Item 1A. Risk Factors
Item 1A. Risk Factors
As a smaller reporting company under Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act, we are not required to include risk factors in this Quarterly Report. For additional risks relating to our operations, see the section titled “Risk Factors” contained in our final prospectus for the Initial Public Offering and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 31, 2025 (“Annual Report”). Any of these factors could result in a significant or material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition. Additional risk factors not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business or results of operations. As of the date of this Quarterly Report, there have been no material changes to the risk factors disclosed in our final prospectus for the Initial Public Offering and in our Annual Report, except as set forth below and as we may disclose changes to such factors or disclose additional factors from time to time in our future filings with the SEC.
Changes in international trade policies, tariffs and treaties affecting imports and exports may have a material adverse effect on our search for an Initial Business Combination target or the performance or business prospects of a post-Business Combination company.
There have recently been significant changes to international trade policies and tariffs affecting imports and exports. Any significant increases in tariffs on goods or materials or other changes in trade policy could negatively affect our search for a target and/or our ability to complete our Initial Business Combination.
Recently, the U.S. has implemented a range of new tariffs and increases to existing tariffs. In response to the “tariffs announced by the U.S., other countries have imposed, are considering imposing, and may in the future impose new or increased tariffs on certain exports from the United States. There is currently significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the United States and other countries with respect to trade policies, taxes, government regulations and tariffs. and we cannot predict whether, and to what extent, current tariffs will continue or trade policies will change in the future.
Tariffs, or the threat of tariffs or increased tariffs, could have a significant negative impact on certain businesses (either due to domestic businesses’ reliance on imported goods or dependence on access to foreign markets, or foreign businesses’ reliance on sales into the United States). In addition, retaliatory tariffs could have a significant negative impact on foreign businesses that rely on imports from the United States, and domestic businesses that rely on exporting goods internationally. These tariffs and threats of tariffs and other potential trade policy changes could negatively affect the attractiveness of certain Initial Business Combination targets, or lead to material adverse effects on a post-Business Combination company. Among other things, historical financial performance of companies affected by trade policies and/or tariffs may not provide useful guidance as to the future performance of such companies, because future financial performance of those companies may be materially affected by new U.S. tariffs or foreign retaliatory tariffs, or other changes to trade policies. The business prospects of a particular target for a Business Combination could change even after we enter into a Business Combination agreement, as a result of tariffs or the threat of tariffs that may have a material impact on that target’s business, and it may be costly or impractical for us to terminate that Business Combination agreement. These factors could affect our selection of a Business Combination target.
We may not be able to adequately address the risks presented by these tariffs or other potential trade policy changes. As a result, we may deem it costly, impractical or risky to complete an Initial Business Combination with a particular target or with a target in a particular industry or from a particular country. Consequently, the pool of potential target companies may be reduced, which could impair our ability to identify a suitable target and to complete an Initial Business Combination. If we complete an Initial Business Combination with such a target, the post-Business Combination company’s operations and financial results could be adversely affected as a result of tariffs or changes to trade policies, which may cause the market value of the securities of the post-Business Combination company to decline.
Cyber incidents or attacks directed at us or third parties could result in information theft, data corruption, operational disruption and/or financial loss.
We depend on digital technologies, including information systems, infrastructure and cloud applications and services, including those of third parties with whom we may deal. Sophisticated and deliberate attacks on, or security breaches in, our systems or infrastructure, or the systems or infrastructure of third parties or the cloud, could lead to corruption or misappropriation of our assets, proprietary information and sensitive or confidential data. As an early-stage company without significant investments in data security protection, we may not be sufficiently protected against such occurrences. We also lack sufficient resources to adequately protect against, or to investigate and remediate any vulnerability to, cyber incidents. Any of these occurrences, or a combination of them, could have material adverse consequences on our business and lead to financial loss.
Changes in laws or regulations, or a failure to comply with any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our Initial Business Combination, and results of operations.
We are subject to laws and regulations enacted by national, regional and local governments. In particular, we are required to comply with certain SEC and other legal requirements and numerous complex tax laws. Compliance with, and monitoring of, applicable laws and regulations may be difficult, time consuming and costly. Those laws and regulations and their interpretation and application may also change from time to time and those changes could have a material adverse effect on our business, investments and results of operations. In addition, a failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations, as interpreted and applied, could have a material adverse effect on our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our Initial Business Combination, and results of operations.
On January 24, 2024, the SEC adopted the 2024 SPAC Rules requiring, among other matters, (i) additional disclosures relating to SPAC Business Combination transactions; (ii) additional disclosures relating to dilution and to conflicts of interest involving sponsors and their affiliates in both SPAC initial public offerings and Business Combination transactions; (iii) additional disclosures regarding projections included in SEC filings in connection with proposed Business Combination transactions; and (iv) the requirement that both the SPAC and its target company be co-registrants for Business Combination registration statements
In addition, the SEC’s adopting release provided guidance describing circumstances in which a SPAC could become subject to regulation under the Investment Company Act, including its duration, asset composition, business purpose, and the activities of the SPAC and its management team in furtherance of such goals.
Compliance with the 2024 SPAC Rules and related guidance may (i) increase the costs of and the time needed to negotiate and complete an initial Business Combination and (ii) constrain the circumstances under which we could affect our ability to complete an initial Business Combination.
If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we may be required to institute burdensome compliance requirements and our activities may be restricted, which may make it difficult for us to complete our initial Business Combination.
The SEC’s adopting release with respect to the 2024 SPAC Rules provided guidance relating to the potential status of SPACs as investment companies subject to regulation under the Investment Company Act and the regulations thereunder. Whether a SPAC is an investment company is dependent on specific facts and circumstances and we can give no assurance that a claim will not be made that we have been operating as an unregistered investment company.
If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, our activities may be restricted, including (i) restrictions on the nature of our investments; and (ii) restrictions on the issuance of securities, each of which may make it difficult for us to complete our initial Business Combination.
In addition, we may have imposed upon us burdensome requirements, including: (i) registration as an investment company; (ii) adoption of a specific form of corporate structure; and (iii) reporting, record keeping, voting, proxy and disclosure requirements and other rules and regulations.
In order not to be regulated as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, unless we can qualify for an exclusion, we must ensure that we are engaged primarily in a business other than investing, reinvesting or trading in securities and that our activities do not include investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading “investment securities” constituting more than 40% of our total assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis. We are mindful of the SEC’s investment company definition and guidance and intend to complete an initial Business Combination with an operating business, and not with an investment company, or to acquire minority interests in other businesses exceeding the permitted threshold.
We do not believe that our business activities will subject us to the Investment Company Act. To this end, the proceeds held in the Trust Account are invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 180 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act, which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations; the holding of these assets in this form is intended to be temporary and for the sole purpose of facilitating the intended Business Combination. To mitigate the risk that we might be deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, which risk increases the longer that we hold investments in the Trust Account, we may, at any time, instruct Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, trustee of our Trust Account (“Continental”), as trustee of the Trust Account, to liquidate the investments held in the Trust Account and instead to hold the funds in the Trust Account in cash or in an interest bearing demand deposit account at a bank.
Pursuant to the Trust Agreement, Continental is not permitted to invest in securities or assets other than as described above. By restricting the investment of the proceeds to these instruments, and by having a business plan targeted at acquiring and growing businesses for the long term (rather than on buying and selling businesses in the manner of a merchant bank or private equity fund), we intended to avoid being deemed an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act. Our Initial Public Offering was not intended for persons who were seeking a return on investments in government securities or investment securities. The Trust Account is intended solely as a temporary depository for funds pending the earliest to occur of: (i) the completion of our initial Business Combination; (ii) the redemption of any Public Shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (x) in a manner that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our Public Shares if we do not complete our initial Business Combination within the Combination Period; or (y) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of our Class A Ordinary Shares or pre-initial Business Combination activity; or (iii) absent an initial Business Combination within the Combination Period, our return of the funds held in the Trust Account to our public shareholders as part of our redemption of the Public Shares.
We are aware of litigation claiming that certain SPACs should be considered investment companies. Although we believe that these claims are without merit, we cannot guarantee that we will not be deemed to be an investment company and thus subject to the Investment Company Act. If we were deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act, compliance with these additional regulatory burdens would require additional expenses for which we have not allotted funds and may hinder our ability to complete an initial Business Combination or may result in our liquidation. If we are unable to complete our initial Business Combination, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $[10.30] (as of March 31, 2025) per Public Share upon the liquidation of our Trust Account and our Warrants will expire worthless.
Military or other conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East or elsewhere may lead to increased volume and price volatility for publicly traded securities, or affect the operations or financial condition of potential target companies, which could make it more difficult for us to consummate an initial Business Combination.
Military or other conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East or elsewhere may lead to increased volume and price volatility for publicly traded securities, or affect the operations or financial condition of potential target companies, and to other company or industry-specific, national, regional or international economic disruptions and economic uncertainty, any of which could make it more difficult for us to identify a Business Combination target and consummate an initial Business Combination on acceptable commercial terms, or at all.
If our initial Business Combination involves a company organized under the laws of a state of the United States, it is possible a 1% U.S. federal excise tax will be imposed on us in connection with redemptions of our ordinary shares after or in connection with such initial Business Combination.
On August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 became law in the United States, which, among other things, imposes a 1% excise tax (the “Excise Tax”) on the fair market value of certain repurchases (including certain redemptions) of stock by publicly traded domestic (i.e., United States) corporations (and certain non-U.S. corporations treated as “surrogate foreign corporations”). The Excise Tax will apply to stock repurchases occurring in 2023 and beyond. The amount of the Excise Tax is generally 1% of the fair market value of the shares of stock repurchased at the time of the repurchase. The U.S. Department of the Treasury (the “Treasury”) has been given authority to provide regulations and other guidance to carry out, and prevent the abuse or avoidance of, the Excise Tax. In April 2024, the Treasury issued proposed regulations providing guidance with respect to the Excise Tax. Taxpayers may rely on these proposed regulations until final regulations are issued. Under the proposed regulations, liquidating distributions made by publicly traded domestic corporations are exempt from the Excise Tax. In addition, any redemptions that occur in the same taxable year as a liquidation is completed will also be exempt from such tax.
As an entity incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company, the 1% Excise Tax is not expected to apply to redemptions of our Class A Ordinary Shares (absent any regulations and other additional guidance that may be issued in the future with retroactive effect).
However, in connection with an initial Business Combination involving a company organized under the laws of the United States, it is possible that we domesticate and continue as a Delaware corporation prior to certain redemptions and, because our securities are trading on Nasdaq, it is possible that we will be subject to the Excise Tax with respect to any subsequent redemptions, including redemptions in connection with the initial Business Combination, that are treated as repurchases for this purpose (other than, pursuant to recently issued guidance from the Treasury Department, redemptions in complete liquidation of the company). In all cases, the extent of the Excise Tax that may be incurred will depend on a number of factors, including the fair market value of our stock redeemed, the extent such redemptions could be treated as dividends and not repurchases, and the content of any regulations and other additional guidance from the Treasury that may be issued and applicable to the redemptions. Issuances of stock by a repurchasing corporation in a year in which such corporation repurchases stock may reduce the amount of Excise Tax imposed with respect to such repurchase. The Excise Tax is imposed on the repurchasing corporation itself, not the shareholders from which stock is repurchased. The imposition of the Excise Tax as a result of redemptions in connection with the initial Business Combination could, however, reduce the amount of cash available to pay redemptions or reduce the cash contribution to the target business in connection with our initial Business Combination, which could cause the other shareholders of the combined company to economically bear the impact of such Excise Tax.
Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.