC (together with Celtic Sponsor VII LLC, our “co-sponsors”), acquired 2,371,875 shares of our common stock, and Celtic Asset & Equity Partners Ltd. acquired 503,125 shares of our common stock, or founder shares, in exchange for an aggregate capital contribution of $25,000, at a purchase price of approximately $.0087 per share, in connection with our organization.
If the underwriters do not exercise all or a portion of their over-allotment option, our initial stockholders will forfeit up to an aggregate of 326,250 shares of common stock in proportion to the portion of the over-allotment option that was not exercised.
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 initial stockholders’ ownership at a percentage of the number of shares to be sold in this offering.
Our co-sponsors, anchor investors (comprised of Eagle Point Credit Management LLC, Greentree Financial Group Inc., Sea Otter Securities Group LLC, Sixth Borough Capital Fund LP (and certain members of its general partner), as used herein, collectively the “anchor investors”) and I-Bankers Securities, Inc. (“I-Bankers”) have agreed to purchase an aggregate of 459,275 units (or 504,950 units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $4,592,750 (or $5,049,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Of such amount, 200,000 units will be purchased by FSC Sponsor LLC, 50,000 units will be purchased by Celtic Sponsor VII LLC, 50,000 units will be purchased by Sea Otter Securities Group LLC, 25,000 units will be purchased by Sixth Borough Capital Fund LP (and 25,000 units will be purchased by certain members of its general partner), 25,000 units will be purchased by Eagle Point Credit Management LLC, 25,000 units will be purchased by Greentree Financial Group Inc., and 59,275 units will be purchased by I-Bankers, in each case assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option. If the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised, I-Bankers has agreed to purchase an additional 45,675 units in the private placement. 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. Each private warrant entitles the holder to purchase one share of our common stock at $11.50 per share. The private warrants are identical to warrants sold in this offering except that the private warrants: (i) will not be redeemable by us and (ii) may be exercised for cash or on a cashless basis, as described in this prospectus, so long as they are held by our co-sponsors, anchor investors, I-Bankers or any of their permitted transferees, the private warrants will be redeemable by us and exercisable by the holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the units being sold in this offering. Our co-sponsors, anchor investors and I-Bankers have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private placement units and underlying securities (except to certain permitted transferees) until after the completion of our initial business combination. Furthermore, they have agreed (A) to vote the private shares in favor of any proposed business combination, (B) not to convert any private shares in connection with a stockholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination or sell any private shares to us in a tender offer in connection with a proposed initial business combination and (C) that the private shares shall not participate in any liquidating distribution from our trust account upon winding up if a business combination is not consummated. In the event of a liquidation prior to our initial business combination, the private warrants will likely be worthless.
In order to meet our working capital needs following the consummation of this offering, our co-sponsors, initial stockholders, 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 holder’s discretion, up to $1,500,000 of the notes may be converted into warrants at a price of $1.00 per warrant. These warrants would be identical to the private warrants. 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, or interest earned on the trust account that is available to us, to repay such loaned amounts, but no proceeds from our trust account other than the interest earned thereon would be used for such repayment.
The holders of our founder shares issued and outstanding on the date of this prospectus, as well as the holders of the private warrants and any units and warrants our co-sponsors, initial stockholders, officers, directors or their affiliates may be issued in payment of working capital loans made to us (and all underlying securities), 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 three demands that we register such securities. The holders of the majority of the founder 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 warrants and units and warrants issued in payment of working capital loans made to us (or underlying securities) 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 a business combination. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Private Placement
In connection with the Proposed Offering, our co-sponsors, anchor investors and I-Bankers have agreed to purchase an aggregate of 459,275 units (or 504,950 units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $4,592,750 (or $5,049,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Of such amount, 200,000 units will be purchased by FSC Sponsor LLC, 50,000 units will be purchased by Celtic Sponsor VII LLC, 50,000 units will be purchased by Sea Otter Securities Group LLC, 25,000 units will be purchased by Sixth Borough Capital Fund LP (and 25,000 units will be purchased by certain members of its general partner), 25,000 units will be purchased by Eagle Point Credit Management LLC, 25,000 units will be purchased by Greentree Financial Group Inc., and 59,275 units will be purchased by I-Bankers, in each case assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option. If the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised, I-Bankers has agreed to purchase an additional 45,675 units in the private placement. The proceeds from the sale of the private placement units will be added to the net proceeds from the Proposed Offering 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 placement units will be used to fund the redemption of the public shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law) and the private placement units will expire worthless.
Promissory Notes — Related Party
Our liquidity needs have been satisfied prior to the completion of this offering through a capital contribution from our initial stockholders of $25,000 for the founder shares, and loans of $450,000, comprised of a $200,000 unsecured promissory note from our co-sponsor, FSC Sponsor LLC, and a convertible loan of $250,000 from an investor in FSC Sponsor LLC, Emil Assentato, under an unsecured promissory note of which $250,000 has been drawn upon. The convertible note was issued on July 8, 2020 to Mr. Assentato for the principal amount of $250,000 to cover expenses related to the offering. The note is non-interest bearing and is payable on the date of the initial business combination. At the holder’s discretion, upon maturity, up to $250,000 of the note may be converted into warrants at a price of $1.00 per warrant. These warrants would be identical to the warrants comprising the private placement units. We intend to repay the loan from the proceeds of this offering not being placed in trust upon consummation of this offering.
Administrative Services Arrangement
On December 12, 2020, the Company entered into an agreement to, commencing on the effective date of the Proposed Offering through the earlier of the Company’s consummation of a Business Combination and its liquidation, pay Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd. up to a maximum of $180,000 in the aggregate for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative services. Such administrative fees shall be paid on a monthly basis at $15,000 until the maximum fee is reached, or if earlier, until the consummation of our Business Combination or our liquidation.
Business Combination Marketing Agreement
We have engaged I-Bankers in connection with our business combination to assist us in holding meetings with our stockholders to discuss the potential business combination and the target business’ attributes, introduce us to potential investors that are interested in purchasing our securities in connection with our initial business combination, assist us in obtaining stockholder approval for the business combination and assist us with our press releases and public filings in connection with the business combination. The scope of engagement excludes identifying and/or evaluating possible acquisition candidates. Pursuant to our agreement with I-Bankers, the marketing fee payable to I-Bankers will be 3.5% of the gross proceeds of this offering.
Note 4 — Stockholders’ Equity
Preferred Stock
The Company is authorized to issue a total of 1,000,000 preferred shares, par value of $0.0001 each. As of September 30, 2021, and year end December 31, 2020 none were issued and outstanding.
Common Stock
The Company is authorized to issue a total of 110,000,000 common shares, par value of $0.0001 each, consisting of (i) 100,000,000 shares of Class A common stock and (ii) 10,000,000 shares of Class B common stock. As of year-end December 31, 2020, 2,875,000 shares of Class B common stock were issued and outstanding and no shares of Class A common stock were issued and outstanding. Subsequently, the Company effected a 7 for 10 reverse stock split of the Company’s Class B common stock on September 2021, followed by a 7.2 for 7 stock split of the Company’s Class B common stock on October 13, 2021, and a 87 for 72 forward stock split of the Company’s Class B common stock on November 23, 2021. As of December 31, 2020, no shares of Class A common stock were issued and outstanding, and 2,875,000 shares of Class B common stock were issued and outstanding. Subsequently, after giving effect to the stock splits effected by the Company, and as more fully described below, as of September 30, 2021, no shares of Class A common stock were issued and outstanding, and 2,501,250 shares of Class B common stock were issued and outstanding, of which up to 326,250 shares of Class B common stock held by the co-sponsors are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part, so that the Company’s Founders will own 20% of the issued and outstanding shares after the Proposed Public Offering.
Founder Shares
As of year-end December 31, 2020, 2,875,000 shares of Class B common stock of the Company were issued to the shareholders prior to the date of the prospectus (“Founders”) for an aggregate amount of $25,000. Subsequently, the Company effected a 7 for 10 reverse stock split of the Company’s Class B common stock on September 2021, followed by a 7.2 for 7 forward stock split of the Company’s Class B common stock on October 13, 2021, and a 87 for 72 forward stock split of the Company’s Class B common stock on November 23, 2021, resulting in 2,501,250 outstanding shares of the Company’s Class B common stock. The 2,501,250 founder shares include an aggregate of up to 326,250 shares held by certain of our initial stockholders, including 101,087 shares held by FSC Sponsor LLC, 26,087 shares held by Celtic Sponsor VII LLC, 109,071 shares held by Celtic Asset & Equity Partners Ltd., 11,092 shares held by Frio Investments, LLC, 48,913 shares held by Caliente Management, LLC, and 30,000 shares held by Sea Otter Securities Group LLC, which shares are collectively subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment is not exercised in full or in part, so that the Founders will own 20% of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares after the Proposed Public Offering.
Our Founders will enter into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they will agree to (i) waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated articles of incorporation (A) to 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 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 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-initial business combination activity and (iii) waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 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), 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 frame.
Warrants
Public warrants may only be exercised for a whole number of shares. No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the public warrants. The public warrants will become exercisable on the later of (a) the consummation of a Business Combination or (b) 12 months from the effective date of the registration statement relating to the Proposed Offering. No public warrants will be exercisable for cash unless the Company has an effective and current registration statement covering the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the public warrants and a current prospectus relating to such shares of Class A common stock. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a registration statement covering the Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of the public warrants is not effective within 60 days from the consummation of a Business Combination, the holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when the Company shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise the public warrants on a cashless basis pursuant to an available exemption from registration under the Securities Act. If an exemption from registration is not available, holders will not be able to exercise their public warrants on a cashless basis. The public warrants will expire five years from the consummation of a Business Combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
The private warrants, if any, will be identical to the public warrants underlying the Units being sold in the Proposed Offering, except that the private warrants and the Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of the private warrants will not be transferable, assignable or salable until after the completion of a Business Combination, subject to certain limited exceptions. Additionally, the private warrants will be exercisable on a cashless basis and be non-redeemable so long as they are held by our co-sponsors, anchor investors, I-Bankers or any of their permitted transferees. If the private warrants are held by someone other than our co-sponsors, anchor investors, I-Bankers or any of their permitted transferees, the private warrants will be redeemable by the Company and exercisable by such holders on the same basis as the public warrants.
The warrant exercise (for both public warrant and private warrant) price is adjusted, if (x) the Company issues additional Class A common stock or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of the initial Business Combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.50 per ordinary share (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by the Company’s board of directors), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of the initial Business Combination, and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of the Class A common stock during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which the Company consummates the initial Business Combination (such price, the “Market Price”) is below $9.50 per share, the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the Market Price, and the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price described above will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the Market Price.
The Company may call the warrants for redemption (excluding the private warrants), in whole and not in part, at a price of $.01 per warrant:
| · | at any time while the public warrants are exercisable, |
| · | upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption to each public warrant holder, |
| · | if, and only if, the reported last sale price of the Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18 per share, for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading day period ending on the third business day prior to the notice of redemption to public warrant holders, and |
| · | if, and only if, there is a current registration statement in effect with respect to the shares of Class A common stock underlying such warrants at the time of redemption and for the entire 30-day trading period referred to above and continuing each day thereafter until the date of redemption. |
If the Company calls the public warrants for redemption, management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise the public warrants to do so on a “cashless basis,” as described in the warrant agreement. The exercise price and number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants may be adjusted in certain circumstances including in the event of a stock dividend, extraordinary dividend or recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. However, the warrants will not be adjusted for issuances of Class A common stock at a price below its exercise price. Additionally, in no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the warrants. 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 warrants will not receive any of such funds with respect to their warrants, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside of the Trust Account with respect to such warrants. Accordingly, the warrants may expire worthless.
Note 5 — Subsequent Events
The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after December 31, 2020, the audited balance sheet date, through October 21, 2021 the date that the audited financial statements were issued.
The Company did not identify any subsequent events that occurred after the balance sheet date up to the date that the financial statements were available that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements.
Note 6 — Subsequent Events (Unaudited)
As described in Notes 1 and 4, the Company is reissuing its 2020 financial statements in order to apply the effects of a stock split that occurred subsequent to the issuance of the 2020 financial statements. In connection with the reissuance of these financial statements, the Company has considered whether there are other subsequent events that have occurred since October 21, 2021 and through November 24, 2021 that require recognition or disclosure in the 2020 financial statements and believes that there are no such events
8,700,000 Units
FINANCIAL STRATEGIES ACQUISITION CORP.
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
, 2021
Sole Book-Running Manager
I-Bankers Securities, Inc.
Until , 2021 (25 days after the date of this prospectus), all dealers that buy, sell or trade our Class A 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 its unsold allotments or subscriptions.
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. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are not, and the underwriters are not, making an offer to sell securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of this prospectus.
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:
SEC expenses | | $ | 11,439 | |
FINRA expenses | | | 19,544 | |
Accounting fees and expenses | | | 40,000 | |
Printing and engraving expenses | | | 40,000 | |
Travel and road show expenses | | | 25,000 | |
Legal fees and expenses | | | 350,000 | |
Nasdaq listing and filing fees | | | 85,000 | |
Director and officer liability insurance premiums | | | 650,000 | |
Miscellaneous | | | 76,767 | |
Total | | $ | 1,297,750 | |
| (1) | This amount represents the approximate amount of annual director and officer liability insurance premiums the registrant anticipates paying following the completion of its initial public offering and until it completes an initial business combination. |
Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and officers.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that all of our directors, officers, employees and agents shall be entitled to be indemnified by us to the fullest extent permitted by Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”). 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 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. |
| (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 by law, 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 amended and restated 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. The effect of this provision of our amended and restated 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 amended and restated 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 amended and restated 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 amended and restated 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, against all expense, liability and loss (including, without limitation, attorney’s fees, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes and penalties and amounts paid in settlement) reasonably incurred or suffered by any such person in connection with any such proceeding.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a person eligible for indemnification pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will be indemnified by us in connection with a proceeding initiated by such person only if such proceeding was authorized by our board of directors, except for proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification.
The right to indemnification which will be conferred by our amended and restated certificate of incorporation is a contract right that includes the right to be paid by us the expenses incurred in defending or otherwise participating in any proceeding referenced above in advance of its final disposition, provided, however, that if the DGCL requires, an advancement of expenses incurred by our officer or director (solely in the capacity as an officer or director of our corporation) will be made only upon delivery to us of an undertaking, by or on behalf of such officer or director, to repay all amounts so advanced if it is ultimately determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified for such expenses under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or otherwise.
The rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses will not be deemed exclusive of any other rights which any person covered by our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may have or hereafter acquire under law, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our bylaws, an agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise.
Any repeal or amendment of provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation affecting indemnification rights, 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 provide broader indemnification rights on a retroactive basis, and will not in any way diminish or adversely affect any right or protection existing at the time of such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will also permit us, to the extent and in the manner authorized or permitted by law, to indemnify and to advance expenses to persons other that those specifically covered by our amended and restated certificate of incorporation.
Our bylaws, which we intend to adopt immediately prior to the closing of this offering, include the provisions relating to advancement of expenses and indemnification rights consistent with those which will be set forth in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. In addition, our bylaws provide for a right of indemnity to bring a suit in the event a claim for indemnification or advancement of expenses is not paid in full by us within a specified period of time. Our bylaws also permit us to purchase and maintain insurance, at our expense, to protect us and/or any director, officer, employee or agent of our corporation or another entity, trust or other enterprise against any expense, liability or loss, whether or not we would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under the DGCL.
Any repeal or amendment of provisions of our bylaws affecting indemnification rights, whether by our board of directors, stockholders or by changes in applicable 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 provide broader indemnification rights on a retroactive basis, and will not in any way diminish or adversely affect any right or protection existing thereunder with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision.
We will enter into indemnification agreements with each of our officers and directors a form of which is to be filed as an exhibit to this Registration Statement. These agreements will require us to indemnify these individuals to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law against liabilities that may arise by reason of their service to us, and to advance expenses incurred as a result of any proceeding against them as to which they could be indemnified.
Pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement to be filed as Exhibit 1.1 to this Registration Statement, we have agreed to indemnify the underwriters and the underwriters have agreed to indemnify us against certain civil liabilities that may be incurred in connection with this offering, including certain liabilities under the Securities Act.
Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.
On October 23, 2020, FSC Sponsor LLC, our co-sponsor, and Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd. purchased an aggregate of 2,501,250 founder shares, for an aggregate offering price of $25,000 at an average purchase price of approximately $0.011 per share (up to 326,250 shares of which are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised). The number of founder shares issued was determined based on the expectation that the founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares of common stock upon completion of this offering (not including the private placement shares and the shares of Class A common Stock issuable to I-Bankers). Such securities were issued in connection with our organization pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. Each of the purchasers is an accredited investor for purposes of Rule 501 of Regulation D.
Prior to the effectiveness of this registration statement, FSC Sponsor LLC intends to transfer an aggregate of 1,310,037.5 of its founder shares to certain of our initial stockholders, including Celtic Sponsor VII LLC, Caliente Management, LLC, Frio Investments, LLC, Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd., and each of the anchor investors.
In addition, our co-sponsors, anchor investors and I-Bankers have agreed to purchase an aggregate of 459,275 private placement units (or 504,950 private placement units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per private placement unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $4,592,750 (or $5,049,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full). This purchase will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the completion of our initial public offering. This issuance will be made pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.
No underwriting discounts or commissions were paid with respect to such sales.
Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
(a) Exhibits. The list of exhibits following the signature page of this registration statement is incorporated herein by reference.
(b) Financial Statements. See page F-1 for an index to the financial statements and schedules included in the registration statement.
Item 17. Undertakings.
| (a) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriters at the closing specified in the underwriting agreements, certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriters to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser. |
| (b) | Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. |
| (c) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that: |
| (1) | For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective. |
| (2) | For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
| (3) | For the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser, if the registrant is subject to Rule 430C, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use. |
| (4) | For the purpose of determining liability of a registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of an undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser: |
| (i) | Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; |
| (ii) | Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by an undersigned registrant; |
| (iii) | The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and |
| (iv) | Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser. |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Dallas, State of Texas, on the 24th day of November, 2021.
| Financial Strategies Acquisition Corp. |
| |
| By: | /s/ Jamie Khurshid |
| | Name: Jamie Khurshid Title: Chief Executive Officer |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
NAME | | POSITION | | DATE |
| | | | |
/s/ Jamie Khurshid | | Chief Executive Officer, Director | | November 24, 2021 |
Jamie Khurshid | | (principal executive officer) | | |
| | | | |
/s/ Horst Rzepka | | Chief Financial Officer | | November 24, 2021 |
Horst Rzepka | | (principal financial and accounting officer) | | |
| | | | |
/s/ Stefan Nolte | | Director | | November 24, 2021 |
Stefan Nolte | | | | |
EXHIBIT INDEX
EXHIBIT | | DESCRIPTION |
1.1 | | Form of Underwriting Agreement** |
1.2 | | Form of Business Combination Marketing Agreement between the Registrant and I-Bankers Securities, Inc.** |
3.1 | | Certificate of Incorporation* |
3.2 | | Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation* |
3.3 | | Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation* |
3.4 | | Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation** |
3.5 | | Form of Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation** |
3.6 | | By Laws* |
4.1 | | Specimen Unit Certificate** |
4.2 | | Specimen Class A common stock Certificate** |
4.3 | | Specimen Warrant Certificate** |
4.4 | | Specimen Rights Certificate** |
4.5 | | Form of Warrant Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant** |
4.6 | | Form of Rights Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant** |
5.1 | | Opinion of Haynes and Boone, LLP ** |
10.1 | | Form of Letter Agreement among the Registrant and our officers, directors and FSC Sponsor LLC** |
10.2 | | Promissory Note, dated July 8, 2020, issued to Emil Assentato* |
10.3 | | Promissory Note, effective November 30, 2020, issued to FSC Sponsor LLC** |
10.4 | | Form of Investment Management Trust Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant** |
10.5 | | Form of Registration Rights Agreement between the Registrant and certain security holders** |
10.6 | | Securities Subscription Agreement, dated October 23, 2020, between the Registrant and FSC Sponsor LLC* |
10.7 | | Securities Subscription Agreement, dated October 23, 2020, between the Registrant and Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd.* |
10.8 | | Form of Assignment and Assumption Agreement** |
10.9 | | Form of Private Placement Unit Purchase Agreement between the Registrant and FSC Sponsor LLC** |
10.10 | | Form of Indemnity Agreement** |
10.11 | | Administrative Services Agreement, dated December 11, 2020, by and between the Registrant and Celtic Asset & Equity Partners, Ltd.** |
14 | | Form of Code of Ethics** |
23.1 | | Consent of Grant Thornton** |
23.2 | | Consent of Haynes and Boone, LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)** |
24 | | Power of Attorney (included in the signature page of this Registration Statement)* |
99.1 | | Form of Audit Committee Charter** |
99.2 | | Form of Compensation Committee Charter** |
99.3 | | Consent of James Needham* |
99.4 | | Consent of Horst Rzepka* |
99.5 | | Consent of Jeffrey Peel* |