Item 1. Business
Item 1. Business.
Overview
We are a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. We have not selected any Business Combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any Business Combination target. We may pursue an initial Business Combination in any business or industry but expect to focus on a target in an industry where we believe our Management Team and founder’s expertise will provide us with a competitive advantage.
Our founder, Michael Klein, is also the founder and managing partner of M. Klein and Company, which he founded in 2012. M. Klein and Company is a global strategic advisory firm that provides its clients with a variety of advice tailored to their objectives. Mr. Klein is a strategic advisor to global companies, boards of directors, senior executives, governments, and institutional investors. Mr. Klein’s background in strategic advisory work was built during his 35-year career, including more than two decades at Citi and its predecessors, during which he initiated and executed strategic advisory transactions. He began his career as an investment banker in the M&A Advisory Group at Salomon Brothers and subsequently became Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Citi Markets and Banking, with responsibilities for Global Corporate and Investment Banking and Global Transaction Services across Citi. In his role as Co-Chief Executive Officer, he was responsible for all relationship, advisory, underwriting, and capital markets issuance activity.
Mr. Klein was previously Chief Executive Officer of Global Banking at Citi, Chief Executive Officer of Citi Markets & Banking, Europe, and Co-Head of Global Investment Banking for Salomon Smith Barney for the decade prior. In early 1999, he was given responsibility for the expansion of the firm’s European investment banking business. A major step in that development was the merger, in May 2000, of Salomon Smith Barney’s European operation with Schroders, a leading UK and European Merchant Bank. Prior to becoming Co-Head of the Global Investment Bank, he had been responsible for the firm’s Global Financial Entrepreneurs and Private Equity Groups, a leading provider of acquisition ideas and financing for leading private equity sponsors. We seek to capitalize on the experience and expertise of our founder.
Mr. Klein has significant experience running investment banking and advisory organizations with an overarching mission of providing high quality deal sourcing and transactional advice to a broad range of clients. For example, in 2018, Mr. Klein co-founded and became Chairman of the Board of Directors of CCC, a SPAC that completed a $690 million initial public offering in September 2018 and merged in May 2019 with Clarivate, a provider of comprehensive intellectual property and scientific information, analytical tools, and services.
In April 2019, Mr. Klein founded and became Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Churchill Capital Corp II, a SPAC that completed a $690 million initial public offering in July 2019. In June 2021, Churchill Capital Corp II merged with both Software Luxembourg Holding S.A. (“Skillsoft”), a provider of digital learning and talent management solutions, and Global Knowledge Training LLC, a provider of IT and professional skills development. In October 2019, Mr. Klein founded and became Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Churchill Capital Corp III, a SPAC that completed a $1.1 billion initial public offering in February 2020. In October 2020, Churchill Capital Corp III merged with Claritev (f/k/a MultiPlan, Inc.), a technology-enabled provider of end-to-end healthcare cost management solutions. In April 2020, Mr. Klein founded and became Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Churchill Capital Corp IV, a SPAC that completed a $2.07 billion initial public offering in August 2020. In July 2021, Churchill Capital Corp IV merged with Lucid Group, Inc., a manufacturer of luxury electric vehicles. In May 2020, Mr. Klein founded and became Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of blank check companies Churchill Capital Corp V, formed in 2020, and Churchill Capital Corp VI and VII, formed in 2021. Churchill Capital Corp V, VI and VII, did not consummate business combinations and were liquidated in October 2023, December 2023, and August 2024, respectively. In March 2021, Mr. Klein founded and became Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of AltC Acquisition Corp., which completed its $500 million initial public offering in July 2021. In May 2024, AltC Acquisition Corp. merged with Oklo Inc. (“Oklo”), a fission technology and nuclear fuel recycling company which seeks to provide clean, reliable, affordable energy globally through the design and deployment of next-generation fast reactor technology.
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Our Chief Financial Officer, Jay Taragin, has held this position since December 2023 and is also the Chief Financial Officer since March 2021 of M. Klein and Company, which he joined in May 2019. Prior to joining M. Klein and Company, Mr. Taragin served as the US Scotiabank Chief Financial Officer from 2013 to 2017. Prior to Scotiabank, Mr. Taragin held a Chief Operating and Financial Officer role from 2009 to 2012 at a mortgage hedge fund and held a variety of senior finance and audit roles at Merrill Lynch & Company from 1993 to 2009. In addition, Mr. Taragin worked at Credit Suisse and PricewaterhouseCoopers as a senior auditor and accountant. Mr. Taragin is a CPA and holds a master’s degree in business administration from New York University Stern School of Business and a bachelor’s degree from Yeshiva University.
We believe that our Management Team and M. Klein and Company, which is an affiliate of our Sponsor, are well positioned to identify and execute attractive Business Combination opportunities. Our objectives are to generate attractive returns for shareholders and enhance value through selecting a high-quality target at an attractive valuation, negotiating favorable acquisition terms for our shareholders and improving operational performance of the acquired company. We expect to favor potential target companies with certain industry and business characteristics. Key industry characteristics include compelling long-term growth prospects, opportunities to affect valuation improvements at the company, attractive competitive dynamics and consolidation opportunities. Key business characteristics include competitive advantages, significant potential; streams of recurring revenue, opportunity for operational improvement, attractive steady-state margins, high incremental margins and attractive free cash flow characteristics.
M. Klein and Company has established an entity within the firm, Archimedes Advisors LLC, which consists of operating partners (“Operating Partners”) who assist us in sourcing potential acquisition targets and creating long-term value in the Business Combination for us. These Operating Partners are comprised of former senior operating executives of leading S&P 500 companies across multiple sectors and industries, including consumer, industrial, materials, energy, mining, chemicals, finance, data, software, enterprise technology, and media. With our breadth of sector coverage and deep operational expertise, we believe we can review a wide range of targets to find the most attractive target for our shareholders. Each Operating Partner has held senior leadership positions with companies where they have a proven strong track record of creating shareholder value, organically and through transformational acquisitions or corporate restructurings, as well as extensive relationships with owners and operators of companies within their respective industries. In addition to assisting in the sourcing of a potential transaction, one Operating Partner is expected to join the acquired company as a director or in another senior executive capacity in order to enhance shareholder value by improving the operational performance of the company and undertaking broader strategic initiatives.
To best align the incentives of Operating Partners with our shareholders, each Operating Partner will be eligible to share in a portion of the appreciation in Founder Shares and Private Placement Units, provided that we successfully complete a Business Combination. The Operating Partner that takes on a director, substantial senior executive, or operating role at the acquired company, on a post-Business Combination basis, will acquire additional Founder Shares from M. Klein and Company and will have a vesting schedule that is highly aligned with shareholder interests by requiring value creation for shareholders. Operating Partners will not receive any cash compensation from us prior to a Business Combination. We believe that the combination of our Management Team, M. Klein and Company and its Operating Partners and our Board of Directors is an innovative approach to identifying potential high quality Business Combination targets and aligns incentives with our shareholders, providing us with distinctive and differentiated capabilities to create shareholder value.
With respect to the foregoing experiences of our Management, M. Klein and Company and our Strategic and Operating Partners, past performance is not a guarantee (i) that we will be able to identify a suitable candidate for our initial Business Combination or (ii) of success with respect to any Business Combination we may consummate. Our shareholders should not rely on the historical record of our Management’s, M. Klein and Company’s or our Strategic and Operating Partners’ performance as indicative of our future performance.
The 2024 SPAC Rules may materially affect our ability to negotiate and complete our initial Business Combination and may increase the costs and time related thereto.
Initial Public Offering
On May 6, 2024, we consummated our Initial Public Offering of 28,750,000 Public Units, including 3,750,000 Option Units issued pursuant to the full exercise of the Over-Allotment Option. Each Public Unit consists of one Public Share and one-quarter of one Public Warrant, with each whole Public Warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one Class A Ordinary Share for $11.50 per share. The Public Units were sold at a price of $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds to us of $287,500,000.
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Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering and pursuant to the Private Placement Units Purchase Agreement, we completed the private sale of an aggregate of 725,000 Private Placement Units to our Sponsor in the Private Placement at a purchase price of $10.00 per Private Placement Unit, generating gross proceeds of $7,250,000.
A total of $287,500,000, comprised of $283,558,750 of the proceeds from the Initial Public Offering (which amount includes $10,062,500 of the underwriter’s deferred discount) and $3,941,250 of the proceeds of the Private Placement, was placed in the Trust Account maintained by Continental, acting as trustee.
It is the job of our Sponsor and Management to complete our initial Business Combination. We must complete our initial Business Combination by May 6, 2026 (or by August 6, 2026 if we have executed a letter of intent, agreement in principle or definitive agreement for an initial Business Combination by May 6, 2026), the end of our Combination Period. If our initial Business Combination is not consummated by the end of our Combination Period, then, unless our Board of Directors shall otherwise determine, our existence will terminate, and we will distribute all amounts in the Trust Account.
We may seek to extend the Combination Period consistent with applicable laws, regulations and stock exchange rules by amending our Amended and Restated Charter. Such an amendment would require the approval of our Public Shareholders, who will be provided the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares in connection with the vote on such approval. Such redemptions will decrease the amount held in our Trust Account and our capitalization, and may affect our ability to maintain our listing on Nasdaq. In addition, the Nasdaq Rules currently require SPACs (such as us) to complete our initial Business Combination in accordance with the Nasdaq 36-Month Requirement. If we do not meet the Nasdaq 36-Month Requirement, our securities will likely be subject to a suspension of trading and delisting from Nasdaq.
Business Strategy
Our strategy is to:
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leverage the strategic and transactional experience of our founder to bring advice and attention to potential Business Combination targets;
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deliver creative approaches to transaction sourcing; and
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utilize an understanding of global financial markets and events, financing, and overall corporate strategy options.
Our selection process leverages our founder’s and our Strategic and Operating Partners’ network of industry, venture capital sponsor, private equity sponsor, credit fund sponsor and lending community relationships as well as relationships with management teams of public and private companies, investment bankers, restructuring advisors, attorneys and accountants, which we believe should provide us with a number of Business Combination opportunities. We deploy a proactive, thematic sourcing strategy and focus on companies where we believe the combination of our operating experience, relationships, capital and capital markets expertise can be catalysts to transform a target company and can help accelerate the target’s growth and performance. Members of our Management Team, M. Klein and Company, our Strategic and Operating Partners are communicating with their network of relationships to articulate our initial Business Combination criteria, including the parameters of our search for a target business, and we have begun the disciplined process of pursuing and reviewing promising leads.
Our Management Team and M. Klein and Company have experience in:
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sourcing, structuring, acquiring and selling businesses;
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fostering relationships with sellers, capital providers and target management teams;
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negotiating transactions favorable to investors;
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executing transactions in multiple geographies and under varying economic and financial market conditions; and
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accessing the capital markets, including financing businesses and helping companies transition to public ownership.
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M. Klein and Company’s Operating Partners have experience in:
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operating companies, setting and changing strategies, and identifying, monitoring and recruiting world-class talent; and
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acquiring and integrating companies; and
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developing and growing companies, both organically and through acquisitions and strategic transactions and expanding the product range and geographic footprint of a number of target businesses.
Competitive Strengths
The sourcing, valuation, diligence and execution capabilities of our Management Team, M. Klein and Company and our Strategic and Operating Partners provide us with a significant pipeline of opportunities from which to evaluate and select a business that will benefit from our expertise. We may also have the benefit of using M. Klein and Company, or another affiliate of our Sponsor, as a financial advisor on our Business Combinations and other transactions. Our competitive strengths include the following:
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Deep Experience of Operating Partners. We believe that our ability to leverage the experience of the Operating Partners, who are comprised of former senior operating executives of S&P500 companies across multiple sectors and industries, provides us a distinct advantage in being able to source, evaluate and consummate an attractive transaction.
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Proprietary Sourcing Channels and Leading Industry Relationships. We believe the capabilities and connections associated with our Management Team, in combination with those of M. Klein and Company and our Strategic and Operating Partners, provide us with a differentiated pipeline of acquisition opportunities that would be difficult for other participants in the market to replicate. We believe that these sourcing capabilities are further bolstered by our Management Team’s, M. Klein and Company’s and our Strategic and Operating Partners’ reputation and deep industry relationships.
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Investing Experience. We believe that our Management’s track record of identifying and sourcing transactions positions us well to appropriately evaluate potential Business Combinations and select one that will be well received by the public markets.
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Execution and Structuring Capability. Our Management Team and Sponsor believe that our combined expertise and reputation allows us to source and complete transactions possessing structural attributes that create an attractive investment thesis. These types of transactions are typically complex and require creativity, industry knowledge and expertise, rigorous due diligence, and extensive negotiations and documentation. We believe that by focusing our investment activities on these types of transactions, we are able to generate investment opportunities that have attractive risk/reward profiles based on their valuations and structural characteristics.
Investment Criteria
We have developed the following high-level, non-exclusive investment criteria that we use to screen for and evaluate target businesses. We seek to acquire a business that:
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Is Sourced Through our Proprietary Channels. We do not participate in broadly marketed processes, but rather aim to leverage our extensive network to source our Business Combination.
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Would Benefit from our Capabilities. We seek to acquire a business where the collective capabilities of our Management and Sponsor can be leveraged to tangibly improve the operations and market position of the target.
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Has a Committed and Capable Management Team. We seek to acquire a business with a professional management team whose interests are aligned with those of our investors and complement the expertise of our founder. Where necessary, we may also look to complement and enhance the capabilities of the target business’s management team by recruiting additional talent through our network of contacts.
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Potential to Generate Stable Free Cash-Flow. We seek to acquire a business that has historically generated, or has the near-term potential to generate, strong and sustainable free cash flow.
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Has the Potential to Grow Through Further Acquisition Opportunities. We seek to acquire a business that has the potential to grow inorganically through additional acquisitions.
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These criteria are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial Business Combination may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general guidelines as well as on other considerations, factors and criteria that our Management may deem relevant. In the event that we decide to enter into our initial Business Combination with a target business that does not meet the above criteria and guidelines, we will disclose that the target business does not meet the above criteria in our shareholder communications related to our initial Business Combination, which, as discussed herein, would be in the form of proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents that we would file with the SEC.
Our Acquisition Process
In evaluating a prospective target business, we conduct a thorough due diligence review that may encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, inspection of facilities, as well as a review of financial and other information that are made available to us. We also utilize our transactional, financial, managerial and investment experience.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial Business Combination with a company that is affiliated with our Sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial Business Combination with a company that is affiliated (as defined in our Amended and Restated Charter) with our Sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, stating that the consideration to be paid by us in such an initial Business Combination is fair to the Company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.
Members of our Management Team directly or indirectly own our securities, and accordingly, they may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial Business Combination. Further, each of our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular Business Combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial Business Combination.
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. As of the date of this Report, we have not selected any Business Combination target.
As described in “—Sources of Target Businesses,” each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to one or more other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a Business Combination opportunity to such entities. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a Business Combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such Business Combination opportunity to such other entity, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. Our Amended and Restated Charter provides that, to the fullest extent permitted by law: (i) no individual serving as a director or an officer, among other persons, 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 (a) may be a corporate opportunity for any director or officer, on the one hand, and us, on the other or (b) the presentation of which would breach an existing legal obligation of a director or officer to any other entity. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our initial Business Combination.
In addition, none of the Operating Partners or their personnel are officers or directors of the Company and therefore owe us no fiduciary duties as such. While we expect that they will continue to assist us in identifying Business Combination targets, they have no obligation to do so and may devote a substantial portion of their business time to activities unrelated to us. Our Strategic and Operating Partner may have fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to other organizations to present Business Combination opportunities to such other organizations rather than to us. Accordingly, if any Strategic or Operating Partner becomes aware of a Business Combination opportunity which is suitable for one or more entities to which he, she or it has fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties, he, she or it will honor those obligations and duties to present such Business Combination opportunity to such entities first and only present it to us if such entities reject the opportunity and he or she determines to present the opportunity to us. These conflicts may not be resolved in our favor and a potential Business Combination may be presented to another entity prior to its presentation to us.
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While neither M. Klein and Company nor any of our Strategic and Operating Partners have any duty to offer acquisition opportunities to us, they may become aware of a potential transaction that is an attractive opportunity for us, which they may decide to share with us. Conflicts may arise from their affiliation with the Company, their provision of services both to us and to third-party clients, as well as from actions undertaken by them for their own account. In performing services for other clients and also when acting for their own account, they may take commercial steps which may have an adverse effect on us. Any of M. Klein and Company’s or our Strategic and Operating Partners’ other activities may, individually or in the aggregate, have an adverse effect on us, and the interests of M. Klein and Company and our Strategic and Operating Partners or their respective clients or counterparties may at times be averse to ours. Please see “—Certain Potential Conflicts of Interest Relating to M. Klein and Company” for additional information regarding certain potential conflicts of interest relating to M. Klein and Company and our Strategic and Operating Partners.
We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties of our officers or directors, or of M. Klein and Company and our Strategic and Operating Partners, or policies applicable to M. Klein and Company or any of our Strategic and Operating Partners, will materially affect our ability to complete our initial Business Combination.
Our Sponsor, officers, directors, M. Klein and Company and our Strategic and Operating Partners may participate in the formation of, or become an officer or director of, any other blank check company prior to completion of our initial Business Combination. As a result, our Sponsor, officers, directors, M. Klein and Company and our Strategic and Operating Partners could have conflicts of interest in determining whether to present Business Combination opportunities to us or to any other blank check company with which they may become involved. M. Klein and Company, Mr. Klein and the Operating Partners have complete discretion, subject to applicable fiduciary duties, as to which blank check company they choose to pursue a Business Combination and the order in which they pursue Business Combinations for any of their existing or future blank check companies. As a result, M. Klein and Company, Mr. Klein and the Operating Partners may pursue Business Combinations for blank check companies that it has sponsored in any order, which could result in its more recent blank check companies completing Business Combinations prior to its blank check companies that were launched earlier. There are no contractual obligations governing the allocation of opportunities among the various blank check companies. Any determination as to which blank check company will pursue a particular acquisition target will be made based on the circumstances of the particular situation, including but not limited to the relative sizes of the blank check companies compared to the sizes of the targets, the need or desire for additional financings and the relevant experience of the directors, officers and Operating Partners involved with a particular blank check company.
Initial Business Combination
So long as we maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, we must complete one or more Business Combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the Trust Account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes paid or payable on the income earned on the Trust Account) at the time of execution of the definitive agreement for such Business Combination. Our Board of Directors will make the determination as to the fair market value of our initial Business Combination. If our Board of Directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of our initial Business Combination, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. While we consider it unlikely that our Board of Directors will not be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial Business Combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of the target’s assets or prospects. Additionally, pursuant to the Nasdaq Rules, any initial Business Combination must be approved by a majority of our independent directors.
Our Amended and Restated Charter requires the affirmative vote of a majority of our Board of Directors, which must include a majority of our independent directors and each of the non-independent directors nominated by our Sponsor, to approve our initial Business Combination.
We anticipate structuring our initial Business Combination so that the post-transaction company in which our Public Shareholders will own shares will own or acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial Business Combination such that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or shareholders, or for other reasons. However, we will only complete a Business Combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise is not required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to the Business Combination may collectively own a minority
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interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the Business Combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock, shares or other equity interests of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our shareholders immediately prior to our initial Business Combination could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares subsequent to our initial Business Combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be taken into account for purposes of Nasdaq’s 80% fair market value test. If the initial Business Combination involves more than one target business, the 80% fair market value test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the transactions and we will treat the target businesses together as the initial Business Combination for seeking shareholder approval or for purposes of a tender offer, as applicable. So long as we maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, we would be required to comply with such 80% rule.
Our Management Team
Members of our Management 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 members of our Management Team 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.
We believe our Management Team’s operating and transaction experience and relationships with companies provides us with a substantial number of potential Business Combination targets. Over the course of their careers, the members of our Management Team have developed a broad network of contacts and corporate relationships around the world. This network has grown through the activities of our Management Team sourcing, acquiring and financing businesses, our Management Team’s relationships with sellers, financing sources and target management teams and the experience of our Management Team in executing transactions under varying economic and financial market conditions. See “Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance” for a more complete description of our Management Team’s experience.
Status as a Public Company
We believe our structure will make us an attractive Business Combination partner to target businesses. As an existing public company, we offer a target business an alternative to the traditional initial public offering through a merger or other Business Combination with us. In a Business Combination transaction with us, the owners of the target business may, for example, exchange their shares of stock, shares or other equity interests in the target business for our Class A Ordinary Shares (or shares of a new holding company) or for a combination of our Class A Ordinary Shares and cash, allowing us to tailor the consideration to the specific needs of the sellers. 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. The typical initial public offering process takes a significantly longer period of time than the typical Business Combination transaction process, and there are significant expenses in the initial public offering process, including underwriting discounts and commissions, that may not be present to the same extent in connection with a Business Combination with us.
Furthermore, once a proposed Business Combination is completed, the target business will have effectively become public, whereas an initial public offering is always subject to the underwriters’ ability to complete the offering, as well as general market conditions, which could delay or prevent the offering from occurring or could have negative valuation consequences. Once public, we believe the target business would then have greater access to capital, an additional means of providing management incentives consistent with shareholders’ interests and the ability to use its equity as currency for acquisitions. Being a public company can offer further benefits by augmenting a company’s profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented employees.
While we believe that our structure and our Management Team’s backgrounds make us an attractive business partner, some potential target businesses may view our status as a blank check company, such as our lack of an operating history and our ability to seek shareholder approval of any proposed initial Business Combination, negatively.
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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 our Initial Public Offering, or May 6, 2029, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.235 billion (as adjusted for inflation pursuant to SEC rules from time to time), or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our Class A Ordinary Shares that is held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period. References herein to emerging growth company shall have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act.
Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company for so long as either (i) the market value of our Ordinary Shares held by non-affiliates is less than $250.0 million as of the end of our second fiscal quarter or (ii) we have annual revenues of less than $100.0 million and the market value of our Ordinary Shares held by non-affiliates is less than $700.0 million as of the end of our second fiscal quarter.
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 applicable to Exchange Act registered companies. 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.
In addition, prior to the consummation of a Business Combination, only holders of our Class B Ordinary Shares have the right to vote on the appointment or removal of directors. As a result, Nasdaq considers us to be a “controlled company” within the meaning of Nasdaq corporate governance standards. Under Nasdaq corporate governance standards, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power for the appointment of directors is held by an individual, group or another company is a “controlled company” and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements. We currently do not intend to rely on the “controlled company” exemption, but may do so in the future. Accordingly, if we choose to do so, our shareholders will not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the Nasdaq corporate governance requirements.
Financial Position
With funds available for a Business Combination in the amount of $296,122,647 (before redemptions, any Permitted Withdrawals and payment of $10,062,500 of deferred underwriting discounts and commissions) as of December 31, 2024, before fees and expenses associated with our initial Business Combination, 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 or leverage ratio. Because we are able to complete our Business Combination using our cash, debt or equity securities, or a combination of the foregoing, we have the flexibility to use the most efficient combination that will allow us to tailor the consideration to be paid to the target business to fit its needs and desires. However, we have not taken any steps to secure third party financing and there can be no assurance it will be available to us.
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Effecting our Initial Business Combination
We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any operations prior to the consummation of our initial Business Combination. We intend to effectuate our initial Business Combination using the proceeds held in our Trust Account, our shares, debt or a combination of the foregoing. 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. 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 Business Combination or used for redemptions of our Class A Ordinary Shares, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the Trust Account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction company, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial Business Combination, to fund the purchase of other businesses or assets or for working capital.
We have not selected any Business Combination target as of the date of this Report. Additionally, we have not engaged or retained any agent or other representative to identify or locate any suitable acquisition candidate, to conduct any research or take any measures, directly or indirectly, to locate or contact a target business, other than our officers and directors. Accordingly, there is no current basis for our shareholders to evaluate the possible merits or risks of the target business with which we may ultimately complete our initial Business Combination. Although our Management will assess the risks inherent in a particular target business with which we may combine, we cannot assure our shareholders that this assessment will result in our identifying all risks that a target business may encounter. Furthermore, some of those risks may be outside of our control, meaning that we can do nothing to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely affect a target business.
Members of our Management Team, M. Klein and Company and our Strategic and Operating Partners are from time to time made aware of potential business opportunities, one or more of which we may desire to pursue, for a Business Combination. Please see “—Sources of Target Businesses” for additional information regarding limitations on our access to investment opportunities sourced by M. Klein and Company and our Strategic and Operating Partners.
We may need to obtain additional financing to complete our initial Business Combination, either because the transaction requires more cash than is available from the proceeds held in our Trust Account or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our Public Shares upon completion of the Business Combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such Business Combination. In 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 applicable law, we would seek shareholder approval of such financing. There are no prohibitions on our ability to issue securities or incur debt in connection with our initial Business Combination. We are not currently a party to any arrangement or understanding with any third party with respect to raising any additional funds through the sale of securities, the incurrence of debt or otherwise.
Sources of Target Businesses
M. Klein and Company or any of our Strategic and Operating Partners may compete with us for acquisition opportunities that we may target for our initial Business Combination. If M. Klein and Company or any of our Strategic and Operating Partners decides to pursue any such opportunity or determines in its sole discretion not to offer such opportunity to us, we may be precluded from procuring such opportunities. In addition, investment ideas generated within M. Klein and Company or any of our Strategic and Operating Partners or by persons who may make decisions for us or any of our Strategic and Operating Partners may be suitable for both us and for M. Klein and Company or the relevant Strategic and Operating Partner and may be directed to M. Klein and Company, the relevant Strategic and Operating Partner or other third parties rather than to us. Neither M. Klein and Company nor any of our Strategic and Operating Partners has any fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to the Company, including, without limitation, to present us with any opportunity for a potential Business Combination of which they become aware.
We have not contacted any of the prospective target businesses that M. Klein and Company or any of our Strategic and Operating Partners in their prior SPACs had considered and rejected as target businesses to acquire. However, we may contact such targets if we become aware that such targets are interested in a potential initial Business Combination with us and such transaction would be attractive to our shareholders. Accordingly, there is no current basis for our shareholders to evaluate the possible merits or risks of the target business with which we may ultimately complete our initial Business Combination.
Our Management Team, in their other endeavors (including any affiliation they may have with M. Klein and Company or any of our Strategic and Operating Partners), may choose or be required to present potential Business Combinations or other transactions to M. Klein and Company, the relevant Strategic and Operating Partner or third parties, before they present such opportunities to us. Please see “Risk Factors—Certain of our officers and directors are now, and all of them may in the future become, affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business
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opportunity or other transaction should be presented” in our IPO Registration Statement. We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial Business Combination with a company that is affiliated with M. Klein and Company, any of our Strategic and Operating Partners, our Sponsor, officers or directors, nor are we prohibited from doing so with a business that is affiliated with any M. Klein and Company or any of our Strategic and Operating Partners. In the event we seek to complete our initial Business Combination with a business that is affiliated (as defined in our Amended and Restated Charter) with M. Klein and Company, any of our Strategic and Operating Partners, our Sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent and disinterested directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, stating that the consideration to be paid by us in such an initial Business Combination is fair to the Company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context. Prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial Business Combination, there may be payment by the Company to our Sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates, of a finder’s fee, advisory fee, consulting fee or success fee for any services they render in order to effectuate the completion of our initial Business Combination, which, if made prior to the completion of our initial Business Combination, will be paid from (i) funds held outside the Trust Account or (ii) Permitted Withdrawals.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial Business Combination with a Business Combination target that is affiliated (as defined in our Amended and Restated Charter) with our Sponsor, officers or directors, or from making the acquisition through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our Sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial Business Combination with a Business Combination target that is affiliated with our Sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, stating that the consideration to be paid by us in such an initial Business Combination is fair to the Company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.
If any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a Business Combination opportunity that falls within the line of business of any entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she may be required to present such Business Combination opportunity to such entity prior to presenting such Business Combination opportunity to us. Our officers and directors currently have certain relevant fiduciary duties or contractual obligations that may take priority over their duties to us.
Selection of a Target Business and Structuring of our Initial Business Combination
So long as we maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, we must complete one or more Business Combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the value of the assets held in the Trust Account (excluding any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial Business Combination. 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 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 that our initial Business Combination is fair to the Company from a financial point of view. We do not intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial Business Combination. 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.
In any case, we will only complete an initial Business Combination in which we own or acquire 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or if the post-transaction company is otherwise not required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. If we own or acquire less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses, the portion of such business or businesses that are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company is what will be taken into account for purposes of Nasdaq’s 80% fair market value test. There is no basis for our investors 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 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 our shareholders that we will properly ascertain or assess all significant risk factors. In evaluating a prospective target business, we conduct a thorough 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 that 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.
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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 Business Combination is not ultimately completed will result in our incurring losses and will reduce the funds we can use to complete another Business Combination. The Company will not pay any consulting fees to members of our Management Team, or any of their respective affiliates, for services rendered to or in connection with our initial Business Combination.
Lack of Business Diversification
For an indefinite period of time after the completion of our initial Business Combination, the prospects for our success may depend entirely on the future performance of a single business. Unlike other entities that have the resources to complete Business Combinations with multiple entities in one or several industries, it is probable that we will not have the resources to diversify our operations and mitigate the risks of being in a single line of business. In addition, we intend to focus our search for an initial Business Combination in a single industry. By completing our Business Combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may:
•
subject us to negative economic, competitive and regulatory risks, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact on the particular industry in which we operate after our initial Business Combination, and
•
cause us to depend on the marketing and sale of a single product or limited number of products or services.
Limited Ability to Evaluate the Target’s Management Team
Although we closely scrutinize the management of a prospective target business when evaluating the desirability of effecting our Business Combination with that business, our assessment of the target business’s management may not prove to be correct. In addition, the future management may not have the necessary skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company. Furthermore, the future role of members of our Management Team, if any, in the target business cannot presently be stated with any certainty. The determination as to whether any of the members of our Management Team will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial Business Combination. While it is possible that one or more of our directors will remain associated in some capacity with us following our Business Combination, it is unlikely that any of them will devote their full efforts to our affairs subsequent to our Business Combination. Moreover, we cannot assure our shareholders that members of our Management Team will have significant experience or knowledge relating to the operations of the particular target business.
We cannot assure our shareholders that any of our key personnel will remain in senior management or advisory positions with the combined company. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial Business Combination.
Following a Business Combination, we may seek to recruit additional managers to supplement the incumbent management of the target business. We cannot assure our shareholders that we will have the ability to recruit additional managers, or that additional managers will have the requisite skills, knowledge or experience necessary to enhance the incumbent management.
Shareholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve our Initial Business Combination
We may conduct redemptions without a shareholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC unless shareholder approval is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements or we choose to seek shareholder approval for business or other legal reasons. Presented in the table below is a graphic explanation of the types of initial Business Combinations we may consider and whether shareholder approval is currently required under Cayman Islands law for each such transaction.
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Type of Transaction
Whether
Shareholder
Approval is
Required
Purchase of assets
No
Purchase of stock, shares or other equity interests of target not involving a merger with the company
No
Merger of target into a subsidiary of the company
No
Merger of the company with a target
Yes
So long as we maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, shareholder approval would be required for our initial Business Combination if, for example:
•
we issue Class A Ordinary Shares that will be equal to or in excess of 20% of the number of our Class A Ordinary Shares then issued and outstanding (other than in a public offering);
•
any of our directors, officers or substantial shareholders (as defined by the Nasdaq Rules) has a 5% or greater interest (or such persons collectively have a 10% or greater interest), directly or indirectly, in the target business or assets to be acquired or otherwise and the present or potential issuance of Ordinary Shares could result in an increase in issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares or voting power of 5% or more; or
•
the issuance or potential issuance of Ordinary Shares will result in our undergoing a change of control.
Permitted Purchases of our Securities
In the event we seek shareholder approval of our Business Combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our Business Combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our Sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase Public Shares or Public Warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial Business Combination. Such a purchase would 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, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates purchase Public Shares in privately negotiated transactions from Public Shareholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights or submitted a proxy to vote against our initial Business Combination, such selling shareholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their Public Shares and any proxy to vote against our initial Business Combination. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will be required to comply with such rules. It is intended that, if Rule 10b-18 would apply to purchases by our Sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or any of 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.
There is no limit on the number of Public Shares or Public Warrants our Sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase in such transactions, subject to compliance with applicable law and the Nasdaq Rules. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds in the Trust Account will be used to purchase Public Shares or Public Warrants in such transactions. Such persons will be subject to restrictions in making any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act.
The purpose of any such purchases of Public Shares could be to (i) increase the likelihood of obtaining shareholder approval of the Business Combination or (ii) 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 the Business Combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. The purpose of any such purchases of Public Warrants could be to reduce the number of Public Warrants outstanding or to vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrantholders for approval in connection with our initial Business Combination. Any such transactions may result in the completion of our Business Combination that may not otherwise have been possible.
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In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our 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, officers, directors and/or their affiliates anticipate that they may identify the shareholders with whom our Sponsor, officers, directors or their affiliates may pursue privately negotiated purchases by either the shareholders contacting us directly or by our receipt of redemption requests submitted by shareholders (of the Class A Ordinary Shares) following our mailing of proxy materials in connection with our initial Business Combination. To the extent that our Sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates enter into a private purchase, they would identify and contact only potential selling shareholders who have expressed their election to redeem their Public 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, officers, directors, advisors or any of 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 only purchase Public Shares if such purchases comply with Regulation M under the Exchange Act and the other federal securities laws.
Any purchases by our Sponsor, officers, directors and/or their affiliates who are affiliated purchasers under Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act will only be made to the extent such purchases are able to be made in compliance with Rule 10b-18, which is a safe harbor from liability for manipulation under Section 9(a)(2) and Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. Rule 10b-18 has certain technical requirements that must be complied with in order for the safe harbor to be available to the purchaser. Our Sponsor, officers, directors and/or their affiliates will be subject to restrictions in making purchases of Ordinary 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, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates were to purchase Public Shares or Public Warrants 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:
•
our registration statement/proxy statement filed for our Business Combination transaction would disclose the possibility that our Sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or any of their affiliates may purchase shares or warrants from Public Shareholders outside the redemption process, along with the purpose of such purchases;
•
if our Sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or any of their affiliates were to purchase shares or warrants from Public Shareholders, they would do so at a price no higher than the price offered through our redemption process;
•
our registration statement/proxy statement filed for our Business Combination transaction would include a representation that any of our securities purchased by our Sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or any of their affiliates would not be voted in favor of or against approving the Business Combination transaction;
•
our Sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or any of 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
•
we would disclose in a Form 8-K, before our security holder meeting to approve the Business Combination transaction, the following material items:
•
the amount of our securities purchased outside of the redemption offer by our Sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or any of their affiliates, along with the purchase price;
•
the purpose of the purchases by our Sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or any of their affiliates;
•
the impact, if any, of the purchases by our Sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or any of their affiliates on the likelihood that the Business Combination transaction will be approved;
•
the identities of our security holders who sold to our Sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or any of 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, directors, executive officers, advisors or any of their affiliates; and
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•
the number of our securities for which we have received redemption requests pursuant to our redemption offer.
Please see “Risk Factors—If we seek shareholder approval of our initial Business Combination, our Sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may elect to enter into certain transactions, including purchasing shares or warrants from public shareholders or public warrantholders, which may influence the outcome of a vote on a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our Class A ordinary shares” in our IPO Registration Statement.
Redemption Rights for Public Shareholders upon Completion of our Initial Business Combination
We will provide our Public Shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A Ordinary Shares (including any securities for which such shares are exchanged in any prior migration or other restructuring) upon the completion of our initial Business Combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial Business Combination including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account (which interest shall be net of Permitted Withdrawals), divided by the number of then-outstanding Public Shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the Trust Account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per Public Share. The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions we will pay to the underwriters. Our Sponsor, officers and directors will not be entitled to redemption rights with respect to any Founder Shares or Private Placement Shares held by them and any Public Shares held by them in connection with the completion of our Business Combination.
Limitations on Redemptions
We may be subject to a minimum cash requirement or a maximum redemption requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial Business Combination. For example, the proposed Business Combination may require (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash to be transferred to the target for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions in accordance with the terms of the proposed Business Combination. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all Class A Ordinary Shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed Business Combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the Business Combination or redeem any shares, and all Class A Ordinary Shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof.
Manner of Conducting Redemptions
We will provide our Public Shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares upon the completion of our initial Business Combination either (i) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the initial Business Combination or (ii) without a shareholder vote by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed initial Business Combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would require us to seek shareholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements. Unde the Nasdaq Rules, asset acquisitions and stock or share purchases would not typically require shareholder approval while direct mergers with the Company where we do not survive and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares or seek to amend our Amended and Restated Charter would require shareholder approval. If we structure an initial Business Combination with a target company in a manner that requires shareholder approval, we will not have discretion as to whether to seek a shareholder vote to approve the proposed initial Business Combination. So long as we maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, we will be required to comply with the shareholder approval requirements of the Nasdaq Rules.
The requirement that we provide our Public Shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Public Shares by one of the two methods listed above is contained in our Amended and Restated Charter and will apply whether or not we maintain our registration under the Exchange Act or our listing on Nasdaq. Such provisions may be amended if approved by a Special Resolution of our shareholders.
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If we hold a shareholder vote to approve our initial Business Combination, we will, pursuant to our Amended and Restated Charter:
•
conduct the redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies, and not pursuant to the tender offer rules, and
•
file proxy materials with the SEC.
In the event that we seek shareholder approval of our initial Business Combination, we will distribute proxy materials and, in connection therewith, provide our Public Shareholders with the redemption rights described above upon completion of the initial Business Combination.
If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial Business Combination only if we obtain the approval at an Ordinary Resolution for such Business Combination under Cayman Islands law and pursuant to our Amended and Restated Charter (or such higher approval threshold as may be required by Cayman Islands or other applicable law and pursuant to our Amended and Restated Charter). A quorum for such meeting will consist of the holders present in person or by proxy of shares the company representing at least one-third (1/3) of the voting power of all outstanding shares of the Company entitled to vote at such meeting. Our Sponsor will count toward this quorum and have agreed to vote its Founder Shares, Private Placement Shares and any Public Shares purchased during or after the Initial Public Offering in favor of our initial Business Combination. For purposes of seeking approval of the requisite majority of our outstanding Ordinary Shares voted, abstentions and non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial Business Combination once a quorum is obtained. As a result, in respect of such Ordinary Resolution, in addition to the Sponsor’s Founder Shares and Private Placement Shares, we would need 10,418,751, or 36.2% (assuming all outstanding shares are voted), of the 28,750,000 Public Shares currently outstanding to be voted in favor of an initial Business Combination in order to have our initial Business Combination approved, subject to any higher consent threshold as may be required by Cayman Islands or other applicable law. These quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreements of our Sponsor, officers and directors, may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial Business Combination. Each Public Shareholder may elect to redeem its Public Shares irrespective of whether it votes for or against the proposed transaction. In addition, our Sponsor, officers and directors will not be entitled to redemption rights with respect to any Founder Shares, Private Placement Shares or Public Shares held by them in connection with the completion of a Business Combination.
If we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC, we will, pursuant to our Amended and Restated Charter:
•
conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers, and
•
file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial Business Combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial Business Combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies. Although we are not required to do so, we currently intend to comply with the substantive and procedural requirements of Regulation 14A in connection with any shareholder vote even if we are not able to maintain our Nasdaq listing or Exchange Act registration.
Upon the public announcement of our Business Combination, we or our Sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase our Class A Ordinary Shares in the open market if we elect to redeem our Public Shares through a tender offer, to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act.
In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial Business Combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on Public Shareholders not tendering more than the number of Public Shares we are permitted to redeem. If Public Shareholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete the initial Business Combination, and instead may search for an alternate Business Combination.
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Limitation on Redemption upon Completion of our Initial Business Combination if we Seek Shareholder Approval
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial Business Combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our Business Combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our Amended and Restated Charter provides that a Public Shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in our Initial Public Offering (the “Excess Shares”) without our prior consent. We believe this restriction will discourage shareholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to exercise their redemption rights against a proposed Business Combination as a means to force us or our Management to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a Public Shareholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in our Initial Public Offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us, our Sponsor or our Management at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our shareholders’ ability to redeem no more than 15% of the shares sold in our Initial Public Offering without our prior consent, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of shareholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our Business Combination, particularly in connection with a Business Combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. However, we would not be restricting our shareholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including the Excess Shares) for or against our Business Combination.
Tendering Share Certificates in Connection with a Tender Offer or Redemption Rights
Public Shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” will be required to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents (as applicable) mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the initially scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the Business Combination (or any later date determined by our Board of Directors) in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using the Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option. The proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents (as applicable) that we will furnish to holders of our Public Shares in connection with our initial Business Combination will indicate the applicable delivery requirements. Accordingly, a Public Shareholder would have from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, or up to two days prior to the initially scheduled vote on the Business Combination if we distribute proxy materials, as applicable, to tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. Given the relatively short period in which to exercise redemption rights, it is advisable for shareholders to use electronic delivery of their Public Shares.
There is a nominal cost associated with the above-referenced tendering process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC System. The transfer agent will typically charge the tendering broker a fee of approximately $80.00 and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the redeeming holder. However, this fee would be incurred regardless of whether or not we require holders seeking to exercise redemption rights to tender their shares. The need to deliver shares is a requirement of exercising redemption rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated.
Any request to redeem such shares, once made, may be withdrawn at any time up to two business days prior to the initially scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the Business Combination set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, unless otherwise agreed to by us.
Furthermore, if a holder of a Public Share delivered its certificate in connection with an election of redemption rights and subsequently decides prior to the applicable date not to elect to exercise such rights, such holder may simply request that the transfer agent return the certificate (physically or electronically). It is anticipated that the funds to be distributed to holders of our Public Shares electing to redeem their shares will be distributed promptly after the completion of our Business Combination.
If our initial Business Combination is not approved or completed for any reason, then our Public Shareholders who elected to exercise their redemption rights would not be entitled to redeem their shares for the applicable pro rata share of the Trust Account. In such case, we will promptly return any certificates delivered by public holders who elected to redeem their shares.
If our initial proposed Business Combination is not completed, we may continue to try to complete a Business Combination until the end of the Combination Period or until such earlier liquidation date as our Board of Directors may approve.
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Redemption of Public Shares and Liquidation if no Initial Business Combination
If we are unable to complete our Business Combination within the Completion Period, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter (and subject to lawfully available funds therefor), redeem the Public Shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account (which interest shall be net of Permitted Withdrawals and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish Public Shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), 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, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our Warrants, which will expire without value to the holder if we fail to complete our initial Business Combination within the Completion Period.
Our Sponsor, officers and directors will not be entitled to rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to any Founder Shares or Private Placement Shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial Business Combination within the Completion Period. However, if our Sponsor, officers or directors acquire Public Shares in or after our Initial Public Offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to such Public Shares if we fail to complete our initial Business Combination within the Completion Period.
Our Sponsor, officers and directors have agreed that they will not propose any amendment to our Amended and Restated Charter (i) 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 an initial Business Combination within the Completion Period or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to the right of holders of our Class A Ordinary Shares or pre-initial Business Combination activity, unless we provide our Public Shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Class A Ordinary Shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account (which interest shall be net of Permitted Withdrawals), divided by the number of then-outstanding Public Shares. Pursuant to our Amended and Restated Charter, such an amendment would need to be approved by a Special Resolution.
We expect that all costs and expenses associated with implementing our liquidation, as well as payments to any creditors, will be funded from amounts remaining out of the $2,412,564 (as of December 31, 2024) of proceeds held outside the Trust Account, although we cannot assure our shareholders that there will be sufficient funds for such purpose. However, if those funds are not sufficient to cover the costs and expenses associated with implementing our liquidation, to the extent that there is any interest accrued in the Trust Account following Permitted Withdrawals, we may request the trustee to release to us an additional amount of up to $100,000 of such accrued interest to pay those costs and expenses.
If we were to expend all of the net proceeds of our Initial Public Offering and the sale of the Private Placement Units, other than the proceeds deposited in the Trust Account, and without taking into account interest, if any, earned on the Trust Account, the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders upon our dissolution would be approximately $10.00. The proceeds deposited in the Trust Account could, however, become subject to the claims of our creditors which would have higher priority than the claims of our Public Shareholders. We cannot assure our shareholders that the actual per-share redemption amount received by shareholders will not be substantially less than $10.00. While we intend to pay such amounts, if any, we cannot assure our shareholders that we will have funds sufficient to pay or provide for all creditors’ claims.
Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the Trust Account for the benefit of our Public Shareholders, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements or even if they execute such agreements that they would be prevented from bringing claims against the Trust Account including but not limited to fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain an advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the Trust Account. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the Trust Account, our Management will 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
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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 we are unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the Trust Account for any reason. Our Sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party (other than our independent public accounting firm) for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or other similar agreement or Business Combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account to below (i) $10.00 per Public Share or (ii) such lesser amount per Public Share held in the Trust Account as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account, due to reductions in value of the trust assets, in each case net of Permitted Withdrawals, except as to any claims by a third party that executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the Trust Account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of our Initial Public Offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, we have not asked our Sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our Sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations, and we believe that our Sponsor’s only assets are securities of the Company. Therefore, we cannot assure our shareholders that our Sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the Trust Account, the funds available for our initial Business Combination and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.00 per Public Share. In such event, we may not be able to complete our initial Business Combination, and our shareholders would receive such lesser amount per share in connection with any redemption of their Public Shares. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
In the event that the proceeds in the Trust Account are reduced below (i) $10.00 per Public Share or (ii) such lesser amount per Public Share held in the Trust Account as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account, due to reductions in value of the trust assets, in each case net of Permitted Withdrawals, and our Sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its indemnification obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our Sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our Sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so if, for example, the cost of such legal action is deemed by the independent directors to be too high relative to the amount recoverable or if the independent directors determine that a favorable outcome is not likely. We have not asked our Sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations and we cannot assure our shareholders that our Sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. Accordingly, we cannot assure our shareholders that due to claims of creditors the actual value of the per-share redemption price will not be less than $10.00 per Public Share.
We will seek to reduce the possibility that our Sponsor will have to indemnify the Trust Account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses or other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the Trust Account. Our Sponsor will also not be liable as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of our Initial Public Offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. As of December 31, 2024, we had access to up to $2,412,564 from the proceeds of our Initial Public Offering and Private Placement, as well as Permitted Withdrawals, with which to pay any such potential claims (including costs and expenses incurred in connection with our liquidation, currently estimated to be no more than approximately $100,000). In the event that we liquidate and it is subsequently determined that the reserve for claims and liabilities is insufficient, shareholders who received funds from our Trust Account could be liable for claims made by creditors.
If we file a winding up petition or a winding up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the Trust Account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy or insolvency law, and a liquidator may determine that such funds should be included in our bankruptcy or insolvency estate and subject to the claims of third-party creditors with priority over the claims of our shareholders. To the extent any bankruptcy or insolvency claims deplete the Trust Account, we cannot assure our shareholders we will be able to return $10.00 per share to our Public Shareholders. Additionally, if we file a winding up petition or a winding up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by shareholders could be subject to challenge under applicable debtor/creditor and/or insolvency laws as a “voidable preference” or a “fraudulent conveyance, preference or disposition.” As a result, a liquidator or a bankruptcy or other court could seek to recover some or all amounts received by our shareholders. Furthermore, our Board of Directors may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to us or our creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, and thereby exposing itself and the Company to claims of punitive damages, by paying Public Shareholders from the Trust Account prior to addressing the claims of creditors. We cannot assure our shareholders that claims will not be brought against us for these reasons.
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Our Public Shareholders will be entitled to receive funds from the Trust Account only (i) in the event of the redemption of our Public Shares if we are unable to complete our initial Business Combination within the Completion Period, (ii) in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to our Amended and Restated Charter (A) 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 an initial Business Combination within the Completion Period or (B) 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) if they redeem their respective shares for cash upon the completion of the initial Business Combination, subject to applicable law and any limitations (including but not limited to cash requirements) created by the terms of the proposed Business Combination. In no other circumstances will a shareholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the Trust Account. In the event we seek shareholder approval in connection with our initial Business Combination, a shareholder’s voting in connection with the Business Combination alone will not result in a such shareholder redeeming its shares to us for an applicable pro rata share of the Trust Account. Such shareholder must have also exercised its redemption rights described above. These provisions of our Amended and Restated Charter, like all provisions of our Amended and Restated Charter, may be amended with a shareholder vote.
Competition
In identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business for our Business Combination, we may encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including other blank check companies, private equity groups and leveraged buyout funds, and operating businesses seeking strategic acquisitions. Many of these entities are well established and have extensive experience identifying and effecting Business Combinations directly or through affiliates. Moreover, many of these competitors possess greater financial, technical, human and other resources than we do. Our ability to acquire larger target businesses will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of a target business. Furthermore, (1) our obligation to pay cash in connection with our Public Shareholders who exercise their redemption rights may reduce the resources available to us for our initial Business Combination and (2) our outstanding Warrants, and the future dilution they potentially represent, may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses. Any of these factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating an initial Business Combination.
Certain Potential Conflicts of Interest Relating to M. Klein and Company
Our Sponsor is an affiliate of M. Klein and Company. Mr. Klein is the founder and managing partner of M. Klein and Company and acts as a strategic advisor to its clients. Mr. Klein has a fiduciary duty to M. Klein and Company. As a result, Mr. Klein may have a duty to offer acquisition opportunities to clients of M. Klein and Company. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Mr. Klein will have no duty to offer acquisition opportunities to the Company unless presented to him solely in his capacity as an officer or director of the Company and after he has satisfied his contractual and fiduciary obligations to other parties.
As a result, M. Klein and Company’s clients may compete with us for acquisition opportunities in the same industries and sectors as we may target for our initial Business Combination. If any of them decide to pursue any such opportunity, we may be precluded from procuring such opportunities. In addition, investment ideas generated within M. Klein and Company, including by Mr. Klein and other persons who may make decisions for the company, may be suitable both for us and for M. Klein and Company or any of its clients, and may be directed initially to such persons rather than to us. To the fullest extent permitted by law, none of Mr. Klein, M. Klein and Company or members of our Management Team who are also employed by M. Klein and Company have any obligation to present us with any opportunity for a potential Business Combination of which they become aware unless it is offered to them solely in their capacity as a director or officer of the Company and after they have satisfied their contractual and fiduciary obligations to other parties (including other SPACs they are or may become involved with).
In addition, Mr. Klein and M. Klein and Company may sponsor or form other blank check companies similar to ours during the period in which we are seeking an initial Business Combination. M. Klein and Company, Mr. Klein and the Operating Partners have complete discretion, subject to applicable fiduciary duties, as to which blank check company they choose to pursue a Business Combination and the order in which they pursue Business Combinations for any of their existing or future blank check companies. As a result, M. Klein and Company, Mr. Klein and the Operating Partners may pursue Business Combinations for blank check companies that it has sponsored in any order, which could result in its more recent blank check companies completing Business Combinations prior to its blank check companies that were launched earlier. There are no contractual obligations governing the allocation of opportunities among the various blank check companies. Any determination as to which blank check company will pursue a particular acquisition target will be made based on the circumstances of the particular situation, including but not limited to the relative sizes of the blank check companies compared to the sizes of the targets, the need or desire for additional financings and the relevant experience of the directors, officers and Operating Partners involved with a particular blank check company.
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The potential conflicts described above may limit our ability to enter into a Business Combination or other transactions. These circumstances could give rise to numerous situations where interests may conflict.
Additionally, we may engage one or more affiliates of our Sponsor, officers or directors or their respective affiliates to provide additional services to us after the Initial Public Offering, including, for example, identifying potential targets or providing financial advisory services. We may pay such affiliates fair and reasonable fees or other compensation that would be determined at that time in an arm’s length negotiation. Any such affiliates’ financial interests tied to the consummation of a Business Combination transaction may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in providing any such additional services to us, including potential conflicts of interest in connection with advising on, sourcing and consummating of an initial Business Combination.
Limitations on Our Access to Investment Opportunities Sourced by M. Klein and Company
M. Klein and Company may compete with us for acquisition opportunities that we may target for our initial Business Combination. If M. Klein and Company decides to pursue any such opportunity or determines in its sole discretion not to offer such opportunity to us, we may be precluded from procuring such opportunities. In addition, investment ideas generated within M. Klein and Company or by persons who may make decisions for us may be suitable for both us and for M. Klein and Company may be directed to M. Klein and Company or other third parties rather than to us. M. Klein and Company does not have any fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to the Company, including, without limitation, to present us with any opportunity for a potential Business Combination of which they become aware.
Our Management Team, in their other endeavors (including any affiliation they may have with M. Klein and Company), may choose or be required to present potential Business Combinations or other transactions to M. Klein and Company or third parties, before they present such opportunities to us. Please see “Risk Factors—Certain of our officers and directors are now, and all of them may in the future become, affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity or other transaction should be presented” in our IPO Registration Statement.
Not all Members of Our Management Team are Independent of M. Klein and Company
Our Management Team is responsible for the management of our affairs. Mr. Klein is the founder and managing partner of M. Klein and Company and acts as a strategic advisor to its clients. Mr. Klein has a fiduciary duty to M. Klein and Company. As a result, Mr. Klein may have a duty to offer acquisition opportunities to clients of M. Klein and Company. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Mr. Klein will have no duty to offer acquisition opportunities to the Company unless presented to him in his capacity as an officer or director of the Company and after he has satisfied his contractual and fiduciary obligations to other parties.
Employees
We currently have two officers and do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our initial Business Combination. Members of our Management 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 to the Company 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 Public 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 accounting firm.
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We will provide shareholders with audited financial statements of the prospective target business as part of the proxy solicitation materials or tender offer documents (as applicable) sent to shareholders. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with GAAP, or reconciled to, GAAP, or IFRS, depending on the circumstances, and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may acquire because some targets may be unable to provide such statements in time for us to disclose such statements in accordance with federal proxy rules and complete our initial Business Combination within the prescribed time frame. We cannot assure our shareholders that any particular target business identified by us as a potential acquisition candidate will have financial statements prepared in accordance with the requirements outlined above, or that the potential target business will be able to prepare its financial statements in accordance with the requirements outlined above. To the extent that any applicable requirements cannot be met, we may not be able to acquire the proposed target business. While this may limit the pool of potential acquisition candidates, we do not believe that this limitation will be material.
We will be required to evaluate our internal control procedures for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025 as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer 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 acquisition.
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 applicable to Exchange Act registered companies. 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 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 (i) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of our Initial Public Offering, or May 6, 2029, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.235 billion (as adjusted for inflation pursuant to SEC rules from time to time), or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our Class A Ordinary Shares that is held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th, and (ii) 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 for so long as either (i) the market value of our Ordinary Shares held by non-affiliates is less than $250.0 million as of the end of our second fiscal quarter or (ii) we have annual revenues of less than $100.0 million and the market value of our Ordinary Shares held by non-affiliates is less than $700.0 million as of the end of our second fiscal quarter.
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