Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion and analysis of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our audited financial statements and the notes related thereto which are included in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Certain information contained in the discussion and analysis set forth below includes forward-looking statements. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including those set forth under “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Overview
We are a blank check company formed under the laws of the State of Delaware on August 5, 2020 for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. We intend to effectuate our Business Combination using cash from the proceeds of the IPO and the sale of the Private Placement Warrants, our capital stock, debt or a combination of cash, stock and debt. While our efforts to identify a target business may span many industries and regions worldwide, we intend to focus our search for businesses in the consumer products industry and related sectors, including those consumer industry businesses in the health and wellness, e-commerce, discretionary spending, and information technology sectors and related channels of distribution.
We expect to continue to incur significant costs in the pursuit of our acquisition plans. We cannot assure you that our plans to complete a Business Combination will be successful.
Recent Developments
On February 10, 2023 (the “Closing Date”), Alliance Entertainment Holding Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“Alliance”), Adara Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation (“Adara”), and Adara Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Merger Sub”), consummated the closing of the transactions (the “Closing“) contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement, dated June 22, 2022, by and among Alliance, Adara and Merger Sub (the “Business Combination Agreement”), following their approval at a special meeting of the stockholders of Adara held on January 18, 2023 (the “Special Meeting”),
On June 22, 2022, the Company, Alliance Merger Sub, Inc. (“Merger Sub”) and Alliance Entertainment Holding Corporation (“Alliance”) entered into the Business Combination Agreement (the “BCA”), pursuant to which the Company and Alliance consummated the Business Combination.
Pursuant to the BCA, Merger Sub merged with and into Alliance, with Alliance being the surviving entity (the “Merger”). The Merger became effective by the filing of a certificate of merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law (such time, “Effective Time”). The parties held the closing immediately prior to such filing of a certificate of merger, on the closing date.
At the Effective Time, by virtue of the Merger and without any action on the part of Adara, Merger Sub, Alliance or the holders of any of Alliance’s securities:
● Each share of Alliance common stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time will be cancelled and automatically converted into the right to receive the number of shares of the Company surviving the Business Combination (the “Combined Company Common Stock”) equal to the Exchange Ratio;
● No certificates or scrip or shares representing fractional shares of Combined Company Common Stock shall be issued upon the exchange of Alliance common stock and such fractional share interests will not entitle the owner thereof to vote or to have any rights of a stockholder of Adara or a holder of shares of Combined Company Common Stock. In lieu of any fractional share of Combined Company Common Stock to which each holder of Alliance common stock would otherwise be entitled, the fractional share shall be rounded up or down to the nearest whole share of Combined Company Common Stock, with a fraction of 0.5 rounded up. No cash settlements shall be made with respect to fractional shares eliminated by rounding.
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At the closing, the Company also issued to the Alliance stockholders shares of a to be formed Class E Common Stock (the ”Contingent Consideration Shares”) which were placed into an escrow account pursuant to the Contingent Consideration Shares Agreement and shall not be released from escrow over a ten-year period unless and until they are earned as a result of the occurrence of the applicable triggering event as follows: 20,000,000 Contingent Consideration Shares will be earned upon the occurrence of triggering event I prior to the five-year anniversary of the closing; 20,000,000 Contingent Consideration Shares will be earned upon the occurrence of triggering event II prior to the seven-year anniversary of the closing; and 20,000,000 Contingent Consideration Shares will be earned upon the occurrence of triggering event III prior to the ten-year anniversary of the closing.
Upon the occurrence of a triggering event, the Contingent Consideration Shares released from the escrow shall automatically convert into an equal number of shares of Combined Company Common Stock.
On August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the “IR Act”) was signed into federal law. The IR Act provides for, among other things, a new U.S. federal 1% excise tax on certain repurchases of stock by publicly traded U.S. domestic corporations and certain U.S. domestic subsidiaries of publicly traded foreign corporations occurring on or after January 1, 2023. The excise tax is imposed on the repurchasing corporation itself, not its shareholders from which shares are repurchased. The amount of the excise tax is generally 1% of the fair market value of the shares repurchased at the time of the repurchase. However, for purposes of calculating the excise tax, repurchasing corporations are permitted to net the fair market value of certain new stock issuances against the fair market value of stock repurchases during the same taxable year. In addition, certain exceptions apply to the excise tax. The U.S. Department of the Treasury (the “Treasury”) has been given authority to provide regulations and other guidance to carry out and prevent the abuse or avoidance of the excise tax.
Any redemption or other repurchase that occurs after December 31, 2022, in connection with a Business Combination, extension vote or otherwise, may be subject to the excise tax. Whether and to what extent the Company would be subject to the excise tax in connection with a Business Combination, extension vote or otherwise would depend on a number of factors, including (i) the fair market value of the redemptions and repurchases in connection with the Business Combination, extension or otherwise, (ii) the structure of a Business Combination, (iii) the nature and amount of any “PIPE” or other equity issuances in connection with a Business Combination (or otherwise issued not in connection with a Business Combination but issued within the same taxable year of a Business Combination) and (iv) the content of regulations and other guidance from the Treasury. In addition, because the excise tax would be payable by the Company and not by the redeeming holder, the mechanics of any required payment of the excise tax have not been determined. The foregoing could cause a reduction in the cash available on hand to complete a Business Combination and in the Company’s ability to complete a Business Combination. The Company is permitted to use interest earned on the proceeds placed in the trust account to pay taxes, which could include any excise tax due under the IR Act on any redemptions or stock buybacks by Adara.
Results of Operations
We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenues to date. Our only activities from August 5, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2021 were organizational activities, those necessary to prepare for the IPO, described below, and identifying a target company for a Business Combination. We do not expect to generate any operating revenues until after the completion of our Business Combination. We generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on marketable securities held in the Trust Account. We incur expenses as a result of being a public company (for legal, financial reporting, accounting and auditing compliance), as well as for due diligence expenses.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, we had net income of $2,943,538, which consists of changes in fair value of the warrant liabilities of $4,166,900 and interest earned on marketable securities held in Trust Account of $1,649,169, offset by operating and formation costs of $2,608,046 and provision for income taxes of $264,485.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, we had a net income of $3,244,206, which consists of interest income on marketable securities held in the Trust Accounts of $10,281 and change in fair value of warrant liabilities of $4,297,300, offset by operating costs of $976,831 and transaction cost incurred in connection with IPO of $86,544.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
On February 11, 2021, the Company consummated the IPO of 11,500,000 Units, which includes the full exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment option in the amount of 1,500,000 Units, at $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $115,000,000. Simultaneously with the closing of the IPO, the Company consummated the sale of 4,120,000 Private Placement Warrants, at a price of $1.00 per Private Placement Warrant in a private placement to the Sponsor, generating gross proceeds of $4,120,000.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, cash used in operating activities was $1,208,635. Net income of $2,943,538 was affected by the changes in fair value of the warrant liabilities of $4,166,900 and interest earned on marketable securities held in Trust Account of $1,649,169. Changes in operating assets and liabilities provided $1,663,896 of cash for operating activities.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, cash used in operating activities was $340,634. Net income of $3,244,206 was impacted by interest earned on marketable securities held in the Trust Accounts of $10,281, change in fair value of warrant liabilities of $4,297,300 and transaction cost incurred in connection with IPO of $86,544. Changes in operating assets and liabilities, which provided $636,197 of cash from operating activities.
As of December 31, 2022, we had marketable securities held in the Trust Account of $117,809,450 (including $1,659,450 of interest income) consisting of U.S. Treasury Bills with a maturity of 185 days or less. Interest income on the balance in the Trust Account may be used by us to pay taxes. Through December 31, 2022, we have not withdrawn any interest earned from the Trust Account.
We intend to use substantially all of the funds held in the Trust Account, including any amounts representing interest earned on the Trust Account (less income taxes payable), to complete our Business Combination. To the extent that our capital stock or debt is used, in whole or in part, as consideration to complete our 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.
As of December 31, 2022, we had cash of $17,956 held outside of the Trust Account. We intend to use the funds held outside the Trust Account primarily to 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.
In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor, or certain of our officers and directors or their affiliates may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete a Business Combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that a 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 Working Capital Loans may be convertible into warrants of the post-Business Combination entity at a price of $1.00 per warrant.
Liquidity Capital Resources and Going Concern
Until the consummation of a Business Combination, the Company will be using the funds not held in the Trust Account for identifying and evaluating prospective acquisition candidates, performing due diligence on prospective target businesses, paying for travel expenditures, selecting the target business to acquire, and structuring, negotiating and consummating the Business Combination.
Until the consummation of the Business Combination, the Company used the funds not held in the Trust Account for identifying and evaluating target businesses, performing due diligence on prospective target businesses, traveling to and from the offices, plants or similar location of prospective target businesses or their representatives or owners, reviewing corporate documents and material agreements of prospective target businesses and structuring, negotiating and completing a Business Combination, which was the Business Combination with Alliance. The Company completed its Business Combination on February 10, 2023, which was the Business Combination with Alliance, and has raised sufficient capital for its operations.
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Off-Balance Sheet Financing Arrangements
We have no obligations, assets or liabilities, which would be considered off-balance sheet arrangements as of December 31, 2022. We do not participate in transactions that create relationships with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, often referred to as variable interest entities, which would have been established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements. We have not entered into any off-balance sheet financing arrangements, established any special purpose entities, guaranteed any debt or commitments of other entities, or purchased any non-financial assets.
Contractual Obligations
We do not have any long-term debt, capital lease obligations, operating lease obligations or long-term liabilities, other than an agreement to pay our Sponsor a monthly fee of $10,000 for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support. We began incurring these fees on February 8, 2021 and will continue to incur these fees monthly until the earlier of the completion of the Business Combination and our liquidation.
Critical Accounting Policies
The preparation of consolidated financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements, and income and expenses during the periods reported. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. We have identified the following critical accounting policies:
Warrant Liabilities
We account for the Warrants in accordance with the guidance contained in ASC 815-40-15-7D and 7F under which the Warrants do not meet the criteria for equity treatment and must be recorded as liabilities. Accordingly, we classify the Warrants as liabilities at their fair value and adjust the Warrants to fair value at each reporting period. This liability is subject to re-measurement at each consolidated balance sheet date until exercised, and any change in fair value is recognized in our statement of operations. The Private Warrants and the Public Warrants for periods where no observable traded price was available are valued using a binomial lattice model, specifically a binomial lattice model. For periods subsequent to the detachment of the Public Warrants from the Units, the Public Warrant quoted market price was used as the fair value as of each relevant date.
Class A Common Stock Subject to Possible Redemption
We account for our Class A common stock subject to possible redemption in accordance with the guidance in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.” Shares of Class A common stock subject to mandatory redemption is classified as a liability instrument and is measured at fair value. Conditionally redeemable common stock (including common stock that feature redemption rights that is either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon the occurrence of uncertain events not solely within our control) is classified as temporary equity. At all other times, common stock is classified as stockholders’ equity. Our Class A common stock features certain redemption rights that are considered to be outside of our control and subject to occurrence of uncertain future events. Accordingly, shares of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption are presented as temporary equity, outside of the stockholders’ deficit section of our consolidated balance sheets.
Net Loss per Common Share
Net income (loss) per common share is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. We apply the two-class method in calculating income (loss) per common share, evenly allocating the net income (loss) to each class of stock. The deemed dividend associated with the redeemable shares of Class A common stock is included in income (loss) per common share in the IPO quarter and year to date calculation in which the IPO occurred.
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Recent Accounting Standards
In August 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2020-06, Debt – Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging – Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40) (“ASU 2020-06”) to simplify accounting for certain financial instruments. ASU 2020-06 eliminates the current models that require separation of beneficial conversion and cash conversion features from convertible instruments and simplifies the derivative scope exception guidance pertaining to equity classification of contracts in an entity’s own equity. The new standard also introduces additional disclosures for convertible debt and freestanding instruments that are indexed to and settled in an entity’s own equity. ASU 2020-06 amends the diluted earnings per share guidance, including the requirement to use the if-converted method for all convertible instruments. As a smaller reporting company, ASU 2020-06 is effective January 1, 2024 for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023 and should be applied on a full or modified retrospective basis, with early adoption permitted beginning on January 1, 2021. We are currently assessing the impact, if any, that ASU 2020-06 would have on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows. We have not adopted this guidance as of December 31, 2022.
Management does not believe that any other recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
Not required for smaller reporting companies.