(as defined below) was below the $35,000,000 minimum MVLS requirement for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(2) (the “MVLS Rule”). In accordance with the Nasdaq Listing Rules, the Company will have 180 calendar days (until September 19, 2023) to regain compliance with the MVLS Rule. To regain compliance with the MVLS Rule, the MVLS for the Company’s Public Shares must be at least $35,000,000 for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days at any time during this 180-day period. If the Company does not regain compliance with the rule by September 19, 2023, The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC will provide notice that the Company’s Public Shares will be delisted from The Nasdaq Capital Market. In the event of such notification, the Nasdaq Listing Rules permit the Company an opportunity to appeal The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC’s determination. The Company is monitoring the MVLS of its ordinary shares and will consider options available to it to potentially achieve compliance. The Company’s securities are expected to continue to trade on The Nasdaq Capital Market during the 180-day period.
Financing
The Company’s sponsor is Chavant Capital Partners LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”). The registration statement pursuant to which the Company registered its securities offered in the IPO was declared effective on July 19, 2021. On April 7, 2021, the Sponsor purchased an aggregate of 2,875,000 ordinary shares (the “Founder Shares”) for a purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.009 per share. On June 25, 2021, the Sponsor sold an aggregate of 422,581 of such Founder Shares to the underwriters for a purchase price of $3,675.
On July 22, 2021, the Company consummated its IPO of 8,000,000 units (each, a “Unit” and collectively, the “Units”), at $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $80,000,000 and incurring offering costs of $2,058,249. The Company granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,200,000 Units at the IPO price to cover over-allotments, if any. On September 5, 2021, the over-allotment option expired unexercised and an aggregate of 300,000 Founder Shares was forfeited, resulting in 2,000,000 Founder Shares remaining outstanding.
Simultaneously with the consummation of the closing of the IPO, the Company consummated the private placement of an aggregate of 3,400,000 warrants (collectively, the “Private Warrants” and together with the Public Warrants (as defined below), the “Warrants”) at an average price of $1.00 per Private Warrant to the Sponsor and the underwriters, generating total gross proceeds of$3,400,000 (the “Private Placement”).
Trust Account
Following the closing of the IPO on July 22, 2021, an amount of $80,000,000 from the net proceeds of the sale of the Units in the IPO and the sale of the Private Warrants was placed in the trust account (the “Trust Account”) located in the United States with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee. The funds may be invested only in U.S. government securities with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations.
On July 14, 2022, the Company held an Extraordinary General Meeting of shareholders and obtained shareholder approval of the extension of the date by which the Company must consummate an initial business combination from July 22, 2022 (which is 12 months from the closing of the IPO) to January 22, 2023 (the “Extended Date”) by amending the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (the “First Extension Amendment”). The First Extension Amendment became effective upon approval of the Company’s shareholders. In connection with the First Extension Amendment, shareholders holding 7,046,967 ordinary shares of the Company exercised their right to redeem their ordinary shares for a pro rata portion of the funds in the Trust Account. As a result, $70,573,278 was withdrawn from the Trust Account to pay such holders. As a result of the redemption payments and above mentioned extension, the Company deposited $31,450 (at a rate of $0.033 per non-redeeming Public Share) for each subsequent monthly period needed by the Company to complete a business combination by the Extended Date. As of December 31, 2022, the Company deposited an aggregate of $188,700 in the Trust Account which were funded by the promissory notes issued to the Sponsor.
On January 6, 2023, the Company held an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders and obtained shareholder approval of the extension of the Combination Period to July 22, 2023 (“Second Extension”). In connection with the meeting, Public Shareholders holding 96,991 Public Shares elected to exercise their right to redeem such shares and $1,004,600 was paid out of the Trust Account in connection with the redemptions. In connection with the approval of the extension amendment, the Company made an initial deposit into the Trust Account of $42,802 (at a rate of $0.05 per non-redeeming Public Share per month) and will continue to deposit $42,802 for each subsequent monthly period, or portion thereof, that is needed by the Company to complete business combination by July 22, 2023. As of March 31, 2023, the Company had deposited an aggregate of $317,107 in the Trust Account in connection with the First Extension and the Second Extension Amendments, and the Trust Account had a total balance of $9,092,522.