The information in this preliminary 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 preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED MARCH 29, 2021
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
$300,000,000
Waverley Capital Acquisition Corp. 1
30,000,000 units
Waverley Capital Acquisition Corp. 1 is a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities, which we refer to as our initial business combination. We have not selected any specific business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, engaged in any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target with respect to an initial business combination with us. Although we will not be limited to a particular industry or geographic region in our identification and acquisition of a target company, we intend to focus on industries that complement our team’s background and capitalize on our team’s ability to source and acquire a business focused on media, technology or entertainment.
This is an initial public offering of our securities. Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one Class A ordinary share and one-fourth of one redeemable warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment, terms and limitations as described herein. Only whole warrants are exercisable. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. 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. The warrants will expire five years after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation, as described herein The underwriters have a 45-day option from the date of this prospectus to purchase up to 4,500,000 additional units to cover over-allotments, if any.
We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares in connection with our initial business combination, subject to the limitations as described herein. If we have not consummated an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, or during any shareholder approved extension period, we will redeem 100% of the public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law and certain conditions as described herein.
Our sponsor, WCAC1 Sponsor LLC (an affiliate of Waverley Capital, L.P.) has agreed to purchase 6,000,000 warrants (or 6,600,000 warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), each exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share at $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment, at a price of $1.50 per warrant, in a private placement to occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering.
Our initial shareholders currently own 8,625,000 Class B ordinary shares, up to 1,125,000 of which are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. The Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination or earlier at the option of the holders thereof as described herein. Prior to our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will be entitled to vote on the appointment and removal of directors and to continue our company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (including, but not limited to, approval of the organizational documents of our company in such other jurisdiction).
Currently, there is no public market for our securities. We intend to apply to have our units listed on the New York Stock Exchange, or the NYSE, under the symbol “WAVCU.” We expect that the Class A ordinary shares and warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the NYSE under the symbols “WAVC” and “WAVCW,” respectively, on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless the underwriters permit earlier separate trading and we have satisfied certain conditions.
We are an “emerging growth company” and a “smaller reporting company” under applicable federal securities laws and will be subject to reduced public company reporting requirements.
No offer or invitation to subscribe for securities may be made to the public in the Cayman Islands.
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 36 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 (the “SEC”) 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.
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| | Per Unit | | | Total | |
Public offering price | | $ | 10.00 | | | $ | 300,000,000 | |
Underwriting discounts and commissions(1) | | $ | 0.55 | | | $ | 16,500,000 | |
Proceeds, before expenses, to us | | $ | 9.45 | | | $ | 283,500,000 | |
(1) | Includes $0.35 per unit, or $10,500,000 in the aggregate (or $12,075,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions to be placed in a trust account located in the United States as described herein and released to the underwriters only upon the consummation of an initial business combination. See “Underwriting” for a description of compensation payable to the underwriters. |
Of the proceeds we receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants described in this prospectus, $300,000,000, or $345,000,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($10.00 per unit in either case), will be deposited into a U.S.-based trust account with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee.
The underwriters are offering the units for sale on a firm commitment basis. The underwriters expect to deliver the units to the purchasers on or about , 2021.
Joint Book-Running Managers
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Evercore ISI | | | | Morgan Stanley |
The date of this prospectus is , 2021