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 NOVEMBER 19, 2021
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
$250,000,000
C5 Acquisition Corporation
25,000,000 Units
C5 Acquisition Corporation is a blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, consolidation, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or companies. 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 share of our Class A common stock and one-half of one redeemable warrant. We refer to these warrants throughout this prospectus as the public warrants. Each whole public warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of our Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus, and only whole public warrants are exercisable. No fractional public warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole public warrants will trade. The public 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. Subject to the terms and conditions described in this prospectus, we may redeem the public warrants once the public warrants become exercisable. We have also granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 3,750,000 units.
We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of our Class A common stock in connection with our initial business combination at a per share price described herein, payable in cash, subject to the limitations described herein. If we have not completed our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, we will redeem 100% of the public shares at a per share price described herein, payable in cash, subject to applicable law and as further described herein.
Our sponsor, C5 Sponsor LLC, has committed to purchase an aggregate of 13,535,500 private placement warrants (or 15,035,500 warrants if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) at a price of $1.00 per private placement warrant ($13,535,500 in the aggregate, or $15,035,500 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) in private placements that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Each private placement warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of our Class A common stock at $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus.
As of the date of this prospectus, our initial stockholder holds 7,187,500 shares of Class B common stock (up to 937,500 of which are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised). The shares of Class B common stock will automatically convert into shares of Class A common stock at the time of our initial business combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as provided herein. Prior to our initial business combination, holders of our Class B common stock will have the right to elect all of our directors and may remove members of our board of directors for any reason. On any other matter submitted to a vote of our stockholders, holders of our Class B common stock and holders of our Class A common stock will vote together as a single class, except as required by applicable law or stock exchange rule.
Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our units, Class A common stock or public warrants. We intend to apply to list our units on the New York Stock Exchange, or the NYSE, under the symbol “CXAC.U” on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on the NYSE. The Class A common stock and public warrants will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus (or, if such date is not a business day, the following business day), unless Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. and Moelis & Company LLC inform us of their decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to certain conditions. Once the securities constituting the units begin separate trading, we expect that the Class A common stock and public warrants will be listed on the NYSE under the symbols “CXAC” and “CXAC WS,” respectively.
We are an “emerging growth company” and “smaller reporting company” under applicable federal securities laws and will be subject to reduced public company reporting requirements. Investing in our securities involves risks. See “Risk Factors” on page 36. Investors will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings.
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Price to Public | | | Underwriting Discounts and Commissions(1) | | | Proceeds, before expenses, to us | |
Per Share | | $ | 10.00 | | | $ | 0.55 | | | $ | 9.45 | |
Total | | $ | 250,000,000 | | | $ | 13,750,000 | | | $ | 236,250,000 | |
(1) | $0.20 per unit sold in the base offering, or $5,000,000 in the aggregate (or $5,750,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), is payable upon the closing of this offering. Includes $0.35 per unit sold in the base offering, or $8,750,000 in the aggregate (or up to $10,062,500 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 transaction. Does not include certain fees and expenses payable to the underwriters in connection with this offering. See “Underwriting” for a description of compensation and other items of value payable to the underwriters. |
Of the proceeds we receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants described in this prospectus, $255,000,000 or $293,250,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full ($10.20 per unit), 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. Delivery of the units will be made on or about , 2021.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission, or 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.
Joint Book-Running Managers
The date of this prospectus is , 2021