Item 1. Business
Item 1.
BUSINESS
General
We
are a special purpose acquisition company incorporated on June 26, 2025, 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, which we refer to throughout the annual report as our initial business combination. 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.
While
we may pursue an acquisition in any industry, we intend to focus our search on companies that own, operate, or are developing assets
in the critical minerals sector that are fundamental to the economic and national security interests of the United States. We intend
to identify companies with critical resource infrastructure, in order to accelerate America’s safe and secure energy future, accelerate
electrification and grid expansion, support the what we expect to be an upcoming digital infrastructure revolution, reduce foreign reliance
on mineral supply chains, and drive industrial resurgence. We expect to target companies involved in the exploration, processing, production,
and domestic refining and recycling of minerals essential to national defense, clean energy independence, and technological leadership,
preferably with enabling technologies. We have not selected any specific business combination target, and we have not, nor has anyone
on our behalf, engaged in any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. We believe our management
team has the skills and experience to identify, evaluate and consummate a business combination and is positioned to assist businesses
we acquire. However, our management team’s network and investing and operating experience do not guarantee a successful initial
business combination. The members of our management team are not required to devote any significant amount of time to our business and
are concurrently involved with other businesses. There is no guarantee that our current officers and directors will continue in their
respective roles, or in any other role, after our initial business combination, and their expertise may only be of benefit to us until
our initial business combination is completed. Past performance by our management team is not a guarantee of success with respect to
any business combination we may consummate.
Our
Management Team
We
believe our team’s distinctive and complementary backgrounds can have a transformative impact on a target business. Our team will
deploy a proactive, thematic sourcing strategy and will focus its efforts on companies where we believe the combination of our operating
experience, transaction execution capabilities, professional relationships and capital markets expertise can serve as catalysts to enhance
the growth potential and value of a target business and provide opportunities for an attractive return to our shareholders.
Over
the course of their careers, the members of our management team have developed a broad network of contacts and corporate relationships
that we believe will serve as a useful source of acquisition opportunities. In addition to industry and investment community relationships,
we plan to leverage relationships with management teams of public and private companies, investment bankers, restructuring advisers,
attorneys and accountants, which we believe should provide us with a number of business combination opportunities. Members of our management
team will communicate with their networks of relationships to articulate the parameters for our search for a target business and a potential
business combination and begin the process of pursuing and reviewing potentially interesting leads with the eventual goal to complete
a successful business combination.
Our
team is led by Stephen Silver, our Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, who is a finance professional with over two decades
of experience in capital markets and corporate finance, particularly in the natural resources sector. Our board includes Ashley Zumwalt-Forbes,
a petroleum engineer and former U.S. Deputy Director for Batteries & Critical Materials at the Department of Energy; Erez
Ichilov, a seasoned mining and metals executive with extensive operational experience at Traxys Projects LP and Cunico Resources; and
Matthew Langsford, a seasoned investment professional from Terra Capital Holdings Pty Ltd, with deep expertise in the natural resources
sector. This unique blend of private sector execution, public policy insight, and operational experience is purpose-built to identify,
perform due diligence on, and support a company in the critical minerals space.
Stephen
Silver, our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, Ashley Zumwalt-Forbes, our Chief Operating Officer and Director, Arthur
Chen, our Chief Financial Officer, and Erez Ichilov each hold the same respective position with M Evo Global Acquisition Corp II (“MEVO”)
as our company. On February 2, 2026 , MEVO consummated its IPO of 30,000,000 units at $10.00 per unit, generating gross proceeds of $300
million; each unit is comprised of one Class A ordinary share and one-half of one redeemable warrant. The Units, Class A ordinary shares
and warrants trade on Nasdaq under the symbols “MEVOU”, “MEVO” and “MEVOW”.
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Business
Combination Criteria and Strategy
While
we may acquire a business in any industry and in any geography, we plan to focus our pursuit for business combination opportunities with
companies operating in the metals and mining or infrastructure segments. We intend to evaluate companies engaged both directly and indirectly
in our target industries; including those companies involved in providing the necessary infrastructure to support the long-term growth
of our target sectors.
We
believe the world is entering a period of strategic resource realignment. The convergence of the energy transition, geopolitical shifts,
and new industrial policies has created an urgent need for secure, reliable, and domestic supply chains for critical minerals. The United States
is currently over 50% import-reliant for 49 of the 50 designated critical minerals, with a significant dependency on foreign nations
for processing and refining. This creates both a national security vulnerability and a compelling investment opportunity.
Our
strategy is to leverage this landscape by targeting businesses in U.S.-aligned jurisdictions (including the United States, Canada,
and Australia, and potentially other members of the US led MSP-Minerals Security Partnership) that are poised for significant growth. Our
primary investment focus includes:
● Critical
Mineral Assets : Companies with assets or enabling technologies
in key materials such as lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, copper, uranium, rare earth elements
(REEs), vanadium, germanium, antimony, 3T technology metals (Tin, Tungsten, Tantalum), and
more.
● Stage
of Development : We intend to prioritize near-production, brown
field restarts, expansion-stage assets, all with proven geology or well documented past production
mineralized tailings and dumps that are capital-constrained or underdeveloped.
● Domestic
Infrastructure : Opportunities in U.S.-based mineral processing
and refining infrastructure to help close the domestic supply chain gap.
● Target
Enterprise Value : We intend to initially seek targets with an
enterprise value between $200 million and $1.5 billion.
We
believe that powerful U.S. policy tailwinds, including the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Defense Production Act, and strategic
funding from the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Energy (DOE), provide substantial support for our strategy and will catalyze
growth for our eventual partner company.
Acquisition
Criteria
We
will seek to identify a business that has demonstrated technical or commercial readiness but requires capital, scale, and public market
access to accelerate its growth. We expect our evaluation will be guided by the following criteria:
● Strategic
Alignment : Assets that are critical to U.S. supply chains
and supported by national policy.
● Strong
Fundamentals : Businesses with proven geology, a clear path to
production, or existing operations with expansion potential.
● Value
Creation Potential : Opportunities where our capital, strategic
advice, and relationships with government entities and offtake partners can unlock significant
value.
● Experienced
Management : Partnering with strong, motivated management teams
who will benefit from our support in a public company context.
● Compelling
Valuation : Businesses that we can acquire at an attractive valuation
relative to their intrinsic value and growth prospects.
In
evaluating a prospective target business, we will conduct extensive due diligence, leveraging our team’s technical and financial
expertise to assess all aspects of its operations, geology, permitting status, and market potential.
Our
acquisition and value creation strategy will be to identify, acquire and, after our initial business combination, build a value accretive
company. Our acquisition strategy will leverage our network of potential proprietary and public transaction sources where we believe
a combination of our relationships, knowledge, and experience in the metals and mining industry could effect a positive transformation.
Our goal is to build a focused business with multiple competitive advantages that have the potential to improve the target business’
overall value proposition.
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Our
selection process is expected to leverage our sponsor’s global network of relationships across the critical minerals, natural resources,
capital markets, and public policy arenas, along with our team’s extensive track record of operational and transactional success.
This network has been built over decades through the leadership roles and investment activities of our management team across mining,
energy, structured finance, and strategic government initiatives. We intend to employ a proactive, thesis-driven sourcing approach, focusing
on opportunities where our combined operating expertise, regulatory insight, and capital markets fluency can serve as accelerants to
unlock value, scale operations, and enhance long-term performance. We expect that our sponsor and management team will actively engage
their networks to communicate our investment thesis, surface potential targets, and initiate the evaluation and diligence process for
prospective business combinations. Our team’s objectives are to generate attractive returns for shareholders and enhance the value
of our eventual business combination partner by leveraging our technical, operational, and financial expertise to support its growth,
improve execution, and facilitate a successful transition to the public markets. We expect to prioritize opportunities with characteristics
aligned to the unique demands and tailwinds of the critical minerals sector.
Key
industry characteristics include:
● mission-critical
role in energy transition, electrification, and national security;
● large,
durable addressable markets with multi-decade secular growth;
● favorable
government policy support and structural supply-demand imbalances; and
● opportunities
for consolidation, vertical integration, and technological disruption.
Key
business characteristics of attractive targets include:
● high-quality
executive and technical teams with domain expertise;
● de-risked
assets with demonstrated geology, operational readiness, or past production;
● low-cost
production profile and strong cash generation potential;
● operations
or projects located in U.S.-aligned, mining-friendly jurisdictions;
● alignment
with regulatory frameworks and eligibility for government incentives;
● potential
for growth and valuation re-rating through scale and capital access;
● defensible
market position with high entry barriers;
● attractive
unit economics and long-term offtake or customer relationships;
● resilience
across commodity and capital cycles;
● ability
to benefit from our capital markets experience, policy fluency, and long-term strategic guidance.
These
criteria are intended as a framework, not a limitation. Any evaluation of a prospective business combination will be based on these guidelines
as well as other qualitative and quantitative factors our management and sponsor deem material. Should we pursue a transaction that does
not meet these stated criteria, we will disclose this in our shareholder communications, including proxy or tender offer materials as
applicable.
In
evaluating a potential target, we expect to conduct a comprehensive due diligence process that includes meetings with management, site
visits, technical assessments, customer and supplier references, legal and regulatory review, and detailed financial analysis. Our diligence
will be informed by our collective experience in resource development, structured finance, public policy, and M&A execution.
Our
management team and sponsor bring decades of experience in:
● developing
deep, trust-based relationships with operators, investors, and policymakers;
● originating,
structuring, and financing complex transactions across jurisdictions;
● conducting
rigorous diligence on technical, regulatory, and market fundamentals;
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● navigating
commodity cycles, macro shifts, and public market transitions; and
● providing
strategic oversight at the board level to unlock long-term shareholder value in a public
company setting.
We
are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a business combination target that is affiliated with our sponsor,
officers, directors (or their respective affiliates or related entities) or making the acquisition through a joint venture or other form
of shared ownership with our sponsor, officers, directors (or their respective affiliates or related entities). In the event that we
seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors (or their
respective affiliates or related entities), we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment
banking firm which is a member of FINRA or a valuation or appraisal firm stating that the consideration to be paid by us in such an initial
business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other
context.
Initial
Business Combination
We
are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any operations for an indefinite period of time following the IPO. We intend
to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of the IPO and the private placement of the private placement
warrants, the proceeds of the sale of our shares in connection with our initial business combination (including pursuant to forward purchase
agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into following the consummation of the IPO or otherwise), shares issued to the owners
of the target, debt issued to bank or other lenders or the owners of the target, other securities issuances, or a combination of the
foregoing. See the section titled “ The Offering — Additional Financing ” below for more information.
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.
We
will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or against, our initial
business combination, all or a portion of their public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination either
(i) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the business combination or (ii) without a shareholder vote by means
of a tender offer. If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we receive an ordinary
resolution under Cayman Islands law and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, which requires the affirmative
vote of at least a majority of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are
allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company. The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a
proposed business combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety
of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would require us to seek shareholder approval
under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement.
We
have until the date that is 24 months from the closing of the IPO or until such earlier liquidation date as our board of directors
may approve, to consummate our initial business combination. If we anticipate that we may be unable to consummate our initial business
combination within such 24-month period, we may seek shareholder approval to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of
association to extend the date by which we must consummate our initial business combination. If we seek shareholder approval for an extension,
holders of public shares will be offered an opportunity to redeem their shares, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or against,
the proposed extension, at a per share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including
interest earned thereon (which interest shall be net of amounts not previously released to us for permitted withdrawals), divided by
the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law. There is no limit on the number or length of extensions
that we may seek; however, we do not expect to extend the time period to consummate our initial business combination beyond 36 months
from the closing of the IPO. If we determine not to or are unable to extend the time period to consummate our initial business combination
or fail to obtain shareholder approval to extend, our sponsor, management team and other initial shareholders will lose their entire
investment in our founder shares and our private placement warrants, except to the extent they entitle the holders thereof to receive
liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account. For more information, also see “ Risk Factors — Risks
Relating to our Securities — Since our sponsor, officers and directors, any other holder of our founder shares, and the
underwriters may lose their entire investment in us if our initial business combination is not completed (other than with respect to
public shares they may acquire during or after the IPO), a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business
combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination. ”
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If
we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, we will redeem 100% of the public shares at
a per share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned thereon
(which interest shall be net of amounts not previously released to us for permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay
liquidation expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law and certain conditions
as further described herein. We expect the pro rata redemption price to be approximately $10.00 per public share (regardless of whether
or not the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option), without taking into account any interest or other income earned on such
funds. However, we cannot assure you that we will in fact be able to distribute such amounts as a result of claims of creditors, which
may take priority over the claims of our public shareholders.
Nasdaq
rules require that 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 interest earned
on the trust account). Our board of directors will make the determination as to the fair market value of our initial business combination.
In the event that we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or
directors (or their respective affiliates or related entities), we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from
an independent investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA or a valuation or appraisal firm stating that the consideration to
be paid by us in such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain
such an opinion in any other context. Additionally, pursuant to Nasdaq rules, any initial business combination must be approved by a
majority of our independent directors.
We
anticipate structuring our initial business combination so that the post transaction company in which our public shareholders own shares
will own or acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial
business combination such that the post transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target
business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or shareholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete
such business combination if the post transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target
or is otherwise not required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or
the Investment Company Act. Even if the post transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target,
our shareholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post transaction company, depending
on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination.
For
example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital
stock, shares or other equity interests of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However,
as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our shareholders immediately prior to our initial business combination
could own less than a majority of our issued and outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100%
of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post transaction company, the portion
of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be taken into account for purposes of the 80% of net assets test
described above. If the business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the
aggregate value of all of the target businesses.
Members
of our management team and our independent directors will directly or indirectly own founder shares and/or private placement warrants
following the IPO and, accordingly, may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate
business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. The low price that our sponsor, executive officers and directors
(directly or indirectly) paid for the founder shares creates an incentive whereby our officers and directors could potentially make a
substantial profit even if we select an acquisition target that subsequently declines in value and is unprofitable for public shareholders.
If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the completion window, the founder shares and private placement
warrants may expire worthless, except to the extent they receive liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account, which
could create an incentive for our sponsor, executive officers and directors to complete a transaction even if we select an acquisition
target that subsequently declines in value and is unprofitable for public shareholders. Further, each of our officers and directors may
have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such
officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.
Each
of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary, 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. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that to the fullest extent
permitted by applicable law: (i) no individual serving as a director or an officer shall have any duty, except and to the extent
expressly assumed by contract, to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of
business as us; and (ii) we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any potential
transaction or matter which may be a corporate opportunity for to any director or officer on the one hand, and us, on the other. Accordingly,
if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or
she has then current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present
such business combination opportunity to such other entity, subject to their fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. Our amended and
restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by 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.
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In
addition, our sponsor and our officers and directors may sponsor or form other special purpose acquisition companies similar to ours
or may pursue other business or investment ventures during the period in which we are seeking an initial business combination. As a result,
our sponsor, officers and directors could have conflicts of interest in determining whether to present business combination opportunities
to us or to any other special purpose acquisition company with which they may become involved. Any such companies, businesses or investments
may present additional conflicts of interest in pursuing an initial business combination target.
We
filed a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). As a result, we are subject to the rules and regulations
promulgated under the Exchange Act. We have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations
under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent to the consummation of our initial business combination.
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
or shares 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. We believe target
businesses will find this method a more expeditious 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 and market and other uncertainties in the initial public offering process, including
underwriting discounts and commissions, marketing and road show efforts that may not be present to the same extent in connection with
a business combination with us.
Furthermore,
once a proposed initial 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. Following an initial business
combination, 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 shares 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 will 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.
We
are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier
of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of the IPO, (b) in which
we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.235 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer,
which means the market value of our Class A ordinary shares that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the
prior June 30, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during
the prior three-year period.
Additionally,
we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting
companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years
of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (1) the
market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates is equal to or exceeds $250 million as of the prior June 30, or
(2) our annual revenues equaled or exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary
shares held by non-affiliates is equal to or exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30.
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In
addition, after completion of the IPO and prior to the consummation of a business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary
shares will have the right to vote on the appointment or removal of directors. As a result, Nasdaq will consider 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, you 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 initially in the amount $230,400,000 assuming no redemptions and after payment of $9,600,000,
we offer a target business a variety of options, such as creating a liquidity event for its owners, providing capital for the potential
growth and expansion of its operations or strengthening its balance sheet by reducing its debt ratio. Because we are able to complete
our initial business combination using our cash, debt or equity securities, or a combination of the foregoing, we have the flexibility
to use the most efficient combination that will allow us to tailor the consideration to be paid to the target business to fit its needs
and desires. However, we have not taken any steps to secure third party financing and there can be no assurance it will be available
to us.
Effecting
our Initial Business Combination
General
We
are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any operations for an indefinite period of time following the IPO. We intend
to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of the IPO and the private placement of the private placement
warrants, the proceeds of the sale of our shares in connection with our initial business combination (including pursuant to forward purchase
agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into following the consummation of the IPO or otherwise), shares issued to the owners
of the target, debt issued to bank or other lenders or the owners of the target, other securities issuances, or a combination of the
foregoing. See the section titled “ The Offering — Additional Financing ” below for more information.
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 securities, or not all of the funds released from the trust account
are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination or used for redemptions of our Class A
ordinary shares, we may use the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account following the closing for general corporate
purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction company, the payment of principal or interest
due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies, or for working
capital.
We
have not selected any 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 target opportunities and companies in the critical
minerals sector that are fundamental to the economic and national security interests of the United States. Accordingly, there is
no current basis for investors in the IPO to evaluate the possible merits or risks of the target business with which we may ultimately
complete our initial business combination. Although our management will assess the risks inherent in a particular target business with
which we may combine, we cannot assure you that this assessment will result in our identifying all risks that a target business may encounter.
Furthermore, some of those risks may be outside of our control, meaning that we can do nothing to control or reduce the chances that
those risks will adversely affect a target business.
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We
may seek to raise additional funds through a private offering of debt or equity securities in connection with the completion of our initial
business combination and we may effectuate our initial business combination using the proceeds of such offering rather than using the
amounts held in the trust account. In addition, we intend to target businesses with enterprise values that are greater than we could
acquire with the net proceeds of the IPO and the sale of the private placement warrants, and, as a result, if the cash portion of the
purchase price exceeds the amount available from the trust account, net of amounts needed to satisfy any redemptions by public shareholders,
we may be required to seek additional financing to complete such proposed initial business combination. Subject to compliance with applicable
securities laws, we would expect to complete such financing only simultaneously with the completion of our initial business combination.
In the case of an initial business combination funded with assets other than the trust account assets, our proxy materials or tender
offer documents disclosing the initial business combination would disclose the terms of the financing and, only if required by law, we
would seek shareholder approval of such financing. There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds through the issuance of equity
or equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, including
pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into following consummation of the IPO. At this time, we
are not a party to any arrangement or understanding with any third party with respect to raising any additional funds through the sale
of securities or otherwise. None of our sponsor, officers, directors or shareholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection
with or after our initial business combination. For more information also see “ The Offering — Limited payments
to insiders ” and “ The Offering — Additional financing ” as well as “ Risk Factors — Risks
Relating to our Search for, and Consummation of, or Inability to Consummate, a Business Combination — We may issue additional
Class A ordinary shares or preference shares to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after
completion of our initial business combination. We may also issue Class A ordinary shares upon the conversion of the Class B
ordinary shares at a ratio greater than one-to-one at the time of our initial business combination as a result of the anti-dilution provisions
contained therein. Any such issuances would dilute the interest of our shareholders and likely present other risks,” “Risk
Factors — Risks Relating to our Search for, and Consummation of, or Inability to Consummate, a Business Combination — We
may issue shares to investors in connection with our initial business combination at a price which is less than $10.00 or the prevailing
market price of our shares at that time, which could dilute the interests of our existing shareholders and add costs” or “Risk
Factors — Risks Relating to our Search for, and Consummation of, or Inability to Consummate, a Business Combination — We
may issue notes or other debt, or otherwise incur substantial debt, to complete a business combination, which may adversely affect our
leverage and financial condition and thus negatively impact the value of our shareholders’ investment in us .”
Sources
of Target Businesses
We
anticipate that target business candidates will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment bankers,
personal relationships, operating executives and private investment funds. Target businesses may be brought to our attention by such
unaffiliated sources as a result of being solicited by us through calls or mailings. These sources may also introduce us to target businesses
in which they think we may be interested on an unsolicited basis, since many of these sources will have read the prospectus and know
what types of businesses we are targeting. Our officers and directors, as well as their affiliates, may also bring to our attention target
business candidates that they become aware of through their business contacts as a result of formal or informal inquiries or discussions
they may have, as well as attending trade shows or conventions. In addition, we expect to receive a number of proprietary deal flow opportunities
that would not otherwise necessarily be available to us as a result of the track record and business relationships of our officers and
directors. While we do not presently anticipate engaging the services of professional firms or other individuals that specialize in business
acquisitions on any formal basis, we may engage these firms or other individuals in the future, in which event we may pay a finder’s
fee, consulting fee or other compensation to be determined in an arm’s length negotiation based on the terms of the transaction.
Prior
to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, there may be payment by the company to our officers, independent
directors, or their respective 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, which, if made prior to the completion of our initial business
combination, will be paid from funds released to us pursuant to permitted withdrawals or held outside the trust account.
We
will engage a finder only to the extent our management determines that the use of a finder may bring opportunities to us that may not
otherwise be available to us or if finders approach us on an unsolicited basis with a potential transaction that our management determines
is in our best interest to pursue. Payment of a finder’s fee is customarily tied to completion of a transaction, in which case
any such fee will be paid out of the funds held in the trust account.
We
are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers, directors
(or their respective affiliates or related entities). In the event that we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company
that is affiliated (as defined in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association) with our sponsor, officers, directors
(or their respective affiliates or related entities), we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent
investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA or a valuation or appraisal firm stating that the consideration to be paid by us in
such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion
in any other context.
8
Evaluation
of a Target Business and Structuring of Our Initial Business Combination
In
evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a due diligence review which may encompass, among other things, meetings
with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspection of facilities, as applicable,
as well as a review of financial, operational, legal and other information which will be made available to us. If we determine to move
forward with a particular target, we will proceed to structure and negotiate the terms of the business combination transaction.
The
time required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete our initial business combination, and the costs
associated with this process, are not currently ascertainable with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification
and evaluation of, and negotiation with, a prospective target business with which our initial business combination is not ultimately
completed will result in our incurring losses and will reduce the funds we can use to complete another 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. By completing our initial business combination with only a single entity, our lack of
diversification may:
● subject
us to negative economic, competitive and regulatory developments, any or all of which may
have a substantial adverse impact on the particular industry in which we operate after our
initial business combination, and
● cause
us to depend on the marketing and sale of a single product or limited number of products
or services.
Limited
Ability to Evaluate the Target’s Management Team
Although
we intend to closely scrutinize the management of a prospective target business when evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial
business combination with that business, our assessment of the target business’s management may not prove to be correct. In addition,
the future management may not have the necessary skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company. Furthermore, the future
role of members of our management team, if any, in the target business cannot presently be stated with any certainty. The determination
as to whether any of the members of our management team will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial
business combination. While it is possible that one or more of our directors will remain associated in some capacity with us following
our initial business combination, it is unlikely that any of them will devote their full efforts to our affairs subsequent to our initial
business combination. Moreover, we cannot assure you that members of our management team will have significant experience or knowledge
relating to the operations of the particular target business.
We
cannot assure you 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 you 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 subject to the provisions of our amended
and restated memorandum and articles of association. However, we will seek shareholder approval if it is required by applicable law or
stock exchange listing requirement, or we may decide to seek shareholder approval for business or other reasons.
Under
Nasdaq’s listing rules, shareholder approval would be required for our initial business combination if, for example:
● We
issue ordinary shares that will be equal to or in excess of 20% of the number of our ordinary
shares then outstanding (other than in a public offering);
9
● Any
of our directors, officers or substantial shareholders (as defined by 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 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.
The
decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination in those instances in which shareholder approval
is not required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based
on business and legal reasons, which include a variety of factors, including, but not limited to: (i) the timing of the transaction,
including in the event we determine shareholder approval would require additional time and there is either not enough time to seek shareholder
approval or doing so would place the company at a disadvantage in the transaction or result in other additional burdens on the company;
(ii) the expected cost of holding a shareholder vote; (iii) the risk that the shareholders would fail to approve the proposed
business combination; (iv) other time and budget constraints of the company; and (v) additional legal complexities of a proposed
business combination that would be time-consuming and burdensome to present to shareholders.
Permitted
Purchases of Our Securities
If
we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business
combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, and their affiliates may purchase
public shares or warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our
initial business combination, although they are under no obligation or duty to do so. Such a purchase may include a contractual acknowledgment
that such shareholder, although still the record holder of our shares is no longer the beneficial owner thereof and therefore agrees
not to exercise its redemption rights. In the event that our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, and their affiliates
purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions from public shareholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights,
such selling shareholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares. It is intended that, if Rule 10b-18
would apply to purchases by our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, and their affiliates, then such purchases will comply
with Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act, to the extent it applies, which provides a safe harbor for purchases made under certain
conditions, including with respect to timing, pricing and volume of purchases.
Additionally,
at any time at or prior to our initial business combination, subject to applicable securities laws (including with respect to material
nonpublic information), our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, and their affiliates may enter into transactions with
investors and others to provide them with incentives to acquire public shares, vote their public shares in favor of our initial business
combination or not redeem their public shares. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions
and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase
public shares, rights or warrants in such transactions.
The
purpose of any such transactions could be to (1) increase the likelihood of obtaining shareholder approval of the business combination,
(2) reduce the number of public warrants outstanding and/or increase the likelihood of approval on any matters submitted to the
public warrant holders for approval in connection with our initial business combination or (3) satisfy a closing condition in an
agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business
combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. Any such purchases of our securities may result in the
completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible.
In
addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our securities may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders
of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities
on a national securities exchange.
Our
sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, and their affiliates anticipate that they may identify the shareholders with whom
our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, and their affiliates may pursue privately negotiated transactions by either the
shareholders contacting us directly or by our receipt of redemption requests submitted by shareholders (in the case of Class A ordinary
shares) following our mailing of proxy materials in connection with our initial business combination. To the extent that our sponsor,
initial shareholders, directors, officers,
10
and
their affiliates enter into a private transaction, they would identify and contact only potential selling or redeeming shareholders who
have expressed their election to redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the trust account or vote against our initial business combination,
whether or not such shareholder has already submitted a proxy with respect to our initial business combination but only if such shares
have not already been voted at the general meeting related to our initial business combination. Our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors,
officers, and their affiliates will select which shareholders to purchase shares from based on the negotiated price and number of shares
and any other factors that they may deem relevant, and will be restricted from purchasing shares if such purchases do not comply with
Regulation M under the Exchange Act and the other federal securities laws.
Our
sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, and their affiliates will be restricted from making purchases of shares if the purchases
would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. Any such purchases will be reported pursuant to
Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements.
Additionally, in the event our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, and their affiliates were to purchase public shares
or warrants from public shareholders after the announcement of our initial business combination, 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, initial shareholders, directors, officers, and
their affiliates may purchase public shares or warrants from public shareholders outside
the redemption process, along with the purpose of such purchases;
● if
our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, and their affiliates were to purchase
public 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, initial shareholders,
directors, officers, and their affiliates would not be voted in favor of approving the business
combination transaction;
● our
sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, and their affiliates would not possess
any redemption rights with respect to our securities or, if they do acquire and possess redemption
rights, they would waive such rights; and
● we
would disclose in a Current Report on 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, initial
shareholders, directors, officers, and their affiliates, along with the purchase price;
● the
purpose of the purchases by our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers, and their
affiliates;
● the
impact, if any, of the purchases by our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors, officers,
and their affiliates on the likelihood that the business combination transaction will be
approved;
● the
identities of our security holders who sold to our sponsor, initial shareholders, directors,
officers, and their affiliates (if not purchased on the open market) or the nature of our
security holders (e.g., 5% security holders) who sold to our sponsor, initial shareholders,
directors, officers, and their affiliates; and
● 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, initial
shareholders, directors, officers, and their affiliates may elect to purchase shares or public warrants from public shareholders, which
may influence a vote on a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our Class A ordinary shares
or public warrants .”
11
Redemption
Rights for Public Shareholders upon Completion of Our Initial Business Combination
We
will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or against, our initial
business combination, all or a portion of their public shares in connection with 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 (net
of taxes paid or payable) and not previously released to us for permitted withdrawals, divided by the number of then issued and outstanding
public shares, subject to the limitations and on the conditions described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated
to be $10.00 per public share. The per share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced
by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. Our sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter
agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and any public
shares they may hold in connection with the completion of our initial business combination.
Our
proposed initial business combination may impose a minimum cash requirement for (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target
or its owners, (ii) cash for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy
other conditions. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all public shares that are validly submitted
for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed initial business combination
exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the initial business combination or redeem any shares, and
all public shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof. We may, however, raise funds through the issuance
of equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, including
pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop arrangements we may enter into following consummation of the IPO, in order to, among
other reasons, satisfy such net tangible assets or minimum cash requirements.
Manner
of Conducting Redemptions
We
will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem, regardless of whether they abstain, vote for, or against, our initial
business combination, all or a portion of their public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination either
(i) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the business combination or (ii) without a shareholder vote by means
of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination or conduct a tender
offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and
whether the terms of the transaction would require us to seek shareholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement
or whether we were deemed to be a foreign private issuer (which would require a tender offer rather than seeking shareholder approval
under SEC rules), as described above under the heading “ Shareholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve Our Initial Business
Combination .” Asset acquisitions and share purchases would not typically require shareholder approval while direct mergers
with our company (other than with a 90% subsidiary of ours) and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our issued and outstanding
ordinary shares or seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association would require shareholder approval.
So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on Nasdaq, we will be required to comply with Nasdaq’s shareholder
approval rules.
The
requirement that we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares by one of the two methods listed
above are contained in provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and will apply whether or not we
maintain our registration under the Exchange Act or our listing on Nasdaq. Such provisions may be amended if approved by a special
resolution, which requires the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do
so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company, so long as we offer redemption
in connection with such amendment.
If
we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares in connection with a general meeting, we will,
pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association:
● 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.
12
If
we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we obtain the approval of an ordinary resolution
under Cayman Islands law and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, which requires the affirmative vote of
at least a majority of the votes cast by such shareholders as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed,
by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company. A quorum for such meeting will be present if the holders of at least one third
of issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote at the meeting are represented in person or by proxy. Our sponsor, officers and directors
will count toward this quorum and, pursuant to the letter agreement, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote their founder
shares and any public shares purchased during or after the IPO (including in open market and privately-negotiated transactions) in favor
of our initial business combination (including any proposals recommended by the Company’s board of directors in connection with
such business combination) (except with respect to any public shares which may not be voted in favor of approving the business combination
transaction in accordance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act and any SEC interpretations or guidance
relating thereto). For purposes of seeking approval of an ordinary resolution, non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial
business combination once a quorum is obtained. Assuming that only the holders of one-third of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares,
representing a quorum under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, vote their ordinary shares at a general
meeting of the company, we will not need any public shares in addition to our founder shares to be voted in favor of an initial business
combination in order to approve an initial business combination. However, if our initial business combination is structured as a statutory
merger or consolidation with another company under Cayman Islands law, the approval of our initial business combination will require
the approval of a special resolution, which requires the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by such shareholders
as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at the applicable general meeting of the company.
Assuming that only the holders of one-third of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares, representing a quorum under our amended and
restated memorandum and articles of association, vote their ordinary shares at a special meeting of the company, we will not need any
public shares in addition to our founder shares to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to approve an initial
business combination. In addition, prior to the closing of our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B ordinary
shares (i) will have the right to appoint and remove directors prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business
combination and (ii) will be entitled to vote on continuing our company in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands (including
any special resolution required to amend our constitutional documents or to adopt new constitutional documents, in each case, as a result
of our approving a transfer by way of continuation in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands). These quorum and voting thresholds,
and the voting agreement 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 their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed
transaction, or whether they do not vote or abstain from voting on the proposed transaction, or whether they were a public shareholder
on the record date for the general meeting held to approve the proposed transaction.
If
a shareholder vote is not required and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will:
● conduct
the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act,
which regulate issuer tender offers, and
● file
tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination
which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business
combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act,
which regulates the solicitation of proxies.
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.
Upon
the public announcement of our initial business combination, if we elect to conduct redemption pursuant to the tender offer rules, we
or our sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase our Class A ordinary shares in
the open market, in order to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act.
13
We
intend to require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their
shares in “street name,” to, at the holder’s option, either deliver their share certificates to our transfer agent
or deliver their shares to our transfer agent electronically using the Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian)
system, prior to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. In the case of proxy materials,
this date may be up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination.
In addition, if we conduct redemptions in connection with a shareholder vote, we intend to require a public shareholder seeking redemption
of its public shares to also submit a written request for redemption to our transfer agent two business days prior to the scheduled
vote in which the name of the beneficial owner of such shares is included. The proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable,
that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are
requiring public shareholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. We believe that this will allow our transfer agent to efficiently
process any redemptions without the need for further communication or action from the redeeming public shareholders, which could delay
redemptions and result in additional administrative cost. If the proposed initial business combination is not approved and we continue
to search for a target company, we will promptly return any certificates or shares delivered by public shareholders who elected to redeem
their shares.
Our
proposed initial business combination may impose a minimum cash requirement for (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target
or its owners, (ii) cash for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy
other conditions. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all public shares that are validly submitted
for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed initial business combination
exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the initial business combination or redeem any shares, and
all public shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof. We may, however, raise funds through the issuance
of equity or equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination,
including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop arrangements we may enter into following consummation of the IPO, in order
to, among other reasons, satisfy such net tangible assets or minimum cash requirements.
Limitation
on Redemption Upon Completion of Our Initial Business Combination If We Seek Shareholder Approval
If
we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business
combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that a public
shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as
a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights
with respect to Excess Shares without our prior consent. We believe this restriction will discourage shareholders from accumulating large
blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to exercise their redemption rights against a proposed
business combination as a means to force us or our management to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market
price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public shareholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares
sold in the IPO 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 the IPO without our prior consent, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group
of shareholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our initial business combination, particularly in connection
with a business combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of
cash.
However,
we would not be restricting our shareholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our
initial business combination.
Delivering
Share Certificates in Connection with the Exercise of Redemption Rights
As
described above, we intend to require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders
or hold their shares in “street name,” to, at the holder’s option, either deliver their share certificates to our transfer
agent or deliver their shares to our transfer agent electronically using the Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal
At Custodian) system, prior to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. In the case of proxy
materials, this date may be up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the initial business
combination. In addition, if we conduct redemptions in connection with a shareholder vote, we intend to require a public shareholder
seeking redemption of its public shares to also submit a written request for redemption to our transfer agent two business days
prior to the scheduled vote in which the name of the beneficial owner of such shares is included. The proxy materials or tender offer
documents, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will
indicate whether we are requiring public shareholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. Accordingly, a public shareholder would
have up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the initial business combination if we distribute proxy materials,
or from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, as applicable, to submit or tender
its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. In the event that a shareholder fails to comply with these or any
other procedures disclosed in the proxy or tender offer materials, as applicable, its shares may not be redeemed. Given the relatively
short exercise period, it is advisable for shareholders to use electronic delivery of their public shares.
14
There
is a nominal cost associated with the above-referenced process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the
DWAC system. The transfer agent will typically charge the broker submitting or tendering shares a fee of approximately $100 and it would
be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the redeeming holder. However, this fee would be incurred regardless of whether
or not we require holders seeking to exercise redemption rights to submit or tender their shares. The need to deliver shares is a requirement
of exercising redemption rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated.
Any
request to redeem such shares, once made, may be withdrawn at any time up to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer
documents, as applicable. Furthermore, if a holder of a public share delivered its certificate in connection with an election of redemption
rights and subsequently decides prior to the applicable date not to elect to exercise such rights, such holder may simply request that
the transfer agent return the certificate (physically or electronically). It is anticipated that the funds to be distributed to holders
of our public shares electing to redeem their shares will be distributed promptly after the completion of our initial business combination.
If
our initial business combination is not approved or completed for any reason, then our public shareholders who elected to exercise their
redemption rights would not be entitled to redeem their shares for the applicable pro rata share of the trust account. In such case,
we will promptly return any certificates delivered by public holders who elected to redeem their shares.
If
our initial proposed business combination is not completed, we may continue to try to complete a business combination with a different
target until the end of the completion window.
Redemption
of Public Shares and Liquidation if No Initial Business Combination
Our
amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that we will have only the duration of the completion window to complete
our initial business combination. If we have not completed our initial business combination within such time period, we will 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 amounts not previously released to us for permitted
withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay liquidation expenses), divided by the number of then issued and 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 our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and
the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants,
which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the completion window.
Our
sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have waived their rights to liquidating
distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination
within the completion window, although they will entitled to liquidating distributions from assets outside the trust account. However,
if our sponsor or management team acquire public shares in or after the IPO, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from
the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the allotted completion
window.
Our
sponsor, officers, directors and director nominees have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any
amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation
to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete
our initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’
rights or pre-initial business combination activity, in each case unless we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem
their public shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on
deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (net of taxes paid or payable) and not
previously released to us for permitted withdrawals, divided by the number of then issued and outstanding public shares.
We
expect that all costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, as well as payments to any creditors, will be
funded from amounts remaining out of the approximately $1,450,000 of proceeds held outside the trust account and funds we may withdraw
from interest earned on the trust account pursuant to permitted withdrawals, although we cannot assure you 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 plan
of dissolution, to the extent that there is any interest accrued in the trust account not required to pay taxes, 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.
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If
we were to expend all of the net proceeds of the IPO and the sale of the private placement warrants, other than the proceeds deposited
in the trust account, and without taking into account interest, if any, earned on the trust account less taxes paid or payable, the per-share
redemption amount received by shareholders upon our dissolution would be approximately $10.00. The proceeds deposited in the trust account
could, however, become subject to the claims of our creditors which would have higher priority than the claims of our public shareholders.
We cannot assure you that the actual per-share redemption amount received by shareholders will not be substantially less than $10.00.
While we intend to pay such amounts, if any, we cannot assure you that we will have funds sufficient to pay or provide for all creditors’
claims.
Although
we will seek to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute
agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit
of our public shareholders, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements or even if they execute such agreements that
they would be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account including but not limited to fraudulent inducement, breach of
fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order
to gain an advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third party refuses
to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management will consider whether competitive
alternatives are reasonably available to us and will only enter into an agreement with such third party if management believes that such
third party’s engagement would be in the best interests of the company under the circumstances. Examples of possible instances
where we may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third party consultant whose particular
expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute
a waiver or in cases where management is unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. WithumSmith+Brown, PC, our independent
registered public accounting firm, and the underwriters of the IPO will not execute agreements with us waiving such claims to the monies
held in the trust account. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the
future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust
account for any reason. In order to protect the amounts held in the trust account, our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us
if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to us (except for the Company’s independent
registered public accounting firm), or a prospective target business with which we have entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality
or other similar agreement or business combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below the lesser of
(i) $10.00 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation
of the trust account, if less than $10.00 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case less taxes paid
or payable and up to $100,000 of interest to pay liquidation expenses, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a
third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the trust account (whether
or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of the IPO against certain
liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, we have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification
obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and we
believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be
able to satisfy those obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the trust account, the funds available
for our initial business combination and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.00 per public share.
In
such event, we may not be able to complete our initial business combination, and you would receive such lesser amount per share in connection
with any redemption of your public shares. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties including,
without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
In
the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share and (ii) the actual
amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account if less than $10.00 per share
due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case less taxes paid or payable and up to $100,000 of interest to pay liquidation
expenses, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its indemnification obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations
related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce
its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against
our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business
judgment may choose not to do so in any particular instance 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. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that due to claims of creditors the actual value of the per-share redemption price will not
be less than $10.00 per share.
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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, 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 the IPO against certain liabilities, including liabilities under
the Securities Act. We will have access to up to approximately $1,450,000 from the proceeds of the IPO with which to pay any such potential
claims (including costs and expenses incurred in connection with our liquidation, currently estimated to be no more than approximately
$100,000). In the event that we liquidate and it is subsequently determined that the reserve for claims and liabilities is insufficient,
shareholders who received funds from our trust account could be liable for claims made by creditors. In the event that our offering expenses
exceed our estimate of $550,000, we may fund such excess with funds from the funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case,
the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event
that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $550,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account
would increase by a corresponding amount.
If
we file a bankruptcy or winding-up petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or winding-up petition is filed against us that is not dismissed,
the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy or insolvency law, and may be included in our bankruptcy
or insolvency estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our shareholders. To the extent any
bankruptcy or insolvency claims deplete the trust account, we cannot assure you we will be able to return $10.00 per share to our public
shareholders. Additionally, if we file a bankruptcy or winding-up petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or winding-up petition is filed
against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by shareholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or
bankruptcy/insolvency laws as either a “preferential transfer” or a “fraudulent conveyance, preference or disposition.”
As a result, a liquidator or bankruptcy, insolvency 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 our company to claims of punitive damages, by paying public shareholders from the trust
account prior to addressing the claims of creditors. We cannot assure you that claims will not be brought against us for these reasons.
Our
public shareholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only (i) in the event of the redemption of our public
shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within the completion window, (ii) in connection with a shareholder
vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation
to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete
our initial business combination within the completion window or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’
rights or pre-initial business combination activity or (iii) if they redeem their respective shares for cash in connection with
the completion of our initial business combination. In no other circumstances will a shareholder have any right or interest of any kind
to or in the trust account. In the event that we seek shareholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, a shareholder’s
voting in connection with the business combination alone will not result in a shareholder’s redeeming its shares to us for an applicable
pro rata share of the trust account. Such shareholder must have also exercised its redemption rights described above. These provisions
of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, like all provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles
of association, may be amended with a shareholder vote.
In
identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business for our initial business combination, we may encounter competition from other
entities having a business objective similar to ours, including other special purpose acquisition companies, private equity groups and
leveraged buyout funds, public companies and operating businesses seeking strategic acquisitions. Many of these entities are well established
and have extensive experience identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Moreover, many of these
competitors possess similar or greater financial, technical, human and other resources than us. Our ability to acquire larger target
businesses will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition
of a target business. Furthermore, our obligation to pay cash in connection with our public shareholders who exercise their redemption
rights may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination and our issued and outstanding warrants, and the
future dilution they potentially represent, may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses. Either of these factors may place
us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating an initial business combination.
Facilities
We
currently utilize office space at 2727 LBJ Freeway Suite 1010, Farmers Branch, TX 75234 as our executive offices which is being
provided to us through our sponsor at no cost. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease
paying these monthly fees. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.
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Employees
We
have three executive officers. These individuals are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters and intend to
devote only as much time as they deem necessary to our affairs. The amount of time they will devote in any time period will vary based
on whether a target business has been selected for the business combination and the stage of the business combination process the company
is in. Accordingly, once management locates a suitable target business to acquire, they will spend more time investigating such target
business and negotiating and processing the business combination (and consequently spend more time to our affairs) than they would prior
to locating a suitable target business. We presently expect our executive officers to devote such amount of time as they reasonably believe
is necessary to our business (which could range from only a few hours a week while we are trying to locate a potential target business
to a majority of their time as we move into serious negotiations with a target business for a business combination). We do not intend
to have any full time employees prior to the consummation of a business combination.
Periodic
Reporting and Financial Information
We
have registered our units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants under the Exchange Act and have reporting obligations, including
the requirement that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with the SEC. In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act,
our annual reports will contain financial statements audited and reported on by our independent registered public accountants.
We
will provide shareholders with audited financial statements of the prospective target business as part of the proxy solicitation materials
or tender offer documents sent to shareholders to assist them in assessing the target business. In all likelihood, these financial statements
will need to be prepared in accordance with, or reconciled to, GAAP or IFRS, depending on the circumstances, and the historical financial
statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. These financial statement requirements may
limit the pool of potential target businesses we may conduct an initial business combination with because some targets may be unable
to provide such financial statements in time for us to disclose such financial statements in accordance with federal proxy rules and
complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame. We cannot assure you that any particular target business
identified by us as a potential business combination candidate will have financial statements prepared in accordance with the requirements
outlined above, or that the potential target business will be able to prepare its financial statements in accordance with the requirements
outlined above. To the extent that these requirements cannot be met, we may not be able to acquire the proposed target business. While
this may limit the pool of potential business combination candidates, we do not believe that this limitation will be material.
We
will be required to evaluate our internal control procedures for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026 as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer, and no longer qualify as an emerging growth
company, will we be required to have our internal control procedures audited. A target business may not be in compliance with the provisions
of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of their internal controls. The development of the internal controls of any such entity
to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such business combination.
We
have filed a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the
Exchange Act. As a result, we are subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act. We have no current
intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent to the
consummation of our initial business combination.
We
are a Cayman Islands exempted company. Exempted companies are Cayman Islands companies conducting business mainly outside the Cayman
Islands and, as such, are exempted from complying with certain provisions of the Companies Act. As an exempted company, we have applied
for and received a tax exemption undertaking from the Cayman Islands government that, in accordance with Section 6 of the Tax Concessions
Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands, for a period of 30 years from the date of the undertaking, no law which is enacted in the
Cayman Islands imposing any tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations will apply to us or our operations and, in addition,
that no tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations or which is in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax will
be payable (i) on or in respect of our shares, debentures or other obligations or (ii) by way of the withholding in whole or
in part of a payment of dividends or other distribution of income or capital by us to our shareholders or a payment of principal or interest
or other sums due under a debenture or other obligation of us. We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of
the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act. As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting
requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited
to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure
obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding
a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.
If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the
prices of our securities may be more volatile.
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In
addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended
transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards.
In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards
would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.
We
will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth
anniversary of the completion of the IPO, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.235 billion, or (c) in
which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our Class A ordinary shares that are held by
non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion
in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period.
Additionally,
we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting
companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years
of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (1) the
market value of our Class A ordinary shares held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $250 million as of the end of that year’s
second fiscal quarter, or (2) our annual revenues equaled or exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the
market value of our Class A ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s
second fiscal quarter.
Legal
Proceedings
There
is no material litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding currently pending against us or any members of our management team
in their capacity as such, and we and the members of our management team have not been subject to any such proceeding in the 24 months
preceding the date of the prospectus.
However,
during the course of their careers, members of our management team and board of directors and advisors have had significant experience
as founders, board members, officers, executives or employees of other companies. Certain of those persons have been, are currently or
may in the future become involved in litigation, investigations or other proceedings, including relating to the business affairs of such
companies, transactions entered into by such companies, or otherwise, including as follows.
In
May 2016, Stephen Silver, our chief executive officer, entered into a settlement with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”)
for allegedly participating in private securities transactions without providing prior written notice to his firm, Casimir Capital L.P.
Mr. Silver consented to a suspension from association with any FINRA member for six months and disgorgement of $40,000. In December 2016,
Mr. Silver entered into a second settlement with FINRA in connection with allegations that he opened and maintained outside securities
accounts without providing prior written notice to his firm, Jett Capital Advisors, LLC. Mr. Silver consented to a suspension from association
with any FINRA member for five months and a $25,000 fine. Both suspensions have expired, and Mr. Silver has not been the subject of any
FINRA disciplinary actions since 2017.
Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.