Filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(4)
Registration No. 333-261308
PROSPECTUS
Forbion European Acquisition Corp.
$110,000,000
11,000,000 Units
Forbion European Acquisition Corp. is a newly incorporated 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, which we refer to as our initial business combination. We have not selected any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. We will not be limited to a particular industry or geographic region in our identification and acquisition of a target company.
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-third, 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, terms and limitations as described herein. The underwriters have a 45-day option from the date of this prospectus to purchase up to 1,650,000 additional units to cover over-allotments, if any. The redeemable 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 liquidation, as described in this prospectus. Subject to the terms and conditions described in this prospectus, we may redeem the redeemable warrants for cash once the redeemable warrants become exercisable.
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, subject to the limitations as described herein. If we have not consummated an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), we will redeem 100% of the public shares for cash, subject to applicable law and certain conditions as described herein. Our public shareholders will not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our extension of time to consummate an initial business combination described above or redeem their shares in connection with such extension.
Our sponsor, Forbion Growth Sponsor FEAC I B.V., and its affiliates have agreed to purchase 4,700,000 warrants (or 5,195,000 warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), at a price of $1.50 per warrant in a private placement to occur concurrently with the closing of this offering for an aggregate purchase price of $7,050,000 (or $7,792,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. The private placement warrants are identical to the warrants sold in this offering, subject to certain limited exceptions as described in this prospectus.
Our sponsor currently owns 3,162,500 Class B ordinary shares, up to 412,500 of which are subject to forfeiture for no consideration after closing of this offering depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. Our sponsor purchased such shares from Forbion European Sponsor LLP on November 23, 2021. The Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination or earlier at the option of the holders thereof as described herein. Prior to our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will be entitled to vote on the appointment of directors and to continue our company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands.
We will enter into two forward purchase agreements with Forbion Growth Sponsor FEAC I B.V. (the “FPA Purchaser”), pursuant to which the FPA Purchaser will agree to purchase (1) an aggregate of 1,000,000 Class A ordinary shares for $10.00 per share (the “firm forward purchase shares”), or an aggregate amount of $10,000,000 and (2) in addition, an aggregate of up to 1,000,000 Class A ordinary shares for $10.00 per share (the “additional forward purchase shares”, and together with the firm forward purchase shares, the “forward purchase shares”), or an aggregate maximum amount of up to $10,000,000, in each case in a private placement that may close simultaneously with the closing of our initial business combination.
Additionally, certain qualified institutional buyers or institutional accredited investors affiliated with our sponsor, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our “anchor investors,” have expressed an interest to purchase at least 15% of the units sold in this offering at the public offering price of the units offered hereby, and we have agreed to direct the underwriters to sell to the anchor investors such amount of units. The underwriters will not receive any underwriting discounts or commissions (including, without limitation, deferred underwriting commissions) on units purchased by the anchor investors in this offering. However, because expressions of interest are not binding agreements or commitments to purchase, they may determine to purchase more, fewer or no units in this offering or the underwriters may determine to sell more, fewer or no units to the anchor investors. If these investors purchase the full 15% of the units they have expressed an interest in purchasing, the anchor investors would own approximately 12% of the outstanding shares following this offering (assuming no exercise of the over-allotment option).
Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our securities. We have been approved to list our units on The Nasdaq Global Market, or the Nasdaq, under the symbol “FRBNU.” We expect that the Class A ordinary shares and warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the Nasdaq under the symbols “FRBN” and “ FRBNW,” respectively, on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus (or the immediately following business day if such 52nd day is not a business day) unless the underwriters permit earlier separate trading and we have satisfied certain conditions.
We are an “emerging growth company” and a “smaller reporting 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 50 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 offer or invitation to subscribe for securities may be made to the public in the Cayman Islands.
Neither the 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.
| Per Unit | Total | |||||||
| Public offering price | $ | 10.00 | $ | 110,000,000 | ||||
| Underwriting discounts and commissions(1)(2) | $ | 0.55 | $ | 6,050,000 | ||||
| Proceeds to us, before expenses | $ | 9.45 | $ | 103,950,000 | ||||
| (1) | Includes $0.35 per unit, or $3,850,000 in the aggregate (or $4,427,500 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 combination. See also “Underwriting” for a description of compensation payable to the underwriters. |
| (2) | Assumes the anchor investors do not purchase any units in this offering. Units purchased by the anchor investors in this offering, if any, will not be subject to underwriting discounts and commissions. See “The Offering — Expression of interest” for additional information. |
Of the proceeds we receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants described in this prospectus, $112,750,000, or $129,662,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($10.25 per unit in either case), will be deposited into a U.S. based trust account at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee.
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 December 14, 2021.
Joint Book-Running Managers
| UBS Investment Bank | Kempen & Co |
The date of this prospectus is December 9, 2021
We are responsible for the information contained in this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information, and neither we nor the underwriters take any responsibility for any other information others may give to you. We are not, and the underwriters are not, making an offer to sell securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of this prospectus.
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Until January 3, 2022, all dealers that effect transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealer’s obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as an underwriter and with respect to unsold allotments or subscriptions.
This summary only highlights the more detailed information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. You should read this entire prospectus carefully, including the information under “Risk Factors” and our financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, before investing.
Unless otherwise stated in this prospectus or the context otherwise requires, references to:
| Ø | “additional forward purchase shares” are to an aggregate of up to 1,000,000 Class A ordinary shares that we expect the FPA Purchaser will purchase pursuant to a forward purchase agreement; |
| Ø | “amended and restated memorandum and articles of association” are to the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that the company will adopt prior to the consummation of this offering; |
| Ø | “anchor investors” are to certain qualified institutional buyers and institutional accredited investors affiliated with our sponsor that have indicated an interest in purchasing units in this offering, as described in this prospectus; |
| Ø | “Companies Act” are to the Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands as the same may be amended from time to time; |
| Ø | “directors” are to our current directors and director nominees (if any); |
| Ø | “firm forward purchase shares” are to an aggregate of 1,000,000 Class A ordinary shares that we expect the FPA Purchaser will purchase pursuant to the forward purchase agreements; |
| Ø | “forward purchase agreements” are to the two forward purchase agreements that provide for the sale of the forward purchase shares to an affiliate of our sponsor in a private placement that in each case may close simultaneously with the closing of our initial business combination, in each case on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein; |
| Ø | “forward purchase shares” are to the firm forward purchase shares and additional forward purchase shares to be issued pursuant to a forward purchase agreement; |
| Ø | “founder shares” are to our Class B ordinary shares initially issued to an affiliate of our sponsor in a private placement and subsequently transferred to our sponsor, in each case prior to this offering, and the Class A ordinary shares that will be issued upon the automatic conversion of the Class B ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination or earlier at the option of the holders thereof (for the avoidance of doubt, such Class A ordinary shares will not be “public shares”); |
| Ø | “FPA Purchaser” are to our sponsor; |
| Ø | “management” or our “management team” are to our executive officers and directors (including our director nominees that will become directors in connection with the consummation of this offering); |
| Ø | “ordinary shares” are to our Class A ordinary shares and our Class B ordinary shares; |
| Ø | “private placement warrants” are to the warrants to be issued to our sponsor in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of this offering and upon conversion of working capital loans and extension loans, if any, which private placement warrants, working capital warrants and extension warrants are identical to the warrants included in the units sold in this offering, subject to certain limited exceptions as described in this prospectus; |
| Ø | “public shares” are to our Class A ordinary shares sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are purchased in this offering or thereafter in the open market); |
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| Ø | “public shareholders” are to the holders of our public shares, including our sponsor and management team to the extent our sponsor and/or members of our management team purchase public shares, provided that our sponsor’s and each member of our management team’s status as a “public shareholder” will only exist with respect to such public shares; |
| Ø | “sponsor” are to Forbion Growth Sponsor FEAC I B.V., a private limited liability company incorporated in The Netherlands; and |
| Ø | “we,” “us,” “our,” “company” or “our company” are to Forbion European Acquisition Corp., a Cayman Islands exempted company. |
Any forfeiture of shares described in this prospectus will take effect as a surrender of shares for no consideration of such shares as a matter of Cayman Islands law. Any conversion of the Class B ordinary shares described in this prospectus will take effect as a compulsory redemption of Class B ordinary shares and an issuance of Class A ordinary shares as a matter of Cayman Islands law. Any share dividends described in this prospectus will take effect as share capitalizations as a matter of Cayman Islands law.
Unless we tell you otherwise, the information in this prospectus assumes that the underwriters will not exercise their over-allotment option.
Our Company
Overview
Forbion European Acquisition Corp. is a newly organized blank check company incorporated on August 9, 2021 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, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. To date, our efforts have been limited to organizational activities as well as activities related to this offering. We have not generated revenues to date and we do not expect that we will generate operating revenues at the earliest until we consummate our initial business combination. We have not selected any specific business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target.
Founded in 2006, Forbion (“Forbion”) is a life sciences specialist venture fund manager with headquarters in Naarden, the Netherlands, and offices in Munich, Germany, and Singapore. Forbion has established itself as one of the leading brands within the European life sciences industry, supported by a successful track record and strong reputation with co-investors, entrepreneurs, and large pharmaceutical companies (“large pharma”). With 32 employees and a large network of dedicated advisors, Forbion boasts one of the largest teams of specialist investors in Europe, combining investment expertise in private and public markets with hands-on operational expertise in drug development, clinical development, and commercialization. A summary of Forbion’s track record since 2006 includes:
| Ø | An aggregate of 79 investments in Europe and the United States, of which 48 were exited to date, either through an initial public offering (“IPO”) or through an M&A process; |
| Ø | Over €30 billion in aggregate value accretion across all of its investments; |
| Ø | 15 product launches by companies supported by our investments; |
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| Ø | A greater than 25% all funds’ net internal rate of return (“All Forbion Funds’ Net IRR”)1 across its funds, with over €1.5 billion in committed capital. |
Forbion’s successful track record of M&A exits include, amongst others, Enterprise Therapeutics (partially acquired by Roche in 2020), Inflazome (acquired by Roche in 2020), KaNDy (acquired by Bayer in 2020), Promedior (acquired by Roche in 2019), and Prexton (acquired by Lundbeck in 2018). Similarly, Forbion’s track record of IPOs include, amongst others, Dyne (2020), Hookipa (2019), Replimune (2018), argenx (2014), and uniQure (2014).
With direct access to the expertise of Forbion, we intend to draw upon Forbion’s broad experience, network, and team-based, multidisciplinary investment process to optimize the sourcing, evaluation, and growth acceleration of prospective target companies. We believe that access to the Forbion network would enable the members of our management team to find high-quality investment opportunities and achieve liquidity in such investments.
While we may pursue an initial business combination opportunity in any business, industry, sector or geographical location, we intend to capitalize on the ability of our management team to identify promising late-stage opportunities in the life sciences industry in Europe.
Our Sponsor and Competitive Advantage
Our sponsor will leverage its direct access to the expertise of Forbion. With over €1.5 billion of assets under management, Forbion can be considered as one of the largest dedicated life science venture capital investors in Europe. Forbion believes it is known for its strong deal pipeline in attractive market segments, its deal structuring capabilities, and having one of the largest teams of dedicated life sciences investment professionals in Europe. Specifically, the following key attributes may distinguish Forbion from other investment firms:
A European Leader in Life Sciences Investing
Forbion operates its life sciences venture capital investment business in three principal platforms:
| Ø | Bio Generation Ventures (“BGV”).2 BGV has raised over €220 million in capital from 2006 to date in four funds. The BGV funds invest in companies whose activities range from initial scientific research |
| 1 | Forbion calculates the All Forbion Funds’ Net IRR using a weighted average of net IRR for all Forbion Ventures and Forbion Growth funds. The net IRR of each fund includes capital drawn for fund and management expenses and excludes carried interest (e.g. net of expenses, but gross of carried interest) which Forbion believes results in a net IRR that reflects the actual cash in and cash out flows for the funds during the relevant period. The net IRR for each of the Forbion Ventures and Forbion Growth funds is measured from the date investment activity commenced and the net IRR for individual funds will be different from the All Forbion Funds’ Net IRR. There can be no assurance that the net IRR of any individual fund in the future will achieve results similar to the current All Forbion Funds’ Net IRR or the net IRR of any existing fund. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that any future business combination made by us will achieve results similar to the All Forbion Funds’ Net IRR or the net IRR of any individual funds of either Forbion Ventures or Forbion Growth. See “Risk Factors—Risks relating to our search for, and consummation of or inability to consummate, a business combination—Past performance by our management team or their respective affiliates may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in us.” |
| 2 | BGV has its own investment team and own track record. Any track record information in this document does not include any information pertaining to BGV unless expressly stated otherwise. |
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and drug target identification to initial stages of (pre-)clinical development. These investments also provide a source of proprietary deal flow for the later oriented funds managed by Forbion Ventures and Forbion Growth. |
| Ø | Forbion Ventures. Forbion Ventures has raised over €1.3 billion from 2006 to date in five funds, (including Forbion V, which was established in 2021). The Forbion Ventures funds invest in pre-clinical to clinical-stage companies in a two-pronged strategy: “Build” and “Enable”. The Build strategy consists of establishing new companies around known management team(s) and/or asset(s) spun-out from Pharma or academia. The Enable strategy consists of identifying maturing and established biopharma companies that are close to a significant value inflection point, typically related to drug development milestone events and where the company and the team are more established than in the Build scenario. |
| Ø | Forbion Growth. Forbion Growth was launched in 2020 and has raised €360 million in capital. Forbion Growth has devised three distinct strategies to capture the late-stage European Life Sciences opportunity; Growth capital: enabling the completion of clinical development and market readiness for phase II/III drugs to create commercially ready pharma assets. European cross-over: providing promising European biotech companies with late-stage capital and syndication with U.S. investors alongside hands-on support to grow before considering an IPO. Under-valued assets: special opportunities, typically listed on European stock exchanges with depressed market caps and in need of long-term investors that can restructure the corporate-, capital-, and development strategy of the company and focus on the select development program. |
Origination of Proprietary Deal Flow
Forbion utilizes its established footprint in the European life sciences ecosystem and established relationships with large pharma to maintain a pipeline of proprietary investment opportunities. Given its size and track record, Forbion has strategic relationships with U.S.-based specialist life sciences investors. Forbion aims to position itself as a ‘lead investor of choice’ to many European life sciences companies by leveraging its relationships to assist in the formation of high-quality investor syndicates capable of supporting private companies in their transition into the public markets. Additionally, Forbion cultivates relationships with large pharma and biotech companies that provide access to development assets that are available for out-licensing. Forbion believes it is a preferred partner to these companies due to its successful track record in structuring out-licensing deals in addition to its in-house clinical development expertise. To date, Forbion has structured 25 out-licensing transactions with large pharma and biotech companies.
Furthermore, Forbion benefits from existing relationships with European companies, investors, CEOs, entrepreneurs, Boards and advisors to source investment opportunities in late-stage companies. Collectively across these channels, Forbion identified over 1,100 life sciences investment opportunities for review over the last twelve months (July 2020 – July 2021), with over 250 involving companies in later clinical stages of development.
Differentiated Focus on European Life Sciences Opportunities
Since inception, Forbion has typically targeted >70% of its investments in European life sciences opportunities, and <30% outside of Europe, primarily in North America. Forbion believes that the European market has a strong scientific base stemming from well-established academic institutes and research foundations. This base will likely continue to provide high-quality innovation and generate a growing pipeline of companies that qualify as attractive investment opportunities for Forbion. Despite an increasing number of high-quality companies, Forbion has observed a lack of specialist life sciences capital in Europe to support late-stage opportunities. Forbion Growth aims to target this perceived
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imbalance between supply and demand of capital and aims to invest in high-quality European companies that are valued lower than their United States peers on a comparative basis.
Despite the potential for valuation arbitrage and quality of the market, we have observed that few life sciences investors deploy a Europe-focused strategy centered on investments in late-stage companies. Additionally, to the best of our knowledge, only one other U.S. listed SPAC is primarily focusing on European life sciences opportunities. Forbion believes this dynamic helps to minimize competition for potential investment opportunities.
Large Investment Team with Significant Execution Experience
Forbion’s team consists of 21 investment professionals and 32 total employees across the Netherlands, Germany, and Singapore. Our employees comprise one of the largest investment teams at any Europe-based life sciences investment fund. Additionally, Forbion has a dedicated subset of its team through Forbion Growth focusing on late-stage investment opportunities in European life sciences, unlike most of its competitors. Forbion’s investment team brings a combination of skills in deal structuring capabilities and operational expertise in drug development. The team’s track record includes execution of private investment rounds, European and Nasdaq IPOs and follow-on financings.
Forbion Growth is supported by an Advisory Group consisting of CEOs of biotech and other companies in Europe. The Advisory Group includes:
| Ø | Jan van de Winkel, the President and CEO of Genmab; |
| Ø | Tim Van Hauwermeiren, the CEO and co-founder of argenx; |
| Ø | Werner Lanthaler, the CEO of Evotec; |
| Ø | Onno van de Stolpe, the CEO of Galapagos; and |
| Ø | Maarten de Jong, Managing Director of Moelis & Company. |
These CEOs have successfully grown their companies and created multi-billion dollars in value. Forbion Growth seeks to benefit from their experience and advice to deploy its investment strategy.
Our Management and Board of Directors
Jasper Bos, Ph.D., our Chief Executive Officer, is a former Merck KGaA, Darmstadt Germany (“Merck”) executive and joined Forbion Growth as a General Partner in May 2021. Before joining Forbion’s Naarden-based headquarters, Jasper was Senior Vice President and Managing Director at M Ventures, leading the venture capital arm of pharmaceutical company Merck, which he joined in 2009. At M Ventures, he led a team of 21 investment professionals and with a fund size of €400 million invested in over 50 portfolio companies spanning biotech, life sciences tools, and tech companies with investment activities ranging from seed-stage to cross-over and IPO. In addition, as Country Speaker Merck Netherlands, he assumed responsibility and liaised between all Merck activities in the Netherlands. His track record as an investor includes the successful exits of Prexton Therapeutics, Epitherapeutics, Galecto, ObsEva, Translate Bio, and F-Star, and has served on multiple boards of privately-owned biotech companies. He has experience in several operational roles in portfolio companies and played a key role in the creation of multiple successful spin-out companies out of Merck. Jasper holds a Ph.D. in Pharmacy from the University of Groningen, the Netherlands.
Cyril Lesser, our Chief Financial Officer, joined Forbion in 2009 as a Controller. Prior to joining Forbion, Cyril was a Senior Account Manager at a trust office where he was responsible for a team
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dealing with the accounting, financial and tax aspects of several companies. Cyril holds a M.Sc. in International Financial Economics from the University of Amsterdam and a M.Sc. in Fiscal Law from the Free University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Sander Slootweg, who is a non-independent member of our board, is the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Forbion. In addition to his leading role in the investment team and the portfolio, he is responsible for fundraising, investor and public relations. On the portfolio management side, he currently serves on the boards of portfolio companies NewAmsterdam Pharma (Chair), Azafaros, Replimune (REPL), NorthSea (Chair), Xention and Oxyrane. Significant transactions for which Sander was responsible include Dezima Pharma, acquired by Amgen in 2015 for up to $1.55 billion, and Biovex, sold to Amgen in March of 2011 for up to $1 billion. In recent years, Sander has also served on the boards of Ario Pharma, Pulmagen, Fovea (sold to Sanofi in 2009), uniQure (QURE, IPO on Nasdaq in 2014), Argenta (sold to Galapagos in 2010), Alantos Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (sold to Amgen in 2007), Impella (sold to Abiomed in 2005), Pieris (IPO on Nasdaq in 2015) and has acted as the Chairman of the Board of AMT (IPO on Euronext in 2007). Before co-founding Forbion, he was an Investment Director at ABN AMRO Capital Life Sciences. His other activities at ABN AMRO included buy-out/growth equities at ABN AMRO Capital, Equity Capital Markets Syndications and Financial Institutions Relationship Management Latin America. Sander holds degrees in Business and Financial Economics from the Free University of Amsterdam and Business Administration from Nyenrode University, The Netherlands.
Wouter Joustra, who is a non-independent member of our board, joined Forbion in 2019 as a partner, currently serving as a General Partner for the Forbion Growth Fund. At Forbion, Wouter is responsible for deal origination, portfolio management and divestment strategies. Previously Wouter was a Senior Trader Life Sciences & Healthcare at Kempen & Co, a European investment bank with a dedicated Life Sciences & Healthcare franchise. In this role Wouter was responsible for actively running Kempen & Co’s trading portfolio, where he was involved in deal structuring, equity capital market transactions, and crossing large blocks of company shares. At Kempen & Co, Wouter was also an Executive Board member of the Life Sciences franchise, responsible for defining and executing the niche’s strategy and budgets. Wouter holds a M.Sc. in Business Administration from the University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
Philip Astley-Sparke, who is an independent non-executive member of our board, is a co-founder of Replimune Group Inc. (REPL) and has served as a member of the Board since the company’s formation in 2015 and served as Chief Executive Officer since January 2020. Previously, Philip served as Replimune’s Executive Chairman from 2015 to January 2020. From 2016 until June 2021, Philip served as Chairman of uniQure N.V. (QURE), a Nasdaq listed gene therapy company. From 2013 to 2015, Mr. Astley Sparke served as uniQure N.V.’s President of United States operations, where he established its United States infrastructure. Philip served as Vice President and General Manager at Amgen, Inc. until December 2011, following Amgen Inc.’s acquisition of BioVex Group, Inc. in March 2011. Philip was previously President and Chief Executive Officer of BioVex Group, Inc. Prior to BioVex Group, Inc., Philip was a healthcare investment banker at Chase H&Q and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Arthur Andersen LLP. Philip previously served as Chairman of the board of directors of Oxyrane Limited, a biotechnology company, from 2012 to 2020. Philip received a B.Sc. in Cellular and Molecular Pathology from Bristol University.
Hilde Steineger, Ph.D., who is an independent non-executive member of our board, is Chief Executive Officer at Staten Biotechnology B.V. and Chief Operating Officer and Co-founder of NorthSea Therapeutics B.V. Dr. Steineger previously served as Head of Strategic Innovation Management in Nutrition & Health Division of BASF (BASFY), and as Head of Global Omega-3 Innovation Management at Pronova BioPharma ASA (PVNAF), from 2013 to 2015. From 2007 to 2010, Dr. Steineger was Head of Investor Relations and subsequently Vice President Business Development at
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Pronova BioPharma from 2010 to 2013. She has previously held positions as Senior Associate with Neomed Management and as an equity analyst at Nordea Securities. Dr. Steineger served as a board member of Strongbridge BioPharma PLC (SBBP) from 2013 to 2021 and has previously served as a member of the board of directors of Nordic Nanovector ASA, PCI Biotech AS (PCIB), Algeta ASA, Afiew AS, Weifa AS, Inven2 AS, Alertis AS, Clavis Pharma ASA and Biotech Pharmacon ASA. Dr. Steineger holds a Ph.D. in Medical Biochemistry from University of Oslo and an M.Sc. in Molecular Biology/Biotechnology.
Ton Logtenberg, Ph.D., who is an independent non-executive member of our board, is a co-founder of Crucell N.V. (CRXL), where he served as the Chief Scientific Officer from 2000-2003 and a founder of Merus N.V. (MRUS), where he served as the CEO since 2003 and post IPO, from 2016-2020 as the President, CEO and Principal Financial Officer. Ton has extensive experience in founding biotech companies and taking them from start-up to public listing on the Nasdaq and Euronext exchanges. Since 2021, Ton is a non-executive director and Chairman of the Board of Synox Therapeutics Ltd. Ton holds a M.Sc. in Medical Biology and a Ph.D. in Molecular Immunology from the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Industry Opportunity
Our primary focus will be on the life sciences industry, which we believe represents a growing target market with a large number of potential target acquisition opportunities. With more than 5,000 diseases in need of effective treatment, and approximately 150 novel chemical entities approved in 2020 of which 97 were approved by the European Medicines Agency and 53 by the United States Food and Drug Administration, we believe that demand for new therapies from the global healthcare industry remains high. Continued high global demand is also driven by demographic developments, such as an aging population and improving health standards worldwide. As an example, the annual prescription drug market for the United States alone is expected to grow with an annual 4% to $420 billion in 2023. We believe that these trends present a favorable opportunity for investors in clinical-stage companies within the life sciences industry, which is where Forbion has largely focused since inception.
There are a number of factors that we believe make our investment strategy particularly attractive:
Europe is Home to World-Class Science and Innovation
We believe that European scientific research quality is on par with that in the United States for the following reasons:
| Ø | Approximately one-third of the world’s top 50 universities for life sciences is located in Europe; |
| Ø | In recent years, the number of European publications of life sciences related articles has surpassed and continues to increasingly surpass the number published in the United States; and |
| Ø | In terms of granted patents, the European biotech and pharma sector matches the United States. |
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Europe’s Life Sciences Market is Underfunded and Undervalued
Despite comparable scientific innovation between both geographies, the financing gap between Europe and the United States is increasing at a rapid pace. Although the venture funding in Europe increased significantly since 2012, the financing gap between Europe and the United States has been increasing rapidly over the years and has grown to around 4.0x - 5.0x in 2020. Early and late-stage funding rounds in the United States are on average 60% larger than in Europe.
In addition to a widening funding gap, private European life sciences companies also have lower valuations relative to their United States-based peers. On average, private European life sciences companies that are early-stage and late-stage have 4.6x and 3.7x lower valuations, respectively, than their United States peers.
We believe that in addition to a potential valuation arbitrage, European life sciences companies also are attractive investment opportunities due to their leaner cost structure. Average United States salaries for life sciences professionals or life scientists are over 60% higher than in Europe.
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Furthermore, in Europe, there is a greater abundance of government-provided subsidies to offset costs, including grants and equity-free funding, and tax reductions in order to encourage early-stage investment.
Large Pharma Dependence on Externally Sourced Drugs
Growing cost inefficiencies within large pharma R&D have resulted in reduced expenditure for R&D within those companies. In light of a continued need for innovation and new products, the pharmaceutical industry has become increasingly dependent on externally sourced drugs, diagnostics, and medical devices, which almost exclusively originate from investor-backed life sciences companies.
As a result, the life sciences sector has experienced increasing levels of M&A, in particular via strategic sales. In addition to seeking to IPO, we believe that M&A has become an increasingly compelling exit option for investments in life sciences companies. Life sciences M&A transaction volumes in 2019 and 2020 were $306 billion and $159 billion respectively, with 2019 being the high water mark in recent history. We believe that there is scope for the market to continue at a similar level of activity.
Target Identification and Acquisition Strategy
With direct access to the Forbion Growth Fund team, we will benefit from our access to Forbion’s infrastructure, personnel, network and relationships. Forbion’s investment team is in regular contact with large pharma and biotech companies, global entrepreneurs and management teams, key opinion leaders, and members of the venture capital community to source new deals. Our robust screening and due diligence process includes numerous interactions with a target’s management team. We will leverage Forbion’s Growth’s Advisory Group, consisting of CEOs of biotech companies in Europe, as well as its broader network of key opinion leaders, entrepreneurs and leading academics. We intend to pursue, but are not limited to, the following characteristics in a potential merger target:
| Ø | Compelling risk/reward proposition, with the potential to generate a financial return; |
| Ø | Europe-based or significant footprint in Europe; |
| Ø | Therapeutics-focused, with a key product candidate in later stages of clinical development; |
| Ø | Proven management team, with track record of success; |
| Ø | Product candidate that addresses a high unmet medical need and improves patients’ lives; |
| Ø | Product candidate that serves a sizeable patient population and can deliver a pharmacoeconomic benefit; |
| Ø | High likelihood of reimbursement based on health-economic analysis; |
| Ø | Sustainable competitive edge, usually involving patent protection and regulatory status; and |
| Ø | Sustainable future financing plan including multiple exit strategies within a reasonable time frame. |
In summary, we will primarily seek to identify, but are not limited to, a company within the European life sciences industry, with a high potential product candidate or candidates in later stages of clinical development that would benefit from the capital and management support, thereby unlocking value.
With investment experience since 2006, Forbion has developed a well-tested and high-scrutiny capital deployment process relevant for investing in public markets-ready targets. Key elements of this selection process include:
| Ø | Evaluation of the commercial aspects of a transaction, including but not limited to market potential, market access, reimbursement, and the exit strategy; |
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| Ø | Holistic and rigorous scientific analysis of all available clinical and preclinical data; |
| Ø | Review of regulatory interactions, with reasonable clarity on the regulatory pathway forward; |
| Ø | Review of drug development timelines, budgets, and feasibility of the overall clinical development program; |
| Ø | Evaluation of manufacturing plan and ability to satisfy market demand; |
| Ø | Full review of proprietary technology content and intellectual property; |
| Ø | Evaluation of the quality of the management team, organizational structure, and governance structure; and |
| Ø | Validation of the unmet need, scientific hypothesis, and technology by third parties, including clinical development experts, key opinion leaders, and top scientists. |
Decisions to proceed with final negotiation and consummation of the initial business combination will be made by consensus of the management team after the completion of what we believe to be appropriate due diligence, which may encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspections of facilities, as well as reviewing financial and other information which will be made available to us. The time required for the initial business combination to advance from sourcing to final approval will vary depending on the circumstances. If our management team or Forbion has been previously following a prospective target company and has identified key challenges, open items, or pieces of information believed essential to making an investment, we will be able to leverage these insights and move quickly when our requirements are met. These criteria are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general guidelines as well as other considerations, factors and criteria that our management team may deem relevant.
Initial Business Combination
So long as our securities are then listed on the Nasdaq our initial business combination must occur with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the net assets held in the trust account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the interest earned on the trust account) at the time of signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. Our board of directors will make the determination as to the market value of our initial business combination upon standards generally accepted by the financial community. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., or FINRA, or an independent valuation or appraisal firm with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. While we consider it unlikely that our board will not be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of a target business or businesses, it may be unable to do so if the board is less familiar or experienced with the target company’s business, there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of the company’s assets or prospects, including if such company is at an early stage of development, operations or growth, or if the anticipated transaction involves a complex financial analysis or other specialized skills and the board determines that outside expertise would be helpful or necessary in conducting such analysis. Since any opinion, if obtained, would merely state that the fair market value of the target business meets the 80% of net assets threshold, unless such opinion includes material information regarding the valuation of a target business or the consideration to be provided, it is not anticipated that copies of such opinion would be distributed to our shareholders. However, if required under applicable law, any proxy
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statement that we deliver to shareholders and file with the SEC in connection with a proposed transaction will include such opinion.
We anticipate structuring our initial business combination so that the post-business combination company in which our public shareholders own shares will own or acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial business combination such that the post-business combination company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or shareholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-business combination company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target business sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-business combination company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post- business combination company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock, shares or other equity interests of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our shareholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-business combination company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test. If the business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all the target businesses. In addition, we have agreed not to enter into a definitive agreement regarding an initial business combination without the prior consent of our sponsor. If our securities are not then listed on the Nasdaq for whatever reason, we would no longer be required to meet the foregoing 80% of net asset test.
To the extent we effect our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in such company or business. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all significant risk factors.
The time required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete our initial business combination, and the costs associated with this process, are not currently ascertainable with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of a prospective target business with which our initial business combination is not ultimately completed will result in our incurring losses and will reduce the funds we can use to complete another business combination.
Other Considerations
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, or any of our officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions that such initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.
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We currently do not have any specific business combination under consideration. Our officers and directors have neither individually selected nor considered a target business nor have they had any substantive discussions regarding possible target businesses among themselves or with our underwriters or other advisors. Our management team is regularly made aware of potential business opportunities, one or more of which we may desire to pursue for a business combination, but we have not (nor has anyone on our behalf) contacted any prospective target business or had any substantive discussions, formal or otherwise, with respect to a business combination transaction with our company. Additionally, we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, taken any substantive measure, directly or indirectly, to identify or locate any suitable acquisition candidate for us, nor have we engaged or retained any agent or other representative to identify or locate any such acquisition candidate.
In addition, certain of our officers and directors presently have, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary and contractual duties to other entities. As a result, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he, she or it has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, then, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law, he, she or it will need to honor such fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity, before we can pursue such opportunity. If these other entities decide to pursue any such opportunity, we may be precluded from pursuing the same. However, we do not expect these duties to materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law:
(i) no individual serving as a director or an officer shall have any duty, except and to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as us; and (ii) we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which may be a corporate opportunity for any director or officer, on the one hand, and us, on the other.
Our sponsor, officers and directors may sponsor, form or participate in other blank check companies similar to ours during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. Any such companies may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an acquisition target, particularly in the event there is overlap among investment mandates. However, we do not currently expect that any other blank check company would materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. In addition, our sponsor, officers and directors, are not required to commit any specified amount of time to our affairs, and, accordingly, will have conflicts of interest in allocating management time among various business activities, including identifying potential business combinations and monitoring the related due diligence.
Corporate Information
Our executive offices are located at 4001 Kennett Pike, Suite 302 Wilmington, Delaware 19807. The information contained on or accessible through our corporate website or any other website that we may maintain is not part of this prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. Our telephone number is +1 302 273 0765.
We are a Cayman Islands exempted company. Exempted companies are Cayman Islands companies conducting business mainly outside the Cayman Islands and, as such, are exempted from complying with certain provisions of the Companies Act. As an exempted company, we have applied for and received a tax exemption undertaking from the Cayman Islands government that, in accordance with Section 6 of the Tax Concessions Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands, for a period of 20 years from the date of
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the undertaking, no law which is enacted in the Cayman Islands imposing any tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations will apply to us or our operations and, in addition, that no tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations or which is in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax will be payable (i) on or in respect of our shares, debentures or other obligations or (ii) by way of the withholding in whole or in part of a payment of dividend or other distribution of income or capital by us to our shareholders or a payment of principal or interest or other sums due under a debenture or other obligation of us.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our Class A ordinary shares that are held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter; and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.00 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period. References herein to “emerging growth company” shall have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act.
Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of any fiscal year for so long as either (1) the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates did not equal or exceed $250 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter, or (2) our annual revenues did not equal or exceed $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates did not equal or exceed $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter.
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The Offering
In deciding whether to invest in our securities, you should take into account not only the backgrounds of the members of our management team, but also the special risks we face as a blank check company and the fact that this offering is not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act. You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings. You should carefully consider these and the other risks set forth in the section below entitled “Risk Factors” of this prospectus.
Securities offered | 11,000,000 units (or 12,650,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), at $10.00 per unit, each unit consisting of: |
| Ø | one Class A ordinary share; and |
| Ø | one-third of one warrant |
Proposed Nasdaq symbols | Units: “FRBNU” |
| Class A ordinary shares: “FRBN” |
| Warrants: “FRBNW” |
Trading commencement and separation of Class A ordinary shares and warrants | The units are expected to begin trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. The Class A ordinary shares and warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus (or the immediately following business day if such 52nd day is not a business day) unless UBS Securities LLC and Kempen & Co. USA, Inc. inform us of their decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the Class A ordinary shares and warrants commence separate trading, holders will have the option to continue to hold units or separate their units into the component securities. Holders will need to have their brokers contact our transfer agent in order to separate the units into Class A ordinary shares and warrants. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least three units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant. |
Additionally, the units will automatically separate into their component parts and will not be traded |
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after completion of our initial business combination. |
Separate trading of the Class A ordinary shares and warrants is prohibited until we have filed a Current Report on Form 8-K | In no event will the Class A ordinary shares and warrants be traded separately until we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds at the closing of this offering. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering. If the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option. |
Units:
Number outstanding before this offering | 0 |
Number of units to be outstanding after this offering | 11,000,000(1) |
Ordinary shares:
Number outstanding before this offering | 3,162,500(2) |
Number outstanding after this offering | 13,750,000(1)(3) |
Warrants:
Number of private placement warrants to be sold in a private placement simultaneously with this offering | 4,700,000(1) |
Number of warrants to be outstanding after this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants | 8,366,667(1)(4) |
| (1) | Assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option and the forfeiture by our sponsor of 412,500 founder shares. |
| (2) | Includes up to 412,500 founder shares that will be surrendered to us for no consideration depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. |
| (3) | Comprised of 11,000,000 Class A ordinary shares included in the units to be sold in this offering and 2,750,000 Class B ordinary shares (or founder shares) assuming 412,500 founder shares have been forfeited following expiration of the underwriters’ over-allotment option. Founder shares are currently classified as Class B ordinary shares, which shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares, at the time of our initial business combination or earlier at the option of the holders |
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thereof as described below adjacent to the caption “Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution rights” and in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Such Class A ordinary shares delivered upon conversion will not have any redemption rights or be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account if we do not consummate an initial business combination. |
| (4) | Comprised of 3,666,667 public warrants included in the units to be sold in this offering and 4,700,000 private placement warrants to be sold in the private placement. |
Exercisability | Each whole warrant is exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share, subject to adjustment as described herein. Only whole warrants are exercisable. |
We structured each unit to contain one-third of one redeemable warrant, with each whole warrant exercisable for one Class A ordinary share in order to reduce the dilutive effect of the warrants upon completion of our initial business combination as compared to units that each contain a whole warrant to purchase one whole share, thus making us, we believe, a more attractive business combination partner for target businesses.
Exercise price | $11.50 per whole share, subject to adjustments as described herein. In addition, if (x) we issue additional Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per ordinary share (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by our board of directors and, in the case of any such issuance to our sponsor or its affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by our sponsor or such affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance) (the “Newly Issued Price”), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of our initial business combination on the date of the consummation of our initial business combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of our Class A ordinary shares during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which we consummate our initial business combination (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher |
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of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price described adjacent to “Redemption of public warrants” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price. |
Exercise period | The warrants will become exercisable 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, provided that we have an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available and such shares are registered, qualified or exempt from registration under the securities, or blue sky, laws of the state of residence of the holder (or we permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis under the circumstances specified in the warrant agreement, including as a result of a notice of redemption described below under “Redemption of public warrants”). If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. |
Redemption of public warrants | Once the warrants become exercisable, we may redeem the outstanding warrants (except as described herein): |
| Ø | in whole and not in part; |
| Ø | at a price of $0.01 per warrant; |
| Ø | upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption, which we refer to as the “30-day redemption period”; and |
| Ø | if, and only if, the last reported sale price (the “closing price”) of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a warrant as described under the heading “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Shareholders’ Warrants—Redemption Procedures—Anti-dilution Adjustments”) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. |
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| We will not redeem the warrants as described above unless an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is effective and a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares is available throughout the 30-day redemption period or we have elected to require the exercise of the public warrants on a “cashless basis” as described below. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. |
| If we call the public warrants for redemption as described above, we will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise such warrants to do so on a “cashless basis.” In determining whether to require all holders to exercise their public warrants on a “cashless basis,” we will consider, among other factors, our cash position, the number of public warrants that are outstanding and the dilutive effect on our shareholders of issuing the maximum number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of our public warrants. In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the “fair market value” (defined below) by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” means the 10-day average closing price as of the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of the warrants. The “10-day average closing price” means, as of any date, the average last reported sale price of the Class A ordinary shares as reported during the 10 trading day period ending on the trading day prior to such date. “Last reported sale price” means the last reported sale price of the Class A ordinary shares on the date prior to the date on which notice of exercise of the warrant is sent to the warrant agent. |
| None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us. |
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Forward purchase agreements | We will enter into two forward purchase agreements with our sponsor, pursuant to which our sponsor will agree to purchase (1) an aggregate of 1,000,000 firm forward purchase shares, or an aggregate amount of $10,000,000 and (2) in addition, an aggregate of up to 1,000,000 additional forward purchase shares, or an aggregate maximum amount of up to $10,000,000, in each case in a private placement that may close simultaneously with the closing of our initial business combination. The FPA Purchaser will purchase that number of additional forward purchase shares, if any, that we expect will result in gross proceeds to us necessary to enable us to consummate our initial business combination and pay related fees and expenses, after first applying amounts available to us from the trust account (after paying the deferred underwriting discount and giving effect to any redemptions of public shares) and any other financing source obtained by us for such purpose at or prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, plus any additional amounts mutually agreed by us and the FPA Purchaser to be retained by the post-business combination company for working capital or other purposes. The FPA Purchaser’s obligations to purchase forward purchase shares will be subject to certain conditions, including in the case of the additional forward purchase shares a requirement, among other things, that such initial business combination is reasonably acceptable to the FPA Purchaser. The forward purchase shares will not be issued until completion of our initial business combination and, accordingly, will not be entitled to vote in any shareholder vote until immediately after the business combination has been completed. |
The forward purchase agreements will also provide that the FPA Purchaser will be entitled to certain registration rights with respect to its forward purchase shares. The FPA Purchaser’s commitment to purchase securities pursuant to the forward purchase agreements is intended to provide us with a minimum funding level for our initial business combination. The proceeds from the sale of the forward purchase shares, if any, may be used as part of the consideration to the sellers in the initial business combination, expenses in connection with our initial business combination or for working |
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capital in the post-transaction company. Subject to the conditions in the forward purchase agreements, the purchase of the forward purchase shares will be a binding obligation of the FPA Purchaser, regardless of whether any shares of Class A ordinary shares are redeemed by our public shareholders in connection with our initial business combination. |
Founder shares | On August 12, 2021, Forbion European Sponsor LLP paid $25,000, or approximately $0.01 per share, to cover certain of our expenses in consideration of 2,875,000 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001. On November 23, 2021, Forbion European Sponsor LLP transferred 2,875,000 Class B ordinary shares to our sponsor in exchange for $25,000, or approximately $0.009 per share. Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,000 by Forbion European Sponsor LLP, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. The per-share price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount contributed to the company by the number of founder shares issued. On December 9, 2021, we issued 287,500 Class B ordinary shares to our sponsor resulting from a share dividend. Up to 412,500 founder shares are subject to forfeiture by the sponsor, depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. |
Transfer restrictions on founder shares and private placement warrants | Except as described herein, our sponsor and our directors and executive officers have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell (i) any of their founder shares until the earliest of (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination and (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the closing price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property, and (ii) any of their private placement |
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warrants and Class A ordinary shares issued upon exercise thereof until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. Any permitted transferees would be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our sponsor and our directors and executive officers with respect to any founder shares, private placement warrants and Class A ordinary shares issued upon exercise thereof. |
| The founder shares are identical to the Class A ordinary shares included in the units being sold in this offering, except that: |
| :=Ø | prior to our initial business combination, only holders of the founder shares have the right to vote on the appointment of directors and holders of a majority of our founder shares may remove a member of the board of directors for any reason; |
| :=Ø | the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below; |
| :=Ø | our sponsor and each member of our management team have entered into an agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to (i) waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares (ii) to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares and (iii) waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares they hold if we fail to consummate an initial business |
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combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame. If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we obtain the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shareholders who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company. In such case, our sponsor and each member of our management team have agreed to vote their founder shares and public shares in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, in addition to our initial shareholders’ founder shares, we would need 4,125,001, or 37.5% (assuming all issued and outstanding shares are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised) of the 11,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved. In the event that our anchor investors (each of which is affiliated with our sponsor) purchase such units (either in this offering or after) and vote them in favor of our initial business combination, a smaller portion of affirmative votes from other public shareholders would be required to approve our initial business combination. As a result of any units that our anchor investors may purchase, they may have different interests with respect to a vote on an initial business combination than other public shareholders. If our anchor investors purchase 15% of the units sold in this offering, assuming they vote all of their shares in favor of approval of our initial business combination, we would need 2,475,001, or 22.5% (assuming all outstanding shares are voted), of the 11,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved |
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(assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised); |
| :=Ø | the founder shares will automatically convert into our Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination or earlier at the option of the holders thereof as described below adjacent to the caption “Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution rights” and in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association; and |
| :=Ø | the founder shares are entitled to registration rights. |
Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution rights | The founder shares are designated as Class B ordinary shares and will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares, which such Class A ordinary shares delivered upon conversion will not have any redemption rights or be entitled to liquidating distributions if we do not consummate an initial business combination, at the time of our initial business combination or earlier at the option of the holders thereof at a ratio such that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all founder shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the sum of (i) the total number of ordinary shares issued and outstanding upon completion of this offering, plus (ii) the total number of Class A ordinary shares issued or deemed issued or issuable upon conversion or exercise of any equity-linked securities (as defined herein) or rights issued or deemed issued, by the company in connection with or in relation to the consummation of the initial business combination, excluding any Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities exercisable for or convertible into Class A ordinary shares issued, deemed issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any private placement warrants issued to our sponsor, its affiliates or any member of our management team upon conversion of working capital loans and extension loans. Any conversion of Class B ordinary shares described herein will take effect as a compulsory redemption of Class B ordinary shares and an issuance of Class A ordinary shares as a matter of Cayman Islands law. In no event will the Class B ordinary shares |
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convert into Class A ordinary shares at a rate of less than one-to-one. |
| The term “equity-linked securities” refers to any debt or equity securities that are convertible, exercisable or exchangeable for our Class A ordinary shares issued in a financing transaction in connection with our initial business combination, including but not limited to a private placement of equity or debt. |
Expression of interest | Our anchor investors have expressed an interest to purchase units offered in this offering at the public offering price of the units offered hereby, for an aggregate of at least 15% of the units offered in this offering. The underwriters will not receive any underwriting discounts or commissions (including, without limitation, deferred underwriting commissions) on units purchased by the anchor investors in this offering. The anchor investors have not been granted any material additional shareholder or other rights. If the anchor investors purchase the full 15% of the units they have expressed an interest in purchasing, they would own up to approximately 12% of the outstanding shares following this offering (assuming no exercise of the over-allotment option). Accordingly, the purchase by the anchor investors of units in this offering or our securities in the open market (or both) could potentially allow such investors to assert influence over our company (in particular as each such anchor investor is affiliated with our sponsor), including with respect to our initial business combination. No assurances can be given as to the amount of our securities the anchor investors may purchase in this offering or retain or purchase following this offering at any time prior to or upon the consummation of our initial business combination. As described above, in the event that the anchor investors acquire our units in this offering or after and vote them in favor of our initial business combination, a smaller portion of affirmative votes from other public shareholders would be required to approve our initial business combination. |
Because this indication of interest is not a binding agreement or commitment to purchase, there can be no assurance that our anchor investors will acquire any units in this offering, or as to the |
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amount of such units our anchor investors will retain, if any, prior to or upon the consummation of our initial business combination. In the event that our anchor investors purchase such units (either in this offering or after) and vote them in favor of our initial business combination, a smaller portion of affirmative votes from other public shareholders would be required to approve our initial business combination. As a result of any units that our anchor investors may purchase, they may have different interests with respect to a vote on an initial business combination than other public shareholders. If our anchor investors purchase 15% of the units sold in this offering, assuming they vote all of their shares in favor of approval of our initial business combination, we would need 2,475,001, or 22.5% (assuming all outstanding shares are voted), of the 11,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised). |
Appointment of directors; Voting rights | Prior to our initial business combination, only holders of our founder shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors and to continue our company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands. Holders of our public shares will not be entitled to vote on the appointment of directors and to continue our company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands during such time. In addition, prior to the completion of an initial business combination, holders of a majority of our founder shares may remove a member of the board of directors for any reason. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may only be amended by a special resolution passed by not less than two-thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at our general meeting which shall include the affirmative vote of a simple majority of our Class B ordinary shares. With respect to any other matter submitted to a vote of our shareholders, including any vote in connection with our initial business combination, except as required by law, holders of our founder shares and holders of our public shares will vote together as a single class, with each share entitling the holder to one vote. |
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Private placement warrants | Our sponsor and its affiliates have committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase an aggregate of 4,700,000 private placement warrants (or 5,195,000 private placement warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), at a price of $1.50 per warrant ($7,050,000 in the aggregate or $7,792,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. The private placement warrants are identical to the warrants included in the units sold in this offering, subject to certain limited exceptions as described in this prospectus. If we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination), the proceeds from the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law) and the private placement warrants will expire worthless. The private placement warrants (i) will be non-redeemable by us (except as set forth under “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Shareholders’ Warrants—Redemption of public warrants”), (ii) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holders (and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of these warrants may not be transferred, assigned or sold by the holders until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, subject to certain limited exceptions), (iii) may be exercised by holders on a cashless basis (see “Description of Securities—Warrants—Private Placement Warrants”) and (iv) will be entitled to registration rights. If we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), the private placement warrants will expire worthless. |
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Transfer restrictions on private placement warrants | The private placement warrants will not be transferable, assignable or salable (and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination), except as described herein under “Principal Shareholders—Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants.” |
Cashless exercise of private placement warrants | If holders of private placement warrants elect to exercise them on a cashless basis, except as described under “Redemption of public warrants,” they would pay the exercise price by surrendering their warrants for that number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “Sponsor fair market value” (defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the Sponsor fair market value. The “Sponsor fair market value” shall mean the average reported closing price of the Class A ordinary shares for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of warrant exercise is sent to the warrant agent. The reason that we have agreed that these warrants will be exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by the sponsor or its permitted transferees is because it is not known at this time whether they will be affiliated with us following a business combination. If they remain affiliated with us, their ability to sell our securities in the open market will be significantly limited. We expect to have policies in place that restrict insiders from selling our securities except during specific periods. |
Proceeds to be held in trust account | Nasdaq rules provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants be deposited in a trust account. Of the proceeds we will receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants described in this prospectus, $112,750,000, or $129,662,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($10.25 per unit in either case), will be deposited into a segregated trust account located in the United States at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. with Continental |
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Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee. The proceeds to be placed in the trust account include $3,850,000 (or $4,427,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in deferred underwriting commissions. |
Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as discussed below and subject to the requirements of law and regulation, will provide that the proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account will not be released from the trust account (1) to us, until the completion of our initial business combination, or (2) to our public shareholders, until the earliest of (a) the completion of our initial business combination, and then only in connection with those Class A ordinary shares that such shareholders properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations described herein, (b) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares, and (c) the redemption of our public shares if we have not consummated our business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), subject to applicable law. Public shareholders who redeem their Class A ordinary shares in connection with a shareholder vote |
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described in clause (b) in the preceding sentence shall not be entitled to funds from the trust account upon the subsequent completion of an initial business combination or liquidation if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), with respect to such Class A ordinary shares so redeemed. The funds held in the trust account could become subject to the claims of our creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of our public shareholders. As it is expected that we are and will continuously be considered a Dutch tax resident, any redemption proceeds (including interest income on the trust account) distributed to our shareholders in excess of the paid-up capital for Dutch tax purposes may be subject to 15% Dutch dividend withholding tax. |
Ability to extend time to complete business combination | If we anticipate that we may not be able to consummate our initial business combination within 18 months, we may, by resolution of our board if requested by our sponsor, extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by two additional three-month periods (for a total of up to 24 months to complete a business combination), subject to the sponsor depositing additional funds into the trust account as set out below. Pursuant to the terms of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and the trust agreement to be entered into between us and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company on the date of this prospectus, in order for the time available for us to consummate our initial business combination to be extended, our sponsor or its affiliates or designees, upon five business days advance notice prior to the applicable deadline, must deposit into the trust account, for each applicable three-month period, $1,100,000, or $1,265,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($0.10 per unit in either case), on or prior to the date of the applicable deadline with respect to such three-month extension period. Any such payment would be made in the form of non-interest bearing loans. |
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If we complete our initial business combination, we will, at the option of our sponsor, repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us or convert a portion or all of the total loan amounts into warrants at a price of $1.50 per warrant, which warrants will be identical to the private placement warrants. If we do not complete a business combination, we will repay such loans only from any funds held outside of the trust account. Furthermore, the letter agreement with our initial shareholders contains a provision pursuant to which our sponsor has agreed to waive its right to be repaid for such loans to the extent there are insufficient funds held outside of the trust account in the event that we do not complete a business combination. Our public shareholders will not be entitled to vote or redeem their shares in connection with any such extension. As a result, we may conduct such an extension even though a majority of our public shareholders do not support such an extension and will not be able to redeem their shares in connection therewith. This feature is different than the traditional special purpose acquisition company structure, in which any extension of the company’s period to complete a business combination requires a vote of the company’s shareholders and shareholders have the right to redeem their public shares in connection with such vote. Our sponsor and its affiliates or designees are not obligated to fund the trust account to extend the time for us to complete our initial business combination. |
Anticipated expenses and funding sources | Except as described above with respect to the payment of taxes, unless and until we complete our initial business combination, no proceeds held in the trust account will be available for our use. The proceeds held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations 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. Assuming an interest rate of 0.1% per year, we estimate the interest earned on the trust account will be approximately $112,750 per year; however, we can provide no assurances regarding this amount. |
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Unless and until we complete our initial business combination, we may pay our expenses only from: |
| :=Ø | the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants not held in the trust account, which will be approximately $1,480,000 in working capital; and |
| :=Ø | any loans or additional investments from our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors, although they are under no obligation to advance funds to us in such circumstances, and provided any such loans will not have any claim on the proceeds held in the trust account unless such proceeds are released to us upon completion of our initial business combination. |
Conditions to completing our initial business combination | So long as our securities are then listed on the Nasdaq our initial business combination must occur with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the net assets held in the trust account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the interest earned on the trust account) at the time of signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. Our board of directors will make the determination as to the market value of our initial business combination upon standards generally accepted by the financial community. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. Our shareholders may not be provided with a copy of such opinion nor will they be able to rely on such opinion. If our securities are not then listed on the Nasdaq for whatever reason, we would no longer be required to meet the foregoing 80% of net asset test. |
We will complete our initial business combination only if the post-business combination company in which our public shareholders own shares will own or acquire 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or is otherwise not required to register as an investment company |
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under the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-business combination company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to our initial business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-business combination company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination transaction. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-business combination company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test, provided that in the event that the business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all the target businesses and we will treat the target businesses together as the initial business combination for purposes of a tender offer or for seeking shareholder approval, as applicable. |
Permitted purchases and other transactions with respect to our securities | If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase public shares or warrants in privately-negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. Additionally, at any time at or prior to our initial business combination, subject to applicable securities laws (including with respect to material nonpublic information), our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates may enter into transactions with investors and others to provide them with incentives to acquire public shares, vote their public shares in favor of our initial business combination or not redeem their public shares. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds held in the trust account will be used to purchase public shares or warrants in such transactions. If they engage in such transactions, they will be restricted from making any such |
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purchases when they are in possession of any material nonpublic information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will comply with such rules. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements. See “Proposed Business—Permitted Purchases and Other Transactions with Respect to Our Securities” for a description of how our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates will select which shareholders to purchase securities from in any private transaction. |
| The purpose of any such transaction could be to (1) vote in favor of the business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining shareholder approval of the business combination, (2) reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrant holders for approval in connection with our initial business combination or (3) satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. Any such purchases of our securities may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our Class A ordinary shares or public warrants may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange. |
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Redemption rights for public shareholders upon completion of our initial business combination | 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, regardless of whether such shareholder votes on such proposed initial business combination, and if they do vote, regardless of whether they vote for or against such proposed initial business combination, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.25 per public share. The per share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. The redemption rights will include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our initial business combination with respect to our warrants. Further, we will not proceed with redeeming our public shares, even if a public shareholder has properly elected to redeem its shares, if a business combination does not close. Our sponsor and each member of our management team have entered into an agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares held by them in connection with (i) the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period |
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of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares. |
Limitations on redemptions | Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 (so that we do not then become subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). However, a greater net tangible asset or cash requirement may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. For example, the proposed business combination may require: (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash to be transferred to the target for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions in accordance with the terms of the proposed business combination. Furthermore, although we will not redeem shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to fall below $5,000,001, we do not have a maximum redemption threshold based on the percentage of shares sold in this offering, as many blank check companies do. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all Class A ordinary shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the business combination or redeem any shares, and all Class A ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate business combination. |
Manner of conducting redemptions | We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination either (i) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the business combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by us, solely in |
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our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would require us to seek shareholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement. Asset acquisitions and share purchases would not typically require shareholder approval, while direct mergers with our company and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our outstanding ordinary shares or seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association would typically require shareholder approval. We currently intend to conduct redemptions in connection with a shareholder vote unless shareholder approval is not required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement or we choose to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC for business or other reasons. |
| If we hold a shareholder vote to approve our initial business combination, we will: |
| :=Ø | conduct the redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies, and not pursuant to the tender offer rules; and |
| :=Ø | file proxy materials with the SEC. |
If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we obtain the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of a majority of shareholders who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company. In such case, our sponsor and each member of our management team have agreed to vote their founder shares and public shares in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, in addition to our initial shareholders’ founder shares, we would need 4,125,001, or 37.5% (assuming all issued and outstanding shares are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised) of the 11,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved. In the event that our anchor investors (each of which is affiliated with our sponsor) purchase such units (either in |
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this offering or after) and vote them in favor of our initial business combination, a smaller portion of affirmative votes from other public shareholders would be required to approve our initial business combination. As a result of any units that our anchor investors may purchase, they may have different interests with respect to a vote on an initial business combination than other public shareholders. If our anchor investors purchase 15% of the units sold in this offering, assuming they vote all of their shares in favor of approval of our initial business combination, we would need 2,475,001, or 22.5%, of the 11,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised). Each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction or vote at all. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require that at least five days’ notice will be given of any such general meeting. |
| If we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association: |
| :=Ø | conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers; and |
| :=Ø | file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies. |
| Upon the public announcement of our initial business combination, if we elect to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, we and our sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase our Class A ordinary shares in the open market, in order to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act. |
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| In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on public shareholders not tendering more than the number of public shares we are permitted to redeem. If public shareholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete such initial business combination. |
Limitation on redemption rights of shareholders holding more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering if we hold shareholder vote | Notwithstanding the foregoing redemption rights, if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering, without our prior consent. We believe the restriction described above will discourage shareholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to redeem their shares as a means to force us or our management to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public shareholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights against a business combination if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us, our sponsor or our management at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our shareholders’ ability to redeem to no more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of shareholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our initial |
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business combination, particularly in connection with a business combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. However, we would not be restricting our shareholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including all shares held by those shareholders that hold more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering) for or against our initial business combination. |
Release of funds in trust account on closing of our initial business combination | On the completion of our initial business combination, the funds held in the trust account will be disbursed directly by the trustee to pay amounts due to any public shareholders who properly exercise their redemption rights as described above adjacent to the caption “Redemption rights for public shareholders upon completion of our initial business combination,” to pay the underwriters their deferred underwriting commissions, to pay all or a portion of the consideration payable to the target or owners of the target of our initial business combination and to pay other expenses associated with our initial business combination. If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination or the redemption of our public shares, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of post-transaction businesses, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital. |
Redemption of public shares and distribution and liquidation if no initial business combination | Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that we will have only 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus) to consummate our initial business |
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combination. If we have not consummated an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem 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 earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to consummate an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus). |
Our sponsor and each member of our management team have entered into an agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares they hold if we fail to consummate an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to |
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consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), (although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame). |
| The underwriters have agreed to waive their rights to their deferred underwriting commission held in the trust account in the event we do not consummate an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), and, in such event, such amounts will be included with the funds held in the trust account that will be available to fund the redemption of our public shares. |
Our sponsor, executive officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares; unless we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Class A ordinary shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to |
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pay our income taxes, if any, divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described above adjacent to the caption “Limitations on redemptions.” For example, our board of directors may propose such an amendment if it determines that additional time is necessary to complete our initial business combination. In such event, we will conduct a proxy solicitation and distribute proxy materials pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act seeking shareholder approval of such proposal and, in connection therewith, provide our public shareholders with the redemption rights described above upon shareholder approval of such amendment. This redemption right shall apply in the event of the approval of any such amendment, whether proposed by our sponsor, any executive officer or director, or any other person. |
| Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that, if we wind up for any other reason prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, we will follow the foregoing procedures with respect to the liquidation of the trust account as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, subject to applicable Cayman Islands law. |
Limited payments to insiders | There will be no finder’s fees, reimbursements or cash payments made by the company to our sponsor, officers or directors, or their affiliates, for services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, other than the following payments, none of which will be made from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account prior to the completion of our initial business combination: |
| :=Ø | Repayment of up to an aggregate of $500,000 in loans made to us by Forbion European Sponsor LLP, an affiliate of our sponsor, to cover offering-related and organizational expenses; |
| :=Ø | Payment of an annual salary of $25,000 from our sponsor to each of our independent board members for services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination; |
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| :=Ø | Reimbursement for office space, administrative, and support services provided to us by our sponsor, in the amount of $10,000 per month; |
| :=Ø | Reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating, negotiating and completing an initial business combination; and |
| :=Ø | Repayment of loans which may be made by our sponsor, an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants of the post-business combination entity at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants. Except for the foregoing, the terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. |
| Any such payments will be made either (i) prior to our initial business combination using proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants held outside the trust account or from loans made to us by our sponsor, an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors or (ii) in connection with or after the consummation of our initial business combination. |
Audit Committee | We will establish and maintain an audit committee, which will be composed entirely of independent directors. Among its responsibilities, the audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, officers or directors, or their affiliates and monitor compliance with the other terms relating to this offering. If any noncompliance is identified, then the audit committee will be charged with the responsibility to promptly take all action necessary to rectify such noncompliance or otherwise to cause compliance with the terms of this offering. For more information, see the section entitled “Management—Committees of the Board of Directors—Audit Committee.” |
Conflicts of interest | Our sponsor, officers and directors may participate in the formation of, or become an officer or director of, any other blank check company prior |
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to completion of our initial business combination. As a result, our sponsor, officers or directors could have conflicts of interest in determining whether to present business combination opportunities to us or to any other blank check company with which they may become involved. |
| In addition, as described in “Management—Conflicts of Interest,” certain of our officers and directors presently have, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to one or more other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entities. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for one or more entities to which he or he has fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties, he or she will honor these obligations and duties to present such business combination opportunity to such entities first, and only present it to us if such entities reject the opportunity and he or she determines to present the opportunity to us (including as described above). These conflicts may not be resolved in our favor and a potential target business may be presented to another entity prior to its presentation to us. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. |
Further, Forbion European Sponsor LLP paid $25,000, or approximately $0.01 per share, to cover certain of our expenses in consideration of 2,875,000 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001. On November 23, 2021, Forbion European Sponsor LLP transferred 2,875,000 Class B ordinary shares to our sponsor in exchange for $25,000, or approximately $0.009 per share. On December 9, 2021, we issued 287,500 Class B ordinary shares to our sponsor resulting from a share dividend. In addition, our sponsor has committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase an aggregate of 4,700,000 private placement warrants (or 5,195,000 private placement warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), at a price of |
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$1.50 per warrant ($7,050,000 in the aggregate or $7,792,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. If we do not consummate an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), the private placement warrants will expire worthless. Since members of our management team and our independent directors will directly or indirectly own founder shares and/or private placement warrants following this offering, the personal and financial interests of our executive officers and directors may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business combination, completing an initial business combination and influencing the operation of the business following the initial business combination. This conflict of interest may become more acute as the 18-month anniversary of the closing of this offering nears, which is the deadline for our consummation of an initial business combination (or up to the 24-month anniversary of the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus). |
| The potential conflicts described above may limit our ability to enter into a business combination or other transactions. These circumstances could give rise to numerous situations where interests may conflict. There can be no assurance that these or other conflicts of interest with the potential for adverse effects on the company and investors will not arise. |
Indemnity | Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party (other than our independent auditors) for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below (1) $10.25 per public share or (2) such lesser amount per public share held |
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in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriter of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. We have not independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company and, therefore, our sponsor may not be able to satisfy those obligations. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such obligations. |
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Risks
We are a newly organized blank check company that has conducted no operations and has generated no revenues. Until we complete our initial business combination, we will have no operations and will generate no operating revenues. In making your decision whether to invest in our securities, you should take into account not only the background of our management team, but also the special risks we face as a blank check company. This offering is not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act. Accordingly, you will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings. For additional information concerning how Rule 419 blank check offerings differ from this offering, please see “Proposed Business—Comparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419.” You should carefully consider these and the other risks set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” of this prospectus.
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The following table summarizes the relevant financial data for our business and should be read with our financial statements, which are included in this prospectus. We have not had any significant operations to date, so only balance sheet data is presented.
| August 13, 2021 | ||||||||
| Actual | As Adjusted | |||||||
Balance Sheet Data: | ||||||||
Working (deficiency) capital(1) | $ | (233,052 | ) | $ | 1,498,059 | |||
Total assets(2) | $ | 251,111 | $ | 114,248,059 | ||||
Total liabilities(3) | $ | 233,052 | $ | 3,850,000 | ||||
Value of ordinary shares subject to possible redemption(4) | $ | — | $ | 112,750,000 | ||||
Shareholders’ equity(5) | $ | 18,059 | $ | (2,351,941 | ) | |||
| (1) | The “as adjusted” calculation includes $1,480,000 of cash held outside the trust account plus $18,059 of actual shareholders’ equity on August 13, 2021. |
| (2) | The “as adjusted” calculation equals $112,750,000 of cash held in trust from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, plus $1,480,000 in cash held outside the trust account plus $18,059 of actual shareholders’ equity on August 13, 2021. |
| (3) | The “as adjusted” calculation equals $3,850,000 of deferred underwriting commissions, assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised. |
| (4) | The “as adjusted” calculation equals the “as adjusted” total assets, less the “as adjusted” total liabilities, less the “as adjusted” shareholders’ equity. |
| (5) | Excludes 11,000,000 of ordinary shares purchased in the public market which are subject to conversion in connection with our initial business combination. The “as adjusted” calculation equals the “as adjusted” total assets, less the “as adjusted” total liabilities, less the value of ordinary shares that may be converted in connection with our initial business combination ($10.25 per share). |
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND SUMMARY RISK FACTORS
Some of the statements contained in this prospectus may constitute “forward-looking statements” for purposes of the federal securities laws. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward- looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements in this prospectus may include, for example, statements about:
| Ø | our ability to select an appropriate target business or businesses; |
| Ø | our ability to complete our initial business combination; |
| Ø | our expectations around the performance of a prospective target business or businesses; |
| Ø | our success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our officers, key employees or directors following our initial business combination; |
| Ø | our officers and directors allocating their time to other businesses and potentially having conflicts of interest with our business or in approving our initial business combination; |
| Ø | our potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination; |
| Ø | our pool of prospective target businesses; |
| Ø | our ability to consummate an initial business combination due to the uncertainty resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic; |
| Ø | the ability of our officers and directors to generate a number of potential business combination opportunities; |
| Ø | our public securities’ potential liquidity and trading; |
| Ø | the lack of a market for our securities; |
| Ø | the use of proceeds not held in the trust account or available to us from interest income on the trust account balance; |
| Ø | the trust account not being subject to claims of third parties; or |
| Ø | our financial performance following this offering. |
The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. These forward- looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described under the heading “Risk Factors.” Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
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An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully all of the risks described below, together with the other information contained in this prospectus, before making a decision to invest in our units. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition and operating results may be materially adversely affected. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
RISKS RELATING TO OUR SEARCH FOR, AND CONSUMMATION OF OR INABILITY TO CONSUMMATE, A BUSINESS COMBINATION
We are a recently incorporated company with no operating history and no revenues, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.
We are an incorporated exempted company, incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands with no operating results, and we will not commence operations until obtaining funding through this offering. Because we lack an operating history, you have no basis upon which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective of completing our initial business combination with one or more target businesses. We have no plans, arrangements or understandings with any prospective target business concerning a business combination and may be unable to complete our initial business combination. If we fail to complete our initial business combination, we will never generate any operating revenues.
Our independent registered public accounting firm’s report contains an explanatory paragraph that expresses substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a “going concern.”
As of August 13, 2021, we had no cash and a working capital deficiency of $233,052. Further, we expect to incur significant costs in pursuit of our acquisition plans. Management’s plans to address this need for capital through this offering are discussed in the section of this prospectus titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” Our plans to raise capital and to consummate our initial business combination may not be successful. These factors, among others, raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statements contained elsewhere in this prospectus do not include any adjustments that might result from our inability to consummate this offering or our inability to continue as a going concern.
Past performance by our management team or their respective affiliates may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in us.
Information regarding performance is presented for informational purposes only. Any past experience or performance of our management team and their respective affiliates is not a guarantee of either (i) our ability to successfully identify and execute a transaction or (ii) success with respect to any business combination that we may consummate. You should not rely on the historical record of our management team or their respective affiliates as indicative of the future performance of an investment in us or the returns we will, or are likely to, generate going forward. Our management has no experience in operating special purpose acquisition companies.
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Risk factors
Our shareholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed initial business combination, which means we may complete our initial business combination even though a majority of our shareholders do not support such a combination.
We may choose not to hold a shareholder vote before we complete our initial business combination if the business combination would not require shareholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement. For instance, if we were seeking to acquire a target business where the consideration we were paying in the transaction was all cash, we would typically not be required to seek shareholder approval to complete such a transaction. Except for as required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement, the decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination or will allow shareholders to sell their shares to us in a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors, such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would otherwise require us to seek shareholder approval. Accordingly, we may complete our initial business combination even if holders of a majority of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares do not approve of the business combination we complete.
Please see the section entitled “Proposed Business—Shareholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve Our Initial Business Combination” for additional information.
In evaluating a prospective target business for our initial business combination, our management may consider the availability of funds from the sale of the forward purchase shares, which may be used as part of the consideration to the sellers in the initial business combination. If for any reason the FPA Purchaser does not consummate the purchase of all or some of the forward purchase shares, we may lack sufficient funds to consummate our initial business combination.
We will enter into a two forward purchase agreements with our sponsor (the “FPA Purchaser”) concurrently with the closing of this offering, pursuant to which the FPA Purchaser will agree to purchase the forward purchase shares, in each case in a private placement that may close simultaneously with the closing of our initial business combination. The funds from the sale of the forward purchase shares, if any, are expected to be used as part of the consideration to the sellers in our initial business combination, and to pay expenses in connection with our initial business combination and may be used for working capital in the post-business combination company. The obligations under the forward purchase agreements do not depend on whether any public shareholders elect to redeem their shares in connection with our initial business combination. However, if the sale of the forward purchase shares does not close, for example, by reason of the failure of the FPA Purchaser to fund the purchase price for some or all of the forward purchase shares, we may lack sufficient funds to consummate our initial business combination. In addition, if the purchase of some or all of the forward purchase shares fails for any reason, the post-business combination company may not have enough cash available for working capital. The FPA Purchaser’s obligations to purchase forward purchase shares will be subject to certain conditions, including that our initial business combination must be consummated substantially concurrently with the purchase of the forward purchase shares and, in the case of the additional forward purchase shares, a requirement, among other things, that such initial business combination is reasonably acceptable to the FPA Purchaser. Additionally, the FPA Purchaser’s obligations to purchase the forward purchase shares will be subject to termination prior to the closing of the sale of such securities by mutual written consent of the company and such party, or automatically: (i) if this offering is not consummated on or prior to 12-months from the day of the forward purchase agreements; (ii) if our initial business combination is not consummated within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus); or (iii) if we become subject to any voluntary or involuntary petition under the United States
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Risk factors
federal bankruptcy laws or any state insolvency law, in each case which is not withdrawn within sixty (60) days after being filed, or a receiver, fiscal agent or similar officer is appointed by a court for business or property of us, in each case which is not removed, withdrawn or terminated within sixty (60) days after such appointment. In the event of any such failure to fund by the FPA Purchaser, any obligation is so terminated or any such condition is not satisfied and not waived by such party, we may not be able to obtain additional funds to account for such shortfall on terms favorable to us or at all and may be unable to consummate our initial business combination. Any such shortfall would also reduce the amount of funds that we have available for working capital of the post-business combination company.
Your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination may be limited to the exercise of your right to redeem your shares from us for cash.
At the time of your investment in us, you will not be provided with an opportunity to evaluate the specific merits or risks of any target businesses. Since our board of directors may complete a business combination without seeking shareholder approval, public shareholders may not have the right or opportunity to vote on the business combination, unless we seek such shareholder approval. Accordingly, your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination may be limited to exercising your redemption rights within the period of time (which will be at least 20 business days) set forth in our tender offer documents mailed to our public shareholders in which we describe our initial business combination.
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor and members of our management team have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public shareholders vote.
Our sponsor will own, on an as-converted basis, 20% of our outstanding ordinary shares immediately following the completion of this offering. Our sponsor and members of our management team also may from time to time purchase Class A ordinary shares prior to our initial business combination. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that, if we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we obtain the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shareholders who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company. As a result, in addition to our initial shareholders’ founder shares, we would need 4,125,001, or 37.5% (assuming all issued and outstanding shares are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised) of the 11,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved. In the event that our anchor investors (each of which is affiliated with our sponsor) purchase such units (either in this offering or after) and vote them in favor of our initial business combination, a smaller portion of affirmative votes from other public shareholders would be required to approve our initial business combination. As a result of any units that our anchor investors may purchase, they may have different interests with respect to a vote on an initial business combination than other public shareholders. If our anchor investors purchase 15% of the units sold in this offering, assuming they vote all of their shares in favor of approval of our initial business combination, we would need 2,475,001, or 22.5% (assuming all outstanding shares are voted), of the 11,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised). Accordingly, if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, the agreement by our sponsor and each member of our management team to vote in favor of our initial business combination will increase the likelihood that we will receive the requisite shareholder approval for such initial business combination.
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Risk factors
The ability of our public shareholders to redeem their shares for cash may make our financial condition unattractive to potential business combination targets, which may make it difficult for us to enter into a business combination with a target.
We may seek to enter into a business combination transaction agreement with a prospective target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. If too many public shareholders exercise their redemption rights, we would not be able to meet such closing condition and, as a result, would not be able to proceed with the business combination. Furthermore, in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 (so that we do not then become subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). Consequently, if accepting all properly submitted redemption requests would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 or such greater amount necessary to satisfy a closing condition as described above, we would not proceed with such redemption and the related business combination and may instead search for an alternate business combination. Prospective targets will be aware of these risks and, thus, may be reluctant to enter into a business combination transaction with us.
The ability of our public shareholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares may not allow us to complete the most desirable business combination or optimize our capital structure.
At the time we enter into an agreement for our initial business combination, we will not know how many shareholders may exercise their redemption rights, and therefore will need to structure the transaction based on our expectations as to the number of shares that will be submitted for redemption. If a large number of shares are submitted for redemption, we may need to restructure the transaction to reserve a greater portion of the cash in the trust account or arrange for additional third-party financing. Raising additional third-party financing may involve dilutive equity issuances or the incurrence of indebtedness at higher than desirable levels. The above considerations may limit our ability to complete the most desirable business combination available to us or optimize our capital structure. The amount of the deferred underwriting commissions payable to the underwriters will not be adjusted for any shares that are redeemed in connection with an initial business combination. The per-share amount we will distribute to shareholders who properly exercise their redemption rights will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commission and after such redemptions, the amount held in trust will continue to reflect our obligation to pay the entire deferred underwriting commissions.
The ability of our public shareholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares could increase the probability that our initial business combination would be unsuccessful and that you would have to wait for liquidation in order to redeem your shares.
If our initial business combination agreement requires us to use a portion of the cash in the trust account to pay the purchase price, or requires us to have a minimum amount of cash at closing, the probability that our initial business combination would be unsuccessful is increased. If our initial business combination is unsuccessful, you would not receive your pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account until we liquidate the trust account. If you are in need of immediate liquidity, you could attempt to sell your shares in the open market; however, at such time our shares may trade at a discount to the pro rata amount per share in the trust account. In either situation, you may suffer a material loss on your investment or lose the benefit of funds expected in connection with our redemption until we liquidate or you are able to sell your shares in the open market.
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Risk factors
The requirement that we consummate an initial business combination within 18 months (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus) after the closing of this offering may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating a business combination and may limit the time we have in which to conduct due diligence on potential business combination targets, in particular as we approach our dissolution deadline, which could undermine our ability to complete our initial business combination on terms that would produce value for our shareholders.
Any potential target business with which we enter into negotiations concerning a business combination will be aware that we must consummate an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus). Consequently, such target business may obtain leverage over us in negotiating a business combination, knowing that if we do not complete our initial business combination with that particular target business, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination with any target business. This risk will increase as we get closer to the time frame described above. In addition, we may have limited time to conduct due diligence and may enter into our initial business combination on terms that we would have rejected upon a more comprehensive investigation.
Our sponsor has the right, but not the obligation, to extend the term we have to consummate our initial business combination by two additional three-month periods without providing our shareholders with voting or redemption rights relating thereto.
If we anticipate that we may not be able to consummate our initial business combination within 18 months, and subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds into the trust account as set out below, our time to consummate a business combination shall be extended two times for an additional three months each time, for a total of up to 24 months to complete a business combination. This will occur as long as our sponsor or its affiliates or designees, on or prior to the date of the applicable deadline, deposits into the trust account, for each three-month extension, $1,100,000, or $1,265,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($0.10 per unit in either case). Any such payment would be made in the form of a noninterest bearing loan. If we complete our initial business combination, we will, at the option of the lender, repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us or convert a portion or all of the total loan amounts into warrants at a price of $1.50 per warrant, which warrants will be identical to the private placement warrants. If we do not complete a business combination, we will repay such loans only from any funds held outside of the trust account.
Our public shareholders will not be entitled to vote or redeem their shares in connection with any such extension. As a result, we may conduct such an extension even though a majority of our public shareholders do not support such an extension and will not be able to redeem their shares in connection therewith. This feature is different than the traditional special purpose acquisition company structure, in which any extension of the company’s period to complete a business combination requires a vote of the company’s shareholders and shareholders have the right to redeem their public shares in connection with such vote.
Our sponsor and its affiliates or designees are not obligated to fund the trust account to extend the time for us to complete our initial business combination. Our sponsor may decide not to extend the term we have to consummate our initial business combination, in which case we would cease all operations
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Risk factors
except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate, and the warrants will be worthless.
Our search for a business combination, and any target business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination, may be materially adversely affected by the COVID-19 outbreak and the status of debt and equity markets.
The COVID-19 outbreak has adversely affected, and other events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases) could adversely affect, economies and financial markets worldwide, business operations and the conduct of commerce generally, and the business of any potential target business with which we consummate a business combination could be, or may already have been, materially and adversely affected. Furthermore, we may be unable to complete a business combination if concerns relating to COVID- 19 continue to restrict travel, limit the ability to have meetings with potential investors or limit the ability to conduct due diligence, or the target company’s personnel, vendors and services providers are unavailable to negotiate and consummate a transaction in a timely manner. The extent to which COVID-19 impacts our search for a business combination will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of COVID-19 and the actions to contain COVID-19 or treat its impact, among others. If the disruptions posed by COVID-19 or other events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases) continue for an extensive period of time, our ability to consummate a business combination, or the operations of a target business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination, may be materially adversely affected.
In addition, our ability to consummate a transaction may be dependent on the ability to raise equity and debt financing which may be impacted by COVID-19 and other events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases), including as a result of increased market volatility and decreased market liquidity and third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to us or at all.
Finally, the outbreak of COVID-19 may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this “Risk Factors” section, such as those related to the market for our securities and cross-border transactions.
Changes in the market for directors and officers liability insurance could make it more difficult and more expensive for us to negotiate and complete an initial business combination.
In recent months, the market for directors and officers liability insurance for special purpose acquisition companies has changed. Fewer insurance companies are offering quotes for directors and officers liability coverage, the premiums charged for such policies have generally increased and the terms of such policies have generally become less favorable. There can be no assurance that these trends will not continue.
The increased cost and decreased availability of directors and officers liability insurance could make it more difficult and more expensive for us to negotiate an initial business combination. In order to obtain directors and officers liability insurance or modify its coverage as a result of becoming a public company, the post-business combination entity might need to incur greater expense, accept less favorable terms or both.
Any failure to obtain adequate directors and officers liability insurance could have an adverse impact on the post-business combination’s ability to attract and retain qualified officers and directors.
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In addition, even after we were to complete an initial business combination, our directors and officers could still be subject to potential liability from claims arising from conduct alleged to have occurred prior to the initial business combination. As a result, in order to protect our directors and officers, the post business combination entity may need to purchase additional insurance with respect to any such claims (“run-off insurance”). The need for run-off insurance would be an added expense for the post-business combination entity, and could interfere with or frustrate our ability to consummate an initial business combination on terms favorable to our investors.
We may not be able to consummate an initial business combination within 18 months after the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination), in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate, in which case our public shareholders may receive only $10.25 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire worthless.
We may not be able to find a suitable target business and consummate an initial business combination within 18 months after the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus). Our ability to complete our initial business combination may be negatively impacted by general market conditions, volatility in the capital and debt markets and the other risks described herein. For example, the outbreak of COVID-19 continues to grow both in the U.S. and globally and, while the extent of the impact of the outbreak on us will depend on future developments, it could limit our ability to complete our initial business combination, including as a result of increased market volatility, decreased market liquidity and third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to us or at all. Additionally, the outbreak of COVID-19 and other events, such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases, may negatively impact businesses we may seek to acquire. If we have not consummated an initial business combination within such applicable time period, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem 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 earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses and any withholding tax), divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that, if we wind up for any other reason prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, we will follow the foregoing procedures with respect to the liquidation of the trust account as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, subject to applicable Cayman Islands law. In either such case, our public shareholders may receive only $10.25 per public share, or less than $10.25 per public share (assuming we do not extend the period of time to consummate a business combination beyond 18 months), on the redemption of their shares, and our warrants will expire worthless. See “—If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.25 per public share” and other risk factors herein.
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If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors and their affiliates may elect to purchase public shares or warrants, which may influence a vote on a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our Class A ordinary shares or public warrants.
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase public shares or warrants in privately-negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. Any such price per share may be different than the amount per share a public shareholder would receive if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our initial business combination. Additionally, at any time at or prior to our initial business combination, subject to applicable securities laws (including with respect to material nonpublic information), our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates may enter into transactions with investors and others to provide them with incentives to acquire public shares, vote their public shares in favor of our initial business combination or not redeem their public shares. However, they are under no obligation or duty to do so and they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase public shares or warrants in such transactions.
In the event that our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates purchase shares in privately-negotiated transactions from public shareholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights, such selling shareholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares. The purpose of any such transaction could be to (1) vote in favor of the business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining shareholder approval of the business combination, (2) reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrant holders for approval in connection with our initial business combination or (3) satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. Any such purchases of our securities may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our Class A ordinary shares or public warrants may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements. See “Proposed Business—Permitted Purchases and Other Transactions with Respect to Our Securities” for a description of how our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates will select which shareholders to purchase securities from in any private transaction.
Because of our limited resources and the significant competition for business combination opportunities, it may be more difficult for us to complete our initial business combination. If we have not consummated our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.25 per public share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.
We expect to encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including private investors (which may be individuals or investment partnerships), other blank check companies and other entities, domestic and international, competing for the types of businesses we
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intend to acquire. Many of these individuals and entities are well established and have extensive experience in identifying and effecting, directly or indirectly, acquisitions of companies operating in or providing services to various industries. Many of these competitors possess greater technical, human and other resources or more local industry knowledge than we do and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. While we believe there are numerous target businesses we could potentially acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, our ability to compete with respect to the acquisition of certain target businesses that are sizable will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent competitive limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of certain target businesses. Furthermore, we are obligated to offer holders of our public shares the right to redeem their shares for cash at the time of our initial business combination in conjunction with a shareholder vote or via a tender offer. Target companies will be aware that this may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination. Any of these obligations may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating a business combination. If we have not consummated our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.25 per public share, or less in certain circumstances (assuming we do not extend the period of time to consummate a business combination beyond 18 months), on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. See “—If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.25 per public share” and other risk factors herein.
If the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants not being held in the trust account are insufficient to allow us to operate for the 18 months following the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), it could limit the amount available to fund our search for a target business or businesses and our ability to complete our initial business combination, and we will depend on loans from our sponsor, its affiliates or members of our management team to fund our search and to complete our initial business combination.
The funds available to us outside of the trust account may not be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the next 18 months (or up to the next 24 months if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), assuming that our initial business combination is not completed during that time. We expect to incur significant costs in pursuit of our acquisition plans.
Management’s plans to address this need for capital through this offering and potential loans from certain of our affiliates are discussed in the section of this prospectus titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” However, our affiliates are not obligated to make loans to us in the future, and we may not be able to raise additional financing from unaffiliated parties necessary to fund our expenses. Any such event in the future may negatively impact the analysis regarding our ability to continue as a going concern at such time.
Of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, only approximately $1,480,000 will be available to us initially outside the trust account to fund our working capital requirements. We believe that, upon the closing of this offering, the funds available to us outside of the trust account, together with funds available from loans from our sponsor, its affiliates or members of our management team will be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the 18 months following the
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closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus); however, we cannot assure you that our estimate is accurate, and our sponsor, its affiliates or members of our management team are under no obligation to advance funds to us in such circumstances. Of the funds available to us, we expect to use a portion of the funds available to us to pay fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business. We could also use a portion of the funds as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision (a provision in letters of intent designed to keep target businesses from “shopping” around for transactions with other companies or investors on terms more favorable to such target businesses) with respect to a particular proposed business combination, although we do not have any current intention to do so. If we entered into a letter of intent where we paid for the right to receive exclusivity from a target business and were subsequently required to forfeit such funds (whether as a result of our breach or otherwise), we might not have sufficient funds to continue searching for, or conduct due diligence with respect to, a target business.
In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $1,480,000, we may fund such excess with funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, unless funded by the proceeds of loans available from our sponsor, its affiliates or members of our management team the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $1,480,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount. The amount held in the trust account will not be impacted as a result of such increase or decrease. If we are required to seek additional capital, we would need to borrow funds from our sponsor, its affiliates, members of our management team or other third parties to operate or may be forced to liquidate. Neither our sponsor, members of our management team nor their affiliates is under any obligation to us in such circumstances. Any such advances may be repaid only from funds held outside the trust account or from funds released to us upon completion of our initial business combination. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants of the post-business combination entity at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor, its affiliates or members of our management team as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account. If we have not consummated our initial business combination within the required time period because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account. Consequently, our public shareholders may only receive an estimated $10.25 per public share, or possibly less, on our redemption of our public shares, and our warrants will expire worthless. See “—If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.25 per public share” and other risk factors herein.
The securities in which we invest the funds held in the trust account could bear a negative rate of interest, which could reduce the value of the assets held in trust such that the per-share redemption amount received by public shareholders may be less than $10.25 per share.
The proceeds held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in U.S. Treasuries. While short-term U.S. government treasury obligations currently yield a positive rate of interest, they have briefly yielded negative interest rates in recent years. Central banks in Europe and Japan pursued interest rates below zero in recent years, and the Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve has not ruled out the
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possibility that it may in the future adopt similar policies in the United States. In the event that we are unable to complete our initial business combination or make certain amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, our public shareholders are entitled to receive their pro-rata share of the proceeds held in the trust account, plus any interest income, net of taxes paid or payable (less, in the case we are unable to complete our initial business combination, $100,000 of interest). Negative interest rates could reduce the value of the assets held in trust such that the per-share redemption amount received by public shareholders may be less than $10.25 per share. As it is expected that we are and will continuously be considered a Dutch tax resident, any redemption proceeds (including interest income on the trust account) distributed to our shareholders in excess of the paid-up capital for Dutch tax purposes may be subject to 15% Dutch dividend withholding tax.
If, after we distribute the proceeds in the trust account to our public shareholders, we file a bankruptcy or winding-up petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or winding-up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, a bankruptcy or insolvency court may seek to recover such proceeds, and the members of our board of directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties to our creditors, thereby exposing the members of our board of directors and us to claims of punitive damages.
If, after we distribute the proceeds in the trust account to our public shareholders, we file a bankruptcy or winding-up petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or winding-up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by shareholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy or insolvency laws as either a “preferential transfer” or a “fraudulent conveyance.” As a result, a bankruptcy or insolvency court could seek to recover some or all amounts received by our shareholders. In addition, our board of directors may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our creditors and/or having acted in bad faith, thereby exposing itself and us to claims of punitive damages, by paying public shareholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors.
If, before distributing the proceeds in the trust account to our public shareholders, we file a bankruptcy or winding-up petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or winding-up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the claims of creditors in such proceeding may have priority over the claims of our shareholders and the per-share amount that would otherwise be received by our shareholders in connection with our liquidation may be reduced.
If, before distributing the proceeds in the trust account to our public shareholders, we file a bankruptcy or winding-up petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or winding-up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy or insolvency law, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our shareholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, the per-share amount that would otherwise be received by our shareholders in connection with our liquidation may be reduced.
If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we may be required to institute burdensome compliance requirements and our activities may be restricted, which may make it difficult for us to complete our initial business combination.
If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, our activities may be restricted, including:
| Ø | restrictions on the nature of our investments; and |
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| Ø | restrictions on the issuance of securities, |
each of which may make it difficult for us to complete our initial business combination.
In addition, we may have imposed upon us burdensome requirements, including:
| Ø | registration as an investment company with the SEC; |
| Ø | adoption of a specific form of corporate structure; and |
| Ø | reporting, record keeping, voting, proxy and disclosure requirements and other rules and regulations that we are currently not subject to. |
In order not to be regulated as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, unless we can qualify for an exclusion, we must ensure that we are engaged primarily in a business other than investing, reinvesting or trading of securities and that our activities do not include investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading “investment securities” constituting more than 40% of our assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis. Our business will be to identify and complete a business combination and thereafter to operate the post-transaction business or assets for the long term. We do not plan to buy businesses or assets with a view to resale or profit from their resale. We do not plan to buy unrelated businesses or assets or to be a passive investor.
We do not believe that our anticipated principal activities will subject us to the Investment Company Act. To this end, the proceeds held in the trust account may only be invested in United States “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act having a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Pursuant to the trust agreement, the trustee is not permitted to invest in other securities or assets. By restricting the investment of the proceeds to these instruments, and by having a business plan targeted at acquiring and growing businesses for the long term (rather than on buying and selling businesses in the manner of a merchant bank or private equity fund), we intend to avoid being deemed an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act. This offering is not intended for persons who are seeking a return on investments in government securities or investment securities. The trust account is intended as a holding place for funds pending the earliest to occur of either: (i) the completion of our initial business combination; (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares; or (iii) absent our completing an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months form the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), our return of the funds held in the trust account to our public shareholders as part of our redemption of the public shares. If we do not invest the proceeds as discussed above, we may be deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act. If we were deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act, compliance with these additional regulatory burdens would require additional expenses for which we have not allotted funds and may hinder our
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ability to complete a business combination. If we have not consummated our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.25 per public share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.
Changes in laws or regulations, or a failure to comply with any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination, and results of operations.
We are subject to laws and regulations enacted by national, regional and local governments. In particular, we will be required to comply with certain SEC and other legal requirements. Compliance with, and monitoring of, applicable laws and regulations may be difficult, time consuming and costly. Those laws and regulations and their interpretation and application may also change from time to time and those changes could have a material adverse effect on our business, investments and results of operations. In addition, a failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations, as interpreted and applied, could have a material adverse effect on our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination, and results of operations.
Our shareholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against us to the extent of distributions received by them upon redemption of their shares.
If we are forced to enter into an insolvent liquidation, any distributions received by shareholders could be viewed as an unlawful payment if it was proved that immediately following the date on which the distribution was made, we were unable to pay our debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. As a result, a liquidator could seek to recover some or all amounts received by our shareholders. Furthermore, our directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties to us or our creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, thereby exposing themselves and our company to claims, by paying public shareholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors. We cannot assure you that claims will not be brought against us for these reasons. We and our directors and officers who knowingly and willfully authorized or permitted any distribution to be paid out of our share premium account while we were unable to pay our debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business would be guilty of an offence and may be liable for a fine of $18,292.68 and imprisonment for five years in the Cayman Islands.
We may not hold an annual general meeting of shareholders until after the consummation of our initial business combination.
In accordance with the Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on the Nasdaq. There is no requirement under the Companies Act for us to hold annual or extraordinary general meetings to appoint directors. Until we hold an annual general meeting, public shareholders may not be afforded the opportunity to appoint directors and to discuss company affairs with management. Our board of directors is divided into three classes with only one class of directors being appointed in each year and each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual general meeting) serving a three-year term.
Because we are neither limited to evaluating a target business in a particular industry sector nor have we selected any specific target businesses with which to pursue our initial business combination, you will be unable to ascertain the merits or risks of any particular target business’s operations.
We may pursue business combination opportunities in any sector, except that we will not, under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, be permitted to effectuate our initial
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business combination solely with another blank check company or similar company with nominal operations. Because we have not yet selected or approached any specific target business with respect to a business combination, there is no basis to evaluate the possible merits or risks of any particular target business’s operations, results of operations, cash flows, liquidity, financial condition or prospects. To the extent we complete our initial business combination, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business operations with which we combine. For example, if we combine with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of sales or earnings, we may be affected by the risks inherent in the business and operations of a financially unstable or a development stage entity. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors or that we will have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will ultimately prove to be more favorable to investors than a direct investment, if such opportunity were available, in a business combination target. Accordingly, any holders who choose to retain their securities following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
Although we have identified general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses, we may enter into our initial business combination with a target that does not meet such criteria and guidelines, and as a result, the target business with which we enter into our initial business combination may not have attributes entirely consistent with our general criteria and guidelines.
Although we have identified general criteria and guidelines for evaluating prospective target businesses, it is possible that a target business with which we enter into our initial business combination will not have all of these positive attributes. If we complete our initial business combination with a target that does not meet some or all of these guidelines, such combination may not be as successful as a combination with a business that does meet all of our general criteria and guidelines. In addition, if we announce a prospective business combination with a target that does not meet our general criteria and guidelines, a greater number of shareholders may exercise their redemption rights, which may make it difficult for us to meet any closing condition with a target business that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. In addition, if shareholder approval of the transaction is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements, or we decide to obtain shareholder approval for business or other reasons, it may be more difficult for us to attain shareholder approval of our initial business combination if the target business does not meet our general criteria and guidelines. If we have not consummated our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.25 per public share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.
We are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent accounting or investment banking firm, and consequently, you may have no assurance from an independent source that the price we are paying for the business is fair to our shareholders from a financial point of view.
Unless we complete our initial business combination with an affiliated entity, we are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions that the price we are paying is fair to our shareholders from a financial point of view. If no opinion is obtained, our shareholders will be relying on the judgment of our
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board of directors, who will determine fair market value based on standards generally accepted by the financial community. Such standards used will be disclosed in our proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, related to our initial business combination.
Unlike some other similarly structured blank check companies, our sponsor will receive additional Class A ordinary shares if we issue shares to consummate an initial business combination.
The founder shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares (which such Class A ordinary shares delivered upon conversion will not have any redemption rights or be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account if we fail to consummate an initial business combination) at the time of our initial business combination or earlier at the option of the holders thereof at a ratio such that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all founder shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the sum of (i) the total number of ordinary shares issued and outstanding upon completion of this offering, plus (ii) the total number of Class A ordinary shares issued or deemed issued or issuable upon conversion or exercise of any equity-linked securities or rights issued or deemed issued, by the company in connection with or in relation to the consummation of the initial business combination, excluding any Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities exercisable for or convertible into Class A ordinary shares issued, deemed issued, or to be issued, or forward purchase shares, to any seller in the initial business combination and any private placement warrants issued to our sponsor, any of its affiliates or any members of our management team upon conversion of working capital loans and extension loans. In no event will the Class B ordinary shares convert into Class A ordinary shares at a rate of less than one-to-one. This is different than some other similarly structured blank check companies in which the initial shareholders will only be issued an aggregate of 20% of the total number of shares to be outstanding prior to the initial business combination.
Resources could be wasted in researching acquisitions that are not completed, which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we have not consummated our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.25 per public share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.
We anticipate that the investigation of each specific target business and the negotiation, drafting and execution of relevant agreements, disclosure documents and other instruments will require substantial management time and attention and substantial costs for accountants, attorneys and others. If we decide not to complete a specific initial business combination, the costs incurred up to that point for the proposed transaction likely would not be recoverable. Furthermore, if we reach an agreement relating to a specific target business, we may fail to complete our initial business combination for any number of reasons including those beyond our control. Any such event will result in a loss to us of the related costs incurred which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we have not consummated our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.25 per public share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.
If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.25 per public share.
Our placing of funds in the trust account may not protect those funds from third-party claims against us. Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses and other
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entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public shareholders, such parties may not execute such agreements, or even if they execute such agreements, they may not be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account, including, but not limited to, fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third-party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management will perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will only enter into an agreement with a third-party that has not executed a waiver if management believes that such third-party’s engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative.
Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third-party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third-party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where management is unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. Upon redemption of our public shares, if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), or upon the exercise of a redemption right in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to provide for payment of claims of creditors that were not waived that may be brought against us within the ten years following redemption. Accordingly, the per-share redemption amount received by public shareholders could be less than the $10.25 per public share initially held in the trust account, due to claims of such creditors. Pursuant to the letter agreement the form of which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third-party (other than our independent registered public accounting firm) for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amounts in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.25 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account if less than $10.25 per public share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest that may be withdrawn to pay our tax obligations, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third-party or prospective target business that executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account nor will it apply to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third-party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims.
However, we have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and we believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the trust account, the funds available for our initial business combination and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.25 per public share. In such event, we may not be able to complete our initial business combination, and you would receive such lesser amount per share in connection with any redemption of your public shares. None of our officers or directors will indemnify
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us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
Our directors may decide not to enforce the indemnification obligations of our sponsor, resulting in a reduction in the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public shareholders.
In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below the lesser of (i) $10.25 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account if less than $10.25 per public share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest that may be withdrawn to pay our tax obligations, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment and subject to their fiduciary duties may choose not to do so in any particular instance. If our independent directors choose not to enforce these indemnification obligations, the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public shareholders may be reduced below $10.25 per public share.
We may engage one or more of our underwriters or one of their respective affiliates to provide additional services to us after this offering, which may include acting as financial advisor in connection with an initial business combination or as placement agent in connection with a related financing transaction. Our underwriters are entitled to receive deferred underwriting commissions that will be released from the trust account only upon a completion of an initial business combination. These financial incentives may cause them to have potential conflicts of interest in rendering any such additional services to us after this offering, including, for example, in connection with the sourcing and consummation of an initial business combination.
We may engage one or more of our underwriters or one of their respective affiliates to provide additional services to us after this offering, including, for example, identifying potential targets, providing financial advisory services, acting as a placement agent in a private offering or arranging debt financing transactions. We may pay such underwriter or its affiliate fair and reasonable fees or other compensation that would be determined at that time in an arm’s length negotiation; provided that no agreement will be entered into with any of the underwriters or their respective affiliates and no fees or other compensation for such services will be paid to any of the underwriters or their respective affiliates prior to the date that is 60 days from the date of this prospectus, unless such payment would not be deemed underwriters’ compensation in connection with this offering. The underwriters are also entitled to receive deferred underwriting commissions that are conditioned on the completion of an initial business combination. The underwriters’ or their respective affiliates’ financial interests tied to the consummation of a business combination transaction may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in providing any such additional services to us, including potential conflicts of interest in connection with the sourcing and consummation of an initial business combination.
We may engage our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as an advisor or otherwise with respect to our business combinations and certain other transactions. Any salary or fee in connection with such engagement may be conditioned upon the completion of
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such transactions. This financial interest in the completion of such transactions may influence the advice such entity provides.
We may engage our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as an advisor or otherwise in connection with our initial business combination and certain other transactions and pay such person or entity a salary or fee in an amount that constitutes a market standard for comparable transactions. Pursuant to any such engagement, such person or entity may earn its salary or fee upon closing of the initial business combination. The payment of such salary or fee would likely be conditioned upon the completion of the initial business combination. Therefore, such persons or entities may have additional financial interests in the completion of the initial business combination. These financial interests may influence the advice such entity provides us, which advice would contribute to our decision on whether to pursue a business combination with any particular target.
We may engage in a business combination with one or more target businesses that have relationships with entities that may be affiliated with our sponsor, executive officers, directors or initial shareholders which may raise potential conflicts of interest.
In light of the involvement of our sponsor, executive officers and directors with other entities, we may decide to acquire one or more businesses affiliated with our sponsor, executive officers, directors or initial shareholders. Our directors also serve as officers and board members for other entities, including, without limitation, those described under “Management—Conflicts of Interest.” Our sponsor, officers and directors may sponsor, form or participate in other blank check companies similar to ours during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. Such entities may compete with us for business combination opportunities. Our sponsor, officers and directors are not currently aware of any specific opportunities for us to complete our initial business combination with any entities with which they are affiliated, and there have been no substantive discussions concerning a business combination with any such entity or entities. Although we will not be specifically focusing on, or targeting, any transaction with any affiliated entities, we would pursue such a transaction if we determined that such affiliated entity met our criteria and guidelines for a business combination as set forth in “Proposed Business—Effecting Our Initial Business Combination—Evaluation of a Target Business and Structuring of Our Initial Business Combination” and such transaction was approved by a majority of our independent and disinterested directors. Despite our agreement to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions regarding the fairness to our company from a financial point of view of a business combination with one or more domestic or international businesses affiliated with our sponsor, executive officers, directors or initial shareholders, potential conflicts of interest still may exist and, as a result, the terms of the business combination may not be as advantageous to our public shareholders as they would be absent any conflicts of interest.
Since our sponsor, executive officers and directors will lose their entire investment in us if our initial business combination is not completed (other than with respect to public shares they may acquire during or after this offering), a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination.
On August 12, 2021, Forbion European Sponsor LLP paid $25,000, or approximately $0.009 per share, to cover certain of our expenses in consideration of 2,875,000 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001. On November 23, 2021, Forbion European Sponsor LLP transferred 2,875,000 Class B ordinary shares to our sponsor in exchange for $25,000, or approximately $0.009 per share. On December 9, 2021, we issued 287,500 Class B ordinary shares to our sponsor resulting from a share
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dividend. Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,000 by Forbion European Sponsor LLP, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. The per share price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount contributed to the company by the number of founder shares issued. The founder shares will be worthless if we do not complete an initial business combination. In addition, our sponsor has committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase an aggregate of 4,700,000 private placement warrants (or 5,195,000 private placement warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), at a price of $1.50 per warrant ($7,050,000 in the aggregate or $7,792,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. If we do not consummate an initial business within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), the private placement warrants will expire worthless. The personal and financial interests of our executive officers and directors may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business combination, completing an initial business combination and influencing the operation of the business following the initial business combination. This risk may become more acute as the 18-month anniversary of the closing of this offering nears, which is the deadline for our consummation of an initial business combination, unless such deadline is extended as described herein.
We may issue notes or other debt securities, or otherwise incur substantial debt, to complete a business combination, which may adversely affect our leverage and financial condition and thus negatively impact the value of our shareholders’ investment in us.
Although we have no commitments as of the date of this prospectus to issue any notes or other debt securities, or to otherwise incur outstanding debt following this offering, we may choose to incur substantial debt to complete our initial business combination. We and our officers have agreed that we will not incur any indebtedness unless we have obtained from the lender a waiver of any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to the monies held in the trust account. As such, no issuance of debt will affect the per-share amount available for redemption from the trust account. Nevertheless, the incurrence of debt could have a variety of negative effects, including:
| :=Ø | default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after an initial business combination are insufficient to repay our debt obligations; |
| :=Ø | acceleration of our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we make all principal and interest payments when due if we breach certain covenants that require the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant; |
| :=Ø | our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt is payable on demand; |
| :=Ø | our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt is outstanding; |
| :=Ø | our inability to pay dividends on our Class A ordinary shares; |
| :=Ø | using a substantial portion of our cash flow to pay principal and interest on our debt, which will reduce the funds available for dividends on our Class A ordinary shares if declared, expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate purposes; |
| :=Ø | limitations on our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and in the industry in which we operate; |
| :=Ø | increased vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions and adverse changes in government regulation; and |
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| :=Ø | limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, execution of our strategy and other purposes and other disadvantages compared to our competitors who have less debt. |
We may only be able to complete one business combination with the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants and the forward purchase shares, which will cause us to be solely dependent on a single business which may have a limited number of products or services. This lack of diversification may negatively impact our operations and profitability.
The net proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants and the forward purchase shares will provide us with up to $131,000,000 (or $147,335,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) that we may use to complete our initial business combination (after taking into account the $3,850,000, or $4,427,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, of deferred underwriting commissions being held in the trust account and the estimated expenses of this offering).
We may effectuate our initial business combination with a single-target business or multiple-target businesses simultaneously or within a short period of time. However, we may not be able to effectuate our initial business combination with more than one target business because of various factors, including the existence of complex accounting issues and the requirement that we prepare and file pro forma financial statements with the SEC that present operating results and the financial condition of several target businesses as if they had been operated on a combined basis. By completing our initial business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory developments. Further, we would not be able to diversify our operations or benefit from the possible spreading of risks or offsetting of losses, unlike other entities which may have the resources to complete several business combinations in different industries or different areas of a single industry. Accordingly, the prospects for our success may be:
| :=Ø | solely dependent upon the performance of a single business, property or asset; or |
| :=Ø | dependent upon the development or market acceptance of a single or limited number of products, processes or services. |
This lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory risks, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact upon the particular industry in which we may operate subsequent to our initial business combination.
We may attempt to simultaneously complete business combinations with multiple prospective targets, which may hinder our ability to complete our initial business combination and give rise to increased costs and risks that could negatively impact our operations and profitability.
If we determine to simultaneously acquire several businesses that are owned by different sellers, we will need for each of such sellers to agree that our purchase of its business is contingent on the simultaneous closings of the other business combinations, which may make it more difficult for us, and delay our ability, to complete our initial business combination. With multiple business combinations, we could also face additional risks, including additional burdens and costs with respect to possible multiple negotiations and due diligence (if there are multiple sellers) and the additional risks associated with the subsequent assimilation of the operations and services or products of the acquired companies in a single operating business. If we are unable to adequately address these risks, it could negatively impact our profitability and results of operations.
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We may attempt to complete our initial business combination with a private company about which little information is available, which may result in a business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.
In pursuing our acquisition strategy, we may seek to effectuate our initial business combination with a privately held company. Very little public information generally exists about private companies, and we could be required to make our decision on whether to pursue a potential initial business combination on the basis of limited information, which may result in a business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.
We do not have a specified maximum redemption threshold. The absence of such a redemption threshold may make it possible for us to complete our initial business combination with which a substantial majority of our shareholders do not agree.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will not provide a specified maximum redemption threshold, except that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 (so that we do not then become subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). As a result, we may be able to complete our initial business combination even though a substantial majority of our public shareholders do not agree with the transaction and have redeemed their shares or, if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, have entered into privately-negotiated agreements to sell their shares to our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all Class A ordinary shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the business combination or redeem any shares, all Class A ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate business combination.
In order to effectuate an initial business combination, blank check companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and other governing instruments, including their warrant agreements. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or governing instruments in a manner that will make it easier for us to complete our initial business combination that our shareholders may not support.
In order to effectuate a business combination, blank check companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and governing instruments, including their warrant agreements. For example, blank check companies have amended the definition of business combination, increased redemption thresholds, extended the time to consummate an initial business combination and, with respect to their warrants, amended their warrant agreements to require the warrants to be exchanged for cash and/or other securities. Amending our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require at least a special resolution of our shareholders as a matter of Cayman Islands law, meaning the approval of holders of at least two-thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company, and amending our warrant agreement will require a vote of holders of at least 65% of the public warrants and, solely with respect to any amendment to the terms of the private placement warrants or any provision of the warrant agreement with respect to the private placement warrants, 65% of the number of the then outstanding private placement warrants. In addition, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require us to provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash if we propose an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify
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the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares. To the extent any of such amendments would be deemed to fundamentally change the nature of any of the securities offered through this registration statement, we would register, or seek an exemption from registration for, the affected securities.
The provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that relate to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares (and corresponding provisions of the agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account) may be amended with the approval of a special resolution which requires the approval of the holders of at least two-thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company, which is a lower amendment threshold than that of some other blank check companies. It may be easier for us, therefore, to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to facilitate the completion of an initial business combination that some of our shareholders may not support.
Some other blank check companies have a provision in their charter which prohibits the amendment of certain of its provisions, including those which relate to the rights of a company’s shareholders, without approval by a certain percentage of the company’s shareholders. In those companies, amendment of these provisions typically requires approval by between 90% and 100% of the company’s shareholders. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that any of its provisions related to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants into the trust account and not release such amounts except in specified circumstances, and to provide redemption rights to public shareholders as described herein) may be amended if approved by special resolution, meaning holders of at least two-thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company, and corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account may be amended if approved by holders of at least 65% of our ordinary shares; provided that the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association governing the appointment or removal of directors or to continue our company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands prior to our initial business combination may only be amended by a special resolution passed by not less than two-thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at our general meeting which shall include the affirmative vote of a simple majority of our Class B ordinary shares. Our sponsor and its permitted transferees, if any, who will collectively beneficially own, on an as-converted basis, 20% of our Class A ordinary shares upon the closing of this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering), will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and/or trust agreement and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. As a result, we may be able to amend the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association which govern our pre-business combination behavior more easily than some other blank check companies, and this may increase our ability to complete a business combination with which you do not agree. Our shareholders may pursue remedies against us for any breach of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.
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Our sponsor, executive officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to agreements with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares, unless we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Class A ordinary shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares. Our shareholders are not parties to, or third-party beneficiaries of, these agreements and, as a result, will not have the ability to pursue remedies against our sponsor, executive officers or directors for any breach of these agreements. As a result, in the event of a breach, our shareholders would need to pursue a shareholder derivative action, subject to applicable law.
We may be unable to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination or to fund the operations and growth of a target business, which could compel us to restructure or abandon a particular business combination. If we have not consummated our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.25 per public share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.
Although we believe that the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants will be sufficient to allow us to complete our initial business combination, because we have not yet selected any prospective target business we cannot ascertain the capital requirements for any particular transaction. If the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants prove to be insufficient, either because of the size of our initial business combination, the depletion of the available net proceeds in search of a target business, the obligation to redeem for cash a significant number of shares from shareholders who elect redemption in connection with our initial business combination or the terms of negotiated transactions to purchase shares in connection with our initial business combination, we may be required to seek additional financing or to abandon the proposed business combination. We cannot assure you that such financing will be available on acceptable terms, if at all. The current economic environment may make it difficult for companies to obtain acquisition financing. To the extent that additional financing proves to be unavailable when needed to complete our initial business combination, we would be compelled to either restructure the transaction or abandon that particular business combination and seek an alternative target business candidate. If we have not consummated our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.25 per public share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. In addition, even if we do not need additional financing to complete our initial business combination, we may require such financing to fund the operations or growth of the target business. The failure to secure additional financing could have a material adverse effect on the continued development or growth of the target business. None of our officers, directors or shareholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our initial business combination.
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Our sponsor controls a substantial interest in us and thus may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a shareholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support.
Upon closing of this offering, our sponsor will own, on an as-converted basis, 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares (assuming it does not purchase any units in this offering). Accordingly, it may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a shareholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support, including amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. If our sponsor purchases any units in this offering or if our sponsor purchases any additional Class A ordinary shares in the aftermarket or in privately-negotiated transactions, this would increase its control. Neither our sponsor nor, to our knowledge, any of our officers or directors, have any current intention to purchase additional securities, other than as disclosed in this prospectus. Factors that would be considered in making such additional purchases would include consideration of the current trading price of our Class A ordinary shares. In addition, our board of directors, whose members were appointed by our sponsor, is and will be divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of three years with only one class of directors being appointed in each year. We may not hold an annual general meeting to appoint new directors prior to the completion of our initial business combination, in which case all of the current directors will continue in office until at least the completion of the business combination. If there is an annual meeting, as a consequence of our “staggered” board of directors, only a minority of the board of directors will be considered for appointment and our sponsor, because of its ownership position, will control the outcome, as only holders of our Class B ordinary shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors and to remove directors or to continue our company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands prior to our initial business combination. Accordingly, our sponsor will continue to exert control at least until the completion of our initial business combination. The forward purchase shares will not be issued until completion of our initial business combination and, accordingly, will not be included in any shareholder vote until such time. In addition, we have agreed not to enter into a definitive agreement regarding an initial business combination without the prior consent of our sponsor.
Because we must furnish our shareholders with target business financial statements, we may lose the ability to complete an otherwise advantageous initial business combination with some prospective target businesses.
The federal proxy rules require that a proxy statement with respect to a vote on a business combination meeting certain financial significance tests include historical and/or pro forma financial statement disclosure in periodic reports. We will include the same financial statement disclosure in connection with our tender offer documents, whether or not they are required under the tender offer rules. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with, or be reconciled to, accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or GAAP, or international financial reporting standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, or IFRS, depending on the circumstances and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), or PCAOB. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may acquire because some targets may be unable to provide such statements in time for us to disclose such statements in accordance with federal proxy rules and complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame.
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Compliance obligations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may make it more difficult for us to effectuate a business combination, require substantial financial and management resources, and increase the time and costs of completing an acquisition.
Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we evaluate and report on our system of internal controls beginning with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2022. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer and no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, will we not be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. The fact that we are a blank check company makes compliance with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act particularly burdensome on us as compared to other public companies because a target business with which we seek to complete our initial business combination may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of its internal controls. The development of the internal control of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such acquisition.
RISKS RELATING TO THE POST-BUSINESS COMBINATION COMPANY
Subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination, we may be required to take write-downs or write-offs, restructuring and impairment or other charges that could have a significant negative effect on our financial condition, results of operations and the price of our securities, which could cause you to lose some or all of your investment.
Even if we conduct extensive due diligence on a target business with which we combine, we cannot assure you that this diligence will identify all material issues with a particular target business, that it would be possible to uncover all material issues through a customary amount of due diligence, or that factors outside of the target business and outside of our control will not later arise. As a result of these factors, we may be forced to later write-down or write-off assets, restructure our operations, or incur impairment or other charges that could result in our reporting losses. Even if our due diligence successfully identifies certain risks, unexpected risks may arise and previously known risks may materialize in a manner not consistent with our preliminary risk analysis. Even though these charges may be non-cash items and not have an immediate impact on our liquidity, the fact that we report charges of this nature could contribute to negative market perceptions about us or our securities. In addition, charges of this nature may cause us to violate net worth or other covenants to which we may be subject as a result of assuming pre-existing debt held by a target business or by virtue of our obtaining post-combination debt financing. Accordingly, any holders who choose to retain their securities following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
We may have a limited ability to assess the management of a prospective target business and, as a result, may effect our initial business combination with a target business whose management may not have the skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company.
When evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial business combination with a prospective target business, our ability to assess the target business’s management may be limited due to a lack of time, resources or information. Our assessment of the capabilities of the target business’s management, therefore, may prove to be incorrect and such management may lack the skills, qualifications or abilities we suspected. Should the target business’s management not possess the skills, qualifications or abilities
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necessary to manage a public company, the operations and profitability of the post-combination business may be negatively impacted. Accordingly, any holders who choose to retain their securities following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
The officers and directors of an acquisition candidate may resign upon completion of our initial business combination. The loss of a business combination target’s key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.
The role of an acquisition candidate’s key personnel upon the completion of our initial business combination cannot be ascertained at this time. Although we contemplate that certain members of an acquisition candidate’s management team will remain associated with the acquisition candidate following our initial business combination, it is possible that members of the management of an acquisition candidate will not wish to remain in place.
Our management may not be able to maintain control of a target business after our initial business combination. Upon the loss of control of a target business, new management may not possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to profitably operate such business.
We may structure our initial business combination so that the post-business combination company in which our public shareholders own shares will own less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-business combination company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target business sufficient for us not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. We will not consider any transaction that does not meet such criteria. Even if the post-business combination company owns 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to our initial business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-business combination company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new Class A ordinary shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock, shares or other equity interests of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new Class A ordinary shares, our shareholders immediately prior to such transaction could own less than a majority of our outstanding Class A ordinary shares subsequent to such transaction. In addition, other minority shareholders may subsequently combine their holdings resulting in a single person or group obtaining a larger share of the company’s shares than we initially acquired. Accordingly, this may make it more likely that our management will not be able to maintain control of the target business.
We may seek business combination opportunities with a high degree of complexity that require significant operational improvements, which could delay or prevent us from achieving our desired results.
We may seek business combination opportunities with large, highly complex companies that we believe would benefit from operational improvements. While we intend to implement such improvements, to the extent that our efforts are delayed or we are unable to achieve the desired improvements, the business combination may not be as successful as we anticipate.
To the extent we complete our initial business combination with a large complex business or entity with a complex operating structure, we may also be affected by numerous risks inherent in the operations of
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the business with which we combine, which could delay or prevent us from implementing our strategy. Although our management team will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business and its operations, we may not be able to properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors until we complete our business combination. If we are not able to achieve our desired operational improvements, or the improvements take longer to implement than anticipated, we may not achieve the gains that we anticipate. Furthermore, some of these risks and complexities may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks and complexities will adversely impact a target business. Such combination may not be as successful as a combination with a smaller, less complex organization.
RISKS RELATING TO OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM
We may not have sufficient funds to satisfy indemnification claims of our directors and executive officers.
We have agreed to indemnify our officers and directors to the fullest extent permitted by law. However, our officers and directors have agreed to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the trust account and to not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason whatsoever (except to the extent they are entitled to funds from the trust account due to their ownership of public shares). Accordingly, any indemnification provided will be able to be satisfied by us only if (i) we have sufficient funds outside of the trust account or (ii) we consummate an initial business combination. Our obligation to indemnify our officers and directors may discourage shareholders from bringing a lawsuit against our officers or directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against our officers and directors, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our shareholders. Furthermore, a shareholder’s investment may be adversely affected to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against our officers and directors pursuant to these indemnification provisions.
We may seek acquisition opportunities in industries or sectors which may or may not be outside of our management’s area of expertise.
We will consider a business combination outside of our management’s area of expertise if a business combination target is presented to us and we determine that such candidate offers an attractive acquisition opportunity for our company. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in any particular business combination target, we cannot assure you that we will adequately ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will not ultimately prove to be less favorable to investors in this offering than a direct investment, if an opportunity were available, in a business combination target. In the event we elect to pursue an acquisition outside of the areas of our management’s expertise, our management’s expertise may not be directly applicable to its evaluation or operation, and the information contained in this prospectus regarding the areas of our management’s expertise would not be relevant to an understanding of the business that we elect to acquire. As a result, our management may not be able to adequately ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. Accordingly, any holders who choose to retain their securities following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
We are dependent upon our executive officers and directors and their loss could adversely affect our ability to operate.
Our operations are dependent upon a relatively small group of individuals and, in particular, our executive officers and directors. We believe that our success depends on the continued service of our
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officers and directors, at least until we have completed our initial business combination. In addition, our executive officers and directors are not required to commit any specified amount of time to our affairs and, accordingly, will have conflicts of interest in allocating their time among various business activities, including identifying potential business combinations and monitoring the related due diligence. We do not have an employment agreement with, or key-man insurance on the life of, any of our directors or executive officers.
The unexpected loss of the services of one or more of our directors or executive officers could have a detrimental effect on us.
Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination and to be successful thereafter will be totally dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel, some of whom may join us following our initial business combination. The loss of key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.
Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination is dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel. The role of our key personnel in the target business, however, cannot presently be ascertained. Although some of our key personnel may remain with the target business in senior management, director or advisory positions following our initial business combination, it is likely that some or all of the management of the target business will remain in place. While we intend to closely scrutinize any individuals we engage after our initial business combination, we cannot assure you that our assessment of these individuals will prove to be correct. These individuals may be unfamiliar with the requirements of operating a company regulated by the SEC, which could cause us to have to expend time and resources helping them become familiar with such requirements.
In addition, the directors and officers of an acquisition candidate may resign upon completion of our initial business combination. The departure of a business combination target’s key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business. Although we contemplate that certain members of an acquisition candidate’s management team will remain associated with the acquisition candidate following our initial business combination, it is possible that members of the management of an acquisition candidate will not wish to remain in place. The loss of key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.
Our key personnel may negotiate employment or consulting agreements with a target business in connection with a particular business combination, and a particular business combination may be conditioned on the retention or resignation of such key personnel. These agreements may provide for them to receive compensation following our initial business combination and as a result, may cause them to have conflicts of interest in determining whether a particular business combination is the most advantageous.
Our key personnel may be able to remain with our company after the completion of our initial business combination only if they are able to negotiate employment or consulting agreements in connection with the business combination. Such negotiations would take place simultaneously with the negotiation of the business combination and could provide for such individuals to receive compensation in the form of cash payments and/or our securities for services they would render to us after the completion of the business combination. Such negotiations also could make such key personnel’s retention or resignation a condition to any such agreement. The personal and financial interests of such individuals may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under
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Cayman Islands law. However, we believe the ability of such individuals to remain with us after the completion of our initial business combination will not be the determining factor in our decision as to whether or not we will proceed with any potential business combination. There is no certainty, however, that any of our key personnel will remain with us after the completion of our initial business combination. We cannot assure you that any of our key personnel will remain in senior management or advisory positions with us. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with us will be made at the time of our initial business combination. In addition, pursuant to an agreement to be entered into on or prior to the closing of this offering, our sponsor, upon and following consummation of an initial business combination, will be entitled to nominate three individuals for appointment to our board of directors, as long as the sponsor holds any securities covered by the registration and shareholder rights agreement, which is described under the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities—Registration and Shareholder Rights.”
Our executive officers and directors will allocate their time to other businesses thereby causing conflicts of interest in their determination as to how much time to devote to our affairs. This conflict of interest could have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Our executive officers and directors are not required to, and will not, commit their full time to our affairs, which may result in a conflict of interest in allocating their time between our operations and our search for a business combination and their other businesses. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination. Each of our executive officers is engaged in several other business endeavors for which he may be entitled to substantial compensation, and our executive officers are not obligated to contribute any specific number of hours per week to our affairs. Our independent directors also serve as officers and board members for other entities. If our executive officers’ and directors’ other business affairs require them to devote substantial amounts of time to such affairs in excess of their current commitment levels, it could limit their ability to devote time to our affairs which may have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination. For a complete discussion of our executive officers’ and directors’ other business affairs, please see “Management—Officers and Directors.”
Our officers and directors presently have, and any of them in the future may have, additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities, including another blank check company, and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.
Following the completion of this offering and until we consummate our initial business combination, we intend to engage in the business of identifying and combining with one or more businesses or entities. Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have, additional fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. Accordingly, they may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented. These conflicts may not be resolved in our favor and a potential target business may be presented to another entity prior to its presentation to us, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law.
In addition, our sponsor, officers and directors may in the future become affiliated with other blank check companies that may have acquisition objectives that are similar to ours. Accordingly, they may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented. These conflicts may not be resolved in our favor and a potential target business may be
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presented to such other blank check companies prior to its presentation to us, subject to our officers’ and directors’ fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law (i) no individual serving as a director or an officer shall have any duty, except and to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as us; and (ii) we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which may be a corporate opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which may be a corporate opportunity for any director or officer, on the one hand, and us, on the other.
For a complete discussion of our executive officers’ and directors’ business affiliations and the potential conflicts of interest that you should be aware of, please see “Management—Officers and Directors,” “Management—Conflicts of Interest” and “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions.”
Our executive officers, directors, security holders and their respective affiliates may have competitive pecuniary interests that conflict with our interests.
We have not adopted a policy that expressly prohibits our directors, executive officers, security holders or affiliates from having a direct or indirect pecuniary or financial interest in any investment to be acquired or disposed of by us or in any transaction to which we are a party or have an interest. In fact, we may enter into a business combination with a target business that is affiliated with our sponsor, our directors or executive officers, although we do not intend to do so. Nor do we have a policy that expressly prohibits any such persons from engaging for their own account in business activities of the types conducted by us. Accordingly, such persons or entities may have a conflict between their interests and ours.
The personal and financial interests of our directors and officers may influence their motivation in timely identifying and selecting a target business and completing a business combination. Consequently, our directors’ and officers’ discretion in identifying and selecting a suitable target business may result in a conflict of interest when determining whether the terms, conditions and timing of a particular business combination are appropriate and in our shareholders’ best interest. If this were the case, it would be a breach of their fiduciary duties to us as a matter of Cayman Islands law and we or our shareholders might have a claim against such individuals for infringing on our shareholders’ rights. See the section titled “Description of Securities—Certain Differences in Corporate Law—Shareholders’ Suits” for further information on the ability to bring such claims. However, we might not ultimately be successful in any claim we may make against them for such reason.
RISKS RELATING TO OUR SECURITIES
If we have not consummated an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), our public shareholders may be forced to wait beyond such periods before redemption from our trust account.
If we have not consummated an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust
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account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), the proceeds then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses and subject to any withholding tax), will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares, as further described herein. Any redemption of public shareholders from the trust account will be effected automatically by function of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association prior to any voluntary winding up. If we are required to wind up, liquidate the trust account and distribute such amount therein, pro rata, to our public shareholders, as part of any liquidation process, such winding up, liquidation and distribution must comply with the applicable provisions of the Companies Act. In that case, investors may be forced to wait beyond 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus) before the redemption proceeds of our trust account become available to them, and they receive the return of their pro rata portion of the proceeds from our trust account. We have no obligation to return funds to investors prior to the date of our redemption or liquidation unless, prior thereto, we consummate our initial business combination or amend certain provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, and only then in cases where investors have sought to redeem their Class A ordinary shares. Only upon our redemption or any liquidation will public shareholders be entitled to distributions if we do not complete our initial business combination and do not amend certain provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that, if we wind up for any other reason prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, we will follow the foregoing procedures with respect to the liquidation of the trust account as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, subject to applicable Cayman Islands law.
Holders of Class A ordinary shares will not be entitled to vote on any appointment or removal of directors and to continue our company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands prior to our initial business combination.
Prior to our initial business combination, only holders of our founder shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors and to continue our company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands. Holders of our public shares will not be entitled to vote on the appointment of directors or to continue our company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands during such time. In addition, prior to our initial business combination, holders of a majority of our founder shares may remove a member of the board of directors for any reason. Accordingly, you will not have any say in the management of our company prior to the consummation of an initial business combination.
You will not be permitted to exercise your warrants unless we register and qualify the issuance of the underlying Class A ordinary shares or certain exemptions are available.
If the issuance of the Class A ordinary shares upon exercise of the warrants is not registered, qualified or exempt from registration or qualification under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws, holders of warrants will not be entitled to exercise such warrants and such warrants may have no value and expire worthless.
While we have registered the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants under the Securities Act as part of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we do not plan on keeping a prospectus current until required to do so pursuant to the warrant agreement. Pursuant to the terms of the warrant agreement, we have agreed that, as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 20 business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our commercially
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reasonable efforts to file a post-effective amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part or a new registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of such shares, and we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become effective within 60 business days after the closing of our initial business combination and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement and a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares until the warrants expire or are redeemed. We cannot assure you that we will be able to do so if, for example, any facts or events arise which represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement or prospectus, the financial statements contained or incorporated by reference therein are not current, complete or correct or the SEC issues a stop order. If the shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants are not registered under the Securities Act in accordance with the above requirements, we will be required to permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis, in which case, the number of Class A ordinary shares that you will receive upon cashless exercise will be based on a formula. However, no warrant will be exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis, and we will not be obligated to issue any shares to holders seeking to exercise their warrants, unless the issuance of the shares upon such exercise is registered or qualified under the securities laws of the state of the exercising holder, or an exemption from registration is available. Notwithstanding the above, if our Class A ordinary shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that they do not satisfy the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, but we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. Exercising the warrants on a cashless basis could have the effect of reducing the potential “upside” of the holder’s investment in our company because the warrant holder will hold a smaller number of Class A ordinary shares upon a cashless exercise of the warrants they hold. In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant, or issue securities or other compensation in exchange for the warrants in the event that we are unable to register or qualify the shares underlying the warrants under applicable state securities laws and no exemption is available. If the issuance of the shares upon exercise of the warrants is not so registered or qualified or exempt from registration or qualification, the holder of such warrant shall not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In such event, holders who acquired their warrants as part of a purchase of units will have paid the full unit purchase price solely for the Class A ordinary shares included in the units. There may be a circumstance where an exemption from registration exists for holders of our private placement warrants to exercise their warrants while a corresponding exemption does not exist for holders of the public warrants included as part of units sold in this offering. In such an instance, our sponsor and its permitted transferees (which may include our directors and executive officers) would be able to exercise their warrants and sell the ordinary shares underlying their warrants while holders of our public warrants would not be able to exercise their warrants and sell the underlying ordinary shares. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying Class A ordinary shares for sale under all applicable state securities laws. As a result, we may redeem the warrants as set forth above even if the holders are otherwise unable to exercise their warrants.
The warrants may become exercisable and redeemable for a security other than the Class A ordinary shares, and you will not have any information regarding such other security at this time.
In certain situations, including if we are not the surviving entity in our initial business combination, the warrants may become exercisable for a security other than the Class A ordinary shares. As a result, if the surviving company redeems your warrants for securities pursuant to the warrant agreement, you may
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receive a security in a company of which you do not have information at this time. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, the surviving company will be required to use commercially reasonable efforts to register the issuance of the security underlying the warrants within twenty business days of the closing of an initial business combination.
The grant of registration rights to our sponsor may make it more difficult to complete our initial business combination, and the future exercise of such rights may adversely affect the market price of our Class A ordinary shares.
Pursuant to an agreement to be entered into on or prior to the closing of this offering, our sponsor and its permitted transferees can demand that we register the resale of the Class A ordinary shares into which founder shares are convertible, the private placement warrants and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants, and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans and extension loans and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of such warrants. In addition, pursuant to the forward purchase agreements, we intend to agree that we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to file within 45 days after the closing of the initial business combination a registration statement with the SEC for a secondary offering of the forward purchase shares and to cause such registration statement to be declared effective as soon as practicable after it is filed. The registration and availability of such a significant number of securities for trading in the public market may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A ordinary shares. In addition, the existence of the registration rights may make our initial business combination more costly or difficult to conclude. This is because the shareholders of the target business may increase the equity stake they seek in the combined entity or ask for more cash consideration to offset the negative impact on the market price of our securities that is expected when the securities owned by our sponsor, the holders of our forward purchase shares or its permitted transferees are registered for resale.
We may issue additional Class A ordinary shares or preference shares to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination. We may also issue Class A ordinary shares upon the conversion of the founder shares at a ratio greater than one-to-one at the time of our initial business combination as a result of the anti-dilution provisions contained in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Any such issuances would dilute the interest of our shareholders and likely present other risks.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will authorize the issuance of up to 500,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, 50,000,000 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, and 5,000,000 preference shares, par value $0.0001 per share. Immediately after this offering, there will be 489,000,000 and 47,250,000 (assuming in each case that the underwriters have not exercised their over-allotment option) authorized but unissued Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares, respectively, available for issuance which amount does not take into account forward purchase shares or shares reserved for issuance upon exercise of outstanding warrants or shares issuable upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares, if any. The Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares (which such Class A ordinary shares delivered upon conversion will not have any redemption rights or be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account if we fail to consummate an initial business combination) at the time of our initial business combination or earlier at the option of the holders thereof as described herein and in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Immediately after this offering, there will be no preference shares issued and outstanding.
We may issue a substantial number of additional Class A ordinary shares or preference shares to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our
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initial business combination. We may also issue Class A ordinary shares in connection with our redeeming the warrants as described in “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Shareholders’ Warrants” or upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares at a ratio greater than one-to-one at the time of our initial business combination as a result of the anti-dilution provisions as set forth herein. However, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide, among other things, that prior to or in connection with our initial business combination, we may not issue additional shares that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote on any initial business combination or on any other proposal presented to shareholders prior to or in connection with the completion of an initial business combination. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, like all provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, may be amended with a shareholder vote. The issuance of additional ordinary or preference shares:
| Ø | may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in this offering, which dilution would increase if the anti-dilution provisions in the Class B ordinary shares resulted in the issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares; |
| Ø | may subordinate the rights of holders of Class A ordinary shares if preference shares are issued with rights senior to those afforded our Class A ordinary shares; |
| Ø | could cause a change in control if a substantial number of Class A ordinary shares are issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and could result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors; |
| Ø | may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of us by diluting the share ownership or voting rights of a person seeking to obtain control of us; |
| Ø | may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our units, Class A ordinary shares and/or warrants; and |
| Ø | may not result in adjustment to the exercise price of our warrants. |
Our sponsor contributed $25,000, or approximately $0.009 per founder share, and, accordingly, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution from the purchase of our Class A ordinary shares.
The difference between the public offering price per share (allocating all of the unit purchase price to the Class A ordinary share and none to the warrant included in the unit) and the pro forma net tangible book value per Class A ordinary share after this offering constitutes the dilution to you and the other investors in this offering. Our sponsor acquired the founder shares at a nominal price, significantly contributing to this dilution. Upon closing of this offering, and assuming no value is ascribed to the warrants included in the units, you and the other public shareholders will incur an immediate and substantial dilution of approximately 108.60% (or $10.86 per share, assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option), the difference between the pro forma net tangible book value per share of $0.86 and the initial offering price of $10.00 per unit. This dilution would increase to the extent that the anti-dilution provisions of the founder shares result in the issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the founder shares at the time of our initial business combination. In addition, because of the anti-dilution protection in the founder shares, any equity or equity- linked securities issued in connection with our initial business combination would be disproportionately dilutive to our Class A ordinary shares.
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The nominal purchase price paid by Forbion European Sponsor LLP for the founder shares may result in significant dilution to the implied value of your public shares upon the consummation of our initial business combination.
We are offering our units at an offering price of $10.00 per unit and the amount in our trust account is initially anticipated to be $112,750,000, or $10.25 per public share, implying an initial value of $10.25 per public share. However, prior to this offering, Forbion European Sponsor LLP paid a nominal aggregate purchase price of $25,000 for the founder shares, or approximately $0.009 per share and on November 23, 2021, our sponsor purchased all such 25,000 Founder Shares from Forbion European Sponsor LLP for the same amount. As a result, the value of your public shares may be significantly diluted upon the consummation of our initial business combination, when the founder shares are converted into public shares. For example, the following table shows the dilutive effect of the founder shares on the implied value of the public shares upon the consummation of our initial business combination, assuming that our equity value at that time is $99,000,000, which is the amount we would have for our initial business combination in the trust account after payment of $3,850,000 of deferred underwriting commissions, assuming the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised, no interest is earned on the funds held in the trust account, and no public shares are redeemed in connection with our initial business combination, and without taking into account any other potential impacts on our valuation at such time, such as the trading price of our public shares, the business combination transaction costs, any equity issued or cash paid to the target’s sellers or other third parties, or the target’s business itself, including its assets, liabilities, management and prospects, as well as the value of our public and private warrants.
Public shares(1) | 11,000,000 | |||
Founder shares(3) | 2,750,000 | |||
|
| |||
Total shares | 13,750,000 | |||
Total funds in trust available for initial business combination (less deferred underwriting commissions)(1)(4)(5) | $ | 109,600,000 | ||
Public shareholders’ initial investment per share(2) | $ | 10.00 | ||
Implied value per share upon consummation of initial business combination and conversion of founder shares into public shares | $ | 7.97 |
| (1) | Assumes the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised. |
| (2) | While the public shareholders’ investment is in both the public shares and the public warrants, for purposes of this table the full investment amount is ascribed to the public shares only. |
| (3) | Excludes 412,500 founder shares that are subject to forfeiture if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised. |
| (4) | Does not take into account other potential impacts on our valuation at the time of the business combination, such as the value of our public and private warrants, the trading price of our public shares, any equity issued or cash paid to the business target’s sellers or other third parties, or the target’s business itself, including its assets, liabilities, management and prospects. |
| (5) | Reflects 102.5% of cash raised held in trust account. |
The value of the founder shares following completion of our initial business combination is likely to be substantially higher than the nominal price paid for them, even if the trading price of our Class A ordinary shares at such time is substantially less than $10.00 per share.
Upon the closing of this offering, assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option, our sponsor or its affiliates will have invested in us an aggregate of approximately $7,075,000, comprised of
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the $25,000 purchase price for the founder shares and the approximate $7,050,000 purchase price for the private placement warrants. Assuming a trading price of $10.00 per share upon consummation of our initial business combination, the 2,750,000 founder shares would have an aggregate implied value of $25,000,000. Even if the trading price of our Class A ordinary shares was as low as $2.57 per share, and the private placement warrants were worthless, the value of the founder shares would be approximately equal to the sponsor’s initial investment in us. As a result, our sponsor is likely to be able to recoup its investment in us and make a substantial profit on that investment, even if our public shares have lost significant value. Accordingly, our management team, which owns interests in our sponsor, may have an economic incentive that differs from that of the public shareholders to pursue and consummate an initial business combination rather than to liquidate and to return all of the cash in the trust to the public shareholders, even if that business combination were with a riskier or less established target business. For the foregoing reasons, you should consider our management team’s financial incentive to complete an initial business combination when evaluating whether to redeem your shares prior to or in connection with the initial business combination.
We may amend the terms of the warrants in a manner that may be adverse to holders of public warrants with the approval by the holders of at least 65% of the then-outstanding public warrants. As a result, the exercise price of your warrants could be increased, the exercise period could be shortened and the number of our Class A ordinary shares purchasable upon exercise of a warrant could be decreased, all without your approval.
Our warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder for the purpose of (i) curing any ambiguity or correct any mistake, including to conform the provisions of the warrant agreement to the description of the terms of the warrants and the warrant agreement set forth in this prospectus, or defective provision (ii) amending the provisions relating to cash dividends on ordinary shares as contemplated by and in accordance with the warrant agreement, (iii) providing for the delivery of certain alternative issuances in the case of certain reorganizations or other events or (iv) adding or changing any provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under the warrant agreement as the parties to the warrant agreement may deem necessary or desirable and that the parties deem to not adversely affect the rights of the registered holders of the warrants, provided that the approval by the holders of at least 65% of the then-outstanding public warrants is required to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of public warrants. Accordingly, we may amend the terms of the public warrants in a manner adverse to a holder if holders of at least 65% of the then-outstanding public warrants approve of such amendment and, solely with respect to any amendment to the terms of the private placement warrants or any provision of the warrant agreement with respect to the private placement warrants, 65% of the number of the then outstanding private placement warrants. Although our ability to amend the terms of the public warrants with the consent of at least 65% of the then-outstanding public warrants is unlimited, examples of such amendments could be amendments to, among other things, increase the exercise price of the warrants, convert the warrants into cash, shorten the exercise period or decrease the number of Class A ordinary shares purchasable upon exercise of a warrant.
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Our warrant agreement will designate the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by holders of our warrants, which could limit the ability of warrant holders to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with our company.
Our warrant agreement will provide that, subject to applicable law, (i) any action, proceeding or claim against us arising out of or relating in any way to the warrant agreement, including under the Securities Act, will be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and (ii) that we irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. We will waive any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, these provisions of the warrant agreement will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any of our warrants shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the forum provisions in our warrant agreement. If any action, the subject matter of which is within the scope the forum provisions of the warrant agreement, is filed in a court other than a court of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (a “foreign action”) in the name of any holder of our warrants, such holder shall be deemed to have consented to: (x) the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in the State of New York in connection with any action brought in any such court to enforce the forum provisions (an “enforcement action”), and (y) having service of process made upon such warrant holder in any such enforcement action by service upon such warrant holder’s counsel in the foreign action as agent for such warrant holder.
This choice-of-forum provision may limit a warrant holder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with our company, which may discourage such lawsuits. Alternatively, if a court were to find this provision of our warrant agreement inapplicable or unenforceable with respect to one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and result in a diversion of the time and resources of our management and board of directors.
We may redeem your unexpired warrants prior to their exercise at a time that is disadvantageous to you, thereby making your warrants worthless.
We have the ability to redeem the outstanding public warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.01 per warrant, provided that the closing price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a warrant as described under the heading “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Shareholders’ Warrants—Redemption Procedures—Anti-dilution Adjustments”) for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading-day period ending on the third trading day prior to proper notice of such redemption and provided that certain other conditions are met. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. As a result, we may redeem the warrants as set forth above even if the holders are otherwise unable to exercise the warrants. Redemption of the outstanding warrants could force you to (i) exercise your warrants and pay the exercise price therefor at a time when it may be disadvantageous for you to do so,
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(ii) sell your warrants at the then-current market price when you might otherwise wish to hold your warrants or (iii) accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the outstanding warrants are called for redemption, we expect would be substantially less than the market value of your warrants. None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us (except as described below under “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Shareholders’ Warrants—Redemption of public warrants”).
Our warrants may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A ordinary shares and make it more difficult to effectuate our initial business combination.
We will be issuing warrants to purchase 3,666,667 of our Class A ordinary shares (or up to 4,216,667 Class A ordinary shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) as part of the units offered by this prospectus. Simultaneously with the closing of this offering, we will be issuing private placement warrants to purchase an aggregate of 4,700,000 Class A ordinary shares (or up to 5,195,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at $1.50 per share. In addition, if the sponsor, its affiliates or a member of our management team makes any working capital loans and extension loans, it may convert up to $1,500,000 of such loans into up to an additional 1,000,000 private placement warrants, at the price of $1.50 per warrant. We may also issue Class A ordinary shares in connection with our redemption of our warrants.
To the extent we issue ordinary shares for any reason, including to effectuate a business combination, the potential for the issuance of a substantial number of additional Class A ordinary shares upon exercise of these warrants could make us a less attractive acquisition vehicle to a target business. Such warrants, when exercised, will increase the number of issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares and reduce the value of the Class A ordinary shares issued to complete the business transaction. Therefore, our warrants may make it more difficult to effectuate a business transaction or increase the cost of acquiring the target business.
Because each unit contains one-third of one redeemable warrant and only a whole warrant may be exercised, the units may be worth less than units of other blank check companies.
Each unit contains one-third of one redeemable warrant. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, no fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units, and only whole warrants will trade. If, upon exercise of the warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number the number of Class A ordinary shares to be issued to the warrant holder. This is different from other offerings similar to ours whose units include one ordinary share and one whole warrant to purchase one whole share. We have established the components of the units in this way in order to reduce the dilutive effect of the warrants upon completion of a business combination since the warrants will be exercisable in the aggregate for one-third of the number of shares, compared to units that each contain a whole warrant to purchase one whole share, thus making us, we believe, a more attractive merger partner for target businesses. Nevertheless, this unit structure may cause our units to be worth less than if a unit included a warrant to purchase one whole share.
A provision of our warrant agreement may make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination.
Unlike most blank check companies, if (i) we issue additional Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination at a Newly Issued Price of less than $9.20 per ordinary share, (ii) the aggregate gross proceeds from such
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issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of our initial business combination on the date of the consummation of our initial business combination (net of redemptions), and (iii) the Market Value is below $9.20 per share, then the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, and the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price described below under “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Shareholders’ Warrants—Redemption of public warrants” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price. This may make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination with a target business.
The determination of the offering price of our units and the size of this offering is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities and size of an offering of an operating company in a particular industry. You may have less assurance, therefore, that the offering price of our units properly reflects the value of such units than you would have in a typical offering of an operating company.
Prior to this offering there has been no public market for any of our securities. The public offering price of the units and the terms of the warrants were negotiated between us and the underwriters. In determining the size of this offering, management held customary organizational meetings with the underwriters, both prior to our inception and thereafter, with respect to the state of capital markets, generally, and the amount the underwriters believed they reasonably could raise on our behalf. Factors considered in determining the size of this offering, prices and terms of the units, including the Class A ordinary shares and warrants underlying the units, include:
| Ø | the history and prospects of companies whose principal business is the acquisition of other companies; |
| Ø | prior offerings of those companies; |
| Ø | our prospects for acquiring an operating business at attractive values; |
| Ø | a review of debt-to-equity ratios in leveraged transactions; |
| Ø | our capital structure; |
| Ø | an assessment of our management and their experience in identifying operating companies; |
| Ø | general conditions of the securities markets at the time of this offering; and |
| Ø | other factors as were deemed relevant. |
Although these factors were considered, the determination of our offering price is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities of an operating company in a particular industry since we have no historical operations or financial results.
There is currently no market for our securities and a market for our securities may not develop, which would adversely affect the liquidity and price of our securities.
There is currently no market for our securities. Shareholders therefore have no access to information about prior market history on which to base their investment decision. Following this offering, the price of our securities may vary significantly due to one or more potential business combinations and general market or economic conditions, including as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Furthermore, an active trading market for our securities may never develop or, if developed, it may not be sustained. You may be unable to sell your securities unless a market can be established and sustained.
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Provisions in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may inhibit a takeover of us, which could limit the price investors might be willing to pay in the future for our Class A ordinary shares and could entrench management.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will contain provisions that may discourage unsolicited takeover proposals that shareholders may consider to be in their best interests. These provisions will include a staggered board of directors, the ability of the board of directors to designate the terms of and issue new series of preference shares, and the fact that prior to the completion of our initial business combination only holders of our Class B ordinary shares, which have been issued to our sponsor, are entitled to vote on the appointment of directors, which may make more difficult the removal of management and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities.
Since only holders of our founder shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors, upon the listing of our shares on the Nasdaq the Nasdaq may consider us to be a “controlled company” within the meaning of the Nasdaq rules and, as a result, we may qualify for exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements.
After completion of this offering, only holders of our founder shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors. As a result, the Nasdaq may consider us to be a “controlled company” within the meaning of the Nasdaq corporate governance standards. Under the Nasdaq corporate governance standards, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, group or another company is a “controlled company” and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements, including the requirements that:
| Ø | we have a board that includes a majority of “independent directors,” as defined under the rules of the Nasdaq; |
| Ø | we have a compensation committee of our board that is comprised entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities; and |
| Ø | we have a nominating and corporate governance committee of our board that is comprised entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities. |
We do not intend to utilize these exemptions and intend to comply with the corporate governance requirements of the Nasdaq subject to applicable phase-in rules. However, if we determine in the future to utilize some or all of these exemptions, you will not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the Nasdaq corporate governance requirements.
If a shareholder fails to receive notice of our offer to redeem our public shares in connection with our initial business combination, or fails to comply with the procedures for tendering its shares, such shares may not be redeemed.
We will comply with the proxy rules or tender offer rules, as applicable, when conducting redemptions in connection with our initial business combination. Despite our compliance with these rules, if a shareholder fails to receive our proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, such shareholder may not become aware of the opportunity to redeem its shares. In addition, the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will describe the various procedures that must be complied with in order to validly redeem or tender public shares. In the event that a shareholder fails to comply with these procedures, its shares may not be redeemed. See “Proposed Business—Business
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Strategy—Effecting Our Initial Business Combination—Tendering Share Certificates in Connection with a Tender Offer or Redemption Rights.”
You will not have any rights or interests in funds from the trust account, except under certain limited circumstances. Therefore, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.
Our public shareholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earliest to occur of: (i) our completion of an initial business combination, and then only in connection with those Class A ordinary shares that such shareholder properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations described herein, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares, and (iii) the redemption of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), subject to applicable law and as further described herein. Public shareholders who redeem their Class A ordinary shares in connection with a shareholder vote described in clause (ii) in the preceding sentence shall not be entitled to funds from the trust account upon the subsequent completion of an initial business combination or liquidation if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), with respect to such Class A ordinary shares so redeemed. In no other circumstances will a public shareholder have any right or interest of any kind in the trust account. Holders of warrants will not have any right to the proceeds held in the trust account with respect to the warrants. Accordingly, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.
Nasdaq may delist our securities from trading on its exchange, which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.
We have been approved to list our units on Nasdaq on or promptly after the date of this prospectus and our Class A ordinary shares and warrants on or promptly after their date of separation. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on Nasdaq. Although after giving effect to this offering we expect to meet, on a pro forma basis, the minimum initial listing standards set forth in the Nasdaq listing standards, we cannot assure you that our securities will be, or will continue to be, listed on Nasdaq in the future or prior to our initial business combination. In order to continue listing our securities on Nasdaq prior to our initial business combination, we must maintain certain financial, distribution and share price levels. Generally, we must maintain market value of listed securities ($50 million), a minimum number of publicly held shares (1.1 million), a minimum market value of publicly held securities ($15 million), a minimum number of holders of our securities (generally 400 public holders) and have at least four registered and active market makers. Additionally, in connection with our
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initial business combination, we expect to be required to demonstrate compliance with the initial listing requirements of Nasdaq or another national securities exchange, which are generally more rigorous than Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements, in order to continue to maintain the listing of our securities on Nasdaq. We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet those initial listing requirements at that time.
If the Nasdaq delists any of our securities from trading on its exchange and we are not able to list our securities on another national securities exchange, we expect such securities could be quoted on an over-the-counter market. If this were to occur, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:
| Ø | a limited availability of market quotations for our securities; |
| Ø | reduced liquidity for our securities; |
| Ø | a determination that our Class A ordinary shares are a “penny stock” which will require brokers trading in our Class A ordinary shares to adhere to more stringent rules and possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our securities; |
| Ø | a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and |
| Ø | a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future. |
The National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, which is a federal statute, prevents or preempts the states from regulating the sale of certain securities, which are referred to as “covered securities.” Because we expect that our units and eventually our Class A ordinary shares and warrants will be listed on the Nasdaq our units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants will qualify as covered securities under the statute. Although the states are preempted from regulating the sale of covered securities, the federal statute does allow the states to investigate companies if there is a suspicion of fraud, and, if there is a finding of fraudulent activity, then the states can regulate or bar the sale of covered securities in a particular case. While we are not aware of a state having used these powers to prohibit or restrict the sale of securities issued by blank check companies, other than the State of Idaho, certain state securities regulators view blank check companies unfavorably and might use these powers, or threaten to use these powers, to hinder the sale of securities of blank check companies in their states. Further, if we were no longer listed on the Nasdaq our securities would not qualify as covered securities under the statute and we would be subject to regulation in each state in which we offer our securities.
You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of many other blank check companies.
Since the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants are intended to be used to complete an initial business combination with a target business that has not been selected, we may be deemed to be a “blank check” company under the United States securities laws. However, because we will have net tangible assets in excess of $5,000,000 upon the completion of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants and will file a Current Report on Form 8-K, including an audited balance sheet demonstrating this fact, we are exempt from rules promulgated by the SEC to protect investors in blank check companies, such as Rule 419. Accordingly, investors will not be afforded the benefits or protections of those rules. Among other things, this means our units will be immediately tradable and we will have a longer period of time to complete our initial business combination than do companies subject to Rule 419. Moreover, if this offering were subject to Rule 419, that rule would prohibit the release of any interest earned on funds held in the trust account to us unless and until the funds in the trust account were released to us in connection with our completion of an initial business combination. For a more detailed comparison of our offering to offerings that comply with Rule 419,
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please see “Proposed Business—Comparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419.”
As the number of special purpose acquisition companies evaluating targets increases, attractive targets may become scarcer and there may be more competition for attractive targets. This could increase the cost of our initial business combination and could even result in our inability to find a target or to consummate an initial business combination.
In recent years, the number of special purpose acquisition companies that have been formed has increased substantially. Many potential targets for special purpose acquisition companies have already entered into an initial business combination, and there are still many special purpose acquisition companies preparing for an initial public offering, as well as many such companies currently in registration. As a result, at times, fewer attractive targets may be available to consummate an initial business combination.
In addition, because there are more special purpose acquisition companies seeking to enter into an initial business combination with available targets, the competition for available targets with attractive fundamentals or business models may increase, which could cause targets companies to demand improved financial terms. Attractive deals could also become scarcer for other reasons, such as economic or industry sector downturns, geopolitical tensions, or increases in the cost of additional capital needed to close business combinations or operate targets post-business combination. This could increase the cost of, delay or otherwise complicate or frustrate our ability to find and consummate an initial business combination, and may result in our inability to consummate an initial business combination on terms favorable to our investors altogether.
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, and if you or a “group” of shareholders are deemed to hold in excess of 15% of our Class A ordinary shares, you will lose the ability to redeem all such shares in excess of 15% of our Class A ordinary shares.
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares,” without our prior consent. However, we would not be restricting our shareholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination. Your inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce your influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination and you could suffer a material loss on your investment in us if you sell Excess Shares in open market transactions. Additionally, you will not receive redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares if we complete our initial business combination. And as a result, you will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 15% and, in order to dispose of such shares, would be required to sell your shares in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.
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GENERAL RISK FACTORS
We are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company within the meaning of the Securities Act, and if we take advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure requirements available to “emerging growth companies” or “smaller reporting companies,” this could make our securities less attractive to investors and may make it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies.
We are an “emerging growth company” within the meaning of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act, and we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. As a result, our shareholders may not have access to certain information they may deem important. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years, although circumstances could cause us to lose that status earlier, including if the market value of our Class A ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of any June 30 before that time, in which case we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the following December 31. We cannot predict whether investors will find our securities less attractive because we will rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result of our reliance on these exemptions, the trading prices of our securities may be lower than they otherwise would be, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the trading prices of our securities may be more volatile.
Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such an election to opt out is irrevocable. We have elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, we, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of our financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of any fiscal year so long as either (1) the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates did not equal or exceed $250 million as of the prior June 30, or (2) our annual revenues did not equal or exceed $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates did not equal or exceed $700 million as of the prior June 30. To the extent we take advantage of such reduced disclosure obligations, it may also make comparison of our financial statements with other public companies difficult or impossible.
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Because we are incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands, you may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through the U.S. federal courts may be limited.
We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process within the United States upon our directors or executive officers, or enforce judgments obtained in the United States courts against our directors or officers.
Our corporate affairs will be governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act (as the same may be supplemented or amended from time to time) and the common law of the Cayman Islands. We will also be subject to the federal securities laws of the United States. The rights of shareholders to take action against the directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands as well as from English common law, the decisions of whose courts are of persuasive authority, but are not binding on a court in the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under Cayman Islands law are different from what they would be under statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a different body of securities laws as compared to the United States, and certain states, such as Delaware, may have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholders derivative action in a Federal court of the United States.
We have been advised by Maples and Calder, our Cayman Islands legal counsel that the courts of the Cayman Islands are unlikely (i) to recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts of the United States predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or any state; and (ii) in original actions brought in the Cayman Islands, to impose liabilities against us predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or any state, so far as the liabilities imposed by those provisions are penal in nature. In those circumstances, although there is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, the courts of the Cayman Islands will recognize and enforce a foreign money judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits based on the principle that a judgment of a competent foreign court imposes upon the judgment debtor an obligation to pay the sum for which judgment has been given provided certain conditions are met. For a foreign judgment to be enforced in the Cayman Islands, such judgment must be final and conclusive and for a liquidated sum, and must not be in respect of taxes or a fine or penalty, inconsistent with a Cayman Islands judgment in respect of the same matter, impeachable on the grounds of fraud or obtained in a manner, or be of a kind the enforcement of which is, contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands (awards of punitive or multiple damages may well be held to be contrary to public policy). A Cayman Islands Court may stay enforcement proceedings if concurrent proceedings are being brought elsewhere.
As a result of all of the above, public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by management, members of the board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a United States company.
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We may reincorporate, or merge with the target or another entity located, in another jurisdiction in connection with our initial business combination and such transaction may result in taxes imposed on shareholders or warrant holders. Pending any such reincorporation, it is expected that our company is and will continue to be considered a Dutch tax resident entity, which may have consequences relating to USD/EUR exchange rates.
We may, in connection with our initial business combination and subject to requisite shareholder approval under the Companies Act, reincorporate, or merge with the target or another entity located, in the jurisdiction in which the target company or business is located or in another jurisdiction. The transaction may require a shareholder or warrant holder to recognize taxable income in the jurisdiction in which the shareholder or warrant holder is a tax resident or in which its members are resident if it is a tax transparent entity. We do not intend to make any cash distributions to shareholders or warrant holders to pay such taxes. Any tax liability of the shareholder or warrant holder may attach prior to the redemption of our Class A ordinary shares.
Shareholders or warrant holders may be subject to withholding taxes or other taxes with respect to their direct or indirect ownership of us or the target company after the business combination.
Prior to completion of our initial business combination, it is expected that our company will be considered a Dutch tax resident entity. If so, it would be taxed by reference to euros such that any appreciation of the U.S. dollar against the euro could be considered taxable income. As a result, there is risk that in such circumstances we may be required to withhold on any distributions from the trust account or have liability if no withholding is made. Furthermore, as it is envisaged that we are and will continuously be considered a Dutch tax resident, any dividend distributions (including interest income) to our shareholders are in principle subject to 15% Dutch dividend withholding tax.
After our initial business combination, it is possible that a majority of our directors and officers will live outside the United States and all of our assets will be located outside the United States; therefore investors may not be able to enforce federal securities laws or their other legal rights.
It is possible that after our initial business combination, a majority of our directors and officers will reside outside of the United States and all of our assets will be located outside of the United States. As a result, it may be difficult, or in some cases not possible, for investors in the United States to enforce their legal rights, to effect service of process upon all of our directors or officers or to enforce judgments of United States courts predicated upon civil liabilities and criminal penalties on our directors and officers under United States laws.
We may be a passive foreign investment company, or “PFIC,” which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. investors.
If we are a PFIC for any taxable year (or portion thereof) that is included in the holding period of a U.S. investor in our Class A ordinary shares or warrants, the U.S. investor may be subject to adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences and may be subject to associated reporting requirements. Our PFIC status for our current and subsequent taxable years may depend on whether we qualify for the PFIC start-up exception (see the section of this prospectus captioned “Taxation—United States Federal Income Tax Considerations—Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules”). Depending on the particular circumstances, the application of the start-up exception may be subject to uncertainty, and there cannot be any assurance that we will qualify for the start-up exception. Accordingly, there can be no assurances with respect to our status as a PFIC for our current taxable year or any subsequent taxable year. Our
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Risk factors
actual PFIC status for any taxable year will not be determinable until after the end of such taxable year (and, in the case of the start-up exception, potentially not until after the end of the second taxable year following our current taxable year). If we determine we are a PFIC for any taxable year, we will endeavor to provide to U.S. investors a PFIC Annual Information Statement in order to enable them to make and maintain “qualified electing fund” elections, but there can be no assurance that we will timely provide this statement, and this election will in any event be unavailable with respect to our warrants in all cases. We urge U.S. investors to consult their tax advisers regarding the possible application of the PFIC rules. For a more detailed explanation of the tax consequences of PFIC classification to certain U.S. Holders, see the section of this prospectus captioned “Taxation—United States Federal Income Tax Considerations—Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules.”
Cyber incidents or attacks directed at us could result in information theft, data corruption, operational disruption and/or financial loss.
We depend on digital technologies, including information systems, infrastructure and cloud applications and services, including those of third parties with which we may deal. Sophisticated and deliberate attacks on, or security breaches in, our systems or infrastructure, or the systems or infrastructure of third parties or the cloud, could lead to corruption or misappropriation of our assets, proprietary information and sensitive or confidential data. As an early-stage company without significant investments in data security protection, we may not be sufficiently protected against such occurrences. We may not have sufficient resources to adequately protect against, or to investigate and remediate any vulnerability to, cyber incidents. It is possible that any of these occurrences, or a combination of them, could have adverse consequences on our business and lead to financial loss.
An investment in this offering may result in uncertain U.S. federal income tax consequences.
An investment in this offering may result in uncertain U.S. federal income tax consequences. See the section titled “Taxation — United States Federal Income Tax Considerations” for a summary of material U.S. federal income tax considerations of an investment in our securities. Prospective investors should consult their tax advisers with respect to the tax consequences of owning and disposing of our securities.
Risks Associated with Acquiring and Operating a Business in Foreign Countries
If we pursue a target company with operations or opportunities outside of the United States for our initial business combination, we may face additional burdens in connection with investigating, agreeing to and completing such initial business combination, and if we effect such initial business combination, we would be subject to a variety of additional risks that may negatively impact our operations.
If we pursue a target a company with operations or opportunities outside of the United States for our initial business combination, we would be subject to risks associated with cross-border business combinations, including in connection with investigating, agreeing to and completing our initial business combination, conducting due diligence in a foreign jurisdiction, having such transaction approved by any local governments, regulators or agencies and changes in the purchase price based on fluctuations in foreign exchange rates.
If we effect our initial business combination with such a company or otherwise operate outside the United States, particularly in emerging markets, we would be subject to any special considerations or risks associated with companies operating in an international setting, including any of the following:
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Risk factors
| :=Ø | costs and difficulties inherent in managing cross-border business operations; |
| :=Ø | rules and regulations regarding currency redemption; |
| :=Ø | complex corporate withholding taxes on individuals; |
| :=Ø | laws governing the manner in which future business combinations may be effected; |
| :=Ø | exchange listing and/or delisting requirements; |
| :=Ø | tariffs and trade barriers; |
| :=Ø | regulations related to customs and import/export matters; |
| :=Ø | local or regional economic policies and market conditions; |
| :=Ø | unexpected changes in regulatory requirements; |
| :=Ø | longer payment cycles; |
| :=Ø | tax issues, such as tax law changes and variations in tax laws as compared to the United States; |
| :=Ø | currency fluctuations and exchange controls; |
| :=Ø | rates of inflation; |
| :=Ø | challenges in collecting accounts receivable; |
| :=Ø | cultural and language differences; |
| :=Ø | employment regulations; |
| :=Ø | underdeveloped or unpredictable legal or regulatory systems; |
| :=Ø | corruption; |
| :=Ø | protection of intellectual property; |
| :=Ø | social unrest, crime, strikes, riots and civil disturbances; |
| :=Ø | regime changes and political upheaval; |
| :=Ø | terrorist attacks, natural disasters and wars; and |
| :=Ø | deterioration of political relations with the United States. |
We may not be able to adequately address these additional risks. If we were unable to do so, we may be unable to complete such initial business combination, or, if we complete such combination, our operations might suffer, either of which may adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If our management following our initial business combination is unfamiliar with United States securities laws, they may have to expend time and resources becoming familiar with such laws, which could lead to various regulatory issues.
Following our initial business combination, our management may resign from their positions as officers or directors of the company and the management of the target business at the time of the business combination will remain in place. Management of the target business may not be familiar with United States securities laws. If new management is unfamiliar with United States securities laws, they may have to expend time and resources becoming familiar with such laws. This could be expensive and time-consuming and could lead to various regulatory issues which may adversely affect our operations.
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Risk factors
After our initial business combination, substantially all of our assets may be located in a foreign country and substantially all of our revenue may be derived from our operations in any such country. Accordingly, our results of operations and prospects will be subject, to a significant extent, to the economic, political and social conditions and government policies, developments and conditions in the country in which we operate.
The economic, political and social conditions, as well as government policies, of the country in which our operations are located could affect our business. Economic growth could be uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy and such growth may not be sustained in the future. If in the future such country’s economy experiences a downturn or grows at a slower rate than expected, there may be less demand for spending in certain industries. A decrease in demand for spending in certain industries could materially and adversely affect our ability to find an attractive target business with which to consummate our initial business combination and if we effect our initial business combination, the ability of that target business to become profitable.
Exchange rate fluctuations and currency policies may cause a target business’ ability to succeed in the international markets to be diminished.
In the event we acquire a non-U.S. target, all revenues and income would likely be received in a foreign currency, and the dollar equivalent of our net assets and distributions, if any, could be adversely affected by reductions in the value of the local currency. The value of the currencies in our target regions fluctuate and are affected by, among other things, changes in political and economic conditions. Any change in the relative value of such currency against our reporting currency may affect the attractiveness of any target business or, following consummation of our initial business combination, our financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, if a currency appreciates in value against the dollar prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, the cost of a target business as measured in dollars will increase, which may make it less likely that we are able to consummate such transaction.
We may reincorporate in another jurisdiction in connection with our initial business combination, and the laws of such jurisdiction may govern some or all of our future material agreements and we may not be able to enforce our legal rights.
In connection with our initial business combination, we may relocate the home jurisdiction of our business from the Cayman Islands to another jurisdiction. If we determine to do this, the laws of such jurisdiction may govern some or all of our future material agreements. The system of laws and the enforcement of existing laws in such jurisdiction may not be as certain in implementation and interpretation as in the United States. The inability to enforce or obtain a remedy under any of our future agreements could result in a significant loss of business, business opportunities or capital.
We are subject to changing law and regulations regarding regulatory matters, corporate governance and public disclosure that have increased both our costs and the risk of non-compliance.
We are subject to rules and regulations by various governing bodies, including, for example, the SEC, which are charged with the protection of investors and the oversight of companies whose securities are publicly traded, and to new and evolving regulatory measures under applicable law. Our efforts to comply with new and changing laws and regulations have resulted in and are likely to continue to result in, increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management time and attention from seeking a business combination target.
Moreover, because these laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance becomes available. This evolution may
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Risk factors
result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and additional costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to our disclosure and governance practices. If we fail to address and comply with these regulations and any subsequent changes, we may be subject to penalty and our business may be harmed.
99
We are offering 11,000,000 units at an offering price of $10.00 per unit. We estimate that the net proceeds of this offering, together with the funds we will receive from the sale of the private placement warrants, will be used as set forth in the following table:
Without Over- allotment Option | Over-allotment Option Exercised | |||||||
Gross proceeds | ||||||||
Gross proceeds from units offered to public(1) | $ | 110,000,000 | $ | 126,500,000 | ||||
Gross proceeds from private placement warrants offered in the private placement | 7,050,000 | 7,792,500 | ||||||
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Total gross proceeds | $ | 117,050,000 | $ | 134,292,500 | ||||
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Estimated offering expenses(2) | ||||||||
Underwriting commissions (2.0% of gross proceeds from units offered to public, excluding deferred portion)(3) | $ | 2,200,000 | $ | 2,530,000 | ||||
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Legal fees and expenses | 350,000 | 350,000 | ||||||
Printing and engraving expenses | 35,000 | 35,000 | ||||||
Accounting fees and expenses | 85,000 | 85,000 | ||||||
SEC Expenses | 14,748 | 14,748 | ||||||
FINRA Expenses | 21,056 | 21,056 | ||||||
Travel and road show | 25,000 | 25,000 | ||||||
Nasdaq listing and filing fees | 75,000 | 75,000 | ||||||
Miscellaneous | 14,196 | 14,196 | ||||||
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Total estimated offering expenses (excluding underwriting commissions) | $ | 620,000 | $ | 620,000 | ||||
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Proceeds after offering expenses | $ | 114,230,000 | $ | 131,142,500 | ||||
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Held in trust account(3) | $ | 112,750,000 | $ | 129,662,500 | ||||
% of public offering size | 102.5 | % | 102.5 | % | ||||
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Not held in trust account | $ | 1,480,000 | $ | 1,480,000 | ||||
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The following table shows the use of the estimated $1,480,000 of net proceeds not held in the trust account.(4)(5)
| Amount | % of Total | |||||||
Legal, accounting, due diligence, travel, and other expenses in connection with any business combination(6) | 325,000 | 21.9 | % | |||||
Legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting obligations | 100,000 | 6.8 | % | |||||
Payment for office space, administrative and support services | 190,000 | 12.9 | % | |||||
Consulting, travel and miscellaneous expenses incurred during search for initial business combination target | 25,000 | 1.7 | % | |||||
Nasdaq continued listing fees | 75,000 | 5.0 | % | |||||
Working capital to cover miscellaneous expenses and reserves | 25,000 | 1.7 | % | |||||
Director & Officer liability insurance premiums | 740,000 | 50.0 | % | |||||
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Total | $ | 1,480,000 | 100.0 | % | ||||
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(footnotes on following page)
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Use of Proceeds
| (1) | Includes amounts payable to public shareholders who properly redeem their shares in connection with our successful completion of our initial business combination. |
| (2) | A portion of the offering expenses will be paid from the proceeds of loans from Forbion European Sponsor LLP, of up to $500,000 as described in this prospectus. To date, we have no borrowings under the promissory note with our sponsor. These amounts will be repaid upon completion of this offering out of the offering proceeds that has been allocated for the payment of offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions) and not to be held in the trust account. In the event that offering expenses are less than as set forth in this table, any such amounts will be used for post-closing working capital expenses. In the event that the offering expenses are more than as set forth in this table, we may fund such excess with funds not held in the trust account. |
| (3) | The underwriters have agreed to defer underwriting commissions of 3.5% of the gross proceeds of this offering. Upon and concurrently with the completion of our initial business combination, $3,850,000 which constitutes the underwriters’ deferred commissions (or $4,427,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be paid to the underwriters from the funds held in the trust account. See “Underwriting.” The remaining funds, less amounts released to the trustee to pay redeeming shareholders, will be released to us and can be used to pay all or a portion of the purchase price of the business or businesses with which our initial business combination occurs or for general corporate purposes, including payment of principal or interest on indebtedness incurred in connection with our initial business combination, to fund the purchases of other companies or for working capital. The underwriters will not be entitled to any interest accrued on the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions. For purposes of this “Use of Proceeds” section we have assumed that the anchor investors do not purchase any units in this offering. Units purchased by the anchor investors in this offering, if any, will not be subject to underwriting discounts and commissions. |
| (4) | These expenses are estimates only. Our actual expenditures for some or all of these items may differ from the estimates set forth herein. For example, we may incur greater legal and accounting expenses than our current estimates in connection with negotiating and structuring our initial business combination based upon the level of complexity of such business combination. In the event we identify a business combination target in a specific industry subject to specific regulations, we may incur additional expenses associated with legal due diligence and the engagement of special legal counsel. In addition, our staffing needs may vary and as a result, we may engage a number of consultants to assist with legal and financial due diligence. We do not anticipate any change in our intended use of proceeds, other than fluctuations among the current categories of allocated expenses, which fluctuations, to the extent they exceed current estimates for any specific category of expenses, would not be available for our expenses. The amount in the table above does not include interest available to us from the trust account. The proceeds held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations 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. Assuming an interest rate of 0.1% per year, we estimate the interest earned on the trust account will be approximately $112,750 per year; however, we can provide no assurances regarding this amount. |
| (5) | Assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option. |
| (6) | Includes estimated amounts that may also be used in connection with our initial business combination to fund a “no shop” provision and commitment fees for financing. |
Nasdaq rules provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants be deposited in a trust account. Of the $117,050,000 in proceeds we receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants described in this prospectus, or $134,292,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, $112,750,000 ($10.25 per unit), or $129,662,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($10.25 per unit), will be deposited into a trust account with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, including $3,850,000, or up to $4,427,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised
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Use of Proceeds
in full, in deferred underwriting compensation. We will not be permitted to withdraw any of the principal or interest held in the trust account, except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, until the earliest of (i) the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), subject to applicable law, or (iii) the redemption of our public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares. Based on current interest rates, we expect that interest income earned on the trust account (if any) will be sufficient to pay our income taxes.
The net proceeds held in the trust account may be used as consideration to pay the sellers of a target business with which we ultimately complete our initial business combination. If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination or the redemption of our public shares, we may apply the balance of the cash released from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-business combination company, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital. There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds privately or through loans in connection with our initial business combination.
We believe that amounts not held in trust, together with funds available to us from loans from our sponsor, its affiliates or members of our management team will be sufficient to pay the costs and expenses to which such proceeds are allocated. However, if our estimate of the costs of undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating a business combination is less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may be required to raise additional capital, the amount, availability and cost of which is currently unascertainable. If we are required to seek additional capital, we could seek such additional capital through loans or additional investments from our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors although they are under no obligation to advance funds to us in such circumstances.
We will reimburse our sponsor for office space, administrative, and support services provided to members of our management team, in the amount of $10,000 per month. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.
Prior to the closing of this offering, Forbion European Sponsor LLP has agreed to loan us up to $500,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. To date, we have borrowed approximately $0 under the promissory note with our sponsor. These loans are non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of December 31, 2021 and the closing of this offering. The loan will be repaid upon the closing of this offering out of the offering proceeds not held in the trust account.
In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but
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Use of Proceeds
are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. Otherwise, such loans may be repaid only out of funds held outside the trust account. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants of the post-business combination entity at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants. Except as set forth above, the terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor, its affiliates or any members of our management team as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.
If we anticipate that we may not be able to consummate our initial business combination within 18 months, and subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds into the trust account as set out below, our time to consummate a business combination shall be extended two times for an additional three months each time, for a total of up to 24 months to complete a business combination. Pursuant to the terms of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the trust agreement to be entered into between us and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company on the date of this prospectus, in order for the time available for us to consummate our initial business combination to be extended, our sponsor or its affiliates or designees, upon five business days advance notice prior to the applicable deadline, must deposit into the trust account, for each three-month extension, $1,100,000, or $1,265,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($0.10 per unit in either case), on or prior to the date of the applicable deadline, providing a total possible period of up to 24 months within which we can complete a business combination.
Any such payment would be made in the form of a non-interest bearing loan, which we would repay upon consummation of our initial business combination either out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us, or, at the lender’s discretion, convert all or a portion of such loan amounts into warrants at a price of $1.50 per warrant. These warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants. If we do not complete a business combination, we may repay such loans solely from assets not held in the trust account, if any.
Furthermore, the letter agreement with our initial shareholders contains a provision pursuant to which our sponsor has agreed to waive its right to be repaid for such loans in the event that we do not complete a business combination. Our sponsor and its affiliates or designees are not obligated to fund the trust account to extend the time for us to complete our initial business combination.
We will enter into two forward purchase agreements with the FPA Purchaser (as defined herein) concurrently with the closing of this offering, pursuant to which the FPA Purchaser will agree to purchase the forward purchase shares, in each case in a private placement that may close simultaneously with the closing of our initial business combination. The FPA Purchaser’s obligations to purchase forward purchase shares will be subject to certain conditions, including that our initial business combination must be consummated substantially concurrently with the purchase of the forward purchase shares and, in the case of the additional forward purchase shares, a requirement, among other things, that such initial business combination is reasonably acceptable to the FPA Purchaser.
The forward purchase agreements will also provide that the FPA Purchaser will be entitled to certain registration rights with respect to its forward purchase shares. The FPA Purchaser’s commitment to purchase securities pursuant to the forward purchase agreements is intended to provide us with a
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Use of Proceeds
minimum funding level for our initial business combination. The proceeds from the sale of the forward purchase shares, if any, may be used as part of the consideration to the sellers in the initial business combination, expenses in connection with our initial business combination or for working capital in the post-transaction company. Subject to the conditions in the forward purchase agreements, the purchase of the forward purchase shares will be a binding obligation of the FPA Purchaser, regardless of whether any Class A ordinary shares are redeemed by our public shareholders in connection with our initial business combination.
104
We have not paid any cash dividends on our ordinary shares to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of our initial business combination. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition subsequent to completion of our initial business combination. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to our initial business combination will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time. Further, if we incur any indebtedness in connection with a business combination, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.
105
The difference between the public offering price per Class A ordinary share, assuming no value is attributed to the warrants included in the units we are offering pursuant to this prospectus or the private placement warrants, and the pro forma net tangible book value per Class A ordinary share after this offering constitutes the dilution to investors in this offering. Such calculation does not reflect any dilution associated with the sale and exercise of warrants, including the private placement warrants, which would cause the actual dilution to the public shareholders to be higher, particularly where a cashless exercise is utilized. Net tangible book value per share is determined by dividing our net tangible book value, which is our total tangible assets less total liabilities (including the value of Class A ordinary shares which may be redeemed for cash), by the number of outstanding Class A ordinary shares.
At August 13, 2021, our net tangible book deficit was $233,052, or approximately ($0.07) per ordinary share. After giving effect to the sale of 11,000,000 Class A ordinary shares included in the units we are offering by this prospectus (or 12,650,000 Class A ordinary shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), the sale of the private placement warrants and the deduction of underwriting commissions and estimated expenses of this offering, our pro forma net tangible book deficit at August 13, 2021 would have been $2,351,941 or ($0.86) per share (or $2,929,441 or ($0.93) per share if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), representing an immediate increase in net tangible book value (as decreased by the value of 11,000,000 Class A ordinary shares that may be redeemed for cash, or 12,650,000 Class A ordinary shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) of $(0.79) per share (or $(0.86) per share if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) to our sponsor as of the date of this prospectus. Total dilution to public shareholders from this offering will be $10.86 per share (or $10.93 per share if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full).
The following table illustrates the dilution to the public shareholders on a per-share basis, assuming no value is attributed to the warrants included in the units or the private placement warrants:
Without Over-allotment | With Over-allotment | |||||||||||||||
| Public offering price | $ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 | ||||||||||||
| Net tangible book deficit before this offering | (0.07 | ) | (0.07 | ) | ||||||||||||
| Increase attributable to public shareholders | (0.79 | ) | (0.86 | ) | ||||||||||||
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| Pro forma net tangible book value after this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants | (0.86 | ) | (0.93 | ) | ||||||||||||
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| Dilution to public shareholders | $ | 10.86 | $ | 10.93 | ||||||||||||
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| Percentage of dilution to public shareholders | 108.60 | % | 109.30 | % | ||||||||||||
For purposes of presentation, we have reduced our pro forma net tangible book value after this offering (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option) by $112,750,000 because holders of up to 100.0% of our public shares may redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account at a per share redemption price equal to the amount in the trust account as set forth in our tender offer or proxy materials (initially anticipated to be the aggregate amount held in trust two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares).
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Dilution
The following table sets forth information with respect to our sponsor and the public shareholders:
| Shares Purchased | Total Consideration | Average Price per Share | ||||||||||||||||||
| Number | Percentage | Amount | Percentage | |||||||||||||||||
Class B Ordinary Shares(1) | 2,750,000 | 20.0 | % | $ | 25,000 | 0.02 | % | $ | 0.01 | |||||||||||
Public Shareholders | 11,000,000 | 80.0 | % | $ | 110,000,000 | 99.98 | % | $ | 10.00 | |||||||||||
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| 13,750,000 | 100.0 | % | $ | 110,025,000 | 100.00 | % | ||||||||||||||
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| (1) | Assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option and the corresponding forfeiture of 412,500 Class B ordinary shares held by our sponsor. |
The pro forma net tangible book value per share after this offering (assuming that the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option) is calculated as follows:
Without Over-allotment | With Over-allotment | |||||||
Numerator: | ||||||||
Net tangible book deficit before this offering | $ | (233,052 | ) | $ | (233,052 | ) | ||
Net proceeds from this offering and sale of the private placement warrants(1) | 114,230,000 | 131,142,500 | ||||||
Plus: Offering costs paid in advance, excluded from tangible book value before this offering | 251,111 | 251,111 | ||||||
Less: Deferred underwriting commissions(2) | (3,850,000 | ) | (4,427,500 | ) | ||||
Less: Proceeds held in trust subject to redemption(3) | (112,750,000 | ) | (129,662,500 | ) | ||||
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| $ | (2,351,941 | ) | $ | (2,929,441 | ) | |||
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Denominator: | ||||||||
Ordinary shares outstanding prior to this offering | 3,162,500 | 3,162,500 | ||||||
Ordinary shares forfeited if over-allotment is not exercised | (412,000 | ) | — | |||||
Ordinary shares included in the units offered | 11,000,000 | 12,650,000 | ||||||
Less: Ordinary shares subject to redemption | (11,000,000 | ) | (12,650,000 | ) | ||||
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| 2,750,000 | 3,162,500 | |||||||
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| (1) | Expenses applied against gross proceeds include offering expenses of $620,000 and underwriting commissions of $2,200,000 or $2,530,000 if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option (excluding deferred underwriting fees). See “Use of Proceeds.” |
| (2) | Assumes the anchor investors do not purchase any units in this offering. Units purchased by the anchor investors in this offering, if any, will not be subject to underwriting discounts and commissions. |
| (3) | If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase public shares or warrants in privately-negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. In the event of any such purchases of our shares prior to the completion of our initial business combination, the number of Class A ordinary shares subject to redemption will be reduced by the amount of any such purchases, increasing the pro forma net tangible book value per share. See “Proposed Business Effecting Our Initial Business Combination—Effecting Our Initial Business Combination—Permitted Purchases and Other Transactions with Respect to Our Securities.” |
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The following table sets forth our capitalization at August 13, 2021, and as adjusted to give effect to the filing of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the sale of our units in this offering and the private placement warrants and the application of the estimated net proceeds derived from the sale of such securities:
| August 13, 2021 | ||||||||
| Actual | As Adjusted(1) | |||||||
Note payable to related party(2) | $ | — | $ | — | ||||
Deferred underwriting commissions | — | 3,850,000 | ||||||
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Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value, 500,000,000 shares authorized; 0 and 11,000,000 shares are subject to possible redemption, actual and as adjusted, respectively | — | 112,750,000 | ||||||
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Shareholders’ equity: | ||||||||
Preference shares, $0.0001 par value; 5,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding, actual and as adjusted | — | — | ||||||
Class A Ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value, 500,000,000 shares authorized; 0 shares issued and outstanding (excluding 0 and 11,000,000 shares subject to possible redemption), actual and as adjusted, respectively(3) | — | | — | | ||||
Class B ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value, 50,000,000 shares authorized; 3,162,500,000 and 2,750,000 shares issued and outstanding, actual and as adjusted, respectively(3) | 316 | 275 | ||||||
Additional paid-in capital | 24,684 | | — | | ||||
Accumulated deficit | (6,941 | ) | | (2,352,216 | ) | |||
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Total shareholders’ equity | $ | 18,059 | $ | (2,351,941 | ) | |||
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Total capitalization | $ | 18,059 | $ | 114,248,059 | ||||
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| (1) | Assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option and the corresponding forfeiture of 412,500 Class B ordinary shares held by our sponsor. Excludes gross proceeds up to $20,000,000 from the sale of the forward purchase shares that may close simultaneously with the closing of our initial business combination. |
| (2) | Forbion European Sponsor LLP has agreed to loan us up to $500,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. To date, we have no borrowings under the promissory note with our sponsor. |
| (3) | Upon the completion of our initial business combination, we will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash at a per share price equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein whereby redemptions cannot cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 and any limitations (including, but not limited to, cash requirements) created by the terms of the proposed business combination. Furthermore, as it is expected that we are and will continuously be considered a Dutch tax resident, any redemption proceeds (including interest income on the trust account) distributed to our shareholders in excess of the paid-up capital for Dutch tax purposes may be subject to 15% Dutch dividend withholding tax. |
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Overview
We are a blank check company incorporated on August 9, 2021 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. We have not selected any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, our shares, debt or a combination of cash, equity and debt.
The issuance of additional shares in a business combination:
| Ø | may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in this offering, which dilution would increase if the anti-dilution provisions in the Class B ordinary shares resulted in the issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares; |
| Ø | may subordinate the rights of holders of Class A ordinary shares if preference shares are issued with rights senior to those afforded our Class A ordinary shares; |
| Ø | could cause a change in control if a substantial number of our Class A ordinary shares are issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and could result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors; |
| Ø | may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of us by diluting the share ownership or voting rights of a person seeking to obtain control of us; |
| Ø | may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our units, Class A ordinary shares and/or warrants; and |
| Ø | may not result in adjustment to the exercise price of our warrants. |
Similarly, if we issue debt or otherwise incur significant debt, it could result in:
| Ø | default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after an initial business combination are insufficient to repay our debt obligations; |
| Ø | acceleration of our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we make all principal and interest payments when due if we breach certain covenants that require the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant; |
| Ø | our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt is payable on demand; |
| Ø | our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt is outstanding; |
| Ø | our inability to pay dividends on our Class A ordinary shares; |
| Ø | using a substantial portion of our cash flow to pay principal and interest on our debt, which will reduce the funds available for dividends on our Class A ordinary shares if declared, expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate purposes; |
| Ø | limitations on our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and in the industry in which we operate; |
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| Ø | increased vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions and adverse changes in government regulation; and |
| Ø | limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, execution of our strategy and other purposes and other disadvantages compared to our competitors who have less debt. |
As indicated in the accompanying financial statements, as of August 13, 2021, we had no cash and deferred offering costs of $251,111. Further, we expect to incur significant costs in the pursuit of our initial business combination. We cannot assure you that our plans to raise capital or to complete our initial business combination will be successful.
Results of Operations and Known Trends or Future Events
We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenues to date. Our only activities since inception have been organizational activities and those necessary to prepare for this offering. Following this offering, we will not generate any operating revenues until after completion of our initial business combination. We will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on cash and cash equivalents after this offering. There has been no significant change in our financial or trading position and no material adverse change has occurred since the date of our audited financial statements. After this offering, we expect to incur increased expenses as a result of being a public company (for legal, financial reporting, accounting and auditing compliance), as well as for due diligence expenses. We expect our expenses to increase substantially after the closing of this offering.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our liquidity needs have been satisfied prior to the completion of this offering through (i) $25,000 paid by our sponsor to cover certain of our expenses in exchange for the issuance of the founder shares to our sponsor and (ii) the receipt of loans to us of up to $500,000 by Forbion European Sponsor LLP under an unsecured promissory note. To date, we have borrowed approximately $0 under the unsecured promissory note. We estimate that the net proceeds from (i) the sale of the units in this offering, after deducting estimated offering expenses of $620,000, underwriting commissions of $2,200,000 or $2,530,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full (excluding deferred underwriting commissions of $3,850,000, or $4,427,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (in each case, assuming the anchor investors do not purchase any units in this offering; units purchased by the anchor investors in this offering, if any, will not be subject to underwriting discounts and commissions), and (ii) the sale of the private placement warrants for a purchase price of $7,050,000 (or $7,792,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be $114,630,000 (or $131,542,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full). Of this amount, $112,750,000 (or $129,662,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be held in the trust account, which includes the deferred underwriting commissions described above. The proceeds held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations 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. The remaining $1,480,000 will not be held in the trust account. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $620,000, we may fund such excess with funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $620,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.
We intend to use substantially all of the funds held in the trust account, including any amounts representing interest earned on the trust account (less taxes payable and deferred underwriting
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commissions), to complete our initial business combination. We may withdraw interest income (if any) to pay income taxes, if any. Our annual income tax obligations will depend on the amount of interest and other income earned on the amounts held in the trust account. We expect the interest income earned on the amount in the trust account (if any) will be sufficient to pay our income taxes. To the extent that our equity or debt is used, in whole or in part, as consideration to complete our initial business combination, the remaining proceeds held in the trust account will be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business or businesses, make other acquisitions and pursue our growth strategies.
Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we will have available to us the $1,480,000 of proceeds held outside the trust account, as well as certain funds from loans from our sponsor, its affiliates or members of our management team. We will use these funds to primarily identify and evaluate target businesses, perform business due diligence on prospective target businesses, travel to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses or their representatives or owners, review corporate documents and material agreements of prospective target businesses, and structure, negotiate and complete a business combination.
We do not believe we will need to raise additional funds following this offering in order to meet the expenditures required for operating our business prior to our initial business combination, other than funds available from loans from our sponsor, its affiliates or members of our management team. However, if our estimates of the costs of identifying a target business, undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating an initial business combination are less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may have insufficient funds available to operate our business prior to our initial business combination. In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants of the post-business combination entity at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants. The terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor, its affiliates or our management team as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.
We expect our primary liquidity requirements during that period to include approximately $325,000 for legal, accounting, due diligence, travel and other expenses associated with structuring, negotiating and documenting successful business combinations; $100,000 for legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting obligations; $190,000 for office space, administrative and support services; $25,000 for consulting, travel and miscellaneous expenses incurred during the search for a business combination target; $75,000 for Nasdaq continued listing fees; $25,000 for general working capital that will be used for miscellaneous expenses and reserves; and $740,000 for Director & Officer liability insurance premiums.
These amounts are estimates and may differ materially from our actual expenses. In addition, we could use a portion of the funds not being placed in trust to pay commitment fees for financing, fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business or as a down payment or to fund a
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“no-shop” provision (a provision designed to keep target businesses from “shopping” around for transactions with other companies or investors on terms more favorable to such target businesses) with respect to a particular proposed business combination, although we do not have any current intention to do so. If we entered into an agreement where we paid for the right to receive exclusivity from a target business, the amount that would be used as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision would be determined based on the terms of the specific business combination and the amount of our available funds at the time. Our forfeiture of such funds (whether as a result of our breach or otherwise) could result in our not having sufficient funds to continue searching for, or conducting due diligence with respect to, prospective target businesses.
Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination, either because the transaction requires more cash than is available from the proceeds held in our trust account, or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon completion of the business combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such business combination. If we have not consummated our initial business combination within the required time period because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account.
Controls and Procedures
We are not currently required to maintain an effective system of internal controls as defined by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We will be required to comply with the internal control requirements of the Sarbanes- Oxley Act for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022. Only in the event that we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer and no longer qualify as an emerging growth company would we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on internal control over financial reporting. Further, for as long as we remain an emerging growth company as defined in the JOBS Act, we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement.
Prior to the closing of this offering, we have not completed an assessment, nor have our auditors tested our systems, of our internal controls. We expect to assess the internal controls of our target business or businesses prior to the completion of our initial business combination and, if necessary, to implement and test additional controls as we may determine are necessary in order to state that we maintain an effective system of internal controls. A target business may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding the adequacy of internal controls. Many small and mid-sized target businesses we may consider for our initial business combination may have internal controls that need improvement in areas such as:
| Ø | staffing for financial, accounting and external reporting areas, including segregation of duties; |
| Ø | reconciliation of accounts; |
| Ø | proper recording of expenses and liabilities in the period to which they relate; |
| Ø | evidence of internal review and approval of accounting transactions; |
| Ø | documentation of processes, assumptions and conclusions underlying significant estimates; and |
| Ø | documentation of accounting policies and procedures. |
Because it will take time, management involvement and perhaps outside resources to determine what internal control improvements are necessary for us to meet regulatory requirements and market
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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
expectations for our operation of a target business, we may incur significant expenses in meeting our public reporting responsibilities, particularly in the areas of designing, enhancing, or remediating internal and disclosure controls. Doing so effectively may also take longer than we expect, thus increasing our exposure to financial fraud or erroneous financing reporting.
Once our management’s report on internal controls is complete, we will retain our independent registered public accounting firm to audit and render an opinion on such report when required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The independent registered public accounting firm may identify additional issues concerning a target business’s internal controls while performing their audit of internal control over financial reporting.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
The net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account will be invested in U.S. government treasury obligations 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. Due to the short-term nature of these investments, we believe there will be no associated material exposure to interest rate risk.
Off-balance Sheet Arrangements; Commitments and Contractual Obligations; Quarterly Results
As of August 13, 2021, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of Regulation S-K and did not have any commitments or contractual obligations. No unaudited quarterly operating data is included in this prospectus as we have not conducted any operations to date.
JOBS Act
The JOBS Act contains provisions that, among other things, relax certain reporting requirements for qualifying public companies. We will qualify as an “emerging growth company” and under the JOBS Act will be allowed to comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements based on the effective date for private (not publicly traded) companies. We are electing to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards, and as a result, we may not comply with new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for non-emerging growth companies. As a result, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.
Additionally, we are in the process of evaluating the benefits of relying on the other reduced reporting requirements provided by the JOBS Act. Subject to certain conditions set forth in the JOBS Act, if, as an “emerging growth company,” we choose to rely on such exemptions we may not be required to, among other things, (i) provide an auditor’s attestation report on our system of internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, (ii) provide all of the compensation disclosure that may be required of non-emerging growth public companies under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, (iii) comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the PCAOB regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements (auditor discussion and analysis) and (iv) disclose certain executive compensation related items such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the chief executive officer’s compensation to median employee compensation. These exemptions will apply for a period of five years following the completion of our initial public offering or until we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” whichever is earlier.
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Overview
Forbion European Acquisition Corp. is a newly organized blank check company incorporated on August 9, 2021 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, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. To date, our efforts have been limited to organizational activities as well as activities related to this offering. We have not selected any specific business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target.
Founded in 2006, Forbion (“Forbion”) is a life sciences specialist venture fund manager with headquarters in Naarden, the Netherlands, and offices in Munich, Germany, and Singapore. Forbion has established itself as one of the leading brands within the European life sciences industry, supported by a successful track record and strong reputation with co-investors, entrepreneurs, and large pharmaceutical companies (“large pharma”). With 32 employees and a large network of dedicated advisors, Forbion boasts one of the largest teams of specialist investors in Europe, combining investment expertise in private and public markets with hands-on operational expertise in drug development, clinical development, and commercialization. A summary of Forbion’s track record since 2006 includes:
| Ø | An aggregate of 79 investments in Europe and the United States, of which 48 were exited to date, either through an initial public offering (“IPO”) or through an M&A process; |
| Ø | Over €30 billion in aggregate value accretion across all of its investments; |
| Ø | 15 product launches by companies supported by our investments; |
| Ø | A greater than 25% all funds’ net internal rate of return (“All Forbion Funds’ Net IRR”)3 across its funds, with over €1.5 billion in committed capital. |
Forbion’s successful track record of M&A exits include, amongst others, Enterprise Therapeutics (partially acquired by Roche in 2020), Inflazome (acquired by Roche in 2020), KaNDy (acquired by Bayer in 2020), Promedior (acquired by Roche in 2019), and Prexton (acquired by Lundbeck in 2018). Similarly, Forbion’s track record of IPOs include, amongst others, Dyne (2020), Hookipa (2019), Replimune (2018), argenx (2014), and uniQure (2014).
| 3 | Forbion calculates the All Forbion Funds’ Net IRR using a weighted average of net IRR for all Forbion Ventures and Forbion Growth funds. The net IRR of each fund includes capital drawn for fund and management expenses and excludes carried interest (e.g. net of expenses, but gross of carried interest) which Forbion believes results in a net IRR that reflects the actual cash in and cash out flows for the funds during the relevant period. The net IRR for each of the Forbion Ventures and Forbion Growth funds is measured from the date investment activity commenced and the net IRR for individual funds will be different from the All Forbion Funds’ Net IRR. There can be no assurance that the net IRR of any individual fund in the future will achieve results similar to the current All Forbion Funds’ Net IRR or the net IRR of any existing fund. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that any future business combination made by us will achieve results similar to the All Forbion Funds’ Net IRR or the net IRR of any individual funds of either Forbion Ventures or Forbion Growth. See “Risk Factors—Risks relating to our search for, and consummation of or inability to consummate, a business combination—Past performance by our management team or their respective affiliates may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in us.” |
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With direct access to the expertise of Forbion, we intend to draw upon Forbion’s broad experience, network, and team-based, multidisciplinary investment process to optimize the sourcing, evaluation, and growth acceleration of prospective target companies. We believe that access to the Forbion network would enable the members of our management team to find high-quality investment opportunities and achieve liquidity in such investments.
While we may pursue an initial business combination opportunity in any business, industry, sector or geographical location, we intend to capitalize on the ability of our management team to identify promising late-stage opportunities in the life sciences industry in Europe.
Our Sponsor and Competitive Advantage
Our sponsor will leverage its direct access to the expertise of Forbion. With over €1.5 billion of assets under management, Forbion can be considered as one of the largest dedicated life science venture capital investors in Europe. Forbion believes it is known for its strong deal pipeline in attractive market segments, its deal structuring capabilities, and having one of the largest teams of dedicated life sciences investment professionals in Europe. Specifically, the following key attributes may distinguish Forbion from other investment firms:
A European Leader in Life Sciences Investing
Forbion operates its life sciences venture capital investment business in three principal platforms:
| Ø | Bio Generation Ventures (“BGV”).4 BGV has raised over €220 million in capital from 2006 to date in four funds. The BGV funds invest in companies whose activities range from initial scientific research and drug target identification to initial stages of (pre-)clinical development. These investments also provide a source of proprietary deal flow for the later oriented funds managed by Forbion Ventures and Forbion Growth. |
| Ø | Forbion Ventures. Forbion Ventures has raised over €1.3 billion from 2006 to date in five funds, (including Forbion V, which was established in 2021). The Forbion Ventures funds invest in pre-clinical to clinical-stage companies in a two-pronged strategy: “Build” and “Enable”. The Build strategy consists of establishing new companies around known management team(s) and/or asset(s) spun-out from Pharma or academia. The Enable strategy consists of identifying maturing and established biopharma companies that are close to a significant value inflection point, typically related to drug development milestone events and where the company and the team are more established than in the Build scenario. |
| Ø | Forbion Growth. Forbion Growth was launched in 2020 and has raised €360 million in capital. Forbion Growth has devised three distinct strategies to capture the late-stage European Life Sciences opportunity; Growth capital: enabling the completion of clinical development and market readiness for phase II/III drugs to create commercially ready pharma assets. European cross-over: providing promising European biotech companies with late-stage capital and syndication with U.S. investors alongside hands-on support to grow before considering an IPO. Under-valued assets: special opportunities, typically listed on European stock exchanges with depressed market caps and in need of long-term investors that can restructure the corporate-, capital-, and development strategy of the company and focus on the select development program. |
| 4 | BGV has its own investment team and own track record. Any track record information in this document does not include any information pertaining to BGV unless expressly stated otherwise. |
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Origination of Proprietary Deal Flow
Forbion utilizes its established footprint in the European life sciences ecosystem and established relationships with large pharma to maintain a pipeline of proprietary investment opportunities. Given its size and track record, Forbion has strategic relationships with U.S.-based specialist life sciences investors. Forbion aims to position itself as a ‘lead investor of choice’ to many European life sciences companies by leveraging its relationships to assist in the formation of high-quality investor syndicates capable of supporting private companies in their transition into the public markets. Additionally, Forbion cultivates relationships with large pharma and biotech companies that provide access to development assets that are available for out-licensing. Forbion believes it is a preferred partner to these companies due to its successful track record in structuring out-licensing deals in addition to its in-house clinical development expertise. To date, Forbion has structured 25 out-licensing transactions with large pharma and biotech companies.
Furthermore, Forbion benefits from existing relationships with European companies, investors, CEOs, entrepreneurs, Boards and advisors to source investment opportunities in late-stage companies. Collectively across these channels, Forbion identified over 1,100 life sciences investment opportunities for review over the last twelve months (July 2020 – July 2021), with over 250 involving companies in later clinical stages of development.
Differentiated Focus on European Life Sciences Opportunities
Since inception, Forbion has typically targeted >70% of its investments in European life sciences opportunities, and <30% outside of Europe, primarily in North America. Forbion believes that the European market has a strong scientific base stemming from well-established academic institutes and research foundations. This base will likely continue to provide high-quality innovation and generate a growing pipeline of companies that qualify as attractive investment opportunities for Forbion. Despite an increasing number of high-quality companies, Forbion has observed a lack of specialist life sciences capital in Europe to support late-stage opportunities. Forbion Growth aims to target this perceived imbalance between supply and demand of capital and aims to invest in high-quality European companies that are valued lower than their United States peers on a comparative basis.
Despite the potential for valuation arbitrage and quality of the market, we have observed that few life sciences investors deploy a Europe-focused strategy centered on investments in late-stage companies. Additionally, to the best of our knowledge, only one other U.S. listed SPAC is primarily focusing on European life sciences opportunities. Forbion believes this dynamic helps to minimize competition for potential investment opportunities.
Large Investment Team with Significant Execution Experience
Forbion’s team consists of 21 investment professionals and 32 total employees across the Netherlands, Germany, and Singapore. Our employees comprise one of the largest investment teams at any Europe-based life sciences investment fund. Additionally, Forbion has a dedicated subset of its team through Forbion Growth focusing on late-stage investment opportunities in European life sciences, unlike most of its competitors. Forbion’s investment team brings a combination of skills in deal structuring capabilities and operational expertise in drug development. The team’s track record includes execution of private investment rounds, European and Nasdaq IPOs and follow-on financings.
Forbion Growth is supported by an Advisory Group consisting of CEOs of biotech and other companies in Europe. The Advisory Group includes:
| Ø | Jan van de Winkel, the President and CEO of Genmab; |
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| Ø | Tim Van Hauwermeiren, the CEO and co-founder of argenx; |
| Ø | Werner Lanthaler, the CEO of Evotec; |
| Ø | Onno van de Stolpe, the CEO of Galapagos; and |
| Ø | Maarten de Jong, Managing Director of Moelis & Company. |
These CEOs have successfully grown their companies and created multi-billion dollars in value. Forbion Growth seeks to benefit from their experience and advice to deploy its investment strategy.
Our Management and Board of Directors
Jasper Bos, Ph.D., our Chief Executive Officer, is a former Merck KGaA, Darmstadt Germany (“Merck”) executive and joined Forbion Growth as a General Partner in May 2021. Before joining Forbion’s Naarden-based headquarters, Jasper was Senior Vice President and Managing Director at M Ventures, leading the venture capital arm of pharmaceutical company Merck, which he joined in 2009. At M Ventures, he led a team of 21 investment professionals and with a fund size of €400 million invested in over 50 portfolio companies spanning biotech, life sciences tools, and tech companies with investment activities ranging from seed-stage to cross-over and IPO. In addition, as Country Speaker Merck Netherlands, he assumed responsibility and liaised between all Merck activities in the Netherlands. His track record as an investor includes the successful exits of Prexton Therapeutics, Epitherapeutics, Galecto, ObsEva, Translate Bio, and F-Star, and has served on multiple boards of privately-owned biotech companies. He has experience in several operational roles in portfolio companies and played a key role in the creation of multiple successful spin-out companies out of Merck. Jasper holds a Ph.D. in Pharmacy from the University of Groningen, the Netherlands.
Cyril Lesser, our Chief Financial Officer, joined Forbion in 2009 as a Controller. Prior to joining Forbion, Cyril was a Senior Account Manager at a trust office where he was responsible for a team dealing with the accounting, financial and tax aspects of several companies. Cyril holds a M.Sc. in International Financial Economics from the University of Amsterdam and a M.Sc. in Fiscal Law from the Free University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Sander Slootweg, who is a non-independent member of our board, is the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Forbion. In addition to his leading role in the investment team and the portfolio, he is responsible for fundraising, investor and public relations. On the portfolio management side, he currently serves on the boards of portfolio companies NewAmsterdam Pharma (Chair), Azafaros, Replimune (REPL), NorthSea (Chair), Xention and Oxyrane. Significant transactions for which Sander was responsible include Dezima Pharma, acquired by Amgen in 2015 for up to $1.55 billion, and Biovex, sold to Amgen in March of 2011 for up to $1 billion. In recent years, Sander has also served on the boards of Ario Pharma, Pulmagen, Fovea (sold to Sanofi in 2009), uniQure (QURE, IPO on Nasdaq in 2014), Argenta (sold to Galapagos in 2010), Alantos Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (sold to Amgen in 2007), Impella (sold to Abiomed in 2005), Pieris (IPO on Nasdaq in 2015) and has acted as the Chairman of the Board of AMT (IPO on Euronext in 2007). Before co-founding Forbion, he was an Investment Director at ABN AMRO Capital Life Sciences. His other activities at ABN AMRO included buy-out/growth equities at ABN AMRO Capital, Equity Capital Markets Syndications and Financial Institutions Relationship Management Latin America. Sander holds degrees in Business and Financial Economics from the Free University of Amsterdam and Business Administration from Nyenrode University, The Netherlands.
Wouter Joustra, who is a non-independent member of our board, joined Forbion in 2019 as a partner, currently serving as a General Partner for the Forbion Growth Fund. At Forbion, Wouter is responsible for deal origination, portfolio management and divestment strategies. Previously Wouter was
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a Senior Trader Life Sciences & Healthcare at Kempen & Co, a European investment bank with a dedicated Life Sciences & Healthcare franchise. In this role Wouter was responsible for actively running Kempen & Co’s trading portfolio, where he was involved in deal structuring, equity capital market transactions, and crossing large blocks of company shares. At Kempen & Co, Wouter was also an Executive Board member of the Life Sciences franchise, responsible for defining and executing the niche’s strategy and budgets. Wouter holds a M.Sc. in Business Administration from the University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
Philip Astley-Sparke, who is an independent non-executive member of our board, is a co-founder of Replimune Group Inc. (REPL) and has served as a member of the Board since the company’s formation in 2015 and served as Chief Executive Officer since January 2020. Previously, Philip served as Replimune’s Executive Chairman from 2015 to January 2020. From 2016 until June 2021, Philip served as Chairman of uniQure N.V. (QURE), a Nasdaq listed gene therapy company. From 2013 to 2015, Mr. Astley Sparke served as uniQure N.V.’s President of United States operations, where he established its United States infrastructure. Philip served as Vice President and General Manager at Amgen, Inc. until December 2011, following Amgen Inc.’s acquisition of BioVex Group, Inc. in March 2011. Philip was previously President and Chief Executive Officer of BioVex Group, Inc. Prior to BioVex Group, Inc., Philip was a healthcare investment banker at Chase H&Q and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Arthur Andersen LLP. Philip previously served as Chairman of the board of directors of Oxyrane Limited, a biotechnology company, from 2012 to 2020. Philip received a B.Sc. in Cellular and Molecular Pathology from Bristol University.
Hilde Steineger, Ph.D., who is an independent non-executive member of our board, is Chief Executive Officer at Staten Biotechnology B.V. and Chief Operating Officer and Co-founder of NorthSea Therapeutics B.V. Dr. Steineger previously served as Head of Strategic Innovation Management in Nutrition & Health Division of BASF (BASFY), and as Head of Global Omega-3 Innovation Management at Pronova BioPharma ASA (PVNAF), from 2013 to 2015. From 2007 to 2010, Dr. Steineger was Head of Investor Relations and subsequently Vice President Business Development at Pronova BioPharma from 2010 to 2013. She has previously held positions as Senior Associate with Neomed Management and as an equity analyst at Nordea Securities. Dr. Steineger served as a board member of Strongbridge BioPharma PLC (SBBP) from 2013 to 2021 and has previously served as a member of the board of directors of Nordic Nanovector ASA, PCI Biotech AS (PCIB), Algeta ASA, Afiew AS, Weifa AS, Inven2 AS, Alertis AS, Clavis Pharma ASA and Biotech Pharmacon ASA. Dr. Steineger holds a Ph.D. in Medical Biochemistry from University of Oslo and an M.Sc. in Molecular Biology/Biotechnology.
Ton Logtenberg, Ph.D., who is an independent non-executive member of our board, is a co-founder of Crucell N.V. (CRXL), where he served as the Chief Scientific Officer from 2000-2003 and a founder of Merus N.V. (MRUS), where he served as the CEO since 2003 and post IPO, from 2016-2020 as the President, CEO and Principal Financial Officer. Ton has extensive experience in founding biotech companies and taking them from start-up to public listing on the Nasdaq and Euronext exchanges. Since 2021, Ton is a non-executive director and Chairman of the Board of Synox Therapeutics Ltd. Ton holds a M.Sc. in Medical Biology and a Ph.D. in Molecular Immunology from the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Industry Opportunity
Our primary focus will be on the life sciences industry, which we believe represents a growing target market with a large number of potential target acquisition opportunities. With more than 5,000 diseases in need of effective treatment, and approximately 150 novel chemical entities approved in 2020 of which
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97 were approved by the European Medicines Agency and 53 by the United States Food and Drug Administration, we believe that demand for new therapies from the global healthcare industry remains high. Continued high global demand is also driven by demographic developments, such as an aging population and improving health standards worldwide. As an example, the annual prescription drug market for the United States alone is expected to grow with an annual 4% to $420 billion in 2023. We believe that these trends present a favorable opportunity for investors in clinical-stage companies within the life sciences industry, which is where Forbion has largely focused since inception.
There are a number of factors that we believe make our investment strategy particularly attractive:
Europe is Home to World-Class Science and Innovation
We believe that European scientific research quality is on par with that in the United States for the following reasons:
| Ø | Approximately one-third of the world’s top 50 universities for life sciences is located in Europe; |
| Ø | In recent years, the number of European publications of life sciences related articles has surpassed and continues to increasingly surpass the number published in the United States; and |
| Ø | In terms of granted patents, the European biotech and pharma sector matches the United States. |
Europe’s Life Sciences Market is Underfunded and Undervalued
Despite comparable scientific innovation between both geographies, the financing gap between Europe and the United States is increasing at a rapid pace. Although the venture funding in Europe increased significantly since 2012, the financing gap between Europe and the United States has been increasing rapidly over the years and has grown to around 4.0x - 5.0x in 2020. Early and late-stage funding rounds in the United States are on average 60% larger than in Europe.
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In addition to a widening funding gap, private European life sciences companies also have lower valuations relative to their United States-based peers. On average, private European life sciences companies that are early-stage and late-stage have 4.6x and 3.7x lower valuations, respectively, than their United States peers.
We believe that in addition to a potential valuation arbitrage, European life sciences companies also are attractive investment opportunities due to their leaner cost structure. Average United States salaries for life sciences professionals or life scientists are over 60% higher than in Europe.
Furthermore, in Europe, there is a greater abundance of government-provided subsidies to offset costs, including grants and equity-free funding, and tax reductions in order to encourage early-stage investment.
Large Pharma Dependence on Externally Sourced Drugs
Growing cost inefficiencies within large pharma R&D have resulted in reduced expenditure for R&D within those companies. In light of a continued need for innovation and new products, the pharmaceutical industry has become increasingly dependent on externally sourced drugs, diagnostics, and medical devices, which almost exclusively originate from investor-backed life sciences companies.
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As a result, the life sciences sector has experienced increasing levels of M&A, in particular via strategic sales. In addition to seeking to IPO, we believe that M&A has become an increasingly compelling exit option for investments in life sciences companies. Life sciences M&A transaction volumes in 2019 and 2020 were $306 billion and $159 billion respectively, with 2019 being the high water mark in recent history. We believe that there is scope for the market to continue at a similar level of activity.
Target Identification and Acquisition Strategy
With direct access to the Forbion Growth Fund team, we will benefit from our access to Forbion’s infrastructure, personnel, network and relationships. Forbion’s investment team is in regular contact with large pharma and biotech companies, global entrepreneurs and management teams, key opinion leaders, and members of the venture capital community to source new deals. Our robust screening and due diligence process includes numerous interactions with a target’s management team. We will leverage Forbion Growth’s Advisory Group, consisting of CEOs of biotech companies in Europe, as well as its broader network of key opinion leaders, entrepreneurs and leading academics. We intend to pursue, but are not limited to, the following characteristics in a potential merger target:
| Ø | Compelling risk/reward proposition, with the potential to generate a financial return; |
| Ø | Europe-based or significant footprint in Europe; |
| Ø | Therapeutics-focused, with a key product candidate in later stages of clinical development; |
| Ø | Proven management team, with track record of success; |
| Ø | Product candidate that addresses a high unmet medical need and improves patients’ lives; |
| Ø | Product candidate that serves a sizeable patient population and can deliver a pharmacoeconomic benefit; |
| Ø | High likelihood of reimbursement based on health-economic analysis; |
| Ø | Sustainable competitive edge, usually involving patent protection and regulatory status; and |
| Ø | Sustainable future financing plan including multiple exit strategies within a reasonable time frame. |
In summary, we will primarily seek to identify, but are not limited to, a company within the European life sciences industry, with a high potential product candidate or candidates in later stages of clinical development that would benefit from the capital and management support, thereby unlocking value.
With investment experience since 2006, Forbion has developed a well-tested and high-scrutiny capital deployment process relevant for investing in public markets-ready targets. Key elements of this selection process include:
| Ø | Evaluation of the commercial aspects of a transaction, including but not limited to market potential, market access, reimbursement, and the exit strategy; |
| Ø | Holistic and rigorous scientific analysis of all available clinical and preclinical data; |
| Ø | Review of regulatory interactions, with reasonable clarity on the regulatory pathway forward; |
| Ø | Review of drug development timelines, budgets, and feasibility of the overall clinical development program; |
| Ø | Evaluation of manufacturing plan and ability to satisfy market demand; |
| Ø | Full review of proprietary technology content and intellectual property; |
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| Ø | Evaluation of the quality of the management team, organizational structure, and governance structure; and |
| Ø | Validation of the unmet need, scientific hypothesis, and technology by third parties, including clinical development experts, key opinion leaders, and top scientists. |
Decisions to proceed with final negotiation and consummation of the initial business combination will be made by consensus of the management team after the completion of what we believe to be appropriate due diligence, which may encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspections of facilities, as well as reviewing financial and other information which will be made available to us. The time required for the initial business combination to advance from sourcing to final approval will vary depending on the circumstances. If our management team or Forbion has been previously following a prospective target company and has identified key challenges, open items, or pieces of information believed essential to making an investment, we will be able to leverage these insights and move quickly when our requirements are met. These criteria are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general guidelines as well as other considerations, factors and criteria that our management team may deem relevant.
Initial Business Combination
So long as our securities are then listed on the Nasdaq our initial business combination must occur with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the net assets held in the trust account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the interest earned on the trust account) at the time of signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. Our board of directors will make the determination as to the market value of our initial business combination upon standards generally accepted by the financial community. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., or FINRA, or an independent valuation or appraisal firm with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. While we consider it unlikely that our board will not be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of a target business or businesses, it may be unable to do so if the board is less familiar or experienced with the target company’s business, there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of the company’s assets or prospects, including if such company is at an early stage of development, operations or growth, or if the anticipated transaction involves a complex financial analysis or other specialized skills and the board determines that outside expertise would be helpful or necessary in conducting such analysis. Since any opinion, if obtained, would merely state that the fair market value of the target business meets the 80% of net assets threshold, unless such opinion includes material information regarding the valuation of a target business or the consideration to be provided, it is not anticipated that copies of such opinion would be distributed to our shareholders. However, if required under applicable law, any proxy statement that we deliver to shareholders and file with the SEC in connection with a proposed transaction will include such opinion.
We anticipate structuring our initial business combination so that the post-business combination company in which our public shareholders own shares will own or acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial business combination such that the post-business combination company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management
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team or shareholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-business combination company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target business sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-business combination company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-business combination company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock, shares or other equity interests of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our shareholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-business combination company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test. If the business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all the target businesses. In addition, we have agreed not to enter into a definitive agreement regarding an initial business combination without the prior consent of our sponsor. If our securities are not then listed on the Nasdaq for whatever reason, we would no longer be required to meet the foregoing 80% of net asset test.
To the extent we effect our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in such company or business. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all significant risk factors.
The time required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete our initial business combination, and the costs associated with this process, are not currently ascertainable with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of a prospective target business with which our initial business combination is not ultimately completed will result in our incurring losses and will reduce the funds we can use to complete another business combination.
Other Considerations
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor or any of our officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions that such initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.
We currently do not have any specific business combination under consideration. Our officers and directors have neither individually selected nor considered a target business nor have they had any substantive discussions regarding possible target businesses among themselves or with our underwriters or other advisors. Our management team is regularly made aware of potential business opportunities, one or more of which we may desire to pursue for a business combination, but we have not (nor has anyone on our behalf) contacted any prospective target business or had any substantive discussions, formal or otherwise, with respect to a business combination transaction with our company. Additionally,
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we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, taken any substantive measure, directly or indirectly, to identify or locate any suitable acquisition candidate for us, nor have we engaged or retained any agent or other representative to identify or locate any such acquisition candidate.
In addition, certain of our officers and directors presently have, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary and contractual duties to other entities. As a result, if any of our, officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he, she or it has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, then, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law, he, she or it will need to honor such fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity, before we can pursue such opportunity. If these other entities decide to pursue any such opportunity, we may be precluded from pursuing the same. However, we do not expect these duties to materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law: (i) no individual serving as a director or an officer shall have any duty, except and to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as us; and (ii) we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which may be a corporate opportunity for any director or officer, on the one hand, and us, on the other.
Our sponsor, officers and directors may sponsor, form or participate in other blank check companies similar to ours during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. Any such companies may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an acquisition target, particularly in the event there is overlap among investment mandates. However, we do not currently expect that any other blank check company would materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. In addition, our sponsor, officers and directors, are not required to commit any specified amount of time to our affairs, and, accordingly, will have conflicts of interest in allocating management time among various business activities, including identifying potential business combinations and monitoring the related due diligence.
Status as a Public Company
We believe our structure will make us an attractive business combination partner to target businesses. As an existing public company, we offer a target business an alternative to the traditional initial public offering through a merger or other business combination with us. In a business combination transaction with us, the owners of the target business may, for example, exchange their shares of stock in the target business for our Class A ordinary shares (or shares of a new holding company) or for a combination of our Class A ordinary shares and cash, allowing us to tailor the consideration to the specific needs of the sellers. We believe target businesses will find this method a more expeditious and cost effective method to becoming a public company than the typical initial public offering. The typical initial public offering process takes a significantly longer period of time than the typical business combination transaction process, and there are significant expenses in the initial public offering process, including underwriting discounts and commissions, that may not be present to the same extent in connection with a business combination with us.
Furthermore, once a proposed business combination is completed, the target business will have effectively become public, whereas an initial public offering is always subject to the underwriters’ ability to complete the offering, as well as general market conditions, which could delay or prevent the offering from occurring or have negative valuation consequences. Once public, we believe the target business would then have greater access to capital, an additional means of providing management incentives
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consistent with shareholders’ interests and the ability to use its shares as currency for acquisitions. Being a public company can offer further benefits by augmenting a company’s profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented employees.
While we believe that our structure and our management team’s backgrounds will make us an attractive business partner, some potential target businesses may view our status as a blank check company, such as our lack of an operating history and our ability to seek shareholder approval of any proposed initial business combination, negatively.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act. As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved, If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our Class A ordinary shares that are held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter; and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.00 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period. References herein to “emerging growth company” shall have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act.
Financial Position
With funds available for a business combination initially in the amount of $110,380,000 (assuming no redemptions and assuming no funding under the forward purchase agreements), after payment of the estimated expenses of this offering and $3,850,000 of deferred underwriting fees (or $126,715,000 after payment of the estimated expenses of this offering and $4,427,500 (assuming no redemptions and assuming no funding under the forward purchase agreements) of deferred underwriting fees if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), we offer a target business a variety of options such as creating a liquidity event for its owners, providing capital for the potential growth and expansion of its operations or strengthening its balance sheet by reducing its debt ratio. Because we are able to complete our initial business combination using our cash, debt or equity securities, or a combination of the foregoing, we have the flexibility to use the most efficient combination that will allow us to tailor the consideration to be paid to the target business to fit its needs and desires. However, we have not taken any steps to secure third-party financing and there can be no assurance it will be available to us.
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Effecting Our Initial Business Combination
General
We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any operations for an indefinite period of time following this offering. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants and the forward purchase shares, if any, our equity, debt or a combination of these as the consideration to be paid in our initial business combination. We may seek to complete our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, which would subject us to the numerous risks inherent in such companies and businesses.
We will have up to 18 months from the closing of this offering to consummate an initial business combination. However, if we anticipate that we may not be able to consummate our initial business combination within 18 months, we may, by resolution of our board if requested by our sponsor, extend the period of time to consummate a business combination two times by an additional three months each time (for a total of up to 24 months to complete a business combination), subject to the sponsor depositing additional funds into the trust account as set out below. Pursuant to the terms of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the trust agreement to be entered into between us and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company on the date of this prospectus, in order for the time available for us to consummate our initial business combination to be extended, our sponsor or its affiliates or designees, upon five business days advance notice prior to the applicable deadline, must deposit into the trust account, for each three-month extension, $1,100,000, or $1,265,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($0.10 per unit in either case) on or prior to the date of the applicable deadline, providing a total possible period of 24 months within which we can complete a business combination. Any such payment would be made in the form of non-interest bearing loans. If we complete our initial business combination, we will, at the lender’s option, repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us or convert a portion or all of the total loan amounts into warrants at a price of $1.50 per warrant, which warrants will be identical to the private warrants. If we do not complete a business combination, we will repay such loans only from any funds held outside of the trust account. In the event that we receive notice from our sponsor five business days prior to the applicable deadline of its wish for us to effect an extension, we intend to issue a press release announcing such intention at least three days prior to the applicable deadline. In addition, we intend to issue a press release the day after the applicable deadline announcing whether or not the funds had been timely deposited. Our sponsor and its affiliates or designees are not obligated to fund the trust account to extend the time for us to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to consummate an initial business combination within such time period, we will redeem 100% of our issued and outstanding public shares for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the trust account, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law and as further described herein, and then seek to dissolve and liquidate.
If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination or used for redemptions of our Class A ordinary shares, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-business combination company, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital.
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We have not selected any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions with any business combination target. Additionally, we have not engaged or retained any agent or other representative to identify or locate any suitable acquisition candidate, to conduct any research or take any measures, directly or indirectly, to locate or contact a target business, other than our officers and directors. Accordingly, there is no current basis for investors in this offering to evaluate the possible merits or risks of the target business with which we may ultimately complete our initial business combination. Although our management will assess the risks inherent in a particular target business with which we may combine, we cannot assure you that this assessment will result in our identifying all risks that a target business may encounter. Furthermore, some of those risks may be outside of our control, meaning that we can do nothing to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely affect a target business.
We may need to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination, either because the transaction requires more cash than is available from the proceeds held in our trust account, or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon completion of the business combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such business combination. There are no prohibitions on our ability to issue securities or incur debt in connection with our initial business combination. We are not currently a party to any arrangement or understanding with any third-party with respect to raising any additional funds through the sale of securities, the incurrence of debt or otherwise.
Sources of Target Businesses
We anticipate that target business candidates will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment market participants, private equity groups, investment banking firms, consultants, accounting firms and large business enterprises. Target businesses may be brought to our attention by such unaffiliated sources as a result of being solicited by us through calls or mailings. These sources may also introduce us to target businesses in which they think we may be interested on an unsolicited basis, since some of these sources will have read this prospectus and know what types of businesses we are targeting. Our officers and directors, as well as their affiliates, may also bring to our attention target business candidates that they become aware of through their business contacts as a result of formal or informal inquiries or discussions they may have, as well as attending trade shows or conventions. In addition, we expect to receive a number of proprietary deal flow opportunities that would not otherwise necessarily be available to us as a result of the business relationships of our officers and directors. While we do not presently anticipate engaging the services of professional firms or other individuals that specialize in business acquisitions on any formal basis, we may engage these firms or other individuals in the future, in which event we may pay a finder’s fee, consulting fee or other compensation to be determined in an arm’s length negotiation based on the terms of the transaction. We will engage a finder only to the extent our management determines that the use of a finder may bring opportunities to us that may not otherwise be available to us or if finders approach us on an unsolicited basis with a potential transaction that our management determines is in our best interest to pursue. Payment of finder’s fees is customarily tied to completion of a transaction, in which case any such fee will be paid out of the funds held in the trust account. In no event, however, will our sponsor or any of our existing officers or directors, or their respective affiliates paid by us any finder’s fee, consulting fee or other compensation prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the completion of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). We have agreed to pay our sponsor a total of $10,000 per month for office space, administrative, and support services and to reimburse our sponsor for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination. Some of our officers and directors may enter into employment or consulting agreements with the post-business combination company following our initial
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business combination. The presence or absence of any such fees or arrangements will not be used as a criterion in our selection process of an acquisition candidate.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor or any of our officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions that such initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.
Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have, additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities, including entities that are affiliates of our sponsor, pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. See “Management—Conflicts of Interest.”
Evaluation of a Target Business and Structuring of Our Initial Business Combination
In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct an extensive due diligence review which may encompass, as applicable and among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspection of facilities and a review of financial and other information about the target and its industry. We will also utilize our management team’s operational and capital planning experience. If we determine to move forward with a particular target, we will proceed to structure and negotiate the terms of the business combination transaction.
The time required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete our initial business combination, and the costs associated with this process, are not currently ascertainable with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of, and negotiation with, a prospective target business with which our initial business combination is not ultimately completed will result in our incurring losses and will reduce the funds we can use to complete another business combination. The company will not pay any consulting fees to members of our management team, or their respective affiliates, for services rendered to or in connection with our initial business combination. In addition, we have agreed not to enter into a definitive agreement regarding an initial business combination without the prior consent of our sponsor.
Lack of Business Diversification
For an indefinite period of time after the completion of our initial business combination, the prospects for our success may depend entirely on the future performance of a single business. Unlike other entities that have the resources to complete business combinations with multiple entities in one or several industries, it is probable that we will not have the resources to diversify our operations and mitigate the risks of being in a single line of business. By completing our initial business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may:
| Ø | subject us to negative economic, competitive and regulatory developments, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact on the particular industry in which we operate after our initial business combination; and |
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| Ø | cause us to depend on the marketing and sale of a single product or limited number of products or services. |
Limited Ability to Evaluate the Target’s Management Team
Although we intend to closely scrutinize the management of a prospective target business when evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial business combination with that business, our assessment of the target business’s management may not prove to be correct. In addition, the future management may not have the necessary skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company. Furthermore, the future role of members of our management team, if any, in the target business cannot presently be stated with any certainty. The determination as to whether any of the members of our management team will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial business combination. While it is possible that one or more of our directors will remain associated in some capacity with us following our initial business combination, it is unlikely that any of them will devote their full efforts to our affairs subsequent to our initial business combination. Moreover, we cannot assure you that members of our management team will have significant experience or knowledge relating to the operations of the particular target business.
We cannot assure you that any of our key personnel will remain in senior management or advisory positions with the combined company. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial business combination.
Following a business combination, we may seek to recruit additional managers to supplement the incumbent management of the target business. We cannot assure you that we will have the ability to recruit additional managers, or that additional managers will have the requisite skills, knowledge or experience necessary to enhance the incumbent management.
Shareholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve Our Initial Business Combination
We may conduct redemptions without a shareholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC subject to the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. However, we will seek shareholder approval if it is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement, or we may decide to seek shareholder approval for business or other reasons.
Under the Nasdaq listing rules, shareholder approval would typically be required for our initial business combination if, for example:
| Ø | We issue ordinary shares that will be equal to or in excess of 20% of the number of our ordinary shares then-outstanding (other than in a public offering); |
| Ø | Any of our directors, officers or substantial security holder (as defined by the Nasdaq rules) has a 5% or greater interest, directly or indirectly, in the target business or assets to be acquired or otherwise and the present or potential issuance of ordinary shares could result in an increase in issued and outstanding ordinary shares or voting power of 1% or more (or 5% or more if the related party involved is classified as such solely because such person is a substantial security holder); or |
| Ø | The issuance or potential issuance of ordinary shares will result in our undergoing a change of control. |
The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination in those instances in which shareholder approval is not required by law will be made by us, solely in our
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discretion, and will be based on business and reasons, which include a variety of factors, including, but not limited to:
| Ø | the timing of the transaction, including in the event we determine shareholder approval would require additional time and there is either not enough time to seek shareholder approval or doing so would place the company at a disadvantage in the transaction or result in other additional burdens on the company; |
| Ø | the expected cost of holding a shareholder vote; |
| Ø | the risk that the shareholders would fail to approve the proposed business combination; |
| Ø | other time and budget constraints of the company; and |
| Ø | additional legal complexities of a proposed business combination that would be time-consuming and burdensome to present to shareholders. |
Permitted Purchases and Other Transactions with Respect to Our Securities
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase public shares or warrants in privately-negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. Additionally, at any time at or prior to our initial business combination, subject to applicable securities laws (including with respect to material nonpublic information), our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates may enter into transactions with investors and others to provide them with incentives to acquire public shares, vote their public shares in favor of our initial business combination or not redeem their public shares. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase public shares or warrants in such transactions. If they engage in such transactions, they will be restricted from making any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act.
In the event that our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates purchase shares in privately-negotiated transactions from public shareholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights or submitted a proxy to vote against our initial business combination, such selling shareholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares and any proxy to vote against our initial business combination. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will be required to comply with such rules.
The purpose of any such transaction could be to (i) vote in favor of the business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining shareholder approval of the business combination, (ii) reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrant holders for approval in connection with our initial business combination or (iii) satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. Any such purchases of our securities may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible.
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In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our Class A ordinary shares or public warrants may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.
Our sponsor, officers, directors and/or their affiliates anticipate that they may identify the shareholders with whom our sponsor, officers, directors or their affiliates may pursue privately-negotiated transactions by either the shareholders contacting us directly or by our receipt of redemption requests submitted by shareholders (in the case of Class A ordinary shares) following our mailing of tender offer or proxy materials in connection with our initial business combination. To the extent that our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates enter into a private transaction, they would identify and contact only potential selling or redeeming shareholders who have expressed their election to redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the trust account or vote against our initial business combination, whether or not such shareholder has already submitted a proxy with respect to our initial business combination but only if such shares have not already been voted at the general meeting related to our initial business combination. Our sponsor, executive officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates will select which shareholders to purchase shares from based on the negotiated price and number of shares and any other factors that they may deem relevant, and will be restricted from purchasing shares if such purchases do not comply with Regulation M under the Exchange Act and the other federal securities laws.
Our sponsor, officers, directors and/or their affiliates will be restricted from making purchases of shares if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. We expect any such purchases would be reported by such person pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements.
Redemption Rights for Public Shareholders upon Completion of Our Initial Business Combination
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, regardless of whether such shareholder votes on such proposed initial business combination, and if they do vote, regardless of whether they vote for or against such proposed initial business combination, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. Furthermore, as it is expected that we are and will continuously be considered a Dutch tax resident, any redemption proceeds (including interest income on the trust account) distributed to our shareholders in excess of the paid-up capital for Dutch tax purposes may be subject to 15% Dutch dividend withholding tax. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.25 per public share and such amount will be increased for each three-month extension by $0.10 if we choose to extend our time to consummate an initial business combination, as described herein. The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. The redemption rights will include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our initial business combination with respect to our warrants. Further, we will not proceed with redeeming our public shares, even if a public shareholder has properly elected to redeem its shares, if a business combination does not close. Our sponsor and each member of our management team have entered into an agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares held by them in connection
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with (i) the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares.
Limitations on Redemptions
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 (so that we do not then become subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). However, the proposed business combination may require: (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash to be transferred to the target for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions in accordance with the terms of the proposed business combination. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all Class A ordinary shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the business combination or redeem any shares, and all Class A ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof.
Manner of Conducting Redemptions
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 either (i) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the business combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would require us to seek shareholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement or whether we were deemed to be a foreign private issuer (which would require a tender offer rather than seeking shareholder approval under SEC rules). Asset acquisitions and share purchases would not typically require shareholder approval while direct mergers with our company and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares or seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association would typically require shareholder approval. We currently intend to conduct redemptions in connection with a shareholder vote unless shareholder approval is not required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement or we choose to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC for business or other reasons. So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on the Nasdaq we will be required to comply with the Nasdaq rules.
If we held a shareholder vote to approve our initial business combination, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association:
| Ø | conduct the redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies, and not pursuant to the tender offer rules; and |
| Ø | file proxy materials with the SEC. |
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In the event that we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, we will distribute proxy materials and, in connection therewith, provide our public shareholders with the redemption rights described above upon completion of the initial business combination.
If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we obtain the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shareholders who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company. In such case, our sponsor and each member of our management team have agreed to vote their founder shares and public shares in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, in addition to our initial purchaser’s founder shares, we would need 4,125,001, or 37.5% (assuming all issued and outstanding shares are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised) of the 11,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved. In the event that our anchor investors (each of which is affiliated with our sponsor) purchase such units (either in this offering or after) and vote them in favor of our initial business combination, a smaller portion of affirmative votes from other public shareholders would be required to approve our initial business combination. As a result of any units that our anchor investors may purchase, they may have different interests with respect to a vote on an initial business combination than other public shareholders. If our anchor investors purchase 15% of the units sold in this offering, assuming they vote all of their shares in favor of approval of our initial business combination, we would need 2,475,001, or 22.5% (assuming all outstanding shares are voted), of the 11,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised). Each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction or vote at all. In addition, our sponsor and each member of our management team have entered into an agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares held by them in connection with (i) the completion of a business combination and (ii) a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares.
If we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association:
| Ø | conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers; and |
| Ø | file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies. |
Upon the public announcement of our initial business combination, if we elect to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, we and our sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase Class A ordinary shares in the open market, in order to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act.
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In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on public shareholders not tendering more than the number of public shares we are permitted to redeem. If public shareholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete such initial business combination.
Limitation on Redemption upon Completion of Our Initial Business Combination If We Seek Shareholder Approval
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering, which we refer to as “Excess Shares,” without our prior consent. We believe this restriction will discourage shareholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to exercise their redemption rights against a proposed business combination as a means to force us or our management to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public shareholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us, our sponsor or our management at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our shareholders’ ability to redeem no more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering without our prior consent, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of shareholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our initial business combination, particularly in connection with a business combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash.
However, we would not be restricting our shareholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination.
Tendering Share Certificates in Connection with a Tender Offer or Redemption Rights
Public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” will be required to either tender their certificates (if any) to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, mailed to such holders, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using The Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option, in each case up to two business days prior to the initially scheduled vote to approve the business combination. The proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate the applicable delivery requirements, which will include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. Accordingly, a public shareholder would have from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, or up to two business days prior to the initially scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the business combination if we distribute proxy materials, as applicable, to tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. Given the relatively short period in which to exercise redemption rights, it is advisable for shareholders to use electronic delivery of their public shares.
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There is a nominal cost associated with the above-referenced tendering process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC system. The transfer agent will typically charge the tendering broker a fee of approximately $80.00 and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the redeeming holder. However, this fee would be incurred regardless of whether or not we require holders seeking to exercise redemption rights to tender their shares. The need to deliver shares is a requirement of exercising redemption rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated.
In order to perfect redemption rights in connection with their business combinations, many blank check companies would distribute proxy materials for the shareholders’ vote on an initial business combination, and a holder could simply vote against a proposed business combination and check a box on the proxy card indicating such holder was seeking to exercise his or her redemption rights. After the business combination was approved, the company would contact such shareholder to arrange for him or her to deliver his or her certificate to verify ownership. As a result, the shareholder then had an “option window” after the completion of the business combination during which he or she could monitor the price of the company’s shares in the market. If the price rose above the redemption price, he or she could sell his or her shares in the open market before actually delivering his or her shares to the company for cancellation. As a result, the redemption rights, to which shareholders were aware they needed to commit before the general meeting, would become “option” rights surviving past the completion of the business combination until the redeeming holder delivered its certificate. The requirement for physical or electronic delivery prior to the meeting ensures that a redeeming shareholder’s election to redeem is irrevocable once the business combination is approved.
Any request to redeem such shares, once made, may be withdrawn at any time up to two business days prior to the initially scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the business combination, unless otherwise agreed to by us. Furthermore, if a holder of a public share delivered its certificate in connection with an election of redemption rights and subsequently decides prior to the applicable date not to elect to exercise such rights, such holder may simply request that the transfer agent return the certificate (physically or electronically). It is anticipated that the funds to be distributed to holders of our public shares electing to redeem their shares will be distributed promptly after the completion of our initial business combination.
If our initial business combination is not approved or completed for any reason, then our public shareholders who elected to exercise their redemption rights would not be entitled to redeem their shares for the applicable pro rata share of the trust account. In such case, we will promptly return any certificates delivered by public holders who elected to redeem their shares.
If our initial proposed business combination is not completed, we may continue to try to complete a business combination with a different target until 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus).
Redemption of Public Shares and Liquidation If No Initial Business Combination
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that we will have only 18 months from the closing of this offering to consummate an initial business combination (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus). If we have not consummated an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we
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extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus) to consummate an initial business combination. If we have not consummated an initial business combination by such date, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem 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 earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses and any withholding taxes) divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to consummate an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or prior to up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination , subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus). Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that, if we wind up for any other reason prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, we will follow the foregoing procedures with respect to the liquidation of the trust account as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, subject to applicable Cayman Islands law.
Our sponsor and each member of our management team have entered into an agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares they hold if we fail to consummate an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus) (although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame).
Our sponsor, executive officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares, unless we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares. However, we may not redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 (so that we do not then become subject to the
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SEC’s “penny stock” rules). If this optional redemption right is exercised with respect to an excessive number of public shares such that we cannot satisfy the net tangible asset requirement, we would not proceed with the amendment or the related redemption of our public shares at such time. This redemption right shall apply in the event of the approval of any such amendment, whether proposed by our sponsor, any executive officer or director, or any other person.
We expect that all costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, as well as payments to any creditors, will be funded from amounts remaining out of the $1,480,000 held outside the trust account plus up to $100,000 of funds from the trust account available to us to pay dissolution expenses, although we cannot assure you that there will be sufficient funds for such purpose.
If we were to expend all of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, other than the funds held in the trust account, and without taking into account interest, if any, earned on the trust account, the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders upon our dissolution would be $10.25 (assuming the period of time to consummate an initial business combination is not extended as provided for herein). The proceeds funds held in the trust account could, however, become subject to the claims of our creditors which would have higher priority than the claims of our public shareholders. We cannot assure you that the actual per-share redemption amount received by shareholders will not be less than $10.25. While we intend to pay such amounts, if any, we cannot assure you that we will have funds sufficient to pay or provide for all creditors’ claims.
Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public shareholders, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements or even if they execute such agreements that they would be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account including, but not limited, to fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain an advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third-party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management will perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will only enter into an agreement with a third-party that has not executed a waiver if management believes that such third-party’s engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative. Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third-party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third-party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where management is unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. UBS Securities LLC and Kempen & Co. USA, Inc. will not execute an agreement with us waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. In order to protect the amounts held in the trust account, our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third-party (other than Marcum LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm) for services rendered or products sold to us (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amounts in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.25 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account if less than $10.25 per public share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest that may be withdrawn to pay our tax obligations, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third-
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party or prospective target business that executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account nor will it apply to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. In the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third-party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. However, we have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and we believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below the lesser of (i) $10.25 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account if less than $10.25 per public share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay our income tax obligations, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its indemnification obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so in any particular instance. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that due to claims of creditors the actual value of the per-share redemption price will not be less than $10.25 per public share.
We will seek to reduce the possibility that our sponsor will have to indemnify the trust account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses or other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the trust account. Our sponsor will also not be liable as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. We will have access to up to $1,480,000 following this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants with which to pay any such potential claims (including costs and expenses incurred in connection with our liquidation, currently estimated to be no more than approximately $100,000). In the event that we liquidate and it is subsequently determined that the reserve for claims and liabilities is insufficient, shareholders who received funds from our trust account could be liable for claims made by creditors, however such liability will not be greater than the amount of funds from our trust account received by any such shareholder. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $620,000, we may fund such excess with funds from the funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $620,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.
If we file a bankruptcy or winding-up petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or winding-up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the funds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy or insolvency law, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our shareholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, we cannot assure you we will be able to return $10.25 per public share to our public shareholders. Additionally, if we file a bankruptcy or winding-up petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or winding-up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by
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shareholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy or insolvency laws as either a “preferential transfer” or a “fraudulent conveyance.” As a result, a bankruptcy or insolvency court could seek to recover some or all amounts received by our shareholders. Furthermore, our board of directors may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, and thereby exposing itself and our company to claims of punitive damages, by paying public shareholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors. We cannot assure you that claims will not be brought against us for these reasons.
Our public shareholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only (i) in the event of the redemption of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), (ii) in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares, or (iii) if they redeem their respective shares for cash upon the completion of the initial business combination. Public shareholders who redeem their Class A ordinary shares in connection with a shareholder vote described in clause (ii) in the preceding sentence shall not be entitled to funds from the trust account upon the subsequent completion of an initial business combination or liquidation if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), with respect to such Class A ordinary shares so redeemed. In no other circumstances will a shareholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account. In the event we seek shareholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, a shareholder’s voting in connection with the business combination alone will not result in a shareholder’s redeeming its shares to us for an applicable pro rata share of the trust account. Such shareholder must have also exercised its redemption rights described above. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, like all provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, may be amended with a shareholder vote.
Comparison of Redemption or Purchase Prices in Connection with Our Initial Business Combination and If We Fail to Complete Our Initial Business Combination.
The following table compares the redemptions and other permitted purchases of public shares that may take place in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business
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combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus):
| Redemptions in Connection with Our Initial Business Combination | Other Permitted Purchases of Public Shares by Our Affiliates | Redemptions if We Fail to Complete an Initial Business Combination | ||||
Calculation of redemption price | Redemptions at the time of our initial business combination may be made pursuant to a tender offer or in connection with a shareholder vote. The redemption price will be the same whether we conduct redemptions pursuant to a tender offer or in connection with a shareholder vote. In either case, our public shareholders may redeem their public shares for cash equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination (which is initially anticipated to be $10.25 per public share, assuming the period of time to consummate an initial business combination is not extended as provided herein), including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, subject to the limitation that no redemptions will take | If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares in privately-negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following completion of our initial business combination. There is no limit to the prices that our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may pay in these transactions. If they engage in such transactions, they will be restricted from making any such purchases when they are in possession of any material nonpublic information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at | If we have not consummated an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), we will redeem all public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount, then on deposit in the trust account (which is initially anticipated to be $10.25 per public share, assuming the period of time to consummate an initial business combination is not extended as provided herein), including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares. |
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| Redemptions in Connection with Our Initial Business Combination | Other Permitted Purchases of Public Shares by Our Affiliates | Redemptions if We Fail to Complete an Initial Business Combination | ||||
| place if all of the redemptions would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 and any limitations (including, but not limited, to cash requirements) agreed to in connection with the negotiation of terms of a proposed business combination. | the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will be required to comply with such rules. | |||||
Impact to remaining shareholders | The redemptions in connection with our initial business combination will reduce the book value per share for our remaining shareholders, who will bear the burden of the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable. | If the permitted purchases described above are made, there would be no impact to our remaining shareholders because the purchase price would not be paid by us. | The redemption of our public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination will reduce the book value per share for the shares held by our sponsor, who will be our only remaining shareholder after such redemptions. | |||
Comparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419
The following table compares the terms of this offering to the terms of an offering by a blank check company subject to the provisions of Rule 419. This comparison assumes that the gross proceeds, underwriting commissions and underwriting expenses of our offering would be identical to those of an offering undertaken by a company subject to Rule 419, and that the underwriters will not exercise their over-allotment option. None of the provisions of Rule 419 apply to our offering.
| Terms of Our Offering | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering | |||
| Escrow of offering proceeds | $112,750,000 of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants will be deposited into a trust account located in the United States with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee. | $87,300,000 of the offering proceeds, would be required to be deposited into either an escrow account with an insured depositary institution or in a separate bank account established by a broker-dealer in which the broker- dealer acts as trustee for persons having the beneficial interests in the account. |
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| Terms of Our Offering | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering | |||
| Investment of net proceeds | $112,750,000 of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants held in trust will be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations 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. | Proceeds could be invested only in specified securities such as a money market fund meeting conditions of the Investment Company Act or in securities that are direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed as to principal or interest by, the United States. | ||
Receipt of interest on escrowed funds | Interest income (if any) on proceeds from the trust account to be paid to shareholders is reduced by (i) any income taxes paid or payable and any withholding tax and (ii) in the event of our liquidation for failure to complete our initial business combination within the allotted time, up to $100,000 of net interest that may be released to us should we have no or insufficient working capital to fund the costs and expenses of our dissolution and liquidation. | Interest income on funds in escrow account would be held for the sole benefit of investors, unless and only after the funds held in escrow were released to us in connection with our completion of a business combination. | ||
Limitation on fair value or net assets of target business | The Nasdaq rules require that our initial business combination must occur with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of our assets held in the trust account (excluding the amount of deferred underwriting commissions held in trust and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of signing the agreement to enter into the initial business combination. If our securities are not then listed on the Nasdaq for whatever reason, we would no longer be required to meet the foregoing 80% of net asset test. | The fair value or net assets of a target business must represent at least 80% of the maximum offering proceeds. | ||
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| Terms of Our Offering | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering | |||
| Trading of securities issued | The units are expected to begin trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. The Class A ordinary shares and warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus (or the immediately following business day if such 52nd day is not a business day) unless UBS Securities LLC and Kempen & Co. USA, Inc. inform us of their decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering. If the over-allotment option is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the over-allotment option. | No trading of the units or the underlying Class A ordinary shares and warrants would be permitted until the completion of a business combination. During this period, the securities would be held in the escrow or trust account. | ||
| The units will automatically separate into their component parts and will not be traded after completion of our initial business combination. | ||||
| Exercise of the warrants | The warrants cannot be exercised until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. | The warrants could be exercised prior to the completion of a business combination, but securities received and cash paid in connection with the exercise would be deposited in the escrow or trust account. | ||
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| Terms of Our Offering | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering | |||
| Election to remain an investor | We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash at a per share price equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein. We may not be required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement to hold a shareholder vote. If we are not required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement and do not otherwise decide to hold a shareholder vote, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC and file tender offer documents with the SEC which will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules. If, however, we hold a shareholder vote, we will, like many blank check companies, offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. If we seek | A prospectus containing information pertaining to the business combination required by the SEC would be sent to each investor. Each investor would be given the opportunity to notify the company in writing, within a period of no less than 20 business days and no more than 45 business days from the effective date of a post- effective amendment to the company’s registration statement, to decide if he, she or it elects to remain a shareholder of the company or require the return of his, her or its investment. If the company has not received the notification by the end of the 45th business day, funds and interest or dividends, if any, held in the trust or escrow account are automatically returned to the shareholder. Unless a sufficient number of investors elect to remain investors, all funds on deposit in the escrow account must be returned to all of the investors and none of the securities are issued. | ||
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| Terms of Our Offering | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering | |||
| shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we obtain the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shareholders who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company. Additionally, each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction or vote at all. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require that at least five days’ notice will be given of any such general meeting. | ||||
| Business combination deadline | If we have not consummated an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, 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 earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) | If an acquisition has not been completed within 18 months after the effective date of the company’s registration statement, funds held in the trust or escrow account are returned to investors. | ||
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| Terms of Our Offering | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering | |||
divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. | ||||
| Release of funds | Except for the withdrawal of interest income (if any) to pay our income taxes, if any, none of the funds held in trust will be released from the trust account until the earliest of:
(i) the completion of our initial business combination,
(ii) the redemption of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering, (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus) subject to applicable law, and
(iii) the redemption of our public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment | The proceeds held in the escrow account are not released until the earlier of the completion of a business combination or the failure to effect a business combination within the allotted time. | ||
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| Terms of Our Offering | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering | |||
| to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares. |
Competition
In identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business for our initial business combination, we may encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including other blank check companies, private equity groups and leveraged buyout funds, public companies, operating businesses seeking strategic acquisitions. Many of these entities are well established and have extensive experience identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Moreover, many of these competitors possess greater financial, technical, human and other resources than us. Our ability to acquire larger target businesses will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of a target business. Furthermore, our obligation to pay cash in connection with our public shareholders who exercise their redemption rights may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination and our outstanding warrants, and the future dilution they potentially represent, may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses. Either of these factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating an initial business combination.
Facilities
We currently maintain our executive offices at 4001 Kennett Pike, Suite 302 Wilmington, Delaware 19807. The cost for our use of this space is included in the $10,000 per month fee we will pay to our sponsor for office space, administrative and support services. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.
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Employees
We currently have two executive officers. These individuals are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters but they intend to devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time they will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the stage of the business combination process we are in. We do not intend to have any full time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination.
Periodic Reporting and Financial Information
We will register our units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants under the Exchange Act and have reporting obligations, including the requirement that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with the SEC. In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, our annual reports will contain financial statements audited and reported on by our independent registered public accountants.
We will provide shareholders with audited financial statements of the prospective target business as part of the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, sent to shareholders. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with, or reconciled to, GAAP, or IFRS, depending on the circumstances, and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may acquire because some targets may be unable to provide such statements in time for us to disclose such statements in accordance with federal proxy rules and complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame. We cannot assure you that any particular target business identified by us as a potential acquisition candidate will have financial statements prepared in accordance with the requirements outlined above, or that the potential target business will be able to prepare its financial statements in accordance with the requirements outlined above. To the extent that these requirements cannot be met, we may not be able to acquire the proposed target business. While this may limit the pool of potential acquisition candidates, we do not believe that this limitation will be material.
We will be required to evaluate our internal control procedures for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022 as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer and no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, will we not be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. A target business may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of their internal controls. The development of the internal controls of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such acquisition.
Prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we filed a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Exchange Act. As a result, we are subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act. We have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent to the consummation of our initial business combination.
We are a Cayman Islands exempted company. Exempted companies are Cayman Islands companies conducting business mainly outside the Cayman Islands and, as such, are exempted from complying with certain provisions of the Companies Act. As an exempted company, we have applied for and received a
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tax exemption undertaking from the Cayman Islands government that, in accordance with Section 6 of the Tax Concessions Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands, for a period of 20 years from the date of the undertaking, no law which is enacted in the Cayman Islands imposing any tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations will apply to us or our operations and, in addition, that no tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations or which is in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax will be payable (i) on or in respect of our shares, debentures or other obligations or (ii) by way of the withholding in whole or in part of a payment of dividend or other distribution of income or capital by us to our shareholders or a payment of principal or interest or other sums due under a debenture or other obligation of us.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2012, or the Sarbanes Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our Class A ordinary shares that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period.
Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of any fiscal year for so long as either (1) the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates did not equal or exceed $250 million as of the prior June 30, or (2) our annual revenues did not equal or exceed $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates did not equal or exceed $700 million as of the prior June 30.
Legal Proceedings
There is no material litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding currently pending against us or any members of our management team in their capacity as such.
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Officers and Directors
Our officers and directors are as follows:
| Name | Age | Position | ||
Jasper Bos | 46 | Chief Executive Officer | ||
Cyril Lesser | 45 | Chief Financial Officer | ||
Sander Slootweg | 51 | Director | ||
Wouter Joustra | 33 | Director | ||
Philip Astley-Sparke | 50 | Director | ||
Hilde Steineger | 55 | Director | ||
Ton Logtenberg | 63 | Director |
Jasper Bos, Ph.D., our Chief Executive Officer, is a former Merck executive and joined Forbion Growth as a General Partner in May 2021. Before joining Forbion’s Naarden-based headquarters, Jasper was Senior Vice President and Managing Director at M Ventures, leading the venture capital arm of pharmaceutical company Merck, which he joined in 2009. At M Ventures, he led a team of 21 investment professionals and with a fund size of €400 million invested in over 50 portfolio companies spanning biotech, life sciences tools, and tech companies with investment activities ranging from seed-stage to cross-over and IPO. In addition, as Country Speaker Merck Netherlands, he assumed responsibility and liaised between all Merck activities in the Netherlands. His track record as an investor includes the successful exits of Prexton Therapeutics, Epitherapeutics, Galecto, ObsEva, Translate Bio, and F-Star, and has served on multiple boards of privately-owned biotech companies. He has experience in several operational roles in portfolio companies and played a key role in the creation of multiple successful spin-out companies out of Merck. Jasper holds a Ph.D. in Pharmacy from the University of Groningen, the Netherlands.
Cyril Lesser, our Chief Financial Officer, joined Forbion in 2009 as a Controller. Prior to joining Forbion, Cyril was a Senior Account Manager at a trust office where he was responsible for a team dealing with the accounting, financial and tax aspects of several companies. Cyril holds a M.Sc. in International Financial Economics from the University of Amsterdam and a M.Sc. in Fiscal Law from the Free University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Sander Slootweg, who is a non-independent member of our board, is the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Forbion. In addition to his leading role in the investment team and the portfolio, he is responsible for fundraising, investor and public relations. On the portfolio management side, he currently serves on the boards of portfolio companies NewAmsterdam Pharma (Chair), Azafaros, Replimune (REPL), NorthSea (Chair), Xention and Oxyrane. Significant transactions for which Sander was responsible include Dezima Pharma, acquired by Amgen in 2015 for up to $1.55 billion, and Biovex, sold to Amgen in March of 2011 for up to $1 billion. In recent years, Sander has also served on the boards of Ario Pharma, Pulmagen, Fovea (sold to Sanofi in 2009), uniQure (QURE, IPO on Nasdaq in 2014), Argenta (sold to Galapagos in 2010), Alantos Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (sold to Amgen in 2007), Impella (sold to Abiomed in 2005), Pieris (IPO on Nasdaq in 2015) and has acted as the Chairman of the Board of AMT (IPO on Euronext in 2007). Before co-founding Forbion, he was an Investment Director at ABN AMRO Capital Life Sciences. His other activities at ABN AMRO included buy-out/growth
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equities at ABN AMRO Capital, Equity Capital Markets Syndications and Financial Institutions Relationship Management Latin America. Sander holds degrees in Business and Financial Economics from the Free University of Amsterdam and Business Administration from Nyenrode University, The Netherlands.
Wouter Joustra, who is a non-independent member of our board, joined Forbion in 2019 as a partner, currently serving as a General Partner for the Forbion Growth Fund. At Forbion, Wouter is responsible for deal origination, portfolio management and divestment strategies. Previously Wouter was a Senior Trader Life Sciences & Healthcare at Kempen & Co, a European investment bank with a dedicated Life Sciences & Healthcare franchise. In this role Wouter was responsible for actively running Kempen & Co’s trading portfolio, where he was involved in deal structuring, equity capital market transactions, and crossing large blocks of company shares. At Kempen & Co, Wouter was also an Executive Board member of the Life Sciences franchise, responsible for defining and executing the niche’s strategy and budgets. Wouter holds a M.Sc. in Business Administration from the University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
Philip Astley-Sparke, who is an independent non-executive member of our board, is a co-founder of Replimune Group Inc. (REPL) and has served as a member of the Board since the company’s formation in 2015 and served as Chief Executive Officer since January 2020. Previously, Philip served as Replimune’s Executive Chairman from 2015 to January 2020. From 2016 until June 2021, Philip served as Chairman of uniQure N.V. (QURE), a Nasdaq listed gene therapy company. From 2013 to 2015, Mr. Astley Sparke served as uniQure N.V.’s President of United States operations, where he established its United States infrastructure. Philip served as Vice President and General Manager at Amgen, Inc. until December 2011, following Amgen Inc.’s acquisition of BioVex Group, Inc. in March 2011. Philip was previously President and Chief Executive Officer of BioVex Group, Inc. Prior to BioVex Group, Inc., Philip was a healthcare investment banker at Chase H&Q and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Arthur Andersen LLP. Philip previously served as Chairman of the board of directors of Oxyrane Limited, a biotechnology company, from 2012 to 2020. Philip received a B.Sc. in Cellular and Molecular Pathology from Bristol University.
Hilde Steineger, Ph.D., who is an independent non-executive member of our board, is Chief Executive Officer at Staten Biotechnology B.V. and Chief Operating Officer and Co-founder of NorthSea Therapeutics B.V. Dr. Steineger previously served as Head of Strategic Innovation Management in Nutrition & Health Division of BASF (BASFY), and as Head of Global Omega-3 Innovation Management at Pronova BioPharma ASA (PVNAF), from 2013 to 2015. From 2007 to 2010, Dr. Steineger was Head of Investor Relations and subsequently Vice President Business Development at Pronova BioPharma from 2010 to 2013. She has previously held positions as Senior Associate with Neomed Management and as an equity analyst at Nordea Securities. Dr. Steineger served as a board member of Strongbridge BioPharma PLC (SBBP) from 2013 to 2021 and has previously served as a member of the board of directors of Nordic Nanovector ASA, PCI Biotech AS (PCIB), Algeta ASA, Afiew AS, Weifa AS, Inven2 AS, Alertis AS, Clavis Pharma ASA and Biotech Pharmacon ASA. Dr. Steineger holds a Ph.D. in Medical Biochemistry from University of Oslo and an M.Sc. in Molecular Biology/Biotechnology.
Ton Logtenberg, Ph.D., who is an independent non-executive member of our board, is a co-founder of Crucell N.V. (CRXL), where he served as the Chief Scientific Officer from 2000-2003 and a founder of Merus N.V. (MRUS), where he served as the CEO since 2003 and post IPO, from 2016-2020 as the President, CEO and Principal Financial Officer. Ton has extensive experience in founding biotech companies and taking them from start-up to public listing on the Nasdaq and Euronext exchanges. Since
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2021, Ton is a non-executive director and Chairman of the Board of Synox Therapeutics Ltd. Ton holds a M.Sc. in Medical Biology and a Ph.D. in Molecular Immunology from the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Number and Terms of Office of Officers and Directors
Our board of directors is divided into three classes, with only one class of directors being appointed in each year, and with each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual general meeting) serving a three-year term. In accordance with the Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on the Nasdaq. The term of office of the first class of directors, consisting of Philip Astley-Sparke and Ton Logtenberg, will expire at our first annual general meeting. The term of office of the second class of directors, consisting of Sander Slootweg and Hilde Steineger, will expire at our second annual general meeting. The term of office of the third class of directors, consisting of Wouter Joustra, will expire at our third annual general meeting.
Prior to the completion of an initial business combination, any vacancy on the board of directors may be filled by a nominee chosen by holders of a majority of our founder shares. In addition, prior to the completion of an initial business combination, holders of a majority of our founder shares may remove a member of the board of directors for any reason.
Pursuant to an agreement to be entered into on or prior to the closing of this offering, our sponsor, upon and following consummation of an initial business combination, will be entitled to nominate three individuals for appointment to our board of directors, as long as the sponsor holds any securities covered by the registration and shareholder rights agreement.
Our officers are appointed by the board of directors and serve at the discretion of the board of directors, rather than for specific terms of office. Our board of directors is authorized to appoint persons to the offices set forth in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association as it deems appropriate. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that our officers may consist of one or more chairman of the board, chief executive officer, president, chief financial officer, vice presidents, secretary, treasurer and such other offices as may be determined by the board of directors.
Director Independence
Nasdaq listing standards require that a majority of our board of directors be independent. Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we expect to have three “independent directors” as defined in the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules prior to completion of this offering. Our board of directors has determined that Philip Astley-Sparke, Hilde Steineger and Ton Logtenberg are “independent directors” as defined in the Nasdaq listing standards. Our independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.
Executive Officer and Director Compensation
For services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, each of our independent board members will receive an annual salary of $25,000 from our sponsor. Other than these payments, none of our executive officers or directors have received or will receive any cash compensation for services rendered to us. Commencing on the date that our securities are first listed on the Nasdaq through the earlier of consummation of our initial business combination
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and our liquidation, we will reimburse our sponsor for office space, administrative, and support services provided to us in the amount of $10,000 per month. In addition, our sponsor, executive officers and directors, or their respective affiliates will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, executive officers or directors, or their affiliates. Any such payments prior to an initial business combination will be made using funds held outside the trust account. Other than quarterly audit committee review of such reimbursements, we do not expect to have any additional controls in place governing our reimbursement payments to our directors and executive officers for their out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with our activities on our behalf in connection with identifying and consummating an initial business combination. Other than these payments and reimbursements, no compensation of any kind, including finder’s and consulting fees, will be paid by the company to our sponsor, executive officers and directors, or their respective affiliates, prior to completion of our initial business combination.
After the completion of our initial business combination, directors or members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting or management fees from the combined company. All of these fees will be fully disclosed to shareholders, to the extent then known, in the proxy solicitation materials or tender offer materials furnished to our shareholders in connection with a proposed business combination. We have not established any limit on the amount of such fees that may be paid by the combined company to our directors or members of management. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of the proposed business combination, because the directors of the post-combination business will be responsible for determining executive officer and director compensation. Any compensation to be paid to our executive officers will be determined, or recommended to the board of directors for determination, either by a compensation committee constituted solely by independent directors or by a majority of the independent directors on our board of directors.
We do not intend to take any action to ensure that members of our management team maintain their positions with us after the consummation of our initial business combination, although it is possible that some or all of our executive officers and directors may negotiate employment or consulting arrangements to remain with us after our initial business combination. The existence or terms of any such employment or consulting arrangements to retain their positions with us may influence our management’s motivation in identifying or selecting a target business but we do not believe that the ability of our management to remain with us after the consummation of our initial business combination will be a determining factor in our decision to proceed with any potential business combination. We are not party to any agreements with our executive officers and directors that provide for benefits upon termination of employment.
Committees of the Board of Directors
Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, our board of directors will have three standing committees: an audit committee, a nominating committee and a compensation committee. Subject to phase-in rules and a limited exception, the rules of the Nasdaq and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act require that the audit committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors. Subject to phase-in rules and a limited exception, the rules of the Nasdaq require that the compensation committee and the nominating committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors.
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Audit Committee
Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish an audit committee of the board of directors. Philip Astley-Sparke, Hilde Steineger and Ton Logtenberg will serve as members of our audit committee. Our board of directors has determined that each of Philip Astley-Sparke, Hilde Steineger and Ton Logtenberg are independent under the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules. Hilde Steineger will serve as the Chairman of the audit committee. Under the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules, all the directors on the audit committee must be independent. Each member of the audit committee is financially literate and our board of directors has determined that Hilde Steineger qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules.
The audit committee is responsible for:
| Ø | meeting with our independent registered public accounting firm regarding, among other issues, audits, and adequacy of our accounting and control systems; |
| Ø | monitoring the independence of the independent registered public accounting firm; |
| Ø | verifying the rotation of the lead (or coordinating) audit partner having primary responsibility for the audit and the audit partner responsible for reviewing the audit as required by law; |
| Ø | inquiring and discussing with management our compliance with applicable laws and regulations; |
| Ø | pre-approving all audit services and permitted non-audit services to be performed by our independent registered public accounting firm, including the fees and terms of the services to be performed; |
| Ø | appointing or replacing the independent registered public accounting firm; |
| Ø | determining the compensation and oversight of the work of the independent registered public accounting firm (including resolution of disagreements between management and the independent registered public accounting firm regarding financial reporting) for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or related work; |
| Ø | establishing procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by us regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or reports which raise material issues regarding our financial statements or accounting policies; |
| Ø | monitoring compliance on a quarterly basis with the terms of this offering and, if any noncompliance is identified, immediately taking all action necessary to rectify such noncompliance or otherwise causing compliance with the terms of this offering; and |
| Ø | reviewing and approving all payments made to our existing shareholders, executive officers or directors and their respective affiliates. Any payments made to members of our audit committee will be reviewed and approved by our board of directors, with the interested director or directors abstaining from such review and approval. |
Nominating Committee
Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish a nominating committee of our board of directors. The members of our nominating committee will be Philip Astley-Sparke, Hilde Steineger and Ton Logtenberg. Ton Logtenberg will serve as chairman of the nominating committee. Under the Nasdaq listing standards, we are required to have a nominating committee composed entirely of independent directors. Our board of directors has determined that each of Philip Astley-Sparke, Hilde Steineger and Ton Logtenberg are independent.
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The nominating committee is responsible for overseeing the selection of persons to be nominated to serve on our board of directors. The nominating committee considers persons identified by its members, management, shareholders, investment bankers and others.
Guidelines for Selecting Director Nominees
The guidelines for selecting nominees, which will be specified in a charter to be adopted by us, generally will provide that persons to be nominated:
| Ø | should have demonstrated notable or significant achievements in business, education or public service; |
| Ø | should possess the requisite intelligence, education and experience to make a significant contribution to the board of directors and bring a range of skills, diverse perspectives and backgrounds to its deliberations; and |
| Ø | should have the highest ethical standards, a strong sense of professionalism and intense dedication to serving the interests of the shareholders. |
The nominating committee will consider a number of qualifications relating to management and leadership experience, background and integrity and professionalism in evaluating a person’s candidacy for membership on the board of directors. The nominating committee may require certain skills or attributes, such as financial or accounting experience, to meet specific board needs that arise from time to time and will also consider the overall experience and makeup of its members to obtain a broad and diverse mix of board members. The nominating committee does not distinguish among nominees recommended by shareholders and other persons.
Compensation Committee
Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish a compensation committee of our board of directors. The members of our compensation committee will be Philip Astley-Sparke, Hilde Steineger and Ton Logtenberg. Philip Astley-Sparke will serve as chairman of the compensation committee.
Under the Nasdaq listing standards, we are required to have a compensation committee composed entirely of independent directors. Our board of directors has determined that each of Philip Astley-Sparke, Hilde Steineger and Ton Logtenberg are independent. We will adopt a compensation committee charter, which will detail the principal functions of the compensation committee, including:
| Ø | reviewing and approving on an annual basis the corporate goals and objectives relevant to our Chief Executive Officer’s compensation, evaluating our Chief Executive Officer’s performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration (if any) of our Chief Executive Officer based on such evaluation; |
| Ø | reviewing and approving the compensation of all of our other Section 16 executive officers; |
| Ø | reviewing our executive compensation policies and plans; |
| Ø | implementing and administering our incentive compensation equity-based remuneration plans; |
| Ø | assisting management in complying with our proxy statement and annual report disclosure requirements; |
| Ø | approving all special perquisites, special cash payments and other special compensation and benefit arrangements for our executive officers and employees; |
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| Ø | producing a report on executive compensation to be included in our annual proxy statement; and |
| Ø | reviewing, evaluating and recommending changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration for directors. |
The charter will also provide that the compensation committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser and will be directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of any such adviser. However, before engaging or receiving advice from a compensation consultant, external legal counsel or any other adviser, the compensation committee will consider the independence of each such adviser, including the factors required by the Nasdaq and the SEC.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
None of our executive officers currently serves, and in the past year has not served, as a member of the compensation committee of any entity that has one or more executive officers serving on our board of directors.
Code of Ethics
Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will have adopted a Code of Ethics applicable to our directors, officers and employees. A copy of the Code of Ethics will be provided without charge upon request from us. We intend to disclose any amendments to or waivers of certain provisions of our Code of Ethics in a Current Report on Form 8-K.
Conflicts of Interest
Under Cayman Islands law, directors and officers owe the following fiduciary duties:
| Ø | duty to act in good faith in what the director or officer believes to be in the best interests of the company as a whole; |
| Ø | duty to exercise powers for the purposes for which those powers were conferred and not for a collateral purpose; |
| Ø | directors should not improperly fetter the exercise of future discretion; |
| Ø | duty to exercise powers fairly as between different sections of shareholders; |
| Ø | duty not to put themselves in a position in which there is a conflict between their duty to the company and their personal interests; and |
| Ø | duty to exercise independent judgment. |
In addition to the above, directors also owe a duty of care which is not fiduciary in nature. This duty has been defined as a requirement to act as a reasonably diligent person having both the general knowledge, skill and experience that may reasonably be expected of a person carrying out the same functions as are carried out by that director in relation to the company and the general knowledge skill and experience of that director.
As set out above, directors have a duty not to put themselves in a position of conflict and this includes a duty not to engage in self-dealing, or to otherwise benefit as a result of their position. However, in some instances what would otherwise be a breach of this duty can be forgiven and/or authorized in advance by the shareholders provided that there is full disclosure by the directors. This can be done by way of permission granted in the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or alternatively by shareholder approval at general meetings.
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Certain of our officers and directors presently have, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary and contractual duties to other entities. As a result, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, then, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law, he or she will need to honor such fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity, before we can pursue such opportunity. If these other entities decide to pursue any such opportunity, we may be precluded from pursuing the same. However, we do not expect these duties to materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law: (i) no individual serving as a director or an officer shall have any duty, except and to the extent expressly assumed by contract, to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as us; and (ii) we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential transaction or matter which may be a corporate opportunity for any director or officer, on the one hand, and us, on the other.
Below is a table summarizing the entities to which our executive officers and directors currently have fiduciary duties, contractual obligations or other material management relationships:
| Individual | Entity | Entity’s Business | Affiliation | |||
Sander Slootweg | Replimune Group Inc. NewAmsterdam Pharma B.V. NorthSea Therapeutics B.V. Azafaros B.V. Oxyrane UK Ltd | Biotechnology Biotechnology Biotechnology Biotechnology Biotechnology | Director Director, Board Chairman Director, Board Chairman Director Director | |||
Wouter Joustra | Gyroscope Therapeutics | Biotechnology | Director | |||
Philip Astley-Sparke | Replimune Group Inc. | Biotechnology | Co-founder, Director, Chief Executive Officer | |||
Hilde Steineger | Staten Biotechnology B.V. NorthSea Therapeutics B.V. | Biotechnology Biotechnology | Chief Executive Officer Co-founder, Chief Operating Officer | |||
Ton Logtenberg | SynOx Therapeutics Ltd Merus N.V. | Biotechnology Biotechnology | Director, Board Chairman Founder, Chief Executive Officer | |||
Potential investors should also be aware of the following other potential conflicts of interest:
| Ø | Our executive officers and directors are not required to, and will not, commit their full time to our affairs, which may result in a conflict of interest in allocating their time between our operations and our search for a business combination and their other businesses. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination. Each of our executive officers is engaged in several other business endeavors for which he may be entitled to substantial compensation, and our executive officers are not obligated to contribute any specific number of hours per week to our affairs. |
| Ø | Our sponsor subscribed for founder shares prior to the date of this prospectus and will purchase private placement warrants in a transaction that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. |
| Ø | Our sponsor and each member of our management team have entered into an agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares held by them in connection with (i) the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our |
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| obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares. Additionally, our sponsor has agreed to waive its rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to its founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame. If we do not complete our initial business combination within the required time period, the private placement warrants will expire worthless. Except as described herein, our sponsor and our directors and executive officers have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares until the earliest of (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination and (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the closing price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property. With certain limited exceptions, the private placement warrants and the Class A ordinary shares underlying such warrants, will not be transferable until 30 days following the completion of our initial business combination. Because each of our executive officers and director nominees will own ordinary shares or warrants directly or indirectly, they may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. |
| Ø | Our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors is included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination. In addition, our sponsor, officers and directors may sponsor, form or participate in other blank check companies similar to ours during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. Any such companies may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an acquisition target, particularly in the event there is overlap among investment mandates. |
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor or any of our officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions that such initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.
For services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, each of our independent board members will receive an annual salary of $25,000 from our sponsor. Other than these payments, in no event will our sponsor or any of our existing officers or directors, or their respective affiliates be paid by us any finder’s fee, consulting fee, or other compensation prior to, or for any services they render, in order to effectuate the completion of our initial business combination. Further, commencing on the date our securities are first listed on the Nasdaq, we will also reimburse our sponsor for office space, administrative, and support services provided to us in the amount of $10,000 per month.
We cannot assure you that any of the above mentioned conflicts will be resolved in our favor.
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If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we obtain the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shareholders who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company. In such case, our sponsor and each member of our management team have agreed to vote their founder shares and public shares in favor of our initial business combination.
Limitation on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors
Cayman Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company’s memorandum and articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent any such provision may be held by the Cayman Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against willful default, willful neglect, civil fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide for indemnification of our officers and directors to the maximum extent permitted by law, including for any liability incurred in their capacities as such, except through their own actual fraud, willful default or willful neglect. We will enter into agreements with our directors and officers to provide contractual indemnification in addition to the indemnification provided for in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. We expect to purchase a policy of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance that insures our officers and directors against the cost of defense, settlement or payment of a judgment in some circumstances and insures us against our obligations to indemnify our officers and directors. We also intend to enter into indemnity agreements with them.
Our officers and directors have agreed to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the trust account, and have agreed to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any services provided to us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason whatsoever (except to the extent they are entitled to funds from the trust account due to their ownership of public shares). Accordingly, any indemnification provided will only be able to be satisfied by us if (i) we have sufficient funds outside of the trust account or (ii) we consummate an initial business combination.
Our indemnification obligations may discourage shareholders from bringing a lawsuit against our officers or directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against our officers and directors, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our shareholders. Furthermore, a shareholder’s investment may be adversely affected to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against our officers and directors pursuant to these indemnification provisions.
We believe that these provisions, the insurance and the indemnity agreements are necessary to attract and retain talented and experienced officers and directors.
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The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our ordinary shares as of the date of this prospectus, and as adjusted to reflect the sale of our Class A ordinary shares included in the units offered by this prospectus, and assuming no purchase of units in this offering, by:
| Ø | each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares; |
| Ø | each of our executive officers and directors that beneficially owns ordinary shares; and |
| Ø | all our executive officers and directors as a group. |
Unless otherwise indicated, we believe that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all of our ordinary shares beneficially owned by them. The following table does not reflect record or beneficial ownership of the private placement warrants as these warrants are not exercisable within 60 days of the date of this prospectus. Our anchor investors have expressed an interest to purchase units offered in this offering at the public offering price of the units offered hereby, in the aggregate of at least 15% of the units offered in this offering.
On August 12, 2021, the sponsor paid $25,000, or approximately $0.009 per share, to cover certain of our expenses in consideration of 2,875,000 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001. On November 23, 2021, Forbion European Sponsor LLP transferred 2,875,000 Class B ordinary shares to our sponsor in exchange for $25,000, or approximately $0.009 per share. On December 9, 2021, we issued 287,500 Class B ordinary shares to our sponsor resulting from a share dividend. In addition, our sponsor has committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase an aggregate of 4,700,000 private placement warrants for a purchase price of $1.50 per warrant in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering (assuming the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option). Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,000 by Forbion European Sponsor LLP, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. The per share price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount contributed to the company by the number of founder shares issued. The post-offering percentages in the following table assume that the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option and that there are 13,750,000 ordinary shares issued and outstanding after this offering.
| Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1) | Number of Shares Beneficially Owned(2) | Approximate Percentage of Issued and Outstanding Ordinary Shares | ||||||||||
| Before Offering | After Offering | |||||||||||
Forbion Growth Sponsor FEAC I B.V. (our sponsor)(3) | 3,162,500 | 100 | % | — | ||||||||
Jasper Bos | — | — | — | |||||||||
Cyril Lesser | — | — | — | |||||||||
Sander Slootweg | — | — | — | |||||||||
Wouter Joustra | — | — | — | |||||||||
Philip Astley-Sparke | — | — | — | |||||||||
Hilde Steineger | — | — | — | |||||||||
Ton Logtenberg | — | — | — | |||||||||
All officers and directors as a group | 3,162,500 | 100 | % | — | ||||||||
(footnotes continued on following page)
| (1) | Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each of our shareholders is 4001 Kennett Pike, Suite 302 Wilmington, Delaware 19807. |
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| (2) | Interests shown consist solely of founder shares, classified as Class B ordinary shares. Such shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination or earlier at the option of the holders thereof as described in the section entitled “Description of Securities.” Includes up to 412,500 founder shares that may be surrendered to us for no consideration by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised. Excludes forward purchase shares that will only be issued, if at all, at the time of our initial business combination. |
| (3) | Forbion Growth Sponsor FEAC I B.V., our sponsor, is the record holder of the Class B ordinary shares reported herein. Jasper Bos, Cyril Lesser, Sander Slootweg and Wouter Joustra who are directors of our sponsor have voting and investment discretion with respect to the shares owned by our sponsor and may be deemed to have indirect shared beneficial ownership of the shares held by our sponsor. Jasper Bos, Cyril Lesser, Sander Slootweg and Wouter Joustra each disclaim beneficial ownership over the founder shares except to the extent of their pecuniary interest therein. |
Immediately after this offering, our sponsor will beneficially own 20% of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering) and will have the right to appoint all of our directors and to vote to continue our company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands prior to our initial business combination. Holders of our public shares will not have the right to appoint any directors to our board of directors or to vote to continue our company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands prior to our initial business combination. Because of this ownership block, our sponsor may be able to effectively influence the outcome of all other matters requiring approval by our shareholders, including amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and approval of significant corporate transactions including our initial business combination.
Our sponsor has agreed (a) to vote any founder shares and public shares held by it in favor of any proposed business combination and (b) not to redeem any founder shares or public shares held by it in connection with a shareholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination.
Our sponsor is deemed to be our “promoter” as such term is defined under the federal securities laws.
Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants
The founder shares, the private placement warrants and any Class A ordinary shares issued upon exercise thereof are each subject to transfer restrictions pursuant to lock-up provisions in the agreement entered into by our sponsor and management team. Our sponsor and each member of our management team have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell (i) any of their founder shares until the earliest of: (a) one year after the completion of our initial business combination and (b) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the closing price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share capitalization, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property, and (ii) any of their private placement warrants and Class A ordinary shares issued or exercise thereof until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. The private placement warrants and the respective Class A ordinary shares underlying such warrants are not transferable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination.
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The foregoing restrictions are not applicable to transfers (a) to our officers or directors, any affiliates or family members of any of our officers or directors, any affiliate of our sponsor or any member(s) of our sponsor or any of their affiliates, or any employees of such affiliates; (b) in the case of an individual, by gift to a member of such individual’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of such individual’s immediate family, an affiliate of such individual or to a charitable organization; (c) in the case of an individual, by virtue of the laws of descent and distribution upon death of such person; (d) in the case of an individual, pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order; (e) by private sales or transfers made in connection with any forward purchase agreement or similar agreement or in connection with the consummation of a business combination at prices no greater than the price at which the ordinary shares or warrants were originally purchased; (f) by virtue of the laws of the Cayman Islands or the limited liability partnership agreement of the Sponsor upon dissolution of the Sponsor; (g) in the event of our liquidation prior to the consummation of a Business Combination; and in the event that, subsequent to the consummation of an initial business combination, we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction which results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property; provided, however, that, in the case of clauses (a) through (f), these permitted transferees enter into a written agreement with us agreeing to be bound by these transfer restrictions and the other restrictions contained in the letter agreement.
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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
On August 12, 2021, Forbion European Sponsor LLP paid $25,000, or approximately $0.009 per share, to cover certain of our expenses in consideration of 2,875,000 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001. On November 23, 2021, Forbion European Sponsor LLP transferred 2,875,000 Class B ordinary shares to our sponsor in exchange for $25,000, or approximately $0.009 per share. On December 9, 2021, we issued 287,500 Class B ordinary shares to our sponsor resulting from a share dividend. The number of founder shares issued was determined based on the expectation that such founder shares would represent 20% of the issued and outstanding shares upon completion of this offering. Up to 412,500 founder shares are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. The founder shares (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise thereof) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holder.
Our sponsor and its affiliates have committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase 4,700,000 private placement warrants (or 5,195,000 private placement warrants if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) for a purchase price of $1.50 per warrant in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. As such, our sponsor’s interest in this transaction is valued at between $7,050,000 and $7,792,500, depending on the number of private placement warrants purchased. The private placement warrants (including the Class A ordinary shares issued upon the exercise or conversion thereof) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holder.
For services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, each of our independent board members will receive an annual cash compensation of $25,000 from our sponsor.
As more fully discussed in the section of this prospectus entitled “Management — Conflicts of Interest,” if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity that falls within the line of business of any entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such opportunity to such entity. Our officers and directors currently have certain relevant fiduciary duties or contractual obligations that may take priority over their duties to us.
We currently maintain our executive offices at 4001 Kennett Pike, Suite 302 Wilmington, Delaware 19807. The cost for our use of this space is included in the $10,000 per month fee we will pay to our sponsor for office space, administrative and support services, commencing on the date that our securities are first listed on the Nasdaq. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.
No compensation of any kind, including finder’s and consulting fees, will be paid to our sponsor, officers and directors, or their respective affiliates, for services rendered prior to or in connection with the completion of an initial business combination. However, these individuals will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, officers, directors or their affiliates and will determine which expenses and the amount of expenses that will be reimbursed.
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There is no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by such persons in connection with activities on our behalf.
Prior to the consummation of this offering, Forbion European Sponsor LLP has agreed to loan us up to $500,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. These loans are non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of December 31, 2021 and the closing of this offering. The loan will be repaid upon the closing of this offering out of the offering proceeds not held in the trust account.
In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete an initial business combination, we may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. In the event that the initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period. The terms of such loans by our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor, its affiliates or our management team as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.
We will enter into two forward purchase agreements with the FPA Purchaser concurrently with the closing of this offering, pursuant to which the FPA Purchaser will agree to purchase the forward purchase shares, in each case in a private placement that may close simultaneously with the closing of our initial business combination. The FPA Purchaser’s obligations to purchase forward purchase shares will be subject to certain conditions, including that our initial business combination must be consummated substantially concurrently with the purchase of the forward purchase shares and, in the case of the additional forward purchase shares, a requirement, among other things, that such initial business combination is reasonably acceptable to the FPA Purchaser.
The forward purchase agreements also provides that the FPA Purchaser will be entitled to certain registration rights with respect to its forward purchase shares. The FPA Purchaser’s commitment to purchase securities pursuant to the forward purchase agreements is intended to provide us with a minimum funding level for our initial business combination. The proceeds from the sale of the forward purchase shares, if any, may be used as part of the consideration to the sellers in the initial business combination, expenses in connection with our initial business combination or for working capital in the post-transaction company. Subject to the conditions in the forward purchase agreements, the purchase of the forward purchase shares will be a binding obligation of the FPA Purchaser, regardless of whether any Class A ordinary shares are redeemed by our public shareholders in connection with our initial business combination.
If we anticipate that we may not be able to consummate our initial business combination within 18 months, and subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds into the trust account as set out below, our time to consummate a business combination shall be extended two times by an additional three months each time, for a total of up to 24 months to complete a business combination. Pursuant to the terms of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the trust agreement to be entered into between us and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company on the date of this prospectus, in order for the time available for us to consummate our initial business combination to be extended, our sponsor
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or its affiliates or designees, upon five business days advance notice prior to the applicable deadline, must deposit into the trust account, for each three-month extension, $1,100,000, or $1,265,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($0.10 per unit in either case), on or prior to the date of the applicable deadline, a total possible period of 24 months within which we can complete a business combination. Any such payment would be made in the form of a noninterest bearing loan, which we would repay upon consummation of our initial business combination either out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us, or, at the lender’s discretion, convert all or a portion of such loan amounts into warrants at a price of $1.50 per warrant. These warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants. If we do not complete a business combination, we may repay such loans solely from assets not held in the trust account, if any. Furthermore, the letter agreement with our initial shareholders contains a provision pursuant to which our sponsor has agreed to waive its right to be repaid for such loans in the event that we do not complete a business combination. Our sponsor and its affiliates or designees are not obligated to fund the trust account to extend the time for us to complete our initial business combination.
After our initial business combination, members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting, management or other fees from the combined company with any and all amounts being fully disclosed to our shareholders, to the extent then known, in the tender offer or proxy solicitation materials, as applicable, furnished to our shareholders. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of distribution of such tender offer materials or at the time of a general meeting held to consider our initial business combination, as applicable, as it will be up to the directors of the post-combination business to determine executive and director compensation.
We will enter into a registration and shareholder rights agreement pursuant to which our sponsor will be entitled to certain registration rights with respect to the private placement warrants, the securities issuable upon conversion of working capital loans and extension loans (if any) and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the foregoing and upon conversion of the founder shares, and, upon consummation of our initial business combination, to nominate three individuals for appointment to our board of directors, as long as the sponsor holds any securities covered by the registration and shareholder rights agreement, which is described under the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities—Registration and Shareholder Rights.”
Policy for Approval of Related Party Transactions
The audit committee of our board of directors will adopt a charter, providing for the review, approval and/or ratification of “related party transactions,” which are those transactions required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K as promulgated by the SEC, by the audit committee. At its meetings, the audit committee shall be provided with the details of each new, existing, or proposed related party transaction, including the terms of the transaction, any contractual restrictions that the company has already committed to, the business purpose of the transaction, and the benefits of the transaction to the company and to the relevant related party. Any member of the committee who has an interest in the related party transaction under review by the committee shall abstain from voting on the approval of the related party transaction, but may, if so requested by the chairman of the committee, participate in some or all of the committee’s discussions of the related party transaction. Upon completion of its review of the related party transaction, the committee may determine to permit or to prohibit the related party transaction.
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We are a Cayman Islands exempted company and our affairs will be governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act and the common law of the Cayman Islands. Pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, which will be adopted prior to the consummation of this offering, we will be authorized to issue 500,000,000 Class A ordinary shares and 50,000,000 Class B ordinary shares, as well as 5,000,000 preference shares, $0.0001 par value each. The following description summarizes the material terms of our shares as set out more particularly in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Because it is only a summary, it may not contain all the information that is important to you.
Units
Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one Class A ordinary share and one-third 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 in this prospectus. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, a warrant holder may exercise warrants only for a whole number of the company’s Class A ordinary shares. This means that only a whole warrant may be exercised at any given time by a warrant holder.
The Class A ordinary shares and warrants comprising the units are expected to begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus (or the immediately following business day if such 52nd day is not a business day) unless UBS Securities LLC and Kempen & Co. USA, Inc. inform us of their decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the Class A ordinary shares and warrants commence separate trading, holders will have the option to continue to hold units or separate their units into the component securities. Holders will need to have their brokers contact our transfer agent in order to separate the units into Class A ordinary shares and warrants. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least three units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant.
In no event will the Class A ordinary shares and warrants be traded separately until we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds at the closing of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants. We will file a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes this audited balance sheet promptly after the completion of this offering. If the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.
Additionally, the units will automatically separate into their component parts and will not be traded after completion of our initial business combination.
Private Placement Warrants
The private placement warrants (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of such warrants) will not be transferable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination (except, among other limited exceptions as described under “Principal Shareholders—Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants,” to our officers and directors and other
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persons or entities affiliated with our sponsor) and the private placement warrants will not be redeemable by us (except as described below under “—Warrants—Public Shareholders’ Warrants—Redemption of public warrants”). Holders of our private placement warrants are entitled to certain registration rights. If we do not consummate an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), the proceeds from the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law) and the private placement warrants will expire worthless. If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we obtain the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shareholders who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company. In such case, our sponsor and each member of our management team have agreed to vote their founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination. Otherwise, the private placement warrants are identical to the warrants included in the units sold in this offering.
Our sponsor and our management team have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their private placement warrants and any Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion or exercise thereof until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, except that, among other limited exceptions as described under the section of this prospectus entitled “Principal Shareholders—Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants,” to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with our sponsor” made to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with our sponsor.
Ordinary Shares
Prior to the date of this prospectus, there were 3,162,500 Class B ordinary shares issued and outstanding, all of which were held of record by our sponsor, who purchased such shares from Forbion European Sponsor LLP on November 23, 2021. Our sponsor will own 20% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering (excluding the private placement shares underlying the private placement warrants and assuming our sponsor does not purchase any units in this offering). Upon the closing of this offering, 13,750,000 of our ordinary shares will be outstanding (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option) including:
| Ø | 11,000,000 Class A ordinary shares underlying the units issued as part of this offering; and |
| Ø | 2,750,000 Class B ordinary shares held by our sponsor. |
Ordinary shareholders of record are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by shareholders. Except as described below, holders of Class A ordinary shares and holders of Class B ordinary shares will vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of our shareholders except as required by law. Unless specified in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, or as required by applicable provisions of the Companies Act or applicable stock exchange rules, the affirmative vote of a majority of our ordinary shares that are voted is required to approve any such matter voted on by our shareholders. Approval of certain actions will require a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of our ordinary shares that are voted, and pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association; such actions include amending our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and approving a statutory merger or consolidation with another company. Our board of directors is divided
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into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of three years with only one class of directors being appointed in each year. There is no cumulative voting with respect to the appointment of directors, with the result that the holders of more than 50% of the shares voted for the appointment of directors can appoint all of the directors. Our shareholders are entitled to receive ratable dividends when, as and if declared by the board of directors out of funds legally available therefor.
Prior to our initial business combination, only holders of our founder shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors and to vote to continue our company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands. Holders of our public shares will not be entitled to vote on the appointment of directors or to vote to continue our company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands during such time. In addition, prior to the completion of an initial business combination, holders of a majority of our founder shares may remove a member of the board of directors for any reason. The provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association governing the appointment or removal of directors or the continuation of our company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands prior to our initial business combination may only be amended by a special resolution passed by not less than two-thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at our general meeting which shall include the affirmative vote of a simple majority of our Class B ordinary shares.
Because our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will authorize the issuance of up to 500,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, if we were to enter into a business combination, we may (depending on the terms of such a business combination) be required to increase the number of Class A ordinary shares which we will be authorized to issue at the same time as our shareholders vote on the business combination to the extent we seek shareholder approval in connection with our initial business combination.
Our board of directors is divided into three classes with only one class of directors being appointed in each year and each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual general meeting) serving a three-year term. In accordance with the Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on the Nasdaq. There is no requirement under the Companies Act for us to hold annual or general meetings to appoint directors. We may not hold an annual general meeting to appoint new directors prior to the consummation of our initial business combination. Prior to the completion of an initial business combination, any vacancy on the board of directors may be filled by a nominee chosen by holders of a majority of our founder shares. In addition, prior to the completion of an initial business combination, holders of a majority of our founder shares may remove a member of the board of directors for any reason.
We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public 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 calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.25 per public share assuming the period of time to consummate an initial business combination is not extended as provided herein. The per share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. The redemption rights will include the requirement that a beneficial owner must identify itself in order to valid redeem its shares. Our sponsor and each member of our management team have entered into an agreement with us, pursuant to which
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they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares held by them in connection with (i) the completion of our initial business combination and (ii) a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares. Unlike many blank check companies that hold shareholder votes and conduct proxy solicitations in conjunction with their initial business combinations and provide for related redemptions of public shares for cash upon completion of such initial business combinations even when a vote is not required by law, if a shareholder vote is not required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements, if a shareholder vote is not required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC, and file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require these tender offer documents to contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules. If, however, a shareholder approval of the transaction is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements, or we decide to obtain shareholder approval for business or other reasons, we will, like many blank check companies, offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we obtain the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shareholders who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company. However, the participation of our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates in privately-negotiated transactions (as described in this prospectus), if any, could result in the approval of our initial business combination even if a majority of our public shareholders vote, or indicate their intention to vote, against such initial business combination. For purposes of seeking approval of the majority of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares, non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial business combination once a quorum is obtained. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require that at least five days’ notice will be given of any general meeting.
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to Excess Shares, without our prior consent. However, we would not be restricting our shareholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination. Our shareholders’ inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce their influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination, and such shareholders could suffer a material loss in their investment if they sell such Excess Shares on the open market. Additionally, such shareholders will not receive redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares if we complete
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our initial business combination. And, as a result, such shareholders will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 15% and, in order to dispose such shares would be required to sell their shares in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.
If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we obtain the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shareholders who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company. In such case, our sponsor and each member of our management team have agreed to vote their founder shares and public shares in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, in addition to our initial shareholders’ founder shares, we would need 4,125,001, or 37.5% (assuming all issued and outstanding shares are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised) of the 11,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved. In the event that our anchor investors (each of which is an affiliate of the sponsor) purchase such units (either in this offering or after) and vote them in favor of our initial business combination, a smaller portion of affirmative votes from other public shareholders would be required to approve our initial business combination. As a result of and any units that our anchor investors may purchase, they may have different interests with respect to a vote on an initial business combination than other public shareholders. If our anchor investors purchase 15% of the units sold in this offering, assuming they vote all of their shares in favor of approval of our initial business combination, we would need 2,475,001, or 22.5% (assuming all outstanding shares are voted), of the 11,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised). Additionally, each public shareholder may appoint to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction or vote at all.
Pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, if we have not consummated an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem 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 earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Our sponsor and each member of our management team have entered into an agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares they hold if we fail to consummate an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus) (although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame). Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that, if we wind up for any other reason prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, we will follow the foregoing procedures with respect to the liquidation of the trust
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account as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, subject to applicable Cayman Islands law.
In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the company after a business combination, our shareholders are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining available for distribution to them after payment of liabilities and after provision is made for each class of shares, if any, having preference over the ordinary shares. Our shareholders have no preemptive or other subscription rights. There are no sinking fund provisions applicable to the ordinary shares, except that we will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash at a per share price equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein.
Founder Shares
The founder shares are designated as Class B ordinary shares and, except as described below, are identical to the Class A ordinary shares included in the units being sold in this offering, and holders of founder shares have the same shareholder rights as public shareholders, except that: (a) prior to our initial business combination, only holders of the founder shares have the right to vote on the appointment of directors and to continue our company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands, and holders of a majority of our founder shares may remove a member of the board of directors for any reason; (b) the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below; (c) our sponsor and each member of our management team have entered into an agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to (i) waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares (ii) to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares and (iii) waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares they hold if we fail to consummate an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus) (although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame); (d) the founder shares will automatically convert into our Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination or earlier at the option of the holders thereof as described herein; and (e) the founder shares are entitled to registration rights. If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we obtain the approval of an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shareholders who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company. In such case, our sponsor and each member of our management team have agreed to vote their founder shares and public shares in favor of our initial business combination.
In the event that our anchor investors (each of which is affiliated with the sponsor) purchase such units (either in this offering or after) and vote them in favor of our initial business combination, a smaller
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portion of affirmative votes from other public shareholders would be required to approve our initial business combination. As a result of any units that our anchor investors may purchase, they may have different interests with respect to a vote on an initial business combination than other public shareholders. If our anchor investors purchase 15% of the units sold in this offering, assuming they vote all of their shares in favor of approval of our initial business combination, we would need 2,475,001, or 22.5% (assuming all outstanding shares are voted), of the 11,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised).
The founder shares are designated as Class B ordinary shares and will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares (which such Class A ordinary shares delivered upon conversion will not have redemption rights or be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account if we do not consummate an initial business combination) at the time of our initial business combination or earlier at the option of the holders thereof at a ratio such that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all founder shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the sum of (i) the total number of ordinary shares issued and outstanding upon completion of this offering, plus (ii) the total number of Class A ordinary shares issued or deemed issued or issuable upon conversion or exercise of any equity-linked securities or rights issued or deemed issued, by the Company in connection with or in relation to the consummation of the initial business combination, excluding any Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities exercisable for or convertible into Class A ordinary shares issued, deemed issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any private placement warrants issued to our sponsor, its affiliates or any member of our management team upon conversion of working capital loans and extension loans. In no event will the Class B ordinary shares convert into Class A ordinary shares at a rate of less than one-to-one.
Except as described herein, our sponsor and our directors and executive officers have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares until earliest of: (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination and (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the closing price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.50 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange, or other similar transaction that results in all of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property. We refer to such transfer restrictions throughout this prospectus as the lock-up. Any permitted transferees would be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our sponsor and our directors, executive officers and initial shareholders with respect to any founder shares.
Prior to our initial business combination, only holders of our founder shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors and to continue our company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands. Holders of our public shares will not be entitled to vote on the appointment of directors or to continue our company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands during such time. In addition, prior to the completion of an initial business combination, holders of a majority of our founder shares may remove a member of the board of directors for any reason. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may only be amended by a special resolution passed by not less than two-thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at our general meeting which shall include the affirmative vote of a simple majority of our Class B ordinary shares. With respect to any other matter submitted to a vote of our shareholders, including any vote in connection with our initial business combination, except as required by law, holders of our founder shares and holders of our public shares will vote together as a single class, with each share entitling the holder to one vote.
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Description of Securities
Register of Members
Under Cayman Islands law, we must keep a register of members and there will be entered therein:
| Ø | the names and addresses of the members, a statement of the shares held by each member, and of the amount paid or agreed to be considered as paid, on the shares of each member and the voting rights of shares of each member; |
| Ø | the date on which the name of any person was entered on the register as a member; and |
| Ø | the date on which any person ceased to be a member. |
Under Cayman Islands law, the register of members of our company is prima facie evidence of the matters set out therein (i.e., the register of members will raise a presumption of fact on the matters referred to above unless rebutted) and a member registered in the register of members will be deemed as a matter of Cayman Islands law to have legal title to the shares as set against its name in the register of members. Upon the closing of this public offering, the register of members will be immediately updated to reflect the issue of shares by us.
Once our register of members has been updated, the shareholders recorded in the register of members will be deemed to have legal title to the shares set against their name. However, there are certain limited circumstances where an application may be made to a Cayman Islands court for a determination on whether the register of members reflects the correct legal position. Further, the Cayman Islands court has the power to order that the register of members maintained by a company should be rectified where it considers that the register of members does not reflect the correct legal position. If an application for an order for rectification of the register of members were made in respect of our ordinary shares, then the validity of such shares may be subject to re-examination by a Cayman Islands court.
Preference Shares
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will authorize 5,000,000 preference shares and provide that preference shares may be issued from time to time in one or more series. Our board of directors will be authorized to fix the voting rights, if any, designations, powers, preferences, the relative, participating, optional or other special rights and any qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, applicable to the shares of each series. Our board of directors will be able to, without shareholder approval, issue preference shares with voting and other rights that could adversely affect the voting power and other rights of the holders of the ordinary shares and could have anti-takeover effects. The ability of our board of directors to issue preference shares without shareholder approval could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change of control of us or the removal of existing management. We have no preference shares issued and outstanding at the date hereof. Although we do not currently intend to issue any preference shares, we cannot assure you that we will not do so in the future. No preference shares are being issued or registered in this offering.
Warrants
Public Shareholders’ Warrants
Each whole warrant entitles the registered holder to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as discussed below, at any time commencing on the later of one year from the closing of this offering and 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, except as discussed in the immediately succeeding paragraph. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, a warrant holder may exercise its warrants only for a whole number of Class A ordinary shares. This means only a whole warrant may be exercised at a given time by a warrant holder. No
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Description of Securities
fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least three units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant. The warrants will expire five years after the completion of our initial business combination, at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
We will not be obligated to deliver any Class A ordinary shares pursuant to the exercise of a warrant and will have no obligation to settle such warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to the Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants is then effective and a prospectus relating thereto is current, subject to our satisfying our obligations described below with respect to registration, or a valid exemption from registration is available. No warrant will be exercisable and we will not be obligated to issue a Class A ordinary share upon exercise of a warrant unless the Class A ordinary share issuable upon such warrant exercise has been registered, qualified or deemed to be exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the registered holder of the warrants. In the event that the conditions in the two immediately preceding sentences are not satisfied with respect to a warrant, the holder of such warrant will not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant. In the event that a registration statement is not effective for the exercised warrants, the purchaser of a unit containing such warrant will have paid the full purchase price for the unit solely for the Class A ordinary share underlying such unit.
We have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than twenty business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a post-effective amendment to the registration statement for this offering or a new registration statement for the registration, under the Securities Act, of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants, and we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become effective within 60 business days after the closing of our initial business combination, and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement and a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares until the warrants expire or are redeemed, as specified in the warrant agreement; provided that if our Class A ordinary shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that they satisfy the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, but we will use our commercially reasonably efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. If a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the 60th day after the closing of the initial business combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we will have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption, but we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “fair market value” (defined below) less the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” as used in this paragraph shall mean the volume weighted average price of the Class A ordinary shares for the 10 trading days ending on the trading day prior to the date on which the notice of exercise is received by the warrant agent.
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Description of Securities
Redemption of public warrants.
Once the redeemable warrants become exercisable, we may redeem the outstanding warrants (except as described herein):
| Ø | in whole and not in part; |
| Ø | at a price of $0.01 per warrant; |
| Ø | upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption to each warrant holder; and |
| Ø | if, and only if, the closing price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a warrant as described under the heading “—Warrants—Public Shareholders’ Warrants—Redemption Procedures—Anti-dilution Adjustments”) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending three trading days before we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. |
We will not redeem the warrants as described above unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is then effective and a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares is available throughout the 30-day redemption period. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws.
We have established the last of the redemption criterion discussed above to prevent a redemption call unless there is at the time of the call a significant premium to the warrant exercise price. If the foregoing conditions are satisfied and we issue a notice of redemption of the warrants, each warrant holder will be entitled to exercise his, her or its warrant prior to the scheduled redemption date. However, the price of the Class A ordinary shares may fall below the $18.00 redemption trigger price (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a warrant as described under the heading “—Warrants—Public Shareholders’ Warrants—Redemption Procedures—Anti-dilution Adjustments”) as well as the $11.50 (for whole shares) warrant exercise price after the redemption notice is issued.
If we call the public warrants for redemption as described above, we will have the option to require any holder that wishes to exercise its public warrant to do so on a “cashless basis.” In determining whether to require all holders to exercise their public warrants on a “cashless basis,” we will consider, among other factors, our cash position, the number of public warrants that are outstanding and the dilutive effect on our shareholders of issuing the maximum number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of our public warrants. If we take advantage of this option, all holders of public warrants would pay the exercise price by surrendering their public warrants for that number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the “fair market value” (defined below) by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” means the 10-day average closing price as of the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of the warrants. If we take advantage of this option, the notice of redemption will contain the information necessary to calculate the number of Class A ordinary shares to be received upon exercise of the warrants, including the “fair market value” in such case. Requiring a cashless exercise in this manner will reduce the number of shares to be issued and thereby lessen the dilutive effect of a warrant redemption. We believe this feature is an attractive option to us if we do not need the cash from the exercise of the warrants after our initial business combination. If we call our warrants for redemption and we do not take advantage of this option, our sponsor and its permitted transferees would still be entitled to exercise
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their private placement warrants for cash or on a cashless basis using the same formula described above that other warrantholders would have been required to use had all warrantholders been required to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis, as described in more detail below.
No fractional Class A ordinary shares will be issued upon exercise. If, upon exercise, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will round down to the nearest whole number of the number of Class A ordinary shares to be issued to the holder. If, at the time of redemption, the warrants are exercisable for a security other than the Class A ordinary shares pursuant to the warrant agreement (for instance, if we are not the surviving company in our initial business combination), the warrants may be exercised for such security. At such time as the warrants become exercisable for a security other than the Class A ordinary shares, the company (or surviving company) will use its commercially reasonable efforts to register under the Securities Act the security issuable upon the exercise of the warrants.
Redemption Procedures
A holder of a warrant may notify us in writing in the event it elects to be subject to a requirement that such holder will not have the right to exercise such warrant, to the extent that after giving effect to such exercise, such person (together with such person’s affiliates), to the warrant agent’s actual knowledge, would beneficially own in excess of 9.8% (or such other amount as a holder may specify) of the Class A ordinary shares issued and outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise.
Anti-dilution Adjustments. If the number of outstanding Class A ordinary shares is increased by a capitalization or share dividend payable in Class A ordinary shares, or by a sub-division of ordinary shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such capitalization or share dividend, sub-division or similar event, the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable on exercise of each warrant will be increased in proportion to such increase in the outstanding ordinary shares. A rights offering made to all or substantially all holders of ordinary shares entitling holders to purchase Class A ordinary shares at a price less than the “historical fair market value” (as defined below) will be deemed a share dividend of a number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the product of (i) the number of Class A ordinary shares actually sold in such rights offering (or issuable under any other equity securities sold in such rights offering that are convertible into or exercisable for Class A ordinary shares) and (ii) one minus the quotient of (x) the price per Class A ordinary share paid in such rights offering and (y) the historical fair market value. For these purposes, (i) if the rights offering is for securities convertible into or exercisable for Class A ordinary shares, in determining the price payable for Class A ordinary shares, there will be taken into account any consideration received for such rights, as well as any additional amount payable upon exercise or conversion and (ii) “historical fair market value” means the volume weighted average price of Class A ordinary shares as reported during the 10 trading day period ending on the trading day prior to the first date on which the Class A ordinary shares trade on the applicable exchange or in the applicable market, regular way, without the right to receive such rights.
In addition, if we, at any time while the warrants are outstanding and unexpired, pay a dividend or make a distribution in cash, securities or other assets to all or substantially all of the holders of the Class A ordinary shares on account of such Class A ordinary shares (or other securities into which the warrants are convertible), other than (a) as described above, (b) any cash dividends or cash distributions which, when combined on a per share basis with all other cash dividends and cash distributions paid on the Class A ordinary shares during the 365-day period ending on the date of declaration of such dividend or distribution does not exceed $0.50 (as adjusted to appropriately reflect any other adjustments and excluding cash dividends or cash distributions that resulted in an adjustment to the exercise price or to the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable on exercise of each warrant) but only with respect to the amount of the aggregate cash dividends or cash distributions equal to or less than $0.50 per share, (c) to
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satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Class A ordinary shares in connection with a proposed initial business combination, (d) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Class A ordinary shares in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares, or (e) in connection with the redemption of our public shares upon our failure to complete our initial business combination, then the warrant exercise price will be decreased, effective immediately after the effective date of such event, by the amount of cash and/or the fair market value of any securities or other assets paid on each Class A ordinary share in respect of such event.
If the number of outstanding Class A ordinary shares is decreased by a consolidation, combination, reverse share sub-division or reclassification of Class A ordinary shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such consolidation, combination, reverse share sub-division, reclassification or similar event, the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable on exercise of each warrant will be decreased in proportion to such decrease in outstanding Class A ordinary shares.
Whenever the number of Class A ordinary shares purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants is adjusted, as described above, the warrant exercise price will be adjusted by multiplying the warrant exercise price immediately prior to such adjustment by a fraction (x) the numerator of which will be the number of Class A ordinary shares purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants immediately prior to such adjustment and (y) the denominator of which will be the number of Class A ordinary shares so purchasable immediately thereafter. The warrant agreement provides that no adjustment to the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of a warrant will be required until cumulative adjustments amount to 1% or more of the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of a warrant as last adjusted. Any such adjustments that are not made will be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All such carried forward adjustments will be made (i) in connection with any subsequent adjustment that (taken together with such carried forward adjustments) would result in a change of at least 1% in the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of a warrant and (ii) on the exercise date of any warrant.
In addition, if (x) we issue additional Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per ordinary share (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by our board of directors and, in the case of any such issuance to our sponsor or its affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by our sponsor or such affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance) (the “Newly Issued Price”), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of our initial business combination on the date of the consummation of our initial business combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of our Class A ordinary shares during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which we consummate our initial business combination (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price described under “—Redemption of public warrants” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.
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In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding Class A ordinary shares (other than those described above or that solely affects the par value of such Class A ordinary shares), or in the case of any merger or consolidation of us with or into another corporation (other than a consolidation or merger in which we are the continuing corporation and that does not result in any reclassification or reorganization of our outstanding Class A ordinary shares), or in the case of any sale or conveyance to another corporation or entity of the assets or other property of us as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in connection with which we are dissolved, the holders of the warrants will thereafter have the right to purchase and receive, upon the basis and upon the terms and conditions specified in the warrants and in lieu of the Class A ordinary shares immediately theretofore purchasable and receivable upon the exercise of the rights represented thereby, the kind and amount of Class A ordinary shares or other securities or property (including cash) receivable upon such reclassification, reorganization, merger or consolidation, or upon a dissolution following any such sale or transfer, that the holder of the warrants would have received if such holder had exercised their warrants immediately prior to such event.
The warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder for the purpose of (i) curing any ambiguity or correct any mistake, including to conform the provisions of the warrant agreement to the description of the terms of the warrants and the warrant agreement set forth in this prospectus, or defective provision (ii) amending the provisions relating to cash dividends on ordinary shares as contemplated by and in accordance with the warrant agreement, (iii) providing for the delivery of certain alternative issuances in the case of certain reorganizations or other events or (iv) adding or changing any provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under the warrant agreement as the parties to the warrant agreement may deem necessary or desirable and that the parties deem to not adversely affect the rights of the registered holders of the warrants, provided that the approval by the holders of at least 65% of the then-outstanding public warrants is required to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders. You should review a copy of the warrant agreement, which will be filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, for a complete description of the terms and conditions applicable to the warrants.
The warrant holders do not have the rights or privileges of holders of ordinary shares and any voting rights until they exercise their warrants and receive Class A ordinary shares. After the issuance of Class A ordinary shares upon exercise of the warrants, each holder will be entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters to be voted on by shareholders.
No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. If, upon exercise of the warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number the number of Class A ordinary shares to be issued to the warrant holder.
We have agreed that, subject to applicable law, any action, proceeding or claim against us arising out of or relating in any way to the warrant agreement will be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and we irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction will be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. See “Risk Factors—Our warrant agreement will designate the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by holders of our warrants, which could limit the ability of warrant holders to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with our company.” This provision applies to claims under the Securities Act but does not apply
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to claims under the Exchange Act or any claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum.
Private Placement Warrants
Except as described below, the private placement warrants have terms and provisions that are identical to those of the warrants being sold as part of the units in this offering. The private placement warrants will not be transferable, assignable or salable (and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination) except pursuant to limited exceptions as described under “Principal Shareholders—Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants,” to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with the initial purchasers of the private placement warrants, and they will not be redeemable by us (except as described under “—Warrants—Public Shareholders’ Warrants—Redemption of public warrants”). Our sponsor, or its permitted transferees, has the option to exercise the private placement warrants on a cashless basis. If the private placement warrants are held by holders other than our sponsor or its permitted transferees, the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us in all redemption scenarios and exercisable by the holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the units being sold in this offering. Any amendment to the terms of the private placement warrants or any provision of the warrant agreement with respect to the private placement warrants will require a vote of holders of at least 65% of the number of the then outstanding private placement warrants.
If holders of the private placement warrants elect to exercise them on a cashless basis, they would pay the exercise price by surrendering his, her or its warrants for that number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “Sponsor fair market value” (defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the Sponsor fair market value. For these purposes, the “Sponsor fair market value” shall mean the average reported closing price of the Class A ordinary shares for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of warrant exercise is sent to the warrant agent. The reason that we have agreed that these warrants will be exercisable on a cashless basis is because it is not known at this time whether they will be affiliated with us following a business combination. If they remain affiliated with us, their ability to sell our securities in the open market will be significantly limited. We expect to have policies in place that restrict insiders from selling our securities except during specific periods of time. Even during such periods of time when insiders will be permitted to sell our securities, an insider cannot trade in our securities if he or she is in possession of material non-public information. Accordingly, unlike public shareholders who could exercise their warrants and sell the Class A ordinary shares received upon such exercise freely in the open market in order to recoup the cost of such exercise, the insiders could be significantly restricted from selling such securities. As a result, we believe that allowing the holders to exercise such warrants on a cashless basis is appropriate.
In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants of the post business combination entity at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. Such warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants.
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Forward Purchase Shares
We will enter into two forward purchase agreements with the FPA Purchaser concurrently with the closing of this offering, pursuant to which the FPA Purchaser will agree to purchase the forward purchase shares, in each case in a private placement that may close simultaneously with the closing of our initial business combination.
Dividends
We have not paid any cash dividends on our ordinary shares to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of our initial business combination. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition subsequent to completion of our initial business combination. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to our initial business combination will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time. If we increase the size of this offering, we will effect a share capitalization or other appropriate mechanism immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the number of founder shares, on an as-converted basis, at 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering. Further, if we incur any indebtedness in connection with a business combination, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.
Our Transfer Agent and Warrant Agent
The transfer agent for our ordinary shares and warrant agent for our warrants is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company. We have agreed to indemnify Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company in its roles as transfer agent and warrant agent, its agents and each of its shareholders, directors, officers and employees against all claims and losses that may arise out of acts performed or omitted for its activities in that capacity, except for any claims and losses due to any gross negligence or intentional misconduct of the indemnified person or entity.
Certain Differences in Corporate Law
Cayman Islands companies are governed by the Companies Act. The Companies Act is modeled on English Law but does not follow recent English Law statutory enactments, and differs from laws applicable to United States corporations and their shareholders. Set forth below is a summary of the material differences between the provisions of the Companies Act applicable to us and the laws applicable to companies incorporated in the United States and their shareholders.
Mergers and Similar Arrangements. In certain circumstances, the Companies Act allows for mergers or consolidations between two Cayman Islands companies, or between a Cayman Islands exempted company and a company incorporated in another jurisdiction (provided that is facilitated by the laws of that other jurisdiction).
Where the merger or consolidation is between two Cayman Islands companies, the directors of each company must approve a written plan of merger or consolidation containing certain prescribed information. That plan or merger or consolidation must then be authorized by either (a) a special resolution (usually a majority of 662/3 % in value of the voting shares voted at a general meeting) of the shareholders of each company; or (b) such other authorization, if any, as may be specified in such constituent company’s articles of association. No shareholder resolution is required for a merger between a parent company (i.e., a company that owns at least 90% of the issued shares of each class in a subsidiary company) and its subsidiary company. The consent of each holder of a fixed or floating security interest of a constituent company must be obtained, unless the court waives such requirement. If
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the Cayman Islands Registrar of Companies is satisfied that the requirements of the Companies Act (which includes certain other formalities) have been complied with, the Registrar of Companies will register the plan of merger or consolidation.
Where the merger or consolidation involves a foreign company, the procedure is similar, save that with respect to the foreign company, the directors of the Cayman Islands exempted company are required to make a declaration to the effect that, having made due enquiry, they are of the opinion that the requirements set out below have been met: (i) that the merger or consolidation is permitted or not prohibited by the constitutional documents of the foreign company and by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the foreign company is incorporated, and that those laws and any requirements of those constitutional documents have been or will be complied with; (ii) that no petition or other similar proceeding has been filed and remains outstanding or order made or resolution adopted to wind up or liquidate the foreign company in any jurisdictions; (iii) that no receiver, trustee, administrator or other similar person has been appointed in any jurisdiction and is acting in respect of the foreign company, its affairs or its property or any part thereof; and (iv) that no scheme, order, compromise or other similar arrangement has been entered into or made in any jurisdiction whereby the rights of creditors of the foreign company are and continue to be suspended or restricted.
Where the surviving company is the Cayman Islands exempted company, the directors of the Cayman Islands exempted company are further required to make a declaration to the effect that, having made due enquiry, they are of the opinion that the requirements set out below have been met: (i) that the foreign company is able to pay its debts as they fall due and that the merger or consolidated is bona fide and not intended to defraud unsecured creditors of the foreign company; (ii) that in respect of the transfer of any security interest granted by the foreign company to the surviving or consolidated company (a) consent or approval to the transfer has been obtained, released or waived; (b) the transfer is permitted by and has been approved in accordance with the constitutional documents of the foreign company; and (c) the laws of the jurisdiction of the foreign company with respect to the transfer have been or will be complied with; (iii) that the foreign company will, upon the merger or consolidation becoming effective, cease to be incorporated, registered or exist under the laws of the relevant foreign jurisdiction; and (iv) that there is no other reason why it would be against the public interest to permit the merger or consolidation.
Where the above procedures are adopted, the Companies Act provides for a right of dissenting shareholders to be paid a payment of the fair value of his shares upon their dissenting to the merger or consolidation if they follow a prescribed procedure. In essence, that procedure is as follows: (a) the shareholder must give his written objection to the merger or consolidation to the constituent company before the vote on the merger or consolidation, including a statement that the shareholder proposes to demand payment for his shares if the merger or consolidation is authorized by the vote; (b) within 20 days following the date on which the merger or consolidation is approved by the shareholders, the constituent company must give written notice to each shareholder who made a written objection; (c) a shareholder must within 20 days following receipt of such notice from the constituent company, give the constituent company a written notice of his intention to dissent including, among other details, a demand for payment of the fair value of his shares; (d) within seven days following the date of the expiration of the period set out in paragraph (b) above or seven days following the date on which the plan of merger or consolidation is filed, whichever is later, the constituent company, the surviving company or the consolidated company must make a written offer to each dissenting shareholder to purchase his shares at a price that the company determines is the fair value and if the company and the shareholder agree the price within 30 days following the date on which the offer was made, the company must pay the shareholder such amount; and (e) if the company and the shareholder fail to agree a price within such 30 day period, within 20 days following the date on which such 30 day period expires, the company (and
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any dissenting shareholder) must file a petition with the Cayman Islands Grand Court to determine the fair value and such petition must be accompanied by a list of the names and addresses of the dissenting shareholders with whom agreements as to the fair value of their shares have not been reached by the company. At the hearing of that petition, the court has the power to determine the fair value of the shares together with a fair rate of interest, if any, to be paid by the company upon the amount determined to be the fair value. Any dissenting shareholder whose name appears on the list filed by the company may participate fully in all proceedings until the determination of fair value is reached. These rights of a dissenting shareholder are not available in certain circumstances, for example, to dissenters holding shares of any class in respect of which an open market exists on a recognized stock exchange or recognized interdealer quotation system at the relevant date or where the consideration for such shares to be contributed are shares of any company listed on a national securities exchange or shares of the surviving or consolidated company.
Moreover, Cayman Islands law has separate statutory provisions that facilitate the reconstruction or amalgamation of companies in certain circumstances, schemes of arrangement will generally be more suited for complex mergers or other transactions involving widely held companies, commonly referred to in the Cayman Islands as a “scheme of arrangement” which may be tantamount to a merger. In the event that a merger was sought pursuant to a scheme of arrangement (the procedures for which are more rigorous and take longer to complete than the procedures typically required to consummate a merger in the United States), the arrangement in question must be approved by a majority in number of each class of shareholders and creditors with whom the arrangement is to be made and who must in addition represent three-fourths in value of each such class of shareholders or creditors, as the case may be, that are present and voting either in person or by proxy at an annual general meeting, or extra-ordinary general meeting summoned for that purpose. The convening of the meetings and subsequently the Cayman Islands terms of the arrangement must be sanctioned by the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands. While a dissenting shareholder would have the right to express to the court the view that the transaction should not be approved, the court can be expected to approve the arrangement if it satisfies itself that:
| Ø | we are not proposing to act illegally or beyond the scope of our corporate authority and the statutory provisions as to majority vote have been complied with; |
| Ø | the shareholders have been fairly represented at the meeting in question; |
| Ø | the arrangement is such as a businessman would reasonably approve; and |
| Ø | the arrangement is not one that would more properly be sanctioned under some other provision of the Companies Act or that would amount to a “fraud on the minority.” |
If a scheme of arrangement or takeover offer (as described below) is approved, any dissenting shareholder would have no rights comparable to appraisal rights (providing rights to receive payment in cash for the judicially determined value of the shares), which would otherwise ordinarily be available to dissenting shareholders of United States corporations.
Squeeze-out Provisions. When a takeover offer is made and accepted by holders of 90% of the shares to whom the offer relates within four months, the offeror may, within a two-month period, require the holders of the remaining shares to transfer such shares on the terms of the offer. An objection can be made to the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands, but this is unlikely to succeed unless there is evidence of fraud, bad faith, collusion or inequitable treatment of the shareholders.
Further, transactions similar to a merger, reconstruction and/or an amalgamation may in some circumstances be achieved through means other than these statutory provisions, such as a share capital exchange, asset acquisition or control, or through contractual arrangements of an operating business.
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Shareholders’ Suits. Maples and Calder, our Cayman Islands legal counsel is not aware of any reported class action having been brought in a Cayman Islands court. Derivative actions have been brought in the Cayman Islands courts, and the Cayman Islands courts have confirmed the availability for such actions. In most cases, we will be the proper plaintiff in any claim based on a breach of duty owed to us, and a claim against (for example) our officers or directors usually may not be brought by a shareholder. However, based both on Cayman Islands authorities and on English authorities, which would in all likelihood be of persuasive authority and be applied by a court in the Cayman Islands, exceptions to the foregoing principle apply in circumstances in which:
| Ø | a company is acting, or proposing to act, illegally or beyond the scope of its authority; |
| Ø | the act complained of, although not beyond the scope of the authority, could be effected if duly authorized by more than the number of votes which have actually been obtained; or |
| Ø | those who control the company are perpetrating a “fraud on the minority.” |
A shareholder may have a direct right of action against us where the individual rights of that shareholder have been infringed or are about to be infringed.
Enforcement of Civil Liabilities. The Cayman Islands has a different body of securities laws as compared to the United States and provides less protection to investors. Additionally, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to sue before the Federal courts of the United States.
We have been advised by Maples and Calder, our Cayman Islands legal counsel that the courts of the Cayman Islands are unlikely (i) to recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts of the United States predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or any state; and (ii) in original actions brought in the Cayman Islands, to impose liabilities against us predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or any state, so far as the liabilities imposed by those provisions are penal in nature. In those circumstances, although there is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, the courts of the Cayman Islands will recognize and enforce a foreign money judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits based on the principle that a judgment of a competent foreign court imposes upon the judgment debtor an obligation to pay the sum for which judgment has been given provided certain conditions are met. For a foreign judgment to be enforced in the Cayman Islands, such judgment must be final and conclusive and for a liquidated sum, and must not be in respect of taxes or a fine or penalty, inconsistent with a Cayman Islands judgment in respect of the same matter, impeachable on the grounds of fraud or obtained in a manner, and or be of a kind the enforcement of which is, contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands (awards of punitive or multiple damages may well be held to be contrary to public policy). A Cayman Islands Court may stay enforcement proceedings if concurrent proceedings are being brought elsewhere.
Special Considerations for Exempted Companies. We are an exempted company with limited liability under the Companies Act. The Companies Act distinguishes between ordinary resident companies and exempted companies. Any company that is registered in the Cayman Islands but conducts business mainly outside of the Cayman Islands may apply to be registered as an exempted company. The requirements for an exempted company are essentially the same as for an ordinary company except for the exemptions and privileges listed below:
| Ø | an exempted company does not have to file an annual return of its shareholders with the Register of Companies; |
| Ø | an exempted company’s register of members is not open to inspection; |
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| Ø | an exempted company does not have to hold an annual general meeting; |
| Ø | an exempted company may issue shares with no par value; |
| Ø | an exempted company may obtain an undertaking against the imposition of any future taxation (such undertakings are usually given for 20 years in the first instance); |
| Ø | an exempted company may register by way of continuation in another jurisdiction and be deregistered in the Cayman Islands; |
| Ø | an exempted company may register as a limited duration company; and |
| Ø | an exempted company may register as a segregated portfolio company. |
“Limited liability” means that the liability of each shareholder is limited to the amount unpaid by the shareholder on the shares of the company (except in exceptional circumstances, such as involving fraud, the establishment of an agency relationship or an illegal or improper purpose or other circumstances in which a court may be prepared to pierce or lift the corporate veil).
Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will contain provisions designed to provide certain rights and protections relating to this offering that will apply to us until the completion of our initial business combination. These provisions cannot be amended without a special resolution under Cayman Islands law. As a matter of Cayman Islands law, a resolution is deemed to be a special resolution where it has been approved by either (i) the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds (or any higher threshold specified in a company’s articles of association) of a company’s shareholders entitled to vote and so voting at a general meeting for which notice specifying the intention to propose the resolution as a special resolution has been given; or (ii) if so authorized by a company’s articles of association, by a unanimous written resolution of all of the company’s shareholders. Other than as described above, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that special resolutions must be approved either by at least two-thirds of our shareholders who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company (i.e., the lowest threshold permissible under Cayman Islands law), or by a unanimous written resolution of all of our shareholders.
Our sponsor and its permitted transferees, if any, who will collectively beneficially own 20% of our ordinary shares upon the closing of this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering), will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. Specifically, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide, among other things, that:
| Ø | If we have not consummated an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus), we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but no more than ten business days thereafter, redeem 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 earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes that were paid by us or are payable by us, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law; |
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| Ø | Prior to or in connection with our initial business combination, we may not issue additional securities that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote as a class with our public shares (a) on our initial business combination or on any other proposal presented to shareholders prior to or in connection with the completion of an initial business combination or (b) to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to (x) extend the time we have to consummate a business combination beyond 24 months from the closing of this offering or (y) amend the foregoing provisions; |
| Ø | Although we do not intend to enter into a business combination with a target business that is affiliated with our sponsor, our directors or our officers, we are not prohibited from doing so. In the event we enter into such a transaction, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions that such a business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view; |
| Ø | If a shareholder vote on our initial business combination is not required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other reasons, we will offer to redeem our public shares pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, and will file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about our initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act; |
| Ø | Our sponsor may extend the period of time to consummate a business combination by up to two additional three-month periods (for a total of up to 24 months to complete a business combination) pursuant to the terms of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the trust agreement to be entered into between us and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company on the date of this prospectus, in order for the time available for us to consummate our initial business combination to be extended, our sponsor or its affiliates or designees, upon five business days advance notice prior to the applicable deadline, must deposit into the trust account, for each additional three-month period, $1,100,000, or $1,265,000 if the underwriters’ overallotment option is exercised in full ($0.10 per unit in either case) on or prior to the date of the applicable deadline; our shareholders will not be entitled to vote or redeem their shares in connection with any such extension; if we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts either out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us or, at the lender’s option, convert a portion or all of the total loan amounts into warrants at a price of $1.50 per warrant, which warrants will be identical to the private placement warrants; |
| Ø | So long as our securities are then listed on the Nasdaq, our initial business combination must occur with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the assets held in the trust account (excluding the amount of deferred underwriting commissions held in trust and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial business combination; |
| Ø | If our shareholders approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of our obligation to provide holders of our Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary |
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| shares, we will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their ordinary shares upon such approval at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein; and |
| Ø | We will not effectuate our initial business combination solely with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations. |
In addition, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that under no circumstances will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001.
The Companies Act permits a company incorporated in the Cayman Islands to amend its memorandum and articles of association with the approval of a special resolution which requires the approval of the holders of at least two-thirds of such company’s issued and outstanding ordinary shares who attend and vote at a general meeting or by way of unanimous written resolution. A company’s articles of association may specify that the approval of a higher majority is required but, provided the approval of the required majority is obtained, any Cayman Islands exempted company may amend its memorandum and articles of association regardless of whether its memorandum and articles of association provide otherwise. Accordingly, although we could amend any of the provisions relating to our proposed offering, structure and business plan which are contained in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, we view all of these provisions as binding obligations to our shareholders and neither we, nor our officers or directors, will take any action to amend or waive any of these provisions unless we provide dissenting public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares.
Anti-Money Laundering—Cayman Islands
If any person resident in the Cayman Islands knows or suspects, or has reasonable grounds for knowing or suspecting, that another person is engaged in criminal conduct or is involved with terrorism or terrorist property and the information for that knowledge or suspicion came to their attention in the course of business in the regulated sector or other trade, profession, business or employment, the person will be required to report such knowledge or suspicion to (i) the Financial Reporting Authority of the Cayman Islands, pursuant to the Proceeds of Crime Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands if the disclosure relates to criminal conduct or money laundering or (ii) a police officer of the rank of constable or higher, or the Financial Reporting Authority, pursuant to the Terrorism Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands, if the disclosure relates to involvement with terrorism or terrorist financing and property. Such a report will not be treated as a breach of confidence or of any restriction upon the disclosure of information imposed by any enactment or otherwise.
Data Protection—Cayman Islands
We have certain duties under the Data Protection Act, 2017 of the Cayman Islands (the “DPL”) based on internationally accepted principles of data privacy.
Privacy Notice
Introduction
This privacy notice puts our shareholders on notice that through your investment in the company you will provide us with certain personal information which constitutes personal data within the meaning of
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the DPL (“personal data”). In the following discussion, the “company” refers to us and our affiliates and/or delegates, except where the context requires otherwise.
Investor Data
We will collect, use, disclose, retain and secure personal data to the extent reasonably required only and within the parameters that could be reasonably expected during the normal course of business. We will only process, disclose, transfer or retain personal data to the extent legitimately required to conduct our activities of on an ongoing basis or to comply with legal and regulatory obligations to which we are subject. We will only transfer personal data in accordance with the requirements of the DPL, and will apply appropriate technical and organizational information security measures designed to protect against unauthorized or unlawful processing of the personal data and against the accidental loss, destruction or damage to the personal data.
In our use of this personal data, we will be characterized as a “data controller” for the purposes of the DPL, while our affiliates and service providers who may receive this personal data from us in the conduct of our activities may either act as our “data processors” for the purposes of the DPL or may process personal information for their own lawful purposes in connection with services provided to us.
We may also obtain personal data from other public sources. Personal data includes, without limitation, the following information relating to a shareholder and/or any individuals connected with a shareholder as an investor: name, residential address, email address, contact details, corporate contact information, signature, nationality, place of birth, date of birth, tax identification, credit history, correspondence records, passport number, bank account details, source of funds details and details relating to the shareholder’s investment activity.
Who this Affects
If you are a natural person, this will affect you directly. If you are a corporate investor (including, for these purposes, legal arrangements such as trusts or exempted limited partnerships) that provides us with personal data on individuals connected to you for any reason in relation your investment in the company, this will be relevant for those individuals and you should transmit the content of this Privacy Notice to such individuals or otherwise advise them of its content.
How the Company May Use a Shareholder’s Personal Data
The Company, as the data controller, may collect, store and use personal data for lawful purposes, including, in particular:
| (a) | where this is necessary for the performance of our rights and obligations under any purchase agreements; |
| (b) | where this is necessary for compliance with a legal and regulatory obligation to which we are subject (such as compliance with anti-money laundering and FATCA/CRS requirements); and/or |
| (c) | where this is necessary for the purposes of our legitimate interests and such interests are not overridden by your interests, fundamental rights or freedoms. |
Should we wish to use personal data for other specific purposes (including, if applicable, any purpose that requires your consent), we will contact you.
Why We May Transfer Your Personal Data
In certain circumstances we may be legally obliged to share personal data and other information with respect to your shareholding with the relevant regulatory authorities such as the Cayman Islands
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Monetary Authority or the Tax Information Authority. They, in turn, may exchange this information with foreign authorities, including tax authorities.
We anticipate disclosing personal data to persons who provide services to us and their respective affiliates (which may include certain entities located outside the United States, the Cayman Islands or the European Economic Area), who will process your personal data on our behalf.
The Data Protection Measures We Take
Any transfer of personal data by us or our duly authorized affiliates and/or delegates outside of the Cayman Islands shall be in accordance with the requirements of the DPL.
We and our duly authorized affiliates and/or delegates shall apply appropriate technical and organizational information security measures designed to protect against unauthorized or unlawful processing of personal data, and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data.
We shall notify you of any personal data breach that is reasonably likely to result in a risk to your interests, fundamental rights or freedoms or those data subjects to whom the relevant personal data relates.
Certain Anti-takeover Provisions of our Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that our board of directors will be classified into three classes of directors. As a result, in most circumstances, a person can gain control of our board only by successfully engaging in a proxy contest at two or more annual general meetings.
Our authorized but unissued Class A ordinary shares and preference shares will be available for future issuances without shareholder approval and could be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes, including future offerings to raise additional capital, acquisitions and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued and unreserved Class A ordinary shares and preference shares could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise.
Securities Eligible for Future Sale
Immediately after this offering, we will have 13,750,000 Class A ordinary shares (or 15,812,500 Class A ordinary shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) issued and outstanding on an as-converted basis. Of these shares, the Class A ordinary shares sold in this offering (11,000,000 Class A ordinary shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised and 12,650,000 Class A ordinary shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, except for any Class A ordinary shares purchased by one of our affiliates within the meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act. All of the outstanding founder shares (2,750,000 founder shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised and 3,162,500 founder shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) and all of the outstanding private placement warrants (4,700,000 private placement warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised and 5,195,000 private placement warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be restricted securities under Rule 144, in that they were issued in private transactions not involving a public offering.
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Rule 144
Pursuant to Rule 144, a person who has beneficially owned restricted shares or warrants for at least six months would be entitled to sell their securities provided that (i) such person is not deemed to have been one of our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale and (ii) we are subject to the Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements for at least three months before the sale and have filed all required reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the twelve months (or such shorter period as we were required to file reports) preceding the sale.
Persons who have beneficially owned restricted shares or warrants for at least six months but who are our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale, would be subject to additional restrictions, by which such person would be entitled to sell within any three-month period only a number of securities that does not exceed the greater of:
| Ø | 1% of the total number of ordinary shares then-outstanding, which will equal 110,000 shares immediately after this offering (or 126,500 shares if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full); or |
| Ø | the average weekly reported trading volume of the Class A ordinary shares during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale. |
Sales by our affiliates under Rule 144 are also limited by manner of sale provisions and notice requirements and to the availability of current public information about us.
Restrictions on the Use of Rule 144 by Shell Companies or Former Shell Companies
Rule 144 is not available for the resale of securities initially issued by shell companies (other than business combination related shell companies) or issuers that have been at any time previously a shell company. However, Rule 144 also includes an important exception to this prohibition if the following conditions are met:
| Ø | the issuer of the securities that was formerly a shell company has ceased to be a shell company; |
| Ø | the issuer of the securities is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act; |
| Ø | the issuer of the securities has filed all Exchange Act reports and material required to be filed, as applicable, during the preceding twelve months (or such shorter period that the issuer was required to file such reports and materials), other than Form 8-K reports; and at least one year has elapsed from the time that the issuer filed current Form 10 type information with the SEC reflecting its status as an entity that is not a shell company. |
As a result, our sponsor will be able to sell its founder shares and private placement warrants, and the securities underlying the forgoing, pursuant to Rule 144 without registration one year after we have completed our initial business combination.
Registration and Shareholder Rights
The holders of the founder shares, private placement warrants, Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement warrants and any warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans and extension loans (and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the private placement warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans and extension loans) will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration and shareholder rights
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agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering. The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that we register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination. However, the registration and shareholder rights agreement provides that we will not permit any registration statement filed under the Securities Act to become effective until termination of the applicable lockup period, which occurs (i) in the case of the founder shares, as described in the following paragraph, and (ii) in the case of the private placement warrants and the respective Class A ordinary shares underlying such warrants, 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Except as described herein, our sponsor and our directors and executive officers have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell (i) their founder shares until the earliest of (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination and (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the closing price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property, and (ii) any of their private placement warrants and Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion or exercise thereof until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. Any permitted transferees will be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our sponsor with respect to any founder shares, private placement warrants and Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion or exercise thereof. We refer to such transfer restrictions throughout this prospectus as the lock-up.
In addition, pursuant to the registration and shareholder rights agreement, our sponsor, upon and following consummation of an initial business combination, will be entitled to nominate three individuals for appointment to our board of directors, as long as the sponsor holds any securities covered by the registration and shareholder rights agreement.
Listing of Securities
We have been approved to list our units on the Nasdaq under the symbol “FRBNU” Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, we expect that the Class A ordinary shares and warrants will be listed on the Nasdaq under the symbols “FRBN” and “FRBNW” respectively. The units will automatically separate into their component parts and will not be traded following the completion of our initial business combination.
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The following summary of certain Cayman Islands tax, U.S. federal income tax and Dutch tax consequences of an investment in our units, each consisting of one Class A ordinary share, one-third of one redeemable warrant, which we refer to collectively as our securities, is based upon laws and relevant interpretations thereof in effect as of the date of this prospectus, all of which are subject to change. This summary does not deal with all possible tax consequences relating to an investment in our Class A ordinary shares and warrants, such as the tax consequences under state, local and other tax laws.
Prospective investors should consult their advisors on the possible tax consequences of investing in our securities under the laws of their country of citizenship, residence or domicile.
Cayman Islands Tax Considerations
The following is a discussion on certain Cayman Islands income tax consequences of an investment in the securities of the company. The discussion is a general summary of present law, which is subject to prospective and retroactive change. It is not intended as tax advice, does not consider any investor’s particular circumstances, and does not consider tax consequences other than those arising under Cayman Islands law.
Under Existing Cayman Islands Laws
Payments of dividends and capital in respect of our securities will not be subject to taxation in the Cayman Islands and no withholding will be required on the payment of a dividend or capital to any holder of the securities nor will gains derived from the disposal of the securities be subject to Cayman Islands income or corporate tax. The Cayman Islands currently has no income, corporate or capital gains tax and no estate duty, inheritance tax or gift tax.
No stamp duty is payable in respect of the issue of the warrants. An instrument of transfer in respect of a warrant is stampable if executed in or brought into the Cayman Islands.
No stamp duty is payable in respect of the issue of our Class A ordinary shares or on an instrument of transfer in respect of such shares.
The Company has been incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands as an exempted company with limited liability and, as such, has applied for and received an undertaking from the Financial Secretary of the Cayman Islands in the following form:
The Tax Concessions Law
(2018 Revision)
Undertaking as to Tax Concessions
In accordance with the provision of Section 6 of The Tax Concessions Act (As Revised), the Financial Secretary undertakes with Forbion European Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”):
| 1. | That no law which is hereafter enacted in the Islands imposing any tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations shall apply to the Company or its operations; and |
| 2. | In addition, that no tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations or which is in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax shall be payable: |
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Taxation
| 2.1 | On or in respect of the shares, debentures or other obligations of the Company; or |
| 2.2 | by way of the withholding in whole or part, of any relevant payment as defined in Section 6(3) of The Tax Concessions Act (As Revised). |
These concessions shall be for a period of 20 years from the date of the certificate.
United States Federal Income Tax Considerations
The following summarizes the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the ownership and disposition by a U.S. Holder (as defined below) of our units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants, to which we refer collectively as our securities. Because the components of a unit are generally separable at your option, you should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as the owner of the underlying Class A ordinary share and one-third of one warrant components of the unit. As a result, the discussion below with respect to your beneficial ownership of Class A ordinary shares and warrants prior to our business combination should also apply to your beneficial ownership of units (as you should be deemed to be the owner of the underlying Class A ordinary shares and warrants that compose the units you own).
This discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations applies to you only if (i) you are an initial purchaser of a unit pursuant to this offering, (ii) you are a U.S. Holder and (iii) you hold the unit and each component of the unit as capital assets under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). You are a U.S. Holder if for U.S. federal income tax purposes you are a beneficial owner of our units, Class A ordinary shares or warrants and are:
| Ø | an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; |
| Ø | a corporation (or other entity taxable as a corporation) organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia; or |
| Ø | an estate or trust the income of which is includible in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of its source. |
This discussion assumes that any distributions made (or deemed made) by us on our Class A ordinary shares and any consideration received (or deemed received) by you in consideration for the sale or other disposition of our securities will be in U.S. dollars. This discussion is a summary only and does not consider all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to your ownership and disposition of units, Class A ordinary shares or warrants in your particular circumstances, or if you are subject to special treatment under the U.S. federal income tax laws, including if you are:
| Ø | our sponsor or founder (or an officer, director, employee or affiliate thereof); |
| Ø | a financial institution; |
| Ø | a dealer or an electing trader in securities that uses a mark-to-market method of tax accounting with respect to the securities; |
| Ø | a government or agency or instrumentality thereof; |
| Ø | a regulated investment company; |
| Ø | a real estate investment trust; |
| Ø | an expatriate or former long-term resident of the United States; |
| Ø | an insurance company; |
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| Ø | a person that actually or constructively owns five percent or more of our voting shares or five percent or more of the total value of our shares; |
| Ø | a person holding the securities as part of a “straddle,” integrated transaction or similar transaction; |
| Ø | a person holding our securities in connection with a trade or business outside the United States; |
| Ø | a U.S. person whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar; or |
| Ø | a tax-exempt entity. |
Moreover, the discussion below is based upon the provisions of the Code, the Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder, administrative and judicial interpretations thereof, and the income tax treaty between the United States and The Netherlands (the “Treaty”), all as of the date hereof, which may be repealed, revoked, modified or subject to differing interpretations, possibly on a retroactive basis, so as to result in U.S. federal income tax consequences different from those discussed below. Furthermore, this discussion does not discuss the alternative minimum tax or the application of Section 451(b) of the Code, and does not address any aspect of U.S. federal non-income tax laws, such as gift, estate or Medicare contribution tax laws, or any state, local or non-U.S. tax laws.
We have not sought, and will not seek, a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) as to any U.S. federal income tax consequence described herein. The IRS may disagree with the discussion herein, and its determination may be upheld by a court. Moreover, there can be no assurance that future legislation, regulations, administrative rulings or court decisions will not adversely affect the accuracy of the statements in this discussion. You are urged to consult your tax adviser with respect to the application of U.S. federal tax laws to your particular situation, as well as any tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or non-U.S. taxing jurisdiction.
This discussion does not consider the tax treatment of partnerships or other passthrough entities or persons who invest in our securities through those entities. If you are a partnership (or other entity or arrangement classified as a partnership or other passthrough entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes) that is the beneficial owner of our securities, the U.S. federal income tax treatment to your partners or members generally will depend on their status and your activities. If you are a partnership or other passthrough entity holding our securities, or a partner or member thereof, we urge you to consult your own tax adviser.
This discussion does not address the tax consequences of our business combination or owning our or the target company’s securities after the business combination.
THIS DISCUSSION IS ONLY A SUMMARY OF MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR SECURITIES. YOU ARE URGED TO CONSULT YOUR OWN TAX ADVISER WITH RESPECT TO THE PARTICULAR TAX CONSEQUENCES TO YOU OF THE OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR SECURITIES, INCLUDING THE APPLICABILITY AND EFFECT OF ANY U.S. FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, AND NON-U.S. TAX LAWS.
Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit
No statutory, administrative or judicial authority directly addresses the treatment of a unit or instruments similar to a unit for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, therefore, that treatment is not entirely clear. Under general U.S. federal income tax principles, the acquisition of a unit should be treated as the acquisition of one Class A ordinary share and one-third of one warrant, a whole one of which is
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exercisable to acquire one Class A ordinary share, and the remainder of this discussion assumes that this treatment will be respected. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, you must allocate the purchase price paid for a unit between the one Class A ordinary share and the one-third of one warrant based on the relative fair market value of each at the time of issuance. You must make your own determination of these values based on all the facts and circumstances. Therefore, you should consult your tax adviser regarding the determination of these values for these purposes. The portion of the purchase price of a unit allocated to each Class A ordinary share and the one-third of one warrant should be your initial tax basis in the share or warrant, as the case may be. Any disposition of a unit should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a disposition of the Class A ordinary share and one-third of one warrant composing the unit, and the amount realized on the disposition should be allocated between the Class A ordinary share and the one-third of one warrant based on their respective relative fair market values (as determined by you based on all the relevant facts and circumstances) at the time of disposition. The separation of the Class A ordinary share and the one-third of one warrant composing a unit should not be a taxable event for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
The foregoing treatment of the units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants and your purchase price allocation is not binding on the IRS or the courts. No assurance can be given that the IRS or a court will agree with the characterization described above or the discussion below. Accordingly, you are urged to consult a tax advisor regarding the tax consequences of an investment in a unit (including alternative characterizations of a unit). The balance of this discussion assumes that the characterization of the units described above is respected for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Taxation of Distributions
The following discussion is subject to the discussion under “—Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules” below.
You generally will be required to include in gross income as dividends the amount of any distribution of cash or other property (other than certain distributions of our shares or rights to acquire our shares) paid on our Class A ordinary shares to the extent the distribution is paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles). Distributions in excess of earnings and profits generally will be applied against, and reduce, your tax basis in your Class A ordinary shares (but not below zero), and any remaining excess will be treated as gain from the sale or exchange of the Class A ordinary shares (the treatment of which is described under “—Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants” below). However, it is possible that financial intermediaries may report the entire amount of any distributions we make as dividends if they cannot determine the amount of our earnings and profits for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
If you are a corporate U.S. Holder, dividends paid by us will be taxable to you at regular rates and will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction generally allowed to domestic corporations in respect of dividends received from other domestic corporations. If you are a non-corporate U.S. Holder, dividends generally will be taxed at the lower applicable long-term capital gains rate that applies to qualified dividend income only if our Class A ordinary shares are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States, which they will be if our shares are traded on the Nasdaq), we are not a passive foreign investment company (a “PFIC”) for the taxable year in which the dividend was paid or the previous year, and certain other requirements, including certain holding period requirements, are met. It is unclear, however, whether certain redemption rights described in this prospectus may suspend the running of the applicable holding period for this purpose. You should consult your tax adviser regarding the availability of this lower rate for any dividends paid with respect to our Class A ordinary shares.
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Dividends will generally be treated as foreign-source income for foreign tax credit purposes. As described under “Dutch Tax Considerations” below, dividends paid by us may be subject to Dutch withholding tax. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, the amount of the dividend income will include any amounts withheld in respect of Dutch withholding tax. Subject to applicable limitations, which vary upon your circumstances, Dutch taxes withheld from dividend payments (at a rate not exceeding any rate applicable under the Treaty) generally will be creditable against your U.S. federal income tax liability. The rules governing foreign tax credits are complex and you should consult your tax adviser regarding the creditability of foreign taxes in your particular circumstances. In lieu of claiming a credit, you may elect to deduct any Dutch taxes in computing your taxable income, subject to applicable limitations. An election to deduct foreign taxes instead of claiming foreign tax credits applies to all foreign taxes paid or accrued in the relevant taxable year.
If we are a “United States-owned foreign corporation,” however, the portion of the dividends allocable to our U.S. source earnings and profits may be re-characterized as U.S. source for foreign tax credit purposes. A “United States owned foreign corporation” is any foreign corporation in which United States persons own, directly or indirectly, 50% or more of the stock (by vote or by value). In general, United States-owned foreign corporations with less than 10% of their earnings and profits attributable to sources within the United States are excepted from these rules. The rules governing the treatment of foreign taxes and foreign tax credits are complex, and U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors about the impact of these rules in their particular situations.
Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants
The following discussion is subject to the discussion under “—Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules” below.
Upon a sale or other taxable disposition of our Class A ordinary shares or warrants, which, in general, would include a redemption of Class A ordinary shares or warrants that is treated as a sale of those securities as described below, and including as a result of a dissolution and liquidation in the event we do not consummate an initial business combination within the required time period, you generally will recognize capital gain or loss as described below. This capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if your holding period for the Class A ordinary shares or warrants so disposed of exceeds one year. Long-term capital gains recognized by non-corporate U.S. Holders are currently eligible to be taxed at reduced rates. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.
Generally, the amount of gain or loss you recognize will equal the difference between (i) the sum of the amount of cash and the fair market value of any property received in the disposition (or, if the Class A ordinary shares or warrants are held as part of units at the time of the disposition, the portion of the amount realized on such disposition that is allocated to the Class A ordinary shares or the warrants, as the case may be, based upon the then fair market values of the Class A ordinary shares and the warrants included in the units) and (ii) your adjusted tax basis in the Class A ordinary shares or warrants so disposed of. Your adjusted tax basis in your Class A ordinary shares or warrants generally will equal your acquisition cost (that is, as discussed above, the portion of the purchase price of a unit allocated to a Class A ordinary share or one-third of one warrant or, as discussed below, your initial basis for Class A ordinary shares received upon exercise of warrants), increased as described below in “—Redemption of Class A Ordinary Shares”) in respect of certain redemptions of Class A ordinary shares that are treated as corporate distributions and by prior deemed distributions under Section 305 of the Code that are treated as dividends as described below in “—Possible Constructive Distributions,” and decreased by any prior distributions (including deemed distributions) treated as returns of capital. The gain or loss will generally be U.S.-source gain or loss for foreign tax credit purposes.
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Redemption of Class A Ordinary Shares
The following discussion is subject to the discussion under “—Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules” below.
In the event that your Class A ordinary shares are redeemed pursuant to the redemption provisions described in this prospectus under the section of this prospectus captioned “Description of Securities—Ordinary Shares” or if we purchase your Class A ordinary shares in an open market transaction (in either case referred to herein as a “redemption”), the treatment of the redemption for U.S. federal income tax purposes will depend on whether the redemption qualifies as a sale of the Class A ordinary shares under Section 302 of the Code. If the redemption qualifies as a sale of Class A ordinary shares, you will be treated as described under “—Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants” above. If the redemption does not qualify as a sale of Class A ordinary shares, you will be treated as receiving a corporate distribution with the tax consequences described above under “—Taxation of Distributions.” Whether a redemption qualifies for sale treatment will depend largely on the total number of our shares treated as held by you (including any shares constructively owned by you) relative to all of our shares outstanding both before and after the redemption. The redemption of Class A ordinary shares generally will be treated as a sale of the Class A ordinary shares (rather than as a corporate distribution) if the redemption (i) is “substantially disproportionate” with respect to you, (ii) results in a “complete termination” of your interest in us or (iii) is “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” with respect to you. These tests are explained more fully below.
In determining whether any of the foregoing tests is satisfied, you must take into account not only our shares actually owned by you, but also our shares that are constructively owned by you. In addition to shares you own directly, you may be treated as constructively owning shares owned by certain related individuals and entities in which you have an interest or that have an interest in you, as well as any shares you have a right to acquire by exercise of an option, which likely would include Class A ordinary shares which could be acquired pursuant to the exercise of the warrants. In order to meet the substantially disproportionate test, the percentage of our outstanding voting shares actually and constructively owned by you immediately following the redemption of Class A ordinary shares must, among other requirements, be less than 80% of the percentage of our outstanding voting shares actually and constructively owned by you immediately before the redemption. Prior to our initial business combination, the Class A ordinary shares may not be treated as voting shares for this purpose and, consequently, this substantially disproportionate test may not be applicable. There will be a complete termination of your interest if either (i) all of our shares actually and constructively owned by you are redeemed or (ii) all of our shares actually owned by you are redeemed and you are eligible to waive, and effectively waive in accordance with specific rules, the attribution of shares owned by certain family members and you do not constructively own any other shares of ours. The redemption of the Class A ordinary shares will not be essentially equivalent to a dividend if the redemption or purchase results in a “meaningful reduction” of your proportionate interest in us. Whether the redemption will result in a meaningful reduction of your proportionate interest in us will depend on the particular facts and circumstances. However, the IRS has indicated in a published ruling that even a small reduction in the proportionate interest of a small minority shareholder in a publicly held corporation who exercises no control over corporate affairs may constitute such a “meaningful reduction.” You should consult your tax adviser as to the tax consequences of a redemption, including whether you can claim a foreign tax credit in respect of any Dutch taxes withheld from the proceeds of such a redemption.
If none of the foregoing tests is satisfied, then the redemption will be treated as a corporate distribution and the tax consequences of the redemption will be as described under “—Taxation of Distributions,”
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above. After the application of those rules, any remaining tax basis in the redeemed Class A ordinary shares will be added to your adjusted tax basis in your remaining shares. If there are no remaining shares, you are urged to consult your tax adviser as to the allocation of any remaining basis.
Exercise, Lapse or Redemption of a Warrant
The following discussion is subject to the discussion under “—Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules” below.
You generally will not recognize taxable gain or loss on the acquisition of Class A ordinary shares upon exercise of warrants for cash. Your tax basis in our Class A ordinary shares received upon exercise of the warrants generally will be an amount equal to the sum of your initial investment in the warrants (i.e., the portion of your purchase price for the units that is allocated to the exercised warrants, as described above under “—Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit”) and the exercise price. It is unclear whether your holding period for the Class A ordinary shares received upon exercise of warrants will begin on the date following the date of exercise or on the date of exercise of the warrants; in either case, the holding period will not include the period during which you held the warrants. If a warrant is allowed to lapse unexercised, you generally will recognize a capital loss equal to your tax basis in the warrant.
The tax consequences of a cashless exercise of a warrant are not clear under current tax law. A cashless exercise may be tax-free, either because the exercise is not a realization event or because it is treated as a recapitalization for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In either of these two situations, your basis in the Class A ordinary shares received would equal your basis in the warrants exercised. If the cashless exercise were treated as not being a realization event (and not a recapitalization), it is unclear whether your holding period in the Class A ordinary shares would be treated as commencing on the date following the date of exercise or on the date of exercise of the warrant; in either case, the holding period would not include the period during which you held the warrants. If the cashless exercise were treated as a recapitalization, the holding period of the Class A ordinary shares would include the holding period of the warrants exercised.
It is also possible that a cashless exercise could be treated in part as a taxable exchange in which gain or loss would be recognized. In that event, a portion of the warrants to be exercised on a cashless basis could, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, be deemed to have been surrendered in consideration of the exercise price of the remaining warrants, which would be deemed to be exercised. For this purpose, you could be deemed to have surrendered a number of warrants having an aggregate value equal to the exercise price for the total number of warrants deemed exercised. Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, you would recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the total exercise price for the total number of warrants to be exercised and your adjusted tax basis in the warrants deemed surrendered. In this case, your tax basis in the Class A ordinary shares received would equal the sum of your initial investment in the warrants exercised (i.e., the portion of your purchase price for the units that is allocated to the warrants, as described above under “—Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit”) and the exercise price of the warrants. It is unclear whether your holding period for the Class A ordinary shares would commence on the date following the date of exercise or on the date of exercise of the warrants; in either case, the holding period would not include the period during which you held the warrants.
Due to the absence of authority on the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a cashless exercise, there can be no assurance as to which, if any, of the alternative tax consequences and holding periods described
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above would be adopted by the IRS or a court. Accordingly, you should consult your tax adviser as to the tax consequences of a cashless exercise.
Subject to the PFIC rules described below, if we redeem warrants for cash pursuant to the redemption provisions described in the section of this prospectus captioned “Description of Securities—Warrants— Public Shareholders’ Warrants” or if we purchase warrants in an open market transaction, the redemption or purchase generally will be treated as a taxable disposition to you, taxed as described above under “—Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants.” You should consult your tax adviser as to whether you will be able to credit any Dutch withholding tax imposed on the redemption of warrants against your U.S. federal income tax liability.
Possible Constructive Distributions
The terms of the warrants provide for an adjustment to the number of Class A ordinary shares for which warrants may be exercised or to the exercise price of the warrants in certain events, as discussed in the section of this prospectus captioned “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Shareholders’ Warrants.” An adjustment that has the effect of preventing dilution generally is not taxable. You would, however, be treated as receiving a constructive distribution from us if, for example, the adjustment increases your proportionate interest in our assets or earnings and profits (e.g., through an increase in the number of Class A ordinary shares that would be obtained upon exercise or through a decrease to the exercise price) as a result of a taxable distribution of cash or other property to the holders of our Class A ordinary shares. A constructive distribution to you would be treated as if you had received a cash distribution from us generally equal to the fair market value of the increased interest (taxed as described above under “—Taxation of Distributions” above). For certain information reporting purposes, we are required to determine the date and amount of any constructive distributions. Proposed Treasury regulations, which we may rely on prior to the issuance of final regulations, specify how the date and amount of constructive distributions are determined.
Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules
A non-U.S. corporation will be a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes if either (i) at least 75% of its gross income in a taxable year, including its pro rata share of the gross income of any corporation in which it is considered to own at least 25% of the shares by value, is passive income or (ii) at least 50% of its assets in a taxable year (ordinarily determined based on fair market value and averaged quarterly over the year), including its pro rata share of the assets of any corporation in which it is considered to own at least 25% of the shares by value, are held for the production of, or produce, passive income. Passive income generally includes, among other things, dividends, interest, rents and royalties (other than rents or royalties derived from the active conduct of a trade or business) and gains from the disposition of assets giving rise to passive income. Cash is generally a passive asset for these purposes.
Because we are a blank check company with no current active business, we believe that it is likely that we will meet the PFIC asset or income test for our current taxable year. However, pursuant to a start-up exception, a corporation will not be a PFIC for the first taxable year in which the corporation has gross income (the “start-up year”), if (1) no predecessor of the corporation was a PFIC; (2) it is established to the satisfaction of the IRS that it will not be a PFIC for either of the first two taxable years following the start-up year; and (3) the corporation is not in fact a PFIC for either of those years. The applicability of the start-up exception to us will not be known until after the close of our current taxable year and, perhaps, until after the end of our two taxable years following our start-up year. It is also possible that the start-up exception will not be available due to the structure of our business combination, which is not
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known yet. After the acquisition of a company or assets in a business combination, we may still meet one of the PFIC tests depending on the timing of the acquisition and the amount of our passive income and assets, respectively, as well as the passive income and assets of the acquired business. If the company that we acquire in a business combination is a PFIC, then we will not qualify for the start-up exception and will be a PFIC for our current taxable year. Our actual PFIC status for our current taxable year or any subsequent taxable year will not be determinable until after the end of that taxable year (and, in the case of the start-up exception to our current taxable year, perhaps until after the end of the second taxable year following our start-up year). Accordingly, there can be no assurance with respect to our status as a PFIC for our current taxable year or any future taxable year.
The Code provides that, to the extent provided in Treasury regulations, if any person has an option to acquire shares of a PFIC, the shares will be considered as owned by that person. Under proposed Treasury regulations that have a retroactive effective date, an option to acquire shares of a PFIC is generally treated as ownership of those PFIC shares. The remainder of this discussion assumes that the PFIC rules will apply to our warrants if we are PFIC. However, you should consult your tax adviser regarding whether and how the PFIC rules apply to securities such as our warrants in general, and prior to the finalization of the proposed Treasury regulations in particular.
If we are a PFIC for any taxable year (or portion thereof) that is included in your holding period and, in the case of our Class A ordinary shares, you did not make either a timely mark-to-market election or a qualified electing fund (“QEF”) election for our first taxable year as a PFIC in which you held (or were deemed to hold) Class A ordinary shares, as described below, you generally will be subject to special rules with respect to (i) any gain recognized on the sale or other disposition of your Class A ordinary shares or warrants and (ii) any “excess distribution” made to you (generally, any distributions to you during a taxable year that are greater than 125% of the average annual distributions received by you in respect of the Class A ordinary shares during the three preceding taxable years or, if shorter, your holding period for the Class A ordinary shares).
Under these rules:
| Ø | your gain or excess distribution will be allocated ratably over your holding period for the Class A ordinary shares or warrants; |
| Ø | the amount allocated to the taxable year in which you recognized the gain or received the excess distribution, or to the period in your holding period before the first day of our first taxable year in which we are a PFIC, will be taxed as ordinary income; and |
| Ø | the amount allocated to other taxable years (or portions thereof) and included in your holding period will be taxed at the highest tax rate in effect for that year and applicable to you (without regard to other items of income and loss for such year), and an additional amount equal to the interest charge generally applicable to underpayments of tax will be imposed with respect to the tax attributable to each such other taxable year. |
If we are a PFIC during any taxable year during which you own our Class A ordinary shares or warrants, we will generally continue to be treated as a PFIC with respect to your Class A ordinary shares or warrants unless (a) we cease to be a PFIC, and (b) you make a purging election, in which case you will be deemed to have sold the shares or warrants at their fair market value and any gain recognized on the deemed sale will be taxed under the general PFIC rules described above.
In general, if we are a PFIC, you may be able to avoid the PFIC tax consequences described above with respect to our Class A ordinary shares (but not our warrants) by making a timely and valid QEF election
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to include in income your pro rata share of our net capital gains (as long-term capital gain) and other earnings and profits (as ordinary income), on a current basis, in each case whether or not distributed, in the taxable year in which or with which our taxable year ends. You generally may make a separate election to defer the payment of taxes on undistributed income inclusions under the QEF rules, but if deferred, any such taxes will be subject to an interest charge.
It is not entirely clear how various aspects of the PFIC rules apply to the warrants. However, you may not make a QEF election with respect to your warrants. As a result, if you sell or otherwise dispose of warrants (other than upon exercise of warrants) and we were a PFIC at any time during your holding period for the warrants, any gain recognized generally will be treated as an excess distribution, taxed as described above. If you properly make a QEF election with respect to the newly acquired Class A ordinary shares (or had previously made a QEF election with respect to our Class A ordinary shares), the QEF election will apply to the newly acquired Class A ordinary shares. Notwithstanding the QEF election, the adverse tax consequences relating to PFIC shares, adjusted to take into account the current income inclusions resulting from the QEF election, will continue to apply with respect to the newly acquired Class A ordinary shares (which will be deemed to have a holding period for purposes of the PFIC rules that includes the period you held the warrants), unless you make a “purging” election under the PFIC rules. Under one type of purging election, you will be deemed to have sold your shares at their fair market value and any gain recognized on such deemed sale will be treated as an excess distribution, as described above. Under another type of purging election, you will be treated as having received as an excess distribution its ratable share of our earnings and profits determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In order for you to make the second election, we must also be a “controlled foreign corporation” as defined in the Code, and there are no assurances that we will so qualify. As a result of either election, you will have a new basis and holding period in the Class A ordinary shares acquired upon the exercise of the warrants for purposes of the PFIC rules. You should consult your tax adviser as to the application of the rules governing purging elections to your particular circumstances.
The QEF election is made on a shareholder-by-shareholder basis and, once made, can be revoked only with the consent of the IRS. You generally make a QEF election by attaching a completed IRS Form 8621, including the information provided in a PFIC Annual Information Statement, to a timely filed U.S. federal income tax return for the tax year to which the election relates. You should consult your tax adviser regarding the availability and tax consequences of a retroactive QEF election in your particular circumstances.
In order to comply with the requirements of a QEF election, you must receive a PFIC Annual Information Statement from us. If we determine we are a PFIC for any taxable year, we will endeavor to provide you a PFIC Annual Information Statement, but there is no assurance that we will timely provide this statement. There is also no assurance that we will have timely knowledge of our status as a PFIC in the future or of the information that you would need to provide in order to make a valid election.
If you have made a QEF election with respect to our Class A ordinary shares, and the excess distribution rules discussed above do not apply to the shares (because you have made a timely QEF election for our first taxable year as a PFIC in which you hold (or are deemed to hold) the shares or a purge of the PFIC taint pursuant to a purging election, as described above), any gain recognized on the sale of our Class A ordinary shares generally will be taxable as capital gain and no additional interest charge will be imposed under the PFIC rules. As discussed above, if we are a PFIC for any taxable year and you have made a valid QEF election, you will be currently taxed on your pro rata share of our earnings and profits, whether or not distributed for the relevant year. A subsequent distribution of earnings and profits that were previously included in income generally should not be taxable when distributed to you. The tax
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basis of your shares in a QEF will be increased by amounts that are included in income, and decreased by amounts distributed but not taxed as dividends, under the rules above. In addition, if we are not a PFIC for any taxable year, you will not be subject to the QEF inclusion regime with respect to our Class A ordinary shares for that taxable year.
Alternatively, if we are a PFIC and our Class A ordinary shares constitute “marketable stock,” you may avoid the adverse PFIC tax consequences discussed above if, at the close of the first taxable year in which you own (or are deemed to own) our Class A ordinary shares, you make a mark-to-market election with respect to the shares for the taxable year. You generally will include for each taxable year as ordinary income the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the Class A ordinary shares at the end of the taxable year over your adjusted basis in your Class A ordinary shares. These amounts of ordinary income are not eligible for the favorable tax rates applicable to qualified dividend income or long-term capital gains. You also will be allowed to take an ordinary loss in respect of the excess, if any, of your adjusted basis in your Class A ordinary shares over the fair market value of the shares at the end of the taxable year, but only to the extent of the net amount of previously included income as a result of the mark-to-market election. Your basis in your Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted to reflect these income and loss amounts, and any further gain recognized on a sale or other taxable disposition of your Class A ordinary shares will be treated as ordinary income. A mark-to-market election may not be made with respect to warrants.
The mark-to-market election is available only for stock that is regularly traded on a national securities exchange that is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the NYSE (on which we intend to list the Class A ordinary shares), or on a non-U.S. exchange or market that the IRS determines has rules sufficient to ensure that the market price represents a legitimate and sound fair market value. In general, the Class A ordinary shares will be treated as regularly traded in any calendar year in which more than a de minimis quantity of Class A ordinary shares is traded on a qualified exchange on at least 15 days during each calendar quarter. If made, a mark-to-market election is effective for the taxable year for which the election was made and for all subsequent taxable years unless the Class A ordinary shares cease to qualify as “marketable stock” for purposes of the PFIC rules or the IRS consents to the revocation of the election. You should consult your tax adviser regarding the availability and tax consequences of a mark-to-market election in respect of our Class A ordinary shares in your particular circumstances.
If we are a PFIC and, at any time, have a foreign subsidiary that is classified as a PFIC, you generally will be deemed to own a portion of the shares of the lower-tier PFIC, and generally could incur liability for the deferred tax and interest charge described above if we receive a distribution from, or dispose of all or part of our interest in, the lower-tier PFIC or you otherwise are deemed to have disposed of an interest in the lower-tier PFIC. The mark-to-market election discussed above will likely not apply to any lower-tier PFIC. Accordingly, you may continue to be subject to tax under the rules described above with respect to excess distributions with respect to any lower-tier PFIC, notwithstanding a mark-to-market election for the Class A ordinary shares. We will endeavor to cause any lower-tier PFIC to provide the information that may be required in order for you to make or maintain a valid QEF election with respect to the lower-tier PFIC. There can be no assurance that we will have timely knowledge of the status of any lower-tier PFIC. In addition, we may not hold a controlling interest in any lower-tier PFIC and thus there can be no assurance that we will be able to cause the lower-tier PFIC to provide any information you may need in order to make a valid QEF election. You should consult your tax adviser regarding the tax issues raised by lower-tier PFICs.
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Taxation
If you own (or are deemed to own) shares in a PFIC during any taxable year, you generally will be required to file an IRS Form 8621 (whether or not a QEF or mark-to-market election is made) and any other information that may be required by the U.S. Treasury Department.
The rules dealing with PFICs and with the QEF and mark-to-market elections are complex and are affected by various factors in addition to those described above. You should consult your adviser concerning the application of the PFIC rules to our securities under your particular circumstances.
Tax Reporting and Backup Withholding
You may be required to file an IRS Form 926 (Return by a U.S. Transferor of Property to a Foreign
Corporation) to report your investment in us. Furthermore, if you are an individual or one of certain specified entities, you may be required to report information with respect to any investment in “specified foreign financial assets” on IRS Form 8938 (Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets), subject to certain exceptions. Specified foreign financial assets generally include any financial account maintained with a non-U.S. financial institution and should also include the Class A ordinary shares and warrants if they are not held in an account maintained with a U.S. financial institution. You should consult your tax adviser regarding the foreign financial asset and other reporting obligations and their application to an investment in our Class A ordinary shares and warrants.
Dividend payments with respect to our Class A ordinary shares and proceeds from the sale, exchange or redemption of our Class A ordinary shares or warrants may be subject to information reporting to the IRS and possible U.S. backup withholding, unless you are an exempt recipient or otherwise establish an exemption.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Amounts withheld as backup withholding may be credited against your U.S. federal income tax liability, and you generally may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules by timely filing the appropriate claim for refund with the IRS and furnishing any required information.
The U.S. federal income tax discussion set forth above is included for general information only and may not be applicable depending upon your particular situation. You should consult your tax adviser with respect to the tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of our units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants, including the tax consequences under state, local, estate, non-U.S. and other laws and tax treaties and the possible effects of changes in U.S. or other tax laws.
Dutch Tax Considerations
The following Dutch tax paragraph is based on the presumption that the company is and will continue to be effectively managed in the Netherlands, and consequently, that the company will be considered a Dutch tax resident under Dutch tax law.
The summary in this Dutch taxation paragraph solely addresses the principal Dutch tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposal of the ordinary shares and redeemable warrants and does not purport to describe every aspect of taxation that may be relevant to a particular holder. Tax matters are complex, and the tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposal of the ordinary shares or redeemable warrants to a particular public shareholder or holder of redeemable warrants will depend in part on such holder’s circumstances. Accordingly, a public shareholder or holder of redeemable warrants is urged to consult his own tax advisor for a full understanding of the tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposal of the ordinary shares or redeemable warrants to him, including the applicability and effect of Dutch tax laws.
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Where in this summary English terms and expressions are used to refer to Dutch concepts, the meaning to be attributed to such terms and expressions shall be the meaning to be attributed to the equivalent Dutch concepts under Dutch tax law. Where in this summary the terms “the Netherlands” and “Dutch” are used, these refer solely to the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This summary assumes that the company is organized, and that its business will be conducted, in the manner outlined in this prospectus. A change to such organizational structure or to the manner in which the company conducts its business may invalidate the contents of this summary, which will not be updated to reflect any such change.
This summary is based on the tax law of the Netherlands (unpublished case law not included) as it stands at the date of this prospectus. The tax law upon which this summary is based, is subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. Any such change may invalidate the contents of this summary, which will not be updated to reflect such change.
The summary in this Dutch taxation paragraph does not address the Dutch tax consequences for a public shareholder or holder of redeemable warrants who:
| Ø | is a person who may be deemed an owner of ordinary shares or redeemable warrants for Dutch tax purposes pursuant to specific statutory attribution rules in Dutch tax law; |
| Ø | is, although in principle subject to Dutch corporation tax, in whole or in part, specifically exempt from that tax in connection with income from ordinary shares or redeemable warrants; |
| Ø | is an investment institution as defined in the Dutch Corporation Tax Act 1969; |
| Ø | is an entity that, although in principle subject to Dutch corporation tax, is fully or partly exempt from Dutch corporation tax; |
| Ø | owns ordinary shares or redeemable warrants in connection with a membership of a management board or a supervisory board, an employment relationship, a deemed employment relationship or management role; |
| Ø | has a substantial interest in the company or a deemed substantial interest in the company for Dutch tax purposes. Generally, a person holds a substantial interest if (a) such person – either alone or, in the case of an individual, together with his partner or any of his relatives by blood or by marriage in the direct line (including foster-children) or of those of his partner for Dutch tax purposes – owns or is deemed to own, directly or indirectly, 5% or more of the ordinary shares or of any class of shares of the company, including any rights to acquire, directly or indirectly, an interest in the ordinary shares of the company (such as redeemable warrants) or profit participating certificates relating to 5% or more of the annual profits or to 5% or more of the liquidation proceeds of the company, or (b) such person’s shares, rights to acquire shares or profit participating certificates in the company are held by him following the application of a non-recognition provision; or |
| Ø | is for Dutch tax purposes taxable as a corporate entity and resident of Aruba, Curaçao or Sint Maarten. |
Taxes on income and capital gains
Dutch resident public shareholder or holder of redeemable warrants
A public shareholder or holder of redeemable warrants who is resident or deemed to be resident in the Netherlands for Dutch tax purposes is fully subject to Dutch income tax if he is an individual or fully subject to Dutch corporation tax if it is a corporate entity, or an entity, including an association, a partnership and a mutual fund, taxable as a corporate entity, as described in the summary below.
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Taxation
Individuals deriving profits or deemed to be deriving profits from an enterprise
Any benefits derived or deemed to be derived from or in connection with ordinary shares or redeemable warrants that are attributable to an enterprise from which an individual derives profits, whether as an entrepreneur or pursuant to a co-entitlement to the net value of an enterprise, other than as a shareholder, are generally subject to Dutch income tax at progressive rates up to 49.5%.
Individuals deriving benefits from miscellaneous activities
Any benefits derived or deemed to be derived from or in connection with ordinary shares or redeemable warrants that constitute benefits from miscellaneous activities by an individual are generally subject to Dutch income tax at progressive rates up to 49.5%.
An individual may, inter alia, derive, or be deemed to derive, benefits from or in connection with ordinary shares or redeemable warrants that are taxable as benefits from miscellaneous activities if his investment activities go beyond regular active portfolio management.
Other individuals
If a public shareholder or holder of redeemable warrants is an individual whose situation has not been discussed before in this section Resident public shareholder or holder of redeemable warrants, the value of his ordinary shares or redeemable warrants forms part of the yield basis for purposes of tax on benefits from savings and investments. A deemed benefit, which is determined on the basis of progressive rates starting from 1.9% up to 5.69% per annum of this yield basis, is taxed at the rate of 31%. Actual benefits derived from or in connection with his ordinary shares or redeemable warrants are not subject to Dutch income tax.
Corporate entities
Any benefits derived or deemed to be derived from or in connection with ordinary shares or redeemable warrants that are held by a corporate entity, or an entity, including an association, a partnership and a mutual fund, taxable as a corporate entity, are generally subject to Dutch corporation tax.
General
A public shareholder or holder of redeemable warrants will not be deemed to be resident in the Netherlands for Dutch tax purposes by reason only of the execution and/or enforcement of the documents relating to the issue of ordinary shares or redeemable warrants or the performance by the company of its obligations under such documents or under the ordinary shares or redeemable warrants.
Non-Dutch resident public shareholder or holder of redeemable warrants
Individuals
If a public shareholder or holder of redeemable warrants is an individual who is neither resident nor deemed to be resident in the Netherlands for purposes of Dutch income tax, he will not be subject to Dutch income tax in respect of any benefits derived or deemed to be derived from or in connection with ordinary shares or redeemable warrants, except if:
| Ø | he derives profits from an enterprise, whether as an entrepreneur or pursuant to a co-entitlement to the net value of such enterprise, other than as a shareholder, and such enterprise is carried on, in whole or in part, through a permanent establishment or a permanent representative in the Netherlands, and his ordinary shares or redeemable warrants are attributable to such permanent establishment or permanent representative; |
| Ø | he derives benefits or is deemed to derive benefits from or in connection with ordinary shares or redeemable warrants that are taxable as benefits from miscellaneous activities performed in the Netherlands; or |
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| Ø | he derives profits pursuant to the entitlement to a share in the profits of an enterprise, other than as a holder of securities, which is effectively managed in the Netherlands and to which enterprise his ordinary shares or redeemable warrants are attributable. |
Corporate entities
If a public shareholder or holder of redeemable warrants is a corporate entity, or an entity including an association, a partnership and a mutual fund, taxable as a corporate entity, which is neither resident, nor deemed to be resident in the Netherlands for purposes of Dutch corporation tax, it will not be subject to Dutch corporation tax in respect of any benefits derived or deemed to be derived from or in connection with ordinary shares or redeemable warrants, except if:
| Ø | it derives profits from an enterprise directly which is carried on, in whole or in part, through a permanent establishment or a permanent representative in the Netherlands, and to which permanent establishment or permanent representative its ordinary shares or redeemable warrants are attributable; or |
| Ø | it derives profits pursuant to a co-entitlement to the net value of an enterprise which is managed in the Netherlands, other than as a holder of securities, and to which enterprise its ordinary shares or redeemable warrants are attributable. |
General
If a public shareholder or holder of redeemable warrants is neither resident nor deemed to be resident in the Netherlands, such holder will for Dutch tax purposes not carry on or be deemed to carry on an enterprise, in whole or in part, through a permanent establishment or a permanent representative in the Netherlands by reason only of the execution and/or enforcement of the documents relating to the issue of ordinary shares or redeemable warrants or the performance by the company of its obligations under such documents or under the ordinary shares or redeemable warrants.
Dividend withholding tax
General
The company is generally required to withhold Dutch dividend withholding tax at a rate of 15% from dividends distributed by it, subject to possible relief under Dutch domestic law, the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union or an applicable Dutch income tax treaty depending on a particular public shareholder’s individual circumstances.
The concept “dividends distributed by” the company as used in this Dutch taxation paragraph includes, but is not limited to, the following:
| Ø | distributions in cash or in kind, deemed and constructive distributions and repayments of capital not recognized as paid-in for Dutch dividend withholding tax purposes; |
| Ø | liquidation proceeds and proceeds of repurchase or redemption of ordinary shares in excess of the average capital recognized as paid-in for Dutch dividend withholding tax purposes; |
| Ø | the par value of ordinary shares issued by the company to a public shareholder or an increase of the par value of public shares, as the case may be, to the extent that it does not appear that a contribution, recognized for Dutch dividend withholding tax purposes, has been made or will be made; and |
| Ø | partial repayment of capital, recognized as paid-in for Dutch dividend withholding tax purposes, if and to the extent that there are net profits, unless (a) the general meeting of the company’s shareholders has resolved in advance to make such repayment and (b) the par value of the ordinary shares concerned has been reduced by an equal amount by way of an amendment to the company’s articles of association. |
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Taxation
In addition to the above, the concept “dividends distributed by the company” may for the purposes of Dutch dividend withholding tax include proceeds of any amounts paid in respect of a repurchase or redemption of redeemable warrants or of a cash settlement of redeemable warrants, and consequently, Dutch dividend withholding tax at a rate of 15% may be due in respect of (a part of) such proceeds.
Gift and inheritance taxes
No Dutch gift tax or Dutch inheritance tax will arise with respect to an acquisition or deemed acquisition of ordinary shares or redeemable warrants by way of gift by, or upon the death of, a public shareholder or holder of redeemable warrants who is neither resident nor deemed to be resident in the Netherlands for purposes of Dutch gift tax or Dutch inheritance tax except if, in the event of a gift whilst not being a resident nor being a deemed resident in the Netherlands for purposes of Dutch gift tax or Dutch inheritance tax, the public shareholder or holder of redeemable warrants becomes a resident or a deemed resident in the Netherlands and dies within 180 days after the date of the gift.
For purposes of Dutch gift tax and Dutch inheritance tax, a gift of ordinary shares or redeemable warrants made under a condition precedent is deemed to be made at the time the condition precedent is satisfied.
Registration taxes and duties
No Dutch registration tax, transfer tax, stamp duty or any other similar documentary tax or duty, other than court fees, is payable in the Netherlands in respect of or in connection with the execution and/or enforcement (including by legal proceedings and including the enforcement of any foreign judgment in the courts of the Netherlands) of the documents relating to the issue of ordinary shares or redeemable warrants, the performance by the company of its obligations under such documents, or the transfer of ordinary shares or redeemable warrants, except that Dutch real property transfer tax may be due upon an acquisition in connection with ordinary shares or redeemable warrants of real property situated in the Netherlands, (an interest in) an asset that qualifies as real property situated in the Netherlands, or (an interest in) a right over real property situated in the Netherlands, for the purposes of Dutch real property transfer tax.
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Under the terms and subject to the conditions contained in an underwriting agreement dated as of the date of this prospectus, we have agreed to sell to the underwriters named below the following respective numbers of units:
| Underwriters | Number of Units | |||
UBS Securities LLC | 8,525,000 | |||
Kempen & Co. USA, Inc. | 2,475,000 | |||
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Total | 11,000,000 | |||
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The underwriting agreement provides that the underwriters are obligated to purchase all the units in this offering if any are purchased, other than those units covered by the over-allotment option described below.
We have granted to the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase on a pro rata basis up to 1,650,000 additional units at the initial public offering price, less the underwriting discounts and commissions. The option may be exercised only to cover any over-allotments of units.
The underwriters propose to offer the units initially at the public offering price on the cover page of this prospectus and to selling group members at that price less a selling concession of $0.10 per unit.
The following table shows the underwriting discounts and commissions that we are to pay to the underwriters in connection with this offering. These amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option. $0.35 per unit, or $3,850,000 (or $4,427,500 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), of deferred underwriting commissions will be paid to the underwriters upon the completion of our initial business combination.
| Paid By Forbion European Acquisition Corp. | ||||||||
| No Exercise | Full Exercise | |||||||
Per Unit(1)(2) | $ | 0.55 | $ | 0.55 | ||||
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Total(1)(2) | $ | 6,050,000 | $ | 6,957,500 | ||||
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| (1) | Includes $0.35 per unit, or $3,850,000 in the aggregate (or $4,427,500 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 combination. |
| (2) | Assumes the anchor investors do not purchase any units in this offering. Units purchased by the anchor investors in this offering, if any, will not be subject to underwriting discounts and commissions. See “The Offering — Expression of interest” for additional information. |
We estimate that our out-of-pocket expenses for this offering will be approximately $620,000. We have agreed to reimburse the underwriters for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in this offering, excluding the fees and expenses of counsel for the underwriters. We have also agreed to pay for the FINRA-related fees and expenses of the underwriters’ legal counsel, not to exceed $25,000.
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Underwriting
The underwriters have informed us that the underwriters do not intend to make sales to discretionary accounts.
We, our sponsor and our officers and directors have agreed that we will not offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, without the prior written consent of UBS Securities LLC and Kempen & Co. USA, Inc. for a period of 180 days after the date of this prospectus, any units, warrants, ordinary shares or any other securities convertible into, or exercisable, or exchangeable for, units, warrants or ordinary shares; provided, however, that we may (1) issue and sell the private placement warrants; (2) issue and sell the additional units to cover our underwriters’ over-allotment option (if any); (3) register with the SEC pursuant to an agreement to be entered into concurrently with the issuance and sale of the securities in this offering, the resale of the founder shares and the private placement warrants or the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants; and (4) issue securities in connection with our initial business combination. However, the foregoing shall not apply to the forfeiture of any founder shares pursuant to their terms or any transfer of founder shares to any current or future independent director of the company (as long as such current or future independent director is subject to the terms of the letter agreement, filed herewith, at the time of such transfer; and as long as, to the extent any Section 16 reporting obligation is triggered as a result of such transfer, any related Section 16 filing includes a practical explanation as to the nature of the transfer). UBS Securities LLC and Kempen & Co. USA, Inc. in their sole discretion may release any of the securities subject to these lock-up agreements at any time without notice.
Our sponsor and our directors and executive officers have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares until the earliest of (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination and (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the closing price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property (except pursuant to limited exceptions as described under “Principal Shareholders—Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants”). Any permitted transferees would be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our sponsor and our directors and executive officers with respect to any founder shares.
The private placement warrants (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of such warrants) will not be transferable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination (except, among other limited exceptions as described under “Principal Shareholders— Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants.”)
We have have been approved to list our units on the Nasdaq under the symbol “FRBNU”. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, we expect that the Class A ordinary shares and warrants will be listed on the Nasdaq under the symbols “FRBN” and “FRBNW” respectively.
Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our securities. Consequently, the initial public offering price for the units was determined by negotiations between us and the underwriters.
The determination of our per unit offering price was more arbitrary than would typically be the case if we were an operating company. Among the factors considered in determining the initial public offering price were the history and prospects of companies whose principal business is the acquisition of other
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companies, prior offerings of those companies, our management, our capital structure, and currently prevailing general conditions in equity securities markets, including current market valuations of publicly traded companies considered comparable to our company. We cannot assure you, however, that the price at which the units, Class A ordinary shares or warrants will sell in the public market after this offering will not be lower than the initial public offering price or that an active trading market in our units, Class A ordinary shares or warrants will develop and continue after this offering.
The underwriters have agreed to waive their rights to their deferred underwriting commission held in the trust account in the event we do not consummate an initial business combination within 18 months from the closing of this offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if we extend the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to our sponsor depositing additional funds in the trust account, as described in more detail in this prospectus) and, in such event, such amounts will be included with the funds held in the trust account that will be available to fund the redemption of our public shares.
In connection with this offering, the underwriters may engage in stabilizing transactions, over-allotment transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act.
| Ø | Stabilizing transactions permit bids to purchase the underlying security so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum. |
| Ø | Over-allotment involves sales by the underwriters of units in excess of the number of units the underwriters are obligated to purchase, which creates a syndicate short position. The short position may be either a covered short position or a naked short position. In a covered short position, the number of units over-allotted by the underwriters is not greater than the number of units that they may purchase in the over-allotment option. In a naked short position, the number of units involved is greater than the number of units in the over-allotment option. The underwriters may close out any covered short position by either exercising their over-allotment option and/or purchasing units in the open market. |
| Ø | Syndicate covering transactions involve purchases of the units in the open market after the distribution has been completed in order to cover syndicate short positions. In determining the source of units to close out the short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of units available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase units through the over-allotment option. If the underwriters sell more units than could be covered by the over-allotment option, a naked short position, the position can only be closed out by buying units in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there could be downward pressure on the price of the units in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in this offering. |
| Ø | Penalty bids permit the representative to reclaim a selling concession from a syndicate member when the units originally sold by the syndicate member are purchased in a stabilizing or syndicate covering transaction to cover syndicate short positions. |
These stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our units or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the units. As a result, the price of our units may be higher than the price that might otherwise exist in the open market. These transactions may be effected on the Nasdaq or otherwise and, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time.
We have granted UBS Securities LLC with a right of first refusal to participate in certain future financings. In accordance with FINRA Rule 5110, such right of first refusal has a duration of not more
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than three years from the date of commencement of sales of this offering and is deemed to be underwriting compensation in connection with this offering. Other than this right of first refusal, we are not under any contractual obligation to engage the underwriters to provide any services for us after this offering, but we may do so at our discretion. However, the underwriters may introduce us to potential target businesses or assist us in raising additional capital in the future, including by acting as a placement agent in a private offering or underwriting or arranging debt financing. If the underwriters provide services to us after this offering, we may pay the underwriters fair and reasonable fees that would be determined at that time in an arm’s length negotiation; provided that no agreement will be entered into with the underwriters and no fees for such services will be paid to the underwriters prior to the date that is 60 days from the date of this prospectus, unless FINRA determines that such payment would not be deemed underwriters’ compensation in connection with this offering, and we may pay the underwriters of this offering or any entity with which they are affiliated, a finder’s fee or other compensation for services rendered to us in connection with the completion of a business combination. Any fees we may pay the underwriters or their affiliates for services rendered to us after this offering may be contingent on the completion of a business combination and may be paid in other than cash. The underwriters or their affiliates that provide these services to us may have a potential conflict of interest given that the underwriters are entitled to the deferred portion of their underwriting compensation for this offering only if an initial business combination is completed within the specified timeframe.
The underwriters and their affiliates have engaged in, and may in the future engage in, investment banking and other commercial dealings in the ordinary course of business with us or our affiliates. They have received, or may in the future receive, customary fees and commissions for these transactions.
In addition, in the ordinary course of their business activities, the underwriters and their affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers. Such investments and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of ours or our affiliates. The underwriters and their affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or financial instruments and may hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.
A prospectus in electronic format may be made available on the websites maintained by the underwriters, or selling group members, if any, participating in this offering and the underwriters participating in this offering may distribute prospectuses electronically. The underwriters may allocate a number of units for sale to its online brokerage account holders. Internet distributions will be allocated by the underwriters that will make internet distributions on the same basis as other allocations.
The units are offered for sale in the United States and other jurisdictions where it is lawful to make such offers.
The underwriters have represented and agreed that they have not offered, sold or delivered and will not offer, sell or deliver any of the units directly or indirectly, or distribute this prospectus or any other offering material relating to the units, in or from any jurisdiction except under circumstances that will result in compliance with the applicable laws and regulations thereof and that will not impose any obligations on us except as set forth in the underwriting agreement. Sales of units made outside of the United States may be made by affiliates of the underwriters.
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Notice to Prospective Investors in the European Economic Area
Prohibition of Sales to EEA retail investors—The units are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the European Economic Area (“EEA”). For these purposes, a “retail investor” means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU (as amended, “MiFID II”); (ii) a customer within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2016/97 (as amended, the “IDD”), where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or (iii) not a qualified investor as defined in Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as amended or superseded, the “Prospectus Regulation”). Consequently no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 (as amended, the “PRIIPs Regulation”) for offering or selling the units or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the EEA has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the units or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the EEA may be unlawful under the PRIIPs Regulation.
Each person in a Member State of the EEA who receives any communication in respect of, or who acquires any units under, the offers to the public contemplated in this prospectus, or to whom the units are otherwise made available, will be deemed to have represented, warranted, acknowledged and agreed to and with each underwriter and the company that it and any person on whose behalf it acquires units is: (1) a “qualified investor” within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation; and (2) not a “retail investor” (as defined above).
This prospectus has been prepared on the basis that any offer of units in any Member State of the EEA will be made pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus Regulation from the requirement to publish a prospectus for offers of units. Accordingly any person making or intending to make an offer in that Member State of units which are the subject of the offering contemplated in this prospectus may only do so to persons which are qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Regulation, provided that no such offer of units shall require the company or any of the underwriters to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the Prospectus Regulation, in each case in relation to such offer.
Neither the company nor the underwriters have authorized, nor do they authorize, the making of any offer of units to any person which is not a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Regulation. Neither the company nor the underwriters have authorized, nor do they authorize, the making of any offer of units through any financial intermediary, other than offers made by the underwriters, which constitute the final placement of the units contemplated in this prospectus.
The expression “Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as amended or superseded).
Any distributor subject to MiFID II (for the purposes of this paragraph, a “distributor”) subsequently offering, selling or recommending the units, shares or warrants is responsible for undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the units, shares or warrants and determining the appropriate distribution channels for the purposes of the MiFID II product governance rules under Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2017/593 (“Delegated Directive”). Neither the company nor any of the underwriters make any representations or warranties as to a distributor’s compliance with the Delegated Directive.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the United Kingdom
This document is for distribution only to persons who (i) have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial
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Promotion) Order 2005 (as amended, the “Financial Promotion Order”), (ii) are persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) (“high net worth companies, unincorporated associations etc.”) of the Financial Promotion Order, (iii) are outside the United Kingdom, or (iv) are persons to whom an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000) in connection with the issue or sale of any units may otherwise lawfully be communicated or caused to be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”). This document is directed only at relevant persons and must not be acted on or relied on by
persons who are not relevant persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this document relates is available only to relevant persons and will be engaged in only with relevant persons.
Prohibition of Sales to UK retail investors—The units are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the United Kingdom (“UK”). For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 2017/565 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (“EUWA”); (ii) a customer within the meaning of the provisions of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended, the “FSMA”) and any rules or regulations made under the FSMA to implement the IDD, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2(1) of Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA; or (iii) not a qualified investor as defined in Article 2 of the Prospectus Regulation as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA. Consequently no key information document required by the PRIIPs Regulation as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA (the “UK PRIIPs Regulation”) for offering or selling the units or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the UK has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the units or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the UK may be unlawful under the UK PRIIPs Regulation.
Each person in the UK who receives any communication in respect of, or who acquires any units under, the offers to the public contemplated in this prospectus, or to whom the units are otherwise made available, will be deemed to have represented, warranted, acknowledged and agreed to and with each underwriter and the company that it and any person on whose behalf it acquires units is: (1) a “qualified investor” within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA; and (2) not a “retail investor” (as defined above).
This prospectus has been prepared on the basis that any offer of units in the United Kingdom will be made pursuant to an exemption under the UK Prospectus Regulation and FSMA from the requirement to publish a prospectus for offers of units. Accordingly any person making or intending to make an offer in the UK of units which are the subject of the offering contemplated in this prospectus may only do so to legal entities which are qualified investors as defined in the UK Prospectus Regulation, provided that no such offer of units shall require the company or any of the underwriters to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the UK Prospectus Regulation or section 85 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended, the “FSMA”) or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the UK Prospectus Regulation, in each case in relation to such offer.
Neither the company nor the underwriters have authorized, nor do they authorize, the making of any offer of units to any legal entity which is not a qualified investor as defined in the UK Prospectus Regulation. Neither the company nor the underwriters have authorized, nor do they authorize, the making of any offer of units through any financial intermediary, other than offers made by the underwriters, which constitute the final placement of the units contemplated in this prospectus.
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Underwriting
The expression “UK Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.
Any distributor subject to the FCA Handbook Product Intervention and Product Governance Sourcebook (the “UK MiFIR Product Governance Rules”) (for the purposes of this paragraph, a “distributor”) subsequently offering, selling or recommending the units, shares or warrants is responsible for undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the units, shares or warrants and determining the appropriate distribution channels. Neither the company nor any of the underwriters make any representations or warranties as to a distributor’s compliance with the UK MiFIR Product Governance Rules.
Notice to Residents of Japan
The units will not be offered or sold directly or indirectly in Japan or to, or for the benefit of any Japanese person or to others, for re-offering or re-sale directly or indirectly in Japan or to any Japanese person, except in each case pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of, and otherwise in compliance with, the Securities and Exchange Law of Japan and any other applicable laws and regulations of Japan. For purposes of this paragraph, “Japanese person” means any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan.
Notice to Residents of Hong Kong
The units will not be (1) offered or sold, and will not offer or sell, in Hong Kong, by means of any document, our units other than (A) to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap.571) of Hong Kong and any rules made under that Ordinance or (B) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” as defined in the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32 of Hong Kong) or which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of that Ordinance or (2) issued or had in its possession for the purposes of issue, and will not issue or have in its possession for the purposes of issue, whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere any advertisement, invitation or document relating to our units which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to our securities which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance and any rules made under that Ordinance. The contents of this document have not been reviewed by any regulatory authority in Hong Kong. You are advised to exercise caution in relation to the offer. If you are in any doubt about any of the contents of this document, you should obtain independent professional advice.
Notice to Residents of Singapore
This prospectus or any other offering material relating to our units has not been and will not be registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and the units will be offered in Singapore pursuant to exemptions under Section 274 and Section 275 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the “Securities and Futures Act”). Accordingly our units may not be offered or sold, or be the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, nor may this prospectus or any other offering material relating to our units be circulated or distributed, whether directly or indirectly, to the public or any member of the public in Singapore other than (a) to an institutional investor or other person specified in Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, (b) to a sophisticated investor, and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the Securities and Futures Act or (c) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the Securities and Futures Act.
213
Underwriting
Notice to Prospective Investors in Israel
In the State of Israel this prospectus shall not be regarded as an offer to the public to purchase the units under the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 – 1968, which requires a prospectus to be published and authorized by the Israel Securities Authority, if it complies with certain provisions of Section 15 of the Israeli Securities Law, 5728–1968, including, inter alia, if: (i) the offer is made, distributed or directed to not more than 35 investors, subject to certain conditions, or the Addressed Investors; or (ii) the offer is made, distributed or directed to certain qualified investors defined in the First Addendum of the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 – 1968, subject to certain conditions, or the Qualified Investors. The Qualified Investors shall not be taken into account in the count of the Addressed Investors and may be offered to purchase securities in addition to the 35 Addressed Investors. The company has not and will not take any action that would require it to publish a prospectus in accordance with and subject to the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 – 1968. We have not and will not distribute this prospectus or make, distribute or direct an offer to subscribe for our units to any person within the State of Israel, other than to Qualified Investors and up to 35 Addressed Investors.
Qualified Investors may have to submit written evidence that they meet the definitions set out in of the First Addendum to the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 – 1968. In particular, we may request, as a condition to be offered units, that Qualified Investors will each represent, warrant and certify to us and/or to anyone acting on our behalf: (i) that it is an investor falling within one of the categories listed in the First Addendum to the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 – 1968; (ii) which of the categories listed in the First Addendum to the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 – 1968 regarding Qualified Investors is applicable to it; (iii) that it will abide by all provisions set forth in the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 – 1968 and the regulations promulgated thereunder in connection with the offer to be issued units; (iv) that the units that it will be issued are, subject to exemptions available under the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 – 1968: (a) for its own account; (b) for investment purposes only; and (c) not issued with a view to resale within the State of Israel, other than in accordance with the provisions of the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 – 1968; and (v) that it is willing to provide further evidence of its Qualified Investor status. Addressed Investors may have to submit written evidence in respect of their identity and may have to sign and submit a declaration containing, inter alia, the Addressed Investor’s name, address and passport number or Israeli identification number.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the Cayman Islands
No offer or invitation, whether directly or indirectly, may be made to the public in the Cayman Islands to subscribe for our securities.
Notice to Canadian Residents
Resale Restrictions
The distribution of units in Canada is being made only in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia on a private placement basis exempt from the requirement that we prepare and file a prospectus with the securities regulatory authorities in each province where trades of these securities are made. Any resale of the units in Canada must be made under applicable securities laws which may vary depending on the relevant jurisdiction, and which may require resales to be made under available statutory exemptions or under a discretionary exemption granted by the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authority. Purchasers are advised to seek legal advice prior to any resale of the securities.
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Underwriting
Representations of Canadian Purchasers
By purchasing units in Canada and accepting delivery of a purchase confirmation, a purchaser is representing to us and the dealer from whom the purchase confirmation is received that:
| Ø | the purchaser is entitled under applicable provincial securities laws to purchase the units without the benefit of a prospectus qualified under those securities laws as it is an “accredited investor” as defined under National Instrument 45-106—Prospectus Exemptions; |
| Ø | the purchaser is a “permitted client” as defined in National Instrument 31-103—Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations; |
| Ø | where required by law, the purchaser is purchasing as principal and not as agent; and |
| Ø | the purchaser has reviewed the text above under Resale Restrictions. |
Conflicts of Interest
Canadian purchasers are hereby notified that UBS Securities LLC and Kempen & Co. USA, Inc. are relying on the exemption set out in section 3A.3 or 3A.4, if applicable, of National Instrument 33-105—Underwriting Conflicts from having to provide certain conflict of interest disclosure in this document.
Statutory Rights of Action
Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if the prospectus (including any amendment thereto) such as this document contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory. The purchaser of these securities in Canada should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.
Enforcement of Legal Rights
All of our directors and officers as well as the experts named herein may be located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible for Canadian purchasers to effect service of process within Canada upon us or those persons. All or a substantial portion of our assets and the assets of those persons may be located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible to satisfy a judgment against us or those persons in Canada or to enforce a judgment obtained in Canadian courts against us or those persons outside of Canada.
Taxation and Eligibility for Investment
Canadian purchasers of units should consult their own legal and tax advisors with respect to the tax consequences of an investment in the units in their particular circumstances and about the eligibility of the units for investment by the purchaser under relevant Canadian legislation.
215
Davis Polk & Wardwell London LLP, United Kingdom will pass upon the validity of the securities offered in this prospectus with respect to units and warrants. Maples and Calder will pass upon the validity of the securities offered in this prospectus with respect to the ordinary shares and matters of Cayman Islands law. Kirkland & Ellis LLP, New York, New York, advised the underwriters in connection with the offering of the securities.
The financial statements of Forbion European Acquisition Corp. as of August 13, 2021 and for the period from August 9, 2021 (inception) through August 13, 2021 appearing in this prospectus have been audited by Marcum LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon (which contains an explanatory paragraph relating to substantial doubt about the ability of Forbion European Acquisition Corp. to continue as a going concern, as described in Note 1 to the financial statements), appearing elsewhere in this prospectus, and are included in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act with respect to the securities we are offering by this prospectus. This prospectus does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement. For further information about us and our securities, you should refer to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed with the registration statement. Whenever we make reference in this prospectus to any of our contracts, agreements or other documents, the references are materially complete but may not include a description of all aspects of such contracts, agreements or other documents, and you should refer to the exhibits attached to the registration statement for copies of the actual contract, agreement or other document.
Upon completion of this offering, we will be subject to the information requirements of the Exchange Act and will file annual, quarterly and current event reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You can read our SEC filings, including the registration statement, over the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
216
Audited Financial Statements for Forbion European Acquisition Corp.:
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| F-2 | ||||
Financial Statements: | ||||
| F-4 | ||||
Statement of Operations for the period from August 9, 2021 (inception) through August 13, 2021 | F-5 | |||
| F-6 | ||||
Statement of Cash Flows for the period from August 9, 2021 (inception) through August 13, 2021 | F-7 | |||
| F-8 | ||||
F-1
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholder and Board of Directors of
Forbion European Acquisition Corp.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Forbion European Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) as of August 13, 2021, the related statements of operations, changes in shareholder’s equity and cash flows for the period from August 9, 2021 (inception) through August 13, 2021, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of August 13, 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the period from August 9, 2021 (inception) through August 13, 2021, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Explanatory Paragraph – Going Concern
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As more fully described in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company’s business plan is dependent upon its completion of the proposed initial public offering described in Note 3 to the financial statements. The Company has a working capital deficiency as of August 13, 2021 and lacks the financial resources it needs to sustain operations for a reasonable period of time, which is considered to be one year from the issuance date of the financial statements. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans with regard to these matters are also described in Notes 1 and 3. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might become necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the
F-2
financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ MarcumLLP
MarcumLLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2021.
Melville, NY
September 3, 2021, except for the second paragraph of Note 8 as to which the date is December 13, 2021
F-3
FORBION EUROPEAN ACQUISITION CORP.
AUGUST 13, 2021
| Assets | ||||
Current Assets: | ||||
Deferred offering costs | $ | 251,111 | ||
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Total Assets | $ | 251,111 | ||
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Liabilities and Shareholder’s Equity | ||||
Current Liabilities: | ||||
Accrued offering costs and expenses | $ | 233,052 | ||
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Total current liabilities | 233,052 | |||
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Commitments and Contingencies (see Note 6) | ||||
Shareholder’s Equity | ||||
Preference shares, $0.0001 par value; 5,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding | — | |||
Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value; 500,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding | — | |||
Class B ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value; 50,000,000 shares authorized; 3,162,500 shares issued and outstanding(1) | 316 | |||
Additional paid-in capital | 24,684 | |||
Accumulated deficit | (6,941 | ) | ||
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Total shareholder’s equity | 18,059 | |||
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Total Liabilities and Shareholder’s Equity | $ | 251,111 | ||
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| (1) | This number includes up to 412,500 Class B ordinary shares subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriters (see Notes 5 and 8). The Sponsor purchased 2,875,000 Founder Shares on August 12, 2021. On December 9, 2021, the Company effected a stock divided of 1.1 shares for each outstanding share, resulting in there being an aggregate of 3,162,500 Founder Shares outstanding. All share and per share amounts have been retroactively restated to reflect the share dividend (see Note 8). |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-4
FORBION EUROPEAN ACQUISITION CORP.
FOR THE PERIOD FROM AUGUST 9, 2021 (INCEPTION) THROUGH AUGUST 13, 2021
Formation cost | $ | 6,941 | ||
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Net loss | $ | (6,941 | ) | |
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Basic and diluted weighted average Class B ordinary shares outstanding(1) | 2,750,000 | |||
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Basic and diluted net loss per share | $ | (0.00 | ) | |
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| (1) | This number excludes an aggregate of up to 412,500 Class B ordinary shares subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriters (see Notes 5 and 8). The Sponsor purchased 2,875,000 Founder Shares on August 12, 2021. On December 9, 2021, the Company effected a stock divided of 1.1 shares for each outstanding share, resulting in there being an aggregate of 3,162,500 Founder Shares outstanding. All share and per share amounts have been retroactively restated to reflect the share dividend (see Note 8). |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-5
FORBION EUROPEAN ACQUISITION CORP.
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDER’S EQUITY
| Class B Ordinary Shares | Additional Paid-in Capital | Accumulated Deficit | Total Shareholder’s Equity | |||||||||||||||||
| Shares(1) | Amount | |||||||||||||||||||
Balance as of August 9, 2021 (inception) | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | |||||||||||
Class B ordinary shares issued to Sponsor | 3,162,500 | 316 | 24,684 | 25,000 | ||||||||||||||||
Net loss | — | — | — | (6,941 | ) | (6,941 | ) | |||||||||||||
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Balance as of August 13, 2021 | 3,162,500 | $ | 316 | $ | 24,684 | $ | (6,941 | ) | $ | 18,059 | ||||||||||
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| (1) | This number includes up to 412,500 Class B ordinary shares subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriters (see Notes 5 and 8). The Sponsor purchased 2,875,000 Founder Shares on August 12, 2021. On December 9, 2021, the Company effected a stock divided of 1.1 shares for each outstanding share, resulting in there being an aggregate of 3,162,500 Founder Shares outstanding. All share and per share amounts have been retroactively restated to reflect the share dividend (see Note 8). |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-6
FORBION EUROPEAN ACQUISITION CORP.
FOR THE PERIOD FROM AUGUST 9, 2021 (INCEPTION) THROUGH AUGUST 13, 2021
Cash Flows from Operating Activities: | ||||
Net loss | $ | (6,941 | ) | |
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities | ||||
Formation cost paid by the Sponsor | 6,941 | |||
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Net cash used in operating activities | — | |||
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Net change in cash | $ | — | ||
Cash, August 9, 2021 (inception) | $ | — | ||
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Cash, end of the period | $ | — | ||
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Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information: | ||||
Deferred offering costs paid by Sponsor in exchange for issuance of Class B ordinary shares | $ | 18,059 | ||
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Deferred offering costs included in accrued offerings costs and expenses | $ | 233,052 | ||
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The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-7
FORBION EUROPEAN ACQUISITION CORP.
Note 1—Organization, Business Operation and Going Concern
Forbion European Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) was incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company on August 9, 2021. The Company was incorporated 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 (“Business Combination”). The Company has not selected any Business Combination target and the Company has not, nor has anyone on its behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any Business Combination target. The Company will not be limited to a particular industry or geographic region in the Company’s identification and acquisition of a target company.
As of August 13, 2021, the Company had not commenced any operations. All activity for the period from August 9, 2021 (inception) through August 13, 2021 relates to the Company’s formation and the proposed initial public offering described below. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after the completion of its initial Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on cash and cash equivalents from the proceeds derived from the Proposed Public Offering (as defined below). The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year end.
The Company’s sponsor is Forbion Growth Sponsor FEAC I B.V., a Cayman Islands limited liability partnership (the “Sponsor”). The Company’s ability to commence operations is contingent upon obtaining adequate financial resources through a proposed public offering of 11,000,000 units at $10.00 per unit (the “Units”) (or 12,650,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), which is discussed in Note 3 (the “Proposed Public Offering”), and the sale of 4,700,000 warrants (or 5,195,000 warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (the “Private Placement Warrants”), each exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share at $11.50 per share, at a price of $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant in a private placement to the Sponsor that will close simultaneously with the Proposed Public Offering.
The Company will enter into two forward purchase agreements with an affiliate of the Sponsor (the “FPA Purchaser”), pursuant to which the FPA Purchaser will agree to purchase (1) an aggregate of 1,000,000 Class A ordinary shares for $10.00 per share (the “firm forward purchase shares”), or an aggregate amount of $10,000,000 and (2) in addition, an aggregate of up to 1,000,000 Class A ordinary shares for $10.00 per share (the “additional forward purchase shares”), or an aggregate maximum amount of up to $10,000,000, in each case in a private placement that may close simultaneously with the closing of the Company’s initial Business Combination.
The Company must complete one or more initial Business Combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the net assets held in the Trust Account (as defined below) (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the interest earned on the Trust Account) at the time of signing a definitive agreement in connection with the initial Business Combination. However, the Company will complete the initial Business Combination only if the post-Business Combination company in which its public shareholders own shares will own or acquire 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or is otherwise not required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act (the “Investment Company Act”). There is no assurance that the Company will be able to complete a Business Combination successfully.
Upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, management has agreed that an amount equal to at least $10.25 per Unit sold in the Proposed Public Offering, including the proceeds of the Private Placement Warrants, will be held in a Trust Account (“ Trust Account”) and will only be invested in
F-8
FORBION EUROPEAN ACQUISITION CORP.
United States “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act having a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Pursuant to the trust agreement, the trustee is not permitted to invest in other securities or assets. Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account that may be released to the Company to pay its income taxes, if any, the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as discussed below and subject to the requirements of law and regulation, will provide that the proceeds from the Proposed Public Offering and the sale of the Private Placement Warrants held in the Trust Account will not be released from the Trust Account (1) to the Company, until the completion of the initial Business Combination, or (2) to its public shareholders, until the earliest of (a) the completion of the initial Business Combination, and then only in connection with those Class A ordinary shares that such shareholders properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations described herein, (b) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a shareholder vote to amend the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to provide holders of the Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with the initial Business Combination or to redeem 100% of the public shares if the Company does not complete the initial Business Combination within Combination Period or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of the Class A ordinary shares, and (c) the redemption of the public shares if the Company has not consummated the Company’s Business Combination within Combination Period, subject to applicable law. Public shareholders who redeem their Class A ordinary shares in connection with a shareholder vote described in clause (b) in the preceding sentence shall not be entitled to funds from the Trust Account upon the subsequent completion of an initial Business Combination or liquidation if the Company has not consummated an initial Business Combination within Combination Period, with respect to such Class A ordinary shares so redeemed. The funds held in the Trust Account could become subject to the claims of the Company’s creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of its public shareholders. As it is expected that we are and will continuously be considered a Dutch tax resident, any redemption proceeds (including interest income on the trust account) distributed to our shareholders in excess of the paid-up capital for Dutch tax purposes may be subject to 15% Dutch dividend withholding tax.
The Company will provide its public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of the initial Business Combination either (i) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the Business Combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether the Company will seek shareholder approval of a proposed Business Combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by the Company, solely in its discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would require the Company to seek shareholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement.
The Company will provide its public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of the initial Business Combination, regardless of whether such shareholder votes on such proposed initial Business Combination, and if they do vote, regardless of whether they vote for or against such proposed initial Business Combination, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial Business Combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay its income taxes, if any, divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the Trust Account is initially anticipated to be $10.25 per public share.
F-9
FORBION EUROPEAN ACQUISITION CORP.
The per share amount The Company will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions the Company will pay to the underwriters. The redemption rights will include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of the initial Business Combination with respect to the Company’s warrants. Further, the Company will not proceed with redeeming the public shares, even if a public shareholder has properly elected to redeem its shares if a Business Combination does not close.
The shares of ordinary share subject to redemption will be recorded at a redemption value and classified as temporary equity upon the completion of the Proposed Public Offering, in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.” In such case, the Company will proceed with a Business Combination if the Company has net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation of a Business Combination and, if the Company seeks shareholder approval, a majority of the issued and outstanding shares voted are voted in favor of the Business Combination.
The Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that the Company will have only 18 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering (or up to 24 months from the closing of this offering if the Company extends the period of time to consummate a business combination, subject to the Sponsor depositing additional funds in the Trust Account) to consummate its initial Business Combination. If the Company has not consummated an initial Business Combination within Combination Period, the Company will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem 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 earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay its income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of the then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Company’s remaining shareholders and its board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), to the Company’s obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to the Company’s warrants, which will expire worthless if the Company fails to consummate an initial Business Combination within Combination Period.
The Sponsor and each member of its management team have entered into an agreement with Company, pursuant to which they have agreed to (i) waive their redemption rights with respect to their Founder Shares (ii) to waive their redemption rights with respect to their Founder Shares and public shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to provide holders of the Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with the initial Business Combination or to redeem 100% of the public shares if the Company does not complete the initial Business Combination within Combination Period or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of the Class A ordinary shares and (iii) waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to any Founder Shares they hold if the Company fails to consummate an initial Business Combination within Combination Period (although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to any public shares they hold if the Company fails to complete the initial Business Combination within the prescribed time frame).
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The Company will have until 18 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering to complete a Business Combination. However, if the Company anticipates that it may not be able to consummate a Business Combination within 18 months, the Company may extend the period of time to consummate a Business Combination by up to two additional three-month periods (for a total of 24 months to complete a Business Combination (the “Combination Period”). In order to extend the time available for the Company to consummate a Business Combination, the Sponsor or its affiliate or designees must deposit into the Trust Account, for each additional three-month period, $1,100,000, or $1,265,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($0.10 per Public Share in either case), on or prior to the date of the applicable deadline.
The Sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to the Company if and to the extent any claims by a third party (other than the Company’s independent auditors) for services rendered or products sold to the Company, or a prospective target business with which the Company has discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account to below (1) $10.25 per public share or (2) such lesser amount per public share held in the Trust Account as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the Trust Account and except as to any claims under the Company’s indemnity of the underwriter of the Proposed Public Offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, the Sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. The Company has not independently verified whether the Sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that the Sponsor’s only assets are securities of the Company and, therefore, the Sponsor may not be able to satisfy those obligations. The Company has not asked the Sponsor to reserve for such obligations.
Going Concern Consideration
As of August 13, 2021, the Company had no cash on hand, and a working capital deficit of $233,052 (excluding deferred offering costs). The Company has incurred and expects to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of its financing and acquisition plans. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management plans to address this uncertainty through a Proposed Public Offering as discussed in Note 3. There is no assurance that the Company’s plans to raise capital or to consummate a Business Combination will be successful within the Combination Period. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Risks and Uncertainties
Management is currently evaluating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and has concluded that while it is reasonably possible that the virus could have a negative effect on the Company’s financial position, results of its operations and/or search for a target company, the specific impact is not readily determinable as of the date of these financial statements. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Note 2—Significant Accounting Policies Basis of Presentation
The accompanying financial statements are presented in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).
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Emerging Growth Company Status
The Company is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart our Business Startups Act of 2012, (the “JOBS Act”), and it may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in its periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.
Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non- emerging growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. The Company has elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of the Company’s financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all short-term investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. The Company did not have any cash or cash equivalents as of August 13, 2021.
Deferred Offering Costs
Deferred offering costs consist of legal and accounting expenses incurred through the balance sheet date that are directly related to the Proposed Public Offering and that will be charged to shareholder’s equity upon the completion of the Proposed Public Offering. Should the Proposed Public Offering prove to be unsuccessful, these deferred costs, as well as additional expenses to be incurred, will be charged to operations.
Net Loss Per Share
The Company complies with accounting and disclosure requirements of FASB ASC Topic 260, “Earnings Per Share.” Net loss per share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of
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ordinary shares outstanding during the period, excluding ordinary shares subject to forfeiture by the Sponsor. Weighted average shares were reduced for the effect of an aggregate of 412,500 Class B ordinary shares that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised by the underwriters (see Notes 5 and 8). As of August 13, 2021, the Company did not have any dilutive securities and other contracts that could, potentially, be exercised or converted into ordinary shares and then share in the earnings of the Company. As a result, diluted loss per share is the same as basic loss per share for the period presented.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under FASB ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the balance sheet, primarily due to its short-term nature.
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes under FASB ASC 740, “Income Taxes” (“ASC 740”). ASC 740 requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for both the expected impact of differences between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities and for the expected future tax benefit to be derived from tax loss and tax credit carry forwards. ASC 740 additionally requires a valuation allowance to be established when it is more likely than not that all or a portion of deferred tax assets will not be realized.
FASB ASC 740 prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. There were no unrecognized tax benefits as of August 13, 2021. The Company’s management determined that the Cayman Islands is the Company’s only major tax jurisdiction. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. As of August 13,2021, there were no unrecognized tax benefits and no amounts were accrued for the payment of interest and penalties. The Company is currently not aware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviation from its position.
There is currently no taxation imposed on income by the Government of the Cayman Islands. In accordance with Cayman income tax regulations, income taxes are not levied on the Company. Consequently, income taxes are not reflected in the Company’s financial statements.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In August 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2020-06, Debt—Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging—Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40) (“ASU 2020-06”) to simplify accounting for certain financial instruments. ASU 2020-06 eliminates the current models that require separation of beneficial conversion and cash conversion features from convertible instruments and simplifies the derivative scope exception guidance pertaining to equity classification of contracts in an entity’s own equity. The new standard also introduces additional disclosures for convertible debt and freestanding instruments that are indexed to and settled in an entity’s own equity. ASU 2020-06 amends the diluted earnings per share guidance, including the requirement to use the if-converted method for all
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convertible instruments. ASU 2020-06 is effective January 1, 2022 and should be applied on a full or modified retrospective basis, with early adoption permitted beginning on January 1, 2021. The Company is currently assessing the impact, if any, that ASU 2020-06 would have on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
Management does not believe that any other recently issued, but not effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.
Note 3—Proposed Public Offering
Public Units
Pursuant to the Proposed Public Offering, the Company intends to offer for sale 11,000,000 Units, (or 12,650,000 Units if the underwriters’ over- allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one Class A ordinary share and one-third of one redeemable warrant (the “Public Warrants”). Each whole Public Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment (see Note 7).
Note 4—Private Placement
The Company’s Sponsor has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 4,700,000 Private Placement Warrants (or 5,195,000 warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $1.50 per Private Placement Warrants, for an aggregate purchase price of $7,050,000 (or $7,792,500 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full).
The Private Placement Warrants will not be transferable, assignable or salable (and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the Private Placement Warrants will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of the initial Business Combination), except as described herein under “Principal Shareholders—Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants.”
If the Private Placement Warrants are held by holders other than the Sponsor or its permitted transferees, the Private Placement Warrants will be redeemable by the Company in all redemption scenarios and exercisable by the holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the units being sold in the Proposed Public Offering. Any amendment to the terms of the Private Placement Warrants or any provision of the warrant agreement with respect to the Private Placement Warrants will require a vote of holders of at least 50% of the number of the then outstanding Private Placement Warrants.
Note 5—Related Party Transactions
Founder Shares
On August 12, 2021, Forbion European Sponsor LLP paid $25,000, or approximately $0.009 per share, to cover certain offering costs in consideration for 2,875,000 Class B ordinary shares (the “Founder Shares”), par value $0.0001. On November 23, 2021, Forbion European Sponsor LLP transferred 2,875,000 Class B ordinary shares to the Sponsor in exchange for $25,000, or approximately $0.009 per share. On December 9, 2021, the Company issued 287,500 Class B ordinary shares to the Sponsor resulting from a 1.1 for 1 share dividend (see Note 8). Up to 412,500 Founder Shares are subject to forfeiture by the Sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. Prior to the Business Combination, only holders of Class B ordinary shares will be able to vote on the appointment of directors and to continue the Company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands.
Promissory Note—Related Party
On August 12, 2021, Forbion European Sponsor LLP agreed to loan the Company up to $500,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of the Proposed Public Offering. These loans are non-interest bearing,
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unsecured and are due at the earlier of December 31, 2021 or the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. The loan will be repaid upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering out of the offering proceeds not held in the Trust Account. As of August 13, 2021, the Company had no borrowings under the promissory note.
Working Capital Loans
In order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended Business Combination, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor, or certain of the Company’s officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds as may be required (“Working Capital Loans”). If the Company completes the initial Business Combination, the Company may repay the Working Capital Loans out of the proceeds of the Trust Account released to the Company. Otherwise, the Working Capital Loans may be repaid only out of funds held outside the Trust Account. In the event that the initial Business Combination does not close. The Company may use a portion of the working capital held outside the Trust Account to repay the Working Capital Loans but no proceeds from the Trust Account would be used to repay the Working Capital Loans. Up to $1,500,000 of such Working Capital Loans may be convertible into warrants of the post-Business Combination entity at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the Private Placement Warrants. As of August 13, 2021, the Company had no borrowings under the Working Capital Loans.
Related Party Extension Loans
The Company may extend the period of time to consummate a Business Combination by up to two additional three-month periods (for a total of 24 months to complete a Business Combination). In order to extend the time available for the Company to consummate a Business Combination, the Sponsor or its affiliates or designees must deposit into the trust account, for each additional three-month period, $1,100,000, or $1,265,000 if the underwriters’ overallotment option is exercised in full ($0.10 per Public Share in either case), on or prior to the date of the applicable deadline. Any such payments would be made in the form of a non-interest bearing, unsecured promissory note. Such notes would either be paid upon consummation of a Business Combination, or, at the relevant insider’s discretion, converted upon consummation of a Business Combination into additional Private Placement Warrants at a price of $1.50 per Private Warrant. The Sponsor and its affiliates or designees are not obligated to fund the trust account to extend the time for the Company to complete a Business Combination.
Office Space, Administrative and Support Services
Commencing on the date that the Company’s securities are first listed on the NASDAQ through the earlier of consummation of the initial Business Combination and the liquidation, the Company has agreed to pay the Sponsor a total of $10,000 per month for office space, utilities, secretarial and administrative support and to reimburse the Sponsor for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial Business Combination.
Note 6—Commitments & Contingencies
Registration and Shareholder Rights
The holders of the Founder Shares, Private Placement Warrants, Class ordinary shares underlying the Private Placement Warrants and any warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans and extension loans (and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans and extension loans) will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration and shareholder rights
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agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of the Proposed Public Offering. The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that the Company register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the Company’s completion of the initial Business Combination. However, the registration and shareholder rights agreement provides that the Company will not permit any registration statement filed under the Securities Act to become effective until termination of the applicable lockup period, which occurs (i) in the case of the Founder Shares, as described in the following paragraph, and (ii) in the case of the Private Placement Warrants and the respective Class A ordinary shares underlying such warrants, 30 days after the completion of the initial Business Combination. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Except as described herein, the Sponsor and the Company’s directors and executive officers have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell (i) their Founder Shares until the earliest of (A) one year after the completion of the initial Business Combination and (B) subsequent to the initial Business Combination, (x) if the closing price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after the initial Business Combination, or (y) the date on which the Company complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of its public shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property, and (ii) any of their Private Placement Warrants and Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion or exercise thereof until 30 days after the completion of the initial Business Combination. Any permitted transferees will be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of the Sponsor with respect to any Founder Shares, Private Placement Warrants and Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion or exercise thereof. The Company refer to such transfer restrictions throughout this prospectus as the lock-up.
In addition, pursuant to the registration and shareholder rights agreement, the Sponsor, upon and following consummation of an initial Business Combination, will be entitled to nominate three individuals for appointment to the Company’s board of directors, as long as the sponsor holds any securities covered by the registration and shareholder rights agreement. Prior to the Business Combination, only holders of Class B ordinary shares will be able to vote on the appointment of directors and to continue the Company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands.
Underwriting Agreement
The Company will grant the underwriters a 45-day option from the date of the Proposed Public Offering to purchase up to an additional 1,650,000 units, to cover over-allotments, if any (see Note 3).
The underwriters will be entitled to a cash underwriting discount of two percent (2%) of the gross proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering, or $2,200,000 (or up to $2,530,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment is exercised in full). Additionally, the underwriters will be entitled to a deferred underwriting discount of 3.5% or $3,850,000 in the aggregate (or $4,427,500 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) of the gross proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering upon the completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination. This assumes the anchor investors do not purchase any units in this offering; Units purchased by the anchor investors in this offering, if any, will not be subject to underwriting discounts and commissions.
The Company has granted UBS Securities LLC with a right of first refusal to participate in certain future financings. In accordance with FINRA Rule 5110, such right of first refusal has a duration of not more
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than three years from the date of commencement of sales of the public offering and is deemed to be underwriting compensation in connection with this offering. Other than this right of first refusal, the Company is not under any contractual obligation to engage the underwriters to provide any services after this offering, but may do so at its discretion.
Forward Purchase Agreements
The Company will enter into two forward purchase agreements with an affiliate of the Sponsor (the “FPA Purchaser”), pursuant to which the FPA Purchaser will agree to purchase (1) an aggregate of 1,000,000 Class A ordinary shares for $10.00 per share (the “firm forward purchase shares”), or an aggregate amount of $10,000,000 and (2) in addition, an aggregate of up to 1,000,000 Class A ordinary shares for $10.00 per share (the “additional forward purchase shares”), or an aggregate maximum amount of up to $10,000,000, in each case in a private placement that may close simultaneously with the closing of the Company’s initial Business Combination.
Note 7—Shareholder’s Equity
Preference shares—The Company is authorized to issue 5,000,000 preference shares with a par value of $0.0001 and with such designations, voting and other rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Company’s board of directors. As of August 13, 2021, there were no preference shares issued or outstanding.
Class A ordinary shares—The Company is authorized to issue 500,000,000 Class A ordinary shares with a par value of $0.0001 per share. As of August 13, 2021, there were no Class A ordinary shares issued or outstanding.
Class B ordinary shares—The Company is authorized to issue 50,000,000 Class B ordinary shares with a par value of $0.0001 per share. Holders are entitled to one vote for each share of Class B ordinary shares. As of August 13, 2021, there were 2,875,000 0 Class B ordinary shares issued and outstanding. Of the 2,875,000 Class B ordinary shares, an aggregate of up to 375,000 shares are subject to forfeiture to the Company for no consideration to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part. On December 9, 2021, the Company effected a stock divided of 1.1 shares for each outstanding share, resulting in there being an aggregate of 3,162,500 Founder Shares outstanding, of which 412,500 are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part. All share and per share amounts have been retroactively restated to reflect the share dividend (see Note 8). The forfeiture amounts were determined such that the initial shareholders will collectively own 20% of the Company’s issued and outstanding ordinary shares after the Proposed Public Offering.
Holders of Class A ordinary shares and holders of Class B ordinary shares will vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of the Company’s shareholders except as required by law. Unless specified in the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, or as required by applicable provisions of the Companies Act or applicable stock exchange rules, the affirmative vote of a majority of the Company’s ordinary shares that are voted is required to approve any such matter voted on by the Company’s shareholders. Approval of certain actions will require a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the Company’s ordinary shares that are voted, and pursuant to the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association; such actions include amending the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and approving a statutory merger or consolidation with another company. The Company’s board of directors is divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of three years with only one class of directors being appointed in each year. There is no
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cumulative voting with respect to the appointment of directors, with the result that the holders of more than 50% of the shares voted for the appointment of directors can appoint all of the directors. Prior to the Business Combination, only holders of Class B ordinary shares will be able to vote on the appointment of directors and to continue the Company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands. The Company’s shareholders are entitled to receive ratable dividends when, as and if declared by the board of directors out of funds legally available therefor.
The Class B ordinary shares and will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares, which such Class A ordinary shares delivered upon conversion will not have any redemption rights or be entitled to liquidating distributions if The Company does not consummate an initial Business Combination, at the time of the initial Business Combination or earlier at the option of the holders thereof at a ratio such that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all Founder Shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the sum of (i) the total number of ordinary shares issued and outstanding upon completion of the Proposed Public Offering, plus (ii) the total number of Class A ordinary shares issued or deemed issued or issuable upon conversion or exercise of any equity-linked securities (as defined herein) or rights issued or deemed issued, by the company in connection with or in relation to the consummation of the initial Business Combination, excluding any Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities exercisable for or convertible into Class A ordinary shares issued, deemed issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial Business Combination and any Private Placement Warrants issued to the Sponsor, its affiliates or any member of its management team upon conversion of Working Capital Loans and extension loans. Any conversion of Class B ordinary shares described herein will take effect as a compulsory redemption of Class B ordinary shares and an issuance of Class A ordinary shares as a matter of Cayman Islands law. In no event will the Class B ordinary shares convert into Class A ordinary shares at a rate of less than one-to-one.
Public Warrants
No warrants are currently outstanding. Each whole warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as discussed herein. In addition, if (x) the Company issue additional Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of the initial Business Combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per ordinary share (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by the Company’s board of directors and, in the case of any such issuance to the Sponsor or its affiliates, without taking into account any Founder Shares held by the Sponsor or such affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance) (the “Newly Issued Price”), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of the initial Business Combination on the date of the consummation of the initial Business Combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of the Class A ordinary shares during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which the Company consummate the initial Business Combination (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price described adjacent to “Redemption of public warrants” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.
The warrants will become exercisable on the later of 30 days after the completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination, and will expire five years after the completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination, at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
The Company has agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than twenty business days after the closing of the initial Business Combination, the Company will use its commercially reasonable
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efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement for the registration, under the Securities Act, of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants, and the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become effective within 60 business days after the closing of the initial Business Combination, and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement and a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares until the warrants expire or are redeemed, as specified in the warrant agreement; provided that if the Class A ordinary shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that they satisfy the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, the Company may, at its option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event the Company so elect, the Company will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, but the Company will use its commercially reasonably efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. If a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the 60th day after the closing of the initial Business Combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when the Company will have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption, but the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “fair market value” (defined below) less the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value.
Redemption of public warrants. Once the warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the outstanding warrants (except as described herein with respect to the Private Placement Warrants):
| Ø | in whole and not in part; |
| Ø | at a price of $0.01 per warrant; |
| Ø | upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption, which the Company refer to as the “30-day redemption period”; and |
| Ø | if, and only if, the last reported sale price (the “closing price”) of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a warrant as described under the heading “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Shareholders’ Warrants—Redemption Procedures—Anti-dilution Adjustments”) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the Company send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. |
The Company will not redeem the Warrants as described above unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is then effective and a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares is available throughout the 30-day redemption period. If and when the warrants become redeemable by the Company, it may exercise its redemption right even if it is unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws.
The Company has established the last of the redemption criterion discussed above to prevent a redemption call unless there is at the time of the call a significant premium to the warrant exercise price. If the foregoing conditions are satisfied and the Company issues a notice of redemption of the warrants, each warrant holder will be entitled to exercise his, her or its warrant prior to the scheduled redemption date. However, the price of the Class A ordinary shares may fall below the $18.00 redemption trigger
F-19
FORBION EUROPEAN ACQUISITION CORP.
price (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a warrant as described under the heading “Description of Securities—Warrants —Public Shareholders’ Warrants—Redemption Procedures—Anti-dilution Adjustments”) as well as the $11.50 (for whole shares) warrant exercise price after the redemption notice is issued.
If the Company calls the Public Warrants for redemption as described above, it will have the option to require any holder that wishes to exercise its public warrant to do so on a “cashless basis.” In determining whether to require all holders to exercise their public warrants on a “cashless basis,” the Company will consider, among other factors, its cash position, the number of public warrants that are outstanding and the dilutive effect on shareholders of issuing the maximum number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the Public Warrants. If the Company takes advantage of this option, all holders of Public Warrants would pay the exercise price by surrendering their public warrants for that number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the warrants and the “fair market value” (defined below) by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” means the 10-day average closing price as of the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of the warrants. If the Company takes advantage of this option, the notice of redemption will contain the information necessary to calculate the number of Class A ordinary shares to be received upon exercise of the warrants, including the “fair market value” in such case. Requiring a cashless exercise in this manner will reduce the number of shares to be issued and thereby lessen the dilutive effect of a warrant redemption. The Company believes this feature is an attractive option if it does not need the cash from the exercise of the warrants after the Business Combination. If the Company calls the warrants for redemption and does not take advantage of this option, the Sponsor and its permitted transferees would still be entitled to exercise their private placement warrants for cash or on a cashless basis using the same formula described above that other warrant holders would have been required to use had all warrant holders been required to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis, as described in more detail below.
No fractional Class A ordinary shares will be issued upon exercise. If, upon exercise, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, the Company will round down to the nearest whole number of the number of Class A ordinary shares to be issued to the holder. If, at the time of redemption, the warrants are exercisable for a security other than the Class A ordinary shares pursuant to the warrant agreement (for instance, if the Company is not the surviving company in the Business Combination), the warrants may be exercised for such security. At such time as the warrants become exercisable for a security other than the Class A ordinary shares, the Company (or surviving company) will use its commercially reasonable efforts to register under the Securities Act the security issuable upon the exercise of the warrants.
Note 8—Subsequent Events
The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date up to September 3, 2021, the date that the financial statements were available to be issued. Based on this review, the Company did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements, except for the following:
On December 9, 2021, the Company effected a stock divided of 1.1 shares for each outstanding share, resulting in there being an aggregate of 3,162,500 Founder Shares outstanding. All share and per share amounts have been retroactively restated to reflect the share dividend.
F-20
11,000,000 Units
FORBION EUROPEAN ACQUISITION CORP.
PROSPECTUS
December 9, 2021
UBS Investment Bank
Kempen & Co
