The information in this 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 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.
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PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS | | SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED AUGUST 30, 2022 |
$110,000,000
ZI TOPRUN ACQUISITION CORP.
11,000,000 Units
Zi Toprun Acquisition Corp. is a Delaware blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock 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 regarding a business combination with our company. Although our efforts to identify a target business will not be limited to any particular industry or geographic region, we intend to pursue prospective targets that are in North America, Europe and Asia (except as described below).
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 common stock and one redeemable warrant. Each warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of our common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described herein. The warrants will become exercisable on the later of one year from the closing of this offering and 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 liquidation, as described in this prospectus. The underwriters have a 45-day option from the date of this prospectus to purchase up to an additional 1,650,000 units to cover over-allotments, if any.
We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of our common stock upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 12 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 18 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time for six extension periods of one month each, as described below), we will redeem 100% of the public shares for cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares of common stock, subject to applicable law and as further described herein.
Our sponsor may extend the time frame for the Company to complete a business combination from 12 months by up to an additional six months comprised of six one-month extensions on the terms described herein. Holders of our securities will not have the right to approve or disapprove any such extensions. Further, holders of our securities will not have the right to seek or obtain redemption in connection with any such extension.
Our sponsor and a majority of our Board of Directors and management team have significant business ties to the People’s Republic of China, including Hong Kong. Additionally, two of our officers and one of our independent director candidates reside in China (while our other officers and directors are residents of the United States). However, we have determined that because of uncertainties in the regulatory climate in China, and the potential for future governmental actions which might unfavorably impede future operations, we will not consider or undertake a business combination with an entity or business that is based in, or has its principal business operations in, the People’s Republic of China, including Hong Kong and Macau. Since many of our officers and directors have business experience in China and three of such members reside in China, not being able to target a business in the People’s Republic of China (including Hong Kong and Macau) may make it more difficult for us to find an attractive target business outside of China, and it may make us a less attractive partner to target businesses outside of the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong or Macau. Because our executive office is located in the United States, we will not acquire a business in China, we currently do not operate in China, and several of our officers and directors reside and/or work outside of China, we do not believe we are currently subject to any Chinese regulations, such as those published by the China Securities Regulatory Commission or Cyberspace Administration of China. However, the relationships of our officers and directors to the People’s Republic of China could influence the types of targets that they select to acquire due to changes in laws or regulations in China, which could make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination.
Pursuant to the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (“HFCAA”), the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the “PCAOB”) issued a Determination Report on December 16, 2021 which found that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in: (1) mainland China of the People’s Republic of China because of a position taken by one or more authorities in mainland China; and (2) Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Region and dependency of the PRC, because of a position taken by one or more authorities in Hong Kong. In addition, the PCAOB’s report identified the specific registered public accounting firms which are subject to these determinations. Our registered public accounting firm, Marcum, Bernstein & Pinchuk, LLP, is a United States accounting firm headquartered in New York, New York, is an independent registered public accounting firm with the PCAOB and has been inspected by the PCAOB on a regular basis. Marcum, Bernstein & Pinchuk, LLP is not headquartered in mainland China or Hong Kong and was not identified in the Determination Report as a firm subject to the PCAOB’s determinations. However, if we engage auditors in the future that are unable to be inspected by the PCAOB, trading in our securities on the U.S. stock exchanges or in the over the counter trading market in the U.S. could be stopped or our securities could be delisted from any national exchange on which such securities are traded.
Our sponsor, Toprun Smart Management LLC, has committed to purchase an aggregate of 587,500 private placement units (649,375 private placement units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $5,875,000 (or $6,493,750 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full). Each private placement unit will be identical to the units sold in this offering, except as described in this prospectus. This purchase will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. As of the date of this prospectus, our initial stockholders, which includes our sponsor, own an aggregate of 3,162,500 shares of common stock, which were acquired for a purchase price of $25,000.
Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our units, common stock or warrants. We intend to apply to list our units on The Nasdaq Global Market, or Nasdaq, under the symbol “ZTOPU”. We expect that our units will be listed on Nasdaq on or promptly after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forma a part. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq. We expect the common stock and warrants comprising the units will not begin separate trading until 52 days following the date of this prospectus unless EF Hutton, division of Benchmark Investments, LLC, the representative of the underwriters, informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our satisfaction of certain conditions. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, we expect that the common stock and warrants will be listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “ZTOP” and “ZTOPW,” respectively. We cannot assure you that our securities will be listed on Nasdaq at the time of this offering or continue to be listed thereafter prior to an initial business combination.
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 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 | | | $ | 110,000,000 | |
Underwriting discounts and commissions(1) | | $ | 0.45 | | | $ | 4,950,000 | |
Proceeds, before expenses, to us | | $ | 9.55 | | | $ | 105,050,000 | |
(1) | Includes $0.20 per unit, or $2,200,000 (or $2,530,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) in the aggregate, payable to the undewriters upon the closing of this offering. Also includes $0.25 per unit, or $2,750,000 (or up to $3,162,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in the aggregate payable to EF Hutton for deferred underwriting commissions which will be placed in a trust account located in the United States as described herein. The deferred commissions will be released to EF Hutton only upon completion of an initial business combination, as described in this prospectus. We will also issue to the representative of the underwriters and/or its designees 284,625 shares of common stock (including up to 37,125 shares that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full), which we refer to herein as the “representative’s shares” as underwriter compensation in connection with this offering. Does not include certain other fees and expenses payable to the underwriters in connection with this offering. See the section of this prospectus entitled “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 units described in this prospectus, $113,300,000 or $130,295,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($10.30 per unit in either case) will be initially deposited into a trust account in the United States at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee. Except as described in this prospectus, these funds will not be released to us until the earlier of the completion of an initial business combination and our redemption of our public shares.
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 [ ], 2022.
Sole Book-Running Manager
EF Hutton
division of Benchmark Investments, LLC
The date of this prospectus is [ ], 2022