Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(4)
Registration No. 333-255349
Ascendant Digital Acquisition Corp. III
$261,000,000
26,100,000 Units
Ascendant Digital Acquisition Corp. III is a newly incorporated blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company and incorporated 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 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.
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-half 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 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 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, and will expire five years after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier upon redemption or our liquidation, as described herein. Subject to the terms and conditions described in this prospectus, we may call the warrants for redemption once the warrants become exercisable. The underwriters have a 45-day option from the date of this prospectus to purchase up to an additional 3,915,000 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 upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account described below as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares that were sold as part of the units in this offering, which we refer to as our public shares, subject to the limitations and on the conditions described herein. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 15 months from the closing of this offering, 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 (which interest shall be net of taxes payable and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law and certain conditions as further described herein.
Our sponsor, Ascendant Sponsor LP III, has committed to purchase an aggregate of 10,330,000 warrants (or 11,504,500 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, at a price of $1.00 per warrant, or $10,330,000 in the aggregate (or $11,504,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. To the extent the Anchor Investors (as defined below) do not purchase units for which they have indicated an interest in purchasing (as described below), our sponsor will purchase additional warrants in order to cover the increased cost of underwriting commissions.
Our initial shareholders, which include our sponsor, currently own an aggregate of 7,503,750 Class B ordinary shares, up to 978,750 of which will be surrendered to us for no consideration after the closing of this offering 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 the consummation of our initial business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to the adjustments described herein. Prior to the closing of our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will be entitled to vote on continuing the company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (including any special resolution required to amend the constitutional documents of the company or to adopt new constitutional documents of the company, in each case, as a result of the company approving a transfer by way of continuation in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands). On any other matters submitted to a vote of our shareholders, holders of the Class B ordinary shares and holders of the Class A ordinary shares will vote together as a single class, except as required by law.
Seven institutional investors (the “Anchor Investors”) have subscribed to purchase membership interests in our sponsor, three of whom have indicated an interest in purchasing 9.9% of the units in this offering, one of whom has indicated an interest in purchasing 7.65% of the units in this offering, one of whom has indicated an interest in purchasing 9.15% of the units in this offering, one of whom has indicated an interest in purchasing 1,000,000 units in this offering and one of whom has indicated an interest in purchasing 2,000,000 units in this offering, in each case at the initial public offering price. However, because indications of interest are not binding agreements or commitments to purchase, the Anchor Investors may determine not to purchase any such units, or to purchase fewer units than they have indicated an interest in purchasing. Furthermore, we are not under any obligation to sell any such units to the Anchor Investors. If the Anchor Investors do not purchase the units for which they have indicated an interest in this offering, our sponsor will not be obligated to issue them membership interests in the sponsor.
In addition, in connection with the consummation of this offering, we have entered into a forward purchase agreement with NEXON Co. Ltd., a Japanese corporation (“Nexon”), pursuant to which Nexon has subscribed to purchase from us up to 9,000,000 forward purchase units (the “forward purchase units”), consisting of one Class A ordinary share, or a forward purchase share, and one-half of one warrant to purchase one Class A ordinary share (the “forward purchase warrants”), for $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate amount of up to $90,000,000, in a private placement that will close concurrently with the closing of our initial business combination. Nexon’s commitment under its forward purchase agreement is subject to, among other conditions, the approval of its investment committee. The forward purchase shares and forward purchase warrants will be identical to the Class A ordinary shares and warrants, respectively, included in the units being sold in this offering, except that they will be subject to certain transfer restrictions and registration rights, as described herein.
Currently, there is no public market for our units, Class A ordinary shares or warrants. Our units have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange, or the NYSE, under the symbol “ACDI.U” We expect that our units will be listed on the NYSE on or promptly after the date of this prospectus.
We expect the Class A ordinary shares and warrants comprising the units to begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, the representative of the underwriters, informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our satisfaction of certain conditions as described further herein. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, we expect that the Class A ordinary shares and warrants will be listed on the NYSE under the symbols “ACDI” and “ACDI WS,” respectively.
We are an “emerging growth company” under applicable federal securities laws and will be subject to reduced public company reporting requirements. Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 43 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.
No invitation, whether directly or indirectly, may be made to the public in the Cayman Islands to subscribe for our securities.
Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
| | | | | | | | |
| | Per Unit | | | Total | |
Public offering price | | $ | 10.00 | | | $ | 261,000,000 | |
Underwriting discounts and commissions(1)(2) | | $ | 0.55 | | | $ | 14,355,000 | |
Proceeds, before expenses, to us | | $ | 9.45 | | | $ | 246,645,000 | |
(1) | $0.20 per unit is payable upon the closing of this offering. Includes $0.35 per unit, or $9,135,000 in the aggregate (or up to $10,505,250 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 and released to the underwriters only upon the completion of an initial business combination. See also “Underwriting” for a description of compensation payable to the underwriters. |
(2) | To the extent the Anchor Investors purchase units for which they have indicated an interest in purchasing, the underwriters will not receive any upfront underwriting discounts or commissions on a portion of the units purchased by the Anchor Investors, but will receive deferred underwriting commissions with respect to such units. |
Of the proceeds we receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants described in this prospectus, $266,220,000, or $306,153,000 million if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($10.20 per unit in either case), will be deposited into a trust account located in the United States with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions payable upon the closing of this offering and an aggregate of $2.5 million to pay fees and expenses in connection with the closing of this offering and for working capital following the closing of this offering.
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 November 15, 2021.
Sole Book-Running Manager
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
Co-Lead Manager
Odeon Capital Group, LLC
November 9, 2021