Item 1. Business
Item 1. Business.
Introduction
We are a blank check company formed as a Delaware corporation for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (the “business combination”). We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenue to date. Based on our business activities, the Company is a “shell company” as defined under the Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) because we have no operations and nominal assets consisting almost entirely of cash.
On August 6, 2021, we consummated our initial public offering (the “initial public offering”) of 15,000,000 units (the “units”). Each unit consists of one share of Class A common stock and one-half of one redeemable warrant, with each whole warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one share of Class A common stock for $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment. The units were sold at a price of $10.00 per unit, generating gross proceeds of $150,000,000. We granted the underwriters for the initial public offering a 45-day option to purchase up to 2,250,000 additional units to cover over-allotments, if any. On September 17, 2021, the underwriters’ over-allotment option expired unexercised.
Simultaneously with the consummation of the initial public offering, we completed the private sale (the “private placement”) of an aggregate of 3,500,000 warrants (the “private placement warrants”) to the Sponsor at a purchase price of $1.00 per warrant, generating gross proceeds of $3,500,000.
Prior to the consummation of the initial public offering, on January 29, 2021, we issued an aggregate of 5,031,250 shares (the “founder shares”) of our Class B common stock to the Sponsor for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000 in cash. In March 2021, the Sponsor transferred all of the founder shares held by it to members of our board of directors, our management team and persons or entities affiliated with AMCI Group (the “initial shareholders”). On May 14, 2021, certain of our initial stockholders forfeited an aggregate of 718,750 founder shares, resulting in an aggregate of 4,312,500 founder shares outstanding.
A total of $150,000,000, comprised of $148,500,000 of the proceeds from the initial public offering (which amount includes $5,250,000 of the underwriters’ deferred discount) and $1,500,000 of the proceeds of the sale of the private placement warrants, was placed in a U.S.-based trust account (the “trust account”) at UBS Financial Services, Inc., maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee.
The funds held in the trust account are invested in U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting the conditions of Rule 2a-7 of the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations, until the earlier of: (i) the consummation of an initial business combination or (ii) the distribution of the trust account, as described below.
As of December 31, 2021, there was approximately $150,006,000 in investments and cash held in the trust account, which includes interest income available to us for franchise and income tax obligations of approximately $6,000, and approximately $343,000 of cash held outside the trust account. As of December 31, 2021, we have not withdrawn any interest earned from the trust account to pay taxes.
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Effecting Our Initial Business Combination
General
We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any operations until the consummation of our initial business combination. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash held in the trust account, 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), shares issued to the owners of the target, debt issued to bank or other lenders or the owners of the target, or a combination of the foregoing. We may seek to complete our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, which would subject us to the numerous risks inherent in such companies and businesses.
If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt 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 common stock, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction company, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital.
Selection of a target business and structuring of our initial business combination
We intend to pursue an initial business combination target that can provide solutions to the problems of decarbonization and sustainability in heavy industry, including the sectors of clean energy and power, transportation, resource management, environmental services, other heavy industries and technology enabled sustainable solutions. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (as amended on August 3, 2021, our “amended and restated certificate of incorporation”) prohibits us from effectuating a business combination with another blank check company or similar company with nominal operations.
Nasdaq rules require that we must complete one or more initial 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 payable on the interest earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. Our board of directors will make the determination as to the fair market value of our initial business combination. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of our initial business combination (including with the assistance of financial advisors), we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“ FINRA ”) or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. While we consider it likely that our board of directors will be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of the target’s assets or prospects. Additionally, pursuant to 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 stockholders 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 stockholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act 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 stockholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our stockholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be taken into account for purposes of the 80% of net assets test described above. If
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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.
Redemption rights for holders of public shares upon consummation of the initial business combination
We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of Class A common stock upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account 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 and not previously released to us to pay our franchise and income taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is approximately $10.00 per public share as of December 31, 2021. 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. The Sponsor, our 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 any founder shares and shares of Class A common stock underlying the private placement warrants and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination.
Conduct of redemptions pursuant to tender offer rules
If we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), we will, pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation: (a) conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers; and (b) 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.
Submission of our initial business combination to a stockholder vote
In the event that we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, we will distribute proxy materials and, in connection therewith, provide our public stockholders with the redemption rights described above upon completion of the business combination.
If we seek stockholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock are voted in favor of the initial business combination. In such case, our initial stockholders have agreed to vote their founder shares, private placement shares and any public shares purchased during or after the initial public offering, in favor of our initial business combination. Each public stockholder may elect to redeem its public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction. In addition, our initial stockholders have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares, private placement shares and any public shares they may hold in connection with the consummation of the initial business combination.
If we seek stockholder 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 stockholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase public shares or public warrants or a combination thereof 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 to do so. There is no limit on the number of our securities our initial stockholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase in such transactions, subject to compliance with applicable law and Nasdaq rules. Any such price per share may be different than the amount per share a public stockholder would receive if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our initial business combination. Additionally, at any time at or prior to our initial business combination, subject to applicable securities laws (including with respect to material non-public information), our initial stockholders, directors, officers, advisors or 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 held in the trust account will be used to purchase shares or public warrants in such transactions. Such persons will be subject to restrictions in making any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at
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the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will be required to comply with such rules. We expect 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.
The purpose of any such purchases of shares could be to vote such shares in favor of the initial business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the initial business combination or to satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. The purpose of any such purchases of public warrants could be to reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or to vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrant holders for approval in connection with our initial business combination. 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 shares of Class A common stock or warrants 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.
Limitation on Redemption upon Completion of our Initial Business Combination if we Seek Stockholder Approval
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if we seek stockholder 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 certificate of incorporation provides that a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in our initial public offering, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares.” Such restriction shall also be applicable to our affiliates. We believe this restriction will discourage stockholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to exercise their redemption rights against a proposed initial 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 stockholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in our initial public offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us or our management at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our stockholders’ ability to redeem no more than 15% of the shares sold in our initial public offering without our prior consent, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of stockholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our initial business combination, particularly in connection with an initial 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 stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination.
Redemption of Public Shares and Liquidation if no Initial Business Combination
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we will have until twenty-four (24) months from the closing of our initial public offering, or August 6, 2023, to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination by August 6, 2023, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, 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 (net of permitted withdrawals and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware 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 by August 6, 2023.
Recent Developments
On March 8, 2022, we entered into an agreement and plan of merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with AMCI Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and our wholly owned subsidiary (“Merger Sub”), and LanzaTech NZ, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“LanzaTech”). The transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement are referred to herein as the “Proposed Business Combination.”
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The time of the closing of the Proposed Business Combination is referred to herein as the “Closing.” The date of the Closing of the Proposed Business Combination is referred to herein as the “Closing Date.”
Proposed Business Combination
If the Proposed Business Combination is approved by our stockholders and LanzaTech’s stockholders, and the closing conditions in the Merger Agreement are satisfied or waived, then, among other things, upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Merger Agreement and in accordance with Delaware General Corporation Law, Merger Sub will merge with and into LanzaTech, with LanzaTech surviving the merger as our wholly owned subsidiary (the “Merger”). In connection with the consummation of the Merger, we will be renamed “LanzaTech Global, Inc.” and is referred to herein as “New LanzaTech” as of the time following such change of name.
Under the Merger Agreement, we have agreed to acquire all of the outstanding equity interests of LanzaTech for consideration consisting of equity interests of New LanzaTech valued at $1,817,000,000 in the aggregate. The consideration to be paid to holders of shares of LanzaTech capital stock will be shares of common stock of New LanzaTech (“New LanzaTech Common Stock”), valued at $10.00 per share, to be paid at the closing of the Merger. The number of shares of New LanzaTech Common Stock payable in the Merger in respect of each share of LanzaTech capital stock (each, a “LanzaTech Share”) will be determined based on the exchange ratio (the “Exchange Ratio”), and certain corresponding adjustments, in each case as set forth in the Merger Agreement.
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, at Closing: (i) each warrant to purchase LanzaTech Shares (each, a “LanzaTech Warrant”) that is outstanding and unexercised immediately prior to Closing and would automatically be exercised or exchanged in full in accordance with its terms by virtue of the occurrence of the Merger, will be so automatically exercised or exchanged in full for the applicable LanzaTech Shares, and each such LanzaTech Share will be treated as being issued and outstanding immediately prior to Closing and will be canceled and converted into the right to receive the applicable shares of New LanzaTech Common Stock; and (ii) each LanzaTech Warrant that is outstanding and unexercised immediately prior to the Closing and is not automatically exercised in full as described in clause (i) will be converted into a warrant to purchase shares of New LanzaTech Common Stock, in which case (a) the number of shares underlying such New LanzaTech warrant (each, a “New LanzaTech Warrant”) will be determined by multiplying the number of LanzaTech Shares subject to such warrant immediately prior to Closing, by the Exchange Ratio and (b) the per share exercise price of such New LanzaTech Warrant will be determined by dividing the per share exercise price of such LanzaTech Warrant immediately prior to the Effective Time by the Exchange Ratio, except that in the case of certain warrants specified in the Merger Agreement, such exercise price will be $10.00.
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, at Closing, each option to purchase LanzaTech Shares (each, a “LanzaTech Option”) will be converted into an option to purchase a number of shares of New LanzaTech Common Stock (rounded down to the nearest whole share) equal to the product of (i) the number of LanzaTech Shares subject to such LanzaTech Option multiplied by (ii) the Exchange Ratio. The exercise price of such New LanzaTech option will be equal to the quotient of (a) the exercise price per share of such LanzaTech Option in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time divided by (b) the Exchange Ratio (and as so determined, this exercise price will be rounded up to the nearest full cent).
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, at Closing, each award of restricted shares of LanzaTech common stock (each, a “LanzaTech RSA”) that is outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time will be converted into an award of restricted shares of New LanzaTech Common Stock (each, a “New LanzaTech RSA”) on the same terms and conditions as were applicable to such LanzaTech RSA immediately prior to the Effective Time, except that such New LanzaTech RSA will relate to a number of shares of New LanzaTech Common Stock equal to the number of LanzaTech Shares subject to such LanzaTech RSA, multiplied by the Exchange Ratio.
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The closing of the Merger is subject to certain customary conditions, including, among others, (i) adoption by AMCI’s stockholders and LanzaTech’s stockholders of the Merger Agreement and their approval of certain other actions related to the Proposed Business Combination, (ii) the expiration or termination of the waiting period (or any extension thereof) applicable to the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and any ancillary agreements, in each case under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, (iii) the effectiveness of a registration statement on Form S-4 (the “Registration Statement”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) with respect to the shares of New LanzaTech Common Stock to be paid as consideration in the Merger, (iv) there being no government order or law enjoining, prohibiting or making illegal the consummation of the Merger or the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, (v) AMCI having at least $5,000,001 of net tangible assets (as determined in accordance with Rule 3a51-1(g)(1) under the Exchange Act) after giving effect to any payments required to be made in connection with the redemption of AMCI’s public shares and the proceeds from the Subscription Agreements described below, (vi) AMCI having at least $250,000,000 of cash at the closing of the Merger, consisting of cash held in AMCI’s trust account after taking into account any redemption of AMCI’s public shares, and the proceeds from the Subscription Agreements described below, net of transaction expenses of AMCI and LanzaTech, and (vii) the listing on Nasdaq of the shares of New LanzaTech Common Stock issued in connection with the Proposed Business Combination.
For additional information regarding the Merger Agreement, see the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed by us on March 8, 2022.
This Form 10-K does not assume the closing of the Proposed Business Combination.
Competition
In identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business for our initial business combination, we may encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including other blank check companies, private equity groups and leveraged buyout funds, and operating businesses seeking strategic business combinations. Many of these entities are well established and have extensive experience identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Moreover, many of these competitors possess greater financial, technical, human and other resources than we do. Our ability to acquire larger target businesses will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the initial business combination of a target business. Furthermore, our obligation to pay cash in connection with our public stockholders who exercise their redemption rights may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination and our 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.
Employees
We currently have three executive officers. These individuals are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters, but they intend to devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time they will devote in any time period will vary based on the stage of the initial business combination process we are in. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination.
Available Information
We are required to file Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q with the SEC on a regular basis, and are required to disclose certain material events in a Current Report on Form 8-K. The SEC maintains an Internet website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. The SEC’s Internet website is located at www.sec.gov. In addition, the Company will provide copies of these documents without charge upon request from us in writing at 600 Steamboat Road, Greenwich, CT 06830 or by telephone at (203) 625-9200.
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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.