BACKGROUND
We are 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.
On December 17, 2021, we consummated our IPO of 34,500,000 units (the “units”), with each unit consisting of one Class A ordinary share, par value $0.0001 per share, which we refer to (together with any shares issued in exchange thereof) as the “public shares,” and one-half of one redeemable warrant, generating gross proceeds of $345.0 million.
Simultaneously with the closing of our IPO, we completed the private placement of 16,700,000 private placement warrants, at a purchase price of $1.00 per private placement warrant, to our Sponsor, generating gross proceeds to us of $16.7 million. The private placement warrants are identical to the warrants sold as part of the units in our IPO except that, so long as they are held by our Sponsor or its permitted transferees, they (1) may be exercised for cash or on a cashless basis, (2) are not subject to being called for redemption (except in certain circumstances when the public warrants are called for redemption and a certain price per public share threshold is met), (3) subject to certain limited exceptions, will be subject to transfer restrictions until 30 days following the consummation of the our initial business combination and (4) they (including the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise thereof) are entitled to registration rights.
Of the gross proceeds received from our IPO and the sale of the private placement warrants, $351,900,000 was deposited in the Trust Account.
The proceeds held in the Trust Account may be invested by the trustee 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 185 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. As of January 31, 2023, funds held in the Trust Account totaled approximately $358,208,526, and were held in U.S. Treasury Bills with a maturity of 185 days or less and in money market funds which invest in U.S. Treasury securities. However, to mitigate the risk of being viewed as operating as an unregistered investment company (including pursuant to the subjective test of Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act), we will, on or prior to the 24-month anniversary of the effective date of the registration statement relating to our IPO, instruct Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the trustee with respect to the Trust Account, to liquidate the U.S. government securities or money market funds held in the Trust Account and thereafter to hold all funds in the Trust Account in cash until the earlier of consummation of our initial business combination or liquidation. As a result, following such liquidation, we will likely receive minimal interest, if any, on the funds held in the Trust Account, which would reduce the dollar amount our public shareholders would receive upon any redemption of public shares or liquidation of the Company.
Our Sponsor, directors and officers have interests in the proposals that may be different from, or in addition to, your interests as a shareholder. These interests include, among other things, director or indirect ownership of founder shares and warrants that may become exercisable in the future and advances that will not be repaid in the event of our winding up and the possibility of future compensatory arrangements. See the section entitled “The Extraordinary General Meeting—Interests of our Sponsor, Directors and Officers.”
On the record date of the Extraordinary General Meeting, there were 43,125,000 ordinary shares outstanding, of which 34,500,000 were public shares and 8,625,000 were founder shares. The founder shares carry voting rights in connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal, and we have been informed by our Sponsor, which holds 7,079,500 founder shares, and our officers and independent directors, who hold the remaining founder shares, that they intend to vote in favor of the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal.
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