Confidentially submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 12, 2021
This draft registration statement has not been publicly filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and all information herein remains strictly confidential.
Registration No. 333-_________
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
____________________
FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
____________________
Altamont Pharma Acquisition Corp.
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Delaware | | 6770 | | 86-1454183 |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | | (Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) | | (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
600 Congress Avenue, 14th Floor
Austin, TX 78702
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
____________________
Mark Pearson
600 Congress Avenue, 14th Floor
Austin, TX 78702
(512) 759-6267
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
____________________
Copies to:
Alan Annex, Esq. Jason Simon, Esq. Philip R. Weingold, Esq. Greenberg Traurig, LLP 200 Park Avenue New York, NY 10166 (212) 801 2185 | | Ari Edelman, Esq. Jared Kelly, Esq. Reed Smith LLP 599 Lexington Avenue New York, New York 10022 (212) 521-5400 |
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Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 check the following box. £
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. £
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. £
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. £
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.:
Large accelerated filer | | £ | | Accelerated filer | | £ |
Non-accelerated filer | | S | | Smaller reporting company | | S |
| | | | Emerging growth company | | S |
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. £
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CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
Title of Class of Security being registered | | Amount to be Registered | | Proposed maximum offering price per share | | Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price(1)(2) | | Amount of Registration Fee |
Units, each consisting of one share of Common Stock, $0.0001 par value, and one Warrant entitling the holder to receive one half share of Common Stock | | 11,500,000 | | $ | 10.00 | | $ | 115,000,000 | | $ | 12,546.50 | |
Shares of Common Stock, $0.0001 par value, included as part of the Units | | 11,500,000 | | | — | | | — | | | — | (3) |
Warrants included as part of the Units | | 11,500,000 | | | — | | | — | | | — | (3) |
Total | | | | | | | $ | 115,000,000 | | $ | 12,546.50 | |
The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
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The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities, and we are not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION DATED FEBRUARY 12, 2021
$100,000,000
Altamont Pharma Acquisition Corp
10,000,000 Units
Altamont Pharma Acquisition Corp.is a blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. Although there is no restriction or limitation on what industry our target operates in, it is our intention to pursue prospective targets that are focused on healthcare innovation. We anticipate targeting companies located in North America or Europe that are developing assets in the biopharma and medical technology sectors, which aligns with our management team’s experience in healthcare investing and drug development.
This is an initial public offering of our securities. Each unit that we are offering has a price of $10.00 and consists of one share of common stock and one warrant. Each warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one half share of our common stock. The warrants will become exercisable on the later of 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination and 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. We refer to the warrants included in the units as “warrants” or the “public warrants.” If we are unable to consummate a business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering we will redeem 100% of the public shares using the funds in the trust account described below. In such event, the public warrants will expire and be worthless. We have also granted Chardan Capital Markets LLC (“Chardan”), the representative of the underwriters, a 45-day option to purchase up to 1,500,000 units (over and above the 10,000,000 units referred to above) solely to cover over-allotments, if any.
Altamont Pharma Sponsor, LLC, our sponsor, has committed to purchase from us an aggregate of 8,000,000 warrants (or 8,600,000 warrants if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), or “private warrants,” at $0.50 per warrant, for a total purchase price of $4,000,000 (or $4,300,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full). These purchases will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering.
Furthermore, our sponsor (or its designees) has agreed to enter into a contingent forward purchase agreement with us, pursuant to which it will have an option to purchase, in its sole discretion, an aggregate of up to 1,000,000 of our shares of common stock (for $10.00 per share or up to $10,000,000 in the aggregate) in a private placement to occur simultaneously with the consummation of our initial business combination. The funds from any such sale may be used as part of the consideration to the sellers in our initial business combination, and any excess capital from such private placement would be used for working capital in the post-transaction company.
There is presently no public market for our units, shares of common stock or warrants. We have applied to have our units listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, or Nasdaq, under the symbol “[•]”. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq. The common stock and warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 90th day following the date of this prospectus unless Chardan informs us of its decision to allow separate earlier trading, subject to our filing a Report on Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission containing an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds of this offering and issuing a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading as described in this prospectus, the common stock and warrants will be traded on Nasdaq under the symbols “[•]” and “[•],” respectively. We cannot assure you that our securities will continue to be listed on Nasdaq after this offering.
We qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, and therefore will be subject to reduced reporting requirements.
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See “Risks Factors” beginning on page 27 for a discussion of information that should be considered in connection with an investment in our securities. Investors will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings.
Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
| | Price to Public | | Underwriting Discounts and Commissions(1) | | Proceeds, Before Expenses, to us |
Per Unit | | $ | 10.00 | | $ | 0.55 | (2) | | $ | 9.45 |
Total | | $ | 100,000,000 | | $ | 5,500,000 | | | $ | 94,500,000 |
Upon consummation of the offering, $10.00 per unit sold to the public in this offering (whether or not the underwriters’ over-allotment option has been exercised in full or part) will be deposited into a United States-based trust account maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee. Such amount includes $3,500,000, or $0.35 per unit, (or $4,025,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) payable to the underwriters as deferred underwriting discounts and commissions. Except as described in this prospectus, these funds will not be released until the earlier of the completion of our initial business combination and our redemption of the shares of common stock sold in this offering upon our failure to consummate a business combination within the required period.
The underwriters are offering the units on a firm commitment basis. Chardan, acting as the representative of the underwriters, expects to deliver the units to purchasers on or about , 2021.
Sole Book-Running Manager
Chardan
The date of this prospectus is , 2021
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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
This summary only highlights the more detailed information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. As this is a summary, it does not contain all of the information that you should consider in making an investment decision. You should read this entire prospectus carefully, including the information under “Risk Factors” and our financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, before investing.
Unless otherwise stated in this prospectus, references to:
• “we,” “us,” “our company” or “the company” refer to Altamont Pharma Acquisition Corp;
• “insider shares” refer to the 2,875,000 shares of common stock held or controlled by our insiders (as defined below) prior to this offering, which include up to an aggregate of 375,000 shares of common stock subject to forfeiture by our insiders to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part;
• “private warrants” refer to the 8,000,000 warrants (or 8,600,000 warrants if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) we are selling privately to our sponsor upon consummation of this offering;
• our “management” or our “management team” refer to our officers and directors;
• our “public shares” refer to shares of common stock which are being sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are purchased in this offering or thereafter in the open market) and references to “public stockholders” refer to the holders of our public shares, including our insiders to the extent our insiders purchase public shares, provided that their status as “public stockholders” shall exist only with respect to such public shares;
• our “warrants” or “public warrants” refer to the warrants which are being sold as part of the units in this offering;
• our “insiders” refer to our officers, directors, sponsor and any holder of our insider shares;
• our “sponsor” refers to Altamont Pharma Sponsor, LLC; and
• “Chardan” refers to Chardan Capital Markets LLC, the representative of the underwriters.
Except as specifically provided otherwise, the information in this prospectus assumes that the underwriters will not exercise their over-allotment option.
We are responsible for the information contained in this prospectus. We have not, and the underwriters 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.
General
We are a blank check company formed under the laws of the State of Delaware on January 6, 2021. We were formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. Although there is no restriction or limitation on what industry our target operates in, it is our intention to pursue prospective targets that are focused on healthcare innovation. We anticipate targeting companies domiciled in North America or Europe that are developing assets in the biopharma and medical technology sectors, which aligns with our management team’s experience in healthcare investing and drug development. At the time of preparing this prospectus, we have not identified any specific business combination, nor has anyone on our behalf initiated or engaged in any substantive discussions, formal or otherwise, related to such a transaction. Our efforts to date are limited to organizational activities related to this offering.
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Our Sponsor and Competitive Advantages
Our sponsor is an affiliate of Altamont Pharmaceutical Holdings, LLC (“Altamont Pharma”) and JDH Investment Management, LLC (“JDH”), both of which have reputations as leading capital providers to healthcare industry entrepreneurs and academics due to their investment expertise, deep industry relationships, and knowledge in the sector.
We will be led by Mark Pearson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Altamont Pharma, and advised by both John D. Harkey, Jr., Founder and Principal of JDH, and Jay Shepard. Mr. Pearson, Mr. Harkey and Mr. Shepard have more than 30 years of combined experience in healthcare investing across multiple sectors including but not limited to the addiction, pain, and neurological disorders of the Central Nervous System (“CNS”) space.
Members of our management team and board have been directly involved in many successful transactions as Co-Founders, Managers, and/or substantial investors including strategic sales like Nextwave Pharmaceuticals acquired by Pfizer (NYSE: PFE), Ilypsa acquired by Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN), Replysa (NASDAQ: RLYP) acquired by Vifor Pharma (OTC: GNHAF), Stemcentryx acquired by AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), AveXis (NASDAQ: AVXS) acquired by Novartis (NYSE: NVS) and CerSci Therapeutics acquired by Acadia Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ACAD).
We believe that our company’s alignment with Altamont Pharma and JDH, and our ability to leverage the rigorous and comprehensive scientific and financial analysis that these firms are known for, provides us with a strong competitive advantage. Altamont Pharma and JDH focuses on identifying transformational innovations across the life sciences space, specifically backing scientific programs that have the potential to disrupt the current standard of care in their respective disease areas.
Altamont Pharma and JDH invest across the public/private spectrum, supporting rapidly growing biotech companies through multiple stages of their respective life cycles. To date, Altamont Pharma and JDH have successfully assisted companies through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) approval process as well as aided in the commercialization of available drugs.
Altamont Pharma and JDH have also formed new companies focused on promising academic licenses. An example of this is Avexis, a publicly traded biotech company developing treatments for rare neurological disorders (formally listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker symbol “AVXS”), where Mr. Harkey served as Executive Chairman. Avexis was sold in 2018 to Novartis (NYSE: NVS) for $8.7 billion. Mr. Harkey was also a lead investor in and has led several financings for CerSci Therapeutics, which is developing a new generation of non-opioid medications to treat acute and chronic pain that does not affect the central nervous system, and which are designed to eliminate the addiction that can be associated with the use of this class of drug. CerSci was sold in 2020 to Acadia Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ACAD).
With technology licensed from the Scripps Research Institute, Altamont Pharma and Mr. Pearson co-founded Cessation Therapeutics, LLC in 2017 which is developing vaccines to treat opioid addiction. The technology can also be utilized to combat nicotine and other addictions. In September 2020, Cessation Therapeutics, LLC received a $7.1 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse / National Institutes of Health to advance its development of a vaccine to treat heroin, opioid, and fentanyl addiction.
In 2003, Mr. Pearson co-founded The Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research on The Scripps Research Institute campus in La Jolla, CA, also contributing a gift of several million dollars. Mr. Pearson individually and through Altamont Pharma has funded other research institutes and private companies working on therapeutics in the addiction and CNS space.
Altamont Pharma and JDH’s team is comprised of individuals with medical and advanced scientific training and legal and banking experience, enabling a deeply differentiated approach to research and idea generation. Complementing Altamont Pharma and JDH’s outstanding scientific perspective and industry relationships is the companies’ business team, whose members include an attorney, biotech investors and analysts who actively engage with banks and academic institutions, cultivating strong relationships and expanding their network of key contacts and syndicate partners. We believe that the diverse skills and insight of the team, strengthened by our strong ties across industry, academia, banking platforms, and unaffiliated investors, will enhance our ability to source attractive prospective target businesses, capitalize them, and ensure public-market readiness.
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Our independent directors have extensive experience in clinical medicine, therapeutic agent development, obtaining regulatory approval, biotech company operational and commercial leadership, and capital markets transaction management. We believe that their breadth of experience will bolster our ability to thoroughly evaluate prospective candidates and to successfully execute our initial business combination. Following the completion of our initial transaction, we believe that our independent directors will fortify our ongoing operations by providing sound and experienced counsel on potential additional acquisitions, divestitures, corporate strategy, and human resources management.
We believe that our management team is equipped with the knowledge, experience, capital and human resources, and sustainable corporate governance practices to pursue unique opportunities that will offer attractive risk-adjusted returns.
Our Management and Board of Directors
Mark Pearson, our President and Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of our Board of Directors, is the Founder and CEO of Altamont Pharma, a biotech investment firm. Mr. Pearson has been investing in startup life science and technology companies for over 20 years. Mr. Pearson is the Co-Founder and Vice Chairman of the Board of Drawbridge Realty, a San Francisco based real estate development and investment company, which owns 6 million square feet of commercial real estate leased to technology and life science companies predominantly in the western United States. Drawbridge Realty’s portfolio exceeds $1.6 billion in asset value. In December 2014, Drawbridge formed a partnership with international asset management firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co, LP (“KKR”) which made a significant investment in the company to substantially grow the platform. Mr. Pearson is the Co-Founder, Co-CEO and Co-Chairman of Cessation Therapeutics, LLC, a preclinical stage biopharmaceutical company with laboratories in San Diego, California. Mr. Pearson served on the Board of Directors of publicly traded biopharmaceutical company Soligenix, Inc.(NASDAQ: SNGX), a late stage company focused on developing and commercializing products to treat rare diseases. Mr. Pearson currently serves on the Board of Trustees of The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, a world-renowned biomedical research institute employing over 2,400 scientists and support staff. Scripps Research Institute has created 80+ spin-off biotech companies, 10 FDA approved drugs, and currently has 30 drugs in its pipeline. Mr. Pearson was the founding donor of The Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research, which was founded in 2003 on The Scripps Research Institute campus in La Jolla, California by Mark Pearson, Dr. George Koob, Ph.D., and Dr. Barbara Mason, Ph.D. Mr. Pearson earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics from the University of San Francisco and a Masters degree in Management from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business where he was a Sloan Fellow.
Rhozel Ocampo, our Senior Director of Finance, is a skilled finance professional having analyzed financial statements and developed financial models for asset valuation using discounted cash flows for multiple companies. She is adept at using public and private databases to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the competitive landscape as it relates to the biotechnology industry. Ms. Ocampo’s academic research was focused on constructing asset portfolio performance under the risk-return framework. Ms. Ocampo earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance, with honors, from the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona as a cum laude graduate.
Yitai Tang, Ph.D., our Senior Investment Officer and Analyst, is an experienced biological scientist with a deep understanding in various fields within biomedical sciences, including neurodegenerative diseases, regenerative medicine and oncology. His research is published in top peer-reviewed journals. Prior to joining Altamont Pharma and Altamont Pharma Acquisition Corp, Dr. Tang was a postdoctoral scholar at the Stanford University School of Medicine, where he combined research in stem cell biology and mouse genetics to study brain development and brain degeneration. He received comprehensive training in Regulatory affairs and Clinical Research at Stanford and the University of California San Francisco. He was also actively involved with the Stanford Consulting Group (SCG). SCG investigates economic issues of concern to business or government entities and offers conceptual as well as analytical solutions. At Altamont Pharma and Altamont Pharma Acquisition Corp, Dr. Tang focuses on identifying and researching potential investments in companies in the central nervous system space. Dr. Tang earned his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from the Rice University, Houston, Texas, where he proposed and experimentally verified novel models of tissue size regulation.
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Gayathri Srinivasan, our Senior Analyst, is a circadian biology and cardiology specialist. Ms. Srinivasan’s research focused on developing cardiac ion channel models to identify the gender-related differences in the initiation and the progression of atrial fibrillation. She has also researched the impact of genetic modifications to neuropeptides on circadian neural circuits and regulation of the sleep cycle. At Altamont Pharma and Altamont Pharma Acquisition Corp, Ms. Srinivasan researches and analyzes potential investment opportunities. Ms. Srinivasan earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Biomedical Engineering from the Washington University in St. Louis and a Master of Science Degree in Biomedical Engineering from the Boston University.
Sharon Tetlow, a member of our Board of Directors, has served as Managing Partner of Potrero Hill Advisors since January 2016. Potrero Hill Advisors provides strategic and operational financial support to life science companies through its team of chief financial officers and controllers. Ms. Tetlow was previously the Managing Director of Danforth Advisors from April 2013 to January 2016. She served as Chief Financial Officer of Pathwork Diagnostics, Inc, a privately held biotechnology company, from 2011 to 2013. From 2005 to 2009, she served as Chief Financial Officer of Cell Genesys, Inc.(CEGE) a publicly traded biotechnology company. In connection with her role as managing partner of Potreto Hill Advisors, Ms. Tetlow has led the finance function at several biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, including 4D Molecular Therapeutics Inc, and Ocera Therapeutics, Inc., two privately held companies and Allakos, Inc. and CytomX, Inc., two publicly traded companies. Ms. Tetlow was previously on the Board of Directors of Armetheon, Inc, a privately held company. Ms. Tetlow currently serves on the Board of Catalyst Biosciences (NASDAQ: CBIO). Ms. Tetlow holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from the University of Delaware and a Masters degree in Business from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
John D. Harkey, Jr. has agreed to serve on our Board of Directors as of the closing of this offering. Mr. Harkey was Co-Founder, initial and follow on investor, and formerly Executive Chairman of the Board of AveXis, Inc.(NASDAQ:AVXS, acquired by Novartis for $8.7 billion in 2018), which develops proprietary gene therapies for rare neurological genetic diseases. Mr. Harkey has over 25 years of experience as a private investor, chief executive and director in both public and private companies. He has merged, acquired, operated and/or served on the Board of Directors of eight public companies in biotech, energy, technology, aerospace, telecom, restaurants, and private companies in healthcare, real estate, agricultural products and software. He previously served nine years on the Board of Directors of the Baylor Health Care System Foundation. Mr. Harkey is the Founder and Principal of JDH Investment Management, LLC, which is focused on investing and leading biotech, gene therapy, non-opiate pain and pharma/therapeutics spaces. He was also a lead investor and served on the board of CerSci Therapeutics, Inc, which was acquired in 2020 by Acadia Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(NASDAQ: ACAD) for a total consideration of up to $939.5 million. He is formerly the Chairman of the Board of Regency Gas Partners, LP (NYSE: RGP, sold to Energy Transfer for $18 billion). He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Loral Space & Communications, Inc.(NASDAQ: LORL), and also served on the Board of Directors of Emisphere Technologies, Inc.(NASDAQ: EMIS) until its sale in December 2020 to Novo Nordisk A/S. Mr. Harkey serves as Consolidated Restaurant Companies, Inc’s (CRC) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. He is the majority shareholder of privately-held CRC. Philanthropically, Mr. Harkey serves on the Board of Directors of The University of Texas System Chancellor’s Council Executive Committee, the University of Texas Development Board and is Chairman of the McCombs School of Business Advisory Board at the University of Texas at Austin. He also serves on the State Fair of Texas Board of Directors. Mr. Harkey earned his Bachelor Degree in Business Honors and a Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Business Administration from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
Jay Shepard has agreed to serve on our Board of Directors as of the closing of this offering. Mr. Shepard served as Executive Chairman of Versartis, Inc., from December 2013 to 2015. In May 2015, Mr. Shepard joined Versartis as President and CEO. In 2018, Versartis merged with Aravive (NASDAQ: ARAV) and he served as the President and Chief Executive Officer from May 2018 to January 2020, when he retired. From 2008 to 2015, Mr. Shepard was the Executive Partner at Sofinnova Ventures. Previously, he was the President and Chief Executive Officer of NextWave Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Pfizer), President and Chief Executive Officer of Ilypsa (acquired by Amgen), interim President and Chief Executive Officer of Relypsa (Ilypsa’s spin-out company, which was acquired by Galencia), and Vice President of Commercial Operations at Telik and Oncology Business Unit Head of Alza Pharmaceuticals (Alza was acquired by Johnson & Johnson). He has over 35 years of experience in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and drug delivery arenas. He has participated in or led over 16 product launches by preparing markets and establishing sales and marketing operations. Mr. Shepard currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. He is a board member of Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: INO), Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
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(NASDAQ: IRWD), Esperion (NASDAQ: ESPR) and Craig Hospital. Mr. Shepard is an operating partner at Catalys Pacific, a venture group focused on licensing drug programs and creating new companies in the US and Japan. Mr. Shepard holds a B.S. in business administration from the University of Arizona.
Lisa Walters-Hoffert has agreed to serve on our Board of Directors as of the closing of this offering. Ms. Walters-Hoffert was a Co-Founder of Daré Bioscience, Inc. and following the company’s merger with Cerulean Pharma, Inc.in July of 2017, became Chief Financial Officer of the surviving public company (NASDAQ: DARE). Ms. Walters-Hoffert also serves on the Board of Directors of Flux Power Holdings, Inc.(NASDAQ: FLUX) and as chair of its Audit Committee. For over twenty-five years, Ms. Walters-Hoffert was an investment banker focused on small-cap public companies in the technology and life science sectors. From 2003 to 2015, Ms. Walters-Hoffert worked for Roth Capital Partners as Managing Director in the Investment Banking Division. Ms. Walters-Hoffert previously held various positions in the corporate finance and investment banking divisions of Citicorp Securities in San José, Costa Rica and Oppenheimer & Co, Inc.in New York City, New York. Ms. Walters-Hoffert currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of The Elementary Institute of Science in San Diego. She previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of the San Diego Venture Group, as chair of the University of California San Diego Librarian’s Advisory Board and as chair of the Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest. Ms. Walters-Hoffert graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Management Sciences, magna cum laude.
Industry Opportunity
The healthcare industry represents the fifth largest component of U.S. consumer spending equating to nearly 10% of average annual expenditures as of 2019 according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. In 2018, U.S. healthcare expenditures amounted to $3.6 trillion, or 17.7% of total GDP, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services projects that U.S. healthcare expenditures will rise to $6.2 trillion in 2028, or 19.7% of GDP, representing a 5.4% compound annual growth rate (“CAGR”). The current trajectory of healthcare costs appears to be unsustainable without technological and scientific advancements that are showing potential to create tremendous value with disruptive therapeutic alternatives to existing standards of care as well as creating important efficiencies using technology all while reducing costs and improving efficacy.
Globally, biotech markets are growing rapidly. According to Global Market Insights, the global biotech market is expected to grow with a CAGR of 9.9% from 2019 to 2025. We are seeing technologies, such as those derived from DNA and RNA sciences that can potentially deliver solutions across various types of diseases.. We believe that these disruptive technologies are the key to addressing healthcare costs while providing an opportunity to offer outstanding risk-adjusted returns to stockholders by building companies that possess unique and heretofore unrecognized growth opportunities that will benefit by capitalization, proactive skilled management, and supportive and sustainable governance practices.
Genetic therapies are on the rise. Validated drug targets are being produced at an unprecedented rate primarily driven by the nominal cost of genetic information which is revolutionizing the discovery process. The first human genome sequence was completed in 2001 with an overall cost to the U.S. government in excess of $3.0 billion. According to the National Human Genome Research Institute, the cost to sequence a human genome has fallen to below $1,000 in 2020. This reduction in cost has led to tremendous productivity and additional market entry by innovative and disruptive companies. According to data from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the number of patents has inflected upward since 2010, which is resulting in more new drugs in company pipelines. Technological applications are also creating platforms of addressable diseases, increasing bandwidth and enabling companies to target more diseases with superior scientific accuracy than in previous generations of drug development.
The FDA has reported a surge in investigational new drug (IND) applications for cell and gene therapy products. There are currently more than 800 such applications on file with the FDA, and by 2020, the agency anticipated receiving more than 200 IND applications annually. The number of IND application surged in Q2 and Q3 of 2020 with 6,575 applications being filed, primarily driven by Covid-19. The FDA predicts that it will need to significantly improve upon its original target of approving 10 – 20 cell and gene therapy products per year by 2025 in order to keep pace with the increase in applications. We expect this trend to not only continue, but for genetically targeted therapies to become the majority of new therapies over the next decade. Further supportive dynamics come from the FDA and peer country regulatory bodies. While the United States leads the way in healthcare innovation, regulatory bodies across Europe, Japan, and recently China, are enabling accelerated review programs resulting in faster approvals for therapies for conditions with unmet needs.
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Although genetically validated targets can sometimes be addressed by existing traditional approaches, such as small molecules and antibodies, in specific tissues, DNA and RNA based medicines can offer advantages in terms of speed and ease of development. We believe that gene therapies also carry the potential for a one-time cure and RNA medicines may promise therapies with less frequent injections. The market for gene therapy companies has been growing. According to Capital IQ, at the beginning of 2013, there were five publicly traded gene therapy companies with a combined market capitalization of approximately $1.1 billion. At the end of 2020 there were 38 publicly traded gene therapy companies with a combined market capitalization of approximately $75 billion (a total which includes $3 billion paid by Astellas to acquire Audentes, $877 million paid by Biogen to acquire Nightstar Therapeutics, $4.9 billion paid by Roche to acquire Spark Therapeutics, and $8.6 billion paid by Novartis to acquire AveXis). During the same seven-year period, according to Capital IQ, the number of publicly traded RNA medicine companies grew from eight companies with a combined market capitalization of approximately $3.8 billion to 26 companies with a combined market capitalization of approximately $141 billion (a total which includes $9.6 billion paid by Novartis to acquire The Medicines Company, and $536 million paid by Ionis Pharmaceuticals to acquire Akcea Therapeutics).
Addiction, Pain, and Neurological Therapies. The Biden administration has pledged to address the major public health challenge facing Americans in the form of mental health disorders, addiction to pain medication, and narcotic drug abuse and overdose. Recent data estimate that 40% of U.S. residents now report struggling with mental or behavior health issues1, while drug overdose resulted in an estimated 81,000 deaths in 12 months ending May 20202, the highest annual level ever reported. While the ongoing coronavirus pandemic likely has accelerated the pressure of these problems, we believe the underlying trends and challenges in the areas of addiction, pain management, and mental/neurological disorders create a public health crisis. We believe that our experience and track record developing therapies in this sector makes us ideally positioned to align with the current administration’s initiatives and to identify and advance innovative technologies and therapies to address this U.S. public health crisis.
1 CDC.gov: Mental Health, Substance Use, and Suicidal Ideation During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, June 24–30, 2020 pub: August 14, 2020
2 CDC.gov: Overdose Deaths Accelerating During COVID-19 pub: December 17, 2020
Growing public awareness of the tremendous economic and personal consequences of addiction has led to an open discourse on the urgent need for new solutions. This, in turn, has created a growing multi-billion dollar market opportunity to develop drugs to address and effectively treat drug addiction, opioid overdoses, smoking/nicotine addiction and alcohol use disorders. Worldwide, there are more than 26.4 million opioid abusers resulting in $72.5 billion in healthcare cost annually. The opioid and substance use treatment market has been significantly growing with limited available effective treatment options. The opioid crisis has been declared a public health emergency and all effects to combat it are on the political, societal, academic, and research level. Current annual U.S. deaths related to addiction are as follows:
Deaths from drug addiction | | 70,000 |
Deaths from smoking | | 480,000 |
Deaths from alcohol abuse | | 88,000 |
Total annual deaths from addiction | | 638,000 |
Currently there are few approved drugs on the market to treat addiction. This lack of supply along with high demand has resulted in high sales volumes for these addiction treatments, despite what we believe to be limited therapeutic effectiveness of these treatments. One such drug is Alkermes Plc’s (NASDAQ: ALKS) product called Vivitrol which accounted for approximately $335 million in sales (2019) representing roughly 30% share of Alkermes’ total annual 2019 revenue. Vivitrol is a drug used to treat alcohol use disorder and was a generic drug called Naltrexone that was repurposed by Alkermes into a monthly injection. The efficacy of Vivitrol with psychosocial support is only 36%, highlighting the need for a more effective drug to treat alcohol use disorder. Given the high percentage of patients with ongoing unmet needs, we believe an efficacious therapy for alcohol use disorder could represent a billion-dollar market opportunity. Similarly, Pfizer’s nicotine addiction drug Chantix had 2019 revenues of approximately $1 billion. Pfizer’s patent for Chantix is due to expire soon in the U.S. Despite successful sales, Chantix is known to have severe side effects, and its label includes the FDA’s most stringent “black box” warning about serious and potentially lethal side effects. The efficacy of Chantix is reported at approximately 23% demonstrating, we believe, the need for a more
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effective drug for nicotine addiction. To summarize, given the high percentage of patients who are not responding to currently available drug therapy for addiction, we believe an effective treatment could represent an annual billion-dollar market opportunity.
IPO dynamics are favorable. According to Capital IQ, in 2020, biotechnology companies raised more than $19 billion in initial public offerings on all major global exchanges, compared to more than $17 billion raised from 2017 to 2019 combined, suggesting market demand for value-creating investments. However, despite the current level of IPO activity, the amount raised by biotech companies in initial public offerings is a fraction of the amount raised in the private market. According to Capital IQ Data, as of January 2021, there are approximately 16,287 biotechnology companies globally, only 1,484 of which are currently publicly traded. Compared to the approximately $38 billion raised in IPOs by the biotech industry from 2016 to 2020, there has been more than $64 billion raised in private offerings during the same period. Therefore, there is a significant pool of private life-sciences companies that are, or will be, looking to go public. We believe these companies will consider going public through a transaction with a special purpose acquisition company (“SPAC”). We believe SPACs provide a particularly appealing go-public option for privately held biotech companies particularly when SPACs like ours provide management and advisors with the ability to enhance the private company’s commercial and regulatory prospects.
Acquisition Strategy
Our acquisition strategy is to identify and acquire an untapped opportunity within our target industry and build a public company. We believe that our management team’s and directors’ experiences in evaluating potential assets, in structuring investments and transactions and in assessing management teams and company infrastructure will enable us to source the highest quality targets. Our selection process will leverage the relationships of our management team with industry captains, leading venture capitalists, private equity and hedge fund managers, respected peers, and our network of investment banking executives, attorneys, and accountants. Together with this network of trusted partners, we intend to capitalize the target business and create purposeful strategic initiatives in order to achieve attractive growth and performance targets.
We will focus on targeting companies in the most innovative subsectors within the broader healthcare complex where emerging technologies in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical technologies are engendering explosive growth in drug development including but not limited to companies focused on addiction, pain, seizure disorder and other neurological disorders for which our team has unique expertise.
Investment Criteria
We intend to focus on companies that possess under-researched and underappreciated asset(s) poised for significant growth once capitalized.
Consistent with our strategy, we have identified the following criteria to evaluate prospective target businesses. Although we may decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet the criteria described below, it is our intention to acquire companies that we believe:
• have a scientific or other competitive advantage in the markets
We intend to seek target companies that have significant competitive advantages and underexploited expansion opportunities that can benefit from access to additional capital as well as our industry relationships and expertise.
• are ready to be public, with strong management, corporate governance and reporting policies in place
We will seek to identify companies with strong and experienced public-ready management teams. Specifically, we will look for management teams that have a proven track record of value creation for their stockholders. We will seek to partner with a potential target’s management team and expect that the operating and investment abilities of our executive team and board will complement their own capabilities.
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• will likely be well received by public investors and are expected to have good access to the public capital markets
We believe that there are a substantial number of potential target businesses with appropriate valuations that can benefit from a public listing and new capital for growth to support significant revenue and earnings growth or to advance clinical programs.
• have significant embedded and/or underexploited growth opportunities of which our team is uniquely positioned to identify and monetize
We intend to seek target companies that have significant and underexploited expansion opportunities. This can be accomplished through a combination of accelerating organic growth and finding attractive add-on acquisition targets. Our management team has significant experience in identifying such targets and in helping target management assess the strategic and financial fit. Similarly, our management has the expertise to assess the likely synergies and a process to help a target integrate acquisitions.
• exhibit unrecognized value or other characteristics that we believe have been misevaluated by the market
We will seek target companies which exhibit value or other characteristics that we believe have been overlooked or misevaluated by the marketplace based on our company-specific analyses and due diligence. For a potential target company, this process will include, among other things, a review and analysis of the company’s capital structure, quality of current or future earnings, preclinical or clinical data, potential for operational improvements, corporate governance, customers, material contracts, and the industry and trends. We intend to leverage the operational experience and disciplined investment approach of our team to identify opportunities to unlock value that our experience in complex situations allows us to pursue.
• will offer attractive risk-adjusted equity returns for our stockholders.
We intend to seek to acquire a target on terms and in a manner that leverage our experience. We expect to evaluate a company based on its potential to successfully achieve regulatory approval and commercialize its product(s). We also expect to evaluate financial returns based on (i) risk-adjusted peak sales potential, (ii) the growth potential of pipeline products and the scientific platform, (iii) the ability to accelerate growth via other options, including through the opportunity for follow-on acquisitions, and (iv) the prospects for creating value through other initiatives. Potential upside, for example, from the growth in the target business’s earnings or an improved capital structure, will be weighed against any identified downside risks.
Initial Business Combination
We will have until 24 months from the closing of this offering to consummate our initial business combination. If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within such time period, we will, as promptly as possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem 100% of our outstanding public shares for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the trust account, including a pro rata portion of any interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, and then seek to dissolve and liquidate. However, we may not be able to distribute such amounts as a result of claims of creditors which may take priority over the claims of our public stockholders. In the event of our dissolution and liquidation, the public warrants will expire and will be worthless.
We will either (1) seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination at a meeting called for such purpose, at which stockholders may seek to convert their shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination, into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), or (2) provide our stockholders with the opportunity to sell their shares to us by means of a tender offer (and thereby avoid the need for a stockholder vote) for an amount equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), in each case subject to the limitations described herein. The decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of our proposed business combination or allow stockholders to sell their shares to us in a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would otherwise require us to seek stockholder approval. Any tender offer documents used in connection with a business combination will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules.
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The initial per public share redemption or conversion price will be $10.00 per share, regardless of whether the over-allotment option is exercised. However, we may not be able to distribute such amounts as a result of claims of creditors which may take priority over the claims of our public stockholders.
Pursuant to the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market, our initial business combination must occur with one or more target businesses having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriter’s fees and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account), which we refer to as the 80% test, at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial business combination. Therefore, the fair market value of the target business will be calculated prior to any conversions of our shares in connection with a business combination and therefore will be a minimum of $80,000,000 (or $92,000,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) in order to satisfy the 80% test. While the fair market value of the target business must satisfy the 80% test, the consideration we pay the owners of the target business may be a combination of cash (whether cash from the trust account or cash from a debt or equity financing transaction that closes concurrently with the business combination) or our equity securities. The exact nature and amount of consideration would be determined based on negotiations with the target business, although we will attempt to primarily use our equity as transaction consideration. If our board is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. We will also obtain a fairness opinion from an independent investment banking firm before consummating a business combination with an entity affiliated with any of our officers, directors or insiders. If we are no longer listed on Nasdaq, we will not be required to satisfy the 80% test.
We anticipate structuring our initial business combination so that the post-transaction company in which our public stockholders own shares will own or acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial business combination such that the post-transaction company owns less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or stockholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise owns a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our stockholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our stockholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% test.
Our sponsor (or its designees) has agreed to enter into a contingent forward purchase agreement with us, pursuant to which it will have an option to purchase, in its sole discretion, an aggregate of up to 1,000,000 of our shares of common stock (for $10.00 per share or up to $10,000,000 in the aggregate) in a private placement to occur simultaneously with the consummation of our initial business combination. The funds from any such sale may be used as part of the consideration to the sellers in our initial business combination, and any excess capital from such private placement would be used for working capital in the post-transaction company. As a result, the equity interest of investors in this offering in the combined company may be diluted and the market prices for our securities may be adversely affected. In addition, if the per share trading price of our shares of common stock is greater than the price per share paid in the private placement, the private placement will result in value dilution to you, in addition to the immediate dilution that you will experience in connection with the consummation of this offering. See “Dilution.”
As more fully discussed in “Management — Conflicts of Interest,” if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a 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. All of our officers, directors and director nominees currently have certain relevant pre-existing fiduciary duties or contractual obligations.
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We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period until we are no longer an “emerging growth company.”
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the 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. References herein to “emerging growth company” shall have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act.
Private Placements
In January 2021, our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 2,875,000 shares of our common stock for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $25,000, or approximately $0.009 per share. The 2,875,000 insider shares held or controlled by our insiders include an aggregate of up to 375,000 shares subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part, so that our insiders will collectively own or control 20.0% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering.
The insider shares are identical to the shares of common stock included in the units being sold in this offering. However, our insiders have agreed (A) to vote their insider shares, private shares and any public shares acquired in or after this offering in favor of any proposed business combination, (B) not to propose, or vote in favor of, an amendment to our certificate of incorporation that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of common stock upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, net of taxes payable, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, (C) not to convert any shares (including the insider shares) into the right to receive cash from the trust account in connection with a stockholder vote to approve our proposed initial business combination (or sell any shares they hold to us in a tender offer in connection with a proposed initial business combination) or a vote to amend the provisions of our certificate of incorporation relating to the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, and (D) that the insider shares shall not be entitled to be redeemed for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the trust account if a business combination is not consummated.
On the date of this prospectus, the insider shares will be placed into an escrow account maintained in New York, New York by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as escrow agent. Subject to certain limited exceptions, 50% of these shares will not be transferred, assigned, sold or released from escrow until the earlier of six months after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination and the date on which the closing price of our common stock equals or exceeds $12.50 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations and recapitalizations) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after our initial business combination and the remaining 50% of the insider shares will not be transferred, assigned, sold or released from escrow until six months after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination, or earlier, in either case, if, subsequent to our initial business combination, we complete a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common
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stock for cash, securities or other property. The limited exceptions referred to above include (1) transfers among the insiders, to our officers, directors, advisors and employees, (2) transfers to an insider’s affiliates or its members upon its liquidation, (3) transfers to relatives and trusts for estate planning purposes, (4) transfers by virtue of the laws of descent and distribution upon death, (5) transfers pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order, (6) private sales made at prices no greater than the price at which the securities were originally purchased or (7) transfers to us for cancellation in connection with the consummation of an initial business combination, in each case (except for clause 7) where the transferee agrees to the terms of the escrow agreement and forfeiture, as the case may be, as well as the other applicable restrictions and agreements of the holders of the insider shares.
Altamont Pharma Sponsor, LLC, our sponsor, has committed to purchase an aggregate of 8,000,000 private warrants (or 8,600,000 warrants if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $0.50 per warrant, for a total purchase price of $4,000,000 (or $4,300,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. The proceeds from the private placement of the private warrants will be added to the proceeds of this offering and placed in the trust account.
The private warrants are identical to the warrants sold in this offering, except that the private warrants will be non-redeemable and may be exercised on a cashless basis, in each case so long as they continue to be held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees. Additionally, Altamont Pharma Sponsor, LLC has agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private warrants or underlying securities (except to the same permitted transferees as the insider shares and provided the transferees agree to the same terms and restrictions as the permitted transferees of the insider shares must agree to, each as described above) until the completion of our initial business combination.
Our executive office is located at 600 Congress Avenue, 14th Floor, Austin, TX 78701 and our telephone number is (512) 759-6267.
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The Offering
In making your decision on whether to invest in our securities, you should take into account not only the backgrounds of the members of our management team, but also the special risks we face as a blank check company and the fact that this offering is not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act. You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings. You should carefully consider these and the other risks set forth in the section below entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 27 of this prospectus.
Securities offered | | 10,000,000 Units, at $10.00 per unit, each unit consisting of one share of common stock and one warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one half share of our common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus. |
Proposed Nasdaq symbols | | We anticipate the units, and the shares of common stock and warrants once they begin separate trading, will be listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “[•],” “[•]” and “[•],” respectively. |
Trading commencement and separate trading of common stock and warrants | |
The units will begin trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. Each of the common stock and warrants may trade separately on the 90th day after the date of this prospectus unless Chardan determines that an earlier date is acceptable (based upon, among other things, its assessment of the relative strengths of the securities markets and small capitalization companies in general, and the trading pattern of, and demand for, our securities in particular). In no event will Chardan allow separate trading of the common stock and warrants until we file an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds at the closing of this offering. Once the shares of common stock and warrants commence separate trading, holders will have the option to continue to hold units or separate their units into the component pieces. Holders will need to have their brokers contact our transfer agent in order to separate the units into shares of common stock and warrants. We will file a Current Report on Form 8-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, including an audited balance sheet, promptly following the closing of this offering, which is anticipated to take place three business days from the date the units commence trading. The audited balance sheet will reflect our receipt of the proceeds from the exercise of the over-allotment option if the over-allotment option is exercised on the date of this prospectus. If the over-allotment option is exercised after the date of this prospectus, we will file an amendment to the Form 8-K or a new Form 8-K to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the over-allotment option. We will also include in the Form 8-K, or amendment thereto, or in a subsequent Form 8-K, information indicating if Chardan has allowed separate trading of the common stock and warrants prior to the 90th day after the date of this prospectus.
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Units: | | |
Number outstanding before this offering | | 0 |
Number outstanding after this offering | | 10,000,000(1) |
Shares of common stock: | | |
Number outstanding before this offering | | 2,875,000(2) |
Number to be outstanding after this offering | | 12,500,000(3) |
Warrants: | | |
Number outstanding before this offering | | 0 |
Number of private warrants to be sold in a private placement simultaneously with this offering | | 8,000,000 |
Number to be outstanding after this offering and sale of private warrants | | 18,000,000 |
Exercisability | | Each public warrant and private warrant is exercisable to purchase one half share of our common stock. |
Exercise price of public warrants and private warrants | | $11.50 per share, subject to adjustments as described herein. |
Exercise Period | | The warrants will become exercisable on the later of: |
| | • 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, and |
| | • 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 common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available (or we permit holders to exercise their public warrants or private warrants on a cashless basis under the circumstances specified in the warrant agreement). |
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| | We have agreed to use our best efforts to file and have an effective registration statement covering the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants, to maintain a current prospectus relating to those shares of common stock until the warrants expire or are redeemed, and to register the shares of common stock that are issuable upon exercise of the public warrants and private warrants under state blue sky laws, to the extent an exemption is not available. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a registration statement covering the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the public warrants and private warrants has not been declared effective by the 90th business day following the closing of our initial business combination and during any period when we shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, public warrant and private warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement, exercise the public warrants and private warrants on a cashless basis pursuant to the exemption provided by Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act. |
| | The public and private 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. |
Redemption of warrants | | Once the warrants become exercisable, we may redeem the outstanding warrants: |
| | • in whole or 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 common stock equals or exceeds $16.50 per share 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 an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is effective and a current prospectus relating to those shares of 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 exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. |
| | 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 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 common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of 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 closing price of the 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. Please see the section entitled “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Stockholders’ Warrants” for additional information. |
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| | None of the private warrants will be redeemable by us so long as they are held by the initial purchasers of the private warrants or any of their permitted transferees. |
Offering proceeds to be held in the trust account | | $100,000,000 (or $115,000,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) of the net proceeds of this offering and the proceeds we will receive from the sale of the private warrants, or $10.00 per unit sold to the public in this offering, will be placed in a trust account in the United States maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee pursuant to an agreement to be signed on the date of this prospectus. These proceeds include $3,500,000 (or $4,025,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in deferred underwriting commissions which will be paid to the underwriters upon the closing of a business combination. The remainder of the net proceeds of this offering will not be held in the trust account.
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| | Except as set forth below, the proceeds held in the trust account will not be released until the earlier of: (1) the completion of our initial business combination within the required time period and (2) our redemption of 100% of the outstanding public shares if we have not completed a business combination in the required time period. Therefore, unless and until our initial business combination is consummated, the proceeds held in the trust account will not be available for our use for any expenses related to this offering or expenses which we may incur related to the investigation and selection of a target business and the negotiation of an agreement in connection with our initial business combination. |
| | Notwithstanding the foregoing, there can be released to us from the trust account any interest earned on the funds in the trust account that we need to pay our income or other tax obligations. With this exception, expenses incurred by us may be paid prior to a business combination only from the net proceeds of this offering not held in the trust account of approximately $1,000,000; provided, however, that in order to meet our working capital needs following the consummation of this offering, if the funds not held in the trust account are insufficient, our insiders or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion. Each loan would be evidenced by a promissory note. The notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $1,000,000 of the notes may be converted upon consummation of our business combination into additional private warrants at a price of $0.50 per warrant. Our stockholders have approved the issuance of the private warrants upon conversion of such notes, to the extent the holder wishes to so convert such notes at the time of the consummation of our initial business combination. If we do not complete a business combination, any other outstanding loans from our insiders or their affiliates, will be repaid only from amounts remaining outside our trust account, if any. |
Private placement at initial business combination | | Our sponsor (or its designees) has agreed to enter into a contingent forward purchase agreement with us, pursuant to which it will have an option to purchase, in its sole discretion, an aggregate of up to 1,000,000 of our shares of common stock (for $10.00 per share or up to $10,000,000 in the aggregate) in a private placement to occur simultaneously with the consummation of our initial business combination. The funds from any such sale may be used as part of the consideration to the sellers in our initial business combination, and any excess capital from such private placement would be used for working capital in the post-transaction company.
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Insider Shares | | Our insiders purchased an aggregate of 2,875,000 shares of our common stock for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $25,000, or approximately $0.009 per share. The 2,875,000 insider shares held or controlled by our insiders include an aggregate of up to 375,000 shares subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part, so that our insiders will collectively own or control 20.0% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering. The purchase price of the insider shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash contributed to the company by the number of insider shares issued. If we increase or decrease the size of the offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, we will effect a stock dividend or share contribution back to capital, as applicable, immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of our stockholders prior to this offering at 20.0% of the number of shares outstanding after this offering. Our insiders will collectively beneficially own approximately 20.0% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering (not including the private warrants and assuming our insiders do not purchase any public units in this offering). Up to 375,000 insider shares will be subject to forfeiture by our insiders (and/or their permitted transferees) depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. |
| | The insider shares are identical to the shares of common stock included in the units being sold in this offering, except that: |
| | • the insider shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below; |
| | • our insiders have entered into letter agreements with us, pursuant to which they have agreed (i) to waive their conversion rights with respect to their insider shares and any public shares they purchase in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) to waive their redemption rights with respect to their insider shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering (although they will be entitled to redemption rights with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our business combination within the prescribed time frame); and |
| | • If we submit our initial business combination to our public stockholders for a vote, our insiders have agreed to vote their insider shares, private shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination. |
Transfer restrictions on insider shares | | Our insiders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the insider shares (except to certain permitted transferees) until, with respect to 50% of the insider shares, the earlier of six months after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination and the date on which the closing price of our common stock equals or exceeds $12.50 per share for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period following the consummation of our initial business combination and, with respect to the remaining 50% of the insider shares, six months after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination, or earlier in each case if, subsequent to our initial business combination, we complete a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property. The insider shares will be held in escrow with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company during the period in which they are subject to the transfer restrictions described above.
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Private warrants | | Altamont Pharma Sponsor, LLC has committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase an aggregate of 8,000,000 private warrants (or 8,600,000 warrants if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), for a total purchase price of $4,000,000 (or $4,300,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. The purchase price of the private warrants will be added to the proceeds from this offering to pay for the expenses of this offering and to be held in the trust account. If we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, the proceeds of the sale of the private warrants will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law) and the private warrants will be worthless. |
Limited payments to insiders | | There will be no fees, reimbursements or other cash payments paid to our insiders or any of the members of our management team prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the consummation of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is) other than: |
| | • repayment at the closing of this offering of non-interest bearing loans in an amount of $300,000; |
| | • payment of $10,000 per month to Altamont Pharma Sponsor, LLC for office space and related services; |
| | • reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by insiders or any their affiliates in connection with certain activities on our behalf, such as identifying and investigating possible business targets and business combinations; and |
| | • repayment of loans which may be made by our insiders or any of their affiliates to finance transaction costs in connection with an initial business combination, the terms of which have not been determined. |
| | There is no limit on the amount of out-of-pocket expenses reimbursable by us; provided, however, that to the extent such expenses exceed the available proceeds not deposited in the trust account, such expenses would not be reimbursed by us unless we consummate an initial business combination. We have no policy which prohibits our insiders or any member of our management team from negotiating the reimbursement of such expenses by a target business. Our audit committee will review and approve all reimbursements and payments made to any insider or member of our management team, or our or their respective affiliates, and any reimbursements and payments made to members of our audit committee will be reviewed and approved by our Board of Directors, with any interested director abstaining from such review and approval. |
Potential revisions to agreements with insiders | | We could seek to amend certain agreements made by our management team disclosed in this prospectus without the approval of stockholders, although we have no intention to do so. For example, restrictions on our executives relating to the voting of securities owned by them, the agreement of our management team to remain with us until the closing of a business combination, the obligation of our management team to not propose certain changes to our organizational documents or the obligation of the management team and its affiliates to not receive any compensation in connection with a business combination could be modified without obtaining stockholder approval. Although stockholders would not be given the opportunity to redeem their shares in connection with such changes, in no event would we be able to modify the redemption or liquidation rights of our stockholders without permitting our stockholders the right to redeem their shares in connection with any such change. We will not agree to any such changes unless we believed that such changes were in the best interests of our stockholders (for example, if such a modification were necessary to complete a business combination).
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Stockholder approval of, or tender offer in connection with, initial business combination | |
In connection with any proposed initial business combination, we will either (1) seek stockholder approval of such initial business combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which stockholders may seek to convert their shares into the right to receive cash from the trust account, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination; or (2) provide our stockholders with the opportunity to sell their shares to us by means of a tender offer (and thereby avoid the need for a stockholder vote) for an amount equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), in each case subject to the limitations described herein. The decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of our proposed business combination or allow stockholders to sell their shares to us in a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would otherwise require us to seek stockholder approval. If we provide stockholders with the opportunity to sell their shares to us by means of a tender offer, we will file tender offer documents with the SEC which will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules. If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, we will consummate the business combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the business combination.
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| | In addition, we will not consummate our initial business combination if public stockholders exercise conversion rights in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 (so that this offering is not subject to Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act) or if we do not satisfy 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 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 business combination. In the event the aggregate cash consideration needed to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceeds the aggregate amount of cash available to us (including any cash we may obtain from financing from third parties or our insiders or their affiliates, which may not be available on terms acceptable to us or at all), we will not complete the business combination (as we may be required to have a lesser number of shares converted). As a result, we may not be able to locate another suitable target within the applicable time period, if at all. However, if we seek stockholder approval of a business combination and if a significant number of public stockholders properly seek to convert their public shares in connection with a proposed business combination, we or our insiders or their affiliates could purchase some or all of such shares in the open market or in private transactions in order to seek to satisfy the cash conditions. However, 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. No funds from the trust account can be released from the trust account prior to the consummation of a business combination to make such purchases (although such purchases could be made using funds available to us after the closing of a business combination). 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. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we or our insiders and their affiliates will not make purchases of shares of common stock if the purchases would violate Sections 9(a)(2) or 10(b) of the Exchange Act or Regulation M, which are rules that prohibit manipulation of a company’s stock, and we and they will comply with Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act in connection with any open-market purchases. If purchases cannot be made without violating applicable law, no such purchases will be made. |
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| | Our insiders have agreed (A) to vote their insider shares, private shares and any public shares acquired in or after this offering in favor of any proposed business combination, (B) not to propose, or vote in favor of, an amendment to our certificate of incorporation that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of common stock upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, (C) not to convert any shares (including the insider shares and private shares) into the right to receive cash from the trust account in connection with a stockholder vote to approve our proposed initial business combination (or sell any shares they hold to us in a tender offer in connection with a proposed initial business combination) or a vote to amend the provisions of our certificate of incorporation relating to the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering and (D) that the insider shares and private shares shall not be entitled to be redeemed for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the trust account if a business combination is not consummated. Depending on how a business combination was structured, any stockholder approval requirement could be satisfied by obtaining the approval of either (i) a majority of the shares of our common stock that were voted at the meeting (assuming a quorum was present at the meeting), or (ii) a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock. Because our insiders will collectively beneficially own approximately 20.0% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock (not including the private warrants and assuming our insiders do not purchase any units in this offering) upon consummation of this offering, a minimum of approximately 625,001 public shares, or 6.3% of the outstanding shares of our common stock (if the approval requirement was a majority of shares voted and the minimum number of shares required for a quorum attended the meeting and assuming the over-allotment option has not been exercised and an aggregate of 375,000 insider shares have been forfeited as a result thereof), would need to be voted in favor of a business combination in order for it to be approved. |
| | None of our insiders, director nominees or their affiliates has committed to purchase units in this offering or any units or shares of common stock in the open market or in private transactions. However, if a significant number of stockholders vote, or indicate an intention to vote, against a proposed business combination, our insiders or their affiliates could make such purchases in the open market or in private transactions in order to influence the vote. Notwithstanding the foregoing, our insiders and their affiliates will not make purchases of shares of common stock if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. |
Conditions to completing our initial business combination | |
There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds privately or through loans in connection with our initial business combination. Our initial business combination must occur with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriter’s fees and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial business combination. If we are no longer listed on Nasdaq, we will not be required to satisfy the 80% test.
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| | If our board is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we may obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking or accounting firm as to the fair market value of the target business. We will complete our initial business combination only if the post-transaction company in which our public stockholders own shares will own or acquire 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 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our stockholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post business combination company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination transaction. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% test, provided that in the event that the business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses. |
Conversion rights | | In connection with a business combination, public stockholders will have the right to convert their shares into an amount equal to (1) the number of public shares being converted by such public holder divided by the total number of public shares multiplied by (2) the amount then in the trust account (initially $10.00 per share), which includes the deferred underwriting commission, plus a pro rata portion of any interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us or necessary to pay our taxes. At any meeting called to approve an initial business combination, public stockholders may elect to convert their share regardless of whether or not they vote to approve the business combination. |
| | As described above under “— Stockholder approval of, or tender offer in connection with, initial business combination —,” we will consummate our initial business combination only if public stockholders do not exercise conversion rights in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 (so that this offering is not subject to Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act). As a result, if stockholders owning approximately 93.6% (or approximately 94.5% if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) or more of the shares of common stock sold in this offering exercise conversion rights, the business combination will not be consummated. However, the actual percentages will only be able to be determined once a target business is located and we can assess all of the assets and liabilities of the combined company upon consummation of the proposed business combination (which would include the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions payable to Chardan in an amount equal to 3.5% of the total gross proceeds raised in the offering as described elsewhere in this prospectus, any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by our insiders or their affiliates in connection with certain activities on our behalf, such as identifying and investigating possible business targets and business combinations that have not been repaid at that time, as well as any other liabilities of ours and the liabilities of the target business). As a result, the actual percentages of shares that can be converted may be significantly lower than our estimates. In addition, in order to satisfy any greater net tangible asset or cash condition which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination, we may not be able to consummate a business combination unless the number of shares of common stock seeking conversion rights is significantly less than the 93.6% (or 94.5% if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) indicated above. As a result, we may not be able to consummate such initial business combination and we may not be able to locate another suitable target within the applicable time period, if at all. |
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| | Notwithstanding the foregoing, a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of his or hers, or any other person with whom he or she is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking conversion rights with respect to 20% or more of the shares of common stock sold in this offering without our prior written consent. We believe this restriction will prevent an individual stockholder or “group” from accumulating large blocks of shares before the vote held to approve a proposed business combination and attempt to use the conversion right as a means to force us or our management to purchase its shares at a significant premium to the then current market price. By not allowing a stockholder to convert more than 20% of the shares of common stock sold in this offering, we believe we have limited the ability of a small group of stockholders to unreasonably attempt to block a transaction which is favored by our other public stockholders. |
| | We may require public stockholders seeking to convert their shares in connection with a stockholder vote on a business combination, whether they are a record holder or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option, at least two business days prior to the vote on the initial business combination (a tender of shares is always required in connection with a tender offer). The requirement for physical or electronic delivery prior to the meeting ensures that a holder’s election to convert his or her shares is irrevocable once the business combination is approved. There is a nominal cost associated with this tendering process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC system. The transfer agent will typically charge the tendering broker $45 and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the converting holder. However, this fee would be incurred regardless of whether or not we require holders to deliver their shares prior to the vote on the business combination in order to exercise conversion rights. This is because a holder would need to deliver shares to exercise conversion rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated. However, in the event we require stockholders to deliver their shares prior to the vote on the proposed business combination and the proposed business combination is not consummated, this may result in an increased cost to stockholders. |
Release of funds in trust account on closing of our initial business combination | |
On the completion of our initial business combination, all amounts held in the trust account will be released to us. We will use these funds to pay amounts due to any public stockholders who exercise their conversion rights as described above under “— Conversion rights,” to pay the underwriters their deferred underwriting commissions, to pay all or a portion of the consideration payable to the target or targets or owners of the target or targets of our initial business combination and to pay other expenses associated with our initial business combination. If our initial business combination is paid for using stock 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.
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Liquidation if no business combination | | If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the outstanding public shares for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the trust account, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining holders of common stock and our Board of Directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject (in the case of (ii) and (iii) above) to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.
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| | In connection with our redemption of 100% of our outstanding public shares, each holder will receive an amount equal to (1) the number of public shares being converted by such public holder divided by the total number of public shares multiplied by (2) the amount then in the trust account (initially $10.00 per share), which includes the deferred underwriting commission, plus a pro rata portion of any interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us or necessary to pay our taxes (subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors). Holders of warrants will receive no proceeds in connection with the liquidation with respect to such warrants, which will expire worthless. |
| | The proceeds deposited in the trust account could, however, become subject to claims of our creditors that are in preference to the claims of our stockholders. We may not have funds sufficient to pay or provide for all creditors’ claims. Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers (excluding our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public stockholders, 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. The underwriters 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. In order to protect the amounts held in the trust account, our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a vendor for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amounts in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share and |
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| | (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 $10.00 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case less taxes payable, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third-party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account nor will it apply to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. In the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third-party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. However, we have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and we believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties, including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses. |
| | In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below the lesser of (i) $10.00 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 $10.00 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case less taxes payable, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its 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 sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so in any particular instance. 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 $10.00 per share. |
| | 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 $10.00 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, and 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. |
| | The holders of the insider shares and private warrants will not participate in any redemption with respect to their insider shares or private warrants. |
| | If we are unable to conclude our initial business combination and we expend all of the net proceeds of this offering not deposited in the trust account, without taking into account any interest earned on the trust account, we expect that the initial per-share redemption price will be approximately $10.00. However, if there are claims of creditors that take priority over the claims of our public stockholders that are not indemnified by our sponsor, the amount we distribute could be less than $10.00 per share. |
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| | We will pay the costs of any liquidation following the redemptions from our remaining assets outside of the trust account. If such funds are insufficient, our insiders have agreed to pay the funds necessary to complete such liquidation (currently anticipated to be no more than approximately $15,000) and have agreed not to seek repayment for such expenses. |
| | The underwriters have agreed to waive their rights to the deferred underwriting commissions held in the trust account in the event we do not consummate a business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering and in such event, such amounts will be included with the funds held in the trust account that will be available to fund the redemption of our public shares. |
Risks
We are a newly formed company that has conducted no operations and has generated no revenues. Until we complete our initial business combination, we will have no operations and will generate no operating revenues. In making your decision whether to invest in our securities, you should take into account not only the background of our management team, but also the special risks and competitive disadvantages we face as a blank check company. For example, our management team is not experienced in pursuing business combinations on behalf of blank check companies; we have limited technical, human and financial resources; and we may experience delays in completing a business combination due to our obligation to allow our public shareholders to redeem their shares. This offering is not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act. Accordingly, you will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings. For additional information concerning how Rule 419 blank check offerings differ from this offering, please see “Proposed Business — Comparison to offerings of blank check companies subject to Rule 419.” You should carefully consider these and the other risks set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 27 of this prospectus.
Summary of Risk Factors
An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. The occurrence of one or more of the events or circumstances described in the section titled “Risk Factors,” alone or in combination with other events or circumstances, may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. Such risks include, but are not limited to:
• We are a newly formed early stage company with no operating history and no revenues, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.
• If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may be forced to wait up to 24 months or longer before receiving distributions from our trust account.
• 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 and the status of debt and equity markets.
• Our public stockholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed business combination, which means we may consummate our initial business combination even though a majority of our stockholders do not support such a combination.
• Your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination may be limited to the exercise of your right to redeem your shares from us for cash.
• Management’s flexibility in identifying and selecting a prospective acquisition candidate, along with our management’s financial interest in consummating our initial business combination, may lead management to enter into an acquisition agreement that is not in the best interest of our stockholders.
• Certain of our officers and directors are 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.
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• 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 a business combination with a target.
• If we seek stockholder approval of our business combination, our co-sponsors, directors, officers and their affiliates may elect to purchase shares from stockholders, in which case they may influence a vote in favor of a proposed business combination that you do not support.
• The ability of our public stockholders to exercise their redemption rights may not allow us to effectuate the most desirable business combination or optimize our capital structure.
• The requirement that we complete our initial business combination within 18 months (or 24 months, as applicable) from the closing of this offering may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating our initial business combination.
• If we seek stockholder approval of our business combination, our co-sponsors, directors, officers and their affiliates may elect to purchase shares from stockholders, in which case they may influence a vote in favor of a proposed business combination that you do not support.
• You will not have any rights or interests in funds from the trust account, except under certain limited circumstances. Therefore, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares, potentially at a loss.
• Our securities may not continue to be listed on the Nasdaq in the future, which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.
• You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of many other blank check companies.
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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.
| | January 29, 2021 |
| | Actual | | As Adjusted(1) |
Balance Sheet Data: | | | | | | | |
Working capital (deficiency) | | $ | (54,799 | ) | | $ | 97,524,000 |
Total assets | | $ | 103,799 | | | $ | 101,024,000 |
Total liabilities(2) | | $ | 79,799 | | | $ | 3,500,000 |
Value of common stock subject to possible conversion/tender(3) | | $ | — | | | $ | 92,523,990 |
Stockholders’ equity | | $ | 24,000 | | | $ | 5,000,010 |
The “as adjusted” column 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 upon consummation of this offering and upon consummation of our initial business combination.
The “as adjusted” working capital amount includes the $100,000,000 (without exercise of over-allotment option) to be held in the trust account, excluding the deferred underwriting commission of $3,500,000 to be held in the trust account, which, except for limited situations described in this prospectus, will be available to us only upon the consummation of our initial business combination within the time period described in this prospectus, plus the $1,000,000 held outside the trust account, plus $24,000 of actual stockholders’ equity at January 29, 2021. The “as adjusted” total assets amount includes the $100,000,000 (without exercise of over-allotment option) to be held in the trust account, plus the approximately $1,000,000 held outside the trust account, plus $24,000 of actual stockholders’ equity at January 29, 2021. If our initial business combination is not so consummated, the trust account, less amounts we are permitted to withdraw as described in this prospectus, will be distributed solely to our public stockholders (subject to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors).
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RISK FACTORS
An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully all of the risks described below, which we believe represent the material risks related to the offering, 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. This prospectus also contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements as a result of specific factors, including the risks described below.
Risks Associated with Our Business
We are a newly formed early stage company with no operating history and, accordingly, you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.
We are a newly formed early stage 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, which is to complete our initial business combination with one or more target businesses. We have not engaged in any substantive discussions and we have no plans, arrangements or understandings with any prospective target business concerning a business combination and may be unable to complete our business combination. If we fail to complete our business combination, we will never generate any operating revenues.
If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination, our public stockholders may be forced to wait more than 24 months before receiving distributions from the trust account.
We will have until 24 months from the closing of this offering to consummate our initial business combination. We have no obligation to return funds to investors prior to such date unless we consummate our initial business combination prior thereto and only then in cases where investors have sought to convert their shares. Only after the expiration of this full time period will holders of our common stock be entitled to distributions from the trust account if we are unable to complete our initial business combination. Accordingly, investors’ funds may be unavailable to them until after such date and to liquidate your investment, public security holders may be forced to sell their public shares, potentially at a loss.
Our public stockholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed business combination.
We will either (1) seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which public stockholders may seek to convert their shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination, into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), or (2) provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to sell their shares to us by means of a tender offer (and thereby avoid the need for a stockholder vote) for an amount equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, in each case subject to the limitations described elsewhere in this prospectus. Accordingly, it is possible that we will consummate our initial business combination even if holders of a majority of our public shares do not approve of the business combination. The decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed business combination or will allow stockholders to sell their shares to us in a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would otherwise require us to seek stockholder approval. For instance, Nasdaq rules currently allow us to engage in a tender offer in lieu of a stockholder meeting but would still require us to obtain stockholder approval if we were seeking to issue more than 20% of our outstanding shares to a target business as consideration in any business combination. Therefore, if we were structuring a business combination that required us to issue more than 20% of our outstanding shares, we would seek stockholder approval of such business combination instead of conducting a tender offer.
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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 and the status of debt and equity markets.
The COVID-19 outbreak has resulted, and a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases could result, in a widespread health crisis that has affected, or 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. Furthermore, we may be unable to complete a business combination if concerns relating to COVID-19 continue to 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. In addition, our ability to consummate a transaction may be dependent on the ability to raise equity and debt financing which may be impacted by COVID-19 and other events, including as a result of increased market volatility, decreased market liquidity and third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to us or at all.
You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of blank check companies.
Since the net proceeds of this offering are intended to be used to complete our initial business combination with a target business that has not been identified, we may be deemed to be a “blank check” company under the United States securities laws. However, since we will have net tangible assets in excess of $5,000,001 upon the successful consummation of this offering 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 of blank check companies such as Rule 419. Accordingly, investors will not be afforded the benefits or protections of those rules which would, for example, completely restrict the transferability of our securities, require us to complete our initial business combination within 24 months of the effective date of the initial registration statement and restrict the use of interest earned on the funds held in the trust account. Because we are not subject to Rule 419, our units will be immediately tradable, we will be entitled to withdraw amounts from the funds held in the trust account prior to the completion of our initial business combination and we may have a longer period of time to complete such a business combination than we would if we were subject to such rule.
If we determine to amend certain agreements made by our management team, many of the disclosures contained in this prospectus regarding those agreements would no longer apply.
We could seek to amend certain agreements with our management team disclosed in this prospectus without the approval of our stockholders, although we have no current intention to do so. For example, restrictions on our executives relating to the voting of securities owned by them, the agreement of our management team to remain with us until the closing of a business combination, the obligation of our management team to not propose certain changes to our organizational documents or the obligation of the management team and its affiliates to not receive any compensation in connection with a business combination could be modified without obtaining stockholder approval. Although stockholders would not be given the opportunity to redeem their shares in connection with such changes, in no event would we be able to modify the redemption or liquidation rights of our stockholders without permitting our stockholders the right to redeem their shares in connection with any such change. We will not agree to any such changes unless we believed that such changes were in the best interests of our stockholders (for example, if such a modification were necessary to complete a business combination).
If we deviate from the acquisition criteria or guidelines set forth in this prospectus, investors in this offering may have rescission rights or may bring an action for damages against us or we could be subject to civil or criminal actions taken by governmental authorities.
If we were to elect to deviate from the acquisition criteria or guidelines set forth in this prospectus, each person who purchased units in this offering and still held such securities upon learning of the facts relating to the deviation may seek rescission of the purchase of the units he or she acquired in the offering (under which a successful claimant
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has the right to receive the total amount paid for his or her securities pursuant to an allegedly deficient prospectus, plus interest and less any income earned on the securities, in exchange for surrender of the securities) or bring an action for damages against us (compensation for loss on an investment caused by alleged material misrepresentations or omissions in the sale of a security). In such event, we could also be subject to civil or criminal actions taken by governmental authorities. For instance, the SEC can seek injunctions under Section 20(b) of the Securities Act if it believes a violation under the Securities Act has occurred or is imminent. The SEC can also seek civil penalties under Sections 20(d) and 24 if a party has violated the Securities Act or an injunctive action taken by the SEC or if a party willfully, in a registration statement filed under the Securities Act, makes any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. Furthermore, Section 20 allows the SEC to refer matters to the attorney general to bring criminal penalties against an issuer.
We may issue shares of our capital stock to complete our initial business combination, which would reduce the equity interest of our stockholders and likely cause a change in control of our ownership.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation currently authorizes the issuance of up to 100,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share. Immediately after this offering and the purchase of the private warrants (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option), there will be approximately 90,000,000 authorized but unissued shares of common stock available for issuance (after appropriate reservation for the issuance of the shares underlying the public warrants and private warrants issuable upon consummation of our initial business combination). Although we have no commitment as of the date of this offering, we may issue a substantial number of additional shares of common stock to complete our initial business combination. The issuance of additional shares of common stock:
• may significantly reduce the equity interest of investors in this offering;
• may subordinate the rights of holders of shares of common stock if we issue shares of preferred stock with rights senior to those afforded to our shares of common stock;
• may cause a change in control if a substantial number of shares of common stock are issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and could result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors; and
• may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our shares of common stock.
We may issue notes or other debt securities, or otherwise incur substantial debt, to complete a business combination, which may adversely affect our leverage and financial condition and thus negatively impact the value of our stockholders’ investment in us.
Although we have no commitments as of the date of this prospectus to issue any notes or other debt securities, or to otherwise incur outstanding debt, we may choose to incur substantial debt to complete our business combination. However, the incurrence of debt could have a variety of negative effects, including:
• default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after our initial business combination are insufficient to repay our debt obligations;
• acceleration of our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we make all principal and interest payments when due if we breach certain covenants that require the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant;
• our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt security is payable on demand;
• our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt security contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt security is outstanding; and
• limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, execution of our strategy and other purposes and other disadvantages compared to our competitors who have less debt.
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We may be limited to the funds held outside of the trust account to fund our search for target businesses, to pay our tax obligations and to complete our initial business combination.
Of the net proceeds of this offering, $1,000,000 is anticipated to be available to us initially outside the trust account to fund our working capital requirements. We may not have sufficient funds available with which to structure, negotiate or close our initial business combination. In such event, we would need to borrow funds from our insiders to operate or may be forced to liquidate. Our insiders are under no obligation to loan us any funds. If we are unable to obtain the funds necessary, we may be forced to cease searching for a target business and may be unable to complete our initial business combination.
We may not have sufficient working capital to cover our operating expenses.
Following the consummation of this offering, the amounts available to us to pay our operating expenses will consist only of the approximately $1,000,000 initially held outside of the trust account. Therefore, if our expenses exceed our estimates, we will not have sufficient funds outside the trust account to cover our expenses. In such event, we would need to borrow funds from our insiders or from third parties to continue to operate. However, our insiders and third parties are under no obligation to loan us any funds. If we are unable to obtain the necessary funds, we may be forced to cease searching for a target business and liquidate without completing our initial business combination.
Reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by our insiders or any of their affiliates in connection with certain activities on our behalf, such as identifying and investigating possible business targets and business combinations, could reduce the funds available to us to consummate a business combination. In addition, an indemnification claim by one or more of our officers and directors in the event that any of them are sued in their capacity as an officer or director could also reduce the funds available to us outside of the trust account.
We may reimburse our insiders or any of their affiliates for out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with certain activities on our behalf, such as identifying and investigating possible business targets and business combinations. There is no limit on the amount of out-of-pocket expenses reimbursable by us; provided that, to the extent such expenses exceed the available proceeds not deposited in the trust account, such expenses would not be reimbursed by us unless we consummate an initial business combination. In addition, pursuant to our certificate of incorporation and Delaware law, we may be required to indemnify our officers and directors in the event that any of them are sued in their capacity as an officer or director. We will also enter into agreements with our officers and directors to provide contractual indemnification in addition to the indemnification provided for in our certificate of incorporation and under Delaware law. In the event that we reimburse our insiders or any of their affiliates for out-of-pocket expenses prior to the consummation of a business combination or are required to indemnify any of our officers or directors pursuant to our certificate of incorporation, Delaware law, or the indemnity agreements that we will enter into with them, we would use funds available to us outside of the trust account for our working capital requirements. Any reduction in the funds available to us could have a material adverse effect on our ability to locate and investigate prospective target businesses and to structure, negotiate, conduct due diligence in connection with or consummate our initial business combination.
If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption price received by stockholders may be less than approximately $10.00.
Our placing of funds in the trust account may not protect those funds from third-party claims against us. Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers (excluding our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public stockholders, such parties may not execute such agreements, or even if they execute such agreements, they may not be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account, including, but not limited to, fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third-party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management will perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will only enter into an agreement with a third-party that has not executed a waiver if management believes that such third-party’s engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative.
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Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third-party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third-party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where management is unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. Upon redemption of our public shares, if we are unable to consummate an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, or upon the exercise of a redemption right in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to provide for payment of claims of creditors that were not waived that may be brought against us within the 10 years following redemption. Accordingly, the per-share redemption amount received by public stockholders could be less than the $10.00 per public share initially held in the trust account, due to claims of such creditors. Pursuant to the letter agreement the form of which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third-party (excluding our independent registered public accounting firm) for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amounts in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public 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 $10.00 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case less taxes payable, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third-party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account 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. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third-party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. However, we have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and we believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties, including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
Our directors may decide not to enforce the indemnification obligations of our sponsor, resulting in a reduction in the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public stockholders.
In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below the lesser of (i) $10.00 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 $10.00 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case less taxes payable, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment and subject to their fiduciary duties may choose not to do so in any particular instance. If our independent directors choose not to enforce these indemnification obligations, the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public stockholders may be reduced below $10.00 per share.
Our stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against us to the extent of distributions received by them.
If we have not completed our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the outstanding public shares for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the trust account, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining holders of common stock and our Board of Directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject (in the case of (ii) and (iii) above) to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. We may not properly assess all claims that may be potentially brought against us. As such, our stockholders could potentially be liable for any claims to the extent of distributions received by them (but no more) and any liability of our stockholders may extend well beyond the third anniversary of the date of distribution. Accordingly, third parties may seek to recover from our stockholders amounts owed to them by us.
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If, after we distribute the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, a bankruptcy court may seek to recover such proceeds, and the members of our Board of Directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties to our creditors, thereby exposing the members of our Board of Directors and us to claims of punitive damages.
If, after we distribute the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by stockholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy laws as either a “preferential transfer” or a “fraudulent conveyance.” As a result, a bankruptcy court could seek to recover all amounts received by our stockholders. In addition, our Board of Directors may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our creditors and/or having acted in bad faith, thereby exposing itself and us to claims of punitive damages, by paying public stockholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors.
If, before distributing the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the claims of creditors in such proceeding may have priority over the claims of our stockholders and the per-share amount that would otherwise be received by our stockholders in connection with our liquidation may be reduced.
If, before distributing the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy law, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our stockholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, the per-share amount that would otherwise be received by our stockholders in connection with our liquidation may be reduced.
Holders of warrants will not have redemption rights.
If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the required time period and we redeem the funds held in the trust account, the warrants will expire and holders will not receive any of the amounts held in the trust account in exchange for such warrants.
Since we have not yet selected a particular industry or target business with which to complete our initial business combination, we are unable to currently ascertain the merits or risks of the industry or business in which we may ultimately operate.
Although we intend to focus our search on target businesses operating in healthcare innovation, we may consummate our initial business combination with a target business in any industry or geographic region we choose and are not limited to any particular industry, type of business or geographic region. Accordingly, there is no current basis for you to evaluate the possible merits or risks of the particular industry in which we may ultimately operate or the target business which we may ultimately consummate our initial business combination. To the extent we complete our initial business combination with a financially unstable company or an entity in its development stage, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business operations of those entities. If we complete our initial business combination with an entity in an industry characterized by a high level of risk, we may be affected by the currently unascertainable risks of that industry. We may not properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. An investment in our shares may not ultimately prove to be more favorable to investors in this offering than a direct investment, if an opportunity were available, in a target business.
The requirement that our initial business combination occur with one or more target businesses having an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the value of the trust account at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination may limit the type and number of companies that we may complete such a business combination with.
Pursuant to the Nasdaq listing rules, our initial business combination must occur with one or more target businesses having an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriter’s fees and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination. This restriction may limit the type and number of companies that we may complete a business combination with. If we are unable to locate a target business or businesses that
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satisfy this fair market value test, we may be forced to liquidate and you will only be entitled to receive your pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account. If we are no longer listed on Nasdaq, we will not be required to satisfy the 80% test.
Our management may not be able to maintain control of a target business after our initial business combination. We cannot provide assurance that, upon loss of control of a target business, new management will possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to profitably operate such business.
We may structure our initial business combination such that the post-transaction company owns less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or stockholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise owns a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our stockholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our stockholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. In addition, other minority stockholders may subsequently combine their holdings resulting in a single person or group obtaining a larger share of the company’s stock than we initially acquired. Accordingly, this may make it more likely that our management will not be able to maintain our control of the target business.
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. While we intend to closely scrutinize any individuals we engage after our initial business combination, our assessment of these individuals may not prove to be correct.
Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination is dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel. We believe that our success depends on the continued service of our key personnel, at least until we have consummated our initial business combination. None of our officers are required to commit any specified amount of time to our affairs (although we expect them to devote approximately 10 hours per week to our business) and, accordingly, they will have conflicts of interest in allocating management time among various business activities, including identifying potential business combinations and monitoring the related due diligence. If our officers’ and directors’ other business affairs require them to devote more substantial amounts of time to their other business activities, it could limit their ability to devote time to our affairs and could have a negative impact on our ability to consummate our initial business combination. In addition, we do not have employment agreements with, or key-man insurance on the life of, any of our officers. The unexpected loss of the services of our key personnel could have a detrimental effect on us.
The role of our key personnel after our initial business combination, however, remains to be determined. Although some of our key personnel serve in senior management or advisory positions following our initial business combination, it is likely that most, if not all, of the management of the target business will remain in place. These individuals may be unfamiliar with the requirements of operating a public company, which could cause us to have to expend time and resources helping them become familiar with such requirements. This could be expensive and time-consuming and could lead to various regulatory issues which may adversely affect our operations.
Our officers and directors may not have significant experience or knowledge regarding the jurisdiction or industry of the target business we may seek to consummate our initial business combination with.
We may consummate a business combination with a target business in any geographic location or industry we choose. Our officers and directors may not have enough experience or sufficient knowledge relating to the jurisdiction of the target or its industry to make an informed decision regarding our initial business combination.
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Our key personnel may negotiate employment or consulting agreements with a target business in connection with a particular business combination. These agreements may provide for them to receive compensation following our initial business combination and, as a result, may cause them to have conflicts of interest in determining whether a particular business combination is the most advantageous.
Our key personnel may be able to remain with the company after the completion of our business combination only if they are able to negotiate employment or consulting agreements in connection with the business combination. Such negotiations would take place simultaneously with the negotiation of the business combination and could provide for such individuals to receive compensation in the form of cash payments and/or our securities for services they would render to us after the completion of the business combination. The personal and financial interests of such individuals may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business.
Our insiders and their affiliates may be owed reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses which may cause them to have conflicts of interest in determining whether a particular business combination is most advantageous.
Our insiders and their affiliates may incur out-of-pocket expenses in connection with certain activities on our behalf, such as identifying and investigating possible business targets and combinations. We have no policy that would prohibit these individuals and their affiliates from negotiating the reimbursement of such expenses by a target business. As a result, the personal and financial interests of such individuals may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business.
Members of our management team and Board of Directors may have affiliations with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.
Members of our management team may have affiliations with companies, including companies that are engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us. Accordingly, they may participate in transactions and have obligations that may be in conflict or competition with our consummation of our initial business combination. As a result, a potential target business may be presented by our management team to another entity prior to its presentation to us and we may not be afforded the opportunity to engage in a transaction with such target business. For a more detailed description of the potential conflicts of interest of our management, see the section titled “Management — Conflicts of Interest.”
We may engage in a business combination with one or more target businesses that have relationships with entities that may be affiliated with our executive officers, directors or insiders, which may raise potential conflicts of interest.
In light of the involvement of our insiders and director nominees with other entities, we may decide to acquire one or more businesses affiliated with our insiders and director nominees. Our directors and director nominees also serve as officers and board members for other entities, including, without limitation, those described under “Management — Conflicts of Interest.” Our insiders and director nominees may not currently be aware of any specific opportunities for us to complete our business combination with any entities with which they are affiliated, and there have been no meaningful discussions concerning a business combination with any such entity or entities. Although we will not be specifically focusing on, or targeting, any transaction with any affiliated entities, we would pursue such a transaction if we determined that such affiliated entity met our criteria for a business combination as set forth in “Proposed Business — Effecting Our Initial Business Combination — Selection of a Target Business and Structuring of Our Initial Business Combination,” such transaction was approved by a majority of our disinterested and independent directors (if we have any at that time), and we obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that the business combination is fair to our unaffiliated stockholders from a financial point of view. Despite our agreement to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm regarding the fairness to our company from a financial point of view of a business combination with one or more domestic or international businesses affiliated with our insiders, potential conflicts of interest still may exist and, as a result, the terms of the business combination may not be as advantageous to our public stockholders as they would be absent any conflicts of interest.
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The shares beneficially owned by our insiders, including our officers and directors, will not participate in a redemption and, therefore, our insiders may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is appropriate for our initial business combination.
Our insiders, including our officers and directors, have waived their right to convert their insider shares and private shares in connection with a business combination and their redemption rights with respect to their insider shares and private shares if we are unable to consummate our initial business combination. Accordingly, these securities will be worthless if we do not consummate our initial business combination. Any warrants they hold, like those held by the public, will also be worthless if we do not consummate an initial business combination. The personal and financial interests of our directors and officers may influence their motivation in timely identifying and selecting a target business and completing a business combination. Consequently, our directors’ and officers’ discretion in identifying and selecting a suitable target business may result in a conflict of interest when determining whether the terms, conditions and timing of a particular business combination are appropriate and in our stockholders’ best interest.
If we are unable to consummate a business combination, any loans made by our insiders, including our officers and directors, or their affiliates would not be repaid, resulting in a potential conflict of interest in determining whether a potential transaction is in our stockholders’ best interest.
In order to meet our working capital needs following the consummation of this offering, our insiders, including our officers and directors, or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion. The loans would be non-interest bearing and would be payable at the consummation of a business combination. If we fail to consummate a business combination within the required time period, the loans would not be repaid. Consequently, our directors and officers may have a conflict of interest in determining whether the terms, conditions and timing of a particular business combination are appropriate and in our stockholders’ best interest.
Nasdaq may delist our securities from quotation on its exchange, which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.
We anticipate that our securities will be listed on Nasdaq, a national securities exchange, upon consummation of this offering. 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 Nasdaq prior to our initial business combination, we must maintain certain financial, distribution and stock price levels. Generally, we must maintain a minimum amount in stockholders’ equity (generally $5.0 million) and a minimum number of holders of our securities (generally 300 public holders). 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, our stock price would generally be required to be at least $4.00 per share and our stockholders’ equity would generally be required to be at least $5.0 million. We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet those initial listing requirements at that time.
We have not adopted a policy that expressly prohibits our directors, officers, security holders or affiliates from having direct or indirect pecuniary or financial interest in any investment to be acquired or disposed of by us. In light of the involvement of our sponsor, officers and directors with other entities, we may decide to acquire one or more businesses affiliated with our sponsor, officer and directors. Our directors also serve as officers and board members for other entities. Our directors have a fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of our shareholders, whether or not a conflict of interest may exist.
If Nasdaq delists our securities from trading on its exchange, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:
• a limited availability of market quotations for our securities;
• reduced liquidity with respect to our securities;
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• a determination that our shares are a “penny stock,” which will require brokers trading in our shares to adhere to more stringent rules, possibly resulting in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our shares;
• a limited amount of news and analyst coverage for our company; and
• a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future.
We may only be able to complete one business combination with the proceeds of this offering, which will cause us to be solely dependent on a single business which may have a limited number of products or services.
It is likely we will consummate our initial business combination with a single target business, although we have the ability to simultaneously consummate our initial business combination with several target businesses. By consummating a business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory developments. Further, we would not be able to diversify our operations or benefit from the possible spreading of risks or offsetting of losses, unlike other entities which may have the resources to complete several business combinations in different industries or different areas of a single industry. Accordingly, the prospects for our success may be:
• solely dependent upon the performance of a single business, or
• dependent upon the development or market acceptance of a single or limited number of products, processes or services.
This lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory developments, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact upon the particular industry in which we may operate subsequent to our initial business combination.
Alternatively, if we determine to simultaneously consummate our initial business combination with several businesses and such businesses are owned by different sellers, we will need for each of such sellers to agree that our purchase of its business is contingent on the simultaneous closings of the other business combinations, which may make it more difficult for us, and delay our ability, to complete the business combination. With multiple business combinations, we could also face additional risks, including additional burdens and costs with respect to possible multiple negotiations and due diligence investigations (if there are multiple sellers) and the additional risks associated with the subsequent assimilation of the operations and services or products of the target companies in a single operating business. If we are unable to adequately address these risks, it could negatively impact our profitability and results of operations.
The ability of our public stockholders to exercise their conversion rights may not allow us to effectuate the most desirable business combination or optimize our capital structure.
If our initial business combination requires us to use substantially all of our cash to pay the purchase price, because we will not know how many public stockholders may exercise conversion rights, we may either need to reserve part of the trust account for possible payment upon such conversion, or we may need to arrange third-party financing to help fund our initial business combination. In the event that the business combination involves the issuance of our stock as consideration, we may be required to issue a higher percentage of our stock to make up for a shortfall in funds. Raising additional funds to cover any shortfall may involve dilutive equity financing or incurring indebtedness at higher than desirable levels. This may limit our ability to effectuate the most attractive business combination available to us.
We may be unable to consummate an initial business combination if a target business requires that we have a certain amount of cash at closing, in which case public stockholders may have to remain stockholders of our company and wait until our redemption of the public shares to receive a pro rata share of the trust account or attempt to sell their shares in the open market.
A potential target may make it a closing condition to our initial business combination that we have a certain amount of cash in excess of the $5,000,001 of net tangible assets we are required to have pursuant to our organizational documents available at the time of closing. If the number of our public stockholders electing to exercise their conversion rights has the effect of reducing the amount of money available to us to consummate an initial business combination below such minimum amount required by the target business and we are not able to locate an alternative source of funding, we will not be able to consummate such initial business combination and we may not be able to locate another suitable
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target within the applicable time period, if at all. In that case, public stockholders may have to remain stockholders of our company and wait the full 24 months in order to be able to receive a portion of the trust account, or attempt to sell their shares in the open market prior to such time, in which case they may receive less than they would have in a liquidation of the trust account.
Public stockholders, together with any affiliates of theirs or any other person with whom they are acting in concert or as a “group,” will be restricted from seeking conversion rights with respect to more than 20% of the shares of common stock sold in this offering.
In connection with any meeting held to approve an initial business combination, we will offer each public stockholder (but not our insiders) the right to have his, her, or its shares of common stock converted into cash. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of his or hers or any other person with whom he or she is acting in concert or as a “group,” will be restricted from seeking conversion rights with respect to more than 20% of the shares of common stock sold in this offering. Generally, in this context, a stockholder will be deemed to be acting in concert or as a group with another stockholder when such stockholders agree to act together for the purpose of acquiring, voting, holding or disposing of our equity securities. Accordingly, if you purchase more than 20% of the shares of common stock sold in this offering and our proposed business combination is approved, you will not be able to seek conversion rights with respect to the full amount of your shares and may be forced to hold such additional shares of common stock or sell them in the open market. The value of such additional shares may not appreciate over time following our initial business combination, and the market price of our shares of common stock may not exceed the per-share conversion price.
We may require public stockholders who wish to convert their shares of common stock in connection with a vote of stockholders on a proposed business combination to comply with specific requirements for conversion that may make it more difficult for them to exercise their conversion rights prior to the deadline for exercising their rights.
In connection with any stockholder meeting called to approve a proposed initial business combination, each public stockholder will have the right, regardless of whether he or she is voting for or against such proposed business combination, to demand that we convert his or her shares of common stock into a share of the trust account. We may require public stockholders seeking to convert their shares in connection with a stockholder vote on a proposed business combination, whether they are a record holder or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option, at least two business days on the initial business combination (a tender of shares is always required in connection with a tender offer). In order to obtain a physical stock certificate, a stockholder’s broker and/or clearing broker, DTC and our transfer agent will need to act to facilitate this request. It is our understanding that stockholders should generally allot at least two weeks to obtain physical certificates from the transfer agent. However, because we do not have any control over this process or over the brokers or DTC, it may take significantly longer than two weeks to obtain a physical stock certificate. While we have been advised that it takes a short time to deliver shares through the DWAC System, this may not be the case. Under Delaware law and our bylaws, we are required to provide at least 10 days’ advance notice of any stockholder meeting, which would be the minimum amount of time a public stockholder would have to determine whether to exercise conversion rights. Accordingly, if it takes longer than we anticipate for stockholders to deliver their shares, stockholders who wish to convert may be unable to meet the deadline for exercising their conversion rights and thus may be unable to convert their shares.
If we require public stockholders who wish to convert their shares of common stock to comply with the delivery requirements discussed above for conversion, such converting stockholders may be unable to sell their securities when they wish to in the event that the proposed business combination is not approved.
If we require public stockholders who wish to convert their shares of common stock to comply with the delivery requirements discussed above for conversion and such proposed business combination is not consummated, we will promptly return such certificates to the tendering public stockholders. Accordingly, investors who attempted to convert their shares in such a circumstance will be unable to sell their securities after the failed business combination until we have returned their securities to them. The market price for our shares of common stock may decline during this time and you may not be able to sell your securities when you wish to, even while other stockholders that did not seek conversion may be able to sell their securities.
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Because of our structure, other companies may have a competitive advantage and we may not be able to consummate an attractive business combination.
We expect to encounter intense competition from entities other than blank check companies having a business objective similar to ours, including venture capital funds, leveraged buyout funds and operating businesses competing for acquisitions. Many of these entities are well established and have extensive experience in identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Many of these competitors possess greater technical, human and other resources than we do and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. Therefore, our ability to compete in consummating our initial business combination with certain sizable target businesses may be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent competitive limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing a business combination with certain target businesses. Furthermore, seeking stockholder approval of our initial business combination may delay the consummation of a transaction. Additionally, our warrants, and the future dilution they represent (entitling the holders to receive shares of our common stock on exercise of the warrants), may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses. Any of the foregoing may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating our initial business combination.
Our ability to consummate an attractive business combination may be impacted by the market for initial public offerings.
Our efforts to identify a prospective target business will not be limited to any particular industry or geographic region, although our intention is to pursue prospective targets that are focused on healthcare innovation and are domiciled in North America or Europe. If the market for initial public offerings is limited, we believe there will be a greater number of attractive target businesses open to consummating an initial business combination with us as a means to achieve publicly held status. Alternatively, if the market for initial public offerings is robust, we believe that there will be fewer attractive target businesses amenable to consummating an initial business combination with us to become a public reporting company. Accordingly, during periods with strong public offering markets, it may be more difficult for us to complete an initial business combination.
We may be unable to obtain additional financing, if required, to complete our initial business combination or to fund the operations and growth of the target business, which could compel us to restructure or abandon a particular business combination.
Although we believe that the net proceeds of this offering (and of the contingent forward purchase agreement, if our sponsor or its designees chooses to exercise its right to purchase shares thereunder) will be sufficient to allow us to consummate a business combination, because we have not yet identified any prospective target business, the capital requirements for any particular transaction remain to be determined. If the net proceeds of this offering prove to be insufficient, either because of the size of the business combination, the depletion of the available net proceeds in search of a target business, or the obligation to convert into cash a significant number of shares of common stock, we will be required to seek additional financing. Such financing may not be available on acceptable terms, if at all. To the extent that additional financing proves to be unavailable when needed to consummate a particular business combination, we would be compelled to either restructure the transaction or abandon that particular business combination and seek an alternative target business candidate. In addition, if we consummate a business combination, we may require additional financing to fund the operations or growth of the target business. The failure to secure additional financing could have a material adverse effect on the continued development or growth of the target business. None of our officers, directors or stockholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our initial business combination.
Our insiders will control a substantial interest in us and thus may influence certain actions requiring a stockholder vote.
Upon consummation of our offering and sale of the private warrants, our insiders will collectively beneficially own approximately 20.0% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock (not including the private warrants and assuming our insiders do not purchase any units in this offering). None of our insiders director nominees or their affiliates has committed to purchase units in this offering or any units or shares from persons in the open market or in private transactions. However, our insiders or their affiliates could determine in the future to make such purchases in the open market or in private transactions, to the extent permitted by law, in order to influence the vote. In connection with any vote for a proposed business combination, our insiders have agreed to vote the shares of common stock owned
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by them immediately before this offering as well as the private shares and any shares of common stock acquired in this offering or in the aftermarket in favor of such proposed business combination, and therefore will have a significant influence on the vote.
Our Board of Directors is divided into three classes and, therefore, our insiders will continue to exert control over us until the closing of a business combination.
Our Board of Directors is and will be divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of three years with only one class of directors being elected in each year. It is unlikely that there will be an annual meeting of stockholders to elect new directors prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, in which case all of the current directors will continue in office until at least the consummation of the business combination. Accordingly, you may not be able to exercise your voting rights under corporate law for up to 24 months. If there is an annual meeting, as a consequence of our “staggered” Board of Directors, fewer than half of the Board of Directors will be considered for election and our insiders, because of their ownership position, will have considerable influence regarding the outcome. Accordingly, our insiders will continue to exert control at least until the consummation of our initial business combination.
We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders until after the consummation of our initial business combination.
In accordance with Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on Nasdaq. Under Section 211(b) of the Delaware General Corporation Law, we are, however, required to hold an annual meeting of stockholders for the purposes of electing directors in accordance with our bylaws unless such election is made by written consent in lieu of such a meeting. It is unlikely that there will be an annual meeting of stockholders to elect new directors prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, and thus we may not be in compliance with Section 211(b) of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which requires an annual meeting. Therefore, if our stockholders want us to hold an annual meeting prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, they may attempt to force us to hold one by submitting an application to the Delaware Court of Chancery in accordance with Section 211(c) of the Delaware General Corporation Law.
Our insiders paid an aggregate of approximately $25,000, or approximately $0.009 per share, for the insider shares, and, accordingly, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution from the purchase of our shares of common stock.
The difference between the public offering price per share and the pro forma net tangible book value per share of common stock after this offering constitutes the dilution to the investors in this offering. Our insiders acquired the insider shares for approximately $0.009 per share, significantly contributing to this dilution. Upon consummation of this offering, you and the other new investors will incur an immediate and substantial dilution of approximately 84.6% or $8.46 per share (the difference between the pro forma net tangible book value per share of $1.54, and the initial offering price of $10.00 per share), taking into account that the net tangible book value per share prior to this offering was ($0.02). This is because investors in this offering will be contributing approximately 99.98% of the total amount paid to us for our outstanding shares of common stock after this offering but will only own 80.0% of our outstanding shares of common stock. Accordingly, the per-share purchase price you will be paying substantially exceeds our per share net tangible book value.
If our insiders exercise their registration rights, it may have an adverse effect on the market price of our shares of common stock and the existence of these rights may make it more difficult to effect our initial business combination.
Our insiders are entitled to make a demand that we register the resale of the insider shares at any time commencing three months prior to the date on which their shares may be released from escrow. Additionally, the purchasers of the private warrants and our insiders or their affiliates are entitled to demand that we register the resale of the private warrants (and underlying securities) and any units (and underlying securities) our insiders or their affiliates may be issued in payment of working capital loans made to us commencing on the date that we consummate our initial business combination, and holders of shares issuable pursuant to the contingent forward purchase agreement can demand that we register those shares. The presence of these additional shares of common stock trading in the public market may have an adverse effect on the market price of our securities. In addition, the existence of these rights may make it more difficult to effectuate our initial business combination or increase the cost of consummating our initial
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business combination with the target business, as the stockholders of the target business may be discouraged from entering into a business combination with us or will request a higher price for their securities because of the potential effect the exercise of such rights may have on the trading market for our shares of common stock.
We may enter into agreements with consultants or financial advisers that provide for the payment of fees upon the consummation of our initial business combination, and, therefore, such consultants or financial advisers may have conflicts of interest.
We may enter into agreements with consultants or financial advisers that provide for the payment of fees upon the consummation of our initial business combination. If we pay consultants or financial advisers fees that are tied to the consummation of our initial business combination, they may have conflicts of interest when providing services to us, and their interests in such fees may influence their advice with respect to a potential business combination. For example, if a consultant’s or financial advisor’s fee is based on the size of the transaction, then they may be influenced to present us with larger transactions that may have lower growth opportunities or long-term value versus smaller transactions that may have greater growth opportunities or provide greater value to our stockholders. Similarly, consultants whose fees are based on consummation of a business combination may be influenced to present potential business combinations to us regardless of whether they provide longer-term value for our stockholders. While we will endeavor to structure agreements with consultants and financial advisors to minimize the possibility and extent of these conflicts of interest, we cannot assure you that we will be able to do so and that we will not be impacted by the adverse influences they create.
If we are deemed to be an investment company, we may be required to institute burdensome compliance requirements and our activities may be restricted, which may make it difficult for us to complete our initial business combination.
If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, our activities may be restricted, including:
• restrictions on the nature of our investments; and
• restrictions on the issuance of securities,
each of which may make it difficult for us to complete our business combination.
In addition, we may have imposed upon us certain burdensome requirements, including:
• registration as an investment company;
• adoption of a specific form of corporate structure; and
• reporting, record keeping, voting, proxy and disclosure requirements and other rules and regulations.
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 a 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 180 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
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place for funds pending the earlier to occur of either: (i) the completion of our primary business objective, which is a business combination; or (ii) absent a business combination, our return of the funds held in the trust account to our public stockholders as part of our redemption of the public shares. 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 a business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our public warrants will expire worthless.
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 were negotiated between us and the underwriters. In determining the size of this offering, management held customary organizational meetings with representatives of the underwriters, both prior to our inception and thereafter, with respect to the state of capital markets, generally, and the amount the underwriters believed they reasonably could raise on our behalf. Factors considered in determining the size of this offering, prices and terms of the units, including the common stock and warrants underlying the units, include:
• the history of other similarly structured blank check companies;
• prior offerings of those companies;
• our prospects for consummating an initial business combination with an operating business at attractive values;
• our capital structure;
• securities exchange listing requirements;
• market demand;
• expected liquidity of our securities;
• general conditions of the securities markets at the time of the offering; and
• other factors as were deemed relevant.
However, although these factors were considered, the determination of our offering price is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities for an operating company in a particular industry since we have no historical operations or financial results to compare them to.
The requirement that we complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating our initial business combination.
We have 24 months from the closing of this offering to complete our initial business combination. Any potential target business with which we enter into negotiations concerning a business combination will be aware of this requirement. Consequently, such target business may obtain leverage over us in negotiating a business combination, knowing that if we do not complete a business combination with that particular target business, we may be unable to complete a business combination with any other target business. This risk will increase as we get closer to the time limit referenced above.
We may not obtain a fairness opinion with respect to the target business that we seek to consummate our initial business combination with and therefore you may be relying solely on the judgment of our Board of Directors in approving a proposed business combination.
We will only be required to obtain a fairness opinion with respect to the target business that we seek to consummate our initial business combination with if it is an entity that is affiliated with any of our insiders. In all other instances, we
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will have no obligation to obtain an opinion. If no opinion is obtained, our stockholders will be relying on the judgment of our Board of Directors, who will determine fair market value based on standards generally accepted by the financial community. Such standards used will be disclosed in our tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials, as applicable, related to our initial business combination
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 $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our public warrants 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 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 $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our public warrants will expire worthless.
Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 will require substantial financial and management resources and may increase the time and costs of completing an initial business combination.
Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, requires that we evaluate and report on our system of internal control and may require that we have such system of internal control audited. If we fail to maintain the adequacy of our internal control, we could be subject to regulatory scrutiny, civil or criminal penalties and/or stockholder litigation. Any inability to provide reliable financial reports could harm our business. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act also requires that our independent registered public accounting firm report on management’s evaluation of our system of internal control, although as an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act, we may take advantage of an exemption to this requirement. A target company may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of their internal control. The development of the internal control of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such initial business combination.
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.
The JOBS Act permits “emerging growth companies” like us to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies. As long as we qualify as an emerging growth company, we would be permitted, and we intend to, omit the auditor’s attestation on internal control over financial reporting that would otherwise be required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, as described above. We also intend to take advantage of the exemption provided under the JOBS Act from the requirements to submit say-on-pay, say-on-frequency and say-on-golden parachute votes to our stockholders and we will avail ourselves of reduced executive compensation disclosure that is already available to smaller reporting companies.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the exemption from complying with new or revised accounting standards provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act as long as we are an emerging growth company. An emerging growth company can therefore delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to take advantage of these benefits until we are no longer an emerging growth company or until we affirmatively and irrevocably opt out of this exemption. Our financial statements may therefore not be comparable to those of companies that comply with such new or revised accounting standards.
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Following this offering, we will continue to be an emerging growth company until the earliest to occur of (i) the last day of the fiscal year during which we had total annual gross revenues of at least $1.07 billion (as indexed for inflation), (ii) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the date of the first sale of units under this registration statement, (iii) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt, or (iv) the date on which we are deemed to be a “large accelerated filer,” as defined under the Exchange Act.
Until such time that we lose “emerging growth company” status, it is unclear if investors will find our securities less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and our stock prices may be more volatile and could cause our stock prices to decline.
If we effect our initial business combination with a company located outside of the United States, we would be subject to a variety of additional risks that may negatively impact our operations.
We may effect our initial business combination with a company located outside of the United States. If we did, we would be subject to any special considerations or risks associated with companies operating in the target business’ home jurisdiction, including any of the following:
• rules and regulations or currency conversion or corporate withholding taxes on individuals;
• tariffs and trade barriers;
• regulations related to customs and import/export matters;
• longer payment cycles;
• tax issues, such as tax law changes and variations in tax laws as compared to the United States;
• currency fluctuations and exchange controls;
• challenges in collecting accounts receivable;
• cultural and language differences;
• employment regulations;
• crime, strikes, riots, civil disturbances, terrorist attacks and wars; and
• deterioration of political relations with the United States.
We may not be able to adequately address these additional risks. If we are unable to do so, our operations may suffer.
If we effect our initial business combination with a target business located outside of the United States, the laws applicable to such target business will likely govern all of our material agreements and we may not be able to enforce our legal rights.
If we effect our initial business combination with a target business located outside of the United States, the laws of the country in which such target business is domiciled will govern almost all of the material agreements relating to its operations. The target business may not be able to enforce any of its material agreements in such jurisdiction and appropriate remedies to enforce its rights under such material agreements may not be available in this new jurisdiction. The system of laws and the enforcement of existing laws in such jurisdiction may not be as certain in implementation and interpretation as in the United States. The inability to enforce or obtain a remedy under any of our future agreements could result in a significant loss of business, business opportunities or capital. Additionally, if we consummate our initial business combination with a company located outside of the United States, it is likely that substantially all of our assets would be located outside of the United States and some of our officers and directors might reside outside of the United States. As a result, it may not be possible for investors in the United States to enforce their legal rights, to effect service of process upon our directors or officers or to enforce judgments of United States courts predicated upon civil liabilities and criminal penalties of our directors and officers under federal securities laws of the United States.
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Provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and Delaware law may inhibit a takeover of us, which could limit the price investors might be willing to pay in the future for our common stock and could entrench management.
Our certificate of incorporation contains 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 more difficult the removal of management and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities.
We are also subject to anti-takeover provisions under Delaware law, which could delay or prevent a change of control. Together these provisions may make more difficult the removal of management and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities.
Because we must furnish our stockholders with target business financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles or international financial reporting standards, we may lose the ability to complete an otherwise advantageous initial business combination with some prospective target businesses.
The federal proxy rules require that a proxy statement with respect to a vote on a business combination meeting certain financial significance tests include historical and/or pro forma financial statement disclosure in periodic reports. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with, or be reconciled to, accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or GAAP, or international financial reporting standards, or IFRS as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board or the IASB, depending on the circumstances and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), or PCAOB. We will include the same financial statement disclosure in connection with any tender offer documents we use, whether or not they are required under the tender offer rules. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may consummate our initial business combination with because some targets may be unable to provide such statements in time for us to disclose such statements in accordance with federal proxy rules and complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame.
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.
Changes in laws or regulations, or a failure to comply with any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business, investments 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 and results of operations.
Investors may not appropriately allocate a tax basis to the components of the unit.
Because investors in this offering will be investing in units comprised of one share of common stock and one warrant, investors will need to allocate a tax basis to each item in proportion to their values at the time of the investment. We are not required to provide any guidance as to the proper allocation of tax basis. Failure to properly allocate a tax basis could result in adverse tax consequences to an investor.
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If we do not maintain a current and effective prospectus relating to the common stock issuable upon exercise of the redeemable warrants, public holders will only be able to exercise such redeemable warrants on a “cashless basis” which would result in a fewer number of shares being issued to the holder had such holder exercised the redeemable warrants for cash.
Except as set forth below, if we do not maintain a current and effective prospectus relating to the common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants at the time that holders wish to exercise such warrants, they will only be able to exercise them on a “cashless basis,” provided that an exemption from registration is available. As a result, the number of shares of common stock that a holder will receive upon exercise of its warrants will be fewer than it would have been had such holder exercised its warrant for cash. Further, if an exemption from registration is not available, holders would not be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis and would only be able to exercise their warrants for cash if a current and effective prospectus relating to the common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is available. Under the terms of the warrant agreement, we have agreed to use our best efforts to meet these conditions and to maintain a current and effective prospectus relating to the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants until the expiration of the warrants. However, we cannot assure you that we will be able to do so. If we are unable to do so, the potential “upside” of the holder’s investment in our company may be reduced or the warrants may expire worthless. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the private warrants may be exercisable for unregistered shares of common stock for cash even if the prospectus relating to the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not current and effective.
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
The statements contained in this prospectus that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements in this prospectus may include, for example, statements about our:
• ability to complete our initial business combination;
• success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our officers, key employees or directors following our initial business combination;
• officers and directors allocating their time to other businesses and potentially having conflicts of interest with our business or in approving our initial business combination, as a result of which they would then receive expense reimbursements;
• potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination;
• pool of prospective target businesses;
• the ability of our officers and directors to generate a number of potential investment opportunities;
• potential change in control if we acquire one or more target businesses for stock;
• the potential liquidity and trading of our securities;
• the lack of a market for our securities;
• use of proceeds not held in the trust account or available to us from interest income on the trust account balance; or
• financial performance following this offering.
The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. Future developments affecting us may not be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described under the heading “Risk Factors.” Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
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USE OF PROCEEDS
We estimate that the net proceeds of this offering, in addition to the funds we will receive from the sale of the private warrants, will be used as set forth in the following table:
| | Without Over- Allotment Option | | Over- Allotment Option Exercised |
Gross proceeds | | | | | | | | |
From offering | | $ | 100,000,000 | | | $ | 115,000,000 | |
From sale of private warrants | | | 4,000,000 | | | | 4,300,000 | |
Total gross proceeds | | | 104,000,000 | | | | 119,300,000 | |
Offering expenses(1) | | | | | | | | |
Non-contingent underwriting discount (2.0% of gross proceeds from offering) | | | 2,000,000 | (2)(3) | | | 2,300,000 | (2)(3) |
Initial Trustee Fee | | | 6,500 | | | | 6,500 | |
Legal fees and expenses | | | 300,000 | | | | 300,000 | |
Nasdaq listing fee | | | 75,000 | | | | 75,000 | |
Printing and engraving expenses | | | 30,000 | | | | 30,000 | |
Accounting fees and expenses | | | 40,000 | | | | 40,000 | |
SEC/FINRA Expenses | | | 30,297 | | | | 30,297 | |
Director & Officer liability insurance premiums | | | 500,000 | | | | 500,000 | |
Miscellaneous | | | 18,203 | | | | 18,203 | |
Total offering expenses (excluding the underwriting discount) | | | 1,000,000 | | | | 1,000,000 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Held in the trust account(4) | | $ | 100,000,000 | | | $ | 115,000,000 | |
Not held in the trust account | | $ | 1,000,000 | | | $ | 1,000,000 | |
Use of net proceeds not held in the trust account(5)(6)
| | Amount | | % of Total |
Legal, accounting and other third-party expenses attendant to the search for target businesses and to the due diligence investigation, structuring and negotiation of our initial business combination | | $ | 400,000 | | | 40.0 | % |
Legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting obligations | | | 150,000 | | | 15.0 | % |
Consulting, travel and miscellaneous expenses incurred during search for initial business combination target | | | 100,000 | | | 10.0 | % |
Payment for office space, administrative and support services | | | 240,000 | | | 24.0 | % |
Nasdaq continued listing fees | | | 50,000 | | | 5.0 | % |
Working capital to cover miscellaneous expenses | | | 60,000 | (5) | | 6.0 | % |
Total | | $ | 1,000,000 | | | 100.0 | % |
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Our sponsor has committed that it will purchase the private warrants (for an aggregate purchase price of $4,000,000, or $4,300,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) from us on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. All of the proceeds we receive from these purchases will be placed in the trust account described below.
$100,000,000, or $115,000,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, of net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private warrants will be placed in a trust account in the United States at Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A., maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as trustee. The funds held in the trust account will be invested only in United States government treasury bills, bonds or notes having a maturity of 180 days or less, or in money market funds meeting the applicable conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and that invest solely in U.S. treasuries, so that we are not deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our income or other tax obligations, the proceeds will not be released from the trust account until the earlier of the completion of our initial business combination or our redemption of 100% of the outstanding public shares if we have not completed a business combination in the required time period. The proceeds held in the trust account may be used as consideration to pay the sellers of a target business with which we complete our initial business combination to the extent not used to pay converting stockholders. Any amounts not paid as consideration to the sellers of the target business may be used to finance operations of the target business.
The payment to Altamont Pharma Sponsor, LLC, of a monthly fee of $10,000 is for general and administrative services including office space, utilities and secretarial support. However, pursuant to the terms of such agreement, we may delay payment of such monthly fee upon a determination by our audit committee that we lack sufficient funds held outside the trust to pay actual or anticipated expenses in connection with our initial business combination. Any such unpaid amount will accrue without interest and be due and payable no later than the date of the consummation of our initial business combination. This arrangement is being agreed to by Altamont Pharma Sponsor, LLC for our benefit. We believe that the fee charged by Altamont Pharma Sponsor, LLC is at least as favorable as we could have obtained from an unaffiliated person. This arrangement will terminate upon completion of our initial business combination or the distribution of the trust account to our public stockholders. Other than the $10,000 per month fee, no compensation of any kind (including finder’s fees, consulting fees or other similar compensation) will be paid to our insiders, members of our management team or any of our or their respective affiliates, for services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). However, such individuals will receive reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them in connection with activities on our behalf, such as identifying potential target businesses, performing business due diligence on suitable target businesses and business combinations, as well as traveling to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses to examine their operations. Since the role of present management after our initial business combination is uncertain, we have no ability to determine what remuneration, if any, will be paid to those persons after our initial business combination.
The net proceeds from this offering available to us out of trust for our working capital requirements in searching for our initial business combination will be approximately $1,000,000.
The allocation of the net proceeds available to us outside of the trust account represents our best estimate of the intended uses of these funds. In the event that our assumptions prove to be inaccurate, we may reallocate some of such proceeds within the above described categories. If our estimate of the costs of undertaking due diligence and negotiating our initial business combination is less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may be required to raise additional capital, the amount, availability and cost of which is currently unascertainable. In this event, we could seek such additional capital through loans or additional investments from our insiders, members of our management team or third parties, but our insiders, members of our management team or third parties are not under any obligation to advance funds to, or invest in, us.
We will likely use substantially all of the net proceeds of this offering, including the funds held in the trust account, in connection with our initial business combination and to pay our expenses relating thereto, including the deferred underwriting commission payable to Chardan in an amount equal to 3.5% of the total gross proceeds raised in the offering upon consummation of our initial business combination. To the extent that our capital stock is used in whole or in part as consideration to effect our initial business combination, the proceeds held in the trust account which are not used to consummate a business combination will be disbursed to the combined company and will, along with any
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other net proceeds not expended, be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business. Such working capital funds could be used in a variety of ways, including continuing or expanding the target business’ operations, for strategic acquisitions and for marketing, research and development of existing or new products.
To the extent we are unable to consummate a business combination, we will pay the costs of liquidation from our remaining assets outside of the trust account. If such funds are insufficient, our insiders have agreed to pay the funds necessary to complete such liquidation (currently anticipated to be no more than $15,000) and have agreed not to seek repayment of such expenses.
Our sponsor has agreed to loan us, pursuant to a promissory note, up to an aggregate of $300,000 to be used to pay a portion of the expenses of this offering referenced in the line items above for the SEC registration fee, FINRA filing fee, the non-refundable portion of the Nasdaq listing fee and a portion of the legal and accounting fees and expenses. The loans are payable without interest upon the consummation of this offering. As of January 29, 2021, there was $50,000 outstanding under the promissory note.
We believe that, upon consummation of this offering, we will have sufficient available funds to operate for up to the next 24 months, assuming that our initial business combination is not consummated during that time. However, if necessary, in order to meet our working capital needs following the consummation of this offering, our insiders may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion. Each loan would be evidenced by a promissory note. The notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $1,000,000 of the notes may be converted upon consummation of our business combination into additional private warrants at a price of $0.50 per warrant. Our stockholders have approved the issuance of the private warrants upon conversion of such notes, to the extent the holder wishes to so convert such notes at the time of the consummation of our initial business combination. If we do not complete a business combination, any loans and advances from our insiders or their affiliates, will be repaid only from amounts remaining outside our trust account, if any.
Our sponsor (or its designees) has agreed to enter into a contingent forward purchase agreement with us, pursuant to which it will have an option to purchase, in its sole discretion, an aggregate of up to 1,000,000 of our shares of common stock (for $10.00 per share or up to $10,000,000 in the aggregate) in a private placement to occur simultaneously with the consummation of our initial business combination. The funds from any such sale may be used as part of the consideration to the sellers in our initial business combination, and any excess capital from such private placement would be used for working capital in the post-transaction company.
A public stockholder will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only in the event of (1) our redemption of 100% of the outstanding public shares if we have not completed a business combination in the required time period, (2) if that public stockholder elects to convert public shares in connection with a stockholder vote or (3) if that public stockholder sells shares to us in any tender offer in connection with a proposed business combination. In no other circumstances will a public stockholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account.
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DIVIDEND POLICY
We have not paid any cash dividends on our shares of common stock to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of our initial business combination. The payment of cash dividends subsequent to the completion of our initial business combination will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition subsequent to completion of our initial business combination. The payment of any dividends subsequent to our initial business combination will be within the discretion of our Board of Directors at such time. It is the present intention of our Board of Directors to retain all earnings, if any, for use in our business operations and, accordingly, our Board of Directors does not anticipate declaring any dividends in the foreseeable future. In addition, our Board of Directors is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any stock dividends in the foreseeable future, except if we increase the size of the offering, including pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, in which case we will effect a stock dividend immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain our insiders’ ownership at an aggregate of 20.0% of our issued and outstanding shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering (not including the private warrants and assuming our insiders do not purchase units in this offering). Further, if we incur any indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.
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DILUTION
The difference between the public offering price per share (assuming no value is attributed to the warrants included in the units we are offering pursuant to this prospectus) and the pro forma net tangible book value per share after this offering constitutes the dilution to investors in this offering. Net tangible book value per share is determined by dividing our net tangible book value, which is our total tangible assets less total liabilities (including the value of shares of common stock which may be converted into cash), by the number of outstanding shares of common stock.
At January 29, 2021, our net tangible book value was $(54,799), or approximately ($0.02) per share assuming the underwriters do not exercise any portion of the over-allotment option and the forfeiture of 375,000 insider shares. After giving effect to the sale of 10,000,000 (or 11,500,000 if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full) shares of common stock included in the units we are offering by this prospectus, and the deduction of underwriting discounts and estimated expenses of this offering, and the sale of the private warrants, our pro forma net tangible book value at January 29, 2021 would have been $5,000,010 or $1.54 (or $1.36 if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full) per share, representing an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $1.56 (or $1.38 if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full) per share to our insiders and an immediate dilution of $8.46 (or $8.64 if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full) per share or 84.6% (or 86.4% if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full) to new investors not exercising their conversion rights. For purposes of presentation, our pro forma net tangible book value after this offering is $92,523,990 (or $106,998,990 if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full) less than it otherwise would have been because if we effect our initial business combination, the conversion rights of the public stockholders (but not our insiders) may result in the conversion or tender of up to 9,252,399 (or 10,699,899 if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full) shares sold in this offering.
The following table illustrates the dilution to our public stockholders on a per-share basis.
| | Without Over- Allotment | | With Over- Allotment Option |
Public offering price | | $ | 10.00 | | | $ | 10.00 | |
Net tangible book value before this offering | | | (0.02 | ) | | | (0.02 | ) |
Increase attributable to new investors | | | 1.56 | | | | 1.38 | |
Pro forma net tangible book value after this offering and the sale of the warrants | | | 1.54 | | | | 1.36 | |
Dilution to new investors | | $ | 8.46 | | | $ | 8.64 | |
Percentage of dilution to new investors | | | 84.6 | % | | | 86.4 | % |
The following table sets forth information with respect to our insiders and the new investors:
| | Shares Purchased | | Total Consideration | | Price per Share |
| | Number | | Percentage | | Amount | | Percentage | |
Insider shares | | 2,500,000 | (1) | | 20.0 | % | | $ | 25,000 | | 0.02 | % | | $ | 0.01 |
New investors | | 10,000,000 | | | 80.0 | % | | | 100,000,000 | | 99.98 | % | | | 10.00 |
| | 12,500,000 | | | 100.0 | % | | $ | 100,025,000 | | 100.0 | % | | | |
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The pro forma net tangible book value per share after the offering and the sale of the private warrants is calculated as follows:
| | Without Over-Allotment(1) | | With Over-Allotment Option |
Numerator | | | | | | | | |
Net tangible book value before the offering | | $ | (54,799 | ) | | $ | (54,799 | ) |
Net proceeds from this offering and private placement of private warrants | | | 101,000,000 | | | | 116,000,000 | |
Plus: Offering costs accrued for and paid in advance, excluded tangible book value before this offering | | | 78,799 | | | | 78,799 | |
Less: Deferred underwriting fees | | | (3,500,000 | ) | | | (4,025,000 | ) |
Less: Proceeds held in the trust account subject to conversion/tender | | | (92,523,990 | ) | | | (106,998,990 | ) |
| | $ | 5,000,010 | | | $ | 5,000,010 | |
Denominator | | | | | | | | |
Shares of common stock outstanding prior to this offering | | | 2,500,000 | | | | 2,875,000 | |
Shares of common stock to be sold in this offering | | | 10,000,000 | | | | 11,500,000 | |
Less: Shares subject to conversion/tender | | | (9,252,399 | ) | | | (10,699,899 | ) |
| | | 3,247,601 | | | | 3,675,101 | |
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CAPITALIZATION
The following table sets forth our capitalization at January 29, 2021 and as adjusted to give effect to the sale of our units offered by this prospectus and the private warrants and the application of the estimated net proceeds derived from the sale of such securities:
| | Actual | | As Adjusted(1) |
Notes payable to related parties(2) | | $ | 50,000 | | | $ | — | |
Deferred underwriting commissions payable | | | — | | | | 3,500,000 | |
Common stock, $0.0001 par value; -0- and 9,252,399 shares which are subject to conversion/tender | | | — | | | | 92,523,990 | |
Stockholders’ equity | | | | | | | | |
Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value, 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding, actual and as adjusted | | | — | | | | — | |
Common stock, $0.0001 par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized; 2,875,000 shares issued and outstanding, actual; 747,601(3) shares issued and outstanding (excluding 9,252,399 shares subject to possible conversion/tender), as adjusted | | | 288 | | | | 75 | |
Additional paid-in capital | | | 24,712 | | | | 5,000,935 | |
Accumulated deficit | | | (1,000 | ) | | | (1,000 | ) |
Total stockholders’ equity | | | 24,000 | | | | 5,000,010 | |
Total capitalization | | $ | 74,000 | | | $ | 101,024,000 | |
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
We were formed on January 6, 2021 for the purpose of entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more target businesses. Our efforts to identify a prospective target business will not be limited to any particular industry or geographic region, although we intend to focus our search on target businesses domiciled in North America or Europe that are developing assets in the biopharma and medical technology sectors. We intend to utilize cash derived from the proceeds of this offering and the private placement of the private warrants, our securities, debt or a combination of cash, securities and debt, in effecting our initial business combination. The issuance of additional shares of common stock or preferred stock in our initial business combination:
• may significantly dilute the equity interest of our investors in this offering who would not have pre-emption rights in respect of any such issuance;
• may subordinate the rights of holders of shares of common stock if we issue shares of preferred stock with rights senior to those afforded to our shares of common stock;
• will likely cause a change in control if a substantial number of our shares of common stock are issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and most likely will also result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors; and
• may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our securities.
Similarly, if we issue debt securities, it could result in:
• default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after our initial business combination are insufficient to pay our debt obligations;
• acceleration of our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we have made all principal and interest payments when due if the debt security contains covenants that required the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves and we breach any such covenant without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant;
• our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt security is payable on demand;
• our inability to obtain additional financing, if necessary, if the debt security contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain additional financing while such security is outstanding; and
• limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, execution of our strategy and other purposes and other disadvantages compared to our competitors who have less debt.
We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenues to date. Our entire activity since inception has been to prepare for our proposed fundraising through an offering of our equity securities.
Results of Operations and Known Trends or Future Events
We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenues to date. Our only activities since inception have been organizational activities and those necessary to prepare for this offering. Following this offering, we will not generate any operating revenues until after completion of our initial business combination. We will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on cash and cash equivalents after this offering. There has been no significant change in our financial or trading position and no material adverse change has occurred since the date of our audited financial statements. After this offering, we expect to incur increased expenses as a result of being a public company (for legal, financial reporting, accounting and auditing compliance), as well as for due diligence expenses. We expect our expenses to increase substantially after the closing of this offering.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
As indicated in the accompanying financial statements, at January 29, 2021, we had $25,000 in cash and a working capital deficit of $(54,799).
Our liquidity needs have been satisfied to date through receipt of approximately $25,000 from the sale of the insider shares and loans from related parties in an aggregate amount of $50,000 that are more fully described below. Our deferred offering costs through January 29, 2021 have been $78,799. We estimate that the net proceeds from (1) the sale of the units in this offering, after deducting offering expenses of approximately $3,000,000 and underwriting discounts and commissions of $2,000,000 (or $2,300,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) and (2) the sale of the private warrants for a purchase price of $4,000,000, will be $101,000,000 (or $116,000,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full). $100,000,000 (or $115,000,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), which includes $3,500,000 of deferred underwriting commissions ($4,025,000 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be held in the trust account. The remaining $1,000,000 will not be held in the trust account.
We intend to use substantially all of the net proceeds of this offering, including the funds held in the trust account, in connection with our initial business combination and to pay our expenses relating thereto, including a deferred underwriting commission payable to Chardan in an amount equal to 3.5% of the total gross proceeds raised in the offering upon consummation of our initial business combination. To the extent that our capital stock is used in whole or in part as consideration to effect our initial business combination, the remaining proceeds held in the trust account as well as any other net proceeds not expended will be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business. Such working capital funds could be used in a variety of ways including continuing or expanding the target business’ operations, for strategic acquisitions and for marketing, research and development of existing or new products. Such funds could also be used to repay any operating expenses or finders’ fees which we had incurred prior to the completion of our initial business combination if the funds available to us outside of the trust account were insufficient to cover such expenses.
We believe that, upon consummation of this offering, the $1,000,000 of net proceeds not held in the trust account, will be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the next 24 months, assuming that a business combination is not consummated during that time. Over this time period, we will be using these funds for identifying and evaluating prospective business combination candidates, performing business due diligence on prospective target businesses, traveling to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses, reviewing corporate documents and material agreements of prospective target businesses, selecting the target business to consummate our initial business combination with and structuring, negotiating and consummating the business combination. We anticipate that we will incur approximately:
• $400,000 of expenses for the search for target businesses and for the legal, accounting and other third-party expenses attendant to the due diligence investigations, structuring and negotiating of our initial business combination;
• $150,000 of expenses in legal and accounting fees relating to our SEC reporting obligations;
• $100,000 for consulting, travel and miscellaneous expenses incurred during the search for an initial business combination target;
• $240,000 for the payment of the administrative fee to Altamont Pharma Sponsor, LLC (of $10,000 per month for up to 24 months);
• $50,000 for Nasdaq continued listing fees; and
• $60,000 for general working capital that will be used for miscellaneous expenses.
If our estimates of the costs of undertaking due diligence and negotiating our initial business combination are less than the actual amount necessary to do so, 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 consummate our initial business combination or because we become obligated to convert a significant number of our public shares upon consummation of our initial business combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such business combination. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, we would only
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consummate such financing simultaneously with the consummation of our initial business combination. Following our initial business combination, if cash on hand is insufficient, we may need to obtain additional financing in order to meet our obligations.
Our sponsor (or its designees) has agreed to enter into a contingent forward purchase agreement with us, pursuant to which it will have an option to purchase, in its sole discretion, an aggregate of up to 1,000,000 of our shares of common stock (for $10.00 per share or up to $10,000,000 in the aggregate) in a private placement to occur simultaneously with the consummation of our initial business combination. The funds from any such sale may be used as part of the consideration to the sellers in our initial business combination, and any excess capital from such private placement would be used for working capital in the post-transaction company.
Related Party Transactions
In January 2021, Altamont Pharma Sponsor, LLC, loaned us $50,000 to cover expenses related to this offering, pursuant to a promissory note. The loan is payable without interest at the closing this offering. In February 2021, we borrowed an additional $7,500 under the promissory note.
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, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our insiders or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. In the event that the initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts, but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Such loans would be evidenced by promissory notes. The notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $200,000 of the notes may be converted upon consummation of our business combination into additional private warrants at a price of $0.50 per warrant. If we do not complete a business combination, any other outstanding loans from our insiders or their affiliates will be repaid only from amounts remaining outside our trust account, if any. We believe the purchase price of these warrants will approximate the fair value of such units when issued. However, if it is determined that, at the time of issuance, the fair value of such warrants exceeds the purchase price, we would record compensation expense for the excess of the fair value of the units on the day of issuance over the purchase price in accordance with ASC 718 — Compensation — Stock Compensation.
Our sponsor (or its designees) has agreed to enter into a contingent forward purchase agreement with us, pursuant to which it will have an option to purchase, in its sole discretion, an aggregate of up to 1,000,000 of our shares of common stock (for $10.00 per share or up to $10,000,000 in the aggregate) in a private placement to occur simultaneously with the consummation of our initial business combination. The funds from any such sale may be used as part of the consideration to the sellers in our initial business combination, and any excess capital from such private placement would be used for working capital in the post-transaction company.
Controls and Procedures
We are not currently required to maintain an effective system of internal control as defined by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We will be required to comply with the internal control requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022. As of the date of this prospectus, we have not completed an assessment, nor has our independent registered public accounting firm tested our systems, of internal control. We expect to assess the internal control of our target business or businesses prior to the completion of our initial business combination and, if necessary, to implement and test additional controls as we may determine are necessary in order to state that we maintain an effective system of internal control. A target business may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding the adequacy of internal control. Target businesses we may consider for our initial business combination may have internal controls that need improvement in areas such as:
• staffing for financial, accounting and external reporting areas, including segregation of duties;
• reconciliation of accounts;
• proper recording of expenses and liabilities in the period to which they relate;
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• 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.
When required by Section 404 and once our management’s report on internal control is complete, we will retain our independent registered public accounting firm to audit and render an opinion on such report. This independent registered public accounting firm may identify additional issues concerning a target business’s internal control while performing its audit of internal control over financial reporting.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
The net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private warrants held in the trust account will be invested in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 180 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Due to the short-term nature of these investments, we believe there will be no associated material exposure to interest rate risk.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements; Commitments and Contractual Obligations; Quarterly Results
As of January 29, 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 September 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 auditor’s attestation report on our system of internal control 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 auditor’s report 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 our initial public offering or until we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” whichever is earlier.
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PROPOSED BUSINESS
General
We are a blank check company formed under the laws of the State of Delaware on January 6, 2021. We were formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. Although there is no restriction or limitation on what industry our target operates in, it is our intention to pursue prospective targets that are focused on healthcare innovation. We anticipate targeting companies domiciled in North America or Europe that are developing assets in the biopharma and medical technology sectors, which aligns with our management team’s experience in healthcare investing and drug development. At the time of preparing this prospectus, we have not identified any specific business combination, nor has anyone on our behalf initiated or engaged in any substantive discussions, formal or otherwise, related to such a transaction. Our efforts to date are limited to organizational activities related to this offering.
Our Sponsor and Competitive Advantages
Our sponsor is an affiliate of Altamont Pharma and JDH, both of which have reputations as leading capital providers to healthcare industry entrepreneurs and academics due to their investment expertise, deep industry relationships, and knowledge in the sector .
We will be led by Mark Pearson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Altamont Pharma, and advised by both John D. Harkey, Jr., Founder and Principal of JDH, and Jay Shepard. Mr. Pearson, Mr. Harkey and Mr. Shepard have more than 30 years of combined experience in healthcare investing across multiple sectors including but not limited to the addiction, pain, and neurological disorders of the Central Nervous System (“CNS”) space.
Members of our management team and board have been directly involved in many successful transactions, as Co-Founders, Managers, and/or substantial investors, including strategic sales like Nextwave Pharmaceuticals acquired by Pfizer (NYSE: PFE), Ilypsa acquired by Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN), Replysa (NASDAQ: RLYP) acquired by Vifor Pharma (OTC: GNHAF), Stemcentryx acquired by AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), AveXis (NASDAQ: AVXS) acquired by Novartis (NYSE: NVS) and CerSci Therapeutics acquired by Acadia Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ACAD).
We believe that our company’s alignment with Altamont Pharma and JDH, and our ability to leverage the rigorous and comprehensive scientific and financial analysis that these firms are known for, provides us with a strong competitive advantage. Altamont Pharma and JDH focuses on identifying transformational innovations across the life sciences space, specifically backing scientific programs that have the potential to disrupt the current standard of care in their respective disease areas.
Altamont Pharma and JDH invest across the public/private spectrum, supporting rapidly growing biotech companies through multiple stages of their respective life cycles. To date, Altamont Pharma and JDH have successfully assisted companies through the FDA approval process as well as aided in the commercialization of available drugs.
Altamont Pharma and JDH have also formed new companies focused on promising academic licenses. An example of this is Avexis, a publicly traded biotech company developing treatments for rare neurological disorders (formally listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker symbol “AVXS”), where Mr. Harkey served as Executive Chairman. Avexis was sold in 2018 to Novartis (NYSE: NVS) for $8.7 billion. Mr. Harkey was also a lead investor in and has led several financings for CerSci Therapeutics, which is developing a new generation of non-opioid medications to treat acute and chronic pain that does not affect the central nervous system, and which are designed to eliminate the addiction that can be associated with the use of this class of drug. CerSci was sold in 2020 to Acadia Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ACAD).
With technology licensed from the Scripps Research Institute, Altamont Pharma and Mr. Pearson co-founded Cessation Therapeutics, LLC in 2017 which is developing vaccines to treat opioid addiction. The technology can also be utilized to combat nicotine and other addictions. In September 2020, Cessation Therapeutics, LLC received a $7.1 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse / National Institutes of Health to further its development of a vaccine to treat heroin, opioid, and fentanyl addiction.
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In 2003, Mr. Pearson co-founded The Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research on The Scripps Research Institute campus in La Jolla, CA, also contributing a gift of several million dollars. Mr. Pearson individually and through Altamont Pharma has funded other research institutes and private companies working on therapeutics in the addiction and CNS space.
Altamont Pharma and JDH’s team is comprised of individuals with medical and advanced scientific training and legal and banking experience, enabling a deeply differentiated approach to research and idea generation. Complementing Altamont Pharma and JDH’s outstanding scientific perspective and industry relationships is the companies’ business team, whose members include an attorney, biotech investors and analysts who actively engage with banks and academic institutions, cultivating strong relationships and expanding their network of key contacts and syndicate partners. We believe that the diverse skills and insight of the team, strengthened by our strong ties across industry, academia, banking platforms, and unaffiliated investors, will enhance our ability to source attractive prospective target businesses, capitalize them, and ensure public-market readiness.
Our independent directors have extensive experience in clinical medicine, therapeutic agent development, obtaining regulatory approval, biotech company operational and commercial leadership, and capital markets transaction management. We believe that their breadth of experience will bolster our ability to thoroughly evaluate prospective candidates and to successfully execute our initial business combination. Following the completion of our initial transaction, we believe that our independent directors will fortify our ongoing operations by providing sound and experienced counsel on potential additional acquisitions, divestitures, corporate strategy, and human resources management.
We believe that our management team is equipped with the knowledge, experience, capital and human resources, and sustainable corporate governance practices to pursue unique opportunities that will offer attractive risk-adjusted returns.
Our Management and Board of Directors
Mark Pearson, our President and Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of our Board of Directors, is the Founder and CEO of Altamont Pharma, a biotech investment firm. Mr. Pearson has been investing in startup life science and technology companies for over 20 years. Mr. Pearson is the Co-Founder and Vice Chairman of the Board of Drawbridge Realty, a San Francisco based real estate development and investment company, which owns 6 million square feet of commercial real estate leased to technology and life science companies predominantly in the western United States. Drawbridge Realty’s portfolio exceeds $1.6 billion in asset value. In December 2014, Drawbridge formed a partnership with international asset management firm KKR which made a significant investment in the company to substantially grow the platform. Mr. Pearson is the Co-Founder, Co-CEO and Co-Chairman of Cessation Therapeutics, LLC, a preclinical stage biopharmaceutical company with laboratories in San Diego, California. Mr. Pearson served on the Board of Directors of publicly traded biopharmaceutical company Soligenix, Inc.(NASDAQ: SNGX), a late stage company focused on developing and commercializing products to treat rare diseases. Mr. Pearson currently serves on the Board of Trustees of The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, a world-renowned biomedical research institute employing over 2,400 scientists and support staff. Scripps Research Institute has created 80+ spin-off biotech companies, 10 FDA approved drugs, and currently has 30 drugs in its pipeline. Mr. Pearson was the founding donor of The Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research, which was founded in 2003 on The Scripps Research Institute campus in La Jolla, California by Mark Pearson, Dr. George Koob, Ph.D., and Dr. Barbara Mason, Ph.D. Mr. Pearson earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics from the University of San Francisco and a Masters degree in Management from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business where he was a Sloan Fellow.
Rhozel Ocampo, our Senior Director of Finance, is a skilled finance professional having analyzed financial statements and developed financial models for asset valuation using discounted cash flows for multiple companies. She is adept at using public and private databases to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the competitive landscape as it relates to the biotechnology industry. Ms. Ocampo’s academic research was focused on constructing asset portfolio performance under the risk-return framework. Ms. Ocampo earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance, with honors, from the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona as a cum laude graduate.
Yitai Tang, Ph.D., our Senior Investment Officer and Analyst, is an experienced biological scientist with a deep understanding in various fields within biomedical sciences, including neurodegenerative diseases, regenerative medicine and oncology. His research is published in top peer-reviewed journals. Prior to joining Altamont Pharma and Altamont Pharma Acquisition Corp, Dr. Tang was a postdoctoral scholar at the Stanford University School of
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Medicine, where he combined research in stem cell biology and mouse genetics to study brain development and brain degeneration. He received comprehensive training in Regulatory affairs and Clinical Research at Stanford and the University of California San Francisco. He was also actively involved with the Stanford Consulting Group (SCG). SCG investigates economic issues of concern to business or government entities and offers conceptual as well as analytical solutions. At Altamont Pharma and Altamont Pharma Acquisition Corp, Dr. Tang focuses on identifying and researching potential investments in companies in the central nervous system space. Dr. Tang earned his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from the Rice University, Houston, Texas, where he proposed and experimentally verified novel models of tissue size regulation.
Gayathri Srinivasan, our Senior Analyst, is a circadian biology and cardiology specialist. Ms. Srinivasan’s research focused on developing cardiac ion channel models to identify the gender-related differences in the initiation and the progression of atrial fibrillation. She has also researched the impact of genetic modifications to neuropeptides on circadian neural circuits and regulation of the sleep cycle. At Altamont Pharma and Altamont Pharma Acquisition Corp, Ms. Srinivasan researches and analyzes potential investment opportunities. Ms. Srinivasan earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Biomedical Engineering from the Washington University in St. Louis and a Master of Science Degree in Biomedical Engineering from the Boston University.
Sharon Tetlow, a member of our Board of Directors, has served as Managing Partner of Potrero Hill Advisors since January 2016. Potrero Hill Advisors provides strategic and operational financial support to life science companies through its team of chief financial officers and controllers. Ms. Tetlow was previously the Managing Director of Danforth Advisors from April 2013 to January 2016. She served as Chief Financial Officer of Pathwork Diagnostics, Inc, a privately held biotechnology company, from 2011 to 2013. From 2005 to 2009, she served as Chief Financial Officer of Cell Genesys, Inc.(CEGE) a publicly traded biotechnology company. In connection with her role as managing partner of Potreto Hill Advisors, Ms. Tetlow has led the finance function at several biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, including 4D Molecular Therapeutics Inc, and Ocera Therapeutics, Inc., two privately held companies and Allakos, Inc. and CytomX, Inc., two publicly traded companies. Ms. Tetlow was previously on the Board of Directors of Armetheon, Inc, a privately held company. Ms. Tetlow currently serves on the Board of Catalyst Biosciences (NASDAQ: CBIO). Ms. Tetlow holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from the University of Delaware and a Masters degree in Business from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
John D. Harkey, Jr. has agreed to serve on our Board of Directors as of the closing of this offering. Mr. Harkey was Co-Founder, initial and follow on investor, and formerly Executive Chairman of the Board of AveXis, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVXS, acquired by Novartis for $8.7 billion in 2018), which develops proprietary gene therapies for rare neurological genetic diseases. Mr. Harkey has over 25 years of experience as a private investor, chief executive and director in both public and private companies. He has merged, acquired, operated and/or served on the Board of Directors of eight public companies in biotech, energy, technology, aerospace, telecom, restaurants, and private companies in healthcare, real estate, agricultural products and software. He previously served nine years on the Board of Directors of the Baylor Health Care System Foundation. Mr. Harkey is the Founder and Principal of JDH Investment Management, LLC, which is focused on investing and leading biotech, gene therapy, non-opiate pain and pharma/therapeutics spaces. He was also a lead investor and served on the board of CerSci Therapeutics, Inc, which was acquired in 2020 by Acadia Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(NASDAQ: ACAD) for a total consideration of up to $939.5 million. He is formerly the Chairman of the Board of Regency Gas Partners, LP (NYSE: RGP, sold to Energy Transfer for $18 billion). He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Loral Space & Communications, Inc.(NASDAQ: LORL), and also served on the Board of Directors of Emisphere Technologies, Inc.(NASDAQ: EMIS) until its sale in December 2020 to Novo Nordisk A/S. Mr. Harkey serves as Consolidated Restaurant Companies, Inc’s (CRC) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. He is the majority shareholder of privately-held CRC. Philanthropically, Mr. Harkey serves on the Board of Directors of The University of Texas System Chancellor’s Council Executive Committee, the University of Texas Development Board and is Chairman of the McCombs School of Business Advisory Board at the University of Texas at Austin. He also serves on the State Fair of Texas Board of Directors. Mr. Harkey earned his Bachelor Degree in Business Honors and a Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Business Administration from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
Jay Shepard has agreed to serve on our Board of Directors as of the closing of this offering. Mr. Shepard served as Executive Chairman of Versartis, Inc., from December 2013 to 2015. In May 2015, Mr. Shepard joined Versartis as President and CEO. In 2018, Versartis merged with Aravive (NASDAQ: ARAV) and he served as the President and Chief Executive Officer from May 2018 to January 2020, when he retired. From 2008 to 2015, Mr. Shepard was the Executive Partner at Sofinnova Ventures. Previously, he was the President and Chief Executive Officer of NextWave
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Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Pfizer), President and Chief Executive Officer of Ilypsa (acquired by Amgen), interim President and Chief Executive Officer of Relypsa (Ilypsa’s spin-out company, which was acquired by Galencia), and Vice President of Commercial Operations at Telik and Oncology Business Unit Head of Alza Pharmaceuticals (Alza was acquired by Johnson & Johnson). He has over 35 years of experience in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and drug delivery arenas. He has participated in or led over 16 product launches by preparing markets and establishing sales and marketing operations. Mr. Shepard currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. He is a board member of Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: INO), Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: IRWD), Esperion (NASDAQ: ESPR) and Craig Hospital. Mr. Shepard is an operating partner at Catalys Pacific, a venture group focused on licensing drug programs and creating new companies in the US and Japan. Mr. Shepard holds a B.S. in business administration from the University of Arizona.
Lisa Walters-Hoffert has agreed to serve on our Board of Directors as of the closing of this offering. Ms. Walters-Hoffert was a Co-Founder of Daré Bioscience, Inc. and following the company’s merger with Cerulean Pharma, Inc.in July of 2017, became Chief Financial Officer of the surviving public company (NASDAQ: DARE). Ms. Walters-Hoffert also serves on the Board of Directors of Flux Power Holdings, Inc.(NASDAQ: FLUX) and as chair of its Audit Committee. For over twenty-five years, Ms. Walters-Hoffert was an investment banker focused on small-cap public companies in the technology and life science sectors. From 2003 to 2015, Ms. Walters-Hoffert worked for Roth Capital Partners as Managing Director in the Investment Banking Division. Ms. Walters-Hoffert previously held various positions in the corporate finance and investment banking divisions of Citicorp Securities in San José, Costa Rica and Oppenheimer & Co, Inc.in New York City, New York. Ms. Walters-Hoffert currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of The Elementary Institute of Science in San Diego. She previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of the San Diego Venture Group, as chair of the University of California San Diego Librarian’s Advisory Board and as chair of the Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest. Ms. Walters-Hoffert graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Management Sciences, magna cum laude.
Industry Opportunity
The healthcare industry represents the fifth largest component of U.S. consumer spending equating to nearly 10% of average annual expenditures as of 2019 according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. In 2018, U.S. healthcare expenditures amounted to $3.6 trillion, or 17.7% of total GDP, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services projects that U.S. healthcare expenditures will rise to $6.2 trillion in 2028, or 19.7% of GDP, representing a 5.4% compound annual growth rate (“CAGR”). The current trajectory of healthcare costs appears to be unsustainable without technological and scientific advancements that are showing potential to create tremendous value with disruptive therapeutic alternatives to existing standards of care as well as creating important efficiencies using technology all while reducing costs and improving efficacy.
Globally, biotech markets are growing rapidly. According to Global Market Insights, the global biotech market is expected to grow with a CAGR of 9.9% from 2019 to 2025. We are seeing technologies, such as those derived from DNA and RNA sciences that can potentially deliver solutions across various types of diseases.. We believe that these disruptive technologies are the key to addressing healthcare costs while providing an opportunity to offer outstanding risk-adjusted returns to stockholders by building companies that possess unique and heretofore unrecognized growth opportunities that will benefit by capitalization, proactive skilled management, and supportive and sustainable governance practices.
Genetic therapies are on the rise. Validated drug targets are being produced at an unprecedented rate primarily driven by the nominal cost of genetic information which is revolutionizing the discovery process. The first human genome sequence was completed in 2001 with an overall cost to the U.S. government in excess of $3.0 billion. According to the National Human Genome Research Institute, the cost to sequence a human genome has fallen to below $1,000 in 2020. This reduction in cost has led to tremendous productivity and additional market entry by innovative and disruptive companies. According to data from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the number of patents has inflected upward since 2010, which is resulting in more new drugs in company pipelines. Technological applications are also creating platforms of addressable diseases, increasing bandwidth and enabling companies to target more diseases with superior scientific accuracy than in previous generations of drug development.
The FDA has reported a surge in investigational new drug (IND) applications for cell and gene therapy products. There are currently more than 800 such applications on file with the FDA, and by 2020, the agency anticipated receiving more than 200 IND applications annually. The number of IND application surged in Q2 and Q3 of 2020 with 6,575
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applications being filed, primarily driven by Covid-19. The FDA predicts that it will need to significantly improve upon its original target of approving 10 - 20 cell and gene therapy products per year by 2025 in order to keep pace with the increase in applications. We expect this trend to not only continue, but for genetically targeted therapies to become the majority of new therapies over the next decade. Further supportive dynamics come from the FDA and peer country regulatory bodies. While the United States leads the way in healthcare innovation, regulatory bodies across Europe, Japan, and recently China, are enabling accelerated review programs resulting in faster approvals for therapies for conditions with unmet needs.
Although genetically validated targets can sometimes be addressed by existing traditional approaches, such as small molecules and antibodies, in specific tissues, DNA and RNA based medicines can offer advantages in terms of speed and ease of development. We believe that gene therapies also carry the potential for a one-time cure and RNA medicines may promise therapies with less frequent injections. The market for gene therapy companies has been growing. According to Capital IQ, at the beginning of 2013, there were five publicly traded gene therapy companies with a combined market capitalization of approximately $1.1 billion. At the end of 2020 there were 38 publicly traded gene therapy companies with a combined market capitalization of approximately $75 billion (a total which includes $3 billion paid by Astellas to acquire Audentes, $877 million paid by Biogen to acquire Nightstar Therapeutics, $4.9 billion paid by Roche to acquire Spark Therapeutics, and $8.6 billion paid by Novartis to acquire AveXis). During the same seven-year period, according to Capital IQ, the number of publicly traded RNA medicine companies grew from eight companies with a combined market capitalization of approximately $3.8 billion to 26 companies with a combined market capitalization of approximately $141 billion (a total which includes $9.6 billion paid by Novartis to acquire The Medicines Company, and $536 million paid by Ionis Pharmaceuticals to acquire Akcea Therapeutics).
Addiction, Pain, and Neurological Therapies. The Biden administration has pledged to address the major public health challenge facing Americans in the form of mental health disorders, addiction to pain medication, and narcotic drug abuse and overdose. Recent data estimate that 40% of U.S. residents now report struggling with mental or behavior health issues1, while drug overdose resulted in an estimated 81,000 deaths in 12 months ending May 20202, the highest annual level ever reported. While the ongoing coronavirus pandemic likely has accelerated the pressure of these problems, we believe the underlying trends and challenges in the areas of addiction, pain management, and mental/neurological disorders create a public health crisis. We believe that our experience and track record developing therapies in this sector makes us ideally positioned to align with the current administration’s initiatives and to identify and advance innovative technologies and therapies to address this U.S. public health crisis.
1 CDC.gov: Mental Health, Substance Use, and Suicidal Ideation During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, June 24–30, 2020 pub: August 14, 2020
2 CDC.gov: Overdose Deaths Accelerating During COVID-19 pub: December 17, 2020
Growing public awareness of the tremendous economic and personal consequences of addiction has led to an open discourse on the urgent need for new solutions. This, in turn, has created a growing multi-billion dollar market opportunity to develop drugs to address and effectively treat drug addiction, opioid overdoses, smoking/nicotine addiction and alcohol use disorders. Worldwide, there are more than 26.4 million opioid abusers resulting in $72.5 billion in healthcare cost annually. The opioid and substance use treatment market has been significantly growing with limited available effective treatment options. The opioid crisis has been declared a public health emergency and all effects to combat it are on the political, societal, academic, and research level. Current annual U.S. deaths related to addiction are as follows:
Deaths from drug addiction | | 70,000 |
Deaths from smoking | | 480,000 |
Deaths from alcohol abuse | | 88,000 |
Total annual deaths from addiction | | 638,000 |
Currently there are few approved drugs on the market to treat addiction. This lack of supply along with high demand has resulted in high sales volumes for these addiction treatments, despite what we believe to be limited therapeutic effectiveness of these treatments. One such drug is Alkermes Plc’s (NASDAQ: ALKS) product called Vivitrol which accounted for approximately $335 million in sales (2019) representing roughly 30% share of Alkermes’ total annual 2019 revenue. Vivitrol is a drug used to treat alcohol use disorder and was a generic drug called Naltrexone that was repurposed by Alkermes into a monthly injection. The efficacy of Vivitrol with psychosocial support is only 36%, highlighting the need for a more effective drug to treat alcohol use disorder. Given the high percentage of patients
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with ongoing unmet needs, we believe an efficacious therapy for alcohol use disorder could represent a billion-dollar market opportunity. Similarly, Pfizer’s nicotine addiction drug Chantix had 2019 revenues of approximately $1 billion. Pfizer’s patent for Chantix is due to expire soon in the U.S. Despite successful sales, Chantix is known to have severe side effects, and its label includes the FDA’s most stringent “black box” warning about serious and potentially lethal side effects. The efficacy of Chantix is reported at approximately 23% demonstrating, we believe, the need for a more effective drug for nicotine addiction. To summarize, given the high percentage of patients who are not responding to currently available drug therapy for addiction, we believe an effective treatment could represent an annual billion-dollar market opportunity.
IPO dynamics are favorable. According to Capital IQ, in 2020, biotechnology companies raised more than $19 billion in initial public offerings on all major global exchanges, compared to more than $17 billion raised from 2017 to 2019 combined, suggesting market demand for value-creating investments. However, despite the current level of IPO activity, the amount raised by biotech companies in initial public offerings is a fraction of the amount raised in the private market. According to Capital IQ Data, as of January 2021, there are approximately 16,287 biotechnology companies globally, only 1,484 of which are currently publicly traded. Compared to the approximately $38 billion raised in IPOs by the biotech industry from 2016 to 2020, there has been more than $64 billion raised in private offerings during the same period. Therefore, there is a significant pool of private life-sciences companies that are, or will be, looking to go public. We believe these companies will consider going public through a transaction with a special purpose acquisition company (“SPAC”). We believe SPACs provide a particularly appealing go-public option for privately held biotech companies particularly when SPACs like ours provide management and advisors with the ability to enhance the private company’s commercial and regulatory prospects.
Acquisition Strategy
Our acquisition strategy is to identify and acquire an untapped opportunity within our target industry and build a public company. We believe that our management team’s and directors’ experiences in evaluating assets through investing and company building will enable us to source the highest quality targets. Our selection process will leverage the relationships of our management team with industry captains, leading venture capitalists, private equity and hedge fund managers, respected peers, and our network of investment banking executives, attorneys, and accountants. Together with this network of trusted partners, we intend to capitalize the target business and create purposeful strategic initiatives in order to achieve attractive growth and performance targets.
We will focus on targeting companies in the most innovative subsectors within the broader healthcare complex where emerging technologies in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical technologies are engendering explosive growth in drug development including but not limited to companies focused on addiction, pain, seizure disorder and other neurological disorders for which our team has unique expertise.
Investment Criteria
We intend to focus on companies that possess under-researched and underappreciated asset(s) poised for significant growth once capitalized.
Consistent with our strategy, we have identified the following criteria to evaluate prospective target businesses. Although we may decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet the criteria described below, it is our intention to acquire companies that we believe:
• have a scientific or other competitive advantage in the markets
We intend to seek target companies that have significant competitive advantages and underexploited expansion opportunities that can benefit from access to additional capital as well as our industry relationships and expertise.
• are ready to be public, with strong management, corporate governance and reporting policies in place
We will seek to identify companies with strong and experienced public-ready management teams. Specifically, we will look for management teams that have a proven track record of value creation for their stockholders. We will seek to partner with a potential target’s management team and expect that the operating and investment abilities of our executive team and board will complement their own capabilities.
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• will likely be well received by public investors and are expected to have good access to the public capital markets
We believe that there are a substantial number of potential target businesses with appropriate valuations that can benefit from a public listing and new capital for growth to support significant revenue and earnings growth or to advance clinical programs.
• have significant embedded and/or underexploited growth opportunities of which our team is uniquely positioned to identify and monetize
We intend to seek target companies that have significant and underexploited expansion opportunities. This can be accomplished through a combination of accelerating organic growth and finding attractive add-on acquisition targets. Our management team has significant experience in identifying such targets and in helping target management assess the strategic and financial fit. Similarly, our management has the expertise to assess the likely synergies and a process to help a target integrate acquisitions.
• exhibit unrecognized value or other characteristics that we believe have been misevaluated by the market
We will seek target companies which exhibit value or other characteristics that we believe have been overlooked or misevaluated by the marketplace based on our company-specific analyses and due diligence. For a potential target company, this process will include, among other things, a review and analysis of the company’s capital structure, quality of current or future earnings, preclinical or clinical data, potential for operational improvements, corporate governance, customers, material contracts, and the industry and trends. We intend to leverage the operational experience and disciplined investment approach of our team to identify opportunities to unlock value that our experience in complex situations allows us to pursue.
• will offer attractive risk-adjusted equity returns for our stockholders.
We intend to seek to acquire a target on terms and in a manner that leverage our experience. We expect to evaluate a company based on its potential to successfully achieve regulatory approval and commercialize its product(s). We also expect to evaluate financial returns based on (i) risk-adjusted peak sales potential, (ii) the growth potential of pipeline products and the scientific platform, (iii) the ability to accelerate growth via other options, including through the opportunity for follow-on acquisitions, and (iv) the prospects for creating value through other initiatives. Potential upside, for example, from the growth in the target business’s earnings or an improved capital structure, will be weighed against any identified downside risks.
Competitive Strengths
We believe our competitive strengths to be the following:
Status as a public company
We believe our structure will make us an attractive business combination partner to target businesses. As an existing public company, we offer a target business an alternative to the traditional initial public offering through a merger or other business combination. In this situation, the owners of the target business would exchange their shares of stock in the target business for shares of our stock or for a combination of shares of our stock and cash, allowing us to tailor the consideration to the specific needs of the sellers. We believe target businesses might find this method a more certain and cost effective method to becoming a public company than the typical initial public offering. In a typical initial public offering, there are additional expenses incurred in marketing, roadshow and public reporting efforts that will likely not be present to the same extent in connection with a business combination with us. Furthermore, once the business combination is consummated, 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 that could prevent the offering from occurring. Once public, we believe the target business would then have greater access to capital and an additional means of providing management incentives consistent with stockholders’ interests than it would have as a privately held company. It can offer further benefits by augmenting a company’s profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented employees.
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While we believe that our status as a public company will make us an attractive business partner, some potential target businesses may view the inherent limitations in our status as a blank check company, such as our lack of an operating history and our requirements to seek stockholder approval of any proposed initial business combination and provide holders of public shares the opportunity to convert their shares into cash from the trust account, as a deterrent and may prefer to effect a business combination with a more established entity or with a private company.
Transaction flexibility
We offer a target business a variety of options such as providing the owners of a target business with shares in a public company and a public means to sell such shares, providing cash for stock, and providing capital for the potential growth and expansion of its operations or strengthening its balance sheet by reducing its debt ratio. Because we are able to consummate 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, since we have no specific business combination under consideration, we have not taken any steps to secure third-party financing and it may not be available to us.
Competitive Weaknesses
We believe our competitive weaknesses to be the following:
Limited Financial Resources
Our financial reserves will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of venture capital firms, leveraged buyout firms and operating businesses competing for acquisitions. In addition, our financial resources could be reduced because of our obligation to convert shares held by our public stockholders as well as any tender offer we conduct.
Lack of experience with blank check companies
Our management team is not experienced in pursuing business combinations on behalf of blank check companies. Other blank check companies may be sponsored and managed by individuals with prior experience in completing business combinations between blank check companies and target businesses. Our managements’ lack of experience may not be viewed favorably by target businesses.
Limited technical and human resources
As a blank check company, we have limited technical and human resources. Many venture capital funds, leveraged buyout firms and operating businesses possess greater technical and human resources than we do and thus we may be at a disadvantage when competing with them for target businesses.
Delay associated with stockholder approval or tender offer
We may be required to seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination. If we are not required to obtain stockholder approval of an initial business combination, we will allow our stockholders to sell their shares to us pursuant to a tender offer. Both seeking stockholder approval and conducting a tender offer will delay the consummation of our initial business combination. Other companies competing with us for acquisition opportunities may not be subject to similar requirement, or may be able to satisfy such requirements more quickly than we can. As a result, we may be at a disadvantage in competing for these opportunities.
Effecting Our Initial Business Combination
General
We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any substantive commercial business for an indefinite period of time following this offering. We intend to utilize cash derived from the proceeds of this offering and the private placement of private warrants, our capital stock, debt or a combination of these in effecting our initial business combination. Although substantially all of the net proceeds of this offering and the private placement of private warrants are intended to be applied generally toward effecting a business combination as described in this prospectus, the proceeds are not otherwise being designated for any more specific purposes. Accordingly, investors in this offering
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are investing without first having an opportunity to evaluate the specific merits or risks of any one or more business combinations. Our initial business combination may involve the acquisition of, or merger with, a company which does not need substantial additional capital but which desires to establish a public trading market for its shares. In the alternative, we may seek to consummate a business combination with a company that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth. While we may seek to effect simultaneous business combinations with more than one target business, we will probably have the ability, as a result of our limited resources, to effect only a single business combination.
We Have Not Identified a Target Business
We have not selected any target business for our initial business combination and we have not (nor has anyone on our behalf), directly or indirectly, engaged in any substantive discussions with a target business with respect to a business combination transaction with us. As a result, we may not be able to locate a target business, and we may not be able to engage in a business combination with a target business on favorable terms or at all.
Sources of Target Businesses
While we have not yet identified any initial business combination candidates, we believe based on our management’s business knowledge and past experience that there are numerous business combination candidates. We anticipate that target business candidates will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment bankers, venture capital funds, private equity funds, leveraged buyout funds, management buyout funds and other members of the financial community. Target businesses may be brought to our attention by such unaffiliated sources as a result of being solicited by us through calls or mailings. These sources may also introduce us to target businesses in which they think we may be interested on an unsolicited basis, since many of these sources will have read this prospectus and know what types of businesses we are targeting. Our officers and directors, as well as their affiliates, may also bring to our attention target business candidates that they become aware of through their business contacts as a result of formal or informal inquiries or discussions they may have, as well as attending trade shows or conventions. We may engage professional firms or other individuals that specialize in business acquisitions or mergers in the future, in which event we may pay a finder’s fee, consulting fee or other compensation to be determined in an arm’s length negotiation based on the terms of the transaction. Except for the $10,000 per month administrative services fee, in no event will our insiders or any of the members of our management team be paid any finder’s fee, consulting fee or other compensation prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the consummation of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). We have no present intention to enter into a business combination with a target business that is affiliated with any of our insiders or director nominees. However, we are not restricted from entering into any such transactions and may do so if (1) such transaction is approved by a majority of our disinterested and independent directors (if we have any at that time) and (2) we obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that the business combination is fair to our unaffiliated stockholders from a financial point of view. As of the date of this prospectus, there are no affiliated entities that we would consider as a business combination target.
Selection of a Target Business and Structuring of Our Initial Business Combination
Subject to our management team’s fiduciary duties and the limitation that one or more target businesses have an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriter’s fees and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination, as described below in more detail, our management will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting a prospective target business. Therefore, the fair market value of the target business will be calculated prior to any conversions of our shares in connection with a business combination and therefore will be a minimum of $80,000,000 (or $92,000,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) in order to satisfy the 80% test. While the fair market value of the target business must satisfy the 80% test, the consideration we pay the owners of the target business may be a combination of cash (whether cash from the trust account or cash from a debt or equity financing transaction that closes concurrently with the business combination) or our equity securities. The exact nature and amount of consideration would be determined based on negotiations with the target business, although we will attempt to primarily use our equity as transaction consideration. There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds privately or through loans in connection with our initial business combination. We have not established any specific attributes or criteria (financial or otherwise) for prospective target businesses.
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Accordingly, there is no basis for investors in this offering to evaluate the possible merits or risks of the target business with which we may ultimately complete a business combination. To the extent we effect our initial business combination with a financially unstable company or an entity in its early stage of development or growth, including entities without established records of sales or earnings, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business and operations of financially unstable and early stage or potential emerging growth companies. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we may not properly ascertain or assess all significant risk factors. In evaluating a prospective target business, our management may consider a variety of factors, including one or more of the following:
• financial condition and results of operation;
• growth potential;
• brand recognition and potential;
• return on equity or invested capital;
• market capitalization or enterprise value;
• experience and skill of management and availability of additional personnel;
• capital requirements;
• competitive position;
• barriers to entry;
• stage of development of the products, processes or services;
• existing distribution and potential for expansion;
• degree of current or potential market acceptance of the products, processes or services;
• proprietary aspects of products and the extent of intellectual property or other protection for products or formulas;
• impact of regulation on the business;
• regulatory environment of the industry;
• costs associated with effecting the business combination;
• industry leadership, sustainability of market share and attractiveness of market industries in which a target business participates; and
• macro competitive dynamics in the industry within which the company competes.
These criteria are not intended to be exhaustive. Our management may not consider any of the above criteria in evaluating a prospective target business. The retention of our officers and directors following the completion of any business combination will not be a material consideration in our evaluation of a prospective target business.
Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular business combination will be based, to the extent relevant, on the above factors as well as other considerations deemed relevant by our management in effecting a business combination consistent with our business objective. In evaluating a prospective target business, we will conduct an extensive due diligence review which will encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and inspection of facilities, as well as review of financial and other information which is made available to us. This due diligence review will be conducted either by our management or by unaffiliated third parties we may engage, although we have no current intention to engage any such third parties.
The time and costs required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete our initial business combination remain to be determined. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of a prospective target business with which a business combination is not ultimately completed will result in a loss to us and reduce the amount of capital available to otherwise complete a business combination.
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Fair Market Value of Target Business
Pursuant to Nasdaq listing rules, our initial business combination must occur with one or more target businesses having an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the value of the funds in the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriter’s fees and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account), which we refer to as the 80% test, at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination, although we may structure a business combination with one or more target businesses whose fair market value significantly exceeds 80% of the trust account balance. Therefore, the fair market value of the target business will be calculated prior to any conversions of our shares in connection with a business combination and therefore will be a minimum of $80,000,000 (or $92,000,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) in order to satisfy the 80% test. While the fair market value of the target business must satisfy the 80% test, the consideration we pay the owners of the target business may be a combination of cash (whether cash from the trust account or cash from a debt or equity financing transaction that closes concurrently with the business combination) or our equity securities. The exact nature and amount of consideration would be determined based on negotiations with the target business, although we will attempt to primarily use our equity as transaction consideration. If we are no longer listed on Nasdaq, we will not be required to satisfy the 80% test.
We currently anticipate structuring a business combination to acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure a business combination where we merge directly with the target business or where we acquire less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or stockholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise owns a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our stockholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our stockholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% test. In order to consummate such an acquisition, we may issue a significant amount of our debt or equity securities to the sellers of such businesses and/or seek to raise additional funds through a private offering of debt or equity securities. Since we have no specific business combination under consideration, we have not entered into any such fund raising arrangement and have no current intention of doing so. The fair market value of the target will be determined by our Board of Directors based upon one or more standards generally accepted by the financial community (such as actual and potential sales, earnings, cash flow and/or book value). If our board is not able to independently determine that the target business has a sufficient fair market value, we will obtain an opinion from an unaffiliated, independent investment banking firm, or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions on the type of target business we are seeking to acquire, with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. We will not be required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm, or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions on the type of target business we are seeking to acquire, as to the fair market value if our Board of Directors independently determines that the target business complies with the 80% threshold. However, if we seek to consummate an initial business combination with an entity that is affiliated with any of our officers, directors or other insiders and are therefore required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that the business combination is fair to our unaffiliated stockholders from a financial point of view, we may ask that banking firm to opine on whether the target business met the 80% fair market value test. Nevertheless, we are not required to do so and could determine not to do so without consent of our stockholders.
Lack of Business Diversification
We expect to complete only a single business combination, although this process may entail simultaneous business combinations with several operating businesses. Therefore, at least initially, the prospects for our success may be entirely dependent upon the future performance of a single business operation. Unlike other entities which may have the resources to complete several business combinations of entities operating in multiple industries or multiple areas
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of a single industry, it is probable that we will not have the resources to diversify our operations or benefit from the possible spreading of risks or offsetting of losses. By consummating our initial business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may:
• subject us to negative economic, competitive and regulatory developments, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact upon the particular industry in which we may operate subsequent to our initial business combination, and
• result in our dependency upon the performance of a single operating business or the development or market acceptance of a single or limited number of products, processes or services.
If we determine to simultaneously consummate our initial business combination with several businesses and such businesses are owned by different sellers, we will need for each of such sellers to agree that our purchase of its business is contingent on the simultaneous closings of the other combinations, which may make it more difficult for us, and delay our ability, to complete the business combination. With a business combination with several businesses, we could also face additional risks, including additional burdens and costs with respect to possible multiple negotiations and due diligence investigations and the additional risks associated with the subsequent assimilation of the operations and services or products of the target companies in a single operating business.
Limited Ability to Evaluate the Target Business’ Management Team
Although we intend to scrutinize the management team of a prospective target business when evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial business combination, our assessment of the target business’ management team may not prove to be correct. In addition, the future management team may not have the necessary skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company. Furthermore, the future role of our officers and directors, if any, in the target business following our initial business combination remains to be determined. While it is possible that some of our key personnel will remain associated in senior management or advisory positions with us following our initial business combination, it is unlikely that they will devote their full time efforts to our affairs subsequent to our initial business combination. Moreover, they would only be able to remain with the company after the consummation of our initial business combination if they are able to negotiate employment or consulting agreements in connection with the business combination. Such negotiations would take place simultaneously with the negotiation of the business combination and could provide for them to receive compensation in the form of cash payments and/or our securities for services they would render to the company after the consummation of the business combination. While the personal and financial interests of our key personnel may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business, their ability to remain with the company after the consummation of our initial business combination will not be the determining factor in our decision as to whether or not we will proceed with any potential business combination. Additionally, our officers and directors may not have significant experience or knowledge relating to the operations of the particular target business.
Following our initial business combination, we may seek to recruit additional managers to supplement the incumbent management of the target business. We may not have the ability to recruit additional managers, or that any such additional managers we do recruit will have the requisite skills, knowledge or experience necessary to enhance the incumbent management.
Stockholder Approval of Business Combination
In connection with any proposed business combination, we will either (1) seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which public stockholders (but not our insiders, officers or directors) may seek to convert their shares of common stock, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination, into a portion of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, or (2) provide our stockholders with the opportunity to sell their shares to us by means of a tender offer (and therefore avoid the need for a stockholder vote) for an amount equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, in each case subject to the limitations described herein. If we determine to engage in a tender offer, such tender offer will be structured so that each stockholder may tender all of his, her or its shares rather than some pro rata portion of his, her or its shares. The decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed business combination or whether we 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. We anticipate that
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our business combination could be completed by way of a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar transaction. Stockholder approval will not be required under Delaware law if the business combination is structured as an acquisition of assets of the target company, a share exchange with target company stockholders or a purchase of stock of the target company; however, Nasdaq rules would require us to obtain stockholder approval if we seek to issue shares representing 20% or more of our outstanding shares as consideration in a business combination. A merger of our company into a target company would require stockholder approval under Delaware law. A merger of a target company into our company would not require stockholder approval unless the merger results in a change to our certificate of incorporation, or if the shares issued in connection with the merger exceed 20% of our outstanding shares prior to the merger. A merger of a target company with a subsidiary of our company would not require stockholder approval unless the merger results in a change in our certificate of incorporation; however, Nasdaq rules would require us to obtain stockholder approval of such a transaction if we week to issue shares representing 20% or more of our outstanding shares as consideration.
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 provide our stockholders with an opportunity to tender their shares to us pursuant to a tender offer pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers, and we will file tender offer documents with the SEC which will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules.
In the event we allow stockholders to tender their shares pursuant to the tender offer rules, our tender offer 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 may not purchase public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 (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 Nasdaq requirements, or we decide to obtain stockholder approval for business or other legal reasons, we will:
• permit stockholders to convert their shares 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 stockholders with the conversion rights described above upon completion of the initial business combination.
We will consummate our initial business combination only if public stockholders do not exercise conversion rights in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 and a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the business combination. As a result, if stockholders owning approximately 92.5% (or approximately 93.0% if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) or more of the shares of common stock sold in this offering exercise conversion rights, the business combination will not be consummated. However, the actual percentages will only be able to be determined once a target business is located and we can assess all of the assets and liabilities of the combined company (which would include the fee payable to Chardan in an amount equal to 3.5% of the total gross proceeds raised in the offering as described elsewhere in this prospectus, any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by our insiders or their affiliates in connection with certain activities on our behalf, such as identifying and investigating possible business targets and business combinations that have not been repaid at that time, as well as any other liabilities of ours and the liabilities of the target business) upon consummation of the proposed business combination, subject to the requirement that we must have at least $5,000,001 of net tangible assets upon closing of such business combination. As a result, the actual percentages of shares that can be converted may be significantly lower than our estimates. We chose our net tangible asset threshold of $5,000,001 to ensure that we would avoid being subject to Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act. However, if we seek to consummate an initial business combination with a target business that imposes any type of working capital closing condition or requires
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us to have a minimum amount of funds available from the trust account upon consummation of such initial business combination, our net tangible asset threshold may limit our ability to consummate such initial business combination (as we may be required to have a lesser number of shares converted) and may force us to seek third-party financing which may not be available on terms acceptable to us or at all. As a result, we may not be able to consummate such initial business combination and we may not be able to locate another suitable target within the applicable time period, if at all. Public stockholders may therefore have to wait 24 months from the closing of this offering in order to be able to receive a portion of the trust account.
Our insiders, including our officers and directors, have agreed (1) to vote any shares of common stock owned by them in favor of any proposed business combination, (2) not to convert any shares of common stock into the right to receive cash from the trust account in connection with a stockholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination or a vote to amend the provisions of our certificate of incorporation relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity and (3) not to sell any shares of common stock in any tender in connection with a proposed initial business combination.
Depending on how a business combination was structured, any stockholder approval requirement could be satisfied by obtaining the approval of either (i) a majority of the shares of our common stock that were voted at the meeting (assuming a quorum was present at the meeting), or (ii) a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock. Because our insiders, including our officers and directors, will collectively beneficially own approximately 20.0% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock (not including the private warrants and assuming our insiders do not purchase any units in this offering) upon consummation of this offering, a minimum of approximately 625,001 public shares, or 6.3% of the outstanding shares of our common stock (if the approval requirement was a majority of shares voted and the minimum number of shares required for a quorum attended the meeting and assuming the over-allotment option has not been exercised and an aggregate of 375,000 insider shares have been forfeited as a result thereof), would need to be voted in favor a business combination in order for it to be approved.
None of our insiders or their affiliates has indicated any intention to purchase units or shares of common stock from persons in the open market or in private transactions. However, if we seek stockholder approval of a business combination and if we hold a meeting to approve a proposed business combination and a significant number of stockholders vote, or indicate an intention to vote, against such proposed business combination, we or our insiders or their affiliates could make such purchases in the open market or in private transactions in order to influence the vote. However, 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. No funds from the trust account can be released from the trust account prior to the consummation of a business combination to make such purchases (although such purchases could be made using funds available to us after the closing of a business combination). 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. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we or our insiders or their affiliates will not make purchases of shares of common stock if the purchases would violate Sections 9(a)(2) or 10(b) of the Exchange Act or Regulation M, which are rules that prohibit manipulation of a company’s stock, and we and they will comply with Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act in connection with any open-market purchases. If purchases cannot be made without violating applicable law, no such purchases will be made. The purpose of such purchases would be to (i) vote such shares in favor of the business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the business combination or (ii) 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 business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. This may result in the completion of our business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our common stock 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 insiders anticipate that they may identify the stockholders with whom our insiders 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 insiders 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 the business combination.
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Conversion Rights
At any meeting called to approve an initial business combination, any public stockholder, whether voting for or against such proposed business combination, will be entitled to demand that his or her shares of common stock be converted for a full pro rata portion of the amount then in the trust account (initially $10.00 per share), plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us or necessary to pay our taxes. Alternatively, we may provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to sell their shares of our common stock to us through a tender offer (and thereby avoid the need for a stockholder vote) for an amount equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, net of taxes payable.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of his or hers or any other person with whom he or she is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking conversion rights with respect to 20% or more of the shares of common stock sold in this offering. Such a public stockholder would still be entitled to vote against a proposed business combination with respect to all shares of common stock owned by him or her, or his or her affiliates. We believe this restriction will prevent stockholders from accumulating large blocks of shares before the vote held to approve a proposed business combination and attempt to use the conversion right as a means to force us or our management to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then current market price. By not allowing a stockholder to convert more than 20% of the shares of common stock sold in this offering, we believe we have limited the ability of a small group of stockholders to unreasonably attempt to block a transaction which is favored by our other public stockholders.
None of our insiders will have the right to receive cash from the trust account in connection with a stockholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination or a vote to amend the provisions of our certificate of incorporation relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity with respect to any shares of common stock owned by them, directly or indirectly, whether acquired prior to this offering or purchased by them in this offering or in the aftermarket.
We may also require public stockholders who wish to convert, whether they are a record holder or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent at any time through the vote on the business combination or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option. The proxy solicitation materials that we will furnish to stockholders in connection with the vote for any proposed business combination will indicate whether we are requiring stockholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. Accordingly, a stockholder would have from the time the stockholder received our proxy statement through the vote on the business combination to deliver his or her shares if he or she wishes to seek to exercise his or her conversion rights. Under Delaware law and our bylaws, we are required to provide at least 10 days’ advance notice of any stockholder meeting, which would be the minimum amount of time a public stockholder would have to determine whether to exercise conversion rights.
There is a nominal cost associated with the above-referenced delivery process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC System. The transfer agent will typically charge the tendering broker $45.00 and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the holder. However, this fee would be incurred regardless of whether or not we require holders to deliver their shares prior to the vote on the business combination in order to exercise conversion rights. This is because a holder would need to deliver shares to exercise conversion rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated. However, in the event we require stockholders to deliver their shares prior to the vote on the proposed business combination and the proposed business combination is not consummated, this may result in an increased cost to stockholders.
The foregoing is different from the procedures used by many blank check companies. Traditionally, in order to perfect conversion rights in connection with a blank check company’s business combination, the company would distribute proxy materials for the stockholders’ vote on an initial business combination, and a holder could simply vote against a proposed business combination and check a box on the proxy card indicating such holder was seeking to exercise his or her conversion rights. After the 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 consummation of the 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 conversion 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 conversion rights, to which stockholders were aware they needed to commit before the stockholder meeting, would
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become a “continuing” right surviving past the consummation of the business combination until the holder delivered its certificate. The requirement for physical or electronic delivery prior to the meeting ensures that a holder’s election to convert his or her shares is irrevocable once the business combination is approved.
Any request to convert such shares once made may be withdrawn at any time up to the vote on the proposed business combination. Furthermore, if a holder of a public share delivered his or her certificate in connection with an election of their conversion and subsequently decides prior to the vote on the proposed business combination not to elect to exercise such rights, he or she may simply request that the transfer agent return the certificate (physically or electronically).
If the initial business combination is not approved or completed for any reason, then our public stockholders who elected to exercise their conversion rights would not be entitled to convert their shares for the applicable pro rata share of the trust account. In such case, we will promptly return any shares delivered by public holders.
Liquidation if No Business Combination
If we do not complete a business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the outstanding public shares and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our Board of Directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject (in the case of (ii) and (iii) above) to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. At such time, the warrants will expire and holders of warrants will receive nothing upon a liquidation with respect to such warrants, and the warrants will be worthless.
Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against a corporation to the extent of distributions received by them in a dissolution. The pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of 100% of our outstanding public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination within the required time period may be considered a liquidation distribution under Delaware law. If the corporation complies with certain procedures set forth in Section 280 of the Delaware General Corporation Law intended to ensure that it makes reasonable provision for all claims against it, including a 60-day notice period during which any third-party claims can be brought against the corporation, a 90-day period during which the corporation may reject any claims brought, and an additional 150-day waiting period before any redemptions are made to stockholders, any liability of stockholders with respect to a redemption is limited to the lesser of such stockholder’s pro rata share of the claim or the amount distributed to the stockholder, and any liability of the stockholder would be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution.
Furthermore, if the pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of 100% of our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination within the required time period is not considered a liquidation distribution under Delaware law and such redemption distribution is deemed to be unlawful, then pursuant to Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, the statute of limitations for claims of creditors could then be six years after the unlawful redemption distribution, instead of three years, as in the case of a liquidation distribution. It is our intention to redeem our public shares as soon as reasonably possible following the 24th month (or 30th month, as applicable) from the closing of this offering and, therefore, we do not intend to comply with the above procedures. As such, our stockholders could potentially be liable for any claims to the extent of distributions received by them (but no more) and any liability of our stockholders may extend well beyond the third anniversary of such date.
Because we will not be complying with Section 280 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, Section 281(b) of the Delaware General Corporation Law requires us to adopt a plan, based on facts known to us at such time that will provide for our payment of all existing and pending claims or claims that may be potentially brought against us within the subsequent 10 years. However, because we are a blank check company, rather than an operating company, and our operations will be limited to seeking to complete an initial business combination, the only likely claims to arise would be from our vendors (such as lawyers, investment bankers, etc.) or prospective target businesses.
We will seek to have all third parties (including any vendors or other entities we engage after this offering) and any prospective target businesses enter into valid and enforceable agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind they may have in or to any monies held in the trust account. The underwriters in this offering will execute such a waiver agreement. As a result, the claims that could be made against us will be limited, thereby
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lessening the likelihood that any claim would result in any liability extending to the trust. We therefore believe that any necessary provision for creditors will be reduced and should not have a significant impact on our ability to distribute the funds in the trust account to our public stockholders. Nevertheless, there is no guarantee that vendors, service providers and prospective target businesses will execute such agreements. In the event that a potential contracted party was to refuse to execute such a waiver, we will execute an agreement with that entity only if our management first determines that we would be unable to obtain, on a reasonable basis, substantially similar services or opportunities from another entity willing to execute such a waiver. Examples of instances where we may engage a third-party that refused to execute a waiver would be the engagement of a third-party consultant who cannot sign such an agreement due to regulatory restrictions, such as our auditors who are unable to sign due to independence requirements, or whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or a situation in which management does not believe it would be able to find a provider of required services willing to provide the waiver. There is also no guarantee that, even if they execute such agreements with us, they will not seek recourse against the trust account. Our insiders have agreed that they will be jointly and severally liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a vendor for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below $10.00 per public share, except as to any claims by a third-party who executed a valid and enforceable agreement with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind they may have in or to any monies held in the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Our Board of Directors has evaluated our insiders’ financial net worth and believes they will be able to satisfy any indemnification obligations that may arise. However, our insiders may not be able to satisfy their indemnification obligations, as we have not required our insiders to retain any assets to provide for their indemnification obligations, nor have we taken any further steps to ensure that they will be able to satisfy any indemnification obligations that arise. Moreover, our insiders will not be liable to our public stockholders and instead will only have liability to us. As a result, if we liquidate, the per-share distribution from the trust account could be less than approximately $10.00 due to claims or potential claims of creditors. We will distribute to all of our public stockholders, in proportion to their respective equity interests, an aggregate sum equal to the amount then held in the trust account, inclusive of any interest not previously released to us, (subject to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors as described below).
If we are unable to consummate an initial business combination and are forced to redeem 100% of our outstanding public shares for a portion of the funds held in the trust account, we anticipate notifying the trustee of the trust account to begin liquidating such assets promptly after such date and anticipate it will take no more than 10 business days to effectuate the redemption of our public shares. Our insiders have waived their rights to participate in any redemption with respect to their insider shares. We will pay the costs of any subsequent liquidation from our remaining assets outside of the trust account. If such funds are insufficient, our insiders have agreed to pay the funds necessary to complete such liquidation (currently anticipated to be no more than approximately $15,000) and have agreed not to seek repayment of such expenses. Each holder of public shares will receive a full pro rata portion of the amount then in the trust account, plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us or necessary to pay our taxes. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could, however, become subject to claims of our creditors that are in preference to the claims of public stockholders.
Our public stockholders shall be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only in the event of our failure to complete our initial business combination in the required time period or if the stockholders seek to have us convert their respective shares of common stock upon a business combination which is actually completed by us. In no other circumstances shall a stockholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account.
If we are forced to file a bankruptcy case or an involuntary bankruptcy case is filed against us which is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy law, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our stockholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, the per share redemption or conversion amount received by public stockholders may be less than $10.00.
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.
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In addition, our Board of Directors may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our creditors and/or having acted in bad faith, thereby exposing itself and us to claims of punitive damages, by paying public stockholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors. Claims may be brought against us for these reasons.
Certificate of Incorporation
Our certificate of incorporation contains certain requirements and restrictions relating to this offering that will apply to us until the consummation of our initial business combination. If we hold a stockholder vote to amend any provisions of our certificate of incorporation relating to stockholder’s rights or pre-business combination activity (including the substance or timing within which we have to complete a business combination), we will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of common stock upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, in connection with any such vote. Our insiders have agreed to waive any conversion rights with respect to any insider shares, private shares and any public shares they may hold in connection with any vote to amend our certificate of incorporation. Specifically, our certificate of incorporation provides, among other things, that:
• prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, we shall either (1) seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which public stockholders may seek to convert their shares of common stock, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination, into a portion of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, net of taxes payable, or (2) provide our stockholders with the opportunity to sell their shares to us by means of a tender offer (and thereby avoid the need for a stockholder vote) for an amount equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, net of taxes payable, in each case subject to the limitations described herein;
• we will consummate our initial business combination only if public stockholders do not exercise conversion rights in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 and a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the business combination;
• if our initial business combination is not consummated within 24 months of the closing of this offering, then our existence will terminate and we will distribute all amounts in the trust account to all of our public holders of shares of common stock;
• upon the consummation of this offering, $100,000,000, or $115,000,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, shall be placed into the trust account;
• we may not consummate any other business combination, merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar transaction prior to our initial business combination; and
• prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional shares of capital stock that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote on any initial business combination.
Potential Revisions to Agreements with Insiders
Each of our insiders has entered into letter agreements with us pursuant to which each of them has agreed to do certain things relating to us and our activities prior to a business combination. We could seek to amend these letter agreements without the approval of stockholders, although we have no intention to do so. In particular:
• Restrictions relating to liquidating the trust account if we failed to consummate a business combination in the time-frames specified above could be amended, but only if we allowed all stockholders to redeem their shares in connection with such amendment;
• Restrictions relating to our insiders being required to vote in favor of a business combination or against any amendments to our organizational documents could be amended to allow our insiders to vote on a transaction as they wished;
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• The requirement of members of the management team to remain our officer or director until the closing of a business combination could be amended to allow persons to resign from their positions with us if, for example, the current management team was having difficulty locating a target business and another management team had a potential target business;
• The restrictions on transfer of our securities could be amended to allow transfer to third parties who were not members of our original management team;
• The obligation of our management team to not propose amendments to our organizational documents could be amended to allow them to propose such changes to our stockholders;
• The obligation of insiders to not receive any compensation in connection with a business combination could be modified in order to allow them to receive such compensation; and
• The requirement to obtain a valuation for any target business affiliated with our insiders, in the event it was too expensive to do so.
Except as specified above, stockholders would not be required to be given the opportunity to redeem their shares in connection with such changes. Such changes could result in:
• Our having an extended period of time to consummate a business combination (although with less in trust as a certain number of our stockholders would certainly redeem their shares in connection with any such extension);
• Our insiders being able to vote against a business combination or in favor of changes to our organizational documents;
• Our operations being controlled by a new management team that our stockholders did not elect to invest with;
• Our insiders receiving compensation in connection with a business combination; and
• Our insiders closing a transaction with one of their affiliates without receiving an independent valuation of such business.
We will not agree to any such changes unless we believed that such changes were in the best interests of our stockholders (for example, if we believed such a modification were necessary to complete a business combination). Each of our officers and directors has fiduciary obligations to us requiring that he or she act in our best interests and the best interests of our stockholders.
Competition
In identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business, we may encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours. Many of these entities are well established and have extensive experience identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Many of these competitors possess greater technical, human and other resources than us and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. While we believe there may be numerous potential target businesses that we could complete a business combination with utilizing the net proceeds of this offering, our ability to compete in completing a business combination with certain sizable target businesses may be limited by our available financial resources.
The following also may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses:
• our obligation to seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination or engage in a tender offer may delay the completion of a transaction;
• our obligation to convert shares of common stock held by our public stockholders may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination;
• our outstanding warrants and the potential future dilution they represent;
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• our obligation to pay the deferred underwriting commission to Chardan upon consummation of our initial business combination;
• our obligation to either repay working capital loans that may be made to us by our insiders or their affiliates;
• our obligation to register the resale of the insider shares, as well as the private warrants (and underlying securities) and any shares issued to our insiders or their affiliates upon conversion of working capital loans; and
• the impact on the target business’ assets as a result of unknown liabilities under the securities laws or otherwise depending on developments involving us prior to the consummation of a business combination.
Any of these factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating our initial business combination. Our management believes, however, that our status as a public entity and potential access to the United States public equity markets may give us a competitive advantage over privately held entities having a similar business objective as ours in connection with an initial business combination with a target business with significant growth potential on favorable terms.
If we succeed in effecting our initial business combination, there will be, in all likelihood, intense competition from competitors of the target business. Subsequent to our initial business combination, we may not have the resources or ability to compete effectively.
Facilities
We currently maintain our principal executive offices at 600 Congress Avenue, 14th Floor, Austin, TX 78701. The cost for this space is included in the $10,000 per-month fee payable to Altamont Pharma Sponsor, LLC, for office space, utilities and secretarial services. Our agreement with Altamont Pharma Sponsor, LLC provides that, commencing on the date that our securities are first listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market and until we consummate a business combination, such office space, as well as utilities and secretarial services, will be made available to us as may be required from time to time. We believe that the fee charged by Altamont Pharma Sponsor, LLC is at least as favorable as we could have obtained from an unaffiliated person. We consider our current office space, combined with the other office space otherwise available to our executive officers, adequate for our current operations.
Employees
We have three executive officers. These individuals are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters and intend to devote only as much time as they deem necessary to our affairs. The amount of time they will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for the business combination and the stage of the business combination process the company is in. Accordingly, once a suitable target business to consummate our initial business combination with has been located, management will spend more time investigating such target business and negotiating and processing the business combination (and consequently spend more time on our affairs) than had been spent prior to locating a suitable target business. We presently expect our executive officers to devote an average of approximately 10 hours per week to our business. We do not intend to have any full time employees prior to the consummation of our initial business combination.
Periodic Reporting and Audited Financial Statements
We have registered our units, common stock and warrants under the Exchange Act and have reporting obligations, including the requirement that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with the SEC. In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, our annual report will contain financial statements audited and reported on by our independent registered public accountants.
We will provide stockholders with audited financial statements of the prospective target business as part of any proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents sent to stockholders to assist them in assessing the target business. These financial statements will need to be prepared in accordance with or reconciled to United States GAAP or IFRS as issued by the IASB. A particular target business identified by us as a potential business combination candidate may not have the necessary financial statements. To the extent that this requirement cannot be met, we may not be able to consummate our initial business combination with the proposed target business.
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We may be required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act to have our internal control over financial reporting audited for the year ending December 31, 2022. A target company may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding the adequacy of their internal control over financial reporting. The development of the internal control over financial reporting of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such initial business combination.
Legal Proceedings
There is no material litigation, arbitration, governmental proceeding or any other legal proceeding currently pending or known to be contemplated against us or any members of our management team in their capacity as such, and we and the members of our management team have not been subject to any such proceeding in the 10 years preceding the date of this prospectus.
Comparison to Offerings of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419
The following table compares the terms of this offering to the terms of an offering by a blank check company subject to the provisions of Rule 419. This comparison assumes that the gross proceeds, underwriting commissions and underwriting expenses of our offering would be identical to those of an offering undertaken by a company subject to Rule 419, and that the underwriters will not exercise their over-allotment option. None of the provisions of Rule 419 apply to our offering.
| | Terms of the Offering | | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering |
Escrow of offering proceeds | | $100,000,000 of the net offering proceeds and proceeds from the sale of the private warrants will be deposited into a trust account in the United States at Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A., maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee. | | $85,050,000 of the offering proceeds would be required to be deposited into either an escrow account with an insured depositary institution or in a separate bank account established by a broker-dealer in which the broker-dealer acts as trustee for persons having the beneficial interests in the account. |
Investment of net proceeds | | $100,000,000 of net offering proceeds and proceeds from the sale of the private warrants held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury bills, bonds or notes with a maturity of 180 days or less or in money market funds meeting the applicable conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. | | Proceeds could be invested only in specified securities such as a money market fund meeting conditions of the Investment Company Act or in securities that are direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed as to principal or interest by, the United States. |
Limitation on fair value or net assets of target business | | Our initial business combination must occur with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriter’s fees and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial business combination. | | The fair value or net assets of a target business must represent at least 80% of the maximum offering proceeds. |
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| | Terms of the Offering | | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering |
Trading of securities issued | | The units may commence trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. The common stock and warrants comprising the units will begin to trade separately on the 90th day after the date of this prospectus unless Chardan informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading (based upon its assessment of the relative strengths of the securities markets and small capitalization companies in general, and the trading pattern of, and demand for, our securities in particular), provided we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K, which includes an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the proceeds of this offering. | | No trading of the units or the underlying 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 either (i) give our stockholders the opportunity to vote on the business combination or (ii) provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to sell their shares of our common stock for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, less taxes. If we hold a meeting to approve a proposed business combination, we will send each stockholder a proxy statement containing information required by the SEC. Alternatively, if we do not hold a meeting and instead conduct a tender offer, we will conduct such tender offer in accordance with the tender offer rules of the SEC and file tender offer documents with the SEC which will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination as we would have included in a proxy statement. Under Delaware law and our bylaws, we must provide at least 10 days’ advance notice of any meeting of stockholders. Accordingly, this is the minimum amount of time we would need to provide holders to determine whether to exercise their rights to convert their shares into cash or to remain an investor in our company. | | A prospectus containing information pertaining to the business combination required by the SEC would be sent to each investor. Each investor would be given the opportunity to notify the company in writing, within a period of no less than 20 business days and no more than 45 business days from the effective date of a post-effective amendment to the company’s registration statement, to decide if he, she or it elects to remain a stockholder of the company or require the return of his, her or its investment. If the company has not received the notification by the end of the 45th business day, funds and interest or dividends, if any, held in the trust or escrow account are automatically returned to the stockholder. Unless a sufficient number of investors elect to remain investors, all funds on deposit in the escrow account must be returned to all of the investors and none of the securities are issued. |
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| | Terms of the Offering | | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering |
Business combination deadline | | Pursuant to our certificate of incorporation, if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the outstanding public shares which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our Board of Directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject (in the case of (ii) and (iii) above) to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. | | If an acquisition has not been completed within 18 months after the effective date of the company’s registration statement, funds held in the trust or escrow account are returned to investors. |
Interest earned on the funds in the trust account | | There can be released to us, from time to time, any interest earned on the funds in the trust account that we may need to pay our tax obligations. | | Interest on funds in escrow account would be held for the sole benefit of investors, unless and only after the funds held in escrow were released to us in connection with our completion of a business combination. |
Release of funds | | Except for interest earned on the funds in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our tax obligations the proceeds held in the trust account will not be released until the earlier of the completion of our initial business combination and our liquidation upon failure to effect our initial business combination within the allotted time. | | The proceeds held in the escrow account are not released until the earlier of the completion of a business combination or the failure to effect a business combination within the allotted time. |
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MANAGEMENT
Officers and Directors
Our current directors, director nominees and officers are as follows:
Name | | Age | | Position |
Mark Pearson* | | 55 | | President and Chief Executive Officer and Chairman |
Sharon Tetlow | | 60 | | Director |
Rhozel Ocampo | | 25 | | Senior Director of Finance |
Yitai Tang, Ph.D. | | 44 | | Senior Investment Officer and Analyst |
Gayathri Srinivasan | | 28 | | Senior Analyst |
John D. Harkey, Jr. | | 60 | | Director Nominee |
Jay Shepard | | 63 | | Director Nominee |
Lisa Walters-Hoffert | | 62 | | Director Nominee |
Mark Pearson, our President and Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of our Board of Directors, is the Founder and CEO of Altamont Pharma, a biotech investment firm. Mr. Pearson has been investing in startup life science and technology companies for over 20 years. Mr. Pearson is the Co-Founder and Vice Chairman of the Board of Drawbridge Realty, a San Francisco based real estate development and investment company, which owns 6 million square feet of commercial real estate leased to technology and life science companies predominantly in the western United States. Drawbridge Realty’s portfolio exceeds $1.6 billion in asset value. In December 2014, Drawbridge formed a partnership with international asset management firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co, LP (“KKR”) which made a significant investment in the company to substantially grow the platform. Mr. Pearson is the Co-Founder, Co-CEO and Co-Chairman of Cessation Therapeutics, LLC, a preclinical stage biopharmaceutical company with laboratories in San Diego, California. Mr. Pearson served on the Board of Directors of publicly traded biopharmaceutical company Soligenix, Inc.(NASDAQ: SNGX), a late stage company focused on developing and commercializing products to treat rare diseases. Mr. Pearson currently serves on the Board of Trustees of The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, a world-renowned biomedical research institute employing over 2,400 scientists and support staff. Scripps Research Institute has created 80+ spin-off biotech companies, 10 FDA approved drugs, and currently has 30 drugs in its pipeline. Mr. Pearson was the founding donor of The Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research, which was founded in 2003 on The Scripps Research Institute campus in La Jolla, California by Mark Pearson, Dr. George Koob, Ph.D., and Dr. Barbara Mason, Ph.D. Mr. Pearson earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics from the University of San Francisco and a Masters degree in Management from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business where he was a Sloan Fellow.
Sharon Tetlow, a member of our Board of Directors, has served as Managing Partner of Potrero Hill Advisors since January 2016. Potrero Hill Advisors provides strategic and operational financial support to life science companies through its team of chief financial officers and controllers. Ms. Tetlow was previously the Managing Director of Danforth Advisors from April 2013 to January 2016. She served as Chief Financial Officer of Pathwork Diagnostics, Inc, a privately held biotechnology company, from 2011 to 2013. From 2005 to 2009, she served as Chief Financial Officer of Cell Genesys, Inc.(CEGE) a publicly traded biotechnology company. In connection with her role as managing partner of Potreto Hill Advisors, Ms. Tetlow has led the finance function at several biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, including 4D Molecular Therapeutics Inc, and Ocera Therapeutics, Inc., two privately held companies and Allakos, Inc. and CytomX, Inc., two publicly traded companies. Ms. Tetlow was previously on the Board of Directors of Armetheon, Inc, a privately held company. Ms. Tetlow currently serves on the Board of Catalyst Biosciences (NASDAQ: CBIO). Ms. Tetlow holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from the University of Delaware and a Masters degree in Business from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
Rhozel Ocampo, our Senior Director of Finance, is a skilled finance professional having analyzed financial statements and developed financial models for asset valuation using discounted cash flows for multiple companies. She is adept at using public and private databases to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the competitive landscape as it relates to the biotechnology industry. Ms. Ocampo’s academic research was focused on constructing asset portfolio performance under the risk-return framework. Ms. Ocampo earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance, with honors, from the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona as a cum laude graduate.
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Yitai Tang, Ph.D., our Senior Investment Officer and Analyst, is an experienced biological scientist with a deep understanding in various fields within biomedical sciences, including neurodegenerative diseases, regenerative medicine and oncology. His research is published in top peer-reviewed journals. Prior to joining Altamont Pharma and Altamont Pharma Acquisition Corp, Yitai was a postdoctoral scholar at the Stanford University School of Medicine, where he combined stem cell biology and mouse genetics to study brain development and brain degeneration. He received comprehensive training in Regulatory affairs and Clinical Research at Stanford and University of California San Francisco. He was also actively involved with the Stanford Consulting Group (SCG). SCG investigates economic issues of concern to business or government entities and offers conceptual as well as analytical solutions. At Altamont Pharma and Altamont Pharma Acquisition Corp, Yitai focuses on identifying and researching potential investments in companies in the central nervous system space. Yitai earned his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from the Rice University, Houston, Texas, where he proposed and experimentally verified novel models of tissue size regulation.
Gayathri Srinivasan, our Senior Analyst, is a circadian biology and cardiology specialist. Ms. Srinivasan’s research focused on developing cardiac ion channel models to identify the gender-related differences in the initiation and the progression of atrial fibrillation. She has also researched the impact of genetic modifications to neuropeptides on circadian neural circuits and regulation of the sleep cycle. At Altamont Pharma and Altamont Pharma Acquisition Corp, Ms. Srinivasan researches and analyzes potential investment opportunities. Ms. Srinivasan earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Biomedical Engineering from the Washington University in St. Louis and a Master of Science Degree in Biomedical Engineering from the Boston University.
John D. Harkey, Jr. has agreed to serve on our Board of Directors as of the closing of this offering. Mr. Harkey was Co-Founder, initial and follow on investor, and formerly Executive Chairman of the Board of AveXis, Inc.(NASDAQ:AVXS, acquired by Novartis for $8.7 billion in 2018), which develops proprietary gene therapies for rare neurological genetic diseases. John has over 25 years of experience as a private investor, chief executive and director in both public and private companies. He has merged, acquired, operated and/or served on the Board of Directors of eight public companies in biotech, energy, technology, aerospace, telecom, restaurants, and private companies in healthcare, real estate, agricultural products and software. He previously served nine years on the Board of Directors of the Baylor Health Care System Foundation. John D. Harkey, Jr. is the Founder and Principal of JDH Investment Management, LLC, which is focused on investing and leading biotech, gene therapy, non-opiate pain and pharma/therapeutics spaces. He was also a lead investor and served on the board of CerSci Therapeutics, Inc, which was acquired by Acadia Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(NASDAQ: ACAD) for up to $939.5 million in 2020. He is formerly the Chairman of the Board of Regency Gas Partners, LP (NYSE: RGP, sold to Energy Transfer for $18 billion). He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Loral Space & Communications, Inc.(NASDAQ: LORL), and also serves on the Board of Directors of Emisphere Technologies, Inc.(NASDAQ: EMIS). Mr. Harkey serves as Consolidated Restaurant Companies, Inc’s (CRC) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. He is the majority shareholder of privately-held CRC. CRC has more than 100 full-service restaurants including franchise restaurants and employs over 5,000 people in 18 states. Philanthropically, he serves on the Board of Directors of The University of Texas System Chancellor’s Council Executive Committee, the University of Texas Development Board and is Vice Chairman of the McCombs School of Business Advisory Board at the University of Texas at Austin. He was elected to a three-year term on the State Fair of Texas Board of Directors in 2018. Mr. Harkey grew up in Brownwood, Texas, obtained a Bachelor Degree in Business with Honors, a Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Business Administration from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. He enjoys golf and won the AT&T Pebble Beach Celebrity Pro-Am in 2014.
Jay Shepard has agreed to serve on our Board of Directors as of the closing of this offering. Mr. Shepard served as Executive Chairman of Versartis, Inc., from December 2013 to 2015. In May 2015, Mr. Shepard joined Versartis as President and CEO. In 2018, Versartis merged with Aravive (NASDAQ: ARAV) and he served as the President and Chief Executive Officer from May 2018 to January 2020, when he retired. From 2008 to 2015, Mr. Shepard was the Executive Partner at Sofinnova Ventures. Previously, he was the President and Chief Executive Officer of NextWave Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Pfizer), President and Chief Executive Officer of Ilypsa (acquired by Amgen), interim President and Chief Executive Officer of Relypsa (Ilypsa’s spin-out company, which was acquired by Galencia), and Vice President of Commercial Operations at Telik and Oncology Business Unit Head of Alza Pharmaceuticals (Alza was acquired by Johnson & Johnson). He has over 35 years of experience in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and drug delivery arenas. He has participated in or led over 16 product launches by preparing markets and establishing sales and marketing operations. Mr. Shepard currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. He is a board member of Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: INO), Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
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(NASDAQ: IRWD), Esperion (NASDAQ: ESPR) and Craig Hospital. Mr. Shepard is an operating partner at Catalys Pacific, a venture group focused on licensing drug programs and creating new companies in the US and Japan. Mr. Shepard holds a B.S. in business administration from the University of Arizona.
Lisa Walters-Hoffert has agreed to serve on our Board of Directors as of the closing of this offering. Ms. Walters-Hoffert was a Co-Founder of Daré Bioscience, Inc. and following the company’s merger with Cerulean Pharma, Inc.in July of 2017, became Chief Financial Officer of the surviving public company (NASDAQ: DARE). Ms. Walters-Hoffert also serves on the Board of Directors of Flux Power Holdings, Inc.(NASDAQ: FLUX) and as chair of its Audit Committee. For over twenty-five years, Ms. Walters-Hoffert was an investment banker focused on small-cap public companies in the technology and life science sectors. From 2003 to 2015, Ms. Walters-Hoffert worked for Roth Capital Partners as Managing Director in the Investment Banking Division. Ms. Walters-Hoffert previously held various positions in the corporate finance and investment banking divisions of Citicorp Securities in San José, Costa Rica and Oppenheimer & Co, Inc.in New York City, New York. Ms. Walters-Hoffert currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of The Elementary Institute of Science in San Diego. She previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of the San Diego Venture Group, as chair of the University of California San Diego Librarian’s Advisory Board and as chair of the Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest. Ms. Walters-Hoffert graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Management Sciences, magna cum laude.
Number and Terms of Office of Officers and Directors
Upon consummation of this offering, our Board of Directors will have five members, a majority of whom will be deemed “independent” under SEC and Nasdaq rules. Our Board of Directors will be divided into three classes with only one class of directors being elected in each year and each class serving a three-year term. The term of office of the first class of directors, consisting of , will expire at our first annual meeting of stockholders. The term of office of the second class of directors, consisting of will expire at the second annual meeting. The term of office of the third class of directors, consisting of , will expire at our third annual meeting of stockholders. We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders until after we consummate our initial business combination.
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 directors may consist of a chairman of the board, and that our officers may consist of chief executive officer, president, chief financial officer, executive vice president(s), vice president(s), secretary, treasurer and such other officers as may be determined by the Board of Directors.
Executive Compensation
No executive officer has received any cash compensation for services rendered to us. Commencing on the date of this prospectus through the completion of our initial business combination with a target business, we will pay to Altamont Pharma Sponsor, LLC, a fee of $10,000 per month for providing us with office space and certain office and secretarial services. However, pursuant to the terms of such agreement, we may delay payment of such monthly fee upon a determination by our audit committee that we lack sufficient funds held outside the trust to pay actual or anticipated expenses in connection with our initial business combination. Any such unpaid amount will accrue without interest and be due and payable no later than the date of the consummation of our initial business combination. Other than the $10,000 per month administrative fee, no compensation or fees of any kind, including finder’s fees, consulting fees and other similar fees, will be paid to our insiders or any of the members of our management team, for services rendered prior to or in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). However, such individuals will receive reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them in connection with activities on our behalf, such as identifying potential target businesses, performing business due diligence on suitable target businesses and business combinations as well as traveling to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses to examine their operations. There is no limit on the amount of out-of-pocket expenses reimbursable by us; provided, however, that to the extent such expenses exceed the available proceeds not deposited in the trust account and the interest income earned on the amounts held in the trust account, such expenses would not be reimbursed by us unless we consummate an initial business combination.
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 stockholders, to the extent then known, in the proxy solicitation materials furnished to our stockholders. It is unlikely the amount of
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such compensation will be known at the time of a stockholder meeting held to consider our initial business combination, as it will be up to the directors of the post-combination business to determine executive and director compensation. In this event, such compensation will be publicly disclosed at the time of its determination in a Current Report on Form 8-K, as required by the SEC.
Director Independence
Nasdaq listing standards require that within one year of the listing of our securities on the Nasdaq Capital Market we have at least three independent directors and 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 had determined that Jay Shepard, Sharon Tetlow and Lisa Walters-Hoffert 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.
We will only enter into a business combination if it is approved by a majority of our independent directors. Additionally, we will only enter into transactions with our officers and directors and their respective affiliates that are on terms no less favorable to us than could be obtained from independent parties. Any related-party transactions must be approved by our audit committee and a majority of disinterested directors.
Audit Committee
Effective as of the date of this prospectus, we will establish an audit committee of the Board of Directors, which will consist of Jay Shephard, Sharon Tetlow and Lisa Walters-Hoffert, each of whom is an independent director. Lisa Walters-Hoffert will serve as chairman of the audit committee. The audit committee’s duties, which are specified in our Audit Committee Charter, include, but are not limited to:
• reviewing and discussing with management and the independent auditor the annual audited financial statements, and recommending to the board whether the audited financial statements should be included in our Form 10-K;
• discussing with management and the independent auditor significant financial reporting issues and judgments made in connection with the preparation of our financial statements;
• discussing with management major risk assessment and risk management policies;
• monitoring the independence of the independent auditor;
• verifying the rotation of the lead (or coordinating) audit partner having primary responsibility for the audit and the audit partner responsible for reviewing the audit as required by law;
• reviewing and approving all related-party transactions;
• inquiring and discussing with management our compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
• pre-approving all audit services and permitted non-audit services to be performed by our independent auditor, including the fees and terms of the services to be performed;
• appointing or replacing the independent auditor;
• determining the compensation and oversight of the work of the independent auditor (including resolution of disagreements between management and the independent auditor regarding financial reporting) for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or related work;
• establishing procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by us regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or reports which raise material issues regarding our financial statements or accounting policies; and
• approving reimbursement of expenses incurred by our management team in identifying potential target businesses.
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Financial Experts on Audit Committee
The audit committee will at all times be composed exclusively of “independent directors” who are “financially literate” as defined under the Nasdaq listing standards. The Nasdaq listing standards define “financially literate” as being able to read and understand fundamental financial statements, including a company’s balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement.
In addition, we must certify to Nasdaq that the committee has, and will continue to have, at least one member who has past employment experience in finance or accounting, requisite professional certification in accounting, or other comparable experience or background that results in the individual’s financial sophistication. The Board of Directors has determined that Lisa Walters-Hoffert qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert,” as defined under rules and regulations of the SEC.
Compensation Committee
Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish a compensation committee of the Board of Directors consisting of Jay Shephard, Sharon Tetlow and Lisa Walters-Hoffert, each of whom is an independent director. will serve as chairman of 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 President and Chief Executive Officer’s compensation, evaluating our President and Chief Executive Officer’s performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration (if any) of our President and Chief Executive Officer based on such evaluation;
• reviewing and approving the compensation of all of our other executive officers;
• reviewing our executive compensation policies and plans;
• implementing and administering our incentive compensation equity-based remuneration plans;
• assisting management in complying with our proxy statement and annual report disclosure requirements;
• approving all special perquisites, special cash payments and other special compensation and benefit arrangements for our executive officers and employees;
• producing a report on executive compensation to be included in our annual proxy statement; and
• reviewing, evaluating and recommending changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration for directors.
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(e)(2) 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. Jay Shephard, Sharon Tetlow and Lisa Walters-Hoffert will participate in the consideration and recommendation of director nominees. In accordance with Rule 5605(e)(1)(A) 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.
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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 the Board 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
We may not have a compensation committee in place prior to the completion of our initial business combination. Any executive compensation matters that arise prior to the time we have a compensation committee in place will be determined by our independent directors. None of our directors who currently serve as members of our compensation committee is, or has at any time in the past been, one of our officers or employees. None of our executive officers currently serves, or in the past year has served, as a member of the compensation committee of any other entity that has one or more executive officers serving on our Board of Directors. None of our executive officers currently serves, or in the past year has served, as a member of the Board of Directors of any other entity that has one or more executive officers serving on our compensation committee.
Code of Ethics
Effective upon consummation of this offering, we will adopt a code of ethics that applies to all of our executive officers, directors and employees. The code of ethics codifies the business and ethical principles that govern all aspects of our business.
Conflicts of Interest
Investors should be aware of the following potential conflicts of interest:
• None of our officers and directors is required to commit their full time to our affairs and, accordingly, they may have conflicts of interest in allocating their time among various business activities.
• In the course of their other business activities, our officers and directors may become aware of investment and business opportunities which may be appropriate for presentation to our company as well as the other entities with which they are affiliated. Our officers and directors may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.
• Our officers and directors may in the future become affiliated with entities, including other blank check companies, engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by our company.
• Unless we consummate our initial business combination, our officers, directors and other insiders will not receive reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them to the extent that such expenses exceed the amount of available proceeds not deposited in the trust account.
• The insider shares beneficially owned by our officers and directors will be released from escrow only if our initial business combination is successfully completed. Additionally, if we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the required time frame, our officers and directors will not be entitled to receive any amounts held in the trust account with respect to any of their insider shares or private warrants. Furthermore, Altamont Pharma Sponsor, LLC has agreed that the private warrants will not be sold or transferred by it until after we have completed our initial business combination. For the foregoing reasons, our board may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effect our initial business combination.
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In general, officers and directors of a corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware are required to present business opportunities to a corporation if:
• the corporation could financially undertake the opportunity;
• the opportunity is within the corporation’s line of business; and
• it would not be fair to the corporation and its stockholders for the opportunity not to be brought to the attention of the corporation.
Accordingly, as a result of multiple business affiliations, our officers and directors may have similar legal obligations relating to presenting business opportunities meeting the above-listed criteria to multiple entities. Furthermore, our certificate of incorporation provides that the doctrine of corporate opportunity will not apply with respect to any of our officers or directors in circumstances where the application of the doctrine would conflict with any fiduciary duties or contractual obligations they may have. In order to minimize potential conflicts of interest which may arise from multiple affiliations, our officers and directors (other than our independent directors) have agreed to present to us for our consideration, prior to presentation to any other person or entity, any suitable opportunity to acquire a target business, until the earlier of: (1) our consummation of an initial business combination and (2) 24 months from the date of this prospectus. This agreement is, however, subject to any pre-existing fiduciary and contractual obligations such officer or director may from time to time have to another entity. Accordingly, if any of them becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has pre-existing fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity, and only present it to us if such entity rejects the opportunity. We do not believe, however, that the pre-existing fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers and directors will materially undermine our ability to complete our business combination because in most cases the affiliated companies are closely held entities controlled by the officer or director or the nature of the affiliated company’s business is such that it is unlikely that a conflict will arise.
The following table summarizes the current material pre-existing fiduciary or contractual obligations of our officers, directors and director nominees:
Name of Individual | | Name of Affiliated Company | | Entity’s Business | | Affiliation |
Mark Pearson | | Altamont Pharmaceutical Holdings, LLC | | Healthcare Investment Firm | | CEO and Portfolio Manager |
John D. Harkey, Jr. | | JDH Investment Management, LLC | | Healthcare Investment Firm | | Principal |
Rhozel Ocampo | | Altamont Pharmaceutical Holdings, LLC | | Healthcare Investment Firm | | Senior Director of Finance & Risk Management |
Yitai Tang, Ph.D. | | Altamont Pharmaceutical Holdings, LLC | | Healthcare Investment Firm | | Senior Investment Officer and Analyst |
Gayathri Srinivasan | | Altamont Pharmaceutical Holdings, LLC | | Healthcare Investment Firm | | Senior Analyst |
Jay Shepard | | Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc | | Biotech Company | | Director |
Sharon Tetlow | | Potrero Hills Advisors | | Advisory Firm and Biotech Board Member | | Managing Partner |
Lisa Walters-Hoffert | | Daré Bioscience, Inc | | Biotech Women’s Health | | Co-Founder and CFO |
Our insiders, including our officers and directors, have agreed to vote any shares of common stock held by them in favor of our initial business combination. In addition, they have agreed to waive their respective rights to receive any amounts held in the trust account with respect to their insider shares and private shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the required time frame. If they purchase shares of common stock in this offering or in the open market, however, they would be entitled to receive their pro rata share of the amounts held in the trust account if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the required time frame, but have agreed not to convert such shares in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination.
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All ongoing and future transactions between us and any of our officers and directors or their respective affiliates will be on terms believed by us to be no less favorable to us than are available from unaffiliated third parties. Such transactions will require prior approval by our audit committee and a majority of our uninterested “independent” directors, or the members of our board who do not have an interest in the transaction, in either case who had access, at our expense, to our attorneys or independent legal counsel. We will not enter into any such transaction unless our audit committee and a majority of our disinterested “independent” directors determine that the terms of such transaction are no less favorable to us than those that would be available to us with respect to such a transaction from unaffiliated third parties.
To further minimize conflicts of interest, we have agreed not to consummate our initial business combination with an entity that is affiliated with any of our officers, directors or other insiders, unless we have obtained (i) an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that the business combination is fair to our unaffiliated stockholders from a financial point of view and (ii) the approval of a majority of our disinterested and independent directors (if we have any at that time). In no event will our insiders or any of the members of our management team be paid any finder’s fee, consulting fee or other similar compensation prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the consummation of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is).
Limitation on Liability and Indemnification of Directors and Officers
Our certificate of incorporation provides that our directors and officers will be indemnified by us to the fullest extent authorized by Delaware law as it now exists or may in the future be amended. In addition, our certificate of incorporation provides that our directors will not be personally liable for monetary damages to us for breaches of their fiduciary duty as directors, unless they violated their duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders, acted in bad faith, knowingly or intentionally violated the law, authorized unlawful payments of dividends, unlawful stock purchases or unlawful redemptions, or derived an improper personal benefit from their actions as directors. Notwithstanding the foregoing, as set forth in our certificate of incorporation, such indemnification will not extend to any claims our insiders may make to us to cover any loss that they may sustain as a result of their agreement to pay debts and obligations to target businesses or vendors or other entities that are owed money by us for services rendered or contracted for or products sold to us as described elsewhere in this prospectus.
Our bylaws also will permit us to secure insurance on behalf of any officer, director or employee for any liability arising out of his or her actions, regardless of whether Delaware law would permit indemnification. We will purchase a policy of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance that insures our directors and officers against the cost of defense, settlement or payment of a judgment in some circumstances and insures us against our obligations to indemnify the directors and officers.
These provisions may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against our directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against directors and officers, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our stockholders. Furthermore, a stockholder’s investment may be adversely affected to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against directors and officers pursuant to these provisions. We believe that these provisions, the insurance and the indemnity agreements are necessary to attract and retain talented and experienced directors and officers.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers and controlling persons pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, we have been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.
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PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS
The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our shares of common stock as of the date of this prospectus and upon completion of the sale of our shares of common stock included in the units offered by this prospectus (assuming none of the individuals listed purchase units in this offering), by:
• each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our outstanding shares of common stock;
• each of our officers, directors and director nominees; and
• all of our officers, directors and director nominees as a group.
Amounts shown in the “After Offering” column are calculated assuming no exercise of the over-allotment option and, therefore, the forfeiture of an aggregate of 375,000 shares of common stock held by our insiders. 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.
| | Prior to Offering | | After Offering |
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1) | | Amount and Nature of Beneficial Ownership of Common Stock | | Approximate Percentage of Outstanding Shares of Common Stock | | Amount and Nature of Beneficial Ownership of Common Stock(2) | | Approximate Percentage of Outstanding Shares of Common Stock |
Altamont Pharma Sponsor, LLC (our sponsor)(3) | | | | % | | | | | % | |
| | | | % | | | | | | |
| | | | % | | | | | | |
| | | | % | | | | | | |
| | | | % | | | | | | |
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| | | | % | | | | | | |
| | | | % | | | | | | |
| | | | % | | | | | | |
All directors, director nominees and executive officers and our sponsor as a group (8 individuals) | | | | % | | | | | % | |
Immediately after this offering, our insiders will beneficially own approximately 20.0% of the then issued and outstanding shares of common stock (assuming they do not purchase any units offered by this prospectus). Because of the ownership block held by our insiders, such individuals may be able to effectively exercise influence over all matters requiring approval by our stockholders, including the election of directors and approval of significant corporate transactions other than approval of our initial business combination.
If the underwriters do not exercise all or a portion of the over-allotment option, an aggregate of up to 375,000 insider shares will be forfeited in amounts as determined amongst the holders of such insider shares and not proportional to their ownership percentages in our shares of common stock. Only a number of shares necessary to maintain our insiders’ collective 20.0% ownership interest in our shares of common stock after giving effect to the offering and the exercise, if any, of the underwriters’ over-allotment option will be forfeited.
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All of the insider shares outstanding prior to the date of this prospectus will be placed in escrow with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as escrow agent. Subject to certain limited exceptions, 50% of these shares will not be transferred, assigned, sold or released from escrow until the earlier of six months after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination and the date the closing price of our common stock equals or exceeds $12.50 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations and recapitalizations) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after our initial business combination and the remaining 50% of the insider shares will not be transferred, assigned, sold or released from escrow until six months after the date of the consummation of our initial business combination or earlier in either case if, subsequent to our initial business combination, we complete a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property. Up to 375,000 of the insider shares may also be released from escrow earlier than this date for cancellation if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full as described above.
During the escrow period, the holders of these shares will not be able to sell or transfer their securities except (1) transfers among the insiders, to our officers, directors, advisors and employees, (2) transfers to an insider’s affiliates or its members upon its liquidation, (3) transfers to relatives and trusts for estate planning purposes, (4) transfers by virtue of the laws of descent and distribution upon death, (5) transfers pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order, (6) private sales made at prices no greater than the price at which the securities were originally purchased or (7) transfers to us for cancellation in connection with the consummation of an initial business combination, in each case (except for clause 7) where the transferee agrees to the terms of the escrow agreement and forfeiture, as the case may be, as well as the other applicable restrictions and agreements of the holders of the insider shares. If dividends are declared and payable in shares of common stock, such dividends will also be placed in escrow. If we are unable to effect a business combination and liquidate, there will be no liquidation distribution with respect to the insider shares.
Altamont Pharma Sponsor, LLC has committed that it will purchase the private warrants (for an aggregate purchase price of $4,000,000, or $4,300,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) from us in amounts as determined amongst the parties and not proportional to their ownership percentages in our shares of common stock. These purchases will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. The private warrants are identical to the warrants sold in this offering. Additionally, Altamont Pharma Sponsor, LLC has agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private warrants or underlying securities (except to the same permitted transferees as the insider shares and provided the transferees agree to the same terms and restrictions as the permitted transferees of the insider shares must agree to, each as described above) until the completion of our initial business combination.
In order to meet our working capital needs following the consummation of this offering, our insiders may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion. Each loan would be evidenced by a promissory note. The notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $200,000 of the notes may be converted upon consummation of our business combination into additional private warrants at a price of $0.50 per warrant. Our stockholders have approved the issuance of the private warrants upon conversion of such notes, to the extent the holder wishes to so convert such notes at the time of the consummation of our initial business combination. If we do not complete a business combination, any outstanding loans from our insiders or their affiliates, will be repaid only from amounts remaining outside our trust account, if any.
Our executive officers and directors are deemed to be our “promoters,” as that term is defined under the federal securities laws.
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CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS
In January 2021, we sold an aggregate of 2,875,000 shares of our common stock for $25,000, or approximately $0.009 per share, to Altamont Pharma Sponsor, LLC.
If the underwriters do not exercise all or a portion of their over-allotment option, our insiders will forfeit up to an aggregate of 375,000 insider shares in proportion to the portion of the over-allotment option that was not exercised. If such shares are forfeited, we will record the forfeited shares as treasury stock and simultaneously retire the shares. Upon receipt, such forfeited shares would then be immediately cancelled which would result in the retirement of the treasury shares and a corresponding charge to additional paid-in capital.
If the underwriters determine the size of the offering should be increased (including pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act) or decreased, a share dividend or a contribution back to capital, as applicable, would be effectuated in order to maintain our insiders’ ownership at a percentage of the number of shares of common stock to be sold in this offering. Our insiders may purchase from us at a price of $10.00 per unit the number of private units that is necessary to maintain in the trust account an amount equal to $10.00 per share sold to the public in this offering.
Altamont Pharma Sponsor, LLC will purchase, pursuant to a written purchase agreement with us, 8,000,000 private warrants (or 8,600,000 warrants if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) for a total purchase price of $4,000,000 (or $4,300,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), from us. These purchases will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. The purchase price for the private warrants, including those that may be purchased if the over-allotment option is exercised, will be delivered to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, who will also be acting as escrow agent in connection with the private sale of private warrants, at least 24 hours prior to the date of this prospectus to hold in a non-interest bearing account until we consummate this offering. Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company will deposit the purchase price into the trust account simultaneously with the consummation of the offering or the over-allotment option, as the case may be. The private warrants are identical to the warrants sold in this offering. Additionally, Altamont Pharma Sponsor, LLC has agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the private warrants or underlying securities (except to the same permitted transferees as the insider shares and provided the transferees agree to the same terms and restrictions as the permitted transferees of the insider shares must agree to, each as described above) until the completion of our initial business combination.
Our sponsor (or its designees) has agreed to enter into a contingent forward purchase agreement with us, pursuant to which it will have an option to purchase, in its sole discretion, an aggregate of up to 1,000,000 of our shares of common stock (for $10.00 per share or up to $10,000,000 in the aggregate) in a private placement to occur simultaneously with the consummation of our initial business combination. The funds from any such sale may be used as part of the consideration to the sellers in our initial business combination, and any excess capital from such private placement would be used for working capital in the post-transaction company.
In order to meet our working capital needs following the consummation of this offering, our insiders, officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds, from time to time or at any time, in whatever amount they deem reasonable in their sole discretion. Each loan would be evidenced by a promissory note. The notes would either be paid upon consummation of our initial business combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $200,000 of the notes may be converted upon consummation of our business combination into additional private warrants at a price of $0.50 per warrant. Our stockholders have approved the issuance of the private warrants upon conversion of such notes, to the extent the holder wishes to so convert such notes at the time of the consummation of our initial business combination. If we do not complete a business combination, any outstanding loans from our insiders or their affiliates, will be repaid only from amounts remaining outside our trust account, if any.
The holders of our insider shares issued and outstanding on the date of this prospectus, as well as the holders of the private warrants (and underlying securities) and any shares our insiders or their affiliates may be issued in payment of working capital loans made to us, will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to an agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering. The holders of a majority of these securities are entitled to make up to two demands that we register such securities. The holders of the majority of the insider shares can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time commencing three months prior to the date on which these shares of common stock are to be released from escrow. The holders of a majority of the private warrants or shares issued in payment of working capital loans made to us can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time after we consummate a
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business combination. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our consummation of our initial business combination. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Altamont Pharma Sponsor, LLC, our sponsor, has agreed that, commencing on the date of this prospectus through the earlier of our consummation of our initial business combination or our liquidation, it will make available to us certain general and administrative services, including office space, utilities and administrative support, as we may require from time to time. We have agreed to pay Altamont Pharma Sponsor, LLC $10,000 per month for these services. However, pursuant to the terms of such agreement, we may delay payment of such monthly fee upon a determination by our audit committee that we lack sufficient funds held outside the trust to pay actual or anticipated expenses in connection with our initial business combination. Any such unpaid amount will accrue without interest and be due and payable no later than the date of the consummation of our initial business combination. We believe that the fee charged by our sponsor is at least as favorable as we could have obtained from an unaffiliated person.
In January 2021, Altamont Pharma Sponsor, LLC, our sponsor, loaned us $50,000 to cover expenses related to this offering. The loan is payable without interest at the closing of this offering.
Other than the fees described above, no compensation or fees of any kind, including finder’s fees, consulting fees or other similar compensation, will be paid to our insiders or any of the members of our management team, for services rendered to us prior to, or in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). However, such individuals will receive reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them in connection with activities on our behalf, such as identifying potential target businesses, performing business due diligence on suitable target businesses and business combinations as well as traveling to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses to examine their operations. There is no limit on the amount of out-of-pocket expenses reimbursable by us; provided, however, that to the extent such expenses exceed the available proceeds not deposited in the trust account and the interest income earned on the amounts held in the trust account, such expenses would not be reimbursed by us unless we consummate an initial business combination.
After our initial business combination, members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting, board, management or other fees from the combined company with any and all amounts being fully disclosed to stockholders, to the extent then known, in the proxy solicitation materials furnished to our stockholders. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of a stockholder meeting held to consider our initial business combination, as it will be up to the directors of the post-combination business to determine executive and director compensation. In this event, such compensation will be publicly disclosed at the time of its determination in a Current Report on Form 8-K, as required by the SEC.
All ongoing and future transactions between us and any of our officers and directors or their respective affiliates will be on terms believed by us to be no less favorable to us than are available from unaffiliated third parties. Such transactions will require prior approval by our audit committee and a majority of our uninterested independent directors, in either case who had access, at our expense, to our attorneys or independent legal counsel. We will not enter into any such transaction unless our audit committee and a majority of our disinterested independent directors determine that the terms of such transaction are no less favorable to us than those that would be available to us with respect to such a transaction from unaffiliated third parties.
Related Party Policy
Our Code of Ethics requires us to avoid, wherever possible, all related party transactions that could result in actual or potential conflicts of interests, except under guidelines approved by the Board of Directors (or the audit committee). Related party transactions are defined as transactions in which (1) the aggregate amount involved will or may be expected to exceed $120,000 in any calendar year, (2) we or any of our subsidiaries is a participant, and (3) any (a) executive officer, director or nominee for election as a director, (b) greater than 5% beneficial owner of our shares of common stock, or (c) immediate family member, of the persons referred to in clauses (a) and (b), has or will have a direct or indirect material interest (other than solely as a result of being a director or a less than 10% beneficial owner of another entity). A conflict of interest situation can arise when a person takes actions or has interests that may make it difficult to perform his or her work objectively and effectively. Conflicts of interest may also arise if a person, or a member of his or her family, receives improper personal benefits as a result of his or her position.
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We also require each of our directors and executive officers to annually complete a directors’ and officers’ questionnaire that elicits information about related party transactions.
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 our initial business combination with an entity that is affiliated with any of our insiders, officers or directors unless we have obtained an opinion from an independent investment banking firm and the approval of a majority of our disinterested and independent directors (if we have any at that time) that the business combination is fair to our unaffiliated stockholders from a financial point of view. In no event will our insiders, or any of the members of our management team be paid any finder’s fee, consulting fee or other similar compensation prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the consummation of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is).
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DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES
General
As of the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, our certificate of incorporation will authorize the issuance of 100,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001. As of the date of this prospectus, 2,875,000 shares of common stock are outstanding, held by 4 stockholders of record. The following description summarizes all of the material terms of our securities. Because it is only a summary, it may not contain all the information that is important to you. For a complete description you should refer to our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, which are filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
Units
Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one share of common stock and one warrant. Each warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one half share of our common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus.
The common stock and warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 90th day after the date of this prospectus unless Chardan determines that an earlier date is acceptable (based upon, among other things, its assessment of the relative strengths of the securities markets and small capitalization companies in general, and the trading pattern of, and demand for, our securities in particular), subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the shares of common stock and warrants commence separate trading, holders will have the option to continue to hold units or separate their units into the component pieces. Holders will need to have their brokers contact our transfer agent in order to separate the units into shares of common stock and warrants.
In no event will the common stock and warrants be traded separately until we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds of this offering. We will file a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes this audited balance sheet upon the completion of this offering, which is anticipated to take place 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
Our holders of record of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by stockholders. In connection with any vote held to approve our initial business combination, our insiders, officers and directors, have agreed to vote their respective shares of common stock owned by them immediately prior to this offering, including both the insider shares and the private shares, and any shares acquired in this offering or following this offering in the open market, in favor of the proposed business combination.
We will consummate our initial business combination only if public stockholders do not exercise conversion rights in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 and a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voted are voted in favor of the business combination.
Our Board of Directors is divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of three 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 eligible to vote for the election of directors can elect all of the directors.
Pursuant to our certificate of incorporation, if we do not consummate our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our Board of Directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject (in the case of (ii) and (iii) above) to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Our insiders have agreed to waive their rights to share in any distribution with respect to their insider shares and private shares.
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Our stockholders have no conversion, preemptive or other subscription rights and there are no sinking fund or redemption provisions applicable to the shares of common stock, except that public stockholders have the right to sell their shares to us in any tender offer or have their shares of common stock converted to cash equal to their pro rata share of the trust account if they vote on the proposed business combination and the business combination is completed. If we hold a stockholder vote to amend any provisions of our certificate of incorporation relating to stockholder’s rights or pre-business combination activity (including the substance or timing within which we have to complete a business combination), we will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of common stock upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, in connection with any such vote. In either of such events, converting stockholders would be paid their pro rata portion of the trust account promptly following consummation of the business combination or the approval of the amendment to the certificate of incorporation. If the business combination is not consummated or the amendment is not approved, stockholders will not be paid such amounts.
Warrants included as part of units
Each public and private warrant entitles the registered holder to purchase one half share of our 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 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. The public and private warrants will expire five years after the date on which they first became exercisable, at 5:00 p.m., New York time, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
Once the warrants become exercisable, we may redeem the outstanding warrants (except as described herein with respect to the private 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; and
• if, and only if, the last sale price of our common stock equals or exceeds $16.50 per share 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 an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is effective and a current prospectus relating to those shares of 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 exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws.
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 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 common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of 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 closing price of the 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.
None of the private warrants will be redeemable by us so long as they are held by the initial purchasers of the private warrants or any of their permitted transferees.
We will not be obligated to deliver any shares of 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 common stock underlying the warrants is then effective and a prospectus relating thereto is current, subject
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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 common stock upon exercise of a warrant unless 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 common stock underlying such unit.
We have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than thirty (30) 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 common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants. We will use our best efforts to cause the same to become effective and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement, and a current prospectus relating thereto, until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. In addition, we have agreed to use our best efforts to register the shares of common stock that are issuable upon exercise of the public and private warrants under state blue sky laws, to the extent an exemption is not available. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a registration statement covering the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the public and private warrants has not been declared effective by the 90th business day following the closing of our initial business combination and during any period when we shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, public and private warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement, exercise the public and private warrants on a cashless basis pursuant to the exemption provided by Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act.
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 50% 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 common stock and any voting rights until they exercise their warrants and receive shares of common stock. After the issuance of shares of common stock upon exercise of the warrants, each holder will be entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters to be voted on by stockholders.
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 a business combination. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition subsequent to completion of a business combination. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to a business combination will be within the discretion of our Board of Directors at such time. In addition, our Board of Directors is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any stock dividends in the foreseeable future, except if we increase the size of the offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, in which case we will effect a stock dividend immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the number of insider shares at 20.0% of our issued and outstanding shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering (not including the private warrants and assuming our insiders do not purchase units in this offering). 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
The transfer agent for our securities is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, 17 Battery Place, New York, New York 10004.
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Certain Anti-Takeover Provisions of Delaware Law and our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws
We will be subject to the provisions of Section 203 of Delaware General Corporation Law, or the DGCL, regulating corporate takeovers upon completion of this offering. This statute prevents certain Delaware corporations, under certain circumstances, from engaging in a “business combination” with:
• a stockholder who owns 10% or more of our outstanding voting stock (otherwise known as an “interested stockholder”);
• an affiliate of an interested stockholder; or
• an associate of an interested stockholder, for three years following the date that the stockholder became an interested stockholder.
A “business combination” includes a merger or sale of more than 10% of our assets. However, the above provisions of Section 203 do not apply if:
• our Board of Directors approves the transaction that made the stockholder an “interested stockholder,” prior to the date of the transaction;
• after the completion of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, that stockholder owned at least 85% of our voting stock outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, other than statutorily excluded shares of common stock; or
• on or subsequent to the date of the transaction, the business combination is approved by our Board of Directors and authorized at a meeting of our stockholders, and not by written consent, by an affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock not owned by the interested stockholder.
Staggered Board of Directors
Our certificate of incorporation provides that our Board of Directors will be classified into three 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.
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 delivered to our principal executive offices not later than the close of business on the 90th day nor earlier than the opening of business on the 120th day prior to the scheduled date of the annual meeting of stockholders. Our bylaws also specify certain requirements as to the form and content of a stockholders’ meeting. These provisions may preclude our stockholders from bringing matters before our annual meeting of stockholders or from making nominations for directors at our annual meeting of stockholders.
Authorized but unissued shares
Our authorized but unissued common stock and preferred stock are available for future issuances without stockholder approval and could be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes, including future offerings to raise additional capital, acquisitions and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued and unreserved common stock and preferred stock could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise.
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SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE
Immediately after this offering, we will have 12,500,000 shares of common stock outstanding, or 14,375,000 shares of common stock if the over-allotment option is exercised in full. Of these shares, the 10,000,000 shares of common stock sold in this offering, or 11,500,000 shares of common stock if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, except for any shares purchased by one of our affiliates within the meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act. All of the remaining shares are restricted securities under Rule 144, in that they were issued in private transactions not involving a public offering.
Rule 144
A person who has beneficially owned restricted shares of common stock for at least six months would be entitled to sell their shares provided that (1) such person is not deemed to have been one of our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale and (2) we are subject to the Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements for at least three months before the sale. Persons who have beneficially owned restricted shares of common stock for at least six months but who are our affiliates at the time of, or any time during the three months preceding, a sale, would be subject to additional restrictions, by which such person would be entitled to sell within any three-month period a number of shares that does not exceed the greater of either of the following:
• 1% of the number of shares then outstanding, which will equal 125,000 shares of common stock immediately after this offering (or 143,750 shares of common stock if the over-allotment option is exercised in full); and
• the average weekly trading volume of the shares of common stock during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale.
Sales under Rule 144 are also limited by manner of sale provisions and notice requirements and to the availability of current public information about us.
Restrictions on the Use of Rule 144 by Shell Companies or Former Shell Companies
Rule 144 is not available for the resale of securities initially issued by shell companies (other than business combination related shell companies) or issuers that have been at any time previously a shell company. However, Rule 144 also includes an important exception to this prohibition if the following conditions are met:
• the issuer of the securities that was formerly a shell company has ceased to be a shell company;
• the issuer of the securities is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act;
• the issuer of the securities has filed all Exchange Act reports and material required to be filed, as applicable, during the preceding 12 months (or such shorter period that the issuer was required to file such reports and materials), other than Form 8-K reports; and
• at least one year has elapsed from the time that the issuer filed current Form 10 type information with the SEC reflecting its status as an entity that is not a shell company.
As a result, it is likely that pursuant to Rule 144, our insiders will be able to sell their insider shares and private warrants freely without registration one year after we have completed our initial business combination assuming they are not an affiliate of ours at that time.
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Registration Rights
The holders of our insider shares issued and outstanding on the date of this prospectus, as well as the holders of the private warrants and any shares our insiders or their affiliates may be issued in payment of working capital loans made to us, will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to an agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering. The holders of a majority of these securities are entitled to make up to two demands that we register such securities. The holders of the majority of the insider shares can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time commencing three months prior to the date on which these shares of common stock are to be released from escrow. The holders of a majority of the private warrants or units issued in payment of working capital loans made to us can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time commencing on the date that we consummate our initial business combination. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our consummation of our initial business combination. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
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U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
The following is a discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to the ownership and disposition of our units, shares of common stock and warrants, which we refer to collectively as our securities. Because the components of a unit are 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 common stock and redeemable warrant components of the unit, as the case may be. As a result, the discussion below with respect to actual holders of common stock and warrants should also apply to holders of units (as the deemed owners of the underlying common stock and warrants that comprise the units). This discussion applies only to securities that are held as capital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes and is applicable only to holders who purchased units in this offering.
This discussion is a summary only and does not describe all of the tax consequences that may be relevant to you in light of your particular circumstances, including but not limited to the alternative minimum tax, the Medicare tax on certain investment income and the different consequences that may apply if you are subject to special rules that apply to certain types of investors, including but not limited to:
• financial institutions or financial services entities;
• broker-dealers;
• governments or agencies or instrumentalities thereof;
• regulated investment companies;
• real estate investment trusts;
• expatriates or former long-term residents of the United States;
• persons that actually or constructively own five percent or more of our voting shares;
• insurance companies;
• dealers or traders subject to a mark-to-market method of accounting with respect to the securities;
• persons holding the securities as part of a “straddle,” hedge, integrated transaction or similar transaction;
• U.S. holders (as defined below) whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar;
• partnerships or other pass-through entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes and any beneficial owners of such entities; and
• tax-exempt entities.
If a partnership (including an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds our securities, the tax treatment of a partner, member or other beneficial owner in such partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner, member or other beneficial owner, the activities of the partnership and certain determinations made at the partner, member or other beneficial owner level. If you are a partner, member or other beneficial owner of a partnership holding our securities, you are urged to consult your tax advisor regarding the tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of our securities.
This discussion is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and administrative pronouncements, judicial decisions and final, temporary and proposed Treasury regulations as of the date hereof, which are subject to change, possibly on a retroactive basis, and changes to any of which subsequent to the date of this prospectus may affect the tax consequences described herein. This discussion does not address any aspect of state, local or non-U.S. taxation, or any U.S. federal taxes other than income taxes (such as gift and estate taxes).
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. You are urged to consult your tax advisor with respect to the application of U.S. federal tax laws to your particular situation, as well as any tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or foreign jurisdiction.
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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, or 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. In addition, depending on the concentration of our stock in the hands of individuals, including the members of our initial stockholders 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 common stock and one warrant to acquire one-half of one share of common stock. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, each holder of a unit must allocate the purchase price paid by such holder for such unit between the one share of common stock and the 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 his or her own determination of such value based on all the relevant facts and circumstances. Therefore, we strongly urge each investor to consult his or her tax advisor regarding the determination of value for these purposes. The price allocated to each share of common stock and warrant should be the stockholder’s tax basis in such share of common stock or warrant, as the case may be. Any disposition of a unit should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a disposition of the share of common stock and warrant comprising the unit, and the amount realized on the disposition should be allocated between the common stock and the warrant based on their respective relative fair market values (as determined by each such unit holder based on all the relevant facts and circumstances) at the time of disposition. The separation of the share of common stock and warrant comprising a unit should not be a taxable event for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
The foregoing treatment of the shares of common stock and warrants and a holder’s purchase price allocation are not binding on the Internal Revenue Service (“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 own tax advisors 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
This section applies to you if you are a “U.S. holder.” A U.S. holder is a beneficial owner of our units, shares of common stock or warrants who or that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
• an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States;
• a corporation (or other entity taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia;
• an estate the income of which is includible in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of its source; or
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• a trust, if (i) 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 (as defined in the Code) have authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (ii) it has a valid election in effect under Treasury Regulations to be treated as a United States person.
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 shares of our common stock, such distributions generally 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 common stock. Any remaining excess will be treated as gain realized on the sale or other disposition of the common stock and will be treated as described under “U.S. Holders — Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Common Stock and Warrants” below.
Dividends we pay to a U.S. holder that is a taxable corporation will be taxable at regular corporate tax rates and generally will qualify for the dividends received deduction if the requisite holding period is satisfied. 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 generally will constitute “qualified dividends” that will be subject to tax at preferential long-term capital gains rates. It is unclear whether the redemption rights with respect to the 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 satisfied, 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 Common Stock and Warrants. Upon a sale or other taxable disposition of our common stock or warrants which, in general, would include a redemption of common stock or warrants that is treated as a sale of such securities as described below, and including as a result of a dissolution and liquidation in the event we do not consummate an initial business combination within the required time period, a U.S. holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized and the U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in the common stock or warrants. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. holder’s holding period for the common stock or warrants so disposed of exceeds one year. It is unclear, however, whether the redemption rights with respect to the common stock 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 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 or warrants would be subject to short-term capital gain treatment and would be taxed at regular ordinary income tax rates. Long-term capital gains recognized by non-corporate U.S. holders will be eligible to be taxed at reduced rates. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.
Generally, the amount of gain or loss recognized by a U.S. holder is an amount 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 common stock or warrants 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 common stock or the warrants based upon the then fair market values of the common stock and the warrants included in the units) and (ii) the U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in its common stock or warrants so disposed of. A U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in its common stock or warrants generally will equal the U.S. holder’s acquisition cost (that is, as discussed above, the portion of the purchase price of a unit allocated to a share of common stock or warrant or, as discussed below, the U.S. holder’s initial basis for common stock received upon exercise of warrants) less, in the case of a share of common stock, any prior distributions treated as a return of capital.
Redemption of Common Stock. In the event that a U.S. holder’s common stock is redeemed pursuant to the redemption provisions described in this prospectus under the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Common Stock” or if we purchase a U.S. holder’s common stock in an open market transaction (each of which we refer to as a “redemption”), the treatment of the transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes will depend on whether the redemption qualifies as a sale of the common stock under Section 302 of the Code. If the redemption
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qualifies as a sale of common stock, 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 Common Stock and Warrants” above. If the redemption does not qualify as a sale of 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 treatment will depend largely on the total number of shares of our stock treated as held by the U.S. holder (including any stock constructively owned by the U.S. holder as a result of owning warrants) relative to all of our shares outstanding both before and after the redemption. The redemption of common stock generally will be treated as a sale of the common stock (rather than as a corporate distribution) if the 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. These tests are explained more fully below.
In determining whether any of the foregoing tests are satisfied, a U.S. holder takes into account not only 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 common stock which could be acquired pursuant to the exercise of the warrants. In order to meet the substantially disproportionate test, the percentage of our outstanding voting stock actually and constructively owned by the U.S. holder immediately following the redemption of 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. There will be a complete termination of a U.S. holder’s interest if either (i) all of the shares of our stock actually and constructively owned by the U.S. holder are redeemed or (ii) all of the shares of our stock 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 stock owned by certain family members and the U.S. holder does not constructively own any other shares of our stock. The redemption of the common stock will not be essentially equivalent to a dividend if the redemption 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 is 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 common stock will be added to the U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in its remaining stock, 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 taxable gain or loss on the acquisition of common stock upon exercise of a warrant for cash. The U.S. holder’s tax basis in the share of our common stock received upon exercise of the warrant generally will be an amount equal to the sum of the U.S. holder’s initial investment in the warrant (i.e., the portion of the U.S. holder’s purchase price for a unit that is allocated to the warrant, as described above under “— Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit”) and the exercise price. It is unclear whether the U.S. holder’s holding period for the common stock received upon exercise of the warrants will begin on the date following the date of exercise or on the date of exercise of the warrants; in either case, the holding period will not include the period during which the U.S. holder held the warrants. 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 tax law. A cashless exercise may be tax-free, 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 tax-free situation, a U.S. holder’s basis in the common stock received would equal the holder’s basis in the warrants exercised therefor. If the cashless exercise were treated as not being a realization event, it is unclear when a U.S. holder’s holding period in the common stock would be treated as commencing. If the cashless exercise were treated as a recapitalization, the holding period of the common stock would include the holding period of the warrants exercised therefor.
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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 fair market value equal to the exercise price for the total number of warrants to be exercised. The U.S. holder would recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the fair market value of the common stock received in respect 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 common stock received would equal the sum of the U.S. holder’s initial investment in the warrants exercised (i.e., the portion of the U.S. holder’s purchase price for a unit 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 warrants. It is unclear whether a U.S. holder’s holding period for the 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. There may also be alternative characterizations of any such taxable exchange that would result in similar tax consequences, except that a U.S. Holder’s gain or loss would be short-term.
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 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” 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 “— Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Common Stock and Warrants.”
Possible Constructive Distributions. The terms of each warrant provide for an adjustment to the number of shares of 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.” An adjustment which has the effect of preventing dilution 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 to the number of such shares or to such exercise price increases the warrant holders’ proportionate interest in our assets or earnings and profits (e.g., through an increase in the number of shares of common stock that would be obtained upon exercise or through a decrease in the exercise price of the warrant) as a result of a distribution of cash or other property, such as other securities, to the holders of shares of our common stock, or as a result of the issuance of a stock dividend to holders of shares of our common stock, in each case which is taxable to the U.S. holders of such shares as a distribution. Such constructive distribution would be subject to tax 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.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding. In general, information reporting requirements may apply to dividends paid to a U.S. holder and to the proceeds of the sale or other disposition of our units, shares of common stock and warrants, unless the U.S. holder is an exempt recipient. Backup withholding may apply to such payments if the U.S. holder fails to provide a taxpayer identification number, a certification of exempt status or has been notified by the IRS that it is subject to backup withholding (and such notification has not been withdrawn). Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules will be allowed as a refund or a credit against a U.S. holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability provided the required information is timely furnished to the IRS. All U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the application of information reporting and backup withholding to them.
Non-U.S. Holders
This section applies to you if you are a “Non-U.S. holder.” As used herein, the term “Non-U.S. holder” means a beneficial owner of our units, common stock or warrants who or that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
• a non-resident alien individual (other than certain former citizens and residents of the United States subject to U.S. tax as expatriates);
• a foreign corporation or
• an estate or trust that is not a U.S. holder;
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but 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 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 and, provided such dividends are not effectively connected with the Non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a trade or business within 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). 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 sales 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 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 common stock, which will be treated as described under “Non-U.S. Holders — Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Common Stock and Warrants” below. In addition, if we determine that we are classified as a “United States real property holding corporation” (see “Non-U.S. Holders — Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Common Stock and Warrants” below), we will withhold 15% of any distribution that exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits.
The withholding tax does not apply to dividends paid to a Non-U.S. holder who provides a Form W-8ECI, certifying that the dividends are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States. Instead, the effectively connected dividends will be subject to regular U.S. federal income tax as if the Non-U.S. holder were a United States resident, subject to an applicable income tax treaty providing otherwise. A Non-U.S. corporation receiving effectively connected dividends may also be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” imposed at a rate of 30% (or a lower applicable treaty rate).
Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Common Stock and Warrants. 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 our common stock, which would include a dissolution and liquidation in the event we do not complete an initial business combination within 18 months (or 24 months, as applicable) from the closing of this offering, or warrants (including an expiration or redemption of our warrants), in each case without regard to whether those 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 United States permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the Non-U.S. holder); 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 common stock or warrants, as applicable, and, in the case where shares of our common stock and warrants are treated as regularly traded on an established securities market, the Non-U.S. holder has owned, directly or constructively, more than 5% of our common stock or more than 5% of our warrants, as applicable, 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 common stock or warrants, as applicable. There can be no assurance that our common stock or warrants will be treated as regularly traded on an established securities market for this purpose.
Unless an applicable treaty provides otherwise, gain described in the first bullet point above will be subject to tax at generally applicable U.S. federal income tax rates as if the Non-U.S. holder were a United States 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).
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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 common stock or warrants will be subject to tax at generally applicable U.S. federal income tax rates. In addition, a buyer of our common stock or warrants 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. We will 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 percent 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 Common Stock. The characterization for U.S. federal income tax purposes of the redemption of a Non-U.S. holder’s common stock generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax characterization of such a redemption of a U.S. holder’s common stock, as described under “U.S. Holders — Redemption of 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 Common Stock and Warrants,” as applicable.
Exercise or Redemption of a Warrant. The U.S. federal income tax treatment of a Non-U.S. holder’s exercise of a warrant, or the lapse of a warrant held by a Non-U.S. holder, generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the exercise or lapse of a warrant by a U.S. holder, as described under “U.S. Holders — Exercise, Lapse or Redemption of a Warrant” above, although to the extent a cashless exercise results in a taxable exchange, the consequences would be similar to those described above in “Non-U.S. Holders — Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Common Stock and Warrants.”
Possible Constructive Distributions. The terms of each warrant provide for an adjustment to the number of shares of 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.” An adjustment which has the effect of preventing dilution 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 to the number of such shares or to such exercise price increases the warrant holders’ proportionate interest in our assets or earnings and profits (e.g., through an increase in the number of shares of common stock that would be obtained upon exercise or through a decrease in the exercise price of the warrant) as a result of a distribution of cash or other property, such as other securities, to the holders of shares of our common stock, or as a result of the issuance of a stock dividend to holders of shares of our common stock, in each case which is taxable to the holders of such shares as a distribution. Such constructive distribution would be subject to tax 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. Information returns will be filed with the IRS in connection with payments of dividends and the proceeds from a sale or other disposition of our units, shares of common stock and warrants. A Non-U.S. holder may have to comply with certification procedures to establish that it is not a United States person in order to avoid information reporting and backup withholding requirements. The certification procedures required to claim a reduced rate of withholding under a treaty generally will satisfy the certification requirements necessary to avoid the backup withholding as well.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. The amount of any backup withholding from a payment to a Non-U.S. holder will be allowed as a credit against such holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability and may entitle such holder to a refund, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.
All Non-U.S. 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 as the “Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act” or “FATCA”) generally impose withholding at a rate of 30% in certain circumstances on dividends in respect of our securities which are held by or through certain foreign financial institutions (including investment funds), unless any such institution (1) enters into, and complies with, an agreement with the IRS to report, on an annual basis, information with respect to interests in, and accounts maintained by, the institution that are owned by certain U.S. persons and by
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certain non-U.S. entities that are wholly or partially owned by U.S. persons and to withhold on certain payments, or (2) if required under an intergovernmental agreement between the United States and an applicable foreign country, reports such information to its local tax authority, which will exchange such information with the U.S. authorities. An intergovernmental agreement between the United States and an applicable foreign country may modify these requirements. Accordingly, the entity through which our securities are held will affect the determination of whether such withholding is required. Similarly, dividends in respect of our securities held by an investor that is a non-financial non-U.S. entity that does not qualify under certain exceptions will generally be subject to withholding at a rate of 30%, unless such entity either (1) certifies to us or the applicable withholding agent that such entity does not have any “substantial United States owners” or (2) provides certain information regarding the entity’s “substantial United States owners,” which will in turn be provided to the U.S. Department of Treasury. All prospective investors should consult their tax advisors regarding the possible implications of FATCA on their investment in our securities.
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UNDERWRITING
We intend to offer our securities described in this prospectus through the underwriters named below. Subject to the terms and conditions of the underwriting agreement, the underwriters, through their representative Chardan, have severally agreed to purchase from us on a firm commitment basis the following respective number of units at a public offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions set forth on the cover page of this prospectus:
Underwriter | | Number of Units |
Chardan Capital Markets LLC | | |
Total | | 10,000,000 |
A copy of the underwriting agreement has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
Listing of our Securities
We expect our units, common stock and warrants to be quoted on Nasdaq under the symbols “[•],” “[•]” and “[•],” respectively. We anticipate that our units will be listed on Nasdaq on or promptly after the effective date of the registration statement. Following the date the shares of our common stock and warrants are eligible to trade separately, we anticipate that the shares of our common stock and warrants will be listed separately and as a unit on Nasdaq. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq or that they will continue to be listed on Nasdaq after this offering.
Pricing of this Offering
We have been advised by the representative that the underwriters propose to offer the units to the public at the offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. They may allow some dealers concessions not in excess of $ per unit and the dealers may re-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;
• our capital structure;
• securities exchange listing requirements;
• market demand;
• expected liquidity of our securities; and
• general conditions of the securities markets at the time of the offering.
However, although these factors were considered, the determination of our offering price is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities for an operating company in a particular industry since the underwriters are unable to compare our financial results and prospects with those of public companies operating in the same industry.
Over-Allotment Option
We have granted the underwriters an option to buy up to 1,500,000 additional units. The underwriters may exercise this option solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments, if any, made in connection with this offering. The underwriters have 45 days from the date of this prospectus to exercise this option. If the underwriters exercise this option, they will each purchase additional units approximately in proportion to the amounts specified in the table above.
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Commissions and Discounts
The following table shows the public offering price, underwriting discount to be paid by us to the underwriters and the proceeds, before expenses, to us. This information assumes either no exercise or full exercise by the representative of the underwriters of its over-allotment option.
| | Per Unit | | Without Over-allotment | | With Over-allotment |
Public offering price | | $ | 10.00 | | $ | 100,000,000 | | $ | 115,000,000 |
Discount(1) | | $ | 0.55 | | $ | 5,500,000 | | $ | 6,325,000 |
Proceeds before expenses(2) | | $ | 9.45 | | $ | 94,500,000 | | $ | 108,675,000 |
In addition to the underwriting discount, we have agreed to pay for the FINRA-related fees and expenses of the underwriters’ legal counsel and certain diligence and other fees, including reimbursement for background checks on our directors, director nominees and executive officers, which such fees and expenses are capped at an aggregate of $25,000.
No discounts or commissions will be paid on the sale of the private warrants.
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.
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Right of First Refusal
We have granted Chardan, pursuant to a letter of intent by and between us and Chardan, to act as book-running manager, with at least 30% of the economics, in any and all future public and private equity or debt offerings entered into or contemplated by us, or a successor entity, until 12 months following the closing of our initial business combination. In the event Chardan chooses to exercise such right, Chardan’s compensation in connection with any other transaction shall be determined by separate agreement between us and Chardan on the basis of compensation customarily paid to placement agents in similar transactions.
Any of the underwriters may introduce us to potential target businesses or assist us in raising additional capital in the future. If any of the underwriters provide services to us after this offering, we may pay such 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 any of the underwriters and no fees for such services will be paid to any of the underwriters prior to the date that is 60 days from the date of this prospectus, unless FINRA determines that such payment would not be deemed underwriters’ compensation in connection with this offering and we may pay the underwriters of this offering or any entity with which they are affiliated a finder’s fee or other compensation for services rendered to us in connection with the completion of a business combination.
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.
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.
Notice to Prospective Investors 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;
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• 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.
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LEGAL MATTERS
Greenberg Traurig, LLP, New York, New York, is acting as counsel in connection with the registration of our securities under the Securities Act, and as such, will pass upon the validity of the securities offered in this prospectus. In connection with this offering, Reed Smith LLP is acting as counsel to the underwriters.
EXPERTS
The financial statements of Altamont Pharma Acquisition Corp as of January 29, 2021 and for the period from January 6, 2021 (inception) through January 29, 2021 appearing in this prospectus have been audited by Marcum LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon (which contains an explanatory paragraph relating to substantial doubt about the ability of Altamont Pharma Acquisition Corp. to continue as a going concern, as described in Note 1 to the financial statements), appearing elsewhere in this prospectus and are included in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act with respect to the units 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 shares, 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.
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ALTAMONT PHARMA ACQUISITION CORP.
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Stockholder and Board of Directors of
Altamont Pharma Acquisition Corp.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Altamont Pharma Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) as of January 29, 2021, and the related statements of operations, changes in stockholder’s equity and cash flows for the period from January 6, 2021 (inception) through January 29, 2021, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of January 29, 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the period from January 6, 2021 (inception) through January 29, 2021, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Explanatory Paragraph — Going Concern
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As more fully described in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company’s ability to execute its business plan is dependent upon its completion of the proposed initial public offering described in Note 3 to the financial statements. The Company has a working capital deficiency as of January 29, 2021 and lacks the financial resources it needs to sustain operations for a reasonable period of time, which is considered to be one year from the issuance date of the financial statements. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are also described in Notes 1 and 3. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might become necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.
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 the 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 audit we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our 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 included 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/ Marcum LLP
Marcum LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2021.
Houston, TX
February 12, 2021
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ALTAMONT PHARMA ACQUISITION CORP.
BALANCE SHEET
JANUARY 29, 2021
ASSETS | | | | |
Cash | | $ | 25,000 | |
Total current assets | | | 25,000 | |
Deferred offering costs | | | 78,799 | |
TOTAL ASSETS | | $ | 103,799 | |
| | | | |
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY | | | | |
Current liabilities: | | | | |
Accrued expenses | | $ | 1,000 | |
Accrued offering costs | | | 28,799 | |
Promissory note – related party | | | 50,000 | |
Total Current Liabilities | | | 79,799 | |
| | | | |
Commitments (Note 6) | | | | |
| | | | |
Stockholder’s Equity | | | | |
Preferred Stock, $0.0001 par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding | | | — | |
Common stock, $0.0001 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized; 2,875,000 issued and outstanding(1) | | | 288 | |
Additional paid-in capital | | | 24,712 | |
Accumulated deficit | | | (1,000 | ) |
Total Stockholder’s Equity | | | 24,000 | |
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY | | $ | 103,799 | |
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ALTAMONT PHARMA ACQUISITION CORP.
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
FOR THE PERIOD FROM JANUARY 6, 2021 (INCEPTION) THROUGH JANUARY 29, 2021
Formation costs | | $ | 1,000 | |
Net loss | | $ | (1,000 | ) |
Weighted average shares outstanding, basic and diluted | | | 2,500,000 | |
Basic and diluted net loss per common share | | $ | (0.00 | ) |
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ALTAMONT PHARMA ACQUISITION CORP.
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY
FOR THE PERIOD FROM JANUARY 6, 2021 (INCEPTION) THROUGH JANUARY 29, 2021
| | Common Stock
| | Additional Paid-in Capital | | Accumulated Deficit | | Total Stockholder’s Equity |
Shares | | Amount | |
Balance at January 6, 2021 (Inception) | | — | | $ | — | | $ | — | | $ | — | | | $ | — | |
Issuance of common stock to Sponsor(1) | | 2,875,000 | | | 288 | | | 24,712 | | | — | | | | 25,000 | |
Net loss | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (1,000 | ) | | | (1,000 | ) |
Balance at January 29, 2021 | | 2,875,000 | | $ | 288 | | $ | 24,712 | | $ | (1,000 | ) | | $ | 24,000 | |
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ALTAMONT PHARMA ACQUISITION CORP.
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
FOR THE PERIOD FROM JANUARY 6, 2021 (INCEPTION) THROUGH JANUARY 29, 2021
Cash Flows from Operating Activities: | | | | |
Net loss | | $ | (1,000 | ) |
Changes in operating assets and liabilities | | | | |
Accrued expenses and interest | | | 1,000 | |
Net cash used in operating activities | | | — | |
| | | | |
Cash Flows from Financing Activities: | | | | |
Proceeds from sale of common stock to Sponsor | | | 25,000 | |
Net cash provided by financing activities | | | 25,000 | |
| | | | |
Net Change in Cash | | | 25,000 | |
Cash – Beginning of period | | | — | |
Cash – End of period | | $ | 25,000 | |
| | | | |
Non-cash investing and financing activities: | | | | |
Deferred offering costs included in accrued offering costs | | $ | 28,799 | |
Deferred offering costs included in promissory note – related party | | $ | 50,000 | |
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ALTAMONT PHARMA ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 1. DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION, BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND GOING CONCERN
Altamont Pharma Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) is a blank check company incorporated in Delaware on January 6, 2021. The Company was formed for the purpose of entering into a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (a “Business Combination”).
The Company is not limited to a particular industry or geographic region for purposes of consummating a Business Combination. The Company is an early stage and emerging growth company and, as such, the Company is subject to all of the risks associated with early stage and emerging growth companies.
As of January 29, 2021, the Company had not commenced any operations. All activity for the period from January 6, 2021 (inception) through January 29, 2021 relates to the Company’s formation and the proposed initial public offering (“Proposed Public Offering”), which is described below. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after the completion of a Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income from the proceeds derived from the Proposed Public Offering. The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year end.
The Company’s ability to commence operations is contingent upon obtaining adequate financial resources through a Proposed Public Offering of 10,000,000 units (the “Units” and, with respect to the shares of common stock included in the Units being offered, the “Public Shares”) at $10.00 per Unit (or 11,500,000 Units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), which is discussed in Note 3, and the sale of 8,000,000 warrants (or 8,600,000 warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (the “Private Warrants”), at a price of $0.50 per Private Warrants, in a private placement to Altamont Pharma Sponsor, LLC (the “Sponsor”), that will close simultaneously with the Proposed Public Offering.
The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering and the sale of the Private Warrants, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business Combination. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to complete a Business Combination successfully. The Company must complete a Business Combination with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the Trust Account (as defined below) (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on income earned on the Trust Account) at the time of the agreement to enter into an initial Business Combination. The Company will only complete a Business Combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). Upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, management has agreed that an amount equal to at least $10.00 per Unit sold in the Proposed Public Offering, including the proceeds from the sale of the Private Warrants, will be held in a trust account (“Trust Account”), located in the United States and invested only in U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act, with a maturity of 180 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, until the earlier of: (i) the completion of a Business Combination and (ii) the distribution of the funds held in the Trust Account, as described below.
The Company will provide its holders of the outstanding Public Shares (the “public stockholders”) with the opportunity to convert all or a portion of their Public Shares upon the completion of a Business Combination either (i) in connection with a stockholder meeting called to approve the Business Combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether the Company will seek stockholder approval of a Business Combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by the Company, solely in its discretion. The public stockholders will be entitled to convert their Public Shares for a pro rata portion of the amount then in the Trust Account (initially anticipated to be $10.00 per Public Share, plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account
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ALTAMONT PHARMA ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 1. DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION, BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND GOING CONCERN (cont.)
and not previously released to the Company to pay its tax obligations). There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of a Business Combination with respect to the Company’s warrants. The Public Shares subject to redemption will be recorded at redemption value and classified as temporary equity upon the completion of the Proposed Public Offering in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.
The Company will proceed with a Business Combination only if the Company has net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 either prior to or upon such consummation of a Business Combination and, if the Company seeks stockholder approval, a majority of the shares voted are voted in favor of the Business Combination. If a stockholder vote is not required by law and the Company does not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other reasons, the Company will, pursuant to its Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation”), conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing a Business Combination. If, however, stockholder approval of the transaction is required by law, or the Company decides to obtain stockholder approval for business or other reasons, the Company will offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. If the Company seeks stockholder approval in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor has agreed to vote its Founder Shares (as defined in Note 5) and any Public Shares purchased during or after the Proposed Public Offering in favor of approving a Business Combination. Additionally, each public stockholder may elect to convert their Public Shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction.
Notwithstanding the above, if the Company seeks stockholder approval of a Business Combination and it does not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), will be restricted from seeking conversion rights with respect to more than an aggregate of 20% or more of the Public Shares, without the prior consent of the Company.
The Sponsor has agreed (a) to waive its redemption rights with respect to its Founder Shares and Public Shares held by it in connection with the completion of a Business Combination, (b) to waive its liquidation rights with respect to the Founder Shares if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering and (c) not to propose an amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemption in connection with the Company’s initial Business Combination or to redeem 100% of its Public Shares if the Company does not complete a Business Combination, unless the Company provides the public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their Public Shares in conjunction with any such amendment. However, if the Sponsor acquires Public Shares in or after the Proposed Public Offering, such Public Shares will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period.
The Company will have until 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering to complete a Business Combination. However, if the Company anticipates that it may not be able to consummate a Business Combination within 24 months, the Company may, but is not obligated to, extend the period of time to consummate a Business Combination up to two times, each by three months (for a total of 30 months to complete a Business Combination) (the “Combination Period”). In order to extend the time available for the Company to consummate a Business Combination, the Company or the initial stockholders or its affiliate or designees must deposit into the Trust Account $1,000,000, or up to $1,150,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($0.10 per Public Share in any case), on or prior to the date of the deadline.
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ALTAMONT PHARMA ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 1. DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION, BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND GOING CONCERN (cont.)
If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period, the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the outstanding Public Shares and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Company’s remaining stockholders and board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject (in the case of (ii) and (iii) above) to the Company’s 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 the Company’s warrants, which will expire worthless if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period.
The underwriters have agreed to waive their rights to their deferred underwriting commission (see Note 6) held in the Trust Account in the event the Company does not complete a Business Combination within in the Combination Period and, in such event, such amounts will be included with the other funds held in the Trust Account that will be available to fund the redemption of the Public Shares. In the event of such distribution, it is possible that the per share value of the assets remaining available for distribution will be less than the Proposed Public Offering price per Unit ($10.00).
In order to protect the amounts held in the Trust Account, the Sponsor has agreed to be liable to the Company if and to the extent any claims by a third party 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 to below (1) $10.00 per Public Share or (2) the actual amount per Public Share held in the Trust Account as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes. This liability will not apply with respect to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the Trust Account and except as to any claims under the Company’s indemnity of the underwriters of the Proposed Public Offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, the Sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. 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 (except the Company’s 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.
Going Concern Consideration
At January 29, 2021 the Company had $25,000 in cash and a working capital deficit of $54,799. The Company has incurred and expects to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of its financing and acquisition plans. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued. Management plans to address this uncertainty through a Proposed Public Offering as discussed in Note 3. There is no assurance that the Company’s plans to raise capital or to consummate a Business Combination will be successful within the Combination Period. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Risks and Uncertainties
Management is currently evaluating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry and has concluded that while it is reasonably possible that the virus could have a negative effect on the Company’s financial position, results of its operations, close of the Proposed Public Offering, and/or search for a target company, the specific impact is not readily determinable as of the date of these financial statements. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
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ALTAMONT PHARMA ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying financial statements are presented in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC.
Emerging Growth Company
The Company is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”), and it may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in its periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.
Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. The Company has elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of the Company’s financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with 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 period.
Making estimates requires management to exercise significant judgment. It is at least reasonably possible that the estimate of the effect of a condition, situation or set of circumstances that existed at the date of the financial statements, which management considered in formulating its estimate, could change in the near term due to one or more future confirming events. Accordingly, the actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all short-term investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. The Company did not have any cash equivalents as of January 29, 2021.
Deferred Offering Costs
Deferred offering costs consist of legal, accounting and other costs incurred through the balance sheet date that are directly related to the Proposed Public Offering and that will be charged to stockholder’s equity upon the completion of the Proposed Public Offering. Should the Proposed Public Offering prove to be unsuccessful, these deferred costs, as well as additional expenses to be incurred, will be charged to operations.
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ALTAMONT PHARMA ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (cont.)
Income Taxes
The Company follows the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes under ASC 740, Income Taxes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statements carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that included the enactment date. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.
FASB ASC 740 prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. There were no unrecognized tax benefits and no amounts accrued for interest and penalties as of January 29, 2021. The Company is currently not aware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviation from its position. The Company is subject to income tax examinations by major taxing authorities since inception.
The provision for income taxes was deemed to be de minimis for the period from January 6, 2021 (inception) through January 29, 2021.
Net Loss Per Common Share
Net loss per share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Weighted average shares were reduced for the effect of an aggregate of 375,000 shares of common stock that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised by the underwriters (see Note 5 and 7). At January 29, 2021, the Company did not have any dilutive securities or other contracts that could, potentially, be exercised or converted into shares of common stock and then share in the earnings of the Company. As a result, diluted loss per share is the same as basic loss per share for the period presented.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under FASB ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement, approximates the carrying amounts represented in the accompanying balance sheet, primarily due to their short-term nature.
Recent Accounting Standards
Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.
NOTE 3. PROPOSED PUBLIC OFFERING
Pursuant to the Proposed Public Offering, the Company will offer for sale 10,000,000 Units (or 11,500,000 Units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a purchase price of $10.00 per Unit. Each Unit will consist of one share of common stock and one redeemable warrant (“Public Warrant”). Each whole Public Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one-half of one share of common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share (see Note 7).
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ALTAMONT PHARMA ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 4. PRIVATE PLACEMENT
The Sponsor has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 8,000,000 (or 8,600,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) Private Warrants at a price of $0.50 per Private Warrant, for an aggregate purchase price of $4,000,000 (or $4,300,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. Each of the Private Warrants is exercisable to purchase one-half of one share of common stock at a price of $11.50 per share. The proceeds from the Private Warrants will be added to the proceeds from the Proposed Public Offering to be held in the Trust Account. If the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period, the proceeds of the sale of the Private Warrants will be used to fund the redemption of the Public Shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law) and the Private Warrants will expire worthless. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to the Private Warrants.
NOTE 5. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Founder Shares
On January 29, 2021, the Company issued an aggregate of 2,875,000 shares of common stock (the “Founder Shares”) to the Sponsor for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000 in cash. The Founder Shares include an aggregate of up to 375,000 shares of common stock subject to forfeiture by the Sponsor to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part, so that the Sponsor will own, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares after the Proposed Public Offering (assuming the Sponsor does not purchase any Public Shares in the Proposed Public Offering).
The Sponsor has agreed, subject to certain limited exceptions, not to transfer, assign or sell any of their Founder Shares until, with respect to 50% of the Founder Shares, the earlier of (i) six months after the consummation of a Business Combination, or (ii) the date on which the closing price of the common stock equals or exceeds $12.50 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period commencing after a Business Combination and, with respect to the remaining 50% of the Founder Shares, six months after the date of the consummation of a Business Combination, or earlier in each case, if, subsequent to a Business Combination, the Company consummates a subsequent liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of the Company’s stockholders having the right to exchange their common stock for cash, securities or other property.
Promissory Note — Related Party
On January 29, 2021, the Company issued an unsecured promissory note to the Sponsor (the “Promissory Note”), pursuant to which the Company may borrow up to an aggregate principal amount of $300,000. The Promissory Note is non-interest bearing and payable on the earlier of (i) June 30, 2021 or (ii) the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering. As of January 29, 2021, there was $50,000 outstanding under the Promissory Note.
Administrative Support Agreement
The Company intends to enter into an agreement, commencing on the effective date of the Proposed Public Offering through the earlier of the Company’s consummation of a Business Combination and its liquidation, to pay the Sponsor, a total of up to $10,000 per month for office space, utilities, and secretarial services.
Related Party Loans
In order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the initial stockholders or an affiliate of the initial stockholders or certain of the Company’s directors and officers may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds as may be required (“Working Capital Loans”). If the Company completes a Business Combination, the Company would repay the Working Capital Loans out of the proceeds of the Trust Account released to the Company. Otherwise, the Working Capital Loans would be repaid only out of funds held outside the Trust Account.
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ALTAMONT PHARMA ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 5. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS (cont.)
In the event that a Business Combination does not close, the Company may use a portion of proceeds held outside the Trust Account to repay the Working Capital Loans, but no proceeds held in the Trust Account would be used to repay the Working Capital Loans. Except for the foregoing, the terms of such Working Capital Loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. The Working Capital Loans would either be repaid upon consummation of a Business Combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $200,000 of such Working Capital Loans may be convertible into warrants of the post-Business Combination entity at a price of 0.50 per warrant. The warrants would be identical to the Private Warrants.
NOTE 6. COMMITMENTS
Registration and Stockholder Rights Agreement
The holders of the Founder Shares, Private Warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans (and any common stock issuable upon the exercise of the Private Warrants and warrants issued upon conversion of the Working Capital Loans) will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to an agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of the Proposed Public Offering. The holders of a majority of these securities are entitled to make up to two demands that the Company register such securities. The holders of the majority of the insider shares can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time commencing three months prior to the date on which these shares of common stock are to be released from escrow. The holders of a majority of the Private Warrants or Units issued in payment of Working Capital Loans made to the Company can elect to exercise these registration rights at any time commencing on the date that the Company consummates a Business Combination. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the consummation of a Business Combination. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Underwriting Agreement
The Company will grant the underwriters a 45-day option from the date of the Proposed Public Offering to purchase up to 1,500,000 additional Units to cover over-allotments, if any, at the Proposed Public Offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions.
The underwriters will be entitled to a cash underwriting discount of $0.20 per Unit, or $2,000,000 in the aggregate (or $2,300,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), payable upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. In addition, the underwriters will be entitled to a deferred fee of $0.35 per Unit, or $3,500,000 in the aggregate (or $4,025,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full). Subject to the terms of the underwriting agreement, (i) the deferred fee will be placed in the Trust Account and released to the underwriters only upon the completion of a Business Combination and (ii) the deferred fee will be waived by the underwriters in the event that the Company does not complete a Business Combination.
NOTE 7. STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY
Preferred Stock — The Company is authorized to issue 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share with such designations, voting and other rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Company’s board of directors. At January 29, 2021, there were no shares of preferred stock issued or outstanding.
Common stock — The Company is authorized to issue 100,000,000 shares of common stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share. Holders of common stock are entitled to one vote for each share. At January 29, 2021, there were 2,875,000 shares of common stock issued or outstanding.
Warrants — The Public Warrants will become exercisable on the later of (a) 30 days after the completion of a Business Combination or (b) one year from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. The Public Warrants will expire five years after the completion of a Business Combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
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ALTAMONT PHARMA ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 7. STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY (cont.)
The Company will not be obligated to deliver any shares of 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 common stock underlying the warrants is then effective and a prospectus relating thereto is current, subject to the Company satisfying its obligations described below with respect to registration. No warrant will be exercisable and the Company will not be obligated to issue shares of common stock upon exercise of a warrant unless the 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.
The Company has agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than thirty (30) business days, after the closing of an initial Business Combination, the Company will use its best efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement for the registration, under the Securities Act, of the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants. The Company will use its best efforts to cause the same to become effective and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement, and a current prospectus relating thereto, until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. In addition, the Company has agreed to use its best efforts to register the shares of common stock that are issuable upon exercise of the Public and Private Warrants under state blue sky laws, to the extent an exemption is not available. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a registration statement covering the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Public and Private Warrants has not been declared effective by the 90th business day following the closing of an initial Business Combination and during any period when the Company shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, Public and Private Warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement, exercise the Public and Private Warrants on a cashless basis pursuant to the exemption provided by Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act.
Once the warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the outstanding warrants (except with respect to the Private 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; and
• if, and only if, the reported last reported sale price of the Company’s common stock exceeds $16.50 for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant holders.
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 common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants may be adjusted in certain circumstances including in the event of a stock dividend, or recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. However, the warrants will not be adjusted for issuance of 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 the respect to such warrants. Accordingly, the warrants may expire worthless.
The Private Warrants will be identical to the Public Warrants underlying the Units being sold in the Proposed Public Offering, except that the Private Warrants and the 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 the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees. If the Private Warrants are held by someone other than the initial purchasers or 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.
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ALTAMONT PHARMA ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 8. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date up to February 10, 2021, the date that the financial statements were available to be issued. Based upon this review, the Company did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements, except as noted below.
In February 2021, the Company borrowed an additional $7,500 under the Promissory Note.
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Until __________, 2021 (25 days after the date of this prospectus), all dealers that buy, sell or trade our ordinary shares, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers’ obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.
No dealer, salesperson or any other person is authorized to give any information or make any representations in connection with this offering other than those contained in this prospectus and, if given or made, the information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by us. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security other than the securities offered by this prospectus, or an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities by anyone in any jurisdiction in which the offer or solicitation is not authorized or is unlawful.
$100,000,000
Altamont Pharma Acquisition Corp
10,000,000 Units
___________________________
PROSPECTUS
___________________________
Sole Book-Running Manager
Chardan
, 2021
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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:
Trustees fee | | $ | 6,500 |
SEC Registration fees | | | 12,547 |
FINRA filing fee | | | 17,750 |
Accounting fees and expenses | | | 40,000 |
Nasdaq listing fees | | | 75,000 |
Printing and engraving expenses | | | 30,000 |
Legal fees and expenses | | | 300,000 |
Director & Officer liability insurance premiums | | | 500,000 |
Miscellaneous(1) | | | 18,203 |
Total | | $ | 1,000,000 |
Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Our certificate of incorporation provides that all directors, officers, employees and agents of the registrant shall be entitled to be indemnified by us to the fullest extent permitted by Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law.
Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law concerning indemnification of officers, directors, employees and agents is set forth below.
“Section 145. Indemnification of officers, directors, employees and agents; insurance.
(a) A corporation shall have power to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the person’s conduct was unlawful. The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that the person’s conduct was unlawful.
(b) A corporation shall have power to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and except that no indemnification
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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.
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(i) For purposes of this section, references to “other enterprises” shall include employee benefit plans; references to “fines” shall include any excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to any employee benefit plan; and references to “serving at the request of the corporation” shall include any service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee or agent with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries; and a person who acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan shall be deemed to have acted in a manner “not opposed to the best interests of the corporation” as referred to in this section.
(j) The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this section shall, unless otherwise provided when authorized or ratified, continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.
(k) The Court of Chancery is hereby vested with exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine all actions for advancement of expenses or indemnification brought under this section or under any bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise. The Court of Chancery may summarily determine a corporation’s obligation to advance expenses (including attorneys’ fees).
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers, and controlling persons pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, we have been advised that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person in a successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, we will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to the court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
In accordance with Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL, our certificate of incorporation, will provide that no director shall be personally liable to us or any of our stockholders for monetary damages resulting from breaches of their fiduciary duty as directors, except to the extent such limitation on or exemption from liability is not permitted under the DGCL unless they violated their duty of loyalty to the company or its stockholders, acted in bad faith, knowingly or intentionally violated the law, authorized unlawful payments of dividends, unlawful stock purchases or unlawful redemptions, or derived improper personal benefit from their actions as directors. The effect of this provision of our certificate of incorporation is to eliminate our rights and those of our stockholders (through stockholders’ derivative suits on our behalf) to recover monetary damages against a director for breach of the fiduciary duty of care as a director, including breaches resulting from negligent or grossly negligent behavior, except, as restricted by Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL. However, this provision does not limit or eliminate our rights or the rights of any stockholder to seek non-monetary relief, such as an injunction or rescission, in the event of a breach of a director’s duty of care.
If the DGCL is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the liability of directors, then, in accordance with our certificate of incorporation, the liability of our directors to us or our stockholders will be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent authorized by the DGCL, as so amended. Any repeal or amendment of provisions of our certificate of incorporation limiting or eliminating the liability of directors, whether by our stockholders or by changes in law, or the adoption of any other provisions inconsistent therewith, will (unless otherwise required by law) be prospective only, except to the extent such amendment or change in law permits us to further limit or eliminate the liability of directors on a retroactive basis.
Our certificate of incorporation will also provide that we will, to the fullest extent authorized or permitted by applicable law, indemnify our current and former officers and directors, as well as those persons who, while directors or officers of our corporation, are or were serving as directors, officers, employees or agents of another entity, trust or other enterprise, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan, in connection with any threatened, pending or completed proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, 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.
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Notwithstanding the foregoing, a person eligible for indemnification pursuant to our 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 conferred by our 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 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 certificate of incorporation may have or hereafter acquire under law, our certificate of incorporation, our bylaws, an agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise.
Any repeal or amendment of provisions of our 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 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 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 set forth in our 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 indemnity agreements with each of our officers and directors a form of which is filed as Exhibit 10.6 to this Registration Statement. These agreements will require us to indemnify these individuals to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law 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 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.
In January 2021, our initial stockholder purchased an aggregate of 2,875,500 shares of our common stock for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.009 per share. Such shares were issued in connection with our organization pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act as they were sold to accredited investors.
No underwriting discounts or commissions were paid with respect to such sales.
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Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
(a) The following exhibits are filed as part of this Registration Statement:
Exhibit No. | | Description |
1.1* | | Form of Underwriting Agreement. |
3.1* | | Certificate of Incorporation. |
3.2* | | Form of Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation. |
3.3* | | Bylaws. |
4.1* | | Specimen Unit Certificate. |
4.2* | | Specimen Common Stock Certificate. |
4.3* | | Specimen Warrant Certificate. |
4.4* | | Form of Warrant Agreement by and between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant. |
5.1* | | Form of Opinion of Greenberg Traurig, LLP |
10.1* | | Promissory Note, dated as of January 29, 2021, issued to the Sponsor. |
10.2* | | Form of Insider Letter Agreement among the Registrant and the Registrant’s Officers and Directors. |
10.3* | | Form of Investment Management Trust Agreement by and between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant. |
10.4* | | Form of Stock Escrow Agreement among the Registrant, Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, and the Initial Stockholders. |
10.5* | | Form of Registration Rights Agreement by and between the Registrant and Initial Stockholders. |
10.6* | | Form of Indemnity Agreement. |
10.7* | | Administrative Services Agreement by and between the Registrant and Altamont Pharma Sponsor, LLC |
10.8* | | Form of Subscription Agreement. |
10.9* | | Form of Contingent Forward Purchase Agreement. |
14* | | Form of Code of Ethics. |
23.1* | | Consent of Marcum LLP. |
23.2* | | Consent of Greenberg Traurig, LLP (included on Exhibit 5.1). |
24* | | Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of the original filing hereof). |
99.1* | | Form of Audit Committee Charter. |
99.2* | | Form of Compensation Committee Charter. |
99.3* | | Consent of John D. Harkey, Jr. |
99.4* | | Consent of Jay Shepard |
99.5* | | Consent of Lisa Walters-Hoffert |
Item 17. Undertakings.
(a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
i. To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;
ii.To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement;
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iii. To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement.
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment 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) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
(4) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933 in a primary offering of securities of the 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 the 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.
(5) That, 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.
(b) The undersigned hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriter at the closing specified in the underwriting agreements, certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriter to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.
(c) 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.
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(d) 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.
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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 Austin, Texas, on the __ day of _______, 2021.
| | ALTAMONT PHARMA ACQUISITION CORP |
| | By: | | |
| | | | Mark Pearson |
| | | | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer |
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Mark Pearson and Sharon Tetlow his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact, with full power of substitution and resubstitution for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities to sign any and all amendments including post-effective amendments to this registration statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact or his substitute, each acting alone, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue thereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature | | Title | | Date |
| | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | | |
Mark Pearson | | (Principal Executive Officer) | | |
| | Chief Financial Officer and Director | | |
Sharon Tetlow | | (Principal Accounting and Financial Officer) | | |
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