Item 1. Business
Item 1. BUSINESS
General
We are a special purpose acquisition company incorporated on June 09, 2025, as a Cayman Islands exempted company and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. We have not identified 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.
Our efforts to identify a potential initial business combination target will focus on companies operating in the digital asset space. While we may pursue an initial business combination opportunity in any country or sector, we intend to capitalize on the decades of experience of our management team and board to identify, acquire and manage a business or businesses that we believe can benefit from their long-established relationships and expertise of having operated successful businesses in the digital financial infrastructure space (DeFi). Our management team and board have a decades-long track record of investing across deep networks within the crypto, digital asset, and technology ecosystems. We believe we are well-positioned to identify businesses that are building core infrastructure such as wallets, custody, exchanges, lending protocols, and tokenized financial instruments as well as real-world applications of blockchain and distributed ledger technologies, including in payments, DeFi, and cross-border finance.
Meteora
Our Sponsor is an affiliate of Meteora Capital, LLC, an investment adviser specializing in SPAC-related investments (“Meteora”). Vikas Mittal, a director of the Company, is the Managing Member and Chief Investment Officer of Meteora. Meteora will act as an advisor to the Company in connection with this offering and, in such capacity, will provide general diligence, administrative, and advisory support, but has not entered into any formal agreement with the Company and will not receive any compensation for such role. Meteora’s principals have previous experience across the full lifecycle of SPACs, from the initial public offering to the de-SPAC business combination process. Meteora will provide resources including a network of relationships, extensive SPAC knowledge base and a standardized SPAC operating system to streamline the business combination process. Meteora’s ability to invest across the entire SPAC capital structure (risk capital, primary market, secondary market, PIPEs, convertible notes and other special situations) has created an end-to-end platform and partner to SPAC sponsors. Furthermore, Meteora has diverse sector experience across digital assets, technology, media and telecommunications, fintech, energy, consumer & retail, business & distribution services, healthcare, aerospace and defense. Meteora believes that its access to numerous private equity and venture capital backed private companies provides a robust pipeline for potential acquisition candidates. Meteora and its affiliates have expressed an interest in acquiring up to 19.99% of the public units to be sold in this offering at the offering price. Meteora is neither a broker-dealer nor affiliated with one and is not acting as an underwriter in connection with this offering. If the affiliated funds purchase the full amount of the units for which they have expressed an interest and vote in favor of an initial business combination, we may not need any public shares sold to other investors in this offering to be voted in favor of the initial business combination. Accordingly, we may complete our initial business combination even if holders of a majority of our public ordinary shares do not approve of the business combination. In addition, Meteora, for which Mr. Mittal serves as the Managing Member and Chief Investment Officer, or its affiliates may also purchase additional public shares which they have agreed to vote in favor of a transaction, aside from shares they may purchase from public shareholders in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act, which shares would be purchased at a price no higher than the price offered through our redemption process and would not be voted in favor of approving the business combination transaction.
Meteora is not being compensated by us for the general diligence, administrative, and advisory support it will provide in the sourcing of potential targets for our initial business combination or in its general role as advisor.
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Management Team
We believe that our management team is well-positioned to take advantage of the growing set of acquisition opportunities within the digital financial infrastructure space (DeFi) and that our local and global contacts and relationships, ranging from industry executives, private and public business owners and private equity professionals to our extensive network of trusted advisors and consultants across various sectors, will allow us to generate an attractive transaction for our shareholders. In addition, our management team has an established track record in accessing proprietary M&A opportunities among entrepreneurs and family-owned global businesses.
Market Opportunity
We believe that the world is in the early stages of upgrading its financial infrastructure to digital, blockchain-based rails, and that investing in the category leaders driving this transition is a generational opportunity. There are three major themes that are causing massive adoption of this new digital financial infrastructure today: bitcoin as a pristine collateral, stablecoins as an easily accessible offshore dollar, and tokenized assets lowering barriers to entry to US capital markets.
Bitcoin’s global popularity as a Store of Value is undeniable: BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) is officially the fastest-growing exchange-traded fund in history, reaching $70 billion in assets under management less than a year after launch. Dozens of publicly traded companies are adopting bitcoin as a long-term treasury asset, both to benefit from its expected USD-denominated appreciation over time, and its value as a pristine collateral to borrow against. This trend promises to continue to accelerate, with states like Texas passing Strategic Bitcoin Reserve laws in June 2025 after the March 2025 Presidential Executive Order established the federal US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Building the infrastructure and markets to allow individuals, companies, states, and all other bitcoin holders to secure and leverage their treasury holdings is a global, generational opportunity.
The adoption of USD stablecoins also has organic, undeniable popularity: total supply is growing at an 85% CAGR from $11.9 billion in July 2020 to $261.6 billion in July 2025. In July 2025, the United States Congress passed the GENIUS Act, which provided long-awaited regulatory clarity and is already catalysing institutional adoption. This combination of explosive end-user demand and a uniform federal framework promises to propel total USD stablecoin float beyond $1 trillion by 2028, an additional 60% CAGR from today, and create a multi-billion dollar revenue opportunity for service providers that can facilitate secure custody, liquidity, and payment services at scale.
Finally, if one considers the USD stablecoin to be the first “tokenized real world asset (RWAs)” to be successfully adopted at scale (representing short-term US Treasuries as real world assets tokenized on public blockchains), then it is straightforward to see how the concept could be expanded to include all equities, debt instruments, and other assets. Early institutional examples include BlackRock’s $2.9 billion BUIDL fund and Apollo’s ACRED private credit tokenization. A report by RedStone, Gauntlet and RWA.xyz calls the opportunity “what could be the largest capital migration in financial history”, with BCG estimating RWAs will become a $16 trillion market (while McKinsey predicts that RWAs will become a $2 trillion market) by 2030, and with Standard Chartered projecting that RWAs will grow to become a $30 trillion market by 2034.
Our strategy is to identify companies that are building real utility and adoption with a clear regulatory path and strong alignment with local market dynamics. Our ideal partner is mission-driven, globally scalable, and benefits from increased institutional and retail crypto adoption across emerging markets.
While our primary focus will be in digital asset infrastructure and applications, we will remain opportunistic in pursuing high-quality companies aligned with our expertise across the new economy sectors within frontier growth markets.
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Our Business Strategy
Our business strategy consists of identifying and completing a business combination with one or more businesses or entities focused on digital financial infrastructure. We believe our management team and directors’ experience and industry contacts are differentiated and will enable us to successfully identify and execute an initial business combination. We plan to leverage our management team and directors’ extensive network of relationships, ranging from senior management teams at public and private companies, to assist in the sourcing of potential targets for our initial business combination.
We believe our team’s strong network and differentiated expertise will help us execute on our business strategy:
Industry-specific knowledge and connections:
Our management team and advisory board has decades of combined experience building and investing in companies building digital financial infrastructure, from payments to DeFi, mining to media. We have built relationship networks that span the financial, corporate, legal, and political sectors. We believe our relationships and industry knowledge will give our company credibility with digital financial infrastructure businesses and help aid in thorough company vetting and due diligence processes.
Global reach and resources:
Our management team has experience working with entrepreneurs and founders all across the world. This experience will help us identify, evaluate, and perform comprehensive due diligence on companies in connection with the business combination. In addition, our network of relevant companies may be able to help a potential target expand and grow within their sector.
Experience with complex and unique situations:
Our team has experience executing complex transactions and navigating complicated regulatory environments. We believe this expertise will enable our management team to structure and execute an attractive business combination. We expect to be a long-term partner to the post-merger entity and to work together with its management team to assist in the transition to a U.S.-listed company and drive long-term growth. We believe our industry-specific knowledge and connections, deep global relationships within the bitcoin and crypto industries, and commitment to the future of the technology differentiate us as a value-add partner for a leading DeFi infrastructure company.
Our Investment Criteria
Consistent with our strategy, we have identified the following characteristics and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating potential target businesses or entities. We intend to use these criteria and guidelines in assessing acquisition opportunities, but we may decide to enter into our initial business combination with one or more businesses or entities that does not meet these criteria and guidelines. We intend to pursue an initial business combination with companies that have the following attributes:
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Operations in the new economy sectors across our target markets. We believe that disruptive new economy companies benefit from highly favorable macroeconomic trends in our target markets. These trends are in their infancy, and we believe they have headroom for expansion and growth which makes investing in these sectors attractive.
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Established business models. Most of our target businesses will have models that we believe are well established in their home and core markets with relevant localization by market and established paths to profitable growth. In addition, we will seek a business that we believe has a sustainable competitive advantage as a result of differentiated de-risked business model, strong technology component, brand recognition and marketing capabilities or any other characteristics that are difficult to replicate.
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Se ctor leading KPIs and unit economics. We will seek to merge with a company with critical mass that enjoys sustainable unit economics in its sector. We believe that healthy growth must be supported by strong sector KPIs steering the Company in the right direction to drive profitability and free cash flow generation.
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Scalability. We seek to invest in a business with a scalable platform and operations to take advantage of growth opportunities, including through geographical expansion and synergistic acquisitions. We intend to leverage our experience in scaling businesses in order to help accelerate growth.
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Strong management team and culture. We will look to partner with a passionate, experienced management team that is capable of scaling a business. We will also evaluate ways to support the team in its transition to becoming a U.S.-listed company and beyond.
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Market leadership. We will seek to combine with a company with a leading position in its geography, market share, volume, technology, product capabilities, or other attributes across an industry or segment, significant barriers to entry and a sustainable competitive advantage.
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Attractive valuation. We look to seek an acquisition of a company that has potential to grow valuation levels in line with its global peers.
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Focus on ESG and social empowerment. We will look for companies focused on making a positive impact across a variety of ESG themes.
Our Acquisition Process
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, inspection of facilities, as applicable, as well as a review of financial, operational, legal and other information about the target and its industry which will be made available to us. If we determine to move forward with a particular target, we will proceed to structure and negotiate the terms of the business combination transaction.
The time required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete our initial business combination, and the costs associated with this process, are not currently ascertainable with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of, and negotiation with, a prospective target business with which our initial business combination is not ultimately completed will result in our incurring losses and will reduce the funds available for us to use to complete another business combination.
Our ability to identify and evaluate a target company may be impacted by significant competition among other SPACs in pursuing a business combination transaction candidate and the significant competition may impact the attractiveness of the acquisition terms that we will be able to negotiate.
We have not selected any business combination target, and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target.
Our Sponsor and directors and officers are, or may in the future become, affiliated with entities that are engaged in a business similar to ours. These entities may compete with us for acquisition opportunities. If these entities decide to pursue any such opportunity, we may be precluded from pursuing such opportunities. Subject to his or her fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law, none of the members of our management team have any obligation to present us with any opportunity for a potential business combination of which they become aware. Our management team, in their capacities as directors, officers or employees of our Sponsor or its affiliates or in their other endeavors (including other special purpose acquisition companies), may choose to present potential business combinations to the related entities described above, current or future entities affiliated with or managed by our Sponsor, or third parties, before they present such opportunities to us, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law and any other applicable fiduciary duties.
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Our directors and officers presently have, 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. Accordingly, if any of our directors or officers becomes aware of a business combination opportunity that is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she may need to honor these fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity, or in the case of a non-compete restriction, may not present such opportunity to us at all, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. Our directors and officers are also not required to commit any specified amount of time to our affairs, and, accordingly, will have conflicts of interest in allocating management time among various business activities, including identifying potential business combinations and monitoring the related due diligence.
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. In addition, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will contain provisions to exculpate and indemnify, to the maximum extent permitted by law, such persons in respect of any liability, obligation or duty to the Company that may arise as a consequence of such persons becoming aware of any business opportunity or failing to present such business opportunity. We do not believe, however, based on the other companies with which our directors and officers are affiliated and their respective businesses, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our directors or officers will materially affect our ability to identify and pursue business combination opportunities or complete our initial business combination.
Our Sponsor is Samara Acquisition Sponsor V Ltd., a Cayman Islands exempted company. Our Sponsor is legally and beneficially owned, by SAMARA DE V, LLC, which is owned and controlled by Vikas Mittal and his immediate family. As a result, Mr. Mittal may exert a substantial influence on other actions requiring a shareholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support, including the appointment and removal of our directors, amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and approval of major corporate transactions. If our Sponsor purchases any Class A ordinary shares in this offering or in the aftermarket or in privately negotiated transactions, this would increase their influence over such actions.
Our independent board members are not under any obligation to source any potential opportunities for our initial business combination or refer any such opportunities to our Company or provide any other services for our Company. Our independent board members may have fiduciary and/or contractual duties to certain companies but do not have any fiduciary obligations to our Company. As a result, our independent board members may have a duty to offer business combination opportunities to certain other companies before our Company. Additionally, certain companies affiliated with our independent board members may enter into transactions with, provide goods or services to, or receive goods or services from an entity with which we seek to complete our initial business combination. Transactions of these types may present a conflict of interest because our advisory board members may directly or indirectly receive a financial benefit as a result of such transaction.
Past experience or performance of our team and our advisory board and their respective affiliates is not a guarantee of either (1) our ability to successfully identify and execute a transaction or (2) success with respect to any business combination that we may consummate. You should not rely on the historical record of our team or our advisory board or their respective affiliates as indicative of future performance.
We do not believe, however, based on the other companies with which our directors and officers are affiliated and their respective businesses, that the fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
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If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, or by such earlier liquidation date as our board of directors may approve, the founder shares and private shares will be worthless, except to the extent they receive liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account. Additionally, we will repay up to $300,000 in loans made to us by our Sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses and we will pay our Sponsor an amount equal to $20,000 per month for company administration, office space, utilities, and secretarial and administrative support made available to us, as described elsewhere in this prospectus. We will repay any loans which may be made by our Sponsor or an affiliate of our Sponsor or certain of our directors and officers to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination; up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into private units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. Upon consummation of this offering, we will also reimburse our Sponsor, directors or officers, or our or any of their respective affiliates for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination.
Initial Business Combination
General
The Nasdaq listing rules require that our initial business combination must be with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the assets held in the trust account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of the agreement to enter into our initial business combination. We refer to this as the 80% of fair market value test. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. Unless we complete our initial business combination with an affiliated entity, we are not required to obtain an opinion that the price we are paying is fair to our Company from a financial point of view. We do not currently intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination, although there is no assurance that will be the case.
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 issued and outstanding 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 issued and outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target business sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (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-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in our initial 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 issued and outstanding capital stock, shares or other equity securities of a target business or issue a substantial number of new shares to third parties in connection with financing our initial business combination. 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 valued for purposes of the 80% of fair market value test. If our initial business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of fair market value test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if we are not then listed on Nasdaq for whatever reason, we would no longer be required to meet the foregoing 80% of fair market value test.
Prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, 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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We Have Not Identified a Target Business
To date, we have not selected any specific business combination target. To date, our efforts have been limited to organizational activities as well as activities related to this offering. Our Sponsor and its principals may from time to time become aware of potential business opportunities, one or more of which we may desire to pursue, for a business combination, but from the date of our incorporation through the date of this prospectus, there have been no substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, between any of our officers, directors, promoters and other affiliates on our behalf and any of their contacts or relationships regarding a potential initial business combination with our Company. Additionally, we have not engaged or retained any agent or other representative to identify or locate any suitable acquisition candidate for us. As a result, we cannot assure you that we will be able to locate a target business or that we will be able to engage in a business combination with a target business on favorable terms or at all.
Subject to our officers’ and directors’ pre-existing fiduciary duties and the limitation that a target business have a fair market value of at least 80% of the balance in the trust account (excluding any taxes payable on the interest earned, if any) at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination, as described below in more detail, we will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting a prospective acquisition candidate. Except for the general criteria and guidelines set forth above under the caption “ Business Strategy ,” we have not established any other specific attributes or criteria (financial or otherwise) for prospective target businesses. Accordingly, there is no basis for investors in this offering to evaluate the possible merits or risks of the target business with which we may ultimately complete a business combination. To the extent we effect a business combination with a financially unstable company or an entity in its early stage of development or growth, including entities without established records of sales or earnings, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business and operations of financially unstable and early stage or potential emerging growth companies. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all significant risk factors.
Sources of Target Businesses
We believe our team’s significant operating and transaction experience and relationships with companies will provide us with a substantial number of potential business combination targets. Over the course of their careers, the members of our team have developed a broad network of contacts and corporate relationships around the world.
We believe this network provides our team with a robust and consistent flow of acquisition opportunities which were proprietary or where a limited group of investors were invited to participate in the sale process. We believe that the network of contacts and relationships of our team will provide us with important sources of acquisition opportunities. In addition, we anticipate that target business candidates will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment market participants, private equity funds and large business enterprises seeking to divest non-core assets or divisions.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our Sponsor, directors or officers, or non-managing Sponsor investors or making the acquisition through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our Sponsor, directors or officers, or non-managing Sponsor investors. Accordingly, such affiliated person(s) 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 as such affiliated person(s) would have interests different from our public shareholders and would likely not receive any financial benefit unless we consummated such business combination In the event we seek to complete an initial business combination with a target that is affiliated with our Sponsor, directors or officers, we, or a committee of independent and disinterested directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions that such an initial business combination is fair to our Company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.
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In the event our Sponsor or members of our management team provide loans to us to finance transaction costs and/or incur expenses on our behalf in connection with an initial business combination, such persons 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 as such loans may not be repaid and/or such expenses may not be reimbursed unless we consummate such business combination.
Similarly, if we agree to pay our Sponsor or a member of our management team a finder’s fee, advisory fee, consulting fee or success fee in order to effectuate the completion of our initial business combination, such persons 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 as any such fee may not be paid unless we consummate such business combination. While no such fees are currently contemplated, we may choose to pay such fees in the future.
As more fully discussed in “Management and Advisors — Conflicts of Interest,” if any of our directors or officers becomes aware of a business combination opportunity that falls within the line of business of any entity to which he or she has pre-existing fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she may be required to present such business combination opportunity to such entity prior to presenting such business combination opportunity to us. Our directors and officers currently have fiduciary duties or contractual obligations that may take priority over their duties to us. We do not believe, however, based on the other companies with which our directors and officers are affiliated and their respective businesses, that any of the foregoing fiduciary duties or contractual obligations will materially affect our ability to identify and pursue business combination opportunities or complete our initial business combination.
Our executive offices are located at 1200 N. Federal Hwy, Suite 200, Boca Raton, FL 33432and our telephone number is 212-207-0090.
Mail addressed to the Company and received at its registered office in the Cayman Islands will be forwarded unopened to the forwarding address supplied by the Company to be dealt with. None of the Company or its directors, officers, advisors or service providers (including the organization which provides registered office services in the Cayman Islands) will bear any responsibility for any delay howsoever caused with regards to mail reaching the forwarding address.
Selection of a Target Business and Structuring of a Business Combination
Nasdaq listing rules require that our initial business combination must be with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the assets held in the trust account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of the agreement to enter into our initial business combination. We refer to this as the 80% of fair market value test. The fair market value of the target or targets will be determined by our board of directors based upon one or more standards generally accepted by the financial community, such as discounted cash flow valuation or value of comparable businesses. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. Unless we complete our initial business combination with an affiliated entity, we are not required to obtain an opinion that the price we are paying is fair to our Company from a financial point of view. We do not currently intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination, although there is no assurance that will be the case. Subject to this requirement, our management will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting one or more prospective target businesses, although we will not be permitted to effectuate our initial business combination solely with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations.
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In any case, we will only complete an initial business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the issued and outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target business sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. 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 valued for purposes of the 80% of fair market value test. There is no basis for investors in this offering to evaluate the possible merits or risks of any target business with which we may ultimately complete our initial business combination.
To the extent we effect our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in such company or business. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all significant risk factors.
In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review which may 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.
The time required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete our initial business combination, and the costs associated with this process, are not currently ascertainable with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of a prospective target business with which our initial business combination is not ultimately completed will result in our incurring losses and will reduce the funds we can use to complete another business combination.
Fair Market Value of Target Business
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 taxes payable on the interest earned, if any) at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for our initial business combination, although we may acquire a target business whose fair market value significantly exceeds 80% of the trust account balance.
We currently anticipate structuring a business combination involving 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial business combination where we merge directly with the target business or involving 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. 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 of a target. In this case, we could 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 valued for purposes of the 80% fair market value test. In order to consummate such an acquisition, we may issue a significant amount of our debt or equity securities to the sellers of such businesses and/or seek to raise additional funds through a private offering of debt or equity securities. Since we have no specific business combination under consideration, we have not entered into any such fundraising arrangement and have no current intention of doing so. The fair market value of the target will be determined by our Board of Directors based upon one or more standards generally accepted by the financial community. Such standards will be disclosed in our proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, related to our initial business combination.
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Status as a Public Company
We believe our structure will make us an attractive business combination partner to target businesses. As an existing public company, we offer target businesses an alternative to the traditional initial public offering through a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination. In this situation, the owners of the target business would exchange their capital stock, shares or other equity securities in the target business for our shares or for a combination of our shares and cash, allowing us to tailor the consideration to the specific needs of the sellers. Although there are various costs and obligations associated with being a public company, we believe target businesses will find this method a more certain and cost effective method to becoming a public company than the typical initial public offering. In a typical initial public offering, there are additional expenses incurred in marketing, road show and public reporting efforts that may not be present to the same extent in connection with a business combination with us.
Furthermore, once a proposed business combination is completed, the target business will have effectively become public, whereas an initial public offering is always subject to the underwriters’ ability to complete the offering, as well as general market conditions, which could delay or prevent the offering from occurring. Once public, we believe the target business would then have greater access to capital and an additional means of providing management incentives consistent with shareholders’ interests. It can offer further benefits by augmenting a company’s profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented employees.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our ordinary shares that is held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.00 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period. References herein to “emerging growth company” 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 equals or exceeds $250 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter, or (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 or exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter.
Financial Position
With funds available for a business combination initially in the amount of $200,000,000 assuming no redemptions (or $230,000,000 assuming no redemptions and after payment of estimated offering expenses of $776,676), 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.
Effecting Our Initial Business Combination
We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any operations for an indefinite period of time following this offering. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private units, our shares, debt or a combination of these as the consideration to be paid in our initial business combination. We may seek to complete our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, which would subject us to the numerous risks inherent in such companies and businesses.
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If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination or the redemptions of our public shares, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction company, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital.
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 seek to raise additional funds through a private offering of debt or equity securities in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, and we may effectuate our initial business combination using the proceeds of such offering rather than using the amounts held in the trust account.
In the case of an initial business combination funded with assets other than the trust account assets, our tender offer documents or proxy materials disclosing the business combination would disclose the terms of the financing and, only if required by law or we decide to do so for business or other reasons, we would seek shareholder approval of such financing. There are no prohibitions on our ability to raise funds privately or through loans in connection with our initial business combination. At this time, we are not a party to any arrangement or understanding with any third party with respect to raising any additional funds through the sale of securities or otherwise.
Lack of business diversification
For an indefinite period of time after consummation 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 consummating our initial business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may:
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subject us to negative economic, competitive and regulatory developments, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact on the particular industry in which we operate after our initial business combination, and
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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 a target business’ management may not prove to be correct. Moreover, members of our management team may not have significant experience or knowledge relating to the operations of the particular target business. The future role of members of our management team, if any, in a post-transaction company cannot presently be stated with any certainty. Consequently, members of our management team may not become a part of the post-transaction company’s management team or serve it in advisory positions, and the future management may not have the necessary skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company. Further, it is also not certain whether one or more of our directors will remain associated with the post-transaction company in some capacity following our initial business combination. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with the post-transaction company will be made at the time of our initial business combination.
Following our initial business combination, we may seek to recruit additional managers to supplement the incumbent management of the target business. However, we may not have the ability to recruit additional managers, or to locate additional managers who will have the requisite skills, knowledge or experience necessary to enhance the incumbent management.
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Shareholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve an Initial Business Combination
In connection with any proposed business combination, we will either (1) seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which shareholders may seek to convert their shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination, into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), or (2) provide our shareholders with the opportunity to sell their shares to us by means of a tender offer (and thereby avoid the need for a shareholder vote) for an amount equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), in each case subject to the limitations described herein. We will seek shareholder approval if it is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement, provided, that we may also decide to seek shareholder approval for business or other reasons.
Under the Nasdaq listing rules, shareholder approval would be required for our initial business combination if, for example:
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we issue (other than in a public offering for cash) ordinary shares that will either (a) be equal to or in excess of 20% of the number of ordinary shares then outstanding or (b) have voting power equal to or in excess of 20% of the voting power then outstanding;
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any of our directors, officers or substantial security holders (as defined by the Nasdaq 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
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the issuance or potential issuance of ordinary shares will result in our undergoing a change of control.
If we determine to engage in a tender offer, such tender offer will be structured so that each shareholder may tender any or all of his, her or its shares rather than some pro rata portion of his, her or its shares. 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 business and legal reasons, which include a variety of factors, including, but not limited to:
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the timing of the proposed transaction, including in the event we determine shareholder approval would require additional time and there is either not enough time to seek shareholder approval or doing so would place us at a disadvantage in the transaction or result in other additional burdens on us;
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the expected cost of holding a shareholder vote;
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the risk that our shareholders would fail to approve the initial business combination;
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other time and budget constraints; and
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potential additional legal complexities of an initial business combination that would be time-consuming and burdensome to present to shareholders.
Unlike other blank check companies which require shareholder votes and conduct proxy solicitations in conjunction with their initial business combinations and related conversions of public shares for cash upon consummation of such initial business combination even when a vote is not required by law, we will have the flexibility to avoid such shareholder vote and allow our shareholders to sell their shares pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers. In that case, we will file tender offer documents with the SEC, which will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules. We will consummate our initial business combination only if upon such consummation and, if we seek shareholder approval, a majority of the ordinary shares voted at a shareholder meeting are voted in favor of the business combination.
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Our initial shareholders have agreed to vote any Class B ordinary shares owned by them in favor of any proposed business combination, including the founder shares and private shares. In addition, the Sponsor, executive officers and directors have agreed (1) not to convert any Class A ordinary shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination and (2) not sell any Class A ordinary shares in any tender in connection with a proposed initial business combination. As a result, we would need only approximately 6,316,667 public shares, or approximately 31.58% of the 20,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of a transaction in order to have our initial business combination approved (assuming (i) the over-allotment option is not exercised and all shares were present and entitled to vote at the meeting, (ii) 1,000,000 founder shares have been surrendered for no consideration.
Funds and accounts managed by, or otherwise affiliated with, our Sponsor may participate in this offering and purchase units at the offering price. These affiliated funds are not obligated to participate, and the extent of their participation may be significant relative to the overall size of the offering. As a result, a substantial portion of the units sold in this offering may be held by affiliates of the Sponsor. None of these affiliated funds have expressed an interest in purchasing more than 9.9% of the public units to be sold in this offering, except that Meteora and its affiliates have expressed an interest in acquiring up to 19.99% of the public units to be sold in this offering. Any participation by affiliated entities may reduce the available public float of our securities, which could limit liquidity in the market for our units, Class A ordinary shares, or warrants following the offering. If the affiliated funds purchase the full amount of the units for which they have expressed an interest and vote in favor of an initial business combination, we may not need any public shares sold to other investors in this offering to be voted in favor of the initial business combination. Accordingly, we may complete our initial business combination even if holders of a majority of our public ordinary shares do not approve of the business combination. In addition, Meteora, for which Mr. Mittal serves as the Managing Member and Chief Investment Officer, or its affiliates may also purchase additional public shares which they have agreed to vote in favor of a transaction, aside from shares they may purchase from public shareholders in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act, which shares would be purchased at a price no higher than the price offered through our redemption process and would not be voted in favor of approving the business combination transaction. Additionally, because these affiliated purchasers may have different investment horizons, liquidity needs, or strategic interests than other investors, their participation may not align with the interests of unaffiliated public shareholders. Furthermore, to the extent that affiliated entities hold a material portion of the units and subsequently choose to redeem their public shares in connection with our initial business combination, this could reduce the amount of cash available to the combined company .
However, if we hold a meeting to approve a proposed business combination and a significant number of shareholders vote, or indicate an intention to vote, against such proposed business combination, our Sponsor, executive officers, directors, or their affiliates could make such purchases in the open market or in private transactions in order to influence the vote. Notwithstanding the foregoing, our Sponsor, executive officers, directors, and their affiliates will not make purchases of Class A ordinary shares if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act, which are rules designed to stop potential manipulation of a company’s stock. Further, any shares they may purchase in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act would not be voted in favor of approving the business combination transaction.
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, officers, advisors and their affiliates may purchase public shares 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 or duty to do so. Such a purchase 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, officers, advisors and 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. It is intended that, if Rule 10b-18 would apply to purchases by sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates, then such purchases will comply with Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act, to the extent it applies, which provides a safe harbor for purchases made under certain conditions, including with respect to timing, pricing and volume of purchases.
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Additionally, at any time at or prior to our initial business combination, subject to applicable securities laws (including with respect to material nonpublic information), our Sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates may enter into transactions with investors and others to provide them with incentives to acquire public shares, vote their public shares in favor of our initial business combination or not redeem their public shares. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase public shares in such transactions.
The purpose of any such transactions 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. 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 securities 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, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates anticipate that they may identify the shareholders with whom our Sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates may pursue privately negotiated transactions by either the shareholders contacting us directly or by our receipt of redemption requests submitted by shareholders (in the case of Class A ordinary shares) following our mailing of proxy materials in connection with our initial business combination. To the extent that our Sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates enter into a private transaction, they would identify and contact only potential selling or redeeming shareholders who have expressed their election to redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the trust account or vote against our initial business combination, whether or not such shareholder has already submitted a proxy with respect to our initial business combination but only if such shares have not already been voted at the general meeting related to our initial business combination. Our Sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates will select which shareholders to purchase shares from based on the negotiated price and number of shares and any other factors that they may deem relevant, and will be restricted from purchasing shares if such purchases do not comply with Regulation M under the Exchange Act and the other federal securities laws.
Our Sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors and 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. 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. Additionally, in the event our Sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates were to purchase public shares from public shareholders, such purchases would be structured in compliance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act including, in pertinent part, through adherence to the following:
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our registration statement/proxy statement filed for our business combination transaction would disclose the possibility that our Sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates may purchase public shares from public shareholders outside the redemption process, along with the purpose of such purchases;
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if our Sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates were to purchase public shares from public shareholders, they would do so at a price no higher than the price offered through our redemption process;
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our registration statement/proxy statement filed for our business combination transaction would include a representation that any of our securities purchased by our Sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates would not be voted in favor of approving the business combination transaction;
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our Sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates would not possess any redemption rights with respect to our securities or, if they do acquire and possess redemption rights, they would waive such rights; and
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we would disclose in a Current Report on Form 8-K, before our general meeting of shareholders to approve the business combination transaction, the following material items:
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the amount of our securities purchased outside of the redemption offer by our Sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates, along with the purchase price;
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the purpose of the purchases by our Sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates;
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the impact, if any, of the purchases by our Sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates on the likelihood that the business combination transaction will be approved;
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the identities of our security holders who sold to our Sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates (if not purchased on the open market) or the nature of our security holders (e.g., 5% security holders) who sold to our Sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates; and
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the number of our securities for which we have received redemption requests pursuant to our redemption offer.
Redemption Rights
At any meeting called to approve an initial business combination, public shareholders (but not our initial shareholders or the Representative) may seek to redeem their Class A ordinary shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination, by converting such shares into their pro rata share of 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 (net of taxes payable). Alternatively, we may provide our public shareholders (but not our initial shareholders or the Representative) with the opportunity to sell their Class A ordinary shares to us through a tender offer (and thereby avoid the need for a shareholder vote) for an amount equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (net of taxes payable).
We may also require public shareholders seeking redemption, whether they are a record holder or hold their shares in “street name,” to either (i) tender their certificates to our transfer agent or (ii) deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option, in each case prior to a date set forth in the proxy materials sent in connection with the proposal to approve the business combination.
There is a nominal cost associated with the above-referenced delivery process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC System. The transfer agent will typically charge the tendering broker $80.00 and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the holder. This fee would be incurred regardless of whether or not we require holders seeking to exercise redemption rights to do so prior to the time that we know that the proposed business combination will be consummated. The need to deliver shares is a requirement of exercising redemption rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated. Thus, in the event we require shareholders seeking to exercise redemption rights to deliver their shares prior to the consummation of the proposed business combination and the proposed business combination is not consummated, this may result in an increased cost to shareholders.
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Any proxy solicitation materials we furnish to shareholders in connection with a vote for any proposed business combination will indicate whether we are requiring shareholders to satisfy such certification and delivery requirements. Accordingly, a shareholder would have from the time the shareholder received our proxy statement up until the time designated in the proxy statement to deliver his, her or its shares if he, she or it wishes to seek to exercise his, her or its redemption rights. This time period varies depending on the specific facts of each transaction. However, as the delivery process can be accomplished by the shareholder, whether or not he, she or it is a record holder or his, her or its shares are held in “street name,” in a matter of hours by simply contacting the transfer agent or his, her or its broker and requesting delivery of his her or its shares through the DWAC System, we believe this time period is sufficient for an average investor. However, we cannot assure you of this fact. Please see the Risk Factor titled “We will require public shareholders who wish to redeem their public shares in connection with a proposed business combination to comply with specific requirements for redemption that may make it more difficult for them to exercise their redemption rights prior to the deadline for exercising their rights” for further information on the risks of failing to comply with these requirements.
The foregoing is different from the procedures historically used by some blank check companies. Traditionally, in order to perfect redemption rights in connection with a blank check company’s business combination, the Company would distribute proxy materials for the shareholders’ vote on an initial business combination, and a holder could simply vote against a proposed business combination and check a box on the proxy card indicating such holder was seeking to exercise his, her or its redemption rights. After the business combination was approved, the Company would contact such shareholder to arrange for him, her or it to deliver his, her or its certificate to verify ownership. As a result, the shareholder then had an “option window” after the consummation of the business combination during which he, she or it could monitor the price of the Company’s stock in the market. If the price rose above the conversion price, he could sell his, her or its shares in the open market before actually delivering his, her or its shares to the Company for cancellation. As a result, the redemption rights, to which shareholders were aware they needed to commit before the shareholder meeting, would become a “continuing” right surviving past the consummation of the business combination until the holder delivered his, her or its certificate or shares. The requirement for physical or electronic delivery prior to the meeting ensures that a holder’s election to convert his, her or its shares is irrevocable once the business combination is approved.
Any request to redeem such shares once made, may be withdrawn at any time up to the vote on the proposed business combination. Furthermore, if a holder of a public share delivered his, her or its certificate in connection with an election of such shares’ redemption and subsequently decides prior to the vote on the proposed business combination not to elect to exercise such rights, he, she or it may simply request that the transfer agent return the certificate or shares (physically or electronically).
If the 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, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and net of interest that may be used by us to cover permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses, as of two (2) business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination. In such case, we will promptly return any certificates or shares delivered by public holders. Furthermore, if the initial business combination is not approved or completed for any reason, then our public shareholders who elected to exercise their redemption rights will not be entitled to convert their shares into a full pro rata portion of the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and net of interest that may be used by us to cover permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses, as applicable. We will thereafter promptly return any shares delivered by public shareholders. In such case, public shareholders may only share in the assets of the trust account upon our liquidation. This may result in public shareholders receiving less than they would have received if the business combination was completed and they had exercised redemption rights in connection therewith due to potential claims of creditors.
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Liquidation if No Business Combination
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides that we will have only 24 months from the closing of this offering to complete an initial business combination (as such deadline may be extended by shareholder approval to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination). If we have not completed an initial business combination by such date, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten (10) business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the outstanding public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, (less any permitted withdrawals), 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), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject (in the case of (ii) and (iii) above) to our obligations under the Cayman Islands laws to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.
Our Sponsor, executive officers and directors have agreed (pursuant to a written letter agreement with us filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part) that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that would stop our public shareholders from converting or selling their public shares to us in connection with a business combination or affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete a business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering unless we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares upon such approval at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, net of franchise and income taxes payable, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. This redemption right shall apply in the event of the approval of any such amendment, whether proposed by our Sponsor, any executive officer, or director, or any other person.
We are required to use our reasonable best efforts to have all third parties (including any vendors or other entities we engage after this offering) and any prospective target businesses enter into agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind they may have in or to any monies held in the trust account. As a result, the claims that could be made against us will be limited, thereby lessening the likelihood that any claim would result in any liability extending to the trust. We therefore believe that any necessary provision for creditors will be reduced and should not have a significant impact on our ability to distribute the funds in the trust account (less any permitted withdrawals) to our public shareholders. Nevertheless, we cannot assure you of this fact as there is no guarantee that vendors, service providers and prospective target businesses will execute such agreements. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management will perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will only enter into an agreement with a third party that has not executed a waiver if management believes that such third party’s engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative. Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third-party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where management is unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. Our underwriters and auditor are the only third parties we are currently aware of that may not execute a waiver. Nor is there any guarantee that, even if they execute such agreements with us, they will not seek recourse against the trust account.
We anticipate notifying the trustee of the trust account to begin liquidating such assets promptly after such date and anticipate it will take no more than ten (10) business days to effectuate such distribution. Our initial shareholders have waived their rights to participate in any liquidation distribution with respect to the founder shares and private shares. There will be no distribution from the trust account with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless. We will pay the costs of any subsequent liquidation from our remaining assets outside of the trust account and the interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that we are permitted to withdraw to pay such expenses.
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If we are unable to complete an initial business combination and expend all of the net proceeds of this offering, other than the proceeds deposited in the trust account, and without taking into account interest, if any, earned on the trust account, the initial per-share redemption price would be $10.00. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could, however, become subject to claims of our creditors that are in preference to the claims of public shareholders.
Our public shareholders shall be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only in the event of our failure to complete a business combination within the required time period or if the shareholders seek to have us redeem or purchase their respective shares upon a business combination which is actually completed by us or upon certain amendments to our charter documents as described elsewhere herein. In no other circumstances shall a shareholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account.
Our initial shareholders will not participate in any redemption distribution from our trust account with respect to their founder shares and private shares. Additionally, any loans made by our officers, directors, Sponsors or their affiliates for working capital needs will be forgiven and not repaid if we are unable to complete an initial business combination.
If we are forced to file a bankruptcy case or an involuntary bankruptcy case is filed against us which is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy law, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our shareholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, we cannot make any assurance of the amount we will be able to return to our public shareholders.
If we are forced to file a bankruptcy case or an involuntary bankruptcy case is filed against us which is not dismissed, any distributions received by shareholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy laws as either a “preferential transfer” or a “fraudulent conveyance.” As a result, a bankruptcy court could seek to recover all amounts received by our shareholders. Furthermore, because we intend to distribute the proceeds held in the trust account to our public shareholders promptly after 24 months from the closing of this offering, this may be viewed or interpreted as giving preference to our public shareholders over any potential creditors with respect to access to or distributions from our assets. Furthermore, our Board of Directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties 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.
Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association contains certain requirements and restrictions relating to this offering that will apply to us until the consummation of our initial business combination. These provisions cannot be amended without the approval of a majority of our shareholders. If we seek to amend any provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that would stop our public shareholders from converting or selling their shares to us in connection with a business combination or affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete a business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will provide dissenting public shareholders with the opportunity to convert their public shares in connection with any such vote. This redemption right shall apply in the event of the approval of any such amendment, whether proposed by our Sponsor, any executive officer, or director, or any other person. Our initial shareholders have agreed to waive any redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and private shares held by them, and the Sponsor has agreed to waive its redemption rights with respect to any public shares it may hold, in each case in connection with any vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Specifically, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provides, among other things, that:
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we shall either (1) seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination at a meeting called for such purpose at which shareholders may seek to redeem their public shares, regardless of whether they vote for or against the proposed business combination, into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned thereon (net of taxes payable), or (2) provide our shareholders with the opportunity to sell their shares to us by means of a tender offer (and thereby avoid the need for a shareholder vote) for an amount equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (net of taxes payable), in each case subject to the limitations described herein;
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we will consummate our initial business combination only, if we seek shareholder approval, a majority of the ordinary shares voted at a shareholder meeting are voted in favor of the business combination;
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if our initial business combination is not consummated within 24 months from the closing of this offering then we will redeem all of the outstanding public shares and thereafter liquidate and dissolve the Company;
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upon the consummation of this offering, $200,000,000, or approximately $230,000,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, shall be placed into the trust account; and
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prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional stock that participates in any manner in the proceeds of the trust account, or that votes as a class with the public shares sold in this offering on any matter.
These provisions cannot be amended without the approval of holders of at least two-thirds (or such higher threshold as specified in the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association) of our ordinary shares who attend and vote in a general meeting. In the event we seek shareholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that we may consummate our initial business combination only if approved by a majority of the ordinary shares voted by our shareholders at a duly held shareholders meeting.
Additionally, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, prior to our initial business combination, only holders of our founder shares will have the right to vote on the appointment and the removal of our directors and that holders of a majority of our founder shares may remove a member of the board of directors for any reason. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may only be amended by a special resolution passed by the holders of a majority of at least 90% of our ordinary shares attending and voting in person or by proxy in a general meeting. With respect to any other matter submitted to a vote of our shareholders, including any vote in connection with our initial business combination, except as required by law, holders of our founder shares and private shares and holders of our public shares will vote together as a single class, with each share entitling the holder to one vote.
Competition
In identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business, we may encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours. Many of these entities are well established and have extensive experience identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Many of these competitors possess greater technical, human and other resources than us and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. Although we believe there may be numerous potential target businesses that we could acquire with the net proceeds of this offering, our ability to compete in acquiring certain sizable target businesses may be limited by our available financial resources.
The following also may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses:
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our obligation to seek shareholder approval of a business combination or engage in a tender offer may delay the completion of a transaction;
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our obligation to convert or repurchase Class A ordinary shares held by our public shareholders may reduce the resources available to us for a business combination; and
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our outstanding warrants and unit purchase options, and the potential future dilution they represent.
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Any of these factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating a business combination. Our management believes, however, that our status as a public entity and potential access to the United States public equity markets may give us a competitive advantage over privately held entities having a similar business objective as ours in acquiring a target business with significant growth potential on favorable terms.
If we succeed in effecting a business combination, there will be, in all likelihood, intense competition from competitors of the target business. We cannot assure you that, subsequent to a business combination, we will have the resources or ability to compete effectively.
Facilities
We currently maintain our executive offices at 1200 N. Federal Hwy, Suite 200, Boca Raton, FL 33432. The cost for this space is included in the $20,000 per month fee that we will pay our Sponsor for company administration, office space, utilities, and secretarial and administrative support. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.
Employees
We currently have three officers and do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination. Members of our team 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 that any such person will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the current stage of the business combination process.
Periodic Reporting and Financial Information
We have registered our units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants under the Exchange Act and have reporting obligations, including the requirement that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with the SEC. In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, our annual reports will contain financial statements audited and reported on by our independent registered public accountants.
We will provide shareholders with audited financial statements of the prospective target business as part of the proxy solicitation 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 financial statements in time for us to disclose such financial 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, 2026 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.
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We have filed a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Exchange Act. As a result, we are subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act. We have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent to the consummation of our initial business combination.
We are a Cayman Islands exempted company. Exempted companies are Cayman Islands companies conducting business mainly outside the Cayman Islands and, as such, are exempted from complying with certain provisions of the Companies Act. As an exempted company, we have applied for and received a tax exemption undertaking from the Cayman Islands government that, in accordance with Section 6 of the Tax Concessions Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands, for a period of 30 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 dividends 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.
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 the IPO, (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 30, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period.
Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our Class A ordinary shares held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $250 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter, or (2) our annual revenues equaled or exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our Class A ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter.
Legal Proceedings
There is no material litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding currently pending against us or any members of our management team.
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