Combination within the Combination Period, and, in such event, such amounts will be included with the other funds held in the Trust Account that will be available to fund the redemption of the Public Shares. In the event of such distribution, it is possible that the per share value of the residual assets remaining available for distribution (including Trust Account assets) will be only $10.00 per share initially held in the Trust Account. In order to protect the amounts held in the Trust Account, the Sponsor agreed to be liable to the Company if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to the Company, or a prospective target business with which the Company has discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account. This liability will not apply with respect to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the Trust Account or to any claims under the Company’s indemnity of the underwriter of the Initial Public Offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, the Sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. The Company will seek to reduce the possibility that the Sponsor will have to indemnify the Trust Account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses or other entities with which the Company does business, execute agreements with the Company waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the Trust Account.
Proposed Business Combination and Termination
On May 26, 2021, the Company entered into a Business Combination Agreement, by and among Pioneer, Pioneer SPAC Merger Sub Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“Pioneer Merger Sub”), and Acorns Grow Incorporated, a Delaware corporation (“Acorns”). On January 15, 2022, the Company and Pioneer Merger Sub became party to that certain Termination Fee Agreement (the “Termination Fee Agreement”), dated as of January 3, 2022, by and between Pioneer Merger Sponsor LLC (“Sponsor”) and Acorns Grow Incorporated (“Acorns”). Pursuant to the Termination Fee Agreement, the parties agreed to mutually terminate the Business Combination Agreement, dated as of May 26, 2021 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Business Combination Agreement”), by and among the Company, Acorns and Pioneer Merger Sub, subject to the conditions set forth in the Termination Fee Agreement.
The Termination Fee Agreement provides for deferred payments from Acorns to the Company. Acorns is required to pay an aggregate sum of $17,500,000 to the Company in monthly payments through December 15, 2022. In March 2022, the Company received payments under the Termination Fee Agreement so that a total of $17,500,000 has been paid pursuant to the Termination Fee Agreement. If Pioneer (i) has not consummated an initial business combination on or before December 15, 2022 and (ii) determines to redeem its public shares (and does not withdraw such determination), Acorns is required to pay to the Company $15,000,000 no later than December 22, 2022.
The Company intends to continue its search for an initial Business Combination. As previously disclosed, if the Company does not complete an initial Business Combination, any funds remaining, after paying expenses including those incurred in the Company’s search for a Business Combination, from payments under the Termination Fee Agreement, are expected to remain outside of the Trust Account and not be part of liquidating distributions with respect to the Public Shares.
Liquidity and Going Concern
As of December 31, 2021, the Company had approximately $14,000 in its operating bank account and a working capital deficit of approximately $4.9 million.
The Company’s liquidity needs to date have been satisfied through a contribution of $25,000 from the Sponsor to cover for certain offering costs in exchange for the issuance of the Founder Shares (as defined in Note 4), the loans of approximately $141,000 prior to a the Initial Public Offering and $375,000 from the Sponsor pursuant to a second promissory note of up to $500,000 available as discussed in Note 4, and the proceeds from the consummation of the Private Placement not held in the Trust Account. The Company repaid the first promissory note of approximately $141,000 in full on January 15, 2021. As of December 31, 2021, $375,000 is outstanding from the Sponsor's second promissory note, and $125,000 remains available. In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor, or certain of the Company’s officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, provide the Company Working Capital Loans (see Note 5). As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, there were no amounts outstanding under any Working Capital Loan. In addition, the Termination Fee Agreement provides for deferred payments from Acorns