As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 13, 2024
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
__________________________________
FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
Under
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
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Chenghe Acquisition II Co.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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Cayman Islands | | 6770 | | N/A |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | | (Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) | | (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
38 Beach Road #29-11
South Beach Tower
Singapore 189767
Tel: (65) 9851 8611
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
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Cogency Global Inc.
122 East 42nd Street, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10168
(212) 947-7200
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
__________________________________
Copies to:
Ke Geng, Esq. O’Melveny & Myers LLP 37/F, Office Tower, Yin Tai Center 2 Jian Guo Men Wai Avenue Chaoyang, Beijing, 100022, PRC +86 10 6653 4200 | | Robert Plesnarski, Esq. O’Melveny & Myers LLP 1625 Eye Street, NW Washington, DC 20006 (212) 383-5300 | | Douglas S. Ellenoff, Esq. Stuart Neuhauser, Esq. Lijia Sanchez, Esq. Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP 1345 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10105 (212) 370-1300 |
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Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 check the following box. ☐
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer | | ☐ | | Accelerated filer | | ☐ |
Non-accelerated filer | | ☒ | | Smaller reporting company | | ☒ |
| | | | Emerging growth company | | ☒ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
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The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS | | SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED MAY 13, 2024. |
$75,000,000
Chenghe Acquisition II Co.
7,500,000 Units
Chenghe Acquisition II Co. is a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company whose business purpose is to effect 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 specific business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, engaged in any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target with respect to an initial business combination with us. We may pursue an initial business combination target in any industry or geographic region.
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-half 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 herein. Only whole warrants are exercisable. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. The 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 our liquidation, as described herein. The underwriters have a 45-day option from the date of this prospectus to purchase up to 1,125,000 additional units to cover over-allotments, if any.
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 at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account described below 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 (net of amounts withdrawn to pay our taxes (excluding U.S. federal excise tax)) (“permitted withdrawals”), divided by the number of then outstanding Class A ordinary shares that were sold as part of the units in this offering, which we refer to collectively as our public shares, subject to the limitations and on the conditions described herein. We will have 24 months from the closing of this offering or until such earlier liquidation date as our board of directors may approve, to consummate an initial business combination.
Our sponsor, Chenghe Investment II Limited, has committed to purchase an aggregate of 250,000 private placement units (or 266,875 private placement units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $2,500,000 (or $2,668,750 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Our underwriters have committed to purchase an aggregate of 37,500 private placement units (or 43,125 private placement units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $375,000 (or $431,250 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 units are identical to the units sold in this offering, subject to certain limited exceptions as described in this prospectus.
Our initial shareholders currently own an aggregate of 2,875,000 Class B ordinary shares (up to 375,000 shares of which are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised), which (unless otherwise provided in an initial business combination agreement) will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination, and may be converted at any time prior to our initial business combination, at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to the adjustments described herein. Only holders of Class B ordinary shares will have the right to appoint directors in any appointment held prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and on a vote to continue our company in a jurisdiction outside of the Cayman Islands. On any other matters submitted to a vote of our shareholders, holders of the Class B ordinary shares and holders of the Class A ordinary shares will vote together as a single class except as required by law or the applicable rules of the NYSE then in effect.
Currently, there is no public market for our units, Class A ordinary shares or warrants. We plan to apply for listing our units on the NYSE American, or NYSE, under the symbol “CHEB.U” on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on the NYSE. We expect the Class A ordinary shares and warrants comprising the units to begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless Cohen & Company Capital Markets, a division of J.V.B. Financial Group, LLC (“CCM”), the representative of the underwriters, informs
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us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our satisfaction of certain conditions. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, we expect that the Class A ordinary shares and warrants will be listed on NYSE under the symbols “CHEB” and “CHEB.WS,” respectively.
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 36 for a discussion of information that should be considered in connection with an investment in our securities. Investors will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings.
Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission 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 | | $ | 75,000,000 |
Underwriting discounts and commissions(1) | | $ | 0.60 | | $ | 4,500,000 |
Proceeds, before expenses, to us | | $ | 9.40 | | $ | 70,500,000 |
Of the proceeds we receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement units described in this prospectus, $75,000,000, or $86,250,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($10.00 per unit in either case), will be deposited into a trust account in the United States with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, after deducting $1,500,000 (or $1,725,000 if the overallotment is exercised in full) in underwriting discounts and commissions payable upon the closing of this offering and an aggregate of $1.375 million to pay fees and expenses in connection with the closing of this offering and for working capital following the closing of this offering.
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 , 2024.
We are a holding company with no material operations of our own. Our sponsor and most of our executive officers and directors have ties to, and/or are based in, Hong Kong and/or the People’s Republic of China (“PRC” or “China”). We face various legal and operational risks associated with our ties to Hong Kong and/or China. The Chinese government may intervene or influence our operations at any time through our directors and officers who have ties in China. The Chinese government may have potential oversight and discretion over the conduct of our and directors’ and officers’ search for a target company. Changes in the policies, regulations, rules, and the enforcement of laws of the Chinese government may be adopted quickly with little advance notice and could have a significant impact upon our ability to operate and may limit or completely undermine our ability to search for a target company. The Chinese government has indicated an intent to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers, and initiated various regulatory actions and made various public statements, some of which are published with little advance notice, including cracking down on illegal activities in the securities market, enhancing supervision over China-based companies listed overseas, adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity reviews, and expanding efforts in anti-monopoly enforcement. These recently enacted measures, and additional pending or future new measures which may be implemented, could materially and adversely affect our operations following our initial public offering and the operations of any post-business combination company. Furthermore, the Chinese government has significant authority to exert influence on the ability of a China-based company to conduct its business, make or accept foreign investments or list on a U.S. stock exchange. For example, if we enter into a business combination with a target business primarily operating in China (a “PRC Target Company”), the combined company may face risks associated with regulatory approvals of the proposed business combination between us and the target, offshore offerings, anti-monopoly regulatory actions, cybersecurity and data privacy. The PRC government may also intervene with or influence the combined company’s operations at
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any time as the government deems appropriate to further regulatory, political and societal goals. These risks could result in a material change in our operations, our search for a target company and/or the value of the securities that we are registering for sale or could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of our securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
Although we do not have any specific business combination under consideration and we have not (nor has anyone on our behalf), directly or indirectly, contacted any prospective target business or had any substantive discussions, formal or otherwise, with respect to such a transaction, our initial business combination target company may include a company located in the PRC. If our target company is a PRC Target Company, we will be subject to risks in connection with the interpretation and the application of the PRC laws and regulations, as discussed in more detail elsewhere in the prospectus.
For example, if we acquire a PRC Target Company that conducts all or a portion of its business in the PRC through variable interest entities (“VIEs”), following a business combination between us and such target, we would rely on contractual arrangements with the VIE(s) and their subsidiaries for a portion of business operations in the PRC. As a result of the contractual arrangements, holders of our ordinary shares following completion of a business combination would not be holding equity interest in the VIE(s) and their subsidiaries but instead would be holding equity interest in us, whose consolidated financial results include those of the VIE(s) and their subsidiaries under U.S. GAAP, due to us and our wholly foreign-owned enterprise (“WFOE”) being the primary beneficiary of, such entity, for the accounting purposes. More specifically, investors in our securities would not hold any ownership interest, directly or indirectly, in the VIE(s) and their subsidiaries in China and would merely have a contractual relationship with the operating entities in China. We may be subject to certain legal and operational risks associated with VIE’s operations in China if the PRC Target Company requires a VIE structure. PRC laws and regulations governing the PRC Target Company’s current business operations are sometimes vague and uncertain, and therefore, these risks may result in a material change in VIE’s operations, significant depreciation of the value of our ordinary shares, or a complete hindrance of our ability to offer or continue to offer our securities to investors. Additionally, the agreements associated with the VIE structure have not been tested in court of law in any jurisdiction. Recently, the PRC government initiated a series of regulatory actions and statements to regulate business operations in China with little advance notice, including cracking down on illegal activities in the securities market, enhancing supervision over China-based companies listed overseas using a VIE structure, adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity reviews, and expanding the efforts in anti-monopoly enforcement. Since these statements and regulatory actions are new, it is highly uncertain how soon legislative or administrative regulation making bodies will respond and what existing or new laws or regulations or detailed implementations and interpretations will be modified or promulgated, if any, and the potential impact such modified or new laws and regulations will have on the PRC Target Company’s daily business operation, the ability to accept foreign investments and list on an U.S. or other foreign exchange. Additionally, as described further elsewhere in this prospectus, if we effect our initial business combination with a business located in the PRC, the laws applicable to such business will likely govern all of our material agreements. We may not be able to enforce our legal rights. There are uncertainties regarding the interpretation and enforcement of PRC laws, rules and regulations which may have a material adverse impact on the value of our securities. If we enter into a business combination with a target business operating in China, cash proceeds raised from overseas financing activities, including this offering, may be transferred by us to our PRC subsidiaries via capital contribution or shareholder loans, as the case may be.
All these risks could result in a material change in our or the PRC Target Company’s post-combination operations and/or the value of our securities or could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless. In addition, to the extent that a VIE structure is utilized due to restrictions of foreign investment in the target’s industry, the PRC subsidiaries may subsequently provide funds to the VIE through extending loans subject to statutory limits and restrictions. After the business combination, the combined company’s ability to pay dividends, if any, to the shareholders and to service any debt it may incur will depend upon dividends paid by its PRC subsidiaries which are entitled to substantially all of the economic benefits of the VIE. Under PRC laws and regulations, PRC companies are subject to certain restrictions with respect to paying dividends or otherwise transferring any of their net assets to offshore entities. In particular, under the current PRC laws and regulations, dividends may be paid only out of distributable profits. Distributable profits are the net profit as determined under Chinese accounting standards and regulations, less any recovery of accumulated losses and appropriations to statutory and other reserves required to be made. A PRC company is required to set aside at least 10% of its after-tax profits each year to fund certain statutory reserve funds (up to an aggregate amount equal to half of its registered capital). As a result, the combined company’s PRC subsidiaries may not have sufficient distributable profits to pay dividends to the combined company. In the future, subsequent to our initial business combination, should our PRC Target Company requires a VIE structure,
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cash is transferred through our organization in the manner as follows: (i) the holding company may transfer funds to its subsidiaries, or intermediate holding companies, via additional capital contributions or shareholder loans, as the case may be; (ii) the intermediate holding companies may provide loans to the VIE, subject to statutory limits and restrictions; (iii) funds from the VIE to the intermediate holding companies are remitted as services fees; and (iv) the intermediate holding companies may make dividends or other distributions to the holding company. As of the date of this prospectus, since we have not identified any target for an initial business combination, we have not made any dividends or distributions to our shareholders arising from any VIE structure or agreement.
To the extent that a VIE structure is utilized due to restrictions of foreign investment in the target’s industry, the PRC subsidiaries may subsequently provide funds to the VIE through extending loans subject to statutory limits and restrictions. After the business combination, we may rely on dividends and other distributions from our operating company to provide us with cash flow and to meet our other obligations. The combined company’s ability to pay dividends, if any, to the shareholders and to service any debt it may incur will depend upon dividends paid by its PRC subsidiaries which are entitled to substantially all of the economic benefits of the VIE. Under PRC laws and regulations, PRC companies are subject to certain restrictions with respect to paying dividends or otherwise transferring any of their net assets to offshore entities. In particular, under the current PRC laws and regulations, dividends may be paid only out of distributable profits. Distributable profits are the net profit as determined under Chinese accounting standards and regulations, less any recovery of accumulated losses and appropriations to statutory and other reserves required to be made.
To the extent that a VIE structure is utilized, cash is transferred through our organization in the manner as follows: (i) the holding company may transfer funds to its subsidiaries, or intermediate holding companies, via additional capital contributions or shareholder loans, as the case may be; (ii) the intermediate holding companies may provide loans to the VIE, subject to statutory limits and restrictions; (iii) funds from the VIE to the intermediate holding companies are remitted as services fees; and (iv) the intermediate holding companies may make dividends or other distributions to the holding company. For more detailed descriptions of how cash will be transferred through the post-combination organization if we acquire a PRC Target Company (including illustrative diagrams showing the related processes), see “Risk Factors — The cash-flow structure of a post-acquisition company based in China poses additional risks including, but not limited to, restrictions on foreign exchange and restrictions on our ability to transfer cash between entities, across borders, and to U.S. investors.”
In addition, if certain procedural requirements are satisfied, the payment in foreign currencies on current account items, including profit distributions and trade and service related foreign exchange transactions, can be made without prior approval from State Administration of Foreign Exchange (the “SAFE”) or its local branches. However, where RMB is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital expenses, such as the repayment of loans denominated in foreign currencies, approval from or registration with competent government authorities or its authorized banks is required. The PRC government may take measures at its discretion from time to time to restrict access to foreign currencies for current account or capital account transactions. If the foreign exchange control regulations prevent the PRC subsidiaries of the combined company from obtaining sufficient foreign currencies to satisfy their foreign currency demands, the PRC subsidiaries of the combined company may not be able to pay dividends or repay loans in foreign currencies to their offshore intermediary holding companies and ultimately to the combined company. We cannot assure you that new regulations or policies will not be promulgated in the future, which may further restrict the remittance of RMB into or out of the PRC. We cannot assure you, in light of the restrictions in place, or any amendment to be made from time to time, that the PRC subsidiaries of the combined company will be able to satisfy their respective payment obligations that are denominated in foreign currencies, including the remittance of dividends outside of the PRC. For a detailed description of risks associated with restrictions on foreign exchange and our ability to transfer cash after a business combination with a PRC Target Company, see “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Acquiring and Operating a Business in China and Other Foreign Countries — Exchange controls that exist in the PRC may restrict or prevent us from using the proceeds of this offering to acquire a target company in the PRC and limit our ability to utilize our cash flow effectively following our initial business combination.” on page 75 of this prospectus. To date, we have not pursued an initial business combination and there have not been any capital contribution or shareholder loans by us to any PRC entities.
Furthermore, as more stringent criteria have been imposed by the SEC and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the “PCAOB”) recently, and in particular the SEC’s adoption of amendments to finalize rules implementing the submission and disclosure requirements in the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (“HFCAA”) on December 2, 2021, our securities may be prohibited from trading if our auditor cannot be fully
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inspected. If we decide to consummate our initial business combination with a target business based in and primarily operating in PRC, auditors of the combined company and their workpapers may be located in PRC, a jurisdiction where the PCAOB has been unable to conduct inspections without the approval of the PRC authorities. Therefore, the combined company’s securities may be delisted from a national securities exchange in the United States pursuant to the HFCAA. A termination in the trading our of securities or any restriction on the trading in our securities would be expected to have a negative impact on the Company as well as on the value of our securities. On August 26, 2022, the PCAOB announced that it had signed a Statement of Protocol (the “SOP”) with the China Securities Regulatory Commission (the “CSRC”) and the Ministry of Finance of China. The SOP, together with two protocol agreements governing inspections and investigations (together, the “SOP Agreement”), establishes a specific, accountable framework to make possible complete inspections and investigations by the PCAOB of audit firms based in mainland China and Hong Kong, as required under U.S. law. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB announced that it was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong. The PCAOB Board vacated its previous 2021 determinations that the PCAOB was unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong. However, should PRC authorities obstruct or otherwise fail to facilitate the PCAOB’s access in the future, the PCAOB Board will consider the need to issue a new determination. On December 29, 2022, the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (the “AHFCAA”) was signed into law, which amended the HFCAA by requiring the SEC to prohibit an issuer’s securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchange if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years instead of three.
Our auditor, Enrome LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm of our company, is headquartered in Singapore. As of the date of the prospectus, our auditor is not subject to the determinations as to inability to inspect or investigate registered firms completely announced by the PCAOB on December 16, 2021. While our auditor is registered with PCAOB and subject to PCAOB inspection, in the event it is later determined that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely the Company’s auditor because of a position taken by an authority in a foreign jurisdiction, then such lack of inspection could cause trading in the Company’s securities to be prohibited under the HFCAA, and ultimately result in a determination by a securities exchange to delist the Company’s securities. See “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to the Post-Business Combination Company — Trading in our securities may be prohibited under the HFCAA if the PCAOB determines that it cannot inspect or fully investigate our auditor. In that case, NYSE would delist our securities. The delisting of our securities, or the threat of their being delisted, may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment. Additionally, the inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections may deprive our investors with the benefits of such inspections.” on page 62 of this prospectus.
Due to our sponsor and certain of our executive officers and directors having ties to Hong Kong and/or the PRC and risks relating to doing business in Hong Kong and/or the PRC, we may be a less attractive partner to non-PRC or non-Hong Kong based target companies as compared to other SPACs that do not have ties to Hong Kong or the PRC, which may therefore limit the pool of acquisition candidates, and make it harder for us to complete an initial business combination with a target company that is non-PRC or non-Hong Kong based, making it more likely for us to consummate a business combination with a target company located in the PRC or Hong Kong.
As we do not have any operations in China other than the limited activities relating to preparing for this offering and searching for a business combination opportunity subsequent thereto, we believe that we are not required to obtain any material licenses or approvals. We also believe we are not required to obtain approvals from any PRC government authorities, including the CSRC, the Cyberspace Administration of China (the “CAC”) or any other government entity, to issue our securities in connection with this offering. However, the relevant PRC government agencies could reach a different conclusion, and we could be required to obtain such approvals in connection with a potential business combination. If we (i) do not receive or maintain such permissions or approvals, (ii) inadvertently conclude that such permissions or approvals are not required, or (iii) applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change and we are required to obtain such permissions or approvals in the future, the relevant governmental authorities would have broad discretion in dealing with such violation, including levying fines, confiscating our income, revoking our business licenses or operating licenses, discontinuing or placing restrictions or onerous conditions on our operations, requiring us to undergo a costly and disruptive restructuring, restricting or prohibiting our use of proceeds from this offering to finance our business and operations, and taking other regulatory or enforcement actions that could be harmful to our business. Any of these actions could cause significant disruption to our business operations and severely damage our reputation, which would in turn materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If any or all of the foregoing were to occur, it may significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to
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complete this offering or cause the value of our securities to significantly decline or become worthless. Moreover, we might not be able to complete this offering, list our securities on a U.S. exchange, consummate the initial business combination, or continue to offer securities to investors, which would also materially affect the interests of investors and cause the value of our securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
For more detailed discussions, see “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Acquiring and Operating a Business in China and Other Foreign Countries” beginning on page 57 of this prospectus.
Lead Book Running Manager
Cohen & Company Capital Markets
Co-Managers
Revere Securities | | Chenghe Capital Management |
, 2024
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We are responsible for the information contained in this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information, and we take no 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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TRADEMARKS
This prospectus contains references to trademarks and service marks belonging to other entities. Solely for convenience, trademarks and trade names referred to in this prospectus may appear without the ® or ™ symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that the applicable licensor will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, its rights to these trademarks and trade names. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trade names, trademarks or service marks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies.
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SUMMARY
This summary only highlights the more detailed information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. As this is a summary, it does not contain all of the information that you should consider in making an investment decision. 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:
• “amended and restated memorandum and articles of association” refers to the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the company which will be adopted prior to the consummation of this offering;
• “we,” “us,” “company” or “our company” are to Chenghe Acquisition II Co., a Cayman Islands exempted company;
• “CCM” are to Cohen & Company Capital Markets, a division of J.V.B. Financial Group, LLC, the representative of the underwriters in this offering;
• “Companies Act” refers to the Companies Act (Revised) of the Cayman Islands as the same may be amended from time to time;
• “completion window” refers to the period following the completion of this offering at the end of which, if we have not completed our initial business combination, we will 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 (net of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law and certain conditions and as further described herein. The completion window ends (i) 24 months from the closing of this offering; or (ii) such other time period in which we must consummate an initial business combination pursuant to an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association;
• “directors” are to our current directors and director nominees;
• “founder shares” are to Class B ordinary shares initially purchased by our sponsor in a private placement prior to this offering and the Class A ordinary shares that will be issued upon (i) the automatic conversion of the Class B ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination or (ii) the conversion at any time prior to our initial business combination, at the option of the holder, in each case as described herein;
• “initial shareholders” are to holders of our founder shares prior to this offering;
• “management” or our “management team” are to our executive officers and directors;
• “ordinary shares” are to our Class A ordinary shares and our Class B ordinary shares;
• “permitted withdrawals” means amounts withdrawn to pay our taxes (excluding U.S. federal excise tax), provided that all permitted withdrawals can only be made from interest and not from the principal held in the trust account;
• “private placement shares” are to the Class A ordinary shares sold as part of the private placement units;
• “private placement units” are to the units issued to our sponsor in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of this offering, which private placement units are identical to the units sold in this offering, subject to certain limited exceptions as described in this prospectus;
• “private placement warrants” are to the warrants sold as part of the private placement units;
• “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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• “public shareholders” are to the holders of our public shares, including our initial shareholders and management team to the extent our initial shareholders and/or members of our management team purchase public shares, provided that each initial shareholder’s and member of our management team’s status as a “public shareholder” will only exist with respect to such public shares;
• “public warrants” are to the warrants sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are purchased in this offering or thereafter in the open market); and
• “sponsor” are to Chenghe Investment II Limited, a Cayman Islands limited liability company.
Unless we tell you otherwise, the information in this prospectus assumes that the underwriters will not exercise their over-allotment option. Any share dividends described in this prospectus will take effect as a share capitalization as a matter of Cayman Islands law.
General
We are a blank check company newly incorporated as a Cayman corporation and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. We have not selected any potential business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any potential business combination target. While we may pursue an initial target business in any industry, geography, or sector, we intend to focus our search on growing companies in Asian markets or global companies with a presence or focus in Asia.
Our sponsor is affiliated with Chenghe Group Ltd. (“Chenghe Group”), an investment holding company with an advisory practice, and a repeat SPAC sponsor which has backed and led multiple SPAC vehicles from the formation of such vehicles to consummation of their initial business combinations.
Our Company and Sponsor
Our company is led by our CEO, Ms. Anna Zhou, and supported by our Chairman, Shibin Wang, Chairman of the Advisory Board, Mr. Richard Qi Li, and our CFO, Mr. Lyle Wang. Mr. Li is the Founder of Chenghe Group, and both Ms. Zhou and Mr. Wang serve on Chenghe Group’s investment team. These members of our management played a critical role in the formation, initial public offerings and business combinations of prior SPACs sponsored by Chenghe Group. Chenghe Group is an investment holding company with multiple lines of business: including financial advisory, asset management, private equity investing and other services. Within its advisory practice, Chenghe Group provides a full spectrum of services, including capital raising, financial advisory on mergers and acquisitions (“M&A”) and public listing services across a broad range of sectors and companies at different growth stages. Within its Asset Management and Private Equity practice, Chenghe Group is committed to creating value for investors by identifying and investing in visionary management teams and growing companies with disruptive innovations. The group’s current major investment areas include green technology, TMT (technology, communications, and media), healthcare, consumer, ecommerce, and other new economic industries. In addition, through its Private Equity practice, Chenghe Group has been actively involved in SPAC investments, sponsoring and leading multiple US-Listed SPACs including Chenghe Acquisition Co. (Nasdaq: CHEA) and Chenghe Acquisition I Co. (Nasdaq: LATG).
Business Strategy
We intend to capitalize on the experience of our team to identify and acquire one or more growing companies in Asian markets or global businesses with a presence or focus in Asia, that demonstrate a strong potential for expansion and value creation. Leveraging our sponsor affiliate and management team, we have a unique vantage point in assessing deal flow, and sourcing proprietary opportunities and potential investment targets through the connectivity of Chenghe Group and our partners. Our management team has extensive experience and deep networks both globally and within the APAC region, and we well positioned to effectively source and evaluate promising investment opportunities which can benefit from the expertise and capabilities of our management team to create long-term shareholder value.
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Asia is one of the most active regions when it comes to the volume of growing and public ready unicorn companies. Asia-based companies spearheaded the emergence of new unicorns in January 2024. For the first time in over a year, a double digit number of new companies received private funding that put them at an increased valuation of $1.0+ billion. Out of the eleven companies recorded in January, six of them are based in Asia, with three companies domiciled in PRC, and one each from Singapore, Hong Kong and India, according to Crunchbase. Southeast Asia also has shown robust performance in the creation of new unicorns, with developing countries showing more ambitions towards the creation of unicorns as macroeconomic tailwinds in consumer income and favorable structural and regulatory changes continues on an upward trajectory in the region, according to Crunchbase.
In addition to new and attractive business combination targets continuing to emerge in the region, Asia remains to be a robust market for new issuance and is primed for an uptick in new issuance in 2024. In 2023, 732 companies went public in Asia-Pacific raising $69.4 Billion. Despite the healthy public equity activity within the Asia region, this represented a year over year decline of 18% in number of companies going public and 44% fall in primary capital raised. Within the Asia-Pacific IPO sector, financially robust enterprises, supported by private equity and venture capital firms, possess the financial flexibility to delay their listing until market conditions become more favorable. With a focus on realistic pricing and post-IPO performance, it is anticipated that many of these well-prepared and public ready companies which delayed 2023 IPO plans, may choose to pursue a go-public strategy in 2024.
Asia is expected to represent approximately 50% of the global GDP and is on track to represent 40% of global consumption by 2040. Much of the growth being seen in the Asian markets is driven directly by the consumer and ecommerce verticals, as consumer income continues to increase, and robust digital ecosystems and infrastructures rise across Asia. The ecommerce and consumer markets have witnessed rapid growth in the Asia Pacific region over the past decade, and the trend is projected to further continue over the next three to four years. As internet access expands throughout the region, consumers are increasingly turning to online shopping, drawn by its rapid, efficient, and reliable distribution of goods. Ecommerce is anticipated to demonstrate consistent growth throughout the forecast period, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.39% from 2023 to 2027. The gross merchandise value of Ecommerce in this region is projected to rise from $3,855.8 billion in 2022 to $5,108.8 billion by 2027, according to Yahoo Finance.
There are two main drivers of the growth within the Asia ecommerce and consumer markets. The first is the rapid adoption of digital technologies with increasing internet penetration attached to it is one of the forces behind the rapid expansion of the E-commerce market. Nations across the Asia-Pacific region are experiencing a notable surge in Internet users, thereby establishing a broad customer base for online retailers. According to Practical Ecommerce, the number of ecommerce buyers in Asia is also projected to increase by approximately 52% from 2023 to 2028, rising from approximately 1.33 billion to 2.03 billion. Specifically, PRC accounted for 884 million online shoppers in 2023, while the U.S. only had 254 million, according to PracticalEcommerce. The other factor is the growing popularity of the smart homes concept in Asia, with a focus on integrating AI technology and voice control systems. Based on Statista’s estimates, the Smart Home market in Asia is forecasted to expand at an annual growth rate of 12.12% between 2024 and 2028, resulting in a projected market volume of $95.8 billion by 2028, according to Statista.
In the next decade, the E-commerce market in the Asia-Pacific region will continue to represent a substantial growth opportunity for businesses given the swiftly growing consumer base in the region. In PRC alone, there were 1.05 billion internet users at the beginning of 2023, representing a penetration rate of 73.7%, according to DataReportal. Southeast Asia also stands out as one of the global leaders in rapid digital device adoption, with a particular emphasis on mobile devices driving its internet usage. By 2023, the proportion of internet users in Southeast Asia who also utilize smartphones will reach 88.9%, surpassing rates observed in more economically developed regions such as North America and Western Europe, according to EMarketer.
Our business combination target selection process will leverage our team’s broad and deep network of relationships, unique industry expertise and proven deal-sourcing capabilities to provide us with a strong and differentiated pipeline of potential targets.
Our team’s expertise includes:
• sourcing, structuring, acquiring, and selling businesses;
• investing in businesses globally and enabling them to build and/or grow their business in the Greater China or other Asian markets, applying our unique market, policy, and government insights;
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• helping target companies gain access to the Greater China or other Asian markets as well as secure funding from other reputable investors and lenders, managing and operating companies, devising strategic operational initiatives, and identifying, mentoring and recruiting top-notch talent;
• developing and growing companies, both organically and via mergers and acquisitions;
• fostering relationships with sellers, capital providers and target management teams; and
• accessing public and private capital markets to optimize capital structure, including financing businesses and helping companies transition ownership structures.
Immediately following the completion of this offering, we intend to begin the process of communicating with the network of relationships within our team to search for a potential target for our initial business combination and begin the process of pursuing and reviewing potential opportunities.
Our Management
Our SPAC leadership team, consisting of Ms. Anna Zhou, Dr. Shibin Wang, Mr. Richard Li, and Mr. Lyle Wang has decades of combined investment, transaction, and operational experience. Out team has an extensive track record advising and investing in some of the largest transactions in Asia. Our Board is comprised of industry leading investors and entrepreneurs to help bolster our connectivity and value add with potential business combination targets.
Anna Zhou — CEO
Anna Zhou serves as our CEO and has considerable experience in equity research and finance, currently working at the investment team at Chenghe Group. Ms. Zhou currently serves as the CEO and CFO of Chenghe Acquisition I Co. and was previously the CFO of Chenghe Acquisition Co. from 2021 to 2024. Ms. Zhou began her career in 2011 focusing on equity research and specialized in China and US TMT, including covering smartphones, digital consumer products, internet services and emerging platform. She was a senior associate at Mighty Divine Investment Management Limited from 2019 to 2021, the research associate of the long-only portfolio of China Great Wall AMC (International) Holdings Company Limited from 2017 to 2019 and the QDII fund of Anbang Asset Management (Hong Kong) Co. Limited from 2016 to 2017. She also spent two years in BOCOM International Holdings Company Limited (“BOCOM International”) as a data analyst in its market strategy team from 2014 to 2016. Ms. Zhou received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, information and application from Université Paris 5 and a master’s degree in financial mathematics and statistics from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Lyle Wang — CFO
Lyle Wang serves as our CFO, and currently serves as a member of Chenghe Group investment team. Mr. Wang obtained a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Northwestern Polytechnical University and a master’s degree in finance from The University of Hong Kong. Prior to joining Chenghe Group, Mr. Wang served as a client manager of retail finance department at China Merchants Bank. Lyle Wang has in-depth knowledge of financial products and market analysis.
Richard Qi Li — Chairman of the Advisory Board
Richard Qi Li will serve as the Chairman of our Advisory Board, has more than two decades of experience in the financial service industry. Mr. Li is the Founder of Chenghe Group, and served as the CEO of HH&L Acquisition Co., Chairman of Chenghe Acquisition Co., and currently serves as the Chairman of the Advisory Board for Chenghe Acquisition I Co. From 2017 to 2021 Mr. Li served as the chief investment officer and chief operating officer of China Great Wall AMC (International) Holdings Company Limited, and from 2018, was the chief executive officer of Great Wall Pan Asia Asset Management Ltd., both subsidiaries of China Great Wall Asset Management Co. Ltd., a leading asset management company based in China. Mr. Li was previously a managing director and the Head of China Securities at Goldman Sachs Asia, and a managing director and the Head of North Asia Capital Markets and Treasury Solutions at Deutsche Bank Hong Kong. Prior to joining Deutsche Bank, Mr. Li worked at Merrill Lynch, the World Bank, and the Ministry of Finance of the PRC.
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Mr. Li has worked with or advised many financial institutions in Greater China on capital markets activities, sales and trading of fixed income products and structured equities, investment, risk management, and/or building up trading or asset management platforms. His clients or counterparts have included leading sovereign wealth funds (State Administration of Foreign Exchange and China Investment Corporation), large banks (Bank of China, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China, China Construction Bank and China Merchants Bank), insurers (China Life, PICC, Ping An Insurance) and asset managers (National Social Security Fund, China Asset Management and Harvest Fund). Mr. Li also advised Shanghai Pudong Development Bank in connection with the formation of a business alliance and the establishment of a credit card joint venture with Citibank in 2002. Mr. Li obtained a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in economics from Nankai University in China and a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School. He was also a visiting scholar at Harvard University in 2019.
Dr. Shibin Wang — Chairman of the Board
Dr. Shibin Wang will serve as our Chairman of the Board of Directors and has over 15 years of experience in sales and trading of structured financial products, cross-border financing and other capital market activities. Dr. Wang was the CEO of Chenghe Acquisition Co., and currently serves as the Chairman of the Board to Chenghe Acquisition I Co. Over his career, Dr. Wang held clientele including, major banks (China Development Bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Agriculture Bank of China, and China Construction Bank), leading organizations (China National Offshore Oil Corporation and GCL-Poly Energy) and leading private equity firms (Hillhouse Capital and Greenwoods Asset Management). Dr. Wang was an executive director and Head of China Structured Solutions at Deutsche Bank Hong Kong from 2010 to 2015. Prior to Deutsche Bank, he worked at FICC Goldman Sachs from 2008 to 2010 and at China Development Bank managing a fixed-income portfolio from 2003 to 2008. Since April 2019, Dr. Wang has served as a co-founder and the chief executive officer of Hong Kong Digital Asset Ex Ltd. (or “HKbitEX”), a regulated digital asset exchange in Hong Kong dedicated to providing a regulatory-compliant and safe digital asset spot trading and over-the-counter trading services to professional investors in Asia. Under Dr. Wang’s leadership, the company was among the first organizations in Asia-Pacific to apply for a virtual asset trading platform license from the Securities and Futures Commission in Hong Kong and was recognized as one of China’s top 50 fintech companies in the “2020 KPMG China Fintech 50.” Dr. Wang obtained a bachelor’s degree in international trading from Dongbei University of Finance & Economics, as well as a master of economics degree and a Ph.D, both from the Finance Institute of the People’s Bank of China.
Ning Ma — Director Nominee
Ning Ma in 2015 founded Lingfeng Capital Partners, Limited (“Lingfeng”), a private equity firm focusing on investing in fintech companies in Asia, in sub-sectors such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud, big data, lending technology, insurance technology, health care services, investment technology, payment and credit rating, and digital assets. Mr. Ma has served as a partner at Lingfeng since 2015. Prior to founding Lingfeng, Mr. Ma worked at Goldman Sachs (Asia) L.L.C. (“Goldman Sachs”) for thirteen years from 2002 to 2015 where, among other roles, he served as co-head of the Asia Pacific Financial Institutions Equity Research. He was also a member of the Goldman Sachs China Operating Committee and a member of the Asia Pacific Client and Business Standards Committee. He held various positions with Beijing Gao Hua Securities Company Limited and served as the deputy general manager and managing director from 2010 to 2015. Prior to Goldman Sachs, Mr. Ma was a regulator at the headquarters of the People’s Bank of China from 1996 to 2000, where he was actively involved in the regulation, financial reform and policy-making relating to foreign banks and non-bank financial institutions including trust companies, asset management companies, finance companies and leasing companies in China. Mr. Ma currently serves as an independent director for several financial institutions in Asia including Ant Consumer Finance Company, China Renaissance Securities and BOCOM International. He has been teaching at Tsinghua University PBC School of Finance since 2010. Mr. Ma received a bachelor’s degree from Renmin University of China, a master’s degree in business administration from London Business School and a master’s degree in international finance from Tsinghua University PBC School of Finance.
Kwan Sun — Director Nominee
Kwan Sun founded Millburn Advisory LLC, a real estate fund manager, in 2018 and has served as its managing partner since then. From 2015 to 2018, Mr. Sun served as the vice chairman of Nan Fung Group’s US businesses to help develop Nan Fung Group’s US real estate business. Mr. Sun served as a director at Deutsche Bank in structured products department from 1997 to 2003, and as a director at Morgan Stanley in structured products department from
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2003 to 2007. Thereafter, Mr. Sun served as a managing director at Deutsche Bank in structured products department from 2007 to 2009 and as a managing director at Morgan Stanley in the investment banking department from 2009 to 2014. Prior to joining Deutsche Bank in 1997, he served as a vice president the capital markets department of Merrill Lynch, where he focused on trading fix income derivatives. He joined Merrill Lynch in 1992. Mr. Sun graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University.
Dr. James Zhang — Director Nominee
Dr. James Zhang has extensive experience in entrepreneurship and venture capitalist in both the US and greater China. Since August 2021, Dr. Zhang has been the Chief Investment Officer of Technologies and Venture Capital of Great Eagle Holdings Limited (HKSE: 00041), a multinational corporation with rich experiences in technology investment, property development, and hotel and property management. Dr. Zhang has been an Adjunct Associate Professor of Finance since August 2019 and an Associate Professor of Science Practice since February 2022 at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, where he teaches venture capital and entrepreneurship. Dr. Zhang has also been an advisor of Venture University since 2020, where he cofounded the Asian Office based in Hong Kong. Dr. Zhang also serves as co-founder and director of WaterCare Technologies Limited, director of Base Therapeutics Group Holding Limited, and director of Great Eagle Venture Capital (HK) Limited. Dr. Zhang also serves as independent director of Chenghe Acquisition I Co. Dr. Zhang was a venture partner of the GRC Fund from 2014 to 2021, co-founder, chief executive officer and director of Modular Bioscience Inc. from 2018 to 2021, founding partner of Formation 8 (currently named 8VC) from 2012 to 2016, venture partner of Softbank China Venture Capital from 2010 to 2012, and entrepreneur in residence at Khosla Ventures from 2009 to 2010. Prior to becoming a venture capitalist, Dr. Zhang was an entrepreneur in Silicon Valley for over ten years, and co-founder of several startup companies. Dr. Zhang received his PhD in Genetics from the University of California, Davis, and has completed post-doctoral and business trainings from Stanford University and Stanford Graduate School of Business, respectively.
With respect to the foregoing experiences of our management, our Sponsor and Chenghe Group, past performance is not a guarantee (i) that we will be able to identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination or (ii) of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate. You should not rely on the historical record of our management’s, our Sponsor’s or Chenghe Group’s performance as indicative of our future performance. For more information on the experience and background of our management team and the Operating Partners, see below and the sections entitled “Management and Advisory Board” and “Proposed Business.”
Competitive Strengths
We believe that through the networks and relationships of our management and board, along with the financial and deal expertise, and the sourcing, valuation, diligence and execution capabilities of our leadership team and Chenghe Group, we will have a significant pipeline of differentiated opportunities which are ready to go public.
Our competitive strengths include:
• Leading Industry Insights and Proprietary Sourcing Channels. We believe our team’s global insights and experience will allow us to identify suitable public ready companies with solid fundamentals that are primed for growth and multiple expansion. Our team’s extensive sector and transaction experience as well as our other corporate relationships have helped us develop a broad array of contacts with both potential DeSPAC targets and strategic investors. In addition, through our sponsor affiliate, Chenghe Group, we will have unique access to a proprietary pipeline of acquisition opportunities in Asia through our active advisory and investment businesses. We believe that these factors will give us an edge over other market participants in terms of sourcing targets for our initial business combination.
• Deep Geographic Connectivity and Expertise. Our management team has deep connectivity and strategic relationships within the broader Asian market opportunity set and poised to identify and the blue chip targets ready to publicly list on the US markets, as well as unique access to global capital through Non-US investor relationships.
• Demonstrated track records in SPAC Transactions. Chenghe Group and our SPAC management team have had success shepherding multiple companies through a DeSPAC process to the US public markets. Our team’s experience and ability to enter into and close transactions, while also successfully raising capital amidst a challenged new issuance backdrop will be an attractive value add for top targets assessing potential SPAC partners.
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• Investment Experience. We believe that our team’s track record of identifying, sourcing and advising on transactions positions us well to appropriately evaluate potential business combinations that have a strong potential to be well received by the public markets.
• Execution and Deal Structuring Capability. We believe that our team’s combined expertise and reputation will allow us to source and complete transactions possessing structural attributes that create an attractive investment thesis. These types of transactions are typically complex and require creativity, industry knowledge and expertise, rigorous due diligence, and extensive negotiations and documentation. We believe that by focusing our investment activities on these types of transactions, we will be able to generate investment opportunities that have attractive risk-reward profiles.
• Long-term Value and Strategic Partnership. We believe that our team can create long-term value by collaborating with target management teams, forming strategic partnerships, and enhancing performance.
Business Combination Criteria
Consistent with our business strategy, we have identified the following general and non-exclusive criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses. We intend to use these criteria and guidelines in evaluating initial business combination opportunities, although we may enter into our initial business combination with target business or businesses that do not strictly meet any or all of these criteria and guidelines.
• Exceptional Management Teams. We will be focusing on seasoned blue-chip management teams comprised of industry leaders which are public ready and have demonstrated a history of driving growth for the company and delivering on operational and financial metrics for investors. To the extent we believe it will enhance shareholder value, we would seek to selectively supplement the existing management team of the business with proven leaders and executives from our network.
• Capabilities to leverage the compelling market trends in Asian markets. We will target one or more businesses that have gained sustainable competitive advantages, demonstrated potential for strong growth in the future, and have significant opportunities in and/or synergies with Asian markets. We believe this approach will enable us to effectively leverage our strong network to identify attractive opportunities and that the larger market capitalization and public float of the resulting company will be more attractive to our investors.
• Large addressable market and high growth prospects. We intend to focus on companies with fundamentally sound business models today, that operate in a large underlying addressable market with strong tail winds that we believe will support significant growth and superior returns over time This would include companies with embedded or underexploited growth opportunities or those that may benefit from capital infusion to execute on from synergistic add-on acquisitions, increased production capacity, expense reductions, technology upgrades and increased operating leverage.
• Resilient financial profiles. We will prioritize companies that are appropriately capitalized today, and in a strong liquidity position to continue to operate the business. Capital infusions tied to the business combination would look to augment operational metrics and growth.
• Potential to further improve with expertise and partnership. Our management team has a history of accelerating growth of companies with strong historical performance. We believe our team’s experience in our target sectors and network of industry contacts have the potential to generate opportunities to enhance the financial and operational efficiencies of the target businesses, through identifiable catalysts that could transform the value of these investments, and potentially offer an attractive return for our shareholders.
• Targets which are public ready and would benefit from access to the public capital markets. We intend to seek targets that have robust corporate governance, with existing reporting polices that would exemplify preparedness for the scrutiny of public markets, and that would benefit from being a public company with an increased public profile, and increased access to a more diversified pool of capital.
These criteria are not intended to be exhaustive. We will also utilize our operational and capital allocation experience. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination may be based on these general guidelines as well as other considerations, factors, and criteria that our management may deem relevant. In evaluating a prospective
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target business, we expect to conduct a due diligence review 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.
Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets
Our robust pipeline of business combination targets will be fueled by the extensive connectivity, networks, and relationships cultivated by our seasoned management team, board of directors, our affiliated sponsor Chenghe Group, and lead underwriter and advisor Cohen & Co. Capital Markets.Our team’s sourcing activities are driven by access to high-quality deal flow from our internal networks, strategic partners, and trusted advisors, all of which are rigorously evaluated against our stringent acquisition criteria. Leveraging our team’s collective technical, operational, and transactional expertise, we will meticulously identify and assess acquisition targets poised to deliver substantial value to our shareholders through our initial business combination.
Our Acquisition Process
In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review that will encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, inspection of facilities, as well as a review of financial, operational, legal and other information which will be made available to us.
We have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, engaged in any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. From the period commencing with our formation through the date of this prospectus, there have been no communications or discussions between any of our officers, directors or our sponsor and any of their potential contacts or relationships regarding a potential initial business combination. 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. 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 impact a target business.
Initial Business Combination
NYSE rules require that we must consummate an initial business combination with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the trust account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes paid or payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for such business combination. Our board of directors will make the determination as to the fair market value of our initial business combination. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of our initial business combination, 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. While we consider it unlikely that our board of directors will not be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of the target’s assets or prospects.
We anticipate structuring our initial business combination so that the post-transaction 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-transaction 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-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target 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-transaction 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-transaction company,
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depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination transaction. 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-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be taken into account for purposes of the 80% fair market value test described above. If the business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% fair market value test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, executive officers or directors, or completing the business combination through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, executive officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete an initial business combination with a target that is affiliated with our sponsor, executive officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions stating that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view and a majority of our disinterested and independent directors approve such transaction.
Members of our management team (including our independent directors) will directly or indirectly own founder shares and/or private placement units following this offering and, accordingly, 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. The low price that our sponsor and/or our executive officers and directors (directly or indirectly) paid for the founder shares creates an incentive whereby our officers and directors could potentially make a substantial profit even if we select an acquisition target that subsequently declines in value and is unprofitable for public shareholders. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, the founder shares and private placement units may expire worthless, except to the extent the holders thereof receive liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account, which could create an incentive for our sponsor and our executive officers and directors to complete any transaction, regardless of its ultimate value.
Further, each of 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 was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.
Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to another entity 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 other entity, subject to their 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 for any director or officer, on the one hand, and us, on the other. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
In addition, our sponsor and our officers and directors may sponsor or form other special purpose acquisition companies similar to ours or may pursue other business or investment ventures during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. Any such companies, businesses or investments may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an initial business combination. However, we do not believe that any such potential conflicts would materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
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Corporate Information
Our executive offices are located at 38 Beach Road #29-11, South Beach Tower, Singapore, 189767 and our telephone number is (65) 9851 8611. 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 (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 (the “Securities Act”), as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (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 $1.235 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 is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period. References herein to “emerging growth company” will 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 the fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $250 million as of the prior June 30th, and (2) our annual revenues exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30.
Prior to the date of this prospectus, we will file a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. As a result, we will be 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.
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THE OFFERING
In making your decision on 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” in this prospectus.
Securities offered | | 7,500,000 Units, at $10.00 per unit, each unit consisting of: • one Class A ordinary share; and • one-half of one redeemable warrant. |
NYSE symbols | | Units: “CHEB.U” Class A ordinary share: “CHEB” Warrants: “CHEB.WS” |
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 unless the Representative informs us of its 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 two units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant. Any rounding down and extinguishment may be done with or without any in lieu cash payment or other compensation being made to the holder of the relevant warrants. 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, including, if the underwriters exercise the over-allotment option simultaneously with the initial closing, the proceeds of the over-allotment. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering, which closing is anticipated to take place three business days from the date of this prospectus. |
Units: | | |
Number outstanding before this offering | | 0 |
Number outstanding after this offering | | 7,787,500(1) |
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Ordinary Shares: | | |
Number outstanding before this offering | | 2,875,000(2)(3) |
Number outstanding after this offering | | 10,287,500(1)(3)(4) |
Warrants: | | |
Number of warrants outstanding before this offering | | 0 |
Number of warrants to be outstanding after this offering and the private placement | | 3,893,750(1)(5) |
Exercisability | | Each whole warrant offered in this offering is exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share. Only whole warrants are exercisable. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. We structured each unit to contain one-half of one warrant, with each whole warrant exercisable for one Class A ordinary share, as compared to units issued by some other similar special purpose acquisition companies which contain whole warrants exercisable for one whole share, in order to reduce the dilutive effect of the warrants upon completion of a 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 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 Class A 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 initial shareholders or their affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by our initial shareholders 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, and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of our Class A ordinary shares during the 10 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, then 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, and the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price described below under “Redemption of 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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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 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). 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 are registering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants in the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part because the warrants will become exercisable 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, which may be within one year of this offering. However, because the warrants will be exercisable until their expiration date of up to five years after the completion of our initial business combination, in order to comply with the requirements of Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act following the consummation of our initial business combination, we have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our best efforts to file a post-effective amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part or a new registration statement with the SEC and have an effective registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and to maintain a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares until the warrants expire or are redeemed, as specified in the warrant agreement. If a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the 60th business day after the closing of our 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. |
| | 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 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, and in the event we do not so elect, we will use our best efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. The warrants will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, five years after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation; provided, however, that the private placement warrants issued to the underwriters will not be exercisable more than five years from the commencement of sales in this offering in accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8). On the exercise of any warrant, the warrant exercise price will be paid directly to us and not placed in the trust account. |
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Redemption of warrants for cash | | Once the warrants become exercisable, we may redeem the outstanding warrants for cash: • in whole and not in part; • upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption, which we refer to as the 30-day redemption period; and • at a price of $0.01 per warrant if, and only if, the closing price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like and for certain issuances of Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination as described elsewhere in this prospectus) on each of 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period commencing once the warrants become exercisable and ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. |
| | We will not redeem the warrants for cash 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. 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. |
Cashless exercise | | If we call the warrants for redemption as described above, our management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise warrants to do so on a “cashless basis.” In determining whether to require all holders to exercise their warrants on a “cashless basis,” our management will consider, among other factors, our cash position, the number of 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 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 excess of the “fair market value” of our Class A ordinary shares (defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” will 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 redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. Please see “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Shareholders’ Warrants” for additional information. |
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Founder shares | | In February 2024, our sponsor paid $25,000 to cover certain expenses on our behalf in consideration of 2,875,000 founder shares for a purchase price of approximately $0.009 per share. Up to 375,000 founder shares are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,000 by the sponsor, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. The per share price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash contributed to the company by the number of founder shares issued. In March 2024, our sponsor transferred an aggregate of 90,000 of its founder shares to our independent director nominees and advisory board member, for their board and advisory services, in each case for no cash consideration, including 20,000 shares to each of Kwan Sun, James Zhang and Ning Ma, and 30,000 shares to Richard Li, respectively. The founder shares transferred to Kwan Sun, James Zhang, Ning Ma and Richard Li will not be subject to forfeiture in the event the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised. The number of founder shares outstanding was determined based on the expectation that the total size of this offering would be a maximum of 8,625,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, and therefore that such founder shares would represent approximately 25% of the outstanding shares after this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering, and excluding the private placement shares). Up to 375,000 of the founder shares will be forfeited depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised. The founder shares are identical to the Class A ordinary shares included in the units being sold in this offering, except that: • only holders of Class B ordinary shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors prior to the completion of our initial business combination and on a vote to continue our company in a jurisdiction outside of the Cayman Islands; • the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below; • the founder shares are entitled to registration rights; • our initial shareholders, sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to (i) waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares they hold in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares they hold in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within the completion window or with respect to any other material provisions relating to |
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| | shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity and (iii) waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window (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 submit our initial business combination to our public shareholders for a vote, our initial shareholders have agreed to vote their founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination (subject to the limitations described in this prospectus). As a result, in addition to our initial shareholders’ founder shares, we would need 2,393,751, or approximately 31.9% of the 7,500,000 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 all outstanding shares are voted, the over-allotment option is not exercised and applicable law does not require approval by a greater majority than an ordinary resolution). Assuming that the holders of only one-third of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares are present in person or by proxy, representing a quorum under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, and all such shares are voted, we would not need any of the 7,500,000 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 overallotment option is not exercised and applicable law does not require approval by a higher threshold than an ordinary resolution); and • the founder shares are automatically convertible into our Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination, and may be converted at any time prior to our initial business combination, at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment pursuant to certain anti-dilution rights, or to the terms of our initial business combination agreement, in each case as described below adjacent to the caption “Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution rights.” |
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Transfer restrictions on founder shares | | Our initial shareholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion thereof until the earlier to occur of: (i) six months after the completion of our initial business combination or (ii) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction after our initial business combination that results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property; except to certain permitted transferees and under certain circumstances as described herein under “Principal Shareholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units”. Any permitted transferees will be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our initial shareholders with respect to any founder shares. We refer to such transfer restrictions throughout this prospectus as the lock-up. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) 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 (2) if we consummate a transaction after our initial business combination which results in our shareholders having the right to exchange their shares for cash, securities or other property, the founder shares will be released from the lock-up. |
Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution rights | | The founder shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination, and may be converted at any time prior to our initial business combination, at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment (unless otherwise provided in our initial business combination agreement) for share sub-divisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities are issued or deemed issued in connection with our initial business combination, the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all founder shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, approximately 25% of the total number of Class A ordinary shares outstanding after such conversion, including 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 our company in connection with or in relation to the consummation of an initial business combination, excluding any Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities or rights exercisable for or convertible into Class A ordinary shares issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any private placement units issued to our sponsor, officers or directors upon conversion of working capital loans, provided that such conversion of founder shares will never occur on a less than one-for-one basis. |
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Appointment of directors; voting | | Holders of record of our Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by such shareholders. Unless specified in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or as required by the Companies Act or stock exchange rules, an ordinary resolution under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and Cayman Islands law, which is a resolution passed by a simple majority of the shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote at a general meeting of the company and includes a unanimous written resolution, is generally required to approve any matter voted on by our shareholders. Approval of certain actions require a special resolution under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and Cayman Islands law, which is a resolution passed by at least two-thirds of the shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or by proxy at a general meeting of the company and includes a unanimous written resolution, 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. There is no cumulative voting with respect to the appointment of directors, meaning, following our initial business combination, the holders of more than 50% of our ordinary shares which vote for the appointment of directors can appoint all of the directors. Only holders of Class B ordinary shares will have the right to appoint directors prior to the completion of our initial business combination. Holders of our public shares will not be entitled to vote on the appointment of directors during such time. This provision of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association relating to the rights of holders of Class B ordinary shares to appoint directors may be amended by a special resolution passed by at least 90% of such members as, being entitled to do so, vote at a general meeting or by way of unanimous written resolution. In addition, only the Class B ordinary shares will be entitled to vote to continue our company in a jurisdiction outside of the Cayman Islands. 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 the founder shares and holders of our public shares will vote together as a single class, with each share entitling the holder to one vote. If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, we will complete our initial business combination only if we receive an ordinary resolution under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and Cayman Islands law, which is a resolution passed by a simple majority of the shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote at a general meeting of the company and includes a unanimous written resolution. In such case, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote their founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, in addition to our initial shareholders’ founder shares, we would need 2,393,751, or approximately 31.9%, of the 7,500,000 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 all outstanding shares are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised). |
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Private placement units and underlying securities | | Our sponsor has agreed to purchase an aggregate of 250,000 units (or 266,875 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $2,500,000 (or $2,668,750 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full). The underwriters have committed to purchase an aggregate of 37,500 units (or 43,125 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $375,000 (or $431,250 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full). These private placement units will be purchased in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. The private placement units are identical to the units sold in this offering except that private placement units (including the underlying securities) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holders until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination and will be entitled to registration rights. A portion of the purchase price of the private placement units will be added to the proceeds from this offering to be held in the trust account such that at the time of closing $75,000,000 (or $86,250,000 if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full) will be held in the trust account. If we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window, the private placement units (and the underlying securities) will expire worthless.
Our sponsor has agreed to (i) waive its redemption rights with respect to its private placement shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) waive its redemption rights with respect to its private placement shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity and (iii) waive its rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to its private placement shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window. In addition, our sponsor has agreed to vote any private placement shares held by it in favor of our initial business combination. |
Transfer restrictions on private placement units | | The private placement units (including the underlying private placement warrants, the private placement shares 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 Units”.
The private placement units to be purchased by the underwriters and/or their permitted designees, are deemed underwriters’ compensation by FINRA and are subject to limitations in accordance with FINRA Rule 5110. |
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Conflicts of Interest | | Certain members of our management team may have potential conflicts of interest as identified below: • Members of our management team (including our independent directors) may directly or indirectly own founder shares and/or private placement units following this offering and, accordingly, 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. • The low price that the members of our management team paid for the founder shares could result in a scenario where they stand to gain or lose financially, depending on the post-business combination performance of the acquisition target they select. Our directors and officers could potentially secure a substantial return even if the value of the acquisition target declines, affecting the profitability for public investors. • In the event we do not consummate a business combination within the completion window, the founder shares, private placement units and their underlying securities will expire worthless, which could create an incentive our officers and directors to complete any transaction, regardless of its ultimate value. |
| | • Each of 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 was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination. • 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. • Our sponsor, officers and directors may in the future sponsor or form other special purpose acquisition companies similar to ours or may pursue other business or investment ventures during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. • Our officers, directors, shareholders or affiliates may be paid fees upon the successful completion of our initial business combination as described under “Payments to Insiders”, below. |
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| | • Our officers and directors are not required to commit any specified amount of time to our affairs, and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating management time among various business activities, including selecting a business combination target and monitoring the related due diligence. See “Risk Factors — 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.” |
| | • CCM, as the representative to the underwriters, and 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. The underwriters are under no obligation to provide any further services to us in order to receive all or any part of the deferred underwriting commissions. See “Risk Factors — 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 M&A 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.” |
Proceeds to be held in trust account | | NYSE rules provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement units be deposited in a trust account. Of the proceeds we will receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement units described in this prospectus, $75,000,000, or $86,250,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($10.00 per unit in either case), will be deposited into a segregated trust account located in the United States with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, after deducting $1,500,000 (or $1,725,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in underwriting discounts and commissions payable upon the closing of this offering and an aggregate of $1,375,000 to pay fees and expenses in connection with the closing of this offering and for working capital following the closing of this offering. The proceeds to be placed in the trust account include up to $3,000,000 (or up to $3,450,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) in deferred underwriting commissions. |
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| | Except with respect to permitted withdrawals, the proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement units will not 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 are unable to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, subject to applicable law, and (iii) the redemption of our public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within the completion window or with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity. The proceeds deposited 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. |
Anticipated expenses and funding sources | | Unless and until we complete our initial business combination, no proceeds held in the trust account will be available for our use, except permitted withdrawals and/or to redeem our public shares in connection with an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as 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, and (no later than 24 months after the closing of this offering) will be held as cash or cash items, including in demand deposit accounts. |
| | Additionally, when we determine (no later than 24 months after the closing of this offering) to hold the funds in the trust account as cash or in demand deposit accounts, the amount of interest we may receive would likely be less than this amount. Unless and until we complete our initial business combination, we may pay our expenses only from: • permitted withdrawals; • the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units not held in the trust account, which initially will be approximately $675,000 in working capital after the payment of approximately $700,000 in expenses relating to this offering; and |
| | • any working capital loans or additional investments from our sponsor, members of our management team or their affiliates or other third parties, although they are under no obligation to advance funds or invest in us, and provided that 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. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into private placement units, at a price of $10.00 per unit, at the option of the lender. |
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Conditions to completing our initial business combination | | NYSE rules require that we must consummate an initial business combination with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the trust account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes paid or payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for such business combination. Our board of directors will make the determination as to the fair market value of our initial business combination. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of our initial business combination, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions as to the fair market value of the target business. While we consider it unlikely that our board of directors will not be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of the target’s assets or prospects. We will complete our initial business combination only if the post-transaction 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 under the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction 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. 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 issued and 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-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be taken into account for purposes of the 80% fair market value test described above, provided that in the event that the business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% fair market value test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses and we will treat the target businesses together as our initial business combination for purposes of a seeking shareholder approval or conducting a tender offer, as applicable.
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Permitted purchases of public shares and public warrants by our affiliates | | 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, initial shareholders, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares or public warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. There is no limit on the number of shares our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase in such transactions, subject to compliance with applicable law and NYSE rules. 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 shares or public 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. 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. We expect 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 of our securities” for a description of how our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, executive officers, advisors or any of their affiliates will select which shareholders to purchase securities from in any private transaction.
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| | The purpose of any such purchases of shares could be to 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, or to reduce the number of shares being submitted for redemption. The purpose of any such purchases of public warrants could be to reduce the number of public warrants outstanding. 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 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 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 (which interest shall be net of permitted withdrawals), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations and on the conditions described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 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. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our initial business combination with respect to our warrants. Our initial shareholders, sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares they hold and any public shares they may acquire during or after this offering in connection with the completion of our initial business combination.
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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) without a shareholder vote 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. Asset acquisitions and share purchases would not typically require shareholder approval while direct mergers with our company (other than with a 90% subsidiary of ours) and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our outstanding Class A ordinary shares or seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association would require shareholder approval. So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on the NYSE, we will be required to comply with the NYSE’s shareholder approval rules. The requirement that we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares by one of the two methods listed above will be contained in provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and will apply whether or not we maintain our registration under the Exchange Act or our listing on the NYSE. Such provisions may be amended if approved by a special resolution of our shareholders, which is a resolution passed by at least two-thirds of the shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or by proxy at a general meeting of the company and includes a unanimous written resolution. |
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| | If we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares in connection with a general meeting, we will: • 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 • file proxy materials with the SEC. If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we receive the approval of an ordinary resolution under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and Cayman Islands law, which is a resolution passed by a simple majority of the shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote at a general meeting of the company and includes a unanimous written resolution. In accordance with our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, a quorum for such meeting will be present if the holders of at least one-third of our issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote at the meeting are represented in person or by proxy. Our initial shareholders will count toward this quorum and, pursuant to the letter agreement, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote their founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination. For purposes of seeking approval of an ordinary resolution, non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial business combination once a quorum is obtained. As a result, in addition to our initial shareholders’ founder shares, we would need 2,393,751, or approximately 31.9% of the 7,500,000 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 all outstanding shares are voted, the over-allotment option is not exercised and applicable law does not require approval by a greater majority than an ordinary resolution). Assuming that the holders of only one-third of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares are present in person or by proxy, representing a quorum under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, and all such shares are voted, we would not need any of the 7,500,000 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 overallotment option is not exercised and applicable law does not require approval by a higher threshold than an ordinary resolution). These quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreements of our initial shareholders, may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination. Each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against or abstain from voting on the proposed transaction or whether they were a public shareholder on the record date for the general meeting held to approve the proposed transaction. |
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| | If a shareholder vote is not required and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will: • conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers, and • 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, which regulates the solicitation of proxies. 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 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. Upon the public announcement of our initial business combination, if we elect to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, we or 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. We intend to require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to, at the holder’s option, either deliver their share certificates to our transfer agent or deliver their shares to our transfer (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) system, prior to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. In the case of proxy materials, this date may be up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination. In addition, if we conduct redemptions in connection with a shareholder vote, we intend to require a public shareholder seeking redemption of its public shares to also submit a written request for redemption to our transfer agent two business days prior to the scheduled vote in which the name of the beneficial owner of such shares is included. The proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring public shareholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. We believe that this will allow our transfer agent to efficiently process any redemptions without the need for further communication or action from the redeeming public shareholders, which could delay redemptions and result in additional administrative cost. If the proposed initial business combination is not approved and we continue to search for a target company, we will promptly return any certificates or shares delivered by public shareholders who elected to redeem their shares. |
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| | Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that we will only consummate an initial business combination if our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination. In addition, our proposed initial business combination may impose a minimum cash requirement for (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions. 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 initial business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the initial business combination or redeem any shares, and all Class A ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof. We may, however, raise funds through the issuance of equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop arrangements we may enter into following consummation of this offering, in order to, among other reasons, satisfy such net tangible assets or minimum cash requirements. |
Limitation on redemption rights of shareholders holding 20% or more 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 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 20% 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. By limiting our shareholders’ ability to redeem to no more than 20% 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 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 20% of the shares sold in this offering) for or against our initial business combination. |
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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 used to pay amounts due to any public shareholders who exercise their redemption rights as described above under “Redemption rights for public shareholders upon completion of our initial business combination,” to pay the underwriters the 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 securities, 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, 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.
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Redemption of public shares and distribution and liquidation if no initial business combination | |
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that we will have only until the end of the completion window to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within such the completion window, 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 (which interest shall be net permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating 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 complete our initial business combination within the completion window.
Our initial shareholders have entered into agreements with us, pursuant to which they have waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window. However, if our initial shareholders or management team acquire public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the allotted completion window. |
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| | The underwriters have agreed to waive all rights to the deferred underwriting commission held in the trust account in the event we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window 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, directors and director nominees 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 to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination the completion window or with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, 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 (which interest shall be net of permitted withdrawals), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described above under “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. |
Payments to insiders | | We are not prohibited from paying any fees (including advisory fees), reimbursements or cash payments to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates, for services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, including the following payments, all of which, if made prior to the completion of our initial business combination, will be paid from (i) funds held outside the trust account or (ii) permitted withdrawals: • Repayment of up to an aggregate of $300,000 in loans made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses; • Payment to our sponsor of $15,000 per month for office space, secretarial and administrative services provided to members of our management team; upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees; • Reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating, negotiating and completing an initial business combination; |
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| | • Payment of a finder’s fee, advisory fee, consulting fee or success fee for any services they render in order to effectuate the completion of our initial business combination; and • Repayment of non-interest bearing loans which may be made by our sponsor or 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 units of the post-business combination entity at a price of $10.00 per units at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private placement units. 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. |
Audit Committee | | We will establish and maintain an audit committee. Among its responsibilities, the audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our 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.” |
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SUMMARY FINANCIAL DATA
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.
| | March 4, 2024 |
| | Actual | | As Adjusted |
Balance Sheet Data: | | | | | | | | |
Working capital (deficit)(1) | | $ | (267,810 | ) | | $ | 682,297 | |
Total assets(2) | | | 275,107 | | | | 75,682,297 | |
Total liabilities(3) | | | 267,810 | | | | 3,078,376 | |
Value of Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption(4) | | | — | | | | 75,000,000 | |
Shareholder’s equity (deficit)(5) | | $ | 7,297 | | | $ | (2,396,079 | ) |
If no business combination is completed within the completion window, 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 for permitted withdrawals (less $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares. Our initial shareholders, officers and directors have entered into letter agreements 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 held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination within such time period.
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SUMMARY OF RISK FACTORS
We are a blank check company that has conducted no operations and has generated no revenues to date. 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” in this prospectus.
An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. The occurrence of one or more of the events or circumstances described in the section titled “Risk Factors,” alone or in combination with other events or circumstances, may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. Such risks include, but are not limited to:
• We are a blank check company with no operating history and no revenues, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.
• Our shareholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed initial business combination, and even if we hold a vote, holders of our founder shares will participate in such vote, which means we may complete our initial business combination even though a majority of our public shareholders do not support such a combination.
• 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.
• If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial shareholders and management team have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public shareholders vote.
• The redemption of our public shares for cash may make our financial condition unattractive to potential business combination targets, which may make it difficult for us to enter into an initial business combination with a target.
• The redemption of a large number of our public shares may not allow us to complete the most desirable business combination or optimize our capital structure.
• We may decide not to extend the term we have to consummate our initial business combination, in which case we would redeem our public shares, and the warrants will be worthless.
• The requirement that we complete our initial business combination within the completion window may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating an initial 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.
• Military or other conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East or elsewhere may lead to increased volume and price volatility for publicly traded securities, or affect the operations or financial condition of potential target companies, which could make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination.
• If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, executive officers, advisors and their affiliates may elect to purchase public shares or public warrants from public shareholders, which may increase the likelihood of completing a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our Class A ordinary shares.
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• 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 submitting or tendering its shares, such shares may not be redeemed.
• 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.
• NYSE 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.
• The nominal purchase price paid by our sponsor for the founder shares resulting in significant dilution to the implied value of your public shares upon the consummation of our initial business combination.
• The value of the founder shares following completion of our initial business combination as likely being substantially higher than the nominal price paid for them, even if the trading price of our public shares at such time is substantially less than $10.00 per share.
• 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 or such attractive targets may not be interested to consume an initial business combination with a SPAC due to a negative public perception of mergers involving SPACs. 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.
• If our initial business combination involves a company organized under the laws of a state of the United States, it is possible a U.S. federal excise tax could be imposed on us in connection with any redemptions of our Class A ordinary shares after or in connection with such initial business combination.
• 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 completed our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on our redemption of their shares, and our warrants will expire worthless.
• 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.
• Unlike some other similarly structured special purpose acquisition companies, our initial shareholders will receive additional Class A ordinary shares if we issue certain shares to consummate an initial business combination.
• We may reincorporate in or transfer by way of continuation to another jurisdiction in connection with our initial business combination and such reincorporation may result in taxes imposed on shareholders or warrant holders.
We face risks associated with being based in, and potentially acquiring a company whose corporate structure or whose operations are located in China. These include significant regulatory, liquidity, and enforcement risks. For example, we face risks arising from the legal system in China, including risks and uncertainties regarding the enforcement of laws and that rules and regulations in China can change quickly with little advance notice. See “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Acquiring and Operating a Business in China and Other Foreign Countries — Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of PRC laws and regulations and changes in policies, rules, and regulations in China, which may be quick with little advance notice, could limit the legal protection available to you and us.” In addition, the Chinese government may intervene or influence our operations at any time, or may exert more control over offerings conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China based issuers, which could result in a material change in our operations and/or the value of our ordinary shares. See “ Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Acquiring and Operating a Business in China and Other Foreign Countries — Given that most of our directors and officers have ties to mainland China and/or Hong Kong, the Chinese government may exercise oversight and discretion over their conduct including their search for a target company, the Chinese government may intervene or influence our operations
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at any time or may exert more control over offerings conducted overseas by and foreign investment in China-based issuers, which could result in a material change in our search for a target business, the PRC Target Company’s business operations post-business combination and/or the value of the securities we are registering.” Furthermore, any actions by the Chinese government to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless. See “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Acquiring and Operating a Business in China and Other Foreign Countries — China’s economic, political and social conditions, as well as changes in any government policies, laws and regulations, could have a material adverse effect on our business.”
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RISK FACTORS
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
Our shareholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed initial business combination, and even if we hold a vote, holders of our founder shares will participate in such vote, which means we may complete our initial business combination even though a majority of our public shareholders do not support such a combination.
We may choose not to hold a shareholder vote to approve our initial business combination if the business combination would not require shareholder approval under applicable laws or stock exchange listing requirements. Except for as required by applicable laws or stock exchange requirements, 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. Even if we seek shareholder approval, the holders of our founder shares will participate in the vote on such approval. Accordingly, we may complete our initial business combination even if a majority of our public shareholders 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.
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial shareholders and management team have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public shareholders vote.
Our initial shareholders will own approximately 26.7% of our outstanding ordinary shares immediately following the completion of this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering). Our initial shareholders and management team also may from time to time purchase Class A ordinary shares from the public market prior to our initial business combination. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, if we seek shareholder approval of an initial business combination, such initial business combination will be approved if we receive the affirmative vote of a majority of the shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or by proxy at a general meeting of the company duly held, shares voted at such meeting, including the founder shares. As a result, in addition to our initial shareholders’ founder shares, we would need 2,393,751, or approximately 31.9% of the 7,500,000 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 all outstanding shares are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised). Accordingly, if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, the agreement by our initial shareholders and 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.
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 our initial business combination. Since our board of directors may complete an initial 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 vote. Accordingly, your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding our initial 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.
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The redemption of our public shares for cash may make our financial condition unattractive to potential business combination targets, which may make it difficult for us to enter into an initial business combination with a target.
We may seek to enter into an initial business combination transaction agreement with a minimum cash requirement for (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions. 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, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that we will only consummate an initial business combination if our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination. Consequently, if accepting all properly submitted redemption requests would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 or make us unable to satisfy a minimum cash condition as described above, we would not proceed with such 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 an initial business combination transaction with us.
Recent increases in inflation and interest rates in the United States and elsewhere could make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination.
Recent increases in inflation and interest rates in the United States and elsewhere may lead to increased price volatility for publicly traded securities, including ours, and may lead to other national, regional and international economic disruptions, any of which could make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination.
The redemption of a large number of our public 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 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, we will need to reserve a portion of the cash in the trust account to meet such requirements, or arrange for third party financing. In addition, if a larger number of shares is submitted for redemption than we initially expected, we may need to restructure the transaction to reserve a greater portion of the cash in the trust account or arrange for third party financing. Raising additional third party financing may involve dilutive equity issuances or the incurrence of indebtedness at higher than desirable levels. Furthermore, this dilution would increase to the extent that the anti-dilution provision of the Class B ordinary shares results in the issues of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination. In addition, 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 redemption of 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 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 your exercise of redemption rights until we liquidate or you are able to sell your shares in the open market.
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The requirement that we complete our initial business combination within the completion window may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating an initial 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 an initial business combination will be aware that we must complete our initial business combination within the completion window. Consequently, such target business may obtain leverage over us in negotiating an initial 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 timeframe 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 search for an initial business combination, and any target business with which we may ultimately consummate an initial business combination, may be materially adversely affected by current global geopolitical conditions resulting from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Israel-Hamas conflict.
United States and global markets are experiencing volatility and disruption following the geopolitical instability resulting from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and the recent escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict. In response to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (“NATO”) deployed additional military forces to eastern Europe, and the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and other countries have announced various sanctions and restrictive actions against Russia, Belarus and related individuals and entities, including the removal of certain financial institutions from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) payment system. Certain countries, including the United States, have also provided and may continue to provide military aid or other assistance to Ukraine and to Israel, increasing geopolitical tensions among a number of nations. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict and the resulting measures that have been taken, and could be taken in the future, by NATO, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Israel and its neighboring states and other countries have created global security concerns that could have a lasting impact on regional and global economies. Although the length and impact of the ongoing conflicts are highly unpredictable, they could lead to market disruptions, including significant volatility in commodity prices, credit and capital markets, as well as supply chain interruptions and increased cyber-attacks against U.S. companies. Additionally, any resulting sanctions could adversely affect the global economy and financial markets and lead to instability and lack of liquidity in capital markets.
Any of the abovementioned factors, or any other negative impact on the global economy, capital markets or other geopolitical conditions resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict and subsequent sanctions or related actions, could adversely affect our search for an initial business combination and any target business with which we may ultimately consummate an initial business combination.
The extent and duration of the ongoing conflicts, resulting sanctions and any related market disruptions are impossible to predict, but could be substantial, particularly if current or new sanctions continue for an extended period of time or if geopolitical tensions result in expanded military operations on a global scale. Any such disruptions may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this section. If these disruptions or other matters of global concern continue for an extensive period of time, our ability to consummate an initial business combination, or the operations of a target business with which we may ultimately consummate an initial business combination, may be materially adversely affected.
Military or other conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East or elsewhere may lead to increased volume and price volatility for publicly traded securities, or affect the operations or financial condition of potential target companies, which could make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination.
Military or other conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East or elsewhere may lead to increased volume and price volatility for publicly traded securities, or affect the operations or financial condition of potential target companies, and to other company or industry-specific, national, regional or international economic disruptions and economic uncertainty, any of which could make it more difficult for us to identify an initial business combination target and consummate an initial business combination on acceptable commercial terms, or at all.
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If our initial business combination involves a company organized under the laws of a state of the United States, it is possible a U.S. federal excise tax could be imposed on us in connection with any redemptions of our Class A ordinary shares after or in connection with such initial business combination.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 provides for, among other things, a new 1% U.S. federal excise tax on certain repurchases (including redemptions) of stock by publicly traded U.S. corporations after December 31, 2022 (the “stock buyback tax”), subject to certain exceptions. If applicable, the amount of the stock buyback tax is generally 1% of the aggregate fair market value of any stock repurchased by the corporation during a taxable year, net of the aggregate fair market value of certain new stock issuances by the repurchasing corporation during the same taxable year. The Biden administration has proposed increasing the stock buyback tax rate from 1% to 4%; however, it is unclear whether such a change will be enacted and, if enacted, how soon it could take effect. In addition, the U.S. Treasury Department and IRS have released preliminary guidance that would potentially cause a non-U.S. corporation’s U.S. subsidiaries to be subject to the stock buyback tax with respect to any share repurchases made by the non-U.S. corporation under certain circumstances.
As an entity incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company, the stock buyback tax is currently not expected to apply to redemptions of our Class A ordinary shares (absent any regulations or other additional guidance that may be issued in the future).
However, in connection with an initial business combination involving a company organized under the laws of a state of the United States, it is possible that we domesticate and continue as a corporation organized under the laws of a state of the United States prior to certain redemptions. Because we expect that, following such a domestication, our securities would continue to trade on the NYSE, in such a case, we could be subject to the stock buyback tax with respect to any subsequent redemptions (including redemptions in connection with the initial business combination), that are treated as repurchases for this purpose. In all cases, whether and to what extent we would be subject to the stock buyback tax will depend on a number of factors, including (i) the structure of the initial business combination, including the extent to which the initial business combination involves a U.S. corporation and the extent to which we issue shares in the initial business combination or otherwise during the same taxable year that are eligible to offset any redemptions or other repurchases; (ii) the fair market value of the shares redeemed; and (iii) the extent such redemptions could be treated as dividends and not as repurchases. The applicability of the stock buyback tax to us could be further affected by the content of any regulations, clarifications or other additional guidance from the U.S. Department of the Treasury that may be issued and applicable to the redemptions. Any stock buyback tax that becomes payable as a result of any redemptions of our Class A ordinary shares (or other shares into which such Class A ordinary shares may be converted) in connection with our initial business combination or otherwise would be payable by us and not by the redeeming holder. To the extent such taxes are applicable, the payment of such tax would not form part of the permitted withdrawals and as such, the proceeds placed in the trust account and the interest earned thereon shall not be used to pay for possible excise tax pursuant to any current, pending or future rules or laws, including without limitation any excise tax due under the Inflation Reduction Act on any redemptions or stock buybacks by us. However, the application of the stock buyback tax in the event of a liquidation is uncertain, and the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to the stock buyback tax, in which case the per-share amount that would otherwise be received by our shareholders in connection with our liquidation may be reduced. Consequently, the value of your investment in our securities may decrease as a result of the stock buyback tax. In addition, the stock buyback tax may make a transaction with us less appealing to potential business combination targets, and thus, potentially hinder our ability to enter into and consummate an initial business combination.
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 years, the market for directors and officers liability insurance for special purpose acquisition companies has changed in ways adverse to us, our directors, and our executive officers. The premiums charged for such policies have generally increased and the terms of such policies have generally become less favorable to us and our management team. These trends may continue into the future.
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. However, 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 complete our initial business combination within the completion window, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate.
We may not be able to find a suitable target business and complete our initial business combination within the completion window. An increasing number of SPACs have liquidated beginning in the second half of 2022 due to an inability to complete an initial business combination within their allotted time period. 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. If we have not completed our initial business combination within such 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 (which interest shall be net of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating 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. In such case, our public shareholders may only receive $10.00 per share, and our warrants will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public shareholders may receive less than $10.00 per share on the redemption of their shares. 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 $10.00 per share” and other risk factors herein.
We may decide not to extend the term we have to consummate our initial business combination, in which case we would redeem our public shares, and the warrants will be worthless.
We have until the date that is 24 months from the closing of this offering, or until such earlier liquidation date as our board of directors may approve, to consummate our initial business combination.
If we do not consummate an initial business combination by such deadline, we may decide not to seek to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination. If we do not seek to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination, and we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within the applicable time period, we will, as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the trust account, subject to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. In such event, the warrants will be worthless.
Adverse developments affecting the financial services industry, including events or concerns involving liquidity, defaults or non-performance by financial institutions, could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations, or our prospects.
The funds in our operating account and our trust account will be held in banks or other financial institutions and 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. To mitigate the risk that we might be deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, which risk increases the longer that we hold investments in the trust account, we may, at any time (and will no later than 24 months from the closing of this offering) instruct the trustee to liquidate the investments held in the trust account and instead to hold the funds in the trust account in cash or in an interest bearing demand deposit account. Our cash held in non-interest bearing and interest-bearing accounts may exceed any applicable Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) insurance limits. Should events, including limited
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liquidity, defaults, non-performance or other adverse developments occur with respect to the banks or other financial institutions that hold our funds, or that affect financial institutions or the financial services industry generally, or concerns or rumors about any events of these kinds or other similar risks, the value of the assets in our trust account could be impaired, which could have a material impact on our operating results, liquidity, financial condition and prospects. For example, on March 10, 2023, the FDIC announced that Silicon Valley Bank had been closed by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. We cannot guarantee that the banks or other financial institutions that will hold our funds will not experience similar issues.
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, executive officers, advisors and their affiliates may elect to purchase public shares or public warrants from public shareholders, which may increase the likelihood of completing a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” 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 sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase public shares or public warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination, although they are under no obligation to do so. There is no limit on the number of securities our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase in such transactions, subject to compliance with applicable law and the NYSE rules. However, other than as expressly stated herein, 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 public warrants in such transactions. Such purchases may include a contractual acknowledgment that such shareholder, although still the record holder of our shares, is no longer the beneficial owner thereof and therefore agrees not to exercise its redemption rights.
In the event that our sponsor, initial shareholders, 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 purchases of shares could be to 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. The purpose of any such purchases of public warrants could be to reduce the number of public warrants outstanding. Any such purchases of our securities may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. We expect any such purchases will be reported on a Current Report on Form 8-K and 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 of Our Securities” for a description of how our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or any of their affiliates will select which shareholders to purchase securities from in any private transaction.
In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our Class A ordinary shares or public warrants and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, possibly making it difficult to obtain or maintain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.
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 materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, such shareholder may not become aware of the opportunity to redeem its shares. In addition, proxy materials or tender offer documents, 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 tender or submit public shares for redemption. For example, we intend to require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to, at the holder’s option, either deliver their share certificates to our transfer agent, or to deliver their shares to our transfer agent electronically prior to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. In the case of proxy materials, this date may be up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination. In addition, if we conduct redemptions in
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connection with a shareholder vote, we intend to require a public shareholder seeking redemption of its public shares to also submit a written request for redemption to our transfer agent two business days prior to the vote in which the name of the beneficial owner of such shares is included. In the event that a shareholder fails to comply with these or any other procedures disclosed in the proxy or tender offer materials, as applicable, its shares may not be redeemed.
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 units 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, 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 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, please see “Proposed Business — Comparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419.”
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 20% of our Class A ordinary shares, you will lose the ability to redeem all such shares in excess of 20% 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 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 seeking redemption rights with respect to more than an aggregate of 20% of the shares sold in this offering without our prior consent, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares.” 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 20% and, in order to dispose of such shares, would be required to sell your shares in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.
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 are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our warrants will expire worthless.
We expect to encounter 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 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 similar or greater technical, human and other resources to ours 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 units, 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
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successfully negotiating an initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our warrants will expire worthless.
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 or such attractive targets may not be interested to consume an initial business combination with a SPAC due to a negative public perception of mergers involving SPACs. 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 (including a negative public perception of mergers involving SPACs), 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.
The requirement that the target business or businesses that we acquire must collectively have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance of the funds in the trust account (less any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned and less any interest earned thereon that is released to us) at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination may limit the type and number of companies that we may complete such an initial business combination with.
Pursuant to the NYSE listing rules, the target business or businesses that we acquire must collectively have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance of the funds in the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting discounts and commissions and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account and less any interest earned thereon that is released to us to pay our tax obligations (excluding U.S. federal excise tax) at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination. This restriction may limit the type and number of companies with which we may complete an initial business combination. If we are unable to locate a target business or businesses that satisfy this fair market value test, we may be forced to liquidate, and you will only be entitled to receive your pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account. If NYSE delists our securities from trading on its exchange after this offering, we would not be required to satisfy the fair market value requirement described above and could complete an initial business combination with a target business having a fair market value substantially below 80% of the balance in the trust account.
If the net proceeds of this offering not being held in the trust account are insufficient to allow us to operate for at least the completion window, it could limit the amount available to fund our search for a target business or businesses and complete our initial business combination, and we will depend on permitted withdrawals and loans from our sponsor or management team to fund our search and to complete our initial business combination.
Of the net proceeds of this offering, only $675,000 will be available to us initially outside the trust account to fund our working capital requirements. We believe that, upon closing of this offering and taking into consideration additional funding from our sponsor and other affiliates, the funds available to us outside of the trust account will be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the completion window; however, we cannot assure you that our estimate is accurate. Of the funds available to us, we could 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 or merger agreements 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 or merger agreement 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.
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In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $700,000, 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 $700,000, 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 in addition to permitted withdrawals, we would need to borrow funds from our sponsor, management team or other third parties to operate or may be forced to liquidate. Neither our sponsor, members of our management team nor any of their affiliates is under any obligation to advance funds to us in such circumstances. Any such advances would be repaid only from funds held outside the trust account or from funds released to us upon completion of our initial business combination or from permitted withdrawals. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into units of the post-business combination entity at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private placement units. Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor 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 are unable to complete our initial business combination 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 $10.00 per share, or possibly less, on our redemption of our public shares, 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 $10.00 per 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 (except for our independent registered public accounting firm), 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, 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 consider whether competitive alternatives are reasonably available to us and will only enter into an agreement with such third party if management believes that such third party’s engagement would be in the best interests of the company under the circumstances. The underwriters of this offering as well as our registered independent public accounting firm will not execute agreements with us waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account.
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. Enrome LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, and the underwriters of this offering, will not execute agreements 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. Upon redemption of our public shares, if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed timeframe, 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 10 years following redemption. Accordingly, the per-share redemption amount received by public shareholders could be less than the $10.00 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 for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or other similar agreement or business combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 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 $10.00 per public share due to reductions in the
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value of the trust assets, less permitted withdrawals, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the trust account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) 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. 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 $10.00 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 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) $10.00 per 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 $10.00 per public share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case less permitted withdrawals, 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 $10.00 per share.
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 other 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 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, preference or disposition.” As a result, a bankruptcy or other 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, by paying public shareholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors, thereby exposing itself and us to claims of punitive damages.
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.
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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:
• restrictions on the nature of our investments; and
• 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:
• registration as an investment company;
• adoption of a specific form of corporate structure; and
• reporting, record keeping, voting, proxy and disclosure requirements and other rules and regulations.
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 in securities and that our activities do not include investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading “investment securities” constituting more than 40% of our total assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis. Our business will be to identify and complete an initial 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. The New SPAC Rules provided guidance on a SPAC’s investment company status by applying a number of factors, including nature of SPAC assets and income, management activities, duration and the SPAC’s public statement regarding its business plans and activities.
We do not believe that our anticipated principal activities will subject us to the Investment Company Act under the applicable laws and regulations. To this end, 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. To mitigate the risk that we might be deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, which risk increases the longer that we hold investments in the trust account, we may, at any time (and will no later than 24 months from the closing of this offering) instruct the trustee to liquidate the investments held in the trust account and instead to hold the funds in the trust account in cash or in an interest bearing demand deposit account.
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: (i) the completion of our initial business combination; (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted 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 offer redemption rights in connection with any proposed initial business combination or certain amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association prior thereto or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window; or (B) with respect to any other material provision relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; or (iii) absent an initial business combination within the completion window, from the closing of this offering, our return of the funds held in the trust account to our public shareholders as part of our redemption of the public shares.
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We are aware of litigation against certain special purpose acquisition companies asserting that notwithstanding the foregoing, those special purpose acquisition companies should be considered investment companies. Although we believe that these claims are without merit, we cannot guarantee that we will not be deemed to be an investment company and thus 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 ability to complete an initial business combination or may result in our liquidation. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless, and our public shareholders would also lose the possibility of an investment opportunity in a target company as well as any potential price appreciation in the combined company following a business combination.
If we were deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, compliance with these additional regulatory burdens would require additional expenses for which we have not allotted funds and could increase the costs and time needed to complete an initial business combination or impair our ability to complete an initial business combination. If we have not completed our initial business combination within the required time period, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per 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.
On March 30, 2022, the SEC issued proposed rules relating to, among other items, enhancing disclosures in business combination transactions involving SPACs and private operating companies; amending the financial statement requirements applicable to transactions involving shell companies; effectively eliminating the safe harbor relating to the use of projections in SEC filings in connection with proposed business combination transactions; increasing the potential liability of certain participants in proposed business combination transactions. On January 24, 2024, the SEC approved the final rules on the foregoing matters relating to transactions involving SPACs (the “New SPAC Rules”), which adopted most of the proposed rules in the form proposed or with certain revisions. The New SPAC Rules require, among other items, (i) additional disclosures relating to SPAC business combination transactions; (ii) additional disclosures relating to dilution and to conflicts of interest involving sponsors and their affiliates in both SPAC initial public offerings and de-SPAC transactions; (iii) the use of projections by SPACs in SEC filings in connection with proposed business combination transactions; and (iv) both the SPAC and the target company’s status as co-registrants on de-SPAC registration statements. Compliance with the New SPAC Rules and related guidance may increase the costs of and the time needed to negotiate and complete an initial business combination and may constrain the circumstances under which we could complete an initial business combination.
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 to a fine and to imprisonment for five years in the Cayman Islands.
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We may not hold an annual general meeting until after the consummation of our initial business combination, which could delay the opportunity for our shareholders to appoint directors.
In accordance with NYSE corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual general meeting until no later than one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on NYSE. 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. In addition, as holders of our Class A ordinary shares, our public shareholders will not have the right to vote on the appointment of directors until after the consummation of our initial business combination.
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.
Our efforts to identify a prospective initial business combination target will not be limited to a particular industry, sector or geographic region. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association prohibit us from effectuating an initial business combination solely with another blank check company or similar company with nominal operations. Because we have not yet selected any specific target business with respect to an initial 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. In recent years, a number of target businesses have underperformed financially following consummation of their business combination. 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 an initial business combination target. Accordingly, any shareholders or warrant holders who choose to remain shareholders or warrant holders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such shareholders or warrant holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value unless they are able to successfully claim that the reduction was due to the breach by our officers or directors of a duty of care or other fiduciary duty owed to them, or if they are able to successfully bring a private claim under securities laws that the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, relating to the business combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission.
We may seek acquisition opportunities with a business or an entity lacking an established record of revenue or earnings.
To the extent we complete our initial business combination with a business or an entity lacking an established record of sales or earnings, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the operations of the business with which we combine. These risks include volatile revenues or earnings and difficulties in obtaining and retaining key personnel. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we may not be able to properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors and we may not 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.
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
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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 law, or we decide to obtain shareholder approval for business or other legal 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 are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our warrants will expire worthless.
We are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm for another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, 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 or our board of directors cannot independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses (including with the assistance of financial advisors), 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 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 materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, related to our initial business combination.
We may issue notes or other debt securities, or otherwise incur substantial debt, to complete an initial 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:
• default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after an initial business combination are insufficient to repay our debt obligations;
• 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;
• our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt is payable on demand;
• our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt is outstanding;
• our inability to pay dividends on our Class A ordinary shares;
• 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;
• limitations on our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and in the industry in which we operate;
• increased vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions and adverse changes in government regulation; and
• 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.
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We may only be able to complete one business combination with the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, 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 private placement of units will provide us with $72,000,000 (or $82,800,000 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 deferred underwriting commissions of up to $3,000,000 (or up to $3,450,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) being held in the trust account).
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:
• solely dependent upon the performance of a single business, property or asset, or
• 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 investigations (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.
We may attempt to complete our initial business combination with a private company about which little information is available, which may result in an initial business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.
In pursuing our business combination 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 an initial 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 or warrant holders do not agree.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association do not provide a specified maximum redemption threshold, except that our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that we will only consummate an initial business combination if our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either
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immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination. In addition, our proposed initial business combination may impose a minimum cash requirement for: (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions. 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 any of 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 in connection with such initial business combination, 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, special purpose acquisition 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 an initial business combination, special purpose acquisition companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and governing instruments, including their warrant agreements. For example, special purpose acquisition companies have amended the definition of business combination, increased redemption thresholds and 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 the approval of a special resolution of our shareholders, which is a resolution passed by at least two-thirds of the shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or by proxy at a general meeting of the company and includes a unanimous written resolution, and amending our warrant agreement will require a vote of holders of at least 50% of the warrants. In addition, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association 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 to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete an initial business combination within the completion window or with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity. To the extent any of such amendments would be deemed to fundamentally change the nature of the securities offered through this registration statement, we would register, or seek an exemption from registration for, the affected securities. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our charter or governing instruments or extend the time to consummate an initial business combination in order to effectuate our initial business combination.
The provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that relate to our pre-business combination activity (and corresponding provisions of the agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account) may be amended with the approval of holders of not less than two-thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company (or 50% of our ordinary shares with respect to amendments to the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account), which is a lower amendment threshold than that of some other special purpose acquisition 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.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that any of its provisions related to pre-business combination activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of this offering and the private placement of units 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, under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and Cayman Islands law which is a resolution passed by at least two-thirds of the shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or by proxy at a general meeting of the company and includes a unanimous written resolution, and corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account may be amended if approved by holders of 50% of our
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ordinary shares. Our initial shareholders, who will collectively beneficially own approximately 25% of our ordinary shares upon the closing of this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering, and excluding the private placement shares), 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 special purpose acquisition companies, and this may increase our ability to complete an initial 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.
Our sponsor, officers, directors and director nominees 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) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption 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 the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, 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 (which interest shall be net of permitted withdrawals), divided by the number of then issued and 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, officers, directors or director nominees 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.
Certain agreements related to this offering may be amended without shareholder approval.
Each of the agreements related to this offering to which we are a party, other than the warrant agreement and the investment management trust agreement, may be amended without shareholder approval. Such agreements are: the underwriting agreement; the letter agreement among us and our initial shareholders, sponsor, officers and directors; the registration rights agreement among us and our initial shareholders; the private placement warrant purchase agreement between us and our sponsor; and the administrative services agreement among us and our sponsor. These agreements contain various provisions that our public shareholders might deem to be material. For example, our letter agreement and the underwriting agreement contain certain lock-up provisions with respect to the founder shares, private placement units and other securities held by our initial shareholders, sponsor, officers and directors. Amendments to such agreements would require the consent of the applicable parties thereto and would need to be approved by our board of directors, which may do so for a variety of reasons, including to facilitate our initial business combination. While we do not expect our board of directors to approve any amendment to any of these agreements prior to our initial business combination, it may be possible that our board of directors, in exercising its business judgment and subject to its fiduciary duties, chooses to approve one or more amendments to any such agreement. Any amendment entered into in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination will be disclosed in our proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, related to such initial business combination, and any other material amendment to any of our material agreements will be disclosed in a filing with the SEC. Any such amendments would not require approval from our shareholders, may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible, and may have an adverse effect on the value of an investment in our securities. For example, amendments to the lock-up provision discussed above may result in our initial shareholders selling their securities earlier than they would otherwise be permitted, which may have an adverse effect on the price of our securities.
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.
We have not selected any specific business combination target but intend to target businesses with enterprise values that are greater than we could acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units. As a result, if the cash portion of the purchase price exceeds the amount available from the trust account, net of amounts needed to satisfy any redemption by public shareholders, we may be required to seek additional financing to complete such proposed initial business combination. We cannot assure you that such financing will be available on acceptable terms, if at all. To the extent that additional financing proves to be unavailable when needed to complete
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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. Further, we may be required to obtain additional financing in connection with the closing of our initial business combination for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction businesses, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, or to fund the purchase of other companies. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, 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.
Our initial shareholders control 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 initial shareholders will own approximately 26.7% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering). Accordingly, they 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 initial shareholders purchase any units in this offering or if our initial shareholders purchase any additional Class A ordinary shares in the aftermarket or in privately negotiated transactions, this would increase their control. Neither our initial shareholders 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 share. As a result, in addition to our initial shareholders’ founder shares, we would need 2,393,751, or approximately 31.9% of the 7,500,000 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 all outstanding shares are voted, the over-allotment option is not exercised and applicable law does not require approval by a greater majority than an ordinary resolution). Assuming that the holders of only one-third of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares are present in person or by proxy, representing a quorum under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, and all such shares are voted, we would not need any of the 7,500,000 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 overallotment option is not exercised and applicable law does not require approval by a higher threshold than an ordinary resolution). 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 terms for three years with only one class of directors being appointed in each year. We may not hold an annual meeting of shareholders 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 general 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 initial shareholders, because of their ownership position, will have considerable influence regarding the outcome. In addition, only holders of Class B ordinary shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors prior to the completion of our initial business combination. In addition, only the Class B ordinary shares will be entitled to vote to continue our company in a jurisdiction outside of the Cayman Islands. This provision of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may only be amended by a special resolution which is a resolution passed by at least two-thirds of the shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or by proxy at a general meeting of the company and includes a unanimous written resolution, which shall include the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the Class B ordinary shares. As a result, you will not have any influence over our continuation in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands prior to our initial business combination. Accordingly, our initial shareholders will continue to exert control at least until the completion of our initial business combination.
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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 the proxy statement with respect to the vote on an initial business combination include historical and pro forma financial statement disclosure. 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 (“GAAP,”) or international financial reporting standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“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 financial 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.
Compliance obligations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may make it more difficult for us to effectuate our initial business combination, require substantial financial and management resources, and increase the time and costs of completing an initial business combination.
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, 2025. 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 be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. Further, for as long as we remain an emerging growth company, we will 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 business combination.
Our initial business combination and our structure thereafter may not be tax-efficient to our shareholders and warrant holders. As a result of our business combination, our tax obligations may be more complex, burdensome and uncertain.
Although we will attempt to structure our initial business combination in a tax-efficient manner, tax structuring considerations are complex, the relevant facts and law are uncertain and may change, and we may prioritize commercial and other considerations over tax considerations. For example, in connection with our initial business combination and subject to any requisite shareholder approval, we may structure our business combination in a manner that requires shareholders and/or warrant holders to recognize gain or income for tax purposes, effect an initial business combination with a target company in another jurisdiction, or reincorporate in a different jurisdiction (including, but not limited to, the jurisdiction in which the target company or business is located). We do not intend to make any cash distributions to shareholders or warrant holders to pay taxes in connection with our business combination or thereafter. Accordingly, a shareholder or a warrant holder may need to satisfy any liability resulting from our initial business combination with cash from its own funds or by selling all or a portion of the shares received. In addition, shareholders and warrant holders may also be subject to additional income, withholding or other taxes with respect to their ownership of us after our initial business combination.
In addition, we may effect an initial business combination with a target company that has business operations outside of the United States, and possibly, business operations in multiple jurisdictions. If we effect such an initial business combination, we could be subject to significant income, withholding and other tax obligations in a number of jurisdictions with respect to income, operations and subsidiaries related to those jurisdictions. Due to the complexity of tax obligations and filings in other jurisdictions, we may have a heightened risk related to audits or examinations by U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. taxing authorities. This additional complexity and risk could have an adverse effect on our after-tax profitability and financial condition.
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Resources could be wasted in researching business combinations that are not completed, which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, 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 are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our warrants will expire worthless.
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 that may be present 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 debt financing to partially finance the initial business combination or thereafter. Accordingly, any shareholders or warrant holders who choose to remain shareholders or warrant holders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such shareholders or warrant holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value unless they are able to successfully claim that the reduction was due to the breach by our officers or directors of a duty of care or other fiduciary duty owed to them, or if they are able to successfully bring a private claim under securities laws that the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, relating to the business combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission.
Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination and to be successful thereafter will be 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 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.
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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 their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law.
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 necessary to manage a public company, the operations and profitability of the post-combination business may be negatively impacted. Accordingly, any shareholders or warrant holders who choose to remain shareholders or warrant holders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such shareholders or warrant holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value unless they are able to successfully claim that the reduction was due to the breach by our officers or directors of a duty of care or other fiduciary duty owed to them, or if they are able to successfully bring a private claim under securities laws that the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, relating to the business combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission.
The officers and directors of an acquisition candidate may resign upon completion of our initial business combination. The loss of an initial 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. We cannot provide assurance that, upon loss of control of a target business, new management will possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to profitably operate such business.
We may structure our initial business combination so that the post-transaction 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-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target 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-transaction company owns 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 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
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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.
Risks Relating to Acquiring and Operating a Business in China and Other Foreign Countries
If we effect our initial business combination with a company located outside of the United States, we would be subject to a variety of additional risks that may adversely affect us.
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. We would also 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, we would be subject to any special considerations or risks associated with companies operating in an international setting, including any of the following:
• costs and difficulties inherent in managing cross-border business operations;
• rules and regulations regarding currency redemption;
• complex corporate withholding taxes on individuals;
• laws governing the manner in which future business combinations may be effected;
• exchange listing and/or delisting requirements;
• tariffs and trade barriers;
• regulations related to customs and import/export matters;
• local or regional economic policies and market conditions;
• unexpected changes in regulatory requirements;
• challenges in managing and staffing international operations;
• longer payment cycles;
• tax issues, such as tax law changes and variations in tax laws as compared to the United States;
• currency fluctuations and exchange controls;
• rates of inflation;
• challenges in collecting accounts receivable;
• cultural and language differences;
• employment regulations;
• underdeveloped or unpredictable legal or regulatory systems;
• corruption;
• protection of intellectual property;
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• social unrest, crime, strikes, riots and civil disturbances;
• regime changes and political upheaval;
• terrorist attacks and wars; and
• deterioration of political relations with the United States.
Following our initial business combination, our management may resign from their positions as officers or directors of the post-combination entity and the management of the target business at the time of the business combination may 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.
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 initial business combination, our operations might suffer, either of which may adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
After our initial business combination, substantially all of our assets may be located in a foreign country and substantially all of our revenue will be derived from our operations in such country. Accordingly, our results of operations and prospects will be subject, to a significant extent, to the economic, political and legal 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 undertake our initial business combination with an entity or business which is based in a foreign country, including China, and the laws and regulations of such foreign countries may not afford U.S. investors or regulatory agencies access to information normally available to them with respect to U.S. based entities.
In November 2020, the SEC Staff issued guidance regarding certain risks and considerations that should be considered by investors regarding foreign entities, specifically the limited ability of U.S. investors and regulatory agencies to rely upon or obtain information from foreign based entities, specifically China based entities, under the laws and regulations of such foreign countries. As stated by the SEC Staff, “[A]lthough China-based Issuers that access the U.S. public capital markets generally have the same disclosure obligations and legal responsibilities as other non-U.S. issuers, the Commission’s ability to promote and enforce high-quality disclosure standards for China-based Issuers may be materially limited. As a result, there is substantially greater risk that their disclosures may be incomplete or misleading. In addition, in the event of investor harm, investors generally will have substantially less access to recourse, in comparison to U.S. domestic companies and foreign issuers in other jurisdictions.” Among other potential issues and risks cited by the SEC Staff, the SEC Staff identified restrictions in China which restricted
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the PCAOB’s ability to inspect audit work and practices of PCAOB-registered public accounting firms in China and on the PCAOB’s ability to inspect audit work with respect to China-based issuer audits by PCAOB-registered public accounting firms in Hong Kong. However, we will not conduct an initial business combination with a target company that has an auditor that PCAOB is unable to inspect for two consecutive years at the time of our business combination, and will not engage an auditor following an initial business combination that PCAOB is unable to inspect for two consecutive years.
Further, current laws and regulations in China as well as other potential target countries, can limit or restrict investigations and similar activities by U.S. regulatory agencies such as the SEC to gather information regarding the securities and other activities of issuers based in the foreign countries where such laws or regulations exist. According to Article 177 of the newly amended PRC Securities Law which became effective in March 2020 (the “Article 177,”) the securities regulatory authority of the PRC State Council may collaborate with securities regulatory authorities of other countries or regions in order to monitor and oversee cross border securities activities. Article 177 further provides that overseas securities regulatory authorities are not allowed to carry out investigation and evidence collection directly within the territory of the PRC, and that any Chinese entities and individuals are not allowed to provide documents or materials related to securities business activities to overseas agencies without prior consent of the securities regulatory authority of the PRC State Council and the competent departments of the PRC State Council. Although we have not identified a potential target business nor any particular country in which an initial business combination may occur, we intend to consider potential target business in foreign jurisdictions, including China based entities and businesses, and therefore investors should be aware of risks related to the ability to obtain information and conduct investigations and be afforded protections by U.S. based agencies such as the SEC related to any such business combination with a target business in a foreign country and consider such risks prior to investing in our securities.
China’s economic, political and social conditions, as well as changes in any government policies, laws and regulations, could have a material adverse effect on our business.
If we acquire a PRC Target Company, our business, financial condition, results of operations, prospects and certain transactions we may undertake may be subject, to a significant extent, to economic, political and legal developments in China. China’s economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the amount of government involvement, level of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. While the PRC economy has experienced significant growth in the past two to three decades, growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. Demand for target services and products depends, in large part, on economic conditions in China. Any slowdown in China’s economic growth may cause our potential customers to delay or cancel their plans to purchase our services and products, which in turn could reduce our net revenues.
Although China’s economy has been transitioning from a planned economy to a more market oriented economy since the late 1970s, the PRC government continues to play a significant role in regulating industry development by imposing industrial policies. The PRC government also exercises significant control over China’s economic growth through allocating resources, controlling the incurrence and payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy and providing preferential treatment to particular industries or companies. Changes in any of these policies, laws and regulations could adversely affect the economy in China and could have a material adverse effect on our business.
The PRC government has implemented various measures to encourage foreign investment and sustainable economic growth and to guide the allocation of financial and other resources. However, we cannot assure you that the PRC government will not repeal or alter these measures or introduce new measures that will have a negative effect on us. China’s social and political conditions may change, and such changes, if not in our favor, could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
The PRC government also has significant authority to exert influence on the ability of a company with substantial operations in China to conduct its business and control over securities offerings conducted overseas and/or foreign investments at any time, which could result in a material change in our operations and/or the value of our securities. In particular, there have been recent statements by the PRC government indicating an intent to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based companies with substantial operations in China. We are not currently required to obtain permission from the PRC government to list on a U.S. securities exchange and consummate this offering. However, there is no guarantee that this will continue to
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be the case in the future in relation to the continued listing of our securities on a securities exchange outside of the PRC, or even when such permission is obtained, it will not be subsequently denied or rescinded. Any such regulatory oversight or control could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of our securities to significantly decline or become worthless.
Any actions by the Chinese government, including any decision to intervene or influence the operations of any future PRC subsidiary or to exert control over any offering of securities conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers, may cause us to make material changes to the operations of any future PRC subsidiary, may limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors, and may cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
The Chinese government has exercised and continues to exercise substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through regulation and state ownership. The ability of our subsidiary to operate in China may be impaired by changes in its laws and regulations, including those relating to taxation, environmental regulations, land use rights, foreign investment limitations, and other matters. The central or local governments of China may impose new, stricter regulations or interpretations of existing regulations that would require additional expenditures and efforts on our part to ensure our PRC subsidiary compliance with such regulations or interpretations. As such, any future PRC subsidiary may be subject to various government and regulatory interference in the provinces in which they operate. They could be subject to regulation by various political and regulatory entities, including various local and municipal agencies and government sub-divisions. They may incur increased costs necessary to comply with existing and newly adopted laws and regulations or penalties for any failure to comply.
Furthermore, it is uncertain when and whether we will be required to obtain permission from the PRC government to list on U.S. exchanges in the future, and even when such permission is obtained, whether it will be denied or rescinded. Our operations following a business combination with a PRC entity could be adversely affected, directly or indirectly, by existing or future laws and regulations relating to our business or industry, particularly in the event permission to list on U.S. exchanges may be later required, or withheld or rescinded once given.
Accordingly, government actions in the future, including any decision to intervene or influence the operations of any future PRC subsidiary at any time or to exert control over an offering of securities conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers, may cause us to make material changes to the operations of any future PRC subsidiary, may limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors, and/or may cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
Given that most of our directors and officers have ties to mainland China and/or Hong Kong, the Chinese government may exercise oversight and discretion over their conduct including their search for a target company, the Chinese government may intervene or influence our operations at any time or may exert more control over offerings conducted overseas by and foreign investment in China-based issuers, which could result in a material change in our search for a target business, the PRC Target Company’s business operations post-business combination and/or the value of the securities we are registering.
Since most of our directors and officers have ties to mainland China and/or Hong Kong, the Chinese government may have potential oversight and discretion over the conduct of our directors and officers including over our directors’ and officers’ search for a target company. The Chinese government may intervene or influence our operations at any time through the directors and officers who have ties in China, which could result in a material change in our search for a target business and/or the value of the securities we are offering. Changes in the policies, regulations, rules, and the enforcement of laws of the PRC government may be adopted quickly with little advance notice and could have a significant impact upon our ability to operate. The realization of any these risks could adversely impact our initial business combination, future business and any future offering of securities.
In addition, the Chinese government has indicated an intent to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas by and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers, and initiated various regulatory actions and made various public statements, some of which are published with little advance notice, including cracking down on illegal activities in the securities market, enhancing supervision over China-based companies listed overseas, adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity reviews, and expanding efforts in anti-monopoly enforcement. These existing measures, and additional pending or future new measures which may be implemented, could materially and adversely affect our operations and the operations of any post-business combination company. Furthermore, the
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Chinese government has significant authority to exert influence on the ability of a China-based company to conduct its business, make or accept foreign investments or list on a U.S. stock exchange. For example, if we enter into a business combination with a PRC Target Company, the combined company may face risks associated with regulatory approvals of the proposed business combination between us and the target, offshore offerings, anti-monopoly regulatory actions, cybersecurity and data privacy. The PRC government may also intervene with or influence the combined company’s operations at any time as the government deems appropriate to further regulatory, political and societal goals. These risks could result in a material change in our operations, our search for a target company and/or the value of the securities that we are registering for sale or could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of our securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
The Chinese government may intervene in and influence the manner in which our post-combination entity must conduct its business activities in ways that we cannot expect if we consummate an initial business combination with a PRC Target Company, which could result in a material change in our operations of the combined company and/or the value of our securities, and could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors post-business combination and cause the value of the combined company’s securities to significantly decline or become worthless.
The Chinese government has exercised and continues to exercise substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through regulation and state ownership. If we acquire a PRC Target Company, our post-combination entity’s ability to operate in China may be harmed by changes in its laws and regulations, including those relating to taxation, environmental regulations, land use rights, property, and other matters. The central or local governments of these jurisdictions may impose new, stricter regulations or interpretations of existing regulations that would require additional expenditures and efforts on our part to ensure our compliance with such regulations or interpretations. Accordingly, government actions in the future, including any decision not to continue to support recent economic reforms and to return to a more centrally planned economy or regional or local variations in the implementation of economic policies, could have a significant effect on economic conditions in China or particular regions thereof, and could require us to divest ourselves of any interest we then hold in Chinese properties. Additionally, the governmental and regulatory interference could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors post-business combination and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of PRC laws and regulations and changes in policies, rules, and regulations in China, which may be quick with little advance notice, could limit the legal protection available to you and us.
The PRC legal system is based on written statutes. Unlike common law systems, it is a system in which legal cases have limited value as precedents. In the late 1970s, the PRC government began to promulgate a comprehensive system of laws and regulations governing economic matters in general. The legislation over the past three decades has significantly increased the protection afforded to various forms of foreign or private-sector investment in China. Any future PRC subsidiary would be subject to various PRC laws and regulations generally applicable to companies in China. Since these laws and regulations are relatively new and the PRC legal system continues to rapidly evolve, however, the interpretations of many laws, regulations, and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations, and rules involve uncertainties.
From time to time, we may have to resort to administrative and court proceedings to enforce our legal rights. Since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, however, it may be more difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy in the PRC legal system than in more developed legal systems. Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies, internal rules, and regulations that may have retroactive effect and may change quickly with little advance notice. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. Such uncertainties, including uncertainties over the scope and effect of our contractual, property (including intellectual property), and procedural rights, and any failure to respond to changes in the regulatory environment in China could materially and adversely affect our business and impede our ability to continue our operations. In addition, the legal and regulatory risks associated with doing business in China may make us a less attractive partner in an initial business combination than other special purpose acquisition companies that do not have ties to China. As such, our ties to China, including through our sponsor, officers and directors, may make it harder for us to complete an initial business combination with a target company without any such ties.
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Trading in our securities may be prohibited under the HFCAA if the PCAOB determines that it cannot inspect or fully investigate our auditor. In that case, NYSE would delist our securities. The delisting of our securities, or the threat of their being delisted, may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment. Additionally, the inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections may deprive our investors with the benefits of such inspections.
The HFCAA was enacted on December 18, 2020. The HFCAA states if the SEC determines that we have filed audit reports issued by a registered public accounting firm that has not been subject to inspection by the PCAOB for three consecutive years, the SEC shall prohibit our shares or other securities from being traded on a national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter trading market in the U.S.
On March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirements under the HFCAA. We will be required to comply with these rules if the SEC identifies us as having a “non-inspection” year under a process to be subsequently established by the SEC. On June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, which would amend the HFCAA and require the SEC to prohibit an issuer’s securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years instead of three consecutive years.
On November 5, 2021, the SEC approved the PCAOB’s Rule 6100, Board Determinations Under the HFCAA. Rule 6100 provides a framework for the PCAOB to use when determining, as contemplated under the HFCAA, whether it is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms located in a foreign jurisdiction because of a position taken by one or more authorities in that jurisdiction. On December 2, 2021, the SEC issued amendments to finalize rules implementing the submission and disclosure requirements of the HFCAA. The rules apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in a foreign jurisdiction.
On December 16, 2021, the PCAOB issued a report in which it determined that it is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in China, because of positions taken by Chinese authorities in those jurisdictions. The PCAOB made its determination pursuant to its Rule 6100, which provides the framework for how the PCAOB fulfills its responsibilities under the HFCAA. In addition, the PCAOB’s report also identified the specific registered public accounting firms which are subject to the PCAOB’s determination that it is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in China. Our auditor, Enrome LLP, is headquartered in Singapore, and was not identified in the report as a firm subject to the PCAOB’s determination.
In December 2021, the SEC adopted amendments to finalize its rules under the HFCAA that set forth submission and disclosure requirements for commission–identified issuers identified under the Act, specify the processes by which the SEC will identify and notify Commission-Identified Issuers, and implement trading prohibitions after three consecutive years of identification. On December 2022, Congress passed the omnibus spending bill and the President signed it into law. This spending bill included the enactment of provisions to accelerate the timeline for implementation of trading prohibitions from three years to two years. Separately, on December 15, 2022, the PCAOB published its determination that in 2022 the PCAOB was able to inspect and investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong. This determination reset the now two-year clock for compliance with the trading prohibitions for identified issuers audited by these firms. The amendment had originally been passed by the U.S. Senate in June 2021, as the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act.
The SEC may propose additional rules or guidance that could impact us if our auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspection. For example, on August 6, 2020, the President’s Working Group (“PWG”) on Financial Markets, or the PWG, issued the Report on Protecting United States Investors from Significant Risks from Chinese Companies to the then President of the United States. This report recommended the SEC implement five recommendations to address companies from jurisdictions that do not provide the PCAOB with sufficient access to fulfill its statutory mandate. Some of the concepts of these recommendations were implemented with the enactment of the HFCAA. However, some of the recommendations were more stringent than the HFCAA. For example, if a company was not subject to PCAOB inspection, the report recommended that the transition period before a company would be delisted would end on January 1, 2022.
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The SEC has announced that the SEC staff is preparing a consolidated proposal for the rules regarding the implementation of the HFCAA and to address the recommendations in the PWG report. It is unclear when the SEC will complete its rulemaking and when such rules will become effective and what, if any, of the PWG recommendations will be adopted. The SEC has also announced amendments to various annual report forms to accommodate the certification and disclosure requirements of the HFCAA. There could be additional regulatory or legislative requirements or guidance that could impact us if our auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspection. The implications of these possible regulations in addition to the requirements of the HFCAA are uncertain, and such uncertainty could cause the market price of our securities to be materially and adversely affected. If, for whatever reason, the PCAOB is unable to conduct inspections or full investigations of our auditor, the company could be delisted or prohibited from being traded over the counter earlier than would be required by the HFCAA. If our securities are unable to be listed on another securities exchange by then, such delisting and prohibition would substantially impair your ability to sell or purchase our securities when you wish to do so, and the risk and uncertainty associated with potential delisting and prohibition would have a negative impact on the price of our securities. Also, such delisting and prohibition could significantly affect the company’s ability to raise capital on acceptable terms, or at all, which would have a material adverse effect on the company’s business, financial condition and prospects.
Inspections of audit firms that the PCAOB has conducted have identified deficiencies in those firms’ audit procedures and quality control procedures, which may be addressed as part of the inspection process to improve future audit quality. Our current auditor, Enrome LLP, is an auditor of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered with the PCAOB, and is subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess its compliance with the applicable professional standards. However, if it is later determined that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely our auditor because of a position taken by an authority in a foreign jurisdiction, NYSE would delist our securities, and the SEC would prohibit our securities from being traded on a national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter trading market in the U.S. For example, if we effect our initial business combination with a business located in the PRC and if our new auditor is located in China, with operations in and which performs audit operations of registrants in China, a jurisdiction where the PCAOB has been unable to conduct inspections without the approval of the Chinese authorities, the work of our new auditor as it relates to those operations may not be inspected by the PCAOB. Although we will not conduct an initial business combination with a target company that has an auditor that PCAOB is unable to inspect for two consecutive years at the time of our business combination, and will not engage an auditor following an initial business combination that PCAOB is unable to inspect for two consecutive years, which requirements will be included as a condition to closing our initial business combination, if applicable laws, regulations or interpretations change that prevent any such auditor from being inspected by the PCAOB in the future, we may suffer adverse consequences including the delisting of our securities. If our securities are delisted and prohibited from being traded on a national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter trading market in the U.S. due to the PCAOB not being able to conduct inspections or full investigations of our auditor, it would substantially impair your ability to sell or purchase our securities when you wish to do so, and the risk and uncertainty associated with potential delisting and prohibition would have a negative impact on the price of our securities. Also, such delisting and prohibition could significantly affect the company’s ability to raise capital on acceptable terms, or at all, which would have a material adverse effect on the company’s business, financial condition and prospects. If the PCAOB were unable to conduct inspections or full investigations of our auditor in the future, investors in our securities would be deprived of the benefits of such PCAOB inspections. In addition, the inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections or full investigations of auditors would may make it more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of our independent registered public accounting firm’s audit procedures or quality control procedures as compared to auditors that are subject to the PCAOB inspections, which could cause investors and potential investors in our stock to lose confidence in the audit procedures of our auditor and reported financial information and the quality of our financial statements.
U.S. laws and regulations, including the HFCAA, may restrict or eliminate our ability to complete an initial business combination with certain companies, particularly those acquisition candidates with substantial operations in China.
The PCAOB is unable to conduct inspections on accounting firms in the PRC without the approval of the Chinese government authorities. Future developments in U.S. laws may restrict our ability or willingness to complete certain business combinations with companies that are affected. For instance, the enacted HFCAA would restrict our ability to consummate an initial business combination with a target company unless that business met certain standards of the PCAOB and would require delisting of a company from U.S. national securities exchanges if the PCAOB is unable to
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inspect its public accounting firm for three consecutive years. The HFCAA also requires public companies to disclose, among other things, whether they are owned or controlled by a foreign government, specifically, those based in China. While we will not conduct an initial business combination with a target company that has an auditor that PCAOB is unable to inspect for two consecutive years beginning at the time of our business combination, and will not engage an auditor following an initial business combination that PCAOB is unable to inspect for two consecutive years, we may not be able to consummate an initial business combination with a favored target company due to these laws.
In the event that we complete an initial business combination with a PRC Target Company and any of the legislative actions or regulatory changes discussed above were to proceed in ways that are detrimental to China-based issuers, it could cause us to fail to be in compliance with U.S. securities laws and regulations, we could cease to be listed on a U.S. securities exchange, and U.S. trading of our shares could be prohibited. Any of these actions, or uncertainties in the market about the possibility of such actions, could adversely affect our prospects to successfully complete an initial business combination with a China-based company.
Other developments in U.S. laws and regulatory environment, including but not limited to executive orders such as Executive Order (E.O.) 13959, “Addressing the Threat from Securities Investments That Finance Communist Chinese Military Companies,” may further restrict our ability to complete an initial business combination with certain China-based businesses.
Regulatory actions by the PRC government with respect to foreign capital efforts and activities, including business combinations with offshore shell companies such as SPACs, may adversely impact our ability to consummate an initial business combination with a China based entity or business, or materially impact the value of our securities following any such business combination.
Although we have not identified any potential business combination target or any country in which we may source any target business, we may eventually identify and submit for shareholder approval an initial business combination with a PRC Target Company.
On March 15, 2019, the National People’s Congress approved the Foreign Investment Law, which took effect on January 1, 2020 and replaced three existing laws on foreign investments in China, namely, the PRC Equity Joint Venture Law, the PRC Cooperative Joint Venture Law and the Wholly Foreign-owned Enterprise Law, together with their implementation rules and ancillary regulations. The Foreign Investment Law embodies an expected PRC regulatory trend to rationalize its foreign investment regulatory regime in line with prevailing international practice and the legislative efforts to unify the corporate legal requirements for both foreign and domestic invested enterprises in China. The Foreign Investment Law establishes the basic framework for access to, and the promotion, protection and administration of foreign investments in view of investment protection and fair competition.
According to the China Foreign Investment Law, “foreign investment” refers to investment activities directly or indirectly conducted by one or more natural persons, business entities, or otherwise organizations of a foreign country (collectively referred to as “foreign investor”) within China, and the investment activities include the following situations: (i) a foreign investor, individually or collectively with other investors, establishes a foreign-invested enterprise within China; (ii) a foreign investor acquires stock shares, equity shares, shares in assets, or other like rights and interests of an enterprise within China; (iii) a foreign investor, individually or collectively with other investors, invests in a new project within China; and (iv) investments in other means as provided by laws, administrative regulations, or the State Council. The VIE structure has been adopted by many PRC-based companies to obtain necessary licenses and permits in the industries that are currently subject to foreign investment restrictions in China.
On July 30, 2021, the Chairman of the SEC issued a statement highlighting potential issues resulting from recent China regulatory changes and guidance that may impact investors’ investments in China based entities. According to the Chairman of the SEC, the PRC provided new guidance to and placed restrictions on China-based companies raising capital offshore, including through associated offshore shell companies. These developments include China government-led cybersecurity reviews of certain companies raising capital through offshore entities. This is relevant to U.S. investors. In a number of sectors in China, companies are not allowed to have foreign ownership and cannot directly list on exchanges outside of China. To raise money on such exchanges, many China-based operating companies are structured as VIEs. In such an arrangement, a China-based operating company typically establishes an offshore shell company in another jurisdiction to issue stock to public shareholders. For U.S. investors, this arrangement creates “exposure” to the China-based operating company, though only through a series of service contracts and other contracts.
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Should we choose to acquire a PRC Target Company, we may acquire such a company through a VIE structure as a holding company with no material operations of our own, and conduct a substantial majority of business operations after the business combination consummated through our subsidiaries established and the VIE in the PRC.
Should we consummate our initial business combination with a company within the jurisdiction of the PRC, we may acquire such company through a VIE structure and may not have direct ownership of such company acquired. We may control and receive the economic benefits of the business operations of the company acquired through a VIE structure. If we acquire a target company that operates its business in the PRC through VIE structure, investors in our ordinary shares following an initial business combination would not hold equity interests in operating companies domiciled in the PRC under our control and would hold equity interests in a Cayman Islands holding company upon the consummation of the business combination. We would rely on the contractual arrangements with the VIE subsidiaries and its shareholders to operate the business. We do not have equity interests in such PRC operating companies but whose financial results would be consolidated into our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, due to us or our direct owned subsidiaries in the PRC, i.e., the WFOE, and our company’s being the primary beneficiary of, such entity, for the accounting purposes. As such, in the event that we complete an initial business combination with a company in the PRC, you would not hold equity in the PRC operating companies. The contractual arrangements may not be as effective in providing us with control over the VIE as ownership of controlling equity interests would be in providing us with control over, or enabling us to derive economic benefits from the operations of the VIE. Under the contractual arrangements, as a legal matter, if the VIE or any of its shareholders executing the VIE agreements fails to perform its, his or her respective obligations under the contractual arrangements, we may have to incur substantial costs and resources to enforce such arrangements, and rely on legal remedies available under PRC laws, including seeking specific performance or injunctive relief, and claiming damages, which we cannot assure you will be effective. For example, if shareholders of a VIE were to refuse to transfer their equity interests in such VIE to us or our designated persons when we exercise the purchase option pursuant to the contractual arrangements, we may have to take legal action to compel them to fulfil their contractual obligations. The agreements associated with the VIE structure have not been tested in court of law in any jurisdiction.
If the PRC government deems that the contractual arrangements in relation to the potential PRC Target Company and the VIE do not comply with PRC regulatory restrictions on foreign investment in the relevant industries, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change in the future, we could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations.
If (i) the applicable PRC authorities invalidate the contractual arrangements for violation of PRC laws, rules and regulations, (ii) any VIE or its shareholders terminate the contractual arrangements, (iii) any VIE or its shareholders fail to perform its/his/her obligations under the contractual arrangements, or (iv) if these regulations change or are interpreted differently in the future, the PRC Target Company’s business operations in China would be materially and adversely affected, and the value of your securities would substantially decrease or even become worthless. Further, if we fail to renew the contractual arrangements upon their expiration, we would not be able to continue the business operations unless the then current PRC law allows us to directly operate businesses in China.
In addition, if any VIE or all or part of its assets become subject to liens or rights of third-party creditors, we may be unable to continue some or all of our business activities, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If any of the VIEs undergoes a voluntary or involuntary liquidation proceeding, its shareholders or unrelated third-party creditors may claim rights to some or all of these assets, thereby hindering our ability to operate our business, which could materially and adversely affect our business and our ability to generate revenues.
All of the contractual arrangements will be governed by PRC law and provided for the resolution of disputes through arbitration in the PRC. Accordingly, these contracts will be interpreted in accordance with PRC laws and any disputes will be resolved in accordance with PRC legal procedures. The legal environment in the PRC is not as developed as in some other jurisdictions, such as the United States. As a result, uncertainties in the PRC legal system could limit our ability to enforce the contractual arrangements. In the event that we are unable to enforce the contractual arrangements, we may not be able to exert effective control over our operating entities and we may be precluded from operating our business, which would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
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The contractual arrangements may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing us with control over the VIE. For example, the VIE and its shareholders could breach their contractual arrangements with us by, among other things, failing to conduct their operations in an acceptable manner or taking other actions that are detrimental to our interests. If we had direct ownership of the VIE, we would be able to exercise our rights as a shareholder to effect changes in the board of directors of the VIE, which in turn could implement changes, subject to any applicable fiduciary obligations, at the management and operational level. However, under the contractual arrangements, we rely on the performance by the VIE and its shareholders of their obligations under the contracts to exercise control over the VIE. The shareholders of the VIE may not act in the best interests of our company or may not perform their obligations under these contracts. Such risks exist throughout the period in which we intend to operate certain portions of our business through the contractual arrangements with the VIE.
If the VIE or its shareholders fail to perform their respective obligations under the contractual arrangements, we may have to incur substantial costs and expend additional resources to enforce such arrangements. For example, if the shareholders of the VIE refuse to transfer their equity interest in the VIE to us or our designee if we exercise the purchase option pursuant to the contractual arrangements, or if they otherwise act in bad faith toward us, then we may have to take legal actions to compel them to perform their contractual obligations. In addition, if any third parties claim any interest in such shareholders’ equity interests in the VIE, our ability to exercise shareholders’ rights or foreclose the share pledge according to the contractual arrangements may be impaired. If these or other disputes between the shareholders of the VIE and third parties were to impair our control over the VIE, our ability to consolidate the financial results of the VIE would be affected, which would in turn result in a material adverse effect on the business, operations and financial condition.
Although based on industry practices, VIE contractual arrangements among the WFOE, the VIE and its shareholders governed by PRC laws are valid, binding and enforceable, and will not result in any violation of PRC laws or regulations currently in effect, however, there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current and future PRC laws, regulations and rules. Accordingly, the PRC regulatory authorities may ultimately take a view that is contrary to the accepted industry practices with respect to VIE contractual arrangements. In addition, it is uncertain whether any new PRC laws or regulations relating to VIE structures will be adopted or if adopted, what they would provide. PRC government authorities may deem that foreign ownership is directly or indirectly involved in the VIE’s shareholding structure. If our potential corporate structure and contractual arrangements are deemed by the MIIT, or the MOFCOM or other regulators having competent authority to be illegal, either in whole or in part, we may lose control of the consolidated VIE and have to modify such structure to comply with regulatory requirements. However, there can be no assurance that we can achieve this without material disruption to the PRC Target Company’s business. Furthermore, if we consummate an initial business combination with a PRC Target Company, and we or the VIE is found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC laws or regulations, or fail to obtain or maintain any of the required permits or approvals, the relevant PRC regulatory authorities would have broad discretion to take action in dealing with such violations or failures, including, without limitation:
• revoking the business license and/or operating licenses of the WFOE or the VIE;
• discontinuing or placing restrictions or onerous conditions on our operations through any transactions among the WFOE, the VIE and its subsidiaries;
• imposing fines, confiscating the income from the WFOE, the VIE or its subsidiaries, or imposing other requirements with which we or the VIE may not be able to comply;
• placing restrictions on our right to collect revenues;
• requiring us to restructure our ownership structure or operations, including terminating the contractual arrangements with the VIE and deregistering the equity pledges of the VIE, which in turn would affect our ability to consolidate, derive economic interests from, or exert effective control over the VIE; or
• taking other regulatory or enforcement actions against us that could be harmful to our business.
The imposition of any of these penalties will result in a material and adverse effect on our potential ability to conduct the business. In addition, it is unclear what impact the PRC government actions will have on us and on our ability to consolidate the financial results of the VIE in our consolidated financial statements, if the PRC government
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authorities were to find our potential corporate structure and contractual arrangements to be in violation of PRC laws and regulations. If the imposition of any of these government actions causes us to lose our right to direct the activities of the VIE or our right to receive substantially all the economic benefits and residual returns from the VIE and we are not able to restructure our ownership structure and operations in a timely and satisfactory manner, we will no longer be able to consolidate the financial results of the VIE in our consolidated financial statements. Either of these results, or any other significant penalties that might be imposed on us in this event, it will have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and our securities shares may decline in value or be worthless.
If we effect our initial business combination with a company with a VIE structure, any failure by the VIE or its shareholders to perform their obligations under our contractual arrangements with them would have a material adverse effect on our business.
In cases where we effect an initial business combination with a company with a VIE structure, the shareholders of the VIE are referred as its nominee shareholders because although they remain the holders of equity interests on record in the VIE, pursuant to the terms of the relevant power of attorney, such shareholders have irrevocably authorized the individual appointed by the WFOE to exercise their rights as a shareholder of the relevant VIE. If the VIE, or its shareholders fail to perform their respective obligations under the contractual arrangements, we may have to incur substantial costs and expend additional resources to enforce such arrangements. We may also have to rely on legal remedies under PRC laws, including seeking specific performance or injunctive relief, and claiming damages, which we cannot assure you will be effective under PRC laws. For example, if the shareholders of the VIE were to refuse to transfer their equity interest in the VIE to us or our designee if we exercise the purchase option pursuant to these contractual arrangements, or if they were otherwise to act in bad faith toward us, then we may have to take legal actions to compel them to perform their contractual obligations.
All of the contractual arrangements will be governed by PRC law and provided for the resolution of disputes through arbitration in the PRC. Accordingly, these contracts will be interpreted in accordance with PRC laws and any disputes will be resolved in accordance with PRC legal procedures. The legal system in the PRC is not developed as in some other jurisdictions, such as the United States. As a result, uncertainties in the PRC legal system could limit our ability to enforce these contractual arrangements. Meanwhile, there are very few precedents and little formal guidance as to how contractual arrangements in the context of a consolidated VIE should be interpreted or enforced under PRC laws. There remain significant uncertainties regarding the ultimate outcome of such arbitration should legal action become necessary. In addition, under PRC laws, rulings by arbitrators are final and parties cannot appeal arbitration results in court unless such rulings are revoked or determined unenforceable by a competent court. If the losing parties fail to carry out the arbitration awards within a prescribed time limit, the prevailing parties may only enforce the arbitration awards in PRC courts through arbitration award recognition proceedings, which would require additional expenses and delay. In the event that we are unable to enforce these contractual arrangements, or if we suffer significant delay or other obstacles in the process of enforcing these contractual arrangements, we may not be able to exert effective control over our consolidated VIE, and our ability to conduct our business may be negatively affected.
If we successfully consummate our initial business combination with a PRC Target Company, we will be subject to restrictions on dividend payments following the consummation of our initial business combination.
After we consummate our initial business combination, we may rely on dividends and other distributions from our operating company to provide us with cash flow and to meet our other obligations. Current regulations in China would permit an operating company in China to pay dividends to its parent company only out of its accumulated distributable profits, if any, determined in accordance with Chinese accounting standards and regulations.
In addition, if we consummate an initial business combination with a PRC Target Company, our operating company in China would be required to set aside at least 10% (up to an aggregate amount equal to half of its registered capital) of its accumulated profits each year. Such cash reserve may not be distributed as cash dividends. In addition, if our post-business combination operating company in China incurs debt on its own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict its ability to pay dividends or make other payments to us.
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The cash-flow structure of a post-acquisition company based in China poses additional risks including, but not limited to, restrictions on foreign exchange and restrictions on our ability to transfer cash between entities, across borders, and to U.S. investors.
The PRC government has significant authority to exert restrictions on foreign exchange and our ability to transfer cash between entities, across borders, and to U.S. investors that may apply if we acquire a PRC Target Company. We will be subject to restrictions on dividend payments as current regulations in China would permit our PRC subsidiary to pay dividends to us only out of its accumulated distributable profits, if any, determined in accordance with Chinese accounting standards and regulations. In addition, our PRC subsidiary will be required to set aside at least 10% (up to an aggregate amount equal to half of its registered capital) of its accumulated profits each year. See “Risk Factors — If we successfully consummate a business combination with a PRC Target Company, we will be subject to restrictions on dividend payments following the consummation of our initial business combination.”
The following diagram describes the flow of proceeds from our initial public offering.
The following illustrative table shows the post-business combination funds flow of us to the extent that we acquire a PRC Target Company with VIE structure.
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In contrast, the following illustrative table shows the post-business combination funds flow of us to the extent that we acquire a PRC Target Company through direct equity investment.
In addition, we may be subject to restrictions on currency exchange as the PRC government may limit or eliminate our ability to utilize cash generated in RMB to fund our business activities outside of the PRC or pay dividends in foreign currencies to our shareholders, including holders of our securities, and may limit our ability to obtain foreign currency through debt or equity financing. Should we choose to acquire a PRC Target Company, exchange controls that exist in the PRC may restrict or prevent us from using the proceeds of this offering to acquire a target company in PRC and limit our ability to utilize our cash flow effectively following our initial business combination. If we were to acquire a PRC company, the PRC regulation on loans to, and direct investment in, our PRC subsidiary by offshore holding companies and governmental control in currency conversion may restrict our ability to make loans to or capital contributions to our PRC subsidiary, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.
These restrictions will restrict our ability to distribute earnings from our businesses, including subsidiaries and/or consolidated VIEs, to the parent company and U.S. investors as well as the ability to settle amounts owed under the VIE agreements, though we do not intend to distribute earnings or settle amounts owed under such VIE agreements to the PRC Target Company’s subsidiaries. In addition, fluctuations in exchange rates could result in foreign currency exchange losses to us and may reduce the value of, and amount in U.S. dollar of dividends payable on, our shares in foreign currency terms.
If, subsequent to the consummation of our initial business combination, we make equity compensation grants to persons who are PRC citizens, they may be required to register with SAFE. We may also face regulatory uncertainties that could restrict our ability to adopt equity compensation plans for our directors and employees and other parties under PRC laws.
On April 6, 2007, SAFE issued the “Operating Procedures for Administration of Domestic Individuals Participating in the Employee Stock Ownership Plan or Stock Option Plan of An Overseas Listed Company,” also known as “Circular 78.” It is not clear whether Circular 78 covers all forms of equity compensation plans or only those which provide for the granting of share options.
For any plans which are so covered and are adopted by a non-PRC listed company, such as our company, after April 6, 2007, Circular 78 requires all participants who are PRC citizens to register with and obtain approvals from SAFE prior to their participation in the plan. We believe that the registration and approval requirements contemplated in Circular 78 will be burdensome and time consuming.
Upon consummation of initial business combination with a PRC Target Company, we may adopt an equity incentive plan and make share option grants under the plan to our officers, directors and employees, whom may be PRC citizens and be required to register with SAFE. If any of our equity compensation plans are subject to Circular 78,
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failure to comply with such provisions may subject us and participants of our equity incentive plan who are PRC citizens to fines and legal sanctions and prevent us from being able to grant equity compensation to our PRC employees. In that case, our ability to compensate our employees and directors through equity compensation would be hindered and our business may be adversely affected.
We face uncertainty with respect to indirect transfers of equity interests in PRC resident enterprises by their non-PRC holding companies, which could negatively impact potential acquisitions we may pursue in the future.
On February 3, 2015, the State Administration of Taxation of the PRC (the “SAT”) issued the Public Notice Regarding Certain Corporate Income Tax Matters on Indirect Transfer of Properties by Non-Tax Resident Enterprises (“SAT Bulletin 7”). SAT Bulletin 7 extends its tax jurisdiction to transactions involving the transfer of taxable assets through offshore transfer of a foreign intermediate holding company.
In addition, SAT Bulletin 7 has introduced safe harbors for internal group restructurings and the purchase and sale of equity through a public securities market. SAT Bulletin 7 also brings challenges to both foreign transferor and transferee (or other person who is obligated to pay for the transfer) of taxable assets, as such persons need to determine whether their transactions are subject to these rules and whether any withholding obligation applies.
On October 25, 2017, the SAT issued the Announcement of the State Administration of Taxation on Issues Concerning the Withholding of Non-resident Enterprise Income Tax at Source (“SAT Bulletin 37”), which came into effect on December 1, 2017. SAT Bulletin 37 further clarifies the practice and procedure of the withholding of non-resident enterprise income tax.
Where a non-resident enterprise transfers taxable assets indirectly by disposing of the equity interests of an overseas holding company, which is an “Indirect Transfer,” the non-resident enterprise as either transferor or transferee, or the PRC entity that directly owns the taxable assets, may report such Indirect Transfer to the relevant tax authority. Using a “substance over form” principle, the PRC tax authority may disregard the existence of the overseas holding company if it lacks a reasonable commercial purpose and was established for the purpose of reducing, avoiding or deferring PRC tax.
As a result, gains derived from such Indirect Transfer may be subject to PRC enterprise income tax, and the transferee or other person who pays for the transfer is obligated to withhold the applicable taxes currently at a rate of 10% for the transfer of equity interests in a PRC resident enterprise. Both the transferor and the transferee may be subject to penalties under PRC tax laws if the transferee fails to withhold the taxes and the transferor fails to pay the taxes.
We face uncertainties as to the reporting and other implications of certain past and future transactions where PRC taxable assets are involved, such as investments and acquisitions. Although we currently have no plans to pursue any acquisitions in China or elsewhere in the world, we may pursue acquisitions in China that could trigger these tax obligations. Our company may be subject to filing obligations or taxed if our company is transferor in such transactions, and may be subject to withholding obligations if our company is transferee in such transactions, under SAT Bulletin 7 and/or SAT Bulletin 37.
For transfer of shares in our company by investors who are non-PRC resident enterprises, any PRC subsidiaries may be requested to assist in the filing under SAT Bulletin 7 and/or SAT Bulletin 37. As a result, we may be required to expend valuable resources to comply with SAT Bulletin 7 and/or SAT Bulletin 37 or to request that the relevant transferors from whom we purchase taxable assets comply with these circulars, or establish that our company should not be taxed under these circulars, which may materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
If we choose to acquire a PRC Target Company, our initial business combination may be subject to national security review by the PRC government and we may have to spend additional resources and incur additional time delays to complete any such business combination or be prevented from pursuing certain investment opportunities.
The Security Review Regulations cover acquisitions by foreign investors of a broad range of PRC enterprises if such acquisitions could result in de facto control by foreign investors and the enterprises are relating to military, national defense, important agriculture products, important energy and natural resources, important infrastructures, important transportation services, key technologies and important equipment manufacturing. The scope of the review includes whether the acquisition will impact the national security, economic and social stability, and the research and development capabilities on key national security related technologies. Foreign investors should submit a security review application to the Department of Commerce for its initial review for contemplated acquisition. If the acquisition
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is considered to be within the scope of the Security Review Regulations, the Department of Commerce will transfer the application to a joint security review committee within five business days for further review. The joint security review committee, consisting of members from various PRC government agencies, will conduct a general review and seek comments from relevant government agencies. The joint security review committee may initiate a further special review and request the termination or restructuring of the contemplated acquisition if it determines that the acquisition will result in significant national security issue.
The Security Review Regulations will potentially subject a large number of mergers and acquisitions transactions by foreign investors in China to an additional layer of regulatory review. Currently, there is significant uncertainty as to the implication of the Security Review Regulations. Neither the Department of Commerce nor other PRC government agencies have issued any detailed rules for the implementation of the Security Review Regulations. If, for example, our potential initial business combination is with a PRC Target Company in any of the sensitive sectors identified above, the transaction will be subject to the Security Review Regulations, and we may have to spend additional resources and incur additional time delays to complete any such acquisition. We may also be prevented from pursuing certain investment opportunities if the PRC government considers that the potential investments will result in a significant national security issue.
M&A Rules and other PRC regulations may make it more difficult for us to complete an acquisition of a PRC Target Company.
The Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, adopted by six PRC regulatory agencies in 2006 and amended in 2009, and other regulations and rules concerning mergers and acquisitions established a comprehensive set of regulations governing the approval process by which a Chinese company may participate in an acquisition of its assets or its equity interests and by which a Chinese company may obtain public trading of its securities on a securities exchange outside the PRC. The M&A Rules have largely centralized and expanded the approval process to the Ministry of Commerce, the State Administration of Industry and Commerce (SAIC), the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) or its branch offices, the State Asset Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC), and the CSRC.
Depending on the structure of the transaction, the M&A Rules may require the Chinese parties to make a series of applications and supplemental applications to one or more of the aforementioned agencies, some of which must be made within strict time limits and depend on approvals from one or the other of the aforementioned agencies. The application process has been supplemented to require the presentation of economic data concerning a transaction, including appraisals of the business to be acquired and evaluations of the acquirer which will permit the government to assess the economics of a transaction in addition to compliance with legal requirements. If obtained, approvals will have expiration dates by which a transaction must be completed. Completed transactions must also be reported to MOFCOM, and some of the other agencies within a short period after closing or be subject to an unwinding of the transaction. Therefore, acquisitions in China may not be able to be completed because the terms of the transaction may not satisfy aspects of the approval process and may not be completed, even if approved, if they are not consummated within the time permitted by the approvals granted.
Moreover, according to the Anti-Monopoly Law and other relevant PRC regulations, transactions which are deemed concentrations and involve parties with specified turnover thresholds must be cleared by the State Administration for Market Regulation before they can be completed. On July 1, 2015, the National Security Law of China took effect, which provides that China would establish rules and mechanisms to conduct national security review of foreign investments in China that may impact national security. The Foreign Investment Law of China, or the Foreign Investment Law, came into effect on January 1, 2020 and reiterates that China will establish a security review system for foreign investments. On December 19, 2020, the National Development and Reform Commission, or the NDRC, and MOFCOM jointly issued the Measures for the Security Review of Foreign Investments, or the FISR Measures, which were made according to the National Security Law and the Foreign Investment Law and became effective on January 18, 2021. Under the FISR Measures, foreign investments in military-related industries and certain other industries that affect or may affect national security are subject to the security review conducted through the NDRC and MOFCOM. The FISR Measures further expand the scope of national security review on foreign investment compared to the existing rules, while leaving substantial room for interpretation and speculation.
Pursuant to the Foreign Investment Law, the PRC State Council shall promulgate or approve a list of special administrative measures for foreign investments. The Special Administrative Measures (Negative List) for the Access of Foreign Investment (Edition 2020) that was promulgated by the NDRC and MOFCOM and took effect in July 2020
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is the currently effective negative list and may be amended from time to time. The Foreign Investment Law provides that foreign investors shall not invest in the “prohibited” industries on the negative list, and shall meet such requirements as stipulated under the negative list for making investment in the “restricted” industries. Depending on the specific industry in which the target for our initial business combination operates, our initial business combination may be subject to requirements of the negative list.
If we pursue an initial business combination with a PRC Target Company, or if the combined company after our initial business combination pursues additional strategic acquisitions in China, complying with the requirements of the above-mentioned regulations and other relevant rules to complete such transactions could be time-consuming, and any required approval processes, including obtaining approval from MOFCOM, any other relevant PRC governmental authorities or their respective local counterparts may hinder our ability to complete such transaction on a timely basis or at all. As a result, we may not be able to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed timeframe described in this prospectus, and the combined company’s ability to expand its business or maintain its market share by strategic acquisitions may be limited.
In addition, the Circular of the General Office of the State Council on the Establishment of Security Review System for the Merger and Acquisition of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors that became effective in March 2011, and the Rules on Implementation of Security Review System for the Merger and Acquisition of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors issued by MOFCOM that became effective in September 2011 specify that mergers and acquisitions by foreign investors that raise “national defense and security” concerns and mergers and acquisitions through which foreign investors may acquire de facto control over domestic enterprises that raise “national security” concerns are subject to strict review by MOFCOM. The rules prohibit any activities attempting to bypass a security review, including by structuring the transaction through a proxy or contractual control arrangement. In the event we acquire a PRC Target Company, we may be subject to such regulatory reviews, which may impact our ability to complete an initial business combination within the prescribed time period.
The scope of the review we may be subject to includes, but is not limited to, whether the acquisition will impact national security or economic and social stability, and research and development capabilities on key national security related technologies. Foreign investors must submit a security review application to MOFCOM for its review of a contemplated acquisition. If the acquisition is considered within the scope of the security review regulations, MOFCOM will transfer the application to a joint security review committee consisting of members from various PRC government agencies, for further review.
Complying with the requirements of the above-mentioned regulations and other relevant rules to complete acquisitions could be time consuming. Any required approval processes may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions, including but not limited to our ability to complete an initial business combination within the prescribed timeframe described in this prospectus. We may also be prevented from pursuing certain investment opportunities if the PRC government considers the potential investments a national security concern.
Our business may become subject to various government regulations and regulatory oversight in China. If we do not receive, complete, or maintain necessary approvals or filings, or we inadvertently conclude that such approvals or filings are not required, or there is a change in the applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations such that we need to make filings or obtain approvals in the future, it may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations, significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or become worthless.
As we do not have any operations in China other than the limited activities relating to preparing for this offering and searching for a business combination opportunity subsequent thereto, we believe that we are not required to obtain any material licenses or approvals. We also believe we are not required to obtain approvals from any PRC government authorities, including the CSRC, the CAC or any other government entity, to issue our securities in connection with this offering.
However, the relevant PRC government agencies could reach a different conclusion, and we could be required to obtain such approvals in connection with a potential business combination. If we (i) do not receive or maintain such permissions or approvals, (ii) inadvertently conclude that such permissions or approvals are not required, or (iii) applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change and we are required to obtain such permissions or approvals in the future, the relevant governmental authorities would have broad discretion in dealing with such violation, including levying fines, confiscating our income, revoking our business licenses or operating licenses, discontinuing or placing
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restrictions or onerous conditions on our operations, requiring us to undergo a costly and disruptive restructuring, restricting or prohibiting our use of proceeds from this offering to finance our business and operations, and taking other regulatory or enforcement actions that could be harmful to our business.
Any of these actions could cause significant disruption to our business operations and severely damage our reputation, which would in turn materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If any or all of the foregoing were to occur, it may significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to complete this offering or cause the value of our securities to significantly decline or become worthless. Moreover, we might not be able to complete this offering, list our securities on a U.S. exchange, consummate the initial business combination, or continue to offer securities to investors, which would also materially affect the interests of investors and cause the value of our securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
If the approval of the CSRC is required in connection with this offering, we cannot predict whether we will be able to obtain such approval.
The M&A Rules, adopted by six PRC regulatory agencies requires an overseas special purpose vehicle formed for listing purposes through acquisitions of PRC domestic companies and controlled by PRC companies or individuals to obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to the listing and trading of such special purpose vehicle’s securities on an overseas stock exchange. On September 21, 2006, the CSRC published on its official website procedures specifying documents and materials required to be submitted to it by any such special purpose vehicle seeking CSRC’s approval of overseas listings. However, substantial uncertainty remains regarding the scope and applicability of the M&A Rules and the CSRC approval requirement to offshore special purpose vehicles.
In addition, the Opinions jointly issued by the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council (the “Opinions,”) which were made available to the public on July 6, 2021, call for strengthened regulation over illegal securities activities and supervision of overseas listings by China-based companies and propose to take effective measures, such as promoting the development of relevant regulatory systems to deal with the risks and incidents faced by China-based overseas-listed companies. The Opinions also provide that the State Council will revise provisions regarding the overseas issuance and listing of shares by companies limited by shares and will clarify the duties of domestic regulatory authorities. As of the date of this prospectus, no official guidance and related implementation rules have been issued in relation to the recently issued Opinions and the interpretation and implementation of the Opinions remain unclear at this stage.
On February 17, 2023, the CSRC promulgated the Trial Measures, which took effect on March 31, 2023. The Trial Measures supersede the prior M&A Rules and clarified and emphasized several aspects, which include but are not limited to: (1) comprehensive determination of the “indirect overseas offering and listing by PRC domestic companies” in compliance with the principle of “substance over form” and particularly, an issuer will be required to go through the filing procedures under the Trial Measures if the following criteria are met at the same time: (a) 50% or more of the issuer’s operating revenue, total profit, total assets or net assets as documented in its audited consolidated financial statements for the most recent accounting year comes from PRC domestic companies, and (b) the main parts of the issuer’s business activities are conducted in mainland China, or its main places of business are located in mainland China, or the senior managers in charge of its business operation and management are mostly Chinese citizens or domiciled in mainland China; (2) exemptions from immediate filing requirements for issuers that (a) have already been listed or registered but not yet listed in foreign securities markets, including U.S. markets, prior to the effective date of the Trial Measures, (b) are not required to re-perform the regulatory procedures with the relevant overseas regulatory authority or the overseas stock exchange, and (c) whose such overseas securities offering or listing shall be completed before September 30, 2023, provided however that such issuers shall carry out filing procedures as required if they conduct refinancing or are involved in other circumstances that require filing with the CSRC; (3) a negative list of types of issuers banned from listing or offering overseas, such as (a) issuers whose listing or offering overseas has been recognized by the State Council of the PRC as a possible threat to national security, (b) issuers whose affiliates have been recently convicted of bribery and corruption, (c) issuers under ongoing criminal investigations, and (d) issuers under major disputes regarding equity ownership; (4) issuers’ compliance with web security, data security, and other national security laws and regulations; (5) issuers’ filing and reporting obligations, such as the obligation to file with the CSRC after it submits an application for initial public offering to overseas regulators, and the obligation after offering or listing overseas to report to the CSRC material events including a change of control or voluntary or forced delisting of the issuer; and (6) the CSRC’s authority to fine both issuers and their shareholders between 1 and 10 million RMB for failure to comply with the Trial Measures, including failure to comply with filing obligations or committing fraud and misrepresentation.
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Based on our understanding of the current PRC laws and regulations, we believe that our company is not required to obtain any prior permission from any PRC governmental authorities (including the CSRC) for consummating this offering, given that our company is a blank check company newly incorporated in the Cayman Islands rather than in China and currently we do not own or control any equity interest in any PRC company or operate any business in China. Likewise, while our sponsor is controlled by persons residing in Hong Kong, it is a Cayman company and has no operations in the PRC.
As of the date of this prospectus, we have not received any inquiry, notice, warning, sanctions or regulatory objection to this offering from the CSRC or any other PRC governmental authorities. However, there remains uncertainty and no assurance as to how our interpretations to the M&A Rules, the Opinions and the Trial Measures will be interpreted or implemented by the relevant PRC governmental authorities, including the CSRC, or that the CSRC or any other PRC governmental authorities would not promulgate new rules or adopt new interpretation of existing rules that would require us to obtain CSRC or other PRC governmental approvals for this offering or, in the context of an overseas offering or if we decide to consummate the business combination with a PRC Target Company.
If the CSRC or another PRC governmental authority subsequently determines that its approval is needed for this offering, or for our business combination with a PRC Target Company, or approval obtained for the business combination is subsequently rescinded, we may face adverse actions or sanctions by the CSRC or other PRC governmental authorities. For example, we may be required to register with the CSRC following this offering as a result of the Trial Measures. These governmental authorities may delay this offering or a potential business combination, impose fines and penalties, limit our operations in China, or take other actions that could result in our inability to consummate an initial business combination with a China-based business, or materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, reputation and prospects, as well as the trading price of our securities or the continued listing on a U.S. exchange. Any changes in the PRC law, regulations, or interpretations may severely affect our operations after this offering.
In addition, if we decide to consummate our business combination with a PRC Target Company, the combined company’s business operations in China through its subsidiaries, would be subject to relevant requirements to obtain applicable licenses from PRC governmental authorities under relevant PRC laws and regulations.
You may experience difficulties in effecting service of legal process, enforcing foreign judgments, or bringing actions in China against us or our management and directors named in the prospectus based on foreign laws. It may also be difficult for you or overseas regulators to conduct investigations or collect evidence within China.
Most of our directors and officers have ties to mainland China and/or Hong Kong. Among other aspects, most of our directors have spent a significant portion of their career in mainland China and/or Hong Kong. See “Management and Advisory Board” for detailed disclosure of the biographies of our directors and officers as well as their ties to mainland China and Hong Kong. In addition, following completion of an initial business combination, we may remain a company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands, and some of the post-combined company’s officers and directors may reside in mainland China and Hong Kong. As a result, it may be difficult for you effect service of process upon us or those persons residing in mainland China and Hong Kong. Even with service of process, it may also be difficult to enforce judgments obtained in U.S. courts based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws against these officers and directors in mainland China and Hong Kong.
In addition, there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the PRC would recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts against us or such persons predicated upon the civil liability provisions of U.S. securities laws or those of any U.S. state. The recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments are provided for under the PRC Civil Procedures Law. PRC courts may recognize and enforce foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements of the PRC Civil Procedures Law based either on treaties between China and the country where the judgment is made or on principles of reciprocity between jurisdictions. China does not have any treaties or other forms of written arrangement with the U.S. that provide for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. In addition, according to the PRC Civil Procedures Law, the PRC courts will not enforce a foreign judgment against us or our directors and officers if they decide that the judgment violates the basic principles of PRC laws or national sovereignty, security, or public interest. As a result, it is uncertain whether and on what basis a PRC court would enforce a judgment rendered by a court in the U.S.
It may also be difficult for you or overseas regulators to conduct investigations or collect evidence within China. For example, in China, there are significant legal and other obstacles to obtaining information needed for shareholder investigations or litigation outside China or otherwise with respect to foreign entities. Although the authorities in China
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may establish a regulatory cooperation mechanism with its counterparts of another country or region to monitor and oversee cross-border securities activities, such regulatory cooperation with the securities regulatory authorities in the U.S. may not be efficient in the absence of a practical cooperation mechanism. Furthermore, according to Article 177 of the PRC Securities Law, or “Article 177,” which became effective in March 2020, no overseas securities regulator is allowed to directly conduct investigations or evidence collection activities within the territory of the PRC. Article 177 further provides that Chinese entities and individuals are not allowed to provide documents or materials related to securities business activities to foreign agencies without prior consent from the securities regulatory authority of the PRC State Council and the competent departments of the PRC State Council. While detailed interpretation of or implementing rules under Article 177 have yet to be promulgated, the inability for an overseas securities regulator to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within China may further increase difficulties faced by you in protecting your interests.
Exchange controls that exist in the PRC may restrict or prevent us from using the proceeds of this offering to acquire a PRC Target Company and limit our ability to utilize our cash flow effectively following our initial business combination.
China’s State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or SAFE, promulgated the Notice of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Reforming the Administration of Foreign Exchange Settlement of Capital of Foreign-invested Enterprises, or Circular 19, effective on June 1, 2015, in replacement of the Circular on the Relevant Operating Issues Concerning the Improvement of the Administration of the Payment and Settlement of Foreign Currency Capital of Foreign-Invested Enterprises, or SAFE Circular 142, the Notice from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Relevant Issues Concerning Strengthening the Administration of Foreign Exchange Businesses, or Circular 59, and the Circular on Further Clarification and Regulation of the Issues Concerning the Administration of Certain Capital Account Foreign Exchange Businesses, or Circular 45. According to Circular 19, the flow and use of the RMB capital converted from foreign currency-denominated registered capital of a foreign-invested company is regulated such that RMB capital may not be used for the issuance of RMB entrusted loans, the repayment of inter-enterprise loans or the repayment of banks loans that have been transferred to a third party. Although Circular 19 allows RMB capital converted from foreign currency-denominated registered capital of a foreign-invested enterprise to be used for equity investments within the PRC, it also reiterates the principle that RMB converted from the foreign currency-denominated capital of a foreign-invested company may not be directly or indirectly used for purposes beyond its business scope. Thus, it is unclear whether SAFE will permit such capital to be used for equity investments in the PRC in actual practice. SAFE promulgated the Notice of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Reforming and Standardizing the Foreign Exchange Settlement Management Policy of Capital Account, or Circular 16, effective on June 9, 2016, which reiterates some of the rules set forth in Circular 19, but changes the prohibition against using RMB capital converted from foreign currency-denominated registered capital of a foreign-invested company to issue RMB entrusted loans to a prohibition against using such capital to issue loans to non-associated enterprises. Violations of SAFE Circular 19 and Circular 16 could result in administrative penalties.
As such, Circular 19 and Circular 16 may significantly limit our ability to transfer the proceeds of this offering to a PRC target company and the use of such proceeds by the PRC target company.
In addition, following our initial business combination with a PRC Target Company, we will be subject to the PRC’s rules and regulations on currency conversion. In the PRC, the SAFE regulates the conversion of the Renminbi into foreign currencies. Currently, foreign invested enterprises (“FIE”) are required to apply to the SAFE for “Foreign Exchange Registration Certificates for FIEs.” Following our initial business combination, we will likely be an FIE as a result of our ownership structure. With such registration certificates, which need to be renewed annually, FIEs are allowed to open foreign currency accounts including a “basic account” and “capital account.” Currency conversion within the scope of the “basic account,” such as remittance of foreign currencies for payment of dividends, can be effected without requiring the approval of the SAFE. However, conversion of currency in the “capital account,” including capital items such as direct investment, loans and securities, still require approval of the SAFE.
We cannot assure you the PRC regulatory authorities will not impose further restrictions on the convertibility of the Renminbi. Any future restrictions on currency exchanges may limit our ability to use the proceeds of this offering in an initial business combination with a PRC target company and the use our cash flow for the distribution of dividends to our shareholders or to fund operations we may have outside of the PRC. Nonetheless, the funds held in our trust account are not held in China, they are held in U.S. dollars in the United States with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and therefore shareholder redemption rights would not be impacted.
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Increasing oversight by the PRC government and Cyberspace Administration of China over cybersecurity and data security, particularly for companies seeking to list on a foreign exchange, could adversely impact our initial business combination, future business and any future offering of securities.
On July 6, 2021, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued the Opinions on Severe and Lawful Crackdown on Illegal Securities Activities and made them available to the public. These Opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities and supervision of overseas listings by China-based companies. These Opinions proposed to take measures, such as promoting the construction of relevant regulatory systems, to deal with the risks and incidents facing China-based overseas-listed companies including greater cybersecurity and data privacy protection.
On July 10, 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of China or CAC published the Circular on Seeking Comments on Cybersecurity Review Measures (Revised Draft for Comments) (the “Review Measures Draft,”) which provides that, in addition to critical information infrastructure operators (“CIIOs”) that intend to purchase Internet products and services, data processing operators engaging in data processing activities that affect or may affect national security must be subject to cybersecurity review by the Cybersecurity Review Office of the PRC. According to the Review Measures Draft, a cybersecurity review assesses potential national security risks that may be brought about by any procurement, data processing, or overseas listing. The Review Measures Draft further requires that CIIOs and data processing operators that possess personal data of at least one million users must apply for a review by the Cybersecurity Review Office of the PRC before conducting listings in foreign countries. On December 28, 2021, CAC published the Measures for Cybersecurity Review (“CRM,”) which further restates and expands the applicable scope of the cybersecurity review. The revised CRM became effective on February 15, 2022. Pursuant to the revised CRM, if a network platform operator holding personal information of over one million users seeks for foreign listing, it must apply for the cybersecurity review, and operators of critical information infrastructure purchasing network products and services are also obligated to apply for the cybersecurity review for such purchasing activities. In addition, the revised CRM empowers the cybersecurity review office to initiate cybersecurity review when they believe any particular data processing activities affect or may affect national security. Compliance or failure to comply with such laws could increase the costs of our products and services, could limit their use or adoption, and could otherwise negatively affect our operating results and business.
As of the date of this prospectus, we do not identify ourselves as a CIIO. As these regulations were newly issued and the governmental authorities may further enact detailed rules or guidance with respect to the interpretation and implementation of such regulations, it remains unclear whether we will be identified as a CIIO. Subsequent to our initial business combination, we, or our post-combination entity may be identified as a CIIO, and as such, our business activities could become subject to the regulatory framework of Chinese law. Many of these laws and regulations are subject to change and uncertain interpretation. Failure to comply with existing or future laws and regulations related to cybersecurity, information security, privacy and data protection could lead to government enforcement actions, which could include civil or criminal fines or penalties, investigation or sanction by regulatory authorities, private litigation, other liabilities, and/or adverse publicity. Compliance or failure to comply with such laws could increase the costs of our products and services, could limit their use or adoption, and could otherwise negatively affect our operating results and business.
There remains uncertainty as to how the above-mentioned initiatives will be interpreted or implemented and whether the PRC regulatory agencies, including the CAC, may adopt new laws, regulations, rules, or further detailed implementation and interpretation related thereto. As we do not have any assets or operations at this time in PRC, we may become subject to such processes, procedures and reviews following an initial business combination with a PRC entity. We will take all reasonable measures and actions to comply with any such laws, regulations or rules that are or come into effect, and to minimize the adverse effect of such laws on us. We cannot guarantee, however, that we will not be subject to cybersecurity review in the future. During such review, we may be required to suspend our operation or experience other disruptions to our operations. Cybersecurity review could also result in negative publicity with respect to our Company and diversion of our managerial and financial resources, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial conditions, and results of operations. Furthermore, if any such new laws, regulations, rules, or implementation and interpretation require cybersecurity review and clearance or other specific actions to be completed by a potential acquisition target based in the PRC, we may face delays and uncertainties as to whether such clearance can be obtained within the timeframe described in this prospectus for our initial business combination, and we may be prevented from pursuing certain investment opportunities as a result thereof. In anticipation of the strengthened implementation of cybersecurity laws and regulations and the continued expansion of our business, we face potential risks if we provide or are deemed to provide network products and services to CIIOs, or we are deemed as a CIIO under the PRC cybersecurity
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laws and regulations. In such case, we would be required to follow the relevant cybersecurity review procedures and could be subject to cybersecurity review by the CAC and other relevant PRC regulatory authorities. As of the date of this offering memorandum, we have not been involved in any investigations on cybersecurity review made by the CAC on such basis, and we have not received any inquiry, notice, warning, or sanctions in such respect.
For the further purposes of regulating data processing activities, safeguarding data security, promoting data development and utilization, protecting the lawful rights and interests of individuals and organizations, and maintaining national sovereignty, security, and development interests, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, or the SCNPC, published the Data Security Law, which took effect on September 1, 2021. The Data Security Law introduces a data classification and hierarchical protection system based on the importance of data in economic and social development, and the degree of harm it may cause to national security, public interests, or legitimate rights and interests of individuals or organizations if such data are tampered with, destroyed, leaked, illegally acquired or illegally used. The appropriate level of protection measures is required to be taken for each respective category of data. Moreover, the Data Security Law provides a national security review procedure for those data activities which affect or may affect national security and imposes export restrictions on certain data and information. In addition, the Data Security Law also provides that any organization or individual within the territory of the PRC shall not provide any foreign judicial body and law enforcement body with any data without the approval of the competent PRC governmental authorities.
If we select an initial business combination with a PRC Target Company, the approval of the Cybersecurity Review Office (“CRO”), the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission and/or other PRC authority may be required for our initial business combination under PRC law.
In April 2020, the CAC and certain other PRC regulatory authorities promulgated the Measures for Cybersecurity Review, which requires that operators of critical information infrastructure must pass a cybersecurity review when purchasing network products and services which do or may affect national security. On January 4, 2022, the CAC, in conjunction with 12 other government departments issued the New Measures for Cybersecurity Review (the “New Measures.”) The New Measures, which became effective on February 15, 2022, amends the Measures for Cybersecurity Review (Draft Revision for Comments) released on July 10, 2021. The New Measures require that certain operators of data processing activities that affect or may affect national security or that handle personal information of more than one million users must apply for cybersecurity review to the Cybersecurity Review Office when they go public abroad. The PRC Data Security Law, which took effect on September 1, 2021, imposes data security and privacy obligations on entities and individuals that carry out data activities, provides for a national security review procedure for data activities that may affect national security and imposes export restrictions on certain data and information. On August 20, 2021, the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress promulgated the PRC Personal Information Protection Law (the “PIPL”), which took effect on November 1, 2021. The PIPL sets out the regulatory framework for the handling and protection of personal information and the transmission of personal information overseas. If our PRC Target Company involves collecting and retaining internal or customer data, such target might be subject to the relevant cybersecurity laws and regulations, including the PRC Cybersecurity Law and the PIPL, and the cybersecurity review before effecting an initial business combination. The cybersecurity review might impact the timetable of our initial business combination and the certainty of our initial business combination, if the target company we have identified is subject to the aforementioned cybersecurity related laws and regulations.
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. 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.
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Past performance by our management team and their affiliates may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in us.
Information regarding performance by, or businesses associated with, our management team or businesses associated with them is presented for informational purposes only. Past performance by our management team is not a guarantee either (i) that we will be able to locate a suitable candidate for our initial business combination or (ii) of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate. In the course of their respective careers, members of our management team have been involved in businesses and deals that were unsuccessful. You should not rely on the historical record of the performance of our management team’s or businesses associated with them as indicative of our future performance of an investment in us or the returns we will, or is likely to, generate going forward.
We may seek business combination opportunities in industries or sectors that may be outside of our management’s areas of expertise.
We will consider an initial business combination outside of our management’s areas of expertise if an initial business combination candidate is presented to us and we determine that such candidate offers an attractive business combination opportunity for our company. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in any particular business combination candidate, 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 an initial business combination candidate. In the event we elect to pursue an initial business combination 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 ascertain or assess adequately all of the relevant risk factors. Accordingly, any shareholders who choose to remain shareholders following our initial business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their shares. Such shareholders 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 and the members of our advisory board. We believe that our success depends on the continued service of our officers, directors and members of our advisory board, 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 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 an initial 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 and Advisory Board.”
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Our officers and directors presently have, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities 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 an initial business combination opportunity to such entity. 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.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, we renounce any interest or expectancy of us 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. In addition, our sponsor and our officers and directors may sponsor or form other special purpose acquisition companies similar to ours or may pursue other business or investment ventures during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. Any such companies, businesses or ventures may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an initial business combination. However, we do not believe that any such potential conflicts would materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Certain of our officers and directors are now, and all of them may in the future become, affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating their time and 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. Our sponsor and officers and directors are, and may in the future become, affiliated with entities (such as operating companies or investment vehicles) that are engaged in a similar business. Our officers and directors also may become aware of business opportunities which may be appropriate for presentation to us and the other entities to which they owe certain fiduciary or contractual duties. 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. 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. For a complete discussion of our officers’ and directors’ business affiliations and the potential conflicts of interest that you should be aware of, see “Management — Directors and Officers,” “Management — Conflicts of Interest” and “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions.”
Members of our management team have significant experience as founders, board members, officers, executives or employees of other companies. Certain of those persons have been, are, or may become, involved in litigation, investigations or other proceedings, including related to those companies or otherwise. The defense or prosecution of these matters could be time-consuming and could divert our management’s attention, and may have an adverse effect on us, which may impede our ability to consummate an initial business combination.
During the course of their careers, members of our management team have had significant experience as founders, board members, officers, executives or employees of other companies. As a result of their involvement and positions in these companies, certain of those persons have been, are or may in the future become involved in litigation, investigations or other proceedings, including relating to the business affairs of such companies, transactions entered into by such companies, or otherwise. Individual members of our management team and board of directors also may become involved in litigation, investigations or other proceedings involving claims or allegations related to or as a result of their personal conduct, either in their capacity as a corporate officer or director or otherwise, and may be personally named in such actions and potentially subject to personal liability. Any such liability may or may not be covered by insurance and/or indemnification, depending on the facts and circumstances. The defense or prosecution of these matters could be time-consuming. Any litigation, investigations or other proceedings and the potential outcomes
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of such actions may divert the attention and resources of our management team and board of directors away from identifying and selecting a target business or businesses for our initial business combination and may negatively affect our reputation, which may impede our ability to complete an initial business combination.
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, 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 an initial business combination with a target business that is affiliated with our sponsor, our directors or 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 an initial 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 — Shareholder 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.
We may engage in an initial business combination with one or more target businesses that have relationships with entities that may be affiliated with our sponsor, executive officers, directors or existing holders 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 existing holders. Our directors also serve as officers and board members for other entities, including, without limitation, those described under “Management — Conflicts of Interest.” 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 an initial 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 for an initial business combination as set forth in “Proposed Business — Effecting our initial business combination — Selection 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 an initial business combination with one or more domestic or international businesses affiliated with our sponsor, executive officers, directors or existing holders, 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.
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 commissions that will released from the trust only on 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. 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
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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 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 an initial 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 one or more affiliates of our sponsor, officers or directors or 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. 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 affiliates of our sponsor, officers or directors or their respective affiliates to provide additional services to us after this offering, including, for example, identifying potential targets or providing financial advisory services. We may pay such affiliates fair and reasonable fees or other compensation that would be determined at that time in an arm’s length negotiation. Any such affiliates’ financial interests tied to the consummation of an initial 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 advising on, sourcing and consummating of an initial business combination.
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.
In February 2024, our sponsor paid $25,000 to cover certain expenses on our behalf in consideration of 2,875,000 founder shares (up to 375,000 shares of which are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised), for a purchase price of approximately $0.009 per share. Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,000 by the sponsor, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. The purchase price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash contributed to the company by the number of founder shares issued.
The number of founder shares outstanding was determined based on the expectation that the total size of this offering would be a maximum of 8,625,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, and therefore that such founder shares would represent approximately 25% of the outstanding shares after this offering (assuming our initial shareholders do not purchase any units in this offering, and excluding the private placement shares). Up to 375,000 of the founder shares will be forfeited depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment is exercised. The founder shares will be worthless if we do not complete an initial business combination. In addition, our sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 250,000 (or 266,875 if the underwriters fully exercise their over-allotment option) private placement units for a purchase price of $10.00 per unit and the underwriters have committed to purchase an aggregate of 37,500 (or 43,125 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) private placement units at a price of $10.00 per unit in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. The private placement units will also be worthless if we do not complete our initial business combination.
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 end of the completion window nears, which is the deadline for our completion of an initial business combination.
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Risks Relating to our Securities
We may issue our shares to investors in connection with our initial business combination at a price which is less than the prevailing market price of our shares at that time.
In connection with our initial business combination, we may issue shares to investors in private placement transactions (so-called PIPE transactions) at a price of $10.00 per share or at a price which approximates the per-share amounts in our trust account at such time. The purpose of such issuances will be to enable us to provide sufficient liquidity to the post-business combination entity. The price of the shares we issue may therefore be less, and potentially significantly less, than the market price for our shares at such time.
If we issue new shares to investors in connection with our initial business combination at a price which is less than the prevailing market price of our shares at that time, you will not have certain warrant exercise price protections that other blank check companies provide.
Many blank check companies have provisions in their warrant agreements which facilitate the downward adjustment of the warrant exercise price if they issue securities below a certain threshold amount, generally $9.20 per share, subject to certain additional conditions including that the amount sold at such price be a certain percentage of the total amount raised in connection with the initial business combination and that the volume weighted average price per share for a certain time period following the initial business combination be below a certain price. We do not have such a provision in our warrant agreement. As a result, to the extent we choose to issue any such shares upon the consummation of our initial business combination at a value materially less than the $10.00 per unit at which we are offering them under the prospectus of which this registration statement forms a part, there would be no adjustment to your warrant exercise price (aside from typical anti-dilution adjustments that may be applicable), which adjustment would typically be 115% of the lower share price. This increases the risk that you may be unable to profitably exercise your warrants for our Class A ordinary shares, as the warrant exercise price will remain higher than it would have otherwise, and your investment in us will be at greater risk of generating a loss.
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 earlier 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 to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window or with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, and (iii) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the completion window, subject to applicable law and as further described herein. 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, public shareholders may be forced to wait beyond the completion window before they receive funds from our trust account. 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.
NYSE 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 plan to apply for listing our units have been approved for listing on NYSE 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. Although after giving effect to this offering we meet, on a pro forma basis, the minimum initial listing standards set forth in the NYSE listing standards, we cannot assure you that our securities will be, or will continue to be, listed on NYSE in the future or prior to our initial business combination. In order to continue listing our securities on NYSE prior to our initial business combination, we must maintain certain financial, distribution and share price levels. Generally, we must maintain a minimum average global market capitalization and a minimum number of holders of our securities. Additionally, in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to demonstrate compliance
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with NYSE’s initial listing requirements, which are more rigorous than NYSE’s continued listing requirements, in order to continue to maintain the listing of our securities on NYSE. For instance, our share price would generally be required to be at least $4.00 per share and we must have 400 round lot holders of our Class A ordinary shares upon the consummation of our initial business combination. We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet those initial listing requirements at that time.
If the NYSE delists our securities from trading on its exchange and we are not able to list our securities on another national securities exchange, we expect our securities could be quoted on an over-the-counter market. If this were to occur, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:
• a limited availability of market quotations for our securities;
• reduced liquidity for our securities;
• 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;
• a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and
• 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 our units and eventually our Class A ordinary shares and warrants will be listed on the NYSE, our units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants will qualify as covered securities under the statute. Although the states are pre-empted from regulating the sale of our 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. 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 NYSE, 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 permitted to exercise your warrants unless we register and qualify 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. 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.
We are registering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants in the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part because the warrants will become exercisable 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, which may be within one year of this offering. However, because the warrants will be exercisable until their expiration date of up to five years after the completion of our initial business combination, in order to comply with the requirements of Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act following the consummation of our initial business combination under the terms of the warrant agreement, we have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our best efforts to file with the SEC a post-effective amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part or a new registration statement covering the registration under the Securities Act of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and thereafter will use our best efforts to cause the same to become effective within 60 business days following our initial business combination and to maintain a current prospectus relating to the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. 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 or correct or the SEC issues a stop order.
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If the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants are not registered under the Securities Act, under the terms of the warrant agreement, holders of warrants who seek to exercise their warrants will not be permitted to do so for cash and, instead, will be required to do so on a cashless basis in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption.
In no event will warrants 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 or qualification is available.
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 “covered securities” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, not permit holders of warrants who seek to exercise their warrants to do so for cash and, instead, require them to do so on a cashless basis in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act; in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement or register or qualify the shares underlying the warrants under applicable state securities laws, and in the event we do not so elect, we will use our best efforts to register or qualify the shares underlying the warrants under applicable state securities laws to the extent an exemption is not available.
In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant, or issue securities (other than upon a cashless exercise as described above) 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 the Securities Act or applicable state securities laws.
You may only be able to exercise your public warrants on a “cashless basis” under certain circumstances, and if you do so, you will receive fewer Class A ordinary shares from such exercise than if you were to exercise such warrants for cash.
The warrant agreement provides that in the following circumstances holders of warrants who seek to exercise their warrants will not be permitted to do for cash and will, instead, be required to do so on a cashless basis in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act: (i) if the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants are not registered under the Securities Act in accordance with the terms of the warrant agreement; if we have so elected and 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 “covered securities” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act; and (iii) if we have so elected and we call the public warrants for redemption. If you exercise your public warrants on a cashless basis, you would pay the warrant 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 Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “fair market value” of our Class A ordinary shares (as defined in the next sentence) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” is 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 exercise is received by the warrant agent or on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants, as applicable. As a result, you would receive fewer Class A ordinary shares from such exercise than if you were to exercise such warrants for cash.
The grant of registration rights to our initial shareholders and holders of our private placement units 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 concurrently with the issuance and sale of the securities in this offering, our initial shareholders and their permitted transferees can demand that we register the Class A ordinary shares into which founder shares are convertible, holders of our private placement units, private placement shares, private placement warrants and their permitted transferees can demand that we register the private placement units, private placement shares, private placement warrants and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants and holders of warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans may demand that we register such shares, warrants or the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of such warrants. The registration rights will be exercisable with respect to the founder shares and the private placement units, private placement shares, private placement warrants and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of such private placement warrants. We will bear the cost of registering these securities. 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.
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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 Class A ordinary shares that is expected when the ordinary shares owned by our initial shareholders, holders of our private placement units or holders of our working capital units (if any) or their respective permitted transferees are registered.
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 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 1,000,000 preference shares, par value $0.0001 per share. Immediately after this offering, there will be 492,212,500 and 47,500,000 (assuming in each case that the underwriters have not exercised their over-allotment option and the forfeiture of 375,000 Class B ordinary shares) authorized but unissued Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares, respectively, available for issuance which amount does not take into account shares reserved for issuance upon exercise of outstanding warrants or shares issuable upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares. The Class B ordinary shares are (unless otherwise provided in our initial business combination agreement) automatically convertible into Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination, and may be converted at any time prior to our initial business combination, at the option of the holder, initially at a one-for-one ratio but subject to adjustment as set forth 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 initial business combination. We may also issue Class A ordinary shares 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 therein. However, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide, among other things, that prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional securities (other than the Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares) that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote as a class with our public shares on any 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 shares or preference shares:
• may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in this offering;
• 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;
• 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; and
• may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our units, Class A ordinary shares and/or warrants.
Unlike some other similarly structured special purpose acquisition companies, our initial shareholders will receive additional Class A ordinary shares if we issue certain shares to consummate an initial business combination.
The founder shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination, and may be converted at any time prior to our initial business combination, at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis (unless otherwise provided in our initial business combination agreement), subject to adjustment for share sub-divisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional Class A
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ordinary shares or equity-linked securities are issued or deemed issued in connection with our initial business combination, the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all founder shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, approximately 25% of the total number of Class A ordinary shares outstanding after such conversion, including 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 an initial business combination, excluding any Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities or rights exercisable for or convertible into Class A ordinary shares issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any private placement units issued to our sponsor, officers or directors upon conversion of working capital loans, provided that such conversion of founder shares will never occur on a less than one-for-one basis. This is different than some other similarly structured special purpose acquisition 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 our initial business combination.
Our initial shareholders paid an aggregate of $25,000 to cover certain of our offering costs in exchange for 2,875,000 founder shares, 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 share of our Class A ordinary shares after this offering constitutes the dilution to you and the other investors in this offering. Our initial shareholders 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 108.6% or $10.86 per share, assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option), the difference between the pro forma net tangible book deficit per share after this offering 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.
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 a majority of the then outstanding warrants. As a result, the exercise price of your warrants could be increased, the exercise period could be shortened and the number of 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 to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, but requires the approval by the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding warrants to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of public warrants. Accordingly, we may amend the terms of the warrants in a manner adverse to a holder if holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding warrants approve of such amendment. Although our ability to amend the terms of the warrants with the consent of at least a majority of the then outstanding 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 or stock (at a ratio different than initially provided), shorten the exercise period or decrease the number of Class A ordinary shares purchasable upon exercise of a warrant.
A provision of our warrant agreement may make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial business combination.
If (i) we issue additional 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 Class A ordinary share, (ii) 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, and (iii) the Market Value of our Class A ordinary shares is below $9.20 per share, then the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest
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cent) 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 will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% 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.
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 all of the outstanding 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 share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like and for certain issuances of Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination as described elsewhere in this prospectus) on each of 20 trading days within a 30 trading-day period commencing once the warrants become exercisable and ending on the third trading day prior to proper notice of such redemption provided that on the date we give notice of redemption. We will not redeem the warrants 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. 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 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, (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, is likely to be substantially less than the market value of your warrants.
We may not be able to complete an initial business combination since such initial business combination may be subject to regulatory review and approval requirement, including foreign investment regulations and review by government entities such as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS,”) or may be ultimately prohibited.
Our initial business combination may be subject to regulatory review and approval requirements by governmental entities, or ultimately prohibited. For example, CFIUS has authority to review direct or indirect foreign investments in U.S. companies. Among other things, CFIUS is empowered to require certain foreign investors to make mandatory filings, to charge filing fees related to such filings, and to self-initiate national security reviews of foreign direct and indirect investments in U.S. companies if the parties to that investment choose not to file voluntarily. In the case that CFIUS determines an investment to be a threat to national security, CFIUS has the power to unwind or place restrictions on the investment. Whether CFIUS has jurisdiction to review an acquisition or investment transaction depends on — among other factors — the nature and structure of the transaction, including the level of beneficial ownership interest and the nature of any information or governance rights involved. For example, investments that result in “control” of a U.S. business by foreign person always are subject to CFIUS jurisdiction. CFIUS’s expanded jurisdiction under the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2018 and implementing regulations that became effective on February 13, 2020 further includes investments that do not result in control of a U.S. business by a foreign person but afford certain foreign investors certain information or governance rights in a U.S. business that has a nexus to “critical technologies,” “critical infrastructure” and/or “sensitive personal data.” Our sponsor is currently controlled by Richard Li, a Hong Kong resident, and will own approximately 25.8% of our outstanding shares upon completion of this offering. Because we may be considered a “foreign person” under such rules and regulations, any proposed business combination between us and a U.S. business engaged in a regulated industry or which may affect national security could be subject to such foreign ownership restrictions and/or CFIUS review.
If a particular proposed initial business combination with a U.S. business falls within CFIUS’s jurisdiction, we may determine that we are required to make a mandatory filing or that we will submit to CFIUS review on a voluntary basis, or to proceed with the transaction without submitting to CFIUS and risk CFIUS intervention, before or after closing the transaction. CFIUS may decide to block or delay our proposed initial business combination, impose conditions with respect to such initial business combination or request the President of the United States to order us to divest all or a portion of the U.S. target business of our initial business combination that we acquired without first obtaining CFIUS
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approval, which may limit the attractiveness of, delay or prevent us from pursuing certain target companies that we believe would otherwise be beneficial to us and our shareholders. As a result, the pool of potential targets with which we could complete an initial business combination may be limited and we may be adversely affected in terms of competing with other special purpose acquisition companies which do not have similar foreign ownership issues. In addition, certain federally licensed businesses may be subject to rules or regulations that limit foreign ownership.
The process of government review, whether by CFIUS or otherwise, could be lengthy. Because we have only a limited time to complete our initial business combination, our failure to obtain any required approvals within the requisite time period may require us to liquidate. If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within the applicable time period required under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, including as a result of extended regulatory review of a potential initial business combination, we will, as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the trust account and 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 each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. In such event, our shareholders will miss the opportunity to benefit from an investment in a target company and the appreciation in value of such investment. Additionally, our warrants will be worthless.
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 2,500,000 Class A ordinary shares (or 2,875,000 Class A ordinary shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) as part of the units offered by this prospectus and, simultaneously with the closing of this offering, we will be issuing in a private placement an aggregate of 287,500 (or 310,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) private placement units, which include private placement warrants to purchase an aggregate of 143,750 Class A ordinary shares (or 155,000 Class A ordinary shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at $11.50 per share. In addition, if our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors makes any working capital loans, such lender may convert those loans into up to an additional 150,000 private placement units, at the price of $10.00 per unit. To the extent we issue ordinary shares to effectuate a business transaction, 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.
The nominal purchase price paid by our sponsor 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 and our sponsor is likely to make a substantial profit on its investment in us in the event we consummate an initial business combination, even if the trading price of our ordinary shares materially declines.
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 $10.00 per public share, implying an initial value of $10.00 per public share. However, prior to this offering, our sponsor paid an original nominal aggregate purchase price of $25,000 for the founder shares, or approximately $0.009 per share. 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 $72,000,000, which is the amount we would have for our initial business combination in the trust account after payment of up to $3,000,000 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 units. At such valuation, each of
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our Class A ordinary shares would have an implied value of approximately $7.00 per share upon consummation of our initial business combination, which would be an approximate 30% decrease as compared to the initial implied value per public share of $10.00.
Public shares | | | 7,500,000 |
Private placement units | | | 287,500 |
Founder shares | | | 2,500,000 |
Total shares | | | 10,287,500 |
Total funds in trust available for initial business combination (less deferred underwriting commissions) | | $ | 72,000,000 |
Public shareholders’ investment per Class A ordinary share | | $ | 10.00 |
Sponsor’s investment per Class B ordinary share | | $ | 0.009 |
Initial implied value per public share | | $ | 10.00 |
Implied value per share upon consummation of initial business combination | | $ | 7.00 |
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 will have invested in us an aggregate of $2,525,000, comprised of the $25,000 purchase price for the founder shares and the $2,500,000 purchase price for the private placement units. Assuming a trading price of $10.00 per share upon consummation of our initial business combination, the 2,500,000 founder shares would have an aggregate value of $25,000,000. Even if the trading price of our Class A ordinary shares was as low as approximately $1.01 per share, and the private placement units were worthless, the value of the founder shares would be 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.
Our independent directors have a financial interest in our founder shares. They acquired that interest at nominal cost. As a result, our independent directors have a financial interest in consummating an initial business combination, even if our shares decline in value after that business combination and our public shareholders experience losses in connection with their investment. However, if we do not consummate our initial business combination, the founder shares would be worthless. The financial interest of our independent directors in the founder shares may give rise to a potential conflict of interest in considering potential target businesses. You should consider this potential conflict of interest in deciding whether to invest in this offering and whether to redeem your shares at the time of our initial business combination.
Our initial shareholders own 2,500,000 founder shares for a purchase price of $25,000 and will own an aggregate 250,000 private placement units for a purchase price of $10.00 per unit (assuming that the underwriters have not exercised their over-allotment option and the forfeiture of 375,000 Class B ordinary shares). Consequently, our independent directors may profit substantially if we consummate our initial business combination, even if our share price declines in value after that business combination and our public shareholders, who typically have purchased their units or shares for prices at or about $10.00 each, experience significant losses in connection with their investment. If we fail to consummate an initial business combination, however, the founder shares and private placement units will be worthless, although in contrast our public shareholders will receive a pro rata distribution of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, initially estimated to be $10.00 per public share. As a result, the financial interest of our independent directors in our founder shares and private placement units may prompt them to consider an initial business combination with a risky target business and/or on terms that may not be favorable to our public shareholders, particularly as the deadline for completing our initial business combination nears. You should consider
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our independent directors’ potential conflict of interest when deciding whether to invest in this offering. If you do invest in this offering, you should consider this potential conflict of interest when you decide whether to redeem your shares at the time of our initial business combination.
Because each unit contains one-half of one warrant and only a whole warrant may be exercised, the units may be worth less than units of other special purpose acquisition companies.
Each unit contains one-half of one warrant. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, no fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units, and only whole units 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 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 an initial business combination since the warrants will be exercisable in the aggregate for one-half of the number of shares compared to units that each contain a whole warrant to purchase one 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 it included a warrant to purchase one whole share.
Holders of Class A ordinary shares will not be entitled to vote on continuing our company in a jurisdiction outside of the Cayman Islands.
Holders of Class A ordinary shares will not be entitled to vote on continuing our company in a jurisdiction outside of the Cayman Islands.
Our warrant agreement will designate the courts of the State of New York located in the County 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 public warrants, as applicable, which could limit the ability of warrant holders to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with our company.
Our warrant agreement will each 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 located in the County of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, (ii) in each case 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, as applicable, 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, as applicable, is filed in a court other than a court of the State of New York located in the County 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, as applicable, 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, and (y) having service of process made upon such warrant holder in any such action brought in such court to enforce the forum provisions 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. Warrant holders who are unable to bring their claims in the judicial forum of their choosing may be required to incur additional costs in pursuit of actions which are subject to our choice-of-forum provisions. 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.
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The determination of the offering price of our units, the size of this offering and terms of the units 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 representatives of 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:
• the history and prospects of companies whose principal business is the acquisition of other companies;
• prior offerings of those companies;
• our prospects for acquiring an operating business at attractive values;
• a review of debt to equity ratios in leveraged transactions;
• our capital structure;
• an assessment of our management and their experience in identifying operating companies;
• general conditions of the securities markets at the time of this offering; and
• other factors as were deemed relevant.
Although these factors were considered, the determination of our offering size, price and terms of the units 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. 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.
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 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.
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We have been advised by Ogier, our Cayman Islands legal counsel, that there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the Cayman Islands would (i) 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) entertain original actions brought in each respective jurisdiction against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States. There is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, although the courts of the Cayman Islands will in certain circumstances recognize and enforce such foreign money judgment without re-examination or relitigation of matters adjudicated upon, provided that (1) the U.S. court issuing the judgment is of competent jurisdiction; (2) the U.S. Judgment is final and for a liquidated sum; (3) the judgment given by the U.S. Court was not in respect of taxes or a fine or penalty or similar fiscal or revenue obligation of the company; (4) in obtaining judgment there was no fraud on part of the person in whose favor judgment was given or on part of the court; (5) recognition or enforcement of the judgment would not be contrary to public policy in the Cayman Islands; and (6) the proceedings pursuant to which judgment was obtained were not contrary to natural justice. 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.
General Risk Factors
We are a blank check 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 a blank check 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. We have no plans, arrangements or understandings with any prospective target business concerning an initial 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.
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.
Our search for an initial business combination, and any target business with which we ultimately consummate an initial business combination, may be materially adversely affected by the occurrence of a natural disaster.
Our business could be adversely affected by severe weather conditions and natural disasters. Any of such occurrences could cause severe disruption to our daily operations, and may even require a temporary closure of our operations across one or more markets. Such closures may disrupt our business operations and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Our operations could also be disrupted if our third-party service providers, business partners or acquisition targets were affected by such natural disasters. If the disruptions posed by such events continue for an extensive period of time, our ability to consummate an initial business combination, or the operations of a target business with which we ultimately consummate an initial business combination, may be materially adversely affected.
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We may be a passive foreign investment company, or “PFIC,” which could result in adverse United States 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. Holder (as defined in the section of this prospectus captioned “Taxation — Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations-U.S. Holders”) of our Class A ordinary shares or warrants, the U.S. Holder may be subject to adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences and may be subject to additional 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 — Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations — U.S. Holders — 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 actual PFIC status for any taxable year, however, will not be determinable until after the end of such taxable year. Moreover, if we determine we are a PFIC for any taxable year, upon written request, we will endeavor to provide to a U.S. Holder such information as the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) may require, including a PFIC annual information statement, in order to enable the U.S. Holder to make and maintain a “qualified electing fund” election, but there can be no assurance that we will timely provide such required information, and such election would be unavailable with respect to our warrants. We urge U.S. investors to consult their own tax advisors regarding the possible application of the PFIC rules. For a more detailed explanation of the tax consequences of PFIC classification to U.S. Holders, see the section of this prospectus captioned “Taxation — Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations — U.S. Holders — Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules.”
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. For instance, because there are no authorities that directly address instruments similar to the units we are issuing in this offering, the allocation an investor makes with respect to the purchase price of a unit between the Class A ordinary shares and the one-half of a warrant included in each unit could be challenged by the IRS or courts. In addition, the U.S. federal income tax consequences of a cashless exercise of warrants included in the units we are issuing in this offering is unclear under current law. Finally, it is unclear whether the redemption rights with respect to our Class A ordinary shares suspend the running of a U.S. Holder’s (as defined in section titled “Taxation — United States Federal Income Tax Consideration — U.S. Holders”) holding period for purposes of determining whether any gain or loss realized by such holder on the sale or exchange of Class A ordinary shares is long-term capital gain or loss and for determining whether any dividend we pay would be considered “qualified dividend income” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. See the section titled “Taxation — Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations” for a summary of the U.S. federal income tax considerations of an investment in our securities. Prospective investors are urged to consult their tax advisors with respect to these and other tax consequences when acquiring, owning or disposing of our securities.
We may reincorporate in or transfer by way of continuation to another jurisdiction in connection with our initial business combination and such reincorporation may result in taxes imposed on shareholders or warrant holders.
We may, in connection with our initial business combination and subject to requisite shareholder approval under the Companies Act and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, reincorporate in or transfer by way of continuation to 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. Shareholders or warrant holders may be subject to withholding taxes or other taxes with respect to their ownership of us after the reincorporation.
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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 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 internal controls 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 the fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $250 million as of the prior June 30th, and (2) our annual revenues equaled or exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates equals to or exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th. 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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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 contain provisions that may discourage unsolicited takeover proposals that shareholders may consider to be in their best interests. These provisions include a staggered board of directors and the ability of the board of directors to designate the terms of and issue new series of preference shares, which may make the removal of management more difficult and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that the courts of the Cayman Islands will be the exclusive forums for certain disputes between us and our shareholders, which could limit our shareholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for complaints against us or our directors, officers or employees.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the courts of the Cayman Islands shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any claim or dispute arising out of or in connection with our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or otherwise related in any way to each shareholder’s shareholding in us, including but not limited to (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of any fiduciary or other duty owed by any of our current or former director, officer or other employee to us or our shareholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Companies Act or our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us governed by the internal affairs doctrine (as such concept is recognized under the laws of the United States of America) and that each shareholder irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Cayman Islands over all such claims or disputes. The forum selection provision in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will not apply to actions or suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Securities Act, Exchange Act or any claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are, as a matter of the laws of the United States of America, the sole and exclusive forum for determination of such a claim.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association also provide that, without prejudice to any other rights or remedies that we may have, each of our shareholders acknowledges that damages alone would not be an adequate remedy for any breach of the selection of the courts of the Cayman Islands as exclusive forum and that accordingly we shall be entitled, without proof of special damages, to the remedies of injunction, specific performance or other equitable relief for any threatened or actual breach of the selection of the courts of the Cayman Islands as exclusive forum.
This choice of forum provision may increase a shareholder’s cost and limit the shareholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and other employees. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any of our shares or other securities, whether by transfer, sale, operation of law or otherwise, shall be deemed to have notice of and have irrevocably agreed and consented to these provisions. There is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce such provisions, and the enforceability of similar choice of forum provisions in other companies’ charter documents has been challenged in legal proceedings. It is possible that a court could find this type of provisions to be inapplicable or unenforceable, and if a court were to find this provision in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving the dispute in other jurisdictions, which could have adverse effect on our business and financial performance.
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ENFORCEABILITY OF CIVIL LIABILITIES
We are incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands as an exempted company with limited liability and operations from outside the United States, and a majority of our assets will be located within the United States immediately after this offering. Our U.S. agent for service of process is Cogency Global Inc. However, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process on us or our officers or directors within the United States in a way that will permit a U.S. court to have jurisdiction over us. Further, the majority of our assets may be located outside the United States after we consummate our initial business combination.
Cayman Islands
Our corporate affairs will be governed by our second amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act, and the common law of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take action against the directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under the law of the Cayman Islands 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 considered 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 the law of the Cayman Islands are not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States, such as in the State of Delaware. In particular, the Cayman Islands have a different body of securities laws as compared to the United States, and some states, such as Delaware, have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in a federal court of the United States.
There is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the Cayman Islands would:
• recognize or enforce against us judgments of U.S. courts based on certain civil liability provisions of U.S. securities laws; and
• entertain original actions brought in the Cayman Islands against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States.
Ogier, our counsel with respect to the laws of the Cayman Islands, has advised us that there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the Cayman Islands would (i) recognize or enforce against us, judgments of courts of the United States predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any State in the United States; and (ii) in original actions brought in the Cayman Islands, to impose liabilities against us predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any State in the United States. Although there is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, the courts of the Cayman Islands may recognize and enforce in certain circumstances without any re-examination or re-litigation of matters adjudicated upon, provided such judgement: (i) is given by a foreign court of competent jurisdiction; (ii) imposes on the judgment debtor a liability to pay a liquidated sum for which the judgment has been given; (iii) is final; (iv) is not in respect of taxes, a fine or a penalty; and (v) was not obtained in a manner and is not of a kind the enforcement of which is contrary to natural justice or public policy of the Cayman Islands. Subject to the aforementioned limitations, in appropriate circumstances, a Cayman Islands court may give effect in the Cayman Islands to other kinds of final foreign judgments such as declaratory orders, orders for performance of contracts and injunctions.
PRC, Hong Kong
Most of our executive officers and directors are located in Hong Kong, or have ties to the PRC and/or Hong Kong. Specifically, three of our directors following the closing of this offering, namely, Anna Zhou, Shibin Wang and James Zhang, are located in Hong Kong. Additionally, Richard Li, our chairman of the advisory board, and Lyle Wang, our CFO, are located in Hong Kong as well. Because of such ties of our officers and directors to mainland China or Hong Kong, we may be governed by PRC laws and regulations. In addition, we may seek to acquire a company that is based in mainland China or Hong Kong in an initial business combination, in which circumstance the uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of PRC laws, rules and regulations would apply to us regardless of whether we have a VIE structure or direct ownership structure post-business combination.
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Since 1979, PRC legislation and regulations have significantly enhanced the protections afforded to various forms of foreign investments in China. However, China has recently enacted laws and regulations may not sufficiently cover all aspects of economic activities in China. In particular, because these laws and regulations are relatively new, and because of the limited volume of published decisions and their nonbinding nature, the interpretation and enforcement of these laws and regulations involve uncertainties, which may make it difficult for investors to bring actions against our executive officers and directors and obtain enforceable judgments. In addition, the PRC legal system is based on statutes. Prior court decisions may be cited for reference but have limited precedential value. The PRC legal system is also based in part on government policies and internal rules (some of which are not published on a timely basis or at all) that may have a retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. Further, any litigation in China may be protracted and result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention.
There may be difficulties in effecting service of legal process, enforcing foreign judgments or bringing actions in China against us based on foreign laws. Three of our directors following the closing of this offering, namely, Anna Zhou, Shibin Wang and James Zhang, are located in Hong Kong. Additionally, Richard Li, our chairman of the advisory board, and Lyle Wang, our CFO, are located in Hong Kong as well. Due to the lack of reciprocity and treaties between the United States and some of these foreign jurisdictions, and cost and time constraints, it may be difficult for a shareholder to effect service of process within the United States upon these persons, or to enforce against the combined company or some of the combined company’s officers and directors judgments obtained in United States courts, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States. Even with the proposed service of process, it may also be difficult to enforce judgments obtained in U.S. courts based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws against these officers and directors.
In addition, there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the mainland China or Hong Kong would recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts against the officers and directors predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state.
• In the PRC, the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments are provided for under the PRC Civil Procedures Law. PRC courts may recognize and enforce foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements of the PRC Civil Procedures Law based either on treaties between China and the country where the judgment is made or on principles of reciprocity between jurisdictions. China does not have any treaties or other forms of written arrangement with the United States that provide for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. In addition, according to the PRC Civil Procedures Law, the PRC courts will not enforce a foreign judgment by us against the officers or directors or the future combined company if they decide that the judgment violates the basic principles of PRC laws or national sovereignty, security, or the public interest. As a result, it is uncertain whether and on what basis a PRC court would enforce a judgment rendered by a court in the United States.
• In Hong Kong, judgment of United States courts against us or against our directors or executive officers residing in Hong Kong, including those based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws, will not be directly enforceable in Hong Kong. There are currently no treaties or other arrangements providing for reciprocal enforcement of foreign judgments between Hong Kong and the United States. However, the common law permits an action to be brought upon a foreign judgment. In other words, a foreign judgment itself may form the basis of a cause of action since the judgment may be regarded as creating a debt between the parties to it. In a common law action for enforcement of a foreign judgment in Hong Kong, the enforcement is subject to various conditions, including but not limited to, that the foreign judgment is a final judgment conclusive upon the merits of the claim, the judgment is for a liquidated amount in a civil matter and not in respect of taxes, fines, penalties, or similar charges, the proceedings in which the judgment was obtained were not contrary to natural justice, and the enforcement of the judgment is not contrary to public policy of Hong Kong. Such a judgment must be for a fixed sum and must also come from a “competent” court as determined by the private international law rules applied by the Hong Kong courts. The defenses that are available to a defendant in a common law action brought on the basis of a foreign judgment include a lack of jurisdiction, breach of natural justice, fraud, and contrary to public policy. However, a separate legal action for debt must be commenced in Hong Kong in order to recover such debt from the judgment debtor.
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Furthermore, there would be additional costs and issues with bringing an original action in foreign courts against the combined company or the officers and directors to enforce liabilities based upon the U.S. Federal securities laws, and they still may be fruitless.
The above discussion is based on our management’s understanding of the current PRC and Hong Kong laws, rules, regulations and local market practices and we cannot assure you that our management’s understanding is correct. Given the nature of our limited business activities prior to our initial business combination, we did not retain a PRC or Hong Kong legal counsel for purpose of this offering and consequently we did not rely on the advice of such counsel. If we begin our business combination process with a mainland China or Hong Kong-based target, we expect to retain a PRC or Hong Kong legal counsel who will advise us and provide its opinion of counsel relating to the enforceability of civil liabilities and other matters and we cannot assure you that the PRC legal counsel will reach the same conclusion as our management’s assessment above. See “Risk Factors — You may experience difficulties in effecting service of legal process, enforcing foreign judgments, or bringing actions in China against us or our management and directors named in the prospectus based on foreign laws. It may also be difficult for you or overseas regulators to conduct investigations or collect evidence within China” on page 74 of this prospectus and “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Acquiring and Operating a Business in China and Other Foreign Countries” on page 57 of this prospectus.
As a result of all of the above, public shareholders may find it more difficult to enforce liabilities and enforce judgments on individual directors and executive officers, and 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 U.S. company.
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
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:
• our ability to select an appropriate target business or businesses;
• our ability to complete our initial business combination;
• our expectations around the performance of the prospective target business or businesses;
• our success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our officers, key employees or directors following our initial business combination;
• 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;
• our potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination;
• our pool of prospective target businesses;
• the ability of our officers and directors to generate a number of potential business combination opportunities;
• our public securities’ potential liquidity and trading;
• the lack of a market for our securities;
• the use of proceeds not held in the trust account or available to us from interest income on the trust account balance;
• the trust account not being subject to claims of third parties; or
• 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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USE OF PROCEEDS
We are offering 7,500,000 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 units 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) | | $ | 75,000,000 | | | $ | 86,250,000 | |
Gross proceeds from private placement units offered in the private placement | | | 2,875,000 | | | | 3,100,000 | |
Total gross proceeds | | $ | 77,875,000 | | | $ | 89,350,000 | |
Estimated offering expenses(2) | | | | | | | | |
Underwriting commissions (2.0% of gross proceeds from units offered to public, excluding deferred portion)(3) | | $ | 1,500,000 | | | $ | 1,725,000 | |
Legal fees and expenses | | | 300,000 | | | | 300,000 | |
Printing and engraving expenses | | | 30,000 | | | | 30,000 | |
Accounting fees and expenses | | | 40,000 | | | | 40,000 | |
SEC/FINRA Expenses | | | 85,208 | | | | 85,208 | |
Travel and road show | | | 20,000 | | | | 20,000 | |
NYSE listing and filing fees | | | 55,000 | | | | 55,000 | |
Trustee and transfer agent fees | | | 40,000 | | | | 40,000 | |
Miscellaneous | | | 129,792 | | | | 129,792 | |
Total offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions) | | $ | 700,000 | | | $ | 700,000 | |
Proceeds after offering expenses | | $ | 75,675,000 | | | $ | 86,925,000 | |
Held in trust account(3) | | $ | 75,000,000 | | | $ | 86,250,000 | |
% of public offering size | | | 100 | % | | | 100 | % |
Not held in trust account | | $ | 675,000 | | | $ | 675,000 | |
The following table shows the use of the approximately $675,000 of net proceeds not held in the trust account (assuming the underwriters do not exercise their overallotment option and excluding permitted withdrawals)(4)
| | Amount | | % of Total |
Legal, accounting, due diligence, travel, and other expenses in connection with any business combination(5) | | $ | 200,000 | | 29.6 | % |
Legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting obligations and NYSE and other regulatory fees | | $ | 95,000 | | 14.1 | % |
Directors and officers insurance | | $ | 200,000 | | 29.6 | % |
Payment for office space, secretarial and administrative services(6) | | $ | 180,000 | | 26.7 | % |
Total | | $ | 675,000 | | 100.0 | % |
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NYSE rules provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement units be deposited in a trust account. Of the $77,875,000 in gross proceeds we receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement units described in this prospectus, or $89,350,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, $75,000,000 ($10.00 per unit), or $86,250,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full ($10.00 per unit), will be deposited into a trust account with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, after deducting $1,500,000 (or $1,725,000 if the overallotment option is exercised in full) in underwriting discounts and commissions payable upon the closing of this offering and an aggregate of $1,375,000 to pay fees and expenses in connection with the closing of this offering and for working capital following the closing of this offering. 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, and (no later than 24 months after the closing of this offering) will be held as cash or cash items, including in demand deposit accounts. Additionally, when we determine (no later than 24 months after the closing of this offering) to hold the funds in the trust account as cash or in demand deposit accounts, the amount of interest we may receive would likely be less than this amount.
We expect that the interest earned on the trust account will be sufficient to pay income taxes. We will not be permitted to withdraw any of the principal or interest held in the trust account, except for permitted withdrawals, until the earliest of (i) the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, subject to applicable law, and (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 to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated our initial business combination within the completion window or with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity.
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 securities, 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, 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-transaction company, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial
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business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital. There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds through the issuance of equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop arrangements we may enter into following consummation of this offering. However, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, following this offering and prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, we will be prohibited from issuing additional securities (other than the Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares) 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 any 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 an initial business combination beyond the completion window or (y) amend the foregoing provisions.
We believe that amounts not held in trust combined with permitted withdrawals will be sufficient to pay the costs and expenses to which such proceeds are allocated. This belief is based on the fact that while we may begin preliminary due diligence of a target business in connection with an indication of interest, we intend to undertake in-depth due diligence, depending on the circumstances of the relevant prospective business combination, only after we have negotiated and signed a letter of intent or other preliminary agreement that addresses the terms of an initial business combination. However, if our estimate of the costs of undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating an initial 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, members of our management team or any of their affiliates, but such persons are not under any obligation to advance funds to, or invest in, us.
Subsequent to the closing of this offering, we will pay our sponsor $15,000 per month for office space, secretarial and administrative services provided to members of our management team; upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.
Prior to the closing of this offering, our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $300,000 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 June 30, 2025 or the closing of this offering. The loan will be repaid upon the closing of this offering out of the $700,000 of offering proceeds that has been allocated to the payment of offering expenses.
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 on a non-interest bearing basis as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. 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 units of the post business combination entity at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private placement units. 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 or an affiliate of our sponsor 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.
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DIVIDEND POLICY
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. A Cayman Islands company may pay a dividend on its shares out of either profit or the share premium account, provided that in no circumstances may a dividend be paid if following such payment the company would be unable to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. 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 or decrease the size of this offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, we will effect a share dividend or share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the number of founder shares at approximately 25% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering, and excluding the private placement shares). Further, if we incur any indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.
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DILUTION
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 units, and the pro forma net tangible book value per share of our Class A ordinary shares 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 units, 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.
After giving effect to the sale of 7,500,000 Class A ordinary shares included in the units we are offering by this prospectus (or 8,625,000 Class A ordinary shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), the sale of the private placement units and the deduction of underwriting commissions and estimated expenses of this offering, our pro forma net tangible book deficit at March 4, 2024 would have been $(2,396,079) or $(0.86) per share (or $(2,767,703) or $(0.87) per share if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), representing an immediate decrease in net tangible book value (as decreased by the value of 7,500,000 Class A ordinary shares that may be redeemed for cash, or 8,625,000 Class A ordinary shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) of $(0.77) per share (or $(0.78) per share if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) to our initial shareholders as of the date of this prospectus. Total dilution to public shareholders from this offering will be $10.86 per share (or $10.87 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 units:
| | Without Over-allotment | | With Over-allotment |
Public offering price | | $ | 10.00 | | | $ | 10.00 | |
Net tangible book deficit before this offering | | | (0.09 | ) | | | (0.09 | ) |
Decrease attributable to public shareholders | | | (0.77 | ) | | | (0.78 | ) |
Pro forma net tangible book deficit after this offering and the sale of the private placement units | | | (0.86 | ) | | | (0.86 | ) |
Dilution to public shareholders | | $ | 10.87 | | | $ | 10.87 | |
Percentage of dilution to public shareholders | | | 108.6 | % | | | 108.7 | % |
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 $75,000,000 because holders 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 commencement of our tender offer or shareholders meeting, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (which interest shall be net of permitted withdrawals)), divided by the number of Class A ordinary shares sold in this offering.
The following table sets forth information with respect to our initial shareholders and the public shareholders:
| | Shares Purchased
| | Total Consideration
| | Average Price per Share |
| | Number | | Percentage | | Amount | | Percentage | |
Initial Shareholders(1) | | 2,500,000 | | 24.3 | % | | $ | 25,000 | | 0.03 | % | | $ | 0.01 |
Private Placement Shares(2) | | 287,500 | | 2.8 | % | | | 2,875,000 | | 3.69 | % | | | 10.00 |
Public Shareholders | | 7,500,000 | | 72.9 | % | | $ | 75,000,000 | | 96.28 | % | | $ | 10.00 |
| | 10,000,000 | | 100.00 | % | | $ | 75,025,000 | | 100.00 | % | | | |
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The pro forma net tangible book value per share after the offering is calculated as follows:
| | Without Over-allotment | | With Over-allotment |
Numerator: | | | | | | | | |
Net tangible book deficit before this offering | | $ | (267,810 | ) | | $ | (267,810 | ) |
Net proceeds from this offering and sale of the private units(1) | | | 75,675,000 | | | | 86,925,000 | |
Plus: Offering costs accrued for or paid in advance, excluded from tangible book deficit before this offering | | | 275,107 | | | | 275,107 | |
Less: Deferred underwriting commissions(2) | | | (3,000,000 | ) | | | (3,450,000 | )(3) |
Less: Over-allotment Liability | | | (78,376 | ) | | | | |
Less: Proceeds held in trust subject to possible redemption(3) | | | (75,000,000 | ) | | | (86,250,000 | ) |
| | $ | (2,396,079 | ) | | $ | (2,767,703 | ) |
Denominator: | | | | | | | | |
Class B ordinary shares outstanding prior to this offering | | | 2,875,000 | | | | 2,875,000 | |
Class B ordinary shares forfeited if over-allotment is not exercised | | | (375,000 | ) | | | — | |
Class A ordinary shares included in the units offered | | | 7,500,000 | | | | 8,625,000 | |
Class A ordinary shares included in the private placement | | | 287,500 | | | | 310,000 | |
Less: Ordinary shares subject to possible redemption | | | (7,500,000 | ) | | | (8,625,000 | ) |
| | | 2,787,500 | | | | 3,185,000 | |
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CAPITALIZATION
The following table sets forth our capitalization at March 4, 2024, 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 sale of the private placement units and the application of the estimated net proceeds derived from the sale of such securities, assuming no exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment option:
| | March 4, 2024 |
| | Actual | | As Adjusted |
Note payable to related party(1) | | $ | 39,965 | | | $ | — | |
Over-allotment liability | | | — | | | | 78,376 | |
Deferred underwriting commissions(2) | | | — | | | | 3,000,000 | |
Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption, $0.0001 par value, 500,000,000 shares authorized; -0- and 7,500,000 shares are subject to possible redemption, actual and as adjusted, respectively(3) | | | — | | | | 75,000,000 | |
Preference shares, $0.0001 par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding, actual and as adjusted | | | — | | | | — | |
Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value, 500,000,000 shares authorized; 0 and 287,500 shares issued or outstanding, actual and as adjusted | | | — | | | | 29 | |
Class B ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value, 50,000,000 shares authorized, 2,875,000 and 2,500,000 shares issued and outstanding, actual and as adjusted, respectively(4) | | | 288 | | | | 250 | |
Additional paid-in capital | | | 24,712 | | | | — | |
Accumulated deficit(5) | | | (17,703 | ) | | | (2,396,358 | ) |
Total shareholders’ equity (deficit) | | $ | 7,297 | | | $ | (2,396,079 | ) |
Total capitalization | | $ | 47,262 | | | $ | 75,682,297 | |
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Overview
We are a blank check company incorporated as an exempted company under the laws of the Cayman Islands on January 15, 2024 and will seek to effect an initial business combination. To date, our efforts have been limited to organizational activities as well as activities related to this offering. We have not identified any acquisition target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any discussions, directly or indirectly, with respect to identifying any acquisition target. We have generated no operating revenues to date and we do not expect that we will generate operating revenues until we consummate our initial business combination. We may pursue an initial business combination target in any industry or geographic region. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the private placement of the private placement units, the proceeds of the sale of our shares in connection with our initial business combination (pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into following the consummation of this offering or otherwise), shares issued to the owners of the target, debt issued to bank or other lenders or the owners of the target, or a combination of the foregoing.
The issuance of additional shares in connection with a business combination to the owners of the target or other investors:
• 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;
• 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;
• 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;
• 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; and
• may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our Class A ordinary shares and/or warrants.
Similarly, if we issue debt securities or otherwise incur significant debt to bank or other lenders or the owners of a target, it could result in:
• default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after an initial business combination are insufficient to repay our debt obligations;
• 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;
• our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt is payable on demand;
• our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt is outstanding;
• our inability to pay dividends on our Class A ordinary shares;
• 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;
• 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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• increased vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions and adverse changes in government regulation; and
• 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, at March 4, 2024, we had no cash and a working capital deficit of approximately $267,810. 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 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 the contribution from our sponsor of $25,000 to purchase the founder shares and up to $300,000 in loans available from our sponsor. As of March 4, 2024, we had borrowed $39,965 under the promissory note issued to our sponsor.
We estimate that the net proceeds from the sale of the units in this offering and the sale of the private placement units for an aggregate purchase price of $2,875,000 (or $3,100,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), after deducting offering expenses of approximately $700,000 and underwriting commissions of $1,500,000 (or $1,725,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, excluding deferred underwriting commissions of up to $3,000,000, or up to $3,450,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), will be $75,675,000 (or $86,925,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full). $75,000,000 (or $86,250,000 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, and (no later than 24 months after the closing of this offering) will be held as cash or cash items, including in demand deposit accounts. The remaining approximately $675,000 will not be held in the trust account. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $700,000, 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 $700,000, 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 (which interest shall be net of permitted withdrawals and excluding deferred underwriting commissions) to complete our initial business combination. We may withdraw interest from the trust account to pay our taxes, if any, excluding U.S. federal excise tax. Our annual 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 earned on the amount in the trust account will be sufficient to pay our tax, excluding U.S. federal excise tax. 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.
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Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we will have available to us the approximately $675,000 of the proceeds held outside the trust account as well as permitted withdrawal amounts. 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 expect to fund our working capital requirements prior to the time of our initial business combination with potentially additional funding from our sponsor and other affiliates. 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 on a non-interest bearing basis as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. 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 units of the post business combination entity at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private placement units. 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 or an affiliate of our sponsor 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 $200,000 for legal, accounting, due diligence, travel and other expenses associated with structuring, negotiating and documenting successful business combinations; $95,000 for legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting requirements and listing and other regulatory fees; and $200,000 for directors and officers insurance liability. We will also pay our sponsor $15,000 per month for office space, secretarial and administrative services provided to members of our management team subsequent to the closing of this offering.
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. In addition, we intend to target businesses with enterprise values that are greater than we could acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, and, as a result, if the cash portion of the purchase price exceeds the amount available from the trust account, net of amounts needed to satisfy any redemptions by public shareholders, we may be required to seek additional financing to complete such proposed initial business combination. We may also obtain financing prior to the closing of our initial business combination to fund our working capital needs and transaction costs in connection with our search for and completion of our initial business combination. There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds through the issuance of equity or equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into following consummation of this offering. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, we would only complete such financing simultaneously with the completion of our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account. In addition, following our initial business combination, if cash on hand is insufficient, we may need to obtain additional financing in order to meet our obligations.
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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, 2025. Only in the event that we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer and no longer an emerging growth company would we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement. 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 has our independent registered public accounting firm tested our systems, of 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:
• staffing for financial, accounting and external reporting areas, including segregation of duties;
• reconciliation of accounts;
• proper recording of expenses and liabilities in the period to which they relate;
• evidence of internal review and approval of accounting transactions;
• documentation of processes, assumptions and conclusions underlying significant estimates; and
• 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 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 units 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, and (no later than 24 months after the closing of this offering) will be held as cash or cash items, including in demand deposit accounts. 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 March 4, 2024, 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.
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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 independent registered public accounting firm’s attestation report on our system of internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404, (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 independent registered public accounting firm’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 CEO’s compensation to median employee compensation. These exemptions will apply for a period of five years following the completion of this offering or until we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” whichever is earlier.
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PROPOSED BUSINESS
General
We are a blank check company newly incorporated as a Cayman corporation and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. We have not selected any potential business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any potential business combination target. While we may pursue an initial target business in any industry, geography, or sector, we intend to focus our search on growing companies in Asian markets or global companies with a presence or focus in Asia.
Our sponsor is affiliated with Chenghe Group Ltd. (“Chenghe Group”), an investment holding company with an advisory practice, and a repeat SPAC sponsor which has backed and led multiple SPAC vehicles from the formation of such vehicles to consummation of their initial business combinations.
Our Company and Sponsor
Our company is led by our CEO, Ms. Anna Zhou, and supported by our Chairman, Shibin Wang, Chairman of the Advisory Board, Mr. Richard Qi Li, and our CFO, Mr. Lyle Wang. Mr. Li is the Founder of Chenghe Group, and both Ms. Zhou and Mr. Wang serve on Chenghe Group’s investment team. These members of our management played a critical role in the formation, initial public offerings and business combinations of prior SPACs sponsored by Chenghe Group. Chenghe Group is an investment holding company with multiple lines of business: including financial advisory, asset management, private equity investing and other services. Within its advisory practice, Chenghe Group provides a full spectrum of services, including capital raising, financial advisory on mergers and acquisitions (“M&A”) and public listing services across a broad range of sectors and companies at different growth stages. Within its Asset Management and Private Equity practice, Chenghe Group is committed to creating value for investors by identifying and investing in visionary management teams and growing companies with disruptive innovations. The group’s current major investment areas include green technology, TMT (technology, communications, and media), healthcare, consumer, ecommerce, and other new economic industries. In addition, through its Private Equity practice, Chenghe Group has been actively involved in SPAC investments, sponsoring and leading multiple US-Listed SPACs including Chenghe Acquisition Co. (Nasdaq: CHEA) and Chenghe Acquisition I Co. (Nasdaq: LATG).
Business Strategy
We intend to capitalize on the experience of our team to identify and acquire one or more growing companies in Asian markets or global businesses with a presence or focus in Asia, that demonstrate a strong potential for expansion and value creation. Leveraging our sponsor affiliate and management team, we have a unique vantage point in assessing deal flow, and sourcing proprietary opportunities and potential investment targets through the connectivity of Chenghe Group and our partners. Our management team has extensive experience and deep networks both globally and within the APAC region, and we well positioned to effectively source and evaluate promising investment opportunities which can benefit from the expertise and capabilities of our management team to create long-term shareholder value.
Asia is one of the most active regions when it comes to the volume of growing and public ready unicorn companies. Asia-based companies spearheaded the emergence of new unicorns in January 2024. For the first time in over a year, a double digit number of new companies received private funding that put them at an increased valuation of $1.0+ billion. Out of the eleven companies recorded in January, six of them are based in Asia, with three companies domiciled in PRC, and one each from Singapore, Hong Kong and India, according to Crunchbase. Southeast Asia also has shown robust performance in the creation of new unicorns, with developing countries showing more ambitions towards the creation of unicorns as macroeconomic tailwinds in consumer income and favorable structural and regulatory changes continues on an upward trajectory in the region, according to Crunchbase.
In addition to new and attractive business combination targets continuing to emerge in the region, Asia remains to be a robust market for new issuance and is primed for an uptick in new issuance in 2024. In 2023, 732 companies went public in Asia-Pacific raising $69.4 Billion. Despite the healthy public equity activity within the Asia region,
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this represented a year over year decline of 18% in number of companies going public and 44% fall in primary capital raised. Within the Asia-Pacific IPO sector, financially robust enterprises, supported by private equity and venture capital firms, possess the financial flexibility to delay their listing until market conditions become more favorable. With a focus on realistic pricing and post-IPO performance, it is anticipated that many of these well-prepared and public ready companies which delayed 2023 IPO plans, may choose to pursue a go-public strategy in 2024.
Asia is expected to represent approximately 50% of the global GDP and is on track to represent 40% of global consumption by 2040. Much of the growth being seen in the Asian markets is driven directly by the consumer and ecommerce verticals, as consumer income continues to increase, and robust digital ecosystems and infrastructures rise across Asia. The ecommerce and consumer markets have witnessed rapid growth in the Asia Pacific region over the past decade, and the trend is projected to further continue over the next three to four years. As internet access expands throughout the region, consumers are increasingly turning to online shopping, drawn by its rapid, efficient, and reliable distribution of goods. Ecommerce is anticipated to demonstrate consistent growth throughout the forecast period, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.39% from 2023 to 2027. The gross merchandise value of Ecommerce in this region is projected to rise from $3,855.8 billion in 2022 to $5,108.8 billion by 2027, according to Yahoo Finance.
There are two main drivers of the growth within the Asia ecommerce and consumer markets. The first is the rapid adoption of digital technologies with increasing internet penetration attached to it is one of the forces behind the rapid expansion of the E-commerce market. Nations across the Asia-Pacific region are experiencing a notable surge in Internet users, thereby establishing a broad customer base for online retailers. According to Practical Ecommerce, the number of ecommerce buyers in Asia is also projected to increase by approximately 52% from 2023 to 2028, rising from approximately 1.33 billion to 2.03 billion. Specifically, PRC accounted for 884 million online shoppers in 2023, while the U.S. only had 254 million, according to PracticalEcommerce. The other factor is the growing popularity of the smart homes concept in Asia, with a focus on integrating AI technology and voice control systems. Based on Statista’s estimates, the Smart Home market in Asia is forecasted to expand at an annual growth rate of 12.12% between 2024 and 2028, resulting in a projected market volume of $95.8 billion by 2028, according to Statista.
In the next decade, the E-commerce market in the Asia-Pacific region will continue to represent a substantial growth opportunity for businesses given the swiftly growing consumer base in the region. In PRC alone, there were 1.05 billion internet users at the beginning of 2023, representing a penetration rate of 73.7%, according to DataReportal. Southeast Asia also stands out as one of the global leaders in rapid digital device adoption, with a particular emphasis on mobile devices driving its internet usage. By 2023, the proportion of internet users in Southeast Asia who also utilize smartphones will reach 88.9%, surpassing rates observed in more economically developed regions such as North America and Western Europe, according to EMarketer.
Our business combination target selection process will leverage our team’s broad and deep network of relationships, unique industry expertise and proven deal-sourcing capabilities to provide us with a strong and differentiated pipeline of potential targets.
Our team’s expertise includes:
• sourcing, structuring, acquiring, and selling businesses;
• investing in businesses globally and enabling them to build and/or grow their business in the Greater China or other Asian markets, applying our unique market, policy, and government insights;
• helping target companies gain access to the Greater China or other Asian markets as well as secure funding from other reputable investors and lenders, managing and operating companies, devising strategic operational initiatives, and identifying, mentoring and recruiting top-notch talent;
• developing and growing companies, both organically and via mergers and acquisitions;
• fostering relationships with sellers, capital providers and target management teams; and
• accessing public and private capital markets to optimize capital structure, including financing businesses and helping companies transition ownership structures.
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Immediately following the completion of this offering, we intend to begin the process of communicating with the network of relationships within our team to search for a potential target for our initial business combination and begin the process of pursuing and reviewing potential opportunities.
Our Management
Our SPAC leadership team, consisting of Ms. Anna Zhou, Dr. Shibin Wang, Mr. Richard Li, and Mr. Lyle Wang has decades of combined investment, transaction, and operational experience. Out team has an extensive track record advising and investing in some of the largest transactions in Asia. Our Board is comprised of industry leading investors and entrepreneurs to help bolster our connectivity and value add with potential business combination targets.
Anna Zhou — CEO
Anna Zhou serves as our CEO and has considerable experience in equity research and finance, currently working at the investment team at Chenghe Group. Ms. Zhou currently serves as the CEO and CFO of Chenghe Acquisition I Co. and was previously the CFO of Chenghe Acquisition Co. from 2021 to 2024. Ms. Zhou began her career in 2011 focusing on equity research and specialized in China and US TMT, including covering smartphones, digital consumer products, internet services and emerging platform. She was a senior associate at Mighty Divine Investment Management Limited from 2019 to 2021, the research associate of the long-only portfolio of China Great Wall AMC (International) Holdings Company Limited from 2017 to 2019 and the QDII fund of Anbang Asset Management (Hong Kong) Co. Limited from 2016 to 2017. She also spent two years in BOCOM International Holdings Company Limited (“BOCOM International”) as a data analyst in its market strategy team from 2014 to 2016. Ms. Zhou received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, information and application from Université Paris 5 and a master’s degree in financial mathematics and statistics from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Lyle Wang — CFO
Lyle Wang serves as our CFO, and currently serves as a member of Chenghe Group investment team. Mr. Wang obtained a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Northwestern Polytechnical University and a master’s degree in finance from The University of Hong Kong. Prior to joining Chenghe Group, Mr. Wang served as a client manager of retail finance department at China Merchants Bank. Lyle Wang has in-depth knowledge of financial products and market analysis.
Richard Qi Li — Chairman of the Advisory Board
Richard Qi Li will serve as the Chairman of our Advisory Board, has more than two decades of experience in the financial service industry. Mr. Li is the Founder of Chenghe Group, and served as the CEO of HH&L Acquisition Co., Chairman of Chenghe Acquisition Co., and currently serves as the Chairman of the Advisory Board for Chenghe Acquisition I Co. From 2017 to 2021 Mr. Li served as the chief investment officer and chief operating officer of China Great Wall AMC (International) Holdings Company Limited, and from 2018, was the chief executive officer of Great Wall Pan Asia Asset Management Ltd., both subsidiaries of China Great Wall Asset Management Co. Ltd., a leading asset management company based in China. Mr. Li was previously a managing director and the Head of China Securities at Goldman Sachs Asia, and a managing director and the Head of North Asia Capital Markets and Treasury Solutions at Deutsche Bank Hong Kong. Prior to joining Deutsche Bank, Mr. Li worked at Merrill Lynch, the World Bank, and the Ministry of Finance of the PRC.
Mr. Li has worked with or advised many financial institutions in Greater China on capital markets activities, sales and trading of fixed income products and structured equities, investment, risk management, and/or building up trading or asset management platforms. His clients or counterparts have included leading sovereign wealth funds (State Administration of Foreign Exchange and China Investment Corporation), large banks (Bank of China, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China, China Construction Bank and China Merchants Bank), insurers (China Life, PICC, Ping An Insurance) and asset managers (National Social Security Fund, China Asset Management and Harvest Fund). Mr. Li also advised Shanghai Pudong Development Bank in connection with the formation of a business alliance and the establishment of a credit card joint venture with Citibank in 2002. Mr. Li obtained a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in economics from Nankai University in China and a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School. He was also a visiting scholar at Harvard University in 2019.
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Dr. Shibin Wang — Chairman of the Board
Dr. Shibin Wang will serve as our Chairman of the Board of Directors and has over 15 years of experience in sales and trading of structured financial products, cross-border financing and other capital market activities. Dr. Wang was the CEO of Chenghe Acquisition Co., and currently serves as the Chairman of the Board to Chenghe Acquisition I Co. Over his career, Dr. Wang held clientele including, major banks (China Development Bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Agriculture Bank of China, and China Construction Bank), leading organizations (China National Offshore Oil Corporation and GCL-Poly Energy) and leading private equity firms (Hillhouse Capital and Greenwoods Asset Management). Dr. Wang was an executive director and Head of China Structured Solutions at Deutsche Bank Hong Kong from 2010 to 2015. Prior to Deutsche Bank, he worked at FICC Goldman Sachs from 2008 to 2010 and at China Development Bank managing a fixed-income portfolio from 2003 to 2008. Since April 2019, Dr. Wang has served as a co-founder and the chief executive officer of Hong Kong Digital Asset Ex Ltd. (or “HKbitEX”), a regulated digital asset exchange in Hong Kong dedicated to providing a regulatory-compliant and safe digital asset spot trading and over-the-counter trading services to professional investors in Asia. Under Dr. Wang’s leadership, the company was among the first organizations in Asia-Pacific to apply for a virtual asset trading platform license from the Securities and Futures Commission in Hong Kong and was recognized as one of China’s top 50 fintech companies in the “2020 KPMG China Fintech 50.” Dr. Wang obtained a bachelor’s degree in international trading from Dongbei University of Finance & Economics, as well as a master of economics degree and a Ph.D, both from the Finance Institute of the People’s Bank of China.
Ning Ma — Director Nominee
Ning Ma in 2015 founded Lingfeng Capital Partners, Limited (“Lingfeng”), a private equity firm focusing on investing in fintech companies in Asia, in sub-sectors such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud, big data, lending technology, insurance technology, health care services, investment technology, payment and credit rating, and digital assets. Mr. Ma has served as a partner at Lingfeng since 2015. Prior to founding Lingfeng, Mr. Ma worked at Goldman Sachs (Asia) L.L.C. (“Goldman Sachs”) for thirteen years from 2002 to 2015 where, among other roles, he served as co-head of the Asia Pacific Financial Institutions Equity Research. He was also a member of the Goldman Sachs China Operating Committee and a member of the Asia Pacific Client and Business Standards Committee. He held various positions with Beijing Gao Hua Securities Company Limited and served as the deputy general manager and managing director from 2010 to 2015. Prior to Goldman Sachs, Mr. Ma was a regulator at the headquarters of the People’s Bank of China from 1996 to 2000, where he was actively involved in the regulation, financial reform and policy-making relating to foreign banks and non-bank financial institutions including trust companies, asset management companies, finance companies and leasing companies in China. Mr. Ma currently serves as an independent director for several financial institutions in Asia including Ant Consumer Finance Company, China Renaissance Securities and BOCOM International. He has been teaching at Tsinghua University PBC School of Finance since 2010. Mr. Ma received a bachelor’s degree from Renmin University of China, a master’s degree in business administration from London Business School and a master’s degree in international finance from Tsinghua University PBC School of Finance.
Kwan Sun — Director Nominee
Kwan Sun founded Millburn Advisory LLC, a real estate fund manager, in 2018 and has served as its managing partner since then. From 2015 to 2018, Mr. Sun served as the vice chairman of Nan Fung Group’s US businesses to help develop Nan Fung Group’s US real estate business. Mr. Sun served as a director at Deutsche Bank in structured products department from 1997 to 2003, and as a director at Morgan Stanley in structured products department from 2003 to 2007. Thereafter, Mr. Sun served as a managing director at Deutsche Bank in structured products department from 2007 to 2009 and as a managing director at Morgan Stanley in the investment banking department from 2009 to 2014. Prior to joining Deutsche Bank in 1997, he served as a vice president the capital markets department of Merrill Lynch, where he focused on trading fix income derivatives. He joined Merrill Lynch in 1992. Mr. Sun graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University.
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Dr. James Zhang — Director Nominee
Dr. James Zhang has extensive experience in entrepreneurship and venture capitalist in both the US and greater China. Since August 2021, Dr. Zhang has been the Chief Investment Officer of Technologies and Venture Capital of Great Eagle Holdings Limited (HKSE: 00041), a multinational corporation with rich experiences in technology investment, property development, and hotel and property management. Dr. Zhang has been an Adjunct Associate Professor of Finance since August 2019 and an Associate Professor of Science Practice since February 2022 at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, where he teaches venture capital and entrepreneurship. Dr. Zhang has also been an advisor of Venture University since 2020, where he cofounded the Asian Office based in Hong Kong. Dr. Zhang also serves as co-founder and director of WaterCare Technologies Limited, director of Base Therapeutics Group Holding Limited, and director of Great Eagle Venture Capital (HK) Limited. Dr. Zhang also serves as independent director of Chenghe Acquisition I Co. Dr. Zhang was a venture partner of the GRC Fund from 2014 to 2021, co-founder, chief executive officer and director of Modular Bioscience Inc. from 2018 to 2021, founding partner of Formation 8 (currently named 8VC) from 2012 to 2016, venture partner of Softbank China Venture Capital from 2010 to 2012, and entrepreneur in residence at Khosla Ventures from 2009 to 2010. Prior to becoming a venture capitalist, Dr. Zhang was an entrepreneur in Silicon Valley for over ten years, and co-founder of several startup companies. Dr. Zhang received his PhD in Genetics from the University of California, Davis, and has completed post-doctoral and business trainings from Stanford University and Stanford Graduate School of Business, respectively.
With respect to the foregoing experiences of our management, our Sponsor and Chenghe Group, past performance is not a guarantee (i) that we will be able to identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination or (ii) of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate. You should not rely on the historical record of our management’s, our Sponsor’s or Chenghe Group’s performance as indicative of our future performance. For more information on the experience and background of our management team and the Operating Partners, see below and the sections entitled “Management and Advisory Board” and “Proposed Business.”
Competitive Strengths
We believe that through the networks and relationships of our management and board, along with the financial and deal expertise, and the sourcing, valuation, diligence and execution capabilities of our leadership team and Chenghe Group, we will have a significant pipeline of differentiated opportunities which are ready to go public.
Our competitive strengths include:
• Leading Industry Insights and Proprietary Sourcing Channels. We believe our team’s global insights and experience will allow us to identify suitable public ready companies with solid fundamentals that are primed for growth and multiple expansion. Our team’s extensive sector and transaction experience as well as our other corporate relationships have helped us develop a broad array of contacts with both potential DeSPAC targets and strategic investors. In addition, through our sponsor affiliate, Chenghe Group, we will have unique access to a proprietary pipeline of acquisition opportunities in Asia through our active advisory and investment businesses. We believe that these factors will give us an edge over other market participants in terms of sourcing targets for our initial business combination.
• Deep Geographic Connectivity and Expertise. Our management team has deep connectivity and strategic relationships within the broader Asian market opportunity set and poised to identify and the blue chip targets ready to publicly list on the US markets, as well as unique access to global capital through Non-US investor relationships.
• Demonstrated track records in SPAC Transactions. Chenghe Group and our SPAC management team have had success shepherding multiple companies through a DeSPAC process to the US public markets. Our team’s experience and ability to enter into and close transactions, while also successfully raising capital amidst a challenged new issuance backdrop will be an attractive value add for top targets assessing potential SPAC partners.
• Investment Experience. We believe that our team’s track record of identifying, sourcing and advising on transactions positions us well to appropriately evaluate potential business combinations that have a strong potential to be well received by the public markets.
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• Execution and Deal Structuring Capability. We believe that our team’s combined expertise and reputation will allow us to source and complete transactions possessing structural attributes that create an attractive investment thesis. These types of transactions are typically complex and require creativity, industry knowledge and expertise, rigorous due diligence, and extensive negotiations and documentation. We believe that by focusing our investment activities on these types of transactions, we will be able to generate investment opportunities that have attractive risk-reward profiles.
• Long-term Value and Strategic Partnership. We believe that our team can create long-term value by collaborating with target management teams, forming strategic partnerships, and enhancing performance.
Business Combination Criteria
Consistent with our business strategy, we have identified the following general and non-exclusive criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses. We intend to use these criteria and guidelines in evaluating initial business combination opportunities, although we may enter into our initial business combination with target business or businesses that do not strictly meet any or all of these criteria and guidelines.
• Exceptional Management Teams. We will be focusing on seasoned blue-chip management teams comprised of industry leaders which are public ready and have demonstrated a history of driving growth for the company and delivering on operational and financial metrics for investors. To the extent we believe it will enhance shareholder value, we would seek to selectively supplement the existing management team of the business with proven leaders and executives from our network.
• Capabilities to leverage the compelling market trends in Asian markets. We will target one or more businesses that have gained sustainable competitive advantages, demonstrated potential for strong growth in the future, and have significant opportunities in and/or synergies with Asian markets. We believe this approach will enable us to effectively leverage our strong network to identify attractive opportunities and that the larger market capitalization and public float of the resulting company will be more attractive to our investors.
• Large addressable market and high growth prospects. We intend to focus on companies with fundamentally sound business models today, that operate in a large underlying addressable market with strong tail winds that we believe will support significant growth and superior returns over time This would include companies with embedded or underexploited growth opportunities or those that may benefit from capital infusion to execute on from synergistic add-on acquisitions, increased production capacity, expense reductions, technology upgrades and increased operating leverage.
• Resilient financial profiles. We will prioritize companies that are appropriately capitalized today, and in a strong liquidity position to continue to operate the business. Capital infusions tied to the business combination would look to augment operational metrics and growth.
• Potential to further improve with expertise and partnership. Our management team has a history of accelerating growth of companies with strong historical performance. We believe our team’s experience in our target sectors and network of industry contacts have the potential to generate opportunities to enhance the financial and operational efficiencies of the target businesses, through identifiable catalysts that could transform the value of these investments, and potentially offer an attractive return for our shareholders.
• Targets which are public ready and would benefit from access to the public capital markets. We intend to seek targets that have robust corporate governance, with existing reporting polices that would exemplify preparedness for the scrutiny of public markets, and that would benefit from being a public company with an increased public profile, and increased access to a more diversified pool of capital.
These criteria are not intended to be exhaustive. We will also utilize our operational and capital allocation experience. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination may be based on these general guidelines as well as other considerations, factors, and criteria that our management may deem relevant. In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a due diligence review 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.
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Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets
Our robust pipeline of business combination targets will be fueled by the extensive connectivity, networks, and relationships cultivated by our seasoned management team, board of directors, our affiliated sponsor Chenghe Group, and lead underwriter and advisor Cohen & Co. Capital Markets. Our team’s sourcing activities are driven by access to high-quality deal flow from our internal networks, strategic partners, and trusted advisors, all of which are rigorously evaluated against our stringent acquisition criteria. Leveraging our team’s collective technical, operational, and transactional expertise, we will meticulously identify and assess acquisition targets poised to deliver substantial value to our shareholders through our initial business combination.
We are incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands as an exempted company with limited liability and operations from outside the United States, and a majority of our assets will be located within the United States immediately after this offering. Our corporate 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. The rights of shareholders to take action against the directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under the law of the Cayman Islands are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. Three of our directors following the closing of this offering, namely, Anna Zhou, Shibin Wang and James Zhang, are located in Hong Kong. Additionally, Richard Li, our chairman of the advisory board, and Lyle Wang, our CFO, are located in Hong Kong as well. Because of such ties of our officers and directors to mainland China or Hong Kong, we may be governed by PRC laws and regulations. For the risks related thereto, please see “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Acquiring and Operating a Business in China and Other Foreign Countries — Given that most of our directors and officers have ties to mainland China and/or Hong Kong, the Chinese government may exercise oversight and discretion over their conduct including their search for a target company, the Chinese government may intervene or influence our operations at any time or may exert more control over offerings conducted overseas by and foreign investment in China-based issuers, which could result in a material change in our search for a target business, the PRC Target Company’s business operations post-business combination and/or the value of the securities we are registering.”
In addition, we may seek to acquire a company that is based in mainland China or Hong Kong in an initial business combination. Public shareholders may find it more difficult to enforce liabilities and enforce judgments on individual directors and executive officers, and 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 U.S. company. See “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities” for additional information. For additional risks related to acquiring and operating a business in China, see, e.g., “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Acquiring and Operating a Business in China and Other Foreign Countries — China’s economic, political and social conditions, as well as changes in any government policies, laws and regulations, could have a material adverse effect on our business” and “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Acquiring and Operating a Business in China and Other Foreign Countries — Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of PRC laws and regulations and changes in policies, rules, and regulations in China, which may be quick with little advance notice, could limit the legal protection available to you and us.”
Due to (i) the legal and regulatory risks associated with being based in Hong Kong, and (ii) our sponsor and most of our executive officers and/or directors having ties to PRC or Hong Kong, we may be a less attractive partner to non-PRC or non-Hong Kong based target companies as compared to a non-PRC or non-Hong Kong based SPAC, which may therefore limit the pool of acquisition candidates, and make it harder for us to complete an initial business combination with a target company that is non-PRC or non-Hong Kong based. See “Risk Factors — General Risk Factors — We are a blank check company with no operating history and no revenues, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective” for additional information.’’
Our Acquisition Process
In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review that will encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, inspection of facilities, as well as a review of financial, operational, legal and other information which will be made available to us.
We have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, engaged in any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. From the period commencing with our formation through the date of this prospectus, there have been no communications or discussions between any of our officers, directors or our sponsor and any of their potential contacts or relationships regarding a potential initial business combination. 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. Accordingly, there is no current basis
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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 impact a target business.
Initial Business Combination
NYSE rules require that we must consummate an initial business combination with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the trust account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes paid or payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of execution of the definitive agreement for such business combination. Our board of directors will make the determination as to the fair market value of our initial business combination. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of our initial business combination, 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. While we consider it unlikely that our board of directors will not be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of the target’s assets or prospects.
We anticipate structuring our initial business combination so that the post-transaction 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-transaction 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-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target 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-transaction 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-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination transaction. 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-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be taken into account for purposes of the 80% fair market value test described above. If the business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% fair market value test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses.
Pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, we will have until 24 months from the closing of this offering, or until such earlier liquidation date as our board of directors may approve, to complete an initial business combination. However, we may hold a shareholder vote at any time to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to modify the amount of time we will have to consummate an initial business combination (as well as to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within the time periods described herein or with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity). As described herein, our initial shareholders, executive officers, directors and director nominees have agreed that they will not propose any such amendment 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 (net of permitted withdrawals), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein.
Prior to the date of this prospectus, we will file 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 will be 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.
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Sourcing of Potential Initial Business Combination Targets
We believe our management team is well positioned to identify unique opportunities across the private company landscape, particularly growth companies in Asian markets or global firms with Asian presence. Our selection process will leverage our relationships with leading private company founders, executives of private and public companies, venture capitalists, private equity and growth equity funds.
We have not contacted any of the prospective target businesses that Chenghe Acquisition Co. or Chenghe Acquisition I Co. had considered and rejected as a target business to acquire. However, we may contact such targets subsequent to the closing of this offering if we become aware that such targets are interested in a potential initial business combination with us and such transaction would be attractive to our shareholders. 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.
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 a finder’s fee 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. Any such payments prior to our initial business combination will be made from funds held outside the trust account, including permitted withdrawals.
Conflicts of Interests between (i) Our Sponsor, Officers, Directors and Other Affiliates and (ii) Our Unaffiliated Shareholders
We are not prohibited from paying any fees (such as advisory fees), reimbursements or cash payments to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates, for services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, including the following payments, all of which, if made prior to the completion of our initial business combination, will be paid from (i) funds held outside the trust account or (ii) permitted withdrawals:
• Repayment of up to an aggregate of $300,000 in loans made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses;
• Payment to our sponsor of $15,000 per month, for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support; upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees;
• Reimbursement for any out of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination;
• Payment of a finder’s fee, advisory fee, consulting fee or success fee for any services they render in order to effectuate the completion of our initial business combination; and
• Repayment of non-interest bearing loans which may be made by our sponsor or 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 units of the post-business combination entity at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private placement units. 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.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, executive officers or directors, or completing the business combination through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, executive officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete an initial business combination with a target that is affiliated with our sponsor, executive officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions stating that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view and a majority of our disinterested and independent directors approve such transaction.
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Certain members of our management team (including our independent directors) will directly or indirectly own founder shares and/or private placement units following this offering and, accordingly, 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. The low price that our sponsor and/or our executive officers and directors (directly or indirectly) paid for the founder shares creates an incentive whereby our officers and directors could potentially make a substantial profit even if we select an acquisition target that subsequently declines in value and is unprofitable for public shareholders. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, the founder shares and private placement units may expire worthless, except to the extent the holders thereof receive liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account, which could create an incentive for our sponsor and our executive officers and directors to complete any transaction, regardless of its ultimate value. Further, each of 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 was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.
Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to another entity pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity. For a summary of the entities to which our officers and directors currently have fiduciary duties or contractual obligations, see “Management and Advisory Board — Conflicts of Interest.” 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 other entity, subject to their 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 for any director or officer, on the one hand, and us, on the other. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
In addition, our sponsor and our officers and directors may sponsor or form other special purpose acquisition companies similar to ours or may pursue other business or investment ventures during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. In particular, certain members of our management team have served and/or currently serve as officers and directors of other SPACs. As a result, our sponsor, officers, and 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. Members of our management team have complete discretion, subject to applicable fiduciary duties, as to which blank check company they choose to pursue a business combination and the order in which they pursue business combinations for any of their existing or future blank check companies. Any such companies, businesses or investments may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an initial business combination.
However, particularly considering that other SPACs of which members of our management have served as officers or directors have either consummated their business combinations or entered into a definitive agreement in relation thereto, we do not believe that any such potential conflicts would materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Financial Position
With funds available for a business combination initially in the amount of $72,000,000 (assuming no redemptions), after payment of up to $3,000,000 of deferred underwriting fees (or $82,800,000 (assuming no redemptions) after payment of up to $3,450,000 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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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:
• 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
• 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, members of our management team may not have significant experience or knowledge relating to the operations of the particular target business.
Our key personnel may not 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 may not 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 law or applicable stock exchange rule, or we may decide to seek shareholder approval for business or other legal reasons.
Under the NYSE’s listing rules, shareholder approval would be required for our initial business combination if, for example:
• we issue (other than in a public offering for cash) Class A ordinary shares that will either (a) be equal to or in excess of 20% of the number of Class A ordinary shares then outstanding or (b) have voting power equal to or in excess of 20% of the voting power then outstanding;
• any of our directors, officers or substantial security holders (as defined by the NYSE rules) has a 5% or greater interest, directly or indirectly, in the target business or assets to be acquired and if the number of ordinary shares to be issued, or if the number of ordinary shares into which the securities may be convertible or exercisable, exceeds either (a) 1% of the number of ordinary shares or 1% of the voting power outstanding before the issuance in the case of any of our directors and officers or (b) 5% of the number of ordinary shares or 5% of the voting power outstanding before the issuance in the case of any substantial security holders; or
• the issuance or potential issuance of ordinary shares will result in our undergoing a change of control.
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Permitted Purchases of 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, initial shareholders, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares or public warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. There is no limit on the number of shares our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase in such transactions, subject to compliance with applicable law and NYSE rules. 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 shares or public 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, initial shareholders, directors, 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. 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.
The purpose of any such purchases of shares could be to 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, or to reduce the number of shares being submitted for redemption. The purpose of any such purchases of public warrants could be to reduce the number of public warrants outstanding. 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.
Our sponsor, initial shareholders, officers, directors and/or their affiliates anticipate that they may identify the shareholders with whom our initial shareholders, officers, directors or their affiliates may pursue privately negotiated purchases 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 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 purchase, they would identify and contact only potential selling 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 any of their affiliates will select which shareholders to purchase shares from based on a negotiated price and number of shares and any other factors that they may deem relevant, and will only purchase shares if such purchases 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 will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchases 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 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 an initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (which interest shall be net of permitted withdrawals), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations
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and on the conditions described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 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.
Our initial shareholders, sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares they may hold in connection with the completion of our initial business combination.
Limitations on Redemptions
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that we will only consummate an initial business combination if our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination. In addition, our proposed initial business combination may impose a minimum cash requirement for: (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions. 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 initial business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the initial business combination or redeem any shares in connection with such initial business combination, and all Class A ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof. We may, however, raise funds through the issuance of equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop arrangements we may enter into following consummation of this offering, in order to, among other reasons, satisfy such net tangible assets or minimum cash requirements.
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 initial business combination or (ii) without a shareholder vote by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed initial 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 requirements. Asset acquisitions and share purchases would not typically require shareholder approval while direct mergers with our company (other than with a 90% subsidiary of ours) 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 require shareholder approval. So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on the NYSE, we will be required to comply with the NYSE’s shareholder approval rules.
The requirement that we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares by one of the two methods listed above will be contained in provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and will apply whether or not we maintain our registration under the Exchange Act or our listing on the NYSE. Such provisions may be amended if approved by a special resolution of our shareholders, which is a resolution passed by at least two-thirds of the shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or by proxy at a general meeting of the company and includes a unanimous written resolution.
If we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares in connection with a general meeting, we will:
• 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
• file proxy materials with the SEC.
If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we receive the approval of an ordinary resolution under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and Cayman Islands law, which is a resolution passed by a simple majority of the shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote at a general meeting of the company and includes a unanimous written resolution. In accordance with our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, a quorum for such meeting will be holders of one-third
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of the shares in the capital of the company being individuals present in person or by proxy or if a corporation or other non-natural person by its duly authorized representative or proxy at the general meeting. Our initial shareholders will count towards this quorum and, pursuant to the letter agreement, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote any founder shares, shares underlying the private placement units and any public shares purchased during or after this offering (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination. For purposes of seeking approval of an ordinary resolution, non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial business combination once a quorum is obtained. As a result, in addition to our initial shareholders’ founder shares, we would need 2,393,751, or approximately 31.9% of the 7,500,000 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 all outstanding shares are voted, the over-allotment option is not exercised and applicable law does not require approval by a greater majority than an ordinary resolution). Assuming that the holders of only one-third of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares are present in person or by proxy, representing a quorum under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, and all such shares are voted, we would not need any of the 7,500,000 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 overallotment option is not exercised and applicable law does not require approval by a higher threshold than an ordinary resolution). These quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreements of our initial shareholders, may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination. Each public shareholder may elect to redeem its public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against or abstain from voting on the proposed transaction or whether they were a shareholder on the record date for the shareholder meeting held to approve the proposed transaction.
If a shareholder vote is not required and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will:
• conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers, and
• 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.
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 a specified number of public shares, which number will be based on the requirement that we will only consummate an initial business combination if our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination. If public shareholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete the initial business combination.
Upon the public announcement of our initial business combination, if we elect to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, we or 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.
We intend to require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to, at the holder’s option, either deliver their share certificates to our transfer agent or deliver their shares to our transfer agent electronically using The Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) system, prior to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. In the case of proxy materials, this date may be up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination. In addition, if we conduct redemptions in connection with a shareholder vote, we intend to require a public shareholder seeking redemption of its public shares to also submit a written request for redemption to our transfer agent two business days prior to the vote in which the name of the beneficial owner of such shares is included. The proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring public shareholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. We believe that this will allow our transfer agent to efficiently process any redemptions without the need for further communication or action from the redeeming
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public shareholders, which could delay redemptions and result in additional administrative cost. If the proposed initial business combination is not approved and we continue to search for a target company, we will promptly return any certificates or shares delivered by public shareholders who elected to redeem their shares.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that we will only consummate an initial business combination if our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination. In addition, our proposed initial business combination may impose a minimum cash requirement for: (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions. 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 initial business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the initial business combination or redeem any shares in connection with such initial business combination, and all Class A ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof. We may, however, raise funds through the issuance of equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop arrangements we may enter into following consummation of this offering, in order to, among other reasons, satisfy such net tangible assets or minimum cash requirements.
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 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 seeking redemption rights with respect to 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. 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.
Delivering Share Certificates in Connection with the Exercise of Redemption Rights
As described above, we intend to require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to, at the holder’s option, either deliver their share certificates to our transfer agent or deliver their shares to our transfer agent electronically using The Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) system, prior to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. In the case of proxy materials, this date may be up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination. In addition, if we conduct redemptions in connection with a shareholder vote, we intend to require a public shareholder seeking redemption of its public shares to also submit a written request for redemption to our transfer agent two business days prior to the vote in which the name of the beneficial owner of such shares is included. The proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring public shareholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. Accordingly, a public shareholder would have up to two business days prior to the vote on the initial business combination if we distribute proxy materials, or from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, as applicable, to submit or tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. In the event that a shareholder fails to comply with these or any other procedures disclosed in the proxy or tender offer materials, as applicable, its shares may not be redeemed. Given the relatively short exercise period, 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 process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC system. The transfer agent will typically charge the broker submitting or tendering shares 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 submit or 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.
Any request to redeem such shares, once made, may be withdrawn at any time up to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. 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 initial business combination is not completed, we may continue to try to complete an initial business combination with a different target until the end of the completion window.
Redemption of Public Shares and Liquidation if No Initial Business Combination
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that we will have only until the end of the completion window to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within such completion window, 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 (which interest shall be net of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating 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 each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and in all cases subject to the other requirements of applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window.
Our initial shareholders, sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window or any extended period of time that we may have to consummate an initial business combination as a result of an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. However, if our initial shareholders, sponsor or management team acquire public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the allotted completion window.
Our initial shareholders, sponsor, officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a letter agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window or with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, 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 (which interest shall be net of permitted withdrawals), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. However, we will only redeem our public shares if our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,0001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination.
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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 approximately $675,000 of proceeds held outside the trust account, although there may not be sufficient funds for such purpose. However, if those funds are not sufficient to cover the costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, to the extent that there is any interest accrued in the trust account not required to pay taxes (excluding U.S. federal excise tax) or make other permitted withdrawals, we may request the trustee to release to us an additional amount of up to $100,000 of such accrued interest to pay those costs and expenses.
If we were to expend all of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, other than the proceeds deposited in the trust account, and without taking into account interest, if any, earned on the trust account and any permitted withdrawals or expenses for the dissolution of the trust, the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders upon our dissolution would be approximately $10.00. The proceeds deposited 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 substantially less than $10.00. While we intend to pay such amounts, if any, we may not have funds sufficient to pay or provide for all creditors’ claims.
Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), 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 consider whether competitive alternatives are reasonably available to us and will only enter into an agreement with such third party if management believes that such third party’s engagement would be in the best interests of the company under the circumstances. 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. The underwriters of this offering and our independent registered public accounting firm will not execute agreements 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 for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or other similar agreement or business combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 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 $10.00 per public share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less permitted withdrawals, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the trust account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) 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. 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. Our sponsor may not 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 $10.00 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 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) $10.00 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 $10.00 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case less permitted withdrawals,
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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, due to claims of creditors, the actual value of the per-share redemption price will not be less than $10.00 per 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 (except our independent registered public accounting firm), 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 approximately $675,000 from the proceeds of this offering as well as permitted withdrawals 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. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $700,000, 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 $700,000, 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 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, we may not be able to return $10.00 per 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 shareholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy or insolvency laws as either a “preferential transfer” or a “fraudulent preference, conveyance or disposition”. As a result, a bankruptcy or other 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 the completion window, (ii) in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window or with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity or (iii) if they redeem their respective shares for cash upon the completion of our initial business combination. 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.
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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 are unable to complete our initial business combination within the completion window.
| | 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 an initial business combination (which is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per share), including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust account (which interest shall be net of permitted withdrawals), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitation that we will only consummate an initial business combination if our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination. | | If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial shareholders, 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 initial shareholders, 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 non-public 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 the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will comply with such rules. | | If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, 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 $10.00 per share), including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (which interest shall be net of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of 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 |
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 interest withdrawn in order to pay our taxes (to the extent not paid from amounts accrued as interest on the funds held in the trust account, excluding U.S. federal excise tax which do not form part of permitted withdrawal). | | 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 initial shareholders, who will be our only remaining shareholders 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 | | $75,000,000 of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units will be deposited into a trust account located in the United States with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee. | | Approximately $63,450,000 of the offering proceeds, representing the gross proceeds of this offering, 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. |
Investment of net proceeds | | $75,000,000 of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units 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. To mitigate the risk that we might be deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, which risk increases the longer that we hold investments in the trust account, we may, at any time (and will no later than 24 months from the closing of this offering) instruct the trustee to liquidate the investments held in the trust account and instead to hold the funds in the trust account in cash or in an interest bearing demand deposit account. | | 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. |
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| | Terms of Our Offering | | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering |
Receipt of interest on escrowed funds | | Interest on proceeds from the trust account to be paid to shareholders is reduced by (i) permitted withdrawals 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 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 | | We must complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of our assets held in the trust account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes paid or payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of execution of the definitive agreement for such business combination. | | The fair value or net assets of a target business must represent at least 80% of the maximum offering proceeds. |
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 unless the Representative informs us of its 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, which closing is anticipated to take place three business days from the date of this prospectus, including, if the underwriters exercise the over-allotment option simultaneously with the initial closing, the proceeds of the over-allotment. | | 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. |
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 (which interest shall be net of permitted withdrawals), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein. We may not be required by law to hold a shareholder vote. If we are not required by law 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 shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we receive the approval of an ordinary resolution under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and Cayman Islands law, which is a resolution passed by a simple majority of the shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote at a general meeting of the company and includes a unanimous written resolution. Additionally, each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against or abstain from voting on the proposed transaction, or whether they were a public shareholder on the record date for the general meeting held to approve the proposed transaction. | | 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 |
Business combination deadline | | If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within the completion window, 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 (which interest shall be net of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating 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 each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and in all cases subject to the requirements of other applicable law. | | 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. |
Release of funds | | Except for permitted withdrawals, 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 are unable to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, subject to applicable law, and (iii) the redemption of our public shares properly submitted. | | 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. |
| | In connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within the completion window or with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity. | | |
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| | Terms of Our Offering | | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering |
Delivering share certificates in connection with the exercise of redemption rights | | We intend to require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to, at the holder’s option, either deliver their share certificates to our transfer agent or deliver their shares to our transfer agent electronically using The Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) system, prior to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. In the case of proxy materials, this date may be up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination. In addition, if we conduct redemptions in connection with a shareholder vote, we intend to require a public shareholder seeking redemption of its public shares to also submit a written request for redemption to our transfer agent two business days prior to the vote in which the name of the beneficial owner of such shares is included. The proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring public shareholders to satisfy such delivery requirements, which will include the requirement that any beneficial owner on whose behalf a redemption right is being exercised must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. Accordingly, a public shareholder would have up to two business days prior to the vote on the initial business combination if we distribute proxy materials, or from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, as applicable, to submit or tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. | | Many blank check companies provide that a shareholder can vote against a proposed business combination and check a box on the proxy card indicating that such shareholder is seeking to exercise its redemption rights. After the business combination is approved, the company would contact such shareholder to arrange for delivery of its share certificates to verify ownership. |
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| | Terms of Our Offering | | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering |
Limitation on redemption rights of shareholders holding more than 20% of the shares sold in this offering if we hold a shareholder vote | | 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 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 seeking redemption rights with respect to Excess Shares, without our prior consent. However, we would not restrict our shareholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination. | | Many blank check companies provide no restrictions on the ability of shareholders to redeem shares based on the number of shares held by such shareholders in connection with an initial business combination. |
Competition
In identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business for our initial business combination, we may encounter competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including other special purpose acquisition companies, private equity groups and leveraged buyout funds, public companies and 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 or are forced to 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
Our executive offices are located at 38 Beach Road #29-11, South Beach Tower, Singapore, 189767 and our telephone number is (65) 9851 8611. Commencing on the date of this prospectus, we have agreed to pay our sponsor a total of $15,000 per month for office space, utilities, secretarial and administrative services; upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.
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.
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We will provide shareholders with audited financial statements of the prospective target business as part of the proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents sent to shareholders to assist them in assessing the target business. In all likelihood, these financial statements will need 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 conduct an initial business combination with 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 business combination 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 business combination 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, 2025 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 be required to have our internal control procedures audited. 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 business combination.
Prior to the date of this prospectus, we will file 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 will be 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 tax exemption undertaking from the Cayman Islands government that, in accordance with Section 6 of the Tax Concessions Act (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, 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.
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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 $1.235 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 securities during the prior three-year period.
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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MANAGEMENT AND ADVISORY BOARD
Management
Our officers, directors, and director nominees are as follows:
Name | | Age | | Position |
Shibin Wang | | 47 | | Chairman of Board of Directors |
Anna Zhou | | 37 | | Chief Executive Officer and Director |
Lyle Wang | | 25 | | Chief Financial Officer |
Kwan Sun | | 59 | | Independent director nominee |
James Zhang | | 58 | | Independent director nominee |
Ning Ma | | 51 | | Independent director nominee |
Dr. Shibin Wang, our Chairman of our Board of Directors, has over 15 years’ experience in sales and trading of structured financial products, cross-border financing and other capital market activities. Over such period, his clients or counterparts have included major banks (China Development Bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Agriculture Bank of China and China Construction Bank), leading organizations (China National Offshore Oil Corporation and GCL-Poly Energy) and leading private equity firms (Hillhouse Capital and Greenwoods Asset Management). Since April 2019, Dr. Wang has served as a co-founder and the Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong Digital Asset Ex Ltd. (or “HKbitEX”), a regulated digital asset exchange in Hong Kong dedicated to providing a regulatory-compliant and safe digital asset spot trading and over-the-counter trading services to professional investors in Asia. Under Dr. Wang’s leadership, the company was among the first organizations in Asia-Pacific to apply for a virtual asset trading platform licence from the Securities and Futures Commission in Hong Kong, and was recognized as one of China’s top 50 fintech companies in the “2020 KPMG China Fintech 50.” In 2018, Dr. Wang advised the Intelligent Investment Chain Foundation on funding and ecosystem development. The Intelligent Investment Chain Foundation is a decentralized virtual asset management application developed based on Ethereum smart contracts with an ecology including quantitative funds, cross-chain wealth management wallets and media. Dr. Wang’s served Oriental Patron Financial Group as Chief Marketing Officer from April 2016 to August 2018, during which he led the company’s blockchain initiatives and fintech investments. Under Dr. Wang’s leadership, Oriental Patron made investments in DIDI Chuxing and CarbonX, organized a number of forums with leading institutions as well as established the Renminbi-denominated Fintech/Internet Plus fund, with Renminbi 3 billion of assets under management, in collaboration with Magnetic Capital in Shanghai. Dr. Wang was an executive director and head of China structure solutions at Deutsche Bank Hong Kong from June 2010 to January 2016. Prior to that, he worked at FICC Goldman Sachs from April 2008 to June 2010 and at China Development Bank managing a fixed-income portfolio from November 2003 to March 2008. Dr. Wang is also shareholder of SECUSOFT Tech, Jiedaibao and ZhongYou International Education. Dr. Wang has been a director of Chenghe Acquisition Co. from April 2021 to February 2024, and a director and the chairman of board of Chenghe Acquisition I Co. since October 2023.
Dr. Wang obtained a bachelor’s degree in international trading from Dongbei University of Finance & Economics, as well as a master of economics degree and a Ph.D., both from the Finance Institute of the People’s Bank of China. We believe that Dr. Wang is qualified to serve on our Board of Directors due to his significant finance experience and leadership.
Anna Zhou, our Chief Executive Officer and director, has considerable experience in equity research and finance. Ms. Zhou focused on equity research since beginning her career in 2011 and specialized in the China and U.S. Technology, Media, and Telecom (“TMT”) sector including smartphones, digital consumer products, internet services and emerging platform economies. She has been working on in-depth research and rigorous valuation studies in various sectors. She was a senior associate at Mighty Divine Investment Management Limited from October 2019 to March 2021, the research associate of the long-only portfolio of China Great Wall AMC (International) Holdings Company Limited from October 2017 to October 2019 and the QDII fund of Anbang Asset Management (Hong Kong) Co. Limited from 2016 to 2017. She also spent two years in BOCOM International as a data analyst in its market strategy team from 2014 to 2016, publishing weekly notes on China’s commodity sector. Ms. Zhou began her career in 2011 focusing on equity research and specialized in China and U.S. Technology, Media, and Telecom (“TMT”) industries, including covering smartphones, digital consumer products, internet services and emerging platform. Ms. Zhou has been involved in investments in Futu Holdings Ltd., Meituan Dianping, Bilibili Inc. and Pingduoduo Inc. when she worked as an equity analyst at Mighty Divine Investment Management Limited, and investments in
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Sunny Optical Technology (Group) Company Limited when she worked as an equity analyst at China Great Wall AMC (International) Holdings Company Limited. From April 2021 to February 2024, Ms. Zhou served as Chief Financial Officer of Chenghe Acquisition Co. Ms. Zhou also serves as the chief executive officer and the chief financial officer of Chenghe Acquisition I Co. since October 2023.
Ms. Zhou received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, information and application from Université Paris 5 and a master’s degree in financial mathematics and statistics from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. We believe that Ms. Zhou is qualified to serve on our Board of Directors due to her significant finance experience.
Lyle Wang, our Chief Financial Officer, has considerable experience in finance and investment. Mr. Wang has served as an associate at Chenghe Capital Management Limited since March 2023. Prior to that, he served as Client Manager at the Retail Finance Department of China Merchants Bank from August 2020 to May 2021, managing more than 700 client accounts with an AUM of over RMB300 million and advising clients with respect to investment strategy and portfolio. Mr. Wang received a bachelor of engineering degree from Northwestern Polytechnical University and a master degree in Finance from The University of Hong Kong.
Kwan Sun will serve as an independent director of our company immediately upon the effectiveness of our registration statement on Form S-1, of which this prospectus is a part. Mr. Sun founded Millburn Advisory LLC, a real estate fund manager, in 2018 and has served as its managing partner since then. From 2015 to 2018, Mr. Sun served as the vice chairman of Nan Fung Group’s U.S. businesses to help develop Nan Fung Group’s U.S. real estate business. Mr. Sun served as a director at Deutsche Bank in structured products department from 1997 to 2003, and as a director at Morgan Stanley in structured products department from 2003 to 2007. Thereafter, Mr. Sun served as a managing director at Deutsche Bank in structured products department from 2007 to 2009 and as a managing director at Morgan Stanley in the investment banking department from 2009 to 2014. Prior to joining Deutsche Bank in 1997, he served as a vice president the capital markets department of Merrill Lynch, where he focused on trading fix income derivatives. He was employed at Merrill Lynch from 1992 to 1997. Mr. Sun has been a director of Chenghe Acquisition Co. since April 2022, and Chenghe Acquisition Co. subsequently changed its name to Semilux International Ltd after its business combination in February 2024. Mr. Sun has been a director of a director of Chenghe Acquisition I Co. since October 2023. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University. We believe that Mr. Sun is qualified to serve on our Board of Directors due to his significant experience in finance and investment.
James Zhang will serve as an independent director of our company immediately upon the effectiveness of our registration statement on Form S-1, of which this prospectus is a part. Dr. Zhang has significant experience in entrepreneurship and venture capitalist in both the U.S. and greater China. Since August 2021, Dr. Zhang has been the chief investment officer, technologies and venture capital, of Great Eagle Holdings Limited (HKSE: 00041), a multinational corporation with rich experiences in technology investment, property development, and hotel and property management. Dr. Zhang has been an Adjunct Associate Professor of Finance since August 2019 and an Associate Professor of Science Practice since February 2022 at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, where he teaches venture capital and entrepreneurship. Dr. Zhang has also been an advisor of Venture University since 2020, where he co-founded the Asian Office based in Hong Kong. Dr. Zhang also serves as co-founder and director of WaterCare Technologies Limited, director of Base Therapeutics Group Holding Limited, and director of Great Eagle Venture Capital (HK) Limited. Dr. Zhang also serves as independent director of Chenghe Acquisition I Co. since October 2023. Dr. Zhang was a venture partner of the GRC Fund from September 2014 to July 2021, co-founder, chief executive officer and director of Modular Bioscience Inc. from March 2018 to December 2021, director of Centrillion Technologies Taiwan from February 2016 to June 2023, founding partner of Formation 8 (currently named 8VC) from 2012 to 2016, venture partner of Softbank China Venture Capital from 2010 to 2012, and entrepreneur in residence at Khosla Ventures from 2009 to 2010. Prior to becoming a venture capitalist, Dr. Zhang was an entrepreneur in Silicon Valley for over ten years, and co-founder of several startup companies. Dr. Zhang received his Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of California, Davis, and has completed post-doctoral and business trainings from Stanford University and Stanford Graduate School of Business, respectively. We believe that Mr. Zhang is qualified to serve on our Board of Directors due to his significant experience in finance and investment.
Ning Ma will serve as an independent director of our company immediately upon the effectiveness of our registration statement on Form S-1, of which this prospectus is a part. In July 2015, Mr. Ma founded Lingfeng Capital Partners, Limited (“Lingfeng”), a private equity firm focusing on investing in fintech companies in Asia, in sub-sectors such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud, big data, lending technology, insurance technology, health care services, investment technology, payment and credit rating, and digital assets. Mr. Ma has served as a partner at Lingfeng since July 2015. Prior to founding Lingfeng, Mr. Ma worked at Goldman Sachs (Asia) L.L.C.
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(“Goldman Sachs”) for thirteen years from August 2002 to June 2015 where, among other roles, he served as co-head of the Asia Pacific Financial Institutions Equity Research. He was also a member of the Goldman Sachs China Operating Committee and a member of the Asia Pacific Client and Business Standards Committee. He held various positions with Beijing Gao Hua Securities Company Limited and served as the deputy general manager and managing director from 2010 to 2015. Prior to Goldman Sachs, Mr. Ma was a regulator at the headquarters of the People’s Bank of China from 1996 to 2000, where he was actively involved in the regulation, financial reform and policy-making relating to foreign banks and non-bank financial institutions including trust companies, asset management companies, finance companies and leasing companies in China. Mr. Ma currently serves as an independent director for several financial institutions in Asia including Ant Consumer Finance Company, China Renaissance Securities and BOCOM International. He has been teaching at Tsinghua University PBC School of Finance since 2010. Mr. Ma has been a director of Chenghe Acquisition Co. from April 2022 to February 2024, and a director of Chenghe Acquisition I Co. since October 2023. He received a bachelor’s degree from Renmin University of China, a master’s degree in business administration from London Business School and a master’s degree in international finance from Tsinghua University PBC School of Finance. We believe that Mr. Ma is qualified to serve on our Board of Directors due to his significant experience in finance and regulatory insights.
Advisory Board
We have established an advisory board, the role and functions of which will be determined by the board of directors from time to time. We currently expect our advisory board to, upon the request of the directors, provide its business insights (i) in sourcing potential business combination targets, (ii) when we assess potential business combination targets and (iii) as we work to create additional value in the business or businesses that we acquire. The role of the advisory board is consultative in nature to support our directors and officers in operating our business, and it will not perform managerial board or committee functions. Members of the advisory board will not be subject to the fiduciary requirements to which our board of directors are subject, nor will advisory board members have any internal voting or decision making role, or any authority to act on our behalf. The board of directors is not required to follow any advice, comments or recommendations of the advisory board in relation to the matters described herein. We have not entered into any agreements governing our relationship with any members of our advisory board, and we may modify or expand our roster of advisory board members as we source potential business combination targets or work to create value in the business or businesses that we acquire.
Mr. Richard Li currently serves on our advisory board and is the chairman of the advisory board.
Richard Qi Li has more than two decades of experience in the financial service industry. Until February 2021, Mr. Li had been, from 2017, the Chief Investment Officer and, from 2019, the Chief Operating Officer of China Great Wall AMC (International) Holdings Company Limited and, from 2018, the Chief Executive Officer of Great Wall Pan Asia Asset Management Ltd., both subsidiaries of China Great Wall Asset Management Co. Ltd., a leading asset management company based in China. Mr. Li was previously a managing director and the head of China securities at Goldman Sachs Asia, and a managing director and the head of North Asia capital markets and treasury solutions at Deutsche Bank Hong Kong. Prior to joining Deutsche Bank, Mr. Li worked at Merrill Lynch, the World Bank, and the Ministry of Finance of the PRC. Since April 2021, Mr. Li has served as the Chief Executive Officer and director of HH&L Acquisition Co., an NYSE-listed blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. From April 2022 to February 2024, he also served as Chairman of Chenghe Acquisition Co., a NASDAQ-listed blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. Since October 2023, he has also served as the chairman of the advisory board of Chenghe Acquisition I Co..
Mr. Li has worked with or advised many financial institutions in Greater China on capital markets activities, sales and trading of fixed income products and structured equities, investment, risk management, and/or building up trading or asset management platforms. His clients or counterparts have included leading sovereign wealth funds (State Administration of Foreign Exchange and China Investment Corporation), large banks (Bank of China, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China, China Construction Bank and China Merchants Bank), insurers (China Life, PICC, Ping An Insurance) and asset managers (National Social Security Fund, China Asset Management and Harvest Fund). Mr. Li also advised Shanghai Pudong Development Bank in connection with the formation of a business alliance and the establishment of a credit card joint venture with Citibank in 2002. In addition, Mr. Li’s experience includes investment in Meituan Dianping, one of China’s top-tier e-commerce companies,
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We Doctor Holdings Limited, one of China’s top-tier online healthcare companies, Biotest AG, a Germany-based blood plasma products marker, and Bio Products Laboratory Ltd., a UK-based plasma biotherapeutics company. He has also been involved, as either an investor or an advisor, in investments in the consumer, energy and real estate sectors in Asia and globally. Mr. Li also has experience leading several significant capital raising transactions.
Mr. Li obtained a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in economics from Nankai University in China and a master of business administration from Columbia Business School. He was also a visiting scholar at Harvard University in 2019.
We believe our management team has the skills and experience to identify, evaluate and consummate a business combination and is positioned to assist businesses we acquire. However, our management team’s network of contacts, and its investing and operating experience, do not guarantee a successful initial business combination. The members of our management team are not required to devote any significant amount of time to our business and are involved with other businesses. We cannot guarantee that our current officers and directors will continue in their respective roles, or in any other role, after our initial business combination, and their expertise may only be of benefit to us until we complete our initial business combination. Past performance by our management team is not a guarantee of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate.
Number and Terms of Office of Officers and Directors
Following the commencement of trading of our securities on the NYSE, Our board of directors will consist of five members and will be 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 NYSE 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 NYSE. The term of office of the first class of directors, consisting of Kwan Sun, will expire at our first annual general meeting. The term of office of the second class of directors, consisting of James Zhang and Ning Ma, will expire at the second annual meeting of shareholders. The term of office of the third class of directors, consisting of Anna Zhou and Shibin Wang, will expire at the third annual general meeting.
Only holders of Class B ordinary shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. Holders of our public shares will not be entitled to vote on the appointment of directors during such time. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association relating to the rights of holders of Class B ordinary shares to appoint directors may be amended by a special resolution passed by at least 90% of such members as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or by proxy at a general meeting, or by way of unanimous written resolution.
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 officers as it deems appropriate pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.
Director Independence
The rules of the NYSE require that a majority of our board of directors be independent within one year of our initial public offering. An “independent director” is defined generally as a person who, in the opinion of the company’s board of directors, has no material relationship with the listed company (either directly or as a partner, shareholder or officer of an organization that has a relationship with the company). 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 NYSE rules and applicable SEC rules prior to completion of this offering. Our board of directors has determined that each of Kwan Sun, Ning Ma and James Zhang will be an “independent director” as defined in the NYSE listing standards and applicable SEC rules. Our independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.
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Officer, Director and Advisory Board Member Compensation
None of our officers, directors or advisory board members have received any cash compensation for services rendered to us. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers or directors or members of our advisory board, or our or their affiliates. Any such payments prior to an initial business combination will be made from funds held outside the trust account.
We are not prohibited from paying any fees (including advisory fees), reimbursements or cash payments to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates, for services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, including the following payments, all of which, if made prior to the completion of our initial business combination, will be paid from (i) funds held outside the trust account or (ii) permitted withdrawals:
• Repayment of up to an aggregate of $300,000 in loans made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses;
• Payment to our sponsor of $15,000 per month, for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support; upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees;
• Reimbursement for any out of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination;
• Payment of a finder’s fee, advisory fee, consulting fee or success fee for any services they render in order to effectuate the completion of our initial business combination; and
• Repayment of non-interest bearing loans which may be made by our sponsor or 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 units of the post-business combination entity at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private placement units. 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.
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 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, officers and directors, or any of 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 initial 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 initial business combination, because the directors of the post-combination entity will be responsible for determining officer and director compensation. Any compensation to be paid to our 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 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 officers and directors that provide for benefits upon termination of employment.
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Committees of the Board of Directors
Upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, our board of directors will have three standing committees: an audit committee, a compensation committee and a nominating and corporate governance committee. Both our audit committee and our compensation committee will be composed solely of independent directors. Subject to phase-in rules, the rules of NYSE and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act require that the audit committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors, and the rules of NYSE require that the compensation committee and the nominating and corporate governance committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors. Each committee will operate under a charter that will be approved by our board and will have the composition and responsibilities described below. The charter of each committee will be available on our website following the closing of this offering.
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. Kwan Sun, Ning Ma and James Zhang will serve as members, and Ning Ma will serve as the Chairman of the audit committee. Each of Kwan Sun, Ning Ma and James Zhang is independent of and unaffiliated with our sponsor and our underwriters. Under the NYSE 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 Ning Ma qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules and has accounting or related financial management expertise.
We will adopt an audit committee charter, which will detail the principal functions of the audit committee, including:
• assisting board oversight of (1) the integrity of our financial statements, (2) our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, (3) our independent registered public accounting firm’s qualifications and independence, and (4) the performance of our internal audit function and independent auditors; the appointment, compensation, retention, replacement, and oversight of the work of the independent auditors and any other independent registered public accounting firm engaged by us;
• pre-approving all audit and non-audit services to be provided by the independent auditors or any other registered public accounting firm engaged by us, and establishing pre-approval policies and procedures; reviewing and discussing with the independent auditors all relationships the auditors have with us in order to evaluate their continued independence;
• setting clear policies for audit partner rotation in compliance with applicable laws and regulations; obtaining and reviewing a report, at least annually, from the independent registered public accounting firm describing (1) the independent auditors’ internal quality-control procedures and (2) any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality-control review, or peer review, of the audit firm, or by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities, within the preceding five years respecting one or more independent audits carried out by the firm and any steps taken to deal with such issues;
• meeting to review and discuss our annual audited financial statements and quarterly financial statements with management and the independent auditors, including reviewing our specific disclosures under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”; reviewing and approving any related party transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC prior to us entering into such transaction; and
• reviewing with management, the independent auditors, and our legal advisors, as appropriate, any legal, regulatory or compliance matters, including any correspondence with regulators or government agencies and any employee complaints or published reports that raise material issues regarding our financial statements or accounting policies and any significant changes in accounting standards or rules promulgated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the SEC or other regulatory authorities.
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Compensation Committee
Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish a compensation committee of the board of directors. Kwan Sun, Ning Ma and James Zhang will serve as members, and Ning Ma will serve as the chairman of the compensation committee. Each of Kwan Sun, Ning Ma and James Zhang is independent of and unaffiliated with our sponsor and our underwriters.
We will adopt a compensation committee charter, which will detail the principal functions of the compensation committee, including:
• 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’s based on such evaluation;
• reviewing and making recommendations to our board of directors with respect to the compensation, and any incentive compensation and equity based plans that are subject to board approval of all of our other officers;
• reviewing our executive compensation policies and plans;
• implementing and administering our incentive compensation equity-based remuneration plans;
• assisting management in complying with our proxy statement and annual report disclosure requirements;
• approving all special perquisites, special cash payments and other special compensation and benefit arrangements for our officers and employees;
• producing a report on executive compensation to be included in our annual proxy statement; and
• reviewing, evaluating and recommending changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration for directors.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, as indicated above, other than the payment to our sponsor of $15,000 per month, for up to 24 months, for office space, utilities, and secretarial and administrative services and reimbursement of expenses, no compensation of any kind, including finders, consulting or other similar fees, will be paid to any of our existing shareholders, officers, directors or any of their respective affiliates, prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate the consummation of an initial business combination. Accordingly, it is likely that prior to the consummation of an initial business combination, the compensation committee will only be responsible for the review and recommendation of any compensation arrangements to be entered into in connection with such initial business combination.
The charter will also provide that the compensation committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of a compensation consultant, independent 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 NYSE and the SEC.
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish a nominating and corporate governance committee of the board of directors. Kwan Sun, Ning Ma and James Zhang will serve as members, and Ning Ma will serve as the chairman, of the nominating and corporate governance committee. Each of Kwan Sun, Ning Ma and James Zhang is independent of and unaffiliated with our sponsor and our underwriters.
We will adopt a nominating and corporate governance committee charter, which will detail the purpose and responsibilities of the nominating and corporate governance committee, including:
• identifying, screening and reviewing individuals qualified to serve as directors, consistent with criteria approved by the board, and recommending to the board of directors candidates for nomination for appointment at the annual general meeting or to fill vacancies on the board of directors;
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• developing and recommending to the board of directors and overseeing implementation of our corporate governance guidelines;
• coordinating and overseeing the annual self-evaluation of the board of directors, its committees, individual directors and management in the governance of the company; and
• reviewing on a regular basis our overall corporate governance and recommending improvements as and when necessary.
The charter will also provide that the nominating and corporate governance committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of, and terminate, any search firm to be used to identify director candidates, and will be directly responsible for approving the search firm’s fees and other retention terms.
We have not formally established any specific, minimum qualifications that must be met or skills that are necessary for directors to possess. In general, in identifying and evaluating nominees for director, the board of directors considers educational background, diversity of professional experience, knowledge of our business, integrity, professional reputation, independence, wisdom, and the ability to represent the best interests of our shareholders. Prior to our initial business combination, holders of our public shares will not have the right to recommend director candidates for nomination to our board of directors.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
None of our officers currently serves, or in the past year has served, as a member of the compensation committee of any entity that has one or more officers serving on our board of directors.
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
Prior to the consummation of this offering, we will have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applicable to our directors, officers and employees. We will file a copy of our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. You will be able to review this document by accessing our public filings at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. In addition, a copy of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and the charters of the committees of our board of directors will be provided without charge upon request from us. See the section of this prospectus entitled “Where You Can Find Additional Information.” If we make any amendments to our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics other than technical, administrative or other non-substantive amendments, or grant any waiver, including any implicit waiver, from a provision of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applicable to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer principal accounting officer or controller or persons performing similar functions requiring disclosure under applicable SEC or NYSE rules, we will disclose the nature of such amendment or waiver on our website. The information included on our website is not incorporated by reference into this Form S-1 or in any other report or document we file with the SEC, and any references to our website are intended to be inactive textual references only.
Conflicts of Interest
Under Cayman Islands law, directors and officers owe the following fiduciary duties:
(i) 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;
(ii) duty to exercise powers for the purposes for which those powers were conferred and not for a collateral purpose;
(iii) directors should not improperly fetter the exercise of future discretion;
(iv) duty to exercise powers fairly as between different sections of shareholders;
(v) 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
(vi) duty to exercise independent judgment.
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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 memorandum and articles of association or alternatively by shareholder approval at general meetings.
Mr. Li, currently the sole member of the advisory board, and any future members of the advisory board are not subject to any of the fiduciary duties described above. Other than transactions disclosed herein, Mr. Li has no contractual or other obligations to perform specific duties or avoid conflicts of interest in his capacity as a member of the advisory board.
Each of our officers and directors and advisory board members presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to another entity pursuant to which such officer, director or advisory board member is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity. Accordingly, if any of our officers, directors or advisory board members 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. In particular, certain members of our management team have served and/or currently serve as officers and directors of other SPACs. As a result, our sponsor, officers, and 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. Members of our management team have complete discretion, subject to applicable fiduciary duties, as to which blank check company they choose to pursue a business combination and the order in which they pursue business combinations for any of their existing or future blank check companies. 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. However, particularly considering that other SPACs of which members of our management have served as officers or directors have either consummated their business combinations or entered into a definitive agreement in relation thereto, we do not believe that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers, directors or advisory board members will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Below is a table summarizing the entities to which our officers and directors currently have fiduciary duties or contractual obligations:
Individual | | Position | | Entity | | Entity’s Business | | Affiliation |
| | | | Hong Kong Digital Asset Ex Ltd. | | Digital asset exchange platform | | Co-founder, Director, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Business Officer |
Shibin Wang | | Chairman of Board of Directors | | Chenghe Acquisition I Co. | | Blank check company | | Director |
| | | | Chenghe Investment Private Ltd. | | Capital investment | | Director |
Anna Zhou | | Chief Executive Officer and Director | | Chenghe Acquisition I Co. | | Blank check company | | Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer |
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Individual | | Position | | Entity | | Entity’s Business | | Affiliation |
| | | | Tykhe Capital Limited | | Capital investment | | Director |
| | | | Millburn Advisory LLC | | Capital investment | | Managing partner |
| | | | Semilux International Ltd | | Semiconductor chip production | | Director |
Kwan Sun | | Independent director nominee | | Chenghe Acquisition I Co. | | Blank check company | | Director |
| | | | Great Eagle Holdings Limited | | Capital investment | | Chief Investment Officer |
James Zhang | | Independent director nominee | | Chenghe Acquisition I Co. | | Blank check company | | Director |
| | | | Lingfeng Capital Partners, Limited | | Capital investment | | Founding partner |
| | | | Bank of Communication International Limited | | Banking services | | Independent director |
| | | | Ant Consumer Finance Company | | Financial services | | Independent director |
| | | | China Renaissance Securities (Hong Kong) Limited | | Financial services | | Independent director |
Ning Ma | | Independent director nominee | | Chenghe Acquisition I Co. | | Blank check company | | Director |
Potential investors should also be aware of the following other potential conflicts of interest:
• Our officers and directors and advisory board members 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 officers is engaged in several other business endeavors for which he may be entitled to substantial compensation, and our officers are not obligated to contribute any specific number of hours per week to our affairs.
• Our initial shareholders purchased founder shares prior to the date of this prospectus and will purchase private placement units in a transaction that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Our sponsor, officers, directors and advisory board members have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. Additionally, our sponsor, officers, directors and advisory board members have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their 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 prescribed time frame, the private placement warrants will expire worthless. Furthermore, our sponsor, officers, directors and advisory board members have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion thereof until the earlier to occur of: (i) six months after the completion of our initial business combination or (ii) the date following the completion of our initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the closing price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share
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(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, the founder shares will be released from the lockup. The private placement warrants (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) will not be transferable until 30 days following the completion of our initial business combination. Because each of our officers, director nominees and advisory board members 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.
• Our officers and directors and advisory board members 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 or advisory board members, as the case may be, was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a business combination target that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors or advisory board members or completing the business combination through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, officers or directors or advisory board members. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a business combination target that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors or advisory board members, we, or a committee of independent directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking which is a member of FINRA or a valuation or appraisal firm, 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. Furthermore, in no event will our sponsor, any of our existing officers or directors, or advisory board members or any of their respective affiliates, be paid by the company 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 on which our securities are first listed on NYSE, we will also pay our sponsor $15,000 per month for office space, utilities, and secretarial and administrative services provided to us pursuant to a services agreement.
We cannot assure you that any of the above mentioned conflicts will be resolved in our favor.
In the event that we submit our initial business combination to our public shareholders for a vote, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote their founder shares, and they and the other members of our management team have agreed to vote their founder shares and any shares purchased during or after the offering in favor of our initial business combination.
Limitation on Liability and Indemnification of Officers, Directors and Advisory Board Members
Cayman Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company’s memorandum and articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers, directors and advisory board members, 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, fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide for indemnification of our officers, directors and advisory board members 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’, officers’ and advisory board members’ liability insurance that insures our officers, directors and advisory board members against the cost of defense, settlement or payment of a judgment in some circumstances and insures us against our obligations to indemnify our officers, directors and advisory board members.
Our officers and directors and advisory board members have agreed, and we will require any future member of our advisory board to agree, 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. 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.
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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, directors and advisory board members, 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, directors and advisory board members 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, directors and advisory board members.
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PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS
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:
• each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our outstanding ordinary shares;
• each of our executive officers, directors and director nominees; and
• all our executive officers, directors and director nominees 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 units as these warrants are not exercisable within 60 days of the date of this prospectus.
In February 2024, our sponsor paid $25,000 to cover certain expenses on our behalf in consideration of 2,875,000 founder shares (up to 375,000 shares of which are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised), for a purchase price of approximately $0.009 per share. In March 2024, our sponsor transferred an aggregate of 90,000 of its founder shares to our independent director nominees and advisory board member, for their board and advisory services, in each case for no cash consideration. The founder shares transferred to these independent director nominees and advisory board member will not be subject to forfeiture in the event the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised. Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,000 by the sponsor, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. The purchase price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash contributed to the company by the number of founder shares issued. The number of founder shares outstanding was determined based on the expectation that the total size of this offering would be a maximum of 8,625,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, and therefore that such founder shares would represent approximately 25% of the outstanding shares after this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering, and excluding the private placement shares). Up to 375,000 of the founder shares will be forfeited depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment is exercised. The post-offering percentages in the following table assume that the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option, that our initial shareholders have forfeited 375,000 founder shares, and that there are 10,287,500 ordinary shares, consisting of (i) 7,787,500 Class A ordinary shares and (ii) 2,500,000 Class B ordinary shares, issued and outstanding after this offering.
| | Before Offering | | After Offering |
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1) | | Number of Shares Beneficially Owned(2)(4) | | Approximate Percentage of Outstanding Ordinary Shares | | Number of Shares Beneficially Owned | | Approximate Percentage of Outstanding Ordinary Shares |
Chenghe Investment II Limited (our sponsor)(3) | | 2,785,000 | | 96.9 | % | | 2,660,000 | | 25.9 | % |
Shibin Wang | | — | | — | | | — | | — | |
Anna Zhou | | — | | — | | | — | | — | |
Lyle Wang | | — | | — | | | — | | — | |
Ning Ma | | 20,000 | | * | | | 20,000 | | * | |
Kwan Sun | | 20,000 | | * | | | 20,000 | | * | |
James Zhang | | 20,000 | | * | | | 20,000 | | * | |
All executive officers, directors and director nominees as a group (6 individuals) | | 2,845,000 | | 99.0 | % | | 2,720,000 | | 26.4 | % |
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Immediately after this offering, our initial shareholders will beneficially own 26.7% of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering). Only holders of Class B ordinary shares will have the right to appoint directors in any election held prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. Holders of our public shares will not have the right to appoint any directors to our board of directors prior to our initial business combination. Because of this ownership block, our initial shareholders 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 committed to purchase an aggregate of 250,000 private placement units or (266,875 private placement units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $2,500,000 (or $2,668,750 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 underwriters have committed to purchase an aggregate of 37,500 (or 43,125 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) private placement units at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $375,000 (or $431,250 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 units are identical to the warrants included as part of 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 the completion window, the private placement units will expire worthless. The private placement units are subject to the transfer restrictions described below. In addition, the private placement units to be purchased by CCM and/or its permitted designees, are deemed underwriters’ compensation by FINRA and are subject to limitations in accordance with FINRA Rule 5110. Otherwise, the private placement units have terms and provisions that are identical to those of the warrants included in the units being sold in this offering.
Chenghe Investment II Limited, our sponsor, and our executive officers are deemed to be our “promoters” as such term is defined under the federal securities laws.
Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units
The founder shares, private placement units, private placement shares, private placement warrants and any Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion or exercise thereof are each subject to transfer restrictions pursuant to lock-up provisions in a letter agreement entered into by our initial shareholders and management team. Those lock-up provisions provide that such securities are not transferable or salable (a) in the case of the founder shares, until the earlier of: (i) six months after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier if, subsequent to our initial business combination, the closing price of the 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 and (ii) the date following the completion of our initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property and (b) in the case of the private placement units, the private placement warrants included in the private placement units, and the respective Class A ordinary shares underlying such units and warrants, until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination except in each case (a) to our officers or directors, any affiliate or family member of any of our officers or directors, any affiliate of our sponsor or to any member of the sponsor, any of their affiliates, or any employees of the Sponsor, any of its affiliates or any of their respective affiliates, (b) in the case of an individual, as a gift to such person’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of such person’s immediate family, an affiliate of such person or to a charitable
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organization; (c) in the case of an individual, by virtue of 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 arrangement or in connection with the consummation of a business combination at prices no greater than the price at which the shares or warrants were originally purchased; (f) by virtue of the laws of the Cayman Islands or our sponsor’s memorandum and articles of association or the winding-up and liquidation of our sponsor, (g) in the event of our liquidation prior to our consummation of our initial business combination; or (h) in the event that, subsequent to our consummation of an initial business combination, we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange 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 must enter into a written agreement agreeing to be bound by these transfer restrictions and the other restrictions contained in the letter agreement.
The table below sets forth the material contractual terms of lock-up arrangements between us and our sponsor and its affiliates:
Lock-up under Letter Agreement with our Sponsor, officers and directors and other affiliates |
Lock-up Parties | | Our initial shareholders and other holders of the subject securities listed above |
Subject Securities | | The founder shares, private placement units, private placement shares, private placement warrants and any Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion or exercise thereof |
Lock-up Period | | • In the case of the founder shares, until the earlier of: (i) six months after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier if, subsequent to our initial business combination, the closing price of the 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 and (ii) the date following the completion of our initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property • In the case of the private placement units, the private placement warrants included in the private placement units, and the respective Class A ordinary shares underlying such units and warrants, until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination |
Exceptions | | The above transfer restrictions are not applicable to transfers of the subject securities (a) to our officers or directors, any affiliate or family member of any of our officers or directors, any affiliate of our sponsor or to any member of the sponsor, any of their affiliates, or any employees of the Sponsor, any of its affiliates or any of their respective affiliates, (b) in the case of an individual, as a gift to such person’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of such person’s immediate family, an affiliate of such person or to a charitable organization; (c) in the case of an individual, by virtue of 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 arrangement or in connection with the consummation of a business combination at prices no greater than the price at which the shares or warrants were originally purchased; (f) by virtue of the laws of the Cayman Islands or our sponsor’s memorandum and articles of association or the winding-up and liquidation of our sponsor, (g) in the event of our liquidation prior to our consummation of our initial business combination; or (h) in the event that, subsequent to our consummation of an initial business combination, we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange 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 must enter into a written agreement agreeing to be bound by these transfer restrictions and the other restrictions contained in the letter agreement. |
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Lock-up under the Underwriting Agreement |
Lock-up Parties | | We, our sponsor and our officers and directors |
Subject Securities | | any units, warrants, shares or any other securities convertible into, or exercisable, or exchangeable for, shares, |
Lock-up Period | | 180 days from the date of this prospectus |
Exceptions | | The representative in its sole discretion may release any of the securities subject to these lock-up agreements at any time without notice. |
Pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e), the placement units purchased by the underwriters and/or their permitted designees may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated or the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of the securities by any person for a period of 180 days immediately following the commencement of sales of this offering except to any member participating in the offering and the officers or partners, registered persons or affiliates thereof or as otherwise permitted by FINRA Rule 5110(e)(2). In addition, for as long as the placement warrants underlying the placement units are held by the underwriters and/or their permitted designees, they may not be exercised after five years from the commencement of sales of this offering.
Registration Rights
The holders of the (i) founder shares, which were issued in a private placement prior to the closing of this offering, (ii) private placement units, which will be issued in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of this offering, private placement shares, private placement warrants and the Class A ordinary shares underlying such private placement warrants and (iii) private placement units that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans will have registration rights to require us to register a sale of any of our securities held by them pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering.
Pursuant to the registration rights agreement and assuming the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full and $1,500,000 of working capital loans are converted into private placement units, we will be obligated to register up to 3,565,000 Class A ordinary shares and 218,750 warrants. The number of Class A ordinary shares includes (i) 2,875,000 Class A ordinary shares to be issued upon conversion of the founder shares, (ii) 310,000 Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement units, (iii) 155,000 Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement warrants, (iv) 150,000 Class A ordinary shares underlying working capital units and (v) 75,000 Class A ordinary shares underlying the working capital warrants underlying the working capital units. The number of warrants includes 155,000 private placement warrants and 75,000 private placement warrants issued upon conversion of working capital loans. 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. Notwithstanding the foregoing, and/or its permitted designees may not exercise their demand and “piggy back” registration rights beyond five (5) and seven (7) years, respectively, from the commencement of sales of this offering and may not exercise their demand rights on more than one occasion.
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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
In February 2024, our sponsor paid $25,000 to cover certain expenses on our behalf in consideration of 2,875,000 founder shares (up to 375,000 shares of which are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised), for a purchase price of approximately $0.009 per share. In March 2024, our sponsor transferred an aggregate of 90,000 of its founder shares to our independent director nominees and advisory board member, for their board and advisory services, in each case for no cash consideration. The founder shares transferred to Kwan Sun, James Zhang, Ning Ma and Richard Li will not be subject to forfeiture in the event the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised. The number of founder shares outstanding was determined based on the expectation that the total size of this offering would be a maximum of 8,625,000 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, and therefore that such founder shares would represent approximately 25% of the outstanding shares after this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering, and excluding the private placement shares).
Our sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 250,000 (or 266,875 private placement units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercise in full) private placement units, at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $2,500,000 (or $2,668,750 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercise in full), in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. The underwriters have committed to purchase an aggregate of 37,500 (or 43,125 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) private placement units at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $375,000 (or $431,250 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 units are identical to the units included as part of the units sold in this offering, subject to certain limited exceptions as described in this prospectus. The private placement units, private placement shares, private placement warrants (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination.
We currently utilize office space at 38 Beach Road #29-11, South Beach Tower, Singapore, 189767. Subsequent to the closing of this offering, we will pay our sponsor a total of $15,000 per month for office space, secretarial and administrative services provided to members of our management team; upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.
Our sponsor, executive officers and directors, or any of 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 to our sponsor, officers, directors or our or their affiliates. Any such payments prior to an initial business combination will be made from funds held outside the trust account, including permitted withdrawals.
On February 29, 2024, the Sponsor agreed to loan the Company an aggregate of up to $300,000 to cover expenses related to the Proposed Public Offering pursuant to a promissory note (the “Sponsor Note”). The Sponsor Note is non-interest bearing and payable on the earlier of June 30, 2025 or the closing of this offering.
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. Up to $1,500,000 of such working capital loans may be convertible into private placement-equivalent units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. Such units would be identical to the private placement units. The terms of such working capital loans by our sponsor or its affiliates, or our officers and directors, 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 or an affiliate of our sponsor 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.
Any of the foregoing payments to our sponsor, repayments of loans from our sponsor or repayments of working capital loans prior to our initial business combination will be made using funds held outside the trust account.
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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 proxy solicitation or tender offer 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 entity to determine executive and director compensation.
We have entered into a registration rights agreement with respect to the founder shares and private placement units, which is described under the heading “Principal Shareholders — Registration Rights.”
Policy for Approval of Related Party Transactions
The audit committee of our board of directors will adopt a policy setting forth the policies and procedures for its review and approval or ratification of “related party transactions.” A “related party transaction” is any consummated or proposed transaction or series of transactions: (i) in which the company was or is to be a participant; (ii) the amount of which exceeds (or is reasonably expected to exceed) the lesser of $120,000 or 1% of the average of the company’s total assets at year end for the prior two completed fiscal years in the aggregate over the duration of the transaction (without regard to profit or loss); and (iii) in which a “related party” had, has or will have a direct or indirect material interest. “Related parties” under this policy will include: (i) our directors, nominees for director or executive officers; (ii) any record or beneficial owner of more than 5% of any class of our voting securities; (iii) any immediate family member of any of the foregoing if the foregoing person is a natural person; and (iv) any other person who maybe a “related person” pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act.
Pursuant to the policy, the audit committee will consider (i) the relevant facts and circumstances of each related party transaction, including if the transaction is on terms comparable to those that could be obtained in arm’s-length dealings with an unrelated third party, (ii) the extent of the related party’s interest in the transaction, (iii) whether the transaction contravenes our code of ethics or other policies, (iv) whether the audit committee believes the relationship underlying the transaction to be in the best interests of the company and its shareholders and (v) the effect that the transaction may have on a director’s status as an independent member of the board and on his or her eligibility to serve on the board’s committees. Management will present to the audit committee each proposed related party transaction, including all relevant facts and circumstances relating thereto. Under the policy, we may consummate related party transactions only if our audit committee approves or ratifies the transaction in accordance with the guidelines set forth in the policy. The policy will not permit any director or executive officer to participate in the discussion of, or decision concerning, a related person transaction in which he or she is the related party.
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DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES
We are a Cayman Islands exempted company with limited liability and our affairs are 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 of a par value of US$0.0001 each, 50,000,000 Class B ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.0001 each and 1,000,000 preference shares of a par value of US$0.0001 each. The following description summarizes certain terms of our share capital 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
Public Units
Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one Class A ordinary share and one-half of one redeemable public warrant. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, a warrant holder may exercise its warrants only for a whole number of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares. This means only a whole warrant may be exercised at any given time by a warrant holder. For example, if a warrant holder holds one-half of one warrant to purchase a Class A ordinary share, such warrant will not be exercisable. If a warrant holder holds two-halves of one warrant, such whole warrant will be exercisable for one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share. 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 unless the Representative informs us of its 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 two 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 closing of this offering, including, if the underwriters exercise the over-allotment option simultaneously with the initial closing, the proceeds of the over-allotment. We will file a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes this audited balance sheet promptly after the completion of this offering, which closing is anticipated to take place three business days after the date of this prospectus.
Private Placement Units
The private placement units (including the private placement shares, the private placement warrants or private placement shares issuable upon exercise of such warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination (except, among other limited exceptions as described under “Principal Shareholders — Restrictions on Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units,” to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with our sponsor). Otherwise, the private placement units are identical to the units sold in this offering except that the private placement warrants will be entitled to registration rights, as described below under “— Redeemable Warrants — Private Placement Warrants”.
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. Up to $1,500,000 of such working capital loans may be convertible into private placement-equivalent units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. Such units would be identical to the private placement units, including as to exercise price, exercisability and exercise period of the underlying warrants. The terms of such working capital loans by our sponsor or its affiliates, or our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans.
Additionally, the units that have not already been separated will automatically separate into their component parts in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and will no longer be listed thereafter.
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The placement units and underlying ordinary shares and warrants purchased by the underwriters and/or their permitted designees have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to lock-up, registration and termination restrictions. Pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e), the placement units purchased by the underwriters and/or their permitted designees may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated or the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of the securities by any person for a period of 180 days immediately following the commencement of sales of this offering except to any member participating in the offering and the officers or partners, registered persons or affiliates thereof or as otherwise permitted by FINRA Rule 5110(e)(2). In addition, for as long as the placement warrants underlying the placement units are held by the underwriters and/or their permitted designees, they may not be exercised after five years from the commencement of sales of this offering. The underwriters and/or their permitted designees will have resale registration rights, but may not exercise their demand and “piggy back” registration rights beyond five (5) and seven (7) years, respectively, from the commencement of sales of this offering and may not exercise their demand rights on more than one occasion.
Ordinary Shares
Prior to the date of this prospectus, there were 2,875,000 Class B ordinary shares outstanding, all of which were held of record by our initial shareholders, so that our initial shareholders will own approximately 25% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering, and excluding the private placement shares). Up to 375,000 of the founder shares will be forfeited by our initial shareholders depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment is exercised. Upon the closing of this offering, 10,287,500 of our ordinary shares will be outstanding (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option and the corresponding forfeiture of 375,000 founder shares by our initial shareholders) including:
• 7,500,000 Class A ordinary shares underlying units issued as part of this offering;
• 2,500,000 Class B ordinary shares held by our initial shareholders; and
• 287,500 Class A ordinary Shares underlying private placement units to be held by our Sponsor and the underwriters.
Ordinary shareholders of record are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by shareholders. 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 our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and Cayman Islands law, which is a resolution passed by a majority of at least two-thirds of the shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or by proxy at a general meeting of the company and includes a unanimous written resolution, 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 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 elect all of the directors. However, only holders of Class B ordinary shares will have the right to appoint directors in any election held prior to the completion of our initial business combination, meaning that holders of Class A ordinary shares will not have the right to appoint any directors until after the completion of our initial business combination.
In addition, only the Class B ordinary shares will be entitled to vote to continue our company in a jurisdiction outside of the Cayman Islands. The provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association governing the continuation in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands prior to our initial business combination may only be amended by a special resolution, which is a resolution passed by at least two-thirds of the shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or by proxy at a general meeting of the company and includes a unanimous written resolution, which shall include the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the Class B ordinary shares. Our shareholders are entitled to receive ratable dividends when, as and if declared by the board of directors out of funds legally available therefor.
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Because our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association 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 are 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 elected 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 NYSE corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until no later than one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on NYSE. There is no requirement under the Companies Act for us to hold annual or extraordinary general meetings or elect directors. We may not hold an annual general meeting to elect new directors prior to the consummation of our initial business combination.
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 (which interest shall be net of permitted withdrawals), 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 $10.00 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.
Our initial shareholders, sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares they hold in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. Unlike many special purpose acquisition 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 law and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other legal 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 require these tender offer documents to contain substantially the same financial and other information about our 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 law, or we decide to obtain shareholder approval for business or other legal reasons, we will, like many special purpose acquisition 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 receive the approval of an ordinary resolution under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and Cayman Islands law, which is a resolution passed by a simple majority of the shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote at a general meeting of the company and includes a unanimous written resolution. 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 an ordinary resolution, 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 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 memorandum and articles of association 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
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redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares if we complete our initial business combination. And, as a result, such shareholders will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 20% 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 in connection with our initial business combination, our initial shareholders, sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote any founder shares they hold and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, in addition to our initial shareholders’ founder shares, we would need 2,393,751, or approximately 31.9% of the 7,500,000 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 all outstanding shares are voted, the over-allotment option is not exercised and applicable law does not require approval by a greater majority than an ordinary resolution). Assuming that the holders of only one-third of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares are present in person or by proxy, representing a quorum under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, and all such shares are voted, we would not need any of the 7,500,000 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 overallotment option is not exercised and applicable law does not require approval by a higher threshold than an ordinary resolution). Additionally, each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against or abstain from voting on the proposed transaction or whether they were a public shareholder on the record date for the general meeting held to approve the proposed transaction.
Pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, 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 (which interest shall be net of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of 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 each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Our initial shareholders have entered into agreements with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares and private placement shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window. However, if our initial shareholders or management team acquire public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time period.
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 (which interest shall be net of permitted withdrawals), divided by the number of 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 (i) the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below, (ii) the founder shares are entitled to registration rights, and (iii) only holders of Class B ordinary shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors prior to the completion of our initial business combination and on a vote to continue our company in a jurisdiction outside of the Cayman Islands. Our initial shareholders, sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed (A) to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares, private placement
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shares and public shares they hold in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, (B) to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares, private placement shares, and public shares they hold in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated an initial business combination within the completion window or with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity and (C) to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares and private placement shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, 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 such time period. Additionally, (i) the founder shares are automatically convertible into Class A ordinary shares (unless otherwise provided in our initial business combination agreement) concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of our initial business combination, and may be converted at any time prior to our initial business combination, at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as described herein and in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association; and (ii) only holders of Class B ordinary shares will have the right to appoint directors prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. If we submit our initial business combination to our public shareholders for a vote, our initial shareholders have agreed to vote their founder shares, private placement shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination (subject to the limitations described in this prospectus). If we submit our initial business combination to our public shareholders for a vote, our initial shareholders have agreed to vote their founder shares, private placement shares and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination.
The founder shares will automatically convert (unless otherwise provided in our initial business combination agreement) into Class A ordinary shares at the time of the consummation of our initial business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for share sub-divisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities are issued or deemed issued in connection with our initial business combination, the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all founder shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, approximately 25% of the total number of Class A ordinary shares outstanding after such conversion, including 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 an initial business combination, excluding any Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities or rights exercisable for or convertible into Class A ordinary shares issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial business combination and any private placement units issued to our sponsor, officers or directors upon conversion of working capital loans, provided that such conversion of founder shares will never occur on a less than one-for-one basis.
With certain limited exceptions, the founder shares are not transferable, assignable or salable (except to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with our sponsor, each of whom will be subject to the same transfer restrictions) until the earlier of: (i) six months after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier if, subsequent to our initial business combination, 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 our initial business combination, and (ii) the date following the completion of our initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property. Up to 375,000 founder shares will be forfeited by our initial shareholders depending on the exercise of the over-allotment option.
Register of Members
Under Cayman Islands law, we must keep a register of members and there will be entered therein:
• 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 the shares of each member;
• whether voting rights are attached to the share in issue;
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• the date on which the name of any person was entered on the register as a member; and
• 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. 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 authorize 1,000,000 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 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 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, provided that we have an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available (or we permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis under the circumstances specified in the warrant agreement) 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. 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 fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least two 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. 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
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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 are registering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants in the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part because the warrants will become exercisable 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, which may be within one year of this offering. However, because the warrants will be exercisable until their expiration date of up to five years after the completion of our initial business combination, in order to comply with the requirements of Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act following the consummation of our initial business combination under the terms of the warrant agreement, we have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 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 of which this prospectus forms a part or a new registration statement covering the registration, under the Securities Act, of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and thereafter will use our commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become effective within 60 business days following our initial business combination and to maintain a current prospectus relating to the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants, until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. If a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the sixtieth (60th) business day after the closing of our 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. 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 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, and in the event we do not so elect, 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.
Redemption of warrants for cash
Once the warrants become exercisable, we may call the public warrants for redemption for cash:
• in whole and not in part;
• upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption (the “30-day redemption period”) to each warrant holder; and
• at a price of $0.01 per warrant if, and only if, the closing price of the ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like and for certain issuances of Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination as described elsewhere in this prospectus) on each of 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period commencing once the warrants become exercisable and ending three business days before we send to the notice of redemption to the warrant holders and there is an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants 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 for cash, 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
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the applicable redemption trigger price (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like and for certain issuances of Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of our initial business combination as described elsewhere in this prospectus) as well as the $11.50 warrant exercise price after the redemption notice is issued.
Redemption procedures and cashless exercise
If we call the warrants for redemption as described above under “— Redemption of warrants for cash,” our management will have the option to require any holder that wishes to exercise his, her or its warrant to do so on a “cashless basis.” In determining whether to require all holders to exercise their warrants on a “cashless basis,” our management will consider, among other factors, our cash position, the number of 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 warrants. If our management takes advantage of this option, all holders of warrants 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 “fair market value” of our Class A ordinary shares (defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” will mean the average 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 redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. If our management 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. 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.
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 4.9% or 9.8% (as specified by the holder) of the Class A ordinary shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise.
If the number of outstanding Class A ordinary shares is increased by a share capitalization payable in Class A ordinary shares, or by a split-up of ordinary shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such share capitalization, split-up 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 to holders of ordinary shares entitling holders to purchase Class A ordinary shares at a price less than the fair market value will be deemed a share capitalization 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) the quotient of (x) the price per Class A ordinary share paid in such rights offering and (y) the 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) fair market value means the volume weighted average price of Class A ordinary shares as reported during the ten (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 the holders of 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) certain ordinary cash dividends, (c) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Class A ordinary shares in connection with a proposed initial business combination, or (d) 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.
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If the number of outstanding Class A ordinary shares is decreased by a consolidation, combination, reverse share split or reclassification of Class A ordinary shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such consolidation, combination, reverse share split, 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.
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 Class A 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 initial shareholders or their affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by our initial shareholders 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 10-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”) of our Class A ordinary shares is below $9.20 per share, then 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 will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.
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 to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, and that all other modifications or amendments will require the vote or written consent of the holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding warrants. 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 warrants may be exercised upon surrender of the warrant certificate on or prior to the expiration date at the offices of the warrant agent, with the exercise form on the reverse side of the warrant certificate completed and executed as indicated, accompanied by full payment of the exercise price (or on a cashless basis, if applicable), by certified or official bank check payable to us, for the number of warrants being exercised. 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.
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No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the warrants. 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 located in the County 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 located in the County 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 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
The private placement warrants (including 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, among other limited exceptions as described under “Principal Shareholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units,” to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with the initial purchasers of the private placement units). 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 unless otherwise indicated in this prospectus.
The private placement warrants may be exercised upon surrender of the warrant certificate on or prior to the expiration date at the offices of the warrant agent, with the exercise form on the reverse side of the warrant certificate completed and executed as indicated, accompanied by full payment of the exercise price for each full ordinary share as to which the warrant is exercised and any and all applicable taxes due in connection with the exercise of the warrant, the exchange of the warrant for the ordinary shares and the issuance of such ordinary shares (or on a cashless basis, if applicable), with respect to any private placement warrant, by surrendering the warrants for that number of ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “Fair Market Value,” over the warrant price by (y) the Fair Market Value, by certified or official bank check payable to us, for the number of warrants being exercised. The “Fair Market Value” shall mean the average reported closing price of our ordinary shares for the ten (10) trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which notice of exercise of the warrant is sent to the warrant agent.
Our redemption rights as described in “— Public Shareholders’ Warrants — Redemption of Warrants for Cash” shall not apply to the private placement warrants.
Working Capital Warrants
In order to finance our transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor or our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan to us funds as the Company may require, of which up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into up to an additional 150,000 units at a price of $10.00 per unit, each consisting of one ordinary share and one-half of one redeemable warrant, and in connection with any issuance of Working Capital Units, the issuance of up to 75,000 warrants. The working capital warrants have terms and provisions that are identical to those of the warrants being sold as part of the units in this offering unless otherwise indicated in this prospectus.
The working capital warrants may be exercised upon surrender of the warrant certificate on or prior to the expiration date at the offices of the warrant agent, with the exercise form on the reverse side of the warrant certificate completed and executed as indicated, accompanied by full payment of the exercise price for each full ordinary share as to which the warrant is exercised and any and all applicable taxes due in connection with the exercise of the warrant, the exchange of the warrant for the ordinary shares and the issuance of such ordinary shares (or on a cashless basis, if applicable), with respect to any working capital warrants, by surrendering the warrants for that number of ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of ordinary shares underlying the
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warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “Fair Market Value,” over the warrant price by (y) the Fair Market Value, by certified or official bank check payable to us, for the number of warrants being exercised. The “Fair Market Value” shall mean the average reported closing price of our ordinary shares for the ten (10) trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which notice of exercise of the warrant is sent to the warrant agent.
Our redemption rights as described in “— Public Shareholders’ Warrants — Redemption of Warrants for Cash” shall not apply to the working capital warrants.
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 a business combination. A Cayman Islands company may pay a dividend on its shares out of either profit or the share premium account, provided that in no circumstances may a dividend be paid if following such payment the company would be unable to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. 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 a business combination. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to a business combination will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time. If we increase or decrease the size of this offering, then we will effect a share dividend or share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our founder shares immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the number of founder shares at approximately 25% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering, and excluding the private placement shares). Further, if we incur any indebtedness, 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 liability due to any gross negligence or intentional misconduct of the indemnified person or entity. Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company has agreed that it has no right of set-off or any right, title, interest or claim of any kind to, or to any monies in, the trust account, and has irrevocably waived any right, title, interest or claim of any kind to, or to any monies in, the trust account that it may have now or in the future. Accordingly, any indemnification provided will only be able to be satisfied, or a claim will only be able to be pursued, solely against us and our assets outside the trust account and not against the any monies in the trust account or interest earned thereon.
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 66⅔% 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
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a constituent company must be obtained, unless the court waives such requirement. If 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; (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 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
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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 (i) in relation to a compromise or arrangement between a company and its creditors or any class of them, a majority in number of such creditors or class of creditors with whom the arrangement is to be made and who must in addition represent three-fourths in value of such creditors or class of creditors, as the case may be, that are present and voting either in person or by proxy at a general meeting summoned for that purpose; and (ii) in relation to a compromise or arrangement between a company and its shareholders or any class of them, shareholders who represent three-fourths in value of the company’s shareholders or class of shareholders, as the case may be, that are present and voting either in person or by proxy at a general meeting summoned for that purpose. The convening of the meetings and subsequently the 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:
• 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;
• the shareholders have been fairly represented at the general meeting in question;
• the arrangement is such as a businessman would reasonably approve; and
• 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 is made 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.
Shareholders’ Suits. Ogier, 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:
• a company is acting, or proposing to act, illegally or beyond the scope of its authority
• 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
• 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.
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We have been advised by Ogier, our Cayman Islands legal counsel, that there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the Cayman Islands would (i) 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) entertain original actions brought in each respective jurisdiction against us or our directors and officers predicated upon the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States. There is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, although the courts of the Cayman Islands will in certain circumstances recognize and enforce such foreign money judgment without re-examination or re-litigation of matters adjudicated upon, provided that (1) the U.S. court issuing the judgment is of competent jurisdiction; (2) the U.S. Judgment is final and for a liquidated sum; (3) the judgment given by the U.S. Court was not in respect of taxes or a fine or penalty or similar fiscal or revenue obligation of the company; (4) in obtaining judgment there was no fraud on part of the person in whose favor judgment was given or on part of the court; (5) recognition or enforcement of the judgment would not be contrary to public policy in the Cayman Islands; and (6) the proceedings pursuant to which judgment was obtained were not contrary to natural justice. 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:
• an exempted company does not have to file an annual return of its shareholders with the Registrar of Companies;
• an exempted company’s register of members is not open to inspection;
• an exempted company does not have to hold an annual general meeting;
• an exempted company may issue shares with no par value;
• 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);
• an exempted company may register by way of continuation in another jurisdiction and be deregistered in the Cayman Islands;
• an exempted company may register as a limited duration company; and
• 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 contains 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. As a matter of Cayman Islands law, a resolution is deemed to be a special resolution where it has been approved by either (i) at least two-thirds (or any higher threshold specified in a company’s articles of association) of a company’s shareholders present in person or by proxy and 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. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that special resolutions must be approved either by at least two-thirds of our shareholders present in person or by proxy and voting (i.e., the lowest threshold permissible under Cayman Islands law), or by a unanimous written resolution of all of our shareholders.
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Our initial shareholders, who will collectively beneficially own approximately 25% of our ordinary shares upon the closing of this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering and excluding the private placement shares) may 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 provide, among other things, that:
• If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, 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 (which interest shall be net of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating 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 each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and in all cases subject to the requirements of other applicable law;
• Prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional securities (other than the Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares) that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote on our initial business combination;
• 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 executive 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 an 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;
• If a shareholder vote on our initial business combination is not required by law and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other legal 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.
• We must complete one or more business combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the assets held in the trust account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes paid or payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of execution of the definitive agreement for such business combination;
• If our shareholders approve an amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption 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 the completion window, or with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, we will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A 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 (which interest shall be net of permitted withdrawals), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein; and
• We will not effectuate our initial business combination solely with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations.
• Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the courts of the Cayman Islands shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any claim or dispute arising out of or in connection with our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or otherwise related in any way to each shareholder’s shareholding in us, including but not limited to (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf,
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(ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of any fiduciary or other duty owed by any of our current or former director, officer or other employee to us or our shareholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Companies Act or our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us governed by the internal affairs doctrine (as such concept is recognized under the laws of the United States of America) and that each shareholder irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Cayman Islands over all such claims or disputes. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association also provide that, without prejudice to any other rights or remedies that we may have, each of our shareholders acknowledges that damages alone would not be an adequate remedy for any breach of the selection of the courts of the Cayman Islands as exclusive forum and that accordingly we shall be entitled, without proof of special damages, to the remedies of injunction, specific performance or other equitable relief for any threatened or actual breach of the selection of the courts of the Cayman Islands as exclusive forum. The forum selection provision in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will not apply to actions or suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Securities Act, Exchange Act or any claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are, as a matter of the laws of the United States of America, the sole and exclusive forum for determination of such a claim.
In addition, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that we will only consummate an initial business combination if our net tangible assets will be at least $5,000,001 either immediately prior to or upon consummation of our initial business combination. We may, however, raise funds through the issuance of equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop arrangements we may enter into following consummation of this offering, in order to, among other reasons, satisfy such net tangible assets requirement.
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. 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
In order to comply with legislation or regulations aimed at the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing, we are required to adopt and maintain anti-money laundering procedures and will require subscribers to provide information and evidence to verify their identity, address and source of funds. Where permitted, and subject to certain conditions, we may also delegate the maintenance of our anti-money laundering procedures (including the acquisition of due diligence information) to a suitable person.
We reserve the right to request such information and evidence as is necessary to verify the identity, address and source of funds of a subscriber.
In the event of delay or failure on the part of the subscriber in producing any information or evidence required for verification purposes, we may refuse to accept the application, in which case any funds received will be returned without interest to the account from which they were originally debited. We will not be liable for any loss suffered by a subscriber arising as a result of a refusal of, or delay in processing, an application from a subscriber if such information and documentation requested has not been provided by the subscriber in a timely manner.
We also reserve the right to refuse to make any redemption payment to a shareholder if our directors or officers suspect or are advised that the payment of redemption proceeds to such shareholder might result in a breach of applicable anti-money laundering or other laws or regulations by any person in any relevant jurisdiction, or if such refusal is considered necessary or appropriate to ensure our compliance with any such laws or regulations in any applicable jurisdiction.
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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 money laundering or is involved with terrorism or terrorist financing and property and the information for that knowledge or suspicion came to their attention in the course of their 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) a nominated officer (appointed in accordance with the Proceeds of Crime Act (Revised) of the Cayman Islands) or the Financial Reporting Authority of the Cayman Islands, pursuant to the Proceeds of Crime Act (Revised), if the disclosure relates to criminal conduct or money laundering or (ii) to the Financial Reporting Authority or a police constable or a nominated officer (pursuant to the Terrorism Act (Revised) of the Cayman Islands), if the disclosure relates to involvement with terrorism or terrorist financing and terrorist property. Such a report shall not be treated as a breach of confidence or of any restriction upon the disclosure of information imposed by any enactment or otherwise.
By subscribing for shares, the subscriber consents to the disclosure of any information about them to regulators and others upon request in connection with money laundering and similar matters both in the Cayman Islands and in other jurisdictions.
Economic Substance — Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands, together with several other non-European Union jurisdictions, have introduced legislation aimed at addressing concerns raised by the Council of the European Union and the OECD as to offshore structures engaged in certain activities which attract profits without real economic activity. The International Tax Co-operation (Economic Substance) Act (Revised) (the “Substance Act”) came into force in the Cayman Islands in January 2019, introducing certain economic substance requirements for in-scope Cayman Islands entities which are engaged in certain geographically mobile business activities (“relevant activities.”) As we are a Cayman Islands exempted company, compliance obligations include filing annual notifications, in which need to state whether we are carrying out any relevant activities and if so, whether we have satisfied economic substance tests to the extent required under the Substance Act. It is anticipated that our Company will not be engaging in any “relevant activities” and will therefore not be required need to meet the economic substance requirements tests or will otherwise be subject to more limited substance requirements. However, as it is a relatively new regime, it is anticipated that the Substance Act will evolve and be subject to further clarification and amendments. Failure to satisfy applicable requirements may subject us to penalties under the Substance Act.
Cayman Islands Data Protection
We have certain duties under the Data Protection Act (Revised) of the Cayman Islands, as amended from time to time and any regulations, codes of practice, or orders promulgates pursuant thereto (the “DPA”) 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 the DPA (“personal data”).
In the following discussion, the “company” refers to us and our affiliates and/or delegates, except where the context requires otherwise.
We are committed to processing personal data in accordance with the DPA. In our use of personal data, we will be characterized under the DPA as a “data controller,” whilst certain of our service providers, affiliates, and delegates may act as “data processors” under the DPA. These service providers may process personal data for their own lawful purposes in connection with services provided to us. For the purposes of this Privacy Notice, “you” or “your” shall mean the subscriber and shall also include any individual connected to the subscriber.
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By virtue of your investment in the Company, we and certain of our service providers may collect, record, store, transfer, and otherwise process personal data by which individuals may be directly or indirectly identified. We may combine personal data that you provide to use with personal data that we collect from, or about you. This may include personal data collected in an online or offline context including from credit reference agencies and other available public databases or data sources, such as news outlines, websites and other media sources and international sanctions lists.
Your personal data will be processed fairly and for lawful purposes, including (a) where the processing is necessary for us to perform a contract to which you are a party or for taking pre-contractual steps at your request, (b) where the processing is necessary for compliance with any legal, tax, or regulatory obligation to which we are subject, (c) where the processing is for the purposes of legitimate interests pursued by us or by a service provider to whom the data are disclosed, or (d) where you otherwise consent to the processing of personal data for any other specific purpose. As a data controller, we will only use your personal data for the purposes for which we collected it. If we need to use your personal data for an unrelated purpose, we will contact you.
We anticipate that we will share your personal data with our service providers for the purposes set out in this privacy notice. We may also share relevant personal data where it is lawful to do so and necessary to comply with our contractual obligations or your instructions or where it is necessary or desirable to do so in connection with any regulatory reporting obligations. In exceptional circumstances, we will share your personal data with regulatory, prosecuting, and other governmental agencies or departments, and parties to litigation (whether pending or threatened), in any country or territory including to any other person where we have a public or legal duty to do so (e.g. to assist with detecting and preventing fraud, tax evasion, and financial crime or compliance with a court order).
Your personal data shall not be held by the Company for longer than necessary with regard to the purposes of the data processing.
We will not sell your personal data. Any transfer of personal data outside of the Cayman Islands shall be in accordance with the requirements of the DPA. Where necessary, we will ensure that separate and appropriate legal agreements are put in place with the recipient of that data.
We will only transfer personal data in accordance with the requirements of the DPA, 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.
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 DPA, 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 DPA, 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 DPA 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.
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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 Your Personal Data
The company, as the data controller, may collect, store and use personal data for lawful purposes, including, in particular:
(i) where this is necessary for the performance of our rights and obligations under any purchase agreements;
(ii) 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
(iii) 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 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
You have certain rights under the DPA, including (a) the right to be informed as to how we collect and use your personal data (and this privacy notice fulfils our obligation in this respect), (b) the right to obtain a copy of your personal data, (c) the right to require us to stop direct marketing, (d) the right to have inaccurate or incomplete personal data corrected, (e) the right to withdraw your consent and require us to stop processing or restrict the processing, or not begin the processing of your personal data, (f) the right to be notified of a data breach (unless the breach is unlikely to be prejudicial), (g) the right to obtain information as to any countries or territories outside the Cayman Islands to which we, whether directly or indirectly, transfer, intend to transfer, or wish to transfer your personal data, general measures we take to ensure the security of personal data, and any information available to us as to the source of your personal data, (h) the right to complain to the Office of the Ombudsman of the Cayman Islands, and (i) the right to require us to delete your personal data in some limited circumstances.
If you do not wish to provide us with requested personal data or subsequently withdraw your consent, you may not be able to invest in the Company or remain invested in the Company as it will affect the Company’ ability to manage your investment.
If you consider that your personal data has not been handled correctly, or you are not satisfied with our responses to any requests you have made regarding the use of your personal data, you have the right to complain to the Cayman Islands’ Ombudsman. The Ombudsman can be contacted by email at info@ombudsman.ky or by accessing their website here: ombudsman.ky.
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 DPA.
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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 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 meetings. Our authorized but unissued Class A ordinary shares and preference shares are 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 10,287,500 (or 11,810,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) ordinary shares outstanding. Of these shares, the Class A ordinary shares sold in this offering (7,500,000 Class A ordinary shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised and 8,625,000 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 (2,500,000 founder shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised and 2,875,000 founder shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) and all of the outstanding private placement units (287,500 units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised and 310,000 units 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.
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 12 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:
• 1% of the total number of Class A ordinary shares then outstanding, which will equal 77,875 shares immediately after this offering (or 89,350 if the underwriters exercise in full their over-allotment option); or
• 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.
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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:
• the issuer of the securities that was formerly a shell company has ceased to be a shell company;
• the issuer of the securities is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act;
• the issuer of the securities has filed all Exchange Act reports and material required to be filed, as applicable, during the preceding 12 months (or such shorter period that the issuer was required to file such reports and materials), other than Current Reports on Form 8-K; 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 initial shareholders will be able to sell their founder shares and private placement units, as applicable, pursuant to Rule 144 without registration one year after we have completed our initial business combination.
Registration Rights
The holders of the (i) founder shares, which were issued in a private placement prior to the closing of this offering, (ii) private placement units which will be issued in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of this offering and the Class A ordinary shares underlying such private placement units and (iii) private placement units and the Class A ordinary shares underlying such private placement units that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans will have registration rights to require us to register a sale of any of our securities held by them pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering. Pursuant to the registration rights agreement and assuming the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full and $1,500,000 of working capital loans are converted into private placement units, we will be obligated to register up to 3,565,000 Class A ordinary shares and 218,750 warrants. The number of Class A ordinary shares includes (i) 2,875,000 Class A ordinary shares to be issued upon conversion of the founder shares, (ii) 310,000 Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement units, (iii) 155,000 Class A ordinary shares underlying the private placement warrants, (iv) 150,000 Class A ordinary shares underlying working capital units and (v) 75,000 Class A ordinary shares underlying the working capital warrants underlying the working capital units. The number of warrants includes 155,000 private placement warrants and 75,000 warrants issued as part of the units upon conversion of working capital loans.
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. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Listing of Securities
We plan to apply for listing our units on NYSE under the symbol “CHEB.U” commencing on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, we expect that the Class A ordinary shares and warrants will be listed on NYSE under the symbols “CHEB” and “CHEB.WS,” respectively.
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TAXATION
The following summary of certain Cayman Islands and United States federal income tax consequences of an investment in our units, each consisting of one Class A ordinary share and one-half 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
The Cayman Islands currently levies no taxes on individuals or corporations based upon profits, income, gains, or appreciation and there is no taxation in the nature of inheritance tax or estate duty. There are no other taxes likely to be material to us levied by the Government of the Cayman Islands except for stamp duties which may be applicable on instruments executed in, or, after execution, brought within the jurisdiction of the Cayman Islands. No stamp duty is payable in the Cayman Islands on the issue of shares by, or any transfers of shares of, Cayman Islands companies (except those which hold interests in land in the Cayman Islands). There are no exchange control regulations or currency restrictions in the Cayman Islands.
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 has obtained an undertaking from the Financial Secretary of the Cayman Islands in substantively the following form on March 26, 2024:
The Tax Concessions Act (Revised)
Undertaking as to Tax Concessions
In accordance with the Tax Concessions Act (Revised), the following undertaking is hereby given to Chenghe Acquisition II Co. (“the Company”):
1. That no Law which is hereafter enacted in the Cayman 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:
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 the Tax Concessions Act (Revised).
These concessions shall be for a period of twenty years from March 26, 2024.
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Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations
General
The following discussion summarizes material United States federal income tax considerations generally applicable to the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our units (each consisting of one Class A ordinary share and one-half of one redeemable warrant) that are purchased in this offering, which we refer to collectively as our securities, by U.S. Holders (as defined below) and Non-U.S. Holders (as defined below). Because the components of a unit are generally separable at the option of the holder, the holder of a unit generally should be treated, for United States federal income tax purposes, as the owner of the underlying Class A ordinary share and one-half of one redeemable warrant components of the unit. As a result, the discussion below with respect to actual holders of Class A ordinary shares and warrants also should apply to holders of units (as the deemed owners of the underlying Class A ordinary shares and warrants that constitute the units).
This discussion does not address the United States federal income tax consequences to our founders, sponsors, officers or directors, or to holders of private placement units. This discussion is limited to material United States federal income tax considerations to beneficial owners of our securities who are initial purchasers of a unit pursuant to this offering and hold the unit and each component of the unit as a capital asset within the meaning of Section 1221 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). This discussion assumes that the Class A ordinary shares and warrants will trade separately and that any distributions made (or deemed made) by us on our Class A ordinary shares and any consideration received (or deemed received) by a holder 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 describe all of the tax consequences that may be relevant to the acquisition, ownership and disposition of a unit by a prospective investor in light of its particular circumstances, including but not limited to, the alternative minimum tax, the Medicare tax on net investment income and the different consequences that may apply to investors that are subject to special rules under U.S. federal income tax laws, including but not limited to:
• banks, financial institutions or financial services entities;
• broker-dealers;
• taxpayers that are subject to the mark-to-market tax accounting rules;
• tax-exempt entities;
• governments or agencies or instrumentalities thereof;
• insurance companies;
• regulated investment companies;
• real estate investment trusts or real estate mortgage investment conduits;
• expatriates or former long-term residents of the United States;
• persons that actually or constructively own five percent or more (by vote or value) of our shares;
• persons that acquired our securities pursuant to an exercise of employee share options, in connection with employee share incentive plans or otherwise as compensation;
• persons that hold our securities as part of a straddle, constructive sale, hedge, wash sale, conversion or other integrated or similar transaction;
• persons that are subject to the “applicable financial statement” accounting rules under Section 451 of the Code;
• U.S. Holders (as defined below) whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar;
• controlled foreign corporations;
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• passive foreign investment companies; and
• partnerships (or entities or arrangements classified as partnerships or other pass-through entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes) and any beneficial owners of such partnerships.
Moreover, the discussion below is based upon the provisions of the Code, the Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder and administrative and judicial interpretations thereof, all as of the date hereof, and such provisions may be repealed, revoked, modified or subject to differing interpretations, possibly on a retroactive basis, which may result in United States federal income tax consequences different from those discussed below. Furthermore, this discussion does not address any aspect of United States federal non-income tax laws, such as gift or estate tax laws, or state, local or non-United States tax laws.
We have not sought, and do not expect to seek, a ruling from the United States Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) as to any United States 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.
If a partnership (or other entity or arrangement classified as a partnership or other pass-through entity for United States federal income tax purposes) is the beneficial owner of our securities, the United States federal income tax treatment of a partner, member or other beneficial owner in such partnership or other pass-through entity generally will depend on the status of the partner, member or other beneficial owner and the activities of the partnership or other pass-through entity. If you are a partner, member or other beneficial owner of a partnership or other pass-through entity holding our securities, you are urged to consult your own tax advisor regarding the tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our securities.
THIS DISCUSSION IS ONLY A SUMMARY OF CERTAIN UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACQUISITION, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR SECURITIES. EACH PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR IN OUR SECURITIES IS URGED TO CONSULT ITS OWN TAX ADVISOR WITH RESPECT TO THE PARTICULAR TAX CONSEQUENCES TO SUCH INVESTOR OF THE ACQUISITION, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR SECURITIES, INCLUDING THE APPLICABILITY AND EFFECT OF ANY UNITED STATES FEDERAL NON-INCOME, STATE, LOCAL, AND NON-UNITED STATES 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 any instrument similar to a unit for United States federal income tax purposes, and therefore, that treatment is not entirely clear. The acquisition of a unit should be treated for United States federal income tax purposes as the acquisition of one Class A ordinary share and one-half of one warrant, and the Company intends to treat the acquisition of a unit in such manner. By purchasing a unit, you agree to adopt such treatment for United States federal income tax purposes. For United States federal income tax purposes, each holder of a unit must allocate the purchase price paid by such holder for such unit between the one Class A ordinary share and the one-half of one warrant based on the relative fair market value of each at the time of issuance. Under U.S. federal income tax law, each investor must make his or her own determination of such value based on all the relevant facts and circumstances. Therefore, we strongly urge each investor to consult his or her tax advisor regarding the determination of value for these purposes. The price allocated to each Class A ordinary share and the one-half of one warrant should be the shareholder’s initial tax basis in such share and the fraction of a warrant. Any disposition of a unit should be treated for United States federal income tax purposes as a disposition of the Class A ordinary share and one-half of one warrant comprising the unit, and the amount realized on the disposition should be allocated between the Class A ordinary share and one-half of one warrant based on their respective fair market values (as determined by each such unit holder based on all the relevant facts and circumstances) at the time of disposition. The separation of the Class A ordinary share and the one-half of one warrant constituting a unit and the combination of fractions of warrants into a single warrant should not be a taxable event for United States federal income tax purposes.
The foregoing treatment of the units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants and a holder’s purchase price allocation are not binding on the IRS or the courts. Because there are no authorities that directly address instruments that are similar to the units, no assurance can be given that the IRS or the courts will agree with the characterization described
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above or the discussion below. Accordingly, each prospective investor is urged to consult its tax advisors 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 will be respected for United States federal income tax purposes.
U.S. Holders
This section applies to you if you are a “U.S. Holder.” A U.S. Holder is a beneficial owner of our units, Class A ordinary shares or warrants who or that is, for United States federal income tax purposes:
• an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States;
• a corporation (or other entity taxable as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes) organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia;
• an estate whose income is subject to United States federal income tax regardless of its source; or
• a trust, if (i) a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of the trust and one or more U.S. persons (as defined in the Code) have authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (ii) it has a valid election in effect under Treasury Regulations to be treated as a U.S. person.
Taxation of Distributions
Subject to the passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) rules discussed below, a U.S. Holder generally will be required to include in gross income as dividends in the year actually or constructively received by the U.S. Holder 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 United States federal income tax principles). Distributions in excess of such earnings and profits generally will be applied against and reduce the U.S. Holder’s basis in its Class A ordinary shares (but not below zero) and, to the extent in excess of such basis, will be treated as gain from the sale or exchange of such 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).
Dividends paid by us will be taxable to a corporate U.S. Holder 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. With respect to non-corporate U.S. Holders, dividends generally will be taxed at the preferential applicable long-term capital gains rate (see “— Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants” below) only if our Class A ordinary shares are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States, we are not a PFIC at the time the dividend was paid or and were not treated as a PFIC with respect to the U.S. Holder in the preceding taxable year in the previous year, and certain other 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. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the availability of such preferential rate for any dividends paid with respect to our Class A ordinary shares.
Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, the amount of the dividend will be treated as foreign-source dividend income to U.S. Holders and will be included in a U.S. Holder’s income on the date of the U.S. Holder’s receipt of the dividend.
Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants
Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, a U.S. Holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss on the sale or other taxable disposition of our Class A ordinary shares or warrants (including a redemption of our Class A ordinary shares (as described below) or warrants that is treated as a taxable disposition, including pursuant to our dissolution and liquidation if we do not consummate an initial business combination within the required time period). Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder’s holding period for such Class A ordinary shares or warrants exceeds one year. Long-term capital gain realized by a non-corporate U.S. Holder may be taxed at preferential rates of taxation. It is unclear, however, whether certain redemption rights described in this prospectus may suspend the running of the applicable holding period of the Class A ordinary shares for this purpose.
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If the running of the holding period for the Class A ordinary shares is suspended, then non-corporate U.S. Holders may not be able to satisfy the one-year holding period requirement for long-term capital gain treatment, in which case any gain on a sale or other taxable disposition of the Class A ordinary shares would be subject to short-term capital gain treatment and would be taxed at regular ordinary income tax rates. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to certain limitations.
The amount of gain or loss recognized by a U.S. Holder on a sale or other taxable disposition generally will be equal to the difference between (i) the sum of the amount of cash and the fair market value of any property received in such 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 warrants based upon the then relative fair market values of the Class A ordinary shares and the warrants constituting the units) and (ii) the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its Class A ordinary shares or warrants so disposed of. A U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its Class A ordinary shares or warrants generally will equal the U.S. Holder’s acquisition cost (that is, the portion of the purchase price of a unit allocated to a Class A ordinary share or one-half of one warrant, as described above under “— Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit”) reduced, in the case of a Class A ordinary share, by any prior distributions treated as a return of capital. See “Exercise, Lapse or Redemption of a Warrant” below for a discussion regarding a U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the Class A ordinary share acquired pursuant to the exercise of a warrant.
Redemption of Class A Ordinary Shares
Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, in the event that a U.S. Holder’s Class A ordinary shares are redeemed pursuant to the redemption provisions described in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Ordinary Shares” or if we purchase a U.S. Holder’s Class A ordinary shares in an open market transaction (such open market purchase of Class A ordinary shares by us referred to as a “redemption” for the remainder of this discussion), the treatment of the transaction for United States 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, the U.S. Holder 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, the U.S. Holder 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 the U.S. Holder (including any shares constructively owned by the U.S. Holder described in the following paragraph, including as a result of owning warrants) relative to all of our shares outstanding both before and after such redemption. A 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 such redemption (i) is “substantially disproportionate” with respect to the U.S. Holder, (ii) results in a “complete termination” of the U.S. Holder’s interest in us or (iii) is “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” with respect to the U.S. Holder. These tests are explained more fully below.
In determining whether any of the foregoing tests are satisfied, a U.S. Holder takes into account not only our shares actually owned by the U.S. Holder, but also our shares that are constructively owned by such holder. A U.S. Holder may constructively own, in addition to shares owned directly, shares owned by certain related individuals and entities in which the U.S. Holder has an interest or that have an interest in such U.S. Holder, as well as any shares the U.S. Holder has a right to acquire by exercise of an option, which generally would include Class A ordinary shares which could be acquired by such U.S. Holder pursuant to the exercise of the warrants. In order to meet the substantially disproportionate test, the percentage of our issued and outstanding voting shares actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder immediately following the redemption of Class A ordinary shares must, among other requirements, be less than 80% of the percentage of our issued and outstanding voting shares actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder 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 a U.S. Holder’s interest if either (i) all of our shares actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder are redeemed or (ii) all of our shares actually owned by the U.S. Holder are redeemed and the U.S. Holder is eligible to waive, and effectively waives in accordance with specific rules, the attribution of shares owned by certain family members and the U.S. Holder does not constructively own any other shares of ours (including any shares constructively owned by the U.S. Holder as a result of owning our warrants). The redemption of the Class A ordinary shares will not be essentially equivalent to a dividend if such redemption results in a “meaningful reduction” of the U.S. Holder’s proportionate interest in us. Whether the redemption will
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result in a meaningful reduction in a U.S. Holder’s 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.” A U.S. Holder should consult with its own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of a redemption of any Class A ordinary shares.
If none of the foregoing tests are satisfied, then the redemption of any Class A ordinary shares will be treated as a corporate distribution and the tax effects will be as described under “— Taxation of Distributions” above. After the application of those rules, any remaining tax basis of the U.S. Holder in the redeemed Class A ordinary shares will be added to the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its remaining shares, or, if it has none, to the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its warrants or possibly in other shares constructively owned by it.
U.S. Holders who actually or constructively own five percent (or, if our Class A ordinary shares are not then publicly traded, one percent) or more of our shares (by vote or value) may be subject to special reporting requirements with respect to a redemption of Class A ordinary shares, and such holders are urged to consult with their own tax advisors with respect to their reporting requirements.
Exercise, Lapse or Redemption of a Warrant
Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below and except as discussed below with respect to the cashless exercise of a warrant, a U.S. Holder generally will not recognize gain or loss upon the acquisition of a Class A ordinary share on the exercise of a warrant for cash. A U.S. Holder’s tax basis in a Class A ordinary share received upon exercise of the warrant generally will equal the sum of the U.S. Holder’s initial investment in the warrant (that is, the portion of the U.S. Holder’s purchase price for the units that is allocated to the warrant, as described above under “— Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit”) and the exercise price. It is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A ordinary share received will commence on the date of exercise of the warrant or the day following the date of exercise of the warrant; in either case, the holding period will not include the period during which the U.S. Holder held the warrant. If a warrant is allowed to lapse unexercised, a U.S. Holder generally will recognize a capital loss equal to such holder’s tax basis in the lapsed warrant.
The tax consequences of a cashless exercise of a warrant are not clear under current law. Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, a cashless exercise may not be taxable, either because the exercise is not a realization event or because the exercise is treated as a recapitalization for United States federal income tax purposes. In either situation, a U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the Class A ordinary shares received generally should equal the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the warrants exercised therefor. If the cashless exercise was not a realization event, it is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A ordinary shares received would be treated as commencing on the date of exercise of the warrants or the day following the date of exercise of the warrants; in either case, the holding period will not include the period during which the U.S. Holder held the warrants. If the cashless exercise were treated as a recapitalization, the holding period of the Class A ordinary shares received would include the holding period of the warrants.
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 such event, a U.S. Holder could be deemed to have surrendered a number of warrants equal to the number of Class A ordinary shares having a value equal to the exercise price for the total number of warrants to be exercised. In such case, subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, the U.S. Holder would recognize capital gain or loss with respect to the warrants deemed surrendered in an amount equal to the difference between the fair market value of the Class A ordinary shares that would have been received in a regular exercise of the warrants deemed surrendered and the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the warrants deemed surrendered. In this case, a U.S. Holder’s aggregate tax basis in the Class A ordinary shares received would equal the sum of the U.S. Holder’s initial investment in the warrants deemed exercised (i.e., the portion of the U.S. Holder’s 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 aggregate exercise price of such warrants. It is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A ordinary shares would commence on the date of exercise of the warrants or the day following the date of exercise of the warrants; in either case, the holding period will not include the period during which the U.S. Holder held the warrants.
Due to the absence of authority on the United States federal income tax treatment of a cashless exercise, including when a U.S. Holder’s holding period would commence with respect to the Class A ordinary share received, there can be no assurance regarding which, if any, of the alternative tax consequences and holding periods described above would be adopted by the IRS or a court of law. Accordingly, U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of a cashless exercise.
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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 entitled “Description of Securities-Warrants — Public Shareholders’ Warrants” or if we purchase warrants in an open market transaction, such redemption or purchase generally will be treated as a taxable disposition to the U.S. Holder, taxed as described above under “— Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants.”
Possible Constructive Distributions
The terms of each warrant provide for an adjustment to the number of Class A ordinary shares for which the warrant may be exercised or to the exercise price of the warrant in certain events, as discussed in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities — Warrants — Public Shareholders’ Warrants.” An adjustment which has the effect of preventing dilution generally is not taxable. The U.S. Holders of the warrants would, however, be treated as receiving a constructive distribution from us if, for example, the adjustment increases such U.S. Holders’ 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 in the exercise price of the warrants), which adjustment may be made as a result of a distribution of cash or other property to the holders of our Class A ordinary shares. Such constructive distribution to a U.S. Holder of warrants would be treated as if such U.S. Holder had received a cash distribution from us generally equal to the fair market value of such increased interest (taxed as described above under “— Taxation of Distributions”).
Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules
A foreign (i.e., non-U.S.) corporation will be classified as a PFIC for United States 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.
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 startup exception, a corporation will not be a PFIC for the first taxable year the corporation has gross income (the “startup year”), if (1) no predecessor of the corporation was a PFIC; (2) the corporation satisfies the IRS that it will not be a PFIC for either of the first two taxable years following the startup year; and (3) the corporation is not in fact a PFIC for either of those years. The applicability of the startup exception to us is uncertain and 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 startup year. 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 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 likely not qualify for the startup 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 such taxable year (and, in the case of the startup exception to our current taxable year, perhaps until after the end of our two taxable years following our startup 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. In addition, our U.S. counsel expresses no opinion with respect to our PFIC status for our current or future taxable years.
Although our PFIC status is determined annually, an initial determination that our company is a PFIC generally will apply for subsequent years to a U.S. Holder who held Class A ordinary shares or warrants while we were a PFIC, whether or not we meet the test for PFIC status in those subsequent years. If we are determined to be a PFIC for any taxable year (or portion thereof) that is included in the holding period of a U.S. Holder of our Class A ordinary shares or warrants and, in the case of our Class A ordinary shares, the U.S. Holder 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 the U.S. Holder held (or was deemed to hold) Class A ordinary shares, as described below, such U.S. Holder generally will be subject to special rules with respect to (i) any gain recognized by the U.S. Holder on the sale or other disposition of its Class A ordinary shares or warrants (which may include gain realized by reason of transfers of Class A ordinary
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shares or warrants that would otherwise qualify as nonrecognition transactions for U.S. federal income tax purposes) and (ii) any “excess distribution” made to the U.S. Holder (generally, any distributions to such U.S. Holder during a taxable year of the U.S. Holder that are greater than 125% of the average annual distributions received by such U.S. Holder in respect of the Class A ordinary shares during the three preceding taxable years of such U.S. Holder or, if shorter, the portion of such U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A ordinary shares that preceded the taxable year of the distribution).
Under these rules:
• the U.S. Holder’s gain or excess distribution will be allocated ratably over the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A ordinary shares or warrants;
• the amount allocated to the U.S. Holder’s taxable year in which the U.S. Holder recognized the gain or received the excess distribution, or to the period in the U.S. Holder’s holding period before the first day of our first taxable year in which we are a PFIC, will be taxed as ordinary income;
• the amount allocated to other taxable years (or portions thereof) of the U.S. Holder and included in its holding period will be taxed at the highest tax rate in effect for that year and applicable to the U.S. Holder without regard to the U.S. Holder’s 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 on the U.S. Holder with respect to the tax attributable to each such other taxable year of the U.S. Holder.
In general, if we are determined to be a PFIC, a U.S. Holder may be able to avoid the PFIC tax consequences described above in respect of our Class A ordinary shares by making a timely and valid QEF election (if eligible to do so) to include in income its 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 of the U.S. Holder in which or with which our taxable year ends. A U.S. Holder 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.
If a U.S. Holder makes a QEF election with respect to its Class A ordinary shares in a year after our first taxable year as a PFIC in which the U.S. Holder held (or was deemed to hold) Class A ordinary shares, then notwithstanding such QEF election, the rules relating to “excess distributions” discussed above, adjusted to take into account the current income inclusions resulting from the QEF election, will continue to apply with respect to such U.S. Holder’s Class A ordinary shares, unless the U.S. Holder makes a purging election under the PFIC rules. Under the purging election, the U.S. Holder will be deemed to have sold such shares at their fair market value and any gain recognized on such deemed sale will be treated as an excess distribution, as described above. As a result of the purging election, the U.S. Holder will have additional basis (to the extent of any gain recognized on the deemed sale) and, solely for purposes of the PFIC rules, a new holding period in the Class A ordinary shares.
It is not entirely clear how various aspects of the PFIC rules apply to the warrants. However, a U.S. Holder may not make a QEF election with respect to its warrants to acquire our Class A ordinary shares. As a result, if a U.S. Holder sells or otherwise disposes of such warrants (other than upon exercise of such warrants) and we were a PFIC at any time during the U.S. Holder’s holding period of such warrants, any gain recognized generally will be treated as an excess distribution, taxed as described above. If a U.S. Holder that exercises such warrants properly makes and maintains a QEF election with respect to the newly acquired Class A ordinary shares (or has previously made a QEF election with respect to our Class A ordinary shares), the QEF election will apply (or to the extent the U.S. Holder has previously made a QEF election with respect to our Class A ordinary shares, continue to apply) to the newly acquired Class A ordinary shares. Notwithstanding such QEF election, the rules relating to “excess distributions” discussed above, adjusted to take into account the current income inclusions resulting from the QEF election, will continue to apply with respect to such newly acquired Class A ordinary shares (which, while not entirely clear, generally will be deemed to have a holding period for purposes of the PFIC rules that includes the period the U.S. Holder held the warrants), unless the U.S. Holder makes a purging election under the PFIC rules. U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors as to the application of the rules governing purging elections to their particular circumstances.
In addition, if we were a PFIC or, with respect to a particular U.S. Holder, were treated as a PFIC for the taxable year in which we paid a dividend or for the prior taxable year, the preferential dividend rate discussed above with respect to dividends paid to certain non-corporate U.S. Holders would not apply.
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The QEF election is made on a shareholder-by-shareholder basis and, once made, can be revoked only with the consent of the IRS. A U.S. Holder generally makes a QEF election by attaching a completed IRS Form 8621 (Information Return by a Shareholder of a Passive Foreign Investment Company or Qualified Electing Fund), including the information provided in a PFIC annual information statement, to a timely filed United States federal income tax return for the tax year to which the election relates. Retroactive QEF elections generally may be made only by filing a protective statement with such return and if certain other conditions are met or with the consent of the IRS. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the availability and tax consequences of a retroactive QEF election under their particular circumstances.
In order to comply with the requirements of a QEF election, a U.S. Holder must receive a PFIC annual information statement from us. If we determine we are a PFIC for any taxable year, upon written request, we will endeavor to provide to a U.S. Holder such information as the IRS may require, including a PFIC annual information statement, in order to enable the U.S. Holder to make and maintain a QEF election, but there is no assurance that we will timely provide such required information. There is also no assurance that we will have timely knowledge of our status as a PFIC in the future or of the required information to be provided.
If a U.S. Holder has made a QEF election with respect to our Class A ordinary shares, and the excess distribution rules discussed above do not apply to such shares (because of a timely QEF election for our first taxable year as a PFIC in which the U.S. Holder holds (or is deemed to hold) such 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, a U.S. Holder of our Class A ordinary shares that has made a QEF election will be currently taxed on its pro rata share of our earnings and profits, whether or not distributed for such year. A subsequent distribution of such earnings and profits that were previously included in income generally should not be taxable when distributed to such U.S. Holder. The tax basis of a U.S. Holder’s 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 above rules. In addition, if we are not a PFIC for any taxable year, such U.S. Holder will not be subject to the QEF inclusion regime with respect to our Class A ordinary shares for such a taxable year.
Alternatively, if a U.S. Holder, at the close of its taxable year, owns shares in a PFIC that are treated as marketable stock, the U.S. Holder may make a mark-to-market election with respect to such shares for such taxable year. If the U.S. Holder makes a valid mark-to-market election for the first taxable year of the U.S. Holder in which the U.S. Holder holds (or is deemed to hold) Class A ordinary shares in us and for which we are determined to be a PFIC, such U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to the PFIC rules described above in respect of its Class A ordinary shares. Instead, in general, the U.S. Holder will include as ordinary income in each taxable year the excess, if any, of the fair market value of its Class A ordinary shares at the end of its taxable year over its adjusted basis in its Class A ordinary shares. These amounts of ordinary income would not be eligible for the favorable tax rates applicable to qualified dividend income or long-term capital gains. The U.S. Holder also will recognize an ordinary loss in respect of the excess, if any, of its adjusted basis in its Class A ordinary shares over the fair market value of its Class A ordinary shares at the end of its taxable year (but only to the extent of the net amount of previously included income as a result of the mark-to-market election). The U.S. Holder’s basis in its Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted to reflect any such income or loss amounts, and any further gain recognized on a sale or other taxable disposition of its Class A ordinary shares will be treated as ordinary income. Currently, 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 New York Stock Exchange (on which we intend to list the Class A ordinary shares), or on a foreign exchange or market that the IRS determines has rules sufficient to ensure that the market price represents a legitimate and sound fair market value. If made, a mark-to-market election would be effective for the taxable year for which the election was made and for all subsequent taxable years unless the Class A ordinary shares ceased to qualify as “marketable stock” for purposes of the PFIC rules or the IRS consented to the revocation of the election. U.S. Holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the availability and tax consequences of a mark-to-market election in respect to our Class A ordinary shares under their particular circumstances.
If we are a PFIC and, at any time, have a foreign subsidiary that is classified as a PFIC, U.S. Holders generally would be deemed to own a portion of the shares of such 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 the U.S. Holders otherwise were deemed to have disposed of an interest in the
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lower-tier PFIC. Upon written request, we will endeavor to cause any lower — tier PFIC to provide to a U.S. Holder the information that may be required to make or maintain a 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 such lower-tier PFIC. In addition, we may not hold a controlling interest in any such lower-tier PFIC and thus there can be no assurance we will be able to cause the lower-tier PFIC to provide such required information. A mark-to-market election generally would not be available with respect to such lower-tier PFIC. U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the tax issues raised by lower-tier PFICs.
A U.S. Holder that owns (or is deemed to own) shares in a PFIC during any taxable year of the U.S. Holder, may have to file an IRS Form 8621 (whether or not a QEF or mark-to-market election is made) and such other information as may be required by the U.S. Treasury Department. Failure to do so, if required, will extend the statute of limitations until such required information is furnished to the IRS.
The rules dealing with PFICs and with the QEF, purging, and mark-to-market elections are very complex and are affected by various factors in addition to those described above. Furthermore, the application of the PFIC rules is subject to uncertainty in several respects, and there can be no assurance that the IRS will not challenge our application of the PFIC rules. Accordingly, U.S. Holders of our Class A ordinary shares and warrants should consult their own tax advisors concerning the application of the PFIC rules to our Class A ordinary shares and warrants under their particular circumstances.
Tax Reporting
Certain U.S. Holders may be required to file an IRS Form 926 (Return by a U.S. Transferor of Property to a Foreign Corporation) to report a transfer of property (including cash) to us. Substantial penalties may be imposed on a U.S. Holder that fails to comply with this reporting requirement, and the period of limitations on assessment and collection of United States federal income taxes will be extended in the event of a failure to comply. Furthermore, certain U.S. Holders who are individuals and certain entities will be required to report information with respect to such U.S. Holder’s 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 our units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants if they are not held in an account maintained with a U.S. financial institution.
Persons who are required to report specified foreign financial assets and fail to do so may be subject to substantial penalties, and the period of limitations on assessment and collection of United States federal income taxes may be extended in the event of a failure to comply. Potential investors are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the foreign financial asset and other reporting obligations and their application to an investment in our units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants.
Non-U.S. Holders
This section applies to you if you are a “Non-U.S. Holder.” As used herein, the term “Non-U.S. Holder” means a beneficial owner of our units, Class A ordinary shares or warrants (other than a partnership or other entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) that is for United States federal income tax purposes:
• a non-resident alien individual (other than certain former citizens and residents of the United States subject to U.S. tax as expatriates);
• a foreign corporation; or
• an estate or trust that is not a U.S. Holder;
but generally does not include an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of the disposition of our units, Class A ordinary shares or warrants. If you are such an individual, you should consult your tax advisor regarding the United States federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our securities.
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Dividends (including, as described under “— U.S. Holders — Possible Constructive Distributions” above, constructive distributions treated as dividends) paid by us or deemed paid to a Non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to United States federal income tax, unless the dividends are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base that such Non-U.S. Holder maintains in the United States). In addition, a Non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to United States federal income tax on any gain attributable to a sale or other disposition of our Class A ordinary shares or warrants unless such gain is effectively connected with its conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base that such Non-U.S. Holder maintains in the United States).
Dividends (including, as described under “— U.S. Holders — Possible Constructive Distributions” above, constructive distributions treated as dividends) and gains that are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base in the United States) generally will be subject to United States federal income tax at the same regular United States federal income tax rates applicable to a comparable U.S. Holder and, in the case of a Non-U.S. Holder that is a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes, also may be subject to an additional branch profits tax at a 30% rate or a lower applicable tax treaty rate. However, the PFIC rules discussed above will not apply to a Non-U.S. Holder.
The characterization for U.S. federal income tax purposes of a Non-U.S. Holder’s exercise of a warrant, or the lapse of a warrant held by a Non-U.S. Holder, generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax characterization of the exercise or lapse of a warrant by a U.S. Holder, as described under “— U.S. Holders — Exercise, Lapse or Redemption of a Warrant,” above, although to the extent a cashless exercise results in a taxable exchange, the consequences would be similar to those described in the preceding paragraphs above for a Non-U.S. Holder’s gain on the sale or other disposition of our Class A ordinary shares and warrants.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
Dividend payments and proceeds from the sale, exchange or redemption of our Class A ordinary shares, warrants and units may be subject to information reporting to the IRS and possible United States backup withholding. Backup withholding will not apply, however, to a U.S. Holder who furnishes a correct taxpayer identification number and makes other required certifications, or who is otherwise exempt from backup withholding and establishes such exempt status. A Non-U.S. Holder generally will eliminate the requirement for backup withholding by providing certification of its foreign status, under penalties of perjury, on a duly executed applicable IRS Form W-8 or by otherwise establishing an exemption.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Amounts withheld as backup withholding may be credited against a holder’s United States federal income tax liability, and a holder 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.
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UNDERWRITING
CCM is acting as the bookrunner and representative of the underwriters of the offering. Subject to the terms and conditions stated in the underwriting agreement dated the date of this prospectus, each underwriter named below has severally agreed to purchase, and we have agreed to sell to that underwriter, the number of units set forth opposite the underwriter’s name. The underwriters may offer and sell units to the public through one or more of their respective affiliates or other registered broker-dealers or selling agents.
Underwriter | | Number of Units |
Cohen & Company Capital Markets | | |
Revere Securities | | |
Chenghe Capital Management | | |
Total | | 7,500,000 |
The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the units included in this offering are subject to approval of legal matters by counsel and to other conditions. The underwriters are obligated to purchase all of the units (other than those covered by the over-allotment option described below) if they purchase any of the units.
Units sold by the underwriters to the public will initially be offered at the initial public offering price set forth on the cover of this prospectus. If all of the units are not sold at the initial offering price, the underwriters may change the offering price and the other selling terms. The representative has advised us that the underwriters do not intend to make sales to discretionary accounts. Certain of the underwriters are expected to make offers and sales both inside and outside the United States through their respective selling agents. Any offers or sales in the United States will be conducted by broker-dealers registered with the SEC. To the extent any underwriter that is not a U.S. registered broker-dealer intends to effect any offers or sales of any securities in the United States, it will do so through one or more U.S. registered broker-dealers in accordance with the applicable U.S. securities laws and regulations.
We have granted to the underwriters an option, exercisable for 45 days from the date of this prospectus, to purchase up to 1,125,000 additional units at the public offering price less the underwriting discount. The underwriters may exercise this option solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments, if any, in connection with this offering. To the extent the option is exercised, each underwriter must purchase a number of additional units approximately proportionate to that underwriters’ initial purchase commitment. Any units issued or sold under the option will be issued and sold on the same terms and conditions as the other units that are the subject of this offering.
The underwriters have committed to purchase an aggregate of 37,500 (or 43,125 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) placement units for an aggregate purchase price of $375,000 (or $431,250 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full), or $10.00 per unit, in the private placement that will occur simultaneously with the completion of this offering. The private placement units are identical to the units being sold in this offering except as described elsewhere in this prospectus. The private placement units and underlying ordinary shares and warrants have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to lock-up, registration and termination restrictions. Pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e), the placement units purchased by the underwriters and/or their permitted designees may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated or the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of the securities by any person for a period of 180 days immediately following the commencement of sales of this offering except to any member participating in the offering and the officers or partners, registered persons or affiliates thereof except as permitted by FINRA Rule 5110(e)(2). In addition, for as long as the placement warrants underlying the placement units are held by the underwriters and/or their permitted designees, they may not be exercised after five years from the commencement of sales of this offering. The underwriters and/or their permitted designees will have resale registration rights, but may not exercise its demand and “piggy back” registration rights beyond five (5) and seven (7) years, respectively, after the commencement of sales of this offering and may not exercise its demand rights on more than one occasion.
We, our sponsor and our officers and directors have agreed that, for a period of 180 days from the date of this prospectus, we and they will not, without the prior written consent of the representative, offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, any units, warrants, shares or any other securities convertible into, or exercisable, or exchangeable for, shares, subject to certain exceptions. The representative in its sole discretion may release any of the securities subject to these lock-up agreements at any time without notice.
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Our sponsor, officers and directors are also subject to separate transfer restrictions on their founder shares and private placement units pursuant to the insider letters. Our sponsor, founder, officers and directors have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any founder shares held by them until the earlier of: (i) six months after the completion of our initial business combination; or (ii) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the last reported sale price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, capitalization of shares, share dividends, rights issuances, subdivisions 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 following the completion of our initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, amalgamation, stock exchange, reorganization 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 (except as described herein under “Principal Shareholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units”). Any permitted transferees would be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our sponsor with respect to any founder shares. We refer to such transfer restrictions throughout this prospectus as the lock-up.
The private placement units (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement units) will not be transferable, assignable or saleable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination (except with respect to permitted transferees as described herein under the section of this prospectus entitled “Principal Shareholders — Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units”).
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 representative.
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 companies, prior offerings of those companies, our management, our capital structure, and currently prevailing general conditions in the 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.
We plan to apply for listing our units on the NYSE under the symbol “CHEB.U.” We expect that our Class A ordinary shares and warrants will be listed under the symbols “CHEB” and “CHEB.WS,” respectively, once the Class A ordinary shares and warrants begin separate trading.
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.
| | Paid by the Company |
| | No Exercise | | Full Exercise |
Per Unit(1) | | $ | 0.60 | | $ | 0.60 |
Total(1) | | $ | 4,500,000 | | $ | 5,175,000 |
If the company does not complete its initial business combination within the time period required by its amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the underwriters have agreed that (i) they will forfeit any rights or claims to their deferred underwriting discounts and commissions, including any accrued interest thereon, then in the trust account, and (ii) that the deferred underwriters’ discounts and commissions will be distributed on a pro rata basis, together with any interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to the company to pay the company’s taxes, to the public shareholders.
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Stabilization and Other Transactions
The underwriters pursuant to Regulation M under the Exchange Act may engage in short sale transactions, stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions or the imposition of penalty bids in connection with this offering. These activities may have the effect of stabilizing or maintaining the market price of the units at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. Establishing short sales positions may involve either “covered” short sales or “naked” short sales.
“Covered” short sales are sales made in an amount not greater than the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units in this offering. The underwriters may close out any covered short position by either exercising the overallotment option or purchasing our securities in the open market or from market participants. In determining the source of units to close out the covered short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of units available for purchase in the market as compared to the price at which they may purchase units through the overallotment option.
“Naked” short sales are sales in excess of the option to purchase additional units. The underwriters must close out any naked short position by purchasing units in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may 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.
A stabilizing bid is a bid for the purchase of securities on behalf of the underwriters for the purpose of fixing or maintaining the price of the securities. A syndicate covering transaction is the bid for or the purchase of securities on behalf of the underwriters to reduce a short position incurred by the underwriters in connection with the offering. Similar to other purchase transactions, the underwriters’ purchases to cover the syndicate short sales may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our securities or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our securities. As a result, the price of our securities may be higher than the price that might otherwise exist in the open market. A penalty bid is an arrangement permitting the underwriters to reclaim the selling concession otherwise accruing to a syndicate member in connection with the offering if the securities originally sold by such syndicate member are purchased in a syndicate covering transaction and therefore have not been effectively placed by such syndicate member.
Neither we, nor any of the underwriters make any representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of our securities. The underwriters are not obligated to engage in these activities and, if commenced, may end any of these activities at any time. These transactions may be effected on the NYSE in the over-the-counter market or otherwise.
We estimate that the total expenses of this offering payable by us will be $700,000, excluding underwriting discounts and commissions. We have agreed to pay or reimburse the underwriters for its accountable and out-of-pocket expenses related to this offering up to a maximum aggregate expense allowance of $75,000 (including any advances or company payments for such expenses), including, but not limited to FINRA-related fees and expenses of the underwriters’ legal counsel, the cost of background searches of our officers and directors and road show and other offering related expenses, as defined by FINRA.
We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments the underwriters may be required to make because of any of those liabilities.
We are not under any contractual obligation to engage any of the underwriters to provide any services for us after this offering, and have no present intent to do so. However, any of the underwriters may introduce us to potential target businesses or assist us in raising additional capital in the future 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 as applicable. If any of the underwriters provide services to us after this offering, we may pay such underwriter 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 any of the underwriters and no fees for such services will be paid to any of 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.
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.
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Selling Restrictions
NOTICE TO INVESTORS
Canada
This prospectus constitutes an “exempt offering document” as defined in and for the purposes of applicable Canadian securities laws. No prospectus has been filed with any securities commission or similar regulatory authority in Canada in connection with the offer and sale of the securities. No securities commission or similar regulatory authority in Canada has reviewed or in any way passed upon this prospectus or on the merits of the securities and any representation to the contrary is an offence.
Canadian investors are advised that this prospectus has been prepared in reliance on section 3A.3 of National Instrument 33-105 Underwriting Conflicts (“NI 33-105”). Pursuant to section 3A.3 of NI 33-105, this prospectus is exempt from the requirement that the issuer and the underwriter(s) provide investors with certain conflicts of interest disclosure pertaining to “connected issuer” and/or “related issuer” relationships that may exist between the issuer and the underwriter(s) as would otherwise be required pursuant to subsection 2.1(1) of NI 33-105.
Resale Restrictions
The offer and sale of the securities in Canada is being made on a private placement basis only and is exempt from the requirement that the issuer prepares and files a prospectus under applicable Canadian securities laws. Any resale of the securities acquired by a Canadian investor in this offering must be made in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws, which may vary depending on the relevant jurisdiction, and which may require resales to be made in accordance with Canadian prospectus requirements, pursuant to a statutory exemption from the prospectus requirements, in a transaction exempt from the prospectus requirements or otherwise under a discretionary exemption from the prospectus requirements granted by the applicable local Canadian securities regulatory authority. These resale restrictions may under certain circumstances apply to resales of the securities outside of Canada.
Representations of Purchasers
Each Canadian investor who purchases the securities will be deemed to have represented to the issuer and the underwriter(s) that the investor (i) is purchasing the securities as principal, or is deemed to be purchasing as principal in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws, for investment only and not with a view to resale or redistribution; (ii) is an “accredited investor” as such term is defined in section 1.1 of National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions (“NI 45-106”) or, in Ontario, as such term is defined in section 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario); and (iii) is a “permitted client” as such term is defined in section 1.1 of National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations.
Taxation and Eligibility for Investment
Any discussion of taxation and related matters contained in this prospectus does not purport to be a comprehensive description of all of the tax considerations that may be relevant to a Canadian investor when deciding to purchase the securities and, in particular, does not address any Canadian tax considerations. No representation or warranty is hereby made as to the tax consequences to a resident, or deemed resident, of Canada of an investment in the securities or with respect to the eligibility of the securities for investment by such investor under relevant Canadian federal and provincial legislation and regulations.
Rights of Action for Damages or Rescission
Securities legislation in certain of the Canadian jurisdictions provides certain purchasers of securities pursuant to an offering memorandum (such as this prospectus), including where the distribution involves an “eligible foreign security” as such term is defined in Ontario Securities Commission Rule 45-501 Ontario Prospectus and Registration Exemptions and in Multilateral Instrument 45-107 Listing Representation and Statutory Rights of Action Disclosure Exemptions, as applicable, with a remedy for damages or rescission, or both, in addition to any other rights they may have at law, where the offering memorandum, or other offering document that constitutes an offering memorandum, and any amendment thereto, contains a “misrepresentation” as defined under applicable Canadian securities laws.
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These remedies, or notice with respect to these remedies, must be exercised or delivered, as the case may be, by the purchaser within the time limits prescribed under, and are subject to limitations and defences under, applicable Canadian securities legislation. In addition, these remedies are in addition to and without derogation from any other right or remedy available at law to the investor.
Language of Documents
Upon receipt of this document, each Canadian investor hereby confirms that it has expressly requested that all documents evidencing or relating in any way to the sale of the securities described herein (including for greater certainty any purchase confirmation or any notice) be drawn up in the English language only. Par la réception de ce document, chaque investisseur Canadien confirme par les présentes qu’il a expressément exigé que tous les documents faisant foi ou se rapportant de quelque manière que ce soit à la vente des valeurs mobilières décrites aux présentes (incluant, pour plus de certitude, toute confirmation d’achat ou tout avis) soient rédigés en anglais seulement.
Australia
This document does not constitute a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document under the Australia’s Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (the “Corporations Act”) of Australia. This document has not been lodged with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission and is only directed to the categories of exempt persons set out below. Accordingly, if you receive this document in Australia:
You confirm and warrant that you are either:
• a “sophisticated investor” under section 708(8)(a) or (b) of the Corporations Act;
• a “sophisticated investor” under section 708(8)(c) or (d) of the Corporations Act and that you have provided an accountant’s certificate to the company which complies with the requirements of section 708(8)(c)(i) or (ii) of the Corporations Act and related regulations before the offer has been made; or
• a “professional investor” within the meaning of section 708(11)(a) or (b) of the Corporations Act.
To the extent that you are unable to confirm or warrant that you are an exempt sophisticated investor or professional investor under the Corporations Act any offer made to you under this document is void and incapable of acceptance.
You warrant and agree that you will not offer any of the shares issued to you pursuant to this document for resale in Australia within 12 months of those securities being issued unless any such resale offer is exempt from the requirement to issue a disclosure document under section 708 of the Corporations Act.
European Economic Area
In relation to each member state of the European Economic Area (each a “Member State”), no securities have been offered or will be offered pursuant to the offer described herein in that Member State prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the securities which has been approved by the competent authority in that Member State or, where appropriate, approved in another Member State and notified to the competent authority in that Member State, all in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation, except that the securities may be offered to the public in that Member State at any time:
(i) to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under Article 2 of the Prospectus Regulation;
(ii) to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under Article 2 of the Prospectus Regulation), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the underwriters for any such offer; or
(iii) in any other circumstances falling within Article 1(4) of the Prospectus Regulation,
provided that no such offer of securities shall require the issuer or any underwriter to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the Prospectus Regulation.
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Each person in a Member State who acquires any securities in the offer or to whom any offer is made will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed to and with the issuer and the underwriters that it is a qualified investor within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation.
In the case of any securities being offered to a financial intermediary as that term is used in Article 5(1) of the Prospectus Regulation, each such financial intermediary will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed to and with the issuer and the underwriters that the securities acquired by it in the offer have not been acquired on a non-discretionary basis on behalf of, nor have they been acquired with a view to their offer or resale to, persons in circumstances which may give rise to an offer to the public other than their offer or resale in a Member State to qualified investors, in circumstances in which the prior consent of the underwriters has been obtained to each such proposed offer or resale. Neither the issuer nor the underwriters have authorized, nor do they authorize, the making of any offer of securities through any financial intermediary, other than offers made by the underwriters which constitute the final placement of securities contemplated in this document.
The issuer and the underwriters and their affiliates will rely upon the truth and accuracy of the foregoing representations, acknowledgements and agreements.
For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to any securities in any Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase, or subscribe for, any securities and the expression “Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129.
In Member States, this document is being distributed only to, and is directed only at, persons who are “qualified investors” within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation (“Qualified Investors”). This document must not be acted on or relied on in any Member State by persons who are not Qualified Investors. Any investment or investment activity to which this document relates is available in any Member State only to Qualified Investors and will be engaged in only with such persons.
Hong Kong
No securities have been, may be or will be offered or sold in Hong Kong, by means of any document, other than to persons whose ordinary business is to buy or sell shares or debentures, whether as principal or agent; or to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571) of Hong Kong (the “SFO”) and any rules made thereunder; or in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” as defined in the Companies (Winding UP and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 32) of Hong Kong (the “C(WUMP)O”), or which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the C(WUMP)O. No document, invitation or advertisement relating to the securities has been issued or may be issued or will be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public of Hong Kong (except if permitted under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to 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 SFO and any rules made thereunder.
This document has not been and will not be registered with the Registrar of Companies in Hong Kong. Accordingly, this document may not be issued, circulated or distributed in Hong Kong, and the securities may not be offered for subscription to members of the public in Hong Kong. Each person acquiring the securities will be required, and is deemed by the acquisition of the securities, to confirm that he is aware of the restriction on offers of the securities described in this document and the relevant offering documents and that he is not acquiring, and has not been offered any securities in circumstances that contravene any such restrictions.
Japan
The offering has not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act of Japan (Act No. 25 of 1948 of Japan, as amended) (the “FIEA”), and the Initial Purchaser will not offer or sell any securities, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any resident of Japan (which term as used herein means, unless otherwise provided herein, any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan), or to others for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to a resident of Japan, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of, and otherwise in compliance with, the FIEA and any other applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines of Japan.
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Singapore
This document has not been and will not be lodged or registered with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this document and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or the invitation for subscription or purchase of the securities may not be issued, circulated or distributed, nor may the securities be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to any person in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the “SFA”), (ii) to a relevant person as defined under Section 275(2) of the SFA, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A) of the SFA, and in accordance with the conditions, specified in Section 275 of the SFA and where (where applicable) Regulation 3 of the Securities and Futures (Classes of Investors) Regulations 2018, or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of any other applicable provision of the SFA. In the event that you are not an investor falling within any of the categories set out above, please return this document immediately. You may not forward or circulate this document to any other person in Singapore.
No offer is made to you with a view to the securities being subsequently offered for sale to any other party. There are on-sale restrictions that may be applicable to investors who acquire securities. As such, investors are advised to acquaint themselves with the provisions of the SFA relating to resale restrictions and comply accordingly.
Where the securities are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is:
• a corporation (which is not an accredited investor as defined under Section 4A of the SFA) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor; or
• a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary is an accredited investor,
securities or securities-based derivatives contracts (each term as defined in Section 2(1) of the SFA) of that corporation or the beneficiaries’ rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferable within six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the securities under Section 275 of the SFA except:
• to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the SFA or to a relevant person defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA, or to any person pursuant to an offer referred to in Section 275(1A) or Section 276(4)(i)(B) of the SFA;
• where no consideration is given for the transfer;
• where the transfer is by operation of law;
• as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA; or
• as specified in Regulation 37A of the Securities and Futures (Offers of Investments) (Securities and Securities-based Derivatives Contracts) Regulations 2018 of Singapore.
Switzerland
The securities may not be publicly offered in Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange, or SIX, or on any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. This document has been prepared without regard to the disclosure standards for issuance prospectuses under art. 652a or art. 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or the disclosure standards for listing prospectuses under art. 27 ff. of the SIX Listing Rules or the listing rules of any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the securities or the offering may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.
Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the offering, the issuer or the securities have been or will be filed with or approved by any Swiss regulatory authority. In particular, this document will not be filed with, and the offer of securities will not be supervised by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA, or FINMA, and the offer of securities has not been and will not be authorized under the Swiss Federal Act on Collective Investment Schemes, or CISA. The investor protection afforded to acquirers of interests in collective investment schemes under the CISA does not extend to acquirers of securities.
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Israel
This document does not constitute a prospectus under the Israeli Securities Law, 5728-1968, or the Securities Law, and has not been filed with or approved by the Israel Securities Authority. In the State of Israel, this document is being distributed only to, and is directed only at, and any offer of the shares is directed only at, investors listed in the first addendum, or the Addendum, to the Israeli Securities Law, consisting primarily of joint investment in trust funds, provident funds, insurance companies, banks, portfolio managers, investment advisors, members of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, underwriters, venture capital funds, entities with equity in excess of NIS 50 million and “qualified individuals”, each as defined in the Addendum (as it may be amended from time to time), collectively referred to as qualified investors (in each case purchasing for their own account or, where permitted under the Addendum, for the accounts of their clients who are investors listed in the Addendum). Qualified investors will be required to submit written confirmation that they fall within the scope of the Addendum, are aware of the meaning of same and agree to it.
United Kingdom
In relation to the United Kingdom, no securities have been offered or will be offered pursuant to the offer described herein to the public in the United Kingdom prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the securities which has been approved by the UK Financial Conduct Authority, except that the securities may be offered to the public in the United Kingdom at any time:
(i) to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation;
(ii) to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the underwriters for any such offer; or
(iii) in any other circumstances falling within Section 86 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended) (the “FSMA”),
provided that no such offer of the securities shall require the issuer or any underwriter to publish a prospectus pursuant to Section 85 of the FSMA or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the UK Prospectus Regulation.
Each person in the United Kingdom who acquires any securities in the offer or to whom any offer is made will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed to and with the issuer and the underwriters that it is a qualified investor within the meaning of the UK Prospectus Regulation.
In the case of any securities being offered to a financial intermediary as that term is used in Article 5(1) of the UK Prospectus Regulation, each such financial intermediary will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed to and with the issuer and the underwriters that the securities acquired by it in the offer have not been acquired on a non-discretionary basis on behalf of, nor have they been acquired with a view to their offer or resale to, persons in circumstances which may give rise to an offer to the public other than their offer or resale in the United Kingdom to qualified investors, in circumstances in which the prior consent of the underwriters has been obtained to each such proposed offer or resale. Neither the issuer nor the underwriters have authorized, nor do they authorize, the making of any offer of securities through any financial intermediary, other than offers made by the underwriters which constitute the final placement of securities contemplated in this document.
The issuer and the underwriters and their affiliates will rely upon the truth and accuracy of the foregoing representations, acknowledgements and agreements.
For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to the securities in the United Kingdom means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any securities and the expression “UK Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of United Kingdom law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.
In the United Kingdom, this document is being distributed only to, and is directed only at, persons who are “qualified investors” within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the UK Prospectus Regulation who are also: (i) persons who fall within the definition of “investment professionals” in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the “Order”); (ii) persons falling within Article 49(2) of the
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Order; or (iii) persons to whom it may otherwise lawfully be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”). This document must not be acted on or relied on in the United Kingdom by persons who are not relevant persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this document relates is available in the United Kingdom only to relevant persons and will be engaged in only with such persons.
Any invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the FSMA) may only be communicated or caused to be communicated in connection with the issue or sale of the securities in circumstances in which Section 21(1) of the FSMA does not apply. All applicable provisions of the FSMA and the Order must be complied with in respect of anything done by any person in relation to the securities in, from or otherwise involving the United Kingdom.
Cayman Islands
This document does not constitute a public offer of, or an invitation to the public to purchase, units, warrants or Class A ordinary shares in the company, whether by way of sale or subscription, in the Cayman Islands. Units, warrants and Class A ordinary shares have not been offered or sold, and will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in the Cayman Islands.
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LEGAL MATTERS
O’Melveny & Myers LLP is acting as counsel in connection with the registration of our securities under the Securities Act, and as such, will pass upon the validity of the securities offered in this prospectus with respect to the units and the warrants. Ogier will pass upon the validity of the securities offered in this prospectus with respect to the ordinary shares and matters of Cayman Islands law. Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP is acting as counsel to the underwriters.
EXPERTS
The financial statements of Chenghe Acquisition II Co. at March 4, 2024, and for the period from January 15, 2024 (inception) through March 4, 2024, included in this prospectus have been audited by Enrome LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon, appearing elsewhere in this prospectus, and are included in reliance on such report given upon such firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
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.
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Chenghe Acquisition II Co.
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of
Chenghe Acquisition II Co.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of Chenghe Acquisition II Co. (the “Company”) as of March 04, 2024, and the related statements of operations, shareholder’s equity, and cash flows for the period from January 15, 2024 (inception) to March 04, 2024, 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 March 04, 2024, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the period from January 15, 2024 (inception) to March 04, 2024, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”).
Explanatory Paragraph — Going Concern
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 1 to the financial statements, its business plan is dependent on the completion of a financing and the Company’s working capital as of March 04, 2024 is not sufficient to complete its planned activities. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plan in regard to these matters are also described in Note 1 and 3. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
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 audits. 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 audits 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 audits, 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 audits 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 financial statements. Our audits 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 audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ Enrome LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2024.
Singapore
April 03, 2024
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Chenghe Acquisition II Co.
BALANCE SHEET
| | March 4, 2024 |
Asset: | | | | |
Deferred offering costs | | $ | 275,107 | |
Total Asset | | $ | 275,107 | |
| | | | |
Liabilities: | | | | |
Accounts payable and accrued expenses | | $ | 2,738 | |
Accrued offering costs | | | 225,107 | |
Promissory note – related party | | | 39,965 | |
Total current liabilities | | | 267,810 | |
| | | | |
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 6) | | | | |
| | | | |
Shareholders’ Equity | | | | |
Preference shares, no par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding | | | — | |
Class A ordinary shares, no par value; 500,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding | | | — | |
Class B ordinary shares, no par value; 50,000,000 shares authorized; 2,875,000 shares issued and outstanding(1) | | | 288 | |
Additional paid-in capital | | | 24,712 | |
Accumulated deficit | | | (17,703 | ) |
Total shareholders’ equity | | | 7,297 | |
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity | | $ | 275,107 | |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
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Chenghe Acquisition II Co.
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
| | For the Period from January 15, 2024 (Inception) to March 4, 2024 |
Formation and operating costs | | $ | 17,703 | |
Net loss | | $ | (17,703 | ) |
| | | | |
Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding(1) | | | 2,500,000 | |
Basic and diluted net loss per share | | $ | (0.01 | ) |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
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Chenghe Acquisition II Co.
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDER’S EQUITY
FOR THE PERIOD FROM JANUARY 15, 2024 (INCEPTION) TO MARCH 4, 2024
| | Class B Ordinary shares | | Additional Paid-in Capital | | Accumulated Deficit | | Shareholder’s Equity |
| | Shares(1) | | Amount | |
Balance as of January 15, 2024 | | — | | $ | — | | $ | — | | $ | — | | | $ | | |
Issuance of Class B ordinary shares | | 2,875,000 | | | 288 | | | 24,712 | | | — | | | | 25,000 | |
Net loss | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (17,703 | ) | | | (17,703 | ) |
Balance as of March 4, 2024 | | 2,875,000 | | $ | 288 | | $ | 24,712 | | $ | (17,703 | ) | | $ | 7,297 | |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
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Chenghe Acquisition II Co.
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
FOR THE PERIOD FROM JANUARY 15, 2024 (INCEPTION) TO MARCH 4, 2024
| | For the Period from January 15, 2024 (Inception) to March 4, 2024 |
Cash flows from operating activities: | | | | |
Net loss | | $ | (17,703 | ) |
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: | | | | |
Operating expenses paid by Sponsor | | | 14,965 | |
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | | | — | |
Accounts payable and accrued expenses | | | 2,738 | |
Net cash used in operating activities | | | — | |
| | | | |
Net change in cash | | | — | |
Cash, beginning at date of incorporation | | | — | |
Cash, end of the period | | $ | — | |
| | | | |
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash information: | | | | |
Deferred offering costs paid by Sponsor for issuance of Class B ordinary shares | | $ | 25,000 | |
Deferred offering costs included in the accrued offering costs and expenses | | $ | 225,107 | |
Deferred offering costs paid by Sponsor under the promissory note-related party | | $ | 25,000 | |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
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Chenghe Acquisition II Co.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 1 — Organization and Business Operations
Chenghe Acquisition II Co. (the “Company”) is blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company on January 15, 2024. 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 (the “Business Combination”). The Company has not selected any potential Business Combination target and the Company has not, nor has anyone on its behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any potential Business Combination target.
As of March 4, 2024, the Company had not commenced any operations. All activity for the period from January 15, 2024 (inception) through March 4, 2024 relates to the Company’s formation and the Proposed Public Offering (as defined 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 Chenghe Investment II Limited, a Cayman Islands limited company (the “Sponsor”). The Company’s ability to commence operations is contingent upon obtaining adequate financial resources through a Proposed Public Offering of 7,500,000 units at $10.00 per unit (the “Units”) (or 8,625,000 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 287,500 units (the “Private Placement Units”) (or 310,000 units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit for an aggregate purchase price of $2,875,000 (or $3,100,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) to the Sponsor and the underwriters, at a price of $10.00 per Units in a private placement (as discussed in Note 4) that will close simultaneously with the Proposed Public Offering. Each Unit consists of one Class A ordinary share and one-half of one redeemable warrant (the “Public Warrants”). Each Private Placement Unit will be identical to the units sold in the Proposed Public offering, except as described in Note 4. The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering and the Private Placement Units, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be generally applied toward consummating a Business Combination (less any taxes payable on interest earned and less any interest earned thereon that is released to the Company for taxes).
The initial Business Combination must be with one or more target businesses or assets having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the Trust Account (defined below) (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes paid or payable on the income earned on the Trust Account) at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for such Business Combination. However, the Company will only complete a 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 sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). There is no assurance that the Company will be able to successfully effect a Business Combination.
Upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, management has agreed that an aggregate of $10.00 per Unit sold in the Proposed Public Offering will be held in a Trust Account (“Trust Account”) and will be invested only in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 180 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. Except with respect to permitted withdrawals, the proceeds from the Proposed Public Offering and the sale of Private Placement Units will not be released from the Trust Account until the earliest of (i) the completion of the initial Business Combination, (ii) the redemption of the Company’s public shares if the Company is unable to complete its initial Business Combination within the completion window, subject to applicable law, and (iii) the redemption of the Company’s public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to amend the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to redeem 100% of its public shares if the Company has not consummated an initial Business Combination within the completion window or with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial Business Combination activity. The proceeds deposited 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 the Company’s public shareholders.
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NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 1 — Organization and Business Operations (cont.)
The Company will provide the 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) without a shareholder vote 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 the law or stock exchange listing requirement. The Company will provide the public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of the initial Business Combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account 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 (which interest shall be net of permitted withdrawals) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations and on the conditions described herein. The amount in the Trust Account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share.
The Company will account for its Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption in accordance with the guidance in ASC Topic 480, “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity” (ASC 480). Ordinary shares subject to mandatory redemption (if any) will be classified as a liability instrument and will be measured at fair value. Conditionally redeemable ordinary shares (including ordinary shares that features redemption rights that are either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon the occurrence of uncertain events not solely within the Company’s control) will be classified as temporary equity. At all other times, ordinary shares will be classified as stockholders’ equity. In accordance with ASC 480-10-S99, the Company will classify the Class A ordinary shares subject to redemption outside of permanent equity as the redemption provisions are not solely within the control of the Company. Given that the 7,500,000 Class A ordinary shares sold as part of the units in the offering will be issued with other freestanding instruments (i.e., warrants), the initial carrying value of Class A ordinary shares classified as temporary equity will be the allocated proceeds determined in accordance with ASC 470-20. If it is probable that the equity instrument will become redeemable, the Company has the option to either (i) accrete changes in the redemption value over the period from the date of issuance (or from the date that it becomes probable that the instrument will become redeemable, if later) to the earliest redemption date of the instrument or (ii) recognize changes in the redemption value immediately as they occur and adjust the carrying amount of the instrument to equal the redemption value at the end of each reporting period. The Company has elected to recognize the changes immediately as they occur and adjust the carrying amount of the instrument to equal the redemption value at the end of each reporting period.
The Company will have 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering (or such other time period in which the Company must consummate an initial Business Combination pursuant to an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association) (the “Completion window”) to complete the initial Business Combination. If the Company has not completed the initial Business Combination within the Completion window, 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 (which interest shall be net permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating 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 complete its initial Business Combination within the completion window.
The initial shareholders have agreed to waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to their Founder Shares if the Company fails to complete its initial Business Combination within the completion window. However, if the Company’s initial shareholders or management team acquire public shares in
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Note 1 — Organization and Business Operations (cont.)
or after the Proposed Public Offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to such public shares if the Company fails to complete its initial Business Combination within the allotted completion window.
The underwriters have agreed to waive all rights to the deferred underwriting commission held in the Trust Account in the event the Company does not complete its initial Business Combination within the completion window 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 the Company’s public shares.
In order to protect the amounts held in the Trust Account, the Sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to the Company if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to the Company, or a prospective target business with which the Company has entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or other similar agreement or Business Combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 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 $10.00 per public share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less permitted withdrawals, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the Trust Account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under the Company’s indemnity of the underwriters of the Proposed Public Offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, the Company has not asked its Sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor has the Company independently verified whether its Sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and the Company believes that the Sponsor’s only assets are securities of the Company. The Sponsor may not be able to satisfy those obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the Trust Account, the funds available for the initial Business Combination and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.00 per public share. In such event, the Company may not be able to complete its initial Business Combination, and you would receive such lesser amount per share in connection with any redemption of your public shares. None of the Company’s officers or directors will indemnify the Company for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
Going Concern Consideration
As of March 4, 2024, the Company had no cash, and a working capital deficit of $267,810 (excluding deferred offering costs) and incurred a net loss of $17,703. The Sponsor has agreed to loan the Company up to $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of the Proposed Public Offering. The loan is non-interest bearing, unsecured and shall be payable on the earlier of: (i) June 30, 2025 or (ii) the date on which the Company consummates an initial public offering of its securities. As of March 4, 2024, the Company had borrowed $39,965 under the promissory note.
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 Completion window. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Risks and Uncertainties
In February 2022, the Russian Federation and Belarus commenced a military action with the country of Ukraine. As a result of this action, various nations, including the United States, have instituted economic sanctions against the Russian Federation and Belarus. Further, the impact of this action and related sanctions on the world economy are not determinable as of the date of these condensed financial statements and the specific impact on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows is also not determinable as of the date of these condensed financial statements. The condensed financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
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Note 2 — Basis of Presentation and Summary of 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”).
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 condensed 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 US 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 March 4, 2024.
Deferred Offering Costs
Deferred offering costs consist of legal and other professional expenses incurred through the balance sheet date that are directly related to the Proposed Public Offering. The Company complies with the requirements of ASC 340-10-S99-1, SEC Staff Accounting bulletin Topic 5A — “Expenses of Offering”, and SEC Staff Accounting bulletin Topic 5T — “Accounting for Expenses or Liabilities Paid by Principal Stockholder(s)”. Offering costs directly attributable to the issuance of an equity contract to be classified in equity will be recorded as a reduction of equity. Offering costs for equity contracts that are classified as assets and liabilities will be expensed immediately. Should the Proposed Public Offering prove to be unsuccessful, these deferred costs, as well as additional expenses to be incurred, will be charged to euqity. As of March 4, 2024, the Company had deferred offering costs of $275,107.
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NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 2 — Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (cont.)
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.
The Company applies ASC 820, which establishes a framework for measuring fair value and clarifies the definition of fair value within that framework. ASC 820 defines fair value as an exit price, which is the price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability in the Company’s principal or most advantageous market in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. The fair value hierarchy established in ASC 820 generally requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability and are developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs reflect the entity’s own assumptions based on market data and the entity’s judgments about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability and are to be developed based on the best information available in the circumstances.
| | Level 1 — | | Assets and liabilities with unadjusted, quoted prices listed on active market exchanges. Inputs to the fair value measurement are observable inputs, such as quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. |
| | Level 2 — | | Inputs to the fair value measurement are determined using prices for recently traded assets and liabilities with similar underlying terms, as well as direct or indirect observable inputs, such as interest rates and yield curves that are observable at commonly quoted intervals. |
| | Level 3 — | | Inputs to the fair value measurement are unobservable inputs, such as estimates, assumptions, and valuation techniques when little or no market data exists for the assets or liabilities. |
Net Loss Per Ordinary Share
Net loss per share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the period, excluding ordinary shares subject to forfeiture. Weighted average shares were reduced for the effect of an aggregate of 375,000 ordinary shares that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised by the underwriters (see Notes 5). At March 4, 2024, 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.
Income Taxes
The Company follows the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes under FASB ASC 740, “Income Taxes.” Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the condensed financial statements carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that included the enactment date. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.
ASC Topic 740 prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the condensed 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. The Company’s management determined that Cayman Islands is the Company’s major tax jurisdiction. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. As of March 4, 2024, there were no unrecognized tax benefits and no amounts accrued for interest and penalties. The Company is
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Note 2 — Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (cont.)
currently not aware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviation from its position. The Company’s management does not expect that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will materially change over the next twelve months.
The Company is considered to be a Cayman Islands exempt company with no connection to any other taxable jurisdiction and is presently not subject to income taxes or income tax filing requirements in the Cayman Islands or the United States. As such, the Company’s tax provision was zero for the period presented.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In August 2020, the FASB issued 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): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity (“ASU 2020-06”), which simplifies accounting for convertible instruments by removing major separation models required under current GAAP. The ASU also removes certain settlement conditions that are required for equity-linked contracts to qualify for scope exception, and it simplifies the diluted earnings per share calculation in certain areas. ASU 2020-06 is effective January 1, 2024 and should be applied on a full or modified retrospective basis, with early adoption permitted beginning on January 1, 2021. The Company adopted ASU 2020-06 since inception.
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures (ASU 2023-09), which requires disclosure of incremental income tax information within the rate reconciliation and expanded disclosures of income taxes paid, among other disclosure requirements. ASU 2023-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted. The Company’s management does not believe the adoption of ASU 2023-09 will have a material impact on its financial statements and disclosures.
The Company’s management does not believe that any other recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards if currently adopted would have a material effect on the accompanying financial statements.
Note 3 — Proposed Public Offering
In the Proposed Public Offering, the Company will offer for sale up to 7,500,000 Units, (or 8,625,000 Units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a purchase price of $10.00 per Unit. Each Unit that the Company is offering has a price of $10.00 and consists of one Class A ordinary share with no par value and one-half 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 herein. Only whole warrants are exercisable. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the Units and only whole warrants will trade.
The Founder Shares, Private Placement Units, private placement shares, Private Placement Warrants and any Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion or exercise thereof are each subject to transfer restrictions pursuant to lock-up provisions in a letter agreement entered into by the Company’s initial shareholders and management team. Those lock-up provisions provide that such securities are not transferable or salable (a) in the case of the Founder Shares, until the earlier of: (i) six months after the completion of the initial Business Combination or earlier if, subsequent to the initial Business Combination, the closing price of the 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 the initial Business Combination and (ii) the date following the completion of the initial Business Combination on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of the Company’s shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property and (b) in the case of the Private Placement Units, the Private Placement Warrants included in the Private Placement Units, and the respective Class A ordinary shares underlying such warrants, until 30 days after the completion of the initial Business Combination, except to permitted transferees as disclosed in the Proposed Public Offering.
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Note 4 — Private Placement
The Company’s Sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 250,000 Private Placement Units (or 266,875 Private Placement Units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit for an aggregate purchase price of $2,500,000 (or $2,668,750 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full). The underwriters have committed to purchase an aggregate of 37,500 Private Placement Units (or 43,125 Private Placement Units if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $375,000 (or $431,250 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full). Each Private Placement Unit will be identical to the units sold in the Proposed Public Offering, except as described below.
The Private Placement Units will be sold in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, including the over-allotment option, as applicable. The Private Placement Units (including the private placement shares, the Private Placement Warrants or private placement shares issuable upon exercise of such warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of the initial Business Combination (except, among other limited exceptions as described in Note 3).
Note 5 — Related Party Transactions
Founder Shares
On March 4, 2024, the Company’s Sponsor paid $25,000, or approximately $0.009 per share, to cover certain of the offering and formation costs in exchange for an aggregate of 2,875,000 Class B ordinary shares (the “Founder Shares”) at $0.0001 par value, 375,000 of which are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised.
On March 11, 2024, the Sponsor transferred an aggregate of 90,000 of its Founder Shares to the Company’s independent director nominees and advisory board member, for their board and advisory services, in each case for no cash consideration, including 20,000 shares to each of Kwan Sun, James Zhang and Ning Ma, and 30,000 shares to Richard Li, respectively. The Founder Shares transferred to Kwan Sun, James Zhang, Ning Ma and Richard Li will not be subject to forfeiture in the event the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised.
The Company’s initial shareholders, Sponsor, officers and directors has agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their Founder Shares and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion thereof until the earlier to occur of: (i) one year after the completion of the initial Business Combination or (ii) the date following the completion of the initial Business Combination on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of the Company’s shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property (the “Lock-up”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, 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, the Founder Shares will be released from the Lock-up.
Promissory Note — Related Party
On February 29, 2024, the Company entered into a promissory note with the Sponsor, pursuant to which, the Sponsor has agreed to loan the Company up to $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of the Proposed Public Offering. The loan is non-interest bearing, unsecured and shall be payable on the earlier of: (i) June 30, 2025 or (ii) the date on which the Company consummates an initial public offering of its securities. These loans will be repaid out of the proceeds not held in the Trust Account. As of March 4, 2024, the Company had borrowed $39,965 under the promissory note.
Working Capital Loans
In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial 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 (the “Working Capital Loans”). Up to $1,500,000 of such working
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Note 5 — Related Party Transactions (cont.)
capital loans may be convertible into private placement-equivalent units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. Such units would be identical to the Private Placement Units. The terms of such working capital loans by the sponsor or its affiliates, or the Company’s officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. As of March 4, 2024, the Company had no borrowings under the Working Capital Loans.
Administrative Service
Subsequent to the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, the Company will pay the Sponsor a total of $15,000 per month for office space, secretarial and administrative services provided to members of the Company’s management team; upon completion of the initial Business Combination or its liquidation, the Company will cease paying these monthly fees.
Note 6 — Commitments and Contingencies
Registration Rights
The holders of the Founder Shares, Private Placement Units, shares being issued to the underwriters of the Proposed Public Offering, and units that may be issued on conversion of Working Capital Loans (and in each case holders of their component securities, as applicable) will have registration rights to require the Company to register a sale of any of the Company’s securities held by them pursuant to a registration rights 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 registers 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. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Underwriter Agreement
The underwriters have a 45-day option from the date of the Proposed Public Offering to purchase up to an additional 1,125,000 Units to cover over-allotments, if any.
The underwriters will be entitled to underwriting commission of two percent (2.0%) (“Up Front Fee”) paid in cash at the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. Among the 2.0% Up Front Fee, one half of one percent (0.5%) will be invested in the purchase of 37,500 Private Placement Units (or 43,152 Private Placement Units if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) upon the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering.. Additionally, the underwriters will be entitled to four percent (4.0%) of gross proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering (the “Deferred Underwriting Commission”) payable in cash upon the closing of a Business Combination, The Deferred Underwriting Commission is conditioned on the completion of an initial Business Combination. The underwriters 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 the Company, including potential conflicts of interest in connection with the sourcing and consummation of an initial Business Combination. The underwriters are under no obligation to provide any further services to the Company in order to receive all or any part of the Deferred Underwriting Commissions.
The Private Placement Units purchased by the underwriters are identical to the units being sold in the Proposed Public Offering except as described in Note 4. The Private Placement Units purchased by the underwriters and underlying ordinary shares and warrants have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to lock-up, registration and termination restrictions. Pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e), the Private Placement Units purchased by the underwriters and/or its permitted designees may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated or the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of the securities by any person for a period of 180 days immediately following the commencement of sales of the Proposed Public Offering except to any member participating in the Proposed Public Offering and the officers or partners, registered persons or affiliates thereof or as otherwise permitted by FINRA Rule 5110(e)(2). In addition, for as long
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Note 6 — Commitments and Contingencies (cont.)
as the Private Warrants underlying the Private Placement Units are held by the underwriters and/or its permitted designees, they may not be exercised after five years from the commencement of sales of the Proposed Public Offering. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the underwriters and/or its permitted designees may not exercise their demand and “piggy back” registration rights beyond five (5) and seven (7) years, respectively, from the commencement of sales of the Proposed Public Offering and may not exercise their demand rights on more than one occasion.
Note 7 — Shareholder’s Equity
Preferred Shares — The Company is authorized to issue a total of 1,000,000 preferred shares at $0.0001 par value. As of March 4, 2024, there were no shares of preferred shares issued or outstanding.
Class A Ordinary Shares — The Company is authorized to issue a total of 500,000,000 Class A ordinary shares $0.0001 par value. As of March 4, 2024, there were no shares of Class A ordinary shares issued or outstanding.
Class B Ordinary Shares — The Company is authorized to issue a total of 50,000,000 Class B ordinary shares at $0.0001 par value. As of March 4, 2024, the Company issued 2,875,000 Class B ordinary shares to its initial shareholder for $25,000, or approximately $0.009 per share. The Founder Shares include an aggregate of up to 375,000 shares subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised by the underwriters in full.
The Class B Ordinary Shares will automatically convert (unless otherwise provided in the initial Business Combination agreement) into Class A ordinary shares at the time of the consummation of the initial Business Combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for share sub-divisions, share dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities are issued or deemed issued in connection with the initial Business Combination, the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all Founder Shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, approximately 25% of the total number of Class A ordinary shares outstanding after such conversion, including 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 an initial Business Combination, excluding any Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities or rights exercisable for or convertible into Class A ordinary shares issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial Business Combination and any Private Placement Units issued to our sponsor, officers or directors upon conversion of working capital loans, provided that such conversion of Founder Shares will never occur on a less than one-for-one basis.
Ordinary shareholders of record are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by shareholders. 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 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 its shareholders. Approval of certain actions will require a special resolution under the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and Cayman Islands law, which is a resolution passed by a majority of at least two-thirds of the shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or by proxy at a general meeting of the company and includes a unanimous written resolution, 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 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 elect all of the directors. However, only holders of Class B ordinary shares will have the right to appoint directors in any election held prior to the completion of our initial Business Combination, meaning that holders of Class A ordinary shares will not have the right to appoint any directors until after the completion of the initial Business Combination.
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Chenghe Acquisition II Co.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 7 — Shareholder’s Equity (cont.)
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 30 days after the completion of the initial Business Combination, provided that the Company has an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available (or the Company permits holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis under the circumstances specified in the warrant agreement) 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. 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 fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least two units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant. The warrants will expire five years after the completion of the initial Business Combination, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation., provided that, the Private Warrants issued to the underwriter will not be exercisable more than five years from the commencement of sales in the Proposed Public Offering in accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8).
The Company has agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days after the closing of the initial Business Combination, it will use its commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a post-effective amendment to the registration statement of which the Proposed Public Offering forms a part or a new registration statement covering the registration, under the Securities Act, of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and thereafter will use the Company’s commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become effective within 60 business days following the initial Business Combination and to maintain a current prospectus relating to the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants, until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. If a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the sixtieth (60th) business 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. Notwithstanding the above, if the Company’s 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 elects, the Company will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, and in the event the Company does not so elect, it 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.
Redemption of warrants for cash
Once the warrants become exercisable, we may call the warrants for redemption for cash:
• in whole and not in part;
• upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption (the “30-day redemption period”) to each warrant holder; and
• at a price of $0.01 per warrant if, and only if, the closing price of the ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like and for certain issuances of Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of the initial Business Combination as described elsewhere in the Proposed Public Offering) on each of 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period commencing once the warrants become exercisable and ending three business days before the Company sends to the notice of redemption to the warrant holders and there is an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares is available throughout the 30-day redemption period.
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Chenghe Acquisition II Co.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 7 — Shareholder’s Equity (cont.)
If and when the warrants become redeemable by the Company for cash, the Company 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.
In addition, if (x) the Company issues 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 Class A 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 Company’s initial shareholders or their affiliates, without taking into account any Founder Shares held by the Company’s initial shareholders 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 the Class A ordinary shares during the 10-trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which the Company consummates its initial Business Combination (such price, the “Market Value”) of the Class A ordinary shares is below $9.20 per share, then 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 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 Private Placement Warrants (including 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, among other limited exceptions as described in Note 3, to the Company’s officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with the initial purchasers of the Private Placement Units). The Private Placement Warrants have terms and provisions that are identical to those of the warrants being sold as part of the units in the Proposed Public Offering.
Note 8 — Subsequent Events
The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date up to the date that the financial statements were available to be issued. Based upon this review, the Company did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements.
On March 11, 2024, the Sponsor transferred an aggregate of 90,000 of its Founder Shares to the Company’s independent director nominees and advisory board member, for their board and advisory services, in each case for no cash consideration, including 20,000 shares to each of Kwan Sun, James Zhang and Ning Ma, and 30,000 shares to Richard Li, respectively. The Founder Shares transferred to Kwan Sun, James Zhang, Ning Ma and Richard Li will not be subject to forfeiture in the event the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised.
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7,500,000 Units
Chenghe Acquisition II Co.
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PROSPECTUS
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Lead Book-Running Manager
Cohen & Company Capital Markets
Co-Managers
Revere Securities | | Chenghe Capital Management |
Until , 2024 (25 days after the date of this prospectus), all dealers that buy, sell or trade our ordinary shares, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers’ obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.
We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized anyone to provide you with information different from that contained in this prospectus. 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.
No dealer, salesperson or any other person is authorized to give any information or make any representations in connection with this offering other than those contained in this prospectus and, if given or made, the information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by us. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security other than the securities offered by this prospectus, or an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities by anyone in any jurisdiction in which the offer or solicitation is not authorized or is unlawful.
, 2024
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PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
ITEM 13. OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND DISTRIBUTION.
The estimated expenses payable by us in connection with the offering described in this registration statement (other than the underwriting discounts and commissions) will be as follows:
Legal fees and expenses | | $ | 300,000 |
Accounting fees and expenses | | $ | 40,000 |
SEC/FINRA expenses | | $ | 85,208 |
NYSE listing and filing fees | | $ | 55,000 |
Printing and engraving expenses | | $ | 30,000 |
Travel and roadshow expenses | | $ | 20,000 |
Transfer agent expenses | | $ | 40,000 |
Miscellaneous expenses | | $ | 129,792 |
Total offering expenses (excluding underwriting discounts and commissions) | | $ | 700,000 |
ITEM 14. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.
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 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.
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.
We believe that these provisions, the insurance and the indemnity agreements are necessary to attract and retain talented and experienced officers and directors.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
We will enter into indemnity agreements with each of our officers and directors to provide contractual indemnification in addition to the indemnification provided for in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, a form of which is to be filed as an exhibit to this Registration Statement. These agreements will require us to indemnify these individuals to the fullest extent permitted under Cayman Islands law and to advance expenses incurred as a result of any proceeding against them as to which they could be indemnified.
Pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement filed as Exhibit 1.1 to this Registration Statement, we have agreed to indemnify the underwriters and the underwriters have agreed to indemnify us against certain civil liabilities that may be incurred in connection with this offering, including certain liabilities under the Securities Act.
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ITEM 15. RECENT SALES OF UNREGISTERED SECURITIES.
On February 29, 2024, the Sponsor acquired an aggregate of 2,875,000 ordinary shares (“founder shares”) in exchange for a total capital contribution of $25,000. Up to 375,000 founder shares are subject to forfeiture if the underwriters’ over-allotment is not exercised in full or in part. Such securities were issued pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.
In addition, the Sponsor agreed that it and/or its designees will purchase from us an aggregate of 250,000 units at a price of $10.00 per unit for a total purchase price of $2,500,000 in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. They have also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters in full or in part, they and/or their designees will purchase from us up to an additional 16,875 units at a price of $10.00 per unit. The underwriters have committed to purchase an aggregate of 37,500 units at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $375,000 in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. The underwriters also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters in full or in part, they will purchase from us up to an aggregate of additional 5,625 private units at a price of $10.00 per unit. The private placement units will be purchased in an amount that is necessary to maintain in the trust account $10.00 per unit sold to the public in this offering. These purchases will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously this offering. The issuance will be made pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.
No underwriting discounts or commissions were paid with respect to such sales.
ITEM 16. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
(a) Exhibits. The list of exhibits immediately preceding the signature page of this registration statement is incorporated herein by reference.
(b) Financial Statements. See page F-1 for an index to the financial statements and schedules included in the registration statement.
ITEM 17. UNDERTAKINGS.
(a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriters at the closing specified in the underwriting agreement, certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriters to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.
(b) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
(c) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:
(1) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.
(2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
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(3) For the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser, if the registrant is subject to Rule 430C, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.
(4) For the purpose of determining liability of a registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of an undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser.
i. Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
ii. Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by an undersigned registrant;
iii. The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
iv. Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Hong Kong, on the thirteenth day of May, 2024.
| | Chenghe Acquisition II Co. |
| | By: | | /s/ Anna Zhou |
| | Name: | | Anna Zhou |
| | Title: | | Chief Executive Officer |
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints each of Anna Zhou, Lyle Wang, and Shibin Wang his true and lawful attorney-in-fact, with full power of substitution and resubstitution for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities to sign any and all amendments including post-effective amendments to this registration statement and any and all registration statements filed pursuant to Rule 462 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the SEC, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact or his substitute, each acting alone, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue thereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Name | | Position | | Date |
/s/ Anna Zhou | | Chief Executive Officer and Director | | May 13, 2024 |
Anna Zhou | | (Principal Executive Officer) | | |
/s/ Lyle Wang | | Chief Financial Officer | | May 13, 2024 |
Lyle Wang | | (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | | |
/s/ Shibin Wang | | Chairman of Board of Directors | | May 13, 2024 |
Shibin Wang | | | | |
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AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 6(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, the undersigned has signed this registration statement, solely in its capacity as the duly authorized representative of Chenghe Acquisition II Co., in the City of New York, New York, on the thirteenth day of May, 2024.
| | By: | | /s/ Colleen A. De Vries |
| | Name: | | Colleen A. De Vries |
| | Title: | | Senior Vice President on behalf of Cogency Global Inc. |
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