BACKGROUND
We are a blank check company incorporated on October 20, 2020 as a Cayman Islands exempted company for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities.
On December 21, 2020, we consummated the IPO of 40,000,000 units (the “Units”), which included the partial exercise of the underwriter’s option to purchase up to an additional 5,000,000 Units at the IPO price to cover over-allotments. Each Unit consists of one Class A ordinary share, (the “Class A Ordinary Shares”), and one-third of one redeemable warrant (the “Public Warrants”), each whole Public Warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one Class A Ordinary Share at an exercise price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment. The Units were sold at an offering price of $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $400,000,000.
Simultaneous with the consummation of the IPO and the issuance and sale of the Units, the Company consummated the private placement of 7,600,000 Private Placement Warrants at a price of $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant, generating total proceeds of $11,400,000. The Private Placement Warrants, which were purchased by the Sponsor, are substantially similar to the Public Warrants, except that if held by the Sponsor or its permitted transferees, they (i) may be exercised for cash or on a cashless basis, (ii) are not subject to being called for redemption (except in certain circumstances when the Public Warrants are called for redemption and a certain price per Class A Ordinary Share threshold is met) and (iii) subject to certain limited exceptions, will be subject to transfer restrictions until 30 days following the consummation of the Company’s initial business combination. If the Private Placement Warrants are held by holders other than the Sponsor or its permitted transferees, the Private Placement Warrants will be redeemable by the Company in all redemption scenarios and exercisable by holders on the same basis as the Public Warrants. The Private Placement Warrants have been issued pursuant to, and are governed by the Warrant Agreement.
Prior to the consummation of the IPO, on October 28, 2020, the Sponsor purchased an aggregate of 8,625,000 of our Class B ordinary shares (the “founder shares”), for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000. In November 2020, the Sponsor transferred 50,000 founder shares to each of the Company’s three independent directors. On December 16, 2020, we effected a share capitalization of 1,437,500 Class B ordinary shares, resulting in an aggregate of 10,062,500 Class B ordinary shares outstanding with the Company’s three independent directors each owning 58,333 Class B ordinary shares. On December 23, 2020 as a result of the underwriter’s election to partially exercise their over-allotment option, 62,500 founder shares were forfeited, resulting in 10,000,000 shares outstanding.
A total of $400,000,000 from the proceeds we received from the IPO and the sale of the private placement warrants was placed in a segregated Trust Account located in the United States at UBS Financial Services Inc., with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee. The amounts held in the Trust Account are invested in permitted United States “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (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 that invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations.
Our Sponsor, directors and officers have interests in the proposals that may be different from, or in addition to, your interests as a shareholder. These interests include ownership of founder shares and warrants that may become exercisable in the future and the possibility of future compensatory arrangements.
On the record date of the Extraordinary General Meeting, there were 10,419,938 ordinary shares outstanding, of which 419,938 were Public Shares, 9,825,000 were nonredeemable Class A ordinary shares and 175,000 were founder shares. The founder shares carry voting rights in connection with the Extension Proposal, and we have been informed by our Sponsor and independent directors that hold 175,000 founder shares and 9,825,000 were nonredeemable Class A ordinary shares in the aggregate, that they intend to vote in favor of the Extension Amendment.
Our principal executive offices are located at 251 Lytton Avenue, Suite 200, Palo Alto, California 94301 and our telephone number is (650) 543-8180.